Hi there, first time player, here!
I started two nights ago, and, thinking that having some water nearby was a requirement of any new settlement, decided that this little river by the gently sloped hill would do just fine.
To my great dismay I discovered how bloody annoying piercing an aquifer can be.
To cut the story short, I did get through, and upon piercing into solid rock, my first encounter was with a patch of
kaolinite.
My first thought on hitting those was: "great! I'll be able to make some precious china bowls, maybe glaze them with glass powders and inlay them with jewels!".
But alas, no such luck.
Now I'm not whining, here. I'm just surprised that, given the impressive amount of existing materials, and their overwhelming presence and importance in real life, they are being compleltely ignored!
For building materials, clay based products offer up a whole new industry. Whether it be in the form of cement, mortar, plaster, adobe, bricks, etc.
For crafting, clay will make many low level utilitarian containers, but has possibilities for high quality goods: high quality china, glazed containers, statues. Ceramics could also be used for creating high temperature resistant mechanisms.
Another interesting bit is the alimentary use of clays, and how in some cases it provides a welcome addition of calcium in anotherwise poor diet.
No need to drink milk anymore if you can just add some powdered clay to your dishes, and why not make some of that famous Dwarven Bread, with real chunks of stone in it
Anywya, I realise this is far from a priority in the grand scheme of things, but hopefully it gets taken in consideration. I think it's a shame not to use all the diversity of the existing rocks, especially if it could provide new game play possibilities.
I'm very surprised this has only 3 (now 4) votes!