First, I'd like to start by saying this is my first post(so be gentle), and by thanking Toady for one hell of a good game!!
On to the Dwarfy goodness...
Stone Blocks:
Building on Kohaku's post regarding Volume and Mass
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=61215.15, and on the Furniture/Crafts Realism posts
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=29526.45, I would like to see stone blocks cut during the mining process instead of later at the shops. The reason is that there is a fundamental difference in the way the harvesting is done when your aim is blocks. You would use a special saw made from wire rope, preferably diamond encrusted for maximum efficiency, and would cut the blocks directly from the area you are working. The way I see it, this could involve several cool changes:
1: Mining for blocks would take longer than regular mining, and would require a previous manufacturing of a stone saw from metal. This would make block mining more of a mid-game skill instead of something that can be done in the first few moments of game play.
2: The user could specify during designation whether they wanted small, medium, or fekkin huge blocks. The larger blocks would take less time, but require more dwarfs to haul. (I think multiple dwarf hauling is set for future releases already.)
3: Furniture made from stone could be based on size, larger pieces requiring larger blocks of workable stone. So a stone cabinet would require 1 fekkin huge block and perhaps one or two of the smaller ones while a stone wall might require ten of the medium ones, depending on how the sizes were broken down. If we assume a 3m x 3m x 3m cube as the the volume for one world space, then that could make 1 fekkin huge block, 27 medium blocks, and perhaps 81 small blocks. Small blocks could then be used for any items less that .33 cubic meters like figurines etc, while medium blocks would be ideal for chairs(possibly multiples being used for tables) and huge blocks for cabinets, beds, bins, etc.
4: This would remove the redundancy of having to make blocks after mining the blocks, and would also allow for some logic in implementing stone storage. Smaller stone blocks could immediately be moved to appropriate bins reducing FPS lag (hopefully)
5: It would add some much needed pace scaling to fortress expansion beyond FPS limitations by slowing the mining process in general.
6: Blocks could have increased value than they currently do, making them more useful for trade commodities and providing a sink for excess materials. They could also have an increased material value, depending on the type of stone for increasing the strength/stability/value of your walls. i.e. A wall made completely of fekkin huge stones would have a MUCH higher defensive rating than one made from small stones and requiring mortar.
7: Walls, floors, and ceilings left behind from areas where stone blocks were cut could be stronger and require less time to smooth due to the nature of material removal. A stone saw leaves a fairly smooth surface to begin with and doesn't induce and stress/impact based fracturing.
8: Requiring stone saws, which are consumable would provide a sink for metals. Used or damaged saws could be smelted to regain a portion of the raw mats used in their construction.
9: Could apply slight synergy bonus to masonry for your miners, allowing them to gain a little masonry xp. It could also be reserved so that only miners of a specific level or higher are even capable of doing it since it is a more complicated process than swinging a pick.
10: It would add a element of strategy to stone removal. Metal ores need to be broken up into slag before being smelted whereas stone is better if removed in solid chunks.
11: For materials like Kaolinite,flux stones, clays, limestone, or dolomite(if used as a fertilizer) mining with a traditional pick would still be preferred as it reduces the stone to rubble slag. Adding the next step of the processing into the gathering strategy would make for some interesting choices in game play. For example, it could force the player to choose between making blocks, which can be stored in bins, to making slag/rubble which can not. (Unless of course the suggestion below for stone bins/hoppers is implemented)
Stone Bins/Hoppers:
As a way of dealing with FPS issues and stone storage, I would also like to suggest making stone bins and stone hoppers.
Stone Bins: Stone bins would be large, 2x2 objects made from 4 fekkin huge blocks(see above). The would be immovable objects so they must be built on site. They would be capable of holding stone slag, or small/medium blocks(see above). Removing them as a building would reduce them to 4 piles of slag/rubble themselves, making kaolinite, dolomite, or other economic stones prime materials for their construction.
Stone Hoppers: Similar in size and composition to stone bins, stone hoppers differ in a very significant way. Hoppers would have a 'hole' in the bottom that penetrates one z level down, allowing all materials placed in the hopper to drop down to a Stone bin below. Materials would take falling damage, so trying to exploit it to move fragile trade goods would not be a great idea. It would allow for some interesting design choices(i.e. perhaps its better to build your first masons/forges down a few z's so that you can make use of the hoppers/bins to reduce fortress clutter and increase dwarf efficiency early on.) It would also help reduce the need/use of the dump exploit by providing the added benefit of not having to dump and subsequently reclaim dumped items. It could also, in conjunction with stone bins, significantly improve the FPS of the game in general and lead to a much more efficient manner of resource handling.
Crucible:
To go with the two ideas above, I would also suggest a mega crucible. It would need to be made from a magma safe material and placed close to the magma. Construction would also require, at a minimum, chains, a lever, and mechanisms from a magma safe material. Ores would be dumped into the hopper to fall into the crucible where they would slowly melt and could subsequently be poured into bar molds to be forged. This would reduce the reliance on coal/coke and seems like a very dwarfy trap. Pull a leaver and bury your enemies in molten metal. Efficient use would require that you be able to specify which type of metal you are trying to create, and while the process would take longer time wise, it would produce many more bars of metal in a single go. Bar molds could be made from magma safe stones and could include various shapes to allow for mass production of some items.(bolts, spear heads, arrow tips, etc) Items poured in this fashion would have a lesser quality and value, but could be produced in much greater numbers. I think this would also add some value to the furnace operator skill. Perhaps only available for construction once a certain skill level has been reached in furnace operating, mechanics, AND architecture.
Chains, Ropes, and other miscellaneous thoughts:
I would like to see more use for chains and ropes. (I know the dev notes say that an elevator type something is possibly in the works) Dwarfs could create a leather harness, and, as long as there was rope or chain available, use it for creating smooth walled shafts instead of the current methods. The could also be used for high value cosmetics like chandeliers. Which leads to my next point, lighting.
Candles, Fire pits, and Sun Roofs
I would love to see some good lighting affects in the game(besides sunlight), perhaps affecting the overall mood of the dwarfs. Horizontal windows would be spiffy too, allowing sunlight but not random critters into your fort. Dining halls with fire pits, perhaps that would allow for whole roasted animals to increase dwarf happiness. (would require wood and a metal spit to operate and would be affected by the cooking skill)
Anyway, just a few thoughts. Hope there is something useful in them.
Tony
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Topic: Stone Blocks and other oddities (Read 1381 times)