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[Meph]

There is winmerge and beyond compare. You can load the new and old raw into it, and you will be shown the difference in them.

But that is not as.. automatically... as what you asked for.

[Greiger]

That might work, or at least be a step in the right direction.  I guess it just struck me as something that would be really simple and had to have been thought of already.  But I'm not a programmer by any means (my greatest programming achievement was a crappy TI-83 game) so I suppose I don't really know.

Anyway thanks!  I'll start looking from there.

[Hugo_The_Dwarf]

*Shudders* Looks like I'll be doing all my porting by hand (the aforementioned alter vanilla raws by hand)

Good thing most of my mod is stand-alone. And the changes I have done are fairly simple.

[Putnam]

There's a "DF mod manager" that still does that.

[Greiger]

There's a "DF mod manager" that still does that.

* Greiger pokes at it.

* Greiger tries feeding it his mod.

Impressive.  I approve.   Thank you Valdemar and thank you Putnam for pointing this out.  When I rule the world I will allow you to live.

[Im_Not_Pinkie_Pie]

I had an idea for adding a "machine" variable to the "surrounding morality" part during world gen and embark options. Essentially I wanted to add mechanical/golem creatures and have them only appear in locations that fell within "Machine - B/N/S."

How big a project would this likely become? (Even if all I did was edit a save to change G/N/E into machine after the fact) Would this require a great deal of coding?

[Hugo_The_Dwarf]

I had an idea for adding a "machine" variable to the "surrounding morality" part during world gen and embark options. Essentially I wanted to add mechanical/golem creatures and have them only appear in locations that fell within "Machine - B/N/S."

How big a project would this likely become? (Even if all I did was edit a save to change G/N/E into machine after the fact) Would this require a great deal of coding?

Hard Coded sorry mate. Unless you mean make golems show up in evil/good/savage and machines in good/evil/savage then yes

[Putnam]

You would need to edit the source code or replace savagery/evilness with machinery ENTIRELY.

Deon is planning something like that for Wasteland.

[Nil Athelion]

Okay, so still making dinosaurs.  Dromaeosauridae family at the moment.

But I can't figure out the claws on the feet / using them as an attack.

I think that it's a problem with the claws, which causes a problem with the attack, but I can't measure whether there are toeclaws outside of the missing attack.


There's a lot of my notes in this, let me know if those are causing problems.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[CREATURE:DEINONYCHUS]

Basic Info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinonychus

   [DESCRIPTION:Deinonychus Antirrhopus.  A medium-sized Dromaeosaurid predator know for pair of large and terrible claws upon its feet.] (Might extend?  Not sure how long is good.  Might want to ask a real paleontologist.  Or maybe not.)
   [NAME:Deinonychus:Deinonychuses:Deinonychus]
   [CASTE_NAME:Deinonychus:Deinonychuses:Deinonychus]
?   [CREATURE_TILE:'D'][COLOR:6:0:0]D for Dromaeosaurid, going with brown for Deinonychus.
   [PETVALUE:50] Like a wolf, right now.
Optional stuffs:
   [LARGE_PREDATOR] (I'm putting wolf-size creatures at the small end of this, since you only have 1 or two large preds at your fort.)
   [MEANDERER] (?)
   [LARGE_ROAMING] (Oh, definitely.)
?   FREQUENCY:<From the spreadsheet> (Leaving non-tagged for now.)
   [BIOME:ANY_WETLAND] (Might want to put in other places?)
?   [POPULATION_NUMBER:10:20] (Leaving this for now, will see how well it works.)
   [CLUSTER_NUMBER:1:2] Packiness.  Apparently they were not really pack hunters.  I wish this were weighed, so I could make it mostly 1, but up to a bunch on rare occasions.)
!   [GRASSTRAMPLE:<Scale this by size.>]
   [BONECARN] (From the form.)
   [PREFSTRING:terrible claws]
   [BODY:DROMIE_MAINBODY:2EYES:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:HUMANOID_JOINTS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:SKULL:3FINGERS:DROMIE_3TOES:DROMIE_JAWS:FACIAL_FEATURES:TEETH:RIBCAGE:TAIL]

!   BODYGLOSS:<I'll have to look into this>
   [BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_MATERIALS]
      [REMOVE_MATERIAL:HAIR]
      [USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:FEATHER:DINO_FEATHER_TEMPLATE] (Because we are accurate to modern science.)
      [TISSUE_TEMPLATE:SCALE_TEMPLATE]
   [BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_TISSUES]
      [REMOVE_TISSUE:HAIR]
      [USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:FEATHER:DINO_FEATHER_TEMPLATE] (I mean, this is Dwarf Fortress!)
   [TISSUE_TEMPLATE:SCALE_TEMPLATE]
   [BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:VERTEBRATE_TISSUE_LAYERS:SCALE:FAT:MUSCLE:BONE:CARTILAGE]

   [USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:CLAW:NAIL_TEMPLATE]
   [USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:CLAW:CLAW_TEMPLATE]
   [TISSUE_LAYER:BY_CATEGORY:FINGER:CLAW:FRONT]
   [TISSUE_LAYER:BY_CATEGORY:TOE:CLAW:FRONT] (I should figure out how to make this big.  Or make the attack with it big?  Or have a seperate super-claw?)  (Might want to use claw template.)

