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[Fniff]

Basically, I came up with this idea when I made four humans armed with swords and hundreds of undead. I thought what would happen if the apocalypse could happen in DF. But, here is the thing: Everyone has come up with their own versions, so I thought I'd compile the ones I thought of in the OP, then everyone can contribute how they think should be an option for the world to end.

Here is my list of ideas. Now, remember, apocalypses should all be optional, meaning you can change them to not occur in the world gen parameters. These can all happen at ANY TIME too, not just at the end of the age of twilight. It can even happen in the first year. If the apocalypse happens, the age of death occurs. You can still play in Dwarf Mode as escapees from the apocalypse that brought down civilization, and you can still play in adventure mode as an outsider.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

• If hell gets breached and the fortress holding it falls, the Hell Apocalypse happens. Demons rampage throughout the world bringing it to it's knees, then finally they kill off civilization. The weather turns to dusk all the time, meaning you can't grow anything above ground. Also, enjoy sieges from demons constantly!
• If the death rate of the region skyrockets to insane levels without the influence of any other apocalypse, then the Ghost Apocalypse happens. Spiritual energy blasts from the netherworld, killing everything but 7 dwarves/ one adventurer. Ghosts then flood to the real world, and they are all very very mad. The sky turns into a window into the netherworld, which means it's a strange blue hue all the time, and dark as well. Also, everything will turn into a ghost even if you give them the best slab ever and the greatest coffin.
• If elves outnumber the other civilizations, then the Plant Apocalypse happens. Plants suddenly skyrocket, growing impossibly huge and all over the region. However, these plants kill people. At the end of a period of about one year, they totally destroy civilization. When you look up, you only see greenery, so no growing on the ground levels still.
• If goblins outnumber every other civilization, they go on a warpath throughout the other civilizations and kill everything (Apart from one adventurer and 7 dwarves.) and then kill themselves. Then, their spirits corrupt the world so much that every biome turns to a high evil, high savagry Badlands, with no sunlight nor growing of the plants. The only animals are jackal-like creatures who are insanely aggressive and the underground creatures. Enjoy your stay!
• If night creatures numbers skyrocket, then the Night Apocalypse happens. The world turns to eternal dusk, and the night creatures rampage throughout the world, killing everyone (Except 7 Dwarves One Adventurer.). The only creatures would be slightly passive night creatures and aggressive night creatures who are always on the prowl.
• If a war goes on for the entire history of the world, passing a certain point in history, the War Apocalypse happens. War on his horse rides through the world killing everyone in sight (E.7.D.O.A) and then disappears. The world remains unchanged, except that there is not plant life and no animal life. Cannibalism, anyone?

Please, criticize my ideas and show your own ideas for civilization ending events.

[Lord Zack]

The idea of post-Apocalyptic Dwarf Fortress appeals to me. However for the Clown Car Apocalypse it should require more than a single fortress to fall. It shouldn't be easy for the Apocalypse to happen. Also for any Apocalypse I'd say a small, but significant population should still exist. You'd probably have to survive without migrants for a while, but if you're fortress gets big enough survivors will travel from far away to join you're fortress.

[Fniff]

The idea of post-Apocalyptic Dwarf Fortress appeals to me. However for the Clown Car Apocalypse it should require more than a single fortress to fall. It shouldn't be easy for the Apocalypse to happen. Also for any Apocalypse I'd say a small, but significant population should still exist. You'd probably have to survive without migrants for a while, but if you're fortress gets big enough survivors will travel from far away to join you're fortress.

I was just thinking it would add a sense of duty keeping the clowns from destroying your dwarves, since you are safeguarding the thing that could destroy the world.

[irmo]

I was just thinking it would add a sense of duty keeping the clowns from destroying your dwarves, since you are safeguarding the thing that could destroy the world.

You mean the demons, right?

[Fniff]

I was just thinking it would add a sense of duty keeping the clowns from destroying your dwarves, since you are safeguarding the thing that could destroy the world.

You mean the demons, right?

Hey, spoilers! The new guys aren't supposed to know about the demons, so we call them clowns.

[JanusTwoface]

It says *Warning Spoilers.* in the subject line. If anyone doesn't want to be spoiler'd, then they should just not read the thread. The whole clown thing was amusing and all, but it's gotten well past that point IMO. To each his own, I guess.

