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[GiantCaveMushroom]

Although there isn't any magic yet in DF, what if the level of of magic in a world can be changed?
I mean that during world building, the levels of magic can be changed from none to high and from rare to frequent. similar to changing the amount of megabeasts and mineral frequency in current DF
For example In a low magic world, the most a mage can do will be to conjure a block of ice, pick it up, and hurl it at a goblin causing the goblin's lower jaw to sail off in an arc. In a high magic world a mage can call thunders to strike down ravens and summon demonic cows to impale bogeymen. A world with no magic will use good old fashioned magma pits or dismemberment.
For frequency, in a world where magic is rare, master wizards are the only people that will use magic and they live in secluded towers like necromancers possibly taking apprentices that become masters themselves as the world progresses and teach others to prevent the magic art from becoming permanently lost. Meanwhile, in a world where magic is common, entire academies are devoted to teaching people magic with the result that even that kobold thief your legendary weaponsmith encountered out in the wilderness can conjure a flying giant sponge.
This can probably create an interesting combination of worlds where magic is used for everyday purposes like cooking (low magic, high frequency), where magic is rare and powerful (high magic, low frequency), or where everyone you see in the game can bend realities to their will without anyone batting an eye (high magic, high frequency).

[Matoro]

That kind of magic wouldn't fit much to Dwarf Fortress like it is now. I think the way how DF now uses magic is far more interesting and mystic: it's not something generic fantasy RPG-mage-thing but mystery. No one really knows how magic works or why it works. Everyone just sees magic's consequences: necromancers, vampires, werebeasts, demons.

[Helari]

That kind of magic wouldn't fit much to Dwarf Fortress like it is now. I think the way how DF now uses magic is far more interesting and mystic: it's not something generic fantasy RPG-mage-thing but mystery. No one really knows how magic works or why it works. Everyone just sees magic's consequences: necromancers, vampires, werebeasts, demons.

That's not necessarily how it's going to be.

Magic is probably still a long way off though, considering the new version with non-lethal combat and revolutionaries isn't yet released and after that there's going to be a version about inns and mercenaries and such(?)

Time between big versions seems to be a year or something so I fear magic is far (years) down the line.

[fractalman]

I think i gave a (somewhat abstract) thing about tying magic loosely to a biome; not only would there be a global magic-intensity setting, but local variations in the availability of magic, as well as the unpredictability of that magic. 

[Putnam]

This is planned. Cado's Magical Journey is a fairly long example of what's planned for this kind of thing.

[Neonivek]

This is planned. Cado's Magical Journey is a fairly long example of what's planned for this kind of thing.

No, Threetoe stories are not to be taken as power goals. They are at best brainstorming and at worst just a story that Threetoe wrote.

This is substantiated further by Animalmen which Toady even after the story was written outright said "I don't know what to do with them".

[Mesa]

This is planned. Cado's Magical Journey is a fairly long example of what's planned for this kind of thing.

BTW, why has it been 2 years since Threetoe's last story?
Was the concept dropped or something?

[Trif]

This is planned. Cado's Magical Journey is a fairly long example of what's planned for this kind of thing.

No, Threetoe stories are not to be taken as power goals. They are at best brainstorming and at worst just a story that Threetoe wrote.

If you look at the bottom of each story page, there is an analysis by Toady and ThreeToe about how elements of the story could be incorporated in DF. Not exactly power goals, but pretty clear plans.

This is substantiated further by Animalmen which Toady even after the story was written outright said "I don't know what to do with them".

I'd like to see a quote on that. Root had animal people as independent, but not very powerful factions. There's lots of stuff to do with them.

BTW, why has it been 2 years since Threetoe's last story?
Was the concept dropped or something?

Zach: "I mainly do story rewards now. I'm thinking about doing an amalgam of story rewards for the next one."

[Neonivek]

If you look at the bottom of each story page, there is an analysis by Toady and ThreeToe about how elements of the story could be incorporated in DF. Not exactly power goals, but pretty clear plans

That is just Toady brainstorming on possible features that could be derived from that story.

They aren't announced features.

[GreatWyrmGold]

So? It's still showing where Toady intends to take the game. Maybe not the specifics of the story, but certainly the notes at the bottom.


The biggest issue I have with this suggestion is basically wondering if magic is going to be "simple" enough for a sliding scale to work well. Basically, while a high/low slider will be useful for magic when there's actually...magic, any details finer than "it should exist," including "it will be pretty easy to grasp" or maybe even "it is possible" are up in the air.

[Xantalos]

Huh. PTW; I'll add my thoughts later.

[Gargomaxthalus]

That kind of magic wouldn't fit much to Dwarf Fortress like it is now. I think the way how DF now uses magic is far more interesting and mystic: it's not something generic fantasy RPG-mage-thing but mystery. No one really knows how magic works or why it works. Everyone just sees magic's consequences: necromancers, vampires, werebeasts, demons.

That's not necessarily how it's going to be.

Magic is probably still a long way off though, considering the new version with non-lethal combat and revolutionaries isn't yet released and after that there's going to be a version about inns and mercenaries and such(?)

Time between big versions seems to be a year or something so I fear magic is far (years) down the line.

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=50380.0 

Heres a taste of things to come. 

[10ebbor10]

It's a 3 year old trait, orchestrated by a banned user. No real value.