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Author Topic: Beards  (Read 4367 times)

Squirrelloid

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Re: Beards
« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2009, 05:48:36 am »

SHB, I'm not sure I understand your resistance to dwarves.  I mean, yes, Tolkien gave us that plural but he did so to differentiate it from (in english) dwarfs (genetically really short humans) and dwarfs the verb.  Due to Tolkien, common modern usage is dwarves for the fantasy race, because having that sort of clarity is useful (especially since dwarfs could well exist in DF in their historical modes of employment as tumblers, jesters, and actors within the human population).

Titanium beards, huh?  You know, thinking about different metals that aren't in the game, I was suddenly struck by a perverse desire to implement Osmium - because having my nobles demand more Osmium than exists in the world would be entertaining.  (mmm... art imitating life).
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SirHoneyBadger

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Re: Beards
« Reply #16 on: March 09, 2009, 10:16:27 am »

I'm not resistant to them, I just want something different. Not "two heads and tentacles" different, but some subtle changes.

Steriotypical dwarfs (and other standard fantasy races) are, to me, boring in a lot of ways, and for a lot of reasons.

I'm not saying they have to be boring for everyone (although I suspect if you live long enough, eventually you might get there, too), thus it's something I want to be able to mod in, for my own pleasure.
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Squirrelloid

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Re: Beards
« Reply #17 on: March 09, 2009, 11:33:06 am »

I'm not resistant to them, I just want something different. Not "two heads and tentacles" different, but some subtle changes.

Steriotypical dwarfs (and other standard fantasy races) are, to me, boring in a lot of ways, and for a lot of reasons.

I'm not saying they have to be boring for everyone (although I suspect if you live long enough, eventually you might get there, too), thus it's something I want to be able to mod in, for my own pleasure.

I was talking specifically about your resistance to 'dwarves' the word.  Which is entertaining in the light of your response as Tolkien implemented the plural 'dwarves' to be different.  (Similarly, elves instead of the traditional elfs).
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inaluct

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Re: Beards
« Reply #18 on: March 10, 2009, 12:06:17 am »

I like the idea of metal beards. Maybe they could be left behind when a dwarf dies and forged into something. It might be an excuse for another use for the strand extractor job.
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Craftling

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Re: Beards
« Reply #19 on: March 10, 2009, 12:18:06 am »

And maybe super lockpick beards that tingle near danger like on Artemis Fowl.
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SirHoneyBadger

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Re: Beards
« Reply #20 on: March 10, 2009, 01:12:36 am »

Squirreloid--Just a personal quirk, honestly. Something to differentiate "dwarfs", culturally, from "elves".

I still use the "elves" designation, you see?

To me, the word 'dwarfs', or "dorfs", sounds more gutteral and appropriate than the slightly softer "dwarves".

Especially considering that I feel DF dwarfs would choose to differentiate themselves as much as possible from elves (cannibals that they are).

I'm very familiar with Tolkien, by the way, which is one of the things I want my dwarfs to separate themselves from. 
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G-Flex

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Re: Beards
« Reply #21 on: March 10, 2009, 02:14:20 am »

Especially considering that I feel DF dwarfs would choose to differentiate themselves as much as possible from elves (cannibals that they are).

You're forgetting that, in DF, they don't even speak the same language to begin with.
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SirHoneyBadger

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Re: Beards
« Reply #22 on: March 10, 2009, 03:25:23 am »

Especially considering that I feel DF dwarfs would choose to differentiate themselves as much as possible from elves (cannibals that they are).
You're forgetting that, in DF, they don't even speak the same language to begin with.

Sadly, I don't think you and I do, either...

...in that that was meant to be a joke...

You just might be taking this all just a little more seriously than even I am, G-Flex.
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praguepride

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Re: Beards
« Reply #23 on: March 10, 2009, 05:27:40 am »

Dwarves don't need all that specialized "alcohol processing equipment" if you think about genetics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_dehydrogenase

I've been told that corn plants have 8x the enzymes that humans do so alcohol is practically equivalent to water for them. That would logically eliminate the need for all the redundant organs (liver, fungus filtering out alcohol) while still making dwarves completely immune to the effects of alcohol. In fact, you could say that dwarves have an inferior digestive system to humans so they need to consume vast amounts of alcohol because otherwise they can't properly digest their food :D
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Man, dwarves are such a**holes!

