Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

40d:Aquifer

2008-11-18T00:09:28Z

Krumlink:

An '''aquifer''' is a subterranean layer of [[water]]-bearing rock or [[soil]]. Attempts to mine through them will result in the mined-out squares immediately filling with [[water]], effectively halting excavation at or below their level. This, in conjunction with the fact that they are often located in areas rich in [[loam]], and [[sand]], makes it difficult to find great quantities of [[stone]] in areas with aquifers, making for more challenging gameplay.

== Where they are found ==
Aquifers are found in soil layers and some porous rock layers. They may occur in one to three (rock layers? Z levels? {{verify}}).

Layers which CAN contain aquifers:
*[[Soil|sandy clay loam]]
*[[Soil|silty clay loam]]
*[[Soil|loam]]
*[[Soil|sandy loam]]
*[[Soil|silt loam]]
*[[Soil|loamy sand]]
*[[Soil|silt]]
*[[sand]]
*[[Soil|yellow sand]]
*[[Soil|white sand]]
*[[Soil|black sand]]
*[[Soil|red sand]]
*[[Soil|peat]]
*[[Soil|pelagic clay]]
*[[Soil|calcareous ooze]]
*[[Soil|siliceous ooze]]
*[[sandstone]]
*[[conglomerate]]

Layers which CAN'T contain aquifers
*[[Soil|clay]]
*[[Soil|silty clay]]
*[[Soil|sandy clay]]
*[[Soil|clay loam]]
*[[siltstone]]
*[[mudstone]]

== Dealing with aquifers ==

The challenges presented by an aquifer may be circumvented in several ways. Firstly, much more of your equipment will likely be made from [[wood]], especially early on, so it may help to be in a heavily forested area. Once you've established your [[fortress]] a bit, you will also be able to [[trade]] for [[stone]] and [[metal]]s if you run short.

It is also worth noting that it sometimes possible to find some amount of stone above the aquifer. It may help to create exploratory shafts searching for pockets of stone. Be aware that mining along the level immediately above the aquifer will result in patches of 'damp stone,' which will [[flood]] if mined out; these squares will flash with water when designating mining areas.

===The speed method===
For multilayer aquifers, if your [[miner]]s dig fast enough more than one aquifer layer can be pierced .as of 40c one aquifer can drain into another. Ths allows work to be done from a layer down, but does not successfully pierce through all aquifer layers completely.

===The ore method===
On maps where the aquifer is not held in a layer of soil, but instead is held in a [[sedimentary layer]] such as [[sandstone]], it may be possible to tunnel down through deposits of [[ore]] such as [[magnetite]]. For this to work you have to find a spot where there is coincidentally an ore deposit on each Z-level you need to dig through. This is only possible through tiresome trial and error, or through the use of a [[Utilities|utility]] like reveal.exe.

===The magma method===
If you have access to a supply of [[magma]], you can create your own [[obsidian]] caissons. The water from the aquifer is not pressurized and magma is chunky, so it is safe to dig [[channel]]s in aquifer. Though you will have to re-dig a lot of channels due to an element of chance, you can create a pool of magma on the aquifer z-level, and then pinch the pool off from the supply of magma with water. When it cools (which you can hasten with more water) you can dig down through the middle of a 3x3 patch of obsidian without flooding. With larger starting patches, you can dig through multiple levels of aquifer.

===The other magma method===
Magma vents have two outer layers that may allow you to get past the aquifer with minimal effort. Just outside the magma is always a layer of obsidian, which is one of the many stones unable to hold aquifer water. Just beyond this obsidian will be a layer of the surrounding soil or rock which has been dried by the [[magma vent]]. Depending on the exact layout of your magma vent, you may be able to dig straight down next to it, or you may have to dig around a bit to find a workable path.

Tips:
*With a visible magma shaft, any tile that is not touching the magma on its Z-level (by edge or corner) is safe from magma, even if there is magma directly above it.
*Any tile which is not marked as damp is safe from the aquifer, even if there is a damp tile next to it.
*To find the water-safe tiles, you can dig down [[stair]]cases on the floor above, which reveal the tile below. These can later be covered up by constructed [[floor]]s, if you want.
**'''Warning:''' Do not dig up staircases on the aquifer layer until you know the tile is safe from water. Digging an up staircase creates an open tile, which can fill with water and render adjacent squares unsafe.
*The dried tiles are the same type as the surrounding aquifer, so an aquifer-filled [[sand]] layer can be used for gathering sand, if it touches the magma vent.

===The Tweak Tile Edit method===
Using the Tweak Utility, use the Magma/Lava Tag and create a large round circle (surrounding your tunnel). The Aquifer will turn these squares into obsidian nearly instantly and you can proceed to dig through the tunnel.

===The pump method===
It is possible to [[pump]] the water out of an aquifer; though the supply is apparently unlimited it can be pumped out faster than the water seeps in, allowing for a fairly safe area on the z level. This method is somewhat dangerous since problems with your pumps can lead to drowning, however, it allows a larger area to be cleared than most methods and can be done anywhere. It's possible to build [[wall]]s on the levels with aquifers to stop water. It's also easier to plan around a series of pumps than hoping you'll hit rock on the way down.
There is an example of how to get through an aquifer with pumps here: http://mkv25.net/dfma/movie-120-aquifercmv
Note that this method will not work with the current version, as it is no longer possible to pump an infinite amount of water into one tile. It can be modified, however, by placing channels behind the pumps so that the water drains back into the aquifer. It is also no longer possible to operate the pumps with a waterwheel built in the aquifer. This can be resolved by hooking up your pumps to another source of power, or by setting the pumps to be manually operated. The latter option will require quite a few dwarfs with nothing better to do but operate pumps.

It is possible to expand this method to breach multiple z-levels. Just make sure your [[room]] on the next level down has a minimum of room allowed for this design. For areas larger than the design, break up the room into smaller areas (6x6 is reasonably workable) and pump them out one at a time from at least three sides (into another section when necessary, you only need one dry at a time), and building [[wall]]s on the outer edges. As you pump out additional sections, you can connect them, digging through the dividing dirt walls and building a wall between the two sections you've already built to complete the water-proofing. As a note, pumps can't pump if you build a wall in the space they're pumping from, which is why it is necessary to either pump from all four sides, or to dig out the space to rewall.

===The ice method===
There is a simple method of getting past an aquifer although it is restricted to a small shaft down, and not possible on all maps.
You will need:
*9 pieces of material suitable for crafting [[Wall|Walls]] and [[floor]]s.
*1 [[Carpenter]] or [[Mason]] (depending on your wall's building material of choice)
*1 [[Miner]] (using multiple miners runs the danger of one miner digging a channel on the floor another is standing on!*)[Fixed in .33f]
*A map which freezes

Steps:
#Dig channels in a 5x5 square.
#Dig stairs on the outside of the square to allow access to the next level.
#Carefully dig channels underneath all the other channels and build another stair down.
#Continue down in this way until you're right above the water table.
#Dig channels around a central square.
#Wait for the water to freeze.
#The outer-most [[block]]s of [[ice]] on the aquifer level will prevent the inner block from being damp.
#Dig a central set of stairs which will allow you to go through the aquifer level and access the levels below.
#If the map will warm up, make sure to surround the stairwell on the aquifer level with walls.
#This system can be expanded to allow for a bigger stairwell.

