I find the differences in the compared combat logs are mainly due to luck - the weaker hammerdwarf was tackling a kobold fighter who was actually fighting back, while the stronger one was merely bashing up a prone and disabled kobold civilian. The stronger one got _one_ meaningful hit - the spine-smasher - which didn't cause the kobold to lose hold of equipment or fall down (i.e., the kobold was already disarmed and on the ground).
The thing is, the weaker hammerdwarf has consistently had this "bad luck" for every battle. Here's some more !Science! featuring three of the hammer legendaries vs. elves, all in the same weak armor.
4131 STR: 9 weapon strikes with an artifact pig bone shield, 9 serious wounds (100%)
3738 STR: 13 hits with a named steel war hammer, 4 bruises & bone chips, 9 serious wounds (69%)
2346 STR: 23 hits with a masterful steel war hammer, 23 bruises, 0 serious wounds. ZERO
. The only serious wounds he managed were from unarmed strikes.
The above fight is exactly what I've been observing over the course of the unlucky dwarf's entire military career. The stronger hammerdwarves and the macedwarf always have shorter combat logs and their kill counts absolutely dwarf (heh) his.
Here's a look at them in Splinterz Therapist. I also noticed that Urist McWhifflehammer is already at his maximum strength. Screw pump training did nothing
.
Their body sizes are the same, as are the weapon skills. Strength affects weapon velocity, and it looks like it makes a significant difference for blunt weapons. In related news, I've got a 12 year old recruit who is set to become the second strongest dwarf in the fort with 4152 max strength (the strongest is 4248)! I can't decide between hammers or maces for him. Hammers clearly benefit from more strength, while maces are just fine for someone with under 2400. I wonder if a 4152 STR mace wielder will absolutely wreck things, or if there's a cap/diminishing returns.
Why don't you post the unlucky hammerdwarf's personal description? I wonder if there's something in his personality or physical characteristics that's a problem. Muscles can be trained, but some dwarves are simply very tiny or short and can never attain the size of the bigger guys. I believe that puts a hard upper bound on their abilities. It could also be a personality thing, like he's too easily stressed out.
Edem II's BioHe's "easily moved to pity." His title is "The Peace of Workers." Maybe he's a bit of a pacifist and prefers to go easy on his foes
.
Lost an eye in a childhood injury? Heavily scarred bashing arm? Asthma?
He had
all his limbs broken in battle when he was 14. He healed up completely, though. It doesn't look like he had any last effects, but maybe you're on to something. I'll recruit another hammerdwarf with similar max strength and keep track.
Author
Topic: 90% of fortress-born dwarves & animals are 1/10th normal size (fixed in LNP) (Read 131123 times)