[Abandoned] [Game] Hamlet's Quest "Valhalleluja" [3.2.2] [hamlets_quest]

[markr]

Yes, I did read about the gravel sieve and decided against it. I was more concerned with it creating ores that would be way too advanced. Perhaps that can be tuned with it's settings though. It would be nice to be able to use it to get some basics like coal and iron to make getting started in the mines less painful. I'll have to read up on those.
Fishing. Yes, I had tried one and was disappointed that I could get a bucket of water, dig a small hole, toss the water in then catch fish out of it. Instant fish farm so to speak. I liked that you could access fish as another food source, but it needed to have a better mechanic. In Hamlet you have fish (although they only give meat) so leveraging the existing sea mobs with a fishing mechanic could be a mini-game into itself. I mean, it's one thing to bait a worm and catch some of the little fish, but what do you do when you have a fishing pole in your hand and (finally) drag a shark up to your boat? Or would the fighting shark be able to drag your boat around? It could be fun to find out!

And yes, we are having a great time with the entire of the Minetest project. I'm really glad to have found it, and he is trying to convince his friends how great it is. Perhaps while we are still stuck inside I should put up a small server for him, some friends and cousins so they can all check it out.

I originally had built MT 5.2 when I first discovered it and only went back to 5.1.1 because of MOD issues. I'll give your 2.6 version a go or keep up with your new version so long as getting mobs back into it isn't horrible. I'm fine with installing MODs and build MT locally since I have Debian 10 on both of our computers so the version isn't the issue. For me it has been trying to find out what version of a MOD I'm using since they don't have to have an actual version number anywhere. It can be tricky for someone new to the system to get spun up to a functional and working world such as you have compiled in Hamlet's Quest, from yours, and so many other's work. The fact that it "just works" is a huge selling point for me. Too many times I'd try to add a mod to the MTgame and there would be a break that cascaded through other mods because it just wasn't compatible.

edit: I just looked at the FaceDeer compass and it seems a perfect fit. I've used some others and the one FaceDeer's is based on so if it is stripped down to just something that points north without the bells and whistles it would be a good fit I think.

[Happytrap_44]

looks nice, but the hudbars aren't aranged very neatly.

Consider that a couple aren't being shown, one being the suffocation bar and the other being the sprint bar - W+E = run - placed above the hydration bar.

I have to agree with Stix,(no offense Hamlet)but, it would look a little nicer if you arranged a little like other games Hud-Bars, and also maybe if you made the health bar and saturation/food bar have icons instead of a bar( I have a pic of what it could look like). I am not trying to be picky or rude, I mean, I really like the things you have done!

Thanks!

Happytrap

[Happytrap_44]

Hamlet, how about doing the HUD bars a little like this?

HUD bars.png (202.76 KiB) Viewed 2844 times

looks nice, but the hudbars aren't aranged very neatly.

Consider that a couple aren't being shown, one being the suffocation bar and the other being the sprint bar - W+E = run - placed above the hydration bar.

I have to agree with Stix,(no offense Hamlet)but, it would look a little nicer if you arranged a little like other games Hud-Bars, and also maybe if you made the health bar and saturation/food bar have icons instead of a bar( I have a pic of what it could look like). I am not trying to be picky or rude, I mean, I really like the things you have done!

Thanks!

Happytrap

[timsoft]

I was looking at a castle door (castle door 13) which needs brown stained wood to craft.
how do you get brown stained wood (not in creation mode).? I can get brown die, but
can't figure out how to apply it to wood. (and thanks for the game/mod collection.)

[ThePC007]

Hello,

I've been playing Hamlet's Quest for an hour or two now and so far I'm really digging it. I enjoy the total darkness that reminds me of Minecraft's Beta days and having blocks realistically fall down and torches go out after a while makes the game pretty interesting.

However, I'm having one issue: There seem to be no mobs. Not just hostile mobs, but any mobs at all. I have yet to see a single mob within the entire game. I have downloaded the game from ContentDB (in-game), so I shouldn't have the "no-mobs" version installed.

I am playing on a world using the v7 world-gen, might that be an issue? I tried the v6 one but the game just crashed.

If you could help me, that'd be really great. :)

[Nordal]

Congratulation for the new release! Meanwhile I arrange my own "game" selecting the mods I like, but besides farming redo and cottages it's mostly the same as Hamlet's Quest. The mods you choose just always fit together well.

