Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

Immigration

2023-01-01T09:06:57Z

Nakage: /* Limiting/preventing immigration */ Forgot quotes. Added italics.

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
:''"Migration" redirects here. This article is about people migrating into your fortress, for the opposite see [[emigration]].''
[[File:immigrants_v50_anim.gif|thumb|208px|right|Migrants emerging out of the map's edge.]]'''Immigration''' is the process of people from another [[site]] of your home [[civilization]] moving into your [[fortress]]. As the fortress prospers, migrants will be attracted in larger numbers, these will arrive in groups once per [[season]]. In the early seasons after establishing the outpost, a smaller migrant group of 2-10 arrives, followed by a large group in the low double digits in the second spring one year after embarking. A notification will be received upon arrival, the migrant group will spawn at the edge of the map and proceed to march into your fortress and to the nearest meeting hall.

Migrants come from all walks of life; from historical figures and skilled craftsdwarves, to unwashed refugees fleeing the horrors of the land. Each group will often include such things as [[child]]ren and domestic animals, including both [[pet]]s and stray livestock - be prepared with adequate [[food]], [[alcohol|drink]], and [[bed]]s, among other things.

The player can also initiate immigration by requesting workers from their [[holding]]s, and by accepting [[petition]]s for residency from [[visitors]] from nearby civilizations. Note that the migrant [[population]] must be managed carefully, as if it's too low, there might not be enough people available to maintain the fortress and its defenses, and if it's too high, the fortress may not be able to support your population, leaving them to the mercy of hunger, marauding raiders, and worse. However, migration waves are generally a good thing — if you're prepared for them.

== Skills and [[labor]] preferences ==
Each migrant can arrive with a wide collection of often unrelated skills, far greater than possible with one of the [[starting build|starting 7 dwarves]], and [[experience]] levels as high as Legendary. Any and all skills might be represented, including obscure military skills (like [[blowgunner]]), high levels of one or more [[social skill]]s, [[crutch walker]], [[concentration]] and others - it's even possible to have dwarves with skills that may not be obtainable in fortress mode, like [[tracker|tracking]] or [[Pike_(weapon)|pikedwarf]]. However, Immigrant skills are influenced by your fortress' needs — migrants with skills your fortress uses a lot, or that your fortress does not have at all, are more likely to show up at your gates. Important skills (mining, food production, and basic crafting, according to Toady) are weighed more heavily than other skills.[http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_12_transcript.html Source] {{dot}} [http://www.bay12games.com/media/Dwarf_Fortress_Talk_12.mp3 MP3]

Migrants may also arrive with equipment matching their skills; for example, a miner migrant may bring a [[pick]] with them. Migrants may arrive with all labors except [[hauling]], [[cleaning]], recovering wounded, and caring for wounded disabled, depending on the settings one has entered into [[d_init.txt]].

Some immigrants are [[historical figure]]s. These immigrants come to your fortress with skills representing their history, or wounds that they have suffered during [[world generation]]. They may even be [[vampire]]s or [[werebeast]]s.

==Limiting/preventing immigration==
[[File:immigration_preview.png|thumb|280px|right|Immigrants from the Colonial Era.]]In v0.50.01 and above, the game tab under the settings menu lists a ''"Population Cap"'' setting which immediately prevents further immigration once at the desired number. This includes the two hardcoded migrant waves, but does not include babies. There is also a ''"Strict Population Cap"'' setting which prevents both immigration and babies when reached. Both can be violated by a few special cases, such as the arrival of a [[monarch]]. Keep in mind that adjusting the population caps do not adjust population requirements (such as 80 to get a king). Such requirements can be modified in the game's advanced difficulty settings for your fortress.

The number of migrants depends on the [[wealth|created wealth]] of your fortress and is affected by your dwarves' activities. Note that if your fortress should ever become a mountainhome, you will receive an additional migration wave with the promotion, regardless of your population cap. The number of migrants is affected by how far below the population cap your fortress is. If your fortress is one dwarf short of the cap, you will receive a single migrant (if any). Also note that population cap will not remove dwarves from an existing fortress but will prevent new ones from immigrating or being born.

It is worth noting that you need a certain minimum population size before any of your dwarves will experience [[strange mood]]s.

To reiterate, the population cap is a (mostly) hard limit on the number of dwarves in your fortress. If you want a fortress with 50 dwarves, simply set the ''"Population Cap"'' and ''"Strict Population Cap"'' settings in the game tab to 50.

==Immigration mechanics==
The date on which immigrants appear in a season is determined at the start of that season, but the number of immigrants and their skills are determined when the migrant wave arrives. Typically there are two migrant waves that will appear no matter what (referred to as hardcoded waves) in the first two seasons. There is never a migration in the first winter - literally not even a {{DFtext|The fortress attracted no migrants this season|6:0:0}} message.

After the first two hardcoded waves, migrants will not arrive until the fortress has accumulated enough wealth, which must be reported by visitors such as merchants. A trade does not have to happen.

Migrant skill levels seem to depend on the size of the home civilization; a difference will be noticed if you picked a dwarven civilization that was not well-established (few towns or none) compared to a well-established one.

The two hardcoded waves may not show up for a while if the fort does not start on the 15th day of Granite. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up at all, such as if it were blocked by a siege, or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}}

In rare cases, your civilization may undergo a [[War#Civil_war| civil war]]. If this is the case, no immigrants will join your fort after the two hardcoded waves.

===Migrant wave sizes===
The first two migrant waves have a minimum size of 1, if a wave member has a relative in your group already, and a maximum size of 10. The size of these waves is unaffected by fortress wealth, danger, or even the extinction of their home civilization. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up, like if it was blocked by a siege or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}} The third migrant wave and on are influenced by the [[wealth|created wealth]] of the fortress, with more wealth attracting more immigrants (more research is needed to determine specifics) - specifically, influenced by the fortress wealth as reported by the last outgoing dwarven [[caravan]]. Wealth created after the caravan leaves has no influence until the next year's caravan leaves. If the caravan fails to make it out, then the fortress' wealth is not reported. If the dwarven [[liaison]] makes it out, but the caravan does not, the liaison does not report on fortress wealth.

Imported wealth, caravan sales figures, absolute caravan profit and caravan profit margin either have no effect on migration numbers, or only have an effect by applying a percent modification to the numbers driven by created wealth. If a fortress manages to [[trading|trade]] (not offer) away 100% of its created wealth, then no immigrants will come the next season. More research is needed to determine if the statistics have any influence on migration numbers.

One factor which is known to affect migrant wave size is the total size of your fortress's {{k|u}}nits list (all 4 categories), which consists of dwarves, invaders, merchants, and animals which either died or currently live at your fortress. As this number increases, the maximum size of migrant waves will be reduced: starting at a local population of 1000, migrant wave sizes are limited to 10, and at subsequent levels of 1300, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2200, 2400, 2600, 2800, and 2900, the limit is decreased by 1, and once you reach a local population of 3000 you will cease to get migrants at all.

The DFHack command fix/dead-units can clear uninteresting (unnamed) dead units from the units list and allow migrants to arrive again, if this is what is keeping them away.

The largest wave size reported to date is [http://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/q580c/hole_shit 77] [https://archive.is/Wbp37/a5dc158a51bc238bc9441f06c10a3540eac8124c.png archive]

==Fortress Failure Migration==
If a fortress is abandoned during [[unhappy]], [[insanity|stark raving mad]] times, the citizens can migrate to your new fortress ''still'' stark raving mad (berserk possibly, further looking into required). Likewise, if your fortress happened to have any [[husk]]s around when it was abandoned, some of them may also migrate to your new fortress.

==Deterring migrants==

A different message for migrant arrivals will be triggered depending on your fortress' dangerousness & happiness. That number is not actually a death count, but some sort of composite "fear" value determined by adding up a bunch of sources and dividing them by various amounts. It is currently not exactly known what those sources are, but at least one of them is a death count. 0-9 is normal, 10+ is "danger" or "dangerous", and 50+ is "cursed death trap" or "tomb".

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Some migrants arrival)
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their miserable tomb.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (One migrant arrival)
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place.
|-
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrant Refusal)
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed miserable death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed unhappy death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this miserable hellhole.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed miserable death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed unhappy death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a miserable hellhole this season.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrants Refusal)
|-
|''The fortress attracted no migrants this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and miserable fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to this unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too wary to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey.
|-
|''Others were too wary to make the journey.
|}

==Expelling migrants==
Undesirable migrants can be selected for "[[emigration]]" from their individual preferences screen. To do this: Select the dwarf through the citizen list, view their Preferences, and press e to Expel. You will be prompted to confirm, and they will leave the fortress.

==Adventure mode==
In certain locations in [[adventure mode]], you may come across a [[Army|Migrating Group]] - for instance, near any recently [[abandon]]ed [[fortress]]; choosing to travel to the group will allow you to talk to the members of the former fortress as they travel back to dwarven civilization.

==Bugs==
Some migrants will be incorrectly listed as babies or children, when they are not in the expected age range for those categories. This will automatically fix itself when they have their next birthday. {{verify| Is still a bug? Cannot find an entry for it on mantis}}

If your fortress does not have a meeting hall, you might have a situation where a single migrant cannot find the fort and just stands at the edge of the map, not moving at all. You may notice that, even if more migrants are part of the wave, they cannot enter the map (and do not show up on the units screen) until this migrant moves out of the square, as all migrants in a single wave must enter the map through this square.

==The Migrant Tier List==
{{D for Dwarf}}

When a migrant wave arrives, players should stop what they are doing and check the migrants' skills to see what they may offer to their fortress.

Here, migrants are sorted into tiers, ordered by usefulness to a mid-to-high-level fort. Do note that even F-tier migrants can be useful if a player decides to make them so, and of course, any migrant can find employment as a [[haul]]er or a [[soldier]] or may train useful skills over time.

"Valuable" skills can be sorted into three categories - those that produce better-[[quality]] items, those that perform tasks faster or more efficiently, and those that simply ''cannot'' be done unskilled, such as medical tasks. Remember that, when the dust clears, the most valuable skill a dwarf can have is the one that your fortress needs the most.

==== Valued Migrants (A) ====
Some skills are central to most fortresses, either by improving the quality of critical items or by providing irreplaceable services. These migrants can improve a fort simply by showing up. ''Also known as "can I give them a [[mood]], please?"''.

*[[Weaponsmith]]s: Speak softly, but carry a [[war hammer|big stick]]. If you have an excess of [[weapon]]s, weaponsmiths can also be used to make extremely high value [[trap components]].

*[[Armorsmith]]s: Perhaps even more useful than weaponsmiths.

*[[Soldier]]s: Who doesn’t need extra <s>meat shields</s> dwarfpower? If you don't have any soldiers yet, you can form a militia, and if your militia is already well-developed, they can act as reservists, in case something [[Fun]] happens to the militia.

*[[Grower]]s: Skilled growers can improve farm efficiency exponentially, as one skilled grower can easily outperform more than a dozen unskilled laborers (see the article for more information), freeing them for other tasks. A true force multiplier.

*[[Mechanic]]s: High-quality [[mechanism]]s don't jam when used in traps, and make great trade goods.

*[[Cook]]s: Will quickly boost your fortress's value, and dwarves just adore fine meals, keeping up morale.

==== Good Migrants (B) ====
Put these dwarves to work, they have much to contribute. ''Also known as "stalwarts of the fort"''.

*[[Miner]]s: Always helpful, unless your fortress is ''very'' well developed - a high mining skill can also be useful in combat.

*[[Carpenter]]s: Like blacksmiths, but they use [[wood]] instead of metal. Only source of quality [[bed]]s and some newer items, like [[display case]]s and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s. Also, only leather shields are lighter than wood. Wooden [[trap components]] can also be useful as a trade good if other industries have not been developed yet.

*[[Mason]]s: Most fortresses cannot afford to make every piece of furniture out of metal or wood - stone is the traditional dwarven option, though it is a bit lacking in value as a material.

*[[Stonecrafter]]s: Making [[finished goods|trade goods]] for the caravan out of [[stone]] is a great way to kick-start trade, since [[metal]] and [[wood]] are often needed elsewhere. And real dwarves drink out of [[goblet|≡stone mugs≡]], not glass goblets or wooden cups or whatever.

*[[Engraver]]s: Engraving is not usually needed in a new fort but is a huge boost in value and good thoughts in a mature one. A good engraver can smooth and detail a large [[room]] in ''minutes'', shooting its [[Room#Quality|quality]] sky-high, while a novice might take hours. Novice engravers also can take quite a while to train.

*[[Brewer]]s: Should be obvious. Alcohol does not have a quality level, but the increase in production speed skilled brewers provide is never unwelcome.

*[[Healthcare]]: Skilled medical dwarves are irreplaceable for trying to save that one beloved soldier.

*[[Furnace operator]]s: While bars do not have quality levels, highly skilled furnace operators are essential for producing enough metal for your metal industry.

*[[Wood burner]]s: Similarly, unless your map has coal or you zipline the 100+ z-levels to magma, your furnaces are going to need a lot of charcoal.

*[[Leatherworker]]s: [[Leather]] can craft certain items that cannot be created sensibly with any other material, such as [[backpack]]s, [[quiver]]s, [[flask|waterskins]], and lightweight [[shield]]s (for all) and [[armor]] (for Hunters). Unless, of course, you are using [[adamantine]].

==== Niche Migrants (C) ====
These migrants can be useful, but usually only in very specific cases, or for only a few tasks - if your fortress is focusing in that area, they fit in the above category, but if not, then they are just as valuable as peasants (see next category). ''Also known as "it ain't much, but it's honest work"''.

*[[Blacksmith]]s: These dwarves make [[metal]] (not just [[iron]]) [[furniture]] and other large products, including valuable metal [[statue]]s, which can boost the value of rooms and improve morale-how else are you going to immortalize your militia's valiant battle against that ferocious [[Titan|forest titan]]?

*[[Metalcrafter]]s: You may not want to fill the next caravan with *[[silver]] mugs* and other metal [[finished goods]], but making ≡gold [[chain]]s)≡ for your guard animals and exotic pets is pretty dwarfy.

* [[Weaver]]s, [[Clothier]]s: the textile industry is needed to supply your fort with [[thread]], [[cloth]] and [[clothes]], producing essential bags and ropes, materials for bandages and suturing, and preventing bad thoughts from dwarves whose clothes rot off their bodies (and cannot be reliably replaced with what the caravans bring).

* [[Miller]]s, [[Shearer]]s, [[Thresher]]s: none of these labors have quality levels, but the increase in production speed can be highly profitable for a [[flour]] or [[textile industry]].

*[[Glassmaker]]s, [[Potter]]s, and [[Glazer]]s: You've either got sand/clay (and care about it), or you don't. Glassmakers can produce a wide variety of products, such as [[crafts]], [[furniture]], [[trap component|large weapons for traps]] and [[screw pump]]s, out of glass, and these products are often worth much more than their stone/wood counterparts. Potters are less versatile, but can also make valuable products for a decently low manufacturing price. Glazers complement potters and are needed to make their pots airtight and waterproof, allowing for liquid storage, and a good glaze job can add a lot of value to a product. Note that glassmakers and potters require [[sand]] or [[clay]] (respectively), and in large quantities to be truly effective, but these resources are basically infinite on embarks that contain them.

*[[Gem cutter]]s and [[Gem setter]]s: They just do not produce as much value as you would expect unless the gem cutter is of a high enough skill level. Training gem cutters so they do not waste your rough valuable gems with poor cuts is also quite tedious. Even then, [[gem]]s are only useful for moods, decorations, or as a trade good. As for gem setters, [[encrust]]ing is notoriously finicky, since the item to be decorated cannot be specified. So your gem setter will probably end up slapping your Masterwork cabochon cut [[diamond]]s on a [[barrel]], or something.

*[[Herbalist]]s: Herbology can be a wonderful way to kick-start an above-ground farm, or at least keep your food and booze supply nice and varied. Even dwarves can get sick of drinking the same old [[plump helmet|mushroom]] wine.

*[[Beekeeper]]s, [[Wax worker]]s, and [[Presser]]s: Beekeeping is [[Beekeeping industry|interesting]], but it isn't possible in [[biome]]s that lack [[honey bee]]s (and note that [[bumblebee]]s cannot be<s>e</s> domesticated). If you do get a beekeeping business going, wax workers and pressers become viable as well, since they use the products of beekeeping in their labors; otherwise, they are basically useless.

*[[Hunter]]s: They usually come with a good [[marksdwarf]] skill, but immediately go hunting as soon as they are able to, causing possible [[fun]]. They can be useful if managed properly, and are definitely entertaining to watch, but it may be advantageous to just rely on your [[military]] for hunting game, since [[squad]]s can be controlled more finely than hunters and are probably less likely to get themselves injured in the process.

*[[Fisherdwarf|Fisherdwarves]], [[Fish cleaner]]s: Fishing is a decent source of food, and it's a great source of the elusive [[shell]]s if your site contains [[pond turtle]]s, but it runs the risk of [[crocodile]] accidents and [[carp|other perils]]. Or, if you are unlucky, you will get absolutely nothing. Fisherdwarves can also only catch [[vermin]] fish; [[sperm whale|larger sea creatures]] require [[drowning chamber]]s or other tactics.

*[[Siege engineer]]s and [[Siege operator]]s: Would be useful, but [[siege engine]]s are currently bugged, dealing much less damage than you would expect, and they're often extremely dangerous to your own citizens when they do work as intended.

*[[Bone carver]]s: [[Bone]] is neither valuable (unless the creature was a [[megabeast]] or was [[elephant|very exotic]]), nor does it fulfill a particular niche, but it is a rather common alternative to wood, especially for practice bolts for [[marksdwarf|marksdwarves]].

*[[Dyer]]s: Skilled Dyers can add extra value to dyed cloth, as it does have a quality level, but unless your fort is dependent on its [[textile industry]], when was the last time you dyed cloth?

* [[Butcher]]s, [[Tanner]]s, [[Gelder]]s, [[Animal trainer]]s: While these labors can be pivotal to a fort's usage of animals, you really won't need more than one of these dwarves unless your meat industry is truly booming, and very often one dwarf can cover multiple of these jobs.

