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[infinity]

Sometimes I'd like to be able to watch where my dwarves toddle off to, a "follow" option would be cool.  It could be similar to adventure mode where the screen  centers on the dwarf selected to be followed.

[Keiseth]

I'm all for this. =)

[DrJonez]

It'd also be nice to be able to toggle on sort of a tracking mode for each dwarf. It wouldn't affect the camera at all, but you'd get a message at the bottom of the screen telling you everything your dwarf was doing.

"Unib has gone to sleep", "Unib is having a meal", "Unib is thirsty", "Unib is going to make a stone door", etc.

This way if you wanted or needed to keep a close eye on a particular dwarf, you could still move the camera around to other parts of your fort to tend to things, but you'd have the handy readouts at the bottom telling you everything he's up to.

[Leonidas]

This is a great idea.  A follow mode would make for some great movies with which you could tell one of those spontaneously generated stories that DF generates.

[thvaz]

Agreed. This would be very nice.

[Core Xii]

That's kickass. When the time comes around, a small "window" in a corner of the screen could show a local view of the tracked dwarf as well, has anyone played Rollercoaster Tycoon?

[JT]

That's exactly what popped into mind when I read this post, Core Xii.

[Jaylow]

i just asked if there was a mod that did this but there is not...
becaus its against the rules
so i wanted to suggest it, but  it was already (this post).
so i am bumping it

i think this is a great idea and would add a lot of fun to the game
with "a message at the bottom of the screen telling you everything your dwarf was doing. "
plus a zoom in on Dwarf and follow  him/her option

it will add a hole new way  of looking, and a more personal feeling to some of the  dwarf in your fort.
and it would make  it a lot easyer then to manual follow  a dwarf  and re-zoom on him/her when they disappears on a stairway...

[Deon]

It's not against the rules, it's just impossible.

[Loud Whispers]

The usefulness is limited, but the applications are plentiful

Also, try not to necro too many threads :p

[Jaylow]

yeah it has not to much use
only a lot of fun 
and wel fun is the main thing a game should be (not that DF is not fun, i love dieing all the time)

and it sayed if it was aready posted i needed to bump it.
"Search for an existing thread. If you find a thread similar to your idea, you can bump it to expand on the suggestion, even if the thread is old"

i just hope something like this will be added in the future

[Loud Whispers]

and it sayed if it was aready posted i needed to bump it.
"Search for an existing thread. If you find a thread similar to your idea, you can bump it to expand on the suggestion, even if the thread is old"

i just hope something like this will be added in the future

Just make sure you add a valid reason to why you bumped it of course ;p
+ Expand on the suggestion

[King DZA]

had actually hoped for this when I first started playing DF. Even more so now that I pay more attention to individual dwarves. I like the little window idea, reminds me of that feature on the game Majesty, that would let you follow a certain hero around.

[knutor]

Geez, another gateway error!  Had to hit refresh, to get forum to reappear.  I wonder if this is them or not.  I just heard where Verizon, my provider upset lotsa triple play subbies, because they wouldn't air the NFL playoffs, this year.  Its prolly my sucky Verizon ISP producing the gateway errors.

My .02 on a follow dwarf option..  Not something I'd want to have implemented.  While I'd like to be able to solo out one dwarfs actions, to get an idea of where his travels take him, on a daily basis, in order to setup his bedroom, nearbye; I would not want to waste the time doing so, just to observe him alone, at the expense of commanding them all. 

The change I would make, would be to tweak the AI, to remove more of the unable to comply options, and idle dwarf options, so we wouldn't have the need to stalk a dwarf around while he did his chores.  Fixing the AI, would remove the necessity of this feature, as a troubleshooting option. 

Unlike adding this 'follow dwarf' command, fixing the AI would create more enjoyable play, directly, as a result of the effort.  Where as 'follow dwarf' would only cause the game to become even more unplayable, but more observable.  Something I would want out of an interactive media.  Now for movies, and music, I have no problem with something that would allow me to follow a specific account of a character, or instrument in a chorus. 

However in DF, I'm against it, on the grounds of it, posing no benefit to the player.  It only would further the playtesters ability to track and solve AI problems and social interactions.  And as I am a hardset gamer, who believes playtesters should be paid for their comments, I see no need in providing this tool to the mainstream players, as a feature.  It would only cause a surge in 'Urist isn't hunting threads' or 'see this dumb dorf fall down a well on youtube" vids.  And I can't see them increasing player base, but doing just the opposite, diminishing it.

The only thing keeping this game going, is its modders and its pricetag.  IMO.

Sincerely,
Knutor

[NobodyPro]

knutor, you are aware that this would be a toggleable extra rather than an alternative UI right. You can still command others by (judging by the games this feature is used in) doing basically anything while following.

that playtesters should be paid for their comments

I'm not sure what your talking about by this point so you should probably stay on topic.
This isn't a suggestion for a troubleshooting tool, it's a suggestion for the addition of a feature common to many tycoon type games.