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Editing 40d:How to safely start fortress mode
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− | + | This guide was compiled by Yanlin (And the users) for the users. Basically it contains Yanlin's personal advice with the advice of others taking a higher rank. | |
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− | + | The page has not yet been completely made wiki friendly and it is a WIP. | |
− | + | =The guide= | |
− | + | All advice in the replies will be summed up here in user friendly bits. | |
− | + | ==Dwarf jobs and happiness== | |
− | + | Don't try to take one of everything at the start. All jobs that will be run almost constantly can just be done by an [[Immigration|immigrant]]. For example, start with one [[mason]] working like a madman churning out [[door]]s and such. Then when you get your first wave, start at least 4 mason [[workshop]]s and make them churn out standard [[room]]s. If you can make an apartment complex instead of a huge [[Barracks|barracks]] room, you get yourself a good [[Thought|happy bonus]]. -Yanlin | |
+ | * Legendary dining room is all you need. It is so useful it makes rooms better than barracks merely a roleplay thing. Also, dabbling masons should work on blocks, not furniture. -Someone-else | ||
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− | [[ | + | Legendary [[dining room]]s: Any room that's about 5x5, fully engraved and has maybe 4 tables and chairs will be legendary from my experience. I usually take a proficient [[engraver]] with me on the start to speed it up and it also helps if he is the only one doing the engravings. Legendary dining rooms can make dwarves forget even the most horrible things! Even death. -Yanlin |
+ | * Average artifact in a small plain room with crappy tables and thrones counts as legendary dining room too. -Someone-else | ||
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− | + | A fort divided does not stand. Make sure your dwarves don't run around like idiots. -Yanlin | |
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− | + | [[Cave adaptation]]: I set up a simple system. There is only one exit out of my apartment complex. My apartment complex spans multiple [[Z-axis|floors]] and each one has the entire entrance in light state. How? Well light passes through [[Floor#Construction|floors]]! Go figure. This is how I do it. I [[channel[[ out the entire entrance from the top to the level I am currently building in. I [[Wall#Construction|wall]] it in on the top to prevent [[goblin]]s and other nasty stuff from jumping or firing in. I create a small "maintenance" tunnel going near the channeling area so that the channelers have access to it. It's simple really. When the channeling grinds to a halt, pave all the channeled areas with floors. I never tested [[wood]] floors. (What kind of idiot wastes wood on anything but [[bin]]s, [[bucket]]s, [[barrel]]s and [[bed]]s?) -Yanlin | |
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− | + | [[Stone]] [[stockpile]]s: NO! NOT A CHANCE! But if you set up a special workshop for churning out expensive items, set up a stockpile that accepts only that one kind of expensive rock. Setting up a small stone stockpile under your masonry workshop is a good idea though. -Yanlin | |
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− | + | [[Hauling|Haulers]]: Have at least 5-10 free peasants for hauling. Usually my fortress can run on just my 7 starting dwarves. I can easily supply 60 dwarves worth of [[food]] and [[Alcohol|booze]] while the rest do the odd job here and there. -Yanlin | |
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− | + | Micromanagement: Only your core dwarves need it. The rest can just do anything they want. -Yanlin | |
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− | [[ | + | [[Fishing]]: Not worth it. Only the [[shell]]s are worth it. -Yanlin |
− | + | * However, fishing can give you lots and lots of fishbones, which can then be made into bone bolts that Dwarves use for practice. Very useful on maps without trees. - HisMajestyBOB | |
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− | [[ | + | [[Ambusher|Hunting]]: Worth it. But at least give your [[hunter]] some [[armor]]. -Yanlin |
+ | * Do not waste starting dwarf on it. This is job for immigrants. -Someone-else | ||
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− | [[ | + | [[Farm plot|Farm]] size: 10x10 of [[plump helmet]]s without fertilizing will feed 500 dwarves. A 5x5 field WITH fertilizing will feed about 500 dwarves. Do the math. (Rough estimates. Untested.) -Yanlin |
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− | + | [[Cloth]]: [[Pig tail]]s will provide you all the cloth you need and booze too. -Yanlin | |
