I'm currently working on a comprehensive mod that will attempt to reimagine the way Dwarf Fortress handles accumulation of resources, production and processing of materials, and finally, a complete rewrite of the entire economic framework, from the absolute bottom-to-top. And, frankly, it's a vast and exceedingly complex proposition, so any help (which will require actual time and work towards a common goal) would be highly appreciated.
The overarching goal here is to create a stable and sensible framework which captures every current item and aspect of the game that involves dwarfs gathering items, creating objects, trade, and money, so that when modders set out to change the game, they don't necessarily run in to the problem of wanting to rewrite what's already been done.
Smaller goals will involve:
Rewriting material/object Values, so that, for instance, easily gathered gold, platinum, rubies, etc. don't far exceed the value of other goods, without a significant amount of work and processing, while relatively common goods, such as alchohol, timber, clay, etc. have a "place to go" in the economic framework. So that a dilligent player can make a choice between creating many different, but basic, goods, or can seek to specialize, with many steps of rarification, until something as seemingly simple as cloth, taken to it's highest artistic potential, will begin to outweigh in value, the shiny rocks one can pluck from a cliffside in one's first Fortress year.
Creating a very large amount of variety in goods-creation, and many "technological paths", increasing player choice, and replayability. No more of maxing out of everything in the second Fortress year!
Doing what can be done towards making every Fortress an individual, and seeking to give a wide base of players as many options as possible to make their Fortress a place they/we want to return to, again and again, while still wanting to go back and make more Fortresses, "as the mood strikes", by again allowing many more choices.
Making choices matter--with a sharp eye towards A: giving players many more long-term goals, and B: a hope that our work will actually remove the ability to accomplish everything that can possibly be done in the game, in a reasonable time, with a single Fortress.
This will be a war against the game ever becoming boring, to a willing, avid player.
Finally, seeking to create a stronger and more complex framework for weapons and armour, and their production, by adding many steps, and many choices, so that it still becomes relatively easy to create a small but functional, and reasonably (if archaically) equipped, defensive army, but becomes very challenging to transform that small force into a large one, and/or give them the very best possible equipment, while at the same time cementing dwarf arms and armour as, potentially, the absolute best that can be had, with a side effect of giving other civilizations more room for individuality, specialization, and worthiness in their own right.
I've already got some of the work done, myself, and I'm very confident about how things should be organized, and what needs attention, but I'm also a slow worker, and there's just so much to be done. Since I figure this has some potential to help a significant amount of players, and modders, I thought it would be reasonable to ask for help, and see if anyone has the time and drive, and can find it in themselves to share the same goals.
Feel free to reply here, or PM me, if you're interested, have some modding experience (particularly materials and reactions), and really have the time and energy for this project. As of now, I warn, much of the work needed will be "busywork", but work that does require some thoughtfulness and atleast a modicum of skill.
Thank you!