Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[krenshala]

It's also worth factoring in how quick and resource-intensive it is to get the items in question forged. In the early game, when you've got no experienced furnace operators and no access to magma (and I really do suggest you steer clear of magma in the early game!) then you're better off starting out with plain iron; it's more important that the whole militia be armed and armoured with something as expeditiously as possible.
Note also that since alluvial layers have yet to be implemented, cassiterite is quite difficult to find.

Yes, this is true. Goblins (in my experience) tend to be armed with iron or worse. Iron armor should be able to protect against their attacks significantly. Of course, ranged attacks are another matter entirely but you know how ranged attacks are.

I just started a new fort (haven't even gotten my first immigrant wave yet) and I'm planning to make iron armor but steel weapons for my first squad.  Iron for the armor because, as you rightly state, its important to have some kind of armor right away.  Steel weapons because its one steel per weapon, and a manageable amount for early in the fort.

It doesn't hurt that I'm digging out both iron and flux stone just to have a roof over my head.

[Girlinhat]

If you've got both, you might as well make steel, is my opinion.  It produces 2 steel bars per 2 ores melted, just costs on flux and fuel, and flux occurs in whole layers, and fuel grows out of dirt!

[Urist Imiknorris]

Fuel also lives in 3/4 of flux layers.

[Max White]

Steel and silver for hammers/bolts.

[Hans Lemurson]

I am saddened by the recent revelation that Bronze Armor offers inferior protection compared to Iron Armor.  According to the data on the weapon-research thread, Bronze armor is consistently penetrated at a higher rate than Iron armor, and Iron weapons have slightly better armor-penetration capabilities than Bronze ones.

I was so proud of my bronze-clad dwarves too...

[Haruspex_Pariah]

I am saddened by the recent revelation that Bronze Armor offers inferior protection compared to Iron Armor.  According to the data on the weapon-research thread, Bronze armor is consistently penetrated at a higher rate than Iron armor, and Iron weapons have slightly better armor-penetration capabilities than Bronze ones.

I was so proud of my bronze-clad dwarves too...

Don't feel bad, the dwarves in my previous fort were exclusively bronze-equipped due to the same misconception. If it helps, smelting bronze from ore saves more on fuel (1 fuel + 1 ore = 1 iron bar, 1 fuel + 2 ore = 2 bronze bars).

[Jake]

I just started a new fort (haven't even gotten my first immigrant wave yet) and I'm planning to make iron armor but steel weapons for my first squad.  Iron for the armor because, as you rightly state, its important to have some kind of armor right away.  Steel weapons because its one steel per weapon, and a manageable amount for early in the fort.

It doesn't hurt that I'm digging out both iron and flux stone just to have a roof over my head.

Depending on the location you'll probably get away with that, but if you've got aggressive local wildlife you might want to knock out a few iron ones just to tide you over.

And my two pen'neth on goblinite is that even once Toady finally gets around to implementing the Law of Conservation of Mass, there's no point scrapping a perfectly serviceable weapon or bit of armour that's worth a couple of kegs to the merchants. Besides, I'm in the process of implementing universal conscription with periodic refresher training before tackling the caverns, so I need all the gear I can lay my hands on.

[Girlinhat]

On a semi-related note, has anyone done arena testing to compare the craftsdwarfship of armor/weapons?  Will a default shield protect as well as a masterwork shield?  If no, someone (or myself) can start running tests of same-type soldiers with different levels of value to their equipment.

[Urist Imiknorris]

Arena items don't have quality.

[Girlinhat]

Oh right...

[Jake]

On a semi-related note, has anyone done arena testing to compare the craftsdwarfship of armor/weapons?  Will a default shield protect as well as a masterwork shield?  If no, someone (or myself) can start running tests of same-type soldiers with different levels of value to their equipment.

It can't be tested in arena mode yet, though that's probably worth suggesting, but the wiki had a lot of information about item quality for 40d. It may or may not still be relevant, but it's certainly the place to start looking.