Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

40d Talk:Wound

2008-12-11T04:53:32Z

Azaram: /* Broken brain? */

==.33c bug==
My miner had a broken arm and was "resting" even though all he did was move back and forth on the screen and submit to starvation and dehydration. I set a dwarf to Health Care only, had buckets to spare, and nothing was done to care for the dwarf. As far as I'm concerned, in v.33c. Check out the pic below and the [http://mkv25.net/dfma/movie-184-restlesswoundedminer movie] I have.

[[Image:Injury.png | none | frame | 500px | Injured dwarf spam.]]
[[User:Schm0|Schm0]] 18:31, 24 November 2007 (EST)

Happened to me too, also v.33c [[User:Klada|Klada]] 23:49, 1 December 2007 (EST)

:This bug has been fixed --[[User:Karlito|Karlito]] 23:50, 1 December 2007 (EST)

same thing is happening to me so i dont think it has... [[User:Twiggie|Twiggie]] 12:54, 7 December 2007 (EST)

:Actually it has, as of 33d. You may need to download a new version. [[User:Klada|Klada]] 13:17, 7 December 2007 (EST)

== Priority of [[health care]] task ==

I think the game is a bit broken in that I can have a dwarf set with [[health care]] (I know it's a redlink) as their only active task, and rather than bring food to a dwarf who seems to only be moderately injured, but is now about to die from starvation - even though there is a stockpile of prepared meals 6 tiles away, and the other dwarves are resting in the same barracks![[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 04:56, 12 February 2008 (EST)

== Brown Wounds ==

my legendary miner will not heal his brown wounds he must have been resting for a year now. What should I do? --[[User:Hoborobo|Hoborobo]] 06:54, 10 August 2008 (EDT)

:Well, have you seen where his injury is? It could be a nervous injury, which never heals (see the wound article, its really sad).

== healing speed ==
it seems that in the newest version(.38c) wounds heal at incredible speed - I watched my woodcutter fight batmen and get lightly wounded, was relieved that it was nothing worse, but when I checked back on him he was uninjured. So when my miner took on a wolf I kept a very close eye on him, and indeed he suffered moderate wounds and got a "rest" job, but the wound healed to lightly wounded before he even got back into the fortress and was gone by the time he reached his bed.--[[User:Syndic|Syndic]] 00:30, 13 March 2008 (EDT)
: chances are they have a (very) high toughness? - this will cause exactly what you describe. Send a peasant recruit into battle and you will see the difference ;) --[[User:Koltom|Koltom]] 07:20, 13 March 2008 (EDT)
::Given that they were miners and woodcutters, they would become tough before they become even [[proficient]] in their trade. As mentioned by Koltom and indeed in the article, toughness has a huge effect both on the impact of being wounded (ie tough dwarves carry on regardless) AND on the rate of healing (they get better before they make it to their bed to rest).[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 07:24, 26 July 2008 (EDT)
: I only had this once when I started a fortress in a desert without any water resources. Maybe this is a hack to prevent dwarves from dying from thirst? [[User:Qwertyu|Qwertyu]] 05:20, 26 August 2008 (EDT)

I've noticed something similar to this in .40c as well. One of my miners in a new fortress, who was at best merely 'tough' sustained a red injury to his hip which had completely disappeared a few minutes later. The only unusual thing I did was draft all seven dwarves into the army first and then make them civilians after the skeletal goat was dead. I don't think the miner had even made his way to a bed to rest before this miraculous healing.[[User:Extar|Extar]] 16:06, 25 August 2008 (EDT)
: I believe every season there is a chance of a red wound healing. Perhaps he had extraordinarily high toughness and you got lucky? --[[User:Squeegy|Squeegy]] 19:53, 21 October 2008 (EDT)

== Nervous system damage ==

I have a guard with minor neck and brain injuries, so he won't spar any more. However, he is a Talented Hammerdwarf, Skilled Armor User, and Proficient Shield User (only Novice Wrestler), so I reallocated him to use a crossbow and he does infact shoot at the archery range. This could be a good way to improve troops and get Marksdwarves that might be vaguely effective in melee combat should it come to that. He's also already Mighty, Very Agile, and Tough.

I'm thinking of adding the following to the Healing section of this page, at the end of the paragraph starting with "Wounds to the nervous system...":

"A hammerdwarf with light injuries to the nervous system may no longer spar, but will train as a Marksdwarf if allocated to use a crossbow. This can be useful given that a Marksdwarf entering melee combat uses the hammerdwarf skill to bash enemies with their crossbow. They hopefully would have also trained as Wrestlers, Armor Users, and Shield Users which will help their survival rate."

Thoughts? --[[User:TimE|TimE]]

:Seems a bit too niche to be in the article as general advice. Perhaps a generality made from that idea would be appropriate however. something like "dwarves with nervous injuries too severe to be a melee fighter may still be valulable as a Marksdwarf." --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 03:59, 4 April 2008 (EDT)

:: I think this applies to dwarves with ''any'' nervous injuries. I like the concise version though, I'll add that. --[[User:TimE|TimE]] 00:56, 3 April 2008 (EDT)

== Color of Wounds ==
I think that lightly wounded and lopped off are too close of a color. The lopped off color should be pink, a nice bright color with eye attracting color. This way I can tell whether or not to pay attention to that individual.--[[User:CrazyMcfobo|CrazyMcfobo]] 19:44, 15 April 2008 (EDT)

:I agree with you on that, try making a topic in the forums about it. Toady might change it.--[[User:Richards|Richards]] 21:18, 15 April 2008 (EDT)

== Spleen, kidney etc. ==

What about spleen, liver, kidneys etc ? Do they belong to "guts" ? [[User:Timst|Timst]] 10:19, 13 July 2008 (EDT)

== New version and light wounds ==

The new version and its possibility for messed up temps means that all organs can now be in all states of wounded-ness. That means you can get lightly wounded hearts and guts and lungs... etc.

Note that this is due to extreme frostbite, not heat.

[[User:Logical2u|Logical2u]] 23:36, 19 July 2008 (EDT)

== wounded but not resting ==

I have a dwarf who has a yellow head wound and a red upper leg wound. In the {{k|u}} screen he shows as '''No job''', on his wound status screek ({{k|v}}{{k|w}}) he is unconscious, hungry, dehydrated and drowsy.

If he is unconscious then he is not resting. I take it he is not going to trigger any health care jobs: so does this mean he is doomed?
[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 07:29, 26 July 2008 (EDT)
:He ended up dying. It seemed inevitable given that becoming unconscious seems to cancel resting.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 04:28, 1 August 2008 (EDT)
:I have a guard who's doing the same. Red lung wound and he's still trying to make his rounds as a guard. On the other hand, his toughness seems to be high enough that he's not dying from it... He rested when he was initially wounded (sparring) but got up because he was thirsty. He fell unconscious once in the process, but managed to slake his thirst. And then got up and grabbed his equipment. -[[User:Fuzzy|Fuzzy]] 21:27, 5 September 2008 (EDT)
::FWIW, this guard lasted two more years limping along with a red lung until he finally died making a suicidal charge during a goblin siege. Îton Koganûker earned himself his own little decorated burial niche for his hardheaded service. Incidentally, I looked back at him and he actually had not toughness mods, so a regular dwarf survived three years with a red lung and might have survived longer if not for the charge. -[[User:Fuzzy|Fuzzy]] 12:43, 11 September 2008 (EDT)

== broken leg ==

can a dwarf with a broken leg still get around to work?
:Unfortunately, no. Anything worse then moderately wounded causes the dwarf to go sleep it off until its healed. However, ''eventually'' it will heal up and he can go back to work. --[[User:Toloran|Toloran]] 02:32, 10 August 2008 (EDT)

I have 3 dwarves who are very injured, and seem to be refusing to move, I deactivated their squad status, but none are unconcious, and none of the dwarves at ALL are helping them for some reason, they just keep walking over them, ignoring them.

== Broken brain? ==

I just got a kobold trapped in my hall of spiky death, and on its wound list was a yellow(broken) brain. I suppose that means it's going to die very soon, but it seems to be fine to me... --[[User:Cypress|Cypress]] 18:21, 30 August 2008 (EDT)

:It's a kobold. You missed all its vital spots. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 23:53, 10 December 2008 (EST)

== Blind dwarf suffers nightmares of constant attack ==
I have a dwarf with a lopped off left eye and right eye (and throat? how's he still suffering??) that is convinced that he's still under attack.
He's litterally spamming with over 1000 messages that he's canceling rest: interrupted by goblin crossbowman. In the 200-300 message range it was amusing. At this point, I'm only hoping that he shuts up when another dwarf drags him off to a bed for some rest. [[User:AmisiBastet|AmisiBastet]] 14:29, 4 October 2008 (EDT)
:Put him out of his misery. In style. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 21:43, 4 October 2008 (EDT)
::How? The last of the goblin ambushes for that season shut him up for me. But I don't know how to kill off one of my own dwarves. Well... not intentionally anyway. Especially when he's so busy being unconsious that he's constantly interrupting his rest due to the memory of being shot at by a goblin. I think he got up to about 3000 messages. All his minor wounds healed up too. His head was still mangled (red) with his eyes & throat lopped off (grey). Well, until the goblin finished him off anyway. [[User:AmisiBastet|AmisiBastet]] 22:50, 5 October 2008 (EDT)
:::For future reference, you can kill one of your dwarves off by dropping a constructed floor on him. Thus, it makes some sense to make bedrooms with a way to drop floor tiles on the beds. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 23:32, 5 October 2008 (EDT)
::::Two words: Lava. Failing that, I usually went with GreyMaria's method and just tunnel out over the head of the wounded dwarf, and built/demolished floors atop him until dead. Too bad you can't build on bridges...I'd have an infirmary kept niiice and warm by a lava pit. --[[User:Eddie|Eddie]] 00:47, 6 October 2008 (EDT)
:::::LOL I wish! Poor guy collapsed above ground, about 7 steps away from the entrance to the fortress. And as for dealing with any other dwarves... I've found the lava, but they're pretty stubborn about not wanting to dig anywhere near it anymore. These bunch also seem to be only seasonal-miners too. They practically refuse to dig durring the winter & are reluctant to dig in the fall. Which leaves me to spring & summer for any fortress improvements that don't involve construction or engraving. They like farming and they like engraving. Canceling those tasks doesn't even seem to encourage them to dig. They'd rather sit around with no job than go dig out rooms near the lava. Boy, ya loose 1 dwarf to a random fire-man and the dig designations never get worked on! [[User:AmisiBastet|AmisiBastet]] 00:46, 7 October 2008 (EDT)
: As fun as it is to off wounded dwarves [http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=25815.0 this thread on the message board] alleges that destroying the bed may end the message spam. -[[User:Fuzzy|Fuzzy]] 17:41, 7 October 2008 (EDT)
:: Thanks for the link. I'd post there but for some odd reason my browsers won't let me register on that forum. I keep getting redirected back to the index. I can't even read the help on registering because that also redirects me back to the index. Regardless, you are correct that in my case the dwarf had not reached a bed. I think in my case it was that the goblin crossbowman that had attacked that dwarf, had later fallen into a cage trap and hadn't been killed (or left the map) yet. I've a bit of a backlog on goblins waiting to use my drowning rooms.

==Animal Wounds==
How fast can animals (e.g. leopards) heal wounds? Because I have a leopard which has minor injuries on the brain, heart, lungs and guts, and I want to use it to guard my fort (i feel like im gonna be sieged soon).--[[User:Stinhad Limarezum|Stinhad Limarezum]] 08:34, 21 October 2008 (EDT)
:I'm fairly certain animals can only be healed via the animal caretaker labor. I had a cat with a mangled leg for 3 years before it stumbled into a weapon trap full of looted pikes. If the creature isn't assigned to anyone, the dwarf that trained the leopard can caretake it. [[User:HeWhoIsPale|HeWhoIsPale]] 08:44, 21 October 2008 (EDT)

:I've never studied the mechanics of animal caretaking, but I've gotten the impression that it's a "free" task -- any time your caretaker crosses paths with a wounded animal, the animal has a chance to get better. Try turning on caretaking on all your dwarves. The leopard might need to be uncaged in order for the caretaking to take place.

:But a guardian leopard alone is not going to be enough against a siege. For that, you want at least a dozen wardogs, or a set of traps at least six deep at all entrances (ten deep if they're "mere" stone traps), or some decent marksdwarves -- five or more is best, because at just the wrong moment, half of them will wander off to drink or sleep (or reload). A single champion with top-quality armor and weapon and very high shield user, armor user, and wrestling skills can potentially take out a whole squad by him or herself, but that takes about two or three years worth of sparring (with another champion) and you better hope they don't get spinal injuries or they'll stop training altogether.

:Barring that, use dogs if you got 'em, traps if you don't. And build traps anyway. You can secure a fortress in a couple of months using a couple of mechanics. And you won't get hit by an actual goblin siege until you have 80 dwarves, supposedly, though "ambushes" of about 8 goblins can come much sooner.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 19:29, 21 October 2008 (EDT)

:Well, I did get sieged, but my army decimated the ugly gobbos before they could even come close (theres a load of blood near the norhern edge now) so the leopard was of no use. Talking of ward dogs, being an idiot, I went and made most of my dogs available for pets before I realised that pets cant be trained. Luckily a pair of stray puppies grew up a day before the siege but the two war dogs which i trained were too slow and the battle was over before they reached. About the animal caretaker, I do have one but he isn't really doing anything about the leopard (and a fox which i also bought from the elves, also with same injuries) --[[User:Stinhad Limarezum|Stinhad Limarezum]] 23:51, 21 October 2008 (EDT)
::I'm fairly certain from my experiences that animal caretaking only applies to animals that 'belong' to the caretaker. The only dwarf with any skill in caretaking I've had has been my dungeon master because he has trained over a dozen wardogs that haven't been assigned elsewhere yet. Meanwhile my champions have wardogs and cats that have been mangled for years. [[User:HeWhoIsPale|HeWhoIsPale]] 08:48, 22 October 2008 (EDT)

:::I've seen animals on chains healed -- by whom, I don't know. It may just be that dwarves are more likely to heal their own pets since said pets are always in their vicinity.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 19:44, 22 October 2008 (EDT)
::::Apparently any caged animal you buy has minor wounds on the brain, heart, lungs and guts. I bought a jaguar, another leopard and a rhesus from the elves and all have the same injuries.--[[User:Stinhad Limarezum|Stinhad Limarezum]] 21:39, 22 October 2008 (EDT)
:::::I bought a black bear cage and it didn't have any wounds, could it be that the elves are traveling through a hostile region to reach your fortress? [[User:HeWhoIsPale|HeWhoIsPale]] 08:23, 23 October 2008 (EDT)

:::::Are you in a cold region? Maybe they got frostbitten on the trip to the depot.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 11:22, 23 October 2008 (EDT)

== Down, but not Out ==

Something I noticed earlier today: Late in my first winter, one of my dwarves was injured while sparring with swords. His leg was yellow, no blood anywhere to be seen, and he was literally right next to a bed. He would not accept any jobs, wouldn't climb into bed to rest, eat, drink water, and nobody else would help him. He lay on the floor for a few months until he got really dehydrated and fell unconscious. Finally somebody drug him to the bed and is now bringing him water. I also noticed that "He is socially crippled by thoughts that everybody is watching and judging him" in his profile. Too mistrusting of help until he is unable to say no (finally fell unconscious). I'm hoping for a full recovery now that he is accepting help. [[User:KValthaliondil|KValthaliondil]] 18:43, 3 November 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Reclaim fortress mode

2008-12-11T02:07:41Z

Azaram: /* Can't get them to do anything... */

Your old dwarves will leave in a big migrant group. You just have to wait. So remove the last section?

== Preparation ==
Have not verified if the immediate grant of competent appraiser happens only if you've marked the dwarf as the outpost's broker first, or will happen even if you allow any dwarf to trade. --[[User:Mike the stout|Mike the stout]]

== Section Caps ==

Unless someone's decided to enforce it without discussing or amending [http://www.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/DwarfFortressWiki:Community_Portal#N Rule N], only Pages fall under the first cap, rest lower.

== Ambush when old dwarf hunts? ==

I recently reclaimed a fortress that had still living dwarfs there. One of which was a hunter and seems to continue hunting after reclaiming by bashing things with her crossbow.
However every time she engages an animal I get my screen redirected and game pausing with the message "An ambush! Drive them out!". Just reporting this in case it was unknown o.O my 2cents i guess
--[[User:Scrangos|Scrangos]] 02:20, 24 June 2008 (EDT)

== Intro on page slightly inaccurate. ==

The intro on this page states that it is possible to start with as many as 35 dwarves. I just started a game on a map that I previously had abandoned immediately after arriving and I started with 70 dwarves. (The map was mostly Evil and Savage and had a lot -far more then 70- evil critters all over it due to a chasm where a lot were taking up residence.) – [[template:unsigned|unsigned]] comment by [[User:Frewfrux|Frewfrux]]
:Then double-check, and if your observations are indeed correct, '''edit the article!''' It's a wiki for a reason. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 18:24, 19 October 2008 (EDT)
I am unable to edit the intro paragraph. There is no edit button.
Edit: nvm, I'm dumb. While there is no edit button for intro sections on a page I just figured out how you go about it.

== Can't get them to do anything... ==

Just reclaimed a fortress, and they're all mooing around where the wagon is. I reclaimed everything, including individually in the fortress's workshops, and it all shows as claimed... but even with stationing and patrol routes, they're just standing there. I tried deactivating them, and they remain standing... The now deconstructed wagon (the one thing they've actually done) is profoundly well protected, but it doesn't seem like they're all that ambitious about doing anything else... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 02:50, 8 December 2008 (EST)

:Well, the rangers are happily denuding the forest of its wildlife, and a metalsmith is butchering them, but everybody else is all standing around doing nothing. I deactivated them, activated them, tried stationing squads over the lava pit to plink at the fire imps that destroyed the forest last time, and squat. Except now the mayor is demanding that they make something out of nickel that we don't have... Hopefully, he'll go nuts and wake the rest of them up, I guess. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 03:11, 8 December 2008 (EST)

::you have to activate all of their non-military skills, even the ones they have as their profession, they start out with no labors enabled, for some strange reason. Oh, and is this the same fort as the one on your talk page? If so, good luck this time.--[[User:Destor|Destor]] 22:08, 8 December 2008 (EST)

::Yeah, sounds like you don't have any [[labor]]s activated.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 22:58, 8 December 2008 (EST)

:::I did that... Like I said, the rangers are ranging, and the butchers are butching... but everybody else has a bad case of thumbuppis hisazz... they won't even do ''military'' stuff, like patrolling or stationing. Only the outside ones are doing anything at all. And yes, it's the same fort. I was doing pretty well before the fire imps set the whole world on fire. :-p I want it back. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 02:02, 9 December 2008 (EST)

::::Are you trying to get them to use workshops? The workshops may still be forbidden: check their i{{k|t}}ems screen and remove an "F" next to the top items (those that have [B] -- this are the items used to build the workshops). Or just build new workshops. BTW, They'll only do military stuff while activated, and civilian stuff while deactivated.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 11:56, 9 December 2008 (EST)
:::::And, while I'm sure you already know this, they'll only do their patrol and station points when on duty (through the Military screen View Squad) and will only spar when off duty. -[[User:Fuzzy|Fuzzy]] 12:24, 9 December 2008 (EST)
::::::I'm trying to get them to use workshops, but I did go through and unforbid everything. Nothing was showing an F, that I remember, it all had parens or braces around it ( or {; hard to tell in the font. I'd hit F and at the bottom it would switch from "F: claim" to "F: Forbid", and the paren would disappear, so: from "(Thing)" to "Thing". I'd figured that bit out from trying to nab the stuff from a goblin thief that had gotten flattened in a stonefall trap in my previous fort, the one with the waterfall. I went through the entire fortress, reclaiming everything, including loose rocks on the floor. I'd thought that part of the problem was that I'd forgotten to reclaim the closed floor hatches covering the entrance, which was true at one point, but didn't change after. I'd deactivate them and they'd happily get naked, dropping all their gear and dancing around the wagon, but that's about all the reaction I got out of any of them... I'll see about putting them on duty, but one would think that not being soldiers anymore would get them going on their crafts... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 22:35, 9 December 2008 (EST)

:::::::Use {{k|t}} on the workshops to make sure the workshops themselves are not forbidden, as I outlined above.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 17:50, 10 December 2008 (EST)
::::::::I did that... I was about to give up on it and abandon, and suddenly they started moving. I guess the military just needed a couple of days to get their collective stuff together. :-p The miners are mining, the cooks are cooking, the carpenters are carping and the mayor is announcing silly mandates like 'don't export animal traps'... I have no idea what set it off, I was just sitting there looking at the big group of dwarves, when finally they just started streaming down the stairs. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 21:07, 10 December 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Fly

2008-12-10T11:02:27Z

Azaram: New page: == Walls? == Could you wall in a pool and thus contain the flies? Or can they fly over the walls? --~~~~

== Walls? ==
Could you wall in a pool and thus contain the flies? Or can they fly over the walls? --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 06:02, 10 December 2008 (EST)

40d:Magma glass furnace

2008-12-10T10:05:36Z

Azaram: Fixed key; magma glass furnace is b-e-a, standard is b-e-g.

{{Furnace|name=Magma glass furnace|key=a|job=[[Glassmaking]]
|construction=
1 of
* [[Stone]]
* [[Block]]
|construction_job=
* [[Glassmaking]]
|use=
* [[Sand]] [[bag]]
* [[Pearlash]]
* Raw [[rock crystal]]
|production=
* Raw green [[glass]]
* Raw clear [[glass]]
* Raw crystal [[glass]]
* [[Vial]]s
* [[Trap]] [[weapon]]s
* [[Window]]s
* [[Furniture]]
* [[Crafts]]
* [[Block]]s
}}

'''Glass furnaces''' are used to make raw [[glass]] (a [[gem]]), [[block]]s, and [[furniture]] items. All furniture made at a glass furnace can alternatively be made out of either [[metal]], [[stone]] or [[wood]], with the exception of [[window]]s, which can be made from gems. Glass furnaces can make craft goods, and [[vial]]s used to make extracts. Clear glass vials are needed to build an [[alchemist's laboratory]]. Raw glass is sometimes a component needed to make [[Legendary artifact|artifacts]].

Glass furnaces can make goods from green glass, clear glass, and crystal glass. Green glass requires [[sand]], clear glass requires sand and [[pearlash]], and crystal glass requires raw [[rock crystal]]s and pearlash. Raw rock crystals are a type of gem and are usually very difficult to find.

Many of the names of glass furniture are different. A glass [[door]] is called a portal, and a glass [[coffer]] is called a box.

Glass furnaces are also needed to issue the "collect sand" order. This requires an empty [[bag]], an Item Hauler, and a [[Activity_zone|zone]] designated for sand collection.

Not all maps have a source of sand, and sand may not be imported. Raw or cut glass may not be imported. Raw crystal glass may not be imported. Foreign merchants never have glass furniture for sale.

A magma glass furnace will not function unless at least one of its eight edge squares hang over a channel which has magma at a depth of 4/7 or more.

{{Buildings}}
{{Workshops}}

User talk:Azaram

2008-12-10T07:10:18Z

Azaram: Found randomly on the ground at a reclaimed fortress

'''The Fall of Nokgoloddom, "Riddlecloister".'''

The saddest game I've ever played, I think. Found a magma pool, and was happily building iron and collecting sand to make glass... ack! Fire imp! Stonefall trap clonked him on the head, dizzying him enough to stumble into another, which put an end to him... but not before he set some mountain goat meat on fire in the nearby storeroom. I guess he was hungry and wanted it cooked... So, I set about building a floor over the pit... Ack! Another fire -- (clang) Oh good, the cage trap I set up got him. Will trade him to the first caravan to come along...

"Cancelled build wall: item blocking." Um. Yeah. That would be the ''stone'' I wanted you to use to build the wall... And since the area is mostly sand, stone is kind of hard to come by. Ok, start flooring the pit again, and use all the stone in the place...except for the one piece that I actually '''wanted''' you to use, so we could build the wall to channel the fire imps...

A dark gnome in the food stores! Activate the nearby woodcutter who was boozing it up... Egad. Ew! Oh, that's not right! (covers eyes) Body parts everywhere. Remind me not to interrupt that guy when he's drinking. (first hit flang the right hand halfway across the very large storage area...)

Ack! More fire imps! And apparently he got up on the surface, and set the (heavily forested) area on fire... (Aside: Fire looks surprisingly good for being ascii...) Activate everyone, who promptly mosh them to death... er. Man down! "cancels recover wounded: Interrupted by fire imp." Wuss! You're supposed to be an axe dwarf! (bleeds to death) Crud. "Cancels bring water: need bucket". Crap, I wasn't expecting a fight this soon, it was pretty empty of everything but vermin until now... ok, build me a woodworking shop, since the other one burned down... ...any time now, guys... ...really. Look, I'm TRYING to help here...

Oh, crap. "Cancels butcher animal: insane". So, a heavily armed and experienced butcher has gone axe-crazy... "is struck down". "Bleeds to death." "Bleeds to death."

Great. I've got one dwarf locked inside, with the hatch covers battened, while one outside goes all Jack Nicholson. At least the hatch covers are stone... "A caravan has arrived." "Crazy butcher dude is pwnt."

Unlock the hatches, and sad, lonely bastard wanders out and... gathers plants. Guy, I've marked the caged fire imp so you can sell his brimstone-smellin' ass to them for a right proper beating (and if I could figure out how to open the cage, I'd give it to them for free...) (turns off gathering)

Ok, ''now'' you go work on the stupid carpenter's shop.

(turns off everything but hauling) (wanders off and goes to sleep.)

Well, I guess the merchants will take a while to unload anyway...

Hey, he's awake, and he's heading for the depot... oop, side trip for a drink... and another drink... and sends down another to see what happened to the first two and one to keep it company. "Cancels drink. Unconscious".

"Your fortress has crumbled."

Well, after having had to endure a friend's decay (since nobody was moving the stupid ''coffins''), I guess drinking yourself to death looks good... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 01:11, 8 December 2008 (EST)
----
 
 
 
Hil-freaking-arious! --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 17:54, 7 December 2008 (EST)
:Heh. Thanks. :) --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 01:11, 8 December 2008 (EST)

== Found randomly on the ground at a reclaimed fortress ==

"This is a well-crafted Pig tail rope. It is made from Pig tail cloth. The thread is midnight blue with Dimple dye. This object menaces with spikes of superior quality two-humped camel bone."

A menacing rope? --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 02:10, 10 December 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Reclaim fortress mode

2008-12-10T04:05:41Z

Azaram: /* Can't get them to do anything... */

Your old dwarves will leave in a big migrant group. You just have to wait. So remove the last section?

== Preparation ==
Have not verified if the immediate grant of competent appraiser happens only if you've marked the dwarf as the outpost's broker first, or will happen even if you allow any dwarf to trade. --[[User:Mike the stout|Mike the stout]]

== Section Caps ==

Unless someone's decided to enforce it without discussing or amending [http://www.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/DwarfFortressWiki:Community_Portal#N Rule N], only Pages fall under the first cap, rest lower.

== Ambush when old dwarf hunts? ==

I recently reclaimed a fortress that had still living dwarfs there. One of which was a hunter and seems to continue hunting after reclaiming by bashing things with her crossbow.
However every time she engages an animal I get my screen redirected and game pausing with the message "An ambush! Drive them out!". Just reporting this in case it was unknown o.O my 2cents i guess
--[[User:Scrangos|Scrangos]] 02:20, 24 June 2008 (EDT)

== Intro on page slightly inaccurate. ==

The intro on this page states that it is possible to start with as many as 35 dwarves. I just started a game on a map that I previously had abandoned immediately after arriving and I started with 70 dwarves. (The map was mostly Evil and Savage and had a lot -far more then 70- evil critters all over it due to a chasm where a lot were taking up residence.) – [[template:unsigned|unsigned]] comment by [[User:Frewfrux|Frewfrux]]
:Then double-check, and if your observations are indeed correct, '''edit the article!''' It's a wiki for a reason. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 18:24, 19 October 2008 (EDT)
I am unable to edit the intro paragraph. There is no edit button.
Edit: nvm, I'm dumb. While there is no edit button for intro sections on a page I just figured out how you go about it.

