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More tech tree!

36 (26.1%)

More ritual tree!

8 (5.8%)

More lore!

12 (8.7%)

More mythical weapons/armor!

22 (15.9%)

Plagues!

28 (20.3%)

More secrets!

21 (15.2%)

More mechanical constructs!

11 (8%)

Total Members Voted: 137

[Remuthra]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Dwarven traitor, maybe? If so, it's LFR doing it.

[Jilladilla]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I believe a traitor can... instigate a dwarf to kill his own kind... I would put a watcher in a well traveled part of your fort, guarded.

[lukstra]

So...
I was intrigued by the problem, and to really see what the cause was, I save-scummed before the incident. However, this time, a dwarf started getting interrupted by a different dwarf, not my marksdwarf. The first time the clothier was interrupted by the marksdwarf, resulting in the rampage I described in an earlier post. This time the armorer was interrupted by the cook, and after the armorer punched the cook in self defense, the cook and the armorer became enemies of my civ and started trying to kill everybody. This occurred immediately after a nephal caravan arrived, though the caravan did not have bring a watcher. So... I save-scummed and tried again. This time, a mechanic was interrupted by a metal-smith, and the same cascade occurred, although with different instigators. What the heck is happening!

[Imp]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I believe a traitor can... instigate a dwarf to kill his own kind... I would put a watcher in a well traveled part of your fort, guarded.

How about what Jilladilla said?  Which I support.

If you don't mind being spoiled, open that there spoiler and consider how that could explain what you observed across multiple savescums.  If you do mind being spoiled.... keep entertaining us with your experiences, most of us love to hear them!  But I fear we have no non-spoiler answers.

[lukstra]

It is the midsummer of the 8th year since the founding of Plainschannel, and the overseer is playing clue... with the dwarfs.

Coincidentally, two plagues are simultaneously sweeping the fortress. One causes severe and extended vomiting, while the other causes rot and slow, painful death. Ironically, the progression of the plagues is the perfect excuse for isolating dwarfs to narrow down the culprit list. Infected dwarfs are quarantined in their rooms, and eliminated from the suspect list on the event of an attack. As a precaution, the meeting hall has been flooded with slimers and jackalopes to act as a buffer to prevent violence between dwarfs and thus the loyalty cascade that follows. Upon the event of an attack on a pet or fellow dwarf, the attacker is eliminated from the suspect list.

Summer rolls by. The source of the rotting plague has been discovered. It seems that a nephal merchant arrived with the disease, transferring it to hapless dwarfs as they loaded the trade depot with golden crafts and riches.
 
In the first month of autumn, and only three suspects remain: Atir the carpenter, Sakzul the planter, and Fikod the mason. The break comes as Olon the metal-smith suddenly strikes a slimer. Sakzul, the only other dwarf in the room, does not flee and thus confirms his guilt as the long-sought traitor. Immediate isolation of Sakzul ended the attacks immediately. Thus one problem is solved, while another is posed: What to do with Sakzul?"

Lessons and facts learned:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

1. Traitors do not immediately take action. Sakzul waited two years before attempting sabotage.
2. Traitors can be one of the original seven. Sakzul is one of the original seven, and I find this very surprising.
3. Flooding the meeting area with pets (preferably non-lethal, and definitely not zingers!) works very well for preventing turned dwarfs from causing a loyalty cascade. The turned dwarf simply beats up a helpless pet and shortly finishes before laying a hand on any other dwarfs.
4. Plagues can come from merchants. I'm not 100% sure about this, but it seemed that the nephal merchant did in fact bring the rotting plague, as there was a merchant with symptoms and isolation from the depot prevent the initial spread.

[Imp]

I absolutely love your story.

I have many LFR experiences, but none have taken me along the branch you have walked.  I have kept watcher after watcher in game after game scanning dwarf after dwarf, but never, ever have I been blessed with a traitor spotted... or any symptoms of one which somehow was not seen.

Also, merchant after merchant, and all sorts of invaders, none have brought to my fortresses any illnesses by being already sick themselves.

Huzzah to the promise, forever testing true:

-What you encounter in one fortress will not be the same as what you encounter next time!

LFR also include a manual, guides, and resources to help you navigate the brave new world you're entering.  This is just a taste of the included features.  If you want to learn more, you'll have to learn it yourself.  LFR is there to be discovered, not revealed. 

[lukstra]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I am actually very impressed by how the dwarf traitors operated: waiting for a while before beginning to turn dwarfs. Sakzul, as one of the original seven, waited for two years before making a move. It makes you wonder if there are sleeper agents are in your fortress, waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity. From a modding standpoint, I have no idea how narhiril managed to do create these.

And by the way, I didn't use a watcher simply because I didn't have one, and the fortress would have fallen apart from internal squabbling if I had simply waited for the dwarf caravan to arrive.

[narhiril]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I am actually very impressed by how the dwarf traitors operated: waiting for a while before beginning to turn dwarfs. Sakzul, as one of the original seven, waited for two years before making a move. It makes you wonder if there are sleeper agents are in your fortress, waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity. From a modding standpoint, I have no idea how narhiril managed to do create these.

And by the way, I didn't use a watcher simply because I didn't have one, and the fortress would have fallen apart from internal squabbling if I had simply waited for the dwarf caravan to arrive.

I'm actually a little bit astounded that they actually worked.  Shh, don't tell.  xD

After a total fiasco involving my ISP, I should finally be able to get some concept art online later tonight.

