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[dizzyelk]

How about a steam mechanic workshop, where my dwarves can build giant steam driven mechs? Arm 'em with the trap components, wander out, and slaughter those stupid elves with their wussy little bows. Of course, they would need an ungodly amount of metal for construction as well as coal or wood for fuel. But imagine when your steam mechanic gets a strange mode...

[Lightning4]

quote:Urist Ironanvil has gone into a fey mood!
Urist Ironanvil has claimed a Mechanic's Workshop!
Urist Ironanvil has begun a mysterious construction!
Urist Ironanvil has created Arnold Schwarzenegger, a steel Terminator!

But really, this idea has been put forward many times already, with pretty mixed results. Some people like the idea, but a lot of people think it would conflict with the DF world and simply would have no place.

But with hope, this could be an optional feature in the game. I think magic, when it is put in, would be the same way.
This way, it appeals to everyone.

It would be quite interesting if it went beyond it though. Basically, more mechanically oriented dwarves. Mechanics would see far more use and would be more than just another hauler. High quality mechanisms make for better operating equipment. Robotic defenses, mechanically operated and sealed doors, gigantic telescopes, mechanical drills for boring into the earth...

[Felix the Cat]

Dwarves don't really seem steampunk to me. I always think of dwarves as very industrial and mechanical, but more inclined toward simpler constructions. Steampunk mechs would be better suited to gnomes/goblins.

[jellyman]

Well you'd hope a fey steampunk dwarf would create terminator.  But knowing DF, its more likely a fey dwarf will create C3PO.  Menacing with spikes of plastic.

[Capntastic]

I know some steam stuff might go in, but Toady's said he doesn't want to have random robots walking around.

[AlanL]

You can already mod in some steampunk stuff, and you can also mod in magic, kinda. I tried once and the mod didn't work but that was because of something else. Guns and attacking spells can use a crossbow class. You can make things like robots a creature. You could also make a pick-class object that's a drill.

[Koji]

See, what would be awesome would be if, over the decades, small technological advances started popping up if you had enough skilled dwarves. Maybe by the 1830s or so, the dwarves would be ready for that sort of technology. Girders, metal flooring, steam pipes, steam engines, coal furnaces, awesomeness!

Of course, you'd need the option to start at a later time than 1500, otherwise only a very small percentage of players would ever see this stuff.

[Phant]

quote:Originally posted by dizzyelk:
<STRONG>How about a steam mechanic workshop, where my dwarves can build giant steam driven mechs? Arm 'em with the trap components, wander out, and slaughter those stupid elves with their wussy little bows. Of course, they would need an ungodly amount of metal for construction as well as coal or wood for fuel. But imagine when your steam mechanic gets a strange mode...</STRONG>

I think some peoples strong negative reactions is directly related to the way Dizzy and alot of advocates of this idea put it forward. Its always straight to the steam powered dwarven battle-chassis and mechs. Id think it would be cool if we had some thing... milder. Think more like the Dwemer from Morrowwind. Steam-powered mechanical doohickys, sometimes combined with magic, but no giant steam powered mechs.

[BurnedToast]

The dewmer had giant steam powered mechs. who did you think made all those yellow robots you always had to fight in their ruins? ok I guess they were not really 'giant' but they were bigger then a man iirc.

and yes I want some for my fortress.

[Zargen]

I declare that my dwarves will fashion a giant steam-powered golem in the likeliness of Armok. so he may inhabit it and smash my foes. Bwuhahahahah

[Sowelu]

My beef with steampunk is that it always seems to go along with Victorian-era society.  Regardless of the technology, the sensibilities are too modern, and so is the infrastructure required to support steampunk.  Too much focus on the mental, not enough focus on the physical.  Steampunk works in societies that don't have to worry about starving, for example.  It needs a leisure society.  Dwarves aren't a leisure society.  I don't think dwarves even DO leisure.  Parties, yes; lounging on a comfortable chair in front of a fire with a good book and a pipe, no.

Now, there was one Angband variant I played (Steamband, was it? I don't remember) that pulled off Steampunk.  Mostly because the vast majority of changes were in theme, not in gameplay.  Instead of wizard/barbarian/etc, most of the player character classes were societal elites.  (Wizards don't count because they're not social enough.)  It played Victorian era to the hilt.

DF just isn't Victorian.  I sure wouldn't complain if someone made a game where you build a Victorian society on the inside of the hollow Earth!--but I don't think DF is that game.

[Dreamer]

I like the idea of Steam Punk, but if it is implemented in Dwarf Fortress, it should definately be of the mild sort:  As in, you may see a steam powered gate (Or trap system), but the high-tech things such as robots and coffee machines would be either impossibly rare and difficult to create or non-existant.

Dwarves favor functionality before anything else, in my mind: They'd go for the idea of the steam-driven gate without a second thought (No sane dwarf would want to open and close that monster!), but anything a robot could do, a dwarf could do, so it would be considered a waste of effort.  And dwarves don't drink coffee, they drink beer!

I would like to disagree with the comment that dwarves wouldn't sit around and smoke a pipe, though: The general populace is very work driven, and breaks are considered to be nothing more than a few minutes of breathing before you worked again, but I'm sure that, in a more calm setting where nobles wouldn't interfere and elephants weren't threatening to stomp down the front door, dwarves would be very, very similar to hobbits in most respects.

(In fact, in LotR, dwarves were very similar to Hobbits, if more driven to treasure, warfare, and exploration - Though LotR is hardly Dwarf Fortress.)

[/running around babbling]

So, a touch of steam punk essence could be a good thing, but a full fledged steam punk era would turn the game into building enough robots to take over the world, rather than focusing on the dwarves.  But that's just me.

[ October 18, 2007: Message edited by: Dreamer ]

[Lightning4]

quote:Originally posted by Sowelu:
<STRONG> It needs a leisure society.  Dwarves aren't a leisure society.  I don't think dwarves even DO leisure.  Parties, yes; lounging on a comfortable chair in front of a fire with a good book and a pipe, no.
</STRONG>

I think it's just a little abstracted right now. It's possible the dwarves do have some lesiure activities but they're not detailed right now. I mean they make instruments and toys and such... surely they see some other use besides being sold.

I mean, with how often they go on break, they've got to be doing something other than standing around outside and scratching their ass.

[AlanL]

I think steampunk is being taken to imply more than it necessarily has to. I just consider it outlandish, unhistorical, and/or unrealistically advanced steam-powered things. I for one could see dwarves making something along the lines of a tank to ward off heavy siegers if they had enough tech, but coffee machines and leisure society seems more of a human thing.

[Captain Mayday]

Hm, I should probably point out that steam engines were first created about 3000 years ago in Sumeria or some spot.
They were abandoned because the king feared it would destabilise his country. Which, with so very many slaves, it probably would have done.