On topic: I really like the idea of various apocalypses although a few of them would need some tweaking to the core game to actually make them useful (like the Plant Apocalypse would need bigger more dangerous plants). I think it would also be neat if you could purposefully choose one (or more) in the advanced world gen options rather than trying to trigger them.

[Fniff]

On topic: I really like the idea of various apocalypses although a few of them would need some tweaking to the core game to actually make them useful (like the Plant Apocalypse would need bigger more dangerous plants). I think it would also be neat if you could purposefully choose one (or more) in the advanced world gen options rather than trying to trigger them.

Do you have any ideas of your own for apocalypses?

[JanusTwoface]

I don't have a stable internet connection, so I'm posting on my phone, but let's see what I can do.


Apocalypse of the Earth
"They dug too deep"
If too much of the earth is disturbed throughout the world, then an Apocalypse of the Earth is triggered. Earthquakes and volcanoes throughout the world would ensue (which would require adding earthquakes and volcanoes to the game). Earthquakes open up chasms deep into the earth, shift chunks of the ground (so that hallways might not line up anymore) and shake apart various structures. Volcanoes create magma tubes that run to the surface and spew lava for some time.

Apocalypse of the Sky
"They built too high"
If they Dwarves (or anyone else for that matter, maybe the Humans) build structures several hundred Z-levels into the sky, then it may trigger an Apocalypse of the Sky. It could be storm related with torrential rains and winds (wreck havoc on surface structures) or even related to falling meteorites with the potential to blast large wholes in the ground and potentially kick up giant clouds of dust.

Apocalypse of the Sea
"They sailed too far"
Someone ventured too far out to sea, or too deep if there's some sort of submarine or sub-oceanic mining by the Dwarves. Massive flooding around any source of water (rivers / lakes / oceans) and torrential rains (that leave 1/7 rain on any square when they hit and last for years). Could easily reach Biblical levels of floodings...


That took a while... I'm sure there are more, but that's what I have for the time being.

[Fniff]

Those are all great, and they are all environmental I see. I didn't really put many environmental apocalypses in.

[JanusTwoface]

Which is why there was space for me to do so... Mainly I was actually thinking of the effects first and then what could cause them. It'd be neat to be able to try to build a fort when earthquakes and volcanoes might ruin your day at any moment. Granted, it's not something that everyone would want...

[Fniff]

Hey, do you think the effects of my apocalypses are bit too... Small? Not being able to grow plants sucks, but you can get around it. I wonder how I can increase the effects of them.

[IT 000]

I like this idea, except for the war one. In order to mod in a reliably waring race without adding a [BABYSNATCHER] or [ITEM_THIEF] tag you need to remove their [CAN_SPEAK] tag. Then a war starts during world gen because of 'The adversaries inability to form treaties (something like that' and the war never ends and can easily last centuries! The War apocalypse could easily ruin many worlds that would otherwise be normal worlds.

[Biopass]

Why would Toady even bother with this? As we have seen many times, dwarves can easily make their own apocalypse.

In all seriousness though, the idea of a sudden apocalypse like this really doesn't feel like it fits in with DF in general. Especially since it's supposed to be a persistant world, and the apocalypses (apocalypti?) you are talking about are scripted, not procedurally generated.

[Fniff]

I like this idea, except for the war one. In order to mod in a reliably waring race without adding a [BABYSNATCHER] or [ITEM_THIEF] tag you need to remove their [CAN_SPEAK] tag. Then a war starts during world gen because of 'The adversaries inability to form treaties (something like that' and the war never ends and can easily last centuries! The War apocalypse could easily ruin many worlds that would otherwise be normal worlds.

Hmm. OK, I will remove that.

[Fniff]

Why would Toady even bother with this? As we have seen many times, dwarves can easily make their own apocalypse.

In all seriousness though, the idea of a sudden apocalypse like this really doesn't feel like it fits in with DF in general. Especially since it's supposed to be a persistant world, and the apocalypses (apocalypti?) you are talking about are scripted, not procedurally generated.

Well, the apocalypses could be generated. Plus, Dwarves can only make a tiny part of land into mordor. I wanna make it ALL INTO MORDOR!