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Author Topic: MOD CONCEPT: Dwarven Automatons  (Read 2746 times)

comicraider

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MOD CONCEPT: Dwarven Automatons
« on: August 17, 2018, 05:36:18 am »

Yeah, I know Automatons are already a thing in Masterwork, but I had my own idea for them.

Instead of being their own separate race, they can be built by Engineers in a new workbench, from stuff like ingots and gears and what have you, standard mechanical stuff.

When built, they function as if they're a fellow dwarf. They talk, walk around, do labors, all that jazz. Only real differences are they don't food and sleep (of course, being Dwarven contraptions, they will run on booze), as well as not aging or getting negative thoughts from nudity. Resilience wise they'll be just as squishy as dwarves unless I can figure out a way to make the material they're made from determine their starting skills but that isn't as important.

This idea came from playing Skyrim the other day and having to kill SO MANY DAMN STEAM ROBOTS, as well as running a succession game where dwarves are in a VERY small number and teetering upon the verge of extinction. It could help bolster a dying civilisation's numbers and possibly even replace them if the original populace is too small to maintain itself, since they are created via workbenches it's likely that Automatons will end up making yet more Automatons.

Anyhow, my main issue is that I am absolutely useless when it comes to modding, best I can do it make the non-Dorf races playable. Would anyone be able to help me out with this or at the least give me a few pointers? I can't understand DFWiki's article on it, I'm useless xD
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KittyTac

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Re: MOD CONCEPT: Dwarven Automatons
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2018, 07:14:22 am »

This is only doable with DFHack, so move this thread to the 3rd-party applications subforum.
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comicraider

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Re: MOD CONCEPT: Dwarven Automatons
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2018, 08:08:34 pm »

It is? Damn. Fair play, didn't know :)

I may have phrased that wrongly, I plan to make my own Automatons instead of fiddling around with Masterwork but I have no idea how modding works xD either way, I shall do away with this thread shortly.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2018, 08:10:21 pm by comicraider »
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Hugo_The_Dwarf

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Re: MOD CONCEPT: Dwarven Automatons
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2018, 08:21:06 pm »

That type of spawning would require DFHack.

If you want to avoid scripting, you could create a liquid that if dumped on a creature (chicken, dog, cat, etc) transform it into a Automation Constructor for roughly 2 years.

This automation constructor (combined with another transformed creature into the MALE and FEMALE respectively) would breed and create normal automations (maybe a rare chance to make a perm constructor).

Automation creatures themselves of the makeup is very fun to create, I may add.
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Putnam

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Re: MOD CONCEPT: Dwarven Automatons
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2018, 10:10:34 am »

haven't tested them yet, gimme a while, i went on a content binge lately

Pvt. Pirate

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Re: MOD CONCEPT: Dwarven Automatons
« Reply #7 on: August 29, 2018, 02:22:04 pm »

i support the general idea. they should be expensive and less squishy than dorfs - just like metal-collossi, but smaller and a little weaker :D
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comicraider

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Re: MOD CONCEPT: Dwarven Automatons
« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2018, 07:27:09 pm »

The liquid thing isn't a bad shout. It could be like fiendish dust or what have you and turn creatures into their metal variants instead of straight-up DorfBots. Easy way to immortality and being less squishy. Only thing I'm unsure about is how to make sure they don't turn hostile and/or be classed as night creatures. Wonder if it would stack with necromancy/werebeast/vampirism? I could create a race of unstoppable metal beings that can raise the dead with a snap of their fingers :P
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Shonai_Dweller

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Re: MOD CONCEPT: Dwarven Automatons
« Reply #9 on: August 29, 2018, 10:19:24 pm »

This is only doable with DFHack, so move this thread to the 3rd-party applications subforum.
Was that really necessary? Are you going to insist that all of the mods in the mods forum that use Dfhack post under 3rd party utilities?

This forum is for utilities, Legends Viewer, Soundsense, Dfhack, etc. "Automatons for Dwarf Fortress" will be a mod, not a utility. One which requires a utility to run, yes, but still a mod.
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Pvt. Pirate

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Re: MOD CONCEPT: Dwarven Automatons
« Reply #10 on: August 30, 2018, 10:00:39 am »

This is only doable with DFHack, so move this thread to the 3rd-party applications subforum.
Was that really necessary? Are you going to insist that all of the mods in the mods forum that use Dfhack post under 3rd party utilities?

This forum is for utilities, Legends Viewer, Soundsense, Dfhack, etc. "Automatons for Dwarf Fortress" will be a mod, not a utility. One which requires a utility to run, yes, but still a mod.
i agree with you.

 - i fear the automatons would turn back into regular dorfs once no longer supported by the fuel.
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"dwarves are by definition alcohol powered parasitic beards, which will cling to small caveadapt humanoids." (Chaia)

comicraider

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Re: MOD CONCEPT: Dwarven Automatons
« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2018, 08:34:52 pm »

I see your point. Thinking about it the mini-colossus approach may be the way to go, I'll just make the liquid that can cause the transformation as rare as Adamantine or something, or maybe in small pockets just enough to change a handful of dorfs into immortal metal...dorfs :P I could rig up a system akin to the Dwarven Shower that changes them as they pass through or something.

Shame I have no friggin clue how I'd do any of this xD
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