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Author Topic: skill challenge advice  (Read 860 times)

Josiwe

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skill challenge advice
« on: April 13, 2010, 04:11:48 pm »

So I'm contemplating a new challenge for myself.

Here's the idea:

Dwarves may (in general) possess only one skill, and it may never be changed. Arriving immigrants must keep their dominant labor and all other labors must be turned off permanently.

Qualifiers:

  • All dwarves may have health care.
  • Starting seven may have two skills.
  • When immigrant peasants arrive, they and they alone may immediately be tasked to learn a new profession, but it must be done as soon as they arrive and cannot be changed after.
  • "Hauling" of all types is considered one skill - so a miner can never haul anything, but a hauler (read: Peasant) can haul wood, stone, food, etc.
  • Military can learn any type of military skill, but can never be deactivated.

What do you think of this? Would you change anything? Also this is what I'm thinking for my starting seven, additional thoughts?

farmer/brewer
miner/stonecrafter
miner/furnace operator
mason/mechanic
woodcutter/carpenter
appraiser/architect
hauler/wood burner

I worry about not having an armorsmith/weaponsmith but I can trade for that stuff if necessary and if they showed up as immigrants I couldn't do anything without charcoal and smelted metal anyway so...
« Last Edit: April 13, 2010, 04:16:38 pm by Josiwe »
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Tylui

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Re: skill challenge advice
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2010, 04:16:00 pm »

I think I tried to do this once. Except I have each of the hauling jobs separate. It made for some pretty fun chaos, and basically nothing ever got moved.

I think I actually might partake in this challenge right about.... NOW.

I'll do it your way so I don't derail the thread. :P
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Dave Mongoose

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Re: skill challenge advice
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2010, 09:28:43 pm »

Sounds entertaining - could be annoying when it comes to skills you use rarely, because you need to devote a dwarf to just that, but would make quite an efficient fort if done right.

Your starting 7 look good, but I think I'd trade mechanic for herbalist, and possibly drop two of woodburner and furnace operator so you can spend the embark points on armoursmith and weaponsmith, where results matter.

If you lose hauler from the starting 7, you can spend the embark skill points on something. Hauler is required because otherwise you can't trade... Whoever takes 'hauler' as his 'skill' should probably take some social skill with the rest of their embark points so that they can fill a noble position.
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marcbyrne

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Re: skill challenge advice
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2010, 12:14:56 am »

I think you should also restrict the starting 7 to one skill.

Thats where the challenge lies, in getting started.  In trade you'll save points for more items instead of skills. 
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Dorf3000

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Re: skill challenge advice
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2010, 04:40:34 am »


If you lose hauler from the starting 7, you can spend the embark skill points on something. Hauler is required because otherwise you can't trade... Whoever takes 'hauler' as his 'skill' should probably take some social skill with the rest of their embark points so that they can fill a noble position.

I don't think the Bring Item to Depot task requires any labors at all.  In fact I had to turn off hauling on some of my dwarves so I could trade in time, because they all seemed to prefer bringing the dead human/goblin loot from across the map rather than taking a couple dozen goods to trade for booze and animals.

I'm pretty sure you could run a fort with only food haulers, and just deconstruct other workshops when they get too cluttered..  Food rots if it's not put in a stockpile, so you need haulers for that or you'll be living on vermin and berries.
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JimiD

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Re: skill challenge advice
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2010, 04:55:39 am »

I had a similar fort last year, here which has my thoughts on the starting 7.

It was good fun, I'll try and remeber what I learnt
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Qwernt

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Re: skill challenge advice
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2010, 11:26:52 am »

I think your appraiser architect is going to be one bored puppy.  You might consider putting those skills as secondaries to more often used skills.  Example: why miner/stonecrafter  This means you can either be enlarging your domain or (assumption) making profit.  Seems like you might want to do both at the same time. 
When I think through the opening of the game I try to get the first 7 dedicated as much as possible but spread that dedication such that no (little) idleness early on.  Once you have a sufficiently large population, then idleness if merely annoying (early on it can be trouble - think orcs,etc). 
It seems like at first you will need:
    Mining
    Food
    Hauling
    Mechanic (levers, bridges, traps, etc)
    Beds
    tables/Chairs
    Weapon Production (depends on starting purchases) or wealth creation

While 2 miners is good, you can actually survive with 1 - just dig dirt first.
So maybe something like:

Miner/Trader
Farmer/Brewer
Hauler/Weapon Smith
Mech./wood burner
Carpenter/wood cutter
Mason/Apprasier
Furnace Operator/Architect

the other restriction you haven't discussed is Military - who can be part of it?  You might want to require training before hand, in which case I would go:

Farmer/Brewer
Hauler/Carpenter
Mech./wood burner
Axeman/wood cutter
Mason/Apprasier
Furnace Operator/Architect

Also, some people hav pointed out that Mason can't do anything that a Carpenter can't do (as far as what they can make - just has to be made out of wood instead), so you could actually cut the mason and have back the weaponsmith (or armorsmith or stone crafter or the other miner).

If you don't mind selling food, get a cook instead of the weapon/armor-smith.  Happiness + money.  Though you would have to focus on cage and stone traps.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2010, 11:39:00 am by Qwernt »
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Tylui

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Re: skill challenge advice
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2010, 12:45:56 pm »

Hauler is required because otherwise you can't trade... Whoever takes 'hauler' as his 'skill' should probably take some social skill with the rest of their embark points so that they can fill a noble position.

Actually anyone will haul to the trade depot. As well as empty barrell hauling. Apparently they don't require a hauling skill. Idle dwarfs just do them.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2010, 12:52:13 pm by Tylui »
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