Difference between revisions of "Tutorial:Powerplay Guide"

''This is an intermediate guide for Adventurer Mode. For a beginner's tutorial see the [[Adventure mode quick start|Adventure Mode Quickstart Guide]]. ''See [[Adventure Mode quick reference]] to look up key commands.

:''Updated to DF 0.44.02. Work in progress!

This guide focuses on powerplay: that is, building the most powerful combat-oriented character and achieving goals that can be considered "winning the game". Yet, fun is a priority, so there will be no glitch/bug abuse to get an advantage. For the most part, it's tailored towards players with some adventure mode experience, as there will be no explanation of basic gameplay elements, such as Fast ['''T''']ravelling, ['''R''']emoving an item, ['''W''']earing an armour or ['''S''']tanding up, and familiarity with fortress mode to the point of being able to make at least steel weapons/armor.

However, this does not mean that less experienced players will not benefit from this guide. All the combat mechanics, decisions and picks will be explained thoroughly without missing any steps. As long as one is familiar with hotkeys, he/she is all set for reading this. And don't forget about spoilers!

=Generating the world=

[[File:Stq3w89lf.png|thumb|right|400px|Example of a well-balanced world for an adventure game]]

While technically, every world is suitable for adventure mode, any player looking for a decent game should start in a world that has at least the following features:

*A [[DF2014:Tower (necromancy)|tower]]

*2 or 3 [[DF2014:Dark fortress|dark fortresses]]

*A [[vault]]

*A [[desert]]

*An [[island]] no more than 2 blocks away from the mainland

*A [[DF2014:Labyrinth|maze]]

You can check whether your world has a certain feature by starting the world in Legends mode.<br />

* A '''"Smaller"''' world size drastically reduces updating times, shortens the distance you will have to travel on foot and makes it more likely to explore more of the world. Don't get confused - even at this degree the generated world is much bigger than you would think, and is more than enough for a lengthy game while still preserving the features from bigger worlds.<br />

*A '''"Short"''' history setting will make the world 125 years old. This is done to ensure that goblin settlements (a.k.a [[dark pit]]s) are not too abundant. It also prevents a lot of takeover wars, so it is less likely to end up with dead civilization(s) or human towns populated by elves (or more likely, goblins).<br />

*A '''"High"''' number of civilizations provides increased chances of Towers and [[dark fortress]]es appearing. Same applies to the "High" Number of Sites, only that it also influences the amount of creature lairs and encampments in the wild.

*'''Number of Beasts''' determines how many megabeasts will roam the world. It is affected by the world size (e.g. Smaller), so it is left at default value. Same applies to Natural Savagery and Mineral occurrence.

'''IMPORTANT:''' As of 0.43.05, after creating the desirable world, you have two options:

'''Option 1''' - start a fortress mode game immediately (preferably, at the 2-tiles-away island mentioned above) and play until you create the following masterwork or artifact weapons: Axe(steel/adam), Spear(steel,adam), War Hammer (silver/platinum). Optionally, capture a Forgotten Beast and have the weapons coated with its flesh-eating seizure-inducing paralyzing dust. Optionally, produce a masterwork [[nether cap]] shield, a couple of masterwork stacks of steel bolts and a suit of adamantine armor. Retire the fort afterwards. You will return to your fort later on in the adventure mode game to reclaim the weapons for your character's use. Starting on an isle will guarantee safety from being besieged. It also provides an exciting challenge for your adventurer, who has to swim across the long strait (possibly filled with sea lampreys, bull sharks, giant orcas and other [[DF2014:Sea_monster|wondrous]] creatures).

'''Option 2''' - proceed with adventurer mode and play until you have earned some fame. Then retire the adventurer, enter fort mode, create a starting party, embark, carve basic rooms for dwarves, appoint a [[militia commander]] and one soldier. Then retire the fort. Next, go back to adventurer mode, unretire, travel to the location of your newly created fort and speak to the militia commander. Bring up your heroic deeds of valor (through "Bring up specific incident" menu). Then, ask the commander to be made a militiaman. Since you've already impressed him, the militia commander will make you a squad member, effectively granting you fort [[citizenship]] on the spot. Retire at the fort location, but ensure you do not have any lordships, or the adventurer will just travel back to their holding in the two weeks before fortress generation.

