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Author Topic: *Wizard Tower* (.36d) [for DF 31.25] - Multispectral  (Read 121107 times)

SethCreiyd

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*Wizard Tower* (.36d) [for DF 31.25] - Multispectral
« on: June 15, 2010, 06:24:42 am »


Spoiler: Changelog (click to show/hide)

Welcome to Wizard Tower, the Dwarf Fortress mod that lets you guide seven intrepid wizards as they toil to create a monument worthy of their nation.  Wizards are each born with certain unique powers and are capable of manipulating matter in ways the others races cannot.

Download Link:  Here!
Alternate Versions:  Genesis Compatible version (outdated)
Installation:  Extract the .zip file to the Dwarf Fortress folder.
Uninstalling:  Delete all files in the raw/objects folder that end in '_wizard.'  Also delete any files that end in "_resource" and "_ff" unless you are using other mods that use these files.

Installing this mod makes no changes to original files or pre-existing saved games.  You can install the mod, generate a world, then uninstall the mod without adversely affecting the modded world's playability.  If updating the mod from a version earlier than .19 you should uninstall the older version first to prevent duplicate entries (some filenames are changed).

Wizards

Human-like creatures, shrouded in mystery and endowed with incomprehensible powers.  They are oft considered pernicious, covetous and greedy, though the average wizard is no worse a sort than that of any other people.  They often have trouble getting along with one another, and so Wizard Towers generally cope poorly with unrest and chaos.  They tend to be isolated from most of the worlds, coming out to trade only rarely and even then usually only amongst themselves.  Their cities and Universities, while sometimes quite vast, only rarely entertain visitors.

Sorcerers

Bad wizards.  They are pernicious, covetous and greedy, with the morals of demons.  They have a distinct language but share most of the abilities that wizards have, excelling, to say, in different areas.  They can usually be found by following the stench of death to the nearest conspicuous obsidian tower jutting out of the mountainside like a sore-covered thumb.

Wizards and Sorcerers are fully playable in Fortress Mode along with Dwarves.  Use Tab on the embark screen to cycle to the civilizations menu and use the +/- keys to scroll through the available civilizations.  The Neighbors tab will show the creatures inhabiting your selected nation at the top of a list.  Wizard settlements show on the map as a blue '#' symbol (if they survived well), while Sorcerers and their fortresses show up as circles and '∏' symbols.

  • Interesting Social Dynamics:  For whatever reason, Wizards often and easily form grudges.  That Sorcerers also have this problem is less mysterious.
  • Survival of the Fittest:  The Wizard caravan won't arrive until an entire year has passed, so until then, you are on your own.
  • Cutting Edge Science:  Wizards don't break the laws of physics, they merely bend them in a liberal manner.  Diamond towers a distinct possibility.
  • Almost Balanced Gameplay:  Despite their powers, wizards are as frail as any other hyper-intelligent magical person.
  • Unique Noble Structure:  The Wizards and Sorcerers both take unique approaches to the processes they refer to as "government."
  • Demanding Aristocracy:  Overseers of Sorcerer lairs are more than happy to personally see to the executions of insubordinate minions, and the candy hammer will only extend the suffering.
  • Willful Underlings:  All wizards know how to magically open a locked door, even as a child.  More cunning devices are needed to keep them put.
  • Animated Matter:  Golems and homunculi, two separate cultures' solutions to a common problem.
  • Undead Humanoids:  Where the zombies come from, no one is sure, but the children the Sorcerers kidnap are seldom seen as adults.
  • Proud Hunters:  Whether or not a Wizard is considered prey may vary from centaur to centaur.
  • New Artwork:  Marvel at this masterful engraving of two kobold musicians and kegs.
  • New Items and Monsters:  Put on your titanium mail robe and phoenix leather pointed hat.
  • New Buildings and Reactions:  Invent needlessly complicated and expensive ways to set massive fires.

Spoiler: Screenshots: (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Q & A (click to show/hide)

Thanks and Credits

The Adams brothers for Dwarf Fortress, their incredible work and inspiring dedication
Deon, who provided Wizard/Sorcerer tiles when the mod first began,
Mike Mayday for his tileset, which I used as a base to learn and make graphics
Warlord255 for his bonfire mod which was a base for the fire
Adultratedhydra and forsaken1111 for suggestions used for golems and homunculi
kaypy for the Display Case and Lazureus for the Crematory
D_E for bringing [SKILL_LEARN_RATE] to my attention
Rask for reporting arena mode, wand testing and other problems
forsaken1111 for the deflecting orb and numerous other suggestions
OrionKale for finding and helping correct a number of post .25 issues
The contributors of MagmaWiki, especially concerning custom buildings and reactions

Thanks everyone!

« Last Edit: January 25, 2012, 12:07:42 am by SethCreiyd »
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Deon

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2010, 08:52:22 am »

That is a mind-blowingly cool mod.

Your mod combines all I like in DF modding so much! Unique castes, cool reactions and awesome design :).

I would suggest making a help file with all reactions and workshops in the download, it will make the life much easier.

I voted 5.0 on DFFD.

P.S. And add a wizard color as the first line of their description as I did to my dwarves. I.e. "(Red wizard) Red wizards... blablabla..."
« Last Edit: June 15, 2010, 09:00:09 am by Deon »
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RavingManiac

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2010, 09:00:37 am »

In the old days of 40d, it would be a simple matter to make staffs cause heat and cold damage. Now, you use them to club your opponent to death. Ah well.