* [[Potash maker]]s, [[Lye maker]]s, [[Soaper]]s, [[Pump operator]]s, [[Woodcutter]]s, [[Milker]]s, [[Cheesemaker]]s: The products of these labors do not have quality levels, so the only difference between an unskilled laborer and a highly skilled one is production speed, which is really only critical if said products are the backbone of your industry ([[Stupid dwarf trick|and who specializes in ''soapmaking''?]]). Note that many of these products cannot be sourced from [[caravan]]s, which makes domestic production a necessity, but still is not something needed "full time", or even close.

* [[Woodcrafter]]s: Not to be confused with [[carpenter]]s, these dwarves mostly just make [[useless crap]] and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s out of [[wood]]. Show the elves what we think of their wood!

* [[Bookbinder]]s, [[Papermaker]]s: It is often much easier just to obtain [[codex]]es and [[paper]] from the caravan and migrants instead of producing them yourself, since that industry takes a while to setup, while producing limited benefits.

* [[Strand extractor]]s: Skilled strand extractors are quick, and unskilled strand extraction is ''agonizingly'' slow. They are only useful after [[raw adamantine]] has been discovered and mined, and the strands do not have quality levels.

==== Useless Migrants (F)====
Yes, "F" - they are that bad. ''Also known as either "free military conscripts" or "can I toss them in the [[volcano]] now, please?", depending''.

*[[Peasant]]s are not ''entirely'' useless, they are more like blank slates. Peasants can be trained in a [[mood]]able skill to control the [[artifact]]s your fortress will produce, and they make perfectly good [[haul]]ers or [[military]] trainees, if you just ignore those pointless peasant skills.

*[[Animal dissector]]s and [[fish dissector]]s: They make animal [[extract]]s, which currently are some of the most useless items in the game.

*[[Bowyer]]s: Bowyers make [[crossbow]]s out of wood and bone... that is all. Weaponsmiths can do everything bowyers can do, except better, because heavier metallic crossbows are superior as blunt weapons in close quarters.

*[[Trapper]]s: These dwarves make [[animal trap]]s, not [[cage]]s, which can only be used to trap [[vermin]], not large [[creature]]s. You are better off relying on [[cat]]s instead if vermin are threatening your stockpiles. These migrants often also have the marksdwarf or animal trainer skill, so their true value may lie elsewhere, unless you are seeking to trap vermin for a [[pet]].

*[[Administrator]]s: By the time migrant waves start arriving, you should already have these positions covered and filled; there is little advantage to having more than one dwarf with these skills. (The sole exception may be a new lead dwarf without any "item" preferences, so they issue no [[mandate]]s, to replace a less appropriate/desirable leader, if you are lucky enough to find the right skill set.) Also see [[unfortunate accident]].

*[[Animal caretaker]]s: Bugged but may become more useful when fixed.

*[[Children]]: Cannot perform any labors. At least you will have a [[peasant]]...in about 12 years.

=== Other ===

*[[Monarch]]s and their entourages: Serving as a major endgame goal, inviting these members of dwarven society comes with its own requirements and caveats, requiring a large amount of investment, labor, and time. The player can choose to never pursue this goal if they wish.

{{Category|Dwarves}}
{{Category|World}}
[[ru:Immigration]]

Immigration

2023-01-01T09:05:22Z

Nakage: /* Limiting/preventing immigration */ Updated to fit modern settings menu since ini edits aren't necessary anymore. Also removed a redundant statement, but kept the other one at the end. Why? I don't know.

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
:''"Migration" redirects here. This article is about people migrating into your fortress, for the opposite see [[emigration]].''
[[File:immigrants_v50_anim.gif|thumb|208px|right|Migrants emerging out of the map's edge.]]'''Immigration''' is the process of people from another [[site]] of your home [[civilization]] moving into your [[fortress]]. As the fortress prospers, migrants will be attracted in larger numbers, these will arrive in groups once per [[season]]. In the early seasons after establishing the outpost, a smaller migrant group of 2-10 arrives, followed by a large group in the low double digits in the second spring one year after embarking. A notification will be received upon arrival, the migrant group will spawn at the edge of the map and proceed to march into your fortress and to the nearest meeting hall.

Migrants come from all walks of life; from historical figures and skilled craftsdwarves, to unwashed refugees fleeing the horrors of the land. Each group will often include such things as [[child]]ren and domestic animals, including both [[pet]]s and stray livestock - be prepared with adequate [[food]], [[alcohol|drink]], and [[bed]]s, among other things.

The player can also initiate immigration by requesting workers from their [[holding]]s, and by accepting [[petition]]s for residency from [[visitors]] from nearby civilizations. Note that the migrant [[population]] must be managed carefully, as if it's too low, there might not be enough people available to maintain the fortress and its defenses, and if it's too high, the fortress may not be able to support your population, leaving them to the mercy of hunger, marauding raiders, and worse. However, migration waves are generally a good thing — if you're prepared for them.

== Skills and [[labor]] preferences ==
Each migrant can arrive with a wide collection of often unrelated skills, far greater than possible with one of the [[starting build|starting 7 dwarves]], and [[experience]] levels as high as Legendary. Any and all skills might be represented, including obscure military skills (like [[blowgunner]]), high levels of one or more [[social skill]]s, [[crutch walker]], [[concentration]] and others - it's even possible to have dwarves with skills that may not be obtainable in fortress mode, like [[tracker|tracking]] or [[Pike_(weapon)|pikedwarf]]. However, Immigrant skills are influenced by your fortress' needs — migrants with skills your fortress uses a lot, or that your fortress does not have at all, are more likely to show up at your gates. Important skills (mining, food production, and basic crafting, according to Toady) are weighed more heavily than other skills.[http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_12_transcript.html Source] {{dot}} [http://www.bay12games.com/media/Dwarf_Fortress_Talk_12.mp3 MP3]

Migrants may also arrive with equipment matching their skills; for example, a miner migrant may bring a [[pick]] with them. Migrants may arrive with all labors except [[hauling]], [[cleaning]], recovering wounded, and caring for wounded disabled, depending on the settings one has entered into [[d_init.txt]].

Some immigrants are [[historical figure]]s. These immigrants come to your fortress with skills representing their history, or wounds that they have suffered during [[world generation]]. They may even be [[vampire]]s or [[werebeast]]s.

==Limiting/preventing immigration==
[[File:immigration_preview.png|thumb|280px|right|Immigrants from the Colonial Era.]]In v0.50.01 and above, the game tab under the settings menu lists a "Population Cap" setting which immediately prevents further immigration once at the desired number. This includes the two hardcoded migrant waves, but does not include babies. There is also a Strict Population Cap setting which prevents both immigration and babies when reached. Both can be violated by a few special cases, such as the arrival of a [[monarch]]. Keep in mind that adjusting the population caps do not adjust population requirements (such as 80 to get a king). Such requirements can be modified in the game's advanced difficulty settings for your fortress.

The number of migrants depends on the [[wealth|created wealth]] of your fortress and is affected by your dwarves' activities. Note that if your fortress should ever become a mountainhome, you will receive an additional migration wave with the promotion, regardless of your population cap. The number of migrants is affected by how far below the population cap your fortress is. If your fortress is one dwarf short of the cap, you will receive a single migrant (if any). Also note that population cap will not remove dwarves from an existing fortress but will prevent new ones from immigrating or being born.

It is worth noting that you need a certain minimum population size before any of your dwarves will experience [[strange mood]]s.

To reiterate, the population cap is a (mostly) hard limit on the number of dwarves in your fortress. If you want a fortress with 50 dwarves, simply set the Population Cap and Strict Population Cap to 50.

==Immigration mechanics==
The date on which immigrants appear in a season is determined at the start of that season, but the number of immigrants and their skills are determined when the migrant wave arrives. Typically there are two migrant waves that will appear no matter what (referred to as hardcoded waves) in the first two seasons. There is never a migration in the first winter - literally not even a {{DFtext|The fortress attracted no migrants this season|6:0:0}} message.

After the first two hardcoded waves, migrants will not arrive until the fortress has accumulated enough wealth, which must be reported by visitors such as merchants. A trade does not have to happen.

Migrant skill levels seem to depend on the size of the home civilization; a difference will be noticed if you picked a dwarven civilization that was not well-established (few towns or none) compared to a well-established one.

The two hardcoded waves may not show up for a while if the fort does not start on the 15th day of Granite. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up at all, such as if it were blocked by a siege, or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}}

In rare cases, your civilization may undergo a [[War#Civil_war| civil war]]. If this is the case, no immigrants will join your fort after the two hardcoded waves.

===Migrant wave sizes===
The first two migrant waves have a minimum size of 1, if a wave member has a relative in your group already, and a maximum size of 10. The size of these waves is unaffected by fortress wealth, danger, or even the extinction of their home civilization. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up, like if it was blocked by a siege or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}} The third migrant wave and on are influenced by the [[wealth|created wealth]] of the fortress, with more wealth attracting more immigrants (more research is needed to determine specifics) - specifically, influenced by the fortress wealth as reported by the last outgoing dwarven [[caravan]]. Wealth created after the caravan leaves has no influence until the next year's caravan leaves. If the caravan fails to make it out, then the fortress' wealth is not reported. If the dwarven [[liaison]] makes it out, but the caravan does not, the liaison does not report on fortress wealth.

Imported wealth, caravan sales figures, absolute caravan profit and caravan profit margin either have no effect on migration numbers, or only have an effect by applying a percent modification to the numbers driven by created wealth. If a fortress manages to [[trading|trade]] (not offer) away 100% of its created wealth, then no immigrants will come the next season. More research is needed to determine if the statistics have any influence on migration numbers.

One factor which is known to affect migrant wave size is the total size of your fortress's {{k|u}}nits list (all 4 categories), which consists of dwarves, invaders, merchants, and animals which either died or currently live at your fortress. As this number increases, the maximum size of migrant waves will be reduced: starting at a local population of 1000, migrant wave sizes are limited to 10, and at subsequent levels of 1300, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2200, 2400, 2600, 2800, and 2900, the limit is decreased by 1, and once you reach a local population of 3000 you will cease to get migrants at all.

The DFHack command fix/dead-units can clear uninteresting (unnamed) dead units from the units list and allow migrants to arrive again, if this is what is keeping them away.

The largest wave size reported to date is [http://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/q580c/hole_shit 77] [https://archive.is/Wbp37/a5dc158a51bc238bc9441f06c10a3540eac8124c.png archive]

==Fortress Failure Migration==
If a fortress is abandoned during [[unhappy]], [[insanity|stark raving mad]] times, the citizens can migrate to your new fortress ''still'' stark raving mad (berserk possibly, further looking into required). Likewise, if your fortress happened to have any [[husk]]s around when it was abandoned, some of them may also migrate to your new fortress.

==Deterring migrants==

A different message for migrant arrivals will be triggered depending on your fortress' dangerousness & happiness. That number is not actually a death count, but some sort of composite "fear" value determined by adding up a bunch of sources and dividing them by various amounts. It is currently not exactly known what those sources are, but at least one of them is a death count. 0-9 is normal, 10+ is "danger" or "dangerous", and 50+ is "cursed death trap" or "tomb".

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Some migrants arrival)
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their miserable tomb.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (One migrant arrival)
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place.
|-
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrant Refusal)
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed miserable death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed unhappy death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this miserable hellhole.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed miserable death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed unhappy death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a miserable hellhole this season.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrants Refusal)
|-
|''The fortress attracted no migrants this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and miserable fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to this unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too wary to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey.
|-
|''Others were too wary to make the journey.
|}

==Expelling migrants==
Undesirable migrants can be selected for "[[emigration]]" from their individual preferences screen. To do this: Select the dwarf through the citizen list, view their Preferences, and press e to Expel. You will be prompted to confirm, and they will leave the fortress.

==Adventure mode==
In certain locations in [[adventure mode]], you may come across a [[Army|Migrating Group]] - for instance, near any recently [[abandon]]ed [[fortress]]; choosing to travel to the group will allow you to talk to the members of the former fortress as they travel back to dwarven civilization.

==Bugs==
Some migrants will be incorrectly listed as babies or children, when they are not in the expected age range for those categories. This will automatically fix itself when they have their next birthday. {{verify| Is still a bug? Cannot find an entry for it on mantis}}

If your fortress does not have a meeting hall, you might have a situation where a single migrant cannot find the fort and just stands at the edge of the map, not moving at all. You may notice that, even if more migrants are part of the wave, they cannot enter the map (and do not show up on the units screen) until this migrant moves out of the square, as all migrants in a single wave must enter the map through this square.

==The Migrant Tier List==
{{D for Dwarf}}

When a migrant wave arrives, players should stop what they are doing and check the migrants' skills to see what they may offer to their fortress.

Here, migrants are sorted into tiers, ordered by usefulness to a mid-to-high-level fort. Do note that even F-tier migrants can be useful if a player decides to make them so, and of course, any migrant can find employment as a [[haul]]er or a [[soldier]] or may train useful skills over time.

"Valuable" skills can be sorted into three categories - those that produce better-[[quality]] items, those that perform tasks faster or more efficiently, and those that simply ''cannot'' be done unskilled, such as medical tasks. Remember that, when the dust clears, the most valuable skill a dwarf can have is the one that your fortress needs the most.

==== Valued Migrants (A) ====
Some skills are central to most fortresses, either by improving the quality of critical items or by providing irreplaceable services. These migrants can improve a fort simply by showing up. ''Also known as "can I give them a [[mood]], please?"''.

*[[Weaponsmith]]s: Speak softly, but carry a [[war hammer|big stick]]. If you have an excess of [[weapon]]s, weaponsmiths can also be used to make extremely high value [[trap components]].

*[[Armorsmith]]s: Perhaps even more useful than weaponsmiths.

*[[Soldier]]s: Who doesn’t need extra <s>meat shields</s> dwarfpower? If you don't have any soldiers yet, you can form a militia, and if your militia is already well-developed, they can act as reservists, in case something [[Fun]] happens to the militia.

*[[Grower]]s: Skilled growers can improve farm efficiency exponentially, as one skilled grower can easily outperform more than a dozen unskilled laborers (see the article for more information), freeing them for other tasks. A true force multiplier.

*[[Mechanic]]s: High-quality [[mechanism]]s don't jam when used in traps, and make great trade goods.

*[[Cook]]s: Will quickly boost your fortress's value, and dwarves just adore fine meals, keeping up morale.

==== Good Migrants (B) ====
Put these dwarves to work, they have much to contribute. ''Also known as "stalwarts of the fort"''.

*[[Miner]]s: Always helpful, unless your fortress is ''very'' well developed - a high mining skill can also be useful in combat.

*[[Carpenter]]s: Like blacksmiths, but they use [[wood]] instead of metal. Only source of quality [[bed]]s and some newer items, like [[display case]]s and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s. Also, only leather shields are lighter than wood. Wooden [[trap components]] can also be useful as a trade good if other industries have not been developed yet.

*[[Mason]]s: Most fortresses cannot afford to make every piece of furniture out of metal or wood - stone is the traditional dwarven option, though it is a bit lacking in value as a material.

*[[Stonecrafter]]s: Making [[finished goods|trade goods]] for the caravan out of [[stone]] is a great way to kick-start trade, since [[metal]] and [[wood]] are often needed elsewhere. And real dwarves drink out of [[goblet|≡stone mugs≡]], not glass goblets or wooden cups or whatever.

*[[Engraver]]s: Engraving is not usually needed in a new fort but is a huge boost in value and good thoughts in a mature one. A good engraver can smooth and detail a large [[room]] in ''minutes'', shooting its [[Room#Quality|quality]] sky-high, while a novice might take hours. Novice engravers also can take quite a while to train.

*[[Brewer]]s: Should be obvious. Alcohol does not have a quality level, but the increase in production speed skilled brewers provide is never unwelcome.

*[[Healthcare]]: Skilled medical dwarves are irreplaceable for trying to save that one beloved soldier.

*[[Furnace operator]]s: While bars do not have quality levels, highly skilled furnace operators are essential for producing enough metal for your metal industry.

*[[Wood burner]]s: Similarly, unless your map has coal or you zipline the 100+ z-levels to magma, your furnaces are going to need a lot of charcoal.

*[[Leatherworker]]s: [[Leather]] can craft certain items that cannot be created sensibly with any other material, such as [[backpack]]s, [[quiver]]s, [[flask|waterskins]], and lightweight [[shield]]s (for all) and [[armor]] (for Hunters). Unless, of course, you are using [[adamantine]].

==== Niche Migrants (C) ====
These migrants can be useful, but usually only in very specific cases, or for only a few tasks - if your fortress is focusing in that area, they fit in the above category, but if not, then they are just as valuable as peasants (see next category). ''Also known as "it ain't much, but it's honest work"''.

*[[Blacksmith]]s: These dwarves make [[metal]] (not just [[iron]]) [[furniture]] and other large products, including valuable metal [[statue]]s, which can boost the value of rooms and improve morale-how else are you going to immortalize your militia's valiant battle against that ferocious [[Titan|forest titan]]?

*[[Metalcrafter]]s: You may not want to fill the next caravan with *[[silver]] mugs* and other metal [[finished goods]], but making ≡gold [[chain]]s)≡ for your guard animals and exotic pets is pretty dwarfy.

* [[Weaver]]s, [[Clothier]]s: the textile industry is needed to supply your fort with [[thread]], [[cloth]] and [[clothes]], producing essential bags and ropes, materials for bandages and suturing, and preventing bad thoughts from dwarves whose clothes rot off their bodies (and cannot be reliably replaced with what the caravans bring).

* [[Miller]]s, [[Shearer]]s, [[Thresher]]s: none of these labors have quality levels, but the increase in production speed can be highly profitable for a [[flour]] or [[textile industry]].

*[[Glassmaker]]s, [[Potter]]s, and [[Glazer]]s: You've either got sand/clay (and care about it), or you don't. Glassmakers can produce a wide variety of products, such as [[crafts]], [[furniture]], [[trap component|large weapons for traps]] and [[screw pump]]s, out of glass, and these products are often worth much more than their stone/wood counterparts. Potters are less versatile, but can also make valuable products for a decently low manufacturing price. Glazers complement potters and are needed to make their pots airtight and waterproof, allowing for liquid storage, and a good glaze job can add a lot of value to a product. Note that glassmakers and potters require [[sand]] or [[clay]] (respectively), and in large quantities to be truly effective, but these resources are basically infinite on embarks that contain them.

