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[OneMoreNameless]

FACT: Dwarf Fortress can be epic.
QUERY: What changes could be made in a module to make it more epic more often?
COROLLARY: Difficulty, although not required, is probably inevitable.

So I've never touched the raw files of DF before, but I have had minor modding experience in other games and at least poked around the wiki for a general idea of what can be done. Mods for generic difficulty, new civs or extra wildlife are abound, but what I'm considering putting together is less challenging additions but more tweaking what's already in place for the sake of awesomeness.

A few examples, to illustrate what I'm aiming for:
- Breeding and aging are much, MUCH faster so a typical fort could see a second generation replace its founders.
- Some civs are split up, are tweaked to be more 'interesting', and most start hostile. So once you're large enough you might have a criminal entity inviting you to their black market or rebel dwarves attacking with hand held magma cannons (read: fireballs). Kobold zombies, crazy elves with chainsaws, and what have you.
- Wildlife, particularly notorious creatures, would be buffed; so elephants are predators, giant eagles explode on death for the heck of it, groundhogs tower over dwarves and, well, winged carp. On the other hand, they'd mostly all be able to be tamed and gain experience, so you could have incredibly powerful creatures on your side too.
- Gems are rarer, but much more valuable when you do find them. Similarly, most plants and crops would grow slower but be worth more when they're found / matured. The general idea is for a greater struggle, but a greater payoff.

So. Any interest / ideas / advise?

[Lofn]

Epic is a stupid word and it should never have fallen into such common use.

On topic, though, as you've already said, the best way to make a game epic is to make it difficult but rewarding.

[Chromie]

giving wildlife [CURIOUSBEAST_EATER] will make them seek out your fortress to eat your food, which seems to be a semi-appropriate way to make 'non-predator' animals more threatening. Even a gopher will attack when cornered.

[CURIOUSBEAST_GUZZLER] goes for booze and [CURIOUSBEAST_ITEM] for thievery.

The age thing can be pretty easily done, as well.

But on this topic, IMHO Dwarf Fortress is TOO 'epic' too often, at least the way the game calculates it. It's simple to churn out thousands of dwarfbux of stone goods to dump on caravans -- I would find a greater sense of 'epic struggle' with lower values and more hardscrabble survival.

As in, this other recent thread: http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=43874.0