I kinda wish there was just an attack multiplier or something I could use without getting waist-deep in shear and torsion and whatever else. I know Toady wants to model reality, but I don't want to have to take a class in material physics just to add in a lousy beetle.
The idiot proof way to make animals hit harder is to make them BIGGER. ;p
Honestly though its REALLY not that hard to adjust the materials. People see this (spoiler for space)
[MOLAR_MASS:55845]
[IMPACT_YIELD:1080000] used average for stainless steel
[IMPACT_FRACTURE:1080000]
[IMPACT_ELASTICITY:1000]
[COMPRESSIVE_YIELD:1080000]
[COMPRESSIVE_FRACTURE:1080000]
[COMPRESSIVE_ELASTICITY:1000]
[TENSILE_YIELD:520000]
[TENSILE_FRACTURE:860000]
[TENSILE_ELASTICITY:1000]
[TORSION_YIELD:520000]
[TORSION_FRACTURE:860000]
[TORSION_ELASTICITY:1000]
[SHEAR_YIELD:520000] used stainless steel
[SHEAR_FRACTURE:860000]
[SHEAR_ELASTICITY:1000]
[BENDING_YIELD:520000]
[BENDING_FRACTURE:860000]
[BENDING_ELASTICITY:1000]
and turn around and run screaming in the other direction. A few moments close examination, though, and you see toady left notes. (spoiler for space)
Not used.
[MOLAR_MASS:36000]
[ABSORPTION:100]
[COMPRESSIVE_YIELD:120000]
[COMPRESSIVE_FRACTURE:120000]
[COMPRESSIVE_ELASTICITY:100]
[TENSILE_YIELD:15000]
[TENSILE_FRACTURE:15000]
[TENSILE_ELASTICITY:100]
[TORSION_YIELD:15000]
[TORSION_FRACTURE:15000]
[TORSION_ELASTICITY:100]
[BENDING_YIELD:15000]
[BENDING_FRACTURE:15000]
[BENDING_ELASTICITY:100]
Density information. Not used for very much, but it comes up in inventory weight and fighting.
[SOLID_DENSITY:2670]
[LIQUID_DENSITY:3300]
Used for blunt-force combat, measured in KPa. Data scattered around the net (used compressive strength). All very spotty.
[IMPACT_YIELD:120000] used marble
[IMPACT_FRACTURE:120000]
[IMPACT_ELASTICITY:100]
Used for cutting calculations in combat, measured in KPa. Data scattered around the net (used tensile strength). All very spotty.
[SHEAR_YIELD:15000] used marble
[SHEAR_FRACTURE:15000]
[SHEAR_ELASTICITY:100]
A unitless measure for how sharp the edge is for combat purposes.
[MAX_EDGE:1000]
Determines what sorts of objects can be built with the item.
[ITEMS_HARD]
Most of the values are not currently used at all for anything. If all you're worried about is animal bites, then the ONLY values you care about are the 3 IMPACT_*** values.
So what are mandibles made of? Chitin?
Ok, first lets look at LARGE_MANDIBLES in body_default.txt All that's important to find out here, is what CATEGORY mandibles are in. I'll explain why in a bit.
[BODY:LARGE_MANDIBLES]
[BP:R_MAND:right mandible:STP][CONTYPE:HEAD][CATEGORY:MANDIBLE]
[DEFAULT_RELSIZE:200]
[BP:L_MAND:left mandible:STP][CONTYPE:HEAD][CATEGORY:MANDIBLE]
[DEFAULT_RELSIZE:200]
Now, let's take a look at a scorpion. creature_savage_tropical.txt
[BODY:SPIDER:2EYES:HEART:GUTS:BRAIN:TAIL:TAIL_STINGER:UPPERBODY_PINCERS]
...
[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:EXOSKELETON_TISSUE_LAYERS:CHITIN:FAT:MUSCLE]
Ok, what's that mean? The token itself tells you where to look: b_detail_plan_default.txt Also note, that scorpions don't have mandibles, they have UPPERBODY_PINCERS. (spoilered for bolds and readability)
b_detail_plan_default.txt
...
