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{{Quality|Superior|06:10, 17 May 2015 (UTC)}}
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{{Quality|Unrated}}
 
 
{{av}}
 
{{av}}
  
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[[File:Topics.svg|thumb|500px|A diagram of all knowledge topics.]]
+
{{new in v0.42}}
  
 
'''Topics''' (also '''Tech''' or '''Innovations''') are part of [[knowledge]].
 
'''Topics''' (also '''Tech''' or '''Innovations''') are part of [[knowledge]].
  
−
There are around 300 innovations that can be discovered. Many of them have requirements, and many do not, so it's kind of a tech forest/grassland rather than a tree. Notably missing are innovations related to practical labors in the game (which will be added later in development). Only the discovery of [[Book#Literary_Forms|literary form]] topics has any effect on gameplay, as it allows scholars to write new types of books.
+
There are around 300 innovations that can be discovered. Many of them have requirements, and many do not, so it's kind of a tech forest/grassland rather than a tree. Notably missing are innovations related to practical labors in the game (which will be added later in development).
  
 
Several innovations require innovations from other branches, and since all knowledge is individually tracked, that implies some investigators will need to be at least well-read if not skilled in various topics (there aren't currently joint research projects). There are some old and new mechanisms in place to ensure this happens.
 
Several innovations require innovations from other branches, and since all knowledge is individually tracked, that implies some investigators will need to be at least well-read if not skilled in various topics (there aren't currently joint research projects). There are some old and new mechanisms in place to ensure this happens.
  
−
There are 9 "branches" of the knowledge system. Each branch is further divided into categories of topics, such as methodologies, theories, etc.
+
There are 9 "branches" of the knowledge system.
 +
==Astronomy==
 +
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
 +
! Topic
 +
! Description
 +
|-
 +
|Geocentric Model
 +
|The theory that the sun moves around the world
 +
|-
 +
|Daylight And Seasons
 +
|The variation of daylight with the season
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
|The relationship between the lunar and solar year
 +
|-
 +
|The Sun and Seasons
 +
|The rise of the sun according to the season
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
|The path of the moon
 +
|-
 +
|The Moon and Seasons
 +
|The rise of the moon according to the season
 +
|-
 +
|Moon and Tides
 +
|The relationship between the moon and the tides
 +
|-
 +
|Celestial Cartography
 +
|The creation of star charts
 +
|-
 +
|Heliocentric Model
 +
|The theory that the world moves around the sun
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
|Methods of empirical observation in astronomy
 +
|-
 +
|Lunar Phase
 +
|The phases of the moon
 +
|}
  
−
==Discovering Topics==
+
== Chemistry ==
 +
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
 +
! Topic
 +
! Description
 +
|-
 +
|Adhesives
 +
|The preparation and use of adhesive materials
 +
|-
 +
|Mineral taxonomy
 +
|The classification of ores
 +
|-
 +
|Evaporation
 +
|The theory and method of evaporation
 +
|-
 +
|Material taxonomy
 +
|The classification of materials based on which elemental materials might form them
 +
|-
 +
|Laboratory Science
 +
|Methods for performing experiments systematically in the laboratory
 +
|-
 +
|Ampoule
 +
|The construction and use of the ampoule
 +
|-
 +
|Alembic
 +
|The construction and use of the alembic
 +
|-
 +
|Alloys
 +
|The mixture of metals to produce alloys
 +
|-
 +
|Solvent Extraction
 +
|The theory and methods involved in the extraction of a constituent liquid from one solution to another
 +
|-
 +
|Blast Furnace
 +
|The construction and use of the blast furnace
 +
|-
 +
|Retort
 +
|The construction and use of the retort
 +
|-
 +
|Basicity and Acidity
 +
|The classification of alkali and acids
 +
|}
 +
* [[wikipedia:Sulfuric acid|Oil of vitriol]]
 +
* [[wikipedia:Nitric acid|Spirit of niter]]
  
