Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[darknight]

Now that we have maps where sand my not exist in the open, I would like to see sand added as mineral deposits, like metal ores. Then there would at least be some chance of finding some, even on otherwise sandless maps. (I hate seeing mood dwarves die, just because they cant get the glass they need.)

Alternately, there could be a new workshop, that "washes" silt soils to remove clay and debris, to leave behind usable sand. The same workshop could also be used to produce clay, if its ever needed, and to produce fertilizer, in the form of organic debris washed from the soils. Such a shop would need a big footprint, like a trading post, because it would need a sluice for the washing, and 3 settling ponds. But as long as you have this shop, plus silt soils and a water source, then you could produce clay or mud, sand, and organic fertilizer.

[SirHoneyBadger]

What you've got sounds good, darknight. Especially the soil processing...thing.

What I want to know is: Does sand form into veins, in real life?

[Enzo]

I think trading sand would be an alternate solution to the problem. Just throwing that out there. Enough to sooth moody dwarfs but not enough to make it a viable industry unless you have your own sand. In my opinion DF already has quite a few buildings - and doubtless more to come, as Toady doesn't seem to want to stop adding features anytime soon. Soil's a bit boring as it is but...soil is boring.

[Derakon]

Instead of trading for sand, couldn't you trade for glass goods and then melt them down? Or does glass not work that way?

I think your idea for a soil processing workshop has promise. It should probably be built like magma workshops, requiring an open floor space above a water source of at least depth 4.

[Neruz]

Can you use Sandstone to make glass IRL?

[SirHoneyBadger]

Soil's pretty interesting to me, actually, but then I'm a gardening enthusiast, and an amature at several different geology-related sciences.

Root structures, nematodes, the alchemy involved in enhancing soil--not to mention the stuff that grows from it...and ofcourse there's always the mystery of what's buried under all that grit, where it came from, and how long it's been down there.

[sweitx]

Instead of trading for sand, couldn't you trade for glass goods and then melt them down? Or does glass not work that way?

I think your idea for a soil processing workshop has promise. It should probably be built like magma workshops, requiring an open floor space above a water source of at least depth 4.

I do think you can melt glass down.  However, most likely you can only make green glass just melting down glass (impurities goes back in when you melt even clear glass, I think).  However, I like the importing sand idea.

Can you use Sandstone to make glass IRL?

If said sandstone contains high content of silica, then yes.

[Jackrabbit]

                    I agree about your statement, in the statement that clay may separate to sand how does it works?


_________________
(sig link removed)

First of let me say I'm all for this idea. Secondly, look! A spambot! I found it, the reward is mine!

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

Soil's pretty interesting to me, actually, but then I'm a gardening enthusiast, and an amature at several different geology-related sciences.

Root structures, nematodes, the alchemy involved in enhancing soil--not to mention the stuff that grows from it...and ofcourse there's always the mystery of what's buried under all that grit, where it came from, and how long it's been down there.

This.
I'm likewise interested in geology and gardening, because sometimes my PC breaks and I have to do something else.

[Syff]

If having deposits of sand in non-sandy areas would be geologically accurate, then I support it.
If such a thing were to exist as a fantastic element of the fantasy setting, (given that I don't think we have much in the way of the underground lakes Toady is adding) then I could hypothetically support it, depending on the presentation.

If "processing" sand out of soil or stone - or creating an alternative for glassmaking - would be feasible in the vaguely-medieval setting, then I support it.  (I support clay and ceramics, as well.)


Bags of sand, or even just raw glass, should be available for trade.  Even if caravans didn't bring them on their own, you should be able to request them.  (I can imagine the humans' glee now.  "The dwarves will give us delicious *Dwarven Syrup Roasts* for what?!")

Minimal glassmaking should be made available on all sites.

[Drake1500]

I also agree with this idea. Specifically, the "processing soil to get sand" idea. Although I'm not sure how much work the code would take, so I'll leave it up to Toady to decide when that happens. For now, I'll just make glass when/where I can. (And maybe mod for where I can't )

[Pilsu]

Sand quality should affect glass quality and color

[SirHoneyBadger]

Sand quality should affect glass quality and color

Well, yes--as long as there are methods of refining the quality of "found" sand.

Cleaning, heating, filtering, possibly treating it with acid, etc. Might be a task for the Alchemist's?

[Aquillion]

I mentioned this in another thread, but:

The dwarves should be able to melt down glass items (especially glass blocks and raw glass), and turn the glass into something else.  They should also be able to import glass blocks.  This is true to history (in the ancient world only a few areas produced glass, which they exported in large blocks to be turned into new items elsewhere), and makes far more sense than importing sand.

[SirHoneyBadger]

That would be great, but it's something that should be extended throughout many different types of materials, not just sand.