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[Raphite1]

Okay, FINALLY got to observe a test run on this.

A mandate to make short swords was violated, and the baron chose to blame a random mason. The mason was sentenced to receive one hammerstroke. The blind captain of the guard / hammerer successfully located the mason without any trouble, and dragged her to a chain. By default the blind captain/hammerer is assigned to carry a spear, so to deliver the hammering she went to the weapon stockpile, withdrew a silver warhammer, and hauled it over to the chained mason. ( Side note: she actually hauled the hammer, she didn't equip it.) The blind hammerer delivered the hammerstroke, and it successfully struck the chained mason's hooded-but-not-helmeted head. The blow badly injured the mason's upper spine and she quickly suffocated, presumably from paralysis.

This is only one data point, but previous observations of blind dwarves in battle have led me to believe that they have a quite small change of actually connecting with a normal combat blow. So:

1) Blindness doesn't interfere with a captain of the guard / hammerer finding their victim. No big surprise here, since blind military dwarves seem to be able to locate "kill" targets without trouble.

2)  Blindness *probably* doesn't interfere with a dwarf's accuracy when dealing hammerings. More data points are needed to increase confidence. Since the blind hammerer used a "hauled" hammer to do the deed, it may be an indication that normal combat mechanics don't govern hammerstrokes delivered as part of the justice system.

2) Alternatively, perhaps the blind hammerer had a very high "chance to hit" multiplier since the victim was chained, which is sufficient to counteract the penalty applied by blindness. I consider (2) to be more likely.

3) It would be interesting to see how a "beating" delivered by the blind dwarf in her "captain of the guard" role would play out, since perhaps that action is less likely to be coded outside of normal combat mechanics, which seems like it may be the case for hammerings. Do "beatings" involve chaining the victim beforehand? It's been awhile since I've seen one inflicted.

[Catsup]

IMO its just too much trouble to blind a dwarf just to make them a harmless hammer/guard. Its much easier to use the therapist branch that lets you see attributes and pick a unquestionably weak dwarf and equip them with wooden training swords/candy hammer and then make that your captain of the guard/hammer.

[Raphite1]

Since when has Dwarf Fortress been about doing things the easy way?

I do believe that it is in part about unnecessarily abusing the opportunities that are presented to you.

[Catsup]

Since when has Dwarf Fortress been about doing things the easy way?

I do believe that it is about abusing the opportunities that are presented to you.

iunno, just my playing style i guess. I give myself the greatest amount of fun i can handle (which is near the maximum), but also allow myself to use most exploits.

But i believe the "real" easy way to handle justice is to not have one at all, since tantruming dwarves obey burrows, you can simply jail them manually in rehabilitation rooms, or atom-smasher rooms (and slab them afterwards).

[Exitstrategy]

Since when has Dwarf Fortress been about doing things the easy way?

I do believe that it is in part about unnecessarily abusing the opportunities that are presented to you.

I like how this is phrased. Do you mind if I use it as my signature?

[Raphite1]

Ha, go for it.

[wierd]

Okay, FINALLY got to observe a test run on this.

A mandate to make short swords was violated, and the baron chose to blame a random mason. The mason was sentenced to receive one hammerstroke. The blind captain of the guard / hammerer successfully located the mason without any trouble, and dragged her to a chain. By default the blind captain/hammerer is assigned to carry a spear, so to deliver the hammering she went to the weapon stockpile, withdrew a silver warhammer, and hauled it over to the chained mason. ( Side note: she actually hauled the hammer, she didn't equip it.) The blind hammerer delivered the hammerstroke, and it successfully struck the chained mason's hooded-but-not-helmeted head. The blow badly injured the mason's upper spine and she quickly suffocated, presumably from paralysis.

This is only one data point, but previous observations of blind dwarves in battle have led me to believe that they have a quite small change of actually connecting with a normal combat blow. So:

1) Blindness doesn't interfere with a captain of the guard / hammerer finding their victim. No big surprise here, since blind military dwarves seem to be able to locate "kill" targets without trouble.

2)  Blindness *probably* doesn't interfere with a dwarf's accuracy when dealing hammerings. More data points are needed to increase confidence. Since the blind hammerer used a "hauled" hammer to do the deed, it may be an indication that normal combat mechanics don't govern hammerstrokes delivered as part of the justice system.

2) Alternatively, perhaps the blind hammerer had a very high "chance to hit" multiplier since the victim was chained, which is sufficient to counteract the penalty applied by blindness. I consider (2) to be more likely.

3) It would be interesting to see how a "beating" delivered by the blind dwarf in her "captain of the guard" role would play out, since perhaps that action is less likely to be coded outside of normal combat mechanics, which seems like it may be the case for hammerings. Do "beatings" involve chaining the victim beforehand? It's been awhile since I've seen one inflicted.

Suggested followup experiment:

Hammerer that has lost ability to grasp/lost arms.

This will definately determine if hammering is hard coded to succeed, or if the subject's modifiers play a role. Without arms, the only grasping capable body part is the mouth. It's difficult to conceive of said hammerer actually following through on delivering a hammering in this fashion, and if they somehow DO, then they are certainly a candidate for dwarf of the year.

[Quietust]

Suggested followup experiment:

Hammerer that has lost ability to grasp/lost arms.

This will definately determine if hammering is hard coded to succeed, or if the subject's modifiers play a role. Without arms, the only grasping capable body part is the mouth. It's difficult to conceive of said hammerer actually following through on delivering a hammering in this fashion, and if they somehow DO, then they are certainly a candidate for dwarf of the year.

If you're expecting the hammerer to deliver his punishment using his teeth, you're probably in for a bit of a disappointment - that very behavior is one of Toady's all-time favorite bugs (the other one involved a farmer accept a "Plant Seeds" job, going to a furniture stockpile and picking up a bed, then planting the bed in a farm plot), and I'm pretty sure he fixed it a long time ago.