 

Afterwards, unretire the new fort.  Option two makes your adventurer playable in fortress mode, which is much more engaging than simply visiting the fort to collect the items. The adventurer is now a full part of the fort, able to be assigned labors and noble ranks, just like any dwarf could! You're now a new human commander of the fort (regardless of who holds the expedition leader title). Stand tall, lead your dwarves to create a burgeoning colony, and be '''directly''' interwoven in all its affairs! Feel the relevance of your newly-made weapons that were forged under your adventurer's firsthand guidance! Master the intricate craft of [[DF2014:Cheese maker|cheesemaking]]! And of course, make [[siege]]s personal by fighting alongside dwarven militia!

 

Don't forget that time flies MUCH quicker in fort mode, and human lifespan is half that of dwarves - make sure your adventurer is aging-proof before taking option 2. Also, you will be subject to skill and attribute [[DF2014:Skill#Skill_rust|rust]], which can be severe in the case of the Reader skill (make sure your fort has enough books to read). Remember - you're a part of the clan, just as mortal as any other denizen of the fort... And obviously, should your adventurer die in fort mode for whatever reason out of millions possible, he or she will be gone for good.

The character creation follows the same order as it appears in-game: Race/Civ/Status ->Starting Attributes/Skills->Background->Appearance -> Mental attributes.

Human or Dwarf - besides armour and clothing size, the only considerable gameplay difference is that dwarves can see in the dark. Some may argue that dwarves have an advantage due to being able to wear better armour, made in a player fortress. However, as of 0.43.05 it is possible to set the size of armor to be crafted to "Large", giving humans (and many other larger/smaller races) access to any armor a dwarf can wear. Moreover, later on you will realize that masterwork armour is just as useful as standard quality. More on this will be explained in "Armour" section. As for the dwarven "[[DF2014:Martial trance|Battle Trance]]" - it will not activate against megabeasts, generally doesn't benefit much to a legendarily skilled adventurer, moreover, this guide emphasizes on NOT finding yourself alone and surrounded most of the time. Hence, battle influence on race choice is negligible.

 

As of 0.43.05, it is now possible to play as one of the many [[animal people]], who have their own ups and downs that are numerous, and best discussed elsewhere.

 

Human will be used for this guide as the most accessible and reasonably challenging option.

Peasant, Hero and Demigod look completely different, with demigod seemingly holding the most advantage. However, all three are mortal, and all three are capable of becoming unstoppable. The key difference is in starting stats/skills (with Demigod beginning with most, Peasant with least) and stats cap (maximum attainable value).  

Simply put, the higher the starting stat (e.g. Strength), the higher it can be increased over the course of the game. Hence, demigods can have the highest stats in the end by simply having more to start with. Yet, even a Peasant adventurer is capable of killing a [[Demon]] or [[Dragon]] in the endgame, so at the end of the day all the status does '''is determine how easy and how fast your starting game will be.'''

"Hero" is suitable for most players. Pick Demigod for an easier early game. For the purposes of this guide, "Peasant" will be used to demonstrate that these instructions are applicable to every single status.

As of 0.43.05, all these stat distributions will leave no points wasted.

*Superior Strength (--)

Since your character is combat-based, attributes such as Creativity, Empathy and Musicality are absolutely useless, and must be kept low. As for recuperation and disease resistance, they only kick in when you're hurt, and if there is something that I stress in this guide it is "DON'T get hit". Besides, resting heals all injuries regardless of Recuperation value. This renders those stats useless. '''Agility and Strength''' are the MOST important as they affect move speed of the character, and that really matters. Memory is a convenient addition, as it lets you memorize the areas you've been to and keep those areas free from fog of war. However, leave it at average unless playing as a demigod.

