Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

Talk:Quickstart guide

2023-01-12T21:44:17Z

Tme5: /* Remove trade depot from guide? */ new section

== Updating to v50 ==

AFAIK, it's yet to be seen how much Classic will resemble the new Premium versions, and hence how much of this material will be made completely redundant by the tutorial. What kind of purpose would we see this page being?
* update it and keep it as our own tutorial?
* retire it and try to merge useful pointers into [[Dwarf fortress mode]]?
* change it to be a "beyond the tutorial" guide? or an accompaniment to it?
BTW I haven't actually messed around with the new tutorial yet so I'm not sure what it covers. [[User:Tme5|Tme5]] ([[User talk:Tme5|talk]]) 13:41, 20 December 2022 (UTC)

Side note: Going by [https://youtu.be/hBA4knAYKvM?t=120 this video] the interface will be identical in function. --[[User:Jan|Jan]] ([[User talk:Jan|talk]]) 14:09, 20 December 2022 (UTC)

:You're right. OK, I just played the tutorial. It's not that bad, and the UI is of course more discoverable now, but it's extremely barebones. Personally I think we should '''update this page and keep it as our own expanded tutorial''' - and in the process we should try to deduplicate some info and link more to dedicated pages on certain topics, so there's less to keep up-to-date. [[User:Tme5|Tme5]] ([[User talk:Tme5|talk]]) 22:11, 22 December 2022 (UTC)

Agreed - I did have ''some'' suspicions to begin with myself, though! [[User:Silverwing235|Silverwing235]] ([[User talk:Silverwing235|talk]]) 22:24, 22 December 2022 (UTC)

Best way to mention would be to have some note to the tutorial within the game, ask someone to look at that and then look at this guide. It being handholdy was exactly what was needed, but when people come here provide the service of helping people not experience early amounts of FUN by putting the refuse pile inside the fortress. [[User:REDthunderBOAR|REDthunderBOAR]] ([[User talk:REDthunderBOAR|talk]]) 22:47, 26 December 2022 (UTC)

There is one thing I would like to add to the tutorial since it will improve someone's experience with the game. As the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRg_BaQ9VhM video here] shows the game is naturally at double the speed. If we show people how to slow it down it will not be so overwhelming. [[User:REDthunderBOAR|REDthunderBOAR]] ([[User talk:REDthunderBOAR|talk]]) 22:47, 26 December 2022 (UTC)

== Feedback: UI (priorities/diplomacy?) ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Choosing what to sell and what to buy|Choosing what to sell and what to buy]]</div>
Hi! Thanks for the lovely quick start guide, however it assumes that I have any idea how to interact with trader. I have no idea what has happened just now, just some lines of text were shown, no trade was done, could not set the priority (assuming it is my priority) and then they just left... maybe next year lol --[[Special:Contributions/77.247.162.32|77.247.162.32]] 00:41, 29 August 2017 (UTC)
:There has been a link to the trade page for a while now. I reorganized the text a little. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 19:25, 6 September 2017 (UTC)
::There's no mention, here or on the trading page, of the negotiation screen that pops up where you set priorities for importing goods etc. I think this was a [[diplomat]]? But it says they should only show up once you have a baron...
::It happened to me too, and as an inexperienced player I was confused that it wasn't mentioned. [[User:Tme5|Tme5]] ([[User talk:Tme5|talk]]) 19:22, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
::: It is the [[trade agreement]]s that are negotiated with [[outpost liaison]] or foreign trade representatives\diplomats. It is mentioned on the [[Trading#Trade_Agreements_and_Liaisons]]. I agree it could be improved. --[[User:Jan|Jan]] ([[User talk:Jan|talk]]) 20:38, 18 December 2022 (UTC)

== Feedback: stone stockpile? ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">"While the wheelbarrows are being built, select your stone stockpile with q and use w to increase "Max Wheelbarrow" to 3 (the maximum)."</div>
When/where should a stone stockpile be created? By this point, the guide suggests ''not'' including stone in a general purpose stockpile, but never suggests when/where to create stone stockpile.

[[User:Qwiption|Qwiption]] ([[User talk:Qwiption|talk]]) 02:59, 3 March 2021 (UTC)

== Feedback: dining hall furniture ==
Guide describes construction 4 tables and 8 thrones for dining hall, however only one dwarf can make use of a table no matter how many thrones are placed around it, so this furniture layout doesn't function as intended.

== Feedback: Delving Secure Lodgings ==

The newly-added screenshot of the trade depot location doesn't show a 1-wide, 10-20 deep hallway separating the stairwell and stockpile rooms from the outside world.

== Init Files ==

I added a section about init files to the v47 guide:
https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Quickstart_guide#Init_Files

(mainly because I lost a bunch of progress due to not knowing about autosave, something I would like to spare future players from!)

However, I wonder if it's necessary to port forward to v50? For one thing the Steam "tiles" interface is presumably different from Classic, so there's maybe no need to talk about init.txt. And then the new d_init.txt defaults to autosave semi-annually (as opposed to 47's "NO") so maybe don't need to put that here either?

[[Special:Contributions/64.250.40.24|64.250.40.24]] 20:22, 3 January 2023 (UTC)

== Remove trade depot from guide? ==

Since wagons don't come at the start of the game any more, should we remove the depot from the guide? Feels weird to include something unused in a quickstart. It could be mentioned in the "what's next" section instead. [[User:Tme5|Tme5]] ([[User talk:Tme5|talk]]) 21:44, 12 January 2023 (UTC)

Mining

2022-12-30T20:51:16Z

Tme5: move understanding digging section further up; remove mineral chart to make more room (more relevant to metalworking pages)

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{Labor
| labor = Mining
| skill = * [[Miner]]
| tasks =
* Dig
* [[Construction removal|Remove construction]]
}}
{{av}}

[[File:mining_anim_v50.gif|thumb|189px|right|A designated area being mined.]]'''Mining''' is an essential part of building a fort in ''Dwarf Fortress''. There are several reasons you might want to mine, such as [[exploratory mining|searching]] for various [[stone|stone types]], [[ore]]s and [[gem]]s, or simply to create the basic tunnels and [[room]]s in your fort. Mining refers to either the [[skill]] that performs mining, the [[labor]] associated with it, or simply the task or job of performing said labor. Military dwarves equipped with picks will use mining as their "[[Combat skill|weapon skill]]."

There are several types of jobs associated with this skill:
* '''Digging''' removes the section of the wall while preserving both the ceiling (which is the floor of the level above) and the floor.
* '''[[Channel]]ing''' removes the section of the wall, the floor, and if possible places a ramp one level below.
* '''[[Ramp]]s''' replaces the section with a ramp, also removing the tile and floor one level above.
* '''[[Stairs]]''' carves out upward and/or downward stairs.
* '''Remove [[Construction]]''' removes a construction, ie. a built wall, stair, floor, etc.
* '''Remove Stairs/Ramp''' removes a dug-out stairs or ramp.

Mining can only be done in pre-existing stone or soil. NOTE: Constructed [[wall]]s, [[stairs]] or [[ramp]]s are not dug and instead must be removed using the 'Remove Construction' option ({{K|m}}, {{K|x}}). This uses the mining skill to be completed.

==Understanding digging==
[[Image:DF2014_Terraform.png|thumb|664px|

Side view of various mining tasks.
<br />
Gray/black areas represent un-mined rock, cyan/black represents mined-out areas. Solid green represents existing floor "tiles", cyan represents mined-out floor tiles. Up stairs, down stairs, and ramps are red, blue, and mustard (yellow) respectively.
<br />
In each of the 9 "digging" scenarios, the dwarf miner is shown as having completed the command(s) listed in that figure, moving from left to right. Each individual command is separated by a comma ",". (The "x2" notation indicates that the command is completed twice.) The dwarf has completed those commands in the order they are listed. For example, in the bottom right figure: "Down stairs, up/down stairs, up stairs, mine x2" is five separate commands.
]]
Each layer in the three-dimensional ''Dwarf Fortress'' map consists of two parts: a wall-part, and a floor-part. Mining a tunnel removes the wall-part but leaves the floor-part in place. Channeling removes the floor-part as well, leaving open space above, and if a wall-part exists below, it becomes an upward ramp. Digging an upward ramp removes the wall-part of the designated tile and both parts of the tile above it. Up stairs only modify the wall-part of the designated tile (and are unusable without Down stairs in the tile above), the Down stairs designation will remove the wall-part of the tile (if present) and place a stair connection in the floor-part of the designated tile. Up/down stairs modify both parts of the designated tile (but remain unusable until the tile above/below has the proper stair connection).

== Making a dwarf a miner ==

# Go to the {{K|y}} labor menu, then work details tab
# Select the "Miners" work detail on the left side of the screen
# Find the dwarfs you would like to make a miner, and click the rightmost box, a green check mark should appear
# If you would like this dwarf to ''only'' mine, and ignore all other labors (they will still eat, sleep, take breaks, etc. ) you can toggle the dwarf's "Specialize" button (the hammer and lock icon) to be red.
To start mining, a [[miner]] requires an available [[pick]]. A dwarf's agility and mining skill affect how quickly they mine.

Giving a dwarf the miner work detail will effectively disable the "wood cutter" and "hunter" work details, as their associated labors all involve the usage of different tools.{{verfiy}

== Designating the area to be mined ==

# Press {{K|d}}esignate to bring up the [[Designations Menu]].
# Highlight the requested action by pressing:
#* {{K|d}} for mining
#* {{K|h}} for channeling
#* {{K|r}} for an upward ramp
#* {{K|u}} for stairs towards the upper level
#* {{K|j}} for stairs towards the lower level
#* {{K|i}} for stairs in both directions
# (Optional) Set the priority with {{K|-}} and {{K|+}}. Tiles with first/lowest numbered priority value will be mined first.
# Move the cursor to the starting point, then press {{K|enter}}. You should see a green flashing cross symbol indicating that it's in Selection Mode.
# Move the cursor to another point to define the opposite corners of a rectangle, press {{K|enter}} again. A yellow area should now be highlighted, indicating the area to be mined. The opposite corner can also be placed on a different z-level with {{k|<|>}}, designating areas across z-levels for mining. Tiles can also be designated by using the mouse and left-clicking.

==Mineral production (profit!)==
When the wall-part is removed from a stone tile, there is a 25% chance that a single [[stone]] (also known as a boulder) will be left behind. Minerals which are found in [[vein]]s have a 33% chance of leaving ore, and minerals found in [[vein|small clusters]] (or individual tiles) have a 100% chance of leaving a stone or rough gem behind. Finally, any "deep" material (i.e. [[adamantine]] or [[slade]]) has a 100% chance of leaving a usable stone (though the latter is normally undiggable). Mining skill only influences the amount of time it takes to mine each tile; it does not affect drop rate.

Carving a channel down or ramp up needs special care to provide the full 25%/33%/100% mineral production: in the case that both the bottom tile (where the new ramp up is) and the top tile (new open-space above the newly carved ramp) are both dug out together as part of the same designation, there is only a single chance of mineral production, even though two tiles had their wall-part removed, effectively halving the mineral production chance to 12.5%/16.5%/50% in that case. But if special care is taken to ensure the top open-space tile is dug out first before carving the ramp below it, the full chance from both tiles can be achieved.

The [[mason's workshop]] can create four [[block]]s from each boulder, so on average you can create one stone block for each tile of stone mined. Each ore stone also produces 4 metal bars at a [[smelter]], so, on average, you will produce 1⅓ bars of the basic metal* for every tile of ore mined, or 4/ for small clusters of rare ore.

: (* Two ores, [[tetrahedrite]] or [[galena]], have a chance to produce additional bars of [[silver]] as well as producing the 4 bars of their basic metal ([[copper]] and [[lead]], respectively). As a footnote, while [[iron]] ores produce 4 bars of iron, and that is all the metal required for 1 bar of steel, [[steel]] production additionally consumes 1 [[flux]] stone and 1 bar of [[fuel]] per single bar of steel produced.)

When tunnels are dug in [[soil]], nothing is left from the material, there is no soil equivalent of a "[[stone]]" to be further used. The floor-part will remain (if it wasn't channeled), and is suitable for [[farming]], or, if the right kind of soil, for [[sand]] or [[clay]] collection.

After pressing {{K|d}}, set the designation type with {{K|a}} to switch between designating all materials, designating just gems, designating just gems and ores, or designating ore/gem clusters or veins to be mined automatically. Switching the designation type to automining will allow you to quickly assign mining tasks to entire veins.

==Training mining==
Dwarves gain mining experience for each tile mined, be it stone, ore, gem, or soil. Soil is mined extremely quickly and is one of the fastest ways to train miners. Since the skill of mining also is used in combat, a dwarf with mining enabled that is carrying a pick will increase their mining skill through combat drills. This process is much faster than learning by digging through stone, but not nearly as fast as learning by digging through soil.

The fastest way to train mining is to first dig out upstairs, then remove the upstairs. Removing upstairs (even rock ones) is extremely quick and still provides mining experience.

==Mining warm and damp stone==
[[File:Miner krugg.jpg|thumb|strike the earth safely]]

When designating any digging operation, warm and damp tiles will flash, indicating magma or water in adjacent tiles. Miners can dig these safely, provided there is an escape route. (''"Safely"'' here implies only the short term survival of the digging dwarf, your fortress may well be flooded as a result, even many levels above the digging level, ''eventually'' killing your dwarf.)

Channeling and ramping designations involve two operations, and your dwarf will be submerged in the fluid when done. Unskilled swimmers can reach an exit ramp out of water if near enough, but magma will certainly cost your miner's life (the flow from either can knock dwarves off ledges, or, naturally, [[flood]] the fortress.)

Wall tiles ''above'' magma will flash "warm", and designations will be cancelled even if an entirely safe tunnel is being dug. This is rather annoying when carving out rooms above the magma sea, although there is a way around it. Designating a channel two levels above the magma will mine out the warm wall immediately above the magma, and the designation won't be cancelled because it's not in the area of the warm stone.

==How to cancel a mining operation==
If you placed a designated area for mining but want to cancel the mining (for example if you approached [[Main:Digging designation canceled|damp stone]]) simply go to Designations {{K|d}} and select Remove Designation {{K|x}}. Then select the starting point of the area you want to cancel with {{K|enter}}, move to the ending point and confirm again with {{K|enter}}.

== Rampless channels ==
To create a channel with no ramps, you have to mine out the area underneath the channel first, or manually designate the ramps created for removal afterwards {{K|d}} -> {{K|z}}. If you wish for these channels to be completely inaccessible from the outside, channel out the access-point (downward staircase). Another (more complicated) way of removing any access to the moat is to replace the dug out ramps with constructed ones and creating a cave-in with constructed floors. Rampless channels are an effective substitute for walls against melee enemies that cannot fly, and they can be dug out far faster than a wall can be built. However, channels offer no defense against archers or dragonbreath.

When digging ramps upwards, watch out for loose stone or other items that might be on the floor above, as falling objects can injure the unfortunate miner.

== See also ==
* [[Map tile]]s – Different types of walled, floor and open spaces.
* [[Caverns]] – Large underground tunnel systems.
* [[Exploratory mining]] – Mining focused on finding valuable [[stone]].
* [[Soil]] – A list of soil types.
* [[Stone]] – A list of different types of stones and ores left behind from mining.
* [[Smoothing]] – Increase fortress value and dwarf happiness by improving the quality of your rough-stone mineshafts.

{{Translation| dwarven = avuz | elvish = cèthutha | goblin = ngogngo | human = bora}}

{{labors}}
[[zh:Mining]]

Labor

2022-12-30T15:55:58Z

Tme5: merge labor categories and the quality effects table into one "list of labors" section

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
{{quote|'''"To get a job done, a dwarf has to do it."''' - Boss Urist McOverstates-the-obvious}}[[File:labor_preview.jpg|thumb|220px|right|"Put both your backs into it!"]]'''Labor''' is how jobs get done in a fortress and which labors are enabled for a dwarf determines which jobs they can perform. The skill level and [[attribute]]s of an individual determine how effectively they perform a job, and a dwarf's overall skill levels determine which profession the game assigns to them.

The sprites of the dwarves, humans, elves will represent the profession they are assigned. For example, a woodcutter dwarf will appear as someone constantly carrying an axe, and a miner will appear as someone always carrying a pickaxe.

==Introduction to labor==
*Your dwarves function as semi-autonomous entities, usually fulfilling their own basic needs, and sometimes performing jobs when able.
*Most jobs correspond to a '''labor''' which a dwarf must have enabled to perform.
*Labors are assigned to dwarves in groups called '''work details'''.
*'''Jobs''', the specific tasks to be completed, are created in various ways, including [[designation]]s, [[zone]]s, [[workshop]] tasks, and [[manager]] work orders, and once created, an idle dwarf with that labor enabled will be assigned the job.
*As dwarves perform jobs, their '''skill''' in those areas increase. (The terms labor and skill are '''not''' synonyms. Skill is a measure of proficiency for a given labor, while a labor is the ability to do the work.)
**Some skills don't correspond to jobs, like [[social skills]] and miscellaneous abilities like [[swimming]].

==Work details==
The work detail tab is accessed from the {{k|y}} labor menu. Work details are listed on the left side of the screen. By clicking on one of them you will then see a list of all the adult citizens in your fortress on the right. A check mark in the rightmost box shows if the work detail has been assigned to a citizen.

Each work detail has a setting controlling how it is assigned to citizens:

*When "Only select do this" is selected, the work detail can be assigned to as many citizens as you like by checking the rightmost box next to their name.
*With "Everybody does this" selected, all citizens in the fortress will have permission to do the work detail's labors. (Any check marks/permissions set up before selecting "Everybody does this" will go white, showing that they are paused and they will be restored if you go back to "Only select do this".)
*When "Nobody does this" is selected, all citizens in the fortress will be ''banned'' from doing the work detail's labors. This does ''not'' override permission given by other works details. Any check marks/permissions set up before selecting "Nobody does this" will go red, showing that they are paused and they will be restored if you go back to "Only select do this".

Additionally, each citizen has the option to be '''specialized''', this is shown by the hammer and lock icon just to the right of their name (It can also be viewed and interacted with from the {{k|u}} Citizens menu). When this setting is on, the citizen will ignore any "Everybody does this" work detail.

Labors not assigned to ''any'' work detail are treated as "Everybody does this".{{verify}}

===Default work details===
By default the work details, and the labors associated with them, are as follows{{cite forum|180804/8438104}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Miners†
||
* [[Mining]]
|-
| Woodcutters†
||
* [[Woodcutting]]
|-
| Hunters†
||
* [[Hunting]]
|-
| Planters
||
* [[Farming (fields)]]
|-
| Fisherdwarves
||
* [[Fishing]]
|-
| Plant gatherers
||
* [[Plant gathering]]
|-
| Stonecutters
||
* [[Stonecutting]]
|-
| Engravers
||
* [[Stone engraving]]
|-
| Haulers
||
* All [[Hauling]] labors
|-
| Orderlies
||
* [[Suturing]]
* [[Dressing wounds]]
* [[Feed patients/prisoners]]
* [[Recovering wounded]]
|}

† The Mining, Woodcutting, and Hunting labors are only accessible from these default work details.

===Custom work details===
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#dd0|float=right|Utilities|You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. If you are using a supported operating system, [[Utilities#Dwarf Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]] and/or [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]] can make this much easier.}}
Additional work details can be defined. Click "Add new work detail", select which [[labor]]s will be associated with it, and then click done. You can then rename the new work detail.

There is currently no way to choose the work detail's icon, so you are stuck with what the game chooses. The roman numerals are in the file <code>Dwarf Fortress\data\vanilla\vanilla_interface\graphics\images\interface_bits_labor.png</code> and can be changed, but will still be used in order.

== Tool requirements ==
For a few specific jobs, a matching '''tool''' is also required for a dwarf to obey the job assignment. Any active [[miner]] needs a [[pick]], any active wood cutter needs a [[battle axe]], and any active [[hunter]] needs a [[crossbow]] (with quiver and bolts). If a labor needs a tool, the labor is considered '''exclusive''' such that you can only assign <u>one</u> of the three labors listed to any single dwarf at any one time.

This means that a dwarf cannot be, for instance, a [[Miner]] and a [[Hunter]] simultaneously, since both labors require a tool. If a dwarf is assigned a tool-labor and another tool-labor was previously assigned to said dwarf, the (old) tool-labor is automatically and silently unassigned, and that tool is immediately dropped where they stand at the time.

Additionally, the assignment of these tools '''overrides''' any [[Squad|uniform]] assigned to a dwarf's [[squad]], so [[military]] dwarves should never be assigned any of the aforementioned labors.

To be used, a tool cannot be [[forbidden]], nor in possession of another dwarf (even one that does not currently have a job), and a [[path]] must be available from the dwarf to that type of tool. If a tool is not available, the dwarf will typically attempt to fulfil other [[need]]s. It is possible, by using locked doors etc. to limit the paths, to force a specific tool to be assigned to a dwarf, but otherwise the tool will be randomly assigned, sometimes involving a dwarf walking long distances and past perfectly useful tools to find the one they think they want.

== Facility requirements ==
Many jobs require a workshop or some other [[Furnace|facility]] in order to be completed. Jobs are designated by way of the workshop, and any dwarf with the corresponding labor associated with the workshop will go to the shop, provided they are not eating, sleeping, drinking, etc..., and begin to complete the task. Most workshop jobs also require some raw materials in order to complete the production.

== Managing labor and demand ==
This can be done from the labor menu {{k|y}} under the [[work detail]]s tab.
* You can view a list of all current, queued, and suspended jobs, as well as which dwarves are doing them, on the {{k|t}}asks menu.
* A [[manager]] is incredibly useful for managing production jobs ([[workshop]] based). They can queue up a significant list of jobs without the need to select the various workshops, and place orders in bulk (or to be repeated). That said, there are some caveats, the most important being that queued jobs must be done in the correct order of materials required, or the orders will auto cancel. Also, you should not assign your manager to labors that are in high demand, as this will keep them from going to their [[office]] to place the orders.
* [[Migrants|Migrating]] dwarves will typically arrive with certain work details already assigned. You will likely want to change these to put them to work in a way that best suits your fortress.

