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[madjoe5]

As far as adopting animals goes, I know that dwarves will only adopt animals that they "like for their [PREFSTRING:...]" And I also know that pretty much every creature has one of these prefstring tags, but what I don't understand is why it never comes into play.

I am just wondering why every animal has one, if they are never liked by dwarves. Roughly 90% of dwarves that I have seen don't have a preference for animals, 7% either like cats or dogs and the other 3% like donkeys, mules, horses cows etc.

What my question is, is that do dwarves begin to like animals that are around your fortress? Will they ever like rare animals/exotic ones, such as bears, alligators, jaguars, elk, etc? Would a baby dwarf born on site be more likely to prefer local, tame, domesticated animals (for instance, the 100s of tame elephants running around)?

The reason I ask is because I would like to see multitudes of different species being adopted. I am sick of seeing the occasional dwarf who owns several cats and the only other pet owner have 3 cows.

[Jim Groovester]

Dwarven preferences are immutable. So your dwarves will never come to like elephants, jaguars, bears, etc., if they did not like them in the first place.

[madjoe5]

Dwarven preferences are immutable. So your dwarves will never come to like elephants, jaguars, bears, etc., if they did not like them in the first place.

I see, but can they ever like them in the first place?

[Jim Groovester]

Yes, but it's usually less frequent than dwarves liking the [COMMON_DOMESTIC] animals like dogs and cats and cows and mules.

[Raphite1]

In my experience, it seems that at least half of all dwarves (and probably more) do have an animal preference, andsometimes more than one. But, like the above poster said, a large majority of these prefer a common_domestic animal.

Some dwarves definitely do have likes for other creatures, and some dwarves of humble means will even like megabeasts.

[The Architect]

I've had dwarves with spoiler-needy favorites. Froggies and SoF's to be precise.

[Duuvian]

I have a dwarf that adopted a jaguar in my d16 game, because he had a preference for them. I made him an axe dwarf and now his jaguar has about 15 goblin kills and is featured prominently in art. I'll get some screen shots up pretty soon.

[madjoe5]

I have a dwarf that adopted a jaguar in my d16 game, because he had a preference for them. I made him an axe dwarf and now his jaguar has about 15 goblin kills and is featured prominently in art. I'll get some screen shots up pretty soon.

Thats pretty sick.

Ive got some newfound hopes for the random animals roaming my halls. I guess I just never bothered to check my dwarves like once I break 40 in population (Im at like 120 right now). From now on I guess I will just put the animals up for adoption, rather than getting a few +cougar leather waterskins+ and such

[Jacob/Lee]

How do you view animal preferences?

[madjoe5]

How do you view animal preferences?

It should be in their profile. (v), then scroll to the dwarf, (g, p, z, enter) and read the green text and look for anything about animals

[Arrkhal]

I've seen dwarves "grow" new preferences in response to seeing new things (especially aboveground food and drink), so I really doubt they're immutable.

[The Architect]

I've seen dwarves "grow" new preferences in response to seeing new things (especially aboveground food and drink), so I really doubt they're immutable.

Nah, Toady talked about that in DF Talk (5?). They have built-in preferences which are awakened only when they encounter that item or creature. The system is also subject to future change.

[darkflagrance]

I have a dwarf that adopted a jaguar in my d16 game, because he had a preference for them. I made him an axe dwarf and now his jaguar has about 15 goblin kills and is featured prominently in art. I'll get some screen shots up pretty soon.

This inspired me. I'm writing this here so I don't forget to do it at some point in the future.

I'm going to mod in immortal tamable dragons called drakes that the elves can bring. This will make dwarves who are capable of adopting the drakes (and hence bonding with them) very rare.

If a dwarf arrives who is capable of bonding with drakes, I will let him adopt one, and conscript him into the military until he dies. Then I'll pass the drake on to another dwarf who can bond with drakes. Because it's immortal, the drake will observe the fort rising and declining over time, as dwarves come and go, occasionally bonding with some, creating paradoxical friendships , which on one hand last the dwarf's entire life time, but on the other hand are brief and end inevitably in tragedy.

Perhaps one day that original dwarf's descendants will get to know the drake that fought alongside their father years ago.

[Arrkhal]

Nah, Toady talked about that in DF Talk (5?). They have built-in preferences which are awakened only when they encounter that item or creature. The system is also subject to future change.

That was my theory #2.  The wiki needs updated, then.