Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: [1] 2 3

Author Topic: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!  (Read 9124 times)

MagicJuggler

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« on: October 14, 2008, 03:50:32 pm »

Hello everyone. Today, I have my most controversial suggestion yet! Miniaturized technology!

One of the biggest signs of how advanced technology is may be just how small it is. Computers used to be very big objects, but nowadays can fit in the palm of your hand or eventually inside your heart. Gonnes used to be huge cannon-like apparatuses that required setting up and using properly, but are now as easy to carry as anything else.

The suggestion I propose is that supposing a person designs something really awesome, such as a giant mechanical hand, or belt-fed cannon, that one should be capable of taking the design and attempting to "miniaturize" it, in essence making it fit for even a Dwarf. Would there be any possibility of making something like this technically feasible?
Logged

Neonivek

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2008, 03:51:51 pm »

There would need to be stolen technology for this idea to overall work...
Logged

MagicJuggler

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2008, 03:55:05 pm »

I seriously doubt such an idea would be feasible, which is why I put controversial idea; unless damage was less hardcoded and more contingent on collisions, in which case one could simply define the melee functions as swinging or thrusting, with the assorted stuff such as points determining damage-type...meh.
Logged

PTTG??

  • Bay Watcher
  • Kringrus! Babak crulurg tingra!
    • View Profile
    • http://www.nowherepublishing.com
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2008, 06:00:22 pm »

...supposing a person designs something really awesome, such as a giant mechanical hand, or belt-fed cannon, that one should be capable of taking the design and attempting to "miniaturize" it...

This is the Dwarf Fortress Forum. The Warhammer and Dungeons and Dragons threads are elsewhere. Come back when you want to talk about burning kittens and zerging elves.
Logged
A thousand million pool balls made from precious metals, covered in beef stock.

Duke 2.0

  • Bay Watcher
  • [CONQUISTADOR:BIRD]
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2008, 06:14:04 pm »


 If we could miniaturize things, we would have everybody wielding drawbridges and utterly atomizing eachother with them.

 Then again, that sounds like something DF would come up with.
Logged
Buck up friendo, we're all on the level here.
I would bet money Andrew has edited things retroactively, except I can't prove anything because it was edited retroactively.
MIERDO MILLAS DE VIBORAS FURIOSAS PARA ESTRANGULARTE MUERTO

Neonivek

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2008, 06:16:33 pm »

I barely understand what the topic creator even means...
Logged

JohnieRWilkins

  • Bay Watcher
  • @_@?
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #6 on: October 14, 2008, 06:23:56 pm »


 If we could miniaturize things, we would have everybody wielding drawbridges and utterly atomizing eachother with them.

 Then again, that sounds like something DF would come up with.
Oh, you obviously have no idea what you just did. This is the most awesome idea to come from the forums yet. Making a mod.
Logged
- But honestly, if you think
If we could miniaturize things, we would have everybody wielding drawbridges and utterly atomizing

Tormy

  • Bay Watcher
  • I shall not pass?
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2008, 06:29:02 pm »

I barely understand what the topic creator even means...

Same here to be honest.  :-X
Logged

MagicJuggler

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2008, 07:14:04 pm »

The original intent of the idea was that many large-bulky technologies have become smaller over time. The idea was initially intended so that one could build a smaller dwarfputer that rather than taking 10x10x10 blocks could take 2x2x2 blocks, or even less depending on the iterations of the technology built. In the case of weapon design...well, that would end up being something else entirely...the original intent for weapons was the flamethrower as a smaller version of a magma pump but such a techbase could truly be abused...

We need some rules if this thing should work:
1) All things miniaturized can only be made of constructed materials. E.g. no earthen computers...
Logged

Terry von Feledae

  • Bay Watcher
  • It's Mechadwarf!
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #9 on: October 14, 2008, 07:21:53 pm »

So, I understand it as building one of those huge floodgates-and-pressure-plates computers or something among those lines and then ordering our dwarves to make a version of it that counts as a single item?

...I'm not sure how that would work, particulary with certain more outlandish constructions.
Logged

MagicJuggler

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #10 on: October 14, 2008, 07:28:16 pm »

Effectively, yes. This is why I am suggesting it, even though I doubt it would probably work.
Logged

scribbler

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #11 on: October 14, 2008, 07:28:32 pm »

Gonnes used to be huge cannon-like apparatuses that required setting up and using properly...
I thought that said gnomes used to be huge cannon like...  ;D

The idea was initially intended so that one could build a smaller dwarfputer that rather than taking 10x10x10 blocks could take 2x2x2 blocks, or even less

We need pipe laying and control. You know the Minoans had indoor plumbing with flush toilets and the Romans utilized central heating...
Logged
End the slaughter of dorf kittens!
No self respecting beard wants to wear his pet as clothing! Dorfs need population control for pets and bad thoughts from products made from the animals they choose to bond with.
---------
"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats."
-Albert Schweitzer

Mikademus

  • Bay Watcher
  • Pirate ninja dwarves for great justice
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #12 on: October 14, 2008, 07:34:13 pm »

And after miniaturisation we also need to be able to research Advanced Technology.

(Let's see how many that gets that reference)
Logged
You are a pirate!

Quote from: Silverionmox
Quote from: bjlong
If I wanted to recreate the world of one of my favorite stories, I should be able to specify that there is a civilization called Groan, ruled by Earls from a castle called Gormanghast.
You won't have trouble supplying the Countess with cats, or producing the annual idols to be offerred to the castle. Every fortress is a pale reflection of Ghormenghast..

Neonivek

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #13 on: October 14, 2008, 08:01:57 pm »

And after miniaturisation we also need to be able to research Advanced Technology.

(Let's see how many that gets that reference)

Galactic Civilisation II?

Anyhow... What objects would be need to get smaller? the only example the topic creator SEEMS to be able to come up with is a "Dwarfputer".
Logged

MagicJuggler

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Controversial Idea: Miniaturization!
« Reply #14 on: October 14, 2008, 08:14:03 pm »

And after miniaturisation we also need to be able to research Advanced Technology.

(Let's see how many that gets that reference)

Galactic Civilisation II?

Anyhow... What objects would be need to get smaller? the only example the topic creator SEEMS to be able to come up with is a "Dwarfputer".

I've mentioned several other examples such as portable flamethrowers, cannons, etc. Assuming we get blackpowder and more simple machines to work with, one could design exotic items such as grapnel cannons, etc.

Of course, the main issue remains creating a feasible, internally coherent system, that wouldn't completely screw up the core dynamics of the game by allowing portable drawbridge atomsmashers.
Logged
Pages: [1] 2 3