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[IndigoFenix]

So, this is the place for questions, comments, and suggestions about the new Masterwork's gnome mode.
The basic focus of gameplay will be similar: powered machines, tinkering high-tech weapons, and animal taming.
I'm going to try and write up a new machine script, using dfhack's existing powered machine module.  It'll be somewhat different, but hopefully less bug-prone.  This will probably take some time, though.
In the meantime, post any suggestions for changes you have here.

[lcy03406]

Metals. For a high-tech race it's weird that their best metal is mithril, imported from elf.

[IndigoFenix]

Metals. For a high-tech race it's weird that their best metal is mithril, imported from elf.

I don't want them to wind up with too many advances in the area of making super-strong metals - dwarves should still be the best metalworkers.  Not all technology has to advance at the same rate as it did in real life.

I do think that it makes sense for gnomes to have better access to aluminum than other races, though.  In real life, the process that extracts aluminum from bauxite requires electricity.  That's why aluminum used to be so valuable, but is now commonplace.

The old Masterwork made aluminum extraction from bauxite available to all races, although this isn't realistic given the technology levels (unless it's explained with magic).  Whether Meph wants to keep it in or allow it to be exclusive to gnomes is up to him.  To be fair, aluminum is kind of useless for weapons and armor, it's only useful in DF because of its value and rarity... which is sort of ruined by being able to extract it from bauxite.

It is useful for robots, though (in real life - right now there's no script in place for making lightweight robots faster, although that would be a sensible upgrade to the construct-creature script).

Maybe instead of making stronger metals, gnomes could make a lightweight, reasonably strong aluminum-steel alloy.  Although automatic machines making alloys is still a problem I haven't fully figured out (because as they work now, the machines process items one at a time).

[Boltgun]

Let's not produce tons of metals, I'd rather see Meph define a guidelines for materials so we don't end with cluttered stockpiles and menus.

It could be cool if you could make circuitry. I saw that you could build logic doors, linking them together towards radio commands that modify the clockwork animals AI you allow a gnome commander to control his robots, or even better have clockworks activating when an enemy steps on the pressure plate.

For an added bonus, you could also overload the circuitry, breaking the connected machines but hurting those who were stepping on it.

Another cool thing would be winning nature merit by breeding and released animals from endangered species (using their world pop count).

[IndigoFenix]

Let's not produce tons of metals, I'd rather see Meph define a guidelines for materials so we don't end with cluttered stockpiles and menus.

It could be cool if you could make circuitry. I saw that you could build logic doors, linking them together towards radio commands that modify the clockwork animals AI you allow a gnome commander to control his robots, or even better have clockworks activating when an enemy steps on the pressure plate.

For an added bonus, you could also overload the circuitry, breaking the connected machines but hurting those who were stepping on it.

Another cool thing would be winning nature merit by breeding and released animals from endangered species (using their world pop count).

That bit about the metals makes sense.  I was only going to add one or two new ones, but if every race is able to produce their own exclusive metals, it'll clutter up the menus for all the others.  We should try to come up with a logical system for it.

Integrating the wild animal population with the druidic system does sound good.  Not sure exactly how it would work, though.  How do you measure whether a species is endangered or whether it is supposed to have a low population count?  Also, does the game track wild animal populations during worldgen in such a way that endangered species are created?  Though I suppose reclaiming a previous player fort that had wrecked the local environment as player forts are wont to do with the purpose of restoring the land would be an interesting mission.

Remote controlled robots would be tricky, but certainly possible.

[Boltgun]

That would be difficult to track species population, if we can set a few rules that would be cool. The easy way out would simply to make it random, "based on previous observations the gnomes announced that batmen are in danger" and put the hot potato in players hands. 

[lcy03406]

I don't want them to wind up with too many advances in the area of making super-strong metals - dwarves should still be the best metalworkers.  Not all technology has to advance at the same rate as it did in real life.