Diagram:
*<tt>C</tt> - channel
*<tt>G</tt> - [[grate]]
*<tt>W</tt> - wall
*<tt>X</tt> - up/down stairs
*<tt>></tt> - down stair
*<tt><</tt> - up stair
*<tt>I</tt> - Ice/water
*<tt>F</tt> - Floor

Surface level:
<pre>
CCCCC
CCCCC
CCCCC>
CCCCC
CCCCC
</pre>
Intermediate levels:
<pre>
CCCCC
CCCCC
CCCCCX
CCCCC
CCCCC
</pre>
Aquifer level + 1:
<pre>
CCCCC
CCCCC
CC>CF<
CCCCC
CCCCC
</pre>
Aquifer level:
<pre>
IIIII
IWWWI
IWXWI
IWWWI
IIIII
</pre>

===The cave-in method===
If you cause the soil layers above the aquifer to cave-in on the aquifer layer, the caved-in layers above the aquifer will become mineable.

===Differing biomes===
If your local area has more than one [[biome]], you may be able to dig down in one biome to bridge under an aquifer in another. This won't work if the aquifer is present in all [[biome]]s, of course, but it may be useful in the case of a surprise aquifer that was not marked on the region selection screen.

== Advantages of aquifers ==

It's worth noting that the presence of an aquifer, while challenging, does offer some slight advantages. Firstly, much of the area [[underground]] but above the aquifer will be sand, clay, or loam, all of which can be planted in without requiring any kind of irrigation or flooding, allowing farming to get under way quicker and with less stress. Additionally, the presence of water 3-4 z-levels below ground anywhere on the map makes placing [[well]]s a simpler task, as well as ensuring easy access to subterranean water supplies. Also, just as water will flow endlessly ''out'' of an aquifer if there is a way out, it will flow endlessly ''into'' an aquifer given time. If you dig a channel into an aquifer, water that runs into the channel will disappear without ever causing it to overflow.

== General Tips ==
*Tunnels dug directly below an aquifer will flood. Go down another level before you ruin all that hard work you spent getting through in the first place.
*Smoothing an aquifer wall will make it stop leaking water. This is especially useful when you are trying to get through with a pump. A tunnel directly below a smoothed aquifer tile will not flood. Digging through the smoothed wall tile will cause it to leak water again until you have completely dug out the tile.
*An aquifer wall will not leak water diagonally; it will only add water to tiles directly north/south/east/west.
*On an ocean [[island]], the aquifer is not potable (unlike aquifers on real-life oceanic islands), so you cannot create drinking water zones from the aquifer.
{{World}}

40d:Graphite

2008-11-17T03:03:59Z

Krumlink: Removed "conducts electricity" clause, because it is a poor conductor of electricity and has no real purpose to this page.

{{Stone|name=Graphite|tile=o|color=#888|uses=|properties=
* Can [[ignite]]
* [[Material value]] 1
|location=
* [[Quartzite]]
* [[Gneiss]]
* [[Schist]]
* [[Marble]]
* Found as small clusters
}}
[[Graphite]] is a form of carbon, which can ignite, like coal. In the future Graphite may be added as a flux fuel for production of steel due to its carbon content.

[[category:Stone]]

40d:Schist

2008-08-31T22:44:03Z

Krumlink:

{{Stone_layer|name=Schist|tile=`|color=#880|basic_color=#880
|properties=
* [[Metamorphic layer]]
* [[Material value]] 1
|contains=
{{list|metamorphic ore}}
* [[Graphite]]
{{list|metamorphic stone}}
{{list|metamorphic gem}}
}}
Schist has a very high gem content per Z level.
[[Category:Stone]]
[[Category:Metamorphic Stone Layers]]

40d:Schist

2008-08-31T22:42:00Z

Krumlink:

{{Stone_layer|name=Schist|tile=`|color=#880|basic_color=#880
|properties=
* [[Metamorphic layer]]
* [[Material value]] 1
|contains=
{{list|metamorphic ore}}
* [[Graphite]]
{{list|metamorphic stone}}
{{list|metamorphic gem}}
}}
[[Category:Stone]]
[[Category:Metamorphic Stone Layers]]

40d Talk:Cheating

2008-08-30T03:33:10Z

Krumlink:

How come losing redirects here? --[[User:Mizipzor|Mizipzor]] 20:34, 31 October 2007 (EDT)

:I assume the person who linked it was either trying to help people who keep losing (though cheating is not the advice I would personally give) or say that cheating = losing. --[[User:BurnedToast|BurnedToast]] 20:37, 31 October 2007 (EDT)

::I changed it. Now there's a full [[losing]] article for all of you losers out there. ;-) --[[User:JT|JT]] 20:58, 31 October 2007 (EDT)

== TSearch summary ==

I decieded to break down the TSearch hacking DF video

#Open TSearch and Dwarf Fortress
#Make a new fortress and open Prepare carefuly
#Open the DF process in TSearch(dwarfort.exe)
#Press the search button(looks like a magnifying glass) and search 10 as 1 byte
#Turn all 7 dwarves into competent miners(changing blue number next to their names to 7)
#Press search next(magnifying glass with "..." next to it) and search 7(you will get from 7 to 14)
#Double click the static 7s(the ones that dont change) make sure that the first two variables(may be a letter or number) are the same(in one case, they weren't on mine)
#On the left press one of the 7s and hit freeze(looks like a craftsdrawf)

With this, you can make the dwarf proficient in everything.
To change points, follow numbers 1-3 and then:

#Change points to 94 by buying the dwarves skills
#Search 94 as 1 byte
#Change points to 22
#Search next 22 as 1 bit(you may get 1 to 2 results)
#Double click the static 22
#Change the type(far right) for 22 to 4bit(to prevent getting a glitched number)
#Then change points to whatever you want

Optionaly, change points to 10000 and freeze it. --[[User:0todd0|0todd0]] 19:23, 9 June 2008 (EDT)

== Verification with world gens especially with 40c ==

A lot of warnings in here say that the game will fail to load upon editing of a raw file. I have done that to make copper anvils and free adamantine, and I can play a world in its 2nd and 3rd year.

