Since we now have multiple races in the fortress and with guest applying for citizenship it being a fairly regular occurance. I would like to be able to craft "foreign goods", especially weapons.
I see a few options for simulating this:
1. Just allow it, the results are usually useless for dwarves, so it doesn break balance. But you might argue the dwarves wouldn't have the knowledge
2. Allow other races to craft it. So the recipi pops up as soon as a member of race for whom it is not foreign have a minimal level in the crafting skill (perhaps proficient).
3. Simulate the knowledge:
- For instance like animal breeding. Dwarves with no knowledge of how to craft the weapon can attempt it, but the results will be poor, but slowly advance the fortress knowledge of it.
- Books could exist on the subject advancing it faster.
- Foreigners that already have the crafting skill when arriving, could have special knowledge similar to how they know music or dances, and thus craft at a higher level than the fortress.
- A model for teaching or demonstrating crafts could be introduced. So that craftsmen could watch masters, those in fey moods, and those working on projects beyond fortress knowledge levels. This way they would advance their own skills, and when the work is over fortress knowledge, advance the fortress level as well.
A previous forum subject suggested different but related things, though differently
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=169503.msg7689193#msg7689193