The concept of pain was revised in 0.43.05, with thresholds significantly buffed for most creatures. Now a high willpower/toughness can and will prevent your adventurer (and enemy alike) from passing out due to broken pinky finger. Investing starting points in those stats is still a waste, however, as they are leveled relatively quickly, and do not need to be "Superior" or "Superhuman" to be effective. Endurance can be increased easily by sprinting, swimming or practicing melee skills. And while it matters at first, later on your character will have unlimited stamina, so don't put anything above average here. With average Social Awareness you can recruit two companions. Increasing your fighting skills and kill list will let you recruit more later. Seeing as it is very tedious to manage 3 and above companions (you have to give out orders one by one), this attribute is better left at average (more on Social Awareness will be explained in "Companions" section).

Finally, Intuition lets you see more detailed information on which part of your body the enemy is targeting. It is quickly leveled through any means of close combat, and hence, should be kept on average unless you play as a demigod.

Dodge skill is a must take at character creation, as it is one of the skills that cannot be leveled without putting yourself in harm's way. Same goes for Swimming. Any weapon skills are trainable in absolute safety, as will be described in the "Training" section. Reading, on the other hand, cannot be improved during regular play, and is only available for learning at starting skill selection screen, and must be taken in order to read books containing the secrets of Life and Death. Novice level reading skill allows you to read anything, there is no point in increasing it further.

It is advised to start as a hearthperson, since your character will begin inside of a human fortress, close to weapons and armor stockpiles. Gender and deity worshiped are insignificant beyond aesthetics and roleplay. Of course, when building a killing machine of a character you'd most likely want them to worship a deity of war (or similar). But if you play as an antman, gender is important.

Visual facial features (e.g. long hair, lobed ears, etc.) bear little significance, and are there just for show. The physical constitution is what really matters - your character might be described as "tall", "having a broad body" or "corpulent/fat/having great sacks of lard" (common when starting as a peasant). Fat does not slow down, and will be burnt away as your character does anything that involves sweating (sprinting or fighting to name a few). Broad body allows wielding of 2-handed weapons in one hand.

Though it is not necessary to satisfy the aforementioned needs, meeting most of them applies the "Focused" status. A focused character will receive noticeable bonuses to all skill rolls, so it is definitely worth the effort. Additionally, satisfying ALL of the needs will grant "Focused!" status, that increases the bonuses even further.

The values and emotions from the screenshot above will provide your character with the following mindset:

[[File:Mindset4402.PNG|thumb|center|600px|]]

 

Take into account that you will not be able to EVER see this description (except list of needs) again during regular gameplay. It is only available during the character creation stage, so it is in your interests to make a screenshot and save it.

The Values and personality screen is the last obstacle that separates you from starting the game. Press Enter to begin the adventure.

If you have followed all the instructions so far, your character will begin inside the human fortress. His/her starting items will depend on the civilization you've chosen, however, all adventurers start with:  

*A large copper [[DF2014:Dagger|dagger]]

*A copper [[DF2014:Spear|spear]]

*A [[DF2014:Flask|waterskin]] with 3 units of water

*A [[DF2014:Equipment#Backpacks|backpack]]

*Full set of armor (Helm, mail shirt, breastplate, gauntlets, greaves, high boots, shield/buckler. These can be of any material for the time being).

Some fortresses might be under-stocked and lack some items from the list. In this case, fast travel to another fort and search again.

After you got your gear together, equip the armor and a spear (without shield), then travel to the nearest river and fill (I) one of your empty bags with water, resulting in a container with 100 water units - more than enough for a long journey, even though you will be amazed how fast it will disappear.  

To follow up, go to the nearby village and search in the peasants' houses for fisher/prickle berry/strawberry bags. All human civs start with fisher berries, so a village is guaranteed to have some. Usually, these bags contain multiple stacks of 20-100 berries. As soon as you've found one, drop your starting [5]stack food and pick the largest stack of berries. [P]ut it inside of your second bag.

Now you are armored and armed, alongside a companion, with plenty of food and drink. While still quite far from being combat-worthy, your character is now ready for training.

At this stage, you are going to train your character's offensive and defensive skills. Even though they can be trained in any order, I suggest that you learn how to defend yourself first. However, it is completely up to you, and whatever training "facilities" you might have. When training, ask your companion to wait nearby - he/she will not interfere with your training. This way, you will have a backup handy. However, '''waiting companions will not defend you''' if training gets out of control or something hostile comes your way. You must ask the companion to follow you for him/her to help you in fights again.

