Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[SirHoneyBadger]

Just checking in to let everyone know that I have a horrible case of the flu. You're doing really beautiful work, arclance. I'm just too feverish to give you a proper detailed assessment at the moment.

I'm about two thirds of the way through the weapons, and I've got the entities just about finished.

I'm going back to bed, but thanks, everyone, for being supportive of the mod!

[SirHoneyBadger]

I'm feeling much better now, although my personal life has been extremely busy, of late. I will be able to devote much more time to this thread from this point on, however, and give you all the attention you deserve.

Here is an incomplete list of trees/types of wood I'd like to see added to the game. Right now, I'm focusing on more variety in general, and, specifically, woods that can be made into fuctional weapons, including an expansion of choice for training weapons.

Trees to add:

Black Ironwood
White Ironwood
Red Ironwood
Beefwood
Desert Ironwood
Hornbeam
Lignum Vitae
Hickory
Sandalwood
Teak
Banyan
Tree Fern
Ebony
Hawthorn
Crab Apple
Zebrawood
Bamboo
Balsa
Purpleheart
Cinnamon
Camphor
Alligator Pear
Bay Laurel

I realize it's taking a while for me to finish the weapons, but I really want to do a complete, polished job that I'm satisfied with, and won't have to come back to, overmuch. I've also decided to add several ornamental options, some new materials (jade, a rich expansion of "primitive" materials, ceramic, etc.), and 10 separate size categories, to accommodate tool-using critters smaller than a kobold, through those larger than a bronze colossus. I'm also putting a lot of effort towards different entities having access to unique weapons, and what that means is, weapons and entities will be done at more or less the same time.

It's another hydra, but I promise you though that progress is being made!

[arclance]

I'm glad you are feeling better.
When you have a chance could you comment on my last couple of posts so I know what direction to go in with the casques?
The trees should be easy, there are several mods out there that add new types of wood if you need something to get you started.

[SirHoneyBadger]

I'm glad you are feeling better.
When you have a chance could you comment on my last couple of posts so I know what direction to go in with the casques?

Yes, absolutely! I'm in the process of that right now, and I fully plan to get that to you sometime tonight.

[Abregado]

just to jump back to this

That would let us create different brews (wine, beer, whiskey, balsamic vinegar, etc) with anything from beechwood, scorched oak, juniper, what have you.

Could you have the basic spirit used in a reaction with a wooden barrel, then have the resultant alcohol created from a AGED_BOOZE material listed under the wood type itself? This way you could just add one entry for each DRINK type, or even better, you could have multiple drink types easily from each timber variety.

Reaction: Wine+Wooden Barrel=Aged Oak Wine or Aged Pearwood Wine (use GET_MATERIAL_FROM_REAGENT:barrel:AGED_BOOZE)
Reaction: Spirit+Wooden Barrel=Rich Oak Bourbon or Creamy Pearwood Whisky

Then you only need one  Balsamic Vinegar reaction, which pulls its resultant product from the timbers VINEGAR material...

PS - i dont know anything about how different booze types are made, just thinking of ways to make your life easier

[SirHoneyBadger]

Arclance: Ok, the casques from your bloodwine mod look perfect for the smaller "standing" casques, other than that the "liquid center" could look more golden-coloured than red, obviously.   

Even completely as-is, it will work though, as there are several reddish-colored types of beer and ale. 

Other than that, just right!

The larger casque, though--is there any way to make it look a little rounder, and more barrel-shaped? Doesn't need to be overly-so, it is supposed to be somewhat building-like, too. It's not bad at all as it is, and it'll certainly work. I'm just wondering if it's possible for it to look a little more obvious that it's ultimately this huge keg...

This is a situation where I wish multi-Z buildings were in, because a giant "beer-tower" would also be cool, just for the dubious option to create a "giant beer theme park" Fortress.

If you want to go with 4x5 for aesthetic purposes, that'll be fine by me, so you can more easily incorporate a spigot. The extra space can represent the parts that are just building features and supports.

Ideally, I'd like the 1x1's to be both simple workshop, and storage, but I don't know if this is possible? Different colours by themselves will work fine, yes, but you've got a good eye, so I'll leave that to your creative judgement.

The "storage simulation" reaction for the larger casques seems ideal to me--as far as I can tell, that should work great.

Thanks so much, and let me know if I missed something?

[Putnam]

You could always fill the rest of the building with pass-through empty space.

[arclance]

Arclance: Ok, the casques from your bloodwine mod look perfect for the smaller "standing" casques, other than that the "liquid center" could look more golden-coloured than red, obviously.   

