Hi!
Yes, a lot of the hunger/thirst settings need rebalancing (a normal-sized crab I killed in a previous 34.x version yielded more meat than an eagle - the description clearly calling it a tiny creature!). But as long as we can live with them, I guess we can wait for the fine-tuning.
Toady One's current wave of massive improvements is already so impressive that this is negligible at the moment.
Anyhow, this world is beginning to creep me out. I get the feeling that they are reading the boards. First, the world surprises me with a dwarven civilization called "The Dangerous Work" - clearly pointing out the events reported here on the forums (I haven't played fortress in a while AND I usually keep casualty rate extremely low by having no invaders and only slow growth). Then, after the death of my first adventurer, my second adventurer gets exactly the worst possible starting equipment about which I complained just minutes before on the forums. And now, I cross an evil biome and suddenly notice my character trailing something red - am I bleeding? Pressing 'z' reveals nothing, so I check with 'l': Dwarven blood... ??? I haven't fought any dwarves and besides, I just took a bath in a river, so I shouldn't trail blood of any kind. Then I remember to press 'W':
It is raining.
Dwarf blood is falling from the sky.
The sky above you is a uniform and dark gray.
The sun is in the eastern sky behind the clouds.
There is a gentle breeze blowing from the west.
Thus far, I only had filth or slime falling from the sky, this is the first blood I have seen - and it makes sense looking through the posts on the dwarf mode forums. I am telling you, the game is developing its own awareness :) :) :)
In other news, I have followed my standard procedure and put the two-handed sword in my backpack, instead using my large copper dagger for combat - even though I didn't have any skill with it in the beginning. My first kill then was a werebeast in human form (just adding insult to injury, if you look at the untimely demise of my previous adventurer). It was an interesting fight in her lair.
After a few misses, I cut off her ear, and shocked about this, she moved away. Since the tunnel was only one tile wide, I made the quick decision to throw the two-handed sword at her. I didn't have any skill in throwing and had not practiced it in any way, but I figured that the narrow tunnel may make it difficult to avoid such a big object. And if nothing else, having removed the weight should speed me up. Sure enough, it hit her shattering false ribs and opening an artery.
Later on, while fighting a peregrine, the bird suddenly took flight after getting somewhat injured. Again, I spontaneous throw the sword at it, figuring that at least I will be faster, even if I miss, out in the open. But I am lucky and the sword injures seriously the bird's leg, causing enough pain that I can catch up and finish the job.
Mmmmhhhh, I am beginning to like that sword, but in the end, I am still determined to sell it in the first town where I can get a normal, one-handed sword.
Yours,
Deathworks