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[Hague]

I'm playing a modded game as elves right now. I changed all bows to use crossbow skill and changed the profession of elves bow-users to "Archer." My elf created an artifact adamantine shortbow (a modded bow) but none of my soldiers will pick up the weapon and use it, not even the creator. The elves will use regular shortbows and longbows but not the artifact weapon. What's the deal? Is this a known bug?

[ April 22, 2008: Message edited by: Hague ]

Just made another adamantine artifact. This time artifact chain mail. Still isn't being used for some reason. Elves simply won't pick up any of the artifacts and use them. Others report being able to use their artifact weapons. Is it because mine are made of adamantine?

[ April 22, 2008: Message edited by: Hague ]

[Keldor]

I don't know that dwarves (or otherwise) ever equip artifacts.  I think people talking about using them are most likely referring to adventure mode.

On a side note, have you checked that they're not forbidden?  I know at least that clothing artifacts are automatically forbidden when they're created.

[Kagus]

It's certainly not in adventure mode.  There's a related bug, where dwarves that pick up an artifact weapon will not let go of it afterwards.  Some players have used this to make "weaponmaster" dwarves that carry around several different weapons at a time.  You know what they say, "always come prepared".

No idea about the elves though.  You're sure that this is a custom bow that uses the crossbowman skill, and not a default bow that uses the bowman skill?  If you didn't remove the previous weapon entry, it may just be that your weaponsmith decided to make an unusable weapon, which isn't all that uncommon.  Check your raw files to see if you've still got a bow entry in there that uses the bowmanship.

[Hague]

Yes, I'm certain. They can equip both varieties of bow that I created: shortbows [ITEM_WEAPON_BOW] and longbows [ITEM_WEAPON_LONGBOW]

They also refuse to equip the artifact chain mail that I made as well. I tested further, I made an artifact shortbow at the bowyer's shop and that one would not be used as well. Any other armor or weapon will be equipped fine but when I forbid the use of all the other bows they will not use either artifact bows.

[Sean Mirrsen]

Do they use regular metal bows? Elves are supposed to dislike metal and stone, in vanilla at least, so maybe that extends to fort mode as well...

[Hague]

They use iron shields and spears just fine, evidently. They simply won't use artifact anything. I tested it with a wooden artifact bow as well. No dice.

[Hague]

In fact, here's my modified copy of DF with my current save files:

http://www.filefactory.com/file/051953

Play region 1 and you'll see what I mean.

EDIT:

Did another test, and embarked with 30 weaponsmith dwarves. The artifact created without the use of any outside utilities produced a steel artifact spear. The spear could not be equipped even without the presence of any other spears. Does the artifact have to be moved to a stockpile before it can be used?

[ April 23, 2008: Message edited by: Hague ]

EDIT: Just did another test with a raw install of DF. After embarking with 30 dwarven weaponsmiths I produced an artifact mace that refused to even be moved from the forge where it was made to a weapons stockpile. Also, recruits refused to use it. Notably though, 24 idling dwarves in one spot all became Adept at every social skill within 1 season's time.

[ April 23, 2008: Message edited by: Hague ]

[Squeegy]

[Lyrax]

Dwarves follow their own rules about picking up artifacts.  I don't know what they are, but artifact weapons simply are not considered to be the same as normal ones.

[Kagus]

What utilities are you using?

[Hague]

I'm using DF Companion and Tweak. The last test I did I didn't use DF Companion at all just Adjuststart.

[Jay]

I've never seen my units use artifacts at all.
Not trading, not equipping...
Only furniture.
How did <person> do it?

[Aquillion]

I doubt dwarves would use ranged artifacts, either.  I suspect that nobody actually "uses" artifacts in that sense; they just sometimes carry them around, which results in them incidently using them as melee weapons in combat.  But I suspect they never look at it and say "Aha!  This is a weapon!"

[Tayrin]

quote:Originally posted by Aquillion:
<STRONG>I doubt dwarves would use ranged artifacts, either.  I suspect that nobody actually "uses" artifacts in that sense; they just sometimes carry them around, which results in them incidently using them as melee weapons in combat.  But I suspect they never look at it and say "Aha!  This is a weapon!"</STRONG>

Dwarves do use ranged artifacts, it seems. I've had a soldier holding a legendary artifact crossbow for a long time, and always thought he used it, but I tested it just now to make sure. He willingly fired some bolts at a bronze colossus with it.

[ April 25, 2008: Message edited by: Tayrin ]

[Hague]

So Tayrin, could you describe the conditions for that dwarf using that crossbow?