Your "Credits" file is not only a model example but also very useful if you're looking for good mods. ;)

You have archived many mods on GitLab and disappeared from GitHub. I send you a respond to a notification email I got as you closed the issue on bunkbed. I apologized for not seeing a PR that you made in bunkbed. I just forgot to look into the repo again and realized your issue as you closed it.

I found out that optimized pngs are not readable anymore. Not for my usual linux system tools.

[goats]

@ ThePC007 - Not sure if you've figured it out by now, but since no one answered in the thread... mobs were removed. You must install them yourself. See page 5 of this thread, and also the original post.

[Hamlet]

Released v3.1.0

Bonus:
Main menu's background music, see the first post for the archive's link and installation instructions.

Added:
- Option to toggle the Crafting Guide's progressive mode via Advanced settings; "On" by default - "Off" = display all recipes.
- Option to select the preferred display style for the HUD bars, via Advanced settings.
- Option to set the preferred order to sort the HUD bars, via Advanced settings.
- "Farming Redo" viewtopic.php?t=9019
- "Item Drop" viewtopic.php?t=16913
- Option to set the "Item Drop" pick up sound, via Advanced settings.
- "North Compass" https://github.com/FaceDeer/north_compass
- "Round Tree Trunks" viewtopic.php?t=20036

Changed:
- Armor's bar will be hidden when the player isn't wearing any armor, this can be changed via Advanced settings.
- "Weather" (MTG mods) turned off to prevent conflicts with other weather-related mods (minetest.conf at line 4).
- "3D armor" updated to version 2020-05-14.
- "Castle Gates" updated to version 2020-05-07.
- "Crafting Guide" updated to version 2020-06-11.
- "Hardcore Torchs" updated to version 2020-06-13.
- "Hunger NG" updated to version 2020-05-12.
- "Moon Phases" updated to v2.1.0.
- "Ropes and rope ladders" updated to version 2020-06-01.
- "HB Sprint" updated to version 2020-04-15.
- "Unifieddyes" updated to version 2020-06-03.
- "Unified Hammers" updated to version 2020-04-11.

Removed:
- Minetest Game's "farming" mod (switched to Farming Redo).
- "Crops" mod (switched to Farming Redo).

[goats]

Wow, that's quite an update. Will have to check out this game again, also. So many games lately...

[Duvalon]

However, I'm having one issue: There seem to be no mobs. Not just hostile mobs, but any mobs at all. I have yet to see a single mob within the entire game. I have downloaded the game from ContentDB (in-game), so I shouldn't have the "no-mobs" version installed.

See this post. Mobs have been completely removed since version 3.

[Hamlet]

The showcase map has been updated, see the first post for the download link and the installation instructions.

Thanks to World Edit I have been able to save my castle and load it into the new map, which now features Minetest Game v5.x new nodes; that is for example, kelps, berry bushes, new pinetrees, etc. (The old version had been generated on MTG v4.x at least 3 years ago.)

This also allowed the spawning of the Farming Redo's plants, so you will have corn, tomatoes, raspberries, etc. plants in the surroundings, you will not have to travel for kilometers/miles to find them.

Last but not least, the "new" map size is 5MB Vs 120MB of the old one; only the map chunks immediately surrounding the castle have been generated, so, enjoy exploring around!

Thanks again A LOT to all the World Edit's developers and contributors, you do deserve a huge "kudos" for your work.

Post Scriptum: for the "statistics' freaks" out there, the old map has been downloaded 69 times since 2019-12-25.

[Hamlet]

Released v3.1.1 "Valhalleluja" (see the first post for the video)

Changed:
- Game base updated to Minetest Game v5.3.0

[goats]