*[[Gem cutter]]s and [[Gem setter]]s: They just do not produce as much value as you would expect unless the gem cutter is of a high enough skill level. Training gem cutters so they do not waste your rough valuable gems with poor cuts is also quite tedious. Even then, [[gem]]s are only useful for moods, decorations, or as a trade good. As for gem setters, [[encrust]]ing is notoriously finicky, since the item to be decorated cannot be specified. So your gem setter will probably end up slapping your Masterwork cabochon cut [[diamond]]s on a [[barrel]], or something.

*[[Herbalist]]s: Herbology can be a wonderful way to kick-start an above-ground farm, or at least keep your food and booze supply nice and varied. Even dwarves can get sick of drinking the same old [[plump helmet|mushroom]] wine.

*[[Beekeeper]]s, [[Wax worker]]s, and [[Presser]]s: Beekeeping is [[Beekeeping industry|interesting]], but it isn't possible in [[biome]]s that lack [[honey bee]]s (and note that [[bumblebee]]s cannot be<s>e</s> domesticated). If you do get a beekeeping business going, wax workers and pressers become viable as well, since they use the products of beekeeping in their labors; otherwise, they are basically useless.

*[[Hunter]]s: They usually come with a good [[marksdwarf]] skill, but immediately go hunting as soon as they are able to, causing possible [[fun]]. They can be useful if managed properly, and are definitely entertaining to watch, but it may be advantageous to just rely on your [[military]] for hunting game, since [[squad]]s can be controlled more finely than hunters and are probably less likely to get themselves injured in the process.

*[[Fisherdwarf|Fisherdwarves]], [[Fish cleaner]]s: Fishing is a decent source of food, and it's a great source of the elusive [[shell]]s if your site contains [[pond turtle]]s, but it runs the risk of [[crocodile]] accidents and [[carp|other perils]]. Or, if you are unlucky, you will get absolutely nothing. Fisherdwarves can also only catch [[vermin]] fish; [[sperm whale|larger sea creatures]] require [[drowning chamber]]s or other tactics.

*[[Siege engineer]]s and [[Siege operator]]s: Would be useful, but [[siege engine]]s are currently bugged, dealing much less damage than you would expect, and they're often extremely dangerous to your own citizens when they do work as intended.

*[[Bone carver]]s: [[Bone]] is neither valuable (unless the creature was a [[megabeast]] or was [[elephant|very exotic]]), nor does it fulfill a particular niche, but it is a rather common alternative to wood, especially for practice bolts for [[marksdwarf|marksdwarves]].

*[[Dyer]]s: Skilled Dyers can add extra value to dyed cloth, as it does have a quality level, but unless your fort is dependent on its [[textile industry]], when was the last time you dyed cloth?

* [[Butcher]]s, [[Tanner]]s, [[Gelder]]s, [[Animal trainer]]s: While these labors can be pivotal to a fort's usage of animals, you really won't need more than one of these dwarves unless your meat industry is truly booming, and very often one dwarf can cover multiple of these jobs.

* [[Potash maker]]s, [[Lye maker]]s, [[Soaper]]s, [[Pump operator]]s, [[Woodcutter]]s, [[Milker]]s, [[Cheesemaker]]s: The products of these labors do not have quality levels, so the only difference between an unskilled laborer and a highly skilled one is production speed, which is really only critical if said products are the backbone of your industry ([[Stupid dwarf trick|and who specializes in ''soapmaking''?]]). Note that many of these products cannot be sourced from [[caravan]]s, which makes domestic production a necessity, but still is not something needed "full time", or even close.

* [[Woodcrafter]]s: Not to be confused with [[carpenter]]s, these dwarves mostly just make [[useless crap]] and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s out of [[wood]]. Show the elves what we think of their wood!

* [[Bookbinder]]s, [[Papermaker]]s: It is often much easier just to obtain [[codex]]es and [[paper]] from the caravan and migrants instead of producing them yourself, since that industry takes a while to setup, while producing limited benefits.

* [[Strand extractor]]s: Skilled strand extractors are quick, and unskilled strand extraction is ''agonizingly'' slow. They are only useful after [[raw adamantine]] has been discovered and mined, and the strands do not have quality levels.

==== Useless Migrants (F)====
Yes, "F" - they are that bad. ''Also known as either "free military conscripts" or "can I toss them in the [[volcano]] now, please?", depending''.

*[[Peasant]]s are not ''entirely'' useless, they are more like blank slates. Peasants can be trained in a [[mood]]able skill to control the [[artifact]]s your fortress will produce, and they make perfectly good [[haul]]ers or [[military]] trainees, if you just ignore those pointless peasant skills.

*[[Animal dissector]]s and [[fish dissector]]s: They make animal [[extract]]s, which currently are some of the most useless items in the game.

*[[Bowyer]]s: Bowyers make [[crossbow]]s out of wood and bone... that is all. Weaponsmiths can do everything bowyers can do, except better, because heavier metallic crossbows are superior as blunt weapons in close quarters.

*[[Trapper]]s: These dwarves make [[animal trap]]s, not [[cage]]s, which can only be used to trap [[vermin]], not large [[creature]]s. You are better off relying on [[cat]]s instead if vermin are threatening your stockpiles. These migrants often also have the marksdwarf or animal trainer skill, so their true value may lie elsewhere, unless you are seeking to trap vermin for a [[pet]].

*[[Administrator]]s: By the time migrant waves start arriving, you should already have these positions covered and filled; there is little advantage to having more than one dwarf with these skills. (The sole exception may be a new lead dwarf without any "item" preferences, so they issue no [[mandate]]s, to replace a less appropriate/desirable leader, if you are lucky enough to find the right skill set.) Also see [[unfortunate accident]].

*[[Animal caretaker]]s: Bugged but may become more useful when fixed.

*[[Children]]: Cannot perform any labors. At least you will have a [[peasant]]...in about 12 years.

=== Other ===

*[[Monarch]]s and their entourages: Serving as a major endgame goal, inviting these members of dwarven society comes with its own requirements and caveats, requiring a large amount of investment, labor, and time. The player can choose to never pursue this goal if they wish.

{{Category|Dwarves}}
{{Category|World}}
[[ru:Immigration]]

Immigration

2023-01-01T08:50:42Z

Nakage: /* Immigration mechanics */ Removed antecedent in favor of prepositional phrase. Added mention that there are hardcoded waves. Replaced "is" with "must be" since the phrasing implies that visitors reporting your wealth has to happen. Not the case, e.g. if you murder all your visitors it will never happen.

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
:''"Migration" redirects here. This article is about people migrating into your fortress, for the opposite see [[emigration]].''
[[File:immigrants_v50_anim.gif|thumb|208px|right|Migrants emerging out of the map's edge.]]'''Immigration''' is the process of people from another [[site]] of your home [[civilization]] moving into your [[fortress]]. As the fortress prospers, migrants will be attracted in larger numbers, these will arrive in groups once per [[season]]. In the early seasons after establishing the outpost, a smaller migrant group of 2-10 arrives, followed by a large group in the low double digits in the second spring one year after embarking. A notification will be received upon arrival, the migrant group will spawn at the edge of the map and proceed to march into your fortress and to the nearest meeting hall.

Migrants come from all walks of life; from historical figures and skilled craftsdwarves, to unwashed refugees fleeing the horrors of the land. Each group will often include such things as [[child]]ren and domestic animals, including both [[pet]]s and stray livestock - be prepared with adequate [[food]], [[alcohol|drink]], and [[bed]]s, among other things.

The player can also initiate immigration by requesting workers from their [[holding]]s, and by accepting [[petition]]s for residency from [[visitors]] from nearby civilizations. Note that the migrant [[population]] must be managed carefully, as if it's too low, there might not be enough people available to maintain the fortress and its defenses, and if it's too high, the fortress may not be able to support your population, leaving them to the mercy of hunger, marauding raiders, and worse. However, migration waves are generally a good thing — if you're prepared for them.

== Skills and [[labor]] preferences ==
Each migrant can arrive with a wide collection of often unrelated skills, far greater than possible with one of the [[starting build|starting 7 dwarves]], and [[experience]] levels as high as Legendary. Any and all skills might be represented, including obscure military skills (like [[blowgunner]]), high levels of one or more [[social skill]]s, [[crutch walker]], [[concentration]] and others - it's even possible to have dwarves with skills that may not be obtainable in fortress mode, like [[tracker|tracking]] or [[Pike_(weapon)|pikedwarf]]. However, Immigrant skills are influenced by your fortress' needs — migrants with skills your fortress uses a lot, or that your fortress does not have at all, are more likely to show up at your gates. Important skills (mining, food production, and basic crafting, according to Toady) are weighed more heavily than other skills.[http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_12_transcript.html Source] {{dot}} [http://www.bay12games.com/media/Dwarf_Fortress_Talk_12.mp3 MP3]

Migrants may also arrive with equipment matching their skills; for example, a miner migrant may bring a [[pick]] with them. Migrants may arrive with all labors except [[hauling]], [[cleaning]], recovering wounded, and caring for wounded disabled, depending on the settings one has entered into [[d_init.txt]].

Some immigrants are [[historical figure]]s. These immigrants come to your fortress with skills representing their history, or wounds that they have suffered during [[world generation]]. They may even be [[vampire]]s or [[werebeast]]s.

==Limiting/preventing immigration==
[[File:immigration_preview.png|thumb|280px|right|Immigrants from the Colonial Era.]]In v0.40.05 and above, the [[d_init.txt]] POPULATION_CAP setting immediately prevents further immigration once at the desired number, bypassing the two hardcoded migrant waves. There is also a STRICT_POPULATION_CAP setting, which prevents both immigration and babies when reached (although both can be violated by a few special cases, such as the arrival of a [[monarch]]). Keep in mind that your population must be at least 80 to get a king and 100 to obtain the current game features.

The number of migrants depends on the [[wealth|created wealth]] of your fortress and is affected by your dwarves' activities. Note that if your fortress should ever become a mountainhome, you will receive an additional migration wave with the promotion, regardless of your population cap. The number of migrants is affected by how far below the population cap your fortress is. If your fortress is one dwarf short of the cap, you will receive a single migrant (if any). Also note that population cap will not remove dwarves from an existing fortress but will prevent new ones from immigrating or being born.

It is worth noting that you need a certain minimum population size before any of your dwarves will experience [[strange mood]]s. Additionally, POPULATION_CAP affects only migration, and has no effect on pregnancies - you will need to alter STRICT_POPULATION_CAP, to limit births.

To reiterate, the population cap is a (mostly) hard limit on the number of dwarves in your fortress. If you want a fortress with 50 dwarves, simply set the POPULATION_CAP and STRICT_POPULATION_CAP to 50.

==Immigration mechanics==
The date on which immigrants appear in a season is determined at the start of that season, but the number of immigrants and their skills are determined when the migrant wave arrives. Typically there are two migrant waves that will appear no matter what (referred to as hardcoded waves) in the first two seasons. There is never a migration in the first winter - literally not even a {{DFtext|The fortress attracted no migrants this season|6:0:0}} message.

After the first two hardcoded waves, migrants will not arrive until the fortress has accumulated enough wealth, which must be reported by visitors such as merchants. A trade does not have to happen.

Migrant skill levels seem to depend on the size of the home civilization; a difference will be noticed if you picked a dwarven civilization that was not well-established (few towns or none) compared to a well-established one.

The two hardcoded waves may not show up for a while if the fort does not start on the 15th day of Granite. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up at all, such as if it were blocked by a siege, or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}}

In rare cases, your civilization may undergo a [[War#Civil_war| civil war]]. If this is the case, no immigrants will join your fort after the two hardcoded waves.

===Migrant wave sizes===
The first two migrant waves have a minimum size of 1, if a wave member has a relative in your group already, and a maximum size of 10. The size of these waves is unaffected by fortress wealth, danger, or even the extinction of their home civilization. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up, like if it was blocked by a siege or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}} The third migrant wave and on are influenced by the [[wealth|created wealth]] of the fortress, with more wealth attracting more immigrants (more research is needed to determine specifics) - specifically, influenced by the fortress wealth as reported by the last outgoing dwarven [[caravan]]. Wealth created after the caravan leaves has no influence until the next year's caravan leaves. If the caravan fails to make it out, then the fortress' wealth is not reported. If the dwarven [[liaison]] makes it out, but the caravan does not, the liaison does not report on fortress wealth.

Imported wealth, caravan sales figures, absolute caravan profit and caravan profit margin either have no effect on migration numbers, or only have an effect by applying a percent modification to the numbers driven by created wealth. If a fortress manages to [[trading|trade]] (not offer) away 100% of its created wealth, then no immigrants will come the next season. More research is needed to determine if the statistics have any influence on migration numbers.

One factor which is known to affect migrant wave size is the total size of your fortress's {{k|u}}nits list (all 4 categories), which consists of dwarves, invaders, merchants, and animals which either died or currently live at your fortress. As this number increases, the maximum size of migrant waves will be reduced: starting at a local population of 1000, migrant wave sizes are limited to 10, and at subsequent levels of 1300, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2200, 2400, 2600, 2800, and 2900, the limit is decreased by 1, and once you reach a local population of 3000 you will cease to get migrants at all.

The DFHack command fix/dead-units can clear uninteresting (unnamed) dead units from the units list and allow migrants to arrive again, if this is what is keeping them away.

The largest wave size reported to date is [http://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/q580c/hole_shit 77] [https://archive.is/Wbp37/a5dc158a51bc238bc9441f06c10a3540eac8124c.png archive]

==Fortress Failure Migration==
If a fortress is abandoned during [[unhappy]], [[insanity|stark raving mad]] times, the citizens can migrate to your new fortress ''still'' stark raving mad (berserk possibly, further looking into required). Likewise, if your fortress happened to have any [[husk]]s around when it was abandoned, some of them may also migrate to your new fortress.

==Deterring migrants==

A different message for migrant arrivals will be triggered depending on your fortress' dangerousness & happiness. That number is not actually a death count, but some sort of composite "fear" value determined by adding up a bunch of sources and dividing them by various amounts. It is currently not exactly known what those sources are, but at least one of them is a death count. 0-9 is normal, 10+ is "danger" or "dangerous", and 50+ is "cursed death trap" or "tomb".

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Some migrants arrival)
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their miserable tomb.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (One migrant arrival)
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place.
|-
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrant Refusal)
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed miserable death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed unhappy death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this miserable hellhole.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed miserable death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed unhappy death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a miserable hellhole this season.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrants Refusal)
|-
|''The fortress attracted no migrants this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and miserable fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to this unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too wary to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey.
|-
|''Others were too wary to make the journey.
|}

==Expelling migrants==
Undesirable migrants can be selected for "[[emigration]]" from their individual preferences screen. To do this: Select the dwarf through the citizen list, view their Preferences, and press e to Expel. You will be prompted to confirm, and they will leave the fortress.

==Adventure mode==
In certain locations in [[adventure mode]], you may come across a [[Army|Migrating Group]] - for instance, near any recently [[abandon]]ed [[fortress]]; choosing to travel to the group will allow you to talk to the members of the former fortress as they travel back to dwarven civilization.

==Bugs==
Some migrants will be incorrectly listed as babies or children, when they are not in the expected age range for those categories. This will automatically fix itself when they have their next birthday. {{verify| Is still a bug? Cannot find an entry for it on mantis}}

If your fortress does not have a meeting hall, you might have a situation where a single migrant cannot find the fort and just stands at the edge of the map, not moving at all. You may notice that, even if more migrants are part of the wave, they cannot enter the map (and do not show up on the units screen) until this migrant moves out of the square, as all migrants in a single wave must enter the map through this square.

==The Migrant Tier List==
{{D for Dwarf}}

When a migrant wave arrives, players should stop what they are doing and check the migrants' skills to see what they may offer to their fortress.

Here, migrants are sorted into tiers, ordered by usefulness to a mid-to-high-level fort. Do note that even F-tier migrants can be useful if a player decides to make them so, and of course, any migrant can find employment as a [[haul]]er or a [[soldier]] or may train useful skills over time.

"Valuable" skills can be sorted into three categories - those that produce better-[[quality]] items, those that perform tasks faster or more efficiently, and those that simply ''cannot'' be done unskilled, such as medical tasks. Remember that, when the dust clears, the most valuable skill a dwarf can have is the one that your fortress needs the most.

==== Valued Migrants (A) ====
Some skills are central to most fortresses, either by improving the quality of critical items or by providing irreplaceable services. These migrants can improve a fort simply by showing up. ''Also known as "can I give them a [[mood]], please?"''.

*[[Weaponsmith]]s: Speak softly, but carry a [[war hammer|big stick]]. If you have an excess of [[weapon]]s, weaponsmiths can also be used to make extremely high value [[trap components]].

*[[Armorsmith]]s: Perhaps even more useful than weaponsmiths.

*[[Soldier]]s: Who doesn’t need extra <s>meat shields</s> dwarfpower? If you don't have any soldiers yet, you can form a militia, and if your militia is already well-developed, they can act as reservists, in case something [[Fun]] happens to the militia.

*[[Grower]]s: Skilled growers can improve farm efficiency exponentially, as one skilled grower can easily outperform more than a dozen unskilled laborers (see the article for more information), freeing them for other tasks. A true force multiplier.

*[[Mechanic]]s: High-quality [[mechanism]]s don't jam when used in traps, and make great trade goods.

*[[Cook]]s: Will quickly boost your fortress's value, and dwarves just adore fine meals, keeping up morale.

==== Good Migrants (B) ====
Put these dwarves to work, they have much to contribute. ''Also known as "stalwarts of the fort"''.

*[[Miner]]s: Always helpful, unless your fortress is ''very'' well developed - a high mining skill can also be useful in combat.

*[[Carpenter]]s: Like blacksmiths, but they use [[wood]] instead of metal. Only source of quality [[bed]]s and some newer items, like [[display case]]s and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s. Also, only leather shields are lighter than wood. Wooden [[trap components]] can also be useful as a trade good if other industries have not been developed yet.

*[[Mason]]s: Most fortresses cannot afford to make every piece of furniture out of metal or wood - stone is the traditional dwarven option, though it is a bit lacking in value as a material.