I agree dwarves should be the best metalworkers. But there should be an explanation why gnomes invented autosmelter and arcfurnace in the first place. They are not very greedy, not fond of trading, why did they invent such a machine that can only chunk out cheap metals? Yes aluminum is cheap, in MDF, mithril, bloodsteel, and many other metals are better than aluminum. Gnomes are long living, even for decoration purpose they should have something at least as valuable as mithril. It's very stupid they build autosmelter and sell the "high-tech" aluminum to buy those really useful things. Especially those really useful things include bloodsteel, made by savage orcs from, nothing.

[lcy03406]

A problem about recruiting wild animals. The newly recruited animal will attack or be attacked by it's wild brothers, and cause deaths of animals. Such a recruit decrease merit and frustrating. One solution may be to web or cage the recruited until a gnome release it?

[qorthos]

Maybe they need autosmelters because their nobles are super greedy and demand massive amounts of furniture and value in their rooms and the only way to create that much is with machinery?   

[Zuzu Reish]

This is more of a broad question: as I understand it, Elves are going to be implemented in the (relatively) near future; if so, what are you thinking to do to distinguish gnomes from them in gameplay? Right now, MDF gnomes strike a nice balance between nature advocates and technical wizards; that balance distinguishes themselves from the other races, especially dwarves. Do you think the introduction of the Elves will somehow dilute this, and if so do you have any thoughts on the subject?

I know this is heaping hypothetical upon conjecture, but it's something that's crossed my mind.

[IndigoFenix]

This is more of a broad question: as I understand it, Elves are going to be implemented in the (relatively) near future; if so, what are you thinking to do to distinguish gnomes from them in gameplay? Right now, MDF gnomes strike a nice balance between nature advocates and technical wizards; that balance distinguishes themselves from the other races, especially dwarves. Do you think the introduction of the Elves will somehow dilute this, and if so do you have any thoughts on the subject?

I know this is heaping hypothetical upon conjecture, but it's something that's crossed my mind.

I actually have a few ideas, but they will require coordination with Meph to work well.

Basically, I'd like there to be a kind of relationship diamond between the four 'civilized' races, in which each one is able to produce more high-end technologies by trading with the other races.  Each race would have two 'allies', who they are able to combine technologies with to a great degree, and one 'opponent', who they have less interest in.

In this case, gnomes would be 'allied' with dwarves and elves.  Gnomes would trade advanced mechanisms to dwarves in exchange for gunpowder, allowing both races to create high-end weapon tech like turrets and gun-toting robots.  As far as gnomes and elves, gnomes would be better at training animals than elves, but elves would be better with plants and controlling the raw elements of nature; they could exchange magical trinkets that would allow the other race to use aspects of their particular druidic skill.

[Zuzu Reish]

I like the idea of trading knowledge between to the benefit of both, a lot could be done with that.

This wouldn't fit into 'nature-magic' knowledge or anything like that, but if the gnomes were to trade 'plant knowledge' with the elves, maybe it could allow them super-advanced/efficient coke production via booze burners or something like it; or perhaps vice-versa, where trading with gnomes would allow for the elves to use environmentally-conscious biofuel to further their fuel needs.

[lcy03406]

but if the gnomes were to trade 'plant knowledge' with the elves, maybe it could allow them super-advanced/efficient coke production via booze burners or something like it.

Gnomes already have the most efficient coke production now by themselves. Collect peat - make plastic - burn the 2 plastic logs. 4 runs of work and no reagents, make 6 cokes. Dwarven blast furnace (is it the name?) can make cokes in batch but they need to mine the coal or grow trees first. Biofuel and compact peat needs a lot of labor. Plastic is better than all of these.

[Giimer]

I beg to fix plastic, now it is not considered a tree and not transferred to the warehouse
I beg to add robotic porters. Once upon a time I asked for but you do not like the idea. As a result, the idea has been implemented only in Warlock

[Meph]

Burning plastic shouldnt create coke, realisticly speaking.