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[Iapetus]

What determines the subject of engravings?

I've got one fortress where my engravers seem obsessed with the election of my mayor.  Other popular subjects are local government symbols and battles with attacking goblins.

In my current fortress is built at the site of a cave I found in Adventure mode, and inhabited by a giant that killed my adventurer, and later attacked my fortress killing several dwarves.  My engravers (and I've got a lot with that job, to try to encourage more diversity) have made lots of engravings of the giant killing my adventruer (and of another adventurer starving to death), but only one engraving for each of the dwarves killed when the fortress was attacked and the giant himself being killed.  Their favourite subjects though seem to be the objects and animals that they (and other dwarves) like.

[Ivefan]

I guess it's random with a priority order, if no 'exiting' events occured then they make mundane events or something they like.
some stuff is rather stupid, got a masterwork gem setting in the image of a dwarf holding a bin which relates to the masterwork bin by Urist McCarpenter...

[Footkerchief]

I think I read that more skilled engravers are less likely to do engravings of animals they like and more likely to do engravings of "historical" events.

[ProfessorA]

In later fortresses good engravers mimic/sample/rework images of great engravers.  It would be interesting to watch this develop into a whole culture of local vernacular in longer games - to the point where perhaps language barriers have to be overcome for outsiders (adventurers).  Hell they could even influence each others' tastes in aesthetics - it would be awesome for the dozen or so engravers in my fort to go through an abstract period (at least I think so).

Also, since I've only once seen a pair of dwarves with a "grudge" relationship, is it possible for rival engravers to have turf wars?  Can they deface each others' work?

Also also, it would be nice to have the option to order custom engravings - text messages like the fortress name or "Hole Sweet Hole" or "WARNING MAGMA RELEASE LEVER PLEASE DON'T PULL" or even pictographs that may be relevant to adventurers (unless you feel like really extending the interactions dwarves have with objects I think expecting these engravings to affect them in Fortress mode is insanely beyond the scope of things we can politely request of Toady)

[Ivefan]

In later fortresses good engravers mimic/sample/rework images of great engravers.  It would be interesting to watch this develop into a whole culture of local vernacular in longer games - to the point where perhaps language barriers have to be implimented

On the wall is a masterfully designated image of a dwarf by Urist McUrist. The image relates to the masterful engraving depicting Urist McUrist's masterful engraved wall by Urist McUrist.

or something

[Danarca]

Yeah you'll get a LOT of those if you got 3 legendary engravers engraving your fort >.>

[ProfessorA]

Meaningless update: just traded for an object with the dwarven caravan which featured on it an image of a yellow spessartine (gem) animal trap, one of my earlier artifacts.
To me that's like buying an "I <3 NY" shirt in LA but what can I say I'm a sucker for kitsch

[Skorpion]

Atrifacts are generally done by the most valuable; my last fort was scattered with images of an aluminium battle axe.
And dwarves labouring, surrounded by dwarves, travelling, and so forth.
Then camels, cougars, and goblins killing dwarves.
And dwarves killing goblins and kobolds.
And goblins and kobolds being killed by dogs.
And a few of falling dogs. 'The dog is falling.'

[Eita]

You see, what's happening is that as engravers get more skilled, their ability to peer through the veil of time grows, pushing them deeper and deeper into the mists of time. However, they are only able to view one epoch at a time, and can't go back.

[Deathworks]

Greetings!

Actually, I think there are a few factors to the engravings.

First of all, my experience is that only events from the same region are engraved within your fortress. But these events are then engraved regardless of physical distance. So, if you want a lot of historic events, you need LARGE forests or mountain chains where a lot of things happen and then place your fortress there.

I have just tested this theory by genning a world with huge forests and place a fortress. And sure enough, before I got the first leader elected engraving, I had two engravings of incidents involving bears and one involving a wolf (novice engraving skills max).

Secondly, I believe that the artistically inclined are more likely to create meaningful engravings, but I am not hundred percent sure about that.

However, there seems to be a strong fluctuation. Sometimes I got lots of civ/site symbols, and then I got a few engravings of humans and elves fighting...

Deathworks

[woose1]

Um... if you are going to post, it is not neccesary, or wanted, to put your name at the end of everything, and if you are going to, maybe put something like, (By deathworks) or (Love, deathworks).

EDIT: Also, custom engravings would be cool beans.

[Danarca]

Um... if you are going to post, it is not neccesary, or wanted, to put your name at the end of everything, and if you are going to, maybe put something like, (By deathworks) or (Love, deathworks).

EDIT: Also, custom engravings would be cool beans.

Actually it's doing signatures the hard way, like in ye olde inderwubs.