   [BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:LEATHERY_EGG_MATERIALS]
   [SELECT_TISSUE_LAYER:HEART:BY_CATEGORY:HEART]
    [PLUS_TISSUE_LAYER:SKIN:BY_CATEGORY:THROAT]
      [TL_MAJOR_ARTERIES] (I wish I could increase this: I have stabbed far too many creatures in the heart, only for them to continue fighting until they die of bloodloss.  I should think you would die rather quickly.  I may be mistaken.)
?   [BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_HEAD_POSITIONS] (I need to replace this with something to get the eyes on either side of the head.  Not sure how.)
   [BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:HUMANOID_RIBCAGE_POSITIONS]
Boring Housekeeping stuff:
   [USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:SINEW:SINEW_TEMPLATE]
   [TENDONS:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:SINEW:200]
   [LIGAMENTS:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:SINEW:200]
   [HAS_NERVES]
   [USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:BLOOD:BLOOD_TEMPLATE]
   [BLOOD:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:BLOOD:LIQUID]
   [CREATURE_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON]
   [GETS_WOUND_INFECTIONS]
   [GETS_INFECTIONS_FROM_ROT]
   [USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:PUS:PUS_TEMPLATE]
   [PUS:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:PUS:LIQUID]
/housekeeping

   [BP_RELSIZE:BY_CATEGORY:TAIL:750] This is 7.5 times the size of the default tail, and half way between the size of Dromie's head (500) and the size of it's upper or lower body (1000 each).  I think this proportion is correct, but it is hard to estimate by looks.

This part here will vary greatly by Dromaeosaurid.
   [BODY_SIZE:0:0:10000]
   [BODY_SIZE:1:0:50000]
   [BODY_SIZE:2:0:72000]

   [PHYS_ATT_RATES:AGILITY:800:1100:1300:1400:1500:1700:2400] +200 AGILITY across the board.  Not sure if this is dexterous enough.

?   [BODY_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER:LENGTH:90:95:98:100:102:105:110] (These things seem useful, just not sure how.)
?   [BODY_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER:HEIGHT:90:95:98:100:102:105:110]
?   [BODY_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER:BROADNESS:90:95:98:100:102:105:110]

(I should add colors here somehow, including colors for the plumage.  I wonder if any bird raws have that?)

   [MAXAGE:10:20] (Something to figure out.)

   This attacks are modified from the dwarven ones.  I can't figure out how the scratch-with-all-nails thing works.

?   [ATTACK:SCRATCH:CHILD_TISSUE_LAYER_GROUP:BY_TYPE:GRASP:BY_CATEGORY:TOE:TALON]
      [ATTACK_SKILL:STANCE_STRIKE]
      [ATTACK_VERB:claw:claws] (Name difference.)
      [ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC:100] (Might want to make this deadlier.)
      [ATTACK_PENETRATION_PERC:100]
      [ATTACK_FLAG_EDGE]
      [ATTACK_PRIORITY:MAIN]
      [ATTACK_FLAG_CANLATCH] (This is an interesting bit.  A good deal of buzz has to do with Dromie claws not really being built to slash.  They stab and hook.   Folks assume the Dromaeosaurids used Raptor Prey Restraint techniques, which, aside from having a bad-ass name, consists of standing on top of the prey animal, talons attached, using the wings for balance.  Instead of some finishing blow, the modern raptor just starts eating, and continues to eat until the thing is dead.  I'd like to impliment this, but I am unsure how to keep the Dromies from just shaking the pretty in their claw.  They should be latching with feet, then biting and ripping away with the bite.)


?   [ATTACK:BITE:CHILD_BODYPART_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:HEAD:BY_CATEGORY:TOOTH]
      [ATTACK_SKILL:BITE]
      [ATTACK_VERB:bite:bites]
      [ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC:100] (These are some pretty blunt teeth.  Might want to change it.)
      [ATTACK_PENETRATION_PERC:100]
      [ATTACK_FLAG_EDGE]
      [ATTACK_PRIORITY:MAIN]
      [ATTACK_FLAG_CANLATCH]

   [ALL_ACTIVE] (We have no idea when animals ran around.  But I don't really have enough dinos, so everything gets to run around all day for now.)
   [HOMEOTHERM:10067] (An interesting question, and the subject of fierce debate.  Probably warm-blooded, but don't really know how hot.)
   [SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500] (Okay, can any non-dwarf swim? At full speed?)

