quote:
Originally posted by rylen:
<STRONG>I recently read Map that Changed the World about the birth of modern geology. It looks like Toady is already using some geology laying down rocks in bands and (possibly?) caring about which types of rock appear together. An experienced geologist can read the rocks and predict with a decent amount of accuracy what will appear where.
Rylen</STRONG>
I completed a geology minor in college and can assert that Toady has done a pretty decent job with the layout of your basic rocks. He intentionally clumps sedementary rocks around the river (with limestone forming the channel where the river runs through), which is quite logical. You'll find metamorphic rocks and igneous intrusions around several areas, but mostly will find igneous rocks around the magma flow. Rock types are organized very well at this point, and it would be a big mistake to randomize them.
Cocerning the minerology and layout of the metalic ores, here's some specific reasons why minerals should not be randomized.
1) Gold usually occurs within igneous (and I believe specifically intrusive, not extrusive) formations. It is true that you can find gold in sedementary deposits, but that is due to errosion and deposition rather than occurance. Therefore, gold needs to remain near the magma flow.
2) Malachite (copper) normally occurs at or near limestone. Therefore, it is important that Malachite remains in its current position.
3) Platinum usually is obtained from sedimentary/alluvial occurences, though commercially it is normally extracted as a bi-product of nickel, normally at or near extrusive igneous rocks.
4) Cassiterite normally is found either in alluvial depositions (normally meaning an outside river delta), but is found to occur naturally in igneous deposits.
5)Sphalerite forms (usually) near igneous deposits as well (someone correct me if I'm wrong- I had to look this up since I never heard of it before...)
6) Bituminous coal is a carboniferous biomass where compression and deposition occured more rapidly than decay. This isn't a classical mineral, so it could indeed be found in places outside of the chasm-magma region, though there is no problem keeping it where it lies.
All in all, Toady has put these minerals (and coal) in the places they most likely would be found. A decent geologist could, in fact, use the information they glean from rocks at any point in the stronghold to determine the possible occurence of minerals (and gems), though a "mere human" could not predict with great accuracy where a vein would be found (rather, he'd point to where one might be found within a certain parameter of accuracy).
Sorry for the geological lesson.
Edit:
quote:
2: Give him extra sight. Most dwarves just see the rocks in the corridors. He can see four or five rocks past that. Now its just a matter of getting him to walk down those corridors.
Rather than give this to a new noble, just give this ability to t miners. I would let legendary miners "see" two or three rocks past where they are digging, assuming that lengendary dwarven minors have a great grasp of Geology mixed with dwarven keeness.
[ September 29, 2006: Message edited by: Jandrews ]