Even completely as-is, it will work though, as there are several reddish-colored types of beer and ale. 

Other than that, just right!

Good that workshop is a double casque in my mod but I can easily cut off the bottom casque for you.
If you want I can make you a few of them with different color liquid centers, just tell me what colors you want.

The larger casque, though--is there any way to make it look a little rounder, and more barrel-shaped? Doesn't need to be overly-so, it is supposed to be somewhat building-like, too. It's not bad at all as it is, and it'll certainly work. I'm just wondering if it's possible for it to look a little more obvious that it's ultimately this huge keg...

This is a situation where I wish multi-Z buildings were in, because a giant "beer-tower" would also be cool, just for the dubious option to create a "giant beer theme park" Fortress.

If you want to go with 4x5 for aesthetic purposes, that'll be fine by me, so you can more easily incorporate a spigot. The extra space can represent the parts that are just building features and supports.

I can make the large casque rounder but I will have to make them a bit larger to do so.
I made two simple previews of a rounder casque. 
They are just a building skeleton right now I can give them some character if you like them.
Version 1 | 10x9 (left and right column can be cropped off 8x9)

Version 2 | 8x8

Ideally, I'd like the 1x1's to be both simple workshop, and storage, but I don't know if this is possible? Different colours by themselves will work fine, yes, but you've got a good eye, so I'll leave that to your creative judgement.

The "storage simulation" reaction for the larger casques seems ideal to me--as far as I can tell, that should work great.

The 1x1's can be a workshop for processing and storing something but it might get confusing due to the number you are thinking of using.
There are not that many color choices in Dwarf Fortress so you may not be able to use only color to differentiate 1x1 workshops.
I worry that a 1x1 workshop will be easily confused for another item/unit that uses the same character/tile as the workshop.
1x2 workshops could have a floor tile where the Dwarf stands while working in the workshop without covering the tile like they would in a 1x1 workshop.
The workshop would not take up much more space but would stand out as a workshop this way.

Thanks so much, and let me know if I missed something?

You did not comment on this part.
Are you still planing on having all theses smaller casques?

Also, I'd like there to be several small, hand-held and portable versions of casques, of the ornamental and toy versions, and since a "casque" is just an upscale barrel, maybe some smaller, but still hefty "working-size" portable casques as well, that are basically barrels, but with the additional requirement of the metal hoops.

So maybe barrels and casques will be size-scaled something along the line of the following chart (I'm borrowing the old English naming system for wine casks).
 
Toy, would hold a single liter of liquid
Ornamental = 2 liters
Gallon = 4 liters,

(basically, up to the 'Gallon'-size, casque and barrel sizes will be more or less superfluous, when it comes to holding drinks, although the Gallon size will still be used often, for other products, and these small sizes will be handy for trading rare and special products, and for selling overpriced liquor to the tourists.)

Rundlet = 16 liters, or one "drink", in other words, enough alchohol to see a single dwarf through a single day's work.
Tierce 64 liters, or 4 "drinks"

I think the Rundlet and Tierce size casques could work as vial/waterskin/flask type items and could be used by military dwarves.
According to the wiki waterskins/flasks/vials "can hold up to three units of alcohol or water.".
This means that Toy, Ornamental, and Gallon size casques would not be functional (1 unit of drink is 16 liters in your system) and should be made as craft items instead.

Hogshead 256 liters, or 16 "drinks"
Puncheon 512 liters, or 32 "drinks"
Tun 1024 liters, or 64 units of "drink".

The smaller "Standing Casque" would hold six times as much as the Tun casque, enough to serve a single dwarf for a little over a year, while the largest casque, the "King's Casque", would hold 24 Tuns volume--in other words, enough "drink" for a Fortress of 200 dwarfs to drink continuously, for an entire week straight, without hitting the imagined "dregs" of the barrel.

Party size!

I don't think these are functionally possible other than being barrels with different physical sizes and names.
Brewing reactions will not completely fill these barrels with alcohol because each reaction produces a fixed amount of alcohol that is not dependent on container size but on the amount of reactant used or the amount hard coded in the reaction.
Since reactions specify empty storage containers brewers will not keep using the same barrel until it is "full".
However dwarves may be able to store more food in them if they have a larger size defined in their raws than those used by rock pots (which are barrel sized).

[SirHoneyBadger]

1: How about a range of colors ranging from your red, through gold, to almost a silvery clear? And also some browns and a black, with maybe a wine-violet and a rose, for sake of variety?

Not quite sure what the full scope of the palette we have to work with is, but beer can go from black (Imperial stout, my favorite!) to clear (wiesenbiers), with crimsons, golds, and browns in between, and the wines provide reds and deep purples.

