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[KrEstoF]

From what I hear, practically everyone hates elves. Understandable, I suppose. But one of the biggest things is how they might sell something made of wood to you... then later you try and offer it back, and they get all offended! I think this can be solved simply by introducing magic, enchanted, or whatever-fancy-whatchamacallit-worked wood.

Basically, for every type of wood out there, there is a "magic" version of it that the elves created. It's pretty much exactly the same in every respect except you could say it has a little stamp of approval by the elves, guaranteeing that no plant or animal was brutally slaughtered in its creation. Whenever elves come to sell you blocks of wood or items crafted from wood, it will always be the "magic" variety. Thus if you were to craft something out of that magic wood and sell it back, they would not be offended because they know the wood was magically created.

It may even be interesting to hire an elf to work with some trees and magically extract wood from them. You'd just have another unit added to your fortress that is an elf that I suppose could do most things other dwarves could, except this particular unit could be given a task targeting a tree called "magically extract wood". Though I suppose that would be really slow and not worth it to many players who already hate elves so much!

Also, looking at this idea...
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=19567.msg203770#msg203770
It isn't so bad, but I think such wood would be of low quality.

Edit:
Other possible descriptors we could give the wood are "Blessed" or "Spirit".
Also, we should consider if maybe this type of wood is in fact stronger than mundane wood or if it adds more to quality and enjoyability (especially for elves).

[GreatWyrmGold]

I saw this topic, and realized I had never heard a suggestion about the topic I thought it was about! I was pleased.

Then I read the topic.

Not that this is bad, but it doesn't go far enough.

Here's how I think it should be handled:
"Enchanted Wood" should be an additional material defined in each type of tree, with a tag in the wood material proper identifying that the elves use the Enchanted Wood instead of the normal one (e.g, HARMLESS_EXTRACT:LOCAL_PLANT_MAT:WOOD_MAGIC or something). This enchanted wood would have other useful properties, such as enhanced sharpness and such, which makes elven weaponry not suck.

[KrEstoF]

Lol, yeah I was thinking maybe the magic wood could be superior to normal wood, but I didn't want to go too far with it and couldn't really think of a reason why.  But then again, it's MAGIC! OOooOooh!  *waves hands*

[GreatWyrmGold]

It would also explain why elves have never used metal or even stone tools and weapons. Wooden ones are easier to make and, with enchantments, superior to stone or the lower-grade metals.

[Carp McDwarfEater]

Since most people probably won't spend more time to obtain wood ethically if it only means making elves happy, this magic wood needs to have a higher material value or special properties, or there will be no point to it.

[Keshire]

I saw this topic, and realized I had never heard a suggestion about the topic I thought it was about! I was pleased.

Then I read the topic.

Not that this is bad, but it doesn't go far enough.

Here's how I think it should be handled:
"Enchanted Wood" should be an additional material defined in each type of tree, with a tag in the wood material proper identifying that the elves use the Enchanted Wood instead of the normal one (e.g, HARMLESS_EXTRACT:LOCAL_PLANT_MAT:WOOD_MAGIC or something). This enchanted wood would have other useful properties, such as enhanced sharpness and such, which makes elven weaponry not suck.

Brings to mind this:
http://goblinscomic.com/03162010/

[GreatWyrmGold]

I saw this topic, and realized I had never heard a suggestion about the topic I thought it was about! I was pleased.

Then I read the topic.

Not that this is bad, but it doesn't go far enough.

Here's how I think it should be handled:
"Enchanted Wood" should be an additional material defined in each type of tree, with a tag in the wood material proper identifying that the elves use the Enchanted Wood instead of the normal one (e.g, HARMLESS_EXTRACT:LOCAL_PLANT_MAT:WOOD_MAGIC or something). This enchanted wood would have other useful properties, such as enhanced sharpness and such, which makes elven weaponry not suck.

Brings to mind this:
http://goblinscomic.com/03162010/

Difference being that there's a justification. Unless there was in that comic, in which case the difference is, um...Hey look over there, a squirrel!

