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Author Topic: Suggestions for elves  (Read 5758 times)

Mel_Vixen

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #30 on: February 06, 2009, 11:47:48 pm »

Well we humans have Skyscrapers some hundret meters high and according to threetoes magnificant storys elves have wood as hard as steel so i think Mile-high fortress trees are only an problems of construction and statics.

 I even think an living fortress is somewhat moredurable cause it can do selfrepair to some extend.

Even trees on trees might be possible like the roof gardens in NY.

Mamoth trees can get 90 meters and more hight. even thought the actualy highest is only 83,79 Meters.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2009, 11:51:26 pm by Heph »
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Felblood

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #31 on: February 06, 2009, 11:58:31 pm »

So basically, you guys want elven buildings and constructions to build themselves, but slowly, and out of wood that is produced magically by the building site. Do I got it so far?

If killer gardens could be handled with farm plots, but require elven laborers, that would be neat.

A lot of balancing would be needed, to keep the elves from being unstoppable, or too weak, but the principle seems sound.

It's not viable to decide that one race is the natives and the other is the new immigrants, as the shoe can be on either foot, with the way worldgen works.

Never make a fantasy race genetically incapable of understand the idea of personal property. Maybe his culture doesn't teach it, or maybe he just doesn't believe in it, but he should be able to figure out how it works, if he's consistently exposed to the concept. Kobolds might not believe the dwarves have the right to keep the hoard locked up inside their fortress, but they should understand that the dwarves want it there, and how the dwarves will react to their trying to take it. Even cultures with no concept of "mine" generally understand "ours," if only in the context of other peoples telling them to stay off their turf.
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FoboslC

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #32 on: February 07, 2009, 12:13:12 am »

Carp doesn't have a use either, they are clogging up the river, why are they don't help the drawves out.
Carp doesnt help?! CARP DOESNT HELP!?
CARP FILLED MOAT IS BEST DEFENCE EVER!
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Felblood

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #33 on: February 07, 2009, 12:30:29 am »

I think that the complaint isn't so much that the elves aren't usefulas that the elves don't add much to the game. Everything cuts both ways, like the carp moat, but the elves don't cut deep enough to matter.

They are exactly like the humans, except weaker in every respect. Keeping the elves happy is more difficult, but there's no advantage in doing so if your city is moderately well established, since they are vastly inferior trading partners.

Making elves different in ways that makes them both stronger and weaker would make them more interesting. Giving them military weapons that are dependent on arable soil, weather and temperature is a great way to do that.

Elves can be more interesting without getting much stronger.
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The path through the wilderness is rarely direct. Reaching the destination is useless,
if you don't learn the lessons of the dessert.
--but you do have to keep walking.

Faces of Mu

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #34 on: February 08, 2009, 06:30:53 am »

OP, you might have to summarise the changes you are suggesting for me. The only difference I saw you ask for is that they bring animal pets to fights. All the rest seemed like game flavour that players can extrapolate from the real data as much as they wish. Can you please be clearer about what happens now and what you want to happen?  ???

Cheers!  ;)
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Granite26

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #35 on: February 08, 2009, 10:37:06 am »

How come none of these suggestions are 'throw them in magma'?  Are you really dwarves at all?

tigrex

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #36 on: February 08, 2009, 12:13:01 pm »

So when the elves are angry that you've cut down a few trees, they'll storm over your moats riding giant eagles, sprinkle pepper over the site, and have dinner.

If elves have any purpose in the game, it is to promote the creation of trading depot drowning chambers.

They exist only to judge the other races, tutting and shaking their heads every time a calf goes to happy land to give dwarves leather gloves.  They're like every petty idiot in the world, sqwuaking that their way is the best, living in constant fear that someone, somewhere, is actually making good use of the planet.  They're political correctness, censorship and daft soundbites rolled up into one large pointy-eared package.

