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Author Topic: End-game and happiness  (Read 671 times)

zwei

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End-game and happiness
« on: April 10, 2011, 01:15:40 pm »

While tantrum spirals are awesome, they are also unrealistic. Instead of fort denizens to be happy that they survived life threatening situation, they go all emo, depressed and tantruming instead of just being happy that that gigantic three eyed duck twisted to humanoid shape did not kill them all.

I hereby suggest following thoughts:

 * Survived encounter with $megabeast.
 * Survived battle with $megabeast.

- civilian and military dwarves shall get this when megabeast is slain and got into combat situation with it. Should be enough to get from miserable to extatic, but not last long time. Civilian version (encounter) last a bit longer. Much more effective for adventurous dwarves.

 * Is happy that fortress repelled $megabeast attack.
 * Is glad that siege was broken.
 * Is satisfied that ambush was repelled.
 * Is satisfied that thief was taken care of.

- mild mood boost for everyone else in fort that lasts a bit longer, a bit weaker for ambush and very weak for thieves. Dwarves with high anxienty will get lower effect or even none.

 * Is outraged that child was kidnapped.
 * Is annoyed that item was stolen.

- penalties for failing basic protection.

 * Is glad that fortress is prospering.

- positive thought for high volume trade, enhanced if dwarves favorite things were imported (Is glad that fort secured some Mahogany and Socks).

---

Thoughts are not suposed to be too global - dwarves with unsuitable personality traits should not gain them or be too affected, for example, dwarf that is not interested in wealth will not care about good trades...

IT 000

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Re: End-game and happiness
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2011, 01:38:53 pm »

I support the stolen item/child thought, perhaps more of a negative thought based on the quality of the item and the anger of the dwarf.

As far as happy thoughts from megabeasts/sieges/ambushes go. They just happen to frequently. Dwarves would be ecstatic all the time. After all, eating in a fine dining room is enough to bring a dwarf from miserable to ecstatic, even though his entire family and the dog died in front of him.
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iron_general

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Re: End-game and happiness
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2011, 02:27:12 pm »

This is a good suggestion, though I agree that seige and megabeast related thoughts should be nerfed. In my opinion, dwarves getting less of an unhappy thought if a friend/familiy member dies fighting/kill a megabeast or seige, though only in said friend was part of the militia of the guards. Perhaps "s/he lost a friend in servivce of the forteress recently".
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nil

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Re: End-game and happiness
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2011, 03:04:48 pm »

I think tantrum spirals should be embraced, and that the solution to their excesses shouldn't be a nerf but a counter: the fortress guard should be able to identify and counter the events that lead to a tantrum spiral.  They actually already do, to an extent--they will imprison anyone who commits crimes during a tantrum, and when that tantrumer is subsequently released they get a huge happy thought--but this could be strengthened.

Another thing that could help that I'd like to see would be a difficult-but-feasible method of salvaging at least melancholy, maybe berserk and possibly even insane dwarves from certain death.

IT 000

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Re: End-game and happiness
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2011, 03:14:44 pm »

I think that the emotion system overall should be redone. A legendary dining room is enough to turn a dwarf from miserable to at least content. Really? If your friend died, would you be cheered up because the same dining room that you have always ate at still had silver utensils? Heck, tantrums should be more common if anything. I burned half my fortress down and I still had my slightly singed dwarves walking around happy because they talked to a friend.

Quote
Another thing that could help that I'd like to see would be a difficult-but-feasible method of salvaging at least melancholy, maybe berserk and possibly even insane dwarves from certain death.

Yeah, if you left them locked in their room, there should be a chance they will calm down or lighten up. Except in artifact madness.

Also, dwarves should get a negative thought from seeing a dead friend's body. Not just when he dies or when they see them die. And I do like the 'survival' idea. If it is a civilian and they get ambushed. Let's say, by some odds, the ambush is killed/chased off and they only have minor injuries, bruises (maybe a cut here or there) they gain a happy thought. Nobles on the other hand would be infuriated by the 'lack of protection lately' whenever they are in visible range of an enemy, even if it's a groundhog that interrupts their job.
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