== Can't get them to do anything... ==

Just reclaimed a fortress, and they're all mooing around where the wagon is. I reclaimed everything, including individually in the fortress's workshops, and it all shows as claimed... but even with stationing and patrol routes, they're just standing there. I tried deactivating them, and they remain standing... The now deconstructed wagon (the one thing they've actually done) is profoundly well protected, but it doesn't seem like they're all that ambitious about doing anything else... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 02:50, 8 December 2008 (EST)

:Well, the rangers are happily denuding the forest of its wildlife, and a metalsmith is butchering them, but everybody else is all standing around doing nothing. I deactivated them, activated them, tried stationing squads over the lava pit to plink at the fire imps that destroyed the forest last time, and squat. Except now the mayor is demanding that they make something out of nickel that we don't have... Hopefully, he'll go nuts and wake the rest of them up, I guess. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 03:11, 8 December 2008 (EST)

::you have to activate all of their non-military skills, even the ones they have as their profession, they start out with no labors enabled, for some strange reason. Oh, and is this the same fort as the one on your talk page? If so, good luck this time.--[[User:Destor|Destor]] 22:08, 8 December 2008 (EST)

::Yeah, sounds like you don't have any [[labor]]s activated.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 22:58, 8 December 2008 (EST)

:::I did that... Like I said, the rangers are ranging, and the butchers are butching... but everybody else has a bad case of thumbuppis hisazz... they won't even do ''military'' stuff, like patrolling or stationing. Only the outside ones are doing anything at all. And yes, it's the same fort. I was doing pretty well before the fire imps set the whole world on fire. :-p I want it back. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 02:02, 9 December 2008 (EST)

::::Are you trying to get them to use workshops? The workshops may still be forbidden: check their i{{k|t}}ems screen and remove an "F" next to the top items (those that have [B] -- this are the items used to build the workshops). Or just build new workshops. BTW, They'll only do military stuff while activated, and civilian stuff while deactivated.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 11:56, 9 December 2008 (EST)
:::::And, while I'm sure you already know this, they'll only do their patrol and station points when on duty (through the Military screen View Squad) and will only spar when off duty. -[[User:Fuzzy|Fuzzy]] 12:24, 9 December 2008 (EST)
::::::I'm trying to get them to use workshops, but I did go through and unforbid everything. Nothing was showing an F, that I remember, it all had parens or braces around it ( or {; hard to tell in the font. I'd hit F and at the bottom it would switch from "F: claim" to "F: Forbid", and the paren would disappear, so: from "(Thing)" to "Thing". I'd figured that bit out from trying to nab the stuff from a goblin thief that had gotten flattened in a stonefall trap in my previous fort, the one with the waterfall. I went through the entire fortress, reclaiming everything, including loose rocks on the floor. I'd thought that part of the problem was that I'd forgotten to reclaim the closed floor hatches covering the entrance, which was true at one point, but didn't change after. I'd deactivate them and they'd happily get naked, dropping all their gear and dancing around the wagon, but that's about all the reaction I got out of any of them... I'll see about putting them on duty, but one would think that not being soldiers anymore would get them going on their crafts... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 22:35, 9 December 2008 (EST)

:::::::If you have that much trouble distinguishing parentheses (imports) from curly braces {forbidden}, check your eyes. Curly braces mean forbidden. If they went away when you hit F, they were forbidden. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 22:58, 9 December 2008 (EST)
::::::::I can tell the difference ''here'', it's in the game in the (relatively) small resolution and odd font sizes that I sometimes have trouble. I'm running in 800x600 on a 1280x1024 monitor, so it's only about a quarter of the 17" screen. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 23:05, 9 December 2008 (EST)

Talk:Main Page/archive2

2008-12-10T04:03:32Z

Azaram: "Meeting Hall' page for general questions.

Order descends newest to oldest. Use edit to add a newer section.

== The "Bedroom Design" page is broken ==

When trying to load the page I get this error:

Fatal error: Maximum execution time of 30 seconds exceeded in /home/virtual/site152/fst/var/www/html/dwarf/includes/Parser.php on line 2717

It's been this way for a couple days at least. The rest of the wiki works fine. – [[template:unsigned|unsigned]] comment by [[User:Phillstac3|Phillstac3]]

:The culprit was too much QD, which caused the page to load too slowly. The wiki gave up when it didnt load fast enough. I have the culprit for now, but I have idea for a more permanent solution. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 08:28, 15 August 2008 (EDT)

== "new version" ==

ShunterAlhena changed "new version" to "new (3D) version" to "3D version". I changed this to "Z-axis version", to reduce newbie confusion (thinking there's a fully-3D graphical version could be disappointing) but now I'm starting to wonder if maybe "new version" would be best after all. As far as I can tell, "new version" doesn't just mean all of the versions since the October 2007 release, but rather the ''latest'' version.

That said, that's what I'll tweak it to. --[[User:JT|JT]] 19:47, 29 July 2008 (EDT)

:IMO if the phrase "new version" is being used to refer to the "Z-axis version" of the game, then it isn't really clear enough. With Toady's regular updates, talking just about "new versions" is a little too ambiguous. How about the phrases "multi-level version" or "multi-floor version"? Either of those would be clearer I think. "Z-axis version" is also good for me. (This is my first suggestion/edit on a Wiki, so I hope it turns out ok!) --[[User:Saiph|Saiph]] 07:59, 28 November 2008 (EST)

:: You're correct about it being ambiguous. Your suggestion is ok (and welcome to the Wiki! :-)), but I don't think the notice box is still needed. Its purpose was to keep people from just copying over old material from the archived wiki to fill gaps in this one, but that's not really a danger anymore, so I just removed it and moved the release date down to the download link. — [[User:Alya|Alya]] 10:40, 28 November 2008 (EST)

== Offline Version? ==

Is there an offline version of DwarfFortressWiki (ala [http://static.wikipedia.org/ Wikipedia])? I'm going to be doing some traveling, and would like to use this resource when I don't have internet access :) --[[User:Sim9]], unsigned

:I know that obtaining one is possible. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 23:31, 6 June 2008 (EDT)

:I was told that a torrent was circulating on 4chan and other places but I don't know anything else about it. --[[User:Senso|Senso]] 12:46, 7 June 2008 (EDT)
:Go to [[Special:Export]] then go to [[Special:Allpages]] in another window/tab. Make a copy of every article's name. Paste it into the export page and click export. Now its just a matter of finding a way to parse the xml file you get.

:I now have an offline copy. I can post it if anyone is interested in a copy :) --[[User:Sim9|Sim9]] 22:57, 8 June 2008 (EDT)

:: Just found this: [http://www.wikitaxi.org/delphi/doku.php/products/wikitaxi/index WikiTaxi]. It took me a while to find a suitable program for viewing Wiki XML dumps, so I thought I'd save some others the time. By 'suitable', I mean easy to use and without requiring a lot of extras before it will work (most I found require you to set up a server with a MySQL database and apache - I already meet those requirements on my desktop, but that almost defeats the purpose of downloading the wiki in the first place). This one however is completely portable - I can have it on external storage and use it on any computer I find myself needing to. --[[User:Tyranic-Moron|Tyranic-Moron]] 13:57, 15 June 2008 (EDT)

== Coincidence? ==

I got a quote that said: 
"You have been processed! Go forth, now, and edit!" 
--Savok 
right after creating this account... Is this a coincidence or a command? 
--[[User:Peewee|Peewee]] 20:02, 31 May 2008 (EDT)

:Coincidence. That's the end of a newbie-welcoming template that someone found funny enough to put in the [[Main Page/Quote|Quote list]], which delivers randomized quotes to the main page. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 22:49, 31 May 2008 (EDT)

::Both coincidence AND command. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 11:41, 1 June 2008 (EDT)

== Russian Interwiki ==
I've made a deal with the admin of the Russian wiki, we can both link to each other. So if you know Russian, you're welcome to add links to the bottom of pages to their equivalent Russian pages.
For example, on the [[Carp]] page, I have added [[ru:Карп]] - so there is now a link to its Russian counterpart in the left-side navigation bar, under the "In other languages" header. --[[User:Senso|Senso]] 13:37, 2 April 2008 (EDT)
:Looks like the other wiki may be down/broken. I don't have a suggested action though. -- [[User:Vaevictus|Vaevictus]] 13:33, 3 June 2008 (EDT)
::I have made new russian wiki. URL: http://www.dfwk.ru. I do translation now. -- [[User:igoreklim|igoreklim]] 22:15, 13 August 2008 (EDT)

== Many Laughs ==
Congrats to whomever made the april's fool's day changes. [[User:Yvain|Yvain]] 04:34, 1 April 2008 (EDT)

:Agreed. I didn't think of doing anything myself so kudos for going in. Nobody changes it for the whole day, I'll revert any reverts. :) --[[User:Senso|Senso]] 08:56, 1 April 2008 (EDT)

== Navigation on bottom ==
Since recently (2 or 3 days) the navigation and search box are at the very bottom of every page (opera user). Can someone please fix this? --[[User:Koltom|Koltom]] 07:38, 21 March 2008 (EDT)

:It's at the bottom of the page for me too, and I'm using Firefox. [[User:Klada|Klada]] 11:43, 21 March 2008 (EDT)

::Confirm this is happening for me as well, Firefox 2.0.0.12 ubuntu 7.04. --[[User:Nunix|Nunix]] 14:56, 21 March 2008 (EDT)

:::For what it's worth, ditto, and FF 2.0.0.12 Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 Service Pack 2. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 15:07, 21 March 2008 (EDT)

::::Hah! Sorry, meant Senso. XD Good to have another confirmation regardless. Anyway, I went ahead and emailed him. It's weird how it just cropped up all of a sudden, hopefully something easily fixed. --[[User:Nunix|Nunix]] 02:00, 22 March 2008 (EDT)

:It should be back to normal now, sorry for that. --[[User:Senso|Senso]] 11:54, 22 March 2008 (EDT)

::No worries, looks good here. Thanks! --[[User:Nunix|Nunix]] 17:54, 22 March 2008 (EDT)
::: *[[User:Koltom|Koltom]] jumps up and rejoices*
:::: "[[User:Koltom|Koltom]] was pleased to have a mandate deadline met lately."? --[[User:FunnyMan|FunnyMan]] 06:13, 27 March 2008 (EDT)

== "American" English or Rest-Of-The-World English? ==
Just a minor question, while spell-checking articles, I've encountered a few discrepancies between the two, but I usually see the "rest of the world English" more. So what's the official rule here, assuming we're going for a constant? --[[User:Snoob|Snoob]] 08:40, 7 March 2008 (EST)
:Haha. You don't sound biased at all ;). I figure we can go one of two routes. We can either claim that DF is an american topic, since it's being made in america by an american and the wiki is on an american domain—or we can say DF is an international topic since people from all over are funding Toady. If it's an international topic, we might as well follow the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style#National_varieties_of_English wikipedia manual of style]. Wikipedia has no preference over the variant used, but there should be consistency in each article. The first user who makes an edit which disambiguates the variety being used in the article is considered the first major contributor and all subsequent edits to that article should use the same type of english. If in doubt, we have history pages. I think the reason you see british english more often in the wiki is because we've had a few editors who in their extreme modesty decided british english is superior and changed several of the american english articles over. I've noticed this happening on a few occasions. (please dont do that). [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 09:53, 7 March 2008 (EST)
::I second sticking with the Wikipedia's Manual of Style for language. And as a note, there isn't a "Rest of the World English." In fact, the language is documented to vary [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_accents_of_English_speakers|as much as the countries that speak it].
::So, how does the Namibian English variant sound to everyone? At least then most of us are at an equal starting point! :P --[[User:TarrVetus|TarrVetus]] 11:25, 7 March 2008 (EST)
::I made a pretty bad assumption there, I suppose. I was trying to not sound biased, but I suppose I accidentally let it creep in somewhere. I'll just leave the variations to you guys and stick to cleaning up actual typos then. :P --[[User:Snoob|Snoob]] 11:37, 7 March 2008 (EST)
:::Hehe. I can sympathize, Snoob. I've had this debate with myself in the past, though it was from the other side. --[[User:TarrVetus|TarrVetus]] 13:17, 7 March 2008 (EST)
:::This is a late reply, but I am an American in China. Here, English is classified either as American English or British English, and American English is widely preferred even though British English is taught to beginning students. I wouldn't say calling it "rest-of-the-world English" is very accurate. I would venture that many countries in Latin America also prefer American English, but what do it know.--[[User:RustyMcloon|Rusty Mcloon]] 01:16, 17 May 2008 (EDT)

== Version updates ==
There's a new version out today, so the version number and release date need changing. Unfortunately I have absolutely no idea how to do this as they appear to use some kind of function instead of being typed in. Somebody with the know-how fancy making the change? --[[User:TangoThree|TangoThree]] 10:04, 24 February 2008 (EST)
:[[Template:current/version]]
:[[Template:current/lastupdate]]
:[[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 10:15, 24 February 2008 (EST)

== Quote randomization ==

VengefulDonut, if you want to randomize that for improved quality, you'll need to do it right: Many (most?) of the quotes in the quote archive are in an ARCHIVE: They are bad quotes never intended to be reused. Also, what do we do when we get new quotes? Do they get put in a database, not to be used till the RNG chooses? --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 20:11, 7 February 2008 (EST)

:What would you like? [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 20:36, 7 February 2008 (EST)

::I suggest that one quote is permanant, and the other quote refresh everytime we visit the page. So far, I noticed that even if I refresh the page, the same quotes stay. --[[User:Eagle of Fire|Eagle of Fire]] 05:49, 8 February 2008 (EST)

:::A new quote on the left, and a randomized archive quote on the right? As for the refesh: the template checks the time. --[[User:Jackard|Jackard]] 06:35, 8 February 2008 (EST)

::::What is the tick? Every few minutes? --[[User:Eagle of Fire|Eagle of Fire]] 08:14, 8 February 2008 (EST)

:::The template checks the time, but the time doesn't update because the server caches the page. It gets a new one whenever the server refreshes it; you can force this by editing the page or by clicking the preview button. Also, I could make it so that one of the quote boxes picks from the newest x quotes. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 10:43, 8 February 2008 (EST)

::::Having a newer quote on the left and an archived one on the right sounds better than a permanent quote on either. PS. Might want to remove a few of them, like the 'palisade' quote. --[[User:Jackard|Jackard]] 11:47, 8 February 2008 (EST)

:::::The goal of the quote archive was to archive every single quote which ever got to the main page. If you want to thin out only the best quotes, I suggest you use a separate database for that. Even then, how "good" is a quote is very open to interpretation and taste. If I had to remove all the quotes I find bad or unfunny myself, I'd probably remove 80% of the present quotes in the archive. --[[User:Eagle of Fire|Eagle of Fire]] 18:46, 8 February 2008 (EST)

::::::Ok. The right quotebox now chooses from the last 10 quotes instead of from among all of them. If anyone feels like they want to prune out or fiddle with quotes, go for it. I think what I've set up should be pretty straightforward, but if you have questions I'll be glad to answer them. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 20:11, 8 February 2008 (EST)

:::I added two new quotes (40, and 41), but only 40 is showing up at the moment, am I doing something wrong? --[[User:Markavian|Markavian]] 10:10, 10 March 2008 (EDT)

::::You did it exactly right. The left quote box randomly chooses between all quotes. The right quote box randomly chooses between the 10 newest. It will come up eventually. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 10:17, 10 March 2008 (EDT)

:::If possible can we implement a check to insure that the left quote and the right quote are not in fact the same quote? I suppose it wouldn't be a big deal with a small quote, however when it is large, such as the 7 line one I ran into today appearing in both boxes, it makes the page seem a bit crowded and symmetrical. --[[User:Elvang|Elvang]] 14:51, 10 June 2008 (EDT)

::::We could do that, but the probability of identical quotes is 1⁄<totalquotenum>, so I don't think it's really needed.

== Requesting installation of ParserFunctions extension ==
It would be nice if the ParserFunctions[http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:ParserFunctions] extension was installed (#if, #expr, etc). It would be useful for having templates that exclude parts of it if no values are provided. Note: I cannot find a place for requesting extensions --[[User:Aygar|Aygar]] 13:00, 21 January 2008 (EST)

:ParserFunctions has been '''installed'''. I did a quick test and it works. Let me know if you run into problems. --[[User:Senso|Senso]] 11:54, 22 January 2008 (EST)

== German Translation ==
I've got requests for either having a German wiki or Namespace. I'd like to have everybody's opinion on this. If you people think that having German (and maybe other languages eventually) translations on the main wiki is going to be annoying, tell me. I can also setup a new wiki on a subdomain (de.dwarffortresswiki.net for example). How would it be best organized? Should I use [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Template:Languages LanguageTemplates]? Is there a need for other additional languages? --[[User:Senso|Senso]] 09:31, 17 January 2008 (EST)
:Since Dwarf Fortress is only available in English, if you can play the game, you can also read the wiki. I really don't think a German (or any other language) wiki version is worth the effort.--[[User:Siliziumleben|Siliziumleben]] 14:22, 18 January 2008 (EST)
::My oppinion also. This doesn't mean we should stop those enthusiam people though. --[[User:Eagle of Fire|Eagle of Fire]] 13:06, 17 January 2008 (EST)
::There's a big difference between understanding a game interface and reading long and complex tutorials, descriptions, discussions etc. I know French people who play this game; they can understand the UI but they use the French wiki for reference. Also, if I decide to use a separate wiki/subdomain, this will be totally transparent to you. --[[User:Senso|Senso]] 16:40, 17 January 2008 (EST)
:::My first language, the one I used since I'm born, is French. Yet, I way prefer this wiki over the french one. --[[User:Eagle of Fire|Eagle of Fire]] 10:06, 18 January 2008 (EST)
::::I'm French too, you know. But when I offered to host a DF wiki, I didn't do it in French because I know English is widely used. But I'm still glad that someone else started a French wiki. --[[User:Senso|Senso]] 22:58, 20 January 2008 (EST)
I don't see what harm could come from hosting a German, Japanese, and Russian wiki. It's not like it will interfere with the English one. Also, as a student of languages, I would love to read equivalent articles in German and Japanese. --[[User:DDouble|DDouble]] 22:01, 17 February 2008 (EST)
::I am german and while I can read english books like german ones, I have to agree that being able to use a UI and understanding the finer points in a tutorial etc. are two quite different things. I guess that if the bandwidth of the wiki is no burden on anyone, it could actually lead to an influx of new ideas and players, which is very important for a "community" game like DF. --[[User:Caiburn|Caiburn]] 20:44, 18 February 2008 (CET+1)

== Version of MediaWiki? ==
Sorry if this is completely the wrong place, but does anybody know which version of MediaWiki these pages uses?
Maybe that information could be included in the page About DwarfFortressWiki? --[[User:Gauteamus|Gauteamus]] 17:00, 17 December 2007 (EST)
:I think I found out. This page: [[Special:Version]] says the version is 1.10.1, which should mean that limited #for-loops are supported. I will delete these comments soonishly, but will let them stay for a while incase someone has comments --[[User:Gauteamus|Gauteamus]] 17:28, 17 December 2007 (EST)

== Combat Logs? ==
What about a section where people could post cool combat logs from adventurer mode. This would different from the "Stories" section, which is more prose. (This is 'cause I'd like to post the log of a battle I had with a particularly clumsy Giant, who slammed into a wall allowing me to stab him in the back of the head for the eventual win. Its no dragon-slaying tale, but I still think its good.) --[[User:Wahnsinniger|Wahnsinniger]] 11:59, 2 December 2007 (EST)

== Humor? ==
Any thoughts about possibly linking [[Main Page/Quote Archive]] page somewhere on the main page? Its an orphan at the moment and is pretty funny and relevant. [[User:Vanan|Vanan]] 15:19, 13 November 2007 (EST)

I'd like to be able to see that happen. New people coming here might get overwhelmed if we don't amuse them with some good humor here and there.--[[User:AlBorland|AlBorland]] 13:42, 20 November 2007 (EST)

:I second that. This second is adorned with hanging rings of Goshenite and menaces with spikes of Goshenite. - [[User:Laugurinn|Laugurinn]] 22:57, 13 April 2008 (EDT)

Where does one stick new funny quotes? Namely, this:
 ""Thikut Atheludib, Marksdwarf cancels shooting at Archery Range: Interrupted by Groundhog pup" - What brave soldiers I have" [[User:Juckto|Juckto]] 18:45, 10 December 2007 (EST)
:That's not exactly funny, but [[Main_Page/Quote]]. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMario]] 00:43, 14 April 2008 (EDT)

== Demystify messages? ==
Probably against the spirit of 'losing is fun', but how about a page that explains smoe of the more cryptic messages, such as; 'job item misplaced' and 'job item lost or destroyed'? [[User:Runspotrun|Runspotrun]] 16:43, 8 November 2007 (EST)

Also, is there a suggestions pages? This probably isn't the best page to add ideas... [[User:Runspotrun|Runspotrun]] 16:44, 8 November 2007 (EST)

== Importing old entries ==
What's the stance on importing entries from the old wiki for stuff like general item stats? Most of them are still correct (or nearly so) and it would be nice not to have to switch between this and the old wiki any more. I can add a disclaimer to them stating I pulled them from the archives if that's appropriate. --[[User:Xazak|Xazak]] 15:07, 2 November 2007 (EDT)
:IMO (and I'm not admin or anything) it should be ok but only if you are 100% sure EVERYTHING is correct, and have verified it personally. I've edited at least one article someone copy-pasted with no changes that had old info in it so far and it makes me sad. --[[User:BurnedToast|BurnedToast]] 15:38, 2 November 2007 (EDT)
::Yes, I second this. Please be diligent if you are going to import old information. Even if you can't do it yourself, at least categorize it as needing verification so someone with the free time can. --[[User:EighenIndemnis|EighenIndemnis]] 15:37, 6 November 2007 (EST)
:You could use [[Template:Verify]] to indicate that something needs confirmation in the new version. --[[User:Senso|Senso]] 15:47, 6 November 2007 (EST)

I have noticed an increase of pages in which only an old Wiki page is copied/pasted along with a warning that it was copied and thus may not be accurate. Is it just me or that's ''exactly'' what we didn't want to happen, and one of the reasons we started fresh with the new Wiki to begin with? --[[User:Eagle of Fire|Eagle of Fire]] 01:45, 9 November 2007 (EST)

== Basic Format ==
I think the [[Farming]] page is a good format for most of the key pages, perhaps the structure from the archive should be followed. --[[User:Infinity|Infinity]] 05:56, 31 October 2007 (EDT)
:Agreed, I've tried to copy this style on several pages, e.g. [[Gear Assembly]]. --[[User:Markavian|Markavian]] 23:30, 31 October 2007 (EDT)
I would like to add a request for a 'build tree' of sorts. It would, for example, make figuring out how to get iron bars a whole lot less frustrating. --[[User:Dogcow|Dogcow]] 17:18, 1 November 2007 (EDT)
:Hello, I've added a whole page on the various metals you can make now. This is my first time editing a wiki so feel free to make corrections for me if you want, just leave me a message on the page letting me know where I went wrong. Also, since some Alloys involve smelting 3 bars of metal now, I have included a new template called Alloy3 to display these. I'm not sure on the colors though so have at it where I'm off :) --[[User:Chthon|Chthon]] 11:33, 3 November 2007 (EDT)
:Would like to second the build-tree suggestion. New player here, and I use the wiki to reference items I require but do not know how to build. I may be a bit slow, but it took me half a year to figure out I needed a Weaponsmith to make new Iron Picks. The wiki page only mentions the Metalsmith's Forge, and it never occurred to me that Weaponsmiths use the same workshop, since a pick is physically both wood and iron. Having a description that says exactly what is needed to create an item would be very useful for new players. --[[User:T.D.|tuxdelux]] 15:15, 8 October 2008 (EDT)

== Change guide? ==
Was just thinking, perhaps one of the links (or sections) on the main page should be a guide to the major changes between last version and this one. Yes, a TON of stuff has changed, but a lot also has not, and a lot of the core concepts are the same... so I would imagine many of us who have played the previous version(s) would love a section where we can see a list of new basics we have to learn, along with links to those things' individual pages... like, z-axis (obviously), mechanisms, fluid dynamics, nobles, elevation/slope, farming... you get the idea. --[[User:Cliffjeff|Cliffjeff]] 11:43, 30 October 2007 (EDT)
:Yea, I'm thinking not. Isn't the whole point of DF finding things out on your own? "Losing is Fun" and all that. Ok, so if we summarized all the changes, and someone (like me) didn't want to know we could not just not look at it right? What can I say? I'M WEAK! If we summarize the changes I will CONSUME it! (I'm only here because I still have another 6 hours of work before I can go home and try it!)
::Meanwhile, I'm lazy and stubborn and would love a consolidated list of only new things I need to know =p and I'm also trapped at work and unable to mess around in the game :( but if the whole point was finding out things on your own, why would we have a wiki? ;p --[[User:Cliffjeff|Cliffjeff]] 15:58, 30 October 2007 (EDT)
:::I agree, I think the change guide is a good idea, and it would also help us direct our attention at the articles that are likely to need the most work. --[[User:Peristarkawan|Peristarkawan]] 16:01, 30 October 2007 (EDT)
::::It ought not to be very hard to generate a basic change guide based on the official change notes, and then update it as the details are discovered. --[[User:Bobson|Bobson]] 16:26, 30 October 2007 (EDT)
:::A change guide 'page' might be useful pointing out major differences but I think the style of the wiki should be aimed at new users who know nothing of previous versions. I think we should not compare old/vs new as a rule, but if necessary we should include comparisons at the bottom of a page as apposed to the main article. That is how I am writing my edits. --[[User:Markavian|Markavian]] 23:26, 31 October 2007 (EDT)
::*The thing is, the whole idea of the wiki kind of goes against 'finding things out on your own'. If you want to be completely surprised by a game, don't read a wiki specifically intended to reveal all the details about it... sure, we do put warnings on the most spoily stuff, but at the end of the day this is a Wiki intended to document everything about Dwarf Fortress, so just about every page is going to be a spoiler to some degree. --[[User:Aquillion|Aquillion]] 03:12, 9 May 2008 (EDT)

To add my take on this subject... I think that this is a gigantic game, in some ways more complex then any of the Elder Scrolls game. I mean, in the ES games, you have weapons, armor and others... In this game you have an exceptionally large number of items of many different types and purposes... It's very difficult for newbies to fathom exactly what an item is used for. Without this Wiki, I think a lot of people would struggle with this game. [[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 05:59, 9 May 2008 (EDT)

== Possible bugs ==

Hi, this is my first time writing to any wiki.

I am writing about possible bugs. I have seen, that some sections of this wiki contain information about bugs. I think I have found one, but don't where to put it, or whether it is already here. I am also sorry, if this isn't the right place. If so, please delete this entry.

Anyway, if your furniture stockpile isn't big enough, and you try to put furniture into a specific room,it is sometimes possible, that that furniture won't be put. Instead, it will be blinking forever. You can change it functioning (make bedroom, throne room...) but to be honest, I don't know if this item is actually there, or not.

== alternate site???? ==

there appears to be a very similar site at
http://dwarf.lendemaindeveille.com/index.php/Immigration
(not just that adress)
what is the diffrence???