I've had some crazy issues with 3.1.0 (5.2.0 engine), and replicated them a few times now with several worlds.
The issues begin once player goes below y -50.
- First thing noticeable is that wielded light locks itself to some node at that depth. The HUD glow effect on the "left hand" is still visible but casts no light.
- You can place an infinite number of torches from the unlit torch stack. Inventory counter does not decrement. The torches are lit and do cast light. You can pick them back up and inventory counter stays the same.
- You cannot place the lit wielded torch.
- You cannot /pulverize the wielded torch.
- This may be due to the fact that the command interpreter apparently dies. Typing, e.g., /help, does nothing.
- If you move an item from the hotbar to another place in inventory, it comes back to its original slot soon.
- Falling nodes do not fall when touched.
- Eventually you will notice that most of the chunks immediately around you are unloaded and will not load. You hit invisible walls and may be able to see caverns and such in the distance. Sometimes you can dig invisible nodes, revealing textures only where the dug nodes were. If you can make it back to the surface, you can see most of the world is unloaded.
- I noticed also that debug.txt stops once you pass y -50. Last line on my last gameplay:
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer digs default:stone at (-662,-51,534)
- The game will neither exit to menu or OS. Have had to kill it externally every time i have gone below y -50, and sometimes when i loaded a world in which i had already done so. The last occasion, it seemed none of the actions i had taken since passing -50 were recorded at all (matching where debug.txt stopped), and when reloading i was right back at that spot. However, things operated normally, so i went back to the surface, where i was surprised to find random logs hanging in the air where i had cut down 3 trees long before i had gone underground.

So it seems some part of the engine kept running, while some other part died (lua?), and bits of the map database were mildly broken / rolled back somehow.

Also, you get these warning whenever starting, but whatever. Less than with 3.0.0 :D.
WARNING[Main]: Frame registered for "flowerpot:empty" but it isn't registered
WARNING[Main]: TextureSource::getPalette(): the specified palette image "unifieddyes_palette_extended.png" is larger than 256 pixels, using the first 256.

[Hamlet]

I've had some crazy issues with 3.1.0 (5.2.0 engine), and replicated them a few times now with several worlds.
The issues begin once player goes below y -50.
[...]

Lately I've been playing mainly on surface, so I have not had such issues; it sounds like a real mess.
Could you please update to MT v5.3.0 and H'sQ v3.1.1, and let me know if those issues are still present?

[Hamlet]

Also, you get these warning whenever starting, but whatever. Less than with 3.0.0 :D.
WARNING[Main]: Frame registered for "flowerpot:empty" but it isn't registered
WARNING[Main]: TextureSource::getPalette(): the specified palette image "unifieddyes_palette_extended.png" is larger than 256 pixels, using the first 256.

Those are from "frame" and "unifieddyes"; the former is going to be removed in the autumn's release, while the latter I don't really know why throws that warning.

"frame" will be replaced by TenPlus1's "frame redo", but first I have to be sure that the swap is going to be smooth; I don't want that someone finds "unknown nodes" scattered around.

[goats]

Frame/palette: I realize these aren't related, i am merely reporting them.

As for the issues i had... i nearly retracted my report and was ready to blame it on cosmic rays and alien magnetic influence. I had started yet another world, and did not have any issues going below -53, but without any digging. I then tried one of the most messed-up worlds, managed to get above ground, played on surface a long time, then went below again. Everything seemed fine until i got to -107, then the same issues. I should have started the game from terminal or enabled verbose logging, then maybe there would be some clue.

I will get a 5.3.0 appimage and your updated game and see what happens.

[goats]

Unfortunately, the problem persists. Terminal output and debug.txt stop once the problem occurs. I can keep "playing", but things are broken and nothing is recorded to the DB. (And dear heavens, the lighting bugs in 5.3.0 are... comical.) Last line of action-level debug.txt:
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer digs default:sandstone at (-549,-49,169)
Reloading the game spawns me there instead of -57.5 or wherever below.

But i found some new game-crashing problems also. Hooray! :D
The first happened right away when i was digging leaves and a tree fell on or near me. Also, loading this world again results in the same crash immediately. (The popular Nil return is always a sign of doom, but now actually crashes a game in 5.3.0. W00t?)

