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[Realmfighter]

one of this games worst nags is that if you don't have sand, you can't get glass.

Why not let you import glass?

[Rooster]

Ideally, you should be able to import everything.

[Pilsu]

This was discussed earlier. The typical suggestion is about sand but there is a historical precedent for large glass blocks being exported into other locales for further refinement

[de5me7]

if soap is going to be come necessary for medical aid, glass will be required by most fortresses. So i expect you will be able to import it sooner or later

[Niveras]

if soap is going to be come necessary for medical aid, glass will be required by most fortresses. So i expect you will be able to import it sooner or later

Or we'll be able to buy soap directly.

[Deimos56]

I think Toady said something about soap no longer being an alchemist workshop thing.
Not sure where it went if that's the case, though.

[G-Flex]

I think he just made the new custom-workshop modding system in RESPONSE to that suggestion. I don't think it actually moved out of that workshop, although I could be wrong.


Really, importing glass blocks makes more sense than important sand. It's more efficient in terms of weight (some of the sand is just going to be impurities that you don't want anyway) and volume (a block has less airspace and is easier to stack).

However, we need to be able to MELT glass. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be able to use glass itself as a source in addition to sand.

[Footkerchief]

This was discussed earlier. The typical suggestion is about sand but there is a historical precedent for large glass blocks being exported into other locales for further refinement

I don't doubt it, but do you happen to have a link?  It sounds like it could be interesting reading.

However, we need to be able to MELT glass. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be able to use glass itself as a source in addition to sand.

Yeah, I was confused by glassmaking in DF because I expected that glass furniture etc. would be made from raw glass instead of directly from sand.  Anyway, remelting works fine for IRL glass recycling -- I couldn't find any numbers on the "return rate" i.e. how much glass is lost in the process, but I imagine it's pretty good. 

[lucusLoC]

AFAIK glass is 100% reusable, and it uses less energy to melt glass down than to make it from scratch. as long as you do not mix glass types you also do not degrade the quality of the glass, and if you add certain types of material you can actually improve quality in the recycling process.

in game play terms this should mean that it takes more fuel to make the object from sand than it is to make the object from a glass source. raw glass should be available and have no quality, and with the planned materials update should probably come in very discrete amounts. reusing glass causes no loss of material. from a game play simplicity point of view mixing glass types should not be allowed. glass that is used to glaze an object should be counted as contaminated and not recoverable. coating a metal object in glass should prevent corrosion.

[Bricks]

game play simplicity

I've... never heard those words together in a sentence about Dwarf Fortress.

mixing glass types should not be allowed

Why not?  The technology is already there - look at gem windows.  Everyone wants a stained-glass sofa.

[winner]

game play simplicity

I've... never heard those words together in a sentence about Dwarf Fortress.

mixing glass types should not be allowed

Why not?  The technology is already there - look at gem windows.  Everyone wants a stained-glass sofa.

that's true but what you'd end up with is a sofa that is bear bottle brown.

[Realmfighter]

that's true but what you'd end up with is a sofa that is bear bottle brown.

Ah...

Reminds me of home.

[G-Flex]

How are gem windows at all the same as mixing GLASS?

You don't melt or cast gems, you just arrange them.

Mixing glass types would involve you melting them together and getting something that probably looks awful.

[Kav]

Actually to get mixed glass colors a glass blower takes clear glass and adds minerals at the beginning of the shaping process to add color. Many of the designs can be quite striking. I love watching the glass blower at my local renaissance fair.

[Bricks]

that's true but what you'd end up with is a sofa that is bear bottle brown.

Yeah...  I've stopped trying to put bears in bottles.