Look on the bright side - when the army arc is complete and we can send our good brave dwarven troopers out, elves will undoubtedly become an endangered species.
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LegoLord

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #37 on: February 08, 2009, 12:16:03 pm »

How come none of these suggestions are 'throw them in magma'?  Are you really dwarves at all?
Actually, I want it so that throwing them in magma makes them worse, but as the stand being tossed in magma is better.
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Pilsu

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #38 on: February 08, 2009, 02:17:57 pm »

Elves could just live in crude tents in the wilderness you know. Not every fictional elf race needs the ability to make hollow tree homes, it's a bit overdone

Whatever Toady likes I guess
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Mikko

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #39 on: February 08, 2009, 02:29:49 pm »

Hollow tree homes would be epic to burn down.
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Techhead

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #40 on: February 08, 2009, 02:44:21 pm »

Lines of trees for an elven retreat's defense would be nice.
Add small elf-hewn hills so their archers can shoot over the tree tops.
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Grek

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #41 on: February 08, 2009, 06:57:04 pm »

Elves have ethics based on the spheres of their region's area type and special skills based on the spheres of the region's force. You could have elves from areas with blight, revelry and night spheres worshiping a force with the plant and animal spheres. This would result is pale, sickly looking elves who dance around at night to make the plants grow and talk to animals. Or you could have ones who's force deals with with lakes, fish and oaths, resulting in elves who are trustworthy like near lakes, do not care so much about trees, but will jump out of the bushes and attack if you try to fish near them.
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LegoLord

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #42 on: February 08, 2009, 07:05:47 pm »

Elves could just live in crude tents in the wilderness you know. Not every fictional elf race needs the ability to make hollow tree homes, it's a bit overdone

Doesn't that sound a little dull/not fun?
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"Oh look there is a dragon my clothes might burn let me take them off and only wear steel plate."
And this is how tinned food was invented.
Alternately: The Brick Testament. It's a really fun look at what the bible would look like if interpreted literally. With Legos.
Just so I remember

Vieto

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #43 on: February 08, 2009, 11:45:05 pm »

The only thing I really like about elves is that they have exotic animals, which no other race sells. Otherwise, they are useless.
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Twad

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Re: Suggestions for elves
« Reply #44 on: February 09, 2009, 01:31:57 am »

The elves never asked me to limit my woodcutting in my games.. (and i was razing a forest right in their face.. got ~650 logs)  what triggers it?

As for siege.. i agree that elves should bring animals "buddies" to fight by their side.
Early its just some cannon fodder, later its giant eagles harassing your surface operations.
They could get the help of special monsters like mudman and stuff like that.

My view on elves: I like my ennemies smart!

Elves are master of the natural word eh? They are physically and technologically weak.. a direct attack is foolish against a fortified, trapped, heavily defended fortress. So they got to use their arts to their advantage. I see them as experts for indirect battle; attack the supplies, attack their morale. Use poison, use diseases liberally. Some call them cowards, i call them smart.

Elves could use vermin as carriers for nasty stuff to attack your fortress from within..
-A vermin that carry a mushroom spore that "freeze" crops tiles "infected" by it for a season, reducing your food production. Try to infest fields being used.
-A vermin (worm of some kind) that search and eats logs and wooden furniture/wooden stuff in general. Can have interesting effects when you think about it..
-A vermin that eats cloth, thread, and clothing, even when worn. Might be popular to get rid of goblin stuff.
-Another one that can infiltrate your secured food supplies and make them rot inside the barrels.. alcool included. Ruining both food/drink and the barrel itself.. maybe make content poisonous to the poor dwarves that eat it, doesnt kill, but decrease happiness for a while.
-Some other that simply carry poison/disease and try to transmit it to a single dwarf before dying
-Some vermin that is poisonous to cats (basically a kamikaze vermin)... but that one might be a little too popular with the whole wide world.
-annoying birds that try to eat seeds inside your fortress, might go on crop tile to steal the growing seed.

.. so if you dont have enough cats/anti-vermin set up you gonna regret it. But its easy to do and limit the damage.

Also..
- Fire snake infiltration in the wine cellar.
- water source made dangerous by carps or made contaminated by poison/disease, so you gotta wait for it to go away or purge your water supply.
-They could "for the greater good", infect the nearby land that slows down the rate at wich trees/plants grows. Or increase it to ridiculous levels so trees are always in the way. Or even invasive and some useless plants start growing inside the fortress. (basically inserting themselves into the cracks of the floor/walls destroying engravings= unhappy dwarf)
-If we push it, they could "call" storms to create a surge of the river, or "call" for a heat wave to come and dry up all shallow water ponds and dry up plants and stuff.
-(that would be extremaly dangerous) have some elven saboteurs try to disable traps/floodgate that they find. They can swim.

-edits; adding some stuff-
« Last Edit: February 09, 2009, 01:46:46 am by Twad »
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