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[FreakyCheeseMan]

Idea.
Make a scale of "Happy vs. Sad" engraving subjects. Seeing an engraving does not automatically make a dwarf happy- it changes his mood based on the subject matter.

Make engravers tend towards one end or the other, based on their own mood. So, happy engravers would draw the creation of great works of art, and the slaughter of your enemies. Middling engravers would draw political stuffs. Unhappy engravers would include your own dwarves being killed. Miserable engravers would lean towards elephants.

Actually, replace "Engravers" with "Decorators of any Type"

Result? Keep your artists happy, or they'll work things into your fortress that will keep people miserable for years to come, Also makes engravings give a more interesting perspective on fortress life, as they show the "mood" of the fort at any point. I don't know how much socialization is tracked, but maybe artists draw things their friends talk about?

[Silverionmox]

During all ages, people were blissfully happy after the seeing or hearing the stories of the dismemberment, torture and death of some of their culture heroes. Artists often have ... atypical psychological states, but that doesn't cause them to make bad art. In fact, the more stable people tend to make less art, if any at all.

[thijser]

If happiness effects decorations this can create a engraving spiral where dwarfs can't get happy because the decorations are bad.

[FreakyCheeseMan]

I know there are exceptions, but I'd usually think morbid/gloomy- though still good- art would bring down those constantly exposed to it.

I *like* spirals.

Also, it'd be kind of cool to have depressing/revitalizing regions of your fort, to correspond with the history.

[FallingWhale]

I'd like disturbed dwarfs to make disturbed art but have their work based on craftdwarfship, unless it shows an image of a friend/pet dieing then they get a small thought intill they get desensitized to it.

[NW_Kohaku]

Why not just make it based upon the personality traits of the dwarf?  I remember doing a science experiment in the DF Discussion forum specifically to disprove that there was any (current) connection between creativity or any other personality trait and the subject material of what the dwarves engraved.

Make morbid dwarves engrave morbid scenes, make dwarves who are into abstract thought engrave clouds and six-pointed stars, and make unimaginative dwarves engrave nothing but "The dwarves are traveling".

[Geb]

The practical result of this would be that you could create chambers of madness, where an engraver has been sent to work until they've cheered up a bit and can be trusted to doodle over the main fort. Perhaps creating a really nasty engraving gives a happy thought, something to represent the calming effect of showing your feelings. The value of this idea would be for the engraver, not for the other dwarves, so it would become a bit like a controllable tantrum.

[FreakyCheeseMan]

Why not just make it based upon the personality traits of the dwarf?  I remember doing a science experiment in the DF Discussion forum specifically to disprove that there was any (current) connection between creativity or any other personality trait and the subject material of what the dwarves engraved.

Make morbid dwarves engrave morbid scenes, make dwarves who are into abstract thought engrave clouds and six-pointed stars, and make unimaginative dwarves engrave nothing but "The dwarves are traveling".

Well, that would just mean that your fortress was uniform based on your population of engravers, which has never changed much in my games. I want... periods. Van Gogh's "Blue Period", only instead it's Urist McGogh's "Elephant Period".

The practical result of this would be that you could create chambers of madness, where an engraver has been sent to work until they've cheered up a bit and can be trusted to doodle over the main fort. Perhaps creating a really nasty engraving gives a happy thought, something to represent the calming effect of showing your feelings. The value of this idea would be for the engraver, not for the other dwarves, so it would become a bit like a controllable tantrum.

I like this. A lot. Or just random regions of your fortress... maybe he was upset the day he carved the dining hall, and that shows and influences the rest of your fortress. Makes this whole cool triangle between Artist, Art and Fortress.

[Pilsu]

I really should get a say in what gets engraved, ranging from this to general categories to specific subjects or events. Letting the artist choose exactly what gets done is all fine and dandy as long as it's not entirely up to him. The RNG is a moron and doesn't deserve our trust.

The general mood system needs a rework if we expect to ever see anything but mirthful images.

[NW_Kohaku]

I really should get a say in what gets engraved, ranging from this to general categories to specific subjects or events. Letting the artist choose exactly what gets done is all fine and dandy as long as it's not entirely up to him. The RNG is a moron and doesn't deserve our trust.

The general mood system needs a rework if we expect to ever see anything but mirthful images.

You just say that because it appears to be hardcoded so that 20% of all engravings are "The dwarves are travelling" and another 20% are "the mayor is surrounded by dwarves.  This celebrates the election of the mayor" regardless of what kind of history a site has.

[FreakyCheeseMan]

Hmm... it's sort of hard to say what roll engravings play in the fortress. I'm calling them state-commissioned art.

In which case, we should be able to give more specific themes... "Events relating to war" "Events significant to fortress history" "Creation of artifacts" "Events significant to the life of Urist McHypotheticalDwarf".

Though I do like the idea of a morose engraver making an entire section of fortress maddeningly unliveable.

Ooh. I'm adding that to my thread on new insanity.