Spoiler

ACTION[Server]: singleplayer digs default:jungleleaves at (-192,13,82)
ERROR[Main]: ServerError: AsyncErr: ServerThread::run Lua: Runtime error from mod '*builtin*' in callback luaentity_Step(): /hamlets_quest/mods/CHARACTER/item_drop/init.lua:381: attempt to index local 'player' (a nil value)
ERROR[Main]: stack traceback:
ERROR[Main]: /hamlets_quest/mods/CHARACTER/item_drop/init.lua:381: in function 'handle_node_drops'
ERROR[Main]: /builtin/game/item.lua:613: in function 'on_dig'
ERROR[Main]: /builtin/game/falling.lua:248: in function 'try_place'
ERROR[Main]: /builtin/game/falling.lua:358: in function < /builtin/game/falling.lua:273>
ACTION[Main]: Server: Shutting down

Further, i was playing with damage disabled, figuring i would just grab enough resources for a couple picks and some light and dig straight down as soon as possible, but that led to this crash:

Spoiler

WARNING[Server]: +m tried to use hunger_ng.get_hunger_information() but Hunger NG is disabled because damage is disabled.
ERROR[Main]: ServerError: AsyncErr: environment_Step: Runtime error from mod '' in callback environment_Step(): /hamlets_quest/mods/CHARACTER/hbsprint/init.lua:235: attempt to index a nil value
ERROR[Main]: stack traceback:
ERROR[Main]: /hamlets_quest/mods/CHARACTER/hbsprint/init.lua:235: in function 'sprint_step'
ERROR[Main]: /hamlets_quest/mods/CHARACTER/hbsprint/init.lua:258: in function < /hamlets_quest/mods/CHARACTER/hbsprint/init.lua:254>
ERROR[Main]: /builtin/game/register.lua:429: in function < /builtin/game/register.lua:413>
ERROR[Main]: stack traceback:
ACTION[Server]: [doc] Wrote player data into /.minetest/worlds/530_311_HQ_Carpathian_42/doc.mt.
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer leaves game. List of players:
ACTION[Main]: Server: Shutting down
ACTION[Main]: [doc] Server shuts down. Player data is about to be saved.

So, with the main issue again, i next tried removing the hardtorches mod in case there was some issue with that, but the problem was the same. (But then also i noticed in hq-tweaks, there is a hardtorches.lua tweak file and dependency, but it is not called by dofile in init.lua. Not sure if that is intended. I realize it does not cause the problem in question.)

Screenshot_2020-07-11_20-03-32.png (235.4 KiB) Viewed 2844 times

screenshot_20200711_174847.png (207.04 KiB) Viewed 2844 times

I have a debug -verbose i could upload somewhere and link here, apparently. It seems to list pointing and audio information and such after action-level logging (e.g., digging actions) ceases. It references nodes below -50 where everything else ends, even the terminal window. There seems to be an emerge event around the time everything goes wrong. Is this a block or chunk boundary thing?

debug-v_HQ.txt.tar.7z

(135.17 KiB) Downloaded 81 times

edit: For giggles, i copied hq 2.5.2 and a world over to mt 5.2.0. After pulling out the mobs mods to avoid crashes, i ran down the stairs below y -100 with no issues.

[Hamlet]

Thank you for testing the game so thoroughly and reporting me these issues; I am going to try to release a bugfix version as soon as possible.

In the meanwhile I have checked hq_tweaks; the mod not loading the overrider for hardtorch is a mistake (it allows to use charcoal in recipes), and I also discovered that it was not loading the castle_weapons and real_trees overriders.
So I've checked it and fixed it all - the only two overriders that are not to be loaded are handholds and unified_hammes, since I can't make them work with recycleage (conflicting after_use / on_use).

Today I will push on the repository the fixed version, and during this week I will try to see if I can fix the issues that you encountered.

I must say one thing: this game / collection of mods features many old mods that haven't been updated during the last years, it might well be that some of them eventually will break, either on the current stable MTG version or future ones. It is just a matter of time; the question is not "if", but rather "when" will it happen.

If you find errors clearly related to some mod, the best choice is to submit an issue on the related git repository or forum trhead: this will ensure that the mod will be updated for everyone using it and will reduce the number of forks.

However, I will try to keep everything running smoothly as long as possible.

Fingers crossed.

EDIT:
The depth-related issues might be due to DF Style Caverns, that's the only mod - except "undersky" - that I think could be messing with the map generator.

[Hamlet]

Released v3.1.2

Changed:
- Fixes for hq_tweaks (thank you to Goats)

[goats]

Note: this is for anyone who might find the information useful - it isn't just for unloading potential bug reports on Hamlet. :) Please excuse my wall of text if it is unhelpful. It is also a bit anachronistic - i was going back and retesting while writing, so things were added, and i didn't re-edit the narrative bits entirely.


