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[Timeless Bob]

I'm of the opinion that an "opposed to life" member of a musical/ dance troupe might not be such a bad thing - it would certainly become an interesting encounter in Adventure Mode, where everyone's getting along fine playing thier instruments and having a grand 'ol time, when an adventurer strolls by outside and suddenly there are drunks and other patrons rushing out of the doors, fleeing the zombie drummer who has suddenly gone berzerk inside.  The adventurer may be returning from completing a quest, for instance, or helping bring a recently freed child to their parents.  Having this pop up out of nowhere makes the game seem much more dynamic and alive: not knowing if that tavern you're seeking to sleep in might be harboring a dead musician ready to do what the bogeymen outdoors would otherwise do...  !!FUN!!

[Shonai_Dweller]

As an option perhaps. Like most buggy things it's amusing the first time but likely to quickly get old. Same with dead cats in pools of vomit. It makes Dwarf Fortress the amazing experience it is, but only in hindsight with the tales to tell on forums. Would just be rubbish if Toady said, hey feature not bug, let's keep it.

[voliol]

Technically, undead members of performance troupes would be fine, but the game needs to know what that entails. For one, undead members can’t be opposed to all living creatures. It they were, joining a troupe with living members would be impossible, as they should have attacked those band members on sight. They wouldn’t be able to play in a normal tavern either, as their entrance would lead to a massacre before the adventurer even arrived. Second, their autonomity needs to be discussed, should they really be allowed to set out on a musical journey, of their own free will, something their necromancer overlord wouldn’t have anything to gain from?

Then again, if the undead is sent out on this quest as a scout for the necromancer, and the player is an enemy of the latter, and the undead is aware of this? Well, then maybe it will take the opportunity to serve its overlord, attacking the unsuspecting player.

[FantasticDorf]

Technically, undead members of performance troupes would be fine, but the game needs to know what that entails. For one, undead members can’t be opposed to all living creatures. It they were, joining a troupe with living members would be impossible, as they should have attacked those band members on sight.

If you're going to visit a autonomous zombie town took over by a necromancer, you best smear yourself in gunk and bring a big robe & hood to conceal your identity before you walk into the bar with skeleton's zombies and whatever have you night creatures drinking (trying to anyway) and cajoling.

(good point actually, would these spooky towns be havens for night creatures like vampires? You might be fine, get a little trading done buying human brains from the butcher or something)

One of the sentient lieutenants (the one retaining working eyes evidently) see's through your disguise though after scoring a particularly high intrigue roll while you're in their vision cone and instantly the band stops, everyone pauses to attack you

[Naturegirl1999]

Tthis would be cool to add, variety is good.

[Keshire]

I think my problem with it is that Intelligent Undead shouldn't necessarily be [opposed to life].

In narrative, there's a ton of instances where intelligent Undead actively try to either end their existence, or live in harmony with the living.

Think Adams Family, or Casper.

I'm not opposed to them living in hiding though, like Vampires or Demons do currently.

[FantasticDorf]

I think my problem with it is that Intelligent Undead shouldn't necessarily be [opposed to life].

In narrative, there's a ton of instances where intelligent Undead actively try to either end their existence, or live in harmony with the living.

You could seperate it out to be a hefty negative opinion modifier, even if they tolerate the living, if you for whatever reason in the fortress had a sentient with this they'd instant auto-grudge every other living sentient they met until they actually built up friendships with them (if possible). Mindless animals act on the impulse and attack anyway.

[Naturegirl1999]

I think my problem with it is that Intelligent Undead shouldn't necessarily be [opposed to life].

In narrative, there's a ton of instances where intelligent Undead actively try to either end their existence, or live in harmony with the living.

You could seperate it out to be a hefty negative opinion modifier, even if they tolerate the living, if you for whatever reason in the fortress had a sentient with this they'd instant auto-grudge every other living sentient they met until they actually built up friendships with them (if possible). Mindless animals act on the impulse and attack anyway.

This sounds like a good idea

[WordsandChaos]

I think my problem with it is that Intelligent Undead shouldn't necessarily be [opposed to life].

In narrative, there's a ton of instances where intelligent Undead actively try to either end their existence, or live in harmony with the living.

Think Adams Family, or Casper.

I'm not opposed to them living in hiding though, like Vampires or Demons do currently.

I guess something like Frankenstein's monster would count more as a Golem, but since he's made out of corpse-bits you can broadly categorise him as an undead. Either way, he's a good illustration. I guess if this type of thing were to get added and the undead monsters get even more fleshed out, it'd be somewherer after the magick arc? I think I remember hearing Toady muse on the idea of things like revenants and so on - undead that essentially follow different patterns of behaviour from the baseline, and so I guess this falls within the broad scope of that. 

[voliol]

Frankenstein's monster would be a constructed creature (Ñ) according to DF Talk #14. The intelligent undead that are being added now would be, well, intelligent undead (Ñ), according to the same talk.

[Hashtails]

I can picture a legendary musician turning into a necromancer and raising undead musicians who play their instruments no matter what in a psytrance fashion

[FantasticDorf]

Skeletons + decomposed zombies can always play the xylophone on their exposed ribs, out of key if they're broken or missing.