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− | [[ | + | Buying your first [[anvil]]: Mugging. No not robbing the [[Trading|merchant]]. Making tons and tons of stone [[Goblet|mugs]]! You'd be amazed how much you can buy with a few bins worth of mugs. Each stone gives 3 mugs and a skilled mason can make enough to... Well... Buy anything you need. Remember, [[Craftsdwarf|craftsdwarves]] are GOOD! -Yanlin |
+ | * Mechanic is the way to go. Not only are mechanisms single items (less hauling) but also aren't useless. Prepared food is very good too, though it needs 3 dwarves working (planter, brewer and cook. Combining them into one dwarf is bad thing). Craftdwarves aren't really useful at start and are almost totally useless after that. -Someone-else | ||
+ | * Scrape up enough to buy at least 2 cheese then cook the cheese. Use the cooked cheese to buy the rest of the cheese. Cook the rest of the cheese. Buy out the rest of the caravan with the new meal. -Ikko | ||
− | [[ | + | [[Nobles]]: Give them a huge [[bedroom]], huge [[office]] and cram it up with some decorations and [[engraving]]s. That should keep em happy for a while. -Yanlin |
+ | * If you happen to have artifact furniture just build one room of average size, but few beds, tables and thrones in it and make it a "noble room". Artifact will boost its value enough for all dwarves who aren't kings unless it's made from one log, stone, bone, shell or the like. -Someone-else | ||
− | + | ==Pets and food animals== | |
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− | + | [[Cat|Cats]]. DO NOT DO IT! IT IS NOT WORTH IT! -Yanlin | |
+ | * Wrong. Having one cat will not only boost dwarves' mood (no [[vermin|rats]] and other ugly crap) but will also make your food safer. -Someone-else | ||
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− | + | [[Dog|Dogs]]. DO IT! IT IS WORTH IT! -Yanlin | |
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− | + | Shamelessly kill off any newborn pets to prevent overpopulation. Especially useful on cats. -HisMajestyBOB | |
− | + | * Or put them in a [[cage]] as an [[butchering|emergency food source]]. Caged animals do not breed, block paths or waste CPU power on pathfinding. -Someone-else | |
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− | + | Dogs give a lot of bang for your buck. | |
+ | They are a good source of [[food|meat]]. You just pay 16 bucks for them upon embark, if I remember correctly. This might be a little bit more than the price of 5 meat (which is 10 bucks) but you have to take into account that they get offspring, son that 20 dogs of the first year might turn into 30 dogs or more in the second year. | ||
+ | when you slaughter them each dog gives you 5 meat, 5 [[bones]], a [[skin|hide]] and a [[skull]]. This as well as the fact that dogs, in contrast to meat don't rot, makes it useful to buy at least some of them upon start. -Proteus | ||
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− | + | Dogs are better than cats. Dogs breed just as fast and you can have an army of wardogs slaughtering everything, not to mention they make an incredible [[thief]] defense. Simply put a meeting zone across the entrance to your fort, then you'll have all eleventy billion dogs wandering around in that meeting zone. Any thief is instantly turned into [[kobold]] kibble, and they're quite handly at dealing with smaller sieges too. | |
+ | Also you can slaughter dogs at whim, whereas you can't slaughter an owned pet. -Hyndis | ||
− | === | + | ==Defense== |
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− | + | An army of peasants is a good thing if you think about it. Churn out a few [[crossbow|crossbows]] and [[ammo|bolts]]. Even copper weapons can take down most sieges you will probably get. -Yanlin | |
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− | + | [[Goblin]] babysnatchers and Kobold thieves. One dog on a [[chain]] will kill them on contact. Especially a war dog. I usually buy a few chains at the embarkment. -Yanlin | |
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− | + | Security. [[traps|Stonefall traps]] at the entrance help. After you need more than that, you probably have more than that. Make weapon traps that shoot or better yet, station [[marksdwarf|marksdwarves]] in [[fortifications]] outside your fort. Make sure to put them in a [[tower]]. -Yanlin | |
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− | + | You might want to bring along a rope and then wall in your fortress entrance so there is only one path. Then set a dog on the rope (Not a cat, those are more useful against vermin) beside the door to stop the sneaky sorts. -Gamerofthegame | |