That's the address which was originally used for the site, before Senso registered a separate domain for it (dwarffortresswiki.net). Both domains are valid and point to the same content, so they're interchangeable. --[[User:Janus|Janus]] 20:59, 21 August 2008 (EDT)

== Quotes ==

Just for the record, does anybody mind if I put a link to the [[Main Page/Quote Archive]] page on the front page? [[User:Shabang50|Shabang50]] 12:58, 30 September 2008 (EDT)

== Shutting down the archive ==

In about two weeks, I will shutdown the read-only archive (http://archive.dwarffortresswiki.net) as I believe we've been using the current versions long enough. I'm also looking at ways to reduce the server load, disk space used and bandwidth consumed. So there. If articles were not ported to the current wiki, please do ASAP. If you have objections, please speak now. --[[User:Senso|Senso]] 12:33, 9 October 2008 (EDT)

:Regarding outright deletion: I'd prefer you didn't. Is there at least a way to preseve it in some downloadable format? The old version of the game was interesting in its intrinsic danger, and besides that, I have a succession game using that version. I think a downloadble, locally-running copy would be a good idea.--[[User:Dadamh|Dadamh]] 13:19, 11 October 2008 (EDT)

::Mediawiki allows for database dumps to be made. Any chance you could do this? I am interested in this content. See http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Backing_up_a_wiki - you'd just follow the procedures for an xml dump and make the resulting files available for a limited time. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 17:14, 20 October 2008 (EDT)

== PSA ==

While the intention is great, the main page isn't the place to post it.
It should be added to the editing/creating dialog, probably so that it appears under any previews, and above the actual editing box. --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 16:53, 20 October 2008 (EDT)

:Gladly - just tell me how to do it without the required permissions. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 19:50, 20 October 2008 (EDT)

::It was my intention that you would bring it up to Senso to do it. --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 22:35, 20 October 2008 (EDT)

:::Agreed, putting editing pet peeves at the top of the main page is overkill. Ask Senso to make the changes Edward suggests.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 01:34, 21 October 2008 (EDT)

:Frankly, I think it's important enough, and unknown enough, that it should stay on the front page. -- [[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 20:58, 20 October 2008 (EDT)

::If it does stay on the main page, professionalize it a bit more and remove the sigs. My vote's for taking it down anyways. I almost hit revert as a "knee-jerk response to vandalism". The main page article is not a place to air your grievances about how people edit. --[[User:Rkyeun|Rkyeun]] 06:02, 21 October 2008 (EDT)

:::If it could be moved to the Editing/Creating page, then I wouldn't object to moving it off the main page. But I'm on several wikis, and not one of them lists the sign-off info anywhere that's easy or intuitive to discover. [[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 20:06, 21 October 2008 (EDT)

::::It can be, it just needs edit permissions on the host. While it looks a tad better now (thanks RF), it's still entirely out of place. --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 20:34, 21 October 2008 (EDT)

::::This is a very jarring thing to see on the main page. It is completely out of place and affects the first impression people get when they see the wiki. It just makes us look bad. Put the issue on Senso's talk page and he is likely to add it to the editing dialog, but it should be taken down first. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 09:34, 22 October 2008 (EDT)

::::I have removed the PSA under the premise that changes to the main page are wrong until proven right, rather than the other way around. We can return it after agreement has been reached regarding its presence. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 23:44, 22 October 2008 (EDT)

:I'll mess with the code today and include such a warning directly on the Editing template. I'm also tired of people not using signatures. --[[User:Senso|Senso]] 15:59, 23 October 2008 (EDT)

There may be a page in the MediaWiki namespace that can be used. [[Mediawiki:Edittools]] will add text _after_ the edit box; I don't know about before. I know Wikipedia has a feature for that but I think it's an extension. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 08:41, 28 October 2008 (EDT)

Huh. after going through the source code I can now say there is NOT one - there's ones for all kinds of special cases (creating a page, recreating a deleted page, editing a protected page as an admin, editing a Mediawiki: page as an admin) but not one to just always show. Nevermind, then [[User:Random832|Random832]] 08:54, 28 October 2008 (EDT)

:I don't even see a huge problem with people not signing their posts, anyway. If a person only makes one or two posts, knowing their "name" isn't important. People who intend to stick around should be [[template:newbie|clued in]].--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 15:39, 28 October 2008 (EDT)

== Lets Download Dwarf Fortress! ==

Well you can't, and that's the issue. Are there any plans on changing the main page's link to a mirror? Since this wiki comes in second on Google only to the official Bay 12 homepage, it'd make sense for there to be a working download for potential players. [[User:Raithah|Raithah]] 01:05, 24 October 2008 (EDT)

: I added the links for mirrors 2-4 to the downtime notice. "Mirror" 1 is B12G itself. - [[User:FunnyMan|FunnyMan]] 01:15, 24 October 2008 (EDT)
::Per my PM to FunnyMan, is there a mirror link available for the Mac version? These are just the Windows version. [[User:23skidoo|23skidoo]] 21:35, 25 October 2008 (EDT)
::Though for obvious reasons I am unable to vouch for it's integrity (ie. infected by virus, spyware, etc.), [http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Games/Dwarf-Fortress.shtml|Softpedia] has a mirror of the most recent version, OS X edition. [[User:Raithah|Raithah]] 00:33, 26 October 2008 (EDT)
:::The download link is just the Bay12 site again, which is down, however Funnyman has just added a Mac download mirror link to the main page. [[User:23skidoo|23skidoo]] 16:26, 26 October 2008 (EDT)

== ETA? ==

I miss Bay 12 Games! Does anyone have any idea when we should be getting it back? I just want to know if I should stop constantly clicking my bookmark and sit back and wait for a few weeks. --[[User:Zoodle|Zoodle]] 16:23, 26 October 2008 (EDT)

: I think it's safe to say that since we can't make donations to Toady while the site's down, it'll be back up pretty soon. --[[User:Fossaman|Fossaman]] 13:58, 27 October 2008 (PDT)
::You can make donations: if you go to an archived version of the page, the paypal buttons still work since paypal didn't crash. According to Toady on at least two occasions, the site was supposed to be back up today (monday). But that doesn't seem to be happening. It should happen soon, though. --[[User:Penguinofhonor|Penguinofhonor]] 22:23, 27 October 2008 (EDT)

::Looks like the main site just came back up. The forums are still not back up yet, though I imagine they will be within the next few hours. --[[User:Janus|Janus]] 08:32, 28 October 2008 (EDT)

::You'll be pleased to know that the forums are now back up as well, and seem to be functioning normally. [[User:Ryo|Ryo]] 13:00, 29 October 2008 (EDT)

::So Random### decided to say that the forums are '''not''' up. Last I checked, being able to reach the "you are banned" screen means the forums are back up. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 14:16, 29 October 2008 (EDT)
...huh? (way to insult me behind my back btw - if you have something to say, next time say it on [[user talk:random832|my talk page]]) - anyway, it was a DNS problem, and the page I did see was a PHP error message, NOT a forum software "you are banned" messages. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 16:35, 10 November 2008 (EST)

== Forums? ==

A short time ago but after the forums crashed I got a pair of PMs claiming to be from the bay12games forum.

Are these forums up somewhere, or how would I explain those PMs? – [[template:unsigned|unsigned]] comment by [[User:Sukasa|Sukasa]]

:Last I checked, the b12g forums were actually back up and linked to from the bay12games site. <_< --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 23:47, 20 November 2008 (EST)

::Nope, when I go to /forum/ I just get a mostly-empty directory view --[[User:Sukasa|Sukasa]] 09:14, 21 November 2008 (EST)

DNS problems. See instructions at http://www.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=34213 . [[User:Random832|Random832]] 11:57, 21 November 2008 (EST)

:Not helpful- I've already flushed my DNS several times, used ''different'' DNS's, and tried that fix- I'm still getting the 'empty' forum folder. And according to cmd>ping, the DNS addresses are already correct.

::Strange. Try going specifically to http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php. --[[User:Janus|Janus]] 22:21, 21 November 2008 (EST)

:::404, actually --[[User:Sukasa|Sukasa]] 01:03, 22 November 2008 (EST)

::::OK then, what IP address is it indicating when you ping the server (which you mentioned above)? The new, current IP (which I double checked) for bay12games.com is 216.97.239.212. --[[User:Janus|Janus]] 03:59, 22 November 2008 (EST)

::::That -is- the IP ._. In fact, that`s been the IP for months.
::::That said, manually going to http://216.97.239.212/forum/ worked, but trying to click -anything- redirects me to a 404 on bay12games.com/forum/. About the only other thing I can see is that I'm getting wwwRedirect in the GET string.
:::: Hm, found what may be the issue. Despite having flushed/registered the DNS a week or so ago, my DNS records still have the wrong IP in for bay12games. Confusing as all get-out, since /dwarves/dev_now.html works fine for me. {{unsigned|Sukasa}}

:::::The ping command should resolve DNS entries exactly the same as your browser would, so that was why I was asking (i.e. "ping bay12games.com" should resolve to 216.97.239.212). Glad you've got it nailed down as a DNS issue though. --[[User:Janus|Janus]] 19:25, 22 November 2008 (EST)
:::::Uh, by the way: do you access the internet through a router? Sometimes they can muck things up, and in fact I've seen one cause problems by caching DNS entries. Fixing such a problem would vary from one router to the next, though. --[[User:Janus|Janus]] 19:34, 22 November 2008 (EST)

:::::It's a Linksys Router, yes. It's definitely not the router and instead my internal cache, since the problem persists even when I bring my laptop to work or to University. --[[User:Sukasa|Sukasa]] 23:53, 22 November 2008 (EST)

:::::Firefox also maintains its own cache, IIRC. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 11:13, 24 November 2008 (EST)

:::::Nah, I use Chrome. Anyways, managed to fix it, thanks for the help --[[User:Sukasa|Sukasa]] 16:51, 25 November 2008 (EST)

== Notice box at the top of Main Page ==

As we can see from the edit history, [[User:Alya|Alya]] states that "it was intended to ensure information from the old wiki didn't just get copied over; it isn't really needed anymore, especially that prominently." [[User:N9103|Edward]] replies, "Versions still update regularly, and accuracy should always be a priority." 
Right under "Download Dwarf Fortress" is emblazoned the same text as the notice box except for a reminder to ensure that info is accurate for the ''latest'' version. I'm inclined to think that the sort that wouldn't do that won't be listening to the notice box any more than Rules [[DwarfFortressWiki:Community_Portal#F|F]], [[DwarfFortressWiki:Community_Portal#V|V]], and sometimes [[DwarfFortressWiki:Community_Portal#Y|Y]]. No, ''especially'' Y. 
Opinions? 
--[[User:Savok|Savok]], 
not wanting to start revert wars at 00:44, 30 November 2008 (EST)

:I think that's going to end up being true, what with the current state of the average human brain. Though I'm fresh out of suggestions, except giant red blinking text. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 01:13, 30 November 2008 (EST)

:I have to agree with Alya. We barely have a problem with people adding inaccurate info of any kind, let alone outdated info. It gets outdated on its own, and if we're lucky, we spot it and fix it. We could toss the notice box altogether.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 02:25, 30 November 2008 (EST)

Consensus seems against me. Notice Removed. --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 05:21, 30 November 2008 (EST)

== "Meeting Hall' page for general questions. ==

Wowwiki (for Warcraft and related things) has a 'Village pump' page, that functions as kind of a general question area. Is there something like that here, or could there be? I've seen references to the forums, but the links don't seem to work, usually, at least for me. (I'm on a company network, which may be why.) --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 23:03, 9 December 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Reclaim fortress mode

2008-12-10T03:35:51Z

Azaram: /* Can't get them to do anything... */

40d Talk:Reclaim fortress mode

2008-12-09T07:02:13Z

Azaram: /* Can't get them to do anything... */

40d Talk:Reclaim fortress mode

2008-12-08T08:11:12Z

Azaram: /* Can't get them to do anything... */

40d Talk:Reclaim fortress mode

2008-12-08T07:50:11Z

Azaram: Can't get them to do anything...

User talk:Azaram

2008-12-08T06:11:57Z

Azaram:

User talk:Azaram

2008-12-07T11:24:49Z

Azaram: New page: The saddest game I've ever played, I think. Found a magma pool, and was happily building iron and collecting sand to make glass... ack! Fire imp! Stonefall trap clonked him on the head, di...

The saddest game I've ever played, I think. Found a magma pool, and was happily building iron and collecting sand to make glass... ack! Fire imp! Stonefall trap clonked him on the head, dizzying him enough to stumble into another, which put an end to him... but not before he set some mountain goat meat on fire in the nearby storeroom. I guess he was hungry and wanted it cooked... So, I set about building a floor over the pit... Ack! Another fire -- (clang) Oh good, the cage trap I set up got him. Will trade him to the first caravan to come along...

"Cancelled build wall: item blocking." Um. Yeah. That would be the ''stone'' I wanted you to use to build the wall... And since the area is mostly sand, stone is kind of hard to come by. Ok, start flooring the pit again, and use all the stone in the place...except for the one piece that I actually '''wanted''' you to use, so we could build the wall to channel the fire imps...

A dark gnome in the food stores! Activate the nearby woodcutter who was boozing it up... Egad. Ew! Oh, that's not right! (covers eyes) Body parts everywhere. Remind me not to interrupt that guy when he's drinking. (first hit flang the right hand halfway across the very large storage area...)

Ack! More fire imps! And apparently he got up on the surface, and set the (heavily forested) area on fire... (Aside: Fire looks surprisingly good for being ascii...) Activate everyone, who promptly mosh them to death... er. Man down! "cancels recover wounded: Interrupted by fire imp." Wuss! You're supposed to be an axe dwarf! (bleeds to death) Crud. "Cancels bring water: need bucket". Crap, I wasn't expecting a fight this soon, it was pretty empty of everything but vermin until now... ok, build me a woodworking shop, since the other one burned down... ...any time now, guys... ...really. Look, I'm TRYING to help here...

Oh, crap. "Cancels butcher animal: insane". So, a heavily armed and experienced butcher has gone axe-crazy... "is struck down". "Bleeds to death." "Bleeds to death."

Great. I've got one dwarf locked inside, with the hatch covers battened, while one outside goes all Jack Nicholson. At least the hatch covers are stone... "A caravan has arrived." "Crazy butcher dude is pwnt."

Unlock the hatches, and sad, lonely bastard wanders out and... gathers plants. Guy, I've marked the caged fire imp so you can sell his brimstone-smellin' ass to them for a right proper beating (and if I could figure out how to open the cage, I'd give it to them for free...) (turns off gathering)

Ok, ''now'' you go work on the stupid carpenter's shop.

(turns off everything but hauling) (wanders off and goes to sleep.)

Well, I guess the merchants will take a while to unload anyway...

Hey, he's awake, and he's heading for the depot... oop, side trip for a drink... and another drink... and sends down another to see what happened to the first two and one to keep it company. "Cancels drink. Unconscious".

"Your fortress has crumbled."

Well, after having had to endure a friend's decay (since nobody was moving the stupid ''coffins''), I guess drinking yourself to death looks good...

40d Talk:Bedroom

2008-12-04T08:15:29Z

Azaram: /* Bedrooms and Furniture */

==Free bed==
what does the option "free bed" do? --[[User:Koltom|Koltom]] 05:20, 8 February 2008 (EST)
:Why not just use it and see? Just as with other buildings - it will remove bedroom.--[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 05:31, 8 February 2008 (EST)
::my impression is it leaves the bed to be taken as bedroom by its first user, which is not clear from the article. --[[User:Koltom|Koltom]] 19:12, 8 February 2008 (EST)
:Gee Dorten - you hang out at a wiki, which is meant to document the features and commands of a game. Being told ''just suck it and see'' is probably not why many ppl come here!
:To answer Koltom - '''Free bed''' - the bed becomes unallocated, available for reallocation by the player or for being taken over by the next dwarf to use it.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 09:15, 9 February 2008 (EST)
::OK, I'm sorry... btw, 'freed' bed will not become bedroom by itself. It'll be counted as hospital bed, dwarves sleeping on it will have unhappy thought (slept without proper room)--[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 23:11, 10 February 2008 (EST)
:::Wow Dorten, still wrong. Healing of wounds is one use, yes, but the bed's just as available for any other dwarf without an assigned bed. (as GarrieIrons already pointed out) --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 09:48, 12 February 2008 (EST)
::::He's not exactly wrong, he's just not stating what he means clearly. Using "Free Bed" on a bed (specifically, a bed that's being used as the "anchor" for designating a Bedroom) removes the Bedroom designation from the area that had previously been marked out. A bed that isn't in a designated Bedroom (either from that bed or another) is usable for sleeping, but will generate unhappy thoughts, as he mentioned. He is also saying that it will be given priority for use as a hospital bed - wounded Dwarves will be taken to these beds if available, rather than being put in a bedroom (I don't know if that part is true or not). --[[User:Nekojin|Nekojin]] 02:55, 25 August 2008 (EDT)

==Bedrooms and Furniture==

Do Dwarves have any issues with walking over furniture to get to other furniture? for example, if I have a 4x1 room, with a Cabinet behind a Bed, is that functionally the same as a 2x2 room with a Cabinet and a Bed? Or does the Bed cause any issues with a Dwarf trying to use the Cabinet? --[[User:Nekojin|Nekojin]] 02:49, 25 August 2008 (EDT)

:It doesn't appear so, to me. I've seen them roll across a room, right across a table someone was eating at, and neither of them seemed unhappy about it. The traveller was carrying an armor rack at the time. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 03:15, 4 December 2008 (EST)

== Barracks ==

Dwarfs will seem to prefer sleeping on the floor of a barracks with no beds defined (thus a sparring ring) to an unroomed bed. Which is rather annoying since I don't want my fortress guard tearing shit up in my communal bedroom. [[User:HeWhoIsPale|HeWhoIsPale]] 15:03, 8 October 2008 (EDT)

Sparring and sleeping for soldiers will be seperated in a future version. For now, though, clearing more floor space might help, as might designating a barracks from a weapon rack or armour stand somewhere closer to the fortress meeting area/drink stockpile, as sparring dwarves seem to prefer this.

On a related note, soldiers and guards spend a lot of time in meeting areas, so placing a statue garden or the like right next one of these bedless barracks could have the benefit of both keeping your sleeping quarters from running red with blood, and allowing your dwarves to gain skill faster with a more efficent day! --[[User:Navian|Navian]] 08:35, 6 November 2008 (EST)

:They only actually spar in the barracks itself though. And for whatever reason, sparring neither endangers anyone else who's in the room, nor even wakes them up if they're sleeping. I have a communal barracks that everyone sleeps in and aside from "sleeping without a proper room recently", no one seems to mind. Actually, it's my zoo as well. I can only imagine what it's like in there. ;-) --[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 23:03, 6 November 2008 (EST)

:A bedless barracks works FANTASTIC before the dwarven economy starts up. With all the room in the world to manuever and dodge, I trained over 20 dwarves to legendary wrestling and legendary in 1 weapon school without a single fatal accident or nerve damage injury. My homeless dwarves just slept in a separate room with a bunch of beds that I left unassigned. Once the economy starts up, though, dwarves will no longer sleep in unassigned beds, and you have to have some beds in your sparring area. :( Toady has said that barrack behavior is going to change with the completion of the army arc, so let's hope this won't be so after the next release. --[[User:ThunderClaw|ThunderClaw]] 01:37, 7 November 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Magma

2008-12-04T07:08:34Z

Azaram: Export the local map

Are you certain that steel is a requirement for metals in contact with magma? This info conflicts with the [[Magma smelter]] article, which state that using [[Fire-safe materials]] is enough. Don't have a fort with magma yet, but could someone check which one is correct?[[User:Thexor|Thexor]] 19:23, 31 October 2007 (EDT)
:If i disable temperature can my dwarfs swim through the magma unharmed? Will it still cause water to steam? [[User:Diabl0658|Diabl0658]] 22:28, 31 October 2007 (EDT)
:: Yes, dwarves seem to be able to swim through magma unharmed when temperature is off(I've had them shoved in during a fight, not 100% sure), but they'll violently resist this, even without danger. Water will still steam, it seems to be hard coded. --[[User:Erathoniel|Erathoniel]] 16:50, 12 November 2008 (EST)

Does the type of rock around the mountainous areas hint at magma? If you check out [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_rocks#Naming this article] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igneous_rock#Mineralogical_classification this site] list a bunch of common volcanic rocks: Granite, Rhyolite, Diorite, Andesite, Gabbro, Basalt, Peridotite and Komatite. Perhaps some clues as to where to find magma?
:It may be possible to find magma vents by searching for extrusive igneous rocks (such as basalt, felsite, rhyolite and andesite), but continental shelves and deep earth are just naturally made of intrusive igneous rock (such as granite, diorite and gabbro). It's generally indicative of rock that has been pushed up to the surface (or erosion has withered the rock down), and not a volcano.
::So areas with surface igneous rocks such as basalt, felsite, rhyolite and andesite have a high chance of finding a source of magma below the surface? I'd like to know if it's entirely random or if there is some order or pattern to it. [[User:Schm0|Schm0]] 08:38, 5 November 2007 (EST)

On a completely different topic: I keep setting up on magma vents but not actually having a magma chamber visible. I assumed one problem was the lack of a border on my plot (so somehow the volcano was actually outside my plot), but even after making it bigger there was still no magma (...but it did have a fancy cave)...This has happened the last 4 times I've tried to start on a volcano, and the world regenerating takes quite a while for ~10 named volcanoes, and then all of the livable ones don't actually have magma.--[[User:UltimaGecko|UltimaGecko]] 16:50, 3 November 2007 (EDT)
:You might try using reveal.exe to see if the volcano is underground. I just built on a site with a volcano which was not visible from the surface, and used reveal to make sure I hadn't lost my mind (then I killed DF and restarted it so I wouldn't still have the map revealed) - The volcano was entirely underground, covered by layer(s) of rock. I've also added a note to the article saying that it is possible to find a volcano which is visible on the starting screen but not from the surface on-site.--[[User:SL|SL]] 21:54, 7 November 2007 (EST)
::I think this is related to the temperature of the area. I've got a map with a magma vent in the middle of a glacier. There was no surface magma, but there was a nice flat, round patch of obsidian surrounded by ice. After digging down three levels through this "cap", I hit live magma. It's actually a nice setup, as I've basically set up a small fort *in* the cap--basically my dwarves are living in the mouth of the volcano, with the basement level dedicated to magma smelters, forges, glass furnaces, etc. --[[User:RedKing|RedKing]] 04:26, 9 November 2007 (EST)

== Magmapool/pipe section ==
Zara, you recently added some info about all magma pipes having cliffs over them -- this is incorrect. I've played a very large number of magma pipe maps, and very often they are completely exposed to the air. I've also removed the line about them being "as small as two z-levels!", because it needs better phrasing. I may fix it later. [[User:MOOMANiBE|MOOMANiBE]] 22:39, 26 February 2008 (EST)

:in the meantime I had figured that out, too. But what is the difference between a magma pipe and a volcano, then? – [[template:unsigned|unsigned]] comment by [[User:Zara|Zara]]

::As far as I know, the distinction comes down to whether it reaches the surface. If so, some would then call it a volcano rather than a magma pipe. I believe that magma pipes which reach the surface (or volcanoes, if you will) are the only ones which actually show up on the embark map, while underground magma pipes and magma pools do not (unless you use the Regional Prospector tool). --[[User:Janus|Janus]] 23:07, 10 March 2008 (EDT)

:::No, similar to Moonanibe,I've played on several maps where, on the embark screen, the magma pipe was only visible using regional prospector. However, as soon as I took a look at the place, I found the magma partly (or completely) exposed on the surface. [[User:Zara|Zara]] 01:59, 11 March 2008 (EDT)

== Added new section ==
I added a section regarding "Built objects vs. Magma". I think it's absolutely vital we establish what does and doesn't melt in magma, in a clean list. There are quite a few things that could be added to that list (Constructed floors for one) so please, do add to it. [[User:MOOMANiBE|MOOMANiBE]] 17:31, 18 February 2008 (EST)
:Have you tested the bridges? I conjecture that all buildings and constructions without mechanisms are perfectly fine with magma contact. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 10:37, 19 February 2008 (EST)
:: The bridges part was cut from another section of the article and moved in there. Since it was already here, I assumed it was accurate. I haven't actually checked myself. [[User:MOOMANiBE|MOOMANiBE]] 16:54, 19 February 2008 (EST)
:I will verify bridges one way or the other. I'm pretty sure they cant melt, though. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 21:03, 19 February 2008 (EST)
::they dont melt, as they arent actually within the magma. that was copied over from the 2d wiki and nobody removed it -[[User:Chariot|Chariot]] 22:29, 19 February 2008 (EST)
::: I noticed you removed the line about bridges. It seems silly not to mention them at all, so I've written up a line about them working no matter what the material and stuck it in. [[User:MOOMANiBE|MOOMANiBE]] 23:12, 19 February 2008 (EST)
::::yea they should definately be mentioned, wasnt thinking when i removed it completely(recovering from a bad cold and brain is still a bit foggy) -[[User:Chariot|Chariot]] 00:49, 20 February 2008 (EST)
Tested. Non-magmaiproof bridges -over- magma are fine. Non-magma-proof submerged in magma will melt. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 12:39, 21 February 2008 (EST)
: Interesting. I'll edit the article to say as much. [[User:MOOMANiBE|MOOMANiBE]] 15:30, 21 February 2008 (EST)
This is what I've found: ANY Construction is safe from magma (even wooden ones. Walls, stairs, fortifications, etc). Any building is unaffected by magma if the magma doesn't occupy the same tile as the building. Example: a door is safe if it's closed, even if it's made of non-safe rock or wood. If you lock it open with a mechanism, or if it's jammed, then the magma interacts with the components, burning/melting them if they can't stand the heat. A pump made of wood or any other material is also safe, as long as the magma doesn't flow *over* it. Since the "out" side acts as a wall, if it's correctly isolated from the magma it won't get damaged and will pump the magma without any trouble. --[[User:Sergius|Sergius]] 01:41, 21 May 2008 (EDT)

Anyone clear on Vertical Bars in magma? I am attempting to keep imps and such from moving through my magma feeding tunnel and was curious if anyone had any good solutions to this problem. --[[User:Stalinbulldog|Stalinbulldog]] 16:23, 14 June 2008 (EDT)

:I just use a bauxite wall grate, it works fine for me. --[[User:Zombiejustice|Zombiejustice]] 01:02, 15 June 2008 (EDT)
:: Ah, thank you, I just wanted to be sure they didn't melt regardless --[[User:Stalinbulldog|Stalinbulldog]] 02:32, 15 June 2008 (EDT)
 
I made a few tests with magma and buildings/constructions and I can confirm some known results and I can provide a few new aspects. Constructions (b->C) are magma safe (walls, floors, stairs, others not tested). No matter what the material is.
*<s>bridges build with bauxite *rocks* are not magma safe (bauxite mechanism or not)</s>
*bridges build with bauxite *blocks* are magma safe (test with mechanism is pending)
*bridges build with steel bars are magma safe (test with mechanism is pending)
Open test: bridge with blocks considered as not magma safe.
 [[User:Imajia|Imajia]] 12:14, 11 July 2008 (EDT)
::I'm sorry, I made a mistake. The bridges build with bauxite rocks were previously connected with a lever. Unfortunately the mechanism is not removed from the bridge when you remove the lever. Well, at least it seems that the rules for magma safe materials are valid for bridges. With one exception: raised bridges can contain any mechanism, only when magma flows over the bridge it is destroyed.--[[User:Imajia|Imajia]] 13:18, 13 July 2008 (EDT)

== Replenishing Magma ==

Since magma replenishes now, I've rewritten that snippet from the article. If I've missed something(a kind of magma not regenerating, though this always worked for me on several maps), feel free to correct things. --[[User:Romantic Warrior|Romantic Warrior]] 15:47, 18 February 2008 (EST).