−
According to a [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf//index.php?topic=169696.msg8071983#msg8071983 Future of the Fortress reply]:
+
== Engineering ==
−
<blockquote>
+
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
−
Fortress [[scholars]] do activity cycles, the length of which is 1-2 days (whether they are pondering or discussing etc.)  Once they get through 50 cycles, it rolls 0-50 vs. the number of completed cycles minus 50 to see if they get "breakthrough credit."  So at 51, they have a 2% chance, and at 100, they have a 100% chance.  Then, it resets the cycle number to zero and gives them breakthrough credit, based on a skill roll plus 100 (for discuss, the other researchers contribute half of their summed skill rolls.)  Based on the difficulty (1-4) of the topic, total lifetime breakthrough credit is then assigned a number of 50-sided dice.  An easy topic is dice=credit/2500, then /5000, then /10000, then /20000 for level 4 topics.  The number of dice cannot exceed 10.  Then roll these dice -- if you get a 50 on any of them, discovery!  This is a bit archaic, and I'm not suggesting it works particularly well.  But that is how it works.  Also: if they fail to get the breakthrough after the 50-sided rolls, they have a 2% chance of switching topics, or if their credit exceeds 100000, they always switch topics (though they keep the credit, so returning to the topic later gives them a decent chance at breakthrough.)
+
! Topic
−
</blockquote>
+
! Description
 +
|-
 +
|The Pulley
 +
|The construction and use of the pulley
 +
|-
 +
|The Lever
 +
|The construction and use of the lever
 +
|-
 +
|The Windlass
 +
|The construction and use of the windlass
 +
|-
 +
|The Screw
 +
|The construction and use of the screw
 +
|-
 +
|Models and Templates
 +
|The use of models and templates in engineering
 +
|-
 +
|The Warded Lock
 +
|The construction and use of the warded lock
 +
|-
 +
|The Tumbler Lock
 +
|The construction and use of the tumbler lock
 +
|-
 +
|The Siphon
 +
|The action of the siphon
 +
|-
 +
|Gear Mechanics
 +
|The reasons why gears are effective
 +
|-
 +
|The Crystal Lens
 +
|The construction and use of the crystal lens
 +
|-
 +
|The Funnel
 +
|The construction and use of the funnel
 +
|-
 +
|Camera Obscura
 +
|The construction and use of the camera obscura
 +
|-
 +
|Buoyancy and Water Displacement
 +
|A precise description of buoyancy and water displacement
 +
|-
 +
|Valves
 +
|The construction and use of valves
 +
|-
 +
|The Bellows
 +
|The construction and use of the bellows
 +
|-
 +
|The Straight-Beam Balance
 +
|The construction and use of the straight-beam balance
 +
|-
 +
|Wedge Mechanics
 +
|The reasons why the wedge is effective
 +
|-
 +
|Water Clocks
 +
|The use of water-based devices to tell time
 +
|-
 +
|Lamination
 +
|The use of lamination
 +
|-
 +
|Wheel Mechanics
 +
|The reasons why the wheel-and-axle construction is effective
 +
|-
 +
|Pulley Mechanics
 +
|The reasons why pulleys are effective
 +
|-
 +
|Screw Mechanics
 +
|The reasons why screws are effective
 +
|}
  
−
For unskilled roles, some initial back-of-the-envelope calculations and some rough estimates observed through dfHack gives a basic idea of just how long research can take.  Note that player testing had found that the skill roll contributes a lot to the breakthrough credit.  Even dabbling dwarves can gain over 2000 breakthrough credit at once and may average around 1000 breakthrough credit.  Additionally the formula for the skill roll seems to have a very large spread, players have reported as low as 3000 breakthrough credit and as high as 25000 breakthrough credit awarded to a dwarf with legendary skill.  Analytically calculating from the algorithm Toady gave, it takes an average of 58.54 cycles to get a breakthrough credit. Player testing has confirmed breakthrough credits typically take 55-65 cycles, so this calculation seems plausible.  Likewise, player testing has not shown any correlation between skill level and number of cycles to get breakthrough credit.  An unskilled dwarf might average around 120+ cycles to get their first breakthrough die for a level 1 topic.  With only a single research die,  it would take an average of 2528 cycles to get a breakthrough. Pondering takes slightly over 2 days per cycle, so this would be around 14 years.  In a real fortress, the research dice and skill level will be increasing during the process.  However, in a real fortress, the scholars will also need to take breaks to eat, drink, and meet other needs. A more reasonable estimate is around 5-10 years for a breakthrough starting with no skills.  In short, research takes an unreasonably long time with an unskilled dwarf.
+
[[wikipedia:Differential (mechanical device)|Differential gears]] are a difficult innovation and a prerequisite for [[wikipedia:South-pointing chariot|pointing chariot]]s and [[wikipedia:Astrarium|astrarium]]s.
  
