How can I obtain ranged weapons for my gnomes?

[ryan18181]

Thanks in advance

[Proteus]

By doing research ... ranged weapons are unlocked with a certain level of mechanics ... with other words, you need to have a tinker bench and let the gnomes use it to attain a high enough mechanical tech level

[Guy_From_Hell]

You want to start tinkering very early because it's a ve-e-ery long process.

[lPaladinl]

Originally posted by Guy_From_Hell:

You want to start tinkering very early because it's a ve-e-ery long process.:ftired:

A long process, but by the time you get your first research tier done, your Gnome will likely have over 100 Tinkering skill, and it just explodes from there on out. Still takes quite a while, but by some freak of nature of the Gnomes, they get exponentially faster at research.

This also makes it much more painful to lose your Tinkerer Gnome however, but in most cases you likely have them tucked away safely in a dark corner, alone, deprived of any interaction with other Gnomes, with nothing more than their daily allowance of food and drink and any form of bed, even primitive, located directly next to their cramped workspace for maximum efficiency. Oh, and no Bathrooms. Gnomes don't need those. I assume they just use the floor wherever they please.

But yeah, Gotta get Tinkerer Gnomes, and it will take a long time to get your first Research. I'm just pulling a guesstimate out of my bum here, but I would say they usually take around a Year to get the first thing done. I usually neglect to properly get tinkering going till very late into the game. It's all just... fuzzy images to me now...

Gnomes don't need to go outside. Studies have proven they work better in dark cave workspaces. My studies. ...Yes..

[theystillspyillegally]

Build more than one tinker bench. Build as many as you get tinkerers for. All your farmers can tinker all winter. Move priority up in each tinker gnomes profession tab so they do that right after farming, as no one wants to starve. You can add the tinker skill to any gnome, try to find ones with 10-12 or higher for max efficiency, but any gnome will help the process. I build 4-8 benches in any given community. Gets it DONE in <2 years. Most of them stay there most of the time. I forgo big building projects (as this is what my builders do when not building, and what my farmers do when not farming) and don't make a whole lot else until I get blunderbusses, then it's clear sailing ahead. Once blunderbusses get invented, make bronze or preferrably steel ones (best)... some lead or steel ammo and you'll be set for anything, just about. Keep an eye on ammo once you get there and even STONE ammo from the stone mason will do. Good luck!
Also, my gnomes don't live in a cave. They live in housing projects, townhouses, rowhomes, and even soviet apartment blocks. Yes, I really build a gnome-ghetto. It's awesome, and it's not even automatically causing a high crime area about it like the Gnomedia said it would! Pox on them!
Edit: Actually, any gnome you find, that is idle, add the tinker skill to. You'll be amazed how smart the little buggers get when they can't go back to thier quarters and do nothing besides browse the Gnominternet all night lookin at dirty pix of goblins.... heh