40d Talk:Metalsmith's forge

2008-08-30T02:53:16Z

Krumlink:

I don't think pages like this need the Building template, maybe 'workshops', but is a related article on Cave-in's really necessary for a metalsmith's workshop? I think the building template is too bulky to be used on this page. --[[User:Markavian|Markavian]]

== Crossbows ==

*''TODO: I can't confirm that this does anything, as my metalsmith with all these skills won't make my copper crossbow --[[User:Markavian|Markavian]]''.
:I can confirm that crossbowmaking is the only skill required to make crossbows in this workshop. I had a crossbowmaker make a bee-line for the shop the moment I assigned the work order. His only other skill activated was carpentry and woodcutting.--[[User:Chthon|Chthon]] 11:56, 7 November 2007 (EST)
:I was tryig to make some crossbows and couldn't figure it out until I realized that they use crossbowmaking. When I turned the skill on my weaponsmith made them. [[User:Mindsnap|Mindsnap]] 15:23, 3 December 2007 (EST)
::In my 38c game, making crossbows at the forge requires weaponsmithing to start the job. I'm unclear as to whether the crossbow making skill figures into this at all. I have heard that high crossbow making skill gives a better result at the forge, but I am skeptical. Are there any other cases where a secondary skill figures into the quality of an object produced? [[User:Tulthix|Tulthix]] 12:58, 2 April 2008 (EDT)
*''TODO: Provide example or grouping inplace of ??? for Blacksmith and Metalcrafting''

::Keep hard information on the article pages and discussion on the discussion pages please. --[[User:Ikkonoishi|Ikkonoishi]] 15:14, 7 November 2007 (EST)

== Recommended Merger ==

The information in this page and [[Metalsmith]] needs to be merged. That one seems to have more info in it so I recommend keeping it, and making this redirect. (''The previous unsigned comment was added by [[User:Ikkonoishi|Ikkonoishi]].'')
:But metalsmith's forge is the proper name for the page. Why not make Metalsmith a redirect and move its contents here? --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMario]] 21:50, 18 November 2007 (EST)
::This page should be mostly replaced with the information on the [[Metalsmith]] page, and Metalsmith should redirect to here since the information pulled from the Metalsmith page would contain required information relating to the metalsmithing skill. That is what I would like to see, and I will do this in a few days myself if there are no disagreements. Please offer any other suggestions that you can think of. [[User:FFLaguna|FFLaguna]] 18:37, 2 December 2007 (EST)
:I don't think this page should not redirect to Metalsmith because it contains information about other smithing skills that aren't directly relevant to Metalsmithing. As such, I think it logical that they should either redirect here, or the Metalsmith page be stripped down to a simple description of: 'A '''metalsmith''' is a dwarf with the '''X skill''' capable of creating items in the [[Metalsmith's forge]].' I'd argue the workshop template shouldn't be on the metalsmith's page because it isn't a workshop page. --[[User:Markavian|Markavian]] 16:51, 4 December 2007 (EST)

== Blacksmithing ==

I believe that this is used to make furniture and essentially all non-weapon/militaty/craft goods at the forge. The current reference to "iron working" is misleading as they can work with materials other than iron. [[User:Mindsnap|Mindsnap]] 15:23, 3 December 2007 (EST)

== Fix some links ==

I was looking at this page and it looks good, but some of the links arent correct, such as the "bars" link at the end of the furniture section, it takes you to the bars link but not the metals page. I think We should change that.

40d:Giant eagle

2008-08-30T00:58:42Z

Krumlink:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Giant Eagle|symbol=E|color=rgb(128, 128, 0)|bones=10|chunks=10|meat=10|fat=3|skulls=1|skin=Yes|biome=[[Mountain]]}}

'''Giant Eagles''' are ferocious birds nearly as strong as [[elephants]], with one major advantage--they can fly. They are usually found in savage [[mountain]] areas.

Flight enables the giant eagle to zip out of the way of melee [[weapons]], hover out of reach, and swoop again to pick off [[dwarves]] that stray from the pack. They will, however, try and escape death by crossbow as it seems to be their one true weakness and they can be killed by a lone hunter this way. Otherwise, they will hunt down and kill dwarves without remorse, tearing at their stumpy bodies with razor-sharp beaks.

Should your dwarves be unfortunate enough to encounter a skeletal giant eagle, abandon your fortress and start a new one far, far away. To witness its cruel devastation may scar you for life. If you decide that you want the evil bird to pay for its crimes, wait for it to fly in the air. Save the game then go to your raw/objects/creature_large_mountain.txt file. Scroll down until you find the giant eagle. Delete the entire "[FLIER]" Line. Your eagles cannot fly now. Go back to dwarf fortress and watch the evil eagles plummet to their deaths.

NOTE: Although the eagles cannot fly, they can still attack your dwarves!

[[image:45770275lq3.jpg|The horror.]]

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:BIRD_EAGLE_GIANT]
[NAME:giant eagle:giant eagles:giant eagle]
[TILE:'E'][COLOR:6:0:0]
[MODVALUE:5]
[LARGE_ROAMING][DIFFICULTY:2]
[FLIER]
[GENPOWER:3][LARGE_PREDATOR][NATURAL][PET_EXOTIC][MOUNT_EXOTIC][SAVAGE]
[PETVALUE:700]
[PREFSTRING:coloration]
[BODY:HUMANOID_ARMLESS:2WINGS:2EYES:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:HUMANOID_JOINTS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:4TOES:BEAK]
[SIZE:10]
[MAXAGE:10:20]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:BEAK:bite:bites:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
[CHILD:1][CHILDNAME:giant eagle hatchling:giant eagle hatchlings]
[FAT:3]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[BIOME_MOUNTAIN]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
[LAYERING:100]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:Giant eagle

2008-08-29T23:00:52Z

Krumlink:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Giant Eagle|symbol=E|color=rgb(128, 128, 0)|bones=10|chunks=10|meat=10|fat=3|skulls=1|skin=Yes|biome=[[Mountain]]}}

'''Giant Eagles''' are ferocious birds nearly as strong as [[elephants]], with one major advantage--they can fly. They are usually found in savage [[mountain]] areas.

Flight enables the giant eagle to zip out of the way of melee [[weapons]], hover out of reach, and swoop again to pick off [[dwarves]] that stray from the pack. They will, however, try and escape death by crossbow as it seems to be their one true weakness and they can be killed by a lone hunter this way. Otherwise, they will hunt down and kill dwarves without remorse, tearing at their stumpy bodies with razor-sharp beaks.

Should your dwarves be unfortunate enough to encounter a skeletal giant eagle, abandon your fortress and start a new one far, far away. To witness its cruel devastation may scar you for life. If you decide that you want the evil bird to pay for its crimes, wait for it to fly in the air. Save the game then go to your raw/objects/creature_large_mountain.txt file. Scroll down until yo find the giant eagle. Delete the entire "[FLIER]" Line. Your eagle cannot fly now. Go back to dwarf fortress and watch the evil eagles plummet to their deaths.

[[image:45770275lq3.jpg|The horror.]]

