So I had a fortress, Spellclasp, which busted through into a [secret fun stuff]. Fortress survived, went on for many years, and I did a bunch of engraving hoping to get lots of 'this shows a dwarf shooting a [secret fun stuff]' and 'this engraving is of a [secret fun stuff] surrounded by dwarves. The dwarves are beating the crap out of it.'
Instead, out of every 50 engravings or embellishments, I get, "This shows a [secret fun stuff]. It is making a menacing pose." about 45 times, I might get one faction-based symbol, one or two "X was elected to X in year XXXX" engravings, many references to some masterwork or artifact item being made, and maybe one engraving or embellishment that refers to the /hundreds/ of goblins and other monsters that my fortress slaughtered over the many years.
It's just disappointing that my Champions have virtually no legacy in my fort, but so-and-so being released gets referenced nonstop. As an adventurer I chatted up locals about the surroundings tons, and all they /ever/ said about Spellclasp was that [secret fun stuff] was released in year so-and-so.
Who cares? Apparently the dwarves who survived the ordeal, without a scratch (but one burnt-to-death mule) to show for it, cared a great deal, because that's all they would ever frigging engrave or decorate about. Oh, except when they wanted to engrave about so-and-so being elected or somebody making a masterwork bin, every 20 or so engravings.
So my point is, I think that needs to be adjusted a bit. I think the intent might've been that in the last days of a fort while [secret fun stuff] is annihilating everyone, you might be able to scrawl warnings all over the walls with your engravers.. or for a fort that's annihilated to be remembered by what did the dirty deed. But, it makes no sense when a fort survives for a single historical event to completely whitewash over everything else. Hell, even if it's annihilated by Hidden Fun Stuff, can't anybody remember the good ol' days instead of dwelling on that nonstop?
edit: I was also a bit disappointed I couldn't find all the adamantium stuff I made anywhere, not in the veins of adamantine or in the stockpiles or bins. But I guess that makes sense when you abandon instead of being annihilated so perhaps this is an intentional feature.
[ February 22, 2008: Message edited by: Stromko ]