Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

User talk:Pepeshka

2008-04-03T13:35:59Z

Kristleifur: /* Geneva */

==Geneva==
Hi. The Geneva Convention challenge build is a beautiful idea.
:[[User:Kristleifur|Kristleifur]] 09:35, 3 April 2008 (EDT)

User talk:Pepeshka

2008-04-03T13:35:19Z

Kristleifur:

==Geneva==
Hi. The Geneva Convention challenge build is a beautiful idea.

User talk:Pepeshka

2008-04-03T13:34:29Z

Kristleifur: Geneva thanks

=Geneva
Hi. The Geneva Convention challenge build is a beautiful idea.

40d:Starting builds

2008-02-20T17:56:05Z

Kristleifur: /* Which do I need, really? */ Listified the "Most builds recommend:" list (line breaks + bullets)

'''Starting builds''' are different strategies that you can choose when starting a new game in [[fortress mode]]. The skills and items which you assign to your dwarves will have a large impact on life in your new fortress, especially in its first year.

This page gives advice on some of the many gameplay elements which influence the flow of your game based on your goals. These include: choosing a ''fortress site'', the ''starting build'' itself - defined by who and what to take with you - as well as ''challenge builds'' aimed at providing new or unusual challenges to advanced players.

* Your First Fortress?
Note: If you are a new player looking for a solid basis to survive the first couple of months or years, check out [[Your_first_fortress|this guide]]. It includes a basic starting build similar to the one discussed below.

== Components of a Starting Build ==

=== Skills ===

Each dwarf can learn any of a large number of [[skills]].

* Dwarves with little experience in a skill will work slowly and ineffectively.

* Inexperienced [[farming|farmers]] and [[herbalist|herbalists], for example, will harvest stacks of only one or two items or even nothing, waisting the seed/shrub. This results in a small overall harvest which takes many [[container#container|containers]] to store in, less effective food preparation in the kitchen, and more space needed for [[stockpiles]].

* Inexperienced [[Miner|miners]] work very slowly. Mining can be levelled up quite quickly by mining [[soil#soil|soil]], but taking two dwarves with at least some points in mining is recommended in many cases.

* Dwarves improve their skills on a learning-by-doing-basis. Dwarves who have specific labors enabled will, after a while, progress to Dabbling users of their skill, and continue to learn from performing that labor.

* Inexperienced dwarves who create items in nearly all [[workshops#workshops|workshops]] will create low [[quality#quality|quality]] goods, and take a long time doing so. Skilled dwarves work quickly and produce high-quality items.

* [[Quality]] is a central concept in the game - it affects [[food]] and [[alcohol]], almost anything you will have your dwarves create in the game: [[trading]] goods, [[barrel|barrels]], [[clothing]], [[armor]], [[furniture]], [[weapons]], and so on. Quality also very much affects the worth of an item while [[trading]].

Overall, 'Levelling up' the dwarves' skills quickly is a good game goal to set. Doing so [[losing|may]] result in your dwarves efficiently creating a magnificent fortress filled to the brim with valuable items and furniture.

Using and seeing high-quality items gives dwarves happy [[thoughts]]. This tends to increase a fortress' [[tantrum|longevity]].

=== Which do I need, really? ===

Most builds recommend:

* 2 miners
* 2 farmers
* mason
* mechanic
* carpenter
* woodcutter
* brewer
* cook
* herbalist
* plus some extra skills - to create trade goods, or build up a dwarven glass or steel industry.

==== Combining Skills ====
Some [[skills]] are highly time-consuming, and working at different jobs levels up specific [[attribute]]s. One could level up a miner until hes becomes mighty and ultra-tough - and then turn him into a soldier. If you plan on doing so, it may not be a good idea to give this guy another critical job such as Trader and Record Keeper, but maybe military skills depending on how soon you intend to have [[soldier]]s.

Since tasks will take place in specific areas, it makes sense to combine tasks into dwarves who will take care of a specific industry - so Combine (indoor) farming with cooking (not mining), for example.

Most builds recommend combinations such as:

* Woodcutter/Carpenter. Add Axedwarf for added security.
* Mason. Apparently, in most many fortresses, the Mason is a very busy man indeed. Recommendations include 'spare miner', 'rarely needed skills' or skills which are not very time-consuming.
* Farmer/Cook, Farmer/Brewer. Basic two-person food team.
* Farmer/Herbalist, Farmer/Brewer/Cook. One bold dwarf to farm and venture outside looking for wild plants, the other to keep busy in the still, kitchen, and indoor farms.
* Noble/Boss: Novice [[Judge of intent]]/Novice [[Appraiser]]/Novice [[Organizer]]/Novice [[Record keeper]]. Combine this with a single time-intensive task such as Masonry or Mining, and optionally turn off all hauling tasks right at the start of the game. This results in an all-around Boss and Trader (who can usually be coerced into going to the trade depot and hold meetings just by turning the main profession off).
* Craftsdwarf, depending on your strategy - e.g. [[glass]] maker, weapon smith or armor smith, sometimes combined with related tasks from that industry (furnace operating, wood burning). Typically an item hauler in the initial months of your fortress, this dwarf may become one of your most valuable dwarves later.
* Miner / Hammerdwarf. Mining makes dwarves strong and tough, and the [[Hammerdwarf]] skill is used for fighting with the Pick.

=== Items ===

Some basics are recommended for all builds. You definitely need to bring one [[pick]] for each [[miner]], some [[food]], and some [[alcohol]]. Everything else depends on your strategy and on how tough or leisurely a challenge you want the game to be.

Note: Many builds recommend that you bring many different cheap foods, with quantities ending in a "1" or a "6". This is to maximize the number of [[barrels]] you start with, since most foodstuffs fit five to a barrel. More barrels will let you build a larger stockpile for your first winter and conserves the [[wood]] you harvest in the early game for beds and other necessities.

== Fortress Sites ==
Each fortress site offers particular challenges and opportunities. The starting builds below can and should be adjusted depending on the specific vision you have of your fortress ... and what it will take to stay [[losing|alive]] where you're going!

=== Mountains ===
Most dwarven fortresses are founded along the edges of mountain ranges on sites that combine abundant ore and access to the outside world. Magma and rare metals lure settlers here, but [[goblins]], [[chasm]] dwellers, and even [[giant eagle]]s are potent threats.

Trees and plants do not grow at high elevations, so you'll want to include non-mountainous areas to obtain lumber and food - or, failing this, to pack a lot of extra food and logs.

Other consideration is elevation range. The game allows access up to 15 levels above the highest peak and 15 levels below the deepest valley, so steeper slopes means much more diggable area. The downside is lag; more levels also means more CPU burden (this can cripple a fortress - be careful).

Be sure to include a stream on the map; running water is (almost) essential for any fortress. In Cold and Freezing climates streams and lakes will often be frozen year-round and your dwarves may quickly die of exposure. Choose Temperate or tropical zones for an easier game.

=== Wooded Plains (with trees and plants) ===
Flatlands with at least some trees and gatherable plants can also make for highly successful fortresses.

Advantages over mountain zones include abundant trees and plants, guaranteed agriculture both on the surface and underground, fewer hostile fortresses and caves, and (unless frozen) more abundant water. There are even (rare) magma vents.

The greatest disadvantage is a lack of rock to mine. Fewer elevations means fewer exploitable z-levels. The first few levels below the surface are almost always soil, peat, loam, clay, or sand, none of which offers much (or any) gems, ore, or building material. An [[aquifer]], if present, may bar all access to stone until you freeze, pump out, or find a way through the water.

=== Desert, Glaciers, and Barren (few or no trees and plants) ===
Treeless (or near-treeless) biomes are challenging sites for a fortress: you get most of the disadvantages of a flatland site without having access to nearly as many trees and plants. However, near-lifeless zones such as glaciers are wonderful for those with slower machines, as there's little to burden the CPU but your dwarves and livestock. Deserts and barren areas often have sand; with a sufficient source of energy (preferably magma), you can build almost anything out of unlimited glass.

=== Ocean Side ===
An interesting combination of a few of the above locations, beaches are often a mix of ease intermingled with bouts of extreme difficulty. Minerals and trees are often abundant, as well as farmland and sand, but there is often no drinking water unless the biome has a river.
There is also a likelihood that the settlement will fall between two biomes, potentially hazardous if the player expects a peaceful oceanside meadow, without realizing the ocean is full of amphibious zombie whales.

== Basic Build ==

The first order of business is simply to survive. Here is a simple, somewhat paranoid, way to do this.

==== Dwarves & skills ====
On most (but not all) sites, you'll want to get food, brew drink, mine, make wood and stone items, and trade. Whatever additional skills you purchase, be sure to cover these. If you need more points to buy skills (and it's a good idea to buy lots of skills), remove a battle axe.

* 2 miners
* 1 mason/mechanic
* 1 carpenter/woodcutter
* 1 grower/brewer/cook. He's responsible for making prepared meals and drinks.
* either a herbalist/grower, or a fisherdwarf, or a hunter. The first gets you lots of brewable plants on maps with plants, the second gets you food and bones on maps with water (in maps with dangerous fish such as [[carp]] fishing is suicidal so be careful), and the third gets you meat and bones on maps with animals. Herbalism is usually the safest of the three.
* 1 spare dwarf. You might make him the leader and broker; if so, give him at least novice [[appraiser]] skill so you know what stuff is worth. You might make him responsible for making trade goods, or turn him into your first soldier, or you might just give him some skills you want to experiment with.

==== Items ====
You want picks, food, and drink. Everything else is optional. The suggestions below assume you spent the maximum possible on skills. We'll pack lots just to be safe.

