Has anyone thought of making a sort of airlock for these things?
Either 2 floodgates be used, or a stairway setup that is locked by a built wall or fortification. That's how I usually envision such projects. Especially when walled off. And there can be a community trade depot setup somewhere (suspended by a bridge connected individually by drawbridge, so separate forts can meet up at it, but not mix together. You can always exchange the traders/bookkeepers depending on which fort's doing what. (using the Noble/administrator key, of course)
Alternative is having ramps covered by drawbridges to serve as airlocks instead, with seperate trade depots inside individual forts to minimize risk.
But then comes another idea with that (I think it was mentioned in a different thread); a trade center between forts, utilizing an in/out system that items can be transferred, but not dwarves. This again, may use drawbridges. Kinda like double-horseshoe design to work like a a chain link design when merged together... ish. We can consider the passages or fortifications to be a way of necessary communication.
Idea.
Dwarven merchants. Your starting seven make a small place for themselves, and effectively release essential supplies (like picks and axes and stuff) by using levers, in exchange for supplies (food + booze) and then use the rest of them to make the fort.
That's also a good idea to mix with it. Have the "Central Ceven" serve as processers, and the outer communities serve as raw material providers. The CC can also serve as liasions/trade masters when it comes to trade seasons.
Rewards for good work is based on performance. Like extra useful goods and such. More food, or higher quality goods. Or even a visiting master-engraver to snazz up quarters or something.
Okay, I gotta try this. I'll need an adequate location first though. I think my computer can handle a large enough location to work with. But to make work easier, I might have to pre-mine/build some areas to make the new forts easier to establish.
I guess we can work on modular construction, like "DORFS... IN... SPAAAAACCCEEEE!!!!!!" Style. Think X-Com as well with base construction if you may as well.
Heh, Megaproject Idea: Replicate X-Com's base design methods. Use
this for reference when building the "facilities". This could get interesting the dwarven equvalents.
I might start a new thread in regards to this. It sounds interesting enough. Where should I put the thread?