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[Meph]

Putnam is working on and off on the drow (there is a thread with a beta release), and Deathsword is working on and off on the goblins. So yeah. It doesnt almost suggest anything, it just states the truth.

[udsuna]

Yeah. Save slaving for the goblins and/or drow. Although using some captives as "materials" for buildings should be a thing.

[ThaMuzz]

I suppose my focus has been on the fleshy rather than the bony.
Okay, taking focus away from slaves:
Basic skeletons have massive penalties (95%-100% sort of deal) to all skills other than mining.
Advanced skeleton castes can be created by torturing captives with desirable skills.

This can be done in a manner similar to either the Dwarven Guilds or the Townportal.
In Guild style, a reaction is run that consumes an appropriate captive item (Captive Smith, Captive Craftsman, Captive Mason, ect), and transforms nearby skeletons into the appropriate caste. 
The lore/flavor for this option is that the captive's skills and soul are being torn out and used to enhance the undead servitors.
In the Townportal manner, a reaction is run that consumes an appropriate captive item and spawns a new skeleton of the desired caste. 
Lore/Flavor for this is that the captive's soul/mind has been bound to their skeleton.

[ThaMuzz]

Also, include a system similar to the Dwarf libraries, which can be used to provide a certain level of skill to base skeletons that does not require the use of captives.  The sorcerer can imbue their slaves with a limited degree of competence, but not with the potential for real growth.  That requires stolen souls.

[Meph]

I think a 0% skill learn rate for most skills, but adding a soul to get +1 skill would be fine. Skeletons can cut wood and dig, but to learn engraving or pottery they need to get a soul-upgrade. It should be quite easy to do.

The townportal-like building I want to avoid, because it still has some issues with military and therapist. But caged invaders can be turned into skeletons in a workshop, no problem.

[Meph]

Ok, I can certainly do this:

People attack. You cage them. Bring cage into line-of-sight to a workshop. Run a reaction. Make the caged invaders a skeleton fort member of a specific type. Goblin skeleton, Elf skeleton, Orc skeleton... all possible. I can give them slightly different stats, like elf skeletons are better archers, and orc skeletons are stronger, while kobold skeletons are webimmune. Things like that. I have the basic raws for this and the scripts. I havent tested it yet, but I am very positive that it will work.

[mahrgell]

Maybe it is just me, but to me cage traps are not a fun mechanic of the game. Not at all. I would prefer to see cage traps removed instead of even promoting their usage any further.
Promoting skeletons via souls sounds like a much better idea. (and give them castes that way)
So:
5 souls of a certain RACE -> morph working skeleton into RACE skeleton
one soul of any kind -> boost selected skill of skeleton by one

[Meph]

I cant alter, removed or add cage traps. They are hardcoded.

[mahrgell]

yeah but forcing the player to use them... is not improving it ^^
If they stay how they are, at least everyone is free to use them. If they are essential to convert your workers it would be terrible, imho

[Meph]

Its an option, not a necessity. You can build skeletons from ground up, just use some bones, and a soul. Thats the idea. But as long as that bug about "spawned units cant be nobles/military" persists, it is only a sub-par solution.

[Teneb]

I don't know if it was sugested already, but you could implement the repair of minions using corpse parts/bones as reagents and perfoming a quick transformation to a generic creature and back.

Also, with the current system you propose, how will warlock sieges work out? Will only skeletons appear, or the warlocks as well?

[Meph]

I dont know. Warlock sieges of the warlocks I am writing atm would be skeletons only, at least by looks, with the very rare chance of a warlock in it, which will also look like a skeleton. Because I will do the warlock graphics by noble profession graphics. I think giving them no active seasons is something I will do anyway, so they never siege anyone. I will figure something out.

[Grimmash]

I don't know if it was sugested already, but you could implement the repair of minions using corpse parts/bones as reagents and perfoming a quick transformation to a generic creature and back.

This idea, with a very short skeleton life.  I was thinking something like 1-5 years.  Hell, if I get 10 years out a dwarf, that is a banner day for the fortress.  That also makes the need for killing paramount.  Unless you can use animal bones to  repair your skeletons.  But that would be hilariously gruesome.  "We must order these stupid wretches to harvest the cows before they fall to pieces!  There are bone and viscera bits all over this fortress!  I'm glad losing my soul and mortal body was part of the bargain, otherwise I'd be puking all over this tower!"

As to cages, you can ignore them.  I am trying to ignore all traps in my MW fortresses.  Even if you do use cages the micromanagement of completely disposing of all the gear, then pitting prisoners, then killing the survivors (depending on your pit) to train your militia does somewhat balance the overpowered nature of cages.

[Teneb]

Another thing I ended up thinking about: is there a way to keep the skeletons from making friends, and keeping the warlocks from befriending skeletons? Otherwise some problems will be had. I wonder if [NOEMOTION] on the skeletons can stop this.

[Meph]

I am farily certain that NOEMOTION stops that.