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Author Topic: Writing books vs available books  (Read 5057 times)

martinuzz

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Writing books vs available books
« on: February 29, 2016, 06:17:48 am »

This is curious: I just sold two books to last season's caravan, because they weren't masterpieces (they were only splendid). One was about the construction of the chariot odometer, the other one about etymology.

Now I have not had my dwarves be too active in the scholar department, I've just been rotating them all every once in a while to meet scholarly needs.. But they barely wrote any books. They wrote a grand total of 6 books in the 36 years of my fort.

But now, I assign a couple of dwarves to the library, and within a week, 3 of them are writing. Two are writing about chariot odometers, one is writing about etymology.

It looks like that if a dwarf has knowledge on a subject, he looks if there is a book of higher quality than he could possibly make about that subject available, and if not he will write about it.

EDIT: hah. 1 second later, a 4th dwarf is writing, about chariot odometers.
EDIT2: scrap that. Every single one of the 7 dwarves assigned to the library wrote a book. 6 about chariot odometers, one about etymology. A dwarf is now writing a second book, about archeology ( a favourite topic of discussion in my library). Apparently the selling off of two books inspired a writing binge.
« Last Edit: February 29, 2016, 06:22:36 am by martinuzz »
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Diamond

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #1 on: February 29, 2016, 08:58:21 am »

Can't argue with that, chariot odometers are such a fascinating subject.
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Blue_Dwarf

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #2 on: February 29, 2016, 09:38:08 am »

Cow cheese is so 149. Now the chariot odometers are all the rage.
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Saiko Kila

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #3 on: February 29, 2016, 03:34:14 pm »

It's a buyers market. The author writes what sells, catering to the lowly demands of uneducated masses. In this case, apparently, charioteers.
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MobRules

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #4 on: February 29, 2016, 05:35:51 pm »

In my previous forts since the advent of libraries, I jump-started my scholarship by buying codexies and scrolls from the dwarven and human caravans. Lots of books, lots of visitors to the library, lots of scholars writing lots more books.

In this fort, alas, neither caravan brings any books, just sheets. So I've been able to jump-start my library by buying books, and as a result ,it's darn hard to get my scholars to write anything.
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Shonai_Dweller

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #5 on: February 29, 2016, 06:28:05 pm »

In my previous forts since the advent of libraries, I jump-started my scholarship by buying codexies and scrolls from the dwarven and human caravans. Lots of books, lots of visitors to the library, lots of scholars writing lots more books.

In this fort, alas, neither caravan brings any books, just sheets. So I've been able to jump-start my library by buying books, and as a result ,it's darn hard to get my scholars to write anything.
Send in an adventurer loaded with books swiped from the nearest library?
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gunpowdertea

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2016, 04:54:40 am »

It's a buyers market. The author writes what sells, catering to the lowly demands of uneducated masses. In this case, apparently, charioteers.

Dwarven "Top Gear" anyone?
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khearn

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2016, 11:45:14 am »

It seems odd that there is so much interest in chariot odometers, given that there are no chariots in DF.
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martinuzz

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2016, 11:47:19 am »

It seems odd that there is so much interest in chariot odometers, given that there are no chariots in DF.
Caravan wagons are just large chariots with extra trunk space
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Dozebôm Lolumzalěs

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #9 on: March 01, 2016, 01:12:11 pm »

Toady should use wagons as a template for chariots etc
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PatrikLundell

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #10 on: March 01, 2016, 02:21:50 pm »

Nope. As far as I've heard wagons are horribly implemented multi tile beasts that should be removed and replaced by something that works properly, which will happen when multi tile creatures are created. This may happen together with boats and multi tile machinery/traps, or be a separate thing. War chariots would only be fun if we were actually fighting in the open, and so probably will make sense only when fortresses are able to send armies out.
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Orbotosh

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #11 on: March 01, 2016, 02:43:22 pm »

It's a buyers market. The author writes what sells, catering to the lowly demands of uneducated masses. In this case, apparently, charioteers.
I want to sig this so much
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It's a buyers market. The author writes what sells, catering to the lowly demands of uneducated masses. In this case, apparently, charioteers.
Can we get migrant sponge cooks, a squid for bookkeeper, a starfish peasants, squirrel mechanics, vermin invaders, and cook roast crab meats? 

sivistojko

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2016, 10:13:53 pm »

Lol, I had so much laugh reading this topic!
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Starver

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2016, 10:36:16 pm »

But now, I assign a couple of dwarves to the library, and within a week, 3 of them are writing. Two are writing about chariot odometers, one is writing about etymology.
Well, what goes around, comes around, as one of many proverbs goes. ('Pro-' supportive 'verbs' words, from the original Latin. i.e. a phrase in support of a conceptual truth, often metaphorical...)
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Corona688

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Re: Writing books vs available books
« Reply #14 on: May 01, 2016, 01:57:39 pm »

Everything in my library is irredeemably vicious battlemaps and economic theory of middle to poor quality.  I get the feeling my dwarves are the wannabe conquistatores of dwarfkind.
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