* 2 [[pick]]s - 1 per miner
* 1 [[battle axe]] - so you can chop wood
* 1 [[Anvil]] - so you can make weapons, trade crafts, and such
* 20 units of drink: [[dwarven ale]], [[dwarven beer]], and [[dwarven rum]] are all good. [[dwarven wine]] you'll get through brewing.
* 30 [[plump helmets]] - They're good to eat and produce 5 units of booze for each one brewed at a [[still]].
* 5 turtles - they get you bones and shells
* 20 [[plump helmet spawn]] - for planting.
* 2 dogs - to guard against thieves and help kill intruders.
* (optional) other kinds of seeds and rock nuts
* (optional) 1 of many different kinds of meats for extra barrels
* (optional) some cheap (5 point) leather to make quivers and bags and such

If the map is treeless, remove the battle axe and spend the freed points on more plump helmets and logs (you're going to run out however many you bring...).

If you're willing to wait a year or two to do any metalworking and you're sure traders will come, remove the anvil and spend the freed points on such things as skills, food and drink, wood, leather, raw materials, or weapons.

=== '''Rapid Expansion''' ===
A plan for quick growth followed up by heavy immigration works well both as an early game strategy and as an assist for a late game foundation. Starting off with the anvil is also much less troublesome if you drop both battleaxes and make your own picks too. Don't worry though, you'll be digging out cavernous villas in no time, and cheaply too, with this build. Food and stone will be in abundance and you'll have excellent worker time utilization. And due to the early metalworking and distributed skills your dwarves have, soon you'll have powerful steel-armored warrior workers that'll form the bedrock of a city guard.

Always build a wood burning furnace, Smelter and Metalsmith shop first, and take apart that wagon for extra logs. Either burn those logs into charcoal, or smelt coal into fuel, and then make your tools.

==== Dwarves & skills ====
By dropping both picks and axes you'll be able to afford a lot of useful skills, and you'll be able to get a metalsmithing shop running within the first seconds of your game, so no precious time is lost. Your Dwarves are divided largely into two groups, your laborers (Butcher, Baker and candle--er, Brewer) and your craftsdwarves. Essentially a Blue collar/White collar divide to set up a nice class war later. Also, by having such wide assortments of skills, your dwarves will get lots of attribute bonuses and become extremely capable fighters by the time you need to worry about that.

Laborers are given mining and growing skills with some extra to cover food production. The Ranger is the oddball, but will spend his early days gathering plants and hauling items, so fits here. Your first order of business with them is to dig that top later out quickly and get some farms started and fully stocked. Then, as they grow, you can go back to digging out the rest of the base.

* The Baker: +5 Mining, +2 Growing, +3 Cooking.
* The Brewer: +5 Mining, +2 Growing, +3 Brewing.
* The Butcher: +5 Mining, +2 Growing, +1 Butchering, +1 Tanning, +1 Leatherworking. Make some bags for sand and the Quarry Bushes and a butcher's shop before the Ranger starts his hunts.

* The Ranger: +3 Woodcutter, +3 Carpenter, +1 Herbalist, +1 Ambusher, +2 Axedwarf. Be sure to assign a war dog or two to this guy, since he's the only one who needs to go outside. Once he gets an axe, he'll also be a competent fighter and hunter and will start with armor due to +1 ambusher.

Craftsdwarves focus on running shops, building trade goods, and making the outpost as profitable as possible in the first year, to attract additional immigrants that can be thrown into the mines or toil in the mushroom fields. They should have very broad skill bases, but the actual choice of leader is up to you.

* The Smithy: +1 Weaponsmith, Armorsmith, Metalsmith, Furnace Operator, Wood Burner, Stone Crafting, Bone Carving. This guy will cover all of your rarely needed creation skills, and make your picks and axes. After this he usually ends up making scads of stone crafts for sale. Glassworking, gem cutting, and potash making are good as well, and even with novice in all areas you'll build fast enough for these rare items.
* The Foreman: +3 Building Design, +3 Mechanic, +1 Judge of Intent, Appraiser, Organizer, Record Keeper. Building design and mechanical work is extremely quick work, so instead give him nobleman skills to spend the rest of his work hours on. These are extremely useful in the long-term.
* The Freemason: +5 Masonry. It seems a bit silly to give him just one primary skill, but Masons are usually working 24 hours a day on all variety of stone doors, chairs and tables.

There's a variation if you want a more 'compact' design of those last two:

* The Construction Worker: +5 Masonry, +3 Mechanic, +2 Building Design.
* The Lazy Boss: +3 Fishing, +3 Fish Cleaning, +1 Judge of Intent, Appraiser, Organizer, Record Keeper.

This is not as useful or safe, as Fishing is a time-intensive skill, so it takes him away from his record keeping job for extended periods and a Carp might kill him. It also forces your Mason to get behind on Queues every time someone needs a trap build or a workshop set up. Halting book-keeping doesn't slow down any production, so the original stat-spread can work out better.

==== Items ====
The only thing you need is your anvil, a few stones and bars of metal, everything else is optional. A point of contention is the Iron Axe you'll be making, as some may prefer it to be steel. Steel Bars cost 150, which is three times the cost of iron, and only provide a small damage bonus and no chopping speed bonus. If you start in an area with [[Limestone]] or [[Chalk]] you'll soon be able to smelt Steel with your functioning metalsmith shop anyway. If you're on a map without trees, well, I suppose you don't need the axe at all. But in that case you'd be better off taking the picks, dropping the anvil, and buying a few hundred logs.

* 1 [[Anvil]] - this is what makes it all possible, and helps you get started faster.
* 3 [[Copper|Copper bars]] - these cost 10 each, and will be your picks. Three for the price of one, literally.
* 1 [[Iron|Iron bar]] - this costs 50, and will be your axe. The 40 extra is worth it for the damage increase you get over copper or bronze.
* 2 [[Bituminous coal]] or [[Log]]s - you can smelt two coal into 4 fuel for the cost of 2 logs. Inexpensive at 3 each, one can afford to bring more.
* 4 cheap stone - any sort works, such as inexpensive [[granite]]. You'll use these to make your first three buildings.

That's what you need to get started, but this is a guide for the items on your list. This build does not require or recommend bringing plump helmets due to their cost. Instead, encourage your dwarves to eat the turtles and meat out of the barrels and cook wine biscuits. Your farms will be running amazingly quickly anyway, and for half the cost of a single helmet you can make feed several dwarves on baked beer. You'll get enough seeds from brewing the [[plump helmets]] soon enough.

* 26 of [[Dwarven wine|Wine]], [[Dwarven rum|Rum]], [[Dwarven beer|Beer]] and [[Dwarven ale|Ale]]
* 36 of [[rock nut]]s, [[Plump helmet spawn]] and [[Pig tail]] [[seeds]]
* 11 [[turtle]]s - these hilarious little dudes are way better than the meat you usually set out with, what with all the bones they leave. I use these as 'before farming' rations and build up a good supply of bone bolts. Shells are also valuable to have around.
* 1 of each other 2 cost meat, for extra empty barrels. Barrels cost 10, so getting any food below that can save you money.
* 2 [[Dogs]] - preferably war dogs or hunting dogs. Assign these to your Ranger. Bring a pair so you can make more dogs.
* 1 [[Horse]] - they're relatively inexpensive and will help you begin breeding horses faster, as you are nearly always getting a horse with your wagon. Livestock are a valuable commodity for meat and bones, and you want as many of these as possible 'emergency rations' on hand.
* 4 [[Leather]] - you need leather bags to process [[quarry bush]]es and to gather sand for glass. Four will be enough, and you can get it for only 20.

If you do it exactly as written, you will end up with a few points left over. Grab some extra food or upgrade one of your copper bars to an actual copper pick, if you want a faster start. These foodstuffs will last a very long time if managed properly, so get your farms going and start preparing for next year now.

=== Metalbashing/Glassworking ===
Heavy metalbashing and glassworking requires a site with 1) abundant fuel and 2) raw materials. Magma is ideal but large coal seams or a forest will also suffice. A site with either limestone or chalk means nearly unlimited steel. Any site with "sand" (not "loamy sand" or the like) will permit glassworking. Failing these, any place with lots of rock, trees, and preferably sand will work fine. Your biggest choice when setting up is whether to optimize for a fast start or long-term success.

==== Dwarves & Skills ====
Unless you're trying a low-skills challenge, each dwarf should get the maximum possible number (currently 10) of skill boosts; remove a battle axe to free up needed points. Individual preferences can be mighty handy; if you have a dwarf who likes steel, clear glass, crossbows, siege engine parts, or something else equally interesting, he's an ideal candidate for matching skills.

* A Carpenter/Leader: Points into Carpenter, Wood Cutter, and a bunch of nobles' skills, including at least novice Negotiator and Appraiser. This dwarf should have good inter-personal thoughts/preferences.
* A Mason/Mechanic: Points into Mason, Building Designer, and Mechanic. Adding more points to Mason gets construction materials and furniture faster. More points to Mechanic allows faster trap-setting. Adding Appraiser and/or Negotiator skills gives you a back-up leader or broker. A boost to Wrestling gets you better on-call defense.
* A Farmer/Herbalist (assumes the site has at least some plants): This dwarf will gather the plant material you need to brew drinks. Points into Grower and Herbalist. Leftover skill raises should be invested in a valuable, hard to raise trade skill such as [[Blacksmith]], [[Metal_crafter|Metal Crafter]], or perhaps [[Glassmaker]] or [[Clothier]].
* A Farmer/Brewer/Cook: This dwarf is responsible for keeping your community fed and liquored up. Points into Grower, Brewer, and (optionally) Cook. Leftover skill raises should be invested as for the Farmer/Herbalist.
* A Craftsdwarf: Points into whatever hard-to-raise skills you most want. [[Armorsmith]], [[Weaponsmith]], [[Bowyer]], [[Glassmaker]], and even [[Siege_engineer|Siege Engineer]], [[Clothier]], or [[Gem_setter|Gem Setter]] can all be good choices depending on your setup. If you plan to bash metal, remember to spend a few points on Furnace Operator and (if needed) Wood Burning.
* 2 Miners/Soldiers: Points into both mining and military skills. The miners first get legendary and then become extremely powerful fighters. Remember that it's much easier to increase Mining skill than most of the military skills (especially Armor User), but also that you'll want capable miners immediately.