== Advanced labor management and design ==
Managing your dwarves can be a tricky business. If the in-game labor menu is not to your liking, [[Utilities#Dwarf Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]] or [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]] are both useful tools that assist you in managing your labors.

As your fortress grows, so will your labor pool, and the way you assign that labor will change over time. Typically at embark, you will have at least one Miner, a Wood cutter, Farmer, Carpenter, Mason/Stonecrafter, Cook/Brewer, Mechanic/Architect, one of which will also be a Broker/Appraiser. There are multiple combinations but this is typical (see [[Embark]] and [[Starting build]]). Early on, you will probably want to focus on fortress design and development, such that you will place priority on [[mining]] and [[masonry]], supplemented by [[carpentry]].

In order to maximize the benefit of highly skilled labor, you will eventually want to specialize your labor, such that each dwarf has a very limited number of labors assigned. Keep in mind however, that some dwarves experience minor negative feelings at not being able to perform a craft or a martial art for too long.

Hauling: Nothing can bog down your production like the distraction of hauling jobs. Losing your fort to a siege is [[fun]], but losing because all your skilled laborers spend all their time hauling stuff is no fun. One solution is to use dedicated haulers. The migrants who appear having no skilled labor, and whose attributes pretty much suck all around, aka [[peasant]]s, are best used as dedicated haulers.

== Labor, skill, and product quality ==
The amount of [[experience]] a dwarf has with a certain labor will determine how well they go about performing this labor; the more experience, the greater the skill. Certain job types can be completed more quickly, based on the skill in the labor. There are exceptions, such as [[Health care|nursing]] and [[hauling]] which will never be completed more quickly, regardless of skill.

Certain labors will produce products that have a [[quality]] tag, typically those associated with the production of an item from a workshop. The table below lists in which labors the dwarf's experience will impact the quality of produced items and in which labors a higher experience will only be beneficial for the speed of production.

* Many labors, most notably [[hauling]], have no associated skill, do not generate experience, and do not improve with practice.

==Strange moods==
{{main|Strange mood}}
A dwarf under a strange mood will perform a specific task to create an [[artifact]] that is outside of the player's control. Until they complete the task, both they and the workshop they claim will be unavailable for any labor. If the dwarf cannot complete the artifact, they will go [[insane]] and be permanently unable to perform any labor.

{{Translation
| dwarven = èrith
| elvish = equa
| goblin = akul
| human = ebe
}}

==List of labors==

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
! Category !! Labors !! Benefits of higher skill
|-
| Mining ||
* [[Mining]]
| speed only
|-
| rowspan=3 |Woodworker ||
* [[Carpentry]]
| speed; item and furniture quality
|-
|
* [[Crossbow-making]]
| speed; weapon quality
|-
|
* [[Wood cutting]]
| speed only
|-
| rowspan=4 | Stoneworking
||
* [[Masonry]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Stone carving]]
| speed; items and furniture quality
|-
|
* [[Stonecutting]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Stone engraving]]
| speed; engraving quality
|-
| rowspan=5 | Hunting/Related ||
* [[Animal training]]
| speed; training quality
|-
|
* [[Animal care]]
| none (not implemented)
|-
|
* [[Hunting]]
| success rate tends to rise from increasing ambusher and marksdwarf skills
|-
|
* [[Trapping]]
| success rate? trap quality?{{verify}}
|-
|
* [[Small animal dissection]]
| speed only
|-
| [[Healthcare]] (Medical) ||
* [[Diagnosis]]
* [[Surgery]]
* [[Setting bones]]
* [[Suturing]]
* [[Dressing wounds]]
| speed; success chance, accuracy (and speed) of treatment
|-
| [[Healthcare]] (Nursing) ||
* [[Feed patients/prisoners]]
* [[Recovering wounded]]
| none
|-
| rowspan=20 | Farming/Related ||
* [[Butchery]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Tanning]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Farming (fields)]]
| speed; crop yield (stack size)
|-
|
* [[Dyeing]]
| speed; dye quality
|-
|
* [[Gelding]]
| less likely to be injured
|-
|
* [[Soap making]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Wood burning]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Potash making]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Lye making]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Milling]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Brewing]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Plant gathering]]
| speed; success and plant yield (stack size)
|-
|
* [[Plant processing]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Cheese making]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Milking]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Shearing]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Spinning]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Cooking]]
| speed; meal and ingredient quality
|-
|
* [[Pressing]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Beekeeping]]
| speed only{{verify}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | Fishing/Related ||
* [[Fishing]]
| speed; fish stack size
|-
|
* [[Fish cleaning]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Fish dissection]]
| speed only
|-
| rowspan=5 | Metalsmithing ||
* [[Furnace operating]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Weaponsmithing]]
| speed; weapon quality
|-
|
* [[Armoring]]
| speed; armor quality
|-
|
* [[Blacksmithing]]
| speed; item and furniture quality
|-
|
* [[Metalcrafting]]
| speed; craft, item, decoration, designed building quality
|-
| rowspan=2 | Jewelry ||
* [[Gem cutting]]
| speed; gem craft quality
|-
|
* [[Gem setting]]
| speed; decoration quality
|-
| rowspan=13 | Crafts ||
* [[Bookbinder|Bookbinding]]
| ?
|-
|
* [[Papermaker|Papermaking]]
| ?
|-
|
* [[Leatherworker|Leatherworking]]
| speed; clothing, decoration, craft quality
|-
|
* [[Wood crafter|Woodcrafting]]
| speed; craft quality
|-
|
* [[Stone crafter|Stonecrafting]]
| speed; craft quality
|-
|
* [[Bone carving]]
| speed; craft, decoration quality
|-
|
* [[Glassmaking]]
| speed; craft, item, furniture quality
|-
|
* [[Weaver|Weaving]]
| speed; cloth quality
|-
|
* [[Clothier|Clothesmaking]]
| speed; clothing, decoration quality
|-
|
* [[Strand extractor|Strand extraction]]
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Potter|Pottery]]
| speed; craft, item, furniture quality
|-
|
* [[Glazer|Glazing]]
| speed; glaze quality
|-
|
* [[Wax worker|Wax working]]
| speed; craft quality
|-
| rowspan=4 | Engineering ||
* [[Siege engineer|Siege engineering]]
| speed; part, ammunition quality
|-
|
* [[Siege operator|Siege operating]]
| speed; accuracy
|-
|
* [[Mechanic|Mechanics]]
| speed; mechanism, furniture quality
|-
|
* [[Pump operator|Pump operating]]
| none
|-
| [[Hauling]] ||
* Stone hauling
* Wood hauling
* Item hauling
* Burial
* Food hauling
* Refuse hauling
* Furniture hauling
* [[Hauling#Animal hauling|Animal hauling]]
* Trade Good Hauling
* Water Hauling
* [[Hauling#Push /Haul Vehicle|Push/Haul Vehicle]]
| none
|-
| rowspan=4 | Other Jobs ||
* [[Cleaning]]
| none
|-
|
* [[Lever operation]]
| none
|-
|
* Road building
| none
|-
|
* Wall/floor construction
| none
|}

Some jobs are not associated with a labor: [[food|eat]]ing, [[thirst|drinking]], [[sleep]]ing, going [[on break]], [[party]]ing, [[clean self|cleaning themselves]], and [[rest]]ing.

A few things are listed as "No Job" but can be considered labors in a different sense: running scared, not having a path to any place useful, and being [[insane]].

{{Category|Skills|*}}
{{Category|Interface}}
[[ru:Labor]]

Quickstart guide

2022-12-29T23:28:44Z

Tme5: Undo revision 280282 (for the other changes) but add back part of the table. I don't think the full table is that useful since many are covered by default work details. Plz discuss on my talk if disagree

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
{{old}}
:''For installation instructions, see [[Installation]].''
:''This is a quickstart guide for [[dwarf fortress mode]] for those who have never played before and quickly want to jump in head-first.'' ''If you are looking to learn adventure mode instead, see the [[Adventure mode quick start]] guide.''
:''Also see [[Tutorials]] for more detailed tutorials that people have submitted.''
{{TipBox2|float=right|Before you get started...|Always remember that '''losing is [[fun]]!''' Be prepared to lose a few fortresses before you get all the way through this guide – it can be easy to accidentally kill the entire fortress while learning. But remember: losing means that next time, ''[[#Situational Awareness|you'll remember how you lost]].'' In a big way, ''Dwarf Fortress'' uses the principle of learning from one's mistakes.}}

So, you want to play '''Dwarf Fortress''', but you have no idea what to do. That's understandable; in ''Dwarf Fortress'' you can really do anything you like. It is a huge, complex, and totally open-ended game. But in order to do anything, first you need a sustainable fortress. It turns out that this is not as hard as you might think.

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|446px|right|[[Main:From Caravan to Happy Dwarves|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves]] - This is a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions players usually take when starting up a new fort. Feel free to ignore it if you want. It's not necessary to refer to this to understand the rest of the guide, but by the time you finish the guide it will probably all make sense.]]

__TOC__

= Common UI Concepts =
{{old}}

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Keeping Up|While the guide contains many links, you may still need to look something up. Refer to the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] or use the wiki [[Special:Search|search]] function. Also, don't hesitate to [[Main:Troubleshooting|ask for help]] if you can't find answers on the wiki.}}

This is just the Quickstart Guide, so we skip lots of details on the UI. If you're looking for more UI help as you get deeper into your first fortress, you may also want to read this section in the [[Dwarf_fortress_mode#Gameplay_user_interface|Fortress Mode Guide]].
{{KeyConventions}}

== Options menu ==
{{main|Dwarf_fortress_mode#Options_screen|l1=Options screen}}

Most basic game-related tasks (saving, keybindings, sound, etc.) are performed through the options menu, which can be reached with {{k|Esc}} from the main screen.

To save and quit back to the main menu, select {{DFtext|Save Game}}.
{{tc|#d00|Unless you know what you are doing, do not select either}} {{DFtext|Retire the Fortress (for the time being)}} or {{DFtext|Abandon the Fortress to Ruin}}! These will essentially cause you to lose your save.

=World Generation=

First, [[World generation|generate a new world]]. ''Dwarf Fortress'' worlds are always procedurally randomly generated - there is no "default" or "standard" world. Luckily, the basic version of this process is simple, and with these suggested settings won't take too long. Wait until the game shows that the world has been generated, since stopping history too soon can limit material availability for embark and trade.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting World|
For your first game, [[World generation|generate a new world]] using the {{DFtext|Create new world}} option in the main menu with the following options:

* {{DFtext|World size}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|History length}} is {{DFtext|100 years|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Civilizations}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Sites}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Beasts}} is {{DFtext|Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Natural Savagery}} is {{DFtext|Very Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Mineral Occurrence}} is {{DFtext|Everywhere|3:1}}
}}

= Embark =
{{main|Embark}}

Embarking is the process of choosing a site, outfitting your initial dwarves, and sending them on their way.

After generating a world, select {{DFtext|Play now}} then choose fortress mode. The game will load and update the world, then show the world map.

Mouse over the map to inspect it. Left-click to zoom in, where you can then click the {{DFtext|Embark}} button to choose an embark site.

== Choosing a Good Site ==

Choosing a good embark site is crucial for beginners. Highly skilled players can run a fortress on an evil glacier, but for now, stick to friendly environments. Look for features in an embark site that will make your first fort easier to manage.

{{ambox
|type=type
|text=The world tooltip will only show features from the moused-over tile, but since the embark area covers multiple tiles it can contain '''multiple biomes'''. It is '''very important''' to inspect all tiles in your site. Each may have significantly different features such as an aquifer or evil biome '''not initially shown''' in the info due to not being under the cursor.
}}

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting Site|
[[File:Quickstart-good-location.png|thumb|300px|right|An example of a good starting site.]]
For your first game, find a site with the following properties:
*'''NO [[Aquifer]]''' (or at least no '''heavy''' or '''varied''' aquifers. Light is interesting on later embarks, but heavy guarantees '''[[Fun]]'''!)
*'''Trees:''' Woodland or Heavily Forested (or, at the very least, sparsely forested)
*'''Surroundings:''' Serene, calm, or at least '''not''' any evil or savage biome.
*A '''River'''
The following are also good to have, but focus on getting a decent site, not a perfect one.
*'''[[Climate|Temperature]]:''' Warm
*'''Clay or Soil''' makes farming easier when starting out
*'''Flux stone layer''' For your steel industry
*Also avoid sites containing '''towers''', '''goblins''', or other groups at war with you.
See '''[[/Starting site/]]''' for more info on why these characteristics are important.}}

[[File:Quickstart-finder.png|thumb|right|Initial finder criteria]]
While finding a site is not as simple as world generation, the {{DFtext|Find embark location}} button at the bottom of the screen can help.
[[File:Quickstart-finder-partial.png|thumb|right|Finder partial match missing Good surroundings]]

Once the find tool has finished searching with matches found, press {{K|Esc}} to look at the results. Any region in which it found a match will be indicated by a green {{DFtext|X|2:1}} on the map.

Additionally, when placing the embark area you can resize it using the buttons on-screen. A 4x4 embark (the default) is usually reasonable, but you may want to change the size to avoid an undesirable biome or match your finder criteria.

If you are unable to find a site that you are willing to embark on, you could always create a new world. Otherwise, move onto the next step.

== Skills and Equipment ==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Optional: Preparing Carefully|If, at this point, you'd like to get into all of the details of picking individual skills and equipment for your expedition, select {{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}} and see '''[[Quickstart_guide/Preparing_carefully|Preparing carefully]]''' for instructions. '''This is completely optional'''.
And preparing carefully makes little difference in the long run, especially without experience as to what to change.}}

Now the '''Prepare for the Journey''' screen should appear. You will be given the choice to either:
*{{DFtext|Play Now!}}
*{{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}}.

Selecting {{DFtext|Play Now!}} will start you out with a default set of equipment that is reasonably safe, allowing you to skip having to set up your skills and equipment. If you'd like to get going now, just select that option.
{{clear}}

=A Minimal Fortress=
[[File:Quickstart-map-starting.png|thumb|right|Starting out. In this example, the dwarves will be digging out an entrance tunnel in the sandy cliff on the right. (You can use {{K|Tab}} to show or hide the overview map.)]]

At this point, you have embarked, and your dwarves have arrived at their destination. You will see your dwarves clustered around their wagonful of supplies, somewhere near the center of your map. '''Immediately hit {{K|Space}} to pause the game''' unless it is already paused.

==Getting your bearings==
'''Do not unpause the game just yet.''' Take a look around with {{k|w}}{{k|a}}{{k|s}}{{k|d}}. Look up and down a few [[z-level]]s with the scroll wheel. Place the cursor on various tiles to familiarize yourself with what the symbols mean. If you get lost, you can press {{K|F1}} (or {{k-|Fn|F1}} on some systems) to return to the wagon. (You can define more [[hotkeys]] later, to jump quickly to other sites of interest.) Notice the terrain features, the vegetation, and any minerals visible. If you chose a site with flowing water, where is it? What about pools of water? The more carefully you examine your site before breaking ground, the better off you will be.

In the bottom left, click the citizens information button to see a list of your dwarves. In the {{DFtext|Others}} tab, you can see any wild animals that may be nearby.

The {{DFtext|Stocks}} button at the top of the screen will show the items owned by your fortress.

On the left, there are buttons for various message logs.

Your wagon serves as the initial meeting area for your dwarves. Since you should have started in a non-freezing, calm (low savagery), non-evil biome, you shouldn't face any immediate danger, but if for some reason the area around your wagon proves to be unsafe, immediately designate another meeting zone (see [[#Temporary Meeting Area|Temporary Meeting Area]] below).

==Controlling Your Dwarves==
The first thing to keep in mind is that, for the most part, you can't directly control your dwarves the way you control characters in a typical fantasy RPG. Instead, you '''designate''' things that need to be done and then dwarves with the appropriate labor assignments will decide what to do.

Some tasks receive a higher priority. For example, if a dwarf needs to eat, then he will go eat, and only get around to digging a tunnel once he is done eating. It is also possible to designate things that no dwarf is able to do. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but no dwarf has mining as one of his allowed labors, or no dwarf has a [[pick]], then the mining will never get done, and the game will not always advise you of why.

So, what you are doing throughout the game is essentially giving your dwarves a detailed group-wide to-do list, but it's up to them to figure out which one of them will execute any given task if the task is even possible. Often many of the details of how a task is performed (such as exactly which rock will be used to make crafts) are left up to them.

===Labor and work details===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#aa0|Utilities|2=
You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. There are a few utilities available for this purpose (for Windows, Mac OS X, and most Linux systems):
* '''[[Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]]''' can make labor management considerably easier, especially when you're dealing with twenty times the number of dwarves you have now. It can group and sort dwarves by multiple attributes and display their preferences, mood, and more.
* '''[[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]]''' includes "Dwarf Manipulator", a UI for managing labors. It has fewer features than Dwarf Therapist, but displays much of the same information and is adequate for normal use. In addition, it is accessible from within DF via {{k-|u|l}}, eliminating the need to constantly switch between applications.
}}
{{Main|Labor}}

'''Labors''' are how you control what types of tasks a dwarf is allowed do. When dwarves are idle, it could be because you haven't given them anything to do, or it could be because none of the idle dwarves have been told that they're allowed to do the types of tasks you've designated. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but none of the dwarves have the mining labor enabled, they will all just sit around ignoring your mining designation, thinking that it isn't their job.

Labors are assigned to dwarves in groups called '''work details'''. Open the labor menu from the bottom left to see all the default work details and their assignments.

Fortunately, you don't need to assign a dwarf for every single labor in the game; work details can be set to "everybody does this" to allow any idle dwarf to pick up the job.

'''While you're here''', set the Hunters and Fisherdwarves work details to "nobody does this." Dwarves with these details enabled will constantly be outside attempting to perform them, and for now you don't want dwarves wandering around alone where they can get killed (in addition, they won't be doing anything useful, like hauling).

Also, the default embark comes with two pickaxes: so for efficiency, make sure two dwarves have the Miners detail enabled.

As dwarves perform jobs, they gain skill in those areas which leads to them working faster or producing higher-quality things. Note that ''any'' unskilled dwarf can perform any labor given the necessary equipment and materials; they'll just be worse at it.

The default work details contain all the essential labors for the very start of your fortress, but this guide will involve other labors. Keep in mind that at some point you'll have to assign the following labors by creating custom work details:

{| class="wikitable"
! Category
! Labor
|-
| Farming/Related || Wood Burning
|-
| Metalsmithing || Furnace Operating
|-
| Metalsmithing || Armoring
|-
| Metalsmithing || Weaponsmithing
|-
| Metalsmithing || Blacksmithing
|-
| Metalsmithing || Metalcrafting
|-
| Jewelry || Gem Cutting
|}

==Strike The Earth!==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=green|float=right|Getting your dwarves to safety|
As you now know, you can't control your dwarves directly. So how do you tell them to get inside your newly dug rooms?
*[[Activity_zone#Meeting_area|Meeting Area]] You can designate a Meeting Area zone inside the new rooms. Press {{k|i}}, then draw the rectangle to create a zone. Afterwards make it a Meeting Area. ''See also the [[zone]] page for more information.''
*[[Stockpiles]] (see [[Quickstart_guide#Stockpiles|below]]) Stockpiles tell your dwarves where to put things. Create a stockpile for everything, and dwarves will start to haul all your items there.}}
Decide where you will build your main entrance. Generally, you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible. The best strategy is to put the entrance near your wagon to speed up the process of hauling all of your supplies inside.

The {{K|d}}esignations menu allows you to select areas to dig. There are multiple methods of digging:
* '''[[Mining]]''' removes solid, floor-to-ceiling terrain (natural 'walls') on the z-level selected, leaving behind a rock or soil surface (also referred to as a natural floor). This does '''not''' do anything in areas without natural walls (for example, the surface or previously-mined areas).
* '''[[Channel]]ing''' removes ''natural'' (rock/soil) floors (either created naturally or by mining) and creates a ramp (▲) on the z-level below. Note that you will see a down arrow (▼) on the current z-level, indicating a ramp on the level below. (For best results, ensure that the area below is unrevealed, i.e. black).

To designate an area for digging:
#Hit {{K|d}} to bring up the [[Designations Menu]].
#Hit {{K|d}} to mine or {{k|h}} to channel (see above)
#Place the cursor on one corner of the rectangular area you want to designate and press {{K|Enter}}.
#Move the cursor to the other corner of the rectangle and press {{K|Enter}}. A rectangle will be highlighted and a miner will start to dig out this area once you exit the menu (with {{K|Esc}}) and unpause the game with {{K|Space}}.

This is basically how all of the designation commands work. Everything has to be designated one rectangle at a time, but rectangles can be many tiles wide. After you press {{K|d}} to designate, make sure it's set to "Standard" in the settings at the bottom, rather than "Marker only." You can set this with {{K|m}}. If it's set to "Marker only", the designation will not be carried out.

[[File:Digging Channeling tiles.PNG|200px|thumb|right|Demonstrating the difference between mining and channeling. Mining creates empty space on the same level where it is designated. Channeling creates empty space in the level below, clearing the floor. The levels are connected by up/down ramps. ]]

{{TipBox2|titlebg=red|float=left|Channeling|
Note that channeling can be [[fun|dangerous]]. Unless you know what you're doing, you should only ever make a pit one z-level deep. If you dig a pit multiple z-levels deep, only the lowest level will have an upward [[ramp]], which is not enough for dwarves to leave the pit. (Dwarves can [[climb]] out in some circumstances, but this is unreliable.)

