Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[GandalfTheGreyt3791]

I started a fortress the other day, and it has been going pretty well. I want to try and get my dwarves to write about badger training, but can't get them to write.

I went through the process of building querns and presses, and growing pig tail. I got the sheets and made them into quires, and set up the library, with the quires in chests, but Im not sure where to go from there.
I assigned a scholar, I only get visiting scholars writing books.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[PatrikLundell]

I don't think the process is completely understood, but the basics are that scholars only write about the things they know, which means they first have to learn it via research or reading. Most of the time scholars "ponder", which is the research phase, but they can also "discuss" things. Eventually (which may be quite a few years later) this will result in a discovery, which may lead to either the writing of a book or the research of a new topic. The completion of a book typically is followed by more research, but can probably also be followed by the writing of a new book.

Also note that there is no control over what book a scholar writes: it may be how the sun revolves around the earth (i.e. astronomical theory), but may just as well be about a historical event, or even the writing of a previous book (Necromancers tend to write lots of books about themselves writing books). They could probably write a book about their cheese maker buddy's loss of a xsockx as well...
There are also books about locations, values (which push the readers toward the value point of the writer), as well as poetry, music, and dances.

[anewaname]

There is some player research discussed here in the wiki. It suggests that discussion might be better than pondering to cause dwarfs to write, so having 2 or 3 scholars with similar skills, might improve the odds.

[gchristopher]

I've had the library lever trick work for me in a game, and got a few books written locally.

[GandalfTheGreyt3791]

I don't think the process is completely understood, but the basics are that scholars only write about the things they know, which means they first have to learn it via research or reading. Most of the time scholars "ponder", which is the research phase, but they can also "discuss" things. Eventually (which may be quite a few years later) this will result in a discovery, which may lead to either the writing of a book or the research of a new topic. The completion of a book typically is followed by more research, but can probably also be followed by the writing of a new book.

Also note that there is no control over what book a scholar writes: it may be how the sun revolves around the earth (i.e. astronomical theory), but may just as well be about a historical event, or even the writing of a previous book (Necromancers tend to write lots of books about themselves writing books). They could probably write a book about their cheese maker buddy's loss of a xsockx as well...
There are also books about locations, values (which push the readers toward the value point of the writer), as well as poetry, music, and dances.

Ok, so even though I get announcements about the advancements in badger training, it may take a decade for scholars to write about it?
But, this makes sense, but do visiting scholars discuss with my scholars, or do they have to be citizens of the fortress to discuss?

[PatrikLundell]

Scholars engage in discussions with each other without any boundaries based on whether they're residents or visiting.

I'm doubtful animal specific training is a topic scholars can write about, apart from books about explicit experiences (like any other experience they may write about).

[Schmaven]

A book about Advancements in Badger Training sounds like it would naturally be a Dwarven best seller.  But if I'm not mistaken, advancements in various sorts of animal training are more related to what your animal trainers are doing than your scholars, and won't end up in their books.