40d Talk:Challenges

Sparta

"You shouldn't create chainmail or plate armour."
why? --Savok

because spartans don't wear chest armor. you should definately watch 300, it's like Dwarf Fortress on crack! --AlexFili

from what I've read, 300 isn't an accurate depiction of Spartan life. However, this challenge build is based on 300 --Savok

Alright, fair point, 300 was based from a graphic novel, but many similarities between Spartans in 300 and in real history are present. --AlexFili 10:39, 9 June 2008 (EDT)

"However, this challenge build is based on 300" No it isn't. At least, it wasn't intended to be. I guess I shouldn't have referred to pop culture when I added it. --juckto

The hell with it. Split off spartans from 300. Juckto 16:55, 14 June 2008 (EDT)

No mining

Now that you construct walls and fortifications out of wood, I wonder if anyone is going to take on a 'no mining' challenge? You're going to need a lot of wood! --Mechturk 17:00, 6 November 2007 (EST)

Some people already are :p --Turgid Bolk 17:44, 6 November 2007 (EST)

Assassination

I tried "Assassination" the other day and found that it was incredibly easy with a group of axedwarves. Not only did I kill the hardest-to-get-at goblin, I killed every last other goblin too. In the end, there were only 2 dogs and 2 dwarves dead (the last one fell, sadly, to the last goblin left, who was hiding in the tunnels.--Smoking Gnu 22:51, 15 December 2007 (EST)

Now do it with 7 untrained dwarves with no armor. --TheUbie 19:30, 29 December 2007 (EST)

Humanlike?

It should be noted that the 'human-like fortress' as described is historically inaccurate. In particular, its either misrepresenting or confusing various details. One major point is that a _castle_ never incorporated a town. There are walled towns and there are castles, but these are entirely different things. A couple of historical periods/styles would lead to the following different suggestions:

(A) Larger (stone) medieval castles sometimes had industry in the bailey. This was often pressed up against the outer wall to save on space and wall building. It was usually militarily useful industry (ie, metalsmithing of various types). Cooking and possibly brewing might also happen, and cooking at least would have been handled in the keep itself. Industries including jewelry, carpentry (on a permanent basis), and other non-military production would have been outside the castle, quite possibly in a town nearby.

(B) More isolated smaller castles would have done necessary production in the bailey on a temporary basis (ie, erecting a carpentry work area when needed and disassembling it afterwards), with a few permanent industries (notably blacksmithing).

(C) 'Dark Ages' castles would be made of wood, and weren't large enough to accomodate much industry. Instead they would have imported everything. The early castle was a defensible home for the lord and his family, and would only house them and a few military retainers.

It should be noted that the lack of focus on industry in a castle meant diverse tasks might share the same workspace and in fact be handled by the same person. The purpose of a castle is military, not production, and castle's only produced goods for internal demand that either could not be imported, would be inconvenient to import, or were critical to the military purpose (and couldn't afford access to those goods being lost during a siege).

(D) A walled town would have no keep. Nobles would not live there. Basically, towns would build a wall around their perimeter for defense. More important towns often grew to encompass nearby castles, and often outgrew their walls - which might either lead to substantial portions beyond the walls or accruing walls occasionally to encompass new growth. Despite a castle potentially being encompassed by a town, the castle and town were administratively separate - towns receiving independent charters from the crown - and the town was never subject to the lord of the castle (who may well control the surrounding countryside).

Given the nature of Dwarf Fortress, treating it as a town rather than a castle is probably preferable unless you really want to emphasize military skills, which could be interesting. You could, of course, create a castle and a town, keeping them as virtually separate entities, with military dwarves and nobles living in the castle and other dwarves living in the town.

--Squirrelloid 18:11, 30 April 2008 (EDT)

When did we start trying to make DF fit real-world history?

His idea seems perfectly fine when compared to in-game human towns/cities, as they have a keep and whatnot as part of the city. Only difference is adding a wall around it all. --Edward 18:25, 30 April 2008 (EDT)

Insane Renegade (just a thought)

Well I was thinking something along these lines,

They all think that your crazy, so you and some others ran. You shouldn't trust them... They want you dead. Except for the (random profession/job) they think like you. KILL THEM KILL ALL THAT OPPOSE YOU!!,

Description: Xenophobia, Do not trade with others, Kill all immigrants except ones of a certain job/profession. If you want to go as a truly insane person, ban all statues and engravings of Dwarven faces (the statues, THE ROCKS! THEY ALL WANT ME DEAD!!!!) Be prepared for a long life of hatred and sieges.

~LrZeph~

P.S. if anyone edits this and puts it on the main thing please give me partial credit... Thank you and goodnight!

How is this different from Outcast, aside from the RP? --Savok 16:41, 22 June 2008 (EDT)

Oh dear, i missed that one. never mind

~LrZeph~ 15:11 23 June 2008

Dystopian society

Anyone thought of making a fortress based off one of those dystopian futures found in scifi novels like 1984, We, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451? The way I imagine it, it would be similar to the Equaland challenge, with variations based on the dystopian principle of your choice. For example, if you want to encourage uniformity across your population, enable all labor for every dwarf and persecute anyone who skills up too quickly at a given skill. A strict caste system might also be implementable, a la Brave New World. Another idea would be to kill off or at least "re-educate" any dwarf that falls below ecstatic for an extended period of time. Tons of ideas at Template:Wiki. Thoughts? --Mikaka 04:56, 24 June 2008 (EDT)

That sounds like a good challenge. --Savok 08:24, 24 June 2008 (EDT)