<diagram>
Pit depth: 1 z-level 2 z-levels 2 z-levels
Ground[%26] [#2:1]__[#4:1][%31][#2:1]__ __ __ __ [#4:1][%31][#2:1]_
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#]
</diagram>

This diagram shows the cross-section (side view) of 1x1 pits channeled 1 z-level deep, 2 z-levels deep and the correct way to do a 2 z-level deep ramp. The appearance of "downward ramps" can be confusing as there is no such thing - the down arrow indicates a ramp on the level below. Dwarves in the first pit can walk up the ramp to ground level and escape, while dwarves in the second pit cannot use the ramp at all. The third pit lets dwarves walk back to the surface again since the two ramps are offset to produce a continued slope. In short, channels (particularly channels multiple z-levels deep) can be dangerous. Digging an entryway from the surface level is one of the few times you'll ever need to channel.

<small>Stairs can also be used for an entryway, but channels allow [[wagon]]s entry to your fortress.</small>
}}
If your wagon is near a [[cliff]] or hill (generally speaking, any difference in levels, usually shown by the existence of natural ramps), you can just designate a tunnel to mine ({{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) into the cliff to create an entryway. If the wagon is surrounded by flat terrain, [[channel]] out a 3x3 rectangle on the surface with {{K|d}}-{{K|h}} to create a sort of pit with ramps on the edges, then go down one z-level with {{K|>}} and tunnel into one wall of the pit (with {{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) to create your entry.

Dig a hallway one tile wide and ''at least'' 10 long, ideally more like 20 ({{k|Shift}} moves 10 tiles when digging, so this can be easily accomplished by pressing {{k|Shift}}+an arrow key twice). This will be your entryway.

Your entryway defines the boundary between your safe and protected inner fort, and the big, bad, outside world. You want this to be your only entrance, so that you only have to worry about defending this one opening. A somewhat-outdated video guide to starting a fortress can be found [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLYDcuk29bE&feature=plcp here]. (Note that this applies to v0.34.11, not v{{current/version/ns}}, so some parts may be inaccurate in the current version.)

{{clear}}
=== ''Additional miners'' ===
Mining will go faster if you have more than one dwarf doing it. By default, only one dwarf has the Mining labor enabled, but this can be changed fairly easily:
* Choose a dwarf that isn't doing anything especially useful (the fish cleaner is a good choice for a beginning fortress, but you can always change your mind if you end up with a useless peasant later on)
* Press {{k|v}}, navigate to the dwarf, and press {{k|p}}-{{k|l}}
* Enable the "Mining" option (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above)
* Exit with {{k|Esc}}
The next time you designate an area for mining, both of your miners should start working (assuming they're not busy doing something else).

'''Notes:'''
* Each miner requires a [[pick]]. A standard embark comes with 2 picks. If you want more than two miners, you'll need to forge more picks (forging is covered later in this guide). Two miners should be adequate for most fortresses, but more miners can add reliability (for when a miner decides to sleep) and speed. For now, you'll almost never need more than two miners, but you'll want more once your fortress expands.
* If you're digging a one-tile-wide hallway, only one miner can work from an end.
* Mining, Wood Cutting, & Hunting labors are mutually exclusive - a dwarf can only have up to one of these professions active at a time. For this reason, it's not recommended to make your only woodcutter a miner, since they won't be able to cut wood anymore.

==Delving Secure Lodgings==
Near the middle of the entry tunnel, build a 5x5 room, and link it to the entrance tunnel with a 3-tile-wide passageway. Expand the main entry tunnel to ''three'' tiles wide from the entrance of the new room to the outside entry. At the end of the entry tunnel, dig a small room, which will later become your main stairwell. Two tiles past that, dig a larger room, which will later become your general stockpile, and connect it to the stairwell with a narrow passageway.

[[File:Quickstart lodgings 1.png|thumb|right|An example layout, as described in this section. Note the 3-tile wide passage - this allows merchants to access your depot, which will go in the 5x5 room. Note that the turn also needs to be 3 tiles wide; otherwise, wagons won't be able to access the room.]]

=== ''Room dimensions'' ===
Apart from wagon access (3 tiles wide), the trade depot (5x5), and other workshops (3x3), there are no fixed dimensions you need to worry about. The lower limiting factor is the traffic your tunnels receive (dwarves may have to start climbing over each other), and the space your rooms need (stockpiles, tables/chairs, livestock). The practical maximum size is limited by how long it takes your miners to dig the rooms out, especially if they're digging in stone instead of soil (digging through soil is much faster). Most sites have at least one level soil layer below ground level, which is where you're digging right now, but as you dig deeper you'll hit stone (if you haven't already), and digging will become slower. In most fortresses, even the main hallways never need to be wider than 3 tiles, and needing more than 3 tiles of stairs per floor is very rare. A 3x3 per floor staircase (9 stairs!) is absolute overkill for anything but 20-year-old 300-resident capitals. For most tunnels in your fortress, 2 tiles wide will be sufficient, and many will be fine at just 1 tile wide. 11x11 is a convenient size for stockpile rooms, as the {{k|Shift}}+arrow keys move the cursor 11 tiles. However, something smaller is perfectly fine for rarer stockpiles, offices, and small dining rooms. Commoners’ bedrooms need not be larger than the amount of furniture you want inside.

=== ''Mining safety'' ===
While mining, take care to avoid digging into [[water]]. Dwarves are usually poor swimmers, and are unlikely to escape from an underground flood. However, it is safe to mine ''next to'' underground water, as long as you leave at least one "wall" tile between them (see the picture to the right). You can also mine one z-level under a body of water (for example, mining under a river), but you will have to designate each tile individually because DF automatically cancels digging of newly-revealed "damp" tiles (tiles are considered damp when they are adjacent to a water tile, regardless of whether the water tile is on the same z-level or not).

Also note that '''water can flow diagonally''':
<diagram>
[#00f]≈[#]▓.▓ [#00f]≈[#]▓.▓
▓▓.▓ ▓..▓

[#0f0]ok[#] [#f00]flood[#]
</diagram>

=== ''Stockpiles'' ===
[[File:Quickstart-custom-stockpile.png|right|thumb|Keep corpses, refuse, stone and wood out of general use stockpiles. You can come back and change the settings on this stockpile using {{K|q}}, selecting the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}}. Try to remember to come back here to disable/forbid types of things as you create more specific stockpiles for them.]]
'''Stockpiles''' are very important. These areas are where your dwarves will drop things for storage when they aren't needed elsewhere. To create a '''general purpose stockpile''' for your first storage area:
#Hit {{K|p}} to open the Stockpiles menu.
#Use {{K|t}} to change the [[Stockpile#Custom_stockpiles|custom stockpile]] settings to {{K|e}}nable everything but '''Corpses''', '''Refuse''', '''Stone''', '''Gems''', and '''Wood'''. Use directional keys, {{K|e}}nable, {{K|d}}isable to do this.
#{{k|Esc}} out of that screen back to the stockpiles menu.
#Hit {{K|c}} to select Custom Stockpile, if it isn't already selected.
#Designate the whole 11x11 storage room as a custom stockpile. This works just like designating an area to dig: place the cursor on one corner of the room, hit {{K|Enter}}, move to the opposite corner, and hit {{K|Enter}} again.
#Press {{K|Esc}} to get out of the Stockpiles menu.
Once you exit the stockpiles menu and unpause, you should see dwarves running off to haul everything from your wagon into the new stockpile area. Later, if you like, you can change what sort of things the stockpile accepts by hitting {{K|q}} (Set Building Tasks/Prefs), placing the cursor on the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}} to get to the stockpile settings.

It is particularly important to '''keep wood, stone, refuse, and corpses out of your general purpose stockpile''', so you may want to double check to make sure all of these things are disabled in the stockpile settings. Failure to keep these things out of this stockpile will rapidly fill it up, causing workshops to become cluttered when dwarves can't store things in the stockpile.
'''Note:''' When assigning stockpiles, you should make sure they're in a vacant area (i.e. the tiles should not have any items already stored on them). Dwarves will not haul items to occupied tiles, so make sure the area is vacant (and already mined out) before assigning a stockpile.

=== ''Stairways'' ===

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Up, Down, Up/Down: Types of Stairs|
In Dwarf Fortress, every [[z-level]] is composed of a [[floor]] and a [[wall]] (or "space between floors"). The confusingly named "down" and "up" [[stairs]] have nothing to do with the direction creatures can move to; instead, down stairs penetrate floors, while up stairs penetrate walls. Up/down stairs penetrate the wall and the floor below. ''(note the picture to the left)''

Consequently, you will normally use up/down stairs, and use down and up stairs only for the top and bottom-most level of your staircase respectively. If you're not sure whether you want to expand the staircase in the future, use up/down stairs at the end.
}}

Designate a downward [[Stairs|stairway]] in the room you dug out for the stairwell (''not'' the 5x5 room that you dug out earlier) with {{K-|d|j}}. Notice that after your miner digs the stairway, it doesn't automatically create another stairway on the z-level below. If you hit {{K|>}} to move the view down a z-level you'll see that there's no stairway below, but there is a revealed tile of rock/soil. Because of the down stairway that was dug, this tile is now accessible to miners. You can then designate an up/down stairway on it with {{K-|d|i}} and the miner dwarf will dig it out. Below that you can then dig out another up/down stairway and so on. For now just dig down one level; we will deepen the stairwell later.

[[Image:DF2014 Terraform.png|thumb|left|600px|''This is how the different stairs would look like from the side.'']]

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==Temporary Meeting Area==
[[File:Quickstart lodgings 2.png|thumb|right|An example meeting area. Note that this layer has a different type of soil than the layer above - this can happen often. Also note that the "north" side of this room is directly below the lake in the level above, but no water is present.]]

On the second z-level below ground (the one below the stockpile level, which you just reached with the staircase), dig a short, 3-tile wide passageway (this only needs to be 1-2 tiles long). Past that, dig out a room between 5x5 and 7x7, leaving room to enlarge it in at least one direction in the future. Using the {{k|i}} key, create an activity zone in the room you just created, filling the entire room (be careful not to make this too small lest your [[overcrowding|overcrowded]] animals start fighting). This works much like creating a stockpile except that you draw the rectangle before defining what the area is for. Draw the rectangle, filling the entire room, and set it to be a {{K|m}}eeting area. Your idle dwarves will hang around in this area, hopefully keeping them inside the fort and out of trouble.

NOTE: Again, make sure your [[DF2014:Activity_zone|activity zone]] is already mined out before attempting to designate the meeting area.

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==Refuse==
[[File:Dwarf fort tut miasma.jpg|thumb|right|Avoiding [[Miasma]]]]
Outside your fort entrance, use {{K|p}} followed by {{K|r}} to create a stock{{K|p}}ile for [[Stockpile#Refuse|{{K|r}}efuse]] ''at least'' 5x5 in size. This should be outside in the open or you will have problems with [[Miasma]]. If you do not disable [[vermin]] (Item Types -> remains), you will probably have to expand it later as it will fill up with vermin remains rather quickly. If you are seeing refuse appear in your general-purpose stockpile instead of the refuse pile, use {{K|q}} on the general stockpile and check its {{K|s}}ettings to make sure refuse has been disabled.
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==Food==

Food is necessary for your dwarves' survival - to keep functioning, they require constant supplies of food and drink - the {{k|z}} stock screen can be used to monitor how much food and drink is available. Luckily, your dwarves will eat almost everything raw, including plants.

===''Farming''===
For a reliable, long-term food and alcohol supply, you'll need to set up a farm. Dig out a medium-sized room in a [[soil]] layer (including sand, clay, loam, silt, peat, and ooze) accessible from inside your existing fortress. 5x5 is a good size to start with, but you'll want to leave room to expand in at least one direction. You must pick an ''underground'' area with mud or soil*. Placing this near the stockpiles is more efficient, since farmers won't need to travel as far.

[[File:Quickstart layout 3.png|thumb|right|A 5x5 room with a 3x3 farm plot]]


<sub>* Hopefully you have chosen a site with a soil layer, which will make farming much easier, but if not you will need to [[Irrigation|irrigate]] to create the required mud on stone floors.</sub>

Use {{K|b}}-{{k|p}} to build a 3x3 [[Farming|farm plot]] in the room you just created. Notice that some types of buildings (as well as most constructions) are not designated corner-to-corner like digging designations, stockpiles, or activity zones. Instead, you define the length and width of the building using {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|h}} and position it with the directional keys. Use {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|k}} to make the plot 3x3 and position it in the room, ideally near the wall to leave space for more plots later on.

Remember that you must enable the {{DFtext|Farming (Fields)}} labour for at least one dwarf, or the farm plot won't get built and farming will not take place. (If you selected "Play Now" earlier then you will start with a dwarf with farming enabled.)

{{K|Esc}} out of the build menu and wait for the farmer dwarf to create the plot. Once the plot is built, use {{K|q}} to set the plot to grow [[plump helmet]]s during all seasons. You can use {{K|+}} and {{K|-}} to select plump helmets (pressing {{k|-}} once should do the trick). Select with {{K|enter}}. '''You will need to press {{K|a}}, {{K|b}}, {{K|c}}, {{K|d}} and select Plump Helmets for each season''' — otherwise you'll end up with an idle field for 3/4ths of the year.

Later, if you are curious what is planted in each plot this season and how much, select the [[Controls_guide#View_items_in_buildings.2C_t|View Items in Buildings]] command {{K|t}} and move to the farm plot.

Note that a default embark starts with ''five'' plump helmet seeds — for now, only half of your field will end up being planted. Eventually, as your dwarves consume plump helmets, more seeds will become available and will be automatically planted by an unoccupied farmer.
:''For more troubleshooting tips, see [[How do I build a farm]]''
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=== ''Emergency food sources'' ===
Occasionally, even with a working plump helmet farm, you may experience food shortages. For now, you should have plenty of food on hand left over from embarking. However, if you ever run low on food, there are a few ways to obtain more:

==== ''Plant gathering'' ====
If you have shrubs ({{raw tile|"|2:0}}) growing above ground, you can harvest plants from them. Note that this requires a dwarf with the {{dftext|Plant gathering}} labor enabled (under {{dftext|Farming}}), and time (this can take a while for an inexperienced dwarf, and it doesn't always yield edible plants). To start, {{k|d}}esignate some {{k|p}}lants to be gathered on the surface (similar to selecting an area for mining, except it only selects plants in the given rectangle). Once processed, some will leave behind harvested plants (often edible berries).

====''Butchering''====
If you suddenly run low on food, butchering an animal is another option. Build a [[butcher]] shop ({{k|b}}, {{k|w}}, {{k|u}}) and mark one of your animals for slaughtering (press {{k|v}}, move the cursor to the animal, then press {{k|p}}, {{k|s}}). A dwarf with the butchering labor enabled will haul the animal off to the butcher's shop, work for a while, and produce neat stacks of meat products.

==Building material==
Initially, [[wood]] is probably a good choice for building material, as it's lightweight and can be easily obtained. You will need plenty of building materials as your fortress grows, but wood will suffice for now. If you are unable to locate enough wood (or if you run out of trees, which is unlikely at this point), extend your staircase down to a stone level ({{k|d}}-{{k|i}}) and mine out a small area (at least 5x5) to obtain stone.

Even if you don't have trees, you can obtain 3 logs from your embark wagon. Press {{K|q}}, place the cursor on your wagon, and hit {{K|x}} to deconstruct it. This will flag the wagon for disassembly. Eventually a carpenter will come along and turn the useless wagon into 3 units of wood. (Removing other buildings is done the same way.)

===''Woodcutting''===
{{Update in next major version}}
Assuming your site has [[tree]]s above ground, now is a good time to start obtaining wood. Create a stock{{K|p}}ile for {{K|w}}ood outside your entrance (preferably near to it). As it will only be temporary, don't make it too big (maybe 5x3, or 15 tiles total). Later, you will move this closer to your carpenter's workshop (once you build one), so don't worry about placement too much. Also near the entry, designate a couple of trees to be chopped down with {{K|d}}-{{K|t}}. One tree will produce many logs, so only designate three to five at this point. If you designate too many trees, your woodcutters will spend all of their time chopping them down and hauling the resulting logs, instead of doing other work. As soon as one tree is cut down and its wood stored in a stockpile, you can proceed to the next step (your woodcutter will continue cutting down any remaining designated trees).

==Drinks==
Drinks can be more problematic than food, since they require more preparation (except for [[water]], that is). In warmer weather, you can specify a "water source" activity zone ({{k|i}}-{{k|w}}) around a lake or river on the surface to keep your dwarves from dying of thirst, but dwarves deprived of [[alcohol]] slow down and become unhappy. In addition, drinking outside can be dangerous — dwarves running outside constantly risk running into wild animals, or worse. Creating a [[still]] to brew alcohol is the simplest solution to these problems.

You need a [[brewer]] to brew drinks. Unfortunately, your brewer is also your woodcutter (with a default embark), who is busy cutting down trees. You will want to make a different dwarf your brewer instead, since both your brewer and woodcutter will be busy (and one dwarf can't do both jobs at the same time).
# Find your woodcutter in the {{k|u}}nits list, select it, and press {{k|z}} (this selects the dwarf without you having to search your entire map). Use the {{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu to disable brewing (located under "Farming/related" — you can navigate this menu with the {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} buttons).
# Pick another dwarf that isn't doing anything useful. Right now, this can probably be your fish cleaner, but you can change this as soon as some migrants arrive (by following these steps again).
# Use the {{k|u}}-{{k|z}}-{{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu again to enable brewing on the new dwarf.

[[File:Quickstart still 1.png|thumb|right|A completed still]]
Assuming you have building materials available (which you will if your woodcutter has been doing their job), you can now create a still:
# Dig out a 3x3 area connected to the farm plot.
# Use {{k|b}}-{{k|w}}-{{k|l}} to build a still. Position it in the 3x3 area you just created and press {{k|Enter}}.
# Use {{K|Enter}} to select a building material for the still (this is probably one of the logs you just cut down by default).
# Use {{k|Esc}} to exit the menu, and unpause the game.
After a short delay, your new brewer should run off, drag a log over to the workshop site, and build the workshop. (This is also how building other workshops works, but you won't need to do that yet).

To brew drinks, use {{k|q}} to select the still and press {{k|a}}dd task-{{k|b}}rew drink. '''This will not work yet''', since you don't have any empty barrels or rock pots, but you should start brewing in the first six months (see [[Calendar]] and [[Status]]).
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==Pasture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|Grazers|
If you aren't sure whether or not an animal is a grazer, you can check {{catlink|Grazer|this category}}. (You can also [[Special:search|search]] for the animal on this wiki.)
}}
If you have any grazing animals with you, such as the draft animals used to pull your wagon, they will die if they are kept away from grass for too long. Use {{K|i}} to create a Pe{{K|n}}/[[Pasture]] zone over a grassy area outside and assign your grazing animals to it using {{K|N}} (while still selecting the zone). This area needs to be about 10x10 or so to ensure they have enough grass and don't trample it all. The amount of grass required varies greatly, depending on the type(s) of animals being pastured. If you intend to keep grazing animals permanently, you may need vastly larger pastures later. As an alternative, you might wish to [[Butcher's shop|slaughter]] your largest animals for food and materials.

==Designing your first fortress==
While this guide recommends a vertical fortress design around a central stairwell, with each z-level being used for a particular purpose, it is not really that important to use this design for your first fortress. Therefore, feel free to put any of the areas described in the rest of this guide on your main level or wherever you want as long as dwarves can get to them without going outside the fort. In other words, you can think of the "levels" described in the guide more as areas that can really all be on the same level if you have space. Later you can ponder over what makes things most efficient, but for now just do whatever you find easiest. Note that you may need to dig down a bit to get to stone if you have more than one z-level of sand/clay/soil below the surface.

==Workshops==
[[File:Quickstart workshops 1.png|thumb|right|An example workshop layout. The gem stockpile (empty) is north of the Jeweler's workshop (southwest corner), the wood stockpile is east of the Carpenter's workshop (northwest corner), and the stone stockpile occupies the rest of the space. Note the wheelbarrow (Ö/umlaut-O) in the stone stockpile.]]
Most labors of your dwarves need a place where they can process raw materials — [[workshop]]s. Almost all of them occupy a 3x3 square, and most of them require just 1 unit of any building material (wood, stone, metal). Dig your stairwell down one level (with {{K-|d|i}}), if you haven't already. It's fine if this layer is soil — in fact, soil is better, since it's easier to dig through (if you only have one soil layer, you can put these workshops somewhere on your first level). Dig space for your workshops off of the stairwell. It will hold your [[Mechanic's_workshop|mechanic's]], [[Stoneworker's_workshop|stoneworker's]], [[Carpenter's_workshop|carpenter's]], and [[Jeweler's_workshop|jeweler's]] [[workshop]]s. Something to consider is stockpile proximity: the farther away the material is the dwarves use, the more time they waste with walking. So for now, dig out some more space for stockpiles close to where your new workshops will be (wood for your carpenter, stone for your stoneworker and mechanic, and gems for your jeweler).
It doesn't matter if you put everything in one large room or dig out small rooms for each workshop and stockpile. Note however that some tiles of workshops are impassable: they appear as dark green 'X' when you choose a location (the specific wiki pages of the workshops also show you this). So before you build small 3x3 rooms for each workshop, make sure your dwarves will be able to reach them. Once you've dug out your rooms, set your miners to work by adding a z-level or two to the staircase (you can designate multiple z-levels at once using {{k|<}} and {{k|>}}, just like moving up and down). Hopefully you'll obtain some stone by doing this, which will be useful eventually. While your miners are busy, use {{K-|b|w}} to build the workshops, using whatever building material you have. If you are still digging in soil and don't have stone yet, just use wood; the material really doesn't matter in this case. Be sure that your craftsdwarves still have labors corresponding to each workshop enabled (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above) so they will begin construction. (Dwarves already busy mining or hauling may not immediately stop to construct workshops; if you like, you may temporarily disable other labors in order to jumpstart workshop construction.) If the construction of any building gets "suspended" just use {{K|q}} to unsuspend it. (This can happen if another dwarf or object is blocking the way. See [[#"Garbage" Dumping|Garbage Dumping]] below if you find you need to remove an object.)

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Too Good for Menial Peon Work|Certain labors are crucial in setting up a fort. At some point you may want to disable less important labors such as hauling for dwarves with the crucial skills of mining, masonry, architecture, carpentry, mechanics, and maybe others. You want these dwarves working on creating beds, doors, and trap components before hauling stone and cleaning.}}
Remove the temporary wood stockpile you created outside (using {{K-|p|x}} and selecting the entire stockpile) and dwarves will move the wood to the new wood storage area.

