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[Rogue Yun]

I recently had an experience with a megabeast that thrashed my fortress from top to bottom.  While a lone surviver bled profusely in the barracks I noticed the megabeast was just chilling in my great hall. And that is all he did until migrants arrived and got lucky successfully defeated it (a woodcutter attacked it while it was on a 30z level catwalk and it dodged off).

Here is the idea. Why not have the megabeast start gathering metal items/coins/food and any other forms of loot into a pile and when he is done have him sit on it and eat/drink/spill the vittles.

Being a Tolkien fan, that is exactly what Smog did. And since I am sure the megabeast came to my fort because of loot, why not do something with that.

I am no programmer and I am sure the complexities of this kind of programming would be perhaps too much so I won't complain if this idea is shafted, but still I would find this idea aesthetically pleasing and interesting to watch.

The picture that runs through my mind is of retaking a fortress only to find some powerful beast perched on all the weapons, armor, crafts, etc. My measure of dwarfiness would be full.

[Neonivek]

Well not all megabeasts would have that Behavior.

The hydra attacks fortresses because it is hungry and the Bronze Colossus is just an engine of blind destruction (possibly controlled by a higher being).

But it is somewhat of a good idea if the megabeast takes your fortress.

[Rogue Yun]

I agree that not all mega beasts would act the same.  Each should do what would suit them more.. (for the hydra maybe gathering up and gnawing on the bodies). And I know from my brief experience that the programming for this kind of suggestion is a bit much. But still that dwarfy thought goes into my head.

[nwob]

Perhaps megabeasts could have different randomly generated personality traits?  Such as 'hungry for x', or 'greedy', which would influence it's behaviour when it successfully ransacked your fortress.  I do like this idea.

[Gargomaxthalus]

Since mega-beasts are each a separate, set in stone, entity, couldn't you actually give them some different behaviors with a bit of work? For instance Dragons are hoarders and Rocs being birds would would also have a bit of a collection instinct. Any randomness would be preferences within a set of parameters that would be unique to each type of creature. You can aleady reclaim a fallen fortress and find that something gamebreakingly awful has taking up residence....... hmmmm this would of course not necessarily be modable without some how cracking the "Black Box" which is something that one just plain shouldn't try to do, but this thread is meant specifically to suggest stuff to The Great Armok Toady One sooo.... but then again this sort of behavoir may already be in the "If I can make it work and get around to it it." list but..


MUUUUUWWWWWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Scoops Novel]

Also! I wouldn't pass up a beasties poison, a ancient vampires teeth, a dragon's scale or hydra sandwiches (for fun and peril).

[Rogue Yun]

So each would have its own collection here are some ideas and references if this moves along.
Just a tidbit of information but all these creatures have appeared in Ray Harryhausen movies. Which growing up as a kid I watched quite often.


Bronze Colossus:
(I have an image of a silent and still colossus sitting on a throne surrounded by statues he has placed around himself as some sort of bizarre trap or maybe a cure for loneliness.)
(In "Jason and the Argonauts" the Bronze Colossus was trying to recover a needle stolen from a God's Jewelry Box)
-Statues


Dragons:
Quotes from wiki

Dragons are covetous and seek to steal items from your fortresses to bring them back to their lairs.

Provided the dragon decides to make the Fort it's new lair.
-Metal Items (wood/bone stuff burns)
-Artifacts
-Gems
-Food
-Corpses


Hydra:
(Again in "Jason and the Argonauts" the hydra was the guardian of the Golden Fleece)
It seems the hydra in mythology is water affiliated so perhaps if there are some dwarf made fountains or water reservoirs?
-Corpses


Roc:
(I only know of the two headed Roc appearing in "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" which picked up the hero and carried him away to his nest.)
I had an emu once as a child and it would follow me around the yard pecking at the buttons on my shirt.  We would also put marbles into water dishes of ducklings and small chicks to induce them to drink.
I do not picture the Roc making a lair inside the fortress though. Being a bird It would most likely make a nest somewhere above the fortress. Though I don't know for sure.
-Gems
-Corpses


Giants (Giant, Cyclops, Ettin, Minotaur):
I would think it would be along the same lines as the dragon but would include the flammable stuff and most definitely the booze.

I'm just throwing out ideas. So please feel free to take any of these ideas and run with them (as long as they are not scissors).

[GreatWyrmGold]

Being a Tolkien fan, that is exactly what Smog did.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that Smog was the one who gave all the hobbits respiratory issues once they got industrialized.
Seriously, though.

Better megabeast behavior is greatly anticipated but not very high on the devlist. Given the tendency of pretty much anything with a lair to fill it with treasure of...varying quality (Hey, look! Another cave full of bones and old clothes...and here's three copper coins, score!), it seems probable that proper hoarding will be added once such behaviors are.

[Rogue Yun]

I'm going to sound stupid again... where can I see the dev list?

*edit* nevermind.. I think I found it here...

 http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/dev.html

Silly me

[Godlysockpuppet]

This would be cool in fact we could write a dfhack plugin for this. Here's how it would work;
After mega beast has not seen a hostile for one month, they search out the room with highest value (great hall/noble bedroom/statue garden) that they can path to.
Step 2; they search for appropriate loot. Be it bodies, treasure, whatever.
Step 3, they are given a hauling labour to carry their loot to the center tile of their chosen room.
Step 4, continue rampage? Repeat?

[orodoth]

I like the idea, a lot actually. The only part of this whole thing that made my eye twitch, (and I'm gonna feel like a d*** for getting hung up on this, please don't take it personal) is the spelling of Smaug as "Smog"

I would love to see that giant flesh melting beast I accidentally released from the bowels of the cavern layer more or less kill off anything weak enough to get in it's way, but be on a mission to forgo wenches and acquire currency, instead of systematically going room to room and slaughtering anything and everything in the fort. No where in the beast description did it say "x-ray vision and heat seeking AVP style tracking", but that usually seems to be the case when one shows up.

[Rogue Yun]

the spelling of Smaug as "Smog"

Haha, I knew I should have checked my book : )

[orodoth]

the spelling of Smaug as "Smog"

Haha, I knew I should have checked my book : )

funny thing is, that sort of thing normally doesn't make me look twice... for whatever reason, I guess I hold dear ol' JRR's pristine works on a pedestal.

[Rogue Yun]

Off topic I know, but my dad taught me to read with "The Hobbit." He had a big green copy of the book with wonderful illustrations. He would point to the words as he read them to me. Small wonder that I find myself twenty five years later playing dwarf fortress : )