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[fasquardon]

So, I've been mulling over an idea for adding a playable race to my games (which may never be good enough to be worthy of posting for others to play with - we'll see), and I was trying to figure out how I might make mining hard - but not impossible for these critters.

One idea I had was to make picks a high technology item - i.e. something that only mature fortresses could produce - but then, it would be hard to stop traders from bringing picks.  And as I understand it, basic workshops are unmoddable, so if dwarfs can make it in a basic workshop, any modded race would get the same basic workshops with the same reactions.    But I am pretty new to modding, so perhaps I am misunderstanding these things.

Another idea I had was to make the critters without a mining skill, or at the very least, a learning rate of zero in mining.  So mining would only be unlocked by building a special transformation chamber that produced a syndrome that changed a normal critter to a digging critter (i.e. one with a mining skill and that could learn mining).

But perhaps these are pipe dreams, and the game can't do what I want.   I thought I would ask the more experienced modders what their thoughts were?

Thanks in advance.

fasquardon

[Meph]

Mining without mining skill is possible, but just as fast as an unlearned miner. It only slows you down a little.

Making picks a foreign item would work, your caravans wouldnt bring it. But since the home civ cant dig, you would need to add reactions for stone, gems and metals to the civ, because they dont have access to it without a pick.

You can create your own pick (or pick-like item) in a custom workshop which is high tech. That is no problem.

Edit: I wouldnt use transformations, because it would require a civ creature caste that can appear naturally. You might get migrants with the mining learn rate anyway, and micromanagement for the transformation is tricky for the player.

EDIT2: To clarify it a bit:
<< And as I understand it, basic workshops are unmoddable, so if dwarfs can make it in a basic workshop, any modded race would get the same basic workshops with the same reactions.

Dwarves can only produce picks because of the line [DIGGER:ITEM_WEAPON_PICK]. Remove it, and they wont have access to it.