 

NOTE: Subsequent instructions include a lot of tedious button presses. To make your training experience more comfortable, it is advised that you install the amazing key shortcut tool "AutoHotkey", available free of charge. It is a wonderful utility that will make a lengthy combination into a matter of a single key press, which counts when typing Aa*gzua repeated 30 times, for example. Quickstart guide for AutoHotkey (along with an example script) can be found under "Tools" section. I personally do not consider this cheating in any way - it is a simple timesaver. By sticking to "hardcore style" button mashing you are not raising the challenge - you're introducing a handicap.

The Defensive skill tree is comprised of Dodging and Shield User. These two are crucial to survival, they protect better than any armor, as both completely nullify ANY incoming damage, while armor does not. Armor user skill simply reduces speed penalty associated with wearing armor and is considered quasi-defensive.

A punch from a [[DF2014:Bronze colossus|bronze colossus]] that can turn any armored human into paste is rendered completely harmless when blocked or dodged. Considering that around the middle stages of the game you will encounter enemies much more fearsome than a colossus, this makes Dodging and Shield User invaluable.

*4.Train until Legendary

Begin by finding a small animal - a [[DF2014:Cavy|cavy]] makes a good choice, as do [[DF2014:Horseshoe crab|horseshoe crabs]], [[DF2014:Duck|ducks]], [[DF2014:Blue peafowl|peacocks]], [[DF2014:Turkey|turkeys]], etc. Catch up to the animal and grab it with your free hand. Now, simply spam the "Wait 10 ticks" button [.] and you will gain dodging/armor user/shield user experience as the animal you're holding attacks you. To gain shield user experience faster, manually block the incoming attacks with the shield. If the animal passes out from exhaustion, simply wait, then repeat the above routine. Repeat until Legendary in all three skills.

Be aware that though your "animal training companion" is small, even a cat or a duck possesses enough force to scratch teeth out or stun with a well-placed bite to the head, right through the helmet! Make sure your character is not tired prior to training.

*AUTOHOTKEY: Using '''*1::Send, .''' script will let you hold down [1] to continuously wait, instead of spamming the [.] wait button

*AUTOHOTKEY: Using '''*2::Send, Aca''' script will make you instantly block an attack with your shield the moment you press [2]. Combined with [.], you can spam these two keys one after another to level Shield User very quickly.

Every skill that directly harms the enemy is a part of the Offensive skill tree. This includes: any weapon mastery, Improvised weapons skill (misc. object user), wrestling and throwing.

The majority of your targets will be dispatched with weapon strikes, some with unarmed strikes and wrestling and in certain cases, by having a heavy/sharp object flung at them. Hence, your character must learn to handle 3 weapon types (at least), punching/kicking, wrestling and throwing. Optionally, misc. object user is recommended, as this skill determines the hit rate (and damage) when bashing with a shield.

By this time, you should have the gear as instructed earlier in "Immediate Actions" section. Make no mistake, ensure you have all the necessary equipment! The method of training is as such:

Next, take out the axe or a spear you have. Enter the [S]neaking mode and approach a horse. Use [A]ttacking menu and look for an Easy/Solid strike on legs/tail of the horse. You might have to approach it from multiple sides to find one. As soon as you have found an opening, stab the horse in the leg. If your strike connects, the horse will now have reduced movespeed, allowing to easily pursue it and stab another leg to bring the horse to the ground.

*From now on, you have to disable the horse, so it cannot move or attack (when enraged). An Enraged horse will make quick work of an inexperienced adventurer, often biting (or wrestling!) the unfortunate to death by breaking all their bones. Hence, proceed to bashing both of its eyes with the shaft (or flat of the axe), then punch the teeth out. Finally,chop off all hooves. Wait around until horse regains consciousness if it passed out. Use ['''S''']neak mode to confirm that it has been blinded - if the usual cone of vision is not shown, it has. A blind animal cannot see you (obviously), and it does not run away from what it cannot see. Also, it stops the horse from attacking you when enraged, but '''only''' when you are '''not standing on the same tile as the enraged horse'''.

