Gem encrusting for tools/furniture

[Serkas 14]

After a look into the forum history I noticed that there are quite some nice ideas for the gems, but most are for the enchantment system.

Since the gems have no use in TFC so far, I thought of a system to decorate and improve your tools with them.

I kinda got this idea from Dwarf Fortress but I think it could suit the TFC minecraft style quite well:

After you have finished your tool you should be able to use it on a gem setting table.

You can caft this table out of 7 smoothed stone blocks in an U-shape with a normal (not flawed or cracked, 3.quality) gem in the middle.

Here you can insert all kind of gems into the handles of your tools, maybe to improve their resistance against durability loss.

Basicallyyou should be able to see the change on the tool.

Different gem qualities bring better boosts, of course, but they have their cost:

While you can insert the lowest tier gems without any additional materials you will need leather pieces for the second, wool for the third, and even silver and gold bars for the highest tiers.

In addition to that it would be great t if the gems could be set into wooden or stone surfaces. So you could make mosaics or wand decorations out of them: Imagine a giant hall of polished Granite, Basalt colums are towering to the ceiling, encrusted with garnets and rubys all the way up. At the end a golden throne with emeralds is glistening in the dim light of the torches.

Besides the durability improvement I haven't thought of other boosts at the moment, because I'm not sure how far you should go without leaving the TFC borders and without drifting into enchantment.

But maybe you could add the feature for special gems types to glow when they are near a specific ore (saphire glows near sphalerite for example). This effect is very weak and gets a bit stronger when you use a better gem. (As I said, maybe a little bit to "magic", but just an idea).

Mainly this system is thought as an optical improvement.

Of course you may think: why should I need a diamond-encrusted pickaxe if it doesn't do much difference from a normal one.

But come on: Everyone can swing a normal pickaxe, but thats so cave-man-like. And until now there is no real use for the gems, so they only use up space in the chest.

Maybe you can think of any other "normal" improvements that the gems can bring with them. Please let me know your thoughts and ideas and how you like the idea.

[Crysyn 179]

This was the original idea for replacing enchanting with encrusted items. Likely also inspired by Dwarf Fortress. However I think this has since been kicked as an idea as other uses for gems have been discussed.. What I am not sure is how this is any different than the other 'lets use gems to improve tools/weapons' posts?

[Serkas 14]

This was the original idea for replacing enchanting with encrusted items. Likely also inspired by Dwarf Fortress. However I think this has since been kicked as an idea as other uses for gems have been discussed.. What I am not sure is how this is any different than the other 'lets use gems to improve tools/weapons' posts?

Maybe I just didn't looked up long enough. Mmmmhhhh... I just would like a system to improve the optics of the things you create.

I used so much wood and stone types, I just would like to see some gems on them.

[sdbaynham 57]

I'd love for bone handles to appear bone too, and for bone to be usable as handles for metal tools.

[Scooterdanny 285]

Well, bone tools appear in the creative mode, i'm not sure if they are yet to be implemented, or were removed though.

[EternalUndeath 1,208]

Well, bone tools appear in the creative mode, i'm not sure if they are yet to be implemented, or were removed though.

removed, if you can't still make them

Crysyn was using them in his LP

[Scooterdanny 285]

Ah, well i came shortly after that i think, so i never got to use them.

[Just_Another_Guy_:) 1,066]

Well, bone tools appear in the creative mode, i'm not sure if they are yet to be implemented, or were removed though.

bone tools are an already implemented feature. Just replace the stick with a bone in any of the stone tools recipes, and BAM you got a bone stone tool

[Scooterdanny 285]

Hmm, anotherguy, that no longer returns a sprite of a bone tool, it shows the actual tool with a stick.

[Just_Another_Guy_:) 1,066]

Well, technically you are getting tools with bone handles which somehow became brown : the bone was used, wasn't it?

[Scooterdanny 285]

Yeah, i just find it funny that it transmutes into a smooth brown stickshape, but why was the old sprite removed?

[Just_Another_Guy_:) 1,066]

Look at my avatar.