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[McGravin]

Dowsing would be a quality (as in "strong", "agile", et al) that mining dwarves could gain. It would allow the dwarves to determine what minerals or ores are present behind the exposed rock. A dwarf with this quality could also determine when he is about to break through to the cave river, or "see" gems and other cavities in the rock.

Dowsing would be the first level, letting them see what's only one block on the other side of the rock, while Expert Dowsing (equivalent to "very agile", etc) would let them see two blocks deep.

Thoughts?

[Capntastic]

How would it be controlled?  How would it be more effective than just strip-mining as fast as possible?   I was recently thinking about something similar.

My thoughts: It'd be a very vague 'ore sense'.  As a decently skilled miner was mining, occasionally you might get a message like "Example Dwarfname feels that there's copper deeper in!" or "Secondary Example smells water dead ahead!"

Basically, an occasionaly pointer to where ores, gems, water, or even heavy concentrations of light/dark stone could be.

It's a neat-o idea, and I'd like to see something similar implemented some day.

[bloodyfool]

Or you could have a geologist noble walk around telling you what he thinks is behind the walls based upon rock composition.

[Zaratustra]

Just have the game map extended through the wall to see what's behind whenever some psychic dwarf walks by.

[odd2k]

Why should dwarves be able to "feel" where different ores are? Are you suggesting pshycic ore-tracking dwarves? To me, that doesn't sound very canon to the traditional dwarf litterature/lore. I find it much easier to imagine that the dwarves dug everywhere in order to find ore, rather than dwarves with x-ray vision.

[Capntastic]

Not so much X-Ray vision as knowing the scents of different ores and types of rock.  Furthermore, noting the location of rivers, chasms, and lava could be dealt with by hearing water running, wind, and feeling heat respectively.

I don't care about this getting added in, I was just adding to McGravin's ideas.