I have a very good feeling that the replenishing magma is just "pressurized" magma. I haven't tested fully, but i have poured water over a magma pipe and re-mined it, and in that case the magma flow was upwards. --[[User:Sphexx|Sphexx]] 03:49, 23 May 2008 (EDT)

== Temperature ==

Does magma increase the temperature of things around it? Can it be used to melt ice? --[[User:Ikkonoishi|Ikkonoishi]] 20:26, 3 November 2007 (EDT)

:I'm not sure how the temperature calculations are done, but I CAN tell you that magma will melt nearby ice. Check out http://mkv25.net/dfma/movie-153-meltingwateronglacier to see it in action. [[User:Zaranthan|Zaranthan]] 15:23, 26 January 2008 (EST)

::It should be a flow, just like the magma itself. One of the other visible results is warm stone. The same can probably be said for water and damp stone as well. --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 17:01, 26 January 2008 (EST)

==Flow?==

I have a magma pipe (pit) in my current fortress... I breached the pipe from the lowest level because of the diagonal bug when I discovered it, and it filled some long exploratory shafts. Since then, the top magma layer is down to 5/7 and 6/7 running all over the surface. After a little while, it's easy to see that magma act curiously: instead of bouncing from wall to wall like real water physics, in my game the 5/7 (the flow) seems to all move in the same direction at the same time. The direction change often, and seem to change randomly. --[[User:Eagle of Fire|Eagle of Fire]] 22:43, 26 November 2007 (EST)

There is another way to stop a flow of magma that's moving through a tunnel. You can go one z-level higher, dig to a spot above the magma-filled tunnel, then build a channel above where the magma is flowing and assign it as a Pond Zone. So long as you have buckets and a viable Water Source zone, a dwarf will come along and drop water on the magma, instantly turning it into obsidian and blocking the tunnel. --[[User:Stromko]] January 6th, 2007
: I've tried this - it rarely works. Usually you just destroy 1/7 of the magma per bucket, along with the water from the bucket, and nothing turns to obsidian. You need to hit it with larger quantities of water at once to get reliable results. --[[User:SL|SL]] 10:35, 6 January 2008 (EST)
::Actually, you have to hit it from two levels up. Just one won't do anything.--[[User:Demosthenes|Demosthenes]] 17:07, 18 February 2008 (EST)

I have added a section to the main page on magma flow, based on frequent confusion in the forums, and on some investigations I have been making into the behavior of magma when pumped (I'm not the first to discover this behavior, but I did go to a fair degree of effort to test how it behaves in differing circumstances) --[[User:Kaypy|Kaypy]] 21:16, 8 October 2008 (EDT)
:Now THAT is how you make a diagram! Awesome. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 22:20, 8 October 2008 (EDT)

==Criteria for Magma Buildings==

Is there a special condition that must be met before Magma Smelters/Forges/Furnaces and so on will appear on the build menus? I have a magma pit and some channels over it so that I can access it for magma, but I cannot build any magma-using buildings. - [[User:Confused Rat|Confused Rat]]

:Magma furnaces and forges need a hole somewhere on the ground where they are built. This is to allow the furnace/forge to take the heat from the magma as they are used. --[[User:Eagle of Fire|Eagle of Fire]] 19:43, 25 January 2008 (EST)
:What he means is that the magma furnaces don't even appear in the build menu. This is because you haven't discovered magma through natural means. The only way this can happen is if you used reveal to find the magma. You'll have to use the [[Utilities#Enable_Magma_Buildings|Enable Magma Buildings]] utility to make them appear. --[[User:Valdemar|Valdemar]] 20:03, 25 January 2008 (EST)
:Reclaimed fortresses may be bugged. If you reclaimed you fortress you probably can't do anything with it without 3rd party programs (like one mentioned above). Magma in [[pit]]s isn't enough to allow magma buildings. You need to discover true magma pipe and get pop-up informing about this. --[[User:Someone-else|Someone-else]] 08:37, 23 May 2008 (EDT)

== Infinity Generators? ==

Because magma is currently a finite resource, would it be a good idea to add how to make an infinity generator as workarround untill Toady gives us some more of the stuff?—Preceding [[template:unsigned|unsigned]] comment added by [[User:Highlord Asehujiko|Highlord Asehujiko]] ([[User talk:Highlord Asehujiko|talk]]•[[Special:Contributions/Highlord Asehujiko|contribs]]) {{{2|}}}
:Not on the main article as it would easily be considered cheating. In here, or the [[cheating]] article itself would be fine, the latter probably more appropriate as it could be applied to water as well for those scorching maps. --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 19:16, 27 January 2008 (EST)
::Magma regenerates in most cases, which pretty much means it's infinite. --[[User:Someone-else|Someone-else]] 19:19, 26 April 2008 (EDT)

== Lava vs. Magma ==

I hadn't noticed it until just now, but both Lava and Magma occur in the game. I haven't seen this fact referenced in the wiki. Magma is a fluid which occurs in Magma Pipes, and in areas directly connected to Magma Pipes. Lava appears to occur in disconnected areas. I'm not sure what happens if you reconnect. If you use {{k|k}} to view a square, you'll see either Magma or Lava depths given. I'm not clear on what difference there is between the two fluids. --[[User:Doctorlucky|Doctorlucky]] 02:58, 23 March 2008 (EDT)

:There is none, just the name. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 10:30, 23 March 2008 (EDT)

::both in df, and irl, molten rock in open air is called lava, while subterranean is called magma -[[User:Chariot|Chariot]] 15:40, 23 March 2008 (EDT)

::: Ah, so magma which is ''Outside'' is lava. Cool. I guess my disjoint areas are all also outside :) I suppose we ought to mention this somewhere on the page? --[[User:Doctorlucky|Doctorlucky]] 19:19, 23 March 2008 (EDT)

== Magma vs puppy? ==

I have encountered an interesting glitch. I have 2 puppies and a kitten in magma that aren't dying, and yes I have temperature setting on. http://mkv25.net/dfma/movie-570-magmavspuppy

For those interested in trying to recreate it, I believe it has to do with designating the animal to slaughter while trying to throw it into a pit. A few of my dwarves were having pathing errors to try and slaughter them when I noticed the 3 invulnerable pests. After saving and reloading, the critters were insta-gibbed.
--[[User:Sphexx|Sphexx]] 04:59, 23 May 2008 (EDT)

== Chasm Confusion ==

"The minerals directly adjacent to the magma vent will also be immediately visible, even at the lowest level of the map, which can give some hints about where to prospect for ores."

Magma, at least in my experience, has always been surrounded only by Obsidian, as a result you cannot get any kind of insight as to the surrounding minerals, this differs from a chasm where the veins coming up to a chasm are directly reflected in the walls.

--[[User:Stalinbulldog|Stalinbulldog]] 04:18, 26 July 2008 (EDT)
:volcanoes and magmapipes can form large "chasms" above them, though it depends on how rocky the map is
:Confirmed, various minerals and gems were visible in the 'crater' area two levels above the magma in my magma pipe. --[[User:Corona688|Corona688]] 15:05, 5 November 2008 (EST)

== gruesome accident in reall really older 2d version ==

beware wooden floodgates
not only do they burn(as I planned)
but i scattered magma all around the room
it rolled around quickly in all directions, flooding the tunnels, burning miners, smelters, war dogs and puppies alike without remorse.
it has thus far filled the entire message screen with " someone" or "something" has burned to death
it appears to gain mass from creeping down hallways! oh god...
60 deaths, at least 25 dwarves and 15 puppies22:08, 28 July 2008 (EDT)[[User:Eerr|Eerr]]

== Magma cooling? ==

Ive noticed at a 1/7 depth, the magma seems to cool and go away. v40d --[[User:OmegaX|OmegaX]] 17:28, 3 October 2008 (EDT)

: That is probably what the author meant by "Magma that is only 1 deep "evaporates" over time." [[User:MagicGuigz|MagicGuigz]] 19:58, 3 October 2008 (EDT)

== Mechanisms on Non-Floodgates ==

I want to power my underground smelting operations with magma, so I'm digging a tunnel into the side of a magma pipe. I don't want magma creatures coming in that way, so I need a set of [[bars]] across it. However, once I set up the bars, I need to open them to get a miner past and cut the last bit of stone and open the tunnel to the magma. I was going to just attach the bars to a level, but the question of what to use for the [[mechanism]] is bugging me. I don't want to waste my precious imported [[Bauxite]] on the mechanism, and once it closes behind the miner it never need to open again so it's fine it it melts, but not if the melting mechanism will cause the bars to deconstruct! Anyone know what happens to things other than floodgates when their mechanisms get melted off?
--17:11, 7 October 2008 (EDT)

: Or you could make your life much simpler with [[Fortifications]]. [[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 23:09, 14 October 2008 (EDT)

:: How? [[Fortification|Fortifications]] allow liquid to pass through and stop creatures, yes, but you can't open them ''at all''. How am I supposed to get my dwarf back after he digs the last square of the channel if there's a fortification blocking the way?--[[User:Macdjord|Macdjord]] 15:49, 16 October 2008 (EDT)

:::I used a fortification to keep fire imps out of my magma channel; I dug a stairway totally unconnected to the rest of my fortress to a spot adjacent to the top layer of the magma pipe, then dug a tunnel from within the fortress to within one tile of the stairway. I fortified the tile that separated the two, then dug a channel (from outside) that let the magma flow against the "outside" face of the fortification. The magma flowed through the fortification and into the "inside" tunnel.

:::For good measure, in case I want to drain the inside tunnel at some point, I put an s-turn in the inside tunnel and situated a nickel/bauxite floodgate around the corner, out of sight of the fortification.

:::Viewed from above, basically it looks like this:

~============
~~=====..X...
~~=====.=====
~~=<#...=====
~~===========
~============

~ - Magma pipe
= - Unmined tile (wall)
. - Mined tile (channel)
< - Stairway
# - Fortification
X - Floodgate

:::The last step here is to remove the tile between the magma and the stairway by digging a channel from one z-level up.
:::--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 03:16, 17 October 2008 (EDT)
::::Why do you need a stairway? Couldn't you have just put the fortification on the tile where you have the stairway now? I'm also not sure why you need a turn as opposed to having the floodgate directly in line; i.e. {{qd|cols=7|~|`|╬|{{qd/ch{{!}}X{{!}}888|ccc}}|.|.|.}}
::::[[User:Random832|Random832]] 08:55, 17 October 2008 (EDT)

:::::I believe you can't create a fortification from above, though I could be wrong. It doesn't cost anything to dig one extra z-level down to get yourself a tile with an open face front and back which fortifies up nicely. Also, I put the kink in the tunnel just to be paranoid -- I don't want things shooting fireballs down it. I'm not sure if a fireball can destroy a floodgate. Again, it didn't cost me anything to make it a touch more elaborate.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 18:29, 17 October 2008 (EDT)

::::Well, if I dug in from above, I could just use a non-retracting set of bars. Fortifications allow liquid to flow, but they slow it down. But I'm not digging at the top level of the pipe. I suppose I could just use a sacrificial non-magma-safe floodgate, set up the bars behind it, and then open it and let it melt.
::::--[[User:Macdjord|Macdjord]] 13:20, 17 October 2008 (EDT)

== Magma Ate My Wall ==
While digging my channel to a magma pipe, I came across a vein of Lignite which ran perpendicular to my channel. I mined it out, hauled the lignite over to my fortress, and then built some walls over the side passages. It's now less than a year later, and one of those wall-units is missing. Unless there's some way a fire imp or other magma creature can destroy walls, the magma must have melted the wall. --[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 07:12, 5 November 2008 (EST)

:Wasn't that wall a Lignite wall ? It may have burnt, then. [[User:Timst|Timst]] 09:46, 5 November 2008 (EST)
:Yes, it sounds like it was a liginite wall. Magma will ignite coke-bearing rock, this has been the case for a long time. --[[User:ThunderClaw|ThunderClaw]] 09:56, 5 November 2008 (EST)

:: No, the wall was built from rock salt. All the lignite was hauled away, and as an economic stone, not a material choice I could have made by accident. The floor is still lignite though. Think that may have been a factor? --[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 09:58, 5 November 2008 (EST)
:::That's possible, but I find it unlikely. Also, I misinterpreted what you meant by 'built a wall', didn't realize it was a construction. I thought it was a smoothed rock face. It's been a persisting question (at least in #df on synIRC) if magma will melt constructions not made of bauxite. You may have just answered that for us. Perhaps you could test by letting magma into a 5x5 room with one natural rock pillar in the middle, and a wall construction of the same type of stone? That'd answer the question once and for all, I think. --[[User:ThunderClaw|ThunderClaw]] 10:11, 5 November 2008 (EST)
:::I've had magma against some of my constructed walls for years and years without damage. A good thing too, I've got quarters on the other side! They're almost certainly basalt. I wouldn't rule out the vanishing wall being caused by a burning floor; lignite can burn for years before vanishing. --[[User:Corona688|Corona688]] 15:14, 5 November 2008 (EST)
::::Interesting. It was probably the liginite floor, then, but that begs the question of how a burning floor could consume a wall; stone should be fire-safe. A really interesting situation, to be sure. --[[User:ThunderClaw|ThunderClaw]] 17:26, 5 November 2008 (EST)
:::Also -- as for 'not a material choice I could have made by accident', I've found my masons will happily convert expensive imported ores and flux into blocks if they decide your depot's closer than the nearest basalt. And once anything's blocked, it's useless but for constructions. --[[User:Corona688|Corona688]] 16:39, 5 November 2008 (EST)

::::: @Corona: That's for a mason's workshop, though. When you build walls, you choose the specific rocks to build from. Although, I have to say that I've never had a mason use a rock from the restricted list.
::::: For clarity, here's an image capture. The east-west shaft was my original tunnel towards the magma pipe. Every mined-out tile north or south of that shaft was Lignite. However, the opening just below the cursor, where my missing wall is supposed to be, is listed as Rock Salt as well. This is because dwarves kept building that section of wall from the wrong side, and I had to deconstruct it and put it back up several times -- which kills our "burning lignite floor" theory. Hrm.....now that I think about it, I can't be sure that I did build that wall in the end. I can't remember if a dwarf ever built it from the correct side. I'll let you know if another wall section disappears.
[[Image:romeofalling1.GIF]]

--[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 18:54, 5 November 2008 (EST)

== Disambiguation ==

I see the term ''magma pipe'' and ''magma vent'' being used interchangeably. Do these terms mean the same thing? --[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 20:25, 8 November 2008 (EST)

:Basically, yes. Magma vents, however, are visible from the surface, whereas magma pipes are not. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 00:26, 9 November 2008 (EST)

== Magma Vs. Sand ==

In a failed experiment with wooden screw pumps with magma proof blocks, I have discovered something horrible and intriguing. Magma/lava can burn it's way through sand, so now I have an above ground magma cistern half flooding back into the magma pipe I filled it from, and half into my underground workshops through 2 z-levels of sand flooring. I have picture proof too, but I have no idea how to upload pictures from my laptop to a wiki. --[[User:Alkyon|Alkyon]] 14:19, 11 November 2008 (EST)

:"Upload file", toolbox, left side of this page.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 14:34, 11 November 2008 (EST)
::Ah, thanks. --[[User:Alkyon|Alkyon]] 20:12, 11 November 2008 (EST)

Do you mean it goes down z-levels, or does it just move across the sand? magma can normally move across anything except water, I think. --[[User:Destor|Destor]] 14:41, 11 November 2008 (EST)
:Vertically, through z-levels. It created a hole that wasn't there before through a sand floor, into my main hallway, and then through the floor there into my workshops and stockpiles. From there, it simply followed the path of least resistance down the stairs and into the living quarters (not shown). The magma seems to only tunnel through floor tiles that have no wall tile below them, which is understandable but I've never had this happen before. Though, admittedly I have never tried to create a lava cistern on top of sand before. --[[User:Alkyon|Alkyon]] 20:12, 11 November 2008 (EST)
<gallery>
Image:DF-0.JPG|Above ground (sorry for large size despite jpeg compression)
Image:DF-1.JPG|1 z-level down (main hallway)
Image:DF-2.JPG|2 z-levels down (workshops and rock, bar, and wood stockpiles)
</gallery>

== Regarding Boatmurdered ==

I have this intense desire to flood the world in magma. (yes, I'm playing the 2D Dwarf Fortress. Sue me.) How did they get the magma onto the surface? Last I checked, pumps don't exist, sooo... --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 02:45, 28 November 2008 (EST)
:Channels and aqueducts... They'll transport any liquid anywhere. And bridges too!--[[User:Dorten|Dorten]]
::But magma's on the "Z-level" below. How's it supposed to get on the actual level of the elephants? --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 13:50, 28 November 2008 (EST)
:::You're still thinking in 3D. Magma is "in" the tiles where the river is, and will be in the tiles where you dig a channel, and you want to get it in the tiles where the elephants are, by digging a channel from the magma river to the outside and "releasing" it from the channel using a floodgate. The miner who digs the part of the channel that connects it to the magma river itself might get killed, since they always stood ''in'' the channel square while digging it in the 2D version. Put a floodgate just beyond it before digging it out so you can shut off the flow, since you will make mistakes.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 16:36, 28 November 2008 (EST)
::::Yes, I realize I'm thinking in 3D. Exactly how does the magma get out of the channel and onto the ground? Because last I checked, fluids didn't do that naturally. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 18:44, 28 November 2008 (EST)
:::::That's just the way the 2D version works. Channel next to liquid = liquid now in channel. Tile at end of channel not floodgate (or other liquid stopper) = liquid now on ground. --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 18:47, 28 November 2008 (EST)

:::::Read [http://archive.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Channel#Game_mechanics Channel] and [http://archive.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Irrigation#Controlled_flooding Irrigation] on the archive wiki. You have to play with channels and floodgates for a bit before it all makes sense, though. The 2D version tended to get real kludgy when it came to fluids. Try to get a farm going to understand the basics of the 2D channels, floodgates, and fluids.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 23:07, 28 November 2008 (EST)

== No little errors ==

I just made a discovery. There is nothing like small error in the terms of magma engineering. After attempting to make my lava moat, I accidentally dug channel one tile longer, than it should be. At first, it went good. But then, magma flowed over my wall and flooded entire fortress. Remember - no little errors. [[User:SanDiego|SanDiego]] 12:19, 30 November 2008 (EST)

== Export the local map ==

"...you can try exporting the local map of the world which can be much more quickly searched for the distinctive red ≈ symbol. " How does one do that? --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 02:08, 4 December 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Bedroom design

2008-12-04T05:11:52Z

Azaram: /* Bitmap designs */

Isn't 200 the absolute maximum number of dwarves one can have at any time?

If so, the High density single floor housing plan of 77x77 is... rather useless, isn't it?

[[User:MagicGuigz|MagicGuigz]] 16:51, 29 September 2008 (EDT)
:The max number of dwarves can be changed in the init files. So no. --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 16:55, 29 September 2008 (EDT)
:Even if you had only 200 dwarves, linking 2, 3, or even 4 rooms together to make noble housing, offices, and the like is quite useful. --[[User:ThunderClaw|ThunderClaw]] 10:14, 30 September 2008 (EDT)
::I've always found it more space efficient to throw all my nobles into about a 10x10 room filled with 20x value gem encrusted furniture (granted, I *did* have a legendary gem setter making this easier the last time I did it) and just plop down all their necessities. I currently have a countess/count consort, hammerer, tax collecter, and duchess/duke consort all in one room with all their buildings set as royal. They also have a legendary mechanism hooked up to some gem encrusted spikes. Heh. Heh heh heh. [[User:Milskidasith|Milskidasith]] 04:19, 10 November 2008 (EST)

I have heard that fractal based designs (like the High density single floor housing) can cause the game to slow down is this true? --[[User:Rwindmtg|Rwindmtg]] 06:02, 10 November 2008 (EST)

== Bitmap designs ==

Coudl we get some kind of colour key for these? Or standardise them or something if there isn't one? It can be very confusing to tell what is what in them. - [[User:Alloy|Alloy]] 01:37, 23 November 2008 (EST)

:Seconded... GnomeChomsky's Tessellated Apartments in particular are munged, looks like an earthquake broke them along several faultlines... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 00:11, 4 December 2008 (EST)

User talk:Blackcat

2008-12-03T07:11:02Z

Azaram:

Nice work! Accessibility rocks. --[[User:Sev|Sev]] 01:59, 26 August 2008 (EDT)

::Cheers! That table template was very useful for tweaking, but it's no substitute, so I may be making some minor changes in the near future. [[User:Blackcat|Blackcat]] 03:53, 26 August 2008 (EDT)

Yes, thanks for that... the game was vaguely annoying and I couldn't quite figure out why. :D Your scheme fixed it for me, and I appreciate that. I think it does deserve to be on the color schemes page, even if just a place to start from for people to modify it... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 02:11, 3 December 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Screw pump

2008-12-01T11:08:27Z

Azaram: /* /fail at pump stacking. */

{{archive|
#[[Talk:Screw pump|Current discussion]]
#[[Talk:Screw pump/archive1|Archive1]]
}}

== Archiving ==

See [[/archive1]] for discussions before July '08.
Most discussion was regarding page development which has been implemented. There are a few comments which might help people trying to work things out but most of it is in the article.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 00:56, 5 July 2008 (EDT)

==Two versions of the L-shaped tunnels design==
As I said when I removed it, there is no point having two. Do not add mine back in again. --[[User:Juckto|Juckto]] 21:57, 25 July 2008 (EDT)

You'd also cut how to set up water wheels & connect them to the pump tower. I wasn't 100% certain how to diagram connecting the wheels to the smaller tower design so I thought it best to restore the whole section until someone added that into the L-shape design. [[User:Calenth|Calenth]]

== Pumping Magma? ==

Would this work if the pump was made of magma-safe materials? --[[User:Mizzy|Mizzy]] 21:10, 27 July 2008 (EDT)

:Please check a talk page's [[Talk:Screw_pump/archive1#Materials_for_magma_pumps|archives]] before asking a question. --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 02:46, 28 July 2008 (EDT)

:An edit to the [[Stupid dwarf trick]] page implied that only the blocks need be made of magma-safe materials. This needs to be studied further. --[[User:Raumkraut|Raumkraut]] 17:28, 2 August 2008 (EDT)
::I have been building magma pumps out of wood (pipe/screw) and stone blocks for ages now; there are no detrimental effects. Since non-bauxite/non-raw adamantine stones are not magma safe, presumably a wooden block will work as well (a waste of logs if you have stone, though). It is only an issue if any part of the pump (namely, the walkable end) is going to be submerged in magma. You're probably working with a poor design if your pumps are submerged in what they're pumping, but whatever. In that case your best bet is to use green glass tubes/screws/blocks, if you have sand. Metal is a last resort. --[[User:Pavlov|Pavlov]] 20:59, 27 October 2008 (EDT)
:::Wait - glass is magma-safe? what's its melting point? [[User:Random832|Random832]] 23:29, 27 October 2008 (EDT)
::::Glass itself appears to be hardcoded and from what I can tell does not have a melting point. Pretty sure glass is magma safe. I have never had problems with it. It's a nice way to get infinite tubes and corkscrews. --[[User:Pavlov|Pavlov]] 23:27, 28 October 2008 (EDT)
::::Just tried to build a pump using a nickel block with a wooden screw and a wooden tube. All it created was a huge mess and a bit of smoke and fire. Luckily, the pump is separated enough from my fort that I can just let the magma cool before moving back in.--[[User:Alkyon|Alkyon]] 00:57, 28 October 2008 (EDT)
:Did you make sure the magma coming out of the pump (on the same z-level of the pump) couldn't go back around and over the back of the pump? [[User:Random832|Random832]] 08:56, 28 October 2008 (EDT)
::Hmm...actually, I had to cut a whole because the dwarf who constructed it had the bright idea to get himself stuck by standing on the walkable tile. I guess maybe I should put a door there to allow access while blocking the magma next time to make sure it work.--[[User:Alkyon|Alkyon]] 12:59, 28 October 2008 (EDT)
::Tested this again. There is no problem using a wooden Archimedes screw (giant wood screw+giant pipe) to pump magma as long as the block used is magma proof and magma does not leak around to the passable tile. The second that happens, though, the pump bursts into flame.--[[User:Alkyon|Alkyon]] 02:29, 29 October 2008 (EDT)
:::Upon further testing, it seems that wooden magma pumps can work, but only for so long. As soon as the magma reaches a certain height, it burns up the wood and pushes the burn-proof block out of the way. I just lost about 10 worker dwarves in a accident trying to create an above ground lava cistern for my glass fortress, as soon as it reached an average level of about 5, the pump gave way. Between those deaths and the ones from the recent goblin ambush, I fear my fortress will devolve into madness and tantrums any day now. ADDENDUM: I would also like to add that the magma has just ''burned a hole through 2 z-levels of sand'' and is now flooding my workshops. It seems that the red liquid deserves a lot more respect and caution in the latest release. --[[User:Alkyon|Alkyon]]

== Self powered pumps ==

So I'm just starting a new fortress, its got everything but an easy to make moat, but there is a river start to the east a little and two or three levels lower than my entrance. So, what I'm wondering is, is there some easy way to get a hydraulic powered pump going off of the power of the water being pumped (after the dwarves do the initial pumping). Also if anyone has diagrams or something of how to easily bring water up two or three levels (or possibly higher if theres some advantage to having water fall from a height). Sorry if this is kind of stupid or answered or anything, last time I played the game it had 1 level and I never got too much into mechanics farther than floodgates (lots of complicated and redundant floodgates as I recall) so I've never tried a pump or waterwheel. I'd rather not screw up this map (its just short of perfect, major magnemite deposits with limestone being the main component to the mountain overall, access to every civ, its Cold [I'm from Canada so I like the cold], has good hunting and a major river start). Thanks --[[User:Lowlandlord|Lowlandlord]] 15:43, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

:Place a waterwheel in the original river to supply power. You can raise water multiple levels by the methods described [[Screw_pump#Multiple_Levels|here]]. --[[User:Juckto|Juckto]] 20:01, 31 July 2008 (EDT)
::Thanks --[[User:Lowlandlord|Lowlandlord]] 01:57, 1 August 2008 (EDT)

Note that if you bring the water up higher than the moat, it '''will''' (not might. will.) overtop your moat. That's a good way to flood your fortress. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 16:07, 14 October 2008 (EDT)

An example of the [[Screw_pump#Multiple_Levels|multi-level pump]] including power source, gear assemblies and axles would pretty much make my entire month. Anyone up to the challenge? Pretty please? [[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 22:09, 14 October 2008 (EDT)

Wait, the stacked pumps transmit power upwards ''through themselves''? I didn't realise that - if it's true, then the whole L-shaped tunnels section is unrequired and should probably be removed. --[[User:Juckto|Juckto]] 06:05, 6 November 2008 (EST)

: I've been playing around with this for the last week or so. I completely missed the bit where you need to have a channel underneath the front end of the pump in order for power to transmit (you put the channel under the front end so that the pump blocks the water). You can also draw water from a stairway or into a stairway. And since water pressure will push water up z-levels, you don't actually need to stack your pumps. In other words:

0-lvl all others levels
~www~ ..... www a waterwheel
..|.. ..... | pumps from
.#V#. .###. v the north
.#X#. .#X#. X into up/down stairway
.###. .###. # surrounded by walls
..... .....

That should work for a substantial height. Sadly, my current river is filled with carp, so I won't be able to find out for a while. --[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 08:49, 6 November 2008 (EST)

:Pumps only push fluids up to their height. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 21:47, 28 November 2008 (EST)

== Front vs rear ==

Do I understand correctly that the 'front' tile (i.e. blocks water flow) is the one where the water comes out of?

Sort of - it actually just 'spawns' water in the tile on the opposite side of that tile from the rear walkable tile, an amount equal to that which is removed a z-level down. --[[User:Sukasa|Sukasa]] 16:19, 14 October 2008 (EDT)

But either way, the output side blocks flow (so if in a narrow channel water cannot backflow through the pump if it is turned off), right? I need to know this for a design. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 16:31, 14 October 2008 (EDT)

: Yes, you are correct. I too was confused by the use of the word "front", as my perception is that the "front" of a pump would be where the water goes in, not out. --[[User:Raumkraut|Raumkraut]] 04:14, 18 October 2008 (EDT)

== Alternate vs. other ==

Alternate generally means "in turn" or "in place of" -- not "as an alternative".[http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000296.htm][http://cjrarchives.org/tools/lc/alt.asp] But "alternative" can have its own problems,[http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/alternate.html] which is why I would recommend "other uses" here.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 20:05, 22 October 2008 (EDT)

:While I appreciate the need for clarity, I don't think either word particularly changes the scope, knowledge, breadth or content of the page. I suggest that both words work equally well. --[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 21:31, 22 October 2008 (EDT)

::May I ask for people's permission, then, to change it to 'other'? The function of the page may not be substantially affected by it, but I hate to be unable to correct what I understand to be an error. 'Course, if no one agrees, I'll let it drop.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 11:28, 23 October 2008 (EDT)

:::I support other! [[User:Milskidasith|Milskidasith]] 14:09, 11 November 2008 (EST)

== Pump + Stairs = Win? ==

Is there any reason why I can't use the stairs as the open space that I'm pumping water from?

