I've noticed a lot of self-imposed challenges involve embarking on areas with no trees or magma. There are a few "solutions" to this, which usually involve importing large amounts of wood. Another is tower-caps, which I think is one of the best, if not most complicated, long-term solutions currently implemented.
Now, I'm not saying that this doesn't make any sense, but wood is rather a hot commodity for those dumb 'ole beds; when you try to start building up a metal economy, it's damn-near impossible to create a decent workflow.
So, my question/idea/thing: Should embarking on, say, a desert be as silly as it currently is? Traders, despite being mildly reliable, destroy the idea of self-sufficiency that I envision in a mountainhome.
Alternatives to current wood-only jobs:
Bone is already used in ways similar to wood (both piss off elves, for a start) and I've seen a lot of mention of bone as a usable material for things like thrones, bridges, portcullises, giant mechanical T-Rex. And some mods even add in bonemeal flux, which I think is rather clever. Bones could even be used to create a Fred-Flintstonesque bed.
Stealing an idea I saw elsewhere (props to whomever you are), salvaging old, unused wood objects or purchased wood crafts and converting them into charcoal. It's still more a trader-centric solution, but I prefer the vision of post-apocalyptic dwarves ambushing unsuspecting elf peddlers and burning their wooden puzzle boxes for fuel. Until the 18-wheeler is implemented, wood logs just seem like an unrealistic (ha! realism) trade good.
Other idea, from the alternative bed topic, is hammocks. I love this idea, because I picture a dwarf struggling to climb into that hammock that was placed just a few inches too high. Cloth should get another use. Hammocks would have serious building restrictions, similar to doors (except the walls would have to be opposite to each other).
I think what is needed is two lists of ideas: short- and long-term solutions. Hammocks are short-term, as is wood-salvaging (unless you want to base your economy off of drowning elves). Bone is mid-to-long, as I see it. You could theoretically have a whole fortress based around bones, as its a renewable resource. Long-term solutions are probably most important, and most difficult to come up with. Without bonemeal flux, or some sort of magical means of forging that steel, wood will inevitably be involved in the armoring process.
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Topic: Low-tree fortresses (Read 816 times)