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[DungeonMasteer]

Hmmm, I don't know about you guys, but would adding more metals be a neat idea? There are only 5 weapon grade metals in the game (copper, bronze, iron, steel and adamantine). Maybe add mitheral in the game, tougher and lighter as steel (as per legend), but not as much as adamantine. Or how about orichalcum, a metal talked about in platos first book of Atlantis, where its said to be a good armor or a metal of high value. Or perhaps arcanite, from the game Warcraft, its a dull metal similar to steel, but is also very flexible and light, maybe a minable version of steel? Maybe the World of Warcraft version of Thorium, which is stronger than steel, but heavier than lead.

As this is a fantasy game, new metals can be thought up that have not been used in any other game, like dwarfinite, a metal that makes its wielder happy all the time (pun).

[Bumber]

Or how about orichalcum, a metal talked about in platos first book of Atlantis, where its said to be a good armor or a metal of high value.

It's an alloy of gold and copper, isn't it? Or possibly the same thing as electrum. I don't think it's exactly "weapon's grade".

Or perhaps arcanite, from the game Warcraft, its a dull metal similar to steel, but is also very flexible and light, maybe a minable version of steel? Maybe the World of Warcraft version of Thorium, which is stronger than steel, but heavier than lead.

Let's not.

Perhaps worlds could have some randomly generated metals. (This is planned for plants in the future, IIRC.)

[neblime]

I believe randomly generated stone types are planned, so presumably that includes metal.  I don't see why we should take things from other games.  I also don't really see why the number of weapon/armor metals isn't enough.  What will all these metals add to the game?  Just some materials between steel and adamantine?  I don't really see the point of that.

[sackhead]

im all for more metals but I personally would like to see a few more real metals like Arsenic Bronze or variation in existing metals like Damascus steel rather than fantasy metals

Maybe add mitheral in the game,

i read somewhere DF adamantine is based of Tolken's  mitheral but Toady didn't want to use the name because he was woried about intellectual property rights. mythical adamantine was rather heavy.

Or perhaps arcanite, from the game Warcraft,

   
probibly copyright if Toady doesn't want to infringe on Tolkien he won't mess with Blizard 

Or how about orichalcum, a metal talked about in platos first book of Atlantis, where its said to be a good armor or a metal of high value.

It's an alloy of gold and copper, isn't it? Or possibly the same thing as electrum. I don't think it's exactly "weapon's grade".

Their is a copper alloy called orichalcum that was used to make some low value coins.
their was also a metal in clasical mythology with the same name. i can find references to it as armour (like Aneases's shield ) but i can't find any weapons made from it.
it could be a nice addition.

[Dyret]

I don't think we need any more naturally-occurring metals; adding five hundred instances of the same only not and calling it depth is something that bother me in many of the larger mods, but I would like to see 'crafted' materials forged from the souls of tormented orphans and rainbows and such when the whole different planes and metaphysical stuff gets implemented, sort of like how you forge Daedric gear in Skyrim from demon-sauce and regular materials, as well as things like the magical superwood elves as described as using in Threetoe's stories.

[Dirst]

I don't think we need any more naturally-occurring metals; adding five hundred instances of the same only not and calling it depth is something that bother me in many of the larger mods, but I would like to see 'crafted' materials forged from the souls of tormented orphans and rainbows and such when the whole different planes and metaphysical stuff gets implemented, sort of like how you forge Daedric gear in Skyrim from demon-sauce and regular materials, as well as things like the magical superwood elves as described as using in Threetoe's stories.

I second this idea, though it might hew a little too close to "industrial magic" for Toady's comfort.  Something that seems more likely given the current direction of DF is unique materials for artifacts.

For example, Urist McFeymood takes some bars of steel and a few items associated with the Sphere of Dance to create a weapon with fantastic agility/to-hit effects.

[Tacyn]

I agree that the gap between steel and candy could use something in between.
I've seen at least one mod that does exactly that.

An alternative, I think, could be platinum and aluminum.
Platinum is already best choice for blunt weapons.
For aluminum, there exist alloys supposedly as strong as steel, but much lighter (e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duralumin), which could make excellent armor.

Lastly, introducing candy alloys with lower metals could fill the gap.

 

[gritstone]

More metals?  Being able to use more of the existing ones for something useful would be a start.

Dwarves can turn the hardest metal in existence into plate mail, but not put a lump of nickel on the end of a stick?

[GavJ]

I believe randomly generated stone types are planned, so presumably that includes metal.  I don't see why we should take things from other games.  I also don't really see why the number of weapon/armor metals isn't enough.  What will all these metals add to the game?  Just some materials between steel and adamantine?  I don't really see the point of that.