St. Patty's Day provides green beer, too, with the aid of a little food-coloring.

2: That looks perfect for the big casque, yes! 

3: I like your idea of the 1x2's. That sounds just fine, and it makes sense to me.

4: You're right, sorry that I missed that!

I'd like to get those sizes in, if at all possible, yes. It's extra work, but it's a part of what this mod is about--adding immense variety and "the devs modders thought of everything" completeness to Dwarf Fortress, hopefully helping it to better achieve what I think of when I think of the sheer depth that a true Roguelike game should contain.

The toy, ornamental, gallon, work as craft items, that's fine, and I like the rundlet and tierce being available to the military--It kind of evokes, to me, those heroic St. Bernard rescue dogs, with the little casques of brandy on their collars, running around the Swiss Alps in bygone days. Something like that, only with mad-eyed little beardy dudes with axes, instead.

As a little related side-project that I actually started slightly before I first started this thread, here's a full current list of the expanded drinking vessels/containers that I plan for the mod, for our dorfs to swill their varietous boozes from (includes existing DF items, but I do plan some expansion for the mentioned items, in terms of ornamentation, materials, etc.):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

cup
mug
flagon
goblet
chalice
tankard
pony

quaigh
drinking horn
drinking gourd
stein
phial
mazer
kuksa

leatherjack

porringer
ramequin
terrine
(+finger bowl)

nef

crue
cruet (+cruet stand)

yardglass
snifter
tumbler
stem glass
flute glass
pint glass
shot glass

pitcher
punch bowl (+ladle)
decanter
jug
creamer
samovar
saucer
teapot

+drink coaster

The spacers are just reminders to myself for different designations/material groups/methods of manufacture, etc., that I haven't bothered to label due to overlap and general sorting weirdness.

arclance: Feel free to beat me bloody when I've driven you fully insane with all this busywork. In the meantime, I'll continue to blissfully exploit your artistic talents, insight, and good nature for as long as you'll put up with it.

[arclance]

1: How about a range of colors ranging from your red, through gold, to almost a silvery clear? And also some browns and a black, with maybe a wine-violet and a rose, for sake of variety?

Not quite sure what the full scope of the palette we have to work with is, but beer can go from black (Imperial stout, my favorite!) to clear (wiesenbiers), with crimsons, golds, and browns in between, and the wines provide reds and deep purples.

St. Patty's Day provides green beer, too, with the aid of a little food-coloring.

The color palette is fairly limited

These colors can be modded but the they are still limited to this number of colors.

2: That looks perfect for the big casque, yes! 

Do you have a preference between the two I posted?
Do you think they should have a liquid center or a closed top?

4: You're right, sorry that I missed that!

I'd like to get those sizes in, if at all possible, yes. It's extra work, but it's a part of what this mod is about--adding immense variety and "the devs modders thought of everything" completeness to Dwarf Fortress, hopefully helping it to better achieve what I think of when I think of the sheer depth that a true Roguelike game should contain.

The toy, ornamental, gallon, work as craft items, that's fine, and I like the rundlet and tierce being available to the military--It kind of evokes, to me, those heroic St. Bernard rescue dogs, with the little casques of brandy on their collars, running around the Swiss Alps in bygone days. Something like that, only with mad-eyed little beardy dudes with axes, instead.

As a little related side-project that I actually started slightly before I first started this thread, here's a full current list of the expanded drinking vessels/containers that I plan for the mod, for our dorfs to swill their varietous boozes from (includes existing DF items, but I do plan some expansion for the mentioned items, in terms of ornamentation, materials, etc.):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

cup
mug
flagon
goblet
chalice
tankard
pony

quaigh
drinking horn
drinking gourd
stein
phial
mazer
kuksa

leatherjack

yardglass
snifter
tumbler
stem glass
flute glass
pint glass
shot glass

pitcher
punch bowl (+ladle)
decanter
jug
samovar
saucer
teapot

+drink coaster

The spacers are just reminders to myself for different designations/material groups/methods of manufacture, etc., that I haven't bothered to label due to overlap and general sorting weirdness.

Sound good to me.
One thing I noticed is that phials are already in the game they are just spelled vial instead.

[SirHoneyBadger]

The liquid center would be my preference, just for the ease of recognition of the general type of liquid inside a given casque. Colors may be limited, but having atleast 2-3 would be useful for telling beer from mead from wine, for instance.

I'll probably use phials for a slightly different product.

[arclance]

The liquid center would be my preference, just for the ease of recognition of the general type of liquid inside a given casque. Colors may be limited, but having atleast 2-3 would be useful for telling beer from mead from wine, for instance.