 

*After all of the above has been done, you will have a blind, immobile but resilient live training dummy to practice weapon skills on. Target its lower body to reduce the chance of lung damage and suffocation. Wooden (training) weapons are  perfect, as they do little to no harm. If you have no training weapons, use less lethal attacks, such as '''"Slap flat"''' for axe or '''"Shaft bash"''' for spear.  

*AUTOHOTKEY: Use (w/o quotes) "5::Send, Aaba" to repeatedly attack lower body with whatever you have equipped in your right hand

*Warhammer training is a bit tricky, as there are no training versions, and the weapon itself has only one attack (bash), which is deadly. A solution is to repeatedly bash the eye or mouth of your training dummy - doing so will provide experience without killing your "training companion", and it works with all other weapons too. Sometimes, your character might accidentally hit the horse's head when targeting the eye due to lack of skill. If the outcome is lethal, simply make another horse into the training dummy and repeat. '''Horses do respawn at pastures''' when you wait, sleep or leave the area in fast travel. This means, if you accidentally happened to kill all the animals, simply leave and return for a new batch.  Alternatively, use a wooden crossbow. For the purpose of melee, crossbows qualify as hammers.

 

Training misc. object user is, perhaps, the easiest. Take out one unit of food that you have (e.g. 'Fisher berry'). Then repeatedly strike the training dummy with the said food unit - the attacks are 100% non-lethal yet yield misc. object user experience. If you feel that berry-bashing is not in the spirit of shield-bashing you're going to use this skill for, feel free to find any other round lightweight object that is not a weapon and use it instead. Wooden buckets, crutches and splints are all perfect for this role.

 

 

 

 

 

*'''Recovery Time''' - the amount of time (in ticks) a character is effectively shut down after any combat action (striking, shooting, wrestling, throwing, blocking, dodging). You cannot control the character during recovery time.  Needless to say, it leaves you completely at the mercy of the opponent, and must be minimized at all costs. Ranged weapons (bows, crossbows) have HUGE recovery time after firing, so avoid like plague. Any and all entities capable of  attacking have recovery time associated, indicated by "Recovering from attacking X' when targeted.

====Attack modes and when to use them====

*Using the '''"multi-attack"''' [z] option in the menu effectively lets you strike on the move, hitting enemy while simultaneously evading his attack, or even an attack from another combatant. After selecting the attack type, enter the [A]ttack menu again, then Dodge away from the target. This technique is invaluable when fighting a crowd or a dangerous/prone to charge opponent. Always use vs. wrestlers. Press the quick wait [,] button to perform actions instead of regular wait to minimize recovery time. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a megabeast".

====Finishing off the unconscious====

Many times a situation will come, where an opponent you've just fought has passed out and you have other enemies around to fight. Finishing off the armored or thick-skinned with a headshot can require more than one strike, and sometimes you just can't afford it. Note, that even with the heavy spine and lung damage tough enemies still have a good chance of waking up and crawling after you.

In this case, target the throat. Torn major artery will guarantee the victim will bleed out before regaining consciousness, thus letting you move on to next target immediately. It's in your best interest to make sure that they die while unconscious.

Finishing off unconscious armored opponents: [Q]uick kick the throat. Kick bypasses the armor protection. Alternatively, [Q]uick strike with blunt weapon.

Finishing off unconscious thick-skinned opponents: [Q]uick stab the throat.

A Charge attack, when successful, will result in a prone and stunned opponent, a failed charge will stun the attacker instead.

Needless to say, charging is a great crowd control tool and will turn the tide of the battle. Hence,mastering it is crucial. Execute charges by first changing the [C]ombat preference to "Always charge", then moving into your opponent. Do NOT use "charge attack" mode from [A]ttack menu! After knocking down the enemy, deliver a quick blow to the vitals or legs to keep it down and charge down another enemy in case you are outnumbered. This way, you will control the mob and prevent yourself from being overrun. Don't forget to change [C]ombat preference back to "Never charge" after a fight.