Go to your stoneworker's shop with {{K|q}} and use {{K|a}} to queue up one [[table|{{k|t}}able]] and one [[throne]]/{{k|c}}hair. You will find out why you need these in a second, but now is a good time to start building them. If you still don't have any stone at this point just use wood at the carpenter's workshop.

At this point, it is a good idea to build a few [[wheelbarrow]]s to make hauling large objects (particularly stone) more efficient. Queue up 2 or 3 at the carpenter's workshop. (Wheelbarrows are located near the bottom of the list, on a separate page. They are not visible initially, so you'll need to scroll with {{k|+}} or {{k|-}} — scrolling up with {{k|-}} is more efficient, as it wraps to the bottom of the list.) While the wheelbarrows are being built, select your stone stockpile with {{k|q}} and use {{k|w}} to increase "Max Wheelbarrow" to 3 (the maximum). Your dwarves will automatically move wheelbarrows to the stockpile once they are built.

===''"Where did I build that ____?"''===
As you build workshops, furnaces, Trade Depot, other buildings, rooms and even zones, you may start to lose track of where they all are -- or where they're supposed to be built, but some dwarf is too busy eating/drinking/hauling. There are a couple of commands available from the main UI that will help you locate what you built.

* You can View {{K|R}}ooms/Buildings to see a Building List, and also Zoom {{K|t}}o the building/item, or {{K|q}}uery the building tasks.

* For incomplete buildings/constructions, you can also open the {{K|j}}ob list and then Go to {{K|b}}uilding to find the intended location.

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== Brewing ==
You'll need [[barrel]]s to store drinks for your dwarves. The stockpile you set up earlier will use as many barrels as possible to store items in, which means they can't be used to store drinks. To change this, press {{k|p}} to access the stockpile menu and use {{k|*}} to increase the number of "reserved" barrels (i.e. barrels kept out of stockpiles - 5 barrels is good for now). Queue up two or three barrels in your carpenter's workshop with {{k|a}}-{{k|v}}. (If you run out of wood at any point, cut down another tree or two outside). If a lack of wood cancelled a job, you will need to queue the job again. Go back to your still and order some drinks to be {{k|a}}-{{k|b}}rewed. Each drink requires one barrel and one edible plant, such as a plump helmet. Even if none of yours have been harvested yet, you should have some left over from embark. Also, brewing plump helmets creates ''two'' seeds from one plant, which makes plump helmets an excellent choice for a beginning fortress. Five barrels should be plenty for now (each plant makes 5 "units", or servings, of booze, and dwarves don't need to drink too often, so 30 units should last you a whole year. When the stocks get low, you'll probably want to start queueing up more drinks to be made (you should have more empty barrels by then)).

=="Garbage" Dumping==
{{main|Garbage dump}}

'''Note that garbage is not the same thing as refuse.''' [[Stockpile#Refuse|Refuse]] is [[Miasma|rotting stuff]]. Garbage is anything you designate to be hauled to a [[Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump]], even important things that aren't really garbage. Think of your garbage dump zone as a way to specify that objects you select will be brought to a specific area.

Use {{K|i}} to create a 1x1 activity zone somewhere near your mason's and mechanic's workshops and set it to be a garbage {{k|d}}ump. Unlike stockpile areas where you are limited to storing one object per tile, any number of items may be piled in a garbage area. That means you will only need one tile to hold as much "garbage" as you like. Although many of the room sizes in this guide are suggestions, think of the 1x1 garbage dump size as mandatory. At some point you will probably want to retrieve an important item from your garbage dump, and the more tiles your dump contains, the harder it will be to find anything in it. Press {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} to get to the mass dump/forbid screen and select the {{k|d}}ump option. With "dump" selected, designate a rectangle over the loose stones cluttering up your living area (if there are any – this often isn't a problem yet if you've built your fort in a soil layer). This will designate this stone to be transported to a garbage dump zone. Be sure not to designate the stone in your stockpiles by mistake, since that will only cause your dwarves to perform unnecessary hauling. Once the stone from your living area has been moved there, it will be set as [[Forbid|forbidden]]. Before it can be used you will need to unforbid it using the same {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} screen, hitting {{k|c}} to claim it. Note that dwarves hauling stone (or any large, heavy objects) move slowly, and can take a lot of time to reach their destination. This can be a major waste of time if you designate 50 boulders to be dumped at once. Unless the stone is in the way of something, you don't ''need'' to dump it every time you dig out a new area. Stones lying on the ground don't slow dwarves down at all. If there is a particular dwarf you don't want hauling "garbage", you can disable the "Refuse Hauling" labor (under the "Hauling" category). Miners are good candidates, since they are far more useful when digging than when moving the stone they just dug out.

Congratulations! Knowing how to use garbage dump zones puts you head and shoulders above many new players - it takes some people weeks to figure this out.

==Trading==
Not all embark sites have all the resources you need for a successful fortress, but every site has ''something'' you can sell. A talented dwarf can process any useless resource into something valuable, and [[trading]] is a good way to sell those goods.

''Note that producing goods creates [[wealth]] and getting too much wealth too fast can have [[Immigration#Migrant_wave_sizes|unwanted]] [[Siege|consequences]].''
===Trade Depot===
Build a [[trade depot]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|D}} in the 5x5 room you created near your entrance. This is where [[caravan]]s will park their stuff and where [[trading]] will take place when one arrives. (as stated earlier, the wagons are 3x3 so the entrance tunnel needs to be at least 3x3 for the wagons to go by). You will need one [[architect]], which will be enabled on your mason if you selected {{DFtext|Play now!}} at embark. You also need at least 3 logs or boulders to build the depot.

===Producing for export===
While there are some goods that are more valuable, and some that are less valuable, it's a good idea to simply produce/export what you have too much of and to import what you have too little of.
Generally though, [[Gem]]s and [[Finished goods]] are decent exports for a new player.

===Trading===
Once a caravan has arrived, you can mark the goods you want to sell through the Trade Depot, and your dwarves will begin moving them to the depot. Be careful not to sell wooden items to [[Elf|Elves]]; '''this includes containers:''' even a wooden bin full of metal crafts will make them upset. Also note that the traders will want to make a profit off of you. While they're happy with about 200%, the more profit they make on your site, the more goods they will bring next time, so it can be a good idea to give them even better deals.

''A more detailed overview of the entire process is [[Trading#Trading_Flowchart|here]].''

===What to buy===
In your first fortress, your priority should be importing some [[food]] and [[alcohol]]. In addition, you might want more [[Meat industry|livestock]], [[seed]]s (comes with a free bag), and - depending on what resources you are missing - additional [[pick]]s, [[barrel]]s, [[wood]], [[bag]]s, as well as [[rope]] and a [[bucket]] (for a well). While you're at it, check if you need an [[anvil]]. Maybe you forgot to bring one, or a [[kea]] stole it. Always having a small supply of ''all 3 kinds'' of [[cloth]], some [[gem]]s, [[leather]], a bit of [[sand]] (free bag!) are handy to have, as those are hard to come by on short notice.
If you're short on weapons-grade [[metal]] for your military, import not only actual metal [[bar]]s and [[ore]]s, buy ''all'' metal goods you can afford and [[Melt item|melt]] them down in a [[smelter]] to increase your yield.

===Troubleshooting===
Once the depot is built, use {{K|D}} from the main menu to make sure your depot is accessible. (This command is only available once the depot is built – before building, the command will be disabled, and while the depot is under construction everything will flash red until the depot is built). Once completed, checking {{k|D}}epot access will flash some of the following symbols:
* {{raw tile|X|4:4:1}}: This tile is not accessible by wagon. This could be because something is blocking it (a tree, a natural [[boulder]], etc.).
* {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}: This tile is accessible by wagon. (These tiles will radiate outward from the depot, not from the map edges.)
:This is good, but does not guarantee wagons will be able to reach the depot. Make sure you see the words {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} in the menu.
* {{raw tile|D|3:2:1}} The depot is accessible via wagon.
* {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}} The depot is '''not''' accessible by wagon. See below.

If you see the message {{DFtext|Depot inaccessible|4:1}} in the menu (or the {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}}) symbol over the depot, try these solutions:
* Is the path to the depot (in your fortress) less than 3 tiles wide? If so, expand the entranceway and try {{k|D}} again.
* Are there [[tree]]s blocking a path to the depot outside? Try clearing a path by cutting down a few (you probably won't need to cut ''all'' the trees in a 3-tile wide path); usually cutting some at the end of a path of {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}'s clears a path.
* Are there [[boulder]]s ({{raw tile|∞|7:0:0}}) blocking the path outside? To remove them easily, you need an [[engraver]]. If you selected "play now", you should have one already. Select {{k|d}}-{{k|s}}mooth Stone and designate the boulder(s) for smoothing. They should flash this symbol: {{raw tile|┼|7:0:1}}
* Is the path to the depot only accessible via stairs or did you build traps in the way? Wagons cannot pass traps or stairs, even if they're 3x3 wide.
It's possible that there are multiple obstacles blocking the depot, so keep checking {{k|D}}epot access until the {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} message appears.

''Note that even if your depot is inaccessible to wagons, traders still will come without wagons. They will carry much less goods and you can sell them much less, because their carrying capacity is greatly reduced.''

== Migrants ==
{{gametext|Some migrants have arrived.}}
At some point soon, you'll most likely be getting migrants (if you haven't already). You'll usually get between 5 and 15 migrants in the first 2 waves, which occur sometime during your second and third seasons. See [[/Migrants|this page]] for advice when you receive migrants.

== Bedrooms ==
Up to this point, your dwarves have probably been sleeping on dirt or rock in your fortress. While this is fine for a short time, your dwarves will gradually become less happy if they are forced to sleep without a bed. Under normal circumstances beds can only be made from wood, so be sure to designate some more trees to be cut down if you're short on logs.

[[Bedroom design|Designing living quarters]] is largely a matter of personal preference and aesthetic sense. While a few useful designs are discussed here, there are many other options. In general, try to keep the bedrooms close to the stairs, and make your access hallways at least two tiles wide to reduce congestion.

=== Location ===
Because noise generated from certain jobs (especially mining and woodcutting) can bother sleeping dwarves, doing these jobs within 8 tiles of a sleeping dwarf should be avoided (see [[noise]] for more information). There are two ways of accomplishing this:
* Placing bedrooms at the end of a hallway at least 8 tiles long will avoid most noise (as long as you are careful to avoid noisy jobs directly above or below the bedrooms).
* Extending your fortress down several z-levels will also work (9 levels from the surface is a safe choice), although extending a 3x3 staircase takes more work than extending a single hallway.
Both options work equally well, as long as you are careful to avoid disturbing sleeping dwarves. Ultimately it depends on how you want your fortress to look.

=== Layout ===
Due to the limited resources of a new fortress, setting up a communal sleeping area in a dormitory is often the best short-term solution. However, you can also set up individual bedrooms for dwarves.

'''Benefits of individual bedrooms:'''
* Dwarves are happier with their own bedroom and furniture.
* Individual rooms can increase your fort's perceived wealth.
'''Benefits of dormitories:'''
* Dormitories are easier to set up and expand (only one room is necessary, and each dwarf only requires one bed).
* Sleeping dwarves are much less likely to be attacked when other dwarves are around them.
* Multiple dwarves can sleep in a dormitory. In contrast, only one dwarf can ever sleep in a bedroom (dwarves cannot sleep in another dwarf's bedroom, even when unoccupied).
* Far fewer beds are needed – in a fort of 50 dwarves, for example, around five dwarves will be sleeping at a time (on average). A dormitory, therefore, rarely requires above ten beds, while individual bedrooms would require 50 beds to be built.
* Even when all of the beds are occupied, dwarves will still sleep in the general area of the dormitory. This is more convenient than having dwarves sleeping all over your fort.
For now, setting up a dormitory is easiest (although you can change this later, if you feel the need to).

=== Building ===
Queue up as many beds as you need in a carpenter's workshop (no more than 3 or 4 should be necessary for a dormitory). Beds are queued with {{k|q}}-{{k|a}}-{{k|b}} at a [[carpenter's workshop]] and built with {{k|b}}-{{k|b}}. (As long as your furniture/general-purpose stockpile isn't full yet, dwarves will store beds in them as they are finished, so there may be a delay before they're available to be built.)

'''Setting up a dormitory:'''
# Dig out an empty room in the location you selected.
# Once you have a bed ready, build it near the middle of the room (towards the end away from the entrance).
# Use {{k|q}} to select the bed and {{k|r}} to turn it into a bedroom. Resize the room until it fills the area you dug out (positioning the bed away from the entrance makes it easier to avoid extending the room out into the hallway). If you decide you don't like the position of the bed, remove it with {{k|q}}-{{k|x}} and place it again.
# Press {{k|d}} to turn the room into a dormitory (the menu should read {{DFtext|d: Dormitory <Y>}})
Once you have more beds built, you can place them in the same room. You don't need to mark them as dormitories as long as they're in the area you designated for the bedroom.

[[File:Quickstart-level-7-bedrooms.png|thumb|right|An example of individual bedrooms (with furniture, discussed below)]]
'''Setting up individual bedrooms:'''
# Dig out a small room for each bed (the size and shape are up to you, but 2 to 4 tiles generally works best).
# Build each bed in a room when ready
# Use {{k|q}}-{{k|r}} to mark the bed as a bedroom.
You should see {{DFtext|Current owner: Nobody}} in the menu. A dwarf will eventually get around to claiming the bedroom – you don't need to assign each dwarf to a specific bedroom.

==Nobles and Administrators==
Hit the {{k|n}} key to open up the [[Noble|nobles and administrators]] screen. The most important positions to assign are '''[[manager]]''', '''[[broker]]''', and '''[[bookkeeper]]'''.
* A '''manager''' will allow you to queue up [[work order]], which will greatly simplify managing your production.
* A '''bookkeeper''' will allow you to maintain inventory counts on the {{K|z}} screen so you'll know what you do and don't have.
* A '''broker''' is necessary to trade with a caravan once one has arrived at your [[trade depot]].

===Manager & Bookkeeper===
Your [[expedition leader]] is a good choice for manager and bookkeeper when starting out. Don't worry that it's just one dwarf doing all this; none of these jobs take very long.

While you are on this screen, highlight the bookkeeper and {{K|s}}et them to work for "Highest Precision" (all counts accurate). This will help train [[record keeper|bookkeeping]] faster and ensure that you aren't dealing with vague inventory counts.
:''See [[Stocks]] for a detailed explanation of the {{k|z}}-stocks screen.''

===Broker===
The broker should be another one of your other dwarves (rather than being the same as your bookkeeper) so that they're not too busy doing bookkeeping to actually talk to the traders when a trade delegation arrives.

Don't worry about the [[chief medical dwarf]] yet. They will be needed when you set up your [[Healthcare|hospital]] which won't be covered in this guide. Feel free to go check out the [[Healthcare]] guide once you're done.

===Offices (Studies)===
Some of your administrative positions (manager and bookkeeper) require an [[office]] in order to function. If your manager, for example, doesn't have an office, you will not be able to do any of the things that require a manager even though you have one assigned.
[[File:Quickstart-noble-selection.png|right|thumb|Nobles screen. The red stuff turns white once an office is assigned.]]

Earlier you should have queued up a table and throne in your mason's shop, and they should be done by now.
# Dig out a room near your sleeping quarters or stockpiles (at least 1x3, no more than 5x5).
# Place the furniture in it with {{k|b}}-{{k|c}} (chair) and {{k|b}}-{{k|t}} (table).
# Wait for the dwarves to install the furniture
# Use {{K|q}} to select the '''chair'''/throne (not the table), select "Make Throne Room or Study" ({{k|r}}), size the room appropriately, and then {{k|a}}ssign the chair to your expedition leader (who should be both your bookkeeper and manager).
# Hit {{K|n}} to verify that these positions now have the office they need (if so, {{DFtext|[REQUIRE]|7:1}} should no longer be red).

==Furniture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Different Names, Same Thing|As you've noticed, some things have different names based on what they're made of (for example, chairs vs. thrones and chests vs. coffers) even if they're functionally the same (material almost never makes a difference). [[Furniture#Furniture_types_with_multiple_names|Here's a list.]]

[[Bed]]s are a notable exception — they can only be made of wood.
}}
Now would be a good time to start building some [[furniture]]. You could queue up all these items directly from your workshops, but why not give your new manager a little practice?
Using the manager screen {{k|j}}-{{k|m}}, hit {{k|q}} to queue up a new job, and type "[[bed]]", and then select "construct bed." Set the quantity to around 4 (or more, depending on how many beds you need). Next, queue up at least four [[table]]s, eight [[throne]]s/chairs, and four doors. Make sure you select a material you have – rock or wood will both work for all of these (except beds), so use whatever you have in your stockpiles. If you like, you can also queue up a few wooden [[chest]]s or rock coffers and [[cabinet]]s (which can be used in bedrooms, if you set up individual bedrooms). The tables and chairs will go in your [[dining room]], speaking of which...

==Dining and Food Prep Area==
Right off the main stairwell (any unused area by the staircase will work), create three rooms. One will be for general food storage, one a [[dining room|dining hall]], and one a [[kitchen]]. The kitchen will allow you to make [[Cook#Recipes|prepared food]]. Make the room for the kitchen 5x5. The storage area and dining hall should be larger. Ideally, leave empty space on at least one side of your dining hall so that it can be expanded later if necessary.

[[File:Quickstart_dining_area.png|right|thumb|Dining level with dining hall (east), kitchen (north), storage area (west), fishery, butcher's workshop, and tanner's workshop (south).]]

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}}-{{k|z}} to build the kitchen in the middle of the 5x5 room. Use {{k|p}} to create {{K|f}}ood stockpiles in the remaining space around it, as well as the entire food storage room. Go back to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings to {{K|d}}isable Food. This will cause any food in your general purpose stockpile to get moved to your new food-only stockpiles. Hit {{K|z}} and select ''[[Kitchen]]'' from the top of the screen, then disable all cooking for plants, using {{K|c}}, {{K|C}} does everything (disable is red) and enable brewing for them so that they will only be used for brewing. Also disable alcoholic beverages for cooking, otherwise your cooks will waste perfectly good hooch in their cooking. The only time you might want to use alcohol in cooking is when you have lots of booze but are running out of food. If you plan to do any fishing, dig out another area and create a [[Fishery]] on this level so the uncleaned fish your fisherdwarf just caught can be cleaned (gutted) for consumption or cooking. If you plan to do any hunting or [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] any animals, create a [[Butcher's shop]] on this level so animal corpses can be butchered. The fishery/butcher's shop can be placed behind the kitchen or the general food stockpile, for example. A door is recommended for the butcher's shop in order to contain [[Miasma]] should something rot, and to otherwise avoid offending squeamish dwarves. Eventually, go check out the subpage on [[/Stockpiles/]] for more information on fine-tuning these stockpiles for maximum efficiency. For now you can safely procrastinate on this and move on to the next section.

==Placing Furniture==
Once your furnishings are complete, you need to place them in rooms using the {{K|b}}uild command. Put the new {{k|c}}hairs and {{k|t}}ables in the dining room. If you like, you can add doors for aesthetics (they can be useful in case something starts rotting in your food stockpiles). If you created chests and cabinets, you can add them to each room if you want, but it is not urgent now.

==Meeting Hall==
Use {{K|q}} on one of the tables you just placed in the dining room, define the area as a {{k|r}}oom, and configure it to be a meeting {{k|h}}all. This will cause idle dwarves to hang around in the dining hall. You want idlers in a central location, close to where you will be placing your emergency drawbridge levers. You should probably remove the temporary meeting area (and any other meeting areas that you created earlier) with {{K|i}}-{{k|x}}.

==Checking Supplies==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Hostile Wilds|Before turning on either hunting or fishing, examine the {{K|u}}nits screen to see if there are any dangerous critters your hunters/fishers need worry about. With hunting especially, you may need to check this screen frequently.}}
Use the {{K|z}} ([[status]]) screen to check your stock levels. How much food and booze do you have left? You only have unprepared food at this point, and the booze you brought with you, but soon you will be making more. If you are running low on food, you can designate gathering some [[shrub|outdoor plants]], [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some animals, turn on [[fishing]], or turn on [[hunting]] to tide you over for a bit. Hunting and slaughtering animals both require a butcher's shop.

==Brewing and Cooking==
Once your first crop of plump helmets starts to come in, you will want to start [[brewing]] as a [[repeat]]ing task. Also, now would be a good time to start [[cooking]] actual meals rather than forcing your dwarves to eat raw food. Cooking [[Cooking#Recipes|easy meals]] will train dwarves faster, but they may be happier with [[Cooking#Recipes|lavish meals]]. So, you might want to cook easy ones until your cook or cooks skill up to a certain point then have them start making lavish meals. Prepared food is cooked from two (easy), three (fine), or four (lavish) raw food/alcohol ingredients. Each prepared food item will be called a 'something' (for instance, a specific animal meat) "biscuit", "stew", or "roast" depending on the lavishness of the meal.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Conserving Resources|Some things absolutely require wood (like beds and charcoal), but others can be made out of more common materials like stone. For this reason it's best, especially in the beginning, to make everything that you can out of stone. For example, you could make wood chests and barrels, but stone coffers and rock pots would let you save wood for things that require it and help you rid yourself of all that stone. And if you decide you want solid gold chests or something later when you have more resources, you can always throw out the rock coffers.}}
Speaking of booze, in order to keep the booze flowing, you will need to create some [[barrel]]s, or some stone [[pot]]s. Your dwarves should have emptied a few barrels by now to get you started, but you will definitely need more. A ''lot'' more. If you have an abundance of trees, then you can designate some more for cutting, and have your carpenter make a bunch of wooden barrels, but it may be more prudent to make a [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]], make sure someone has the [[Stonecrafting]] labor enabled, and build a bunch of rock pots. (Rock pots are essentially barrels made of rock.) And don't worry that you've made too many; you almost can't get enough of them. Keep checking your food and drink stock levels on the {{K|z}} screen periodically. While cooked food (properly stockpiled) and alcohol don't spoil, there is really no need to stock 2,000 units of dwarven wine at this point. Ten times the number of drinks and meals as you have dwarves is more than enough. If you start running out of food or drinks, designate some wild plants for harvesting, [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some of your animals, start hunting or fishing, or start more farms. (Actually, now would be a fine time to make another 3x3 farm. Set it to produce [[sweet pod]]s in the spring and summer, [[cave wheat]] or [[pig tail]]s (your choice) in the fall (autumn), and [[plump helmet]]s in the winter. Having multiple types of plants will give your dwarves more variety in their food and drink, keeping them from [[Thought|grumbling]].)

