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[electromagneticpulse]

I know electricity has been discussed elsewhere, but I was wondering if there's anyone is up for electricity in DF.

First it would be a nice requirement that Aluminum can only be processed in an Electric Forge. It could be used like a magma-furnace.

Electricity would be produced by a generator, which would require blocks, copper (aluminum/silver/gold) wire, mechanisms, etc. It would have to be connected up to a waterwheel or windmill (or a gear/axle) and would take all its power and turn it into amps (for simplicity). Too many amps in a single conductive line would cause the wires to melt, which would set things on fire or melt them until it's cooled or quenched. If it's kept connected (IE in a magma safe conduit) it will hit its boiling point and melt anything that has a lower melting point than its boiling point, beyond this the gas should be like magma-mist and be an insta-kill until it cools.

Electricity could be used in traps, either by causing something to melt and hitting a enemy with boiling metal, or be used to electrocute something (providing it has thin skin, or a heart to fibrillate for that matter). It could also be used as a power source for forges, but would require a lot of electricity to keep running.

An alternate source of power could be the creation of large galvanic batteries; insulated rooms with dissimilar metals and the room flooded with salt water, or if necessary Dwarven Wine. These batteries would slowly degrade the metals inside and would have to be drained and remade to continue providing power. Too much draw on the battery would cause the liquid inside to boil and produce poisonous gas (chlorine gas for example).

It would also pave way for lightning, which could strike and kill dwarves when it's raining, but could also randomly produce raw-glass if it hits sand, or could electrify an object (or body of water).

The risks of electricity would be: overloading your wiring and melting your base. Not insulating your wiring and electrifying a steel wall, floor or something. Not insulating your wiring and electrifying your water source (wouldn't damage your wells, unless they're made conductive, but would paralyze any dwarves drinking within the electrocuted area). Similarly conductive ground could be a danger. Building your base in an area with conductive soil could mean random electrocutions. You'd have to be careful laying exposed wires as a trail of ores like magnetite/electronium and other metallic ores could lead a path to either water, or a structure.

Finally electricity could be used in any religious plans in the future. Make a gold-plated statue and connect it to a weak electrical source (a generator run off of a low-wind windmill or an overloaded waterwheel, or a weak battery) and use it to make your dwarves feel the 'touch of god'.

I'm sure others around here could think of good uses for electricity in the game that wouldn't be unsuitable considering the presence of Adamantine, Magma casting, etc. If you choose to ignore electricity in your game, you would only have minor side effects (such as the random lightning strike) from the change. It would also enable a new attack type in our enemies.

For the very last I reference you to Frankenstein, and say good day at the possibilities of Monster Crafting!

[DennyTom]

Well though, I like the "touch of the god", but...

you are right, the electricity was discussed MANY times on this forum and general feeling towards this is "no". It does not go good with the theme.

[darkrider2]

Sadly I don't think electricity will make it into the game, seeing as we already have a rudimentary form of power supplication in the game.

Now summoning the power of the gods and barraging your enemy with a lightning storm on the other hand...

PS: holy cow, supplication is a word.

edit: nevermind with lightning storms... command and conquer already did that...

[electromagneticpulse]

I thought it was a long-shot suggestion, but it was worth suggesting. I haven't seen many developed suggestions. I have a background in electrics/electronics and thought I would provide a deeper suggestion. There's a lot that could be done with it that would fit into the DF world, but I think it would be a severe balancing issue.

I think the easiest way to balance it would be to make it difficult to achieve, which is why I suggest a 'generator' being necessary, which would require a hefty amount of materials, but would still likely be too easy to be the sole balancing mechanism, which is why I suggested it be a disaster ridden application.

I can't really think of a way to make it too difficult to achieve, without it still being a sole overpowering force in the game. So while I'd like to see it, I'm still doubtful we will see it.

Although I have to say, a Frankensteinian workshop would be awesome. Mix-and-match body parts to create a monster that could either be a mega-pet or a Fortress-destroyer.

[ZebioLizard2]

I don't mind if this was added as a way of being made moddable however.

[darkrider2]

Its mostly considered that anything before 1400 bc is good for use in dwarf fortress.

I think the easiest way to balance it would be to make it difficult to achieve, which is why I suggest a 'generator' being necessary, which would require a hefty amount of materials, but would still likely be too easy to be the sole balancing mechanism, which is why I suggested it be a disaster ridden application.

Dwarf fortress players have scaled the learning cliff, built computers inside of the game, and colonized the circus. "Difficult to achieve" will not be a good balancing factor, and from my own standpoint has never been in any game.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

the circus = hell

Alternatively...

We may eventually be able to mod the mechanical buildings, which would make it possible to change the names of windmills and axles to 'generator' and 'wires' respectively, and alter their tile appearances, although melting your wires and grounding equipment properly would probably have to be hard-coded into the game.

Although I have to say, a Frankensteinian workshop would be awesome. Mix-and-match body parts to create a monster that could either be a mega-pet or a Fortress-destroyer.

That would be so awesome, we need to get this on the suggestion voting system.

[aepurniet]

what would be the gameplay difference of a water wheel powering an axle, vs a water wheel powering a generator that powers a wire?  it looks identical from a gameplay perspective, except for the fact that the electricity route requires metal.

to me it just looks like a difference only in name, not functionality.

im gonna mod unicorns to be called hovercrafts, so i get elves from the future sieging me. also self reproducing hovercrafts should be pretty cool.

[darkrider2]

to me it just looks like a difference only in name, not functionality.

Well if toady put in generators he would do more work than just mod the names which is probably as far as the community can go, as I was saying.

He [toady] could create steam powered electrical generators which would be a difference in gameplay, since now you can create power by using bituminous coal/lignite, a power source that doesn't require FPS-hurting water flow or require itself to be outside.

Electricity itself would still require magnetism to be implemented into the game, or at least a tag in the raws ([MAGNETIC]) that would label some materials as usable in electronic motors.

im gonna mod unicorns to be called hovercrafts, so i get elves from the future sieging me. also self reproducing hovercrafts should be pretty cool.

edit: Then do it. It would be remarkably hilarious as we've already had someone mod edible shotguns into the game.

edit PS: Yes I know its sarcasm. But please try to be more helpful in your posts, rather than just bashing down an idea.

[Urist McCheeseMaker]

It does not have to go into the mainstream raws. If Toady made it possible for modders but kept it out of the raws included with DF, that'd make both sides happy. He could just provide examples on the wiki or something.

[lordnincompoop]

No.

Toady has rejected this before.

[darkrider2]

No.

Toady has rejected this before.

link please?

[lordnincompoop]

What link? This is well known. Toady refuses to implement anything past the middle ages (with a few exceptions), as he dislikes steampunk dwarves and so forth.

[Urist McCheeseMaker]

But he has showed an interest in allowing modders to advance things regardless, as far as I recall.

[Capntastic]

Which for the time being means you can make a custom workshop that's an "Electric Plant" that makes "Battery Packs" which you can use to fuel a "Charge your Lasgun" reaction in your "Space Marine Armory".

It doesn't mean Toady wants to go and hardcode tacnukes and computer chips in so modders can simply switch "TACNUKES:  YES/NO" to yes in the raws.   Modders need to be creative, since that sort of stuff falls on their shoulders.

[lordnincompoop]

What he said.