Hey, I didn't notice this gameplay questions thread, so I made my own: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=136857.0
You should sticky this thread so people don't miss it.
Should I move my questions here?
Cheers
Probably should move it, in any case, I'll answer your questions here.
1. No comment on workflow or hotkey, I don't use those commands. Mousequery, however, works as intended for every version of Masterwork, as far as I know.
2. Again, I've never had problems using SoundSense with Masterwork.
3. Bone-dry products are not finished goods. They are the ultimate product of the Potter's Workshop, but this is just dried unfired clay objects. It works like this:
-1. Create a valid Clay collection activity zone.
-2. Collect Clay task at Clay Oven.
-3. Shape <item> from (collected) clay at Potter's Workshop. Produces Greenware <item>.
-4. Dry Greenware clay object two more times into leather-hard and then bone-dry states.
Note that NONE of these are useful, except for the raw clay, which could be used as a buildmat.
-5. Fire the clay object at the Clay Oven. This task produces a useable Earthenware/Stoneware/Porcelain good with value to it, and also determines the overall object quality.
-6. Earthenware or Stoneware objects still need to be glazed at the Kiln before they can safely hold liquids.
This long and complicated process is offset by clay never running out.
4. Orichalcum is at least as good as steel, and also more valuable. I'm guessing your other reagents must've been pretty worthless, because I once had a freaking chain worth more than a quarter of a million dwarfbucks. In particular, I think there's some mechanic that makes moody metalsmiths certain, or at least more likely, to choose orichalcum for their artifact, unless maybe they have a metal for their material preference. However, orichalcum is also the 'holy metal' of dwarves, and is a reagent for a few religious/arcane reactions, so make sure at the very least that you never use it up completely. Keep in mind, too, that your supply will most likely bottleneck when you stop digging/smelting raw ores. Melting goblinite/useless tradegoods/et cetera will never get more orichalcum. Besides, welded mithril is better for edged weapons and armor, and welded wolfram is better for blunts.
5. I already covered this, but there's a somewhat major thing I forgot. USE AN ORE PROCESSOR! Not only is smelting raw ore really inefficient in terms of the metal you want (it also produces a lot of slag) but the refining process produces significant amounts of blocks and flux stones. More importantly, though, the refined ore when it's smelted has DOUBLE the orichalcum yield compared to the freshly mined stuff.
6. You'll probably get warlocks. They will try to kill you. That happens to everyone, though. Your fort name/civ name has no effect on gameplay, although that is a pretty evil sounding one for dwarves . . .