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[cephalo]

All this talk of tracking everything that moves reminds me of when fluids were tracked around. It created a huge amount of data for this one facet of the simulation, enough to impact the games performance significantly. Do contemporary computers have the resources to record every movement that happens in a DF world so that it may be tracked? Are we going to need terabytes of HD space to accommodate this?

[iceball3]

All this talk of tracking everything that moves reminds me of when fluids were tracked around. It created a huge amount of data for this one facet of the simulation, enough to impact the games performance significantly. Do contemporary computers have the resources to record every movement that happens in a DF world so that it may be tracked? Are we going to need terabytes of HD space to accommodate this?

I'm pretty sure toady stated that most of this information would be abstracted/put in higher detail dependent upon proximity.
So the locations of squads and armies should be abstracted if they're halfway across the world, I believe. It'll keep a more accurate (read; down to an overworld fast travel level) on squads that are more relevant to you, which naturally means closer to you.
Edit:This is just what I heard mind you, but it'd be the best way to go about it as far as I can see it.

[rhesusmacabre]

Is it possible to follow tracks through cities?

A bit suggestiony but it seems relevant:
Have you put any future consideration into using dogs or other animals to aid in tracking?

Obviously companion animals aren't in Adventure Mode yet, but it seems like a logical step when they are.

[MrWiggles]

Are we going to see any attempt to cut all the useless clutter data? While I enjoy Dwarf Fortress, I don't enjoy waiting about 45 minutes to generate a world because of 600 werebeast rampages or forest fires or whatever. There's a lot of information that seems pointless to record, which seems to bog down performance when pathfinding for a large fortress already eats memory like there's no tomorrow.

Clutter data? Not sure what you mean. There's an option to cull unimportant hist. figures in the advanced worldgen.

Things like heartrates and how many times dwarves blink and all the other assorted invisible figures that seem to have no impact whatsoever on the game.

I dont think you have clear understand of Dorf Fortress, or at least at this current time able to talk about it without hyperbole.

FPS Death for fort mode isn't largely due misc. simulations that you're hostile too, but due to the number of items its tracking. Which means that under any hardware system eventually it'll succumb to FPS Death.

And World Generation time length doesn't impact fort mode performance. World Gen is very abstracted simulation using simplified systems then whats found in Fort Mode or Adventure Mode.
                                 

All this talk of tracking everything that moves reminds me of when fluids were tracked around. It created a huge amount of data for this one facet of the simulation, enough to impact the games performance significantly. Do contemporary computers have the resources to record every movement that happens in a DF world so that it may be tracked? Are we going to need terabytes of HD space to accommodate this?

I think you'll want to reread the Dev Log. The Tracking Information for Adventure Mode is cycled out on a regular basis.  And I really dont think the Dev Log implies that its recording Tracking Information for every Creature in a World for DF. And we dont know how Tracking Information is stored from World Gen, or if it'll be used there at all.

[Knight Otu]

A bit suggestiony but it seems relevant:
Have you put any future consideration into using dogs or other animals to aid in tracking?

Obviously companion animals aren't in Adventure Mode yet, but it seems like a logical step when they are.

Toady specifically mentioned scents as a possibility in the July 30 devlog, so he has at least thought about it for future expansion. As he hasn't mentioned scents for the definite features, they likely won't be in the next version, of course.

[MasterMorality]

I think the main issue as far the blood being tracked around, and everything else, was that it never went away and was an infinitely generated thing. So a cut on a hand would leave a trail of blood for over a hundred miles long, instead of stopping after two tiles max, and eventually fading, which would make sense.  You could have a five cm puddle of blood that, by being stepped in, would miraculously accommodate an ocean's worth.

If blood faded - if you want to fluff it out, scabs and flakes - then it wouldn't be too much of a problem.

So my assumption is that vegetation that is flattened or trampled, or otherwise disturbed, would spring back to a 'regular' state after a certain amount of time.

[brainfreez]

the blood smears are fixed .

[Cruxador]

the blood smears are fixed .

No, they're just disabled.

[Bohandas]

One of the recent updates said that all non-flying corporeal creatures would break vegetation as they walk. Does that include elves and other creatures with "GRASSTRAMPLE:0"? And will that tag be modified in the new update?

[MrWiggles]

Thats an interesting question.

[EmeraldWind]

Thats an interesting question.

That goes double for elves since in LotR Legolas even walks on top of the snow without leaving a trace.
Having creatures that don't leave a standard trail would definitely be interesting.
Though that may wait until scent becomes an available method of tracking.

[hops]

Elves should leave no trails nor scent in the forest because they're goddamned elves
They should leave trails in non-forest biome, though.

[MasterMorality]

At this point we should point out that LoTR, other standard fantasy elves and DF elves are VERY different creatures.

[Manveru Taurënér]

At this point we should point out that LoTR, other standard fantasy elves and DF elves are VERY different creatures.

Indeed, but bearing in mind how DF elves are, they would no doubt go to excruciating lengths to train themselves to be able to walk without hurting the terrain, even if they didn't have the ability naturally. No way would they let their children run free down from their treehouses before they were sure they wouldn't accidentally step on and break twigs, disturb roots or kill any ants etc ^^

[hops]

At this point we should point out that LoTR, other standard fantasy elves and DF elves are VERY different creatures.

Indeed, but bearing in mind how DF elves are, they would no doubt go to excruciating lengths to train themselves to be able to walk without hurting the terrain, even if they didn't have the ability naturally. No way would they let their children run free down from their treehouses before they were sure they wouldn't accidentally step on and break twigs, disturb roots or kill any ants etc ^^

My point exactly