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:BIRD_EAGLE_GIANT]
[NAME:giant eagle:giant eagles:giant eagle]
[TILE:'E'][COLOR:6:0:0]
[MODVALUE:5]
[LARGE_ROAMING][DIFFICULTY:2]
[FLIER]
[GENPOWER:3][LARGE_PREDATOR][NATURAL][PET_EXOTIC][MOUNT_EXOTIC][SAVAGE]
[PETVALUE:700]
[PREFSTRING:coloration]
[BODY:HUMANOID_ARMLESS:2WINGS:2EYES:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:HUMANOID_JOINTS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:4TOES:BEAK]
[SIZE:10]
[MAXAGE:10:20]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:BEAK:bite:bites:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
[CHILD:1][CHILDNAME:giant eagle hatchling:giant eagle hatchlings]
[FAT:3]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[BIOME_MOUNTAIN]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
[LAYERING:100]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:Stone management

2008-08-29T02:26:53Z

Krumlink: /* Catapult */

[[Mine]] for long enough and you'll find yourself surrounded with various [[stone]]s and [[ore]]s. How do you get rid of them?

Here follows several '''stone management''' techniques.

== Techniques ==

=== Dump ===
This method is easy and useful. However, it could easily be considered an exploit, and might not work in later versions.{{version|0.27.176.38c}}

# Make a [[zone]] of 1x1 or 1x2 tiles, preferably either near the stones you want to get rid of or your stone-needy [[workshop]]s, and mark it as a garbage dump.
# Press {{k|k}} and find a stone. Press {{k|d}}, and the stone will be marked for dumping. Alternatively, use the stocks menu (faster for mass dumping, but requires some [[bookkeeper]] labor first). You can also use {{k|d}},{{k|b}},{{k|d}} to designate mass items for dumping. You could also use a [[Macros_and_Keymaps#Designation_Dump|dumping macro]] to designate large amounts of stones at once. However, macros do not discriminate between stones and other items, so it is best to use them right after you dig out a new area. Be careful when you mark areas containing cave spider silk for dumping, as dwarves will actually come along and ''destroy'' the webs!
# A dwarf with refuse-hauling will come by, and take the stone to the garbage dump.

* '''Advantage''': No matter how many stones you mark for dumping, they will all be placed on the same tiny garbage tile. So basically, mark all the stones you want dumped and they will be dumped. You are now able to place '''all''' the stones and ores in the fortress on 1 tile.
* '''Disadvantage''':
** Every dumped stone will be marked as "[[Forbidden]]", and will not be used in stone-production. Use the designation 'Reclaim Items' ({{k|d}}-{{k|b}}-{{k|c}}) to reclaim the entire pile. ''(If you want to only use specific stones, you must press {{k|k}}, find the pile, and press {{k|f}} on every stone you want on the list, using {{k|+}}/{{k|-}} to navigate through the list. [[Macros_and_Keymaps|Macros]] may come in handy when employing this method.)''
** Anything else you dump, will end up on those piles too.
** Take care not to lose overview if you use several or temporary dumps.

=== Magma melting ===

If you wish to get rid of the stone permanently, create a magma channel through your fort and mark the edge as a garbage pit. Any stone disposed of will be chucked into the magma, melt, and be gone from your fortress forever. Of course, the disadvantage is that for anything else you mark as garbage will also be lost forever. Another technique to remove stone is to build a stone stockpile in a channeled room. You will want to dig stairs down there to stock the stockpile. You then dig a tunnel to the magma source and flood the room. Not only will it melt the stone but you could then build forges, smelters and what have you in the room above it.

=== Chasm dump ===
If the dwarves are instructed to dump the stone into a garbage zone over bottomless lava or chasm, that stone will fall off the bottom of the map and journey to the center of the Earth.

=== Catapult ===

Build a [[catapult]] (or three), and assign dwarves to keep firing stones into walls, or at [[camel]]s. This destroys the stone and also trains the dwarves in [[Siege operator|siege operating]].

=== Rock chute ===

You can dig a [[channel]], and make a [[zone]] over an adjacent tile. Mark it as a garbage dump, and dwarves will dump stones flagged for dumping down the channel. The stones will end up in the bottom tile.

=== Rock crusher ===

Similar to the rock chute, but build a [[drawbridge]] in the pit and a [[pressure plate]] at the entrance to the chute, linked to the bridge. Make sure you set the pressure plate to trigger on citizens. Alternately, just link it to a [[lever]] and pull it every once in a while. Mark the channel and empty tile as a dump zone. When a stone is dropped, the drawbridge will crush the stone, permanently destroying it. Note: make sure the bridge is '''up''' when stones are dumped down it, or it will fling stone back up the channel. To achieve this, you will need to hook up another lever, and pull it once before any dwarves go on the pressure plate.

Level Z:
=====
==.==
== ==
==^==

Level Z-1:
=====
=BBB=
=BBB=
==D==

. - Channel
= - Wall
^ - Pressure plate
B - Drawbridge - make sure to set to raise while constructing, as opposed to retract.
D - Door - keep locked to avoid accidentally crushing dwarves

=== Making use of stone ===

Use your [[mason]]s to the fullest by creating doors, hatch covers, chairs, tables, coffers, cabinets, and statues. This builds up your mason's skill, and the furniture gives your dwarves good [[thoughts]].

Skilled [[Craftdwarf]]s can produce large quantities of rock crafts very quickly. This trades the problem of tons of stone to the much easier problem of tons of crafts. As long as you have bins, managing a stockpile of finished goods is easy. Crafts can be sold to foreign [[trade]]rs, who have plenty of room for a lot of goods.

You can also use stones (or blocks) to build large structures above ground, and floors over areas such as sand, silt, or loam. The [[construction]] interface might be slow, but not only do you use up the stone from your excavations, but you can also create usable indoor space without having to mine any additional stone.

Building [[trap]]s can use up stone as well. [[Mechanism]]s are also made of stone, and a stone-fall trap requires one mechanism and one stone.

=== Avoiding clutter ===
The easiest way to avoid stone clutter is not to produce it in the first place. Use unskilled miners for initial fortress excavation to reduce the amount of useless stone they create, and don't dig out more than necessary. Produce lots of [[barrel]]s and [[bin]]s to cut down on your need for stockpile space.

However, unskilled miners also have a low chance of creating valuable stones and gems when they dig out a tile. It may require some micromanagement to prevent unskilled miners from wasting potentially valuable materials.

Building in [[soil]], rather than stone, avoids the problem of stone altogether. Soil walls and floors cannot be smoothed, which makes it a bad choice for bedrooms and dining halls.

=== Stone Stockpile ===
'''This is not a recommended method due to space and time requirements.'''

Build a large [[stockpile]] for stone away from your fortress. Dwarves will carry stones out to the stockpile, and they will no longer clutter up your fortress. The stockpile needs to be placed somewhere without stones, because only one stone will be placed per tile, and will result in long hauling trips.