−
To optimize for research, there are several ideas worth considering.  Discussion is faster, taking only a single day, but requires at least 2 dwarves.  [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=174850.msg8061426#msg8061426 Player testing] has found discussion also awards more XP, (0-5 for pondering vs. 15-30 for discussion).  So to optimize research, dwarves should be separated by topic/skill, with unskilled dwarves paired with skilled dwarves.  This way, discussions will be equally divided between increasing the skilled dwarf's cycle count and the unskilled dwarf's cycle count. Only half the cycles will go to the skilled dwarf's cycle count, but discussion only takes a single day, so this is at net the same speed for the skilled dwarf with the additional bonus of the unskilled dwarf's cycle count also being increased.  Both dwarves benefit from the increased XP gain.
+
== Geography ==
 +
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
 +
! Topic
 +
! Description
 +
|-
 +
|Surveying
 +
|The process of surveying land
 +
|-
 +
|Anemology
 +
|The forces that govern wind patterns
 +
|-
 +
|Econometrics
 +
|The process of economic data collection
 +
|-
 +
|Economic Map
 +
|The placement of economic information on maps
 +
|-
 +
|Surveying Staff
 +
|The construction and use of the surveying staff
 +
|}
 +
The geography innovations include several related to [[wikipedia:cartography|cartography]].
  
−
Note that several topics benefit from skills that can be trained through faster means.  Diagnostician and Wound Dresser can be trained through intentionally causing injuries or simply engaging in dangerous activities that require regular dwarf healthcare.  Organizer can be trained through assigning make work to the manager, or Mechanic can be trained by spamming the creation of mechanisms.  Skill level will increase much faster through these activities than through pondering or discussion. Thus, to optimize for producing breakthroughs in engineering topics, mechanics could first be quickly trained to a legendary within a year or two at only the cost of the stones for the mechanisms, and then assigned as a scholar.
+
== History ==
 +
Innovations for historians are, in part, writing forms like [[wikipedia:biography|biography]], and then any historian that reads a biography can start writing them as well. Innovations include comparative biographies describing multiple people, and matters of sourcing, etc.
  
−
[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=174850.msg8061426#msg8061426 Player testing] has also found that [[visitors]] can come with research credits already done, thus, for forts aiming to maximize research, it makes sense to prioritize attracting wandering scholars.
+
Historians can start to understand how cultural differences and state bias affects source reliability and think a bit about social forces.
  
−
==Astronomy==
+
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
−
These topics are relevant to [[astronomer]]s.
+
! Topic
 +
! Description
 +
|-
 +
|Archaeology
 +
|The method of collecting and evaluating artifacts to learn about history and culture
 +
|-
 +
|Cultural History
 +
|The method of accurately and comprehensively describing cultures and civilizations"
 +
|-
 +
|Source Reliability
 +
|The reliability of sources
 +
|-
 +
|Personal Interviews
 +
|Using personal interviews as sources
 +
|-
 +
|Autobiographical Adventures
 +
|The method of writing a biography of oneself, particularly as it concerns a military campaign or adventure
 +
|-
 +
|Historical Causes
 +
|Discourse on the cause of historical events
 +
|-
 +
|Biography
 +
|The method of writing the history of a single individual
 +
|-
 +
|Cultural Comparison
 +
|The method of comparing and contrasting different cultures
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
|The role of cultural differences in source reliability and interpretation
 +
|-
 +
|Biographical Anthology
 +
|The compilation of brief biographies into one large collection
 +
|-
 +
|Genealogy
 +
|The compilation of family lineages and methods of displaying them artfully
 +
|-
 +
|Biographical Comparison
 +
|Compiling several biographies to compare and contrast the subjects' character and to gain insight into history
 +
|-
 +
|Alternate History
 +
|The exploration of how history would be different if some key past events had transpired differently the notion of historical, governmental and social cycles
 +
|-
 +
|Cyclic History
 +
|The notion of historical, governmental and social cycles
 +
|-
 +
|Historical Causation
 +
|The causes of historical events
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
== Mathematics ==
 +
* [[wikipedia:Harmonic series (mathematics)#Divergence|Divergence of harmonic series]]
 +
* [[wikipedia:Plus and minus signs#Plus sign|Symbol for addition]]
 +
* [[wikipedia:Proof by contradiction|Proof by contradiction]]
 +
 