   [CASTE:FEMALE]
      [FEMALE]
      [LAYS_EGGS]
         [EGG_MATERIAL:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:EGGSHELL:SOLID] (I think this works with the leathery egg template.)
         [EGG_MATERIAL:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:EGG_WHITE:LIQUID]
         [EGG_MATERIAL:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:EGG_YOLK:LIQUID]
         [EGG_SIZE:1600] (Need to figure this out.)
?         [CLUTCH_SIZE:5:10] (Depends on animal.)
   [CASTE:MALE]
      [MALE]

The description stuff.  I'm really not clear how this works.
   [SELECT_CASTE:ALL]
      [SET_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:SKIN]
!         [TL_COLOR_MODIFIER:STRIPES_RAINBOW:1] (First, they don't have skin.  Secondly, I have no idea what colors they are in... Earth tones, maybe?)
            [TLCM_NOUN:skin:SINGULAR]
      [SET_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:EYE:EYE]
!         [TL_COLOR_MODIFIER:BLACK:1]
            [TLCM_NOUN:eyes:PLURAL]

Not sure on the value.  Kinda want bigger things worth more?  Plug it in as a fraction of size, like trample?
   [SELECT_MATERIAL:ALL]
      [MULTIPLY_VALUE:2]

   [CHILD:2]?

[Meph]

Add a attack that uses the nail, and scratches. See the dwarf as an example, he has one.

Your main problem will be:  [BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_MATERIALS] This means that his claws (nails) are made of quite weak material. You should consider adding a custom material template, called: "super epic ironlike tough claws for dinosaurs you know"  And making a new body detail plan for them. A copy of the standart one, just with the new name for nails.

This way you can add any material values to the scratch/claw attack, since they can use iron/steel-grade nails.

Hope this is not too confusing.

[Nil Athelion]

Thanks Meph - it isn't really that confusing.

This is not the right attack?  As noted in the raw file, I did copy it over from the dwarf RAW.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

?   [ATTACK:SCRATCH:CHILD_TISSUE_LAYER_GROUP:BY_TYPE:GRASP:BY_CATEGORY:TOE:CLAW]
      [ATTACK_SKILL:STANCE_STRIKE]
      [ATTACK_VERB:claw:claws] (Name difference.)
      [ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC:100] (Might want to make this deadlier.)
      [ATTACK_PENETRATION_PERC:100]
      [ATTACK_FLAG_EDGE]
      [ATTACK_PRIORITY:MAIN]
      [ATTACK_FLAG_CANLATCH] (This is an interesting bit.  A good deal of buzz has to do with Dromie claws not really being built to slash.  They stab and hook.   Folks assume the Dromaeosaurids used Raptor Prey Restraint techniques, which, aside from having a bad-ass name, consists of standing on top of the prey animal, talons attached, using the wings for balance.  Instead of some finishing blow, the modern raptor just starts eating, and continues to eat until the thing is dead. I'd like to impliment this, but I am unsure how to keep the Dromies from just shaking the pretty in their claw.  They should be latching with feet, then biting and ripping away with the bite.)

Anyway, I'd much rather modify the contact percentages, penetration, and velocity of the attack, or modify the physical attributes of the dinosaur than use some sort of uber-claw.  But even with that, to be perfectly frank, there's no reason why a raptor should be able to stab through metal armor.  There's simply no adaptation there.  We aren't going for uber-claw, we're going for historically-accurate claw.

This mod isn't so much to create challenging creatures as it is to replace DF's native [mundane] creatures with [mundane] creatures from the cretaceous period.  All that back-ground wild-life.  There's still going to be dragons and rocs and hydras running around in the background, and I expect people to plug in whatever mods cause invasions from orc, frost giants, or flying, adamantine, trapavoiding, golems.  This is just a wild-life mod.  Okay, maybe changing the wild-life from giant cheetahs to t-rexs might constitute a difficulty jump (or not - weaponization is fun)?  But this is dwarf fortress, and dwarf fortress, like life, isn't built with balance in mind.

I just wish I could get the dromaeosaurids to jump on something, latch their claws on, and then devour them while they still live.  Because Raptor Prey Restraint (RPR) is cool.

[Meph]

Code: [Select]

isn't built with balance in mind.
But mods might be

Anyway, the attack is the right one. If you want latch-and-devour, have a look at the giant cave spider raws. next_underground.txt or _subterranean.txt. They paralyze their prey, and if someone is unconsciouss the combat system always goes for a strike to the head, killing the opponent. Maybe you can built up from that, for the bigger creatures that can eat dwarves whole. (not the eating, but the insta-kill)

[Nil Athelion]

Code: [Select]

isn't built with balance in mind.But mods might be

True enough.  I guess I'm more of a simulationist bent.  I mean, it's not like I can write the cretaceous into minecraft or skyrim with any degree of detail.  This game gives a lot of freedom.