=== Block Stockpile ===
Simply have the stone cut into blocks then stockpiled. As long as you have enough bins, this works quite well, since 10 blocks can be stored in a single bin. Depending on the rate you mine out the fortress, you may need several (Or even a dozen) Mason workshops. Just set them up wherever you want the stone cleared, and have them removed when they are no longer sitting amidst a pile of stone. This will also train up extra masons, which is helpful if you decide to make any large scale constructions.

A word of warning: The maximum number of artifacts your fortress will produce is based on the lowest of two numbers based off of mined out rock, and items produced. If you use this method to mine out a huge area, make sure you're prepared for the artifacts which could skyrocket your wealth very early, leading to [[siege]]s, [[noble]]s, and huge [[immigrant]] waves.

== Reasons for managing stone ==

=== Stockpiles ===
On some stockpiles, you will be unable to use the tiles that contain a stone. It will therefore be a good thing to clear up room for the things you want to stockpile. Alternatively, if the top Z level comprises soil/loam rather than rock, then you can clear it out for stockpiles without worrying about stones filling the new space.

=== Aesthetics ===
Many players find the fortress more enjoyable to look at if it looks nice and uniform. Random stones lying about are clutter which block the view of a tile and prevent stockpiles from being filled. Create smooth clear floor for a leaner, fitter, happier fortress.

=== Not '''Actually''' Necessary ===
You do not need to remove stones at all, since only [[tasked]] rocks will block building sites. Clearing out the fortress for stone is more of a personal priority rather than an essential need or requirement. Remember that there is no such thing as '''excess''' stone to a dwarf. Using the new stocks screen it is also possible to simply 'hide' all of the stones from your view.

[[Category:Guides]]

{{Mining FAQ}}

40d:Stone management

2008-08-29T02:25:35Z

Krumlink: /* Magma melting */

[[Mine]] for long enough and you'll find yourself surrounded with various [[stone]]s and [[ore]]s. How do you get rid of them?

Here follows several '''stone management''' techniques.

== Techniques ==

=== Dump ===
This method is easy and useful. However, it could easily be considered an exploit, and might not work in later versions.{{version|0.27.176.38c}}

# Make a [[zone]] of 1x1 or 1x2 tiles, preferably either near the stones you want to get rid of or your stone-needy [[workshop]]s, and mark it as a garbage dump.
# Press {{k|k}} and find a stone. Press {{k|d}}, and the stone will be marked for dumping. Alternatively, use the stocks menu (faster for mass dumping, but requires some [[bookkeeper]] labor first). You can also use {{k|d}},{{k|b}},{{k|d}} to designate mass items for dumping. You could also use a [[Macros_and_Keymaps#Designation_Dump|dumping macro]] to designate large amounts of stones at once. However, macros do not discriminate between stones and other items, so it is best to use them right after you dig out a new area. Be careful when you mark areas containing cave spider silk for dumping, as dwarves will actually come along and ''destroy'' the webs!
# A dwarf with refuse-hauling will come by, and take the stone to the garbage dump.

* '''Advantage''': No matter how many stones you mark for dumping, they will all be placed on the same tiny garbage tile. So basically, mark all the stones you want dumped and they will be dumped. You are now able to place '''all''' the stones and ores in the fortress on 1 tile.
* '''Disadvantage''':
** Every dumped stone will be marked as "[[Forbidden]]", and will not be used in stone-production. Use the designation 'Reclaim Items' ({{k|d}}-{{k|b}}-{{k|c}}) to reclaim the entire pile. ''(If you want to only use specific stones, you must press {{k|k}}, find the pile, and press {{k|f}} on every stone you want on the list, using {{k|+}}/{{k|-}} to navigate through the list. [[Macros_and_Keymaps|Macros]] may come in handy when employing this method.)''
** Anything else you dump, will end up on those piles too.
** Take care not to lose overview if you use several or temporary dumps.

=== Magma melting ===

If you wish to get rid of the stone permanently, create a magma channel through your fort and mark the edge as a garbage pit. Any stone disposed of will be chucked into the magma, melt, and be gone from your fortress forever. Of course, the disadvantage is that for anything else you mark as garbage will also be lost forever. Another technique to remove stone is to build a stone stockpile in a channeled room. You will want to dig stairs down there to stock the stockpile. You then dig a tunnel to the magma source and flood the room. Not only will it melt the stone but you could then build forges, smelters and what have you in the room above it.

=== Chasm dump ===
If the dwarves are instructed to dump the stone into a garbage zone over bottomless lava or chasm, that stone will fall off the bottom of the map and journey to the center of the Earth.

=== Catapult ===

Build a [[catapult]] (or three), and assign a dwarf (or five) to keep firing stones into walls, or at [[camel]]s. This destroys the stone and also trains dwarves in [[Siege operator|siege operating]].

=== Rock chute ===

You can dig a [[channel]], and make a [[zone]] over an adjacent tile. Mark it as a garbage dump, and dwarves will dump stones flagged for dumping down the channel. The stones will end up in the bottom tile.

=== Rock crusher ===

Similar to the rock chute, but build a [[drawbridge]] in the pit and a [[pressure plate]] at the entrance to the chute, linked to the bridge. Make sure you set the pressure plate to trigger on citizens. Alternately, just link it to a [[lever]] and pull it every once in a while. Mark the channel and empty tile as a dump zone. When a stone is dropped, the drawbridge will crush the stone, permanently destroying it. Note: make sure the bridge is '''up''' when stones are dumped down it, or it will fling stone back up the channel. To achieve this, you will need to hook up another lever, and pull it once before any dwarves go on the pressure plate.

Level Z:
=====
==.==
== ==
==^==

Level Z-1:
=====
=BBB=
=BBB=
==D==

. - Channel
= - Wall
^ - Pressure plate
B - Drawbridge - make sure to set to raise while constructing, as opposed to retract.
D - Door - keep locked to avoid accidentally crushing dwarves

=== Making use of stone ===

Use your [[mason]]s to the fullest by creating doors, hatch covers, chairs, tables, coffers, cabinets, and statues. This builds up your mason's skill, and the furniture gives your dwarves good [[thoughts]].

Skilled [[Craftdwarf]]s can produce large quantities of rock crafts very quickly. This trades the problem of tons of stone to the much easier problem of tons of crafts. As long as you have bins, managing a stockpile of finished goods is easy. Crafts can be sold to foreign [[trade]]rs, who have plenty of room for a lot of goods.

You can also use stones (or blocks) to build large structures above ground, and floors over areas such as sand, silt, or loam. The [[construction]] interface might be slow, but not only do you use up the stone from your excavations, but you can also create usable indoor space without having to mine any additional stone.

Building [[trap]]s can use up stone as well. [[Mechanism]]s are also made of stone, and a stone-fall trap requires one mechanism and one stone.

=== Avoiding clutter ===
The easiest way to avoid stone clutter is not to produce it in the first place. Use unskilled miners for initial fortress excavation to reduce the amount of useless stone they create, and don't dig out more than necessary. Produce lots of [[barrel]]s and [[bin]]s to cut down on your need for stockpile space.