*[[Stonecrafter]]s: Making [[finished goods|trade goods]] for the caravan out of [[stone]] is a great way to kick-start trade, since [[metal]] and [[wood]] are often needed elsewhere. And real dwarves drink out of [[goblet|≡stone mugs≡]], not glass goblets or wooden cups or whatever.

*[[Engraver]]s: Engraving is not usually needed in a new fort but is a huge boost in value and good thoughts in a mature one. A good engraver can smooth and detail a large [[room]] in ''minutes'', shooting its [[Room#Quality|quality]] sky-high, while a novice might take hours. Novice engravers also can take quite a while to train.

*[[Brewer]]s: Should be obvious. Alcohol does not have a quality level, but the increase in production speed skilled brewers provide is never unwelcome.

*[[Healthcare]]: Skilled medical dwarves are irreplaceable for trying to save that one beloved soldier.

*[[Furnace operator]]s: While bars do not have quality levels, highly skilled furnace operators are essential for producing enough metal for your metal industry.

*[[Wood burner]]s: Similarly, unless your map has coal or you zipline the 100+ z-levels to magma, your furnaces are going to need a lot of charcoal.

*[[Leatherworker]]s: [[Leather]] can craft certain items that cannot be created sensibly with any other material, such as [[backpack]]s, [[quiver]]s, [[flask|waterskins]], and lightweight [[shield]]s (for all) and [[armor]] (for Hunters). Unless, of course, you are using [[adamantine]].

==== Niche Migrants (C) ====
These migrants can be useful, but usually only in very specific cases, or for only a few tasks - if your fortress is focusing in that area, they fit in the above category, but if not, then they are just as valuable as peasants (see next category). ''Also known as "it ain't much, but it's honest work"''.

*[[Blacksmith]]s: These dwarves make [[metal]] (not just [[iron]]) [[furniture]] and other large products, including valuable metal [[statue]]s, which can boost the value of rooms and improve morale-how else are you going to immortalize your militia's valiant battle against that ferocious [[Titan|forest titan]]?

*[[Metalcrafter]]s: You may not want to fill the next caravan with *[[silver]] mugs* and other metal [[finished goods]], but making ≡gold [[chain]]s)≡ for your guard animals and exotic pets is pretty dwarfy.

* [[Weaver]]s, [[Clothier]]s: the textile industry is needed to supply your fort with [[thread]], [[cloth]] and [[clothes]], producing essential bags and ropes, materials for bandages and suturing, and preventing bad thoughts from dwarves whose clothes rot off their bodies (and cannot be reliably replaced with what the caravans bring).

* [[Miller]]s, [[Shearer]]s, [[Thresher]]s: none of these labors have quality levels, but the increase in production speed can be highly profitable for a [[flour]] or [[textile industry]].

*[[Glassmaker]]s, [[Potter]]s, and [[Glazer]]s: You've either got sand/clay (and care about it), or you don't. Glassmakers can produce a wide variety of products, such as [[crafts]], [[furniture]], [[trap component|large weapons for traps]] and [[screw pump]]s, out of glass, and these products are often worth much more than their stone/wood counterparts. Potters are less versatile, but can also make valuable products for a decently low manufacturing price. Glazers complement potters and are needed to make their pots airtight and waterproof, allowing for liquid storage, and a good glaze job can add a lot of value to a product. Note that glassmakers and potters require [[sand]] or [[clay]] (respectively), and in large quantities to be truly effective, but these resources are basically infinite on embarks that contain them.

*[[Gem cutter]]s and [[Gem setter]]s: They just do not produce as much value as you would expect unless the gem cutter is of a high enough skill level. Training gem cutters so they do not waste your rough valuable gems with poor cuts is also quite tedious. Even then, [[gem]]s are only useful for moods, decorations, or as a trade good. As for gem setters, [[encrust]]ing is notoriously finicky, since the item to be decorated cannot be specified. So your gem setter will probably end up slapping your Masterwork cabochon cut [[diamond]]s on a [[barrel]], or something.

*[[Herbalist]]s: Herbology can be a wonderful way to kick-start an above-ground farm, or at least keep your food and booze supply nice and varied. Even dwarves can get sick of drinking the same old [[plump helmet|mushroom]] wine.

*[[Beekeeper]]s, [[Wax worker]]s, and [[Presser]]s: Beekeeping is [[Beekeeping industry|interesting]], but it isn't possible in [[biome]]s that lack [[honey bee]]s (and note that [[bumblebee]]s cannot be<s>e</s> domesticated). If you do get a beekeeping business going, wax workers and pressers become viable as well, since they use the products of beekeeping in their labors; otherwise, they are basically useless.

*[[Hunter]]s: They usually come with a good [[marksdwarf]] skill, but immediately go hunting as soon as they are able to, causing possible [[fun]]. They can be useful if managed properly, and are definitely entertaining to watch, but it may be advantageous to just rely on your [[military]] for hunting game, since [[squad]]s can be controlled more finely than hunters and are probably less likely to get themselves injured in the process.

*[[Fisherdwarf|Fisherdwarves]], [[Fish cleaner]]s: Fishing is a decent source of food, and it's a great source of the elusive [[shell]]s if your site contains [[pond turtle]]s, but it runs the risk of [[crocodile]] accidents and [[carp|other perils]]. Or, if you are unlucky, you will get absolutely nothing. Fisherdwarves can also only catch [[vermin]] fish; [[sperm whale|larger sea creatures]] require [[drowning chamber]]s or other tactics.

*[[Siege engineer]]s and [[Siege operator]]s: Would be useful, but [[siege engine]]s are currently bugged, dealing much less damage than you would expect, and they're often extremely dangerous to your own citizens when they do work as intended.

*[[Bone carver]]s: [[Bone]] is neither valuable (unless the creature was a [[megabeast]] or was [[elephant|very exotic]]), nor does it fulfill a particular niche, but it is a rather common alternative to wood, especially for practice bolts for [[marksdwarf|marksdwarves]].

*[[Dyer]]s: Skilled Dyers can add extra value to dyed cloth, as it does have a quality level, but unless your fort is dependent on its [[textile industry]], when was the last time you dyed cloth?

* [[Butcher]]s, [[Tanner]]s, [[Gelder]]s, [[Animal trainer]]s: While these labors can be pivotal to a fort's usage of animals, you really won't need more than one of these dwarves unless your meat industry is truly booming, and very often one dwarf can cover multiple of these jobs.

* [[Potash maker]]s, [[Lye maker]]s, [[Soaper]]s, [[Pump operator]]s, [[Woodcutter]]s, [[Milker]]s, [[Cheesemaker]]s: The products of these labors do not have quality levels, so the only difference between an unskilled laborer and a highly skilled one is production speed, which is really only critical if said products are the backbone of your industry ([[Stupid dwarf trick|and who specializes in ''soapmaking''?]]). Note that many of these products cannot be sourced from [[caravan]]s, which makes domestic production a necessity, but still is not something needed "full time", or even close.

* [[Woodcrafter]]s: Not to be confused with [[carpenter]]s, these dwarves mostly just make [[useless crap]] and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s out of [[wood]]. Show the elves what we think of their wood!

* [[Bookbinder]]s, [[Papermaker]]s: It is often much easier just to obtain [[codex]]es and [[paper]] from the caravan and migrants instead of producing them yourself, since that industry takes a while to setup, while producing limited benefits.

* [[Strand extractor]]s: Skilled strand extractors are quick, and unskilled strand extraction is ''agonizingly'' slow. They are only useful after [[raw adamantine]] has been discovered and mined, and the strands do not have quality levels.

==== Useless Migrants (F)====
Yes, "F" - they are that bad. ''Also known as either "free military conscripts" or "can I toss them in the [[volcano]] now, please?", depending''.

*[[Peasant]]s are not ''entirely'' useless, they are more like blank slates. Peasants can be trained in a [[mood]]able skill to control the [[artifact]]s your fortress will produce, and they make perfectly good [[haul]]ers or [[military]] trainees, if you just ignore those pointless peasant skills.

*[[Animal dissector]]s and [[fish dissector]]s: They make animal [[extract]]s, which currently are some of the most useless items in the game.

*[[Bowyer]]s: Bowyers make [[crossbow]]s out of wood and bone... that is all. Weaponsmiths can do everything bowyers can do, except better, because heavier metallic crossbows are superior as blunt weapons in close quarters.

*[[Trapper]]s: These dwarves make [[animal trap]]s, not [[cage]]s, which can only be used to trap [[vermin]], not large [[creature]]s. You are better off relying on [[cat]]s instead if vermin are threatening your stockpiles. These migrants often also have the marksdwarf or animal trainer skill, so their true value may lie elsewhere, unless you are seeking to trap vermin for a [[pet]].

*[[Administrator]]s: By the time migrant waves start arriving, you should already have these positions covered and filled; there is little advantage to having more than one dwarf with these skills. (The sole exception may be a new lead dwarf without any "item" preferences, so they issue no [[mandate]]s, to replace a less appropriate/desirable leader, if you are lucky enough to find the right skill set.) Also see [[unfortunate accident]].

*[[Animal caretaker]]s: Bugged but may become more useful when fixed.

*[[Children]]: Cannot perform any labors. At least you will have a [[peasant]]...in about 12 years.

=== Other ===

*[[Monarch]]s and their entourages: Serving as a major endgame goal, inviting these members of dwarven society comes with its own requirements and caveats, requiring a large amount of investment, labor, and time. The player can choose to never pursue this goal if they wish.

{{Category|Dwarves}}
{{Category|World}}
[[ru:Immigration]]

Immigration

2023-01-01T08:38:29Z

Nakage: Undo revision 281025 by Nakage (talk)

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
:''"Migration" redirects here. This article is about people migrating into your fortress, for the opposite see [[emigration]].''
[[File:immigrants_v50_anim.gif|thumb|208px|right|Migrants emerging out of the map's edge.]]'''Immigration''' is the process of people from another [[site]] of your home [[civilization]] moving into your [[fortress]]. As the fortress prospers, migrants will be attracted in larger numbers, these will arrive in groups once per [[season]]. In the early seasons after establishing the outpost, a smaller migrant group of 2-10 arrives, followed by a large group in the low double digits in the second spring one year after embarking. A notification will be received upon arrival, the migrant group will spawn at the edge of the map and proceed to march into your fortress and to the nearest meeting hall.

Migrants come from all walks of life; from historical figures and skilled craftsdwarves, to unwashed refugees fleeing the horrors of the land. Each group will often include such things as [[child]]ren and domestic animals, including both [[pet]]s and stray livestock - be prepared with adequate [[food]], [[alcohol|drink]], and [[bed]]s, among other things.

The player can also initiate immigration by requesting workers from their [[holding]]s, and by accepting [[petition]]s for residency from [[visitors]] from nearby civilizations. Note that the migrant [[population]] must be managed carefully, as if it's too low, there might not be enough people available to maintain the fortress and its defenses, and if it's too high, the fortress may not be able to support your population, leaving them to the mercy of hunger, marauding raiders, and worse. However, migration waves are generally a good thing — if you're prepared for them.

== Skills and [[labor]] preferences ==
Each migrant can arrive with a wide collection of often unrelated skills, far greater than possible with one of the [[starting build|starting 7 dwarves]], and [[experience]] levels as high as Legendary. Any and all skills might be represented, including obscure military skills (like [[blowgunner]]), high levels of one or more [[social skill]]s, [[crutch walker]], [[concentration]] and others - it's even possible to have dwarves with skills that may not be obtainable in fortress mode, like [[tracker|tracking]] or [[Pike_(weapon)|pikedwarf]]. However, Immigrant skills are influenced by your fortress' needs — migrants with skills your fortress uses a lot, or that your fortress does not have at all, are more likely to show up at your gates. Important skills (mining, food production, and basic crafting, according to Toady) are weighed more heavily than other skills.[http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_12_transcript.html Source] {{dot}} [http://www.bay12games.com/media/Dwarf_Fortress_Talk_12.mp3 MP3]

Migrants may also arrive with equipment matching their skills; for example, a miner migrant may bring a [[pick]] with them. Migrants may arrive with all labors except [[hauling]], [[cleaning]], recovering wounded, and caring for wounded disabled, depending on the settings one has entered into [[d_init.txt]].

Some immigrants are [[historical figure]]s. These immigrants come to your fortress with skills representing their history, or wounds that they have suffered during [[world generation]]. They may even be [[vampire]]s or [[werebeast]]s.

==Limiting/preventing immigration==
[[File:immigration_preview.png|thumb|280px|right|Immigrants from the Colonial Era.]]In v0.40.05 and above, the [[d_init.txt]] POPULATION_CAP setting immediately prevents further immigration once at the desired number, bypassing the two hardcoded migrant waves. There is also a STRICT_POPULATION_CAP setting, which prevents both immigration and babies when reached (although both can be violated by a few special cases, such as the arrival of a [[monarch]]). Keep in mind that your population must be at least 80 to get a king and 100 to obtain the current game features.

The number of migrants depends on the [[wealth|created wealth]] of your fortress and is affected by your dwarves' activities. Note that if your fortress should ever become a mountainhome, you will receive an additional migration wave with the promotion, regardless of your population cap. The number of migrants is affected by how far below the population cap your fortress is. If your fortress is one dwarf short of the cap, you will receive a single migrant (if any). Also note that population cap will not remove dwarves from an existing fortress but will prevent new ones from immigrating or being born.

It is worth noting that you need a certain minimum population size before any of your dwarves will experience [[strange mood]]s. Additionally, POPULATION_CAP affects only migration, and has no effect on pregnancies - you will need to alter STRICT_POPULATION_CAP, to limit births.

To reiterate, the population cap is a (mostly) hard limit on the number of dwarves in your fortress. If you want a fortress with 50 dwarves, simply set the POPULATION_CAP and STRICT_POPULATION_CAP to 50.

==Immigration mechanics==
The date on which immigrants appear in a season is determined at the start of that season, but the number of immigrants and their skills are determined when the migrant wave arrives. There is never a migration in the first winter - literally not even a {{DFtext|The fortress attracted no migrants this season|6:0:0}} message.

Migrants after the first two hardcoded waves migrants will not arrive until the fortress has accumulated enough wealth, which is then reported by visitors such as merchants. A trade does not have to happen.

Migrant skill levels seem to depend on the size of the home civilization; a difference will be noticed if you picked a dwarven civilization that was not well-established (few towns or none) compared to a well-established one.

The two hardcoded waves may not show up for a while if the fort does not start on the 15th day of Granite. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up at all, such as if it were blocked by a siege, or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}}

In rare cases, your civilization may undergo a [[War#Civil_war| civil war]]. If this is the case, no immigrants will join your fort after the two hardcoded waves.

===Migrant wave sizes===
The first two migrant waves have a minimum size of 1, if a wave member has a relative in your group already, and a maximum size of 10. The size of these waves is unaffected by fortress wealth, danger, or even the extinction of their home civilization. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up, like if it was blocked by a siege or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}} The third migrant wave and on are influenced by the [[wealth|created wealth]] of the fortress, with more wealth attracting more immigrants (more research is needed to determine specifics) - specifically, influenced by the fortress wealth as reported by the last outgoing dwarven [[caravan]]. Wealth created after the caravan leaves has no influence until the next year's caravan leaves. If the caravan fails to make it out, then the fortress' wealth is not reported. If the dwarven [[liaison]] makes it out, but the caravan does not, the liaison does not report on fortress wealth.

Imported wealth, caravan sales figures, absolute caravan profit and caravan profit margin either have no effect on migration numbers, or only have an effect by applying a percent modification to the numbers driven by created wealth. If a fortress manages to [[trading|trade]] (not offer) away 100% of its created wealth, then no immigrants will come the next season. More research is needed to determine if the statistics have any influence on migration numbers.

One factor which is known to affect migrant wave size is the total size of your fortress's {{k|u}}nits list (all 4 categories), which consists of dwarves, invaders, merchants, and animals which either died or currently live at your fortress. As this number increases, the maximum size of migrant waves will be reduced: starting at a local population of 1000, migrant wave sizes are limited to 10, and at subsequent levels of 1300, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2200, 2400, 2600, 2800, and 2900, the limit is decreased by 1, and once you reach a local population of 3000 you will cease to get migrants at all.

The DFHack command fix/dead-units can clear uninteresting (unnamed) dead units from the units list and allow migrants to arrive again, if this is what is keeping them away.

The largest wave size reported to date is [http://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/q580c/hole_shit 77] [https://archive.is/Wbp37/a5dc158a51bc238bc9441f06c10a3540eac8124c.png archive]

==Fortress Failure Migration==
If a fortress is abandoned during [[unhappy]], [[insanity|stark raving mad]] times, the citizens can migrate to your new fortress ''still'' stark raving mad (berserk possibly, further looking into required). Likewise, if your fortress happened to have any [[husk]]s around when it was abandoned, some of them may also migrate to your new fortress.

==Deterring migrants==

A different message for migrant arrivals will be triggered depending on your fortress' dangerousness & happiness. That number is not actually a death count, but some sort of composite "fear" value determined by adding up a bunch of sources and dividing them by various amounts. It is currently not exactly known what those sources are, but at least one of them is a death count. 0-9 is normal, 10+ is "danger" or "dangerous", and 50+ is "cursed death trap" or "tomb".

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Some migrants arrival)
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their miserable tomb.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (One migrant arrival)
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place.
|-
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrant Refusal)
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed miserable death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed unhappy death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this miserable hellhole.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed miserable death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed unhappy death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a miserable hellhole this season.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrants Refusal)
|-
|''The fortress attracted no migrants this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and miserable fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to this unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too wary to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey.
|-
|''Others were too wary to make the journey.
|}

==Expelling migrants==
Undesirable migrants can be selected for "[[emigration]]" from their individual preferences screen. To do this: Select the dwarf through the citizen list, view their Preferences, and press e to Expel. You will be prompted to confirm, and they will leave the fortress.

==Adventure mode==
In certain locations in [[adventure mode]], you may come across a [[Army|Migrating Group]] - for instance, near any recently [[abandon]]ed [[fortress]]; choosing to travel to the group will allow you to talk to the members of the former fortress as they travel back to dwarven civilization.