Anyway, the attack is the right one. If you want latch-and-devour, have a look at the giant cave spider raws. next_underground.txt or _subterranean.txt. They paralyze their prey, and if someone is unconsciouss the combat system always goes for a strike to the head, killing the opponent. Maybe you can built up from that, for the bigger creatures that can eat dwarves whole. (not the eating, but the insta-kill)

Okay, so if the attack is the right one... why doesn't it show up in the Arena?  They only bite at each other.

Here's part of the error log, if that helps.  I can't figure out what's going wrong from it and looking at the raw.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

DEINONYCHUS:Unrecognized Material Template: DINO_FEATHER_TEMPLATE
DEINONYCHUS:Unrecognized Creature Token: TISSUE_TEMPLATE
DEINONYCHUS:Unrecognized Creature Token: TISSUE_TEMPLATE
DEINONYCHUS:Unrecognized Creature Token: BP_RELSIZE
DEINONYCHUS:Attack SCRATCH seems to have correct format but could not find proper BPs in any caste, so not added
DEINONYCHUS Color Mod Ending With (STRIPES_RAINBOW,1) Was Not Used
*** Error(s) finalizing the creature DEINONYCHUS
DEINONYCHUS:FEMALE:upper body, layer 1: Tissue SCALE was not found, using first tissue instead
DEINONYCHUS:FEMALE:lower body, layer 1: Tissue SCALE was not found, using first tissue instead
DEINONYCHUS:FEMALE:head, layer 1: Tissue SCALE was not found, using first tissue instead
Continues this way for about a page.

[Meph]

You are either missing the DINO_FEATHER_TEMPLATE... in the material_template.txt OR you have a typo, a missing ] in the raw somewhere.

The scratch does not work because of this:
DEINONYCHUS:Attack SCRATCH seems to have correct format but could not find proper BPs in any caste, so not added

The claw has no material and tissue, therefore the attack using the claw is not used. The BPs stands for BodyParts

[Nil Athelion]

You are either missing the DINO_FEATHER_TEMPLATE... in the material_template.txt OR you have a typo, a missing ] in the raw somewhere.

Fiddled around, still not working.  Here's the parts where the problem should be.  Might just be a tissue-material-template-something misunderstanding.

From my creature raw:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_MATERIALS]
      [REMOVE_MATERIAL:HAIR]
      [USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:FEATHER:FEATHER_TEMPLATE] (Because we are accurate to modern science.)
      [USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:SCALE_TEMPLATE]
   [BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_TISSUES]
      [REMOVE_TISSUE:HAIR]
      [USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:FEATHER:DINO_FEATHER_TEMPLATE] (I mean, this is Dwarf Fortress!)
   [USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:SCALE_TEMPLATE]
   [BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:VERTEBRATE_TISSUE_LAYERS:SCALE:FAT:MUSCLE:BONE:CARTILAGE]

   [USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:CLAW:NAIL_TEMPLATE]
   [USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:CLAW:CLAW_TEMPLATE]
   [TISSUE_LAYER:BY_CATEGORY:FINGER:CLAW:FRONT]
   [TISSUE_LAYER:BY_CATEGORY:TOE:CLAW:FRONT]

From the custom tissue_template_dino file:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[tissue_template_dino

[OBJECT:TISSUE_TEMPLATE]

[TISSUE_TEMPLATE:DINO_FEATHER_TEMPLATE]
   [TISSUE_NAME:feather:STP]
   [TISSUE_MATERIAL:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:FEATHER]
   [RELATIVE_THICKNESS:1] (Making it half as thick.  Not really major feathers. Used to be twice as thick as scales

are...)
   [SUBORDINATE_TO_TISSUE:SCALE_TEMPLATE] (This is the big difference - making sure that feathers go on scales.)
   [INSULATION:100]
   [TISSUE_SHAPE:FEATHERS]

There's a body detail plan for dinos, which is empty, and a body_dino file, which is probably irrelevant.

Can you see the mistake?  I keep trying and failing.

There's the latest error log:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

*** Error(s) found in the file "raw/objects/creature_dromaeosauridae.txt"
DEINONYCHUS:Unrecognized Creature Token: BP_RELSIZE
DEINONYCHUS:Attack SCRATCH seems to have correct format but could not find proper BPs in any caste, so not added
DEINONYCHUS Color Mod Ending With (STRIPES_RAINBOW,1) Was Not Used
*** Error(s) finalizing the creature DEINONYCHUS
DEINONYCHUS:FEMALE:upper body, layer 1: Tissue SCALE was not found, using first tissue instead
DEINONYCHUS:FEMALE:lower body, layer 1: Tissue SCALE was not found, using first tissue instead
^ more of that for every part of the Deinonychus body.

Argh... X_X