With this setup, you have several ways to make the trade goods you'll need to buy what you lack. Metal goblets, stone mugs, handwear, footwear, mechanisms, bone or wood crossbows, prepared meals, or bone and shell crafts are all solid choices.

Food and drink for the first few seasons are assured by first cooking all the meat to free up barrels, then brewing your plump helmets (and any gathered plants) to make booze.

==== Items (all starts) ====
* 2 [[pick]]s
* 6 or 11 of each of [[dwarven ale]], [[dwarven beer]], and [[dwarven rum]]. With abundant brewable plants and lots of wood you don't actually need any starting booze, but it's nice to have a backup.
* at least 11 [[plump helmet]]s. Bring a lot more if you anticipate problems with gathering brewable plants.
* at least 6 [[turtle]]s. Not only are they good eating, they ensure you have the [[shell]]s and [[bone]]s needed to satisfy [[strange mood]]s.
* 1 of every kind of meat that costs 2 or 4, as each type of meat will be packed in its own free barrel and cooking the meat will release that barrel for use. If you don't like this feature, bring more turtles or plump helmets instead.
* Unless the map is glacial, or you intend only outdoor agriculture, bring plenty of seeds as well. A minimum of 15 plump helmet spawn are essential for a quick start to underground agriculture; rock nuts, sweet pod seeds, pig tail seeds, and cave wheat seeds will diversify your meals and drinks and let you set up for clothes-making. Seeds are packed in bags.
* (optional) some cheap (5 point) leather to make quivers and bags and such

===== Items (fast start) =====
* 1 [[Anvil]]
* no [[battle axe]] - you'll save points by making it yourself.
* only a few logs (just enough to get started with), unless the map has no trees

See [[Make Your Own Weapons]] for more details on what to bring and how to make the battle axes you need to chop wood.

===== Items (moderate start) =====
Warning: Going without an anvil will slow you down until you get one in trade (which normally takes about 6 or 7 seasons) and might even cost you a failed [[strange mood]].
* no [[Anvil]]
* 1 [[battle axe]] (at present, steel is the only option)
* few or no logs, unless the map has no trees
* with the points you save by not bringing an anvil, buy logs, bars of base metals you expect your site to lack, and (if needed) coal (for fuel and coke) and/or dolomite (for flux).

===== Items (slow start) =====
* no [[Anvil]]
* no [[battle axe]]s
* lots of logs - at least 25 on a heavily forested map. You can survive without them, but it's a lot cheaper to buy logs to make barrels than to bring more drink.

=== Free Equipment ===

Dwarves who start with the ambusher skill get some leather armor, a crossbow and some bolts for free.

=== Challenge Builds ===
If you want a challenge try some [[Challenge_Builds]].

{{Starting FAQ}}

40d:Starting builds

2008-02-11T22:08:25Z

Kristleifur: /* Dwarves & skills */ - comma oops

'''Starting builds''' are different strategies that you can choose when starting a new game in [[fortress mode]]. This page gives advice on the different gameplay elements that vary the flow of your game based on your goals. These include; choosing a ''fortress site'', possible ''starting builds''- such as who and what to take with you, and ''challenge builds''- starting builds aimed at providing new challenges that you can set for yourself if you're finding the game too easy.

== Fortress Site ==
Each fortress site offers particular challenges and opportunities; the starting builds below should be adjusted depending on what sort of fortress you envision ... and what it will take to stay alive where you're going!

=== Mountains ===
Most dwarven fortresses are founded along the edges of mountain ranges on sites that combine abundant ore and access to the outside world. Magma and rare metals lure settlers here, but [[goblins]], [[chasm]] dwellers, and even [[giant eagle]]s are potent threats.

Trees and plants do not grow at high elevations, so you'll want to include non-mountainous areas to obtain lumber and food - or, failing this, to pack a lot of extra food and logs.

Other consideration is elevation range. The game allows access up to 15 levels above the highest peak and 15 levels below the deepest valley, so steeper slopes means much more diggable area. The downside is lag; more levels also means more CPU burden (this can cripple a fortress - be careful).

Be sure to include a stream on the map; running water is (almost) essential for any fortress. In Cold and Freezing climates streams and lakes will often be frozen year-round and your dwarves may quickly die of exposure. Choose Temperate or tropical zones for an easier game.

=== Wooded Plains (with trees and plants) ===
Flatlands with at least some trees and gatherable plants can also make for highly successful fortresses.

Advantages over mountain zones include abundant trees and plants, guaranteed agriculture both on the surface and underground, fewer hostile fortresses and caves, and (unless frozen) more abundant water. There are even (rare) magma vents.

The greatest disadvantage is lack of rock to mine. Fewer elevations means fewer exploitable z-levels. The first few levels below the surface are almost always soil, peat, loam, clay, or sand, none of which offers much (or any) gems, ore, or building material. An [[aquifer]], if present, may bar all access to stone until you freeze, pump out, or find a way through the water.

=== Desert, Glaciers, and Barren (few or no trees and plants) ===
Treeless (or near-treeless) biomes are challenging sites for a fortress: you get most of the disadvantages of a flatland site without having access to nearly as many trees and plants. However, near-lifeless zones such as glaciers are wonderful for those with slower machines, as there's little to burden the CPU but your dwarves and livestock. Deserts and barren areas often have sand; with a sufficient source of energy (preferably magma), you can build almost anything out of unlimited glass.

=== Ocean Side ===
An interesting combination of a few of the above locations, beaches are often a mix of ease intermingled with bouts of extreme difficulty. Minerals and trees are often abundant, as well as farmland and sand, but there is often no drinking water unless the biome has a river.
There is also a likelihood that the settlement will fall between two biomes, potentially hazardous if the player expects a peaceful oceanside meadow, without realizing the ocean is full of amphibious zombie whales.

== Starting Builds ==
Many of the quantities suggested end in a "1" or a "6"; this is to maximize the number of [[barrels]] you start with, since most foodstuffs fit five to a barrel. More barrels will let you build a larger stockpile for your first winter and conserves the [[wood]] you harvest in the early game for beds and other necessities.

=== Basic ===
The first order of business is simply to survive. Here is a simple, somewhat paranoid, way to do this.

==== Dwarves & skills ====
On most (but not all) sites, you'll want to get food, brew drink, mine, make wood and stone items, and trade. Whatever additional skills you purchase, be sure to cover these. If you need more points to buy skills (and it's a good idea to buy lots of skills), remove a battle axe.

* 2 miners
* 1 mason/mechanic
* 1 carpenter/woodcutter
* 1 grower/brewer/cook. He's responsible for making prepared meals and drinks.
* either a herbalist/grower, or a fisherdwarf, or a hunter. The first gets you lots of brewable plants on maps with plants, the second gets you food and bones on maps with water (in maps with dangerous fish such as [[carp]] fishing is suicidal so be carefull), and the third gets you meat and bones on maps with animals. Herbalism is usually the safest of the three.
* 1 spare dwarf. You might make him the leader and broker; if so, give him at least novice [[appraiser]] skill so you know what stuff is worth. You might make him responsible for making trade goods, or turn him into your first soldier, or you might just give him some skills you want to experiment with.

==== Items ====
You want picks, food, and drink. Everything else is optional. The suggestions below assume you spent the maximum possible on skills. We'll pack lots just to be safe.

* 2 [[pick]]s - 1 per miner
* 1 [[battle axe]] - so you can chop wood
* 1 [[Anvil]] - so you can make weapons, trade crafts, and such
* 20 units of drink: [[dwarven ale]], [[dwarven beer]], and [[dwarven rum]] are all good. [[dwarven wine]] you'll get through brewing.
* 30 [[plump helmets]] - They're good to eat and produce 5 units of booze for each one brewed at a [[still]].
* 5 turtles - they get you bones and shells
* 20 [[plump helmet spawn]] - for planting.
* 2 dogs - to guard against thieves and help kill intruders.
* (optional) other kinds of seeds and rock nuts
* (optional) 1 of many different kinds of meats for extra barrels
* (optional) some cheap (5 point) leather to make quivers and bags and such

If the map is treeless, remove the battle axe and spend the freed points on more plump helmets and logs (you're going to run out however many you bring...).

If you're willing to wait a year or two to do any metalworking and you're sure traders will come, remove the anvil and spend the freed points on such things as skills, food and drink, wood, leather, raw materials, or weapons.

=== '''Rapid Expansion''' ===
A plan for quick growth followed up by heavy immigration works well both as an early game strategy and as an assist for a late game foundation. Starting off with the anvil is also much less troublesome if you drop both battleaxes and make your own picks too. Don't worry though, you'll be digging out cavernous villas in no time, and cheaply too, with this build. Food and stone will be in abundance and you'll have excellent worker time utilization. And due to the early metalworking and distributed skills your dwarves have, soon you'll have powerful steel-armored warrior workers that'll form the bedrock of a city guard.

Always build a Woodburning furnace, Smelter and Metalsmith shop first, and take apart that wagon for extra logs. Either burn those logs into charcoal, or smelt coal into fuel, and then make your tools.

==== Dwarves & skills ====
By dropping both picks and axes you'll be able to afford a lot of useful skills, and you'll be able to get a metalsmithing shop running within the first seconds of your game, so no precious time is lost. Your Dwarves are divided largely into two groups, your laborers (Butcher, Baker and candle--er, Brewer) and your craftsdwarves. Essentially a Bluecollar/Whitecollar divide to set up a nice class war later. Also, by having such wide assortments of skills, your dwarves will get lots of attribute bonuses and become extremely capable fighters by the time you need to worry about that.