==Bugs==
Some migrants will be incorrectly listed as babies or children, when they are not in the expected age range for those categories. This will automatically fix itself when they have their next birthday. {{verify| Is still a bug? Cannot find an entry for it on mantis}}

If your fortress does not have a meeting hall, you might have a situation where a single migrant cannot find the fort and just stands at the edge of the map, not moving at all. You may notice that, even if more migrants are part of the wave, they cannot enter the map (and do not show up on the units screen) until this migrant moves out of the square, as all migrants in a single wave must enter the map through this square.

==The Migrant Tier List==
{{D for Dwarf}}

When a migrant wave arrives, players should stop what they are doing and check the migrants' skills to see what they may offer to their fortress.

Here, migrants are sorted into tiers, ordered by usefulness to a mid-to-high-level fort. Do note that even F-tier migrants can be useful if a player decides to make them so, and of course, any migrant can find employment as a [[haul]]er or a [[soldier]] or may train useful skills over time.

"Valuable" skills can be sorted into three categories - those that produce better-[[quality]] items, those that perform tasks faster or more efficiently, and those that simply ''cannot'' be done unskilled, such as medical tasks. Remember that, when the dust clears, the most valuable skill a dwarf can have is the one that your fortress needs the most.

==== Valued Migrants (A) ====
Some skills are central to most fortresses, either by improving the quality of critical items or by providing irreplaceable services. These migrants can improve a fort simply by showing up. ''Also known as "can I give them a [[mood]], please?"''.

*[[Weaponsmith]]s: Speak softly, but carry a [[war hammer|big stick]]. If you have an excess of [[weapon]]s, weaponsmiths can also be used to make extremely high value [[trap components]].

*[[Armorsmith]]s: Perhaps even more useful than weaponsmiths.

*[[Soldier]]s: Who doesn’t need extra <s>meat shields</s> dwarfpower? If you don't have any soldiers yet, you can form a militia, and if your militia is already well-developed, they can act as reservists, in case something [[Fun]] happens to the militia.

*[[Grower]]s: Skilled growers can improve farm efficiency exponentially, as one skilled grower can easily outperform more than a dozen unskilled laborers (see the article for more information), freeing them for other tasks. A true force multiplier.

*[[Mechanic]]s: High-quality [[mechanism]]s don't jam when used in traps, and make great trade goods.

*[[Cook]]s: Will quickly boost your fortress's value, and dwarves just adore fine meals, keeping up morale.

==== Good Migrants (B) ====
Put these dwarves to work, they have much to contribute. ''Also known as "stalwarts of the fort"''.

*[[Miner]]s: Always helpful, unless your fortress is ''very'' well developed - a high mining skill can also be useful in combat.

*[[Carpenter]]s: Like blacksmiths, but they use [[wood]] instead of metal. Only source of quality [[bed]]s and some newer items, like [[display case]]s and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s. Also, only leather shields are lighter than wood. Wooden [[trap components]] can also be useful as a trade good if other industries have not been developed yet.

*[[Mason]]s: Most fortresses cannot afford to make every piece of furniture out of metal or wood - stone is the traditional dwarven option, though it is a bit lacking in value as a material.

*[[Stonecrafter]]s: Making [[finished goods|trade goods]] for the caravan out of [[stone]] is a great way to kick-start trade, since [[metal]] and [[wood]] are often needed elsewhere. And real dwarves drink out of [[goblet|≡stone mugs≡]], not glass goblets or wooden cups or whatever.

*[[Engraver]]s: Engraving is not usually needed in a new fort but is a huge boost in value and good thoughts in a mature one. A good engraver can smooth and detail a large [[room]] in ''minutes'', shooting its [[Room#Quality|quality]] sky-high, while a novice might take hours. Novice engravers also can take quite a while to train.

*[[Brewer]]s: Should be obvious. Alcohol does not have a quality level, but the increase in production speed skilled brewers provide is never unwelcome.

*[[Healthcare]]: Skilled medical dwarves are irreplaceable for trying to save that one beloved soldier.

*[[Furnace operator]]s: While bars do not have quality levels, highly skilled furnace operators are essential for producing enough metal for your metal industry.

*[[Wood burner]]s: Similarly, unless your map has coal or you zipline the 100+ z-levels to magma, your furnaces are going to need a lot of charcoal.

*[[Leatherworker]]s: [[Leather]] can craft certain items that cannot be created sensibly with any other material, such as [[backpack]]s, [[quiver]]s, [[flask|waterskins]], and lightweight [[shield]]s (for all) and [[armor]] (for Hunters). Unless, of course, you are using [[adamantine]].

==== Niche Migrants (C) ====
These migrants can be useful, but usually only in very specific cases, or for only a few tasks - if your fortress is focusing in that area, they fit in the above category, but if not, then they are just as valuable as peasants (see next category). ''Also known as "it ain't much, but it's honest work"''.

*[[Blacksmith]]s: These dwarves make [[metal]] (not just [[iron]]) [[furniture]] and other large products, including valuable metal [[statue]]s, which can boost the value of rooms and improve morale-how else are you going to immortalize your militia's valiant battle against that ferocious [[Titan|forest titan]]?

*[[Metalcrafter]]s: You may not want to fill the next caravan with *[[silver]] mugs* and other metal [[finished goods]], but making ≡gold [[chain]]s)≡ for your guard animals and exotic pets is pretty dwarfy.

* [[Weaver]]s, [[Clothier]]s: the textile industry is needed to supply your fort with [[thread]], [[cloth]] and [[clothes]], producing essential bags and ropes, materials for bandages and suturing, and preventing bad thoughts from dwarves whose clothes rot off their bodies (and cannot be reliably replaced with what the caravans bring).

* [[Miller]]s, [[Shearer]]s, [[Thresher]]s: none of these labors have quality levels, but the increase in production speed can be highly profitable for a [[flour]] or [[textile industry]].

*[[Glassmaker]]s, [[Potter]]s, and [[Glazer]]s: You've either got sand/clay (and care about it), or you don't. Glassmakers can produce a wide variety of products, such as [[crafts]], [[furniture]], [[trap component|large weapons for traps]] and [[screw pump]]s, out of glass, and these products are often worth much more than their stone/wood counterparts. Potters are less versatile, but can also make valuable products for a decently low manufacturing price. Glazers complement potters and are needed to make their pots airtight and waterproof, allowing for liquid storage, and a good glaze job can add a lot of value to a product. Note that glassmakers and potters require [[sand]] or [[clay]] (respectively), and in large quantities to be truly effective, but these resources are basically infinite on embarks that contain them.

*[[Gem cutter]]s and [[Gem setter]]s: They just do not produce as much value as you would expect unless the gem cutter is of a high enough skill level. Training gem cutters so they do not waste your rough valuable gems with poor cuts is also quite tedious. Even then, [[gem]]s are only useful for moods, decorations, or as a trade good. As for gem setters, [[encrust]]ing is notoriously finicky, since the item to be decorated cannot be specified. So your gem setter will probably end up slapping your Masterwork cabochon cut [[diamond]]s on a [[barrel]], or something.

*[[Herbalist]]s: Herbology can be a wonderful way to kick-start an above-ground farm, or at least keep your food and booze supply nice and varied. Even dwarves can get sick of drinking the same old [[plump helmet|mushroom]] wine.

*[[Beekeeper]]s, [[Wax worker]]s, and [[Presser]]s: Beekeeping is [[Beekeeping industry|interesting]], but it isn't possible in [[biome]]s that lack [[honey bee]]s (and note that [[bumblebee]]s cannot be<s>e</s> domesticated). If you do get a beekeeping business going, wax workers and pressers become viable as well, since they use the products of beekeeping in their labors; otherwise, they are basically useless.

*[[Hunter]]s: They usually come with a good [[marksdwarf]] skill, but immediately go hunting as soon as they are able to, causing possible [[fun]]. They can be useful if managed properly, and are definitely entertaining to watch, but it may be advantageous to just rely on your [[military]] for hunting game, since [[squad]]s can be controlled more finely than hunters and are probably less likely to get themselves injured in the process.

*[[Fisherdwarf|Fisherdwarves]], [[Fish cleaner]]s: Fishing is a decent source of food, and it's a great source of the elusive [[shell]]s if your site contains [[pond turtle]]s, but it runs the risk of [[crocodile]] accidents and [[carp|other perils]]. Or, if you are unlucky, you will get absolutely nothing. Fisherdwarves can also only catch [[vermin]] fish; [[sperm whale|larger sea creatures]] require [[drowning chamber]]s or other tactics.

*[[Siege engineer]]s and [[Siege operator]]s: Would be useful, but [[siege engine]]s are currently bugged, dealing much less damage than you would expect, and they're often extremely dangerous to your own citizens when they do work as intended.

*[[Bone carver]]s: [[Bone]] is neither valuable (unless the creature was a [[megabeast]] or was [[elephant|very exotic]]), nor does it fulfill a particular niche, but it is a rather common alternative to wood, especially for practice bolts for [[marksdwarf|marksdwarves]].

*[[Dyer]]s: Skilled Dyers can add extra value to dyed cloth, as it does have a quality level, but unless your fort is dependent on its [[textile industry]], when was the last time you dyed cloth?

* [[Butcher]]s, [[Tanner]]s, [[Gelder]]s, [[Animal trainer]]s: While these labors can be pivotal to a fort's usage of animals, you really won't need more than one of these dwarves unless your meat industry is truly booming, and very often one dwarf can cover multiple of these jobs.

* [[Potash maker]]s, [[Lye maker]]s, [[Soaper]]s, [[Pump operator]]s, [[Woodcutter]]s, [[Milker]]s, [[Cheesemaker]]s: The products of these labors do not have quality levels, so the only difference between an unskilled laborer and a highly skilled one is production speed, which is really only critical if said products are the backbone of your industry ([[Stupid dwarf trick|and who specializes in ''soapmaking''?]]). Note that many of these products cannot be sourced from [[caravan]]s, which makes domestic production a necessity, but still is not something needed "full time", or even close.

* [[Woodcrafter]]s: Not to be confused with [[carpenter]]s, these dwarves mostly just make [[useless crap]] and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s out of [[wood]]. Show the elves what we think of their wood!

* [[Bookbinder]]s, [[Papermaker]]s: It is often much easier just to obtain [[codex]]es and [[paper]] from the caravan and migrants instead of producing them yourself, since that industry takes a while to setup, while producing limited benefits.

* [[Strand extractor]]s: Skilled strand extractors are quick, and unskilled strand extraction is ''agonizingly'' slow. They are only useful after [[raw adamantine]] has been discovered and mined, and the strands do not have quality levels.

==== Useless Migrants (F)====
Yes, "F" - they are that bad. ''Also known as either "free military conscripts" or "can I toss them in the [[volcano]] now, please?", depending''.

*[[Peasant]]s are not ''entirely'' useless, they are more like blank slates. Peasants can be trained in a [[mood]]able skill to control the [[artifact]]s your fortress will produce, and they make perfectly good [[haul]]ers or [[military]] trainees, if you just ignore those pointless peasant skills.

*[[Animal dissector]]s and [[fish dissector]]s: They make animal [[extract]]s, which currently are some of the most useless items in the game.

*[[Bowyer]]s: Bowyers make [[crossbow]]s out of wood and bone... that is all. Weaponsmiths can do everything bowyers can do, except better, because heavier metallic crossbows are superior as blunt weapons in close quarters.

*[[Trapper]]s: These dwarves make [[animal trap]]s, not [[cage]]s, which can only be used to trap [[vermin]], not large [[creature]]s. You are better off relying on [[cat]]s instead if vermin are threatening your stockpiles. These migrants often also have the marksdwarf or animal trainer skill, so their true value may lie elsewhere, unless you are seeking to trap vermin for a [[pet]].

*[[Administrator]]s: By the time migrant waves start arriving, you should already have these positions covered and filled; there is little advantage to having more than one dwarf with these skills. (The sole exception may be a new lead dwarf without any "item" preferences, so they issue no [[mandate]]s, to replace a less appropriate/desirable leader, if you are lucky enough to find the right skill set.) Also see [[unfortunate accident]].

*[[Animal caretaker]]s: Bugged but may become more useful when fixed.

*[[Children]]: Cannot perform any labors. At least you will have a [[peasant]]...in about 12 years.

=== Other ===

*[[Monarch]]s and their entourages: Serving as a major endgame goal, inviting these members of dwarven society comes with its own requirements and caveats, requiring a large amount of investment, labor, and time. The player can choose to never pursue this goal if they wish.

{{Category|Dwarves}}
{{Category|World}}
[[ru:Immigration]]

Immigration

2023-01-01T08:36:57Z

Nakage: /* Immigration mechanics */ Removed antecedent in favor of more explicit wording since someone thought it wasn't clear enough.

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
:''"Migration" redirects here. This article is about people migrating into your fortress, for the opposite see [[emigration]].''
[[File:immigrants_v50_anim.gif|thumb|208px|right|Migrants emerging out of the map's edge.]]'''Immigration''' is the process of people from another [[site]] of your home [[civilization]] moving into your [[fortress]]. As the fortress prospers, migrants will be attracted in larger numbers, these will arrive in groups once per [[season]]. In the early seasons after establishing the outpost, a smaller migrant group of 2-10 arrives, followed by a large group in the low double digits in the second spring one year after embarking. A notification will be received upon arrival, the migrant group will spawn at the edge of the map and proceed to march into your fortress and to the nearest meeting hall.

Migrants come from all walks of life; from historical figures and skilled craftsdwarves, to unwashed refugees fleeing the horrors of the land. Each group will often include such things as [[child]]ren and domestic animals, including both [[pet]]s and stray livestock - be prepared with adequate [[food]], [[alcohol|drink]], and [[bed]]s, among other things.

The player can also initiate immigration by requesting workers from their [[holding]]s, and by accepting [[petition]]s for residency from [[visitors]] from nearby civilizations. Note that the migrant [[population]] must be managed carefully, as if it's too low, there might not be enough people available to maintain the fortress and its defenses, and if it's too high, the fortress may not be able to support your population, leaving them to the mercy of hunger, marauding raiders, and worse. However, migration waves are generally a good thing — if you're prepared for them.

== Skills and [[labor]] preferences ==
Each migrant can arrive with a wide collection of often unrelated skills, far greater than possible with one of the [[starting build|starting 7 dwarves]], and [[experience]] levels as high as Legendary. Any and all skills might be represented, including obscure military skills (like [[blowgunner]]), high levels of one or more [[social skill]]s, [[crutch walker]], [[concentration]] and others - it's even possible to have dwarves with skills that may not be obtainable in fortress mode, like [[tracker|tracking]] or [[Pike_(weapon)|pikedwarf]]. However, Immigrant skills are influenced by your fortress' needs — migrants with skills your fortress uses a lot, or that your fortress does not have at all, are more likely to show up at your gates. Important skills (mining, food production, and basic crafting, according to Toady) are weighed more heavily than other skills.[http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_12_transcript.html Source] {{dot}} [http://www.bay12games.com/media/Dwarf_Fortress_Talk_12.mp3 MP3]

Migrants may also arrive with equipment matching their skills; for example, a miner migrant may bring a [[pick]] with them. Migrants may arrive with all labors except [[hauling]], [[cleaning]], recovering wounded, and caring for wounded disabled, depending on the settings one has entered into [[d_init.txt]].

Some immigrants are [[historical figure]]s. These immigrants come to your fortress with skills representing their history, or wounds that they have suffered during [[world generation]]. They may even be [[vampire]]s or [[werebeast]]s.

==Limiting/preventing immigration==
[[File:immigration_preview.png|thumb|280px|right|Immigrants from the Colonial Era.]]In v0.40.05 and above, the [[d_init.txt]] POPULATION_CAP setting immediately prevents further immigration once at the desired number, bypassing the two hardcoded migrant waves. There is also a STRICT_POPULATION_CAP setting, which prevents both immigration and babies when reached (although both can be violated by a few special cases, such as the arrival of a [[monarch]]). Keep in mind that your population must be at least 80 to get a king and 100 to obtain the current game features.

The number of migrants depends on the [[wealth|created wealth]] of your fortress and is affected by your dwarves' activities. Note that if your fortress should ever become a mountainhome, you will receive an additional migration wave with the promotion, regardless of your population cap. The number of migrants is affected by how far below the population cap your fortress is. If your fortress is one dwarf short of the cap, you will receive a single migrant (if any). Also note that population cap will not remove dwarves from an existing fortress but will prevent new ones from immigrating or being born.

It is worth noting that you need a certain minimum population size before any of your dwarves will experience [[strange mood]]s. Additionally, POPULATION_CAP affects only migration, and has no effect on pregnancies - you will need to alter STRICT_POPULATION_CAP, to limit births.

To reiterate, the population cap is a (mostly) hard limit on the number of dwarves in your fortress. If you want a fortress with 50 dwarves, simply set the POPULATION_CAP and STRICT_POPULATION_CAP to 50.

==Immigration mechanics==
The date on which immigrants appear in a season is determined at the start of that season, but the number of immigrants and their skills are determined when the migrant wave arrives. There is never a migration in the first winter - literally not even a {{DFtext|The fortress attracted no migrants this season|6:0:0}} message.

After the first two hardcoded waves, migrants will not arrive until the fortress has accumulated enough wealth, which must then be reported by visitors such as merchants. A trade does not have to happen.

Migrant skill levels seem to depend on the size of the home civilization; a difference will be noticed if you picked a dwarven civilization that was not well-established (few towns or none) compared to a well-established one.

The two hardcoded waves may not show up for a while if the fort does not start on the 15th day of Granite. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up at all, such as if it were blocked by a siege, or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}}

In rare cases, your civilization may undergo a [[War#Civil_war| civil war]]. If this is the case, no immigrants will join your fort after the two hardcoded waves.

===Migrant wave sizes===
The first two migrant waves have a minimum size of 1, if a wave member has a relative in your group already, and a maximum size of 10. The size of these waves is unaffected by fortress wealth, danger, or even the extinction of their home civilization. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up, like if it was blocked by a siege or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}} The third migrant wave and on are influenced by the [[wealth|created wealth]] of the fortress, with more wealth attracting more immigrants (more research is needed to determine specifics) - specifically, influenced by the fortress wealth as reported by the last outgoing dwarven [[caravan]]. Wealth created after the caravan leaves has no influence until the next year's caravan leaves. If the caravan fails to make it out, then the fortress' wealth is not reported. If the dwarven [[liaison]] makes it out, but the caravan does not, the liaison does not report on fortress wealth.

