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#1: Put the Alarm Siren in the Military Garrison, it fits and is one buildings less.

#1: Keep the Alarm Siren seperate, I want to have it near my other levers.

#2: I have traded with Gnomes, build Artificer and Weather Control Station.

#2: I have NOT traded with Gnomes, did not have the chance to build their buildings.

[ArPharazon]

Hey Meph, I loved your bundle, especially the FPS and clutter related changes. I hope you don't mind if I express some of my frustrations, though:

1. There needs to be a list of exactly what changes are made by which option, as well as all the non-optional changes. For instance, there is no escaping the new worldgen parameters. Yes, perhaps no-one would want to. But changes must be documented - because when I'm looking for help online and my game isn't doing what, for instance, the wiki says it should be doing, I need to be able to know whether I'm doing something wrong or it's just different because of the mods. It would also make troubleshooting a lot easier for me, if not for you, if I knew what each mod is supposed to be doing.

2. Please go over the entire interface and help files and fix some of the weird spelling/formatting/layout. Won't list everything, but most obviously the Tactics panel in the launcher has buttons spaced unevenly. Under Special Content, "Tips" is spelled with two ps, and similar things.

3. The Hack utilities you included can't find the DF process. The ones from the latest Lazy Newb Pack as of today do work with your DF, on the other hand. Not to disparage, but LNP already does what you are doing with the utility bundle better (they work more reliably and more are included, like Quickfort and unreveal). Is there any way for you to simply use the LNP's work instead of repeating their work?

4. The help files are a mess. Like I said, there needs to be an *exact and comprehensive* list of the changes of each mod. If you are using other people's mods without modification, it must say which version of what mod by who you have used. There absolutely must be a list of all the new reactions: I had to go digging in raws to figure out what building rock beds are made in, for instance. Besides that, they need to be in one place. I really like the chm file, can you make the worldgen params pdf and other things to be just pages of the chm? IIRC you can put images in chms. What are the pdfs doing in DF's directory, anyway?

5. When I click the Tileset button, something appears to go wrong and then it says "Tileset: Unknown" and I cannot fix this. DF seems to run with *some* graphical tileset despite this, but I'm not sure which.

6. Run -> Open Folder -> Graphics Folder doesn't work, it gives an error. Some other options do this as well. Again, I think it would be more productive if you simply went through the interface (perhaps in a clean VM?) and made sure everything works.

7. For specifying child caps, the second dialog asks for the percentage of adults (The 1000 in the default 100:1000 cap). I was under the impression that the second number is the maximum percentage of children, not adults.

Don't get me wrong though, this is some great stuff! Thanks to it getting rid of the material clutter and a few other things, its my current favorite method of playing DF. I found most of the extra content to do more harm than good, but it would be stupid to complain since they are optional and not even your mods.

[rmblr]

@ArPharazon: I've had some similar issues.

I've been working on, what started as a LNP port to Linux (well cross platform really), but is quickly turning into a robust general DF config and mod manager, that can be used with any mod. Talking with Meph, I think Masterworks is gonna be the first (after LNP) branded total mod conversion I try to get working with it.

My app will fix most of the UI quirks, utilities+gfx pack, and help issues.

As for the desire to have a "exact and comprehensive" change list.. how would you like this to be displayed? In the helpfiles, or in the GUI somehow? I'm not sure my app will help with this without the mod-creator's assistance.

[Meph]

Well, it is not called BETA for nothing

But I really appreciate the long and detailed critic.

1. I know. The manual is from V07, and does not cover the Settings.exe Next release will contain an updated manual. I will categorize it like I did the new GUI, so people know what each button does. I noticed the chm is only supported by windows ?? Can someone confirm this ? Otherwise I could add a txt, doc or pdf with the manual, but chm is easier for the reader.

2. Spelling errors I can fix, if I find them. Tipps is written like that in german, I never thought thet english would only have on p... since tipps is not german anyway, but a english word used by us. Strange that they changed the spelling. Anyway, how would you sort the GUI ?  I currently have it seperated in: Options, Race, Creatures, Buildings, Misc, Utilities, Extra Content. But yeah, I should move the pdfs a step up, now that I have the program to open them. Remember, they where there from the start, before the settings.exe

3. I reworked the utilities for the new GUI. Using the lnp pack as basis, and adding a couple of links for people who want more. I currently include Dwarf Therapist, Soundsense, the new dfhack (with dffusion and stonesense) and an init-editor. Although I personally feel stupid, because I dont know how to run the new dfhack. They have no .exes anymore...