[Putnam]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I am actually very impressed by how the dwarf traitors operated: waiting for a while before beginning to turn dwarfs. Sakzul, as one of the original seven, waited for two years before making a move. It makes you wonder if there are sleeper agents are in your fortress, waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity. From a modding standpoint, I have no idea how narhiril managed to do create these.

And by the way, I didn't use a watcher simply because I didn't have one, and the fortress would have fallen apart from internal squabbling if I had simply waited for the dwarf caravan to arrive.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(delayed START times on syndrome, if I had to guess. I have to say how I figure it's done when I hear )

[greycat]

I've had traitors in one of my fortresses, too.  It was pretty confusing, because suddenly some dwarves were fighting each other and I had no idea why.

At one point I did see one dwarf with the "(EXPOSED)" tag. I was able to search for that in the manual and reverse engineer some of what had happened.

[narhiril]

I know I've promised concept art, but I don't have access to a scanner right now, so in the meantime, here's a teaser for the next version.

Spoiler: Racial and Mythical Weapons (click to show/hide)

Racial and mythical weapons use Putnam's itemsyndrome plugin to give their wielders access to new powers and abilities.  For starters, every race will have a unique weapon which grants a bonus when wielded by a member of that race.  For the nephilim, wielding a lance will increase their agility.  For the dwarves, there will be a new shield called the runic defender to replace the standard shield, which will grant increased toughness.  A dwarf can still wield a lance, but will not get the associated agility buff.  For racial weapons, these bonuses will be mostly passive, but for the rarer and more powerful mythical weapons, these bonuses can be even more fun.

An example of a more interesting mythical weapon is the stonecrusher, which is a gigantic two-handed hammer.  In addition to being a formidable blunt weapon, wielding a stonecrusher gives its wielder the ability to slam the hammer into the ground, smashing the earth and sending gravel flying at nearby enemies.  The flayer, a favored weapon of Armok, will cause enemies of the wielder to start to bleed just by being in its presence.  Conversely, a divine aegis will prevent most incoming debuffs as long as its wielder can hold onto it.  Most of these weapons will be quite challenging to obtain - some will be integrated into the tech and ritual trees, some will be monster drops, some will be wielded by enemies, and still others will be hidden in more obscure places.  In addition to a bunch of new weapon types, the locust scepter and curious ritual knife will be given new abilities with this update.  Enchanted or cursed armor is a possibility, as well.

Some of these weapons will only grant bonuses to certain wielders, and some may even harm wielders of certain races and dispositions.  For example, the lifedrinker is an extremely powerful sword in the hands of one of Armok's faithful, but will cause the hands of the unworthy who grasp it to blister and rot.

[ArchAIngel]

I know I've promised concept art, but I don't have access to a scanner right now, so in the meantime, here's a teaser for the next version.

Spoiler: Racial and Mythical Weapons (click to show/hide)

Racial and mythical weapons use Putnam's itemsyndrome plugin to give their wielders access to new powers and abilities.  For starters, every race will have a unique weapon which grants a bonus when wielded by a member of that race.  For the nephilim, wielding a lance will increase their agility.  For the dwarves, there will be a new shield called the runic defender to replace the standard shield, which will grant increased toughness.  A dwarf can still wield a lance, but will not get the associated agility buff.  For racial weapons, these bonuses will be mostly passive, but for the rarer and more powerful mythical weapons, these bonuses can be even more fun.

An example of a more interesting mythical weapon is the stonecrusher, which is a gigantic two-handed hammer.  In addition to being a formidable blunt weapon, wielding a stonecrusher gives its wielder the ability to slam the hammer into the ground, smashing the earth and sending gravel flying at nearby enemies.  The flayer, a favored weapon of Armok, will cause enemies of the wielder to start to bleed just by being in its presence.  Conversely, a divine aegis will prevent most incoming debuffs as long as its wielder can hold onto it.  Most of these weapons will be quite challenging to obtain - some will be integrated into the tech and ritual trees, some will be monster drops, some will be wielded by enemies, and still others will be hidden in more obscure places.  In addition to a bunch of new weapon types, the locust scepter and curious ritual knife will be given new abilities with this update.  Enchanted or cursed armor is a possibility, as well.

Some of these weapons will only grant bonuses to certain wielders, and some may even harm wielders of certain races and dispositions.  For example, the lifedrinker is an extremely powerful sword in the hands of one of Armok's faithful, but will cause the hands of the unworthy who grasp it to blister and rot.

Idea- Humans have swiss pikemen. Those guys were TOUGH. Nice way to make a unique weapon though. Also, maybe humans had a tech advantage long ago, and they are the vanguard? Like halo? Just a thought.

[Meph]

Nice, I am just working on the very same thing. My Warlocks come with cursed armor that drives dwarves mad after a while if they wear it, and the temple has to cleanse this corrupted material first.

Have you considered classics, like "gauntlets of ogre strength", "seven mile boots" and "invisibility cloaks" and all that?

[narhiril]

Nice, I am just working on the very same thing. My Warlocks come with cursed armor that drives dwarves mad after a while if they wear it, and the temple has to cleanse this corrupted material first.

Have you considered classics, like "gauntlets of ogre strength", "seven mile boots" and "invisibility cloaks" and all that?

I think boots of speed and "power bracelets" will probably make it into this first iteration. 

[Putnam]

Nice, I am just working on the very same thing. My Warlocks come with cursed armor that drives dwarves mad after a while if they wear it, and the temple has to cleanse this corrupted material first.

If you're using itemsyndrome for that, note that I can't think of a way that you could do that without having it so that any dwarf who puts on the cursed armor at any point for any amount of time will go insane.