This is an idea I had in English class this morning (UK time).
All Quiet on the Mountain Front: A WW1-inspired mod for DF.
New weapons: Rifles, pistols, shotguns, machine guns, artillery, flamethrowers and gas. Not sure how DF would handle artillery- I hear that arcing flight paths are in the works though.
Possible addition of vehicles- replaces wagons with trucks that give scrap steel upon disassembly- needed to make guns. WW1-style tanks are a possibility- something similar to a
Mark I or
A7V for instance.
Rifles would be intended as bolt-action rifles (i.e Mauser G98) but may act like breech-loaders due to the limits of the engine- may not be possible to have a longer reload time after, say, 5 or 10 shots. Machine guns may also be problematic as it may not be possible for a weapon to fire more than one projectile at a time.
Pistols would be used exclusively by officers- again, intended to represent a weapon that fires several rounds before reloading, such as a Webley revolver or Colt 1911.
Shotguns are also a problem. I'm not entirely sure how DF would do buckshot, and before anyone asks, the US often issued modified Winchester shotguns as 'trench guns' to sergeants instead of the standard Springfield 1903.
Bullets would be made from metal and gunpowder (likely made from 'old-style' ingredients).
New tactics- siegeing enemies will dig trenches and use tactics similar to those used on the Western Front- that is, human/elf/goblin wave tactics preceded by artillery barrages. The competence of commanders would have to be greatly reduced.
New armor types- anyone who gets shot is likely screwed, so armor wouldn't actually do anything in a realistic WW1 mod. However, gas masks would be needed, as some enemies may make extensive use of poison gas.
Psychological/health effects- possibility for Dwarfs to get 'shell-shocked' (something similar may already be in effect), 'trench foot' which may result in the feet getting infected and needing amputation and various ailments from gas attacks.
If there's anything I've missed, feel free to tell me.