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Author Topic: Dwarven... "Child Care"  (Read 609954 times)

MarcAFK

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #270 on: August 30, 2011, 01:43:10 am »

I would imagine a meeting zone to work quite well because whenever i forget to pasture my animals or make a larger meeting zone i end up with half my animals getting punched to death by a pissed off expedition leader.
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They're nearly as bad as badgers. Build a couple of anti-buzzard SAM sites marksdwarf towers and your fortress will look like Baghdad in 2003 from all the aerial bolt spam. You waste a lot of ammo and everything is covered in unslightly exploded buzzard bits and broken bolts.

Reelyanoob

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #271 on: August 30, 2011, 01:56:58 am »

In theory, yes.  I'm not sure how well this works for specifics though.  The child (and animals) may wander out naturally in their short-term walking around.  A burrow is definitive, the dwarf cannot leave it normally, but a meeting zone is more of a suggestion.  Of course animals and children both ignore burrows entirely (except for alert burrows) so meeting zone testing needs to be done.
Are you 100% on children ignoring burrows? I remember using burrows to control children the one time I was atom-smashing a lot of them, I don't normally kill any dorfs like this so it stuck in my mind. They were a little sluggish in all gathering in the burrow, but I had 30 children I wanted to get rid of, and about half definitely did trickle in there eventually, but some children did not get the message, so I ended crushing the ones who made it in.

Here's the post where I mentioned it on April 4th. Was probably using latest version at that time:

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=81288.msg2150420#msg2150420

So I'd say they tend to ignore the burrow, or at least they aren't as responsive as adults, but at least some of them seemed to get the "hint", much to their detriment. Maybe "you can burrow them but it's unreliable" would be better.

I remember getting annoyed that the children were not all gathering in the Burrow, and the ones that were there were getting hungry/thirsty (I wanted to execute them all together), so I had to extend a bit of burrow outside the atom-smasher and put some food/drink there. The children went and ate/drank there. I assume they would have gone for regular food/drink later when they were closer to starvation, but the burrow definitely seemed to stop them chasing regular food/drink.

---

EDIT: Maybe making their only food/drink inside the target burrow would get the kids inside quicker?
« Last Edit: August 30, 2011, 02:08:44 am by Reelyanoob »
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arzzult

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #272 on: August 30, 2011, 02:02:26 am »

If they have the "Doesn't really care about anything anymore" flag from seeing lots of deaths wouldn't the mean they wouldn't get upset over friends dieing? If so then you could just desensitize them and train them in a single hell hole with no worries about them berserking. Admittedly you still might have issues with stabilizing the training animal population and getting an even skill progression.
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Girlinhat

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #273 on: August 30, 2011, 02:05:03 am »

"Doesn't really care" isn't 100% reliable.  They're not immune to tantrums, merely resistant.  Minimize chances of Murphy's Law by minimizing risks.

rhesusmacabre

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #274 on: August 30, 2011, 04:06:25 am »

I just saw this and was reminded of this thread.
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monk12

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #275 on: August 31, 2011, 01:11:51 am »

20th Galena, 314

The Dwarven Child Care Program has begun in Drunkensteels. The Subject, codenamed Spartan One, has been placed into a 3x3 engraved bedroom. The room contains four masterwork brass statues, a masterwork silver nestbox, masterwork iron throne and table, a masterwork blood thorn bed, and an empty space for a food stockpile. In all, there are three places to stand in the room- the chair, the bed, and the stockpile. Whether this is too many is yet to be determined.

Spartan One was guided to the room by the simple expedient of assigning the room as his bedroom, then locking the masterwork bronze door behind him when he went there. A mason has been ordered to seal the room off from the outside world with an
Orthoclase Block, so that if the door is destroyed in the case of tantruming containment will not be lost.



Spartan One was selected for the program at the age of four- she is a native daughter of Drunkensteels, born in the cramped, fetid dining hall on the surface. She is very weak, and very quick to tire. Due to her age, she has already accumulated 37 friends, 3 grudges, and was born into a large family of 7, although one of her siblings was kidnapped by goblins the preceding year. In many ways, Spartan One is unsuitable for the program, and indeed military life in general. She was chosen for one purpose- she has already made an artifact.

Spartan One does have some redeeming traits- She has a very good sense of the position of her own body, and she can handle stress. She is an ardent worshiper of two different gods, which may give her some comfort in the times to come. She has a shortage of patience and is quick to anger, which may help her survive the chamber. Her parents are masons, and unlikely to find themselves in harms way. In all, she was destined for life as a useless peasant- we shall attempt to make her something more.

