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[kilakan]

oh and most of the time koopas  can embark with 1 point cost trolls.

[IndigoFenix]

noticed something about the koopas, not sure if it's just my one or what, but they couldnt make pants... and were thus always very angry and embarassed.

Yeah, forgot this one...it'll be fixed by the next update.

Koopas also embark with a tax collector because it isn't appointed or elected by anything else they have (supposed to be DUKE/COUNT/BARON). Very aggravating seeing as the tax collector doesn't need to work and every time you leave the position empty someone else decides to fill it.

This was actually intentional - I wanted the Koopas to have a 'constantly hounded by their king' feel to them, so a lot of their upgrades actually depend on nobles showing up.  I'll take it out if it's too annoying though.

oh and most of the time koopas  can embark with 1 point cost trolls.

That's because they can embark with evil subterranean pets (like goblins), and I'm not changing the original files, only adding new ones.  Eventually there should be enough content to take the original files out entirely and make it a total conversion mod, but until then... you don't have to buy them if you don't want to

The Magikoopa system needs to be reworked, I think.  Requiring large gems isn't good, because I want to encourage above-ground play somehow (though it won't be as mandatory for the Koopas as it will for the Toads - where would Koopas be without large amounts of stone masonry and lava, after all...)  But how to make sure Magikoopas stay rare and elite support soldiers instead of simply making it easy to teach magic to every single citizen?

Some possibilities: Making them physically weaker with each spell learned, making a chance of them going berserk when learning a new spell, making the training take a really long time (not sure if this is possible).  However, none of these will have an effect on someone using a magic scepter as a projectile weapon without learning actual spells... and to be honest, the gem-shooting scepter is also kind of weird, I'm not too sure it was such a good idea.  Anyone have any better ideas?

In the meantime, I'll see if I can get an interaction to reanimate corpses into Dry Bones.  I wonder if there's a way to make them only be usable for combat and hauling, maybe construction as well.  Like children...soldiers.

[StephanReiken]

Perhaps a Koopa secret that creates the ammo

And another which allows that Koopa to train with that weapon. (Any other Koopa would have low learn rates and large decay values.)

This might not work out in relation to other races using the weapon though.

[Putnam]

Perhaps a Koopa secret that creates the ammo

And another which allows that Koopa to train with that weapon. (Any other Koopa would have low learn rates and large decay values.)

This might not work out in relation to other races using the weapon though.

...No. That's a no. Big no, right there.

Unless you mean "reaction" when you say "secret", which, after re-reading, I think you do.

[kilakan]

If it's a reaction and skill based thing, with huge decay values it still wouldn't really work unless you wanted non-magikoopas to still be able to use it, to a far weaker extent.  ofc I have no problem with that at all and would second the notion of making it a reaction and anyone but magikoopa hugely inefficient skill.

[StephanReiken]

Perhaps a Koopa secret that creates the ammo

And another which allows that Koopa to train with that weapon. (Any other Koopa would have low learn rates and large decay values.)

This might not work out in relation to other races using the weapon though.

...No. That's a no. Big no, right there.

Unless you mean "reaction" when you say "secret", which, after re-reading, I think you do.

No, I mean secret. Its magic after all.

[Putnam]

Then no.

[StephanReiken]

And Why?

The Wand - Ammo thing is just a simplification of 4/20 Polygon Blast.

[King Mir]

I think you could make an ore material, produced in a workshop from whatever. From scratch would work too. The ore would have a 5% chance of smelting into a metal. The metal would be required to make Magikoopas.

[IndigoFenix]

Perhaps a Koopa secret that creates the ammo

And another which allows that Koopa to train with that weapon. (Any other Koopa would have low learn rates and large decay values.)

This might not work out in relation to other races using the weapon though.

This could work (if you replace 'secret' with 'reaction' - secrets can't be used in Fortress Mode).  If the reaction that lets a Koopa train with the scepter also makes them terrible at virtually everything else, it could even be balanced.  The problem is that the magic scepter weapon is already kind of messy - its primary material is a gem, and since it's only created through reactions it isn't considered 'native' to any race, not even the Koopas themselves.

I've found a way of making a long-term reaction.  It's a bit messy though, and I think it would be best to create a new workshop if I implement it because of the ridiculous number of automatic reactions it would take.  Basically, instead of consuming a large gem to learn a new spell, you have to spend a long period of time 'charging' a large gem, which, upon being fully charged, can be used to learn a new spell, returning the gem to its uncharged state to be 'charged' again.
I think... it should require magma.  I like the idea of Koopas deriving magic from magma, which would explain why their castles are always full of the stuff (well, aside from the obvious reason).

[kilakan]

if you wanna keep it with the requiring large gem to work part, prehapes we could get a reaction to condense gems into large gems?  Since it's insanely rare, at least for me, for anyone to ever cut a large gem... they always end up as bloody gem crowns.

[IndigoFenix]

if you wanna keep it with the requiring large gem to work part, prehapes we could get a reaction to condense gems into large gems?  Since it's insanely rare, at least for me, for anyone to ever cut a large gem... they always end up as bloody gem crowns.

