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Author Topic: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?  (Read 2442 times)

Organum

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Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« on: April 16, 2011, 07:14:44 pm »

Re: The title.

I've always known that were forbidden from embarking on fully mountain areas, but I've only just given it any thought. What does Toady have to say on the subject? What do you?
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If dwarves decided to live in trees like hippies, they'd still do it better than the elves.

Mister Always

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2011, 07:34:00 pm »

I'd suppose that it'd be near impossible, even for dwarves, to settle on the side of a mountain. First of all, it's damn near impossible to get a wagon up there. Second of all, there'll probably be no trees, grass, shrubs, or even soil after a certain height. And third of all, evil things may yet lurk within those weathered tops.
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Patchy

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2011, 07:57:50 pm »

My guess would be some holdover rule from an earlier version. If you really want to embark on an all mountain site, there is a "Just Embark" tool in the modding section of the forums you can try.
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Conflict

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2011, 08:19:46 pm »

Could be some technical issue.
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PCpaste

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2011, 08:24:13 pm »

Maybe because your kingdom already has many Mountainhomes.
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Dwarf Fortress: The only game where an Artificial Intelligence-controlled unit can pull the pants off someone and the proceed to beat said someone to death with said pants.

Organum

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2011, 08:46:40 pm »

I like all these explanations but my favorite is PCpaste's. My fanon is now going to feature a mixture of that and Mister Always'. Not just difficult and dangerous, but also a waste of time.

I am gonna look for that "just embark" tool, I think it's called Embark Anywhere...
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If dwarves decided to live in trees like hippies, they'd still do it better than the elves.

Patchy

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2011, 08:48:57 pm »

Embark Anywhere is the old one, which worked for 40d and some of the early 31.xx. Just embark is the new one that is supposed to work for the more recent 31.xx versions.
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Trickysticks

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2011, 01:12:34 am »

Maybe because your kingdom already has many Mountainhomes.
Then they wouldn't mind another =P.
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EmperorJon

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #8 on: April 17, 2011, 02:16:19 am »

Yeah, all other dwarven settlements are in the mountains. Sure, maybe they want a trading post with the humans on the edge of the plains. Maybe it's really just a FORT between the mountains and the Goblin settlements. Maybe there's a resource they want to secure. But at the same time, if I just want to build a new mountainhome right next to the civ, I should be allowed to. And the Dwarves should come to trade every 5 mins. :P
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I think it's the way towns develop now. In the beginning, people move into a town. Then they start producing tables, which results in more and more tables. Soon tables represent a significant portion of the population, they start lobbying for new laws and regulations, putting people to greater and greater disadvantage...
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Sutremaine

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2011, 02:52:17 am »

I've embarked on almost all-mountain sites that had gentler slopes than a riverside embark. It's a bit silly really.
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Honestly at the time, I didn't see what could go wrong with crowding 80 military Dwarves into a small room with a necromancer for the purpose of making bacon.

jaxad0127

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2011, 12:57:08 pm »

I've embarked on almost all-mountain sites that had gentler slopes than a riverside embark. It's a bit silly really.
Indeed. But mountain biomes can't grow any above ground plants, so having at least one tile that isn't is a good thing. Note that all mountain homes are on the sides of mountains....
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Sutremaine

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2011, 05:38:59 pm »

Do farmed plants grow on glaciers? I don't normally embark on the freezing biome types. If they can't grow plants either, the lack of non-grass vegetation on mountains shouldn't be a problem.
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I am trying to make chickens lay bees as eggs. So far it only produces a single "Tame Small Creature" when a hen lays bees.
Honestly at the time, I didn't see what could go wrong with crowding 80 military Dwarves into a small room with a necromancer for the purpose of making bacon.

Altaree

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #12 on: April 18, 2011, 01:49:47 pm »

No civs can travel to the mountain biome to trade?
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This is a game which calculates the volume of blood in every creature it generates so it knows how much alcohol it would have to consume to get drunk, an update which, remarkably, ended up covering people's fortresses in cat vomit.

Kruniac

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #13 on: April 19, 2011, 04:51:43 am »

Yeah, all other dwarven settlements are in the mountains. Sure, maybe they want a trading post with the humans on the edge of the plains. Maybe it's really just a FORT between the mountains and the Goblin settlements. Maybe there's a resource they want to secure. But at the same time, if I just want to build a new mountainhome right next to the civ, I should be allowed to. And the Dwarves should come to trade every 5 mins. :P

So basically, your Dwarf Fortress is really just a trading post/attrition dealing fort for the gobbos.

Think about it.

You can't create another mountainhome, because they aren't needed. What the king/queen DOES need is an expendable settlement which can serve as a commerce area and a place to be a magnet for raids. Notice how Legends mode lists numerous raids against Dwarven settlements? Notice how the goblins/elves/whatever attack only YOUR settlement after embark?

Those nobles are some evil bastards. Clever, too.

And then, to ensure that the settlement doesn't actually outclass the rest of dwarven civilization, the King himself will eventually show up to order people around, knowing that he'll have an "accident" which just might tip the already psychotic dwarven inhabitants into a maelstrom of carnage, bringing the (after the death of 230948203498 goblins and elves) no longer needed Fortress to it's end.

...Think about it!
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Lytha

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Re: Why Can't We Embark on Mountains?
« Reply #14 on: April 19, 2011, 05:20:25 am »

Do farmed plants grow on glaciers? I don't normally embark on the freezing biome types. If they can't grow plants either, the lack of non-grass vegetation on mountains shouldn't be a problem.
No, you can't grow plants on ice. I don't know what happens if you happen to scratch away the multiple z-layers full of ice though.

You also can't grow aboveground plants in Tundras, and they're fair game for embarking.
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Lytha likes fire clay, rose gold, green glass, bags, the colour midnight blue, and cats for their aloofness. When possible, she prefers to consume tea and cow cheese.
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