Laborers are given mining and growing skills with some extra to cover food production. The Ranger is the oddball, but will spend his early days gathering plants and hauling items, so fits here. Your first order of business with them is to dig that top later out quickly and get some farms started and fully stocked. Then, as they grow, you can go back to digging out the rest of the base.

* The Baker: +5 Mining, +2 Growing, +3 Cooking.
* The Brewer: +5 Mining, +2 Growing, +3 Brewing.
* The Butcher: +5 Mining, +2 Growing, +1 Butchering, +1 Tanning, +1 Leatherworking. Make some bags for sand and the Quarry Bushes and a butcher's shop before the Ranger starts his hunts.

* The Ranger: +3 Woodcutter, +3 Carpenter, +1 Herbalist, +1 Ambusher, +2 Axedwarf. Be sure to assign a war dog or two to this guy, since he's the only one who needs to go outside. Once he gets an axe, he'll also be a competent fighter and hunter and will start with armor due to +1 ambusher.

Craftsdwarves focus on running shops, building trade goods, and making the outpost as profitable as possible in the first year, to attract additional immigrants that can be thrown into the mines or toil in the mushroom fields. They should have very broad skill bases, but the actual choice of leader is up to you.

* The Smithy: +1 Weaponsmith, Armorsmith, Metalsmith, Furnace Operator, Wood Burner, Stone Crafting, Bone Carving. This guy will cover all of your rarely needed creation skills, and make your picks and axes. After this he usually ends up making scads of stone crafts for sale. Glassworking, gem cutting, and potash making are good as well, and even with novice in all areas you'll build fast enough for these rare items.
* The Foreman: +3 Building Design, +3 Mechanic, +1 Judge of Intent, Appraiser, Organizer, Record Keeper. Building design and mechanical work is extremely quick work, so instead give him nobleman skills to spend the rest of his work hours on. These are extremely useful in the long-term.
* The Freemason: +5 Masonry. It seems a bit silly to give him just one primary skill, but Masons are usually working 24 hours a day on all variety of stone doors, chairs and tables.

There's a variation if you want a more 'compact' design of those last two:

* The Construction Worker: +5 Masonry, +3 Mechanic, +2 Building Design.
* The Lazy Boss: +3 Fishing, +3 Fish Cleaning, +1 Judge of Intent, Appraiser, Organizer, Record Keeper.

This is not as useful or safe, as Fishing is a time-intensive skill, so it takes him away from his recordkeeping job for extended periods and a Carp might kill him. It also forces your Mason to get behind on Queues every time someone needs a trap build or a workshop set up. Halting book-keeping doesn't slow down any production, so the original stat-spread can work out better.

==== Items ====
The only thing you need is your anvil, a few stones and bars of metal, everything else is optional. A point of contention is the Iron Axe you'll be making, as some may prefer it to be steel. Steel Bars cost 150, which is three times the cost of iron, and only provide a small damage bonus and no chopping speed bonus. If you start in an area with [[Limestone]] or [[Chalk]] you'll soon be able to smelt Steel with your functioning metalsmith shop anyway. If you're on a map without trees, well, I suppose you don't need the axe at all. But in that case you'd be better off taking the picks, dropping the anvil, and buying a few hundred logs.

* 1 [[Anvil]] - this is what makes it all possible, and helps you get started faster.
* 3 [[Copper|Copper bars]] - these cost 10 each, and will be your picks. Three for the price of one, literally.
* 1 [[Iron|Iron bar]] - this costs 50, and will be your axe. The 40 extra is worth it for the damage increase you get over copper or bronze.
* 2 [[Bituminous coal]] or [[Log]]s - you can smelt two coal into 4 fuel for the cost of 2 logs. Inexpensive at 3 each, one can afford to bring more.
* 4 cheap stone - any sort works, such as inexpensive [[granite]]. You'll use these to make your first three buildings.

That's what you need to get started, but this is a guide for the items on your list. This build does not require or recommend bringing plump helmets due to their cost. Instead, encourage your dwarves to eat the turtles and meat out of the barrels and cook wine biscuits. Your farms will be running amazingly quickly anyway, and for half the cost of a single helmet you can make feed several dwarves on baked beer. You'll get enough seeds from brewing the [[plump helmets]] soon enough.

* 26 of [[Dwarven wine|Wine]], [[Dwarven rum|Rum]], [[Dwarven beer|Beer]] and [[Dwarven ale|Ale]]
* 36 of [[rock nut]]s, [[Plump helmet spawn]] and [[Pig tail]] [[seeds]]
* 11 [[turtle]]s - these hilarious little dudes are way better than the meat you usually set out with, what with all the bones they leave. I use these as 'before farming' rations and build up a good supply of bone bolts. Shells are also valuable to have around.
* 1 of each other 2 cost meat, for extra empty barrels. Barrels cost 10, so getting any food below that can save you money.
* 2 [[Dogs]] - preferably war dogs or hunting dogs. Assign these to your Ranger. Bring a pair so you can make more dogs.
* 1 [[Horse]] - they're relatively inexpensive and will help you begin breeding horses faster, as you are nearly always getting a horse with your wagon. Livestock are a valuable commodity for meat and bones, and you want as many of these as possible 'emergency rations' on hand.
* 4 [[Leather]] - you need leather bags to process [[quarry bush]]es and to gather sand for glass. Four will be enough, and you can get it for only 20.

If you do it exactly as written, you will end up with a few points left over. Grab some extra food or upgrade one of your copper bars to an actual copper pick, if you want a faster start. These foodstuffs will last a very long time if managed properly, so get your farms going and start preparing for next year now.

=== Metalbashing/Glassworking ===
Heavy metalbashing and glassworking requires a site with 1) abundant fuel and 2) raw materials. Magma is ideal but large coal seams or a forest will also suffice. A site with either limestone or chalk means nearly unlimited steel. Any site with "sand" (not "loamy sand" or the like) will permit glassworking. Failing these, any place with lots of rock, trees, and preferably sand will work fine. Your biggest choice when setting up is whether to optimize for a fast start or long-term success.

==== Dwarves & skills ====
Unless you're trying a low-skills challenge, each dwarf should get the maximum possible number (currently 10) of skill boosts; remove a battle axe to free up needed points. Individual preferences can be mighty handy; if you have a dwarf who likes steel, clear glass, crossbows, siege engine parts, or something else equally interesting, he's an ideal candidate for matching skills.

* A Carpenter/Leader: Points into Carpenter, Wood Cutter, and a bunch of nobles' skills, including at least novice Negotiator and Appraiser. This dwarf should have good inter-personal thoughts/preferences.
* A Mason/Mechanic: Points into Mason, Building Designer, and Mechanic. Adding more points to Mason gets construction materials and furniture faster. More points to Mechanic allows faster trap-setting. Adding Appraiser and/or Negotiator skills gives you a back-up leader or broker. A boost to Wrestling gets you better on-call defense.
* A Farmer/Herbalist (assumes the site has at least some plants): This dwarf will gather the plant material you need to brew drinks. Points into Grower and Herbalist. Leftover skill raises should be invested in a valuable, hard to raise trade skill such as [[Blacksmith]], [[Metal_crafter|Metal Crafter]], or perhaps [[Glassmaker]] or [[Clothier]].
* A Farmer/Brewer/Cook: This dwarf is responsible for keeping your community fed and liquored up. Points into Grower, Brewer, and (optionally) Cook. Leftover skill raises should be invested as for the Farmer/Herbalist.
* A Craftsdwarf: Points into whatever hard-to-raise skills you most want. [[Armorsmith]], [[Weaponsmith]], [[Bowyer]], [[Glassmaker]], and even [[Siege_engineer|Siege Engineer]], [[Clothier]], or [[Gem_setter|Gem Setter]] can all be good choices depending on your setup. If you plan to bash metal, remember to spend a few points on Furnace Operator and (if needed) Wood Burning.
* 2 Miners/Soldiers: Points into both mining and military skills. The miners first get legendary and then become extremely powerful fighters. Remember that it's much easier to increase Mining skill than most of the military skills (especially Armor User), but also that you'll want capable miners immediately.

With this setup, you have several ways to make the trade goods you'll need to buy what you lack. Metal goblets, stone mugs, handwear, footwear, mechanisms, bone or wood crossbows, prepared meals, or bone and shell crafts are all solid choices.

Food and drink for the first few seasons are assured by first cooking all the meat to free up barrels, then brewing your plump helmets (and any gathered plants) to make booze.

==== Items (all starts) ====
* 2 [[pick]]s
* 6 or 11 of each of [[dwarven ale]], [[dwarven beer]], and [[dwarven rum]]. With abundant brewable plants and lots of wood you don't actually need any starting booze, but it's nice to have a backup.
* at least 11 [[plump helmet]]s. Bring a lot more if you anticipate problems with gathering brewable plants.
* at least 6 [[turtle]]s. Not only are they good eating, they ensure you have the [[shell]]s and [[bone]]s needed to satisfy [[strange mood]]s.
* 1 of every kind of meat that costs 2 or 4, as each type of meat will be packed in its own free barrel and cooking the meat will release that barrel for use. If you don't like this feature, bring more turtles or plump helmets instead.
* Unless the map is glacial, or you intend only outdoor agriculture, bring plenty of seeds as well. A minimum of 15 plump helmet spawn are essential for a quick start to underground agriculture; rock nuts, sweet pod seeds, pig tail seeds, and cave wheat seeds will diversify your meals and drinks and let you set up for clothes-making. Seeds are packed in bags.
* (optional) some cheap (5 point) leather to make quivers and bags and such

===== Items (fast start) =====
* 1 [[Anvil]]
* no [[battle axe]] - you'll save points by making it yourself.
* only a few logs (just enough to get started with), unless the map has no trees

See [[Make Your Own Weapons]] for more details on what to bring and how to make the battle axes you need to chop wood.