Side View Top Views Key
###### ######
#v->__ #v->^# -> or <- : Direction of pump
#^<-v# ###### v : down stairs
#v->^# #^<-v# ^ : up stairs
#^<-v# ###### # : Wall
____^# _ : space

I came up with this right after exiting the game. I'll try it out soon. --[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 10:02, 23 October 2008 (EDT)

:No reason you couldn't, but it'd be rather silly as your dwarves can't walk through the pump. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 08:58, 28 October 2008 (EDT)

== /fail at pump stacking. ==

I'm trying to construct a pump stack as shown in figure 2, which says 'notice how the front of the pump doesn't need a floor'. If I have open space there, it says it's blocked, 'needs ground or near machine'. I can't build the bottom one to go up. So I tried the top down; same problem. To (badly) diagram it vertically; (_= floor, .= space, %=front of pump over space, @=pump on solid floor) 

.@@_ <- Pumps from left to right onto solid floor
_@%. <- right to left.
.%@_ <- left to right.
wmwm <-water

I can't build any of the pumps if either of their Xs are sitting over an open space. If I build a gear, it won't let me build on top of it. The diagram doesn't seem to show a need for gears, anyway, which is what I was trying to do. Just for laughs, I closed off one of the two holes on the bottom, built the pump and had someone pump it. It quickly (Almost immediately) filled the room with 1/7 water, so I got that right... how do I build the next level up so it connects to the one below, then the one on the surface that will begin the perpetual motion through the attached waterwheel? Trying to give the ungrateful little buggers a waterfall in the statue garden...--[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 01:41, 30 November 2008 (EST)
:Ok, I now got the whole stack built...for some reason, it wouldn't let me when I tried it previously, but now I have it going... but they don't seem to all operate when one is manually pumped to prime. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 02:12, 30 November 2008 (EST)
:Or when temporarily powered with a windmill. As soon as the gear and axle gets wet, it stops working. With three guys pumping, the waterfall runs for a little bit, half flooding the statue garden. :-p Why are they not connecting to power each other vertically?

You need to put the power-transfer hole under the output end of the pump. The impassable part will prevent backflow. Also, from your diagram it looks like the top pump isn't getting a power hole while the bottom onw is. Thta should be reversed. --[[User:Bilkinson|Bilkinson]] 08:35, 30 November 2008 (EST)

:Aargh. I tore the whole thing down, built floors over everything, then very, very carefully figured out where I needed holes. I removed the floors so that the dark green Xs were over the open spaces above the light green Xs of the pump below, and still nothing. I gave up on the water wheel idea because I didn't have enough vertical space to channel beneath it, so I set up a windmill on a roof on top of built walls above the top pump, very carefully making sure to leave space above the dark green X on the pump... and STILL nothing. -- Hm. Just went to tear down the windmill and it says 'has 20 power, need 30'. (Spends two hours fiddling around adding walls in the wrong place, tearing them down, rebuilding them, convincing a bunch of doofuses to move the mechanism that is there to make a gear out of the way of the axle) Success! Finally got it... was a lack of power. One dwarf is capable of running one pump (until he nearly drowns himself. :p) but apparently they don't run each other in that configuration. That's what was foozling me. And yes, I screwed up on what I diagrammed above...which was part of the problem. The diagram was accurate to what I'd built...(Edited to add what I forgot: Thanks for the help, Bilkinson. :D) --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 05:51, 1 December 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Screw pump

2008-12-01T10:51:09Z

Azaram: /* /fail at pump stacking. */

{{archive|
#[[Talk:Screw pump|Current discussion]]
#[[Talk:Screw pump/archive1|Archive1]]
}}

== Archiving ==

See [[/archive1]] for discussions before July '08.
Most discussion was regarding page development which has been implemented. There are a few comments which might help people trying to work things out but most of it is in the article.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 00:56, 5 July 2008 (EDT)

==Two versions of the L-shaped tunnels design==
As I said when I removed it, there is no point having two. Do not add mine back in again. --[[User:Juckto|Juckto]] 21:57, 25 July 2008 (EDT)

You'd also cut how to set up water wheels & connect them to the pump tower. I wasn't 100% certain how to diagram connecting the wheels to the smaller tower design so I thought it best to restore the whole section until someone added that into the L-shape design. [[User:Calenth|Calenth]]

== Pumping Magma? ==

Would this work if the pump was made of magma-safe materials? --[[User:Mizzy|Mizzy]] 21:10, 27 July 2008 (EDT)

:Please check a talk page's [[Talk:Screw_pump/archive1#Materials_for_magma_pumps|archives]] before asking a question. --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 02:46, 28 July 2008 (EDT)

:An edit to the [[Stupid dwarf trick]] page implied that only the blocks need be made of magma-safe materials. This needs to be studied further. --[[User:Raumkraut|Raumkraut]] 17:28, 2 August 2008 (EDT)
::I have been building magma pumps out of wood (pipe/screw) and stone blocks for ages now; there are no detrimental effects. Since non-bauxite/non-raw adamantine stones are not magma safe, presumably a wooden block will work as well (a waste of logs if you have stone, though). It is only an issue if any part of the pump (namely, the walkable end) is going to be submerged in magma. You're probably working with a poor design if your pumps are submerged in what they're pumping, but whatever. In that case your best bet is to use green glass tubes/screws/blocks, if you have sand. Metal is a last resort. --[[User:Pavlov|Pavlov]] 20:59, 27 October 2008 (EDT)
:::Wait - glass is magma-safe? what's its melting point? [[User:Random832|Random832]] 23:29, 27 October 2008 (EDT)
::::Glass itself appears to be hardcoded and from what I can tell does not have a melting point. Pretty sure glass is magma safe. I have never had problems with it. It's a nice way to get infinite tubes and corkscrews. --[[User:Pavlov|Pavlov]] 23:27, 28 October 2008 (EDT)
::::Just tried to build a pump using a nickel block with a wooden screw and a wooden tube. All it created was a huge mess and a bit of smoke and fire. Luckily, the pump is separated enough from my fort that I can just let the magma cool before moving back in.--[[User:Alkyon|Alkyon]] 00:57, 28 October 2008 (EDT)
:Did you make sure the magma coming out of the pump (on the same z-level of the pump) couldn't go back around and over the back of the pump? [[User:Random832|Random832]] 08:56, 28 October 2008 (EDT)
::Hmm...actually, I had to cut a whole because the dwarf who constructed it had the bright idea to get himself stuck by standing on the walkable tile. I guess maybe I should put a door there to allow access while blocking the magma next time to make sure it work.--[[User:Alkyon|Alkyon]] 12:59, 28 October 2008 (EDT)
::Tested this again. There is no problem using a wooden Archimedes screw (giant wood screw+giant pipe) to pump magma as long as the block used is magma proof and magma does not leak around to the passable tile. The second that happens, though, the pump bursts into flame.--[[User:Alkyon|Alkyon]] 02:29, 29 October 2008 (EDT)
:::Upon further testing, it seems that wooden magma pumps can work, but only for so long. As soon as the magma reaches a certain height, it burns up the wood and pushes the burn-proof block out of the way. I just lost about 10 worker dwarves in a accident trying to create an above ground lava cistern for my glass fortress, as soon as it reached an average level of about 5, the pump gave way. Between those deaths and the ones from the recent goblin ambush, I fear my fortress will devolve into madness and tantrums any day now. ADDENDUM: I would also like to add that the magma has just ''burned a hole through 2 z-levels of sand'' and is now flooding my workshops. It seems that the red liquid deserves a lot more respect and caution in the latest release. --[[User:Alkyon|Alkyon]]

== Self powered pumps ==

So I'm just starting a new fortress, its got everything but an easy to make moat, but there is a river start to the east a little and two or three levels lower than my entrance. So, what I'm wondering is, is there some easy way to get a hydraulic powered pump going off of the power of the water being pumped (after the dwarves do the initial pumping). Also if anyone has diagrams or something of how to easily bring water up two or three levels (or possibly higher if theres some advantage to having water fall from a height). Sorry if this is kind of stupid or answered or anything, last time I played the game it had 1 level and I never got too much into mechanics farther than floodgates (lots of complicated and redundant floodgates as I recall) so I've never tried a pump or waterwheel. I'd rather not screw up this map (its just short of perfect, major magnemite deposits with limestone being the main component to the mountain overall, access to every civ, its Cold [I'm from Canada so I like the cold], has good hunting and a major river start). Thanks --[[User:Lowlandlord|Lowlandlord]] 15:43, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

:Place a waterwheel in the original river to supply power. You can raise water multiple levels by the methods described [[Screw_pump#Multiple_Levels|here]]. --[[User:Juckto|Juckto]] 20:01, 31 July 2008 (EDT)
::Thanks --[[User:Lowlandlord|Lowlandlord]] 01:57, 1 August 2008 (EDT)

Note that if you bring the water up higher than the moat, it '''will''' (not might. will.) overtop your moat. That's a good way to flood your fortress. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 16:07, 14 October 2008 (EDT)

An example of the [[Screw_pump#Multiple_Levels|multi-level pump]] including power source, gear assemblies and axles would pretty much make my entire month. Anyone up to the challenge? Pretty please? [[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 22:09, 14 October 2008 (EDT)

Wait, the stacked pumps transmit power upwards ''through themselves''? I didn't realise that - if it's true, then the whole L-shaped tunnels section is unrequired and should probably be removed. --[[User:Juckto|Juckto]] 06:05, 6 November 2008 (EST)

: I've been playing around with this for the last week or so. I completely missed the bit where you need to have a channel underneath the front end of the pump in order for power to transmit (you put the channel under the front end so that the pump blocks the water). You can also draw water from a stairway or into a stairway. And since water pressure will push water up z-levels, you don't actually need to stack your pumps. In other words:

0-lvl all others levels
~www~ ..... www a waterwheel
..|.. ..... | pumps from
.#V#. .###. v the north
.#X#. .#X#. X into up/down stairway
.###. .###. # surrounded by walls
..... .....

That should work for a substantial height. Sadly, my current river is filled with carp, so I won't be able to find out for a while. --[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 08:49, 6 November 2008 (EST)

:Pumps only push fluids up to their height. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 21:47, 28 November 2008 (EST)

== Front vs rear ==

Do I understand correctly that the 'front' tile (i.e. blocks water flow) is the one where the water comes out of?

Sort of - it actually just 'spawns' water in the tile on the opposite side of that tile from the rear walkable tile, an amount equal to that which is removed a z-level down. --[[User:Sukasa|Sukasa]] 16:19, 14 October 2008 (EDT)

But either way, the output side blocks flow (so if in a narrow channel water cannot backflow through the pump if it is turned off), right? I need to know this for a design. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 16:31, 14 October 2008 (EDT)

: Yes, you are correct. I too was confused by the use of the word "front", as my perception is that the "front" of a pump would be where the water goes in, not out. --[[User:Raumkraut|Raumkraut]] 04:14, 18 October 2008 (EDT)

== Alternate vs. other ==

Alternate generally means "in turn" or "in place of" -- not "as an alternative".[http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000296.htm][http://cjrarchives.org/tools/lc/alt.asp] But "alternative" can have its own problems,[http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/alternate.html] which is why I would recommend "other uses" here.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 20:05, 22 October 2008 (EDT)

:While I appreciate the need for clarity, I don't think either word particularly changes the scope, knowledge, breadth or content of the page. I suggest that both words work equally well. --[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 21:31, 22 October 2008 (EDT)

::May I ask for people's permission, then, to change it to 'other'? The function of the page may not be substantially affected by it, but I hate to be unable to correct what I understand to be an error. 'Course, if no one agrees, I'll let it drop.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 11:28, 23 October 2008 (EDT)

:::I support other! [[User:Milskidasith|Milskidasith]] 14:09, 11 November 2008 (EST)

== Pump + Stairs = Win? ==

Is there any reason why I can't use the stairs as the open space that I'm pumping water from?

Side View Top Views Key
###### ######
#v->__ #v->^# -> or <- : Direction of pump
#^<-v# ###### v : down stairs
#v->^# #^<-v# ^ : up stairs
#^<-v# ###### # : Wall
____^# _ : space

I came up with this right after exiting the game. I'll try it out soon. --[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 10:02, 23 October 2008 (EDT)

:No reason you couldn't, but it'd be rather silly as your dwarves can't walk through the pump. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 08:58, 28 October 2008 (EDT)

== /fail at pump stacking. ==

I'm trying to construct a pump stack as shown in figure 2, which says 'notice how the front of the pump doesn't need a floor'. If I have open space there, it says it's blocked, 'needs ground or near machine'. I can't build the bottom one to go up. So I tried the top down; same problem. To (badly) diagram it vertically; (_= floor, .= space, %=front of pump over space, @=pump on solid floor) 

.@@_ <- Pumps from left to right onto solid floor
_@%. <- right to left.
.%@_ <- left to right.
wmwm <-water

I can't build any of the pumps if either of their Xs are sitting over an open space. If I build a gear, it won't let me build on top of it. The diagram doesn't seem to show a need for gears, anyway, which is what I was trying to do. Just for laughs, I closed off one of the two holes on the bottom, built the pump and had someone pump it. It quickly (Almost immediately) filled the room with 1/7 water, so I got that right... how do I build the next level up so it connects to the one below, then the one on the surface that will begin the perpetual motion through the attached waterwheel? Trying to give the ungrateful little buggers a waterfall in the statue garden...--[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 01:41, 30 November 2008 (EST)
:Ok, I now got the whole stack built...for some reason, it wouldn't let me when I tried it previously, but now I have it going... but they don't seem to all operate when one is manually pumped to prime. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 02:12, 30 November 2008 (EST)
:Or when temporarily powered with a windmill. As soon as the gear and axle gets wet, it stops working. With three guys pumping, the waterfall runs for a little bit, half flooding the statue garden. :-p Why are they not connecting to power each other vertically?

You need to put the power-transfer hole under the output end of the pump. The impassable part will prevent backflow. Also, from your diagram it looks like the top pump isn't getting a power hole while the bottom onw is. Thta should be reversed. --[[User:Bilkinson|Bilkinson]] 08:35, 30 November 2008 (EST)

:Aargh. I tore the whole thing down, built floors over everything, then very, very carefully figured out where I needed holes. I removed the floors so that the dark green Xs were over the open spaces above the light green Xs of the pump below, and still nothing. I gave up on the water wheel idea because I didn't have enough vertical space to channel beneath it, so I set up a windmill on a roof on top of built walls above the top pump, very carefully making sure to leave space above the dark green X on the pump... and STILL nothing. -- Hm. Just went to tear down the windmill and it says 'has 20 power, need 30'. (Spends two hours fiddling around adding walls in the wrong place, tearing them down, rebuilding them, convincing a bunch of doofuses to move the mechanism that is there to make a gear out of the way of the axle) Success! Finally got it... was a lack of power. One dwarf is capable of running one pump (until he nearly drowns himself. :p) but apparently they don't run each other in that configuration. That's what was foozling me. And yes, I screwed up on what I diagrammed above...which was part of the problem. The diagram was accurate to what I'd built... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 05:51, 1 December 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Floodgate

2008-12-01T06:39:23Z

Azaram: Advantage over doors?

==Floodgates vs magma==
... but only '''stone''' and metal will hold back magma.

Is this true? In the last version only steel was strong enough to contain magma. --[[User:Mizipzor|Mizipzor]] 15:29, 1 November 2007 (EDT)

: Well, my dolomite floodgates were enough to hold magma. So stone floodgates are capable of holding magma. Dunnoe about wooden ones though. [[User:Noctis|Noctis]] 15:59, 1 November 2007 (EDT)

:Not true. I used stone floodgates all the time with magma in the last version. --[[User:RedKing|RedKing]] 00:52, 2 November 2007 (EDT)

::Perhaps the confusion comes from the fact that you needed steel to bridge over magma --[[User:Moller|Moller]] 02:11, 2 November 2007 (EDT)

:::Alright, the dolomite floodgates that I've mentioned earlier seem to have disappeared, presumably melted away. Thus I'm led to belive that only steel(or better) floodgates are capable of holding magma now. [[User:Noctis|Noctis]] 09:29, 3 November 2007 (EDT)

::::From what I've seen stone floodgates are, at the moment, one use like the steel ones listed in the article...but for different reasons. A closed stone floodgate will hold back magma indefinitely (probably for the same reason that the normal stone walls hold magma as they do), but once you link and open it the magma enters the same tile and turns any stone into it's molten counterpart. This means both your stone floodgate and stone mechanism are turned to slag and eventually lost to the magma forever. I would bet that the steel floodgates are still there, but forever locked in their open state since your mechanism just got turned to goo and you can no longer select the flood gate from the lever's link menu. Perhaps [[Bauxite|Bauxite]] might be able to survive the magma, but I need to find some first in order to test that theory.{{version|0.27.169.33b}} --[[User:TheUbie|TheUbie]] 04:28, 19 November 2007 (EST)
::Interestingly enough, I do believe dolomite has a high melting point and is somewhat heat resistant...

:::To clear things up: build both floodate and mechanism from a material listed at [[Magma-safe materials]].[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 03:13, 6 July 2008 (EDT)

::::In the current version (40d) I've successfully used bauxite floodgates/mechanisms to control magma flow. Bauxite is your best bet (and less costly than steel in terms of material). Sdu - 01/11/2008
----

==Activation time==
Interesting note, floodgates seem to take approximately 100 steps to open after activation, from my experimentation. Maybe this could be used in the article somehow?
[[User:NullAshton|NullAshton]] 23:51, 1 January 2008 (EST)

:Ooh, interesting. Exactly the same amount as a bridge. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 20:36, 11 June 2008 (EDT)

== opening and closing ==

do I '''have''' to use a lever to open and close a floodgate? Early on - I have a room next to a river - I want to put a floodgate in the corridor and "bucket fill" a "pond" from the outside.

will this plan work or do I '''need''' a lever?[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 01:55, 5 January 2008 (EST)

:You need some kind of machine to trigger it, yes. Pressure plates work as well. --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 06:20, 5 January 2008 (EST)

== Construction ==

All right... I have a 1-wide channel, with a floodgate "placed" not "built" somewhere along it.
Access is from a stair to the right.
No matter if I put the build command closer to the stair, or further away from the stair, the dwarves seem to build the floodgate so that it cuts off their exit! WTF is one to do here? I keep ordering the dwarf that just built the floodgate to remove it so they can get out again.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 23:34, 2 February 2008 (EST)

:Hook it to a mechanism and open it. --[[User:Ikkonoishi|Ikkonoishi]] 00:59, 3 February 2008 (EST)

::Yeah well when I get a mechanic that is the general plan ;) but right now it's sitting in the middle of a channel while I prey for more immigrants before all of my dwarves die of thirst![[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 01:48, 3 February 2008 (EST)

:::All right, I have opening and closing floodgates now.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 07:45, 5 February 2008 (EST)

::::Would you mind posting a pic of your setup? I'm a mite confused on this also....[[User:Holyfool|Holyfool]] 22:38, 3 February 2008 (EST)

:::::Sorry that fortress is lost to it being a very early experiment.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 03:13, 6 July 2008 (EDT)
== River crossings ==

I can dam/divert a river with floodgates I hope.
If I dig a channel 1 z-level down, then build a wall, the top is a floor I can walk across. Why isn't the top of a floodgate a floor? it is silly that I have to build a floodgate then a bridge as well, and connect them to the same lever, if I want a floodgate I can walk over. (in real life even a simple drop-board weir - which is pretty mcuh a timber floodgate - can be walked over so that you can put the boards in and out).[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 07:45, 5 February 2008 (EST)
:PS. I am diverting my brook by digging a channel through it while it is frozen then building a series of floodgates in the resulting channel. I guess this will work (here's for trying) but how would one divert a river?[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 07:47, 5 February 2008 (EST)

::Non-freezing? Very difficult to get to work properly, dependent on the terrain of course. Basically, you'd have to dig quite a large pond/lake for the river to fill while scrambling like mad to get those dwarves to install all the floodgates or build the walls before the flow into the lake slows enough for construction-blocking waterlevels to start flowing again. Definitely suggest a stockpile immediately adjacent to the closest entry point to the downstream side of the dam to hopefully avoid a waste of time if only one or two dwarves get their lazy butts over to the work that needs to be done! As for freezing; well, that's always been child's play, and I always wonder why people bother asking someone "if the map they're on freezes," anytime someone says they need help trying to dam a flow. ;) --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 09:30, 5 February 2008 (EST)

:Well, I have dug a channel in the ice. There are some boulders left behind as well as it seems some ice blocks. I think these will be off to make a pond as ice hauling seems much more efficient to me than bucket hauling?
:But anyway, the channel is all marked as "blocked" when I try to build floodgates. Will see what it's like when the ice blocks are all gone.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 06:40, 6 February 2008 (EST)

:::To make your dwarf build on the right side you can "suspend" ('s' key is the shortcut) the building as soon as the dwarf starts on the wrong side. As soon as they move away you then un-"suspend" the construction and they should attempt to build it again. It can take a few tries but it works.

:::Another way is just to let them build it on the wrong side and have a miner dig out a square adjacent to the floodgate. You may need to dig out one more square but then you you can wall them up with the (C)onstruction building task. - Sdu 01/11/2008

:::Some people use doors instead of floodgates to do the same job which means that whatever side your dwarf builds it, he can still walk back through it. - Sdu 01/11/2008

== Floodgate swept away ==

With version 38a I noticed that floodgates can be swept away by molten rock which is pushed by the flowing lava. I don't know if this also happend with earlier versions since this was the first time, because of lack of fule and wood, that I actually used magma.
Somebody should probably mention in the article that it is advisable to remove rocks from the magma channel to prevent this. [[User:Buckermann|Buckermann]] 11:53, 9 February 2008 (EST)

:The floodgate was verified beforehand to have been built, and not simply dropped and forgotten? --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 07:39, 13 February 2008 (EST)

::I'm quite sure that it was build, and not just dropped. It was even connected to a lever and was working. For a short time at least... And I'm also quite sure that I used Bauxit mechanism for it. [[User:Buckermann|Buckermann]] 09:53, 13 February 2008 (EST)

:::A non-bauxite mech. would be my next point of inquiry, and just to make sure we're not missing the obvious, the floodgate itself was magma-proof? --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 04:14, 14 February 2008 (EST)
::::Yes, the floodgate too was made of Bauxit, and it is still visible in my magma silo. ([http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t243/TaBu-NiW/magmachamber.png?t=1203005405 Link to image]) [[User:Buckermann|Buckermann]] 11:11, 14 February 2008 (EST)
:::::Can you reproduce this? [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 12:21, 14 February 2008 (EST)
::::::No. I tried a few times to reproduce this, but never succeeded. Probably I just forgot to use bauxit mechanism the first time. Though, I would have sworn that I did. [[User:Buckermann|Buckermann]] 20:14, 8 March 2008 (EST)

== No Access ==

I dug a diagonal tunnel towards a water source and I wanted to put a floodgate inside it - and one on the end where my farm will be - to create a reservoir. But I get the message, "no access" when I try to build the floodgate inside the tunnel. Apparently floodgates can only be placed when there is horizontal or vertical access to the square? (I planned to connect a lever to it so I don't need to stand next to it.) 
That does indeed seem to be the case. I was able to place one in the middle of a horizontal tunnel but not in a diagonal one. I dug an extra square (ruining my perfect symmetry with an ugly dogleg :)) and was able to put the floodgate inside my diagonal tunnel. --[[User:Danny Rathjens|Danny Rathjens]] 01:15, 6 April 2008 (EDT)

== bug? ==

i wanted to water some rock below my fortress with the water from my moat, so i built a setup like this:
..~. 
..x. 
.> . surface level -1 
..x. 
..~. 

.... 
.< x surface level -2 
.... 

basically, the idea was that the area between the floodgates on the top level would fill with water, BUT while the top two were open, the bottom one would be closed. so i hooked up the top two to a lever, pulled it, built the third floodgate, linked that to the lever. so now my top two gates are open, and the bottom one closed. this would make sure that only the amount of water i wanted would go onto my plot. however, when i next pulled the lever, the top two closed, but the bottom one didnt open. i pulled it again and all 3 opened. so dont go doing this yourself, use two levers instead of 1. [[User:Twiggie|Twiggie]] 12:09, 16 May 2008 (EDT)

::This is intended. Levers have an "on" and an "off" state. Pulling them switches the lever state and updates all connected constructions to the new state. --[[User:Doniazade|Doniazade]] 12:47, 16 May 2008 (EDT)
::use a pressure plate to cut off the area you don't want flooded beyond a certain depth.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 03:23, 6 July 2008 (EDT)

== A Question on Flow and Floodgates ==

So I had my two-[[floodgate]] system for letting [[magma]] into the trench below my smelting and forging rooms, each floodgate hooked up to a separate [[lever]]. The 'downstream' gate was right next to the [[ramp]] down which the magma was meant to [[flow]]. The upstream floodgate worked fine, and the magma went into the trench fine, but when I attempted to close the downstream gate, it re-appeared at the bottom of the channel. Was it swept away by the flow as it was trying to close? What happened there? --[[User:Zombiejustice|Zombiejustice]] 19:21, 11 June 2008 (EDT)

:What material was the floodgate made out of? What material were the mechanisms made out of? It seems that the magma melted something and deconstructed the floodgate. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 20:36, 11 June 2008 (EDT)

::It looks like this was answered higher on this page: The floodgate was made of bauxite, but the mechanism was not and must have melted once the gate was opened. Should really have seen that coming, I guess. Well, only a few rooms are full of magma, I'm sure it'll cool in a month or two. Lesson learned. --[[User:Zombiejustice|Zombiejustice]] 22:19, 11 June 2008 (EDT)

== Placement and seeing it work ==

I'm not sure if my flood gate is working. Once you place it, is it able to block water already or only after you connect a lever and pull it? It doesn't move in the z-axis? I'm not sure if it goes up or down from placement like if I had to dig and extra level down below them in order to get it move. I'm sure it just blocks one z-level of water right?--[[User:Seaneat|Seaneat]] 10:18, 4 July 2008 (EDT)
:They start working as soon as they're built. They block water and dwarves, which can lead to a dwarf being trapped behind the floodgate until you ''very quickly'' get another dwarf to built a lever, connect it to the floodgate, and pull it, to open the floodgate. When they're opened, like bridges, they don't occupy a different z-level position - they just disappear. It only blocks one z-level of water, yes. --[[User:AlexChurchill|AlexChurchill]] 12:39, 4 July 2008 (EDT)
::Well - they are "1 square wide". Nobody ever said the open part of a floodgate is the full 1-square wide, but they don't show up when opened.
::Maybe there should be a tile for an open floodgate which shows posts on both sides and an opening in the middle. But then you would need to "orient" the floodgate.
::My guess for a rock one: a ten foot (square) by two foot slab of rock that pivots centrally when opened. So when open it's still there in the middle of the tile, just oriented to let the fluid move through.
::[http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/resources/soils/ass/leaflet/6 Look here] for some pictures of low-tech real-world ones - I'm sure the dwarves build ones which are pretty similar, just they use rock instead of concrete.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 03:20, 6 July 2008 (EDT)
:::And for "tidal floodgates" that link contains the following disadvantage:
::::''Disadvantages: There is a minor risk of being jammed open (as with normal gates). May require a new gate to be made in some cases.''
:::So don't be too hard on your dwarves building floodgates that can't handle high temperatures, us humans can't even get it right (low-tech) with just water![[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 03:31, 6 July 2008 (EDT)

:::A pivoting slab (basically a giant butterfly valve) sounds like a good idea, but it wouldn't match the behavior of floodgates in the game. I routinely use a row of three floodgates as my fortress' main entrance, left open by default. Since caravan wagons can pass through when open there can't be any obstructions in those three squares, so I assume the floodgates must operate like vertical sliding sluice gates instead. [[User:Bryan Derksen|Bryan Derksen]] 04:34, 6 July 2008 (EDT)

== Advantage over doors? ==

Aside from being able to make them wider than two tiles, is there any reason to use a floodgate rather than a (stone) door? The floodgates take longer to open and close, and block dwarves from whatever they desperately want that's always behind them... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 01:39, 1 December 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Screw pump

2008-11-30T11:04:34Z

Azaram: /* /fail at pump stacking. */

40d Talk:Legendary

2008-11-30T09:30:59Z

Azaram: /* Posessed? */

I added record keeping to the skills that it's easy to become legendary in since it's even quicker than mining and engraving when set to 100% accuracy [[User:Moonman|Moonman]] 15:04, 17 July 2008 (EDT)

It could also be added that [[screw pump|screw pump gyms]] are a nice way to the respective skill, as mentioned in the article. I think its even faster than the siege skill.

