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[Keizo]

This isn't so much a suggestion as a question, as I know this has been planned for DF for quite a long time. But anyway... is writing, scribes, education, books, scrolls, clay tablets, etc. somewhat high on the to-do list?

I know the Army Arc is next, and I wholeheartedly agree that it should be, but I think many of us are aching for things that relate to the core of dwarven lore: writing, libraries, and perhaps even magic (which would rely on these things). I keep seeing people asking about magic, and I say in response, when will we see our dwarves (and adventurers) reading and studying some basic alchemy first?]

I for one would love to see it directly follow the army arc, as something I look forward to destroying in enemy settlements are their libraries, filled with heretical writings!

[Zasit Alebath]

That would indeed be neat

[Bricktop]

Destroying their Heretical Writings...or possibly capture them and keep them in  a deep, dark room under your library.  

I would like it if Dwarves could write and make books and stuff. Dwarves could gain skills from reading (studying various textbooks) and it could also have some books similar to the legends screen.

I agree that books would have a big importance in magic, possibly even with things like stealing a book of magic from a goblin fort and then teaching your wizards goblin spells as well.

[DreaDFanG]

I didnt know about this sounds neat having bookcases in a library and having random dwarves come in and read (maybe on break), I also wounder if this is relitively high up.

[Draco18s]

And of course, each race would put different things into books.  I immagine that dwarven literature is very technical and engineering orriented ("Mining for Dummies", "How to (Safely) Heat Your Home with Magma," "Do it Yourself: Brewing" and the like).

Reminds me of the book I just finished reading (Dragon Outcast) with the liniage of dragons--the Anklrnes--obsessed with books and writing, sories and poems.  And how all the other dragons thought they were nuts.

[Bricktop]

quote:And of course, each race would put different things into books. I immagine that dwarven literature is very technical and engineering orriented ("Mining for Dummies", "How to (Safely) Heat Your Home with Magma," "Do it Yourself: Brewing" and the like).

Whereas Elves would have loads of magazines with articles about how to give tree's the sort of sex they want?  

[Draco18s]

quote:Originally posted by Bricktop:
<STRONG>

Whereas Elves would have loads of magazines with articles about how to give tree's the sort of sex they want?   </STRONG>

Um.  Gardening.  Yes.

[Nesoo]

quote:Originally posted by Bricktop:
<STRONG>Whereas Elves would have loads of magazines with articles about how to give tree's the sort of sex they want?   </STRONG>

Warning, bad pun alert:

Like "How to spruce up your love life!"?

[Reasonableman]

Uhh ohh... Might want to avoid making books individual items, lest certain people be tempted to expose them to flame...

code:

This is a masterwork !!book!! written by Joseph Goldberg. On the cover is
an image of a dwarf and a yarmulke. The dwarf is wearing the yarmulke.

Wouldn't want to start any facist regimes...

[DuncanFrost]

It'd be cool if you could either just do 'make book' and get a random event or two written down, or specify something you want written down. Like, you scroll through a list of your fort historical events. Then you could make a Grand Tome of History, made from adamantite, with the entire history of your fort  

[Markavian]

... and dwarves could write books, on topics such as Weaving, Cooking, Metalsmithing... dwarves who read books could earn points in reading, and gain skill points in a profession.

"Clothier has written a book on clothes making"
"Clerk cancels update stockpile records, needs book or tablet"
"Weaver gains a point in cooking from reading a book"
"Child has written a story book about goblins using red root dye and flour"

etc. The idea discussed on IRC included books and stone tablets as alternatives. I think bookshelves would be a very neat addition to the game.

[Yat]

I see enormous stone pillars with the "history" written on it, then buried deep with the artifacts is a few tables outlining how everyone was reduced to eating vermin and drinking water in the early days

[Heavy Flak]

I think learning new skills from reading books could be a really interesting.  If it was going to go that route, could new traps, weapons, workshops, whatevers be learned through books supplied by traders?

Dwarves, by default, can't use bows.  But if the elves show up in the spring trading parchment with the designs to short bows and their uses, they could eventually learn to make and use them.  Sure, crossbows are BETTER, but it's something that could be in there.

[PresidentEvil]

This could give the Philosopher something to do.

Or, we could add a historian noble. He would demand wall space to engrave the history on, and could get pissed off if he isn't allowed enough writing space/if his work is destroyed.

[ZeraiDaimah]

Actually, what about making this historian noble take a book every day and write the history of the fort? it would take the Announcements and write them in the book, changing them so it looks more like the book of Mazarbul in LOTR, for example, if a dwarf went fishing and died.

14 of Timber: Dumed was killed today, he went fishing to the lake when a carp jumped over him and tore out his arm, the coming winter will be hard on us (this part would be added if the food stocks were low).

These books would be put in the library, and when you came to the fortress in adventure mode you would be able to read them, like an engraving with all the fine details of the Fortress.