It's definitely dfcaverns. I removed this mod and dug happily with no problems. Or not the maximum crazy problems. I did hit the item_drop / falling bug again (which is pretty rare in my experience) when dropping a lot of cobble against a wall. Reloading this world results in an immediate shutdown with the error repeated. But hey, that's what multiple copies of test worlds are for.
(Item drop does other weird unexpected things in general, like leaving objects floating 2 or more nodes high, or sometimes they just move around a little and sail off over the horizon. See you, default_grass.)

Spoiler

ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer right-clicks object 602: LuaEntitySAO "__builtin:falling_node" at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer right-clicks object 610: LuaEntitySAO "__builtin:falling_node" at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer right-clicks object 610: LuaEntitySAO "__builtin:falling_node" at (-512,-217,137)
ACTION[Server]: singleplayer places node default:cobble at (-512,-217,137)
ERROR[Main]: ServerError: AsyncErr: ServerThread::run Lua: Runtime error from mod '*builtin*' in callback luaentity_Step(): /hamlets_quest/mods/CHARACTER/item_drop/init.lua:381: attempt to index local 'player' (a nil value)
ERROR[Main]: stack traceback:
ERROR[Main]: /hamlets_quest/mods/CHARACTER/item_drop/init.lua:381: in function 'handle_node_drops'
ERROR[Main]: /builtin/game/item.lua:613: in function 'on_dig'
ERROR[Main]: /builtin/game/falling.lua:248: in function 'try_place'
ERROR[Main]: /builtin/game/falling.lua:358: in function < /builtin/game/falling.lua:273>
ACTION[Main]: Server: Shutting down

Here's a thing, though: dfcaverns in 2.5.2 (although it seems more stripped-down than the one in HQ 3.x) does not cause the same problems. I'm thinking about taking it apart in small bits to see if i can narrow down the offending files.

Yes, i imagine maintaining stacks of other people's mods to keep a game together to be an unenviable task. Maintaining one's own work against engine changes must be challenge (or at least time-consuming) enough. I'm impressed by those of you who make the effort to keep projects alive. I will definitely report a known problematic mod to the mod owner, although i may check with a game owner to make sure they aren't employing a customized version. I generally do not often play around with mods as such, but i may have the experience more soon, since they can be tested in isolation.

But since i've been doing this, i'll mention some other far less severe odd or unexpected behaviors which i thought i would replicate to make sure i wasn't hallucinating. I may try to see if i can understand why they happen, but here they are:

Axe instant break: Not tested with other axes, as i never had metals to work with. (Will check further since i can dig now, or just use /giveme.) To replicate: Before successfully mining 1 choppy node (i.e., tree) with axe, mine any other node such as leaves, grass, dirt. The axe will break immediately. This does not occur after mining one choppy node per axe. Tested now with steel axe, same behavior. Does not happen in MTG. ... OK, it also happens with picks, if the first node you dig is not stone (e.g., dirt).

The toaster notification for new crafts available is really rather misleading. I mostly do not pay attention to this sort of thing, but it got my attention a few times. Might confuse a new player. I might guess what it is counting as recipes, but the numbers seem excessive, particularly when you log back into a world and the firt thing you see is "267 new recipes". :D I guess i need to look at each possible iteration once.

On a similar note, the guide also does odd things like insisting that the only possible use for cotton is to burn it. I actually use jp's guide when i poke around mtg and feel like a craftguide, because it isn't overbearing and packed with feature-creep, so i'll try to see if it does something similar in other games.

This one had me going spare: Crafting a bucket. I couldn't figure how i could craft a wooden bucket in one world, but not another. During all the other testing and maybe 7 worlds later, i realized that sometimes you can craft wooden bowls, and sometimes you craft food-only bowls with the same recipe, and drink-only bowls with a different recipe. I do not know which conditions cause the switch between legacy and newer recipes, but it seems like if i get the "legacy" craft, it is rare to occur, and only happens once per world. After much checking, it seems that the two different bowls are new in 3.1.0. Further, it appears that the legacy craft reappears if the craftguide is not loaded, so maybe something broke the craftguide and i never noticed. ( i have no idea how i either figured out wood slabs or accidentally made them so the new recipe appeared in craftguide.) Maybe something idiopathic with particular worlds, corrupted somehow. I had really bizarre and non-reproducible adventure with XaEnvironment at one point, so... back to cosmic rays.