===== Items (moderate start) =====
Warning: Going without an anvil will slow you down until you get one in trade (which normally takes about 6 or 7 seasons) and might even cost you a failed [[strange mood]].
* no [[Anvil]]
* 1 [[battle axe]] (at present, steel is the only option)
* few or no logs, unless the map has no trees
* with the points you save by not bringing an anvil, buy logs, bars of base metals you expect your site to lack, and (if needed) coal (for fuel and coke) and/or dolomite (for flux).

===== Items (slow start) =====
* no [[Anvil]]
* no [[battle axe]]s
* lots of logs - at least 25 on a heavily forested map. You can survive without them, but it's a lot cheaper to buy logs to make barrels than to bring more drink.

=== Free Equipment ===

Dwarves who start with the ambusher skill get some leather armor, a crossbow and some bolts for free.

=== Challenge Builds ===
If you want a challenge try [[Challenge_Builds]]

{{Starting FAQ}}

40d:Starting builds

2008-02-11T22:07:55Z

Kristleifur: /* Dwarves & skills */ - reordering skills to fit with UI

'''Starting builds''' are different strategies that you can choose when starting a new game in [[fortress mode]]. This page gives advice on the different gameplay elements that vary the flow of your game based on your goals. These include; choosing a ''fortress site'', possible ''starting builds''- such as who and what to take with you, and ''challenge builds''- starting builds aimed at providing new challenges that you can set for yourself if you're finding the game too easy.

== Fortress Site ==
Each fortress site offers particular challenges and opportunities; the starting builds below should be adjusted depending on what sort of fortress you envision ... and what it will take to stay alive where you're going!

=== Mountains ===
Most dwarven fortresses are founded along the edges of mountain ranges on sites that combine abundant ore and access to the outside world. Magma and rare metals lure settlers here, but [[goblins]], [[chasm]] dwellers, and even [[giant eagle]]s are potent threats.

Trees and plants do not grow at high elevations, so you'll want to include non-mountainous areas to obtain lumber and food - or, failing this, to pack a lot of extra food and logs.

Other consideration is elevation range. The game allows access up to 15 levels above the highest peak and 15 levels below the deepest valley, so steeper slopes means much more diggable area. The downside is lag; more levels also means more CPU burden (this can cripple a fortress - be careful).

Be sure to include a stream on the map; running water is (almost) essential for any fortress. In Cold and Freezing climates streams and lakes will often be frozen year-round and your dwarves may quickly die of exposure. Choose Temperate or tropical zones for an easier game.

=== Wooded Plains (with trees and plants) ===
Flatlands with at least some trees and gatherable plants can also make for highly successful fortresses.

Advantages over mountain zones include abundant trees and plants, guaranteed agriculture both on the surface and underground, fewer hostile fortresses and caves, and (unless frozen) more abundant water. There are even (rare) magma vents.

The greatest disadvantage is lack of rock to mine. Fewer elevations means fewer exploitable z-levels. The first few levels below the surface are almost always soil, peat, loam, clay, or sand, none of which offers much (or any) gems, ore, or building material. An [[aquifer]], if present, may bar all access to stone until you freeze, pump out, or find a way through the water.

=== Desert, Glaciers, and Barren (few or no trees and plants) ===
Treeless (or near-treeless) biomes are challenging sites for a fortress: you get most of the disadvantages of a flatland site without having access to nearly as many trees and plants. However, near-lifeless zones such as glaciers are wonderful for those with slower machines, as there's little to burden the CPU but your dwarves and livestock. Deserts and barren areas often have sand; with a sufficient source of energy (preferably magma), you can build almost anything out of unlimited glass.

=== Ocean Side ===
An interesting combination of a few of the above locations, beaches are often a mix of ease intermingled with bouts of extreme difficulty. Minerals and trees are often abundant, as well as farmland and sand, but there is often no drinking water unless the biome has a river.
There is also a likelihood that the settlement will fall between two biomes, potentially hazardous if the player expects a peaceful oceanside meadow, without realizing the ocean is full of amphibious zombie whales.

== Starting Builds ==
Many of the quantities suggested end in a "1" or a "6"; this is to maximize the number of [[barrels]] you start with, since most foodstuffs fit five to a barrel. More barrels will let you build a larger stockpile for your first winter and conserves the [[wood]] you harvest in the early game for beds and other necessities.

=== Basic ===
The first order of business is simply to survive. Here is a simple, somewhat paranoid, way to do this.

==== Dwarves & skills ====
On most (but not all) sites, you'll want to get food, brew drink, mine, make wood and stone items, and trade. Whatever additional skills you purchase, be sure to cover these. If you need more points to buy skills (and it's a good idea to buy lots of skills), remove a battle axe.

* 2 miners
* 1 mason/mechanic
* 1 carpenter/woodcutter
* 1 grower/brewer/cook. He's responsible for making prepared meals and drinks.
* either a herbalist/grower, or a fisherdwarf, or a hunter. The first gets you lots of brewable plants on maps with plants, the second gets you food and bones on maps with water (in maps with dangerous fish such as [[carp]] fishing is suicidal so be carefull), and the third gets you meat and bones on maps with animals. Herbalism is usually the safest of the three.
* 1 spare dwarf. You might make him the leader and broker; if so, give him at least novice [[appraiser]] skill so you know what stuff is worth. You might make him responsible for making trade goods, or turn him into your first soldier, or you might just give him some skills you want to experiment with.

==== Items ====
You want picks, food, and drink. Everything else is optional. The suggestions below assume you spent the maximum possible on skills. We'll pack lots just to be safe.

* 2 [[pick]]s - 1 per miner
* 1 [[battle axe]] - so you can chop wood
* 1 [[Anvil]] - so you can make weapons, trade crafts, and such
* 20 units of drink: [[dwarven ale]], [[dwarven beer]], and [[dwarven rum]] are all good. [[dwarven wine]] you'll get through brewing.
* 30 [[plump helmets]] - They're good to eat and produce 5 units of booze for each one brewed at a [[still]].
* 5 turtles - they get you bones and shells
* 20 [[plump helmet spawn]] - for planting.
* 2 dogs - to guard against thieves and help kill intruders.
* (optional) other kinds of seeds and rock nuts
* (optional) 1 of many different kinds of meats for extra barrels
* (optional) some cheap (5 point) leather to make quivers and bags and such

If the map is treeless, remove the battle axe and spend the freed points on more plump helmets and logs (you're going to run out however many you bring...).

If you're willing to wait a year or two to do any metalworking and you're sure traders will come, remove the anvil and spend the freed points on such things as skills, food and drink, wood, leather, raw materials, or weapons.

=== '''Rapid Expansion''' ===
A plan for quick growth followed up by heavy immigration works well both as an early game strategy and as an assist for a late game foundation. Starting off with the anvil is also much less troublesome if you drop both battleaxes and make your own picks too. Don't worry though, you'll be digging out cavernous villas in no time, and cheaply too, with this build. Food and stone will be in abundance and you'll have excellent worker time utilization. And due to the early metalworking and distributed skills your dwarves have, soon you'll have powerful steel-armored warrior workers that'll form the bedrock of a city guard.

Always build a Woodburning furnace, Smelter and Metalsmith shop first, and take apart that wagon for extra logs. Either burn those logs into charcoal, or smelt coal into fuel, and then make your tools.

==== Dwarves & skills ====
By dropping both picks and axes you'll be able to afford a lot of useful skills, and you'll be able to get a metalsmithing shop running within the first seconds of your game, so no precious time is lost. Your Dwarves are divided largely into two groups, your laborers (Butcher, Baker and candle--er, Brewer) and your craftsdwarves. Essentially a Bluecollar/Whitecollar divide to set up a nice class war later. Also, by having such wide assortments of skills, your dwarves will get lots of attribute bonuses and become extremely capable fighters by the time you need to worry about that.

Laborers are given mining and growing skills with some extra to cover food production. The Ranger is the oddball, but will spend his early days gathering plants and hauling items, so fits here. Your first order of business with them is to dig that top later out quickly and get some farms started and fully stocked. Then, as they grow, you can go back to digging out the rest of the base.

* The Baker: +5 Mining, +2 Growing, +3 Cooking,.
* The Brewer: +5 Mining, +2 Growing, +3 Brewing,.
* The Butcher: +5 Mining, +2 Growing, +1 Butchering, +1 Tanning, +1 Leatherworking. Make some bags for sand and the Quarry Bushes and a butcher's shop before the Ranger starts his hunts.

* The Ranger: +3 Woodcutter, +3 Carpenter, +1 Herbalist, +1 Ambusher, +2 Axedwarf. Be sure to assign a war dog or two to this guy, since he's the only one who needs to go outside. Once he gets an axe, he'll also be a competent fighter and hunter and will start with armor due to +1 ambusher.

Craftsdwarves focus on running shops, building trade goods, and making the outpost as profitable as possible in the first year, to attract additional immigrants that can be thrown into the mines or toil in the mushroom fields. They should have very broad skill bases, but the actual choice of leader is up to you.

* The Smithy: +1 Weaponsmith, Armorsmith, Metalsmith, Furnace Operator, Wood Burner, Stone Crafting, Bone Carving. This guy will cover all of your rarely needed creation skills, and make your picks and axes. After this he usually ends up making scads of stone crafts for sale. Glassworking, gem cutting, and potash making are good as well, and even with novice in all areas you'll build fast enough for these rare items.
* The Foreman: +3 Building Design, +3 Mechanic, +1 Judge of Intent, Appraiser, Organizer, Record Keeper. Building design and mechanical work is extremely quick work, so instead give him nobleman skills to spend the rest of his work hours on. These are extremely useful in the long-term.
* The Freemason: +5 Masonry. It seems a bit silly to give him just one primary skill, but Masons are usually working 24 hours a day on all variety of stone doors, chairs and tables.