4. Yes, I could. Again, these are artifacts from different versions.

5. Tilesets should work fine. This is the first report that something does not work.

6. Thanks, will be fixed. I actually pointed out this very error in the genesis modloader, but did not check for my own program. lol. But this is the only thing I could find that does not work ?  Which "other options" did you find that dont do anything ?

7. I did not change anything in the childcap setting. This is 1:1 from LNP.

PS: You can escape the new worldgen settings, by simply using the originals I do still include. See ORIGINAL WORLDGEN.txt in data/init. But then again, you are also right, because no one knows about this file. doe. -.-


@rmbl: You want to fix the GFX pack ? You mean, tilesets ? If you can write any program that can do this, I would be forever thankful. I am currently making the Ascii V09 version, and it is just horrible ^^ The worst thing is, that I cant test it, since I dont know how the ascii is supposed to look.

[Tiresais]

Fantastic FPS saver and mod

DFhack now works through a console that loads up on start-up, which requires the SDL.dll file to be replaced. For the new DFhack to work with this mod you'd need to change SDL.dll

Could you please give a document on the new buildings (at least the new magma ones) - the armoury has no "solid" sections like the other magma forges, meaning we can't block the nasty magma creatures .

[Meph]

simple building guide for v08 : But the magma things will change for V09, I am currently working on the manual.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

That magma creatures can sneak in is intended.

And damn, I have to edit the SDL myself, to fix the magma-safe/fire-safe bug.

[admiralawesome]

...I noticed the chm is only supported by windows ?? Can someone confirm this ? Otherwise I could add a txt, doc or pdf with the manual, but chm is easier for the reader...

Linux users can read the CHM via Wine.  The "Credits & Thanks" and "Version & Copyright" pages don't seem to work, though.  Maybe it's because the titles are rendering the code for ampersand instead of an actual "&" character?  We Linux users have to have Wine anyway to use the Masterwork Settings application, so that works out.

[rmblr]

@rmbl: You want to fix the GFX pack ? You mean, tilesets ? If you can write any program that can do this, I would be forever thankful. I am currently making the Ascii V09 version, and it is just horrible ^^ The worst thing is, that I cant test it, since I dont know how the ascii is supposed to look.

What exactly are you referring to here?

[Meph]

@ArPharazon: I've had some similar issues.

I've been working on, what started as a LNP port to Linux (well cross platform really), but is quickly turning into a robust general DF config and mod manager, that can be used with any mod. Talking with Meph, I think Masterworks is gonna be the first (after LNP) branded total mod conversion I try to get working with it.

My app will fix most of the UI quirks, utilities+gfx pack, and help issues.

As for the desire to have a "exact and comprehensive" change list.. how would you like this to be displayed? In the helpfiles, or in the GUI somehow? I'm not sure my app will help with this without the mod-creator's assistance.

This.

[rmblr]

Ah, I was just referring to the fact that my app will robustly support installing/loading graphics packs, including updating savegames, so we don't have any issues.

If you meant *making* or modding tilesets, then sorry, hah, that's not in the plans.

[Meph]

Installing and changing tilesets or graphic packs for Vanilla DF is easy enough. But for mods... that is a lot harder.

[rmblr]

Interesting.. I didn't know that.

Is it not possible to install the graphics pack, then copy over the mod's raws on top?

Herm, that also makes me wonder how the mods with new creatures (etc) are displayed with a graphics pack. How does that work?

What is required to make a graphics pack work with a big mod?

[Hugo_The_Dwarf]

Interesting.. I didn't know that.

Is it not possible to install the graphics pack, then copy over the mod's raws on top?

Herm, that also makes me wonder how the mods with new creatures (etc) are displayed with a graphics pack. How does that work?

What is required to make a graphics pack work with a big mod?

Depends on "what" graphics you are referring to. There are Tilesets, in which alter all the "ASCII" stuff like creature tiles and what not, and GRAPHICS which target a creature and gives it a sprite for when it is living (DEFAULT,ZOMBIE,SKELETON,CHILD.etc..) and when dead reverts to ASCII (or used tileset)

[rmblr]

Sorry, I was referring to the latter, that is the sprites assigned to creatures. Tilesets are a trivial case.

For every creature a mod author creates, they have to assign a particular graphic to it correct? Moroever, they have to do it on a per-graphics pack basis, because the packs use different sprites. Correct?

