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Author Topic: Skill weapons  (Read 758 times)

Sean Mirrsen

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Skill weapons
« on: December 07, 2007, 01:50:00 pm »

This suggestion derives from an experiment I conducted when modding weapons.

When a weapon's skill tag is set to a nonmilitary skill, that weapon is still available for making in a fort, but has no use. It also allows an adventurer to take a nonmilitary skill.

Currently, a special DIGGER tag defines the weapon used for mining, and the AXE skill is hardcoded to be the one used to determine a woodcutting tool.

Why not allow multiple skill assignments per weapon (I might want to test if it already works first though), and let the skill define the weapon (or rather, tool). It will allow a smith to use a special hammer when working, a woodcutter will not use just any axe, but ones specifically marked by a relevant skill, a stoneworker will lug a chisel around, a bookkeeper will keep his finely crafted pen at all times, a farmer will carry a rake, and so on. Using the item to do damage will increase all assigned weapon skills, while performing the relevant task will increase the non-weapon skills.

Yes, I know it would create conflicts such as those that exist now between woodcutting and mining, but such problems should not exist, and should be fixed anyways, because dwarves can sure as hell carry several tools, even though they need a backpack for that.

As to "where to get those items for starting", I suggest that these items be put in for now, but their presence should not be required - although there probably should be no skill modifiers applied without the items. Once the game's internal mechanics are fleshed out enough to allow easy replacing of accidentally lost items, the requirement can be put in wholely. Them being "just put in" will be a first step, and a test phase to see how those items might be replaced.

Finally, what is the purpose of this as a whole? Amongst many other things (like having even your workers always be armed with SOMETHING), it will also be a step towards allowing an adventurer to use nonmilitary skills.

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Zulaf

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Re: Skill weapons
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2007, 02:37:00 pm »

[Generic approval]
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Armok

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Re: Skill weapons
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2007, 04:37:00 pm »

Seconded.
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Mechanoid

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Re: Skill weapons
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2007, 06:16:00 pm »

If you could also assign the proficiency the tool has to a specific skill or job, that'd also be good.
That way a stone chisle could be used in both stone crafts and gem cutting jobs, but would do stone crafts far better; the same would be true for a jewlers chisle. Both could act like daggers.

For example, the stone chisle could be:
[STONE_CRAFTS:100][GEM_CUTTING:25]
While the Jewlers chisle could be:
[GEM_CUTTING:100][STONE_CRAFTS:25]

[ December 07, 2007: Message edited by: Mechanoid ]

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Re: Skill weapons
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2007, 10:50:00 pm »

Definitely. In addition to just improving adventurer mode, this new equipment would do several other things:
-Crafters of all types become more useful, as high-quality tools provide better bonuses
-trade becomes more important as missing tools can be irreplaceable.
-skilled workers can get happiness bonuses for using better tools.
-towns, fortresses, and dark fortresses become more alive and active with new items
-allows for more sophisticated tech trees for later as required tools can not be made without earlier tools.
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