Should we mention that legendary dwarves don't pay money once the economy sets in? 
Might be important. 
--[[User:Lordmick134|Lordmick134]] 12:21, 22 March 2008 (EDT)

:Aye. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 16:34, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

== Blinking ==

I'm not sure how important this is, but I'll talk about it anyways. I set up a game with [[User:Rinn/AdjustProfile|Adjust Profile]] so that all of my starting Dwarves were legendary. So la-de-da-da, they all blink 'in tune' at the start. After some time, they some of them started to blink out of tune with one another. So does this mean that the blinking subroutine is independently timed on each dwarf? Is there significant lag if one has a legendary dwarf vs a non-legendary? Or 5? Or 50? --[[User:Chrispy|Chrispy]] 08:21, 25 March 2008 (EDT)

:Has anyone ever suggested removing the blinking? The blinking gets a bit harsh on the eyes, especially when you have tons of legendary dwarves. I'd just prefer a [L] tag somewhere in the person's name/skill list. --[[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 04:50, 4 June 2008 (EDT)

== How fast? ==

Exactly how quickly do legendary dwarves gain skill levels? I assigned my legendary miner to be an engraver and wasn't seeing any breathtaking skill increases, so meh. --[[User:Xonara|Xonara]] 04:52, 29 October 2008 (EDT)
: My impression, without any experimentation, is that they don't gain levels faster than anyone else. However, they do tend to be Harder/Better/Faster/Stronger due to attribute increases from gaining experience and the page on [[Experience]] indicates that experience is achieved upon (assumedly successful) completion of a task, so if the attributes make them complete more quickly, or with a higher degree of success, they will indeed level faster, although I don't think it will be that marked in most cases. -[[User:Fuzzy|Fuzzy]] 08:53, 29 October 2008 (EDT)
::I'm kinda doubting it'd be worth doing except for the REALLY hard to train skills. The only way I might use it is to make those lazy idlers do something useful for once, while I decide what their brutal living conditions will be. --[[User:Xonara|Xonara]] 19:33, 29 October 2008 (EDT)

:::Yeah, being legendary doesn't necessarily make dwarves faster (except at the specific legendary skill) -- it's their [[attributes]] that make them faster, break for food/drink/sleep less often, or more able to carry heavy loads. High strength is critical for siege operating, for instance, since the operator has to carry a heavy rock throughout the entire firing procedure. Perfect agility is only 1.8 times faster than no-speed, and it's not even certain that agility speeds things like workshop tasks (it does seem to speed mining). Though it definitely makes them faster while fetching materials.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 21:01, 29 October 2008 (EDT)

== Posessed? ==
This mentiones that being posessed does not give a dwarf legendary skill, but I've only had two artifacts made... one by someone in a secretive mood, and one posessed... and both blink. The first one is an engraver who throws up Mona Lisas all over the place...getting 'Has created a masterpiece' messages so quickly they're stepping on each other... Someone has one hell of a legendary 2x2 bedroom... :-p --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 22:58, 29 November 2008 (EST)

:They can still become legendary through regular skill gains (engraver trains ''quite'' quickly), and dwarves can still have a strange mood after they have reached legendary by other means.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 01:06, 30 November 2008 (EST)

::Hm. I've got four artifacts, but only three dwarves. Must have been someone else at the same time... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 04:30, 30 November 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Gear assembly

2008-11-30T09:27:04Z

Azaram: /* Water */

"...this causes the windmill construction to collapse. Instead, create a second gear adjacent to the linked gear upon which to support the windmill." I'm having a hard time visualizing what this means, could someone make a diagram? --[[User:BahamutZERO|BahamutZERO]] 12:48, 2 November 2007 (EDT)

Level 0, your windmill W (I'm not sure what it looks like)

<pre>
....
.W..
..>.
</pre>

Level -1, your gear assemblies, * and axle, =
<pre>
####
#**=
##<#
</pre>

Link your lever to the second assembly (right), such that the Windmill is supported by the other (left).

--[[User:Draco18s|Draco18s]] 13:09, 2 November 2007 (EDT)

: won't this waste 5 power on a useless gear? why not just build a wall instead? --[[User:Lacero|Lacero]] 15:27, 2 November 2007 (EDT)
::because you need a gear under the windmill to get power from it. the second gear is so that you can cut power without collapsing the windmill. --[[User:BurnedToast|BurnedToast]] 15:30, 2 November 2007 (EDT)

:::This only applies to a windmill built floating above the ground, so the above example doesn't apply -- disconnecting the gear in Draco18s' example would do nothing to the windmill. Really, you should just build a set of supports and some actual floor to put an above-ground windmill onto a "solid foundation", so that it remains supported even when you disconnect power. That way you don't lose any power from adding another gear assembly. Gear assemblies are 'spensive. --[[User:JT|JT]]

::::Yes, you're right. I was under the impression you needed a gear because mine hadn't worked with a vertical axle when I tried. However, I just tried again and it worked so I must have done something stupid like not dug a channel or placed the windmill wrong the first time. --[[User:BurnedToast|BurnedToast]] 03:57, 3 November 2007 (EDT)

I wish Toady would change the name "vertical axle" to "y-axle" and horizontal to x, etc. I've been reading this assuming assembly gears moved power across the z-axis only. Faces of Mu

::::Eh, don't worry! I started using the axles and realised they really were horizontal and vertical, with changing horizontal axles using the s key. Faces of Mu.

Is it possible to connect more than one axle to a gear assembly, and if so, is there any extra loss of power as a result? --[[User:Xazak|Xazak]] 14:35, 4 November 2007 (EST)
:Yes and yes. --[[User:Ikkonoishi|Ikkonoishi]] 17:02, 4 November 2007 (EST)

Is it possible to aggregate power with gears? That is to say, if you have two or more windmills and you use axles to move the power into a single column, does it sum up the power? --[[User:Mitchy|Mitchy]] 12:55, 11 November 2007 (EST)
:Yes. --[[User:Valdemar|Valdemar]] 12:59, 11 November 2007 (EST)

Deleted the 'Solidity' section from the page today. It's completely silly. Some reasons why below:

:"Gears are presumably solid, however they do not block movement in a square."
::Duh. We don't think they're made out of paper. But they're not so huge as to block the entire square like a door or wall... why would they?
:
:"Dwarves, kobolds, and other beasties have no problem walking through squares occupied by gear assemblies. It's also important to note that water can also flow freely through them."
::See above.
:
:"Toady has considered causing damage to creatures that move through gear assemblies in the future, so don't build any main corridors through them."
::Then put that in the talk section, where it belongs.
[[User:Schm0|Schm0]] 22:48, 2 December 2007 (EST)

== 6 directions and horizontal axles ==

Is it possible for a gear assembly to be connected on all sides and will it use up 30 power or 5 power? horizontal axles won't gain power even if there is something generating energy going below and above it, even if there is a a channel?--[[User:Seaneat|Seaneat]] 02:46, 7 July 2008 (EDT)
:I got it...they can be connected on all sides and will still take up 5 power. they should have made it like 3...--[[User:Seaneat|Seaneat]] 14:22, 7 July 2008 (EDT)

== Water ==

On of my gear assemblies got wet because a screw pump flooded the area. All of the attached machine parts stopped working and displayed the "inactive" message in the building screen. The amount of power needed also jumped to 24 for all of them (it was currently getting 20). Did it stop working because of the water alone, or did the water freeze in the mechanisms? Or did the water cause the power needed to increase so that there wasn't enough? It is a freezing map, but the water being pumped did not freeze. --[[User:Tachyon|Tachyon]] 16:39, 1 August 2008 (EDT)

:Happened to me too just now... gear and three axles, the pump worked about ten seconds until all the area around was wet, then stopped. The windmill is still turning, but nothing else is happening. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 04:27, 30 November 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Screw pump

2008-11-30T07:12:57Z

Azaram: /* /fail at pump stacking. */

40d Talk:Screw pump

2008-11-30T06:41:04Z

Azaram: /fail at pump stacking.

40d Talk:Stockpile

2008-11-30T04:01:31Z

Azaram: /* Clear stone to replace with stockpile? */

=== Stockpile categories ===
'''[[Ore]]''' 
Ore will be brought here. This is one of the simpler stockpiles.
: Is it just me, or is this incorrect? I don't see an option in the new version for ore piles. I'm at work and so cannot double-check at this time, but I'll check when I get home and if I confirm it then, I'll remove Ore from the Stockpile categories.

You're correct. Ore is now included in the stone stockpile and there is no mining stockpile. I've made the change. -Valdemar

Should this page be retitled "Stockpile" to keep in line with the title style rules? --[[User:BahamutZERO|BahamutZERO]] 17:44, 1 November 2007 (EDT)
:Done. --[[User:Peristarkawan|Peristarkawan]] 18:15, 1 November 2007 (EDT)

==Custom Catastrophe==

According to the forums, and my own experiences, the "Custom" category doesn't actually work. Removing the unused stockpile and replacing it with one of the standard type, then editing it to your specifications will work. Also types can be safely changed after they're assigned. (I turned a wood stockpile to a bed stockpile with successful stocking).
I came across this after a great deal of kitchen rebuilding because my cook wouldn't fill the stockpiles. If someone more familiar with the wiki, and the game, could confirm this and edit the page it would be appreciated, it's something that should be out there. [[User:Scribbler|Scribbler]] 14:24, 26 September 2008 (EDT)

: I have not had this problem, although I do need to be careful making sure that I actually adjust the cus((k|t}}om stockpile settings before placing the stockpile, and then being sure that I'm still placing a custom stockpile. This menu is one of the least-intuitive to my mind, but the settings work, AFAIK. --[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 20:48, 4 November 2008 (EST)

:Custom stockpiles work perfectly for me, and have for a logn time. Maybe the original poster overlooked the "prepared food" option under the food submenu?--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 18:53, 5 November 2008 (EST)

== Bins ==

how do I make my bins get to the "right" stockpiles (ie i want to put stone in bins to compact it but so far my bin is sitting in a "finished goods" stockpile)[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 09:40, 4 January 2008 (EST)

:Raw objects generally can't be put in bins, only "processed" goods. For instance, [[block]]s can be put in bins, but not raw stone. The best way to get a compact stone store is to create a dump, though I haven't fiddled with that technique yet.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 12:51, 4 January 2008 (EST)
::Stone designated for dumping (individually which is a pain no matter how you do it) can all end up on a single dump activity zone and then reclaimed, this is much more space-efficient than stone stockpiles.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 01:42, 8 July 2008 (EDT)

== Usable/Unusable Weapons/Armour? ==

Anyone knows exactly what this does? It seems that stockpiles set to "unusable" will only collect things that dwarfs can't possibly ever use, not even in Adventure mode (ex: big human two-handed weapons such as a halberd), but while technically things like whips and scimitars aren't unusable, dwarfs in Fortress mode will never equip them - no such option in the Military screen. Or will they use, for example, a scimitar if set to use swords? Will that use the Swordsdwarf skill? IMO it would be more useful if it included any weapon not in the Military screen. --[[User:Sergius|Sergius]] 12:44, 12 January 2008 (EST)
:I use this when I kill kobolds etc - all the weapons my dwarf collect of '''hostile''' creatures then go into the same bin. I can't use them, but I ''can'' drag one bin all at once to the visiting [[trading|merchant]] - ker-ching! They sell pretty well.
:But I agree, it should be that any weapon dwarves cannot use should end up there.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 02:53, 14 February 2008 (EST)

== my dear cook ==

preparing food stacks larger than *ten* - on what depends the number? my cook sometimes does it, sometimes not, both with lavish and simple meals. Is it from the stack size? --[[User:Koltom|Koltom]] 02:36, 14 February 2008 (EST)

:The biggest question here though is - what is the appropriate setting for a stockpile for cooked food?
:It seems to be, "forbid" everything but make sure "Prepared food" is turned on. But "prepared food" seems to be turned on as the default, and it allows even unprocessed fish etc to be placed in the stockpile. So this doesn't make much sense to me.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 05:40, 27 February 2008 (EST)
: well, you could use a refuse pile with only prepared meals enabled...--[[User:Koltom|Koltom]] 14:39, 29 February 2008 (EST)
:: to be more precise, a custom stockpile (t) with only prepared meals enabled under 'Refuse' - works and is not even called a refuse pile. Havent seen someone eat from it yet though.--[[User:Koltom|Koltom]] 22:03, 3 March 2008 (EST)

== Stone Stockpiles ==

Currently my dwarves are not hauling ores of iron, zinc and lignite which I have disabled for my other stone stockpiles. I have over 8000 stone in somewhat organized stockpiles since I thought my wealth would generate more slowly with everyone hauling them all around the map with the more common stones, siltstone and phyllite, creating common crafts, statues, hatch covers, flood gates, mechanisms and use in stone fall traps. I now have over 333 stockpiles. I went and mined all ores used in creating fuels and metals and it seems that the storage space I've made might not be that big enough. What's the problem?--[[User:Seaneat|Seaneat]] 21:35, 9 July 2008 (EDT)
:Just got it, I had ignore minerals. Sorry.--[[User:Seaneat|Seaneat]] 21:35, 9 July 2008 (EDT)

== Take From Stockpile ==

While we're adding information to this section, Can someone who has used this successfully give a more concrete example? --[[User:RomeoFalling|RomeoFalling]] 18:22, 6 November 2008 (EST)

== Clear stone to replace with stockpile? ==

Is there any way to clear the stone out of the way so I can build a stock pile for something that ISN'T stone? Got a nice big room full of workshops and nowhere to put anything because 90% of the spots are filled with stones.

(Is it just me, or do the dwarves sometimes seem ''really'' dumb? I set up a paved road of about 10 sections from the top exit of the fortress to the edge of the map for caravans. I set up stone stockpiles next to every other segment of the road both so they didn't have to walk so far to do it and to clear some of the stone out... They started at the farthest away road segment, and will go all the way to the other end of the road, down three flights of stairs, all the way to an otherwise empty room to pick up a piece of stone to go all the way back to use it on the road, rather than use the nearby and completely full stockpiles. ) --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 05:24, 27 November 2008 (EST)

:[[Stone management]]. As for the road, when constructing a building, it shows you how distant the materials are, but only "as the crow flies". If the nearest stone is one z-level away and you unwittingly select it, they'll walk however long a path they have to actually fetch it. Same thing for workshops -- they'll go huge distances to get the item that's just above their heads.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 12:01, 27 November 2008 (EST)

::That may explain it... I set up the stockpiles after designating the road, so (after everyone dropped everything to fill the stockpiles), they went to the stone that I apparently designated when I set up the road. Would be nice if you could just tell them 'take THIS item and put it THERE'... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 21:16, 28 November 2008 (EST)

:::[[Dump]]ing more or less allows you to do that.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 23:59, 28 November 2008 (EST)

::::Seems less than more. :-p I've got a leftover iron knife sitting on the remains of a two dimensional goblin in a stonefall trap... I set everything to dump, and they took everything but his body and his knife. (I sold all his crap to the elves that showed up shortly thereafter). I ended up going with the catapult version...had a peasant build three catapult parts then set it up and toss rocks across the room into a channel... he's now a siege engineer. So I had him build another and started another peasant on it, and they're happily banging away at the wall... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 23:01, 29 November 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Legendary

2008-11-30T03:58:34Z

Azaram: /* How fast? */

40d Talk:Stockpile

2008-11-29T02:16:36Z

Azaram: /* Clear stone to replace with stockpile? */

40d Talk:Init.txt

2008-11-28T07:02:19Z

Azaram: Show magma on embark screen?

== Suggestions ==

Use <nowiki> </nowiki> on the lines with multiple fields, such as the color settings, if you want it to look like the actual text file does.

A good practice is simply to put that break tag on the end of every line of the formatted text. --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 20:01, 27 December 2007 (EST)
Ok did that. Thanks. [[User:Jikor|Jikor]]

== Mouse Setting ==

I'm one who prefers not to have the mouse involved in gameplay, yet I find that using NO or FALSE for the mouse setting still allows mouse use for designating tiles. 
While this is useful for allowing mouse-based macros for room designs (as opposed to keyboard-based of course) it is still a thorn in my side. 
I'm looking for confirmation/refutation of this, and any discovered fix to make it truly [MOUSE:NO]. 
--[[User:N9103|Edward]] 08:40, 17 May 2008 (EDT)

:I've experienced this as well in v0.27.176.38c. I did not notice any change after using YES, NO, and FALSE. [[User:Elvang|Elvang]] 23:21, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

== Article for Deletion? ==

Do we need this page? What is the purpose of it? --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 00:11, 4 June 2008 (EDT)
:I suppose its more of a reference for those who screw up or need to revert their init.txt file without redownloading the game. [[User:Elvang|Elvang]] 01:32, 4 June 2008 (EDT)

== Re-organize? ==

This may just be me, but I find that having the preference before the text explaining it helps to make this page more understandable. For instance,

<blockquote>
[SOUND:ON]
 Change this to turn sound off.
</blockquote>
is much more readable than
<blockquote>
Change this to turn sound off.
 [SOUND:ON]
</blockquote>
--[[User:Lucien|Lucien]] 05:03, 11 July 2008 (EDT)

== Pop cap minimum? ==

Is it just me, or is the minimum population count ten? I set it for seven (wanting an isolationist settlement), and I wound up with ten dwarves, but no more come despite me now having plenty of cash to attract them, and only one death (three years ago). --[[User:Erathoniel|Erathoniel]] 22:00, 10 November 2008 (EST)

:Quite possibly. It is known that popcap settings go wonky if you set them too low. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 10:23, 27 November 2008 (EST)

== Show magma on embark screen? ==

I've seen several mentions of, but no description of how to, use the init file to show where magma is on the embark screen. Anyone? --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 02:02, 28 November 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Stockpile

2008-11-27T10:24:59Z

Azaram: Clear stone to replace with stockpile?

40d Talk:Stairs

2008-11-26T11:17:17Z

Azaram: /* Stairs not working for me, either. */ Fixed fatfinger.

Looks to me like the "remove down stairs" option is missing. But if you rewall it ([b] - [C] - [w]), and then designate it for "Remove Construction" ([d] - [n]), that works to get rid of it. Or just rewall it and leave it as a wall. --Peristarkawan 20:44, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

You remove down stairs by building a floor ([b] - [C] - [f]) over them. "Down stairs" are just holes in the floor. [[User:Valdemar|Valdemar]] 19:45, 2 November 2007 (EDT)

It seems that building an up/down stairway is the easiest way to build underground. --Vbraun 21:06, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

I'm betting that dwarves can traverse ramps faster than stairs, but I haven't tested this yet. --Peristarkawan 21:18, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

I initially tried creating a ramp to dig upwards, and my miner refused to dig further on the upper level. Stairs work fine.--[[User:McFrugal|McFrugal]] 02:19, 30 October 2007 (EDT)
:Ramps don't appear to knock out the ceiling of a tile, whereas stairs do. It looks like the main use for ramps is to provide access for anything bigger than a tile wide, such as a wagon or a group of dwarves, and presumably you'll already have access to both levels involved in the rampmaking.--[[User:Xazak|Xazak]] 19:38, 2 November 2007 (EDT)
:: on the other hand, they will dig a ramp along with the ceiling, when digging from above.--[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 01:13, 11 January 2008 (EST)

<blockquote>Logs and stone(probably more, not fully tested) can not be transported on stairs, limiting their usefulness.</blockquote>
I dug a few levels underground using the shaft method of up/down stairs and trees chopped down on ground level could be carried into the fortress. So Logs can be moved through stairs. --[[User:Mizipzor|Mizipzor]] 11:52, 30 October 2007 (EDT)
:Rocks and any variation thereof can also be moved on stairs. I've been using the top of my mountain as a gigantic rock stockpile.--[[User:Xazak|Xazak]] 19:38, 2 November 2007 (EDT)

Strange, when I rewalled so that the only access to my tower was a stair I could no longer build floors out of wood that was lying outside. Building another ramp solved the problem, more testing obviously needed [[User:Otherdwarf|Otherdwarf]] 18:58, 30 October 2007 (EDT)

==Destroy up-down stairs==
Is there any way to destroy carved (not constructed) up-down stair? --[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 01:13, 11 January 2008 (EST)
:You're kidding right? You just edited an article that answers that (and only that) exact question immediately before editing this talk... --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 07:41, 11 January 2008 (EST)
::No, I'm not kidding. The [[stairs]] article says how to destroy ''constructed'' stairs, carved up stairs and carved down stairs. it says '''nothing''' about carved up-down stair. neither method worked for me (at least in 33e)--[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 08:00, 11 January 2008 (EST)
:channeling --[[User:Jackard|Jackard]] 08:33, 11 January 2008 (EST)

==Removing Down Stairs (Again)==
The above comments are obsolete with the current version as far as I can tell. I accidentally build a down stair where I meant to have an up stair. Constructing a Up Stair on top of it wouldn't build, and neither would Constructing a Floor. So I tried making a channel through it as suggested above, and this did indeed remove the down stairs, however, it still reads as 'Blocked' when I try to make a floor over the hole. Are there any answers to this? [[User:Shadowics|Shadowics]] 00:30, 1 July 2008 (EDT)

== Hatch ==

Hatches should be included somewhere. enemies can use stairs as an entrance or shortcuts to enter a fortress and kill. i'd add that myself but i don't want to.

: Then why moan about it you Idiot? [[User:Hoborobo|Hoborobo]] 03:15, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

== How to ==

Signed up just to ask this. How do I get the stupid things to work? I built down stairs and mapped out an irrigation system for my miners to work out down there and they haven't touched it (been about an in game year, during which they did have alot of free time with no tasks on any level). Additional info that should be provided, how many squares are needed to go down, just one or 3 per level or something? What version were they added in (I used to play a version that had a single level, when you always dug to the east and there was always a river and magma and adamantine). All in all consider that the people you may be informing don't know nearly as much about the game as you do, I have alot of friends that would like this if simple instructions and explanations were provided, but with those lacking theyed probably play like 1 hour, ever. Forgot me tag --[[User:Lowlandlord|Lowlandlord]] 01:39, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

:Did you build up or up/down stairs on the level below, or just a series of down stairs one below the other? The up and down stairs function as the bottom and the top respectively of a staircase. So build a down stair where you want the top of the staircase to be, an up stair where you want the bottom to be, and up/down ones between them. Each time you press the < or > key moves you to a different level, and you only need a staircase on that level and above or below to get access. So you only need to go down one square per level, unless you want to go down 3 and have a fortress with massively thick floors. [[User:Dangerous Beans|Dangerous Beans]] 22:00, 30 July 2008 (EDT)

::Good to know, got it working now, making a new world now to build a fortress where the stairs aren't past the graveyard in the back, for conveniance.

== Movement ==
Does anyone know if dwarves walk over stairs at the same speed as normal floor? Thanks. [[User:Vaniver|Vaniver]] 03:25, 13 August 2008 (EDT)
:They sure seem to. [[User:Gairabad|Gairabad]] 21:30, 15 November 2008 (EST)

== Falling ==
The warning about up/down stairs concerns me, but I've never had any problems. It says a surprising number of things cause dwarves to fall. Can we list those somewhere? Under what circumstances do dwarves fall down the massive flights of up/down stairs to their splattery doom? [[User:Rkyeun|Rkyeun]] 23:21, 13 August 2008 (EDT)

: Mostly combat and sparring, I guess... maybe dwarves sleeping on the stairs ? Seems odd. [[User:Timst|Timst]] 03:16, 15 November 2008 (EST)

== Stairs not working for me, either. ==

Trying to build an underground bedroom complex... wanted to have seperate down and up stairs for better traffic flow. Is this not possible? The miner built one stair down on the first floor, one stair down on the one below... then stopped. He won't even carve out around the existing one so I can put in an up stair. (And now he's fortified himself into a chasm full of beasties. Dur.) The stairs (and now the new fortifications are flashing with a yellow C on a background color I'm not sure of, being red/green colorblind... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 00:33, 15 November 2008 (EST)

:(That means they're constructions, so you can't dig them out.) Can you diagram a side-view of how you're setting up the stairs? --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 00:47, 15 November 2008 (EST)

:A "down stair" is not a stair that can only be taken down -- it's a stair that only connects the current level to the one below it. And you always need to connect an up stair to a down stair to be able to travel between levels. So two down stairs won't work. A down stair above and an up stair below will work, or up/down stairs on both levels (up/down stairs will connect to any stairs above or below, and can be used to create continuous stair columns).--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 01:49, 15 November 2008 (EST)

::Ah, ok. I was trying to create a bunch of down stairs, in the assumption that down stairs are traffic-marked to go down. Thanks... GreyMaria, it was basically 'move to one position, designate down stair. Hit > to go down a Z, so the X is in the same position (Coordinates would be helpful here... :-p) and designate another down, repeat.' -- [[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 05:55, 15 November 2008 (EST)

:::Yeah, that would be your issue, like Maximus said. Is the article really that misleading? <_< --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 13:33, 15 November 2008 (EST)

::::It's probably that the way stairs work in DF is inherently counterintuitive. In the real world, "down stairs" means "stairs you are only supposed to take down". In DF, it means "stairs that go halfway down to the next level that only work if paired with another set of stairs coming halfway up". That tripped me up the first few times I built them.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 18:16, 15 November 2008 (EST)

:::::Yup, that's what I was thinking. Down stairs for where you want them to go down, up stairs for up, traffic flows well and everybody's happy. Part of the reason I was doing it that way was I had seen mention of the danger of up/down stairs and clumsy dwarves falling down them, and I had somehow gotten the impression they won't do that on stairs that are either up or down... Re parallel stairs below; I'd started doing that on my (surprisingly successful for me) current fortress... I got a 20 dwarf immigration and they all swarmed the meeting room where a party had been started, down the stairs and it seemed nobody was stepping on anyone's feet. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 06:16, 26 November 2008 (EST)

:::Incidentally, dwarves do tend to hug one side of a hallway or the other depending on where they're traveling, due to the way the pathfinding algorithm works. So if you build several parallel stairways (I recommend a 2x2 grid), that helps to eliminate a choke point. It also allows them to sidestep out of each other's way instead of one dwarf having to crawl (literally) past each other.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 18:16, 15 November 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Stairs

2008-11-26T11:16:15Z

Azaram: /* Stairs not working for me, either. */

Looks to me like the "remove down stairs" option is missing. But if you rewall it ([b] - [C] - [w]), and then designate it for "Remove Construction" ([d] - [n]), that works to get rid of it. Or just rewall it and leave it as a wall. --Peristarkawan 20:44, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

You remove down stairs by building a floor ([b] - [C] - [f]) over them. "Down stairs" are just holes in the floor. [[User:Valdemar|Valdemar]] 19:45, 2 November 2007 (EDT)

It seems that building an up/down stairway is the easiest way to build underground. --Vbraun 21:06, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

I'm betting that dwarves can traverse ramps faster than stairs, but I haven't tested this yet. --Peristarkawan 21:18, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

I initially tried creating a ramp to dig upwards, and my miner refused to dig further on the upper level. Stairs work fine.--[[User:McFrugal|McFrugal]] 02:19, 30 October 2007 (EDT)
:Ramps don't appear to knock out the ceiling of a tile, whereas stairs do. It looks like the main use for ramps is to provide access for anything bigger than a tile wide, such as a wagon or a group of dwarves, and presumably you'll already have access to both levels involved in the rampmaking.--[[User:Xazak|Xazak]] 19:38, 2 November 2007 (EDT)
:: on the other hand, they will dig a ramp along with the ceiling, when digging from above.--[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 01:13, 11 January 2008 (EST)

<blockquote>Logs and stone(probably more, not fully tested) can not be transported on stairs, limiting their usefulness.</blockquote>
I dug a few levels underground using the shaft method of up/down stairs and trees chopped down on ground level could be carried into the fortress. So Logs can be moved through stairs. --[[User:Mizipzor|Mizipzor]] 11:52, 30 October 2007 (EDT)
:Rocks and any variation thereof can also be moved on stairs. I've been using the top of my mountain as a gigantic rock stockpile.--[[User:Xazak|Xazak]] 19:38, 2 November 2007 (EDT)

Strange, when I rewalled so that the only access to my tower was a stair I could no longer build floors out of wood that was lying outside. Building another ramp solved the problem, more testing obviously needed [[User:Otherdwarf|Otherdwarf]] 18:58, 30 October 2007 (EDT)

==Destroy up-down stairs==
Is there any way to destroy carved (not constructed) up-down stair? --[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 01:13, 11 January 2008 (EST)
:You're kidding right? You just edited an article that answers that (and only that) exact question immediately before editing this talk... --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 07:41, 11 January 2008 (EST)
::No, I'm not kidding. The [[stairs]] article says how to destroy ''constructed'' stairs, carved up stairs and carved down stairs. it says '''nothing''' about carved up-down stair. neither method worked for me (at least in 33e)--[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 08:00, 11 January 2008 (EST)
:channeling --[[User:Jackard|Jackard]] 08:33, 11 January 2008 (EST)

==Removing Down Stairs (Again)==
The above comments are obsolete with the current version as far as I can tell. I accidentally build a down stair where I meant to have an up stair. Constructing a Up Stair on top of it wouldn't build, and neither would Constructing a Floor. So I tried making a channel through it as suggested above, and this did indeed remove the down stairs, however, it still reads as 'Blocked' when I try to make a floor over the hole. Are there any answers to this? [[User:Shadowics|Shadowics]] 00:30, 1 July 2008 (EDT)

== Hatch ==

Hatches should be included somewhere. enemies can use stairs as an entrance or shortcuts to enter a fortress and kill. i'd add that myself but i don't want to.

