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[philli46]

Hello awesome mod creator.

I've decided that while you work on this beautiful mod, I am going create a 16x16 graphics tile set exclusively for it. (Just because I've had so much fun with it!)

I'd really like your input on the work I do, because I want to creat something that fits your image of how the mod should look. So if you would kindly describe to me what you think a kobold should look like, I will post some kobold examples based on that description shortly after, and you can decide which ones to move forward with.

[Random_Dragon]

Ah, thank you. And interesting to hear, I'm personally not sure. I would assume it'd be logical to base it off what their in-game properties imply. Which would make for a rather odd appearance given they're depicted as hairless, scaleless egg-layers with brown skin and glowy yellow eyes. Which doesn't fit with most other fantasy depictions of kobolds, often either canine or reptilian.

I vaguely recall a tile set modeled off their common depiction as cutebolds, with their comical little snout and floppy ears, and sometimes furred unlike the in-game kobolds. Personally I'm unsure what to recommend, as Dwarf Fortress is one of the only roguelikes I play where I tend to stick with the ASCII-style graphics over using a tileset.

In fact there had earlier been discussion on, at a bare minimum, offering tilesets matching the default character set except for including a soldier tile for kobolds, either ќ or k̈. I recall scraping the idea because implementing it adds steps for the mod user to do, for very little reward.

[philli46]

I understand your reasoning there, I'm not making this to be mandatory, just optional if the player prefers it. I'll post a few concepts I've been working on later tonight.

If this doesn't catch on its no big deal, it's fun for me to do, and then I'll have my own custom tile set to use. (I personally prefer an ascii-graphic hybrid myself. I currently use the Tergel pack with my own custom colour palette.)

[Random_Dragon]

Ah, will be interesting to see. I do wish the game had more tileset support. Sometimes I miss updating the MShock Modded tileset for CDDA.

[Iduno]

The fact you need cage traps to tame anything is kind of annoying, I'll admit. I do wish there was a way to round up non-aggressive animals to tame them without traps. ._.

A net weapon, restricted to smaller animals? No idea how that would work, though.

[Random_Dragon]

That'd be neat, but not currently something you can mod in.

[Meph]

The fact you need cage traps to tame anything is kind of annoying, I'll admit. I do wish there was a way to round up non-aggressive animals to tame them without traps. ._.

A net weapon, restricted to smaller animals? No idea how that would work, though.

I can do that. A weapon that shoots nets and whenever it hits cages the animal in a cloth 'cage'. IndigoFenix wrote a script for that once.

[Random_Dragon]

Hmm. But can it be rendered usable without adding to the instructions the mod user needs to use said mod? Because DFHack sorcery is something I'd rather not make a required element of the mod. :V

[Meph]

The user would just make the weapons and ammo in workshops, but it would require dfhack in the background, yes.

[Random_Dragon]

Hmm, I see. Not sure about using that.

[Blahsadfeguie]

Hi, big fan of kobolds here - in fact, this mod is what's getting me back into DF, and what got me to finally register on the forums, for what that's worth :L. Glad to see that interest in the primitive little troublemakers isn't completely dead.

I've had a fort going for a couple (in-game) years now, and I have a couple of things to say about the mod.

It's looking good so far! I think stone-age technology is about the right spot for Kobolds as a civ to be in. The lack of mechanics make it difficult to play DF the "vanilla" way, and I fear that a single invasion of any kind could wipe me out completely despite all the work I'm putting into my ramshackle military and rudimentary defenses. But that's probably the way this mod is meant to be.

+1 from me for corkscrews/pump operation though. That'd at least give us a few extra options for building and defense without making it too easy to cheese our way out of danger, and it doesn't feel too out of place for kobolds to just move liquids around. (well, water at least. magma, ehhh... only being able to make the parts out of wood prevents that, right?)

Another thing worth noting, I figured food might be an issue, so in addition to settling on a river, I also embarked with 10 hens thinking eggs would be a great emergency food source. However, I seem to be unable to construct nest boxes. I'm not sure if that was intentional, but it doesn't feel right to have access to egg-laying creatures but not their eggs. Oh well, guess we'll just have to settle with fried chicken instead ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Also, a question: is there a way to satisfy the "thinking abstractly" need without setting up a library? Because a lot of my 'bolds are starting to get distracted by it, and I can't construct bookcases either.

