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Author Topic: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North  (Read 9262 times)

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A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« on: January 18, 2013, 02:26:08 am »

I posted this to /r/dwarffortress too.

I found that there was little information from people who had been to the World's Edge or Far North, so decided to do some exploration.

So, I was travelling north, in the snowy, frozen northern ocean, coming occaisionally across the odd crab or sea otter, when I see the following: a flock of Albatross heading the same direction as me. Cool. And then in front of me I see a looming [Ice Wall.](http://imgur.com/I94FY&IFibA&B1UL2&SMvbk&QsEje&cT0Bn&BSoW8#4) 1 z level high. ice on the top of it. I'd just like to also say that by now the game has slowed noticeably.

"So". I think. "Is this It?" the albatross simply fly over it. An odd thing for the END OF THE WORLD to allow. So I follow the wall to the east and come to [This](http://i.imgur.com/I94FY.png?1). (Yes, there are penguins there. First Arctic animals). A corner. It's NOT the edge of the world. Interesting. So I advance Northward. I reach a corner on the other side of the ice wall, making a [ shape of ice in my vision. I am barely past that when [THE SPACE BEHIND ME IS REPLACED WITH AN ICE WALL!](http://imgur.com/I94FY&IFibA&B1UL2&SMvbk&QsEje&cT0Bn&BSoW8#3). And there's mist. That means this isn't some strange glitch from being too far north like the Far Lands in Minecaft. The game DID THIS.  Also, I'm trapped. Great.

Northwards we continue, until I happen upon another [Ice Wall](http://i.imgur.com/QsEje.png?1). Eastwards I continue until I see another [corner.](http://i.imgur.com/cT0Bn.png?1) Suddenly the land to the west of me [freezes again.](http://imgur.com/I94FY&IFibA&B1UL2&SMvbk&QsEje&cT0Bn&BSoW8#6)

By now the game has slowed to unplayable levels. I save the game and move it to my more powerful computer.

Continuing the game; I move North, until I find [another wall ahead of me.](http://i.imgur.com/2Dev7.jpg?1). And then [East.](http://i.imgur.com/5YUtR.jpg?1) from here I can see mist coming from one of the walls. (left side of image) I look up (right side of image) and see above the first ice wall, there is another. Like an Ice Mountain.

I carry on East until [a third corner cuts me off](http://i.imgur.com/LDexn.jpg?1). South it is. When I find the southern wall, I think that I have been boxed in, [but I find I am not](http://imgur.com/2Dev7&5YUtR&LDexn&2eJ7s&X5hZI&Kq4IE&z1nek&vvUcV&sIGbY&Acu0g&CKxGd&hESbE&yoaNL&eG18v&zgXQ7&c0ljz&UksSv&k9LIV&6X2XP&ytLSc&wm5TA&Py0kr&ovmU3&i1gOH&9UHbl&kCBWi&RZdaa&2mQrh&Sf5pT&qC61N&rOhwR&DDp5q&HQnVw#4). Hey. [A Leopard Seal](http://imgur.com/2Dev7&5YUtR&LDexn&2eJ7s&X5hZI&Kq4IE&z1nek&vvUcV&sIGbY&Acu0g&CKxGd&hESbE&yoaNL&eG18v&zgXQ7&c0ljz&UksSv&k9LIV&6X2XP&ytLSc&wm5TA&Py0kr&ovmU3&i1gOH&9UHbl&kCBWi&RZdaa&2mQrh&Sf5pT&qC61N&rOhwR&DDp5q&HQnVw#5). I find the wiki has little to say about them, so If I can hunt it and kill it, I can find out. Then again, it could kill me. SCIENCE!. [Turns out I was cut off.](http://i.imgur.com/zgXQ7.jpg)

I chase the Leopard seal back north, when the Ice [freezes my space smaller.](http://i.imgur.com/c0ljz.jpg).

Suddenly, I see that a crack has appeared in the Ice! It is only A pile of snow over open space, however I go down it for science. It went down to the ocean below. [I floundered and drowned, despite adequate  swimming.](http://i.imgur.com/6X2XP.jpg)

I am usually against using Task Manager to end a game and carrying on the last save, but this is Science. And so, for the umpteenth time in my life I do the dishonourable thing in the quest for knowledge and reload the save; chasing the Leopard Seal.

Armok must have known I dodged death, because suddenly [the ground I stand upon becomes an Ice Wall and I am encased in it](http://i.imgur.com/ytLSc.jpg), killing me (and probably the seal).

**TLDR/CONCLUSION:**

I consider the expedition to be a moderate success, as I learnt the following :

* The North has Strange Moving Ice Walls, comparable to Fast Glaciers. They are 1 Z-Level High and capable of stacking. They are a danger and capable of encasing Dwarves in ice.

