40d:Reclaim fortress mode

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v50.14 · v0.47 · v0.34 · v0.31 · v0.28.181.40d · v0.23 This article is about an older version of DF. More Info · V

To reclaim a fortress you can hit R on the fortress location choice screen. This will let you return to a previously lost or abandoned fortress. The number of dwarves you reclaim with will depend on the nearby hostile monsters. These include both wild animals and Template:L left behind, as well as newly spawned inhabitants. It is possible to embark on a fortress incredibly infested with creatures. Most likely, you are slaughtered immediately, and if you reclaim, can get up to 70 dwarves.(usually near special caves or chasms with multiple caves)

Abandon fortress

If you are done with this effort at a fortress, you can abandon the fortress entirely. To do this, hit esc, then scroll down to Abandon the Fortress, and hit Enter. There will be a confirmation screen, as this decision cannot be undone - if you are sure, hit yes. (But it might not hurt to make a copy of the game file first, just in case.)

When you abandon a fortress, that locale in the "Local" pre-embark map is no longer available for embarking, but any other area in that game world now becomes open for a new Fortress. Or, if you wish, you can reclaim that previous location, which is significantly different than starting a new fortress (see below). You can also now visit that abandoned fortress in Template:L.

Preparation for Reclaim

When you prepare for the journey, the Template:Ls screen is different from standard Template:L but the Items screen is the same.

The skills screen in reclaim mode shows a list of Template:L on the left and the list of skills on the right. The skill list shows the total number of dwarves with that skill, not the skill level of the selected dwarf. The skills of the selected dwarf are shown highlighted in green. Each of your starting dwarves is allowed one Template:L skill and one domestic Template:L. If you do not like the randomly generated profession (highlighted in green) for the selected dwarf, you can move the selector right and pick a new profession with Enter. The equipment screen is the same as standard Fortress mode. Military skills are handled the same way as professions, though all start off as Template:L, Template:L, and Template:L and the military skill is highlighted in red. They are organized in squads of seven.

Choosing specific professions will result in the dwarf having (without addition of Template:L) the matching skill. General professions (Template:L, Template:L, Template:L, Template:L, Template:L, Template:L, Template:L, Template:L, Template:L) give novice skill level in each of the specialist skills in the same way as incoming Template:L have them in dwarf fortress mode. Additionally, if no dwarf is marked as a trader, whichever dwarf is trading at the depot the first time the Template:L menu is opened, even if no trade is made, will instantly become a competent Template:L (though not a better Template:L).

As for items, your dwarves will start fully equipped with Template:L Template:L Template:L and Template:L that match their military skill; it is therefore safe to not take extra Template:Ls with you. If your fortress had one or more Template:Ls they will most likely also still be there, so you can ditch the anvil for, say, a horde of Template:Ls, lots of Template:L or more Template:Ls.

Arrival

Upon arrival, you will see the items you left behind randomly flung about, Template:L will be either destroyed or unclaimed, and all objects will be aged according to how long the place has been abandoned, so Template:L will mostly be rotten or gone and dead bodies too will be rotting, Template:Ls or gone. All objects will also be Template:L. Forbidden is a good thing, at least if you're reclaiming a fortress that was conquered by beasties or invaders, as it keeps your Template:L from rushing off on hauling jobs to the middle of enemy-infested nowhere.

Your dwarves start in military mode. You will have to clear out any invaders to make use of the fort, and then reclaim the items and buildings in the safe sections. Once you've got a usable section of the fortress, you can start releasing your dwarves from military duty m so that they can start getting back to regular fortress life. Also note that your dwarves will want to reclaim, stockpile, sort and entomb all the bones of the previous inhabitants, so a happy fortress may require a lot of Template:Ls, depending upon how far along the fortress was when it failed.

Reclaiming buildings

In order to reclaim a building for your dwarves to use, say a Template:L, you will need to reclaim all of the items that make up that Template:L. You can do this two ways. First, you can hit t and move the cursor over the building, which will show all of the items within the building. This includes the materials used to build it. Just hit f on each one to reclaim those items. Alternatively, when you are reclaiming items via the Stock screen any items that are part of a building can be reclaimed there as well. However, you won't know which ones those are, so for specific workshops it's easiest if you claim each one separately.

It is also possible to designate multiple items and workshops by using d > b (>c claim is defaulted). This makes it easier to clean up everything and reclaim undisturbed stockpiles.

Remaining living dwarves

If you abandoned your fortress before all your dwarves died, you may see some of the previous occupants wandering around. Currently, that's exactly what they'll continue to do - wander aimlessly. If they die, they will go to your graveyard stockpile, but your dwarves don't care if they're entombed or left to rot. Mostly they just get in your way, but a few of them may be useful. They will not use your workshops, but Template:L will fish, endlessly flinging their catch onto the ground for others to pick up. An exception to this is any insane dwarves that were left in your fortress when you abandoned it. They will remain hostile to the reclaiming forces as well.

Remaining monsters

If you lost the fortress to a megabeast or a Template:L Template:L, then the monsters will still be around, but hidden on the unit list. When a monster is discovered, it will be announced with "an ambush, drive them out".

Bugs

• In some versions, reclaiming a fortress located on a goblin outpost will calculate the size of your force based upon the wealth of the goblins, resulting in a huge reclamation army.
• Frequently, forces that were hostile when you abandoned are friendly when you reclaim, and visible on the unit list.
• Reclaiming a fortress frequently breaks your ability to construct magma buildings, whether you discovered magma before or after the reclaim. You may use buildings built before the reclaim but may not be able to build new ones.

Differences from Template:L

All dwarves know each other and are friends. This means, if one dwarf dies, it can start a Template:L.