==Storage Space==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#0a0|float=right|Advanced Stockpiling|Check out the [[/Stockpiles|Stockpiles]] sub-page for more information on fine-tuning your stockpiles, especially in the food production area. This is somewhat complicated and it can safely be skipped if you don't feel like tinkering with stockpiles right now.}}
You should probably start making some wooden '''[[Bin|bins]]''' to help you store more stuff in less space. You might not need them yet, but you certainly will later. Bins are somewhat like barrels/pots, but they can store things other than just food and drink. Bins will also reduce the amount of labor needed to [[haul]] things to your trade depot or other stockpiles. So designate some more trees to be chopped down and queue up some bins. As with barrels and pots, you almost can't have enough bins.

=Beyond a Minimal Fortress=

By now you should have your main entrance created, along with a farm, general-purpose stockpile, refuse pile (for trash), and [[trade depot]]. Somewhere you should have a mason's shop, a mechanic's shop, a carpenter's shop, and a jeweler's shop, surrounded by appropriate storage piles with garbage zone (for excess stone). You should also have a furnished dining area with kitchen, still, and food storage, and a residential area with furnished bedrooms and an office. You should have selected your administrators, and might even have an optional fishery, butcher's shop, craftsdwarf's workshop, or other stuff. At this point, you have all the components of a minimal but functional fortress! Your next steps will be to make it safer and better-protected, to set up your [[metal industry]], and later to prepare your [[military|militia]].

==Traps==
Start producing '''[[mechanism]]s''' at your [[mechanic's workshop]]. Queue up ten. After they are built, use them to create [[Trap#Stone-fall_Trap|stone fall traps]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|T}}. Be sure not to block access to your depot! Queue up some [[cage]]s, and more mechanisms, and use these to create some [[Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps]] right after your stone traps. Cage traps are incredibly effective at stopping ambushers, but traps in general will not protect you from [[thief|thieves and kidnappers]] who will almost always bypass them. (To deal with these ambushers, see the next section on [[#Guard Animals|guard animals]]). Continue to fill up your entry hall with alternating rows of stone and cage traps as the parts become available. Ideally you want to have enough cage traps to take out most of the [[goblin]]s so your military will only have to mop up.

Note that traps will block wagons from reaching your trade depot (although pack animals will still arrive safely). A few ways to avoid this are shown below:

{|
|-
|<diagram>
[#1:1]^^^^^
[#2:1].....
.....
.....
[#1:1]^^^^^
</diagram>
|A simple strategy, most useful above ground where invaders can come from the sides – underground, this is less useful (invaders don't tend to emerge from the walls).
'''Legend:''' In this diagram and the one below, traps are blue {{DFtext|^|1:1}} (^) symbols, and the green {{DFtext|.|2:1}} and red {{DFtext|.|4}} (.) symbols represent the ground and cave floor.
|-
|<diagram fg="4:0">
░░░░░░░░░
░.......░
░.......░
░.......░
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
░░░░░░░░░
</diagram>
|A more complex design, but also extremely effective (best used underground). The majority of invaders will choose to take the shortest path, directly through the traps. This can also be extended to make a wider group of traps of a longer safe route.

This is relatively easy to implement if you already have a 3-tile wide hallway – just dig a small loop off it and place traps in the old location.
|}

Note that this is only necessary when caravans can't get to your trade depot, because the hallway is filled with traps - if your trade depot is not behind a trap-lined hallway, you can safely make a hallway full of traps - citizens won't trigger traps.

If you place a trap somewhere you didn't mean to, remove it with {{k|t}}-{{k|x}} or {{k|q}}-{{k|x}}.

==Guard Animals==
Create one 1x1 [[pasture]] near the beginning of your entryway, in the middle tile, using {{K|i}}. Using the {{K|N}} key inside the zone interface, assign a [[dog]] or other non-grazing animal to it. This animal will spot thieves and raiders before they gain entrance to your fortress. Try to pick a disposable animal, as it ''will'' be slaughtered by the first ambush raiders. Ideally, don't assign female animals; you want them safe for [[Meat industry#Breeding|breeding]] (you should make sure to keep at least one male around for breeding as well).

==Drawbridge==
In case of an [[ambush]] or [[siege]], you will want to close up your fort, keeping the goblins out until your [[squad]]s have formed up and are in position. Therefore, you can build a [[Bridge|drawbridge]] ({{K|b}}-{{K|g}}) to seal off your entryway. Make sure to use {{K|w}}, {{K|a}}, {{K|d}}, or {{K|x}} to make it raise up in the right direction, which then forms a barrier to block enemy ranged units. If you don't get the orientation of the bridge correct, it will just retract (disappear) instead of raising up, allowing enemy ranged units to fire across.

Put the drawbridge between the trade depot and the hall-o-traps so you can lock things out of the fort. Build a lever ({{K|b}}-{{K|T}}-{{K|l}}) near your meeting area and [[Lever#Linking|link]] it to the drawbridge by using {{K|q}} on the lever. (This linking will require 3 [[mechanisms]] in total.)

==Metal Industry==
[[File:Quickstart-level-2-forge.png|thumb|right|Level -2: Forge and smelters with ore stockpile in the middle.]]
Now, below your first workshop level, dig out four more 5x5 rooms around the stairwell. Three of these will be [[smelter]]s ({{k-|b|e|s}}), and one a [[metalsmith's forge]] ({{k-|b|w|f}}). Designate stockpiles for {{K|b}}ars around the smelters and forge. The bar stockpiles will hold [[Fuel|coke and charcoal]] and metal [[bar]]s. You will probably need larger bar stockpiles, but you can dig out more space and expand them later. Also dig out some space and create a stockpile for [[ore]] somewhere nearby. To make an ore stockpile, designate a {{K|s}}tone stockpile, then use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings on it to forbid all types of stone other than ore. Finally, go to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to disable Bars. Stone should already be disabled on this stockpile, and if so, then ore is already disabled for it.

===Wood Burning===
Somewhere near your carpenter's shop, near your wood stockpile, dig out an area and build a [[wood furnace]] ({{k-|b|e|w}}). This is where you will create charcoal (see below) and ash (for making soap). Dwarf Fortress has two forms of carbon which are useful as [[fuel]] in the metal industry: ''charcoal'' (which is charred wood), and ''coke'' (refined coal). They are completely interchangeable. If your map has a lot of '''lignite''' or '''bituminous coal''', you can process that into coke, using charcoal to jump-start the process. If you don't find coal on your map, you'll need to either dig down to [[magma]] or make charcoal out of wood to run your forges and smelters, but don't worry about this yet. You need to do some digging around.

===Mining===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|"I have struck what?"|New players who don't have a degree in geology usually find themselves confused as to what all these mineral names mean. In DF you'll never strike "iron ore" but you will strike [[magnetite]] or [[limonite]] which are [[ore]]s of [[iron]]. If you don't know that these things are ores of iron then it obviously won't occur to you to try to smelt iron. Note that ores usually look like {{Raw Tile|£|6:7:1}} before they are mined and {{Raw Tile|*|6:1}} after, though the colors will differ. See '''''[[The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock]]''''' to help you figure out exactly what you've found.}}
At this point you want to start looking for metal ore. You may have already found some while digging out rooms, in which case you can just mine into the walls of the rooms to get more ore. If you haven't found ore yet or you want to see what else you can find, you will need to dig [[Exploratory mining|exploratory tunnels]] looking for ores, minerals, and [[gem]]s. For now just start digging tunnels out from your stairwell or rooms in all directions and see what you run into. Note that digging into '''damp stone''' or '''warm stone''' is not recommended as those areas may be holding back water or lava which can flood your fort.

===Fuel===
Whether you find [[coal]] or not, you will need to burn wood into at least one unit of [[charcoal]]. If you find some coal ([[lignite]] or [[bituminous coal]]), start your [[smelter]]s out processing it into [[coke]] using your charcoal to get things started. From then out you can burn coke to make more coal into more coke and so on. Put these coke-making jobs on repeat. Only use one smelter to begin with, but you should be getting a group of [[Immigration|immigrants]] fairly soon, if you haven't already, and you can put them to work in the other smelters. Don't give up on finding coal right away. Dig around for a while and if you're starting to get impatient then burn some more wood into charcoal, smelt some ore, and make some [[weapon]]s. If you rely on charcoal for fuel then you'll be needing a ''lot'' of wood, so in that case dig out another room near the furnace and create a wood stockpile. You might also want to just remove a smelter, replace it with a [[wood furnace]], and create the new wood stockpile down in the smelting area. Finally, go designate more trees for chopping.

===Forging===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Alternative Energy|If you don't find coal then you will have to continue to burn wood into charcoal, or dig down to the bottom of the map and find the magma sea so you can power [[magma smelter]]s and [[magma forge]]s. Getting to magma can be difficult for various reasons that you will discover, so make sure you are ready for some trouble before you go that direction. Burning charcoal should work out okay in the short term.}}
Once you have smelted some ore to get metal bars, and have additional bars of either coal or charcoal, you can start forging metal items. Here are some suggestions on what to make first:
#'''[[Pick]]s''' - You may have only started out with one pick which limits the number of miners you have to one. By this point you are probably wishing you had more miners. Make a few picks and give some dwarves the mining labor once you get some immigrants. It doesn't matter what metal you use to make picks, at least when it comes to mining, so even copper is perfectly good.
#'''[[Weapon]]s''' - Picks actually make pretty good weapons, but there can be some issues equipping them because they're tied to the mining labor. You may want to make a few axes. They make good weapons, at least against most lightly armored opponents you're likely to encounter first, and can be used to chop trees. Start with 5 or so.
#'''[[Armor]]''' - You're going to want some armor. Start with mail shirts, helms, leggings, then gauntlets and boots. Start with 3 or so of each in the order listed, then make more later when your military grows. Also make some shields out of wood, unless you're swimming in metal (since the shield's material doesn't matter for defensive purposes). Once you have the essentials covered, you can include breastplates (but they take 3 bars of metal to make, and they don't cover as much of the torso and arms as a mail shirt).
An important thing to note is that mail shirts protect the upper leg as well as the torso and arms, and high boots protect the lower leg. As dwarves have no knees (at least in military terms), high boots and mail shirts are sufficient to protect your dwarves' legs.
[[Steel]] is the best normal metal to make armor and most weapons out of, but you will likely find that you want some arms before you can make steel. [[Iron]] is good, as is [[bronze]]. [[Copper]] is not ideal, but it still works and is better than no metal weapons/armor at all.

==Gemcutting and Trinkets==
You should have uncovered some [[gem]]s by now, so put your [[jeweler]] to work [[Gem cutter|cutting]] them. These will be used for [[Trading|trade]]. Only buy things that you need in the first year. [[Finished goods|Stone crafts]] produced by a craftsdwarf can make good trading goods as well. To get enough goods, you will need to dedicate a craftsdwarf's workshop and craftsdwarf to this task full-time, but you're very unlikely to ever run out of stone.

==Sticking to the Plan==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Getting Distracted|Say one of your new immigrants turns out to be a legendary weaver. Should you plant some pig tails and create a loom for him? '''No!''' Put his legendary butt to work smelting metal or something that's part of your current industry even though he has no skill at it. Do not split your efforts yet. You can make use of his unique talents later when you can afford to diversify your industry.}}
Metalsmithing will be your primary economic activity, with cutting gems (and possibly making stone crafts) being used to give you some short-term [[wealth]] until the [[metal industry]] gets going. This means you will need miners, haulers, smiths and furnace operators. Unless a dwarf is doing something else vital to the proper functioning of your fort, such as training in the militia, making traps, cooking food, and so forth, they should be doing one of those four things.

==Wealth and Invasion==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Crafting Invitations for Trouble|Creating too much wealth initially is a sure fire method of pulling down a goblin ambush that you are ill-equipped to deal with. Titans will also start attacking you should your wealth go over a certain amount. For this reason, spend no time smelting gold, smoothing, or engraving anything yet. Most of the wealth you create in the beginning should be the [[weapon|sharp pointy kind]].}}
You may have struck [[gold]] or some other valuable metal, and you may be tempted to put your furnaces and smiths to work creating valuable metal crafts. Don't do it! Until you have your militia formed and fully equipped with armor and weaponry, your smelters and forge should be doing nothing else but smelting cheaper materials like coal, iron, making pig iron and steel if possible, and making weapons and armor. Making [[steel]] will actually increase your wealth quite a bit, but at least you can stab and beat things to death with steel; you can't make weapons from gold.

=Military=

Your '''military''' is an important part of fortress defense. Unless you have totally cut yourself off from the outside world, then you will want at least some sort of military. Once you reach this point, you should hopefully have enough dwarves to start a small military training program. You will need at least 5 dwarves who aren't otherwise doing anything important. If you don't have any spare dwarves yet, or just don't want to mess with it yet, just skip to the next section and come back to this later. Don't wait too long to set up your military though; you especially will want soldiers before you reach a population of 80 dwarves. (You will find out why.) When you're ready to start up your military, see the [[Military quickstart]] guide.

= What Next? =

Congratulations! If you've made it this far then you have a self-sustaining fort going and can now start to branch out into whatever you are interested in exploring. Expect some goblin invasions, forgotten beasts, titans, dragons, giants, and other creatures to interrupt your activities at various points. This is part of the [[fun]].

Here are some things that people almost always do eventually, though not necessarily in any particular order (these are somewhat essential):
*Build [[coffin]]s and a graveyard or [[tomb]]s for dead dwarves and pets
*Set up a [[Healthcare|hospital]]
*Build a [[well]]
*Start producing [[textile industry|clothing]] to replace [[wear|worn-out attire]]
*Build a [[jail]] for unruly dwarves
*Set up [[Scheduling#Alert_Levels|civilian alerts]] to get civilians to a safe area during ambushes and sieges

Here are some things that players often do as their population grows:
*[[Smoothing|Smooth]] and [[engraving|engrave]] walls and floors
*Produce [[Meat industry|Meat]], [[Egg production|eggs]], milk and [[Beekeeping industry|honey]]
*Continue to expand the [[military]]
*Explore new [[Industry|industries]]
*Dig down to the [[caverns]] and create a defended lower entrance with traps to defend the fort against the [[creatures|denizens]] below
*Enable [[Animal training]] for a dwarf and train some war animals
*Build a [[Mass pitting]] system to dispose of caged enemies
*Build above-ground [[construction]]s such as an archery tower or garden
*Create a [[statue|statue garden]] or [[zoo]]
*Farm in an [[Farming#Above-ground_farming|above-ground farm plot]]
*Dig down to [[magma]] and set up [[magma forge]]s and [[magma smelter]]s to avoid the need for fuel
*Build [[machine component]]s to pump magma and water
*Create more [[Trap design|elaborate traps]] such as magma and drowning chambers
*Try some [[stupid dwarf trick]]s

You may also want to just read over the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] and the many other very useful documents on the wiki to give you other ideas of what to do.

Keep in mind that how you play is not set in stone. Some people never defend, some start a [[Megaprojects|megaproject]] right after settling, some never dig and just build an above ground castle or town using logs. Some never smelt ore, some start smelting as soon as they arrive. Some make their home in the dangerous natural caverns. Some deal with invaders by flooding the map or isolating themselves completely. And that's not even considering the [[List of mods|mods]] and some of the crazier [[challenges]] that people have come up with. There's really no one "right" way to play DF.

= Feedback =
If you have any feedback on this guide, you can leave a message on the [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}|talk page]] for this article, or in [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=83452.0 this thread] on the forums.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Quickstart guide}}

[[de:DF2012:Schnellstart]]
[[ru:Быстрый старт]]
[[zh:Quickstart guide]]

Quickstart guide

2022-12-29T21:15:48Z

Tme5: /* Controlling Your Dwarves */ Update for v50. Removed the table since I think defaults are ok?

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:''For installation instructions, see [[Installation]].''
:''This is a quickstart guide for [[dwarf fortress mode]] for those who have never played before and quickly want to jump in head-first.'' ''If you are looking to learn adventure mode instead, see the [[Adventure mode quick start]] guide.''
:''Also see [[Tutorials]] for more detailed tutorials that people have submitted.''
{{TipBox2|float=right|Before you get started...|Always remember that '''losing is [[fun]]!''' Be prepared to lose a few fortresses before you get all the way through this guide – it can be easy to accidentally kill the entire fortress while learning. But remember: losing means that next time, ''[[#Situational Awareness|you'll remember how you lost]].'' In a big way, ''Dwarf Fortress'' uses the principle of learning from one's mistakes.}}

So, you want to play '''Dwarf Fortress''', but you have no idea what to do. That's understandable; in ''Dwarf Fortress'' you can really do anything you like. It is a huge, complex, and totally open-ended game. But in order to do anything, first you need a sustainable fortress. It turns out that this is not as hard as you might think.

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|446px|right|[[Main:From Caravan to Happy Dwarves|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves]] - This is a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions players usually take when starting up a new fort. Feel free to ignore it if you want. It's not necessary to refer to this to understand the rest of the guide, but by the time you finish the guide it will probably all make sense.]]

__TOC__

= Common UI Concepts =
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{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Keeping Up|While the guide contains many links, you may still need to look something up. Refer to the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] or use the wiki [[Special:Search|search]] function. Also, don't hesitate to [[Main:Troubleshooting|ask for help]] if you can't find answers on the wiki.}}

This is just the Quickstart Guide, so we skip lots of details on the UI. If you're looking for more UI help as you get deeper into your first fortress, you may also want to read this section in the [[Dwarf_fortress_mode#Gameplay_user_interface|Fortress Mode Guide]].
{{KeyConventions}}

== Options menu ==
{{main|Dwarf_fortress_mode#Options_screen|l1=Options screen}}

Most basic game-related tasks (saving, keybindings, sound, etc.) are performed through the options menu, which can be reached with {{k|Esc}} from the main screen.

To save and quit back to the main menu, select {{DFtext|Save Game}}.
{{tc|#d00|Unless you know what you are doing, do not select either}} {{DFtext|Retire the Fortress (for the time being)}} or {{DFtext|Abandon the Fortress to Ruin}}! These will essentially cause you to lose your save.

=World Generation=

First, [[World generation|generate a new world]]. ''Dwarf Fortress'' worlds are always procedurally randomly generated - there is no "default" or "standard" world. Luckily, the basic version of this process is simple, and with these suggested settings won't take too long. Wait until the game shows that the world has been generated, since stopping history too soon can limit material availability for embark and trade.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting World|
For your first game, [[World generation|generate a new world]] using the {{DFtext|Create new world}} option in the main menu with the following options:

* {{DFtext|World size}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|History length}} is {{DFtext|100 years|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Civilizations}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Sites}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Beasts}} is {{DFtext|Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Natural Savagery}} is {{DFtext|Very Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Mineral Occurrence}} is {{DFtext|Everywhere|3:1}}
}}

= Embark =
{{main|Embark}}

Embarking is the process of choosing a site, outfitting your initial dwarves, and sending them on their way.

After generating a world, select {{DFtext|Play now}} then choose fortress mode. The game will load and update the world, then show the world map.

Mouse over the map to inspect it. Left-click to zoom in, where you can then click the {{DFtext|Embark}} button to choose an embark site.

== Choosing a Good Site ==

Choosing a good embark site is crucial for beginners. Highly skilled players can run a fortress on an evil glacier, but for now, stick to friendly environments. Look for features in an embark site that will make your first fort easier to manage.

{{ambox
|type=type
|text=The world tooltip will only show features from the moused-over tile, but since the embark area covers multiple tiles it can contain '''multiple biomes'''. It is '''very important''' to inspect all tiles in your site. Each may have significantly different features such as an aquifer or evil biome '''not initially shown''' in the info due to not being under the cursor.
}}

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting Site|
[[File:Quickstart-good-location.png|thumb|300px|right|An example of a good starting site.]]
For your first game, find a site with the following properties:
*'''NO [[Aquifer]]''' (or at least no '''heavy''' or '''varied''' aquifers. Light is interesting on later embarks, but heavy guarantees '''[[Fun]]'''!)
*'''Trees:''' Woodland or Heavily Forested (or, at the very least, sparsely forested)
*'''Surroundings:''' Serene, calm, or at least '''not''' any evil or savage biome.
*A '''River'''
The following are also good to have, but focus on getting a decent site, not a perfect one.
*'''[[Climate|Temperature]]:''' Warm
*'''Clay or Soil''' makes farming easier when starting out
*'''Flux stone layer''' For your steel industry
*Also avoid sites containing '''towers''', '''goblins''', or other groups at war with you.
See '''[[/Starting site/]]''' for more info on why these characteristics are important.}}

[[File:Quickstart-finder.png|thumb|right|Initial finder criteria]]
While finding a site is not as simple as world generation, the {{DFtext|Find embark location}} button at the bottom of the screen can help.
[[File:Quickstart-finder-partial.png|thumb|right|Finder partial match missing Good surroundings]]

Once the find tool has finished searching with matches found, press {{K|Esc}} to look at the results. Any region in which it found a match will be indicated by a green {{DFtext|X|2:1}} on the map.

Additionally, when placing the embark area you can resize it using the buttons on-screen. A 4x4 embark (the default) is usually reasonable, but you may want to change the size to avoid an undesirable biome or match your finder criteria.

