A thing I just remembered that may be of some use: You can alter attribute ranges and caps.
Not quite the same as altering skills, but forcibly making all dwarves weak and clumsy may weaken them in combat.
A few other ideas that came to mind would be to make them smaller or to remove their ability to trance.
Sorry for the long delay in response (and it seems someone hijacked this totally off topic ;/), life went into SUPER FUN CRAZY HAPPY CHAOS MODE!
But yes, that is what I was fearing I might have to do with the attributes. though, the other issue really is just how poorly balanced armor and fighting is at the moment in the mod. I mean, even at 100 max stats, a guy with a crossbow (this applies to any weapon really) will eventually hit 15+5 and will still hit pretty much fatal shots each time (in no small part to lack of armor covering body parts, which Meph insists is 'fine'). The only way to prevent said situation, is to again, cap their skills. if I recall right, the strongest difference between combat foes is their skill. 5 levels is massive.
Size wise, I'd not wanna touch that. I seen the past with Meph and others having one hell of a time with sizes and clothing, armor fits, and oddities in the dwarf growth
I'm not confident enough in my modding (or knowledge of sizes more specifically) to dare attempt that.
I need to do some testin' and see the difference between an equally geared/skilled pair of dwarves, one with 100 stats and one with 2000 to see how serious of a difference it is.
Are dwarves just better at combat? My ultra powerful 'shaft of knowledge' enhanced warlock with 4000 in all stats in adamatium armor got oneshotted by a mithril pike to the head.
if you fall over, all hits go to the head - and pikes are VERY nice piercing weapons, which will bypass armor (not 100%, but all it takes is bruise to the damn brain to die lol). Of course, you can just get unlucky and take a shot to the head, but when my guys are 15+5 (dwarves in my case), they simply DON'T get hit. they dodge or parry like 99.99% of blows. I mean, I counted like 600 arrows vs my 5 dwarves last time - and not one even hit! Was hilarious in truth.
I will do testing with warlocks, as i am planning on playing them next after having done a very fun, very heavy 'giant evil temple of doom' build in a fitting evil biome that raises dead, quite amusing. I'll see how they fare with the dwarves, too many variables to say why they may be different - if they are. DF is notorious for the random factor.
Beyond modifying skill learning rates/physical sizes, you could try playing as another race; if direct combat is simply too easy for you, which it seem that it is, try playing as kobolds or gnomes. Alternatively, you can impose limits on yourself like only using leather/bone armor; trade independence; itemless/skill-less embarks, and/or a strictly aboveground fort.
Hahaha, while not other races - I've done such limits to absurd extents. I can wipe entire sieges with 2 bridges and a bit of water no matter their skill/armor (no, not atom smashing at all), I've used trap halls (they SUCK vs 15 skilled foes, as traps are always acting at 0 skill - quite a nasty piece to get to work), I've done the 'turret only' defense (no hellfire, etc, just bullet turrets and such to try and ding someone in the head, which is rare). I've done the 'only trade for resources' - I've limited myself to only wrestlers. I've set it so my ENTIRE fort is my military, sending 80-120 untrained, naked dwarves against sieges (that was bloody - and hilarious
), the list goes on and on. I mean, I ALWAYS embark in evil biomes with very nasty weather effects (barring thralls - ever met a frost giant siege of thralls? I mean, literally impossible to kill, good god ._.) and I eat the undead for breakfast, even thoguh they revive adinfinitum (thank god for the update, if Meph gets to it - fixes the damn undead!)
I've never in my career dug up 'candy' and used it. Not one. never used bifrost. Made volcanic WAY back once as i was curious to see its effects, but once I cleaved dozens of sieges down without a threat to me, I erased that too. It's just... masterwork isn't hard, once you know what to do - and i'm not speaking of cheap tactics... maybe I should start participating in challenges, or even hosting my own with the community, heh.
Hey sabbykat,
I could offer you my brain, because i have the exact opposite. I just cannot survive long enough. I know the basics about Danger Rooms, and patrolling etc. but the moment i use the danger room, my dwarves alway's die.
Any tips you could give a military un-genius?
Aqua
While late, and already semi-answered, I'll clarify a bit on danger rooms.
#1 you use WOOD spears (training spears), NEVER anything else. if at all possible, use featherwood. if I recall correctly, the weight of it will make it literally hit like a feather (though the 'edge' aspect will still cut you if it hits an exposed area).
#2 cloaks. Normally (unless Succubi are smaller then dwarves?) you can fit 3 on a dwarf/succubi/etc at once, on top of armor. cloaks are great for protecting odd spots, like the neck, wrists, and other spots armor is weak or doesn't normally cover (had a dwarf trip, go flying, and tear his own throat open off the ground as a 15+5 master axemen -.-...). they're beautiful for danger rooms.
#3 build a door, and lock it when your guys are inside. I can't tell you how many MORONS try to run in and grab that seed on the floor, or a pet runs in and gets murdered. You just need to watch for them to get thirsty, and let them out (disable the repeat on lever), let 'em drink, sleep, bum around, and when they're all back inside - just lock it, and repeat.
But yes, even if you get hurt a little consider it training for your doctor, as good lord, you'll not use him in real battles. it's alive or it's a corpse, there's no injured...
If you need anything specific on combat, tactics, or jargon - don't be afraid to pm me. Might as well share my knowledge!
P.S.
I do NOT use the danger room trick normally. I use the (horrible) sparring system and abuse it with the pair system (which still is a few years of training) to get people up, especially as my dwarves start at 0 skill, and enemies, at 15.
~*~
But yes! I shall have to sigh and try to find some form of challenge. Maybe embarking my fort right into hell off the bat would be fun... I've done the third cavern (that was shitty with those damn brains! Argh!)
Thanks for the few who stayed on topic and tried to help, appreciate the info!