: Then why moan about it you Idiot? [[User:Hoborobo|Hoborobo]] 03:15, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

== How to ==

Signed up just to ask this. How do I get the stupid things to work? I built down stairs and mapped out an irrigation system for my miners to work out down there and they haven't touched it (been about an in game year, during which they did have alot of free time with no tasks on any level). Additional info that should be provided, how many squares are needed to go down, just one or 3 per level or something? What version were they added in (I used to play a version that had a single level, when you always dug to the east and there was always a river and magma and adamantine). All in all consider that the people you may be informing don't know nearly as much about the game as you do, I have alot of friends that would like this if simple instructions and explanations were provided, but with those lacking theyed probably play like 1 hour, ever. Forgot me tag --[[User:Lowlandlord|Lowlandlord]] 01:39, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

:Did you build up or up/down stairs on the level below, or just a series of down stairs one below the other? The up and down stairs function as the bottom and the top respectively of a staircase. So build a down stair where you want the top of the staircase to be, an up stair where you want the bottom to be, and up/down ones between them. Each time you press the < or > key moves you to a different level, and you only need a staircase on that level and above or below to get access. So you only need to go down one square per level, unless you want to go down 3 and have a fortress with massively thick floors. [[User:Dangerous Beans|Dangerous Beans]] 22:00, 30 July 2008 (EDT)

::Good to know, got it working now, making a new world now to build a fortress where the stairs aren't past the graveyard in the back, for conveniance.

== Movement ==
Does anyone know if dwarves walk over stairs at the same speed as normal floor? Thanks. [[User:Vaniver|Vaniver]] 03:25, 13 August 2008 (EDT)
:They sure seem to. [[User:Gairabad|Gairabad]] 21:30, 15 November 2008 (EST)

== Falling ==
The warning about up/down stairs concerns me, but I've never had any problems. It says a surprising number of things cause dwarves to fall. Can we list those somewhere? Under what circumstances do dwarves fall down the massive flights of up/down stairs to their splattery doom? [[User:Rkyeun|Rkyeun]] 23:21, 13 August 2008 (EDT)

: Mostly combat and sparring, I guess... maybe dwarves sleeping on the stairs ? Seems odd. [[User:Timst|Timst]] 03:16, 15 November 2008 (EST)

== Stairs not working for me, either. ==

Trying to build an underground bedroom complex... wanted to have seperate down and up stairs for better traffic flow. Is this not possible? The miner built one stair down on the first floor, one stair down on the one below... then stopped. He won't even carve out around the existing one so I can put in an up stair. (And now he's fortified himself into a chasm full of beasties. Dur.) The stairs (and now the new fortifications are flashing with a yellow C on a background color I'm not sure of, being red/green colorblind... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 00:33, 15 November 2008 (EST)

:(That means they're constructions, so you can't dig them out.) Can you diagram a side-view of how you're setting up the stairs? --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 00:47, 15 November 2008 (EST)

:A "down stair" is not a stair that can only be taken down -- it's a stair that only connects the current level to the one below it. And you always need to connect an up stair to a down stair to be able to travel between levels. So two down stairs won't work. A down stair above and an up stair below will work, or up/down stairs on both levels (up/down stairs will connect to any stairs above or below, and can be used to create continuous stair columns).--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 01:49, 15 November 2008 (EST)

::Ah, ok. I was trying to create a bunch of down stairs, in the assumption that down stairs are traffic-marked to go down. Thanks... GreyMario, it was basically 'move to one position, designate down stair. Hit > to go down a Z, so the X is in the same position (Coordinates would be helpful here... :-p) and designate another down, repeat.' -- [[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 05:55, 15 November 2008 (EST)

:::Yeah, that would be your issue, like Maximus said. Is the article really that misleading? <_< --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 13:33, 15 November 2008 (EST)

::::It's probably that the way stairs work in DF is inherently counterintuitive. In the real world, "down stairs" means "stairs you are only supposed to take down". In DF, it means "stairs that go halfway down to the next level that only work if paired with another set of stairs coming halfway up". That tripped me up the first few times I built them.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 18:16, 15 November 2008 (EST)

:::::Yup, that's what I was thinking. Down stairs for where you want them to go down, up stairs for up, traffic flows well and everybody's happy. Part of the reason I was doing it that way was I had seen mention of the danger of up/down stairs and clumsy dwarves falling down them, and I had somehow gotten the impression they won't do that on stairs that are either up or down... Re parallel stairs below; I'd started doing that on my (surprisingly successful for me) current fortress... I got a 20 dwarf immigration and they all swarmed the meeting room where a party had been started, down the stairs and it seemed nobody was stepping on anyone's feet. --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 06:16, 26 November 2008 (EST)

:::Incidentally, dwarves do tend to hug one side of a hallway or the other depending on where they're traveling, due to the way the pathfinding algorithm works. So if you build several parallel stairways (I recommend a 2x2 grid), that helps to eliminate a choke point. It also allows them to sidestep out of each other's way instead of one dwarf having to crawl (literally) past each other.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 18:16, 15 November 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Stairs

2008-11-15T10:55:57Z

Azaram: /* Stairs not working for me, either. */

Looks to me like the "remove down stairs" option is missing. But if you rewall it ([b] - [C] - [w]), and then designate it for "Remove Construction" ([d] - [n]), that works to get rid of it. Or just rewall it and leave it as a wall. --Peristarkawan 20:44, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

You remove down stairs by building a floor ([b] - [C] - [f]) over them. "Down stairs" are just holes in the floor. [[User:Valdemar|Valdemar]] 19:45, 2 November 2007 (EDT)

It seems that building an up/down stairway is the easiest way to build underground. --Vbraun 21:06, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

I'm betting that dwarves can traverse ramps faster than stairs, but I haven't tested this yet. --Peristarkawan 21:18, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

I initially tried creating a ramp to dig upwards, and my miner refused to dig further on the upper level. Stairs work fine.--[[User:McFrugal|McFrugal]] 02:19, 30 October 2007 (EDT)
:Ramps don't appear to knock out the ceiling of a tile, whereas stairs do. It looks like the main use for ramps is to provide access for anything bigger than a tile wide, such as a wagon or a group of dwarves, and presumably you'll already have access to both levels involved in the rampmaking.--[[User:Xazak|Xazak]] 19:38, 2 November 2007 (EDT)
:: on the other hand, they will dig a ramp along with the ceiling, when digging from above.--[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 01:13, 11 January 2008 (EST)

<blockquote>Logs and stone(probably more, not fully tested) can not be transported on stairs, limiting their usefulness.</blockquote>
I dug a few levels underground using the shaft method of up/down stairs and trees chopped down on ground level could be carried into the fortress. So Logs can be moved through stairs. --[[User:Mizipzor|Mizipzor]] 11:52, 30 October 2007 (EDT)
:Rocks and any variation thereof can also be moved on stairs. I've been using the top of my mountain as a gigantic rock stockpile.--[[User:Xazak|Xazak]] 19:38, 2 November 2007 (EDT)

Strange, when I rewalled so that the only access to my tower was a stair I could no longer build floors out of wood that was lying outside. Building another ramp solved the problem, more testing obviously needed [[User:Otherdwarf|Otherdwarf]] 18:58, 30 October 2007 (EDT)

==Destroy up-down stairs==
Is there any way to destroy carved (not constructed) up-down stair? --[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 01:13, 11 January 2008 (EST)
:You're kidding right? You just edited an article that answers that (and only that) exact question immediately before editing this talk... --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 07:41, 11 January 2008 (EST)
::No, I'm not kidding. The [[stairs]] article says how to destroy ''constructed'' stairs, carved up stairs and carved down stairs. it says '''nothing''' about carved up-down stair. neither method worked for me (at least in 33e)--[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 08:00, 11 January 2008 (EST)
:channeling --[[User:Jackard|Jackard]] 08:33, 11 January 2008 (EST)

==Removing Down Stairs (Again)==
The above comments are obsolete with the current version as far as I can tell. I accidentally build a down stair where I meant to have an up stair. Constructing a Up Stair on top of it wouldn't build, and neither would Constructing a Floor. So I tried making a channel through it as suggested above, and this did indeed remove the down stairs, however, it still reads as 'Blocked' when I try to make a floor over the hole. Are there any answers to this? [[User:Shadowics|Shadowics]] 00:30, 1 July 2008 (EDT)

== Hatch ==

Hatches should be included somewhere. enemies can use stairs as an entrance or shortcuts to enter a fortress and kill. i'd add that myself but i don't want to.

: Then why moan about it you Idiot? [[User:Hoborobo|Hoborobo]] 03:15, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

== How to ==

Signed up just to ask this. How do I get the stupid things to work? I built down stairs and mapped out an irrigation system for my miners to work out down there and they haven't touched it (been about an in game year, during which they did have alot of free time with no tasks on any level). Additional info that should be provided, how many squares are needed to go down, just one or 3 per level or something? What version were they added in (I used to play a version that had a single level, when you always dug to the east and there was always a river and magma and adamantine). All in all consider that the people you may be informing don't know nearly as much about the game as you do, I have alot of friends that would like this if simple instructions and explanations were provided, but with those lacking theyed probably play like 1 hour, ever. Forgot me tag --[[User:Lowlandlord|Lowlandlord]] 01:39, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

:Did you build up or up/down stairs on the level below, or just a series of down stairs one below the other? The up and down stairs function as the bottom and the top respectively of a staircase. So build a down stair where you want the top of the staircase to be, an up stair where you want the bottom to be, and up/down ones between them. Each time you press the < or > key moves you to a different level, and you only need a staircase on that level and above or below to get access. So you only need to go down one square per level, unless you want to go down 3 and have a fortress with massively thick floors. [[User:Dangerous Beans|Dangerous Beans]] 22:00, 30 July 2008 (EDT)

::Good to know, got it working now, making a new world now to build a fortress where the stairs aren't past the graveyard in the back, for conveniance.

== Movement ==
Does anyone know if dwarves walk over stairs at the same speed as normal floor? Thanks. [[User:Vaniver|Vaniver]] 03:25, 13 August 2008 (EDT)

== Falling ==
The warning about up/down stairs concerns me, but I've never had any problems. It says a surprising number of things cause dwarves to fall. Can we list those somewhere? Under what circumstances do dwarves fall down the massive flights of up/down stairs to their splattery doom? [[User:Rkyeun|Rkyeun]] 23:21, 13 August 2008 (EDT)

: Mostly combat and sparring, I guess... maybe dwarves sleeping on the stairs ? Seems odd. [[User:Timst|Timst]] 03:16, 15 November 2008 (EST)

== Stairs not working for me, either. ==

Trying to build an underground bedroom complex... wanted to have seperate down and up stairs for better traffic flow. Is this not possible? The miner built one stair down on the first floor, one stair down on the one below... then stopped. He won't even carve out around the existing one so I can put in an up stair. (And now he's fortified himself into a chasm full of beasties. Dur.) The stairs (and now the new fortifications are flashing with a yellow C on a background color I'm not sure of, being red/green colorblind... --[[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 00:33, 15 November 2008 (EST)

:(That means they're constructions, so you can't dig them out.) Can you diagram a side-view of how you're setting up the stairs? --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 00:47, 15 November 2008 (EST)

:A "down stair" is not a stair that can only be taken down -- it's a stair that only connects the current level to the one below it. And you always need to connect an up stair to a down stair to be able to travel between levels. So two down stairs won't work. A down stair above and an up stair below will work, or up/down stairs on both levels (up/down stairs will connect to any stairs above or below, and can be used to create continuous stair columns).--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 01:49, 15 November 2008 (EST)

::Ah, ok. I was trying to create a bunch of down stairs, in the assumption that down stairs are traffic-marked to go down. Thanks... GreyMario, it was basically 'move to one position, designate down stair. Hit > to go down a Z, so the X is in the same position (Coordinates would be helpful here... :-p) and designate another down, repeat.' -- [[User:Azaram|Azaram]] 05:55, 15 November 2008 (EST)

40d Talk:Stairs

2008-11-15T05:33:25Z

Azaram: /* Stairs not working for me, either. */

40d Talk:Stairs

2008-11-15T05:32:33Z

Azaram: Stairs not working for me, either.

40d:Your first fortress

2008-11-13T16:29:30Z

Azaram: /* Starting farms */ Spelling fix

This is a guide to help new players get started on their first [[fortress]] and teach them the basics of keeping their [[dwarves]] alive. If you have unanswered questions or find given details confusing, please tell us so on the [[Talk:Your_first_fortress|discussion page]]! Above all else, always remember the [[Dwarf Fortress]] motto: "Losing is fun!"

We discuss generating a world, choosing a fortress location, buying [[skill]]s and items, and playing the first month or so. Setting game initialization options is covered in [[technical tricks]]. The advice here is biased for safety; with a little experience you'll do better with strategies customized for your play style and preferred start locations. For more extended treatment of particular subjects, consult the linked pages or the rest of the Dwarf Fortress Wiki.

== Generating a world ==

It all starts here. The first thing to do when starting Dwarf Fortress is to [[World generation |create a world]]. Later on, you may wish to tweak the parameters to suit your play style, but for now, the ''Create New World Now!'' option is an easy way to get into your first game.

The engine will start to create the world--watch it unfold! You might notice that worlds are rejected, sometimes even after the generator begins running rivers and lakes. This is normal, as the generator seeks a world which meets the criteria for optimum Dwarven Fun.

Generating a standard random world can take several minutes. You can speed things up by selecting ''Design New World with Parameters'' instead of ''Create New World Now!'' and setting a smaller world size. These worlds tend to be less interesting and replayable, but work well if you want to try new things.

See the article on [[world generation]] for a complete guide to the world generation screen.

== Choosing a location ==

=== The interface ===

So long as you have at least one world without an active game, you will be able to choose "Start Playing" from the main menu. Select "Dwarf Fortress" and you'll find a four-section window:

[[Image:FortressLocation_fd2f10.png | caption | This picture is shown with the default tileset. Other [[tilesets]] are available]]

You can move around the region map with {{k|←}}{{k|↑}}{{k|→}}{{k|↓}}, or at 10x speed with {{k|Shift}}+{{k|←}}{{k|↑}}{{k|→}}{{k|↓}}. The region map is immense, at the default size, so there is also a world map that shows you where you are in the world.

You can move around the local map with these keys:
{{k|u}}
{{k|h}} {{k|k}}
{{k|m}}

You cannot directly move around the world map. Movement across the world map is shown relative to your movement on the region map. In world generated with the default settings, each square of the world map contains several squares of the region map.

Your next goal will be choosing the starting location for your fortress.

=== Your surroundings ===

You can discern a lot of information by scrolling through the various modes. The interface has five modes which you cycle through by pressing {{k|TAB}}. In turn, they display the ''biomes'', ''civilizations'', and ''geology'' of the local area.

====Biomes screen====
This display gives you an idea for the environment you'll be parachuting into. Click any of the blue links for more information on the subject. [[Biome]]s are determined by the type of life in the area. On the Biome screen, you'll see:
* '''[[Temperature]]''': How hot or cold it gets in the area. Can be ''Freezing'', ''Cold'', ''Temperate'', ''Warm'', ''Hot'', and ''Scorching''. In a nutshell, temperature extremes make it harder to get and keep a reliable source of [[water]] going. In Freezing and Scorching climates, you may have to do without water at all. Temperate and Warm are both good places to start your first fort. 
* '''Amount of [[tree]]s, and [[plant|other vegetation]]''': A general indication of the density of plant life in the area. For trees, this can be ''none'', ''scarce'', ''sparse'', ''woodland'', or ''heavily forested''. For other plants, you can see ''none'', ''scarce'', ''moderate'', and ''thick''. Trees are chopped down for [[wood]], which is a critical, if small, part of your fortress. You can import lots of it from [[caravan]]s, so don't worry too much about it. However, more trees never hurt anyone, and totally treeless maps are quite a bit more difficult in the early going, so aim for ''sparse'' or greater trees. Other plants basically means shrubs, bushes, and other vegetation that you can harvest food from with the [[plant gathering]] skill. Generally speaking, you will use this trick in the first year of your fortress, then never again. [[Plant]] density is not very important. 
* '''[[Surroundings]]''': This is a hint at how wild the wilderness is. The outskirts of a jungle might be fairly calm and safe, while the heart of that same jungle could be thick with vicious predators. In game terms, this will clue you in to the specific types of [[tree]]s and [[plant]]s you will find, in addition to indicating the [[animal]] types you'll run into. This also clues you in to the ''alignment'' of the surrounding area. So, the two things this word tells you is how ''good'' or ''evil'' an area is, and how ''calm'' or ''savage'' an area is. ''Good''-aligned areas, from calm to savage, are ''serene'', ''mirthful'', or ''joyous wilds''. ''Neutral''-aligned areas are, from calm to savage, ''calm'', ''wilderness'', or ''untamed wilds''. ''Evil''-aligned areas are, from calm to savage, ''sinister'', ''haunted'', or ''terrifying''. ''Good'' zones tend to have one of the most aggressive animals in the game, the [[unicorn]], and ''evil'' areas have a multitude of [[undead]] and some of the most vicious [[creature]]s in the game. For your first fortress, stick to a ''neutral'' alignment. 
* '''Major land forms''': A last field, which will not always be full, will mention things you should know about, like [[river]]s. [[River]]s provide an unlimited source of [[water]], but can be home to dangerous fish like the [[longnose gar]] and [[carp]]. Still, though, the benefits generally far outweigh the risks. [[Volcano]]s are also noted here, one of the only guaranteed ways to get [[magma]]. [[Magma]] makes a few things a lot easier, but it is dangerous to work with and must be handled very carefully because of the [[fire imp|horrible]] [[magma man|creature]]s that come out of it. Not critical, especially not for your first time out. 

Sometimes, you'll be looking at a place with more than one [[biome]] in the same selected square. You can press {{k|F1}} {{k|F2}} {{k|F3}} or {{k|F4}} to view the different types of [[biomes]]. In the picture above, we are looking at the mountain in the center, which is cold and has no trees or plants because it's too high up for those things to grow.

====Civilization screen====
These are nearby [[civilization]]s that are capable of interacting with you. Other settlements are shown with various symbols on the regional map. The possible entries here are ''dwarves'', ''humans'', ''elves'', ''goblins'', and ''kobolds''.
* '''[[Dwarves]]''': You will want to be in contact with dwarves to get [[immigrant]]s and a dwarven trading caravan. However, dwarves are, sometimes seemingly magically, everywhere. It is impossible to settle anywhere without dwarves, assuming there is at least one surviving dwarf civilization. Depending on how remote the area is, though, you may not get some of the features of the game you would otherwise: being cut off from the world will prevent most [[noble]]s from coming to your fort, which will stop the [[dwarven economy]] from ever being activated. You will also not get a [[liason]] with your dwarven caravan, so you will be unable to request goods. 
* '''[[Humans]]''': Humans are almost always friendly, and love [[trade]]. They send [[liason]]s to let you request goods and are generally a huge boon to any fortress. 
* '''[[Elves]]''': Elves are usually friendly and make fair trading partners, but have a [[Trade#Elves|particular ethos]] about trading. They do not send a trade [[liason]] and their goods are luxuries at best. They can be very annoying, but are generally not dangerous unless you provoke them. 
* '''[[Goblin]]s''': Goblins are your main enemies in Dwarf Fortress, and will lead almost all of the aggressive attacks on your fort. You can try to settle away from them, but at a certain point the game will spawn a goblin civilization to harass you, anyway. Just be sure not to start in the middle of a goblin citadel, and you will be fine. 
* '''[[Kobold]]''': Kobolds are petty thieves that are little more than irritations in most situations. If you are careless and let their thieves get away with a lot of stuff, though, they may upgrade to raiding parties of archers.

====Elevation screen====
Relative [[elevation]]. This is a normal topographic map that you're used to from real-life maps. It just gives you an idea of the lay of the land.
====Slope screen====
[[Slope]] steepness. This shows you where large cliffs are. Try to avoid [[cliff]]s of 4 or more, as the taller maps take a lot more computer power to run. On the other hand, flat areas are boring - a good elevation map contains lots of low elevation changes ranging from 1 to 4.
====Embark alerts====
When you're satisfied with your area and hit {{k|e}} to embark, you may get some alerts about being in a very difficult area, or about an [[aquifer]]. [[Aquifers]] can make it frustrating to get started, so if you are alerted about an aquifer, seriously consider moving somewhere else for your first fortress. After you have the basics down, tackling an aquifer is much easier.
====Location recap====

For your first fortress, it's not entirely important. However, there are some general guidelines that can help you decide: 

* Try to get a temperate or warm climate, since extreme temperatures are more difficult.
* Trees and vegetation are good for producing lumber and food for your fortress, but you don't need tons of them.
* ''Neutral''-aligned [[surroundings]] are best for your first fortress, but ''good''-aligned surroundings are also OK. Avoid ''evil''-aligned surroundings, however.
* Running water (rivers, streams, and brooks) are a permanent source of [[water]]. Lakes and pools have a finite amount of water and may dry out. Not having enough [[water]] can be a big obstacle, so try to get some running water your first time out.
* [[Humans]] and [[elves]] are friendly, so an area they have access to is nice.
* [[Magma]] is cool, but not critical.
* Areas with [[Aquifers]] require some engineering to get to rock. You'll be warned if you chose an area with an aquifer. When in doubt, don't try it.
* Who cares? If you like what you see, go for it. You can always start over. And remember the DF motto: Losing is fun! 

For more information on specific game mechanics such as [[sand]], [[flux]], and how to find [[iron]], check [[How_to_correctly_start_fortress_mode|this page]].

==== Fortress size ====

Once you've decided on location, you need to decide the size of your fortress area. This is the size of the game field you're playing on. Advantages of requesting a large local area include more raw materials, greater diversity of [[rock]]s and special underground features, and the ability to include desired terrain (such as a river, a forest, or a magma vent). Disadvantages include slower game performance (larger areas require more CPU power), higher likelihood of merchants failing to reach your [[trade depot]] before they run out of time, and more risk of losing immigrants as they struggle to your front [[gate]]. (Note that you can [[mine]] many levels deep into the ground, and even a 3x3 area generally contains more raw materials than you're ever likely to need.)

You can adjust the size of your fort's area by using {{k|SHIFT}} + the {{k|u}} {{k|m}} {{k|k}} or {{k|h}} keys. 

=== Embark ===

When done, hit {{k|e}} to embark. A warning may appear if you've chosen a challenging site, or one with an [[aquifer]].

==Buying skills and items==
After you embark, you're given the option to either start immediately or prepare for the journey carefully. You should pretty much always prepare carefully if you enjoy staying alive.

Here, presumably, you are the dwarf determining who will go and what they will take. You have a total of 2060☼ to spend in two categories: Skilled dwarves and items. Some items have already been selected for you, but you probably won't want most of these.

There are as many possible ways to approach setting up as there are fortress locations. The [[starting builds]] page offers several examples for you to choose from. Here, we are only going to discuss some basics that help you understand enough to make your own decisions. The embark screen opens up on the ''skills'' screen, and can be changed to the ''items'' screen by pressing {{k|TAB}}.

===Skills===
In Dwarf Fortress, it's not what you have, it's who you have. Skilled dwarves are the cornerstone of everything, from domestics to security, so it's extremely important to embark with good people.

As you will see in this screen, you have 7 dwarves, all with 10 points to put toward starting skills. We will want to use all 10 of the points on all 7 of the dwarves. By default, you won't have enough ☼ to do this, so hit {{k|TAB}} to go to the items screen and hit {{k|-}} over the ''Steel battle axe'' line to give subtract one. This should give you enough ☼ to assign all your skills. You can only spend 5 of the 10 points in any one skill, making the maximum skill level upon embark ''proficient''. This makes a total of 14 ''proficient'' skills, or a larger number of lower skill levels. 

In a fledgling fortress, the 4 indispensable jobs are [[mason]], [[miner]], [[grower]], and [[carpenter]]. A good beginning strategy is to embark with at least 1 dwarf being ''proficient'' in these 4 skills. Many people choose to double up on proficient [[miner]]s and [[grower]]s, since mining and farming are both pretty big jobs.

Other useful skills to consider: 
* '''[[Cook]]:''' Cooks make [[prepared meal]]s in the [[kitchen]], which helps you manage your food stock space. Well-prepared meals are also valuable [[trade]] goods, and make dwarves happy when eaten. Highly skilled cooks make better meals, and prepare meals faster. 
* '''[[Brewer]]:''' Brewers make [[booze]] in the [[still]]. Dwarves being dwarves, they need alcohol to operate at peak efficiency, and highly-skilled brewers make better tasting booze and finish brewing faster. Dwarves get happier when they drink good booze. 
* '''[[Herbalist]]:''' Herbalists gather food and seeds from [[shrub]]s in the local area. Skilled herbalists pick faster and come away with far more food. Where an unskilled herbalist will come away with one [[wild strawberry]] or none at all, a proficient herbalist will often pick 3, 4, or sometimes 5. 
* '''[[Woodcutter]]:''' Woodcutters fell [[tree]]s for use by [[carpenter]]s. Highly skilled woodcutters fell trees much faster. However, since you don't need that much wood, you can get away with a normal (no tag) woodcutter just fine. 
* '''[[Mechanic]]:''' Mechanics build and use [[mechanism]]s, which have myriad uses in [[trap]]s, [[lever]]s and some [[machine]]s. Highly skilled mechanics finish installing mechanisms much faster, and the mechanisms they build are of higher quality. However, the quality of the mechanism primarily matters to beginning players for its [[trade]] value, and in early fortresses the need for mechanisms is usually so small that any dwarf can pick it up and handle it well enough. Still, a solid choice, especially if you like [[trap]]s, which respond more quickly when made with higher-quality mechanisms. 
* '''[[Armorsmith]], [[Weaponsmith]], and [[Siege engineer]]:''' These 3 skills are not useful at all in an early fortress, but become very important later on, and training an unskilled dwarf in these skills is hard and requires a lot of material, so if you're in it for the long haul, consider them. 
* '''Military skills ([[Wrestler]], [[Axedwarf]], [[Hammerdwarf]], etc):''' Early on, it's unlikely that you'll need these, since there's generally very few things that will bother a band of dwarves who aren't hurting anyone, but certain places, such as those with a [[chasm]], will have hostile creatures around. In these areas, you may consider giving your woodcutter the [[Axedwarf]] skill so he can use his chopping axe as a weapon. 
* '''Social skills ([[Appraiser]], [[Judge of Intent]], [[Consoler]], etc):''' Putting these on one dwarf will make them a shoo-in for the Expedition Leader slot, and ranks in [[Appraiser]] and [[Judge of Intent]] will make interacting with the first caravan much easier. However, even if you don't train this at all, some persistence in trading with the first caravan will level your leader up enough to trade with the second caravan like a champion. 