If you are unable to find a site that you are willing to embark on, you could always create a new world. Otherwise, move onto the next step.

== Skills and Equipment ==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Optional: Preparing Carefully|If, at this point, you'd like to get into all of the details of picking individual skills and equipment for your expedition, select {{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}} and see '''[[Quickstart_guide/Preparing_carefully|Preparing carefully]]''' for instructions. '''This is completely optional'''.
And preparing carefully makes little difference in the long run, especially without experience as to what to change.}}

Now the '''Prepare for the Journey''' screen should appear. You will be given the choice to either:
*{{DFtext|Play Now!}}
*{{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}}.

Selecting {{DFtext|Play Now!}} will start you out with a default set of equipment that is reasonably safe, allowing you to skip having to set up your skills and equipment. If you'd like to get going now, just select that option.
{{clear}}

=A Minimal Fortress=
[[File:Quickstart-map-starting.png|thumb|right|Starting out. In this example, the dwarves will be digging out an entrance tunnel in the sandy cliff on the right. (You can use {{K|Tab}} to show or hide the overview map.)]]

At this point, you have embarked, and your dwarves have arrived at their destination. You will see your dwarves clustered around their wagonful of supplies, somewhere near the center of your map. '''Immediately hit {{K|Space}} to pause the game''' unless it is already paused.

==Getting your bearings==
'''Do not unpause the game just yet.''' Take a look around with {{k|w}}{{k|a}}{{k|s}}{{k|d}}. Look up and down a few [[z-level]]s with the scroll wheel. Place the cursor on various tiles to familiarize yourself with what the symbols mean. If you get lost, you can press {{K|F1}} (or {{k-|Fn|F1}} on some systems) to return to the wagon. (You can define more [[hotkeys]] later, to jump quickly to other sites of interest.) Notice the terrain features, the vegetation, and any minerals visible. If you chose a site with flowing water, where is it? What about pools of water? The more carefully you examine your site before breaking ground, the better off you will be.

In the bottom left, click the citizens information button to see a list of your dwarves. In the {{DFtext|Others}} tab, you can see any wild animals that may be nearby.

The {{DFtext|Stocks}} button at the top of the screen will show the items owned by your fortress.

On the left, there are buttons for various message logs.

Your wagon serves as the initial meeting area for your dwarves. Since you should have started in a non-freezing, calm (low savagery), non-evil biome, you shouldn't face any immediate danger, but if for some reason the area around your wagon proves to be unsafe, immediately designate another meeting zone (see [[#Temporary Meeting Area|Temporary Meeting Area]] below).

==Controlling Your Dwarves==
The first thing to keep in mind is that, for the most part, you can't directly control your dwarves the way you control characters in a typical fantasy RPG. Instead, you '''designate''' things that need to be done and then dwarves with the appropriate labor assignments will decide what to do.

Some tasks receive a higher priority. For example, if a dwarf needs to eat, then he will go eat, and only get around to digging a tunnel once he is done eating. It is also possible to designate things that no dwarf is able to do. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but no dwarf has mining as one of his allowed labors, or no dwarf has a [[pick]], then the mining will never get done, and the game will not always advise you of why.

So, what you are doing throughout the game is essentially giving your dwarves a detailed group-wide to-do list, but it's up to them to figure out which one of them will execute any given task if the task is even possible. Often many of the details of how a task is performed (such as exactly which rock will be used to make crafts) are left up to them.

===Labor and work details===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#aa0|Utilities|2=
You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. There are a few utilities available for this purpose (for Windows, Mac OS X, and most Linux systems):
* '''[[Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]]''' can make labor management considerably easier, especially when you're dealing with twenty times the number of dwarves you have now. It can group and sort dwarves by multiple attributes and display their preferences, mood, and more.
* '''[[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]]''' includes "Dwarf Manipulator", a UI for managing labors. It has fewer features than Dwarf Therapist, but displays much of the same information and is adequate for normal use. In addition, it is accessible from within DF via {{k-|u|l}}, eliminating the need to constantly switch between applications.
}}
{{Main|Labor}}

'''Labors''' are how you control what types of tasks a dwarf is allowed do. When dwarves are idle, it could be because you haven't given them anything to do, or it could be because none of the idle dwarves have been told that they're allowed to do the types of tasks you've designated. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but none of the dwarves have the mining labor enabled, they will all just sit around ignoring your mining designation, thinking that it isn't their job.

Labors are assigned to dwarves in groups called '''work details'''. Open the labor menu from the bottom left to see all the default work details and their assignments.

Fortunately, you don't need to assign a dwarf for every single labor in the game; work details can be set to "everybody does this" to allow any idle dwarf to pick up the job.

'''While you're here''', set the Hunters and Fisherdwarves work details to "nobody does this." Dwarves with these details enabled will constantly be outside attempting to perform them, and for now you don't want dwarves wandering around alone where they can get killed (in addition, they won't be doing anything useful, like hauling).

Also, the default embark comes with two pickaxes: so for efficiency, make sure two dwarves have the Miners detail enabled.

As dwarves perform jobs, they gain skill in those areas which leads to them working faster or producing higher-quality things. Note that ''any'' unskilled dwarf can perform any labor given the necessary equipment and materials; they'll just be worse at it.

==Strike The Earth!==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=green|float=right|Getting your dwarves to safety|
As you now know, you can't control your dwarves directly. So how do you tell them to get inside your newly dug rooms?
*[[Activity_zone#Meeting_area|Meeting Area]] You can designate a Meeting Area zone inside the new rooms. Press {{k|i}}, then draw the rectangle to create a zone. Afterwards make it a Meeting Area. ''See also the [[zone]] page for more information.''
*[[Stockpiles]] (see [[Quickstart_guide#Stockpiles|below]]) Stockpiles tell your dwarves where to put things. Create a stockpile for everything, and dwarves will start to haul all your items there.}}
Decide where you will build your main entrance. Generally, you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible. The best strategy is to put the entrance near your wagon to speed up the process of hauling all of your supplies inside.

The {{K|d}}esignations menu allows you to select areas to dig. There are multiple methods of digging:
* '''[[Mining]]''' removes solid, floor-to-ceiling terrain (natural 'walls') on the z-level selected, leaving behind a rock or soil surface (also referred to as a natural floor). This does '''not''' do anything in areas without natural walls (for example, the surface or previously-mined areas).
* '''[[Channel]]ing''' removes ''natural'' (rock/soil) floors (either created naturally or by mining) and creates a ramp (▲) on the z-level below. Note that you will see a down arrow (▼) on the current z-level, indicating a ramp on the level below. (For best results, ensure that the area below is unrevealed, i.e. black).

To designate an area for digging:
#Hit {{K|d}} to bring up the [[Designations Menu]].
#Hit {{K|d}} to mine or {{k|h}} to channel (see above)
#Place the cursor on one corner of the rectangular area you want to designate and press {{K|Enter}}.
#Move the cursor to the other corner of the rectangle and press {{K|Enter}}. A rectangle will be highlighted and a miner will start to dig out this area once you exit the menu (with {{K|Esc}}) and unpause the game with {{K|Space}}.

This is basically how all of the designation commands work. Everything has to be designated one rectangle at a time, but rectangles can be many tiles wide. After you press {{K|d}} to designate, make sure it's set to "Standard" in the settings at the bottom, rather than "Marker only." You can set this with {{K|m}}. If it's set to "Marker only", the designation will not be carried out.

[[File:Digging Channeling tiles.PNG|200px|thumb|right|Demonstrating the difference between mining and channeling. Mining creates empty space on the same level where it is designated. Channeling creates empty space in the level below, clearing the floor. The levels are connected by up/down ramps. ]]

{{TipBox2|titlebg=red|float=left|Channeling|
Note that channeling can be [[fun|dangerous]]. Unless you know what you're doing, you should only ever make a pit one z-level deep. If you dig a pit multiple z-levels deep, only the lowest level will have an upward [[ramp]], which is not enough for dwarves to leave the pit. (Dwarves can [[climb]] out in some circumstances, but this is unreliable.)

<diagram>
Pit depth: 1 z-level 2 z-levels 2 z-levels
Ground[%26] [#2:1]__[#4:1][%31][#2:1]__ __ __ __ [#4:1][%31][#2:1]_
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#]
</diagram>

This diagram shows the cross-section (side view) of 1x1 pits channeled 1 z-level deep, 2 z-levels deep and the correct way to do a 2 z-level deep ramp. The appearance of "downward ramps" can be confusing as there is no such thing - the down arrow indicates a ramp on the level below. Dwarves in the first pit can walk up the ramp to ground level and escape, while dwarves in the second pit cannot use the ramp at all. The third pit lets dwarves walk back to the surface again since the two ramps are offset to produce a continued slope. In short, channels (particularly channels multiple z-levels deep) can be dangerous. Digging an entryway from the surface level is one of the few times you'll ever need to channel.

<small>Stairs can also be used for an entryway, but channels allow [[wagon]]s entry to your fortress.</small>
}}
If your wagon is near a [[cliff]] or hill (generally speaking, any difference in levels, usually shown by the existence of natural ramps), you can just designate a tunnel to mine ({{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) into the cliff to create an entryway. If the wagon is surrounded by flat terrain, [[channel]] out a 3x3 rectangle on the surface with {{K|d}}-{{K|h}} to create a sort of pit with ramps on the edges, then go down one z-level with {{K|>}} and tunnel into one wall of the pit (with {{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) to create your entry.

Dig a hallway one tile wide and ''at least'' 10 long, ideally more like 20 ({{k|Shift}} moves 10 tiles when digging, so this can be easily accomplished by pressing {{k|Shift}}+an arrow key twice). This will be your entryway.

Your entryway defines the boundary between your safe and protected inner fort, and the big, bad, outside world. You want this to be your only entrance, so that you only have to worry about defending this one opening. A somewhat-outdated video guide to starting a fortress can be found [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLYDcuk29bE&feature=plcp here]. (Note that this applies to v0.34.11, not v{{current/version/ns}}, so some parts may be inaccurate in the current version.)

{{clear}}
=== ''Additional miners'' ===
Mining will go faster if you have more than one dwarf doing it. By default, only one dwarf has the Mining labor enabled, but this can be changed fairly easily:
* Choose a dwarf that isn't doing anything especially useful (the fish cleaner is a good choice for a beginning fortress, but you can always change your mind if you end up with a useless peasant later on)
* Press {{k|v}}, navigate to the dwarf, and press {{k|p}}-{{k|l}}
* Enable the "Mining" option (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above)
* Exit with {{k|Esc}}
The next time you designate an area for mining, both of your miners should start working (assuming they're not busy doing something else).

'''Notes:'''
* Each miner requires a [[pick]]. A standard embark comes with 2 picks. If you want more than two miners, you'll need to forge more picks (forging is covered later in this guide). Two miners should be adequate for most fortresses, but more miners can add reliability (for when a miner decides to sleep) and speed. For now, you'll almost never need more than two miners, but you'll want more once your fortress expands.
* If you're digging a one-tile-wide hallway, only one miner can work from an end.
* Mining, Wood Cutting, & Hunting labors are mutually exclusive - a dwarf can only have up to one of these professions active at a time. For this reason, it's not recommended to make your only woodcutter a miner, since they won't be able to cut wood anymore.

==Delving Secure Lodgings==
Near the middle of the entry tunnel, build a 5x5 room, and link it to the entrance tunnel with a 3-tile-wide passageway. Expand the main entry tunnel to ''three'' tiles wide from the entrance of the new room to the outside entry. At the end of the entry tunnel, dig a small room, which will later become your main stairwell. Two tiles past that, dig a larger room, which will later become your general stockpile, and connect it to the stairwell with a narrow passageway.

[[File:Quickstart lodgings 1.png|thumb|right|An example layout, as described in this section. Note the 3-tile wide passage - this allows merchants to access your depot, which will go in the 5x5 room. Note that the turn also needs to be 3 tiles wide; otherwise, wagons won't be able to access the room.]]

=== ''Room dimensions'' ===
Apart from wagon access (3 tiles wide), the trade depot (5x5), and other workshops (3x3), there are no fixed dimensions you need to worry about. The lower limiting factor is the traffic your tunnels receive (dwarves may have to start climbing over each other), and the space your rooms need (stockpiles, tables/chairs, livestock). The practical maximum size is limited by how long it takes your miners to dig the rooms out, especially if they're digging in stone instead of soil (digging through soil is much faster). Most sites have at least one level soil layer below ground level, which is where you're digging right now, but as you dig deeper you'll hit stone (if you haven't already), and digging will become slower. In most fortresses, even the main hallways never need to be wider than 3 tiles, and needing more than 3 tiles of stairs per floor is very rare. A 3x3 per floor staircase (9 stairs!) is absolute overkill for anything but 20-year-old 300-resident capitals. For most tunnels in your fortress, 2 tiles wide will be sufficient, and many will be fine at just 1 tile wide. 11x11 is a convenient size for stockpile rooms, as the {{k|Shift}}+arrow keys move the cursor 11 tiles. However, something smaller is perfectly fine for rarer stockpiles, offices, and small dining rooms. Commoners’ bedrooms need not be larger than the amount of furniture you want inside.

=== ''Mining safety'' ===
While mining, take care to avoid digging into [[water]]. Dwarves are usually poor swimmers, and are unlikely to escape from an underground flood. However, it is safe to mine ''next to'' underground water, as long as you leave at least one "wall" tile between them (see the picture to the right). You can also mine one z-level under a body of water (for example, mining under a river), but you will have to designate each tile individually because DF automatically cancels digging of newly-revealed "damp" tiles (tiles are considered damp when they are adjacent to a water tile, regardless of whether the water tile is on the same z-level or not).

Also note that '''water can flow diagonally''':
<diagram>
[#00f]≈[#]▓.▓ [#00f]≈[#]▓.▓
▓▓.▓ ▓..▓

[#0f0]ok[#] [#f00]flood[#]
</diagram>

=== ''Stockpiles'' ===
[[File:Quickstart-custom-stockpile.png|right|thumb|Keep corpses, refuse, stone and wood out of general use stockpiles. You can come back and change the settings on this stockpile using {{K|q}}, selecting the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}}. Try to remember to come back here to disable/forbid types of things as you create more specific stockpiles for them.]]
'''Stockpiles''' are very important. These areas are where your dwarves will drop things for storage when they aren't needed elsewhere. To create a '''general purpose stockpile''' for your first storage area:
#Hit {{K|p}} to open the Stockpiles menu.
#Use {{K|t}} to change the [[Stockpile#Custom_stockpiles|custom stockpile]] settings to {{K|e}}nable everything but '''Corpses''', '''Refuse''', '''Stone''', '''Gems''', and '''Wood'''. Use directional keys, {{K|e}}nable, {{K|d}}isable to do this.
#{{k|Esc}} out of that screen back to the stockpiles menu.
#Hit {{K|c}} to select Custom Stockpile, if it isn't already selected.
#Designate the whole 11x11 storage room as a custom stockpile. This works just like designating an area to dig: place the cursor on one corner of the room, hit {{K|Enter}}, move to the opposite corner, and hit {{K|Enter}} again.
#Press {{K|Esc}} to get out of the Stockpiles menu.
Once you exit the stockpiles menu and unpause, you should see dwarves running off to haul everything from your wagon into the new stockpile area. Later, if you like, you can change what sort of things the stockpile accepts by hitting {{K|q}} (Set Building Tasks/Prefs), placing the cursor on the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}} to get to the stockpile settings.

It is particularly important to '''keep wood, stone, refuse, and corpses out of your general purpose stockpile''', so you may want to double check to make sure all of these things are disabled in the stockpile settings. Failure to keep these things out of this stockpile will rapidly fill it up, causing workshops to become cluttered when dwarves can't store things in the stockpile.
'''Note:''' When assigning stockpiles, you should make sure they're in a vacant area (i.e. the tiles should not have any items already stored on them). Dwarves will not haul items to occupied tiles, so make sure the area is vacant (and already mined out) before assigning a stockpile.

=== ''Stairways'' ===

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Up, Down, Up/Down: Types of Stairs|
In Dwarf Fortress, every [[z-level]] is composed of a [[floor]] and a [[wall]] (or "space between floors"). The confusingly named "down" and "up" [[stairs]] have nothing to do with the direction creatures can move to; instead, down stairs penetrate floors, while up stairs penetrate walls. Up/down stairs penetrate the wall and the floor below. ''(note the picture to the left)''

Consequently, you will normally use up/down stairs, and use down and up stairs only for the top and bottom-most level of your staircase respectively. If you're not sure whether you want to expand the staircase in the future, use up/down stairs at the end.
}}

Designate a downward [[Stairs|stairway]] in the room you dug out for the stairwell (''not'' the 5x5 room that you dug out earlier) with {{K-|d|j}}. Notice that after your miner digs the stairway, it doesn't automatically create another stairway on the z-level below. If you hit {{K|>}} to move the view down a z-level you'll see that there's no stairway below, but there is a revealed tile of rock/soil. Because of the down stairway that was dug, this tile is now accessible to miners. You can then designate an up/down stairway on it with {{K-|d|i}} and the miner dwarf will dig it out. Below that you can then dig out another up/down stairway and so on. For now just dig down one level; we will deepen the stairwell later.

[[Image:DF2014 Terraform.png|thumb|left|600px|''This is how the different stairs would look like from the side.'']]

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==Temporary Meeting Area==
[[File:Quickstart lodgings 2.png|thumb|right|An example meeting area. Note that this layer has a different type of soil than the layer above - this can happen often. Also note that the "north" side of this room is directly below the lake in the level above, but no water is present.]]

On the second z-level below ground (the one below the stockpile level, which you just reached with the staircase), dig a short, 3-tile wide passageway (this only needs to be 1-2 tiles long). Past that, dig out a room between 5x5 and 7x7, leaving room to enlarge it in at least one direction in the future. Using the {{k|i}} key, create an activity zone in the room you just created, filling the entire room (be careful not to make this too small lest your [[overcrowding|overcrowded]] animals start fighting). This works much like creating a stockpile except that you draw the rectangle before defining what the area is for. Draw the rectangle, filling the entire room, and set it to be a {{K|m}}eeting area. Your idle dwarves will hang around in this area, hopefully keeping them inside the fort and out of trouble.

NOTE: Again, make sure your [[DF2014:Activity_zone|activity zone]] is already mined out before attempting to designate the meeting area.

{{clear}}

==Refuse==
[[File:Dwarf fort tut miasma.jpg|thumb|right|Avoiding [[Miasma]]]]
Outside your fort entrance, use {{K|p}} followed by {{K|r}} to create a stock{{K|p}}ile for [[Stockpile#Refuse|{{K|r}}efuse]] ''at least'' 5x5 in size. This should be outside in the open or you will have problems with [[Miasma]]. If you do not disable [[vermin]] (Item Types -> remains), you will probably have to expand it later as it will fill up with vermin remains rather quickly. If you are seeing refuse appear in your general-purpose stockpile instead of the refuse pile, use {{K|q}} on the general stockpile and check its {{K|s}}ettings to make sure refuse has been disabled.
{{clear}}

==Food==

Food is necessary for your dwarves' survival - to keep functioning, they require constant supplies of food and drink - the {{k|z}} stock screen can be used to monitor how much food and drink is available. Luckily, your dwarves will eat almost everything raw, including plants.

===''Farming''===
For a reliable, long-term food and alcohol supply, you'll need to set up a farm. Dig out a medium-sized room in a [[soil]] layer (including sand, clay, loam, silt, peat, and ooze) accessible from inside your existing fortress. 5x5 is a good size to start with, but you'll want to leave room to expand in at least one direction. You must pick an ''underground'' area with mud or soil*. Placing this near the stockpiles is more efficient, since farmers won't need to travel as far.

[[File:Quickstart layout 3.png|thumb|right|A 5x5 room with a 3x3 farm plot]]


<sub>* Hopefully you have chosen a site with a soil layer, which will make farming much easier, but if not you will need to [[Irrigation|irrigate]] to create the required mud on stone floors.</sub>

Use {{K|b}}-{{k|p}} to build a 3x3 [[Farming|farm plot]] in the room you just created. Notice that some types of buildings (as well as most constructions) are not designated corner-to-corner like digging designations, stockpiles, or activity zones. Instead, you define the length and width of the building using {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|h}} and position it with the directional keys. Use {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|k}} to make the plot 3x3 and position it in the room, ideally near the wall to leave space for more plots later on.

Remember that you must enable the {{DFtext|Farming (Fields)}} labour for at least one dwarf, or the farm plot won't get built and farming will not take place. (If you selected "Play Now" earlier then you will start with a dwarf with farming enabled.)

{{K|Esc}} out of the build menu and wait for the farmer dwarf to create the plot. Once the plot is built, use {{K|q}} to set the plot to grow [[plump helmet]]s during all seasons. You can use {{K|+}} and {{K|-}} to select plump helmets (pressing {{k|-}} once should do the trick). Select with {{K|enter}}. '''You will need to press {{K|a}}, {{K|b}}, {{K|c}}, {{K|d}} and select Plump Helmets for each season''' — otherwise you'll end up with an idle field for 3/4ths of the year.

Later, if you are curious what is planted in each plot this season and how much, select the [[Controls_guide#View_items_in_buildings.2C_t|View Items in Buildings]] command {{K|t}} and move to the farm plot.

Note that a default embark starts with ''five'' plump helmet seeds — for now, only half of your field will end up being planted. Eventually, as your dwarves consume plump helmets, more seeds will become available and will be automatically planted by an unoccupied farmer.
:''For more troubleshooting tips, see [[How do I build a farm]]''
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=== ''Emergency food sources'' ===
Occasionally, even with a working plump helmet farm, you may experience food shortages. For now, you should have plenty of food on hand left over from embarking. However, if you ever run low on food, there are a few ways to obtain more:

==== ''Plant gathering'' ====
If you have shrubs ({{raw tile|"|2:0}}) growing above ground, you can harvest plants from them. Note that this requires a dwarf with the {{dftext|Plant gathering}} labor enabled (under {{dftext|Farming}}), and time (this can take a while for an inexperienced dwarf, and it doesn't always yield edible plants). To start, {{k|d}}esignate some {{k|p}}lants to be gathered on the surface (similar to selecting an area for mining, except it only selects plants in the given rectangle). Once processed, some will leave behind harvested plants (often edible berries).

