40d Talk:Dwarven weapon

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Pick

I think I have noticed a speed difference when using steel picks over coppers ones. Although it may have just been because of a different map due to stone type/fps/miner stats. Not sure how to test this accurately. Jikor 04:54, 10 January 2008 (EST)

To bypass FPS issues, use single-stepping . --Edward 22:33, 10 January 2008 (EST)

Maybe just make two absolutely unskilled miners with different picks, and order them to mine two parallel hallways? If they won't be distracted, it'll be a perfect speed comparer for miners $) --Dorten 05:06, 10 January 2008 (EST)

Obviously you'll want to ensure that two 'identical' runs of stone are isolated from each other. The runs of stone should be quite long indeed, and I would recommend a number ultimately divisible by 100 or more. I would also avoid having any two designated tiles accessible at the same time (diagonal corners). Reveal and walling should make this rather easy to test. And paired with single-stepping, it should be clear once and for all if there's a difference. --Edward 22:33, 10 January 2008 (EST)

That sounds so complicated. Unless the difference is negligible (in which case, it's probably not real), I would think speed differences would show up after 20-50 squares (and unskilled miners will not get through 100 without having to eat/drink first). All in all, it should be easy to test. But, encumbrance can be a factor too. I'm not sure what the encumbrance rules and item weight formulas are in the new versions.--Maximus 23:30, 10 January 2008 (EST)

You can have adamantine picks too. --Armrha 03:20, 27 October 2008 (EDT)

Spear

Critical bonus?

+2 chance out of what? Shouldn't this information be given in a neutral format, such as a percentage? Either that or there should be a link to a page explaining the combat mechanics. --Geofferic 02:16, 13 December 2007 (EST)

The combat mechanic itself is too purely understood for now to say anything better then to compare which weapon has bigger number and so is better at certain things. Of course the +2 number can be substituted with a verbal description that would still mean exactly the same. :( --Another 08:19, 13 December 2007 (EST)

Other materials?

Um, my craftsdwarf just got possessed, and he made a bone spear. "this is a rhesus macaque bone spear, highest quality craftsdwarfship, adorned with hanging rings of birch. does anyone how much damage it will do? is it even possible? Destor 10:26, 28 September 2008 (EDT)

Even though you can't make weapons out of bone normally (except bolts), it uses the same mod as wood (which is 50%). The modifier for being an artifact weapon is somewhere in the neighborhood of x3 (I think, I don't have and can't find any good data on it). So the artifact spear should be doing around 150 damage.

People who have poked okay, peeked through the game's memory values suggest that artifacts and masterpieces have the same "quality" value, which probably means just x2 damage. We really need to ask Toady one of these days just to settle the question once and for all.--Maximus 00:27, 29 October 2008 (EDT)

Unarmed to Pick use

(I'm posting this for a (truly) anonymous user, for general consumption.)

...one of my miners was killed by cave pool creatures... I then recruited everyone else and sent them down there. While they were fighting, I suddenly had the idea to assign one of the recruits the mining labor, to see if that dwarf would use the discarded pick. That recruit then picked up the pick and continued fighting, somewhat contrary to the wiki stating that the dwarf must have the pick when recruited. What's more, THAT RECRUIT BECAME A DABBLING MINER. ...I don't think it's really recognized (granted, it's not particularly useful to know) that a dwarf can learn to mine by plunging a pick into living flesh. I mean, mechanically it's a logical conclusion, but it's just so bizarre to see it actually happen...
via --Albedo 20:49, 11 November 2009 (UTC)

Pick Breakage

Do picks break? I've had a miner suddenly have to go get equipment in the middle of digging. I hadn't been keeping tabs on my number of picks...--Aescula 10:01, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

I've never seen one break, even the crappy copper picks that you start with. As far as I know tools and weapons don't wear out, unlike clothing or food. Armor might also be immune to this, at least the metal varieties, as leather armor might be considered the same as leather clothing. Even adamantine clothing wears out, or so says the wiki. Is it possible you had them assigned to some other labor at the same time and they decided to go do that instead? --Newtype0083 15:14, 19 February 2010 (UTC)