There ARE armor niches that would be nice to fill, but not a dozen of them. Maybe 1 or 2 more. And I don't think they would involve more metals. For instance:

1) Cave spider silk "kevlar" -- much more labor intensive than steel and difficult to get raw materials in enough quantity. HOWEVER, webs are available on every map with a cavern, while iron and flux are not. So steel is easier, but if you have to, you can use this for a small amount of key armor, and eventually you can catch GCS's and ramp up production. Similar in style and weight to adamantine, but only as strong as steel roughly or slightly weaker (with slightly different strengths and weaknesses of attack types absorbed than steel)

2) Composite armors made of combined mundane materials. On par with bronze or thereabouts in effectiveness, but not requiring any metals. Again, significantly more labor intensive than the equivalent metal armor, but a fallback option if you don't have the metals. For example, "bone/fiber laminate armor" using a bunch of thread and cloth and bone together in layers. For instance, for each equivalent bar in metal armor, laminate might require 2 thread, 1 cloth, and 1 bone.

(The bone is broken into small plates and sandwiched overlapping in really well-sewn cloth pockets. It will shatter like normal bone armor, but instead of the pieces falling apart and flying everywhere and leaving you unprotected or full of bone bits, they stay in place, and thus continue to protect further for much longer. They also cause stabbing implements to chip the armor and deflect and jam in between plates)

[Waparius]

More metals?  Being able to use more of the existing ones for something useful would be a start.

Dwarves can turn the hardest metal in existence into plate mail, but not put a lump of nickel on the end of a stick?

I agree with this. Better than just adding more metals would be just opening up more materials for use. Mods already do a lot of this but I'd prefer to have it in the basic game, along with some variant buildings for metalwork. Given that bronze and other metals are and were cast rather than being wrought, an anvil shouldn't be necessary to work them as well.

Stone axes, wooden spears, lead maces and all of that.

Ideally - probably waaay down the line, but still - weapons would generally use several materials, and you'd be able to specify those you use in the design (probably after getting a Weaponsmith's Guild) - a highwood-handled spear with a bronze head, or a lead-cored mace wrapped in iron with a wood-and-leather handle and a brass image of a dwarf beating a goblin on one end.

[condonzack]

There is a metal which is criminally absent from Dwarf Fortress. COBALT!

While a huge part of me wants Kobolt, a magical metal that attracts kobolds, Cobalt as used during the middle ages was really dwarfy. According to Wikipedia it was mostly used to make cobalt glass which is really nice looking. The glass is made with pearlash sand and cobalt, essentially like crystal glass. It would then be ground up (new mill order) into a dye called Smalt. Blue windows, new dye, and this- the wikipedia entry for smalt says "it is appreciated for it's attractiveness." Sounds like some noble with an internet connection wants some Smalt windows in his or her rooms!

In summery- cobaltite already exists in the game. Where is my Kobolt?

[Bumber]

While a huge part of me wants Kobolt, a magical metal that attracts kobolds, Cobalt as used during the middle ages was really dwarfy.

Well, that's what cobalt is named after, anyways. (Though 'kobold/cobold' is basically synonymous with 'goblin' in this case. Not little yappy dog people.)

[Dorf and Dumb]

You guys know that practically every mod fools with the metals, right?  Masterwork does that with cobalt.  Some of these should indeed be brought into the default, though.

(And I'm still waiting to see the coke, brimstone, and saltpeter go boom)

[Putnam]

I don't think we need any more naturally-occurring metals; adding five hundred instances of the same only not and calling it depth is something that bother me in many of the larger mods, but I would like to see 'crafted' materials forged from the souls of tormented orphans and rainbows and such when the whole different planes and metaphysical stuff gets implemented, sort of like how you forge Daedric gear in Skyrim from demon-sauce and regular materials, as well as things like the magical superwood elves as described as using in Threetoe's stories.

daedra ain't demons

also, yeah, supernatural materials made from supernatural creatures... hmm. That's good.

[GavJ]

You guys know that practically every mod fools with the metals, right?  Masterwork does that with cobalt.  Some of these should indeed be brought into the default, though.

(And I'm still waiting to see the coke, brimstone, and saltpeter go boom)

Gunpowder is made with charcoal, not coke. And it makes a difference. It's important to actually have cellulose as a base, as it acts in different ways, and will actually explode. Whereas coke would just burn really fast. OR do nothing, since coke requires higher temperatures to ignite in the first place, and a spark or fuse may not be sufficient to start the chain reaction.