I think it would be a bad Idea to make the dirt like trees. If you do it that way since you can't detect which are selected, imp AI won't send an Idle imp to go dig if he's not inthe vicinity.
Right now, I'm planning to make dirt / gold both bebris (so it can be targetted by the heart) and gold targetted as "tree", so it can be harvested by imps.
The way I see an IMP AI is like this:
Every imp has a corresponding "last order" value, which stores its last order. If this was "return gold", then I check if he is still carrying gold. If he's not, then he's given the order to "dig".
When a unit has the dig order, he looks at the closest undigged marked wall, then harvests it if it's gold or attacks it if it's dirt.
The map generation sounds quite clever, so feel free to do it. You'll need a bugless system though... But I'm wondering now: gold/dirt = units or destructables? To sum up the differences:
units are easily manipulatable, and don't give many problems. A custom harvesting system is required though. They're marked by simply selecting them, aka left clicking on them. Large burden on your pc, so your 2 dimensional array system is probably not a luxury.
destructables aren't easily manipulatable, and do give problems, which I need to solve in one or another way. The default "peasant" harvest system can be used. Marking requires the selection of the heart and is done by rightclicking them. Might work just fine when they're massed (32k destructables)
Again, please tell me which you prefer.
Some answers on darkenneko's questions:
1) How do you mean? Like bile demons being attracted to much food, salamanders attracted to lava near your lair and trolls attracted to large workshops? Probably, yes.
2) No idea. Doors are probable to be in the game, yes, but it's not one of my priorities at the moment. Perhaps an alpha version won't include doors at all.
3) XP system: undetermined: for now, probably the default XP system. Minions fight and gain xp on each kill.
4) This is still not set in stone, and the "staff" is discussing it

5) See question 2. I'd love to, but right now we're still too busy with getting the
core mechanics of DK to work in warcraft.
I'm starting to question too how horny was summoned in DK2. anyway, I think it's most probable that the main way to summon him is by sacrificing creatures in the temple, like in the oldschool way
