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[Morgorin]

So, I've done a few (very few) successful mods now, and now I'm looking to get more into it.  I started with the mad cows, as mentioned in an earlier post, and this has me thinking of more animal military/utility units.  Next up, I think, will be the Dwarven Abomination (name tentative).  Here is my plan:  The Dwarven Abomination is a cursed species of fowl. They live cold, ruthless lives, created for nothing more than bringing about the death of anything un-dwarfish. 

Basically, it will be a 2-headed chicken with feathers made from any metal at random (if possible) and that spits either molten or solid steel (undecided).  When butchered, it gives a bar of a random metal (again, if possible) along with the meat, etc. 

So, here are my questions:

I know that the extra butchered object would be something like this:
[EXTRA_BUTCHER_OBJECT:BY_CATEGORY:BODY_UPPER]
   [EBO_ITEM:BAR:INORGANIC:PLATINUM]

However, is there a way to replace the metal (platinum, in this case) with something like ANY_METAL? 

This would work for the metal spitting, right?

[CAN_DO_INTERACTION:MATERIAL_EMISSION]
      [CDI:ADV_NAME:Spit metal]
      [CDI:USAGE_HINT:ATTACK]
      [CDI:BP_REQUIRED:BY_CATEGORY:MOUTH]
      [CDI:MATERIAL:INORGANIC:STEEL]
      [CDI:VERB:spit a chunk of steel:spits a chunk of steel:NA]
      [CDI:TARGET:C:LINE_OF_SIGHT]
      [CDI:TARGET_RANGE:C:15]
      [CDI:MAX_TARGET_NUMBER:C:1]
      [CDI:WAIT_PERIOD:20]


I have no idea at all of how to replace the normal feathers with a random metal, though.  Any ideas?

[GreatWyrmGold]

To make them random metals, you'd have to do a caste per metal. On the bright side, you could omit stupid metals and adjust the chances of, say, adamantine war chickens to far below that of copper war chickens.

Also, post the draws once complete.

[Morgorin]

-_- 

I should have known I was creating a project...  Well, I'll do this (and others) after my Bio test and post the results/ask for more help. 

[Tsuchigumo550]

War chickens.

I once tried my hand at war llamas, but nothing so advanced. This looks like great fun.

[Darkgamma]

They should spit molten as liquid cotton candy flying at 1000 tiles/turn could be potentially painful.

[Tsuchigumo550]

I think it's high time someone adds in actual cotton candy.

That would be an elven war chicken though...

[Morgorin]

Well, I guess I'll start now; my first foiree into castes. 

[Morgorin]

Would this whole spitting molten steel thing even work as an effective weapon?

EDIT:

Linking to combine my related threads:

Mad Cows

[Morgorin]

Sorry for the triple-post, but I'm trying to think through the process.  Would this work?

Steps:
1) Use feather material template + metal to create metafeather material template:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:BRONZE_METAFEATHER_TEMPLATE]
   [STATE_COLOR:ALL_SOLID:BRONZE]
   [STATE_NAME:ALL_SOLID:bronze metafeather]
   [STATE_ADJ:ALL_SOLID:bronze metafeather]
   [STATE_COLOR:LIQUID:BRONZE]
   [STATE_NAME:LIQUID:molten bronze metafeather]
   [STATE_ADJ:LIQUID:molten bronze metafeather]
   [STATE_COLOR:GAS:BRONZE]
   [STATE_NAME:GAS:boiling molten bronze metafeather]
   [STATE_ADJ:GAS:boiling molten bronze metafeather]
   [DISPLAY_COLOR:6:0:0]
   [MATERIAL_VALUE:1]
   [SPEC_HEAT:420]
   [IGNITE_POINT:NONE]
   [MELTING_POINT:NONE]
   [BOILING_POINT:NONE]
   [HEATDAM_POINT:10250]
   [COLDDAM_POINT:9900]
   [MELTING_POINT:11868]
   [BOILING_POINT:14140]
   [ITEMS_WEAPON][ITEMS_WEAPON_RANGED][ITEMS_AMMO][ITEMS_DIGGER][ITEMS_ARMOR]
   [ITEMS_HARD]
   [ITEMS_METAL]
   [ITEMS_BARRED]
   [ITEMS_SCALED]
   [SOLID_DENSITY:8250]
   [LIQUID_DENSITY:8020]
   [MOLAR_MASS:80000]
   [IMPACT_YIELD:602000]
   [IMPACT_FRACTURE:843500]
   [IMPACT_STRAIN_AT_YIELD:547]
   [COMPRESSIVE_YIELD:602000]
   [COMPRESSIVE_FRACTURE:843500]
   [COMPRESSIVE_STRAIN_AT_YIELD:547]
   [TENSILE_YIELD:172000]
   [TENSILE_FRACTURE:241000]
   [TENSILE_STRAIN_AT_YIELD:156]
   [TORSION_YIELD:172000]
   [TORSION_FRACTURE:241000]
   [TORSION_STRAIN_AT_YIELD:156]
   [SHEAR_YIELD:172000]
   [SHEAR_FRACTURE:241000]
   [SHEAR_STRAIN_AT_YIELD:156]
   [BENDING_YIELD:172000]
   [BENDING_FRACTURE:241000]
   [BENDING_STRAIN_AT_YIELD:156]
   [MAX_EDGE:10000]
   [ABSORPTION:100]
   [IMPLIES_ANIMAL_KILL]
   [STATE_COLOR:ALL_SOLID:BRONZE]
   