What exactly do scrolls do? Do they increase skill or attributes? Is it possible to use them as ammunition?
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Cat:"THIEF! Protect the hoard from the skulking filth!"
The resulting party killed 20 dwarves, crippled 2 more and the remaining 9 managed to get along and have a nice party.

Nabobalis

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2010, 09:44:45 am »

I'll be sure to give this a go. Hope you can get some tile set for the wizards.
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Deon

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2010, 10:48:25 am »

I had nice tiles for wizards. Let me check.
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Deon

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2010, 11:15:24 am »

Okay, can't find it.

Here're a few attempts I drew in a minute.

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darius

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2010, 11:40:49 am »

Woah now this is something...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
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s20dan

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2010, 12:11:45 pm »


Here're a few attempts I drew in a minute.




They're actually really good :)
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Meanmelter

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2010, 03:55:30 pm »

Dwarf Fortress: Even Wizards are assaulting for the goods! :P
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asnys

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2010, 10:51:46 pm »

This is really cool.   One quick suggestion: you might want to change parchment to vellum.
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afoninv

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2010, 11:24:52 pm »

Wow... awesome concept. I am totally freaked out by the very idea of constant grudging and disquiet in the ranks. This, increased demands from nobs, and fire-wielding castes (do I miss anything?) will make happiness management and social relations important once again. Combined with burrowing feature of .31... I can't imagine the full impact it will have on the gameplay. I think term 'total conversion' is applicable =)

This is really great, I'm gonna try your mod ASAP.

BTW, how do you encourage players to live aboveground and not dig in? I feel that underground dwelling wizards are somewhat counter-lorewise, and as far as I can see, only outdoor farming keeps player somewhat tied to the surface in your mod.
I can suggest introducing some side-product to most reactions named, say, 'transmutational spoils', 'magic waste' or 'tainted mana' that is technically remains. So either you would need many dedicated haulers to prevent miasming... or live aboveground and care not a thing!

And one quick question to anyone who knows. How does pathfinding work in regard to flying creatures in playable civ? Say, if I make a special tower for purple wizards which is accessible only from the roof - will it actually work, or it will just constantly make dwarves wizards stuck?

***

SethCreiyd, thanks again for your mod!
« Last Edit: June 15, 2010, 11:51:08 pm by afoninv »
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magikarcher

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2010, 01:52:48 am »

I love me some castes. Give me a mod with any form of castes in it and I am happy :D The wizard theme is cool too, I can foresee some cool roleplaying Community Story opportunities here with this mod too.
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Adultratedhydra

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2010, 07:48:17 am »

So i dled this mod because i love the sound of the concept, mainly because i love discworld and the ability to craft something akin to the unseen university is an attractive one, when i had a orange wizard arrive and he was friendly. is this intended? also he arrived about 4 days after the fort began heh.
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SethCreiyd

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2010, 08:02:48 am »

Version .1.1 is up.  The most important change is a crash fix involving wands, the concentration skill, and the military screen.  I changed wands to use the various weapon skills now.  It's unfortunate, but it beats crashing any day, and it works pretty well for what it is.  The meditation chamber will be redone to train specific weapon skills using the associated wands.

Thanks everyone, I am honored.  Deon, I've taken your advice and included casted descriptions with this release, and a reference for reactions and buildings.  And those sprites are great!  I'd like to give the wizards graphics as soon as possible, but it will probably take me a while, I'm not much of a sprite artist.

Right now the scrolls are only useful for training prose, reading and student (through a scroll rack).  There isn't a great deal to keep players above ground other than the name of the mod, and the farming, as you mentioned.  There's aquifers, at least.  Even so, the wizards having a deep elaborate underground dungeon is fitting, and either way, the player should be free to run with the ball in any direction, just as with dwarves.  It's a different experience to build up rather than dig down, and that may be incentive enough for some to try it.

I haven't done enough experiments with fliers in fortress mode to say for sure, but it seems like they path like normal creatures until forced into the air, and then they just land as soon as possible.  I have to get a controlled setup going involving bridges and pillars.

So i dled this mod because i love the sound of the concept, mainly because i love discworld and the ability to craft something akin to the unseen university is an attractive one, when i had a orange wizard arrive and he was friendly. is this intended? also he arrived about 4 days after the fort began heh.

Whoops.  Orange wizards were missing attack trigger tag under their [SEMIMEGABEAST] tag.  Dunno how that disappeared, but it's there now.  That should prevent this from happening again.  In the meantime, enjoy your new powerful-but-free-thinking soldier.
« Last Edit: June 16, 2010, 08:11:54 am by SethCreiyd »
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forsaken1111

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Re: *Wizard Tower* (.10) [for DF 31.06]
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2010, 08:17:16 am »

A very cool looking mod which I have not had time to try yet, but plan to do so soon.

I have some questions/comments/suggestions.

-Why do gemstones come from bauxite?
-Wooden meat?
-As someone above said, it should be vellum instead of parchment. And shouldn't a creature skin make more than one?
-The Display Case is an insanely good idea. How does it work? Do you have to dump the item near the case or can you select it from a list? (I will probably find out soon.)
-I see you have buildings for increasing the reading, prose, and speaking skills. What effect does this have?

Edit: Just saw that the display case is from elsewhere. :)
« Last Edit: June 16, 2010, 08:47:18 am by forsaken1111 »
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