There's a variation if you want a more 'compact' design of those last two:

* The Construction Worker: +5 Masonry, +3 Mechanic, +2 Building Design.
* The Lazy Boss: +3 Fishing, +3 Fish Cleaning, +1 Judge of Intent, Appraiser, Organizer, Record Keeper.

This is not as useful or safe, as Fishing is a time-intensive skill, so it takes him away from his recordkeeping job for extended periods and a Carp might kill him. It also forces your Mason to get behind on Queues every time someone needs a trap build or a workshop set up. Halting book-keeping doesn't slow down any production, so the original stat-spread can work out better.

==== Items ====
The only thing you need is your anvil, a few stones and bars of metal, everything else is optional. A point of contention is the Iron Axe you'll be making, as some may prefer it to be steel. Steel Bars cost 150, which is three times the cost of iron, and only provide a small damage bonus and no chopping speed bonus. If you start in an area with [[Limestone]] or [[Chalk]] you'll soon be able to smelt Steel with your functioning metalsmith shop anyway. If you're on a map without trees, well, I suppose you don't need the axe at all. But in that case you'd be better off taking the picks, dropping the anvil, and buying a few hundred logs.

* 1 [[Anvil]] - this is what makes it all possible, and helps you get started faster.
* 3 [[Copper|Copper bars]] - these cost 10 each, and will be your picks. Three for the price of one, literally.
* 1 [[Iron|Iron bar]] - this costs 50, and will be your axe. The 40 extra is worth it for the damage increase you get over copper or bronze.
* 2 [[Bituminous coal]] or [[Log]]s - you can smelt two coal into 4 fuel for the cost of 2 logs. Inexpensive at 3 each, one can afford to bring more.
* 4 cheap stone - any sort works, such as inexpensive [[granite]]. You'll use these to make your first three buildings.

That's what you need to get started, but this is a guide for the items on your list. This build does not require or recommend bringing plump helmets due to their cost. Instead, encourage your dwarves to eat the turtles and meat out of the barrels and cook wine biscuits. Your farms will be running amazingly quickly anyway, and for half the cost of a single helmet you can make feed several dwarves on baked beer. You'll get enough seeds from brewing the [[plump helmets]] soon enough.

* 26 of [[Dwarven wine|Wine]], [[Dwarven rum|Rum]], [[Dwarven beer|Beer]] and [[Dwarven ale|Ale]]
* 36 of [[rock nut]]s, [[Plump helmet spawn]] and [[Pig tail]] [[seeds]]
* 11 [[turtle]]s - these hilarious little dudes are way better than the meat you usually set out with, what with all the bones they leave. I use these as 'before farming' rations and build up a good supply of bone bolts. Shells are also valuable to have around.
* 1 of each other 2 cost meat, for extra empty barrels. Barrels cost 10, so getting any food below that can save you money.
* 2 [[Dogs]] - preferably war dogs or hunting dogs. Assign these to your Ranger. Bring a pair so you can make more dogs.
* 1 [[Horse]] - they're relatively inexpensive and will help you begin breeding horses faster, as you are nearly always getting a horse with your wagon. Livestock are a valuable commodity for meat and bones, and you want as many of these as possible 'emergency rations' on hand.
* 4 [[Leather]] - you need leather bags to process [[quarry bush]]es and to gather sand for glass. Four will be enough, and you can get it for only 20.

If you do it exactly as written, you will end up with a few points left over. Grab some extra food or upgrade one of your copper bars to an actual copper pick, if you want a faster start. These foodstuffs will last a very long time if managed properly, so get your farms going and start preparing for next year now.

=== Metalbashing/Glassworking ===
Heavy metalbashing and glassworking requires a site with 1) abundant fuel and 2) raw materials. Magma is ideal but large coal seams or a forest will also suffice. A site with either limestone or chalk means nearly unlimited steel. Any site with "sand" (not "loamy sand" or the like) will permit glassworking. Failing these, any place with lots of rock, trees, and preferably sand will work fine. Your biggest choice when setting up is whether to optimize for a fast start or long-term success.

==== Dwarves & skills ====
Unless you're trying a low-skills challenge, each dwarf should get the maximum possible number (currently 10) of skill boosts; remove a battle axe to free up needed points. Individual preferences can be mighty handy; if you have a dwarf who likes steel, clear glass, crossbows, siege engine parts, or something else equally interesting, he's an ideal candidate for matching skills.

* A Carpenter/Leader: Points into Carpenter, Wood Cutter, and a bunch of nobles' skills, including at least novice Negotiator and Appraiser. This dwarf should have good inter-personal thoughts/preferences.
* A Mason/Mechanic: Points into Mason, Building Designer, and Mechanic. Adding more points to Mason gets construction materials and furniture faster. More points to Mechanic allows faster trap-setting. Adding Appraiser and/or Negotiator skills gives you a back-up leader or broker. A boost to Wrestling gets you better on-call defense.
* A Farmer/Herbalist (assumes the site has at least some plants): This dwarf will gather the plant material you need to brew drinks. Points into Grower and Herbalist. Leftover skill raises should be invested in a valuable, hard to raise trade skill such as [[Blacksmith]], [[Metal_crafter|Metal Crafter]], or perhaps [[Glassmaker]] or [[Clothier]].
* A Farmer/Brewer/Cook: This dwarf is responsible for keeping your community fed and liquored up. Points into Grower, Brewer, and (optionally) Cook. Leftover skill raises should be invested as for the Farmer/Herbalist.
* A Craftsdwarf: Points into whatever hard-to-raise skills you most want. [[Armorsmith]], [[Weaponsmith]], [[Bowyer]], [[Glassmaker]], and even [[Siege_engineer|Siege Engineer]], [[Clothier]], or [[Gem_setter|Gem Setter]] can all be good choices depending on your setup. If you plan to bash metal, remember to spend a few points on Furnace Operator and (if needed) Wood Burning.
* 2 Miners/Soldiers: Points into both mining and military skills. The miners first get legendary and then become extremely powerful fighters. Remember that it's much easier to increase Mining skill than most of the military skills (especially Armor User), but also that you'll want capable miners immediately.

With this setup, you have several ways to make the trade goods you'll need to buy what you lack. Metal goblets, stone mugs, handwear, footwear, mechanisms, bone or wood crossbows, prepared meals, or bone and shell crafts are all solid choices.

Food and drink for the first few seasons are assured by first cooking all the meat to free up barrels, then brewing your plump helmets (and any gathered plants) to make booze.

==== Items (all starts) ====
* 2 [[pick]]s
* 6 or 11 of each of [[dwarven ale]], [[dwarven beer]], and [[dwarven rum]]. With abundant brewable plants and lots of wood you don't actually need any starting booze, but it's nice to have a backup.
* at least 11 [[plump helmet]]s. Bring a lot more if you anticipate problems with gathering brewable plants.
* at least 6 [[turtle]]s. Not only are they good eating, they ensure you have the [[shell]]s and [[bone]]s needed to satisfy [[strange mood]]s.
* 1 of every kind of meat that costs 2 or 4, as each type of meat will be packed in its own free barrel and cooking the meat will release that barrel for use. If you don't like this feature, bring more turtles or plump helmets instead.
* Unless the map is glacial, or you intend only outdoor agriculture, bring plenty of seeds as well. A minimum of 15 plump helmet spawn are essential for a quick start to underground agriculture; rock nuts, sweet pod seeds, pig tail seeds, and cave wheat seeds will diversify your meals and drinks and let you set up for clothes-making. Seeds are packed in bags.
* (optional) some cheap (5 point) leather to make quivers and bags and such

===== Items (fast start) =====
* 1 [[Anvil]]
* no [[battle axe]] - you'll save points by making it yourself.
* only a few logs (just enough to get started with), unless the map has no trees

See [[Make Your Own Weapons]] for more details on what to bring and how to make the battle axes you need to chop wood.

===== Items (moderate start) =====
Warning: Going without an anvil will slow you down until you get one in trade (which normally takes about 6 or 7 seasons) and might even cost you a failed [[strange mood]].
* no [[Anvil]]
* 1 [[battle axe]] (at present, steel is the only option)
* few or no logs, unless the map has no trees
* with the points you save by not bringing an anvil, buy logs, bars of base metals you expect your site to lack, and (if needed) coal (for fuel and coke) and/or dolomite (for flux).

===== Items (slow start) =====
* no [[Anvil]]
* no [[battle axe]]s
* lots of logs - at least 25 on a heavily forested map. You can survive without them, but it's a lot cheaper to buy logs to make barrels than to bring more drink.

=== Free Equipment ===

Dwarves who start with the ambusher skill get some leather armor, a crossbow and some bolts for free.

=== Challenge Builds ===
If you want a challenge try [[Challenge_Builds]]

{{Starting FAQ}}

40d:Your first fortress

2008-01-29T09:42:20Z

Kristleifur: /* Skills */ - Reordered skill recommendations to fit order in game interface

This is a guide to help new players get started on their first [[fortress]] and teach them the basics of keeping their [[dwarves]] alive. 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. It is also deliberately terse. For more extended treatment of particular subjects, consult the linked pages or the rest of the Dwarf Fortress Wiki.

== Generating a world ==

The first thing you'll want to do when starting Dwarf Fortress is [[World generation |create a world]]. You have two options: Create a fractally-generated random world or re-create one of the [[pregenerated worlds]] using a specific seed.

However, for new players it is recommended that you create a random world using the '''STANDARD''' template, so just hit {{k|Enter}} to continue. (Once you've gotten down the basics, you can return to the world generation screen and experiment with all of the options and create a world using one of the other techniques mentioned above.)