Finally, here is a typo I found in the entity file:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[POSITION:OVERSEER]
      [NAME:overseer:overseers]
      [SITE]
      [REQUIRES_MARKET]
      [NUMBER:1]
      [RESPONSIBILITY:MANAGE_PRODUCTION]
      [APPOINTED_BY:CHIETAIN]
      [PRECEDENCE:160]
      [DO_NOT_CULL]
      [COLOR:5:0:0]
      [DUTY_BOUND]
      [REQUIRED_OFFICE:1]

"APPOINTED_BY:CHIETAIN"
I was wondering why I started with both a chieftain and an overseer.

But yeah! Thanks for keeping the idea alive, I'll keep playing and letting you know if anything else major comes up. :L

[Random_Dragon]

Ah, thank you. And yeah, that would explain why overseers are showing up among the starting 7.

for nest boxes, that's easy enough for me to add. I recall I originally added nest boxes, then removed them when I found that kobold hatches never seemed to hatch, hence making kobolds viviparous.

As for screw pumps, that's hindered by the fact that enabling pump operation will grant access to all mechanics labors, and lack of labor access is literally the only thing keeping them from being able to make and use mechanisms.

As for thinking abstractly, I'm not sure if anything else can sate that need. I recall not adding bookcases and paper production because it seemed un-kobold-like. However, they already can engrave (due to providing access to masonry), so not sure. A way around that would be if I made koblds less inclined to abstract thoughts, maybe.

As for my own fort, I've been disappointed by a lack of invaders the past two or three in-game years, but against cavern creatures I've been abusing the "hatch above only way in" method of deterring building destroyers.

EDIT: Also...should I set the IS_METAL token back from only-used-by-stone-arrows faked materials to the parent stone? Essentially, if I do this I gain the ability to filter stone weapons on the squad menu, in exchange for stone bridges no longer being buildable.

[Blahsadfeguie]

As for screw pumps, that's hindered by the fact that enabling pump operation will grant access to all mechanics labors, and lack of labor access is literally the only thing keeping them from being able to make and use mechanisms.

Really? Dang, I had no idea the labors were tied together like that. Shows what I know about modding ;_;

As for thinking abstractly, I'm not sure if anything else can sate that need. I recall not adding bookcases and paper production because it seemed un-kobold-like. However, they already can engrave (due to providing access to masonry), so not sure. A way around that would be if I made koblds less inclined to abstract thoughts, maybe.

While I like the idea of philosopher kobolds, I'd have to say it would be more fitting to reduce that personality aspect. Although, in the interest of not having citizens with unfulfillable needs, gameplay-wise it might be best to enable bookcases/paper anyway. The implication being that the books will just be filled with random nonsense that not even another kobold could understand, or at best they'll be picture books filled with scribbles and cave drawings. How's that for "abstract"?

As for my own fort, I've been disappointed by a lack of invaders the past two or three in-game years, but against cavern creatures I've been abusing the "hatch above only way in" method of deterring building destroyers.

good thing I'm too frightened of the caverns to worry about that

EDIT: Also...should I set the IS_METAL token back from only-used-by-stone-arrows faked materials to the parent stone? Essentially, if I do this I gain the ability to filter stone weapons on the squad menu, in exchange for stone bridges no longer being buildable.

Go for it. I've just been building lines of floors when I've needed a bridge so far anyway.

[Random_Dragon]

Yeah, the reason is that enabling one labor enables the entire labor category. Mechanics, pump operation, siege engineering, and siege operation are all in the same category.

I was pondering what scholar types would make the most sense for them, possibly natural-themed ones if any. Books might be hindered by parchment being the only logical source of paper for them, which would make a library impractical. Tempting though.

In any case, for now I fixed the overseer issue, added nest boxes, and a few other things on the .43.05 version. ^^"

[Diamond]

Hello awesome mod creator.

I've decided that while you work on this beautiful mod, I am going create a 16x16 graphics tile set exclusively for it. (Just because I've had so much fun with it!)

I'd really like your input on the work I do, because I want to creat something that fits your image of how the mod should look. So if you would kindly describe to me what you think a kobold should look like, I will post some kobold examples based on that description shortly after, and you can decide which ones to move forward with.

There is a pretty neat old one

https://lairian.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/kobold-camp-revisited/

Alas, it is missing new professions and some of the older ones are confusing, but it may be helpful as a reference. I hope you are still working on it, a new graphic would be awesome.