[ArPharazon]

Anyway, how would you sort the GUI ?  I currently have it seperated in: Options, Race, Creatures, Buildings, Misc, Utilities, Extra Content. But yeah, I should move the pdfs a step up, now that I have the program to open them. Remember, they where there from the start, before the settings.exe

I don't really have a problem with how its sorted (although I guess you could make it Options/Mods that remove stuff/Mods that add stuff/Utilities/Help files, and then group by civs/buildings/etc under each tab). My real concern was that all the help info should be in one file, so I can keep one file open in the background while playing, instead of 4.

5. Tilesets should work fine. This is the first report that something does not work.

Just checked, still does it. My locale is set to Japan, so my paths separators are "¥" instead of "\" (it's a long and stupid story). Could that be the issue? Don't worry about it if so.

6. Thanks, will be fixed. I actually pointed out this very error in the genesis modloader, but did not check for my own program. lol. But this is the only thing I could find that does not work ?  Which "other options" did you find that dont do anything ?

Sorry, I thought the other folder links were broken as well, but they aren't. The only broken item besides Graphics Folder is Help -> How to use.

7. I did not change anything in the childcap setting. This is 1:1 from LNP.

No, I meant that it is specified as 100:1000 in init.txt (now d_init), or X:Y where X is max number of children, and Y is max % of children. Your dialog box says "% of adults" when prompting for Y. AFAIK, it should say "% of children".

PS: You can escape the new worldgen settings, by simply using the originals I do still include. See ORIGINAL WORLDGEN.txt in data/init. But then again, you are also right, because no one knows about this file. doe. -.-

Oh I don't want to escape them. Just that, I'm not sure if when I set everything to NO, I will get vanilla DF, or if there's anything you've put in the raws that isn't toggle-able.

Sorry if I sound like I'm whining too much, but whatcha gonna do, users... =p

As for the desire to have a "exact and comprehensive" change list.. how would you like this to be displayed? In the helpfiles, or in the GUI somehow? I'm not sure my app will help with this without the mod-creator's assistance.

If you have a help file like Meph, I expect the help file to have a separate section for each mod. At the beginning or end of that section, a bit that says "Original mod called MrModder's Super Duper Fun Pack v42.87b by MrModder of Bay12Forums, [link to mod's thread]" would be enough, but if you wanna be a real swell guy, also list everything the mod adds or removes. (You can just copy/paste this from the mod's thread probably)

This is assuming you used another mod. If it's your own mod or you modify another mod extensively, just document it as you would a normal mod.

The idea here is that mainly, I should know what's going on when something goes wrong, and secondarily, it should be obvious at a glance what will happen if I turn a mod on. Thing is, I can easily look at the wiki for finding out facts about DF's mechanics, but I can't do it for mechanics added by mods. "How do I cook Special Tasty Modded In Goulash from the GRRM Foods Mod again? *several hours of googling later*"

[Meph]

@rmblr:

For every creature a mod author creates, they have to assign a particular graphic to it correct?
NO. They have to assign a tile or character, but graphics, in terms of sprites are optional.

Moroever, they have to do it on a per-graphics pack basis, because the packs use different sprites. Correct?
YES, if they use a tile. If they use a character, it will work with every tileset, if they use a sprite it works with every tileset as long as graphics are ON, otherwise uses the tile or character.

The problem with tilesets and mods is this: A fish might be tile235 in pheobus, but is tile16 in ironhand. You can copy over the tileset, no problem. But the raw will still refer to the old location, and you get wierd things. Like mushroom walls.

New gaphics, the actual sprites added by modders stay the same throughout tilesets, and are simply tunred of and replaced by tiles when you play with ascii. This is no problem.

The biggest problem arrives, when you have a mod, lets say: Zeros Ironworking. He sorted EVERY inorganic material. Or Genesis, he put all Subterranean & underground creatures into 5 raws instead. And added new ones.

@arPharazon:
I am currently working on the new manual. Wow, I am surprised myself how much is in this mod. I will include the pdfs in the helpfile, and the readmes (slighty altered to fit) of added mods. But still, it is a ton of work. Version V.09 is actually quite finished, at least Phoebus and Ascii.

Everything in this mod is supposed to be understandable without a manual btw. The only things that are more complicated are the wheelbarrow and the alchemy system, with new ammo.

I do believe that your tileset problem has to do with the strange symbols. You can manually change the graphics by going to Masterwork Dwarf Fortress/Tilesetnamehere and copy the folders into your DF folder.

Also: Mouseover text. I hope you did not miss it. If your mouse stays over a button for some time, you get a short tooltip about what the button does.