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Author Topic: Stealing Books  (Read 1744 times)

Leonidas

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Stealing Books
« on: October 30, 2018, 01:32:08 am »

Usually I keep visitors out because they seem to contribute little to the fortress. This time, I tried making a separate visitors-only library where scholars could visit and write their tomes of wisdom. It seemed to be working. Scholars visited, went to the library, and wrote. Visitors didn't seem to be stealing my books.

Then I checked on a scholar who was leaving the map. He was carrying with him all three books that he had written during his visit. I have no copies of those books, though I do have four other books that he wrote, possibly during the same visit.

Is there a way to make scholars leave all their books behind when they leave the map? What happens if I put bookcases in the visitors-only library? Does it help if I assign scribes to the visitors-only library?
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PatrikLundell

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Re: Stealing Books
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2018, 04:31:59 am »

Visitors bring books, write books and steal books, and there isn't much you can do about the stealing part. It may well be that bookcases reduces the number of books they carry around, though, in which case it would reduce the number they steal.

Copying books allows you to keep copies of books that are later stolen, but I don't know if the author is more likely to give up a carried book to a scribe than to the floor or a bookcase.

Also note that there is no such thing as visitors only facilities. DF does not allow such a thing. You can reduce the number of residents that visit a public library by providing a private one closer to them, but you'd still get some that go to the visitor's library (and if that's where all the books they haven't read are, that's probably where they'd go).
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Fleeting Frames

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Re: Stealing Books
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2018, 12:50:00 pm »

You can dump the copies before they walk off with them, but inevitably some other scholar will come, and you'll have to dump it again.

sketchesofpayne

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Re: Stealing Books
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2018, 02:32:35 pm »

In a perfect world; the library would have sub-rooms:
  • Reading Area stocked with copies of literature where anyone can read or borrow the books.
  • The Archive where originals are stored and copied.
  • Special Collections where access is restricted and must be petitioned.  This would be more relevant when magic tomes other than 'secrets of life and death' are part of the game.

As it stands I just buy all the books I can from caravans and make as many copies as I can.
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Leonidas

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Re: Stealing Books
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2018, 11:36:48 pm »

You can dump the copies before they walk off with them, but inevitably some other scholar will come, and you'll have to dump it again.
No, you can't dump them. Books are artifacts.
But, you can un-designate the library zone for the table where the book was written, triggering a Store Item in Location task. That works.
« Last Edit: November 01, 2018, 11:41:02 pm by Leonidas »
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Fleeting Frames

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Re: Stealing Books
« Reply #5 on: November 02, 2018, 05:22:46 am »

Copies of books aren't artifacts.

Miles_Umbrae

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Re: Stealing Books
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2018, 06:16:08 pm »

In a perfect world; the library would have sub-rooms:
  • Reading Area stocked with copies of literature where anyone can read or borrow the books.
  • The Archive where originals are stored and copied.
  • Special Collections where access is restricted and must be petitioned.  This would be more relevant when magic tomes other than 'secrets of life and death' are part of the game.

As it stands I just buy all the books I can from caravans and make as many copies as I can.
In a perfect world only proper/actual thieves would attempt to leave the map with items that belongs to the fort.
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