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[Khym Chanur]

A group of engraving suggestions.  First, a variation on "New init option - expanded engraving details":

Basically, I'd like an ini option to let me see the details you get from engravings and coins and whatnot in Adventure mode while I'm in Fortress mode.

My alternative: when you examine an engraving from within fortress mode, it starts out with a less-than-fully-detailed description, and at the bottom of the screen is says "Press ENTER for a full description".  That way, you don't need to alter init settings to see the full details.  Instead there could be an init option to control whether it's low level details like now, or slightly-more-detailed.  For example, instead of:

... image of a goblin and dwarf.  The dwarf is striking down the goblin.

have

... image of a goblin baby snatcher and an axedwarf.  The axedwarf is striking down the goblin.

Or instead of

The dwarves are laboring.

have

The dwarves are founding <Settlement name>.

This would give the less detailed descriptions more variety.

Second, when a settlement first starts, it doesn't have much history, so there'll be a lot of engravings of shapes, trees, the first artifact made, and so on.  But there are two other sources of events for engravings: one is the history of the settlement's parent civilization, the other is the civilization's religion, both of which seem to me to be likely things for a new settlement to make artwork about, and which would provide lots of "filler" until the settlement creates some history of its own.  Plus, if you don't do "Legends" mode on a newly gen'd world before starting a fortress, this would provide little bits and pieces of it for you to look at, especially if combined with the various "avoid repetitious engravings" suggestions.

[darkflagrance]

You do know the init option to toggle history already exists, right?

Although I like the idea of displaying professions in addition to names.

[Euld]

Indeed, the option is this:
[SHOW_ALL_HISTORY_IN_DWARF_MODE:YES]
Although it's probably changed to NO for yours.  You can find the file in data\init\init.txt   All those obscure creatures and such will have their names displayed that way.  Although!  I also like the idea of adding professions, and the religion idea sounds interesting.  Dedicated followers who happen to be engravers could engrave pictures relating to their diety's spheres, or figures in history who were related to their religion in some way.