How to see real item value?

[Kligan]

I have a masterful stepladder that was encrusted with glass, gems and polished stone... Idk why my jeweler chose to put all that stuff in just one ladder, instead of several differnt items, but whatever.

The point is, it's value was "~1000" after the first encrust. After the second it was still "~1000". And after the third... still "~1000".

I assume the dwarves just can't figure out the real value of an item? How do I appraise it more precicely? I have a broker, but that doesn't seem to do anything. I don't want to trade this item to the next caravan for a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ prise.

[Morkonan]

AFAIK, this: https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Bookkeeper

edit: IOW, your dorfs aren't smart enough or dedicated enough to figure it out for themselves unless they really concentrate on doing so. (ie: Bookkeeper's job)

[McFuzz]

Yeah my 400k value fort just had the bookkeeper die and the new guy's like "idk, the fort's like 2750* value?"

[AlP]

The base value of the stepladder is 50. For wood material, x1. For masterful, that is x12, so 600. Same calculation for every decoration.

To train your broker's Appraisal skill, make sure you use him to open the trade screen when the caravan arrives. Whichever dwarf first opens that screen gains the experience.

[Kligan]

I have a bookkeeper. He's a "talented record keeper".
But he's either lazy or I don;t know, because that damn priceless stepladder was at "~1000" for a while now :D

[AlP]

Originally posted by Morkonan:

AFAIK, this: https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Bookkeeper

edit: IOW, your dorfs aren't smart enough or dedicated enough to figure it out for themselves unless they really concentrate on doing so. (ie: Bookkeeper's job)

The Broker is the dwarf that shows the item values, not the bookkeeper. The Appraisal skill is used for that.

[Kligan]

Originally posted by AlP:

Originally posted by Morkonan:

AFAIK, this: https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Bookkeeper

edit: IOW, your dorfs aren't smart enough or dedicated enough to figure it out for themselves unless they really concentrate on doing so. (ie: Bookkeeper's job)

The Broker is the dwarf that shows the item values, not the bookkeeper. The Appraisal skill is used for that.

Do I have to do something to make the broker to appraise valuable items? He has "competent appraiser". Does he need an office or something?

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by AlP:

Originally posted by Morkonan:

AFAIK, this: https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Bookkeeper

edit: IOW, your dorfs aren't smart enough or dedicated enough to figure it out for themselves unless they really concentrate on doing so. (ie: Bookkeeper's job)

The Broker is the dwarf that shows the item values, not the bookkeeper. The Appraisal skill is used for that.

Ah, gotcha! Thanks!

https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Appraiser

[AlP]

Originally posted by Kligan:

Originally posted by AlP:

The Broker is the dwarf that shows the item values, not the bookkeeper. The Appraisal skill is used for that.

Do I have to do something to make the broker to appraise valuable items? He has "competent appraiser". Does he need an office or something?

No, he just needs to live in the fortress.

[Kligan]

Originally posted by AlP:

Originally posted by Kligan:

Do I have to do something to make the broker to appraise valuable items? He has "competent appraiser". Does he need an office or something?

No, he just needs to live in the fortress.

So what you're saying is he's just lazy... I wish I could put him on "no booze" diet until he appraises everything!

[Xcorps]

You'll check the Nobles and Administrators page on the lower left, hover over the icons next the the administrator and it will tell you their needs.

[AlP]

Originally posted by Kligan:

Originally posted by AlP:

No, he just needs to live in the fortress.

So what you're saying is he's just lazy... I wish I could put him on "no booze" diet until he appraises everything!

He's not lazy, he's a noob at appraising.

Competent is just level 3 out of 15.

[Goatseface Killah]

IIRC the broker's skill shows you the item's worth once it's up for trading, the higher the skill the closer to the true value it is. Bookkeeping tracks how accurate the total worth of your fort is to you, which is "fuzzed" after calculating the true worth internally without max accuracy.