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Author Topic: Fashions/Styles for Weapon and Armour  (Read 626 times)

Dwarf Clooney

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Fashions/Styles for Weapon and Armour
« on: November 24, 2020, 10:40:05 pm »

Hallo,

I enjoy to play DF for quite some time and I'm a big fan of all the possibilities that the game has to offer. The game has some procedural generated aspects, why not the same for weapon and armour? So I want to suggest a deeper description system that maybe was already suggested in some kind, but I just want to write down my approach on it.

The idea is, that every civilizations weapon and armour, has their own style in appearance, called "Fashions". So the ordinary "+iron short sword+" becomes a "+[civilization name] iron short sword+" with a more elaborate description, similar to the decorations generated description.

Example 1: +The Curious Empire iron short sword+

v: Description

This is a finely crafted iron short sword, in a "The Curious Empire" Fashion. It has a upturn cross guard. This was invented by the Human Weaponsmith "Amsan Buttonsinches" in the Year 86.

So the system is like: "... normal Description..."+" in a [civilization name] Fashion.+"...one property...".+"Inventor"+"profession"+"Date".

An "Fashion" can also have more than one appearance characteristics.

Example 2:

+<<*The Moist Pick small steel Helm*>>+
This is a superior quality small steel Helm, in a "The Moist Pick" Fashion. It is shaped in a Frog mouth style. This was invented by the Dwarf Armourer "Catten Orbsorgans" in the Year 41. It has a plume attached on it. This was invented by the Dwarf Armourer "Feb Weaverletters" in the Year 194. It has a moveable visor. This was invented by the Dwarf Armourer "Črith Toolape" in the Year 275. This object is adorned with hanging rings of finely-crafted lay pewter and menaces with spikes of finely-crafted magnetite.

You see there is no conflict with the decorations descriptions in Example 2.

My original intention is to have more variability in loot and a increase in role-playing aspects. But if you think further their is a lot potential for game features like...

Gameplay Feature 1

"Weapon and Armour Evolution"

If you connect the appearance properties with object parameters like weight, contact area, velocity, coverage. Than it is possible that a civ has in one or more weapon/armour category an "advanced" variant.

Example 3:

-The Searing Nations bronze breastplate-
This is a well-crafted bronze breastplate, in a "The Searing Nations" Fashion. It is wedge-shaped (property1). This was invented by the Human Armourer "Dixil Cookfords" in the Year 78. It has a fluted style (property2). This was invented by the Human Armourer "Ikar Shimmerrobust" in the Year 177. It is thicker than usual (property3). This was invented by the Human Armourer "Ikar Shimmerrobust" in the Year 203. It has an additional plate reinforcement on the lower part (property4). This was invented by the Human Armourer "Ňabsiz Whiskblazes" in the Year 341.

property1= more pierce resistance
property2= maybe a higher deflection rate and definitely more swagg
property3= more protection and weight
property4= more coverage and weight 

So the "-The Searing Nations bronze breastplate-" with 4 properties, would be superior to a another
"-bronze breastplate-" from a different Civilization, with only 1 or 2 properties. A longer timeline generates probably more advanced Armoury but it's not a sure thing for every entity. Maybe one Civilization has more or less their default weapons and the other comes with full-plate shock cavalry.

I am aware that the above has to be thought through a lot more, but for the beginning... What is your opinion?
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Nordlicht

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Re: Fashions/Styles for Weapon and Armour
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2020, 11:05:55 am »

I like that: I only would go without the inventor part. As it develops over time we may end up with dozens of names make it harder to read than necessary. Your examples are basically 90% names and invention dates.


Maybe have them in an inventions tab in legend mode, but not on every item.
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Dwarf Clooney

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Re: Fashions/Styles for Weapon and Armour
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2020, 12:03:41 pm »

Yeah, the whole "Innovations" part is the real complicated thing. I don't know nothing about programming, so it's hard for me, to implement a "rule" set for that kind of thing. But crudely I imagine it in the following way.

The World generating starts with default weapon/armour. Every Civilization has a chance to make an innovation in one category (swords,crossbows,gauntlets) based on time and events, like inbetween wars, after lost battles, after mega Beast attacks. Innovations should only occur if the involved Civilization part(Castle, Fortress, Town) has survived the trigger event. Innovations should only be possible by highly skilled individuals and must be rare. Innovations made by your Fortress should quickly adopt by your Civilization and vice versa. Each innovation stacks chronologically on items. Innovations should be object specific, this means a property for long swords, are not valid for short or two-handed swords and vice versa. Every innovation can only occur once each category (no double thickness Armour). Each item category has it's own pool of possible innovations.

You asked yourself why the "Inventor" and "Date" Description? First, I think it's pretty Dwarf Fortress like. Second, if you have Fashion invented dates, than you can assume one object's age. Not in a explicit manner, but more in a "epoch" categorized manner.

Possible Gameplay Feature 2: "Antiques"

Example 4:

xThe Tomes of Flickering copper spear x
This is a copper spear, in a "The Tomes of Flickering" Fashion. It has a leaf-shaped head. This was invented by the Dwarf Weaponsmith "Kadol Tulonzatan" in the Year 64. It has two prominent wings at the base of the Head. This was invented by the Dwarf Weaponsmith "Kadol Tulonzatan" in the Year 112. This object  shows some wear.

We presuppose that you find this object in a abundant Fortress in the actual Year 550. "The Tomes of Flickering" is an extinct Civilization. They where wiped out by a Hydra, in the Year 150. So you can assume, this spear is at least 400 years old and becomes an antique object, for every intelligent creature, with the sufficient historical information.
This also works for your home Civilization.

Example 5:

+The Passionate Bodices steel mail shirt+
This is a finely-crafted steel mail shirt, in a "The Passionate Bodices" Fashion. It has a 2 to 4 grid pattern. This was invented by the Dwarf Armourer "Kadôl Dorenthortith" in the Year 121. The single ring-pieces are wedge-shaped. This was invented by the Dwarf Armourer "Melbil Nishevost" in the Year 165. The composing rings are tightly riveted. This was invented by the Dwarf Armourer "Imush Udibkib" in the Year 224. The mail itself is made in alternating rows. This was invented by the Dwarf Armourer "Imush Udibkib" in the Year 258.

Again we presuppose that the "The Passionate Bodices" are your home Civilization and the "Example 5" mail shirt with 4 properties, is the actual Fashion in the Year 300. So every other mail shirt, in a "The Passionate Bodices" Fashion you find, by goblin loot, tombs, tower zombies, old battlefields, with less than 4 properties, is automatically from an older "epoch".
The deal is, that every weapon/armour has not only their value based on material and quality, but also by age. Than you can make extra Museums, with antique Armoury, from long ago fallen Civilizations or Ancestors, and every Dwarf that see that, get the thought how briefly our time is in this Universe... begone fear!

Do you understand what I mean?
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