Spartan One's mood entering the chamber was ecstatic. Although troubled by the recent death of another dwarf, she finds the opulent conditions of the chamber to be "like a personal palace." She enjoyed talking with her mother- a thought she shall not have for quite some time. She enjoyed dining in the legendary dining room on the surface- with luck, she will find the dining conditions here equally satisfactory. She enjoyed a truly decadent drink lately- strawberry wine is her favorite, and she shall be supplied with all she can quaff through the surface hatch, as well as masterwork roasts and the odd fisher berry.

Spoiler: Summary of Spartan One (click to show/hide)


24th Galena, 314

A Turkey Hen and Turkey Gobbler have been introduced to the Chamber. The female immediately took up residence in the nest box and laid a clutch of twelve eggs- the male will help overcrowd the Chamber once the poults hatch. Further turkey breeding programs are underway on the surface, to provide fresh fodder for the Chamber.

Status reports shall be filled out at the start of each season, and more frequently as needed.


1st Limetone, 314

Autumn has arrived, but so soon after the last update little has changed. A party was broken up on the surface so a dwarf could be bothered to throw some wine down to the girl- as expected, moving onto the central stockpile space to retrieve the booze caused her to crowd the Gobbler for a time, until it fluttered onto her bed. No poults have yet hatched, and so the conditioning has not yet begun.

Of minor interest is the fact that the Countess of Drunkensteels held her meeting with the Human Law-giver outside Spartan One's Chamber. The Countess has been utterly traumatized by the extravagant sleeping arrangements given to Spartan One, and cannot be reasoned with. Hopefully this will not have a detrimental effect on the Project.


Incidentally, I need advice on how to assign the space within the Chamber. If the whole space is just her bedroom, then it is considered a Royal Bedroom. If I also designate a dining room over that space, then she has a Grand Bedroom and Grand Dining Room. Is it better to have both rooms, or should I stick to maximizing the quality of her bedroom?

Girlinhat

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #276 on: August 31, 2011, 01:33:07 am »

1: This is amazing and I applaud your dedication to detail and storytelling.  Yes.
2: Do both.  The child will be eating and sleeping, and can use both boosts.

NRDL

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #277 on: August 31, 2011, 03:00:57 am »

Well done Monk, keep us posted. 
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GOD DAMN IT NRDL.
NRDL will roll a die and decide how sadistic and insane he's feeling well you do.

Oliolli

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #278 on: August 31, 2011, 06:01:19 am »

You may want to already drop in some... survival equipment. Weapons, shields, armor. In case the fortress dies before she matures (why wouldn't it?) she will probably survive the entire ordeal, and perhaps eventually reclaim the fort.
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FoiledFencer

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #279 on: August 31, 2011, 07:20:17 am »

You may want to already drop in some... survival equipment. Weapons, shields, armor. In case the fortress dies before she matures (why wouldn't it?) she will probably survive the entire ordeal, and perhaps eventually reclaim the fort.

If we are doing an emergency-care-package, I'd suggest including a pick so she can dig her way out in case supplies look to run out before a (viable) immigrant wave arrives.

In fact, digging her way out after the ordeal is quite dwarfy. Imagine that one, scarred hand reaching out of a hole in the abandoned dining hall's floor as the only survivor emerges from her hellish pod; a now adult manifestation of dwarven vengeance fighting her way out of the very bowels of the mountain...
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"Lithrushâst Kúdlizat: Fetidfur, the slick notch, a grizzly bear leather loincloth. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. It is studded with zinc, decorated with grizzly bear leather and encircled with bands of grizzly bear leather. This object menaces with spikes of grizzly bear leather."

DG

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #280 on: August 31, 2011, 07:32:55 am »

...covered in turkey feathers.
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Girlinhat

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #281 on: August 31, 2011, 12:26:31 pm »

Since it's constructed walls blocking the door, no pick is needed.

monk12

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #282 on: August 31, 2011, 01:08:14 pm »

An excerpt from the log of Sarvesh Wallpick, Chief Medical Dwarf

1st Sandstone, Mid-Autumn 314

Unexpectedly, the ghost of a hammerdwarf has taken to haunting Spartan One. When asked why this ghost persists when there are available coffins, the overseer explained that this hammerdwarf died in the early years of Drunkensteels by falling into a murky pool, and his body was never recovered. Stonecrafters are busy at work engraving a slab for poor Aban Geshudokir, Restless Haunt, but this is a sober reminder that the subjects will never be truly isolated so long as ghosts trouble the fortress.