 +
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
 +
! Topic
 +
! Description
 +
|-
 +
|Positional Notation
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|Large Sums
 +
|Simple formulas for certain arbitrarily large sums
 +
|-
 +
|Equations
 +
|The technique of balancing and completion for solving equations
 +
|-
 +
|Very Large Numbers
 +
|Notation for very large numbers
 +
|-
 +
|Nothingness
 +
|A symbol for nothingness
 +
|}
  
−
{{/table/astronomy}}
+
== Medical science ==
 +
Medical innovations include dedicated hospitals with specialized wards, staffing, medical labs and treatment for many illnesses.
  
−
==Chemistry==
+
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
−
These topics are relevant to [[chemist]]s.
+
! Topic
−
{{/table/chemistry}}
+
! Description
 +
|-
 +
|Diseases
 +
|The diseases of creatures
 +
|-
 +
|Mineral Remedies
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|Disease Classification
 +
|The classification of disease
 +
|-
 +
|Toxicology
 +
|The classification of toxic substances
 +
|-
 +
|Suturing
 +
|The surgical method of suturing
 +
|-
 +
|Traumatic Injuries
 +
|The treatment of traumatic injuries
 +
|-
 +
|Draining
 +
|The surgical method of draining
 +
|-
 +
|Bandages
 +
|The method of bandaging wounds
 +
|-
 +
|Paroxysm
 +
|The notion of paroxysm
 +
|-
 +
|Fracture Treatment
 +
|The treatment of fractures
 +
|-
 +
|Scraping
 +
|The surgical method of scraping
 +
|-
 +
|Anesthesia
 +
|Anesthesia
 +
|-
 +
|Practice models
 +
|The use of practice models in surgery
 +
|-
 +
|Surgical Instruments
 +
|The use of specialized surgical instruments
 +
|-
 +
|Anatomy
 +
|Anatomical studies for medical edification
 +
|-
 +
|Ocular Anatomy
 +
|The anatomy of the eye
 +
|-
 +
|Disease and Foul Water
 +
|The connection between disease and fouled water
 +
|-
 +
|Herbal Remedies
 +
|Herbal remedies
 +
|-
 +
|Physical Examination
 +
|The method of physical examination in diagnosing illness
 +
|-
 +
|Probing
 +
|The surgical method of probing
 +
|-
 +
|Prognosis
 +
|Determining the likely outcome given a patient's current status
 +
|-
 +
|Progressive Pathology
 +
|The notion of the exacerbation of a patient's condition
 +
|-
 +
|Cauterization
 +
|Cauterization
 +
|}
  
−
==Engineering==
 
−
These topics are relevant to [[engineer]]s.
 
−
{{/table/engineering}}
 
  
−
==Geography==
+
== Natural science ==
−
These topics are relevant to [[geographer]]s.
+
Toady on natural science innovations:
−
{{/table/geography}}
+
<blockquote>And so on through the other seven branches - there are innovations in naturalist writings, for example, and then they can investigate specific critters with those in mind when they get down to work observing foraging behavior or performing dissections.</blockquote>
  
−
==History==
+
Naturalists can build a theory of [[wikipedia:rainbow|rainbow]]s using water-filled spheres and a [[wikipedia:camera obscura|camera obscura]], and they can calculate the height of the atmosphere based on [[wikipedia:atmospheric refraction|atmospheric refraction]] using the [[wikipedia:law of refraction|law of refraction]] (though it tries not to get into the actual shape of the world, since that might vary).
−
These topics are relevant to [[critical thinker]]s.
 
