I've had this idea bouncing around my head for a while and I want to know what people think about it. it's no were complte and needs work, I might get round to doing graphics but as it's my first 'proper' mod I want to make sure that the data is all good. Also any and all help will be appreceated
The main thing about this mod is to make to new races, both dwarfs some kind of offshots of the main dwarfs.
Mechanicle Dwarfs (need a name):one use'es machines, clockwork and steam, things that can be done in dwarf fortress without adding to much. I'm thinking about a group of dwarfs that breack away from the moantinhome because they had to stick to a load of rules, loads of papers to file out whatever. it's mostly a bunch of dwarfs that bulid machines to fight and do work for them. There can be a variaty of machines, ranging from things like small haulers all the way to huge fighting machines all needing varying amounts of stuff to build.
The machines will probably be made up of mechanisims, non-economic material and a 'think box'.
'Think boxs' will be made from from a mechanics workshop, utilising dwarven know who and a lot of luck to make, which makes the machines able to move without having a dwarf pulling various levers to make things happen. They will have to be made out of metal, better and rarer metal will be needed to make better 'think box'es' which will be needed to make better machines.
Mechanisims will be able to be made out of metal with a higer level in mechanics multiple mechinisims can be made out of one rock/bar. Also maybe using gears, springs etc in machine creation instead
The Machines themselfs will be made in a Machine Yard (if it's possible to make workshops) were the various pieces will be combined to make the machines, probably add spanner as work item. The machines cannot change from military to labour and machines cannot make machines, this stops people from making a machine, killing off there dwarfs and having an armt of unexaushable, non eating, non breathing, non complaining fortress. As these machines will be imensly tough they will some times malfunction, creation a pile of junk which can be salvaged to regain parts. better machines be less likely to malfuntion as better quality parts are used and masterpeice machines will never malfuntion. To stop the army malfunctioning they are really unlikly to do so and no machine will breack it's fighting so you don't get you'r army destroyed from bob-a-job work.
There are two main types, workers and fighters. Workers act like dwarfs who aren't in military carrying out jobs and the such, posability of them gaining exp but not to legendary level? Fighters are military dwarfs, varying grades of machine give out varying degress of combat degree like a small grunt type that are really easy to make and easy to kill, while you got huge, complex machines that can take tons of punishment and deal it back out.
The dwarfs will only be make up a small fragment of the fortress (if that's possible) something like a third max. Also if it's possible can you make new jobs and nobles? thinking about adding specific job for machine building and a noble class like Grand Master Engineer.
As a lot of metal is needed I'm thinking of increasing the amount of metal found and were it is found
Rune Casters:These guys don't use magic like elves they use runes, which are stone/metal that has been forged in such a way that magic is captued inside the metal. These guys got kicked out of the mountainhome because magic was seen as Elven and not Dwarvish.
Adding a new job, rune smithing, which is done in a rune forge by a rune smith who turns stones/gems into rune stones/gems that are set in weapons and bolts giving them a huge power boost. Metal is made into runic [metals name] that can be used to craft weapons that has the same effect as stones but is more powerful. More uses needed.
I'm not
sure if it's possible to get a selection of which race to play so making both playable, like releasing seperate data files for them would be an idea
An idea of using rune stones in alchemy?
TL;DR:
Add 2 new races
-one uses machines
-one uses rune magic
Machince guys:
-need name
-make machines using gears, mechanisims, non-eco material and 'think box'
-mechanisims can be made out of other material, more can be made by highly skilled mechanic
-think boxes made in mechanics workshop and is what make the machine think semi inderpendatly
-varity of machines
-2 main groups military and labour
-labour is like civillian dwarf, but can't gain exp/ can't reach high level of exp?
-military are military dwarfs that come in varitys of grunt, standard, elite...
-machines made in machine yard
-spanner needed
-machines cannot make machines
-machines will sometimes breack down
-dwarfs themselves will make up a small section of toatal fortress
-new job for macking machines and possibly a noble
-make metal more abundant in all areas
Rune Casters:
-use runes
-made in rune forge
-made by a rune smith
-stones, gems and metal bars can be 'runeated'
-stones/gems become rune stone/gem and can be set in weapons and bolts, giving attack bonus
-metal is made into runic [metal] and made into weapons bolts that have same effect as setting runes but is a lot more effective
-i.e. copper -> runic copper
-new noble
-more uses of rune smithing needed possibly alchamy?
any way I would like your thoughts on this, if it worth doing and suggestions are also welcome. Help even more so