However, unskilled miners also have a low chance of creating valuable stones and gems when they dig out a tile. It may require some micromanagement to prevent unskilled miners from wasting potentially valuable materials.

Building in [[soil]], rather than stone, avoids the problem of stone altogether. Soil walls and floors cannot be smoothed, which makes it a bad choice for bedrooms and dining halls.

=== Stone Stockpile ===
'''This is not a recommended method due to space and time requirements.'''

Build a large [[stockpile]] for stone away from your fortress. Dwarves will carry stones out to the stockpile, and they will no longer clutter up your fortress. The stockpile needs to be placed somewhere without stones, because only one stone will be placed per tile, and will result in long hauling trips.

=== Block Stockpile ===
Simply have the stone cut into blocks then stockpiled. As long as you have enough bins, this works quite well, since 10 blocks can be stored in a single bin. Depending on the rate you mine out the fortress, you may need several (Or even a dozen) Mason workshops. Just set them up wherever you want the stone cleared, and have them removed when they are no longer sitting amidst a pile of stone. This will also train up extra masons, which is helpful if you decide to make any large scale constructions.

A word of warning: The maximum number of artifacts your fortress will produce is based on the lowest of two numbers based off of mined out rock, and items produced. If you use this method to mine out a huge area, make sure you're prepared for the artifacts which could skyrocket your wealth very early, leading to [[siege]]s, [[noble]]s, and huge [[immigrant]] waves.

== Reasons for managing stone ==

=== Stockpiles ===
On some stockpiles, you will be unable to use the tiles that contain a stone. It will therefore be a good thing to clear up room for the things you want to stockpile. Alternatively, if the top Z level comprises soil/loam rather than rock, then you can clear it out for stockpiles without worrying about stones filling the new space.

=== Aesthetics ===
Many players find the fortress more enjoyable to look at if it looks nice and uniform. Random stones lying about are clutter which block the view of a tile and prevent stockpiles from being filled. Create smooth clear floor for a leaner, fitter, happier fortress.

=== Not '''Actually''' Necessary ===
You do not need to remove stones at all, since only [[tasked]] rocks will block building sites. Clearing out the fortress for stone is more of a personal priority rather than an essential need or requirement. Remember that there is no such thing as '''excess''' stone to a dwarf. Using the new stocks screen it is also possible to simply 'hide' all of the stones from your view.

[[Category:Guides]]

{{Mining FAQ}}

40d:Your first fortress

2008-08-28T17:12:50Z

Krumlink: /* Location, Location, Location */

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. 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. The engine will then start to create a random world for you. You might notice that worlds are rejected before the engine continues with rivers and lakes. The rejections are normal engine behaviour, since it rejects the random generated world if it doesn't meet certain criteria.

Generating a random world with the standard template may take a long time on most machines. If you want to jump right into playing, you should probably choose Design New World with Parameters instead of Create New World Now! and pick a small or pocket-sized world instead of a standard-sized world.

(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]]

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.

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:

# [[Temperature]], amount of [[tree]]s, amount of [[plant]]s, and a hint at the sort of [[Animal|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 only true for the exact center of the local area.
#* You'll notice that the local area includes some trees and plants on the edges, which is often all you need.
#* To get more information about the non-mountain areas you can press {{k|F1}} {{k|F2}} {{k|F3}} or {{k|F4}} to view the different types of [[biomes]].
# Nearby [[civilization]]s that are capable of interacting with you. Other settlements are shown with various symbols on the regional map.
#* 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 <i>without</i> dwarves {{ver|0.27.176.38c}}
#*You'll want to trade with [[human]]s and [[elves]] if possible.
#*[[Goblin]]s mean trouble, but it's hard to avoid them without hiding on an island and you will be attacked by Goblins some point in the game anyway. Just don't set up your first fortress right on top of a goblin fort.
# Your dwarven civilization. Your choice of civilization will affect what goods are available for [[trade]]. However, all civilizations will offer a full range of essential goods, so you can ignore this for now.
# Relative [[elevation]]. This is a normal topographic map that you're used to from real-life maps.
# [[Slope]] steepness. This shows you where large cliffs are.
# These final two modes let you guess at the shape of the land. 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.

==== 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.
* Running water = permanent source of water. Lakes and pools have a finite amount of water and may dry out.
* A temperate climate is one that experiences all four seasons. '''Scorching''' 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.

* Try to stay away from locations that are labeled "terrifying." Also, starting out in the middle of a goblin fortress is 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!

The following are things you'll probably want to ensure you have access to for a mature fortress:

* A [[Sedimentary layer]] - lets face it, a dwarven fortress without iron is going to have it pretty rough if it intends to make a military. And while hematite can occur in some igneous layers, magnetite and limonite only occur in sedimentary, and magnetite occurs in much greater quantities than the other two. Further, you will have no access to coal without sedimentary rocks, and if you chose a site without magma you will need coal to have a smoothly running metal industry - burning trees for fuel is less efficient and while manageable if you have lots of wood, it is more burdensome.
* [[Flux]] - marble, dolomite, limestone, and chalk are all layer forming stones and will show up on the embark screen as a stone layer. The last 3 are also sedimentary - nifty! Calcite, the only other flux stone, only appears within other flux stones. If you don't see one of these layers, you won't have flux, and your ability to produce steel will be extremely limited.
* [[Sand]] - you'll need it to make glass. You cannot trade for sand, nor can you trade for raw glass. Sand also means you have soil, which removes the need for irrigation to start farming.

==== 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 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|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 ===

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

* Proficient [[Miner]]/Novice [[Judge of intent]]/Novice [[Appraiser]]/Competent [[Gem setter]]. This dwarf will tend to be chosen as leader (who is also a counselor of sorts) and will also be your trader, manager and bookkeeper. Whenever he has time, he will also work as miner, and later on he will decorate your goods with gems.
* Proficient [[Miner]]/Proficient [[Mason]]
* Proficient [[Woodcutter]]/Proficient [[Carpenter]]
* Proficient [[Grower]]/Proficient [[Herbalist]]. If you know how underground farming works, you might want to combine a Proficient [[Grower]] with a [[Craftsdwarf|stonecrafter]], [[bone carver]], [[glassmaker]] or [[clothier]] instead to produce items of value for trade. A herbalist is useful for acquiring above ground seeds mostly and food output from farming is more than generous.
* Proficient [[Building designer]]/Proficient [[Mechanic]]
* Proficient [[Weaponsmith]]/Proficient [[Armorsmith]]. If you ever plan to equip dwarves with weapons and armor, you'll need a dwarf skilled at these.
* Proficient [[Brewer]]/Proficient [[Cook]]. A skilled cook makes high quality food. High quality food keeps your dwarves happy, which makes the game a lot easier.

The total cost of the skills above is 480☼, but it is worth the cost: Once you start the fortress, skills will be much more difficult to get than valuable goods.

