Kobold Camp
Kobold Camp is an ultra-primitive variation/mod of Dwarf Fortress, characterized by a combination of mods and personal restrictions. Due to the inherent issues with playing kobolds, the intentional disuse of specialized jobs such as metalsmithing, and guidelines regarding types of structures and mining, Kobold Camp is intended to be a challenge for advanced Dwarf Fortress players looking for something new.
Installing Kobold Camp
Kobold Camp can be modded into an existing Dwarf Fortress installation by downloading this RAR (sup/tg/ mirror) and using its contents to replace the raw/objects folder's contents. If you do not already have a copy of 40d or want to preserve your current version, simply unzip the full contents to another directory and play from there.
Changes
- Kobolds have been heavily modified into a playable race, and are almost completely functional (see Known Issues). They have been given the required professions to get a camp going, though certain professions may have been intentionally left out (see Challenges). Kobolds have multiple children per litter, and grow into adults faster.
- Various items have been fixed that make them usable by kobolds. Shovels and choppers replace picks and axes, respectively.
- Kobold Camp uses a modified version of the May Green tileset, as seen in the thumbnail above.
- Elves no longer ambush. Kobold camp is difficult enough without their rather bugged ambushing behavior, which apparently caused them to spontaneously appear in the dead center of your camp. They'll still attack, but at least you'll get to see them coming.
Challenges
Unlike dwarves, kobolds are simple creatures, eking out primitive but happy lives without the need for massive sprawling feats of engineering for which the bearded ones are (in)famous. Players attempting Kobold Camp should follow these guidelines to keep in the "spirit" of the game and challenge:
- Kobolds do not mine. Picks have been replaced with shovels, and players should never dig into rock layers. They should never dig more than one z-level down. If you choose to live in a cave instead of above-ground mud huts, make it look as organic and natural as possible, and do not alter or expand it once complete. Kobolds likewise do not make tunnels or specialized underground room structures.
- Kobolds do not smith. All of their necessary equipment is made out of wood, and new items have been created to replace all-metal items to make kobolds playable (e.g. shovel and choppy to replace picks and axes).
- Kobold engineering and architecture is primitive. They mostly dwell in above-ground huts only one floor tall, with the occasional two-story longhouse or other larger endeavor. Rarely will a kobold build a structure taller than two z-levels, such as a small guard tower or other highly-specialized structure. Low-tech is key.
Known Issues
- A bug in 40d causes the items taken away by kobold caravans to be considered "stolen" when they leave the map. However, this benefits the difficulty of the game, since the lack of exported wealth will greatly reduce the number of immigrants you receive, forcing you to rely on birth rates to keep your population stable.