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

== Choosing a location ==

=== The interface ===

If you have at least one world without an active fortress, you will be able to choose "Start Playing" from the main menu. Chose "Dwarf Fortress" and you'll see a four-section window looking something like:

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

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 six modes which you cycle through by pressing {{k|TAB}}. In turn, they display:
* [[Temperature]], amount of [[tree]]s, amount of [[plant]]s, and a hint at the sort of [[wildlife]] at the center of the selection rectangle. Look at the example picture again. Notice that you are told that you'll see no trees or plants here ([[mountain]]s being too high for either to grow), but that's true only for the exact center of the local area: You'll notice that the local area includes some of both on the edges, which is often all you need. You can view the different types of [[biomes]] in the selected area by hitting the {{k|F1}} {{k|F2}} {{k|F3}} or {{k|F4}} keys
* [[Civilization]]s capable of interacting with you. You need to be in contact with dwarves to get immigrants. You'll want to trade with the dwarves and preferably also [[human]]s and [[elves]]. [[Goblin]]s mean trouble, but it's hard to avoid them without hiding on an island.
* Your dwarven civilization. Your choice of civilization may have an effect on [[trade]] and [[immigration]].{{verify}} For instance, one civilization might have access to [[groundhog]] [[meat]], whereas another might not.
* Relative [[elevation]] and [[slope]] steepness. This lets you guess at the shape of the land. Try to avoid [[cliff]]s of 4 or more. A good elevation map contains lots low elevation changes ranging from 1 to 4.

==== Location, Location, Location ====

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

* Lots of trees and vegetation are good for producing food and lumber for your fortress.
* A temperate climate is one that experiences all four seasons. '''Hot''' and '''Freezing''' climates take those temperatures to the extreme. Just like in the real world, it is more difficult to sustain life (and therefore, your fortress) in these conditions.
* Running water = permanent source of water. Lakes and ponds have a finite amount of water.
* Try to stay away from locations that are labeled "terrifying." Also, starting out in the middle of a goblin fortress is probably not a good idea.
* Magma is nice, but not necessary. And with magma comes Magma men and other such frightful creatures.
* 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!

Move your selection around the local map by using the {{k|h}} {{k|k}} {{k|u}} or {{k|m}} keys.

==== Fortress size ====

Once you've decided on location, you need to decide the size of your fortress area. 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, 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, 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|h}} {{k|k}} {{k|u}} or {{k|m}}keys.

=== Embark ===

When done, hit {{k|e}} to embark. A warning may appear if you've chosen a challenging site.

== Buying skills and items ==

You'll now have the choice of playing with the default setup or of preparing for the journey carefully. We're going to do the latter, because we'd like to stay 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 possibilities, if you don't like the one here.

=== Skills ===

The [[iron]] [[anvil]] costs 1000☼ to take. While you need an anvil for metalsmithing, you shouldn't take it here, since the dwarven [[caravan]] HAS A CHANCE of bringing one in [[autumn]] of the first year, and you'll easily be able to make 1000☼ in trade goods before then. If you don't buy it then, you can get it later.

First, remove all the items in the items screen, so you'll have enough money to spend on skilled dwarves. You need to press the - key on the numpad to sell items. Likewise you use the + button on the numpad to buy more of an item. + and - on the regular keyboard will not work.

We suggest taking dwarves with these skills, but you can change these around however you like. Many players would prefer a [[weaponsmith]]/[[armorsmith]] to the fisherdwarf, for example.
* Proficient [[Miner]]/Novice [[Judge of intent]]/Novice [[Appraiser]]/Novice [[Organizer]]/Novice [[Record keeper]]. This dwarf will be the leader, trader, manager, bookkeeper, as well as a miner sometimes.
* Proficient [[Miner]]/Proficient [[Mason]]
* Proficient [[Woodcutter]]/Proficient [[Carpenter]]
* Proficient [[Grower]]/Proficient [[Herbalist]]
* Proficient [[Building designer]]/Proficient [[Mechanic]]
* Proficient [[Fisherdwarf]]/Proficient [[Fish cleaner]]
* Proficient [[Brewer]]/Proficient [[Cook]]
The total cost of the skills is 475☼, but it is worth the cost: Once you start the game, skills will be much more difficult to get than [[currency|money]]. Rather, valuable goods; there is no ''currency'', just goods worth specific amounts.

=== Items ===

Now, you have 1585☼ to spend on items to take along.

* You'll need two [[copper]] [[pick]]s, which cost 20☼ each (40☼ total), for your miners. The material doesn't affect mining speed{{verify}}.
* Also, a [[battle axe]] will be needed for woodcutting. Since the only possibly metal for it is [[steel]], it costs 300☼.
* You'll need food. We recommend the following:
** 100 pieces of any variety of [[meat]] worth 2☼ apiece. Take at least one meat from each type of 2☼ meat, as you will get more [[barrel]]s that way. (200☼ total)
***If you bring Turtle you can also get bones and shells when they are consumed.
** 100 drinks of [[alcohol]], which will be stored in 20 [[barrel]]s free of charge. Alcohol stacks 5 drinks per barrel, so stack sizes ending in 1 or 6 earn you a cheap barrel. (200☼ total)
***If you bring all the types available it will help keep the dwarfs happy.
* You'll probably want [[seed]]s, which are 1☼ each:
** 25 [[plump helmet spawn]]
** 10 [[pig tail]] seeds
** 10 [[rock nut]]s, which are the most difficult crop to use but the one that gives the most food, bar [[cheating]]
* You may wish to bring [[animal]]s:
** Two [[dog]]s, at 16☼ each (32☼ total). Gender alternates, so you will get one male and one female if you bring two. Dogs are excellent early defense systems and can be easily trained into war dogs, which do not run from danger and do twice as much damage.{{ver|0.23.130.23a}}
** [[Cat]]s kill [[vermin]], preventing unhappy [[thought]]s, and will take owners which will make the owners happy, but also leave dead rats and other vermin corpses around your fortress which can produce clouds of [[miasma]]; bringing cats is a matter of preference, but not recommended for novices. They also will choose their owners, so you may end up with a swarm of cats that cannot be killed without sending the whole fortress into [[tantrum]]s. They cost 11☼ each.
***A good idea is to slaughter all but 2 kittens when they are born to prevent a horde of cats. Plus they make excellent mittens.
* If you have followed the above exactly, you'll have 768☼ left. Spend this on whatever you like. If the area where you are has little wood, like a [[desert]] or mountains, you may wish to bring a few hundred [[logs]], which cost 3☼ each. You could also bring more [[food]]. You may wish to not take the expensive axe and take an anvil instead, which would leave you with 68☼. You can request an axe from the caravan or [[forge]] it yourself.
*If you plan on raising animals as a food source you could take two cows or depending on where you start or what civilization you select another horse or camel to breed.

=== [[Fortress name|Naming]] ===

You can also name your fortress and starting group. This doesn't affect the game any, except in that if you don't, you could end up with a really ugly name, like Anusbride, or The Bloody Anus of Angels.

== Beginning the fortress ==

When you reach the site of your new fortress, the first things you want to do are:

* Dig secure lodgings.
* Create [[stockpile]]s.
* Build basic [[workshop]]s.
* Set up a [[dining room]] and a [[bedroom]].
* Construct a [[Farming|farm]].

Sounds simple, right? It doesn't? Learning the basics of the game can take some time, but soon enough you'll be customizing stockpiles like a pro!

=== Basics ===

* First off, pause the game by pressing {{k|space}}. You can do this at any time to figure out what's going on at your leisure.

* To move the view around, use the arrow keys. To move the view around at a faster pace, hold down the {{k|shift}} key, but if using the numpad keys make sure {{k|numlock}} is off. To view different elevations, or "[[Z]]-levels," use the {{k|<}} and {{k|>}} keys ({{k|shift}} + {{k|,}} or {{k|.}}).

* To examine the contents of a square, press {{k|k}} and move the cursor over the square you want to examine. If you get lost and can't find your way back to your dwarves, press {{k|F1}} to center the camera back on the starting position. Check out more information on [[hotkeys]] to find out how to change that location.

* You need to know how to change what jobs your dwarves will do. Press {{k|v}} and then move the cursor over a dwarf. It will display information about him/her. Go to the dwarf's {{k|p}}references, then the {{k|l}}abor submenu, and scroll the list with {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} on the number pad ({{k|*}} and {{k|/}} will scroll through the list at a faster pace). The highlighted jobs are the ones this dwarf is allowed to do. Your starting dwarves should have the jobs that you gave them skills in enabled, but any dwarf can do any job, even if they have no skill in it yet. This is important to know so you can make the dwarves do the jobs you need done instead of just whatever their default jobs are. You should probably turn off all types of [[hauling]] for one of the miners so they get right to work [[digging]] and don't get distracted by [[hauling]] commands. The {{k|enter}} key toggles whether a dwarf will perform the given task or not.

=== Digging ===

* To start [[digging]] out your fortress, press {{k|d}} to open the designation menu. Here you can select the tiles for your miners to dig, or tell them to create [[stair]]s and [[ramp]]s and various other things. Press {{k|d}} again to make sure you're creating digging designations, then press enter to start marking where to dig.

* Start digging out a room as the start of your fortress. If you don't like the area the [[wagon]] starts in, choose a different place on the map. Try to keep a 1 tile wide chokepoint or hallway leading into it which you can block with a door. If you are in an area covered with sand, [[loam]], or [[clay]], you won't have rocks cluttering the room, so it may be easier to make your rooms there. Oddly, sand walls are just as hard as granite ones.

* You will need rock for construction, through, so if you don't mine your rooms out of stone, you'll need to create a mining area elsewhere to get stone.