====''Butchering''====
If you suddenly run low on food, butchering an animal is another option. Build a [[butcher]] shop ({{k|b}}, {{k|w}}, {{k|u}}) and mark one of your animals for slaughtering (press {{k|v}}, move the cursor to the animal, then press {{k|p}}, {{k|s}}). A dwarf with the butchering labor enabled will haul the animal off to the butcher's shop, work for a while, and produce neat stacks of meat products.

==Building material==
Initially, [[wood]] is probably a good choice for building material, as it's lightweight and can be easily obtained. You will need plenty of building materials as your fortress grows, but wood will suffice for now. If you are unable to locate enough wood (or if you run out of trees, which is unlikely at this point), extend your staircase down to a stone level ({{k|d}}-{{k|i}}) and mine out a small area (at least 5x5) to obtain stone.

Even if you don't have trees, you can obtain 3 logs from your embark wagon. Press {{K|q}}, place the cursor on your wagon, and hit {{K|x}} to deconstruct it. This will flag the wagon for disassembly. Eventually a carpenter will come along and turn the useless wagon into 3 units of wood. (Removing other buildings is done the same way.)

===''Woodcutting''===
{{Update in next major version}}
Assuming your site has [[tree]]s above ground, now is a good time to start obtaining wood. Create a stock{{K|p}}ile for {{K|w}}ood outside your entrance (preferably near to it). As it will only be temporary, don't make it too big (maybe 5x3, or 15 tiles total). Later, you will move this closer to your carpenter's workshop (once you build one), so don't worry about placement too much. Also near the entry, designate a couple of trees to be chopped down with {{K|d}}-{{K|t}}. One tree will produce many logs, so only designate three to five at this point. If you designate too many trees, your woodcutters will spend all of their time chopping them down and hauling the resulting logs, instead of doing other work. As soon as one tree is cut down and its wood stored in a stockpile, you can proceed to the next step (your woodcutter will continue cutting down any remaining designated trees).

==Drinks==
Drinks can be more problematic than food, since they require more preparation (except for [[water]], that is). In warmer weather, you can specify a "water source" activity zone ({{k|i}}-{{k|w}}) around a lake or river on the surface to keep your dwarves from dying of thirst, but dwarves deprived of [[alcohol]] slow down and become unhappy. In addition, drinking outside can be dangerous — dwarves running outside constantly risk running into wild animals, or worse. Creating a [[still]] to brew alcohol is the simplest solution to these problems.

You need a [[brewer]] to brew drinks. Unfortunately, your brewer is also your woodcutter (with a default embark), who is busy cutting down trees. You will want to make a different dwarf your brewer instead, since both your brewer and woodcutter will be busy (and one dwarf can't do both jobs at the same time).
# Find your woodcutter in the {{k|u}}nits list, select it, and press {{k|z}} (this selects the dwarf without you having to search your entire map). Use the {{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu to disable brewing (located under "Farming/related" — you can navigate this menu with the {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} buttons).
# Pick another dwarf that isn't doing anything useful. Right now, this can probably be your fish cleaner, but you can change this as soon as some migrants arrive (by following these steps again).
# Use the {{k|u}}-{{k|z}}-{{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu again to enable brewing on the new dwarf.

[[File:Quickstart still 1.png|thumb|right|A completed still]]
Assuming you have building materials available (which you will if your woodcutter has been doing their job), you can now create a still:
# Dig out a 3x3 area connected to the farm plot.
# Use {{k|b}}-{{k|w}}-{{k|l}} to build a still. Position it in the 3x3 area you just created and press {{k|Enter}}.
# Use {{K|Enter}} to select a building material for the still (this is probably one of the logs you just cut down by default).
# Use {{k|Esc}} to exit the menu, and unpause the game.
After a short delay, your new brewer should run off, drag a log over to the workshop site, and build the workshop. (This is also how building other workshops works, but you won't need to do that yet).

To brew drinks, use {{k|q}} to select the still and press {{k|a}}dd task-{{k|b}}rew drink. '''This will not work yet''', since you don't have any empty barrels or rock pots, but you should start brewing in the first six months (see [[Calendar]] and [[Status]]).
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==Pasture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|Grazers|
If you aren't sure whether or not an animal is a grazer, you can check {{catlink|Grazer|this category}}. (You can also [[Special:search|search]] for the animal on this wiki.)
}}
If you have any grazing animals with you, such as the draft animals used to pull your wagon, they will die if they are kept away from grass for too long. Use {{K|i}} to create a Pe{{K|n}}/[[Pasture]] zone over a grassy area outside and assign your grazing animals to it using {{K|N}} (while still selecting the zone). This area needs to be about 10x10 or so to ensure they have enough grass and don't trample it all. The amount of grass required varies greatly, depending on the type(s) of animals being pastured. If you intend to keep grazing animals permanently, you may need vastly larger pastures later. As an alternative, you might wish to [[Butcher's shop|slaughter]] your largest animals for food and materials.

==Designing your first fortress==
While this guide recommends a vertical fortress design around a central stairwell, with each z-level being used for a particular purpose, it is not really that important to use this design for your first fortress. Therefore, feel free to put any of the areas described in the rest of this guide on your main level or wherever you want as long as dwarves can get to them without going outside the fort. In other words, you can think of the "levels" described in the guide more as areas that can really all be on the same level if you have space. Later you can ponder over what makes things most efficient, but for now just do whatever you find easiest. Note that you may need to dig down a bit to get to stone if you have more than one z-level of sand/clay/soil below the surface.

==Workshops==
[[File:Quickstart workshops 1.png|thumb|right|An example workshop layout. The gem stockpile (empty) is north of the Jeweler's workshop (southwest corner), the wood stockpile is east of the Carpenter's workshop (northwest corner), and the stone stockpile occupies the rest of the space. Note the wheelbarrow (Ö/umlaut-O) in the stone stockpile.]]
Most labors of your dwarves need a place where they can process raw materials — [[workshop]]s. Almost all of them occupy a 3x3 square, and most of them require just 1 unit of any building material (wood, stone, metal). Dig your stairwell down one level (with {{K-|d|i}}), if you haven't already. It's fine if this layer is soil — in fact, soil is better, since it's easier to dig through (if you only have one soil layer, you can put these workshops somewhere on your first level). Dig space for your workshops off of the stairwell. It will hold your [[Mechanic's_workshop|mechanic's]], [[Stoneworker's_workshop|stoneworker's]], [[Carpenter's_workshop|carpenter's]], and [[Jeweler's_workshop|jeweler's]] [[workshop]]s. Something to consider is stockpile proximity: the farther away the material is the dwarves use, the more time they waste with walking. So for now, dig out some more space for stockpiles close to where your new workshops will be (wood for your carpenter, stone for your stoneworker and mechanic, and gems for your jeweler).
It doesn't matter if you put everything in one large room or dig out small rooms for each workshop and stockpile. Note however that some tiles of workshops are impassable: they appear as dark green 'X' when you choose a location (the specific wiki pages of the workshops also show you this). So before you build small 3x3 rooms for each workshop, make sure your dwarves will be able to reach them. Once you've dug out your rooms, set your miners to work by adding a z-level or two to the staircase (you can designate multiple z-levels at once using {{k|<}} and {{k|>}}, just like moving up and down). Hopefully you'll obtain some stone by doing this, which will be useful eventually. While your miners are busy, use {{K-|b|w}} to build the workshops, using whatever building material you have. If you are still digging in soil and don't have stone yet, just use wood; the material really doesn't matter in this case. Be sure that your craftsdwarves still have labors corresponding to each workshop enabled (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above) so they will begin construction. (Dwarves already busy mining or hauling may not immediately stop to construct workshops; if you like, you may temporarily disable other labors in order to jumpstart workshop construction.) If the construction of any building gets "suspended" just use {{K|q}} to unsuspend it. (This can happen if another dwarf or object is blocking the way. See [[#"Garbage" Dumping|Garbage Dumping]] below if you find you need to remove an object.)

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Too Good for Menial Peon Work|Certain labors are crucial in setting up a fort. At some point you may want to disable less important labors such as hauling for dwarves with the crucial skills of mining, masonry, architecture, carpentry, mechanics, and maybe others. You want these dwarves working on creating beds, doors, and trap components before hauling stone and cleaning.}}
Remove the temporary wood stockpile you created outside (using {{K-|p|x}} and selecting the entire stockpile) and dwarves will move the wood to the new wood storage area.

Go to your stoneworker's shop with {{K|q}} and use {{K|a}} to queue up one [[table|{{k|t}}able]] and one [[throne]]/{{k|c}}hair. You will find out why you need these in a second, but now is a good time to start building them. If you still don't have any stone at this point just use wood at the carpenter's workshop.

At this point, it is a good idea to build a few [[wheelbarrow]]s to make hauling large objects (particularly stone) more efficient. Queue up 2 or 3 at the carpenter's workshop. (Wheelbarrows are located near the bottom of the list, on a separate page. They are not visible initially, so you'll need to scroll with {{k|+}} or {{k|-}} — scrolling up with {{k|-}} is more efficient, as it wraps to the bottom of the list.) While the wheelbarrows are being built, select your stone stockpile with {{k|q}} and use {{k|w}} to increase "Max Wheelbarrow" to 3 (the maximum). Your dwarves will automatically move wheelbarrows to the stockpile once they are built.

===''"Where did I build that ____?"''===
As you build workshops, furnaces, Trade Depot, other buildings, rooms and even zones, you may start to lose track of where they all are -- or where they're supposed to be built, but some dwarf is too busy eating/drinking/hauling. There are a couple of commands available from the main UI that will help you locate what you built.

* You can View {{K|R}}ooms/Buildings to see a Building List, and also Zoom {{K|t}}o the building/item, or {{K|q}}uery the building tasks.

* For incomplete buildings/constructions, you can also open the {{K|j}}ob list and then Go to {{K|b}}uilding to find the intended location.

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== Brewing ==
You'll need [[barrel]]s to store drinks for your dwarves. The stockpile you set up earlier will use as many barrels as possible to store items in, which means they can't be used to store drinks. To change this, press {{k|p}} to access the stockpile menu and use {{k|*}} to increase the number of "reserved" barrels (i.e. barrels kept out of stockpiles - 5 barrels is good for now). Queue up two or three barrels in your carpenter's workshop with {{k|a}}-{{k|v}}. (If you run out of wood at any point, cut down another tree or two outside). If a lack of wood cancelled a job, you will need to queue the job again. Go back to your still and order some drinks to be {{k|a}}-{{k|b}}rewed. Each drink requires one barrel and one edible plant, such as a plump helmet. Even if none of yours have been harvested yet, you should have some left over from embark. Also, brewing plump helmets creates ''two'' seeds from one plant, which makes plump helmets an excellent choice for a beginning fortress. Five barrels should be plenty for now (each plant makes 5 "units", or servings, of booze, and dwarves don't need to drink too often, so 30 units should last you a whole year. When the stocks get low, you'll probably want to start queueing up more drinks to be made (you should have more empty barrels by then)).

=="Garbage" Dumping==
{{main|Garbage dump}}

'''Note that garbage is not the same thing as refuse.''' [[Stockpile#Refuse|Refuse]] is [[Miasma|rotting stuff]]. Garbage is anything you designate to be hauled to a [[Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump]], even important things that aren't really garbage. Think of your garbage dump zone as a way to specify that objects you select will be brought to a specific area.

Use {{K|i}} to create a 1x1 activity zone somewhere near your mason's and mechanic's workshops and set it to be a garbage {{k|d}}ump. Unlike stockpile areas where you are limited to storing one object per tile, any number of items may be piled in a garbage area. That means you will only need one tile to hold as much "garbage" as you like. Although many of the room sizes in this guide are suggestions, think of the 1x1 garbage dump size as mandatory. At some point you will probably want to retrieve an important item from your garbage dump, and the more tiles your dump contains, the harder it will be to find anything in it. Press {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} to get to the mass dump/forbid screen and select the {{k|d}}ump option. With "dump" selected, designate a rectangle over the loose stones cluttering up your living area (if there are any – this often isn't a problem yet if you've built your fort in a soil layer). This will designate this stone to be transported to a garbage dump zone. Be sure not to designate the stone in your stockpiles by mistake, since that will only cause your dwarves to perform unnecessary hauling. Once the stone from your living area has been moved there, it will be set as [[Forbid|forbidden]]. Before it can be used you will need to unforbid it using the same {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} screen, hitting {{k|c}} to claim it. Note that dwarves hauling stone (or any large, heavy objects) move slowly, and can take a lot of time to reach their destination. This can be a major waste of time if you designate 50 boulders to be dumped at once. Unless the stone is in the way of something, you don't ''need'' to dump it every time you dig out a new area. Stones lying on the ground don't slow dwarves down at all. If there is a particular dwarf you don't want hauling "garbage", you can disable the "Refuse Hauling" labor (under the "Hauling" category). Miners are good candidates, since they are far more useful when digging than when moving the stone they just dug out.

Congratulations! Knowing how to use garbage dump zones puts you head and shoulders above many new players - it takes some people weeks to figure this out.

==Trading==
Not all embark sites have all the resources you need for a successful fortress, but every site has ''something'' you can sell. A talented dwarf can process any useless resource into something valuable, and [[trading]] is a good way to sell those goods.

''Note that producing goods creates [[wealth]] and getting too much wealth too fast can have [[Immigration#Migrant_wave_sizes|unwanted]] [[Siege|consequences]].''
===Trade Depot===
Build a [[trade depot]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|D}} in the 5x5 room you created near your entrance. This is where [[caravan]]s will park their stuff and where [[trading]] will take place when one arrives. (as stated earlier, the wagons are 3x3 so the entrance tunnel needs to be at least 3x3 for the wagons to go by). You will need one [[architect]], which will be enabled on your mason if you selected {{DFtext|Play now!}} at embark. You also need at least 3 logs or boulders to build the depot.

===Producing for export===
While there are some goods that are more valuable, and some that are less valuable, it's a good idea to simply produce/export what you have too much of and to import what you have too little of.
Generally though, [[Gem]]s and [[Finished goods]] are decent exports for a new player.

===Trading===
Once a caravan has arrived, you can mark the goods you want to sell through the Trade Depot, and your dwarves will begin moving them to the depot. Be careful not to sell wooden items to [[Elf|Elves]]; '''this includes containers:''' even a wooden bin full of metal crafts will make them upset. Also note that the traders will want to make a profit off of you. While they're happy with about 200%, the more profit they make on your site, the more goods they will bring next time, so it can be a good idea to give them even better deals.

''A more detailed overview of the entire process is [[Trading#Trading_Flowchart|here]].''

===What to buy===
In your first fortress, your priority should be importing some [[food]] and [[alcohol]]. In addition, you might want more [[Meat industry|livestock]], [[seed]]s (comes with a free bag), and - depending on what resources you are missing - additional [[pick]]s, [[barrel]]s, [[wood]], [[bag]]s, as well as [[rope]] and a [[bucket]] (for a well). While you're at it, check if you need an [[anvil]]. Maybe you forgot to bring one, or a [[kea]] stole it. Always having a small supply of ''all 3 kinds'' of [[cloth]], some [[gem]]s, [[leather]], a bit of [[sand]] (free bag!) are handy to have, as those are hard to come by on short notice.
If you're short on weapons-grade [[metal]] for your military, import not only actual metal [[bar]]s and [[ore]]s, buy ''all'' metal goods you can afford and [[Melt item|melt]] them down in a [[smelter]] to increase your yield.

===Troubleshooting===
Once the depot is built, use {{K|D}} from the main menu to make sure your depot is accessible. (This command is only available once the depot is built – before building, the command will be disabled, and while the depot is under construction everything will flash red until the depot is built). Once completed, checking {{k|D}}epot access will flash some of the following symbols:
* {{raw tile|X|4:4:1}}: This tile is not accessible by wagon. This could be because something is blocking it (a tree, a natural [[boulder]], etc.).
* {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}: This tile is accessible by wagon. (These tiles will radiate outward from the depot, not from the map edges.)
:This is good, but does not guarantee wagons will be able to reach the depot. Make sure you see the words {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} in the menu.
* {{raw tile|D|3:2:1}} The depot is accessible via wagon.
* {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}} The depot is '''not''' accessible by wagon. See below.

If you see the message {{DFtext|Depot inaccessible|4:1}} in the menu (or the {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}}) symbol over the depot, try these solutions:
* Is the path to the depot (in your fortress) less than 3 tiles wide? If so, expand the entranceway and try {{k|D}} again.
* Are there [[tree]]s blocking a path to the depot outside? Try clearing a path by cutting down a few (you probably won't need to cut ''all'' the trees in a 3-tile wide path); usually cutting some at the end of a path of {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}'s clears a path.
* Are there [[boulder]]s ({{raw tile|∞|7:0:0}}) blocking the path outside? To remove them easily, you need an [[engraver]]. If you selected "play now", you should have one already. Select {{k|d}}-{{k|s}}mooth Stone and designate the boulder(s) for smoothing. They should flash this symbol: {{raw tile|┼|7:0:1}}
* Is the path to the depot only accessible via stairs or did you build traps in the way? Wagons cannot pass traps or stairs, even if they're 3x3 wide.
It's possible that there are multiple obstacles blocking the depot, so keep checking {{k|D}}epot access until the {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} message appears.

''Note that even if your depot is inaccessible to wagons, traders still will come without wagons. They will carry much less goods and you can sell them much less, because their carrying capacity is greatly reduced.''

== Migrants ==
{{gametext|Some migrants have arrived.}}
At some point soon, you'll most likely be getting migrants (if you haven't already). You'll usually get between 5 and 15 migrants in the first 2 waves, which occur sometime during your second and third seasons. See [[/Migrants|this page]] for advice when you receive migrants.

== Bedrooms ==
Up to this point, your dwarves have probably been sleeping on dirt or rock in your fortress. While this is fine for a short time, your dwarves will gradually become less happy if they are forced to sleep without a bed. Under normal circumstances beds can only be made from wood, so be sure to designate some more trees to be cut down if you're short on logs.

[[Bedroom design|Designing living quarters]] is largely a matter of personal preference and aesthetic sense. While a few useful designs are discussed here, there are many other options. In general, try to keep the bedrooms close to the stairs, and make your access hallways at least two tiles wide to reduce congestion.

=== Location ===
Because noise generated from certain jobs (especially mining and woodcutting) can bother sleeping dwarves, doing these jobs within 8 tiles of a sleeping dwarf should be avoided (see [[noise]] for more information). There are two ways of accomplishing this:
* Placing bedrooms at the end of a hallway at least 8 tiles long will avoid most noise (as long as you are careful to avoid noisy jobs directly above or below the bedrooms).
* Extending your fortress down several z-levels will also work (9 levels from the surface is a safe choice), although extending a 3x3 staircase takes more work than extending a single hallway.
Both options work equally well, as long as you are careful to avoid disturbing sleeping dwarves. Ultimately it depends on how you want your fortress to look.

=== Layout ===
Due to the limited resources of a new fortress, setting up a communal sleeping area in a dormitory is often the best short-term solution. However, you can also set up individual bedrooms for dwarves.

'''Benefits of individual bedrooms:'''
* Dwarves are happier with their own bedroom and furniture.
* Individual rooms can increase your fort's perceived wealth.
'''Benefits of dormitories:'''
* Dormitories are easier to set up and expand (only one room is necessary, and each dwarf only requires one bed).
* Sleeping dwarves are much less likely to be attacked when other dwarves are around them.
* Multiple dwarves can sleep in a dormitory. In contrast, only one dwarf can ever sleep in a bedroom (dwarves cannot sleep in another dwarf's bedroom, even when unoccupied).
* Far fewer beds are needed – in a fort of 50 dwarves, for example, around five dwarves will be sleeping at a time (on average). A dormitory, therefore, rarely requires above ten beds, while individual bedrooms would require 50 beds to be built.
* Even when all of the beds are occupied, dwarves will still sleep in the general area of the dormitory. This is more convenient than having dwarves sleeping all over your fort.
For now, setting up a dormitory is easiest (although you can change this later, if you feel the need to).

=== Building ===
Queue up as many beds as you need in a carpenter's workshop (no more than 3 or 4 should be necessary for a dormitory). Beds are queued with {{k|q}}-{{k|a}}-{{k|b}} at a [[carpenter's workshop]] and built with {{k|b}}-{{k|b}}. (As long as your furniture/general-purpose stockpile isn't full yet, dwarves will store beds in them as they are finished, so there may be a delay before they're available to be built.)

'''Setting up a dormitory:'''
# Dig out an empty room in the location you selected.
# Once you have a bed ready, build it near the middle of the room (towards the end away from the entrance).
# Use {{k|q}} to select the bed and {{k|r}} to turn it into a bedroom. Resize the room until it fills the area you dug out (positioning the bed away from the entrance makes it easier to avoid extending the room out into the hallway). If you decide you don't like the position of the bed, remove it with {{k|q}}-{{k|x}} and place it again.
# Press {{k|d}} to turn the room into a dormitory (the menu should read {{DFtext|d: Dormitory <Y>}})
Once you have more beds built, you can place them in the same room. You don't need to mark them as dormitories as long as they're in the area you designated for the bedroom.

[[File:Quickstart-level-7-bedrooms.png|thumb|right|An example of individual bedrooms (with furniture, discussed below)]]
'''Setting up individual bedrooms:'''
# Dig out a small room for each bed (the size and shape are up to you, but 2 to 4 tiles generally works best).
# Build each bed in a room when ready
# Use {{k|q}}-{{k|r}} to mark the bed as a bedroom.
You should see {{DFtext|Current owner: Nobody}} in the menu. A dwarf will eventually get around to claiming the bedroom – you don't need to assign each dwarf to a specific bedroom.

