Pretty sure someone's done this before, but I'm looking to start a fort as of next update in which I essentially maintain an artificial caste structure with heavy RP elements. Dwarves of separate castes will have their own living quarters, and will be prevented from socializing with the aim of creating separate, clan-based populations.
Note that this game will be intended to experience massive casualties, and end with the eventual extinction of the dwarven race. But it will be a glorious monument to dwarven hubris if I do it right.
Some ideas I've had about the fort's layout:
-There should be a central stockpile area, which serves as a temporary holding place for items until they're claimed and brought to the various caste dwellings and a holding place for furniture/finished goods for construction/escort. There are no centers for socialization in this structure.
-The hospital and jail should also be part of this communal area so it can be accessed by all.
-Each caste dwelling gets its own statue garden, dining hall etc so that dwarves will socialize by caste. Burrows should restrict party attendance by anyone other than the artisans/enforcer castes.
- A highly modular design means that whole castes can riot/contract plague and the fort may yet survive.
The castes/clans I've though of so far:
The Nobility - The useless nobles, and the useful nobles. Live in an underground series of palaces, consisting of the monarch and their court. I'll intentionally try to acquire and support as many nobles as possible, which as the game goes on will increase as goblins will conquer all forts of my civ other than mine. Hopefully, this will cause refugee issues, and I'll get some new nobles to desperately try to provide for. Bonus points if nobles are literal vampires and the peasants can be fed to them.
Warrior Aristocracy - The military. Live in a segment of a surface fortress, but only idle in their barracks/personalized mansions. This does not include a levy of poor peasant crossbowdwarves.
Peasantry - The haulers, miners, hunters and herbalists. They are restricted to the mines, a slum by the surface (which is purposefully made not the best so Peasant Revolution in the form of strikes and riots can occur) and of course the central shared stockpile area. They also get the mayor, his mansion, and a barracks for maintaining a crossbow levy.
Enforcers - A small caste that acts as a sub-class of the Warrior Aristocracy; they live in the same area, but unlike them they are not restricted by burrows and can move all over the fortress to bring 'criminals' to 'justice'. They may however be banned from certain social areas to prevent the formation of friendships outside the military
Medical Staff - A small caste that services the hospital.
Artisans - Engineers/Siege Operators, masons, engravers and carpenters. This is the one caste (beyond the enforcers, if you consider them a caste in their own right) that is not restricted by burrows, excepting that they're kept out of other castes' social areas. This is by necessity; they're handling all the construction, all of the decoration to make the fort's morale not suicidally bad, reloading traps and assisting in battle with siege engines.
Burghers - All craftsmen of importance. Their job is wealth creation; we've got to keep the fortress happy to allow massive casualties.
Smiths - Yes, they are smiths.
Serfs - These folks handle all the farming, textiles and cooking.
So, thoughts?
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Topic: Challenge idea: Castes? (Read 1314 times)