Imported wealth, caravan sales figures, absolute caravan profit and caravan profit margin either have no effect on migration numbers, or only have an effect by applying a percent modification to the numbers driven by created wealth. If a fortress manages to [[trading|trade]] (not offer) away 100% of its created wealth, then no immigrants will come the next season. More research is needed to determine if the statistics have any influence on migration numbers.

One factor which is known to affect migrant wave size is the total size of your fortress's {{k|u}}nits list (all 4 categories), which consists of dwarves, invaders, merchants, and animals which either died or currently live at your fortress. As this number increases, the maximum size of migrant waves will be reduced: starting at a local population of 1000, migrant wave sizes are limited to 10, and at subsequent levels of 1300, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2200, 2400, 2600, 2800, and 2900, the limit is decreased by 1, and once you reach a local population of 3000 you will cease to get migrants at all.

The DFHack command fix/dead-units can clear uninteresting (unnamed) dead units from the units list and allow migrants to arrive again, if this is what is keeping them away.

The largest wave size reported to date is [http://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/q580c/hole_shit 77] [https://archive.is/Wbp37/a5dc158a51bc238bc9441f06c10a3540eac8124c.png archive]

==Fortress Failure Migration==
If a fortress is abandoned during [[unhappy]], [[insanity|stark raving mad]] times, the citizens can migrate to your new fortress ''still'' stark raving mad (berserk possibly, further looking into required). Likewise, if your fortress happened to have any [[husk]]s around when it was abandoned, some of them may also migrate to your new fortress.

==Deterring migrants==

A different message for migrant arrivals will be triggered depending on your fortress' dangerousness & happiness. That number is not actually a death count, but some sort of composite "fear" value determined by adding up a bunch of sources and dividing them by various amounts. It is currently not exactly known what those sources are, but at least one of them is a death count. 0-9 is normal, 10+ is "danger" or "dangerous", and 50+ is "cursed death trap" or "tomb".

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Some migrants arrival)
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their miserable tomb.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (One migrant arrival)
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place.
|-
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrant Refusal)
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed miserable death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed unhappy death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this miserable hellhole.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed miserable death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed unhappy death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a miserable hellhole this season.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrants Refusal)
|-
|''The fortress attracted no migrants this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and miserable fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to this unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too wary to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey.
|-
|''Others were too wary to make the journey.
|}

==Expelling migrants==
Undesirable migrants can be selected for "[[emigration]]" from their individual preferences screen. To do this: Select the dwarf through the citizen list, view their Preferences, and press e to Expel. You will be prompted to confirm, and they will leave the fortress.

==Adventure mode==
In certain locations in [[adventure mode]], you may come across a [[Army|Migrating Group]] - for instance, near any recently [[abandon]]ed [[fortress]]; choosing to travel to the group will allow you to talk to the members of the former fortress as they travel back to dwarven civilization.

==Bugs==
Some migrants will be incorrectly listed as babies or children, when they are not in the expected age range for those categories. This will automatically fix itself when they have their next birthday. {{verify| Is still a bug? Cannot find an entry for it on mantis}}

If your fortress does not have a meeting hall, you might have a situation where a single migrant cannot find the fort and just stands at the edge of the map, not moving at all. You may notice that, even if more migrants are part of the wave, they cannot enter the map (and do not show up on the units screen) until this migrant moves out of the square, as all migrants in a single wave must enter the map through this square.

==The Migrant Tier List==
{{D for Dwarf}}

When a migrant wave arrives, players should stop what they are doing and check the migrants' skills to see what they may offer to their fortress.

Here, migrants are sorted into tiers, ordered by usefulness to a mid-to-high-level fort. Do note that even F-tier migrants can be useful if a player decides to make them so, and of course, any migrant can find employment as a [[haul]]er or a [[soldier]] or may train useful skills over time.

"Valuable" skills can be sorted into three categories - those that produce better-[[quality]] items, those that perform tasks faster or more efficiently, and those that simply ''cannot'' be done unskilled, such as medical tasks. Remember that, when the dust clears, the most valuable skill a dwarf can have is the one that your fortress needs the most.

==== Valued Migrants (A) ====
Some skills are central to most fortresses, either by improving the quality of critical items or by providing irreplaceable services. These migrants can improve a fort simply by showing up. ''Also known as "can I give them a [[mood]], please?"''.

*[[Weaponsmith]]s: Speak softly, but carry a [[war hammer|big stick]]. If you have an excess of [[weapon]]s, weaponsmiths can also be used to make extremely high value [[trap components]].

*[[Armorsmith]]s: Perhaps even more useful than weaponsmiths.

*[[Soldier]]s: Who doesn’t need extra <s>meat shields</s> dwarfpower? If you don't have any soldiers yet, you can form a militia, and if your militia is already well-developed, they can act as reservists, in case something [[Fun]] happens to the militia.

*[[Grower]]s: Skilled growers can improve farm efficiency exponentially, as one skilled grower can easily outperform more than a dozen unskilled laborers (see the article for more information), freeing them for other tasks. A true force multiplier.

*[[Mechanic]]s: High-quality [[mechanism]]s don't jam when used in traps, and make great trade goods.

*[[Cook]]s: Will quickly boost your fortress's value, and dwarves just adore fine meals, keeping up morale.

==== Good Migrants (B) ====
Put these dwarves to work, they have much to contribute. ''Also known as "stalwarts of the fort"''.

*[[Miner]]s: Always helpful, unless your fortress is ''very'' well developed - a high mining skill can also be useful in combat.

*[[Carpenter]]s: Like blacksmiths, but they use [[wood]] instead of metal. Only source of quality [[bed]]s and some newer items, like [[display case]]s and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s. Also, only leather shields are lighter than wood. Wooden [[trap components]] can also be useful as a trade good if other industries have not been developed yet.

*[[Mason]]s: Most fortresses cannot afford to make every piece of furniture out of metal or wood - stone is the traditional dwarven option, though it is a bit lacking in value as a material.

*[[Stonecrafter]]s: Making [[finished goods|trade goods]] for the caravan out of [[stone]] is a great way to kick-start trade, since [[metal]] and [[wood]] are often needed elsewhere. And real dwarves drink out of [[goblet|≡stone mugs≡]], not glass goblets or wooden cups or whatever.

*[[Engraver]]s: Engraving is not usually needed in a new fort but is a huge boost in value and good thoughts in a mature one. A good engraver can smooth and detail a large [[room]] in ''minutes'', shooting its [[Room#Quality|quality]] sky-high, while a novice might take hours. Novice engravers also can take quite a while to train.

*[[Brewer]]s: Should be obvious. Alcohol does not have a quality level, but the increase in production speed skilled brewers provide is never unwelcome.

*[[Healthcare]]: Skilled medical dwarves are irreplaceable for trying to save that one beloved soldier.

*[[Furnace operator]]s: While bars do not have quality levels, highly skilled furnace operators are essential for producing enough metal for your metal industry.

*[[Wood burner]]s: Similarly, unless your map has coal or you zipline the 100+ z-levels to magma, your furnaces are going to need a lot of charcoal.

*[[Leatherworker]]s: [[Leather]] can craft certain items that cannot be created sensibly with any other material, such as [[backpack]]s, [[quiver]]s, [[flask|waterskins]], and lightweight [[shield]]s (for all) and [[armor]] (for Hunters). Unless, of course, you are using [[adamantine]].

==== Niche Migrants (C) ====
These migrants can be useful, but usually only in very specific cases, or for only a few tasks - if your fortress is focusing in that area, they fit in the above category, but if not, then they are just as valuable as peasants (see next category). ''Also known as "it ain't much, but it's honest work"''.

*[[Blacksmith]]s: These dwarves make [[metal]] (not just [[iron]]) [[furniture]] and other large products, including valuable metal [[statue]]s, which can boost the value of rooms and improve morale-how else are you going to immortalize your militia's valiant battle against that ferocious [[Titan|forest titan]]?

*[[Metalcrafter]]s: You may not want to fill the next caravan with *[[silver]] mugs* and other metal [[finished goods]], but making ≡gold [[chain]]s)≡ for your guard animals and exotic pets is pretty dwarfy.

* [[Weaver]]s, [[Clothier]]s: the textile industry is needed to supply your fort with [[thread]], [[cloth]] and [[clothes]], producing essential bags and ropes, materials for bandages and suturing, and preventing bad thoughts from dwarves whose clothes rot off their bodies (and cannot be reliably replaced with what the caravans bring).

* [[Miller]]s, [[Shearer]]s, [[Thresher]]s: none of these labors have quality levels, but the increase in production speed can be highly profitable for a [[flour]] or [[textile industry]].

*[[Glassmaker]]s, [[Potter]]s, and [[Glazer]]s: You've either got sand/clay (and care about it), or you don't. Glassmakers can produce a wide variety of products, such as [[crafts]], [[furniture]], [[trap component|large weapons for traps]] and [[screw pump]]s, out of glass, and these products are often worth much more than their stone/wood counterparts. Potters are less versatile, but can also make valuable products for a decently low manufacturing price. Glazers complement potters and are needed to make their pots airtight and waterproof, allowing for liquid storage, and a good glaze job can add a lot of value to a product. Note that glassmakers and potters require [[sand]] or [[clay]] (respectively), and in large quantities to be truly effective, but these resources are basically infinite on embarks that contain them.

*[[Gem cutter]]s and [[Gem setter]]s: They just do not produce as much value as you would expect unless the gem cutter is of a high enough skill level. Training gem cutters so they do not waste your rough valuable gems with poor cuts is also quite tedious. Even then, [[gem]]s are only useful for moods, decorations, or as a trade good. As for gem setters, [[encrust]]ing is notoriously finicky, since the item to be decorated cannot be specified. So your gem setter will probably end up slapping your Masterwork cabochon cut [[diamond]]s on a [[barrel]], or something.

*[[Herbalist]]s: Herbology can be a wonderful way to kick-start an above-ground farm, or at least keep your food and booze supply nice and varied. Even dwarves can get sick of drinking the same old [[plump helmet|mushroom]] wine.

*[[Beekeeper]]s, [[Wax worker]]s, and [[Presser]]s: Beekeeping is [[Beekeeping industry|interesting]], but it isn't possible in [[biome]]s that lack [[honey bee]]s (and note that [[bumblebee]]s cannot be<s>e</s> domesticated). If you do get a beekeeping business going, wax workers and pressers become viable as well, since they use the products of beekeeping in their labors; otherwise, they are basically useless.

*[[Hunter]]s: They usually come with a good [[marksdwarf]] skill, but immediately go hunting as soon as they are able to, causing possible [[fun]]. They can be useful if managed properly, and are definitely entertaining to watch, but it may be advantageous to just rely on your [[military]] for hunting game, since [[squad]]s can be controlled more finely than hunters and are probably less likely to get themselves injured in the process.

*[[Fisherdwarf|Fisherdwarves]], [[Fish cleaner]]s: Fishing is a decent source of food, and it's a great source of the elusive [[shell]]s if your site contains [[pond turtle]]s, but it runs the risk of [[crocodile]] accidents and [[carp|other perils]]. Or, if you are unlucky, you will get absolutely nothing. Fisherdwarves can also only catch [[vermin]] fish; [[sperm whale|larger sea creatures]] require [[drowning chamber]]s or other tactics.

*[[Siege engineer]]s and [[Siege operator]]s: Would be useful, but [[siege engine]]s are currently bugged, dealing much less damage than you would expect, and they're often extremely dangerous to your own citizens when they do work as intended.

*[[Bone carver]]s: [[Bone]] is neither valuable (unless the creature was a [[megabeast]] or was [[elephant|very exotic]]), nor does it fulfill a particular niche, but it is a rather common alternative to wood, especially for practice bolts for [[marksdwarf|marksdwarves]].

*[[Dyer]]s: Skilled Dyers can add extra value to dyed cloth, as it does have a quality level, but unless your fort is dependent on its [[textile industry]], when was the last time you dyed cloth?

* [[Butcher]]s, [[Tanner]]s, [[Gelder]]s, [[Animal trainer]]s: While these labors can be pivotal to a fort's usage of animals, you really won't need more than one of these dwarves unless your meat industry is truly booming, and very often one dwarf can cover multiple of these jobs.

* [[Potash maker]]s, [[Lye maker]]s, [[Soaper]]s, [[Pump operator]]s, [[Woodcutter]]s, [[Milker]]s, [[Cheesemaker]]s: The products of these labors do not have quality levels, so the only difference between an unskilled laborer and a highly skilled one is production speed, which is really only critical if said products are the backbone of your industry ([[Stupid dwarf trick|and who specializes in ''soapmaking''?]]). Note that many of these products cannot be sourced from [[caravan]]s, which makes domestic production a necessity, but still is not something needed "full time", or even close.

* [[Woodcrafter]]s: Not to be confused with [[carpenter]]s, these dwarves mostly just make [[useless crap]] and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s out of [[wood]]. Show the elves what we think of their wood!

* [[Bookbinder]]s, [[Papermaker]]s: It is often much easier just to obtain [[codex]]es and [[paper]] from the caravan and migrants instead of producing them yourself, since that industry takes a while to setup, while producing limited benefits.

* [[Strand extractor]]s: Skilled strand extractors are quick, and unskilled strand extraction is ''agonizingly'' slow. They are only useful after [[raw adamantine]] has been discovered and mined, and the strands do not have quality levels.

==== Useless Migrants (F)====
Yes, "F" - they are that bad. ''Also known as either "free military conscripts" or "can I toss them in the [[volcano]] now, please?", depending''.

*[[Peasant]]s are not ''entirely'' useless, they are more like blank slates. Peasants can be trained in a [[mood]]able skill to control the [[artifact]]s your fortress will produce, and they make perfectly good [[haul]]ers or [[military]] trainees, if you just ignore those pointless peasant skills.

*[[Animal dissector]]s and [[fish dissector]]s: They make animal [[extract]]s, which currently are some of the most useless items in the game.

*[[Bowyer]]s: Bowyers make [[crossbow]]s out of wood and bone... that is all. Weaponsmiths can do everything bowyers can do, except better, because heavier metallic crossbows are superior as blunt weapons in close quarters.

*[[Trapper]]s: These dwarves make [[animal trap]]s, not [[cage]]s, which can only be used to trap [[vermin]], not large [[creature]]s. You are better off relying on [[cat]]s instead if vermin are threatening your stockpiles. These migrants often also have the marksdwarf or animal trainer skill, so their true value may lie elsewhere, unless you are seeking to trap vermin for a [[pet]].

*[[Administrator]]s: By the time migrant waves start arriving, you should already have these positions covered and filled; there is little advantage to having more than one dwarf with these skills. (The sole exception may be a new lead dwarf without any "item" preferences, so they issue no [[mandate]]s, to replace a less appropriate/desirable leader, if you are lucky enough to find the right skill set.) Also see [[unfortunate accident]].

*[[Animal caretaker]]s: Bugged but may become more useful when fixed.

*[[Children]]: Cannot perform any labors. At least you will have a [[peasant]]...in about 12 years.

=== Other ===

*[[Monarch]]s and their entourages: Serving as a major endgame goal, inviting these members of dwarven society comes with its own requirements and caveats, requiring a large amount of investment, labor, and time. The player can choose to never pursue this goal if they wish.

{{Category|Dwarves}}
{{Category|World}}
[[ru:Immigration]]

Design strategies

2022-12-22T20:19:13Z

Nakage: Rereading the whole page, I don't have any reason to believe anything is inaccurate since the vast majority involves general principles. At most need to check if fortifications still block climbers.

{{Quality|Unrated}}
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There are at least three basic factors to consider when designing your fort.
* '''Security:''' Every fort needs some basic [[Security design|security]] measures. Otherwise you won't survive the first serious [[kobold]] attack, much less a full-blown [[Siege|goblin siege]].
* '''Efficiency:''' Whether hauling rocks, making a booze run, or just checking the contents of a cabinet, dwarves do a lot of walking. A good fortress layout -- especially the proper placement of workshops and stockpiles -- can significantly reduce the time your dwarves spend walking.
* '''Aesthetics:''' Hey, everybody wants a fortress that looks good.

In addition to the considerations above, it's also important to remember that long-term design strategies can easily be disrupted by the discovery of underground terrain features. Don't plan ''too'' far ahead, as you might need to adapt to unforeseen obstacles.

Also, there are several [[Main:Blueprint Library|design idioms]] of common usage like [[pump stack]]s.

==Security==
Everyone will have their own preferences regarding fortress defense and how to deal with undead, wildlife, hostiles and goblin invaders. Regardless of specifics, it's important to have a plan for dealing with the several different types of inevitable attacks. A few security tips are given below.

The single most important thing to remember is that in an emergency, your dwarves will be too panicked to react to orders. Prepare for every type of threat (both military and engineering, in the form of floods or other [[Fun]]) ''before'' it finds you, or it will be too late.

===Walls===
[[Wall]]s are, by far and away, the single most powerful tool you have to combat enemies. Walls are currently invincible against any known force but the mighty dwarven [[pick]]. Putting a wall between your vulnerable and valuable civilians (and the others, too, why not?) and the things trying to kill them is the highest priority you have.

Building walls can take time and micromanagement, but building a maze (and stuffing it with traps) is a good way to slow invaders down, especially if you get forewarning from scouts. The longer invaders take to reach you, the more time you have to get your militia in place. However, since the advent of [[climb]]ing, keep in mind that just having 1-z-level walls are not enough. Place [[fortifications]] at the tops to stop climbers.

Digging ditches/[[moat]]s, then removing the ramps can also be useful as a faster method of creating impassable terrain for non-fliers, which have the added advantage of allowing [[Crossbowman|marksdwarves]] to shoot over them. Easier still is just using the "natural walls" of a hill, and removing all the ramps on one side or the other of the hill while building walls between the gaps. Climbing, however, makes this not enough for all circumstances. Either carve or build unclimbable [[fortifications]], or else dig another z-level down, and then dig two tiles under the rim of your platform to create an overhang that is impossible to climb.

