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[MagicJuggler]

Hello everyone. Today, I have my most controversial suggestion yet! Miniaturized technology!

One of the biggest signs of how advanced technology is may be just how small it is. Computers used to be very big objects, but nowadays can fit in the palm of your hand or eventually inside your heart. Gonnes used to be huge cannon-like apparatuses that required setting up and using properly, but are now as easy to carry as anything else.

The suggestion I propose is that supposing a person designs something really awesome, such as a giant mechanical hand, or belt-fed cannon, that one should be capable of taking the design and attempting to "miniaturize" it, in essence making it fit for even a Dwarf. Would there be any possibility of making something like this technically feasible?

[Neonivek]

There would need to be stolen technology for this idea to overall work...

[MagicJuggler]

I seriously doubt such an idea would be feasible, which is why I put controversial idea; unless damage was less hardcoded and more contingent on collisions, in which case one could simply define the melee functions as swinging or thrusting, with the assorted stuff such as points determining damage-type...meh.

[PTTG??]

...supposing a person designs something really awesome, such as a giant mechanical hand, or belt-fed cannon, that one should be capable of taking the design and attempting to "miniaturize" it...

This is the Dwarf Fortress Forum. The Warhammer and Dungeons and Dragons threads are elsewhere. Come back when you want to talk about burning kittens and zerging elves.

[Duke 2.0]

 If we could miniaturize things, we would have everybody wielding drawbridges and utterly atomizing eachother with them.

 Then again, that sounds like something DF would come up with.

[Neonivek]

I barely understand what the topic creator even means...

[JohnieRWilkins]

 If we could miniaturize things, we would have everybody wielding drawbridges and utterly atomizing eachother with them.

 Then again, that sounds like something DF would come up with.

Oh, you obviously have no idea what you just did. This is the most awesome idea to come from the forums yet. Making a mod.

[Tormy]

I barely understand what the topic creator even means...

Same here to be honest. 

[MagicJuggler]

The original intent of the idea was that many large-bulky technologies have become smaller over time. The idea was initially intended so that one could build a smaller dwarfputer that rather than taking 10x10x10 blocks could take 2x2x2 blocks, or even less depending on the iterations of the technology built. In the case of weapon design...well, that would end up being something else entirely...the original intent for weapons was the flamethrower as a smaller version of a magma pump but such a techbase could truly be abused...

We need some rules if this thing should work:
1) All things miniaturized can only be made of constructed materials. E.g. no earthen computers...

[Terry von Feledae]

So, I understand it as building one of those huge floodgates-and-pressure-plates computers or something among those lines and then ordering our dwarves to make a version of it that counts as a single item?

...I'm not sure how that would work, particulary with certain more outlandish constructions.

[MagicJuggler]

Effectively, yes. This is why I am suggesting it, even though I doubt it would probably work.

[scribbler]

Gonnes used to be huge cannon-like apparatuses that required setting up and using properly...

I thought that said gnomes used to be huge cannon like... 

The idea was initially intended so that one could build a smaller dwarfputer that rather than taking 10x10x10 blocks could take 2x2x2 blocks, or even less

We need pipe laying and control. You know the Minoans had indoor plumbing with flush toilets and the Romans utilized central heating...

[Mikademus]

And after miniaturisation we also need to be able to research Advanced Technology.

(Let's see how many that gets that reference)

[Neonivek]

And after miniaturisation we also need to be able to research Advanced Technology.

(Let's see how many that gets that reference)

Galactic Civilisation II?

Anyhow... What objects would be need to get smaller? the only example the topic creator SEEMS to be able to come up with is a "Dwarfputer".

[MagicJuggler]

And after miniaturisation we also need to be able to research Advanced Technology.

(Let's see how many that gets that reference)

Galactic Civilisation II?

Anyhow... What objects would be need to get smaller? the only example the topic creator SEEMS to be able to come up with is a "Dwarfputer".

I've mentioned several other examples such as portable flamethrowers, cannons, etc. Assuming we get blackpowder and more simple machines to work with, one could design exotic items such as grapnel cannons, etc.

Of course, the main issue remains creating a feasible, internally coherent system, that wouldn't completely screw up the core dynamics of the game by allowing portable drawbridge atomsmashers.