Here's a suggestion of what skills to take. For food safety one may prefer a [[fisherdwarf]]/[[fish cleaner]] to the [[weaponsmith]]/[[armorsmith]], but it's hardly necessary. You can also chose a lesser degree of skill for the building designer, as this skill only improves work speed and isn't as necessary in the long run.

=== Items ===

You have 1580☼ to spend on items to take along. If some of these things aren't available, skip over them for now and get the rest. We'll take care of them later.

If an item is not on the list, you will need to add it to the list by pressing {{k|n}}, finding the desired item, and pressing {{k|Enter}}.

* You'll need two [[copper]] [[pick]]s, which cost 20☼ each (40☼ total), for your miners. The material doesn't affect mining speed.
* Also, a [[battle axe]] will be needed for woodcutting. Since the only possible 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 or any other fish, you will get bones and shells when they are consumed, though you won't if you cook them.
** 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 dwarves happy, since a given dwarf might have a preference as to what kind of booze he drinks, and his favorite one will make him happier. Don't worry about this too much.
* You need [[seed]]s, which are 1☼ each:
** 25 [[plump helmet spawn]]. Plump helmets will likely be your main crop, as they are easy to grow, and, if you brew them then cook the wine, they give as much food as anything else. However, many players consider this cheating. Real dwarves don't eat biscuits made only out of wine.
** 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.
** [[Cat]]s have advantages and disadvantages that the player must weigh carefully. They cost 11☼ each.
***Cats are by far the most effective way of killing [[vermin]], preventing unhappy [[thought]]s. However, they will leave vermin corpses lying around your fortress which can produce clouds of [[miasma]]. This can be controlled if the user simply sets up the [[refuse]] [[stockpile]] in a room with a [[door]].
***Cats cannot be assigned owners. They will choose an owner randomly. A cat with an owner cannot be killed without the owner throwing a [[tantrum]]. This is especially troublesome as the cat population escalates.
***Cats breed quickly with several offspring. One solution is to kill all female cats before they select an owner. This is not as easy as it sounds for a novice player, and it may also necessitate killing immigrants that arrive with a female cat to prevent a tantrum. A perhaps more productive solution is to take advantage of their multiplication, putting kittens into a [[cage]] quickly after birth and [[butchering]] them as needed to feed the dwarves.
* If you have followed the above exactly, you'll have 763☼ 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 63☼. 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 2 horses or camels to breed.

While you need an anvil for metalsmithing, you don't have to take it here, since the dwarven [[caravan]] may bring one in [[autumn]] of the first year, and you'll easily be able to make 1000☼ in trade goods before then. If they don't have one, you can request it for next year, or wait for the humans to arrive and buy or order one from them.

==== What if something's not on the list? ====

Since some civilizations don't have certain materials or items, some things may not be available. If so, any food and drink will do. You can survive with only plump helmets and what you gather, so it's not critical to get certain kinds of seeds. Just grab a few of whatever's available in case you want to use them. In the case of picks, any material will do, just get the cheapest available. If picks or axes are missing completely, you can simply make them from raw materials when you arrive.

In order to do this, you'll need a bar of metal (preferably copper or iron), and a block of any material. You'll also need an [[iron]] [[anvil]], which costs 1000☼ to take. You can use these along with the starting wood to make a [[wood furnace]], turn your wood into coal, then deconstruct the wood furnace and make a [[forge]]. Make a pick at the forge, and use it to mine some ore. Deconstruct the forge to make a [[smelter]] and smelt the ore into a bar. Then build the forge once more and make your axe, which you can use to get more wood. Of course, you can simplify the process by just taking a second bar of metal with you.

If not even an anvil is available, you'll have to wait for the human [[caravan]] to bring one. If they don't have it the first time they come, be sure to request anvils so they'll bring one next year.

=== [[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 name like "The Bloody Anus of Angels." And we hope you don't want that.

== 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 {{k|Enter}} to start marking where to dig. You need to hit enter twice, to mark two corners of a rectangular area.

* 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, though, so if you don't mine your rooms out of stone, you'll need to create a mining area elsewhere to get stone.

* <del>Dwarves</del> Sane dwarves live underground, of course, 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 you can only dig [[upward stairway]]s and [[up/down stairway]]s in squares that have not already been dug out, since you are carving the stairs out of the earth that's there.

=== 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 delay the [[Wear|rotting]] of food. Don't create a [[stone stockpile]] yet, as this will cause your dwarves to get bogged down with hauling. 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.

* Move all stockpiles inside as soon as possible for most things will eventually [[rot]] outside but never inside. Make sure your refuse stockpile is then separated by a door or even an airlock-like double door (-->[[Miasma]]).

* 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 most 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.

* In order to get the worshops actually built, the Mason must do his job. If he's also miner (as proposed above), it's necessary to switch off "Mining" for him, else he won't build something and instead continue mining.

* 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.
** The answer to the question, "is fishing high priority," (which was asked here) depends on what kind of priority you mean. If you mean "do dwarves fish instead of other tasks," yes, fishing is very high priority.

* 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 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 wood. These are needed to heal any injured dwarf.

* 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 {{k|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, on the floor if there aren't enough beds. You may prefer to make a separate room for it, though this is not necessary.


* 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'' retrieve some surface-grown plants 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. This is recommended for beginning players if possible. 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 in the Autumn of the first year. You need to have an accessible [[Trade depot]] to trade, though if you don't have one when they arrive the dwarf merchants will wait at the map edge for one to be built. Your outpost leader will meet with the [[liaison]] and discuss what to bring for the next year. This meeting can take place anywhere on the map, but the office seems to be preferred. Traders with horses or camels and the like can reach pretty much any place that hasn't been locked or isn't up or down stairs. Dwarven and human wagons are a little more tricky sometimes, they need a 3 tile path. Once a trade depot is built, you can press {{k|D}} (shift-d) to check wagon access. The green "W" squares show where a wagon can go; if the screen says "Depot accessible", then wagons will be able to reach your depot.

You may be a bit light on things to trade. If you have any leftover [[mechanism]]s, send 'em in; they're worth a good penny, especially if they're of better quality. You can also build a [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]] and make stone crafts for trading if you brought a skilled stonecrafter with you. If you have any high quality cooked meals and feel that you are well stocked on food you may consider selling that, but don't underestimate the first wave of [[immigrant]]s.

If you have managed to kill any invaders, many of them wear silk clothes that don't fit dwarves. These can be worth hauling long distances - one pair of "Giant cave spider" socks, or the like can pay for an anvil

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.

If the broker doesn't have enough skill at Appraising, you won't be able to see item prices - only weights (marked with the gamma symbol on the standard font) and some guesswork might be needed to find out what will be accepted for what.

What to buy? An anvil if you don't have one. Logs, crops, booze, cheap meat, cheap raw materials you can process. Any general, cheap supplies you need. Do not buy cheese or giant cave spider silk for now - they're very expensive and not worth the bother. However, if you are in an area that cannot produce steel, and you can pay for it, you may wish to start ordering [[steel]] and/or steel ingredients now.