Size matters! Charging an elephant is as bad of an idea as it is in real life. Charging targets of the same size is a gamble, but odds generally favour the charger. Consider charging enemies with lower size and, preferably, lower strength. If you were following the guide so far, your adventurer will have no problem trampling most human/dwarf sized opponent in the world.

High armor and tissue penetration values, fast speed, widespread availability. Stab attacks are lethal to any organic enemy: be it a goblin or a dragon, a pierced brain is a sure death. It is the weapon of choice of the beasthunter and demonslayer alike,  a first weapon of choice for fighting huge organic enemies (except blobs). Against humanoids, it is capable of piercing breastplates and chipping bones, which leads to unconsciousness due to pain (that is an instant death sentence). Stabs against armor or an enemy made out of superior material (e.g. copper spear vs steel) glance off harmlessly most of the time, so material is crucial to the performance of the spear. It also tends to get stuck in the body of the target quite often.

However, a spear is ineffective against targets with little or no vital organs (i.e. blobs, sponges) and is useless against inorganic enemies (i.e. made out of stone, metal, glass), as those have no organs whatsoever.  For those situations, use the next weapon on the list, the axe.

A truly universal weapon, an axe is amazingly effective against most foes, organic or not. The ultimate strength of the "hack" attack comes in its ability to incapacitate and kill targets immune to pain or organ damage, lop off limbs, and even cleave entire bodies asunder. A swift hack to the feet will bring down kobold and bronze colossus alike, creating an opening for a strike to the head. The best weapon against zombies, the axe also has a "slap flat" blunt crushing attack to finish a grounded zombie off without switching to the warhammer. As with the spear, the material an axe is made out of is crucial to its performance.  

Otherwise, the effectiveness of the axe diminishes as the target's size increases. Against large animals (such as a rhino or elephant) hacking only cuts fat/skin/muscle without doing lethal damage. The limbs of huge enemies are much thicker, and hence are much harder to chop off, often requiring way too many strikes. Against better-armored or clothed gigantic targets (i.e. demons) an axe is worthless. Use the spear should you encounter these.

Unanimously considered the deadliest weapon against humanoids, the warhammer becomes an even more viable choice with the ability to pulp, crush (and the bleeding from pulping) of body parts. Your adversary might wear a full artifact adamantine armor set, and it will not save him from having bones broken right through it by the "bash" attack. A warhammer ignores any and all armor foes might wear. Additionally, the pulping damage stacks, so with some patience, it is possible to maul even the (organic) megabeasts to death. The warhammer is also the easiest weapon to make, with copper being one of the best materials for production, due to its density.

Unfortunately, the warhammer suffers from the same problem as the battle axe - reduced combat yields against large targets. Also, attacks will glance off inorganic enemies made out of high-grade materials (e.g. steel colossus).

A buffed spear on steroids, pike has even greater penetration value, meaning it pierces armour and thick tissues like paper. Undoubtedly the best weapon against large animals (elephant, rhino, hippo) and a good pick against organic megabeasts. However, as any 2handed weapon it is slower than spear, meaning your enemy might sneak in an attack before you do, which limits its use for predominantly hunting big game.

[[DF2014:Whip|Whip]] and [[DF2014:Scourge|Scourge]] are examples of one of the many bugs of Dwarf fortress. Basically, these act as blunt weapons, but have penetration values that of a lightsaber, being able to slice through any armor or thickness of flesh. A copper whip can chip a bone through steel, adamantine, demon skin and dragon scale. Altogether. It is also effective against inorganic enemies, chipping their body material and accumulating the damage that will eventually bring down anything.  

This is a list of the best weapons you can possibly have (without exploiting) to give you something to aspire to. While some are impractically difficult to acquire, it is possible to manufacture them in fortress mode with creative resource management.

*'''AXE:''' Artifact-quality adamantine battle axe, coated with paralyzing FB dust.

*'''SPEAR:''' Artifact-quality adamantine spear, coated with paralyzing FB dust.

*'''WARHAMMER:''' Artifact-quality platinum warhammer, coated with necrosis inducing FB dust. Best blunt weapon you can ever get, period.