Even automatic genocide would be a better approach

praguepride

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Re: Beards
« Reply #24 on: March 10, 2009, 08:29:36 am »

Also, this should probably be moved as this thread is less "I think DF should have..." and more "In my imagination, I see dwarves as having metal beards and pink hearts nad unicorn horns!"
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Man, dwarves are such a**holes!

Even automatic genocide would be a better approach

Porpoisepower

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Re: Beards
« Reply #25 on: March 10, 2009, 11:05:06 am »

Urist has been ecstatic lately. Urist has lost a famly member to tradegy recently.  He has been accosted by denizons of the deep lately. He recently expierenced massive bodily damage. He has lost a limb recently. He has been forced to endure miasma recently. He has had his beard masterfully fabulously arranged by a legendary Stlyist lately. He has gossiped recently.  :D
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That's what DF needs, The gutbuster brigade.  Screw that elf and his cat. Thibbledorf Pwent is the real hero.

SirHoneyBadger

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Re: Beards
« Reply #26 on: March 10, 2009, 11:39:24 am »

Also, this should probably be moved as this thread is less "I think DF should have..." and more "In my imagination, I see dwarves as having metal beards and pink hearts nad unicorn horns!"

Um. I don't know if you've noticed, but DF actually *has* unicorns, already...and dragons, and wizards, and elves, and fairies.

Heck, there's already adamantite in the game, which is a fibrous metal with organic properties (atleast in the sense that you can make clothes out of it).

Metal beards are *not* farfetched, in context.

For that matter, hearts in real life (as opposed to DF) are pink, so I don't know what that's all about.

You're welcome to say that you don't like a given idea, but if you're opposed to it because you don't understand that this is a fantasy game, with fantasy concepts, then I don't really give your arguments any merit. 
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G-Flex

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Re: Beards
« Reply #27 on: March 11, 2009, 01:15:39 am »

Heck, there's already adamantite in the game, which is a fibrous metal with organic properties (atleast in the sense that you can make clothes out of it).

Metal beards are *not* farfetched, in context.

For that matter, hearts in real life (as opposed to DF) are pink, so I don't know what that's all about.

You're welcome to say that you don't like a given idea, but if you're opposed to it because you don't understand that this is a fantasy game, with fantasy concepts, then I don't really give your arguments any merit. 

For one thing, you act like adamantine is some extraordinary magical fantasy mineral just because it's fibrous and can be woven into cloth.

We already have minerals like that: Asbestos, for instance. Has nothing at all to do with being "organic".

Granted, adamantine IS an extraordinary fantasy mineral, but for other reasons.


Seriously though, just because a game is fantasy does not mean "anything goes". Some ideas are still bad ideas, and to use his example, dwarves having unicorn horns would be pretty ridiculous! I think he's very much aware that this is a fantasy game, and I don't think his argument has anything to do with that. He's saying that there's a difference between your own personal idea of what a "dwarf" might be, and what this particular game should have.
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SirHoneyBadger

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Re: Beards
« Reply #28 on: March 11, 2009, 01:43:17 am »

Yeah, but there's not a difference. That's why we have mods.

If this were carved in stone, or even in book form, you might have some kind of point, but I've never said that *This Is Dwarf Fortress!*, and then kicked you down a well.

I've taken time out of my busy life to explicitely state, more than once, that this is just my version, my ideas, my creation.

You're free to say that you don't like the ideas I've come up with, and I'm free to not care, dismiss you, move on with my life, but I start to take exception (directly or by proxy) to your saying that this is a non-idea, that it has no place in Dwarf Fortress, that you're somehow channeling Toady's personal vision of what his (not your) game should be.

I doubt I'll be the only one, either, by the way...

Since we're starting to encroach into bickering territory, and since I honestly don't care what you have to say, and have made my point about the way you choose to say it, I'll be ignoring you, and anyone like you, from now on...in hopes that this thread can continue to function with purpose.
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Heron TSG

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Re: Beards
« Reply #29 on: March 11, 2009, 08:27:02 am »

Yes, time to talk about dwarves admiring facial hair, since this thread was slightly DERAILED.
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