Excavating fortresses by digging them out naturally creates walls, and makes for easy defenses, since it is far easier to designate for digging than to build a wall. Enclosed caves are also proof against flying monsters. At first, you might simply dig into a wall and put up a door, but consider making a large, extended underground tunnel, or preferably several tunnels, all of which can be locked down, and then walling over your initial entrance so that you can force enemies to approach your fort on your terms, and at a time and place of your choosing. If defenses in one tunnel don't work, lock it down, and leave a different one open, so that they have to run back through your killzone to try approaching a different one.

===Lockdown===
Have a way to lock down your fortress. In the event of an attack by hostiles you can't handle, you need a way to lock them out. This can buy you some time while your dwarves prepare their defenses.

For small forts, this could be as simple as placing [[door]]s at all the entrances to your fort. Doors can be locked instantly in an emergency. Don't rely on doors alone for security, though, as you'll eventually encounter enemies that can [[Building destroyer|break down doors]] and [[Thief|pick locks]].

Doors are important even within your fortress. [[Tantrum]]ing dwarves are the bane of every established fort. Having a way to segregate your dwarves so that they don't run into a dwarf on a rampage can save whole forts, much less individual lives. Doors can also stop flooding, and act as bulkheads that isolate breaches if you accidentally flood your fort. Having secondary hallways to route around problem areas is also a sound strategy for making doubly sure your fortress can survive a breach of defenses. If everything in your fort must travel through a single hallway or central staircase, anything that reaches that point can almost be guaranteed to kill your fort.

For more security, place [[Bridge|drawbridges]] at all the entrances. You don't need a moat; the bridge itself is sufficient since it functions as a wall when raised. Just be sure to connect it to a [[lever]] that your dwarves can access quickly ''and safely'' in an emergency. Unfortunately, even drawbridges can be rendered inoperable in rare circumstances....

To have a dwarf ready to pull a lever in case of an ambush it's best to place them near the meeting hall. You can also make dedicated leverdwarves by turning off all their labors and assigning the levers to them. [[Vampires]] and [[necromancer]]s are very good for this job, as they do not require sleep, however their [[mood]] may be a problem because they will not drink anything. To avoid this, make sure you have a tavern keeper to give them alcohol.

Finally, don't forget about attackers from above and below!
Flying attackers might use skylights to bypass your doors and drawbridges. [[Farming|Farms]], even "aboveground" farms, can be placed underground with exploits, but some of the best [[tree]]s grow aboveground. Use drawbridges on even the walled-in exits to the surface in case of [[giant kea]]s or [[roc]]s.

Swimming beasts might crawl up through your [[well]]. It is best to use water from sources that are completely walled off from the outside world, like a [[reservoir]] fed by an [[aquifer]]. You can also use a [[screw pump]] pulling through a floor [[grate]] to prevent hostiles (and [[building destroyer]]s) from swimming into your fortress. (The same holds doubly true for magma cisterns.)

Creating multiple entrances that can be locked down can force an invasion to stop in its tracks, reverse course, and march all the way around the map to get access to your fort. Repeatedly yanking the drawbridge up, forcing them to go back to a different entrance, and letting that drawbridge back down while pulling up the one the assault was going for then can keep an invasion in limbo for a very long time, giving sleeping or drinking milita dwarves a chance to get their act together, or to let a repeater spike [[trap]] murder everything on the 12th pass.

===Scouts===
Ambushes and thieves can sneak up on your fortress. A party of goblin archers might sneak past your main gate before being spotted, or a kobold could make off with your masterpiece crafts when nobody is looking. The way to avoid these unfortunate events is to use scouts / lookouts.

For small forts, effective scouting could be as simple as [[Restraint|tying]] a [[Dog|war dog]] (or even a donkey) up near the entrance of your fort. In the event of an ambush the animal will spot the attackers (shortly before dying). If your scouts are far enough from your main gate then you ought to have enough warning to lock down the fort, activate the militia, etc.

For more established forts, placing any sort of non-eating domestic animal in a 1-tile pasture on top of a grate that allows it to look downwards, or behind windows from a single z-level above the hallways protects your stalwart watch-geese so that you don't have to keep sending out more replacement dogs. Save the good war animals for a "Doberman Bomb" (cage linked to a release lever) that unleashes dozens of animals on invaders at once, rather than letting the invaders murder your dogs one at a time.

===Caravan security===
Is your trade depot going to be inside or outside your main line of defenses? This is another factor to consider when designing your fort. Although you don't have to protect the traders, their [[civilization]]s might hold your fortress responsible for any casualties.

Consider that merchants may go [[insane]] if kept in place, or if they get affected with a [[syndrome]], so it is possibly best to have a means of segregating the rest of your fort from the trade depot, like a drawbridge-wall. At the same time, you need to load goods into and out of the depot quickly, so it should be near major stockpiles and where your haulers usually spend their time.

A [[caravan]] needs a 3-tile-wide entrance (preferably a [[road]] where you aren't placing traps to prevent a [[tree]] from growing in the path) so they tend to complicate defenses. Consider using a retractable drawbridge to allow/disallow certain entrance and exit routes from your fort. An "elevated highway" exit from your fortress that is only accessible after throwing a switch leaves an exit that allows merchants to leave in safety if a siege happens while they are trading, but entrance paths need to be kept clear, regardless. [[Siege]]s and [[ambush]]es only start from map edges that can path to your dining hall, while a caravan starts from areas that path to a valid trade depot. If you use drawbridges to cut off access to your fort from the trade depot until after the caravan passes (and you raise) a drawbridge that cuts off outsider access to the trade depot, and you then let down a drawbridge to an elevated walkway that normally grants access to nothing, you can generally ensure no [[ambush]] will follow your trading partners in. (Although the degree of engineering may force you to wait several years...)

===Traps===
[[Trap]]s are a great way to protect your fort from small groups of attackers. When designing your fort, think about where you want to place traps. Choke points at major entrances (including entrances to the [[caverns]]) make good trap locations. However, be warned that some enemies are immune to traps....

Spikes/spear traps set to levers you order dwarves to repeatedly pull or attach to a repeater are capable of hurting creatures that can avoid traps, but require great stretches of killzone to operate effectively.

Deliberately-induced [[Cave-in|cave-ins]], such as by linking a [[support|pillar]] to a lever, and dropping an otherwise unsupported wall, creates deadly dust that can knock even trap-immune creatures unconscious, which renders them vulnerable to ordinary traps. Cage a titanic beast, and put it in your zoo for the kids to marvel at!

Advanced dwarven techniques include methods of flooding and draining killzones with dangerous fluids like [[water]] or [[magma]], or both to [[obsidian]]-cast the problem, which is guaranteed to kill any physical threat in existence. Other methods include controlled fires (often caused by controlled magma release). These, however, are potentially very [[Fun]] tools, so be sure you understand what you are dealing with before you set yourself to it. (Or just make it a learning experience when you mess up an early fort. Hey, Fun IS fun, after all!)

===Staging area===
Many players like to design their forts with a militia staging area at the main entrance. Usually this includes placing [[fortification]]s (possibly in archer towers), ammunition stockpiles, and cover for your melee dwarves to protect them from approaching archers.

If you want to rely on marksdwarves, consider fortress entrance designs that favor their method of attack. Make the only entrance a snaking series of bridges that force invaders to zig-zag in front of your marksdwarves. If that doesn't provide enough time to kill them all, stack several floors of snaking bridges, and let your marksdwarves simply climb a couple stairs to get to the next killzone between rounds. If you rely heavily on marksdwarves, remember that sieges can also contain elite archers that fire through fortifications. Prepare a 1-tile-wide drawbridge "shutter" that can block sight in front of the fortifications to protect vulnerable marksdwarves or allow for recovery of the wounded if you want to try out-shooting an elite archer.

Some players also like to place a [[Barracks|training barracks]] near the entrance to the fort so that the militia can quickly respond to attackers. Putting it outside is even better as it also prevents cave adaption on your soldiers which can give you an edge in a siege, as more serious cases of cave adaptation severely cut the speed of the affected dwarf. If you don't let your military dwarves outside that often, let them fight in the shade; Make your staging area underground, and just wait for the siege to roll into your staging area, instead.

Staging areas can also come with some extra help - a cage filled with every random potentially dangerous creature you don't need pastured can, when released, provide a massive (and potentially hilarious) distraction. Even a barrage of 40 kittens can bog down invaders enough that a lone swordsdwarf can fight enemies one-by-one.

==Efficiency==

Although many actions in the game take time, and skill levels significantly reduce the time the actual crafting of items or resource gathering takes, by and large, the OVERWHELMING majority of wasted productivity comes from dwarves having to march great distances to reach a raw material for their crafting needs. Even worse, if they get thirsty while hunting down that stray boulder at the bottom floor of the mines, they'll go all the way back up for their drink, and have to take the trek back down again, later. As such, efficiency is all about shortening the trips your craftsdwarves must take as much as possible.

Proper placement of [[stockpile]]s is key. Almost every workshop job needs raw materials. Is your [[still]] near some empty barrels and plants? Does your mason have easy access to stone? A smelter must have quick access to both ore and fuel.

As a general rule of thumb, each workshop should have at least a 3x3 stockpile area associated with it. Some workshops will need more if multiple raw ingredients are needed. [[Workshop design]] is a science in of itself but one efficient arrangement is to place output stockpiles directly above or below your workshops and connect them with stairs. Another common design is to carve out a 5x5 room and place the 3x3 workshop in the center, leaving 16 surrounding tiles for input storage.

When utilizing a large storage stockpile, for food or wood for example, the optimal approach is to place a small stockpile next to the workshop and have the small stockpile [[Stockpile#Take_from_a_stockpile/workshop|take]] from the large stockpile.

There are a few other things to consider for basic fortress efficiency:
* Major hallways should be at least two tiles wide, preferably three tiles. Otherwise your dwarves will be constantly running into each other causing productivity and possible [[Maximizing_framerate#Fortress_Design|framerate]] to be slowed.
* To reduce the amount of time that your dwarves spend walking, common areas should be placed near the center of your fort. Dwarves drink frequently. It's a good idea to store your booze in a centralized location, and to designate a [[meeting hall]] in a similarly centralized place.
* An efficient fortress must make good use of all three dimensions. A dwarf climbs or descends one [[z-level]] in the same time it takes to move one step horizontally. For example, when you need to build more bedrooms it can be a lot more efficient to dig down one level than to place the new rooms 20 tiles farther from the center of your fortress.
* Moving one step diagonally takes about 1.4 times as long as moving one step orthogonally. This matches the real world, where Pythagoras tells us that it should take √2 (about 1.414) times as long. You can optimize floor plans for [[pathfinding]] by adopting more circular shapes into your design.
* Similarly, since vertical Z-movement is cheap, the more spherical your fortress is in shape, the less walking there is, overall. Placing workshops side-by-side on a single floor means each additional workshop requires a dwarf move at least 3 more tiles (and if there is a wall or space, 4 or 5 tiles) to reach their destination, and they will be frequently running back and forth between stockpile and workshop. Vertical stacking means a dwarf only moves 1 tile.
* With [[burrow]]s, it is possible to keep some dwarves working in a specific area, so that they never try to take a task half-way across the map, or haul items a long distance through high-volume corridors. For example, you might keep your furnace operators and your weaponsmiths hard at work in their smelters and forges by designating a burrow for them. Make sure you understand burrows before attempting this - if there is no source of food or drink in the burrows a dwarf is restricted to, you may run into some [[tantrum|problems]]. (This means possibly making additional dining rooms just for these dwarves.) Also make sure the dwarves' quarters (or at least a dormitory) are inside the burrow.
* A more advanced technique is to segregate your fortress by raw material, and have separate "wings" or "nodes" of the fortress for different types of material. All woodworking workshops, for example, are connected to a vertical shaft dug down from a stockpile near the front gate that takes in lumber from outside, where craftsdwarves only need to travel 3 tiles horizontally to the stairs, 1-4 z-levels up the stairs, and a tile to the side to reach their lumber supply. Since most industry takes only one general type of raw material (wood, stone, metal/ore, gem, food, cloth,) you can easily segregate by raw material. Put "finished product" stockpiles on a separate floor, as well.
* Place your residential sectors (housing, food, and drink) as close to the workplace as possible. Dwarves waste most of their non-working time just walking to the drink supply. Make that as short as possible. Don't be afraid to make secondary alcohol stockpiles, and you can actually put residences for craftsdwarves right under the stack of workshops. Legendary dining halls are tougher to make in droves, but not so tough you can't do it with an established fort.
* [[Block]]s can substitute for raw rock for construction purposes, but are much lighter. If you are digging in a depth of 100z and need many rocks for building structures at the surface, you should set up a rock storage and a mason´s workshop at 100z to permanently make blocks, and use the blocks for the construction. This is a full-time job for one mason, but the speed of the construction dwarves is increased a lot.

==Aesthetics==
Aesthetics are completely subjective, of course, but it's still something you may want to consider when designing your fort.
* Symmetry is often the ''easiest'' path to visual appeal, but it may be hard to balance with function. Asymmetry can look great but requires more skill to look graceful.
* Conform to either mostly organic shapes or mostly inorganic shapes. A mixture ''probably'' won't look very good.
* Try digging passages out of [[stone]] rather than [[soil]]. Although digging in stone is slower and messier, stone can eventually be smoothed and engraved, and yields a usable material. Soil, on the other hand, is ugly and much less dwarfy (although being excessive and paving stone over everything is arguably ''more'' dwarfy).
* Use stockpile settings to consistently build your furniture and blocks from a single type of material. Bedrooms tend to look nicer when the furniture is uniform.
* Alternatively, if you like lots of [[color]] and [[Style_project|variety]], you can use the stockpile and workshop settings to make sure your dwarves use lots of different materials.
* [[Ramp]]s are generally more aesthetically pleasing than the extremely narrow switchback [[stairs]], but carry a much larger cost in efficiency and ease of construction.

== Further Reading ==
For an in-depth examination of topics relating to fortress layout, these pages focus on specific aspects, mostly with an eye to improving survivability. Some of these are not directly related to architecture but are useful nonetheless.
* [[Defense guide]]
* [[Security design]]
* [[Trap design]]
* [[Military design]]
* [[Stockpile design]]
* [[Workshop design]]
* [[Bedroom design]]
* [[Megaproject]]
* [[Stupid dwarf trick]]
* [[Style project]]

{{Category|Design}}
{{Category|Guides}}
[[ru:Design strategies]]

Immigration

2022-12-21T05:54:21Z

Nakage: /* Immigration mechanics */ Added a line clarifying a mechanic of immigration. I found this via testing a fortress creating nothing for 3 years, creating a bunch immediately before caravan, after caravan, and so on. I do not know the specifics on how much you need.

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
:''"Migration" redirects here. This article is about people migrating into your fortress, for the opposite see [[emigration]].''
[[File:immigration_preview.png|thumb|300px|right|Immigrants from the Colonial Era.]]'''Immigration''' is the process of people from another [[site]] of your home [[civilization]] moving into your [[fortress]]. As the fortress prospers, migrants will be attracted in larger numbers, these will arrive in groups once per [[season]]. In the early seasons after establishing the outpost, a smaller migrant group of 2-10 arrives, followed by a large group in the low double digits in the second spring one year after embark. A notification will be received upon arrival, the migrant group will spawn at the edge of the map and proceed to march into your fortress and to the nearest meeting hall.

Migrants come from all walks of life; from historical figures and skilled craftsdwarves, to unwashed refuges fleeing the horrors of the land. Each group will often include such things as [[child]]ren and domestic animals, including both [[pet]]s and stray livestock - be prepared with adequate [[food]], [[alcohol|drink]], and [[bed]]s, among other things.

The player can also initiate immigration by requesting workers from their [[holding]]s, and by accepting [[petition]]s for residency from [[visitors]] from nearby civilizations. Note that the migrant [[population]] must be managed carefully, as if it's too low, there might not be enough people available to maintain the fortress and its defenses, and if it's too high, the fortress may not be able to support your population, leaving them to the mercy of hunger, marauding raiders, and worse. However, migration waves are generally a good thing — if you're prepared for them.

== Skills and [[labor]] preferences ==

Each migrant can arrive with a wide collection of often unrelated skills, far greater than possible with one of the [[starting build|starting 7 dwarves]], and [[experience]] levels as high as Legendary. Any and all skills might be represented, including obscure military skills (like [[blowgunner]]), high levels of one or more [[social skill]]s, [[crutch walker]], [[concentration]] and others - it's even possible to have dwarves with skills that may not be obtainable in fortress mode, like [[tracker|tracking]] or [[Pike_(weapon)|pikedwarf]]. However, Immigrant skills are influenced by your fortress' needs — migrants with skills your fortress uses a lot, or that your fortress doesn't have at all, are more likely to show up at your gates. Important skills (mining, food production, and basic crafting, according to Toady) are weighed more heavily than other skills.[http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_12_transcript.html Source] {{dot}} [http://www.bay12games.com/media/Dwarf_Fortress_Talk_12.mp3 MP3]

Migrants may also arrive with equipment matching their skills; for example, a miner migrant may bring a [[pick]] with them. Migrants may arrive with all labors except [[hauling]], [[cleaning]], recovering wounded, and caring for wounded disabled, depending on the settings one has entered into [[d_init.txt]].

Some immigrants are [[historical figure]]s. These immigrants come to your fortress with skills representing their history, or wounds that they have suffered during [[world generation]]. They may even be [[vampire]]s or [[werebeast]]s.

==Limiting/preventing immigration==
In v0.40.05 and above, the [[d_init.txt]] POPULATION_CAP setting immediately prevents further immigration once the desired number is achieved, bypassing the two hardcoded migrant waves. There is also a STRICT_POPULATION_CAP setting, which prevents both immigration and babies when reached (although both can be violated by a few special cases, such as the arrival of a [[monarch]]). Keep in mind that your population must be at least 80 to get a king and 100 to obtain the current game features.

The number of migrants depends on the [[wealth|created wealth]] of your fortress and so is affected by your dwarves' activities. Note that if your fortress should ever become a mountainhome, you will receive an additional migration wave with the promotion, regardless of your population cap. The number of migrants is affected by how far below the population cap your fortress is. If your fortress is one dwarf short of the cap, you will receive a single migrant (if any). Also note that population cap will not remove dwarves from an existing fortress but will prevent new ones from immigrating or being born.