Once again, examples can be found in the [[starting builds]] page. What you bring is incredibly dependent on your play style, though. Some people think bringing Mechanics along is a total waste of time, others consider them indispensable. Some people like having skills that aren't even on this list, like [[Leatherworker]]. Read the [[starting builds]], ask questions, and explore! Who cares if your first idea doesn't work out after playing an hour? Restarting is easy and ''losing is fun''.

===Items===
Now that we're done with assigning skills, hit {{k|TAB}} to go over to the item screen. Item worth is another extremely situational thing, and you'll find as many opinions as there are Dwarf Fortress players as to what is good to bring. Once more, it depends VERY heavily on your play style. Again, [[starting builds]] can provide some good example reading. This section will only cover the basics and give you enough information to make your own decisions.

====Tools====
You'll need a couple of finished tools to get yourself started.
* '''[[Battle axe]]s''': Every [[Woodcutter]] needs an axe. Steel battle axes are the only type you can purchase on this screen, and they're expensive. You might want to bring just one, unless you expect to need a lot of lumber and/or axedwarf muscle. 
* '''[[Pick]]s''': Likewise, [[Miner]]s need picks. All picks work equally well, their material only determines the damage they do in combat. Thus, copper picks are the budgeting dwarf's choice, at a paltry 20☼ each. 
* '''[[Anvil]]''': One of the big questions to ask yourself is whether to bring an anvil on embark. It's extremely expensive at 1000☼, but to start a [[metal]] industry, you will either have to start with one or request and purchase (or steal!) one from a [[caravan]] somewhere down the line.

Generally, if you are going to a very mountainous area where you're likely to see lots of ore and you want to be able to make use of it right from the get-go, bring an anvil. If you're going to spend a few years getting your fortress established before worrying about metal production, drop it and bring more raw commodities. 

One occasional problem is that axes and picks are absent entirely. If this is the case, you can bring the materials to build these things yourself.
* Purchase an anvil.
* Purchase 3 rocks that are not [[lignite]], [[bituminous coal]], or [[graphite]]. Any other rocks will work fine.
* Purchase fuel for the forge. You can purchase it outright as charcoal at 10☼ per unit, or refine it yourself for a big savings.
** To refine it yourself, purchase one unit of charcoal, and several (at least 5) units of [[bituminous coal]]. When you arrive on site, make sure someone has the [[furnace operating]] labor enabled ({{k|v}} to select a dwarf, then select {{k|p}}references and {{k|l}}abor to designate a dwarf's labor assignments), and build a [[smelter]] (hit {{k|b}}, then {{k|e}}, then {{k|s}}). Order the smelter to turn bituminous coal into [[coke]]. [[Coke]] is functionally the same as [[charcoal]], and bituminous coal produces 3 coke for each hunk of rock you bring. You need the first hunk of charcoal to start the string, but after that it feeds itself.
* Purchase metal to shape. You can buy bars directly to save time, or again, smelt it yourself. Take [[copper]] to start out with. It's cheap, and with any luck your initial tools aren't going to see heavy combat. You can take the materials for [[bronze]], [[iron]], or [[steel]] if you like, but this is more expensive. Still, if you're willing to go through the process, you can end up with 2 steel axes, likely of decent quality, for 82☼, instead of 600☼, with no quality modifiers at all.
** If you want to save points and smelt it yourself, take copper nuggets instead of copper bars, and use the smelter to convert them into copper bars.
* Fuel and metal in hand, deconstruct the smelter (if needed; {{k|q}} to highlight, then {{k|x}} to deconstruct), and construct a [[metalsmith's forge]]. Make sure someone has [[weaponsmith]]ing on. After the forge is up, order it to make the axes and picks you need. Deconstruct the forge when you're done and enjoy your new tools, hopefully with [[quality]] modifiers!

====Raw materials====
As it was briefly covered above, sometimes it makes more sense to bring a lot of raw materials than some finished goods. Raw materials are a lot cheaper than finished goods, and so long as you invest heavily in your dwarves' skills (which you should!), you can probably make better quality stuff, anyway.
*'''[[Stone]]''': Only bring this if you're trying to build some of your tools on the spot, as noted above. Otherwise, you will get stone coming out of your ears once you start mining. 
*'''[[Metal]]''': Generally not recommended. However, if you're expecting trouble and you're bringing an anvil, bringing many bars of [[iron]] and [[charcoal]] in lieu of a [[battle axe]] can be a big boon. If your dwarves can get to a spot that gives them a breather, a proficient [[weaponsmith]] or [[armorsmith]] could stamp out high-quality goods to give your dwarves a better fighting chance. This is a pretty advanced trick to pull off, though, so don't try to pull it if you're not confident. 
*'''[[Wood]]''': Wood is a bargain at only 3☼ per log, and the 100 logs you can bring in exchange for a steel battle axe will last you a long time. This is a great technique for making [[Woodcutter]] unneeded in the early game, but you need to budget your wood use for the first year very carefully. When you're out, you're out! 

====Consumables====
Easily the most important part of your preparation is what you're going to eat, drink, and plant once you get on site. Without food and booze, you're not going much of anywhere.
*'''[[Food]]''': Most food comes at a mere 2☼ per unit, and 8 units will feed 1 dwarf for a year. Bringing a year of food will give you a good cushion to getting your farms working, so aim for about 60 food if you can. If you must cut back, though, 40 will be fine if you make your farms an early priority. The best food staple to bring along is [[turtle]]. Turtle produces [[shell]] and [[bones]] when eaten, which can be used as raw materials for other things you need, including armor, crossbows, and crossbow bolts. Further, shell is a common request for [[strange mood]]s and is a pain to produce, so getting some early could save yourself a failed mood and a dead dwarf. 
*'''[[Booze]]''': Dwarves drink twice as often as they eat, and they always want to down some alcohol if at all possible. They also like different kinds of alcohol. Bring twice as much booze as you bring food, and divide it evenly among the 4 types of alcohol you can take ([[dwarven wine]], [[dwarven beer]], [[dwarven ale]], [[dwarven rum]]). 
*'''[[Seeds]]''': Your farms have got to start somewhere. Definitely bring along [[plump helmet spawn]] (for food and booze) and [[pig tails]] (for cloth ropes and booze variety). How many you bring is dependent on how big you want your initial farms to be. 5 of each is plenty to feed your initial dwarves, and you will get more seeds any time the plants are consumed in any way ''except cooking''. You may want to use the [[kitchen]] menu to disallow cooking of plump helmets until you have a healthy supply of seeds. Or, alternatively, just don't make any prepared meals until you've got a healthy supply of seeds. The other seed types require a lot more labor to use properly, and should probably wait until you have more dwarves in the fortress. You can buy seeds from the dwarven caravan for almost nothing, but if you want a greater variety along, go for [[rock nuts]]. The [[quarry bush]] that sprouts from it produces the greatest space to yield ratio in the game. Eventually, though, you should be planting all 6 of the underground [[crop]]s at least. 
Food and booze are stored in [[barrel]]s, with each type in its own barrel. Since barrels have a 10-unit capacity, you can get a lot of free barrels by starting with many, many kinds of food in quantities which in end 1. Barrels are important, and usually need wood to make, so it's worth it to use this quirk while you can by starting with at least one unit of every type of food. 
Seeds are stored in [[bag]]s in multiples of 14, also by type. Bags are not as important as barrels, since making cloth bags is a good way to train up your [[clothier]], but you ''can'' do the math to figure out how to get an extra bag for the cost of a single seed, if you're so inclined: get a multiple of 14, plus 1.

====Animals====
Not only dwarves live in your fortress, after all.
*'''[[Dog]]s''': Dogs are dwarf's best friend. They can be trained into [[hunting dog]]s or [[war dog]]s, require no food or maintenance, and make good pets for your dwarves. Always bring at least 2. Genders alternate when picking them up, so 2 will give you a breeding pair that will have more puppies freely. They make fantastic security early and fantastic dwarfsaving distractions later on. Dogs will happily lay down their lives to protect their master, which is huge when it means one of your best legendary dwarves is running away from an angry [[goblin]]. 
*'''[[Cat]]s''': Cats provide a wonderful function in controlling [[vermin]] in the fort. Vermin can make your dwarves extremely unhappy, so some cats are more or less a requirement. The largest problem with cats, however, is that their population is very difficult to control. Cats will choose their own owners (without the dwarf in question's consent), and after they've done so, you cannot order them butchered to control their numbers. The resulting [[catsplosion|population explosion]] can clutter hallways and murder your framerate. The best thing to do is to put all stray cats and kittens in a [[cage]] (one will hold them all). You can then butcher them without running the risk of the cats adopting dwarves before the butcher gets around to them, and if vermin start to get out of hand, you can always release one or two to help. If you want vermin control from the start, bring just ONE cat so it cannot breed and cause a population problem early. However, immigrants will very commonly bring their pet cats to the fortress, so if you can live with vermin early, you'll likely get a cat for free within a year. 
*'''Beasts of burden ([[Horse]]s, [[muskox]]en, etc)''': You will probably get a breeding pair of these for free when you start the game (they pull your starting wagon), and they will breed just as fast as anything else, so don't bring any along, and don't be afraid to use that [[cage]] to contain their numbers. Unlike cats, dwarves must choose to adopt beasts of burden, which they won't do unless they have a particular affinity for the animal. That's fairly rare, so the vast majority of the beasts of burden in your fortress will stay strays. 

Once again, check the [[starting builds]] page for more ideas, read the pages linked above, and experiment. The learning process is half the fun in Dwarf Fortress; enjoy it!

==Game on!==
We've chosen an area, selected our supplies, and we're ready to play. The game opens with your dwarves huddled around the wagon they used to get here.
==Gameplay overview==
This section will deal with the tasks you'll need to tackle in your first year of gameplay. These tasks are ''selecting a dig site'', ''building workshops'' (and ''marking stockpiles''), ''building lodging'', ''starting farms'', and ''trading''.
===Selecting a dig site===
You'll have to decide where you're going to dig in and start your fortress. You should consider the natural formations of the surrounding area when deciding where you want your main entrance. Ideally, there should be one way in and one way out. This one way should be fairly sizable, to pander to [[caravans]] and [[traffic]]. Proximity to a good [[water]] source so you can build a [[well]] more easily is also desirable. You can fix either of these things with extra digging and building later on, though, so don't sweat the decision too much.<r>

The most direct way to start is to find the side of a nearby mountain and dig into it, but if you're in a very flat area, you might have to dig downward instead. To start digging, hit {{k|d}}esignations, then {{k|m}}ine. Move your cursor using the arrow keys to where you want to dig, and hit {{k|ENTER}}, then move your cursor over to the place you want the digging to end. Mining designations are rectangular, so you can go both left and right and up and down as you're designating area. This tells your dwarves to cut into a wall and hollow it out, often leaving behind a [[stone]] if it is a rock wall. [[Soil]] walls become hollowed out, but never drop anything. These hollowed out areas are where you'll build the vast majority of everything you need. 

If you need to dig down instead of in, you need to use either a '''[[stairs|stairwell]]''' or a '''[[ramp]]'''. For a stairwell, use {{k|d}}esignations, and downward stairway ({{k|j}}). Note that this is only half of a stairwell. To build the other half, you must go down a z-level ({{k|>}}) and build an {{k|u}}pward stairway to connect to it. You are then underground and can use {{k|m}}ining normally. For a ramp, you must go down a z-level ({{k|>}}) and build a {{k|r}}amp on the area you want cut away. You do not need to build anything above it; your miners will figure it out. If you are building downward and want [[caravans]] to come down into your fortress, you will need to use [[ramp]]s, at least 3 right next to each other. Keep this in mind when deciding where you want to dig down. 

When designing your main entrance, be mindful that as many as 200 dwarves could be coming and going eventually, and that [[goblin]]s are going to want in at some point or another. A 3-wide entrance corridor is ideal. It is wide enough to accept a good amount of traffic and caravans, but narrow enough to use diabolical traps and designs to kill lots of goblins. Your main doors will have to be only 2-wide, though, as [[door]]s require a wall adjacent to them to build properly.

Once you've decided where you want your main entrance, it's time to move your supplies over there. We will have to set them outside for now, but we'll want to move them indoors as soon as we can. Press stock{{k|p}}iles, and designate areas for {{k|f}}ood, {{k|w}}ood, and {{k|r}}efuse. You can designate all sorts of stockpiles from this screen, so hit {{k|t}} and poke around in the custom stockpile settings for a little bit, figuring out what you can do. Do '''NOT''' designate a stone stockpile for now. It will eat up a lot of time unnecessarily. While we're organizing our supplies, deconstruct your wagon by pressing {{k|q}}uery, putting the cursor over your wagon, and pressing deconstruct ({{k|x}}). A dwarf with the [[carpentry]] labor enabled will come by and pull the wagon apart, turning it into 3 [[log]]s. The wagon is useless to you, so there's no reason to not do this. Some people prefer to wait until the wagon has been emptied before deconstructing it. In order to see the contents of a building, use the {{k|t}} command and scroll over the wagon.

Plan for your finished, 200-dwarf fortress right from the get-go. It's very easy to dig out new area. It's very HARD to go back and redo something the way it should've been from the start. 3-wide hallways is typically plenty for high-traffic areas.

===Building workshops===
Time to get some work done! Taking in raw materials and spitting out stuff that's useful: that's the name of the game for workshops. You should start putting down workshops as soon as you have raw materials. You'll need to get basic living provisions like [[bed]]s, [[table]]s, [[chair]]s, [[chest]]s, and the like down for not only your first 7 dwarves, but the [[immigrant]]s that could come at any time as soon as possible, so you can't waste any time. 

[[Stone]] will show up from your miners digging. Once you have an area with a decent amount of stone, you should get a [[mason's workshop]] built in the area. Check the [[workshop]] page for full details if you have problems building one. The keyboard command is:
* {{k|b}}uild order
* the {{k|w}}orkshops sub-menu
* {{k|m}}ason's workshop.

Once the workshop has been built by a dwarf with the [[stonecrafting]] [[labor]], you can {{k|q}}uery the workshop to find out what it's current orders are, {{k|a}}dd or {{k|c}}ancel orders, set an existing order to {{k|r}}epeat, order the workshop dismantled, and other tasks.

Add orders for a {{k|d}}oor, a {{k|t}}able, and a {{k|c}}hair. Stone chairs will show up as ''thrones'' in the orders. They are exactly the same. Then set each order to repeat. This workshop will now make [[door]]s, [[table]]s, and [[chair]]s until you tell it to stop. You'll need a lot of these, so that's OK.

Also build a [[carpenter's workshop]] near the wood stockpile you designated earlier, and tell it to make {{k|b}}eds. Put this on {{k|r}}epeat, also. The wood you brought along, even after disassembling your wagon, won't last long. If you brought along a [[woodcutter]], now would be a good time to get him to chop down some trees. Hit {{k|d}}esignations, and then hit chop down {{k|t}}rees. Chopping designations work exactly like mining designations, but it will only highlight trees in the rectangle you give it. Don't worry about chopping a ton of wood right now; trees don't go anywhere fast, so you can always come back for more.

While making workshops anywhere the material happens to be works fine right now, you will want a more organized way of doing it later. Check out the [[Design_strategies#Workshop_Logistics|workshop logistics]] page for ideas on how to set it up. Don't be afraid to tear down workshops; they are built quickly and easily, and tearing them down does absolutely nothing harmful, even returning the materials used in it's construction. Be aware that workshops create [[noise]] when they are in use, which can disturb your dwarves' sleep, so don't build them close to any [[bed]]s.

===Building lodging===
With commodities coming out, it's time to set up places where they can be used. 

Tell your miners to dig out a large (5x5 minimum) room to become your [[barracks]]. The barracks is essentially a communal sleeping room where dwarves without their own apartment can come to crash. It is also the place where your [[military]] will come to [[sparring|spar]] once you start recruiting soldiers. Since your military hangs out in the barracks a lot, it's a good idea to put it near the main entrance of the fortress. If [[thieves]] stumble in, they are likely to meet a very grisly end as they bump into a pair of dwarves in the middle of combat training, and later, in case of a more major attack, they are more likely to be closer to where you need them. Note, however, that sparring dwarves can very seriously [[wound|hurt]] or kill eachother if their sparring area is too crowded, so keep beds stacked along one wall and the rest of the room clear and uncluttered. You do not need too many beds in the barracks right now. Beds in the barracks are public, and dwarves have their own schedules, so the entire fortress will not sleep at once.

After the barracks is dug, tell your dwarves to {{k|b}}uild a {{k|b}}ed. Your cursor will come up, turning red on an unacceptable location and green on an acceptable location. Unacceptable locations will give you a short reason as to why they're unacceptable. Again, just stack beds against one wall of the barracks; 5 beds will be fine to start out with. After indicating the placement of the beds, your dwarves will haul them over and install them. Once they are installed, {{k|q}}uery a bed, then make a {{k|r}}oom. Use the {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} keys to size the room that will be considered the barracks. All beds within the flashing square will be considered public, so there's no need to do this more than once. Fill up the whole 5x5 area ({{k|b}}uild {{k|d}}oors if you need to cordon off the area to make it a nice square) and hit {{k|ENTER}}. You've created your first [[room]]! A room status screen shows up. Be sure to hit {{k|b}} to confirm that it is a barracks. If you don't, the first dwarf that sleeps in this room will claim it as his or her apartment, which isn't what we want. 

The barracks will keep your dwarves from sleeping on the floor, which would make them [[thought|unhappy]]. As the game goes on, though, it is a very good idea to move dwarves into their own apartments. They get much [[thought|happier]] for it, it keeps traffic down, and provides you with some more diabolical options such as locking a troublemaker in his room by {{k|q}}uerying the door and {{k|l}}ocking (forbidding) it. See the [[bedroom design]] page for ideas on how to set up your apartments. 

With bedding handled, we need to set up a [[dining room]], which will double as our [[meeting area]]. Dwarves will eat in their apartment sometimes if you install a table and chair in it, but mostly, dwarves prefer to eat in a public [[dining room|dining hall]] with a table all to themselves. As the [[meeting area]], dwarves will also show up there whenever they have nothing better to do (have 'No Job') to socialize and kill time. It is a pretty high-traffic area, so be sure to use double-doors as the entrance and exit. It should again be fairly large (25 tiles minimum; this could be 5x5, 4x6, whatever suits your fancy). Once it's dug out, {{k|b}}uild {{k|t}}ables along the walls, and then {{k|b}}uild {{k|c}}hairs next to the tables, one per table. Once a table is laid out, {{k|q}}uery the table and make a {{k|r}}oom out of it. Fill up the dining hall area, and hit {{k|ENTER}}. Be sure to hit {{k|p}} to set it as a meeting area, and you're done here.

As with most kinds of furniture, dwarves can walk through tiles containing tables, chairs and beds. The most notable exception to this are [[statue]]s.

===Starting farms===
The basics of life are in place! Now it's just a matter of getting the farms in place to make sure life goes on. 

[[Farming]] is the most reliable source of food in the game, and the only way to be sure you're going to feed a large population. The catch is, we can only farm on [[mud]] or [[soil]]. Mud is only created through [[irrigation]], which is complicated and more trouble than it's worth if you have access to any serious quantity of [[soil]]. Avoid using [[irrigation]] if you can. The logistics of controlling enough water to make arable land on stone are extremely annoying.

On [[soil]], however, farming couldn't be easier. Simply mine out an area of soil, then {{k|b}}uild a farm {{k|p}}lot. Use {{k|u}}, {{k|m}}, {{k|k}}, and {{k|j}} to resize your plot to the size you want; 3x3 should be plenty to start out, and you will max out at roughly 30 to 40 total squares being used for food and booze production to support a full fortress. This changes some depending on the skill of your [[grower]]s, but it's a fair guideline. Eventually, you will want to be planting many, many different kinds of crops. [[Dimple cups]] are great later on, because they produce [[dimple dye]], which can be used to increase the value of the clothing your fortress produces. [[Cave wheat]] can be used to provide fodder for luxury prepared meals, and to make more brewing fodder. As your fortress grows and you need more and more luxuries to keep everyone happy, diversifying can only help you.

On a note about [[irrigation]] before wrapping this section up, mud behaves almost identically to soil. All below-ground crops can be grown equally well on either, and you build and place the plots exactly the same. There are a few differences, though. Mud can be [[Farming#Increasing_yield|fertilized]] with [[potash]], while dry soil cannot. Some above-ground crops can only be grown in mud, while others can only be planted in dry soil. Check the [[crops]] page for more details. Irrigation is a very advanced technique that provides only marginal benefits. Some "unlivable" areas can be turned around with skillful irrigation and fertilizer, but by and large they're not necessary. Just use soil whenever you can.

=== Trade ===

Now that you've given your dwarves a place to sleep and avoided the possibility of starvation, you can start thinking about the finer things in life.

First, we'll take care of a few organizational considerations, to make trading easier. Our carpenter will take care of this, since he's done making beds. Order up 2 or 3 [[bucket]]s. Buckets are used to carry water to injured, bedridden dwarves from water source [[zone]]s and are one of the requirements to building a [[well]]. Then, get to work stamping out some [[bin]]s. Bins are used to store a lot of non-perishable items in the same square; they work much the same as [[barrel]]s, but barrels are used on perishables like food and booze. You'll need a LOT of bins, but for the moment 5 or so will do. You will also need to make a lot of barrels, but since you brought a number of them with you, you can hold off a bit. Both of these can be made from [[metal]] as well, but producing them from wood is far more economical.

Since you have all this stone lying around, let's put it to use. Build a [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]], assign one of your dwarves to [[stonecrafting]]. Order this [[workshop]] to build rock {{k|c}}rafts of all sorts {{k|r}}epeatedly.

Now that you've got some goods to [[trade]], we'll need to {{k|b}}uild a trade {{k|d}}epot. Build this somewhere easily accessible from all edges of the map, but close to (or inside) your entrance. [[Trade depot]]s require [[architecture]] and a [[mason]], assuming you make it out of your copious quantities of stone. Many times you will not have an [[building designer]] on embark, so you will have to assign one to get the [[architecture]] phase of the depot done.

In the long term, you'll want your trade depot to be in a defensible spot. As it is 5x5 squares, and requires a 3-square wide path for the caravans to get in and out of it, you'll eventually want to spend some time thinking about its [[defense]]. Once the depot has been completed, you can check for depot access using the {{k|shift}}-{{k|D}} key.

The first caravan will come in your first autumn: the dwarven caravan from the mountainhome. When it comes, the game will pause, you'll be alerted, and the screen will center on the [[caravan]]. If you do not have a depot, or they can't get to it, they will wait on the edge of the map for you to build a depot they can get to, or to clear the obstructions. The two most common obstructions are [[tree]]s and [[boulder]]s. Trees can be chopped down, and boulders can be eliminated by {{k|d}}esignating them to be {{k|s}}moothed. This uses the [[stone detailing]] labor, so turn it on if you need.

After the caravan is on its way, you'll need to fill the depot with things to trade, and get a trader there to broker the negotiations. Hit {{k|q}}uery over the depot and press {{k|g}} to start moving supplies. Use the arrow keys to navigate the trade goods window. If you've been making stone crafts, you'll want the ''crafts'' heading to make the game filter out the bins you've been filling. Otherwise, you'll have to sift through every stone you've created while digging the fortress, which is a huge pain. Press {{k|ENTER}} on the bins to mark them for trading, and some dwarves will come along to haul the bins to the depot. Once that's take care of, {{k|q}}uery the depot and {{k|r}}equest a trader there. By default, only the broker will trade at the depot. This is generally what you want, since brokers with better [[appraisal]] skills can see the worth of all the commodities and tend to get away with giving the caravan boss a lower profit margin on the trade. Trading at the depot is a low-priority job, though, so you may have to turn off your broker's other labors temporarily to get him to respond to the request in a timely manner. Once your broker is at the depot, {{k|q}}uery the depot and start {{k|t}}rading.

On the screen that comes up, the left side shows the trader's goods, while the right side shows your own. Use the arrow keys to navigate and {{k|ENTER}} to mark something for trading. If your trader does not have at least Novice Appraiser in his skill set, you will not be able to see the values of everything, so you'll have to guess. The caravan boss will refuse to sell at a loss, and if you're close to making a deal, he'll give you a counteroffer that he'd accept. Being able to see the values of things is really helpful, but don't worry if you can't. It usually only takes one or two successful trades before your broker will hit Novice Appraiser and all will become known to you. One fun note is that raw materials cost the same from merchants as they do at the embark screen; so you already know that [[plump helmets]] are 4☼, most meat is 2☼, wooden logs are 3☼, and so on. It's difficult to know the value of your crafts, and some things must be bought as a package deal (you cannot buy seeds alone, you must also buy the bag they come in), though, so it can still be hard to trade without Appraiser.

On your first year, you're probably pretty light on things to trade with, so start small. Wood [[log]]s are very useful and cheap. Extra food can be useful if your farms are lagging behind. Maybe a barrel or two. Sell what goods you have and don't fret about it any longer.

Next year, after you get some immigrants you can think about exploring other kinds of industry as well, like the [[furniture industry]], [[meat industry]], or [[clothing industry]], but this is a great place to start.

The last element to trading is the [[liason]]. The dwarven liason will want to meet with your [[expedition leader]] to work out your requests for next year, and let you know what their requests are. By making a request of the caravan, you are essentially promising to pay more (up to double the normal price) for various things, which entices the traders to bring more of those things. Wood logs are always a great thing to request. Even at double the normal price, they're still very cheap, and merchants bring a lot of them. It's not unusual to get 50 logs from a single caravan. It saves you a massive amount of time and effort. [[Barrel]]s and [[bag]]s are also good to request, as are [[dog]]s. You can also request [[seed]]s to get your more diverse crops started. Look around, explore, and experiment. That's half the fun of the game.

The liason will also tell you what they want from you, with the same deal: they'll pay more for it if you build it. Unfortunately, they usually want stupid things that don't trade well (such as stone [[block]]s) or things you'd rather keep to yourself (such as [[booze]]). Many players simply ignore their liason's requests and build the same things they always build. Diplomatic relations will not suffer at all.

Your expedition leader must actually pick up the job ''conduct meeting'' to get this process done, and it ends up being a very low-priority job, so again, you may consider turning off your leader's other labors to make sure he gets to it. If you really want to force the liason to take the meeting, move him to the meeting spot by enlisting him in the [[Military]] and [[Military#Controlling your squads | stationing]] him at the meeting spot. Then [[Door#Door Settings | forbid the door]] behind him and the liason, locking them in until the meeting is completed (when the Liason says "Goodbye" in a message).

=== The future ===

After this point, you'll be able to start exploring the other intricacies of the game. Here is a list of some other gameplay commands which have not been covered:

* [[labor]]
* [[noble]]s
* [[military]]

==Sample games==
These are sample games that others have played and recorded to provide good learning examples. They are not routinely updated, so some information may be out of date, but they still provide good hands-on tutorials of how to prepare for your fortress and play the game.

[[Indecisive's illustrated fortress mode tutorial]] 
[[Savok's first fortress playthrough]] 
[[ThunderClaw's 0.28.181.40d graphical tileset playthrough]]
[[Category:Guides]]

{{Starting FAQ}}