My Little Fortress 2.2: The Device Has Been Modified - Under development · 2:53pm Aug 16th, 2013
Hey.
So, in case you're wondering what's going on with the mod: I'm making an update right now. It'll be a relatively small one, compared to 2.0 or 2.1.
I've made improvements to several crafting systems. Namely:
-The replication of gem items (with changeling fern pulp) has been improved. Now the first step is to replicate a 'gem chunk' tool (which uses up a varying amount of fern pulp), which is later shaped into the item that you want with a second reaction. That reaction will also produce gem fragments; those can be fused together using crystal berries and catalysts. There's three special gems that are made by these fusing reactions of ornamental, semi-precious and precious gem fragments. Harmonic diamond fragments (if you somehow got so many diamonds that you've decided to use them) fuse into new harmonic diamonds.
The replicated gem materials are now actually duplicates with the gem tag replaced by stone. They can be stockpiled now.
-The bonecrafter's workshop has been overhauled, too. Unfortunately, I can't replace the bone bolts with anything more sensible, as the bone stack bug is still there; but that doesn't mean there's no room for improvement.
Bone bolts (25 of them) belonging to a single material strength tier (normal, tainted, morphling or superior) are converted into a Bonemold Chunk. That's also a tool item, which will be (hopefully) capable of being stored in a bone tool stockpile, as bonemold materials are inorganics with the bone tag. They have the same material strength properties as the organic bone materials of their own tier. The 'chunk' tool can be the shaped into the item you want (furniture, armor, weapons...).
You can also enchant the bonemold chunks at a rainbow altar (see Rainbow Factory buildings) to get a chunk of a stronger and more valuable bonemold material. For example, normal bonemold is enchanted to be as storng as bronze. That's done using bars of rainbow metal; for normal bonemold, it's 1 bar for 5 chunks.
There's also some minor new features that I've already implemented.
-When leather is tanned, there's some "scrap" byproducts. These can be combined into recycled leather. Also, plant fiber cloth can be boiled in oil to make fake leather. I got the idea from J Winters's story.
Actually, go read that story. It's good.
-Fungal tree wood has a first stage of refinement added in: you have to first clean the heartwood from the pulp. Food items are gained from this reaction.
-Lastly, there's Flesh Trees. When processed at the sawmill, you get a leather item, some meat, and a bonemold chunk.
I've also removed the original living trees and the graveforge. Don't see the point in them.
I also intend to overhaul the bees. Yes the bees.
After that, I'll see. Maybe I'll think of something else to tweak, or just go into testing.
I should really get around to updating. If 2.2's ready before the next Dwarf Fortress release, I should restart this megaproject with it.
I originally undertook it using 1.62 (with the imagepack removed and humans & elves added back) and a World Painter'd map of Equestria. The first party was killed by felstalkers shortly after arrival, except for one pony whose legs were all broken. The reclaim party was mostly military, all of whom were killed by tyraponies; of the survivors, one went berserk while cutting wood and the other, sheltering below ground, went berserk while carrying a pick. All the adventurers I tried to send to clean up the site had bad encounters with tyraponies and/or Unity before they could get near it.
I sent a party of zebras to establish what was to be the first of several staging bases for another push, but it's grown into a permanent fortress, its original mission forgotten. The would-be castle is just a hole cut into a steep hillside deep in a savage wilderness, separated from civilization by mountains to the north and deserts to the south. The occasional wild beast picks through toppled furniture, bleached bones and scattered tools.
I'll probably get 2.2 done sometime next week, and play test forts leisurely for a couple weeks before releasing.
That is, if the squirrels don't come and take me away. They might do that (proably using the new X-Com game).
I think that if the next big release was to occur within that relatively short timeframe, the community would know. So it probably won't.