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[Rainseeker]

I just emailed this to Toady, but I thought you guys could discuss this too:


1. I know this is very OCD, but could you please allow us to smooth sandy/peaty/earthy soil?  I know in real life it wouldn't make much difference, but visually it helps to make a space feel more formal.  At the very least the walls.  You could make it not improve the value and disallow engraving and fortifications.

2. Could you enable painting?  Wall and item painting would be fun...

3. wood + bucket of water + workshop = pulp
    pulp + some skill + workshop = paper
    paper(s) + some skill + workshop = blank book or scroll
    blank book or scroll + writing skill + study = trade good book, with description of random story/historical event(s)

Keep up the good work!


PS. Topic name has changed due to request.

[Fenrir]

"Just discuss the five suggestions-"
"Three suggestions."
"..three suggestions as best you can."

How exactly would wall painting work? Perhaps designate->paint->color and the dwarfs use dyes?

[SirHoneyBadger]

This thread-whatever faults it might possess-gets bonus points for suggesting wood pulp, which would ofcourse piss off the elves.

Urist McElfHater: "I'd never thought of actually pulping the trees before..."

Especially when you handed them a paper reciept after every transaction, or carefully jotted down all their obnoxious requests. In triplicate.

[Sowelu]

My take:

1) Dirt walls are SUPPOSED to look less awesome.  If you really want them to be smoothed without adding value, then dig out one more square in each direction, and build constructed walls out of stone or wood!

2) I like paint.  That sounds like a lot of fun.

3) That's planned, though the details are sketchy, but it's pretty far in the future because it's kind of huge.

[Footkerchief]

1.  I understand your aesthetic concerns, but... sand and other soils should probably get LESS shape-able if anything.  I mean, sand stairs?

2.  Frescoes!  Yes please.  They should be more easily defaced than engravings, though.

3.  This is mostly in the dev notes already:

# Core99, WRITING, (Future): Existing objects (such as wall engravings and blades) need to be able to support writing in any of the in-game languages, and there can be associated skills/professions for this. Requires Core98.
# Core100, NEW LANGUAGE ITEMS, (Future): Parchment, vellum and their buddies then books, songs, poems... all for your entertainment (and horror, if there are random poems). Requires Core99.

But the wood pulp is a new idea -- hadn't seen any suggestions for a paper-making process before.  I like it.

[SirHoneyBadger]

I agree about the sand stairs, and I'm still a little paranoid about antmen (even though they don't tunnel...or so I've been told...), but I agree that it ought to be possible to make packed dirt/sand/soil floors.

Floors only, though. If you don't like rough dirt walls, just face 'em with stone blocks. Atleast until we get some kind of wall-bracing. After that, a little smoothing might be ok (you could do kind of a half-assed adobe thing, by spraying the walls with water and then smoothing them out, or even real adobe/brick.).

Still no stairs, though.

[LegoLord]

What kind of soil is it that can be mixed with animal blood to make it hard and shiny?  That would be awesome to be implement as well.

[Tormy]

re #2: Yeah, this is a good idea, so +1 vote! 

[Mikademus]

Ok, if this thread actually contains something worthwhile, please, OP, rename it to something meaningful and descriptive. It is impossible to find any suggestion some time later when its thread has a name like this one...

[Neonivek]

let me see

1) I entirely agree... Smoothed walls of mud and sand are much more stable if done correctly. (another word for Smoothed mud is brick )

2) Goes without saying... unless you mean immediately.

3) Id think they would use objects other then wood... Such as Leather/skin or cotton.

[Randominality]

No. 1: i disagree, if you want it to be smooth then dig the room slightly bigger and build constructed walls and then build stone floors over the mud floor.

No. 2: yes sounds good not sure how you go about making pigment/paint though

No. 3: sounds good too

[LegoLord]

No. 1: i disagree, if you want it to be smooth then dig the room slightly bigger and build constructed walls and then build stone floors over the mud floor.

Why?  There are, as has already been mentioned, soil types that can be smoothed.  Just saying "I don't want that, do this instead" without giving any solid reason is no good.

For example, you dig out a tunnel in clay loam.  There are lots of roots, giving the walls a very rough look.  The roots sticking out and giving the room a jagged edge can be cut, and the clay loam can be dampened and wiped smooth.  When it dries, you have a nice smooth dirt wall.

[BonSequitur]

I don't want soil to be smoothable, as it makes little sense, but it would be good to be able to simply build walls "over" soil walls to brace them, likewise with floors. It makes sense and would look neater than simply digging out and building walls, as well as reducing micromanagement.

[Neonivek]

I don't understand it...

How many people here ever made a sand castle?

I assure you that Smoothing Sand and mud walls are more then possible...

[LegoLord]

I don't understand it...

How many people here ever made a sand castle?

I assure you that Smoothing Sand and mud walls are more then possible...

I feel stupid for not having brought that up in my first post on this thread.  Yeah, this pretty much destroys all arguments against smoothing soil.