Each level of asking for an item increases the prices by 20%, on average, so while if you pay the max amount you will almost certainly get the item, and lots of it, you'll be paying twice the normal value.

== 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 [[well]] 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.
* 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.
* Plant some [[pigtail]]s to make [[cloth]]. You'll need a [[farmer's workshop]], a [[loom]], and a [[clothier's shop]].
* Draft a couple dwarves, and start a fortress [[military]].
* Hunt for iron, gold, and gems with some [[exploratory mining]].

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}}

40d:Ettin

2008-07-23T04:14:27Z

Krumlink:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Ettin|symbol=E|color={{COLOR:6:0:1}}|butcher=no|
bones=12|chunks=N/A|meat=N/A|fat=N/A|skulls=1{{verify}}
|skin=N/A| biome=
* Any land
}}

A [[giant]] two headed monster. Found mainly in [[cave]]s. [[Mayor]]s or other town leaders may want them slain in [[quest]]s.
They attack with [[wrestling]], and due to their [[size]], they are capable of doing some serious [[damage]].

It can take quite a few unarmed recruits to take down a Ettin.

[[Image:ettin.jpg]]

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:ETTIN]
[NAME:ettin:ettins:ettin]
[TILE:'E'][COLOR:6:0:1]
[SEMIMEGABEAST]
[GENPOWER:5]
[BUTCHERABLE_NONSTANDARD]
[FANCIFUL]
[CAN_LEARN][CAN_SPEAK]
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]
[CANOPENDOORS]
[PREFSTRING:arguing heads]
[BODY:HUMANOID_2HEAD:2EYES:2EARS:NOSE:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:HUMANOID_JOINTS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:5FINGERS:5TOES:MOUTH]
[SIZE:12]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:punch:punches:1:2:BLUDGEON][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[ATTACK:SECOND:BYTYPE:MOUTH:bite:bites:1:1:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
[CHILD:12][BABY:1][MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE]
[FAT:8]
[EQUIPS]
[DIURNAL]
[BIOME:ANY_LAND]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
[LAYERING:10]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Humanoids]]

40d:Ettin

2008-07-23T04:14:10Z

Krumlink:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Ettin|symbol=E|color={{COLOR:6:0:1}}|butcher=no|
bones=12|chunks=N/A|meat=N/A|fat=N/A|skulls=1{{verify}}
|skin=N/A| biome=
* Any land
}}

A [[giant]] two headed monster. Found mainly in [[cave]]s. [[Mayor]]s or other town leaders may want them slain in [[quest]]s. They attack with [[wrestling]], and due to their [[size]], they are capable of doing some serious [[damage]].

It can take quite a few unarmed recruits to take down a Ettin.

[[Image:ettin.jpg]]

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:ETTIN]
[NAME:ettin:ettins:ettin]
[TILE:'E'][COLOR:6:0:1]
[SEMIMEGABEAST]
[GENPOWER:5]
[BUTCHERABLE_NONSTANDARD]
[FANCIFUL]
[CAN_LEARN][CAN_SPEAK]
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]
[CANOPENDOORS]
[PREFSTRING:arguing heads]
[BODY:HUMANOID_2HEAD:2EYES:2EARS:NOSE:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:HUMANOID_JOINTS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:5FINGERS:5TOES:MOUTH]
[SIZE:12]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:punch:punches:1:2:BLUDGEON][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[ATTACK:SECOND:BYTYPE:MOUTH:bite:bites:1:1:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
[CHILD:12][BABY:1][MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE]
[FAT:8]
[EQUIPS]
[DIURNAL]
[BIOME:ANY_LAND]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
[LAYERING:10]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Humanoids]]

40d:Ettin

2008-07-14T07:41:25Z

Krumlink:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Ettin|symbol=E|color={{COLOR:6:0:1}}|butcher=no|
bones=12|chunks=N/A|meat=N/A|fat=N/A|skulls=1{{verify}}
|skin=N/A| biome=
* Any land
}}

A [[giant]] two headed monster. Found mainly in [[cave]]s. [[Mayor]]s or other town leaders may want them slain in [[quest]]s.

They attack with [[wrestling]], and due to their [[size]], they are capable of doing some serious [[damage]].

It can take quite a few unarmed recruits to take down a Ettin.

[[Image:ettin.jpg]]

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:ETTIN]
[NAME:ettin:ettins:ettin]
[TILE:'E'][COLOR:6:0:1]
[SEMIMEGABEAST]
[GENPOWER:5]
[BUTCHERABLE_NONSTANDARD]
[FANCIFUL]
[CAN_LEARN][CAN_SPEAK]
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]
[CANOPENDOORS]
[PREFSTRING:arguing heads]
[BODY:HUMANOID_2HEAD:2EYES:2EARS:NOSE:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:HUMANOID_JOINTS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:5FINGERS:5TOES:MOUTH]
[SIZE:12]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:punch:punches:1:2:BLUDGEON][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[ATTACK:SECOND:BYTYPE:MOUTH:bite:bites:1:1:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
[CHILD:12][BABY:1][MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE]
[FAT:8]
[EQUIPS]
[DIURNAL]
[BIOME:ANY_LAND]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
[LAYERING:10]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Humanoids]]

File:Ettin.jpg

2008-07-14T07:40:46Z

Krumlink:

40d:Ettin

2008-07-14T07:40:33Z

Krumlink:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Ettin|symbol=E|color={{COLOR:6:0:1}}|butcher=no|
bones=12|chunks=N/A|meat=N/A|fat=N/A|skulls=1{{verify}}
|skin=N/A| biome=
* Any land
}}

A [[giant]] two headed monster. Found mainly in [[cave]]s. [[Mayor]]s or other town leaders may want them slain in [[quest]]s.

They attack with [[wrestling]], and due to their [[size]], they are capable of doing some serious [[damage]].

It can take quite a few unarmed recruits to take down a Ettin.
[[Image:ettin.jpg]]

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:ETTIN]
[NAME:ettin:ettins:ettin]
[TILE:'E'][COLOR:6:0:1]
[SEMIMEGABEAST]
[GENPOWER:5]
[BUTCHERABLE_NONSTANDARD]
[FANCIFUL]
[CAN_LEARN][CAN_SPEAK]
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]
[CANOPENDOORS]
[PREFSTRING:arguing heads]
[BODY:HUMANOID_2HEAD:2EYES:2EARS:NOSE:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:HUMANOID_JOINTS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:5FINGERS:5TOES:MOUTH]
[SIZE:12]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:punch:punches:1:2:BLUDGEON][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[ATTACK:SECOND:BYTYPE:MOUTH:bite:bites:1:1:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
[CHILD:12][BABY:1][MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE]
[FAT:8]
[EQUIPS]
[DIURNAL]
[BIOME:ANY_LAND]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
[LAYERING:10]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Humanoids]]