Calling all dwarf metagods!

[Lancefighter]

well, when you keep in mind that this is nowhere near a fulltime job (producing software that hes not even selling at the moment), its surprising its lasted this long as it is

edit
and well yes, i know they are for trading, but for the moment I've virtually no reason to trade with them. I suppose if i did things like not start with an anvil, I might..

[Mánagarmr]

Well, if you have no screaming needs for anything, then yes, traders are useless. Even I ignore them some seasons since I don't really need anything (except for my latest fort).

[zespri]

The game is an extremely early alpha released to the public. The game isn't even near finished yet

You've got to be kidding me. If the game started in 2002 is yet "extremely early alpha" at the end of 2010 you can't really expect it to be finished in your life time.  

You might want to consider that it is one of the most extensive, advanced and complicated simulations ever released to gaming public. And it's one guy doing it. In his spare time. While studying. Might give you an idea on how extreme it is

I understand that. My point is that the projects like this are never finished as people who started them eventually move on.

So basically what I'm looking at is the game that will never be finished that you never can win.

I know it does have its fan base, it's just the sentence above sums up, why I don't feel the urge to play it =) And it's a great great shame because I do understand the merits and would be glad if I could enjoy it.

You see there is something that big gaming companies do right. They understand what most people want, they don't target niche auditory.

EDIT: Expanded on the initial point.

[Mánagarmr]

Aye, that is more or less to be expected, unless he's REALLY devoted to his dream. Nevertheless, I'm having tons of fun with what we have atm

[Lancefighter]

theres a point where making a game isnt so much the fact that your making a product - its often as much about making the game itself. Say, building a model airplane, or some other large scale project - sure, it might take years, but when its done its beautiful.

Of somewhat random note
what exactly does the sheriff do? i cant seem to find any real information on the matter.. yet I've never appointed one, and things are generally fine.

[Mánagarmr]

Nobles are one of the things that are more buggy than not right now. Once you get a barony, the Sheriff will become the Hammerer (think Judge Dredd with a bad attitude).He'll go around killing lawbreakers, which is very nasty, so you'll want a prison for him to place dwarves in instead.

[Lancefighter]

er... what exactly makes a prison?

Also, I found out the real reason autosaves arent done often - they take forever 

But ill gladly exchange losing a few minutes an hour to losing a few hours a day >.>

[Mánagarmr]

A prison is a room made from a restraint(v). It can be a rope or a chain. Criminals are put there for a time decided by either the Hammerer or the Baron, and it's usually due to throwing tantrums or failing mandates. The "Failing Mandates" is a dangerous one as it tends to hit your legendary artisans, which is why you WANT a prison, or the Hammerer will simply kill them.

Now, there is however an "exploit" of sorts to avoid this problem all together. You can simply NOT appoint a Sheriff/Captain of the Guard, and you will never get a Hammerer and the whole problem goes away entirely.

As I said, nobles are somewhat buggy at present.

[Lancefighter]

yes, the whole 'ignore the nobles' bit i seem to have gotten fairly good at, although the bookkeeper is rather useful (and doesnt get in the way.. mostly because hes up drinking in his office)

[Mánagarmr]

Don't forget to assign an office to your Bookkeeper so he has somewhere to work, and also set his presicion to max (in the nobles menu) so you get exact amounts of everything.

There's one noble I simply cannot be without and thats the manager. Good god, that guy has saved me tons of migranes. I simply cannot fathom how I was able to get by without him

[Lancefighter]

honestly, the mananger might be more useful in that you can queue up tons of stuff, but he doesnt seem to make the distinction between some stuff (rock vs metal mechanisms, for example)

[Mánagarmr]

That is why you have intelligent stockpiling for your artisans and "trash workshops". Also, there are no metal mechanism. Mechanisms can (in lieu of strange moods) only be made out of rock.

[Lancefighter]

...


yeah there are..
under trap components, metaltype, mechanisms.
edit,
in the forge

[Mánagarmr]

...


yeah there are..
under trap components, metaltype, mechanisms.
edit,
in the forge

Hurp de durp. Yeah, so even I can make mistakes sometimes. You're right about that, HOWEVER, when you choose to make mechanisms with the manager, I've never had them make metal ones. I even think it's called "Make rock mechanisms". It has that distinction for every other thing anyway (Rock, steel, iron, gold, silver Cabinet for instance)

[Lancefighter]

true, but I think rock mechanisms are kinda silly sounding. besides, I've got tons of steel anyway, and i KNOW that i can make steel mechanisms without effort, thus I can guarantee they are magma safe. ... for when I actually start using magma

edit
I've got this stupid dwarf who's diagnosis is apparently 'will never walk again', yet my doctor doesnt seem to make any efforts in treating him - is he destined to sit around the hospital wasting space until he grows old?

And I just found out last night sometime that you can store bars in bins.. that saevs a ton of space compared to the way i was doing it >.>
Can i store rocks in anything?