Here are the medium sized casque buildings with different colored liquid centers.

Code: [Select]

building_casques

[OBJECT:BUILDING]

[BUILDING_FURNACE:M_CASQUE_R] red center
[NAME:Medium Casque R]
[NAME_COLOR:7:0:1]
[DIM:4:3]
[WORK_LOCATION:4:1]
[BUILD_LABOR:BREWER]
[BUILD_KEY:NONE]
[BLOCK:1:1:1:1:0]
[BLOCK:2:1:1:1:0]
[BLOCK:3:1:1:1:0]
[TILE:0:1:' ':' ':' ':' ']
[TILE:0:2:' ':' ':22:22]
[TILE:0:3:' ':' ':22:22]
[COLOR:0:1:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:0:2:0:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:0:3:0:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:1:1:201:205:' ':' ']
[TILE:1:2:186:43:' ':22]
[TILE:1:3:200:205:' ':22]
[COLOR:1:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:1:2:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:1:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:2:1:201:205:187:' ']
[TILE:2:2:186:43:186:180]
[TILE:2:3:200:205:188:22]
[COLOR:2:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:2:2:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:2:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:3:1:201:205:187:43]
[TILE:3:2:186:247:186:180]
[TILE:3:3:200:205:188:43]
[COLOR:3:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:3:2:6:0:0:4:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:3:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[BUILD_ITEM:4:NONE:NONE:NONE:NONE][BUILDMAT][CAN_USE_ARTIFACT]

[BUILDING_FURNACE:M_CASQUE_Y] yellow center
[NAME:Medium Casque Y]
[NAME_COLOR:7:0:1]
[DIM:4:3]
[WORK_LOCATION:4:1]
[BUILD_LABOR:BREWER]
[BUILD_KEY:NONE]
[BLOCK:1:1:1:1:0]
[BLOCK:2:1:1:1:0]
[BLOCK:3:1:1:1:0]
[TILE:0:1:' ':' ':' ':' ']
[TILE:0:2:' ':' ':22:22]
[TILE:0:3:' ':' ':22:22]
[COLOR:0:1:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:0:2:0:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:0:3:0:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:1:1:201:205:' ':' ']
[TILE:1:2:186:43:' ':22]
[TILE:1:3:200:205:' ':22]
[COLOR:1:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:1:2:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:1:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:2:1:201:205:187:' ']
[TILE:2:2:186:43:186:180]
[TILE:2:3:200:205:188:22]
[COLOR:2:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:2:2:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:2:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:3:1:201:205:187:43]
[TILE:3:2:186:247:186:180]
[TILE:3:3:200:205:188:43]
[COLOR:3:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:3:2:6:0:0:6:0:1:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:3:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[BUILD_ITEM:4:NONE:NONE:NONE:NONE][BUILDMAT][CAN_USE_ARTIFACT]

[BUILDING_FURNACE:M_CASQUE_M] magenta center
[NAME:Medium Casque M]
[NAME_COLOR:7:0:1]
[DIM:4:3]
[WORK_LOCATION:4:1]
[BUILD_LABOR:BREWER]
[BUILD_KEY:NONE]
[BLOCK:1:1:1:1:0]
[BLOCK:2:1:1:1:0]
[BLOCK:3:1:1:1:0]
[TILE:0:1:' ':' ':' ':' ']
[TILE:0:2:' ':' ':22:22]
[TILE:0:3:' ':' ':22:22]
[COLOR:0:1:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:0:2:0:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:0:3:0:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:1:1:201:205:' ':' ']
[TILE:1:2:186:43:' ':22]
[TILE:1:3:200:205:' ':22]
[COLOR:1:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:1:2:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:1:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:2:1:201:205:187:' ']
[TILE:2:2:186:43:186:180]
[TILE:2:3:200:205:188:22]
[COLOR:2:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:2:2:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:2:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:3:1:201:205:187:43]
[TILE:3:2:186:247:186:180]
[TILE:3:3:200:205:188:43]
[COLOR:3:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:3:2:6:0:0:5:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:3:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[BUILD_ITEM:4:NONE:NONE:NONE:NONE][BUILDMAT][CAN_USE_ARTIFACT]