−
{{/table/history}}
 
  
−
==Mathematics==
+
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
−
These topics are relevant to [[mathematician]]s.
+
! Topic
−
{{/table/mathematics}}
+
! Description
 +
|-
 +
|Physical Features
 +
|The classification of creatures by their physical features
 +
|-
 +
|Climactic Adaptation
 +
|The way that creatures are suited to the climates in which they live
 +
|-
 +
|Migratory Patterns
 +
|The migratory patterns of creatures
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
|The origin of rainfall through evaporation and condensation
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
|A world-wide cycle involving precipitation, oceans, rivers and other forms of water
 +
|-
 +
|Water Displacement
 +
|A precise description of buoyancy and water displacement
 +
|-
 +
|Foraging Behavior
 +
|The foraging behavior and diet of creatures
 +
|-
 +
|Reproductive Behavior
 +
|The reproductive behavior of creatures
 +
|-
 +
|Social Behavior
 +
|The social behavior of creatures
 +
|-
 +
|Dissection
 +
|The dissection of creatures
 +
|}
  
−
==Medicine==
 
−
These topics are relevant to many medical professions, including [[doctor]]s and [[diagnostician]]s.
 
−
{{/table/medicine}}
 
  
−
==Nature==
+
== Philosophy ==
−
These topics are relevant to [[naturalist]]s and [[tracker]]s.
+
The specific view that a philosopher takes on, say, the nature of beauty or methods of education will depend on their individual/cultural values, where they apply, and a philosopher that encounters a philosophy book on beauty can then provide their own take (having acquired the innovation).  
−
{{/table/nature}}
 
  
−
==Philosophy==
+
Toady on philosophy innovations:
−
These topics are relevant to [[logician]]s.
+
<blockquote>For fields like philosophy, I've tried not to make judgments about which ideas are "right" or anything like that, but rather which subjects can be thought about at all.</blockquote>
−
{{/table/philosophy}}
 
  
−
{{D for Dwarf}}
+
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
−
If visitor scholars are allowed in a library, one should regularly check all books for nature-related value agenda to prevent fortress citizens from wandering off to start a dwarven forest retreat.
+
! Topic
 +
! Description
 +
|-
 +
|Art
 +
|The value of art
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
|The worthlessness of peace
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
|The value of knowledge
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
|The nature of truth
 +
|-
 +
|Interpersonal Ethics
 +
|Discourse on ethics as applied to interpersonal conduct
 +
|-
 +
|Causation
 +
|The nature of causation
 +
|-
 +
|Diplomatic discourse
 +
|Discourse on diplomacy
 +
|-
 +
|Discourse on Contentment
 +
|Discourse on the meaning of individual happiness
 +
|-
 +
|Economic discourse
 +
|Discourse on economic policy
 +
|-
 +
|Civic ethics
 +
|Discourse on ethics as it regards the benefit of the state
 +
|-
 +
|Phenomenology
 +
|Discourse on the nature of perception
 +
|-
 +
|Theory of justification
 +
|Discourse on the nature of justification
 +
|-
 +
|Objects and Properties
 +
|The relationship between objects and their properties
 +
|-
 +
|Horology
 +
|Discourse on the nature of time
 +
|-
 +
|Philosophy of Mind
 +
|Discourse on the nature of mind and body
 +
|-
 +
|Martial Ethics
 +
|Discourse on ethics as applied to war
 +
|-
 +
|Aesthetics
 +
|Discourse on the nature of beauty
 +
|-
 +
|Jurisprudence
 +
|Discourse on law
 +
|-
 +
|Syntactic theory
 +
|Discourse on grammar
 +
|-
 +
|Political science
 +
|Discourse on government
 +
|-
 +
|Dictionaries
 +
|Dictionaries
 +
|-
 +
|Formal Reasoning
 +
|Formal reasoning
 +
|-
 +
|Welfare Theory
 +
|Discourse on social welfare
 +
|-
 +
|Theory of Events
 +
|Discourse on the nature of events
 +
|-
 +
|Pedagogy
 +
|Discourse on education
 +
|-
 +
|Doxastic Theory
 +
|Discourse on the nature of belief
 +
|-
 +
|Medical ethics
 +
|Discourse on medical ethics
 +
|}
  
−
{{Category|World}}
+
==Unknown/unsorted==
−
[[Ru:Topic]]
+
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
 +
! Topic
 +
! Description
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
|Economic policy, its forms and recommendations
 +
|-
 +
|Dictionaries
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|Shadow Clocks
 +
|The use of shadows to tell direction and time
 +
|-
 +
|Social Welfare
 +
|Social welfare, its forms and recommendations
 +
|}

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