* Dwarves of course live underground, so digging the start of your fortress requires you to understand the lay of the land. Likely your fortress will be located in one of two types of areas, either near a preexisting steep slope you can dig into the side of, or in an area where you will have to dig [[stairs]] to get below the surface first. Examine the land using the {{k|k}} view command mentioned previously to determine which method you need to use. Open space means the land drops below your current Z-level.

* To dig down with stairs, designate a [[downward stairway]] on the surface, then move the view down one level ({{k|>}}) and designate an [[upward stairway]] on the tile directly beneath the downwards stairs. An [[up/down stairway]] works like both types of stairways in one tile. [[Stair]]s can go as deep as you want in a stack if you keep making [[up/down stairway]]s on top of each other. You can continue stairs from both the top and the bottom of [[up/down stairway]]s, but only from the bottom of [[downward stairway]]s, and only from the top of [[upward stairway]]s so only use the [[upward stairway]] or [[downward stairway]] when you're not planning to ever go further that direction. Keep in mind that [[upward stairway]]s and [[up/down stairway]]s are limited to real-life locations, so you can't build a new [[upward stairway]] or [[up/down stairway]] in a previously mined square without a [[downward stairway]] above it, though you can build them into un-mined areas.

=== Creating [[stockpile]]s ===

* Outdoors by the fortress entrance, create a [[refuse stockpile]], a [[wood stockpile]], a [[furniture stockpile]], and a [[food stockpile]] to get your supplies out of the wagon and keep the food from rotting. You may wish to create a [[stone stockpile]], but this may cause your dwarves to get bogged down with hauling if you make it too large. To make a stockpile, press {{k|p}}, press the letter corresponding to the type of stockpile you want, then press enter and drag the selection box over the area you want, and press enter again to create it.

* You'll need to make many different stockpiles throughout the game.

=== Building workshops ===

* Disassemble the wagon for [[wood]], by "destroying it", by pressing {{k|q}}, moving the cursor over the wagon, and pressing {{k|x}}. Your carpenter should then disassemble it into three logs (This is the same process to disassemble any building).

* Create a [[mason's workshop]], a [[carpenter's workshop]], and a [[mechanic's workshop]] with the stones your miners should be producing as they dig tunnels through the rock. To build things, press {{k|b}}, then for workshops, press {{k|w}}. Scroll to the type you want with {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} and press enter. You should next see a screen with the list of all the available materials you can use to build the workshop. Select any type of stone and the dwarves will get started. '''However''', if the stone available to you has some [[economic stone|economic value]], such as [[limestone]] or [[marble]], you must press {{k|z}} to open the general status screen, go to the Stones submenu, then find the stone type in the list and press {{k|enter}} to allow your dwarves to use it for mundane tasks like constructing buildings and furniture.

* Your [[fisherdwarf]] has likely run off to a body of water to start fishing. Raw fish is inedible, and rots if left alone too long, so you need to build a [[fishery]] to process it. You build the fishery in the same way you built the other workshops. After it's built, select it with {{k|q}}, press {{k|a}}, select "Process Raw Fish" and press enter. Then press {{k|r}} to make that order repeat until it runs out of fish to process. 

* At the [[mason's workshop]], order a [[door]] by selecting the workshop with {{k|q}}, pressing {{k|a}}, then scrolling to "door" on the list with {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} and pressing enter. Stone is more common than wood, so you want to make everything you possibly can out of stone rather than wood. The only important items you can't make out of stone that you can make out of wood are [[bed]]s, [[bucket]]s, [[bin]]s, [[barrel]]s, and [[charcoal]] for fueling your [[forge]]s.

* Once the door is finished, place the door in the entrance of your fort by pressing {{k|b}}uild, then {{k|d}}oor, then selecting the space you want it to go in and pressing {{k|enter}}. If trouble shows up, you can lock the door by pressing {{k|q}}, highlighting it and pressing {{k|l}} once. Pressing it again unlocks it.
* At the [[carpenter's workshop]], first order a [[bed]] and a [[bucket]] to be made out of some of your wagon wood.
* Once the bed is complete, {{k|b}}uild it in the same manner you built the door, and place it in your entrance hall. Once it's placed, you should make it into a communal sleeping hall by selecting the bed with {{k|q}}, pressing {{k|r}} and using the {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} keys to cover the area of the hall, pressing enter, then pressing {{k|b}} to make it a [[barracks]]. Making it a barracks means that it is a public sleeping area, and dwarves without their own rooms will sleep there, even if there aren't enough beds.
* You should designate some trees to be cut down for more logs. Press {{k|d}}, then {{k|t}}. Find an area with trees, then press enter and highlight some trees by dragging the selection area over them and pressing enter again.
* To build some [[trap]]s to defend your front door, order some [[mechanism]]s to be built at the [[mechanic's workshop]]. After they are made, go to the {{k|b}}uild menu, and select the "Traps/Levers" category using {{k|+}} and {{k|-}}. Select the [[Trap#Stone-fall trap|stone-fall trap]], select the materials to use, then place it in a choke point leading into your fortress, like in front of or behind the front door.
* Mine a new room that will be used as a dining hall, and build four or five stone [[table]]s and stone [[throne]]s for it. Build some more doors to section off new rooms properly, as dwarves dislike rooms that aren't enclosed on all sides by walls or doors. Place the tables and thrones like you did the doors, and put one throne adjacent to each table. Once a table is placed in the room, select it with {{k|q}} and use it to define the area as a dining room, like you did with the bed for the sleeping hall. You only need to use one table to define the room, and the rest of the tables in it are automatically considered part of the dining room.
* Mine a few more rooms to be used as storage areas, remove the furniture and food stockpiles outside, and make new ones in these new storage rooms.
* You can also move your workshops indoors. They should not be built in the vicinity of the sleeping hall, as the noise will bother people. You can remove the workshops aboveground the same way you dismantled the wagon: press {{k|q}}, highlight the workshop, then press {{k|x}}.

=== Farming ===

Next you'll set up [[farming]]. You first need to dig a farm room underground. Dwarven crops won't grow on the surface. (you ''can'' get some surface-grown crops using the [[Gather plants]] designation liberally.)

If there are enough layers of [[soil]] covering the rock, you can carve out a farm room inside the soil and start farming without having to [[irrigate]] the ground. However, if you want to make a farm room with a rock floor, you will need to get the floor wet first. When water covers a rock cavern floor, it becomes muddy, which allows you to build farm plots on it. For more information about how to do that, read up on [[irrigation]].

Once you have suitable ground for planting, go to the {{k|b}}uild menu, find "Farm Plot" or press {{k|p}}, then use the {{k|u}} {{k|m}} {{k|h}} {{k|k}} keys to resize it, and press enter to place it. A 5x5 field should be plenty to last you through winter. After it's placed, your growers will come clear the site and prepare it for planting.

Now that the field is ready, select it with {{k|q}}, and set the crop you want to be grown on it. You have to set this manually for each season. Press {{k|a}} for spring, {{k|b}} for summer, {{k|c}} for fall, and {{k|d}} for winter. Not every crop can be grown in every season, although [[plump helmet]]s can be grown all year. You probably want to grow plump helmets exclusively at first, as they are the easiest crop to grow and use. Dwarves can eat them raw, cooked, or brew them into alcohol.

=== Trading ===

A dwarven caravan will drop by on the first year. You need to have a [[Trade depot]] somewhere accessible (Dwarves can reach pretty much any place that hasn't been locked), and an [[Office]] for your outpost leader to meet with the liaison and discuss what to bring for the next year.

You may be a bit light on things to trade. If you have any leftover mechanisms, send 'em in; they're worth a good penny, specially if they're of better quality. You can also quickly build a [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]] and make a few sets of stone crafts and mugs for trading.

In order to trade, you'll need to use {{k|q}} on the trade depot. Pressing {{k|r}} will put a "Trade at depot" job on the queue (make sure your broker's not off hauling stone or something). While you're doing this, you'll need to move the things you want to trade away to the depot: The {{k|g}} key lets you pick from your stores. Once the broker and the items are in place, use {{k|t}} to initiate the trade.

What to buy? Logs, crops, cheap meat. Do not buy cheese or giant cave spider silk for now. They're not worth it.

== What next? ==

At this point your little fort should be mostly self-sufficient, barring animal attacks, mining accidents, psychotic outbreaks, or invasion. You can now invest some time in luxuries, such as making private rooms for each dwarf, crafting valuable trade goods, crazy engineering projects, and brewing more beer.

Here's some ideas for what to do next:
* Make an underground water supply that won't freeze over in winter, by draining a surface pool or diverting a river.
* Build a [[craftdwarf's workshop]] and start making some trade goods.
* Start [[smelting]] the ore you've mined if you have dwarves with the right skills.
* Build a [[trade depot]] so that merchants can come and trade with you.
* Set up a [[still]] to brew more drinks for your thirsty dwarves. They'll drink water if they have to, but they are much happier and work faster if they are full of alcohol.
* Make individual rooms for each dwarf, with a bed and maybe a rock coffer and rock cabinet in each one.
* Use [[zone]]s to set up a meeting hall, and designate which water sources you want your dwarves to use for fishing and drinking.
* Expand your farm, dining room, and living quarters in anticipation of the massive wave of 10-30 immigrants that will likely show up sometime in the next year.
* Start making [[bin]]s and [[barrel]]s to consolidate items and food taking up space in your stockpiles so things are more organized, and so you have more barrels to brew drinks with.
* Set up an indoor [[refuse stockpile]] so your dwarves don't have to carry their trash as far, and so you can start building up a useful supply of bones and shells.

And when you start feeling more confident with your DF-knowledge, you can try to set some [[Game goals|crazy goals]] for yourself for a challenge, or just enjoy the game in the way '''you''' fashion at your own pace. But most importantly to remember, '''Losing is fun!'''

[[Category:Guides]]

{{Starting FAQ}}