[BUILDING_FURNACE:M_CASQUE_B] blue center
[NAME:Medium Casque B]
[NAME_COLOR:7:0:1]
[DIM:4:3]
[WORK_LOCATION:4:1]
[BUILD_LABOR:BREWER]
[BUILD_KEY:NONE]
[BLOCK:1:1:1:1:0]
[BLOCK:2:1:1:1:0]
[BLOCK:3:1:1:1:0]
[TILE:0:1:' ':' ':' ':' ']
[TILE:0:2:' ':' ':22:22]
[TILE:0:3:' ':' ':22:22]
[COLOR:0:1:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:0:2:0:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:0:3:0:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:1:1:201:205:' ':' ']
[TILE:1:2:186:43:' ':22]
[TILE:1:3:200:205:' ':22]
[COLOR:1:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:1:2:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:1:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:2:1:201:205:187:' ']
[TILE:2:2:186:43:186:180]
[TILE:2:3:200:205:188:22]
[COLOR:2:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:0:0:0]
[COLOR:2:2:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:2:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[TILE:3:1:201:205:187:43]
[TILE:3:2:186:247:186:180]
[TILE:3:3:200:205:188:43]
[COLOR:3:1:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:3:2:6:0:0:1:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[COLOR:3:3:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0:6:0:0]
[BUILD_ITEM:4:NONE:NONE:NONE:NONE][BUILDMAT][CAN_USE_ARTIFACT]
Sorry about taking so long to get you these, I have not had much free time lately.
Hopefully I will have time to finish the large casques soon.

[SirHoneyBadger]

That's absolutely ok, arclance, and you're doing a great job!

My free time is almost nill too, between work, physical therapy, and the most demanding three weeks of gardening of my year. I completely understand.  I'm still working on my projects for the mod, but right now, that's going slow.

[SirHoneyBadger]

Hey everybody!

I need some advice on what effects can be added to weapons and armour in the game, including ranged weapons and ammunition.

By effects, I mean of the *special effects* variety. Things like fire, ice, the various poisons and diseases in the game, changes in density, if possible, just whatever you can come up with.

I then need to know how these can be added, both directly, through special materials, and also after an item is forged. I have some interesting ideas of how to add crafting magic to the game, and I'd like to get a handle on what is easy to mod in, what is difficult to mod in, and what the code of the game just won't handle.

Also, if anyone has a good handle on the intricacies of material properties, and how to mod them, I could really use someone with experience. The way the game currently handles crafting, I think it might be best to handle weapons and armour quality--in objective terms of "sword A is intrinsically of better quality than sword B in a fight because it was forged with more skill"--by extensively manipulating the materials in the game, so that there are many different "levels" of material, and then allowing the skill of the smith to further increase the value of the item, in mostly aesthetic terms, except for masterworks/artifacts, until ToadyOne adds back the Weapon To-Hit, and the Armour Deflect modifiers, or atleast until these are fully tested and fully understood by the community, and DF wikified, in certain terms.

This isn't entirely satisfactory, but should work better, in the long-term, than a simple "placeholder" solution, as breaking up material states into better/worse "grades" of, for instance, steel, is more realistic, and will allow those materials, themselves, to have different interesting qualities, such as being lighter, denser, holding a better edge, being more flexible, being rust/corrosion/temperature resistant, etc., which should allow the mod to adapt better to evolution in the code, with eventually a greater focus on balancing what we already have, and a lesser need to rewrite everything from scratch, with every few updates.

It's just educated guesswork, but we can, to a point, allow reality and history to be our guide.

Any suggestions for new materials, real, realistic, or otherwise, are welcome, as long as they are serious suggestions.
 
Thanks, everyone!

[arclance]

There are some threads around about fire, ice, and poison type coatings/materials for weapons but there is no magic system yet so an item can not inherently have theses qualities.
There are also things like evaporating stones whose vapor causes effects on contact.

Other than being impossible to burn/melt, having a fixed temp that allows a material to act as a limited "heat shield", and giving something an unusual density I don't think you can put any effects on armor that are not done through a coating of some kind.
The problem is can see with armor coatings is that they might wear off or transfer to other items too easily.
I might be wrong thought I haven't looked into this area much.

Someone did use some hacking utility to make a sword out of, I think, a fire demon in a succession game before.
The problem was it was so hot it set any Dwarf who tried to wield it on fire.
They had to wall it up to stop Dwarfs from trying to use it.

You can change an items density using a reaction to change its material but it will not maintain the items quality modifier.
The reaction would be item type and Defined Group (single material, reactions class/has material reaction product, or any material) to material B specific so its applications would be limited.
This does have potential for making feather/weight reduction enchantments though.

As far as new materials go you might think about having multiple grades/types of steel.
In real life many different types of steel are used in different applications.

I haven't played with material properties for combat balancing before you might want to read some of the threads about that.
The only thing I did was use mat_fixed_temp to make wine popsicles.
I never made any in game so I don't know what happens if a dwarf eats an object with a fixed temp below their freezing temp.