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− | + | Weapon traps and marksdwarves = survival for for most -wendigo | |
− | + | ==Production and efficiency== | |
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− | + | [[Glass]]. You want [[sand]] on your map. It is awesome advice to have sand on your map. Remember. Glass is EASY to make especially if you can get a source of [[fuel]] for your forge. You can make almost everything out of glass. If you can get a [[magma glass furnace]], you win. -Yanlin | |
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− | + | [[Iron]]. You want it. If you didn't find iron, I suggest just starting over in another location or if you feel determined, buy it. But it can get costly. -Yanlin | |
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− | + | Common [[barrel]] exploit. Each piece of meat and [[alcohol|booze]] you bring with you, will give you one free barrel. 5 of each can fit in a barrel and if you take 6 of something, you get 2 barrels. Etc. -Flok Speargrabber | |
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− | + | [[turtle|Turtles]] are AWESOME! -Flok Speargrabber | |
+ | * Be sure to disable bones and [[shells]] in your early outdoor refuse [[stockpile]] so you don't waste turtles' awesomeness. -Someone-else | ||
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+ | Bringing a few [[seeds]] of everything along with you is wise. (I suggest bringing plenty of [[plump helmet]] and [[pig tail]] seeds.) -Flok Speargrabber | ||
+ | * The second advice is bad. Just start your [[farm plot|farm]] soon and brew what you can and you will have more seeds than need. As for bringing everything: 1 seed each is enough. [[Rock nuts]] are useless before you have food chain and plenty of bags. -Someone-else | ||
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+ | [[immigration|Immigrants]] are good for [[fishing]] that pesky [[carp]]. (Well not really. But they are good for fishing nonetheless.) -blakyoshi7 | ||
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+ | Farming. The best source of food. If you don't want to "Cheat" you can just plant a big plump helmet farm. Make sure you don't cook it all though. Make sure at least some goes into booze. Booze and eating raw returns seeds. [[Cooking]] destroys them. Alternatively you can cook the booze. That creates a cheatish infinate supply of food. -Yanlin | ||
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+ | [[Wood]]. You don't really NEED a heavily forested map. Assuming you will make about 100 [[beds]] during 3 years and some barrels, [[bucket|buckets]] and [[bins]], you only need about 500 [[tree|trees]]. Might sound like not enough on a non heavily forested map right? Well wrong. Trees DO grow back. Even a lightly forested map has at least 200 trees from what I could tell. -Yanlin | ||
+ | * If you plan on doing a lot of metalsmithing on a map with no magma, or a lot of clear glass or soap, you will need a lot of wood for charcoal and ash. -Bouchart | ||
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+ | Pig tails are good to bring, as a source of booze that your dwarfs won't accidentally eat up before it's turned into it's sweet elixir of happiness. -Overdose | ||
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+ | Pigtail makes great booze. It helps keep your dwarves happy and avoid the "Tired of same booze" unhappy thought. -motorbitch | ||
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+ | You need [[cloth]] only for [[strange mood|strange moods]]. You can easily buy all the cloth you need and have your [[farmer|farmers]] do more useful work. -motorbitch | ||
+ | * Wrong. Glass industry requires many bags. -Someone-else | ||
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+ | Two humped camels are good for farming as they yield a lot. Consider this option to diversify your meals. Also helps if you want to avoid the booze food exploit.- motorbitch | ||
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+ | Lopped off body parts create small bones that are rather useless. (Training bolts are never really useless as you should have too many bins anyway.) -motorbitch | ||
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+ | You should only put a priority on [[Magma]] if you have the ability to make glass with it. If so, it should be one of your first things. -Gamerofthegame | ||
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+ | Have your [[carpenter]](s) craft a steady flow of beds/barrels/bins -wendigo | ||
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+ | Run a [[still]] nonstop. Get those seeds, distill that booze. -wendigo | ||