==Nobles and Administrators==
Hit the {{k|n}} key to open up the [[Noble|nobles and administrators]] screen. The most important positions to assign are '''[[manager]]''', '''[[broker]]''', and '''[[bookkeeper]]'''.
* A '''manager''' will allow you to queue up [[work order]], which will greatly simplify managing your production.
* A '''bookkeeper''' will allow you to maintain inventory counts on the {{K|z}} screen so you'll know what you do and don't have.
* A '''broker''' is necessary to trade with a caravan once one has arrived at your [[trade depot]].

===Manager & Bookkeeper===
Your [[expedition leader]] is a good choice for manager and bookkeeper when starting out. Don't worry that it's just one dwarf doing all this; none of these jobs take very long.

While you are on this screen, highlight the bookkeeper and {{K|s}}et them to work for "Highest Precision" (all counts accurate). This will help train [[record keeper|bookkeeping]] faster and ensure that you aren't dealing with vague inventory counts.
:''See [[Stocks]] for a detailed explanation of the {{k|z}}-stocks screen.''

===Broker===
The broker should be another one of your other dwarves (rather than being the same as your bookkeeper) so that they're not too busy doing bookkeeping to actually talk to the traders when a trade delegation arrives.

Don't worry about the [[chief medical dwarf]] yet. They will be needed when you set up your [[Healthcare|hospital]] which won't be covered in this guide. Feel free to go check out the [[Healthcare]] guide once you're done.

===Offices (Studies)===
Some of your administrative positions (manager and bookkeeper) require an [[office]] in order to function. If your manager, for example, doesn't have an office, you will not be able to do any of the things that require a manager even though you have one assigned.
[[File:Quickstart-noble-selection.png|right|thumb|Nobles screen. The red stuff turns white once an office is assigned.]]

Earlier you should have queued up a table and throne in your mason's shop, and they should be done by now.
# Dig out a room near your sleeping quarters or stockpiles (at least 1x3, no more than 5x5).
# Place the furniture in it with {{k|b}}-{{k|c}} (chair) and {{k|b}}-{{k|t}} (table).
# Wait for the dwarves to install the furniture
# Use {{K|q}} to select the '''chair'''/throne (not the table), select "Make Throne Room or Study" ({{k|r}}), size the room appropriately, and then {{k|a}}ssign the chair to your expedition leader (who should be both your bookkeeper and manager).
# Hit {{K|n}} to verify that these positions now have the office they need (if so, {{DFtext|[REQUIRE]|7:1}} should no longer be red).

==Furniture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Different Names, Same Thing|As you've noticed, some things have different names based on what they're made of (for example, chairs vs. thrones and chests vs. coffers) even if they're functionally the same (material almost never makes a difference). [[Furniture#Furniture_types_with_multiple_names|Here's a list.]]

[[Bed]]s are a notable exception — they can only be made of wood.
}}
Now would be a good time to start building some [[furniture]]. You could queue up all these items directly from your workshops, but why not give your new manager a little practice?
Using the manager screen {{k|j}}-{{k|m}}, hit {{k|q}} to queue up a new job, and type "[[bed]]", and then select "construct bed." Set the quantity to around 4 (or more, depending on how many beds you need). Next, queue up at least four [[table]]s, eight [[throne]]s/chairs, and four doors. Make sure you select a material you have – rock or wood will both work for all of these (except beds), so use whatever you have in your stockpiles. If you like, you can also queue up a few wooden [[chest]]s or rock coffers and [[cabinet]]s (which can be used in bedrooms, if you set up individual bedrooms). The tables and chairs will go in your [[dining room]], speaking of which...

==Dining and Food Prep Area==
Right off the main stairwell (any unused area by the staircase will work), create three rooms. One will be for general food storage, one a [[dining room|dining hall]], and one a [[kitchen]]. The kitchen will allow you to make [[Cook#Recipes|prepared food]]. Make the room for the kitchen 5x5. The storage area and dining hall should be larger. Ideally, leave empty space on at least one side of your dining hall so that it can be expanded later if necessary.

[[File:Quickstart_dining_area.png|right|thumb|Dining level with dining hall (east), kitchen (north), storage area (west), fishery, butcher's workshop, and tanner's workshop (south).]]

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}}-{{k|z}} to build the kitchen in the middle of the 5x5 room. Use {{k|p}} to create {{K|f}}ood stockpiles in the remaining space around it, as well as the entire food storage room. Go back to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings to {{K|d}}isable Food. This will cause any food in your general purpose stockpile to get moved to your new food-only stockpiles. Hit {{K|z}} and select ''[[Kitchen]]'' from the top of the screen, then disable all cooking for plants, using {{K|c}}, {{K|C}} does everything (disable is red) and enable brewing for them so that they will only be used for brewing. Also disable alcoholic beverages for cooking, otherwise your cooks will waste perfectly good hooch in their cooking. The only time you might want to use alcohol in cooking is when you have lots of booze but are running out of food. If you plan to do any fishing, dig out another area and create a [[Fishery]] on this level so the uncleaned fish your fisherdwarf just caught can be cleaned (gutted) for consumption or cooking. If you plan to do any hunting or [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] any animals, create a [[Butcher's shop]] on this level so animal corpses can be butchered. The fishery/butcher's shop can be placed behind the kitchen or the general food stockpile, for example. A door is recommended for the butcher's shop in order to contain [[Miasma]] should something rot, and to otherwise avoid offending squeamish dwarves. Eventually, go check out the subpage on [[/Stockpiles/]] for more information on fine-tuning these stockpiles for maximum efficiency. For now you can safely procrastinate on this and move on to the next section.

==Placing Furniture==
Once your furnishings are complete, you need to place them in rooms using the {{K|b}}uild command. Put the new {{k|c}}hairs and {{k|t}}ables in the dining room. If you like, you can add doors for aesthetics (they can be useful in case something starts rotting in your food stockpiles). If you created chests and cabinets, you can add them to each room if you want, but it is not urgent now.

==Meeting Hall==
Use {{K|q}} on one of the tables you just placed in the dining room, define the area as a {{k|r}}oom, and configure it to be a meeting {{k|h}}all. This will cause idle dwarves to hang around in the dining hall. You want idlers in a central location, close to where you will be placing your emergency drawbridge levers. You should probably remove the temporary meeting area (and any other meeting areas that you created earlier) with {{K|i}}-{{k|x}}.

==Checking Supplies==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Hostile Wilds|Before turning on either hunting or fishing, examine the {{K|u}}nits screen to see if there are any dangerous critters your hunters/fishers need worry about. With hunting especially, you may need to check this screen frequently.}}
Use the {{K|z}} ([[status]]) screen to check your stock levels. How much food and booze do you have left? You only have unprepared food at this point, and the booze you brought with you, but soon you will be making more. If you are running low on food, you can designate gathering some [[shrub|outdoor plants]], [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some animals, turn on [[fishing]], or turn on [[hunting]] to tide you over for a bit. Hunting and slaughtering animals both require a butcher's shop.

==Brewing and Cooking==
Once your first crop of plump helmets starts to come in, you will want to start [[brewing]] as a [[repeat]]ing task. Also, now would be a good time to start [[cooking]] actual meals rather than forcing your dwarves to eat raw food. Cooking [[Cooking#Recipes|easy meals]] will train dwarves faster, but they may be happier with [[Cooking#Recipes|lavish meals]]. So, you might want to cook easy ones until your cook or cooks skill up to a certain point then have them start making lavish meals. Prepared food is cooked from two (easy), three (fine), or four (lavish) raw food/alcohol ingredients. Each prepared food item will be called a 'something' (for instance, a specific animal meat) "biscuit", "stew", or "roast" depending on the lavishness of the meal.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Conserving Resources|Some things absolutely require wood (like beds and charcoal), but others can be made out of more common materials like stone. For this reason it's best, especially in the beginning, to make everything that you can out of stone. For example, you could make wood chests and barrels, but stone coffers and rock pots would let you save wood for things that require it and help you rid yourself of all that stone. And if you decide you want solid gold chests or something later when you have more resources, you can always throw out the rock coffers.}}
Speaking of booze, in order to keep the booze flowing, you will need to create some [[barrel]]s, or some stone [[pot]]s. Your dwarves should have emptied a few barrels by now to get you started, but you will definitely need more. A ''lot'' more. If you have an abundance of trees, then you can designate some more for cutting, and have your carpenter make a bunch of wooden barrels, but it may be more prudent to make a [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]], make sure someone has the [[Stonecrafting]] labor enabled, and build a bunch of rock pots. (Rock pots are essentially barrels made of rock.) And don't worry that you've made too many; you almost can't get enough of them. Keep checking your food and drink stock levels on the {{K|z}} screen periodically. While cooked food (properly stockpiled) and alcohol don't spoil, there is really no need to stock 2,000 units of dwarven wine at this point. Ten times the number of drinks and meals as you have dwarves is more than enough. If you start running out of food or drinks, designate some wild plants for harvesting, [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some of your animals, start hunting or fishing, or start more farms. (Actually, now would be a fine time to make another 3x3 farm. Set it to produce [[sweet pod]]s in the spring and summer, [[cave wheat]] or [[pig tail]]s (your choice) in the fall (autumn), and [[plump helmet]]s in the winter. Having multiple types of plants will give your dwarves more variety in their food and drink, keeping them from [[Thought|grumbling]].)

==Storage Space==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#0a0|float=right|Advanced Stockpiling|Check out the [[/Stockpiles|Stockpiles]] sub-page for more information on fine-tuning your stockpiles, especially in the food production area. This is somewhat complicated and it can safely be skipped if you don't feel like tinkering with stockpiles right now.}}
You should probably start making some wooden '''[[Bin|bins]]''' to help you store more stuff in less space. You might not need them yet, but you certainly will later. Bins are somewhat like barrels/pots, but they can store things other than just food and drink. Bins will also reduce the amount of labor needed to [[haul]] things to your trade depot or other stockpiles. So designate some more trees to be chopped down and queue up some bins. As with barrels and pots, you almost can't have enough bins.

=Beyond a Minimal Fortress=

By now you should have your main entrance created, along with a farm, general-purpose stockpile, refuse pile (for trash), and [[trade depot]]. Somewhere you should have a mason's shop, a mechanic's shop, a carpenter's shop, and a jeweler's shop, surrounded by appropriate storage piles with garbage zone (for excess stone). You should also have a furnished dining area with kitchen, still, and food storage, and a residential area with furnished bedrooms and an office. You should have selected your administrators, and might even have an optional fishery, butcher's shop, craftsdwarf's workshop, or other stuff. At this point, you have all the components of a minimal but functional fortress! Your next steps will be to make it safer and better-protected, to set up your [[metal industry]], and later to prepare your [[military|militia]].

==Traps==
Start producing '''[[mechanism]]s''' at your [[mechanic's workshop]]. Queue up ten. After they are built, use them to create [[Trap#Stone-fall_Trap|stone fall traps]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|T}}. Be sure not to block access to your depot! Queue up some [[cage]]s, and more mechanisms, and use these to create some [[Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps]] right after your stone traps. Cage traps are incredibly effective at stopping ambushers, but traps in general will not protect you from [[thief|thieves and kidnappers]] who will almost always bypass them. (To deal with these ambushers, see the next section on [[#Guard Animals|guard animals]]). Continue to fill up your entry hall with alternating rows of stone and cage traps as the parts become available. Ideally you want to have enough cage traps to take out most of the [[goblin]]s so your military will only have to mop up.

Note that traps will block wagons from reaching your trade depot (although pack animals will still arrive safely). A few ways to avoid this are shown below:

{|
|-
|<diagram>
[#1:1]^^^^^
[#2:1].....
.....
.....
[#1:1]^^^^^
</diagram>
|A simple strategy, most useful above ground where invaders can come from the sides – underground, this is less useful (invaders don't tend to emerge from the walls).
'''Legend:''' In this diagram and the one below, traps are blue {{DFtext|^|1:1}} (^) symbols, and the green {{DFtext|.|2:1}} and red {{DFtext|.|4}} (.) symbols represent the ground and cave floor.
|-
|<diagram fg="4:0">
░░░░░░░░░
░.......░
░.......░
░.......░
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
░░░░░░░░░
</diagram>
|A more complex design, but also extremely effective (best used underground). The majority of invaders will choose to take the shortest path, directly through the traps. This can also be extended to make a wider group of traps of a longer safe route.

This is relatively easy to implement if you already have a 3-tile wide hallway – just dig a small loop off it and place traps in the old location.
|}

Note that this is only necessary when caravans can't get to your trade depot, because the hallway is filled with traps - if your trade depot is not behind a trap-lined hallway, you can safely make a hallway full of traps - citizens won't trigger traps.

If you place a trap somewhere you didn't mean to, remove it with {{k|t}}-{{k|x}} or {{k|q}}-{{k|x}}.

==Guard Animals==
Create one 1x1 [[pasture]] near the beginning of your entryway, in the middle tile, using {{K|i}}. Using the {{K|N}} key inside the zone interface, assign a [[dog]] or other non-grazing animal to it. This animal will spot thieves and raiders before they gain entrance to your fortress. Try to pick a disposable animal, as it ''will'' be slaughtered by the first ambush raiders. Ideally, don't assign female animals; you want them safe for [[Meat industry#Breeding|breeding]] (you should make sure to keep at least one male around for breeding as well).

==Drawbridge==
In case of an [[ambush]] or [[siege]], you will want to close up your fort, keeping the goblins out until your [[squad]]s have formed up and are in position. Therefore, you can build a [[Bridge|drawbridge]] ({{K|b}}-{{K|g}}) to seal off your entryway. Make sure to use {{K|w}}, {{K|a}}, {{K|d}}, or {{K|x}} to make it raise up in the right direction, which then forms a barrier to block enemy ranged units. If you don't get the orientation of the bridge correct, it will just retract (disappear) instead of raising up, allowing enemy ranged units to fire across.

Put the drawbridge between the trade depot and the hall-o-traps so you can lock things out of the fort. Build a lever ({{K|b}}-{{K|T}}-{{K|l}}) near your meeting area and [[Lever#Linking|link]] it to the drawbridge by using {{K|q}} on the lever. (This linking will require 3 [[mechanisms]] in total.)

==Metal Industry==
[[File:Quickstart-level-2-forge.png|thumb|right|Level -2: Forge and smelters with ore stockpile in the middle.]]
Now, below your first workshop level, dig out four more 5x5 rooms around the stairwell. Three of these will be [[smelter]]s ({{k-|b|e|s}}), and one a [[metalsmith's forge]] ({{k-|b|w|f}}). Designate stockpiles for {{K|b}}ars around the smelters and forge. The bar stockpiles will hold [[Fuel|coke and charcoal]] and metal [[bar]]s. You will probably need larger bar stockpiles, but you can dig out more space and expand them later. Also dig out some space and create a stockpile for [[ore]] somewhere nearby. To make an ore stockpile, designate a {{K|s}}tone stockpile, then use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings on it to forbid all types of stone other than ore. Finally, go to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to disable Bars. Stone should already be disabled on this stockpile, and if so, then ore is already disabled for it.

===Wood Burning===
Somewhere near your carpenter's shop, near your wood stockpile, dig out an area and build a [[wood furnace]] ({{k-|b|e|w}}). This is where you will create charcoal (see below) and ash (for making soap). Dwarf Fortress has two forms of carbon which are useful as [[fuel]] in the metal industry: ''charcoal'' (which is charred wood), and ''coke'' (refined coal). They are completely interchangeable. If your map has a lot of '''lignite''' or '''bituminous coal''', you can process that into coke, using charcoal to jump-start the process. If you don't find coal on your map, you'll need to either dig down to [[magma]] or make charcoal out of wood to run your forges and smelters, but don't worry about this yet. You need to do some digging around.

===Mining===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|"I have struck what?"|New players who don't have a degree in geology usually find themselves confused as to what all these mineral names mean. In DF you'll never strike "iron ore" but you will strike [[magnetite]] or [[limonite]] which are [[ore]]s of [[iron]]. If you don't know that these things are ores of iron then it obviously won't occur to you to try to smelt iron. Note that ores usually look like {{Raw Tile|£|6:7:1}} before they are mined and {{Raw Tile|*|6:1}} after, though the colors will differ. See '''''[[The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock]]''''' to help you figure out exactly what you've found.}}
At this point you want to start looking for metal ore. You may have already found some while digging out rooms, in which case you can just mine into the walls of the rooms to get more ore. If you haven't found ore yet or you want to see what else you can find, you will need to dig [[Exploratory mining|exploratory tunnels]] looking for ores, minerals, and [[gem]]s. For now just start digging tunnels out from your stairwell or rooms in all directions and see what you run into. Note that digging into '''damp stone''' or '''warm stone''' is not recommended as those areas may be holding back water or lava which can flood your fort.

===Fuel===
Whether you find [[coal]] or not, you will need to burn wood into at least one unit of [[charcoal]]. If you find some coal ([[lignite]] or [[bituminous coal]]), start your [[smelter]]s out processing it into [[coke]] using your charcoal to get things started. From then out you can burn coke to make more coal into more coke and so on. Put these coke-making jobs on repeat. Only use one smelter to begin with, but you should be getting a group of [[Immigration|immigrants]] fairly soon, if you haven't already, and you can put them to work in the other smelters. Don't give up on finding coal right away. Dig around for a while and if you're starting to get impatient then burn some more wood into charcoal, smelt some ore, and make some [[weapon]]s. If you rely on charcoal for fuel then you'll be needing a ''lot'' of wood, so in that case dig out another room near the furnace and create a wood stockpile. You might also want to just remove a smelter, replace it with a [[wood furnace]], and create the new wood stockpile down in the smelting area. Finally, go designate more trees for chopping.

===Forging===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Alternative Energy|If you don't find coal then you will have to continue to burn wood into charcoal, or dig down to the bottom of the map and find the magma sea so you can power [[magma smelter]]s and [[magma forge]]s. Getting to magma can be difficult for various reasons that you will discover, so make sure you are ready for some trouble before you go that direction. Burning charcoal should work out okay in the short term.}}
Once you have smelted some ore to get metal bars, and have additional bars of either coal or charcoal, you can start forging metal items. Here are some suggestions on what to make first:
#'''[[Pick]]s''' - You may have only started out with one pick which limits the number of miners you have to one. By this point you are probably wishing you had more miners. Make a few picks and give some dwarves the mining labor once you get some immigrants. It doesn't matter what metal you use to make picks, at least when it comes to mining, so even copper is perfectly good.
#'''[[Weapon]]s''' - Picks actually make pretty good weapons, but there can be some issues equipping them because they're tied to the mining labor. You may want to make a few axes. They make good weapons, at least against most lightly armored opponents you're likely to encounter first, and can be used to chop trees. Start with 5 or so.
#'''[[Armor]]''' - You're going to want some armor. Start with mail shirts, helms, leggings, then gauntlets and boots. Start with 3 or so of each in the order listed, then make more later when your military grows. Also make some shields out of wood, unless you're swimming in metal (since the shield's material doesn't matter for defensive purposes). Once you have the essentials covered, you can include breastplates (but they take 3 bars of metal to make, and they don't cover as much of the torso and arms as a mail shirt).
An important thing to note is that mail shirts protect the upper leg as well as the torso and arms, and high boots protect the lower leg. As dwarves have no knees (at least in military terms), high boots and mail shirts are sufficient to protect your dwarves' legs.
[[Steel]] is the best normal metal to make armor and most weapons out of, but you will likely find that you want some arms before you can make steel. [[Iron]] is good, as is [[bronze]]. [[Copper]] is not ideal, but it still works and is better than no metal weapons/armor at all.

==Gemcutting and Trinkets==
You should have uncovered some [[gem]]s by now, so put your [[jeweler]] to work [[Gem cutter|cutting]] them. These will be used for [[Trading|trade]]. Only buy things that you need in the first year. [[Finished goods|Stone crafts]] produced by a craftsdwarf can make good trading goods as well. To get enough goods, you will need to dedicate a craftsdwarf's workshop and craftsdwarf to this task full-time, but you're very unlikely to ever run out of stone.

==Sticking to the Plan==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Getting Distracted|Say one of your new immigrants turns out to be a legendary weaver. Should you plant some pig tails and create a loom for him? '''No!''' Put his legendary butt to work smelting metal or something that's part of your current industry even though he has no skill at it. Do not split your efforts yet. You can make use of his unique talents later when you can afford to diversify your industry.}}
Metalsmithing will be your primary economic activity, with cutting gems (and possibly making stone crafts) being used to give you some short-term [[wealth]] until the [[metal industry]] gets going. This means you will need miners, haulers, smiths and furnace operators. Unless a dwarf is doing something else vital to the proper functioning of your fort, such as training in the militia, making traps, cooking food, and so forth, they should be doing one of those four things.

==Wealth and Invasion==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Crafting Invitations for Trouble|Creating too much wealth initially is a sure fire method of pulling down a goblin ambush that you are ill-equipped to deal with. Titans will also start attacking you should your wealth go over a certain amount. For this reason, spend no time smelting gold, smoothing, or engraving anything yet. Most of the wealth you create in the beginning should be the [[weapon|sharp pointy kind]].}}
You may have struck [[gold]] or some other valuable metal, and you may be tempted to put your furnaces and smiths to work creating valuable metal crafts. Don't do it! Until you have your militia formed and fully equipped with armor and weaponry, your smelters and forge should be doing nothing else but smelting cheaper materials like coal, iron, making pig iron and steel if possible, and making weapons and armor. Making [[steel]] will actually increase your wealth quite a bit, but at least you can stab and beat things to death with steel; you can't make weapons from gold.

=Military=

Your '''military''' is an important part of fortress defense. Unless you have totally cut yourself off from the outside world, then you will want at least some sort of military. Once you reach this point, you should hopefully have enough dwarves to start a small military training program. You will need at least 5 dwarves who aren't otherwise doing anything important. If you don't have any spare dwarves yet, or just don't want to mess with it yet, just skip to the next section and come back to this later. Don't wait too long to set up your military though; you especially will want soldiers before you reach a population of 80 dwarves. (You will find out why.) When you're ready to start up your military, see the [[Military quickstart]] guide.

= What Next? =

