23a:Preferences

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v50.12 · v0.47 · v0.34 · v0.31 · v0.28 · v0.23.130.23a This article is about an older version of DF. More Info · V

Every dwarf is born with a unique personality that includes likes and dislikes.

Possible Objects of Affection or Revulsion

Each dwarf prefers particular materials, objects, animals, and foods. These types may or may not be generally thought of as preferable, valuable or even useful. A given dwarf may display many, a few, or (theoretically) even none of these preferences.

Each unit's preferences consist of the following:

• Various materials:
  • a random gray stone, light stone, or dark stone
  • 1/2 chance of a metal - gold, iron, copper, silver, brass, tin, bronze, steel, electrum (only visible once the dungeon master arrives), or platinum
  • 1/2 chance of a random ornamental, semi-precious, precious, or rare gem
  • 1/5 chance of a random type of wood
  • 1/7 chance of a random type of glass
  • 1/3 chance of a random type of leather, visible once creature is known
  • 1/2 chance of a random decoration material - ivory, jade, coral, horn, amber, or pearl
  • 1/7 chance of a random type of bone, visible once creature is known
  • 1/14 chance of a random type of shell, visible once creature is known
  • 1/14 chance of a random type of silk, visible once creature is known
  • 1/7 chance of a random type of plant cloth, visible once plant is known
• 1/2 chance of a random color
• 1/5 chance of a random shape
• Various types of items:
  • 1/3 chance of a random weapon (4/5) or ammo(1/5) (1% exotic)
    • The miners guild leader likes all digging implements, and cult leaders like all weapons using their matching skill
  • 1/3 chance of a random piece of armor (1% exotic)
  • 1/7 chance of a random piece of clothing (including backpacks or quivers) (1% exotic)
  • 1/3 chance of a random type of furniture - doors, floodgates, beds, chairs, windows, cages, barrels, tables, coffins, statues, boxes, armor stands, weapon racks, cabinets, or bins
  • 1/3 chance of a random craft - figurines, amulets, scepters, crowns, rings, earrings, bracelets, or large gems
  • 1/3 chance of a random miscellaneous item - catapult parts, ballista parts, a type of siege ammunition (1% exotic), a trap component (1% exotic), coins, anvils, totems (20% chance), chains, flasks, goblets, buckets, animal traps, an instrument (1% exotic), or a toy (1% exotic)
• Various types of food:
  • 1/2 chance of a random type of meat, visible once creature is known
  • 1/3 chance of a random type of fish, visible once creature is known
  • 1/10 chance of a random type of cheese, visible once creature is known
  • 1/10 chance of a random type of edible plant (50% exotic), visible once plant is known
  • a random type of alcohol (50% exotic), visible once plant is known
  • 1/7 chance of a random cookable plant/creature extract (50% exotic), visible once plant/creature is known
  • 1/14 chance of a random type of plant leaves (50% exotic), visible once plant is known
• Various creatures:
  • 1/2 chance of a random domestic animal
  • 1/2 chance of a random non-domestic animal (excluding wagons and one's own race), visible once creature is known
• detesting a random type of vermin (which isn't already explicitly liked)
• 1/50 chance of a random type of tree, visible once tree is known
• 1/10 chance of a random type of plant, visible once plant is known

Not all preferences are visible from the beginning - where indicated, a dwarf will only realize he/she likes something once it actually becomes available at your fortress, whether from hunting, plant gathering, or trading. Additionally, most preferences will only be for items which are available to the unit's civilization; if an "exotic" item is selected, it has a chance of being rejected in favor of another item type.

This information can be brought up either by typing v from the unit list, or by showing a dwarf and then typing p for Prefs, z to view profile, and enter to view thoughts and preferences.

Logem Datanamid likes Felsite, brass, Red spinel, crystal glass, giant mole leather, beds, animal traps, horses for their strength and bronze colossuses for their height. When possible, she prefers to consume salmon, Dwarven wheat flour and Dwarven rum. She absolutely detests flies.

She needs alcohol to get through the working day. She likes working outdoors and grumbles only mildly at inclement weather.

All dwarves "need alcohol to get through the working day" - that's part of being a dwarf. Going without alcohol for too long leads to withdrawal, adding the text "and is starting to work slowly due to its scarcity", "and really wants a drink", "and has gone without a drink for far, far too long", and finally "and can't even remember the last time he/she had some", progressively reducing work and movement speed.

One in every nine migrants (plus your initial 7 dwarves) will be described as "likes working outdoors and grumbles only mildly at inclement weather", meaning that they get significantly reduced happiness penalities from having to do without the comforts of civilization, and 2/9 migrants will have "does not mind being outdoors, at least for a time" and receive moderately reduced penalities from the same hardships. These dwarves are especially suited for hunting, wood cutting, plant gathering, and military service.

Dwarves who have been exposed to violence and death will gradually become accustomed to it, being described as "is getting used to tragedy", "is a hardened individual", and eventually "doesn't really care about anything anymore", receiving progressively reduced happiness penalties from certain unhappy thoughts.

Unlike other dwarves, the dungeon master's preferences are always the same.

Effect on Skill Use (Crafting)

A dwarf with a preference for a material or an object will produce higher-quality results for a given skill when working with that raw material or making that object. This is especially important in cases where you're short of raw materials to train on, as even a dabbling dwarf with the right preferences can occasionally produce quality objects. The dwarf above is not only an ideal candidate to become a glassmaker, she has real potential as a carpenter or even trapper as well.

Note that the material preferences can affect more than one stage in the production chain. If you're fortunate enough to have a dwarf who likes pig tail cloth, or giant cave spider silk, it will improve both their weaving and clothes making with those materials. Double preferences (steel and axes, obsidian and short swords, or clear glass and windows, for instance) are especially useful since they will provide double the benefit.

Effect on Thoughts and Behavior

Dwarves who prefer particular drinks or foods will seek them out instead of choosing whatever's closest or newest, and will get a more intense happiness boost from a given quality of food or drink. Dwarves without a preference for a drink will go for the newest brewed. The dwarf above will be especially grateful if you fish for salmon or include dwarven wheat flour in your prepared meals. The deciding factor is not the name of the meal but whether one or more of its ingredients is a favored one.

Dwarves will also try to acquire items they like; adopting pets, purchasing items from a shop, and in the case of nobles, demanding furniture in their rooms or mandating construction of items in their favourite stone/metal/gem.

Of particular note, dwarves that like cats are vulnerable to cuddly-wuddly syndrome.

Effect on Artifacts and Demands

A dwarf's preferences have a strong impact on their artifact construction during a strange mood - if it is possible to create an item from the moody dwarf's preferences with the chosen material and workshop, it will be created. If the dwarf has preferences for multiple types of items, then one will be randomly selected. This is the only way a dwarf can produce an exotic weapon.

In a similar vein, nobles will only mandate or prohibit trade of items or materials from their preferences list, often resulting in trouble if you rely on trading those items or materials. Any noble that likes a material you cannot reliably obtain (e.g. rare gems such as red diamond) should probably be dealt with at the earliest opportunity.