[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:EXOSKELETON_TISSUE_LAYERS]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:BODY:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:BODY_UPPER:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:BODY_LOWER:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:ARM:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:ARM_UPPER:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:ARM_LOWER:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:HAND:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:LEG:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:LEG_UPPER:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:LEG_LOWER:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:LEG_FRONT:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:LEG_REAR:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:FOOT:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:FOOT_FRONT:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:FOOT_REAR:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:HEAD:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:NECK:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:WING:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:TENTACLE:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:CLAW:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:PINCER:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:TAIL:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:STINGER:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:SHELL:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:EYE:EYE:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:TOOTH:TOOTH:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:TUSK:IVORY:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:NOSE:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:PROBOSCIS:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:ANTENNA:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:MANDIBLE:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:EAR:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:LUNG:LUNG:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:MOUTH:ARG3:6:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:BEAK:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:RIB_TRUE:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:RIB_FALSE:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:RIB_FLOATING:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:HEART:HEART:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:GUTS:GUT:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:LIVER:LIVER:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:STOMACH:STOMACH:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:PANCREAS:PANCREAS:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:SPLEEN:SPLEEN:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:KIDNEY:KIDNEY:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:JOINT:ARG3:6:ARG1:1]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:SPINE:NERVE:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:BRAIN:BRAIN:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:HORN:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:FINGER:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:TOE:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:FIN:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:FLIPPER:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:HUMP:ARG2:6:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:LIP:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:CHEEK:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:EYELID:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:THROAT:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:HOOF:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:HOOF_FRONT:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:HOOF_REAR:ARG1:100]
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:SKULL:ARG1:100]
Lots of code in thar! Most of it has nothing to do with what you're doing. If you look at the the original entry in the scorpion definition, it called this token with 3 arguments. As far as a scorpion is concerned, inside this definition ARG1 is CHITIN, ARG2 is FAT, and ARG3 is MUSCLE. Toady uses this token as a shortcut. By including all possible body parts in in this method, he can just call it with some creature specific arguments and define the materials of their entire body with 1 line. If you had a custom body part, you could add it to these shortcuts to define it. OR you could define it by hand in your creature definition like this.
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:CUSTOM_PART:MUSCLE:6:FAT:1:CHITIN:2]
You could even make your own shortcut tokens and call them if you want to.
Now find mandibles in there, because we know MANDIBLES_LARGE are in the CATEGORY MANDIBLE its easy to find them.
[BP_LAYERS:BY_CATEGORY:MANDIBLE:ARG3:6:ARG2:1:ARG1:2]
This means mandibles have a later 6 "thick" of MUSCLE under a layer 1 "thick" of FAT under a layer 2 "thick" of CHITIN. Thickness describes how difficult it is to piece the layer into the next layer. If you see other entries that seem to say the layers are 100 "thick", 100 is a magic number that means 'entirely composed of this material.' So a mandible is good amount of chitin, over a little fat, over a huge chuck of muscle. Sounds good.
Now we know what a mandible is made of. Unforunetly, CHITIN is currently bugged, and only as hard as skin.
Let's look back at the scorpion definition again.
...
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:CHITIN:CHITIN_TEMPLATE]
...
[USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:CHITIN:CHITIN_TEMPLATE]
...
This is a little confusing hard to follow. It turns out, tissues need both a MATERIAL definition as well as a TISSUE definition. The tissue definition can be found in tissue_template_default.txt. Tissue definitions concern things like how fast it heals, how much it bleeds, anything to do with how it functions inside an organism. This isn't what we're looking for, so lets look at the material definition of CHITIN in material_template_default.txt, but only at the parts we're concerned with:
[MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:SKIN_TEMPLATE]
...
[IMPACT_YIELD:10000]
[IMPACT_FRACTURE:10000]
[IMPACT_ELASTICITY:50000]
...
[MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:CHITIN_TEMPLATE]
...
[IMPACT_YIELD:10000]
[IMPACT_FRACTURE:10000]
[IMPACT_ELASTICITY:100]
...
[MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:BONE_TEMPLATE]
...
[IMPACT_YIELD:200000]
[IMPACT_FRACTURE:200000]
[IMPACT_ELASTICITY:100]
...
From play testing, I can tell you that the bolded values affect how much force the material will deal when you use it in a blunt attack(which makes sense!). No one is entirely sure what elasticity does exactly, but more elasticity is more flexible, whatever that means. Now compare the values. Chitin is only as hard as skin, and that's not very hard. No wonder you can't bite through anything! Copy and replace the values from bone onto chitin and you make chitin as hard(and brittle) as bone. This is a quick fix, I don't have realistic numbers for you, but this will work for now. While you're at it, do the same for TOOTH, HORN, and HOOF, and NAIL. Give those poor war dogs a fighting shot(not to mention the grizzly bears)!
Now let's look at your blister beetle.
...
[ATTACK:BITE:BODYPART:BY_CATEGORY:MOUTH]
[ATTACK_SKILL:BITE]
[ATTACK_VERB:bite:bites]
[ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC:100]
[ATTACK_PRIORITY:MAIN]
[ATTACK_FLAG_CANLATCH]
...
Turns out they're not even using their MANDIBLEs! They're using their MOUTH. I was a little uncertain about this, so i went and found another creature that bites with mandibles, a bugbat. Here's it's attack, use this instead.
[ATTACK:BITE:CHILD_BODYPART_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:HEAD:BY_CATEGORY:MANDIBLE]
[ATTACK_SKILL:BITE]
[ATTACK_VERB:bite:bites]
[ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC:100]
[ATTACK_PENETRATION_PERC:100]
[ATTACK_FLAG_EDGE]
[ATTACK_PRIORITY:MAIN]
[ATTACK_FLAG_CANLATCH]
And that's that. You just had to change 4 lines of code, I could've just told you what to do, but I'm sure other people will get a kick out of this.