Well, that's kind of the point.  I'm seeing Magikoopas as being a kind of late-game reward - something that you won't be dealing with much until you've leveled up your fortress at least once and are preparing for being put under siege by every nation at the same time.  But with this system, it's not too bad.  I'm running with one gem to create the Sanctum, one to create the charge point, and one to act as the energy-storage gem, which could be reused once you've learned a new spell (if you're really desperate, you could deconstruct the charge point once you're done charging and use it to create the Sanctum in its place).  Also, one for each scepter, assuming I keep those.  They don't appear often, but you could embark with large gems for 20 points each, or buy them from trade caravans later.  The real cost is the time period involved - charging a gem is a ritual consisting of 100 successive reactions.  It's all automated once you start, but should still take around one season per spell for each gem/charge point pair you have available.  Also, all of a Koopa's physical attributes drop by about 20% for each spell learned.  So, you're not going to want them making the bulk of your military force, although they'll be extremely useful support troops.

[ArKFallen]

I'm having a lot fun as shyguys. Though some of the Subspace Portal's reactions have the same shortcut keys (b and f). To make it a capital letter use CUSTOM_SHIFT_letter instead.

[IndigoFenix]

Major update!

New underground gamplay:

Toads can now learn to dig, but they suffer from speluncaphobia (fear of caves) and need to live above ground.  Staying underground for more than short trips at a time will cause gradually increasing levels of dizziness, causing them to work slower and faint from time to time.

Koopas are tougher and won't faint from the darkness, but they still aren't dwarves and staying underground for months on end will cause them to move and work slower.  However, if you tough it out and keep them underground until they become cave adapted (1 year), they will begin to improve and ultimately wind up stronger, tougher, and more agile than their above-ground counterparts.  They will still become nauseous from the sun though, and they'll lose these bonuses if they go outside, so altogether it might not be worth the trouble.  (Based on Dark Koopas)

Shy Guys don't care if they're above or below ground.  Hopefully the ability to produce an abundance of building material for free will encourage above-ground fortress building by itself, and there's no reason to make it more difficult to fill your psychedelic parallel-universe fortress with magma if you so choose

New magic system:

The source of Magikoopa powers are magic gems.  To make one, you first need a 'Gem Charge Point', which itself requires a large gem and access to magma.  Once you create a charge point, you can use it to charge up a gem with magic, which takes a very long time (about a season or so).  A magic gem can be used to create a Magikoopa Sanctum, the place where most of the magic is actually done.  To change a regular Koopa into a Magikoopa, you'll need to create a 'potion of power', which requires a cauldron, a ladle, a large pot, and another charged gem.  When the potion is drunk, the koopa who drank it will have ALL of their physical capabilities CUT IN HALF, but will gain the power to buff their allies, stun their enemies, and teleport (Magikoopas flash with a blue 'M' to indicate their presence, though you'll probably be able to recognize them by the constant teleporting).  A charged gem can also be used to create 20 magic polygons, which are used as the ammo for magic scepters (the magic scepter itself can be created through mundane methods).  When a charged gem is used, it reverts back to a regular large gem and can be charged again.  Altogether, you won't be using Magikoopas until much later in the game, but they'll make your army much stronger when you do get them.

You can split these magic duties however you want (the gem charger doesn't have to be the potion brewer, the potion brewer doesn't have to be the drinker, and anyone can use a magic scepter as long as they have access to the polygon ammo).  However, because of the enormous amount of  work it takes to charge a magic gem, the one who charged it will gain considerable experience in using magic, which will make them more effective at using the scepter without having to use up the considerably costly ammo for training.  And, since they will be fighting with projectiles anyway, they'll be the best candidates for using the ranged attack and support spells that the potion grants (Hammer Bros also fight with projectiles, but unlike magic scepters, 'hammer gear' can be used effectively at close range, and physical strength lets them throw hammers better).  So it's not a bad idea to give all the magic to the same koopa.  Use burrows and stockpiles to control which koopa drinks the potion.

Oh right, I forgot to mention that you can now create zombies by bringing a corpse near the sanctum and selecting the 'raise a nearby corpse' option.  This is not, however, a smart idea, as I haven't figured out how to stop the 'friendly' corpse from attacking everyone.  I threw it in anyway.

New cooking reactions:
Toads can now fry eggs and cook some individual food items (not too many yet though).  You can also make surprise cake.  What's a surprise cake?  It's a surprise! 

Also added some new creatures and plants, like Moo Moos, Sleepy Sheep, Li'l Oinks, Fuzzbushes, Giant Shellcreepers, Gloombas, and Melody Frogs, and made minor adjustments to existing creatures.

Next on the list... more creatures, plants, items, cooking recipes, and trading races.

Have fun!

Some possible issues:

Frog People should now carry their special drinks (froggie drink, elixir, megalixir, kerokerocola, bracer, energizer, crystalline, and power blast), at least most of the time.  (It's not guaranteed, and sometimes other civs will carry them as well.  They are extracts from certain rare castes of 'Melody Frogs' which can be found in freshwater wetlands.)  I am not sure, however, if you can actually drink them.  For some reason they don't work if you purchase them on embark, and neither does milk... I don't know.  If anyone purchases one from a caravan let me know if it works, since my tests don't generally last long enough to actually see a caravan arrive (a creature that does drink one will flash with a green, red, or blue 'up arrow' for about a month after drinking it, as long as the status boost lasts).

Sometimes there are crashes on worldgen.  They aren't common enough to let me pinpoint the issue, so in the meantime if you do get a crash, just generate a new world.

[StephanReiken]

Doesn't a fear of underground prevent toads from living inside buildings too?