* A sea exists under Polar Ices. There is no air pocket and drowning is inevitable.

* The Arctic KILLS your framerate.

* Leopard Seals are Faster than Expected.

More research is required. More Expeditions to be conducted and perhaps a fortress constructed at the World's Edge.
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Hanslanda

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2013, 02:31:19 am »

This is awesome. A land of shifting, suddenly appearing Ice Walls, incredibly deadly to adventurers. 'Twould make a good LP if you survived it.
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Orange Wizard

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2013, 03:08:58 am »

Yeah, I think that bug has been reported. My theory was something to do with waves, but it's just a bug.

Anyway, that will happen on any frozen ocean. It's kind of weird. The FPS death is because the game loads the entire biome into memory. I think. I've noticed a drop in FPS when I'm adventuring in larger biomes, and in smaller biomes, the game runs smoothly.
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Please don't shitpost, it lowers the quality of discourse
Hard science is like a sword, and soft science is like fear. You can use both to equally powerful results, but even if your opponent disbelieve your stabs, they will still die.

Freshmaniscoolman

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2013, 07:46:01 am »

Yeah, I think that bug has been reported. My theory was something to do with waves, but it's just a bug.

Anyway, that will happen on any frozen ocean. It's kind of weird. The FPS death is because the game loads the entire biome into memory. I think. I've noticed a drop in FPS when I'm adventuring in larger biomes, and in smaller biomes, the game runs smoothly.


You know, when you say it's a bug you just end the fun.
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Loud Whispers

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2013, 01:51:52 pm »

It's ok. Bug and feature are synonymous in DF vocabulary anyways.

GoombaGeek

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2013, 02:59:45 pm »

It's ok. Bug and feature are synonymous in DF vocabulary anyways.
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Loud Whispers

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2013, 03:15:52 pm »

It's ok. Bug and feature are synonymous in DF vocabulary anyways.
Dwarven Meth
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"I THINK THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, ARE YOUR BEEKEEPERS BUILDING MURKY WATER ON YOUR WALLS?"

TheFlame52

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2013, 05:06:29 pm »

It's ok. Bug and feature are synonymous in DF vocabulary anyways.
Dwarven Meth
"OH GOD THERE ARE FEATURES UNDER MY SKIN"
"I THINK THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, ARE YOUR BEEKEEPERS BUILDING MURKY WATER ON YOUR WALLS?"
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Orange Wizard

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2013, 02:37:45 am »

Yeah, I think that bug has been reported. My theory was something to do with waves, but it's just a bug.

Anyway, that will happen on any frozen ocean. It's kind of weird. The FPS death is because the game loads the entire biome into memory. I think. I've noticed a drop in FPS when I'm adventuring in larger biomes, and in smaller biomes, the game runs smoothly.


You know, when you say it's a bug you just end the fun.
That was my intention. I'm not a very fun guy.
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Please don't shitpost, it lowers the quality of discourse
Hard science is like a sword, and soft science is like fear. You can use both to equally powerful results, but even if your opponent disbelieve your stabs, they will still die.

Xantalos

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2013, 02:42:30 am »

I've been asploring these waters meself, and can confirm that the square glacier thing is caused by a square of water unfreezing for some reason and then refreezing as an elevated square. If you look closely they have a deep split running through them, which runs deep enough to let adventurers get killed via explosion if they jump down it. The end of the world isn't all that impressive; the map just stops scrolling forward at some point and you have to imagine what your character sees what with nothing being beyond that point.
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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2013, 04:38:51 am »

Yeah. Just travel all the way East/West, you get the idea. It just stops.

Bloax

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2013, 08:34:24 am »

I for one am very disappointed that you can't walk off it.
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oh_no

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #12 on: January 19, 2013, 06:56:46 pm »

I for one am very disappointed that you can't walk off it.
Or throw people off it.
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Please don't shitpost, it lowers the quality of discourse
Hard science is like a sword, and soft science is like fear. You can use both to equally powerful results, but even if your opponent disbelieve your stabs, they will still die.

miauw62

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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2013, 12:07:17 pm »

We must find out what happens when somebody dodges off the edge of the map! Does it count as an infinitely high wall?
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Re: A Scientific Report of The World's Edges and The Far North
« Reply #14 on: January 20, 2013, 02:59:48 pm »

We must find out what happens when somebody dodges off the edge of the map! Does it count as an infinitely high wall?

It would probably end up with something like "The cheesemaker dodges the attack! The cheesemaker rams into an obstacle!" when that happens.
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