2) Use feather tissue template + metal to create metafeather tissue template:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[TISSUE_TEMPLATE:BRONZE_METAFEATHER_TEMPLATE]
   [TISSUE_NAME:bronze metafeather:STP]
   [TISSUE_MATERIAL:INORGANIC:BRONZE]
   [RELATIVE_THICKNESS:2]
   [SUBORDINATE_TO_TISSUE:SKIN]
   [INSULATION:100]
   [TISSUE_SHAPE:FEATHERS]

3) Do something with this:
[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:BODY_FEATHER_TISSUE_LAYERS:FEATHER]

And This:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[SET_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:FEATHER]
         [TL_COLOR_MODIFIER:BROWN:1]
            [TLCM_NOUN:feathers:PLURAL]

4) Add these all to a new caste, as such:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[CASTE:BRONZE_METACHICKEN]
        [CASTE_NAME:bronze metachicken:bronze metachickens:bronze metachicken]
       
        [POP_RATIO:1]
------ all other castes ----

[SELECT_CASTE:BRONZE_METACHICKEN]
--- add on aforementioned tages (steps 1-3)

5) Use [SELECT_CASTE:ALL] and add this:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[CAN_DO_INTERACTION:MATERIAL_EMISSION]
      [CDI:ADV_NAME:Spit metal]
      [CDI:USAGE_HINT:ATTACK]
      [CDI:BP_REQUIRED:BY_CATEGORY:MOUTH]
      [CDI:MATERIAL:INORGANIC:STEEL]
      [CDI:VERB:spit a chunk of steel:spits a chunk of steel:NA]
      [CDI:TARGET:C:LINE_OF_SIGHT]
      [CDI:TARGET_RANGE:C:15]
      [CDI:MAX_TARGET_NUMBER:C:1]
      [CDI:WAIT_PERIOD:20]

6)Put this all together, replacing words and tags as needed using the chicken raw as template.


EDIT:  Obviously, I'm missing somethings, as mentioned.  Any help with those (or any thoughts on the process) would be greatly appreciated. 

[smakemupagus]

It's hard to answer such a general question as "would this work" since we don't know what your goals are.  Have you tried to generate a world with your creature and get specific errors?  (in this case, post 'em and people will no doubt help out)  Are there tokens you think you need but don't understand?  (in this case, look them up in wiki and post specific questions after you get stuck).  Otherwise, just change things one at a time that you do understand.

Like, what do you mean when you say "do something with this", or " replacing words and tags as needed"?  Yes, in general, doing something with it might work.  But doing other things might not work.   

edit.  I don't know whether you wanted to define new tissue templates, or even new materials, I had imagined that you were going to use regular old Iron or Bronze as your tissue material.  In which case, it is simpler than what you are doing, look up the Bronze Colossus or Iron Man

   [TISSUE:BRONZE]
      [TISSUE_NAME:bronze:bronze]
      [TISSUE_MATERIAL:INORGANIC:BRONZE]
      [MUSCULAR]
      [FUNCTIONAL]
      [STRUCTURAL]
      [RELATIVE_THICKNESS:1]
      [CONNECTS]
      [TISSUE_SHAPE:LAYER]
   [TISSUE_LAYER:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:BRONZE]

But again, I don't know if you are trying to do something more sophisticated than that..

[IndigoFenix]

Actually, you could do the multiple-caste different material feathers very simply.  Just start with a regular chicken with regular feathers, and then add the following:

[CASTE:COPPER]
  [SELECT_TISSUE:FEATHER]
  [TISSUE_MATERIAL:INORGANIC:COPPER]
  [POP_RATIO:100]
[CASTE:BRONZE]
  [SELECT_TISSUE:FEATHER]
  [TISSUE_MATERIAL:INORGANIC:BRONZE]
  [POP_RATIO:50]
[CASTE:IRON]
  [SELECT_TISSUE:FEATHER]
  [TISSUE_MATERIAL:INORGANIC:IRON]
  [POP_RATIO:20]

...And so on.  Should work fine.  You can also add in seperate material attacks for each if you want to as well.
Although I should point out that changing the materials of feathers won't really offer such great protection (I think bladed weapons just go right through feathers), and you can't melt them down or anything, so this would be mostly for show.

[GreatWyrmGold]

You could also make the skin copper or whatever, but then you couldn't make leather.

[Morgorin]

Well, that simplifies things.  I really am only changing the feathers for looks.  They are still chicken sized, so any hits will kill them.  Is the spitting of molten steel an effective weapon? 

On a related note:  I took on my first real threat with my mad cows.  An Ettin appeared near some of my haulers, including one of my legendary masons.  Luckily, I had an axedwarf nearby who distracted it long enough for some of my stronger military arrived.  (By stronger military, I mean my miners.  I have no military trained at this point.)  I lost three or four mad cows and only that first military dwarf.  I have my three best miners armed with steel picks in the military, so they took out one head and a mad cow took out the other.  Picks + miners = OP, just saying. 

[smakemupagus]

Is the spitting of molten steel an effective weapon? 

Probably.  Make your creature and try it in the arena?

[sackhead]

i think butchering out random metal could work. birds butcher random rocks.