+ | * If you have many barrels filled with booze and no free ones just cook some beer biscuits. Not only they will make your dwarves happier but also will train your cook and let your brewer continue his work. Don't do this if you have no plants to brew. -Someone-else | ||
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+ | Metalworking is desirable, but not crucial. -wendigo | ||
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+ | I set every dwarf in the fortress to [[butcher]] and [[skin|tan]]. Its a very high priority job since the corpses and skins will rapidly decay, and by setting every single dwarf to be able to perform this task (skill doesn't matter, a dabbling dwarf does just as well as a legendary dwarf) there's a very high probability it will get done in time. If you have a lot of corpses to process, simply build a bunch of butcher and tanner workshops. -Hyndis | ||
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+ | ===Wood is useful for:=== | ||
+ | [[Beds]] - [[Bins]] - [[Barrels]] - [[spike|Spikes]] - [[Screw pump|Pump parts]] - [[Windmill|Windmills]] and [[water]] wheels | ||
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+ | -Flok Speargrabber | ||
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+ | ===Stone is good for:=== | ||
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+ | [[Statues]] - [[chest|Coffers]] - [[cabinet|Cabinets]] - [[Coffins]] - [[trade|Trade goods]] - [[Doors]] - [[Floodgates]] - [[chair|Chairs]] - [[table|Tables]] - [[Blocks]] for [[road|roads]] and [[floor|floors]] (More brick-y than block-y) | ||
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+ | -Flok Speargrabber | ||
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+ | ===Metal is good for:=== | ||
+ | [[Weapons]] - [[Armor ]] - Magma-safe pumps - Expensive statues - Noble orders, usually, unless they don't want a special metal item | ||
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+ | -Flok Speargrabber | ||
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+ | ==Performance== | ||
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+ | Cats are not as bad as they used to be. Now slaughtering the newborns is easy enough and with the new partial print feature, they are not the huge FPS problem they used to be. They are also, like dogs: a good source of meat and such. -Vaftrudner | ||
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+ | Don't bother with clothes. They don't really do anything and lag your FPS because they get checked every moment. Your dwarves wont mind walking around nude and no one is going to judge them about it. (Politically it does not matter.) -motorbitch | ||
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+ | Bring a cage. Just one. You can use it to stuff your excess creatures. Mainly anything outside two cats and maybe two dogs. -Gamerofthegame | ||
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+ | ==Special conditions== | ||
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+ | You could bring five picks and 300 logs if you're on a treeless map. Just don't make stuff from wood if you can make them from something else. (Stockpile = bad) -Ashery | ||
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+ | =Adding your own advice= | ||
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+ | If you wish to add your own advice, do so in a grammatically correct manner. Links are not mandatory but desired. Remember to sign it with one space, a dash and then your name. | ||
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+ | -NameHere | ||
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+ | If you think the advice is poor, do not add it. The last thing Yanlin needs is more pruning of bad advice. | ||
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+ | ==Formatting== | ||
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+ | Keep two lines of space after the advice above yours. Do not add it into the middle of the section. | ||
+ | Big advices deserve their own subcategory. But don't just sprinkle them around like an idiot. | ||
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+ | Keep 3 lines of space under your advice to the next category. | ||
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+ | All this formatting is needed so the guide does not become a hard to read wall of text. | ||
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+ | =WIP= | ||
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+ | This page still needs links to other articles. If you see a word or sentence that should be linked to a particular page, please add it. Make sure to tick the "This is a minor edit" button if you are not doing a big overhaul of the links. | ||
{{Starting FAQ}} | {{Starting FAQ}} | ||
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