Posting before i accidentally add anything else, i have had this tab open for hours. (So long, in fact, that the form became invalid, and i have http result 504 trying to reload the forum.) :D To Hamlet: Thanks for the great game, fantastic if you have bugfixes in the future, understandable if you do not. Best wishes.

[goats]

Edited.

I thought 3.1.2 fixed the softlock / you-are-playing-a-game-but-not-really problem when going below y -50-ish. It turns out i had only been as low as y -106. Testing again with the same new world and an old one, the issue did not occur until -110 and -114. On the plus side, one can find copper, native copper, and tin at these depths. Not sure why the nope-depth appears to be consistently doubled, but it happened once before when i was able to restart a crashed world and continue past -50 on a second or third attempt, only to crash at -117 or so.

Another edit: Yeap, df_caverns does the same thing in otherwise-unmodified MTG. Things went sideways at y -108. Good call, Hamlet.

[Hamlet]

I have created a new branch, and removed DF Style Caverns,
the url is https://codeberg.org/Hamlet/hamlets_que ... df_caverns

zip: https://codeberg.org/Hamlet/hamlets_que ... averns.zip
tar.gz: https://codeberg.org/Hamlet/hamlets_que ... rns.tar.gz

Could you try using that to check if the bug is gone?
So that we can narrow the possible reasons that might cause it.

And, by the way, thanks for your help!

[goats]

I have just posted a report to the dfcaverns thread.
viewtopic.php?p=377423#p377423

I will certainly test your no_df_caverns branch. You are more than welcome. Thanks for all the work you do on your mods and game!

[Hamlet]

You're welcome!

To sum up, currently there are these issues:

DFCaverns - already discussed and reported

Tools instabreak if used on "wrong" nodes (e.g. pick on leaves) - this is Recycle-Age's fault, I will look into it.

Recipes' toasters - these are from the Crafting Guide; try using the latest version to see if thi behaviour is changed - installing and activating any mod already present in Hamlet's Quest will override the game's version.

Wooden bowls - this is not a bug: both "thirsty" and "farming redo" register a wooden bowl, respectively one for drinking and one for meals' recipes.
The first one has been used to craft wooden buckets, so I had two possibilities: disabling one and overriding the crafting recipes, or override the bowls' descriptions to make it clear that they are for different purposes - something like "this bowl acts as drinking glass" and "this bowl acts as a dish".

I felt like it was the easier and less bug-prone way, because I think that soon enough one stops using the "drinking bowl" after switching to canteens.

Conclusions:
I hope that DF Caverns will be fixed soon enough, I will try to fix Recycle Age.
I think that there's few to do about the crafting guide's toasters, maybe a viable solution would be to disable them toggling an option, if this gets added.
Wooden bowls, I could override their name and image to make them look like wooden drinking glasses to avoid confusion.

[goats]

I have no issues with 3.1.2 no_df_caverns branch so far. Been to y - 240 and spent quality time mining, returned to surface. So, thus far: MTG and HQ with dfcaverns break, HQ with dfcaverns removed by me, or from your new branch, does not break.

Recipes' toasters - (and other crafguide oddities): Sure, i will try loading a fresh copy from the mods folder and report back.

Wooden bowls - I understand that there was a change, but i was really certain that sometimes the old recipe was present instead of the new ones. I could be wrong! It definitely was the operant recipe when i accidentally broke the craftguide by removing df_caverns. Changing the recipe was certainly fine. The bowls are visually distinct and have a clear description on mouseover. I was just used to the old behavior, and maybe switching between game and engine versions too often and lost track. (Also i would almost never intentionally make wooden slabs, although i have crafted all sorts of things i wouldn't normally do when using progressive mode guides, just to activate recipes. That's just me, and probably unlike most people.)

I have no idea about the tools. I just make sure to use them on their primary intended nodes once first, before poking dirt or grass or something just because it happens the be in the wielded slot at the moment. :D

Edit: Just got a reply notification from dfcaverns thread. Freegamers says it is likely lag from new overgeneration features and pointed to some other discussions. So... anyone with an older / less capable machine should avoid the new version of dfcaverns, and use the no_df_caverns branch of HQ. It is apparently otherwise not broken, just processor-intensive. (So intensive the game and the engine cannot exit normally on machines like mine.)