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IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
0004810Dwarf FortressArtistic Images (engravings etc)public2011-08-12 19:56
ReporterUristMcDorf Assigned To 
PrioritynormalSeveritytrivialReproducibilityhave not tried
Status newResolutionopen 
PlatformDell Latitude D600 laptopOSubuntu linuxOS Version2.6.32-23-generi
Product Version0.31.25 
Summary0004810: Civilization symbol engraving descriptions can show both "design" and "crafting" quality; other engravings do not
DescriptionEngravings (floor and wall) of civilization symbols show a "design" quality that is constant and is unrelated to the skill of the engraver, as well as a "crafting" quality that is related to skill. All other engravings only show "design" quality, which is related to engraver skill.

This is confusing when checking whether a particular engraving can be destroyed without causing the engraver unhappy thoughts.

It also seems to imply (correctly or not) that civilization symbol engravings would gain value from design quality, while other engravings do not.

Have save if needed.
Steps To Reproduce- Assign a low- or un-skilled dwarf the "Engraving/Stone detailing" labor (a high-skilled dwarf is less likely to carve generic symbols)
- Designate a large smoothed area for engraving
- Toggle engravings to be un-hidden (if necessary).
- Examine descriptions of the most frequent symbols
Additional InformationTwo example descriptions:

"Engraved is a Rovod Lilumkubuk rendition of a masterfully designed image of a larch. The image is the symbol of The Somber Tomes, a local dwarven government"
(All "larch" images (~ 10) are "masterfully designed". Destroying one causes no unhappy thought to the engraver)

"Engraved is a well-crafted Kivish Ardesgusil rendition of a superiorly designed image of two maneras. The image is the symbol of The Tours of Brushing, a dwarven civilization"
(All "maneras" images (~ 10) are "superiorly designed" regardless of engraving quality)

Both dwarves mentioned were either "Dabbling" or "Novice" at the time of engraving.

Descriptions not following the "image is a symbol of <civ>" pattern (generic ones, e.g. "of dwarves", and specific historical event depictions) show only "design" quality; example description "Engraved on the wall is a well-designed image of a shield by Kivish Ardesgusil".
TagsIntentional/Expected?

Activities

user1294

2011-08-08 02:41

  ~0018452

This is most likely intentional - when engraving a civilization symbol, your dwarves don't follow their creative impulses (or lack thereof), but try to replicate an existing piece of art, which apparently has a quality attached to it itself. How crudely or faithfully your dwarves replicate it has no bearing on the quality of the original, even if that original is usually nowhere to be seen in the game.

UristMcDorf

2011-08-12 19:56

reporter   ~0018494

Last edited: 2011-08-12 20:26

Well, I would take issue with that two ways:

1) If design quality and rendering quality are distinct for civilization symbols, why isn't that also true for other engravings? I'd think Urist McNoviceEngraver who has fantastic physical skills but very poor creativity should be worse than the average novice at coming up with his own designs, but better than average at actually carving on a rock wall.

2) Civilization symbols (real ones) are not a single design. The symbol of Lebanon is the cedar, it's not the-design-of-the-flag-with-a-cedar-on-it. Do an image-google on "lebanon cedar"; I've got 4 cedar designs just on page 1, all noticeably distinct, and all clearly alluding to (but *not* simply copying) the cedar as depicted on the Lebanese flag. Similarly, the US "stars and stripes" flag design gets redesigned all the time; page 1 of an image search on that gives me more artistic redesigns than actual pictures of a flag.

Anyway, it's not a gigantic issue (thus marked trivial), it's just inconsistent and an avoidable source of confusion when looking for undestroyable (without art defacement) engravings.

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Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2011-08-07 21:46 UristMcDorf New Issue
2011-08-08 02:36 user1294 Tag Attached: Intentional/Expected?
2011-08-08 02:41 user1294 Note Added: 0018452
2011-08-08 05:59 user1294 Additional Information Updated
2011-08-12 19:56 UristMcDorf Note Added: 0018494
2011-08-12 20:19 UristMcDorf Note Edited: 0018494
2011-08-12 20:26 UristMcDorf Note Edited: 0018494