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Single Giant library workroom. Takes a bit of set-up but once done is done.

90 (40%)

Specific Library sections. Books are in the library and the menu is managable.

111 (49.3%)

Generic library sections with free floating books. Messy, but flexible.

19 (8.4%)

Other: Describe (keep in mind the limits of modding)

5 (2.2%)

Total Members Voted: 224

[jaxy15]

Alright, who's goddamn idea was it to make giant ants able to gravely wound, let alone kill me IN THREE GODDAMN TURNS!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

It was your idea to even challenge the ants.

[UristMcHuman]

I didn't WANT to challenge the dang things! It just came up to me while I was picking up the supplies for my cave-dwelling and it bit me so as to bleed out IN THREE TURNS. I swear I'm gonna significantly weaken the damn things.

[Mephansteras]

I didn't WANT to challenge the dang things! It just came up to me while I was picking up the supplies for my cave-dwelling and it bit me so as to bleed out IN THREE TURNS. I swear I'm gonna significantly weaken the damn things.

It's the giant mandibles. Which makes sense, a huge ant would be pretty scary in real life too. They're not much of a threat against an armored opponent, though.

Good catch on the cave crabs, I'll have to fix those tags to only go down to 3.

I'm also going to swap out the Local banditry tag for the normal one. That should fix the adventurer issue while still letting the evil races banditize the countryside.

[Saeldanya]

Argh! I know I ask a lot of questions, but I've tried to figure this out by myself for nearly a week now before giving up. I have no idea how to make flasks or alchemical jars, and I have never seen oil nuts or tunnel tube. None of these exist in the stocks menu, either, and the wiki doesn't give information on these particular things. Sure, I can make jars, but not -alchemical- jars. I can make vials, but not flasks (which are required to build the alchemy laboratory). I've searched all possible build options many times, but there don't appear to be any oil press or jarmakers workshop. The only thing I can press into oil is rock nuts, but considering the wiki information I assume that's a different kind of oil.

Probably going to start a new game, too many newbie mistakes made and, more importantly, NO resources to make any sort of metal bars on this embarkment site. My poor dwarves in leather armor were getting owned by invaders with WAY better equipment. I had hoped for alchemy to save me, there was cobaltite and rock crystal there, but alas I couldn't figure alchemy out. 

This is way more fun than vanilla was, however... and I'm not getting owned quite as hard, so far. No invaders with flying and underwater mounts yet.

[Mephansteras]

I wonder if my updated Alchemy Basics file didn't make it in?

In any case:

Jars are jars. Alchemical jars was a just a holdover term from when they were a workaround toy. At this point any jars you make that can hold liquid (so, glazed, glass, or rock) should work fine. You no longer need oil pods or tunnel tubes. You can use the regular oil in vanilla DF from pressing rock nuts (quarry bush seeds). There is an option in the quern/millstone to grind seeds to paste. You can then press them at the Screw Press into oil. Oil can then be used to make soap (vanilla DF) or at the frothing pool to make Midnight Elixir for alchemy.

Glass vials are a type of flask. Same way leather flasks are called waterskins, but they're all of the FLASK type to DF. Green glass vials work fine for making an Alchemist's lab.

I'm hoping to have the next release up in the next few days. I have one more section to test out, but I've gotten the rest of the alchemy bugs worked out.

[Saeldanya]

Thanks for the quick reply! I hope to get it working for the next fortress. The wiki and introduction post at the beginning of the thread mention a jarmakers workshop and oil nuts / an oil press, which can be confusing. If it could be made more clear that any jars, rock nut oil and glass vials will work, that might be helpful for others as well.

Keep up the good work with my favorite mod! 

[Fallen Flame]

Another thing that I noticed is that your dorfs can and will use jugs to store alchemy ingredients. Jars and jugs are the same thing just with different names.

[Mephansteras]

Another thing that I noticed is that your dorfs can and will use jugs to store alchemy ingredients. Jars and jugs are the same thing just with different names.

Technically, jugs are larger. But it often doesn't matter.

[Mephansteras]

Looks like it'll be a few more days before I get a release out. I'm getting a world gen crash without any entries in the error log to help me figure it out. And I won't have much time to work on it for most of this week.

But I'll get it out as soon as it can.

[UristMcHuman]

Can you PLEASE make the giant ants somewhat weaker?!?!? I don't like being bitten by one and dying instantly or bleeding out from the bite in one turn.

EDIT: And make your giant beetles flee like normal wildlife. I lost three dwarfs and 7 or 8 of my dogs and cave crabs to just 2 beetles on my way to the caverns!

[Mephansteras]

Giant ants are at the difficulty I want them at. They're tough against lightly armored people but simple for armored soldiers to dispatch.

The Giant Beetles are set up that way so they can work well as attack/guard animals. That does make wild ones a bit nastier, however.

You may want to consider having a marksdwarf at embark if you find that the giant insects are causing you too many issues.

Feel free to make these changes yourself, but they are both functioning as I intend them to.



General update: Still working on the crash issue, but everything else seems to be working properly. So as soon as I fix this crash bug I'll be able to release the update.

[Anathema]

I really like the giant ants, myself. And giant beetles, and wild land striders - and the new giant badgers from vanilla, for that matter.

Too many unspeakable horrors of the overground have gone the way of Elephants and Carp and Undeads: pacified until they run in fear from your plant gatherers, or nerfed until a kitten can slaughter them. The surface needs some danger.

[UristMcHuman]

Giant ants are at the difficulty I want them at. They're tough against lightly armored people but simple for armored soldiers to dispatch.

The things bit me in the face!!! How's armor supposed to defend against THAT?!?!

The Giant Beetles are set up that way so they can work well as attack/guard animals. That does make wild ones a bit nastier, however.

So what are you saying, to train my cave crabs and dogs to war animals to dispatch them, or what?

[Anathema]

So what are you saying, to train my cave crabs and dogs to war animals to dispatch them, or what?

I think he means that giant beetles are more aggressive than most animals because (like dogs and crabs) they're meant to be used as war animals. So take advantage of their fierceness, any giant beetles you get as pack animals can be trained into war animals.

I usually get one or two free after embarking, and the occasional one with migrant waves, they're certainly more useful than the old mules and horses and such.

[Mephansteras]

Giant ants are at the difficulty I want them at. They're tough against lightly armored people but simple for armored soldiers to dispatch.

The things bit me in the face!!! How's armor supposed to defend against THAT?!?!

Helms help many things. And, no, it won't always save you. Of course, an arrow to the face can do the same thing.

The Giant Beetles are set up that way so they can work well as attack/guard animals. That does make wild ones a bit nastier, however.

So what are you saying, to train my cave crabs and dogs to war animals to dispatch them, or what?

Well, you can always bring along your own Giant Beetles and train them to be war animals. That should even the odds a bit.

@Anathema: Exactly