[Keshire]

I saw this topic, and realized I had never heard a suggestion about the topic I thought it was about! I was pleased.

Then I read the topic.

Not that this is bad, but it doesn't go far enough.

Here's how I think it should be handled:
"Enchanted Wood" should be an additional material defined in each type of tree, with a tag in the wood material proper identifying that the elves use the Enchanted Wood instead of the normal one (e.g, HARMLESS_EXTRACT:LOCAL_PLANT_MAT:WOOD_MAGIC or something). This enchanted wood would have other useful properties, such as enhanced sharpness and such, which makes elven weaponry not suck.

Brings to mind this:
http://goblinscomic.com/03162010/

Difference being that there's a justification. Unless there was in that comic, in which case the difference is, um...Hey look over there, a squirrel!

It was all elven made.
Including the wooden skin graft. If it helps, the guy's name was goblin slayer, though he was a jerk.

[KrEstoF]

Well, even if this magic wood was granted no apparent physical benefits at all, there WOULD be a point still.

First, removing some of the stupidity of the elves, because apparently they can sell you wood stuff that, if offered back, offends them.  But more likely than not, it probably isn't merely "stupidity", but a design overlook. It should be addressed.

Second... yeah it would be slightly easier to make the elves happier. Maybe if you have an ambassador over, and their room has lots of enchanted wood items, they will be more pleased. I don't think everyone thinks elves are only good for melting in a tidal wave of magma, slowly torturing to death, etc etc.   Right?  ....Right??       Oh who am I kidding.

Also, I could imagine this stuff being as hard as iron or something. That would be good. The problem would still be it is lighter, and probably would be a bit more flexible.  Well, maybe dwarves would even like it too, seeing as you'd think it would boost the quality of furniture and stuff.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Agreed, although I still think that limiting it to making elves happy is sorta silly.

Of course wood can be as hard as iron. Ever heard of ironwood?

[GoombaGeek]

I saw this topic, and realized I had never heard a suggestion about the topic I thought it was about! I was pleased.

Then I read the topic.

Not that this is bad, but it doesn't go far enough.

Here's how I think it should be handled:
"Enchanted Wood" should be an additional material defined in each type of tree, with a tag in the wood material proper identifying that the elves use the Enchanted Wood instead of the normal one (e.g, HARMLESS_EXTRACT:LOCAL_PLANT_MAT:WOOD_MAGIC or something). This enchanted wood would have other useful properties, such as enhanced sharpness and such, which makes elven weaponry not suck.

Brings to mind this:
http://goblinscomic.com/03162010/

STOP LINKING WEBCOMICS AAARAGHAAGAHAGAHABLCKSBLBLBLBLBLBRRLBLBNLGFLHHHH
This makes like the third webcomic I've read cover-to-metaphorical-cover because some fool linked a single page to a tenuously relevant thread ;(

[flabort]

Be careful about complaining about that sort of thing, or someone might just explain that it's not as bad as TvTropes, and explain why THAT'S so bad by linking another web comic.

Edit: Come to think of it, This would be a better TvTropes link more fitting to the situation, and this was a pretty jerk thing to do.

[nanomage]

Some of the Threetoe's stories mentioned that elves armed themselves with weapons made of "hardened" wood. I believe it's the same as "enchantment" discussed here, except elves don't think it to be magical. Well, they most likely don't think their tree-shaping to be magic either.

[GreatWyrmGold]

You know what they say: Any sufficiently advanced silviculture is indistinguishable from magic.

[Neonivek]

Well the reason Elves don't think it is magic is simple. It isn't really magic it is no different then the laws of physics in our world.

Trees and animals speak a similar language and Elves have the Skeleton key language or rather the prime language of nature itself.

It isn't magic to them because to them all they are doing is 'asking' no more magical then a Dwarf Hammering a peice of metal into a sword.

This wood isn't magic because it wasn't enchanted or made magic in anyway.

---

In otherwords Dwarf Fortress is a setting where nature itself is alive and somewhat sentient and not just a vague concept and where animals and trees are connected with eachother in some way.

Hense why Elves have their animal friendship ability.