It is worth noting that you need a certain minimum population size before any of your dwarves will experience [[strange mood]]s. Additionally, POPULATION_CAP affects only migration,and has no effect on pregnancies - you will need to alter STRICT_POPULATION_CAP, in order to limit births.

To reiterate, the population cap is a (mostly) hard limit on the number of dwarves in your fortress. If you want a fortress with 50 dwarves, simply set the POPULATION_CAP and STRICT_POPULATION_CAP to 50.

==Immigration mechanics==
The date on which immigrants appear in a season seems to be fixed at the start of that season, but the number of immigrants and their skills are determined when the migrant wave arrives. There is never a migration in the first winter - literally not even a {{DFtext|The fortress attracted no migrants this season|6:0:0}} message.

Migrants after the first two hardcoded waves will not arrive until the fortress has accumulated enough wealth, which must then be reported via visitors such as merchants. A trade does not have to happen.

Migrant skill levels seem to depend on the size of the home civilization; a difference will be noticed if you picked a dwarven civilization that was not well-established (few towns or none) compared to a well-established one.

The two hardcoded waves may not show up for a while if the fort doesn't start on the 15th day of Granite. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up at all, such as if it was blocked by a siege, or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}}

In rare cases, your civilization may undergo a [[War#Civil_war| civil war]]. If this is the case, no immigrants will join your fort after the two hardcoded waves.

===Migrant wave sizes===
The first two migrant waves have a minimum size of 1, if a wave member has a relative in your group already, and a maximum size of 10. The size of these waves are unaffected by fortress wealth, danger, or even the extinction of their home civilization. Note that there may be various reasons for a hardcoded migrant wave to not show up, like if it was blocked by a siege or if it is not the first fort in the world.{{Cite talk/this}} The third migrant wave and on are influenced by the [[wealth|created wealth]] of the fortress, with more wealth attracting more immigrants (more research is needed to determine specifics) - specifically, influenced by the fortress wealth as reported by the last outgoing dwarven [[caravan]]. Wealth created after the caravan leaves has no influence until the next year's caravan leaves. If the caravan fails to make it out then the fortress' wealth is not reported. If the dwarven [[liason]] makes it out, but the caravan doesn't, the liaison does not report on fortress wealth.

Imported wealth, caravan sales figures, absolute caravan profit and caravan profit margin either have no effect on migration numbers, or only have an effect by applying a percent modification to the numbers driven by created wealth. If a fortress manages to [[trading|trade]] (not offer) away 100% of its created wealth, then no immigrants will come the next season. More research is needed to determine if the aforementioned statistics have any influence on migration numbers.

One factor which is known to affect migrant wave size is the total size of your fortress's {{k|u}}nits list (all 4 categories), which consists of dwarves, invaders, merchants, and animals which either died or currently live at your fortress. As this number increases, the maximum size of migrant waves will be reduced: starting at a local population of 1000, migrant wave sizes are limited to 10, and at subsequent levels of 1300, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2200, 2400, 2600, 2800, and 2900, the limit is decreased by 1, and once you reach a local population of 3000 you will cease to get migrants at all.

The DFHack command fix/dead-units can clear uninteresting (unnamed) dead units from the units list and allow migrants to arrive again, if this is what is keeping them away.

The maximum wave size reported to date is [http://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/q580c/hole_shit 77] [https://archive.is/Wbp37/a5dc158a51bc238bc9441f06c10a3540eac8124c.png archive]

==Fortress Failure Migration==
If a fortress is abandoned during [[unhappy]], [[insanity|stark raving mad]] times, the citizens can migrate to your new fortress ''still'' stark raving mad (berserk possibly, further looking into required). Likewise, if your fortress happened to have any [[husk]]s around when it was abandoned, some of them may also migrate to your new fortress.

==Deterring migrants==

A different message for migrant arrivals will be triggered depending on your fortress' dangerousness & happiness. That number isn't actually a death count, but some sort of composite "fear" value determined by adding up a bunch of sources and dividing them by various amounts. It is currently not exactly known what those sources are, but at least one of them is a death count. 0-9 is normal, 10+ is "danger" or "dangerous", and 50+ is "cursed death trap" or "tomb".

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Some migrants arrivial)
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''Some migrants have arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place, knowing it may be their tomb.
|-
|''Some migrants have decided to brave this terrifying place, knowing it may be their miserable tomb.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (One migrant arrivial)
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived at this unhappy place.
|-
|''A migrant has arrived, despite the danger.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying miserable place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying place.
|-
|''A migrant has decided to brave this terrifying unhappy place.
|-
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrant Refusal)
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed miserable death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this cursed unhappy death-trap.
|-
|''No one else even considered making the journey to this miserable hellhole.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed miserable death-trap th is season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a cursed unhappy death-trap this season.
|-
|''No one even considered making the journey to such a miserable hellhole this season.
|}

{| class=wikitable style="display: inline-table;"
! Messages (Migrants Refusal)
|-
|''The fortress attracted no migrants this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and miserable fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous and unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to such a dangerous fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants refused to journey to this unhappy fortress this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Migrants were too nervous to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Migrants were too wary to make the journey this season.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous and unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this dangerous fortress.
|-
|''Others refused to journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this miserable fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey to this unhappy fortress.
|-
|''Others were too nervous to make the journey.
|-
|''Others were too wary to make the journey.
|}

==Expelling migrants==
Undesirable migrants can be targeted for "[[emigration]]" from their individual preferences screen. To do this: Select the dwarf through the citizen list, view their Preferences, and press e to Expel. You will be prompted to confirm, and they will leave the fortress.

==Adventure mode==
In certain locations in [[adventure mode]], you may come across a [[Army|Migrating Group]] - for instance, near any recently [[abandon]]ed [[fortress]]; choosing to travel to the group will allow you to talk to the members of the former fortress as they travel back to dwarven civilization.

==Bugs==
Some migrants will be incorrectly listed as babies or children, when they are not in the expected age range for those categories. This will automatically fix itself when they have their next birthday. {{verify| Is still a bug? Can't find an entry for it on mantis}}

If your fortress does not have a meeting hall, you might have a situation where a single migrant can't find the fort and just stands at the edge of the map, not moving at all. You may notice that, even if more migrants are part of the wave, they cannot enter the map (and do not show up on the units screen) until this migrant moves out of the square, as all migrants in a single wave must enter the map through this square.

==The Migrant Tier List==
{{D for Dwarf}}

When a migrant wave arrives, players should stop what they are doing and check the migrants' skills to see what they may offer to their fortress.

Here, migrants are sorted into tiers, roughly ordered by usefulness to a mid-to-high-level fort. Do note that even F-tier migrants can be useful if a player decides to make them so, and of course, any migrant can find employment as a [[haul]]er or a [[soldier]], or may train useful skills over time.

"Valuable" skills can be sorted into three categories - those that produce better-[[quality]] items, those that perform tasks faster or more efficiently, and those that simply ''cannot'' be done unskilled, such as medical tasks. Remember that, when the dust clears, the most valuable skill a dwarf can have is the one that your fortress needs the most.

==== Valued Migrants (A) ====
Some skills are central to most fortresses, either by improving the quality of critical items or by providing irreplaceable services. These migrants can improve a fort simply by showing up. ''Also known as "can I give them a [[mood]], please?"''.

*[[Weaponsmith]]s: Speak softly, but carry a [[war hammer|big stick]]. If you have an excess of [[weapon]]s, weaponsmiths can also be used to make extremely high-value [[trap components]].

*[[Armorsmith]]s: Perhaps even more useful than weaponsmiths.

*[[Soldier]]s: Who doesn't need extra <s>meat shields</s> dwarfpower? If you don't have any soldiers yet, you can form a militia, and if your militia is already well-developed, they can act as reservists, in case something [[Fun]] happens to the militia.

*[[Grower]]s: Skilled growers can improve farm efficiency exponentially, as one skilled grower can easily outperform more than a dozen unskilled laborers (see the article for more information), freeing them for other tasks. A true force multiplier.

*[[Mechanic]]s: High-quality [[mechanism]]s don't jam when used in traps, and make great trade goods.

*[[Cook]]s: Will quickly boost your fortress's value, and dwarves just adore fine meals, keeping up morale.

==== Good Migrants (B) ====
Put these dwarves to work, they have much to contribute. ''Also known as "stalwarts of the fort"''.

*[[Miner]]s: Always helpful, unless your fortress is ''very'' well developed - a high mining skill can also be useful in combat.

*[[Carpenter]]s: Like blacksmiths, but they use [[wood]] instead of metal. Only source of quality [[bed]]s and some newer items, like [[display case]]s and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s. Also, only leather shields are lighter than wood. Wooden [[trap components]] can also be useful as a trade good if other industries haven't been developed yet.

*[[Mason]]s: Most fortresses can't afford to make every piece of furniture out of metal or wood - stone is the traditional dwarven option, though it is a bit lacking in value as a material.

*[[Stonecrafter]]s: Making [[finished goods|trade goods]] for the caravan out of [[stone]] is a great way to kick-start trade, since [[metal]] and [[wood]] are often needed elsewhere. And real dwarves drink out of [[goblet|≡stone mugs≡]], not glass goblets or wooden cups or whatever.

*[[Engraver]]s: Engraving isn't usually needed in a new fort, but is a huge boost in value and good thoughts in a mature one. A good engraver can smooth and detail a large [[room]] in ''minutes'', shooting its [[Room#Quality|quality]] sky-high, while a novice might take hours. Novice engravers also can take quite a while to train.

*[[Brewer]]s: Should be obvious. Alcohol doesn't have a quality level, but the increase in production speed skilled brewers provide is never unwelcome.

*[[Healthcare]]: Skilled medical dwarves are irreplaceable for trying to save that one beloved soldier.

*[[Furnace operator]]s: While bars do not have quality levels, highly skilled furnace operators are essential for producing enough metal for your metal industry.

*[[Wood burner]]s: Similarly, unless your map has coal or you zipline the 100+ z-levels to magma, your furnaces are going to need a lot of charcoal.

*[[Leatherworker]]s: [[Leather]] can craft certain items that cannot be created sensibly with any other material, such as [[backpack]]s, [[quiver]]s, [[flask|waterskins]], and lightweight [[shield]]s (for all) and [[armor]] (for Hunters). Unless, of course, you're using [[adamantine]].

==== Niche Migrants (C) ====
These migrants can be useful, but usually only in very specific cases, or for only a few tasks - if your fortress is focusing in that area, they fit in the above category, but if not, then they are just as valuable as peasants (see next category). ''Also known as "it ain't much, but it's honest work"''.

*[[Blacksmith]]s: These dwarves make [[metal]] (not just [[iron]]) [[furniture]] and other large products, including valuable metal [[statue]]s, which can boost the value of rooms and improve morale-how else are you going to immortalize your militia's valiant battle against that ferocious [[Titan|forest titan]]?

*[[Metalcrafter]]s: You may not want to fill the next caravan with *[[silver]] mugs* and other metal [[finished goods]], but making ≡gold [[chain]]s)≡ for your guard animals and exotic pets is pretty dwarfy.

* [[Weaver]]s, [[Clothier]]s: the textile industry is needed to supply your fort with [[thread]], [[cloth]] and [[clothes]], producing essential bags and ropes, materials for bandages and suturing, and preventing bad thoughts from dwarves whose clothes rot off their bodies (and cannot be reliably replaced with what the caravans bring).

* [[Miller]]s, [[Shearer]]s, [[Thresher]]s: none of these labors have quality levels, but the increase in production speed can be highly profitable for a [[flour]] or [[textile industry]].

*[[Glassmaker]]s, [[Potter]]s, and [[Glazer]]s: You've either got sand/clay (and care about it), or you don't. Glassmakers can produce a wide variety of products, such as [[crafts]], [[furniture]], [[trap component|large weapons for traps]] and [[screw pump]]s, out of glass, and these products are often worth much more than their stone/wood counterparts. Potters are less versatile, but can also make valuable products for a decently low manufacturing price. Glazers complement potters, and are needed to make their pots airtight and waterproof, allowing for liquid storage, and a good glaze job can add a lot of value to a product. Note that glassmakers and potters require [[sand]] or [[clay]] (respectively), and in large quantities to be truly effective, but these resources are basically infinite on embarks that contain them.

*[[Gem cutter]]s and [[Gem setter]]s: They just don't produce as much value as you'd expect, unless the gem cutter is of a high enough skill level. Training gem cutters so they don't waste your rough valuable gems with poor cuts is also quite tedious. Even then, [[gem]]s are only useful for moods, decorations, or as a trade good. As for gem setters, [[encrust]]ing is notoriously finicky, since the item to be decorated cannot be specified. So your gem setter will probably end up slapping your Masterwork cabochon cut [[diamond]]s on a [[barrel]], or something.

*[[Herbalist]]s: Herbology can be a great way to kick-start an above-ground farm, or at least keep your food and booze supply nice and varied. Even dwarves can get sick of drinking the same old [[plump helmet|mushroom]] wine.

*[[Beekeeper]]s, [[Wax worker]]s, and [[Presser]]s: Beekeeping is [[Beekeeping industry|interesting]], but it isn't possible in [[biome]]s that lack [[honey bee]]s (and note that [[bumblebee]]s cannot be<s>e</s> domesticated). If you do get a beekeeping business going, wax workers and pressers become viable as well, since they use the products of beekeeping in their labors; otherwise, they're basically useless.

*[[Hunter]]s: They usually come with a good [[marksdwarf]] skill, but immediately go hunting as soon as they're able to, causing possible [[fun]]. They can be useful if handled properly, and are definitely entertaining to watch, but it may be advantageous to just rely on your [[military]] for hunting game, since [[squad]]s can be controlled more finely than hunters, and are probably less likely to get themselves injured in the process.

*[[Fisherdwarf|Fisherdwarves]], [[Fish cleaner]]s: Fishing is a decent source of food, and it's a great source of the elusive [[shell]]s if your site contains [[pond turtle]]s, but it runs the risk of [[crocodile]] accidents and [[carp|other perils]]. Or, if you're unlucky, you'll get absolutely nothing. Fisherdwarves can also only catch [[vermin]] fish; [[sperm whale|larger sea creatures]] require [[drowning chamber]]s or other tactics.

*[[Siege engineer]]s and [[Siege operator]]s: Would be useful, but [[siege engine]]s are currently bugged, dealing much less damage than you'd expect, and they're often extremely dangerous to your own citizens when they do work as intended.

*[[Bone carver]]s: [[Bone]] is neither valuable (unless the creature was a [[megabeast]] or was [[elephant|very exotic]]), nor does it fulfill a particular niche, but it is a rather common alternative to wood, especially for practice bolts for [[marksdwarf|marksdwarves]].

*[[Dyer]]s: Skilled Dyers can add extra value to dyed cloth, as it does have a quality level, but unless your fort is dependent on its [[textile industry]], when was the last time you dyed cloth?

* [[Butcher]]s, [[Tanner]]s, [[Gelder]]s, [[Animal trainer]]s: While these labors can be pivotal to a fort's usage of animals, you really won't need more than one of these dwarves unless your meat industry is truly booming, and very often one dwarf can cover multiple of these jobs.

* [[Potash maker]]s, [[Lye maker]]s, [[Soaper]]s, [[Pump operator]]s, [[Woodcutter]]s, [[Milker]]s, [[Cheesemaker]]s: The products of these labors do not have quality levels, so the only difference between an unskilled laborer and a highly skilled one is production speed, which is really only critical if said products are the backbone of your industry ([[Stupid dwarf trick|and who specializes in ''soapmaking''?]]). Note that many of these products cannot be sourced from [[caravan]]s, which makes domestic production a necessity, but still is not something needed "full time", or even close.

* [[Woodcrafter]]s: Not to be confused with [[carpenter]]s, these dwarves mostly just make [[useless crap]] and [[Instrument|musical instrument]]s out of [[wood]]. Show the elves what we think of their wood!

* [[Bookbinder]]s, [[Papermaker]]s: It's often much easier just to obtain [[codex]]es and [[paper]] from the caravan and migrants instead of producing them yourself, since that industry takes a while to setup, while producing limited benefits.

* [[Strand extractor]]s: Skilled strand extractors are quick, and unskilled strand extraction is ''agonizingly'' slow. They're only useful after [[raw adamantine]] has been discovered and mined, and the strands do not have quality levels.

==== Useless Migrants (F)====
Yes, "F" - they're that bad. ''Also known as either "free military conscripts" or "can I toss them in the [[volcano]] now, please?", depending''.

*[[Peasant]]s are not ''entirely'' useless, they're more like blank slates. Peasants can be trained in a [[mood]]able skill to control the [[artifact]]s your fortress will produce, and they make perfectly good [[haul]]ers or [[military]] trainees, if you just ignore those pointless peasantish skills.

*[[Animal dissector]]s and [[fish dissector]]s: They make animal [[extract]]s, which currently are some of the most useless items in the game.

*[[Bowyer]]s: Bowyers make [[crossbow]]s out of wood and bone... that's all. Weaponsmiths can do everything bowyers can do, except better, because heavier metallic crossbows are superior as blunt weapons in close-quarters.

*[[Trapper]]s: These dwarves make [[animal trap]]s, not [[cage]]s, which can only be used to trap [[vermin]], not large [[creature]]s. You're better off relying on [[cat]]s instead if vermin are threatening your stockpiles. These migrants often also have the marksdwarf or animal trainer skill, so their true value may lie elsewhere, unless you are seeking to trap vermin for a [[pet]].

*[[Administrator]]s: By the time migrant waves start arriving, you should already have these positions covered and filled; there is very little advantage to having more than one dwarf with these skills. (The sole exception may be a new lead dwarf without any "item" preferences, so they issue no [[mandate]]s, to replace a less-appropriate/desirable leader, if you are lucky enough to find the right skill set.) Also see [[unfortunate accident]].

*[[Animal caretaker]]s: Bugged at the moment, and may become more useful when the bug is fixed.

*[[Children]]: Cannot perform any labors. At least you'll have a [[peasant]]...in about 12 years.

=== Other ===

*[[Monarch]]s and their entourages: Serving as a major endgame goal, inviting these members of dwarven society comes with its own requirements and caveats, requiring a large amount of investment, labor, and time. The player can choose to never pursue this goal if they wish.

{{Category|Dwarves}}
{{Category|World}}
[[ru:Immigration]]