Also unexpectedly, Spartan One is currently asleep on the floor. Presumably this is because the Turkey Gobbler is occupying the bed, and the child lacks the strength or will to move him. There do not appear to be any negative thoughts as a result, but this situation should be carefully monitored.

An inspection of Spartan One's inventory reveals that not only is she naked, but she is covered in blood and dirt. Sheep blood, for the most part, as well as the blood of Sarvesh Trumpethearts the Gilded Monk of Colour, Axedwarf. Presumably this coating of filth comes from playing around the hospital well- a quick inspection of the other children in Drunkensteels reveals that they also have a similar coating of blood and diorite dust. It is currently unknown if any children will wash themselves of their own volition (I have certainly never seen it done,) but if they do then a well and bar of soap would be recommended for future Chamber designs as the pleasure of a soapy bath may help retard madness in the subject.

Not unexpectedly, the poults have not yet hatched- it has only been a couple of months, after all. As such, conditioning has not yet begun. The mayor demands that the pace of the project be increased by introducing all available Gobblers to the Chamber, but the Countess has countermanded him, citing the need for prudence. Although I agree that we should show caution in the treatment of the children of Drunkensteels, I must admit some anxiety about the slow progress of the project. Last month, another child was taken by the goblins. Every day we do not get results from Spartan One means another day before construction of additional Chambers can begin in earnest. If we take too long to complete those chambers, I fear we will not have any subjects to raise in them.

EDIT:

1st Timber, Late Autumn 314

Spartan One has been observed climbing atop both her table as well as the Nest Box. Therefore, I must consider this Chamber to have a full 5 tiles of standing space. Thus, I have decided to exert my power as Attendant Physician to override the Countess, and introduce 2 Peacocks and 3 Turkey Gobblers to the Chamber. With luck, this will start the conditioning process even before the poults hatch.

The Countess did not take the news well. Already in a fragile state of mind, she struck the Legendary Clothier in a fit of rage, killing him instantly. Worse, a great hairy flat worm wriggled up from the depths spewing deadly dust, killing several soldiers. One of the survivors tantrummed, kicking the metalsmith down the mineshaft.

I have much work to do treating the injured, but my professional diagnosis of the mental health of Drunkensteels is not good- we are on the verge of destroying ourselves. I will continue to update this journal, so that in the event of my death my successor may continue the Child Care Project. May Zefon have mercy on our souls.


1st Moonstone, Early Winter 314

The deadly dust of the Forgotten Beast causes the entire body to swell and rot like fruit left in the sun. Thanks to extensive surgery on my part, no victims have died as a result of the rot. Unfortunately, the healing process takes time, and the goblins are at the gates now. The dwarven caravan guards put up a good showing, and the single hale axedwarf repelled a squad of swordsgoblins by himself, but even so casualties were great.

The mayor died in the fighting, and the Countess went mad with grief before intercepting a goblin's arrow. The new mayor of Drunkensteels is none other than the mother of Spartan One, her only daughter. She has appointed me militia captain of The Laborious Seeds with no subordinates- she says I will need the armor and axe to survive the coming tantrum spiral. I know the truth of her words, but I cannot leave my charges to suffer in the hospital. I will equip myself after they are treated.

Spartan One is miserable. Although she loves her confines, her food, and her drink, she is greatly upset by the many deaths of dwarves she knew before the Chamber. I knew this was a risk, given her age, but I did not expect it to have such an impact so soon. The poults have not hatched, and the added turkeys have not produced any noticeable crowding at all. Future designs may have to eliminate the table and throne, to further restrict movement.

I expect I will not have the leisure to write again, until the tantrum spiral runs its course. With luck, some children may survive, so that the Project may continue.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2011, 02:16:09 pm by monk12 »
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Oliolli

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #283 on: August 31, 2011, 03:01:48 pm »

Given the state of the fort, you may want to drop in the survival equipment, if you haven't already. A pick may also help, if the corridors are flooded with vicious goblins, a pickaxe may greatly help Spartan One manouver in the fort without running into them.
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Quote from: Girlinhat
When all you've got is an adjustable spanner and an entire freight warehouse of terrifying cogs and gears, everything looks like "just a prototype".
Quote from: ThatAussieGuy
You all turned Swordthunders into a bastion of madness that seems to warp in on itself under its own hatred of sanity.  I'm so happy!
Quote from: Loud Whispers
drowning babies everywhere o-o

Girlinhat

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Re: Dwarven... "Child Care"
« Reply #284 on: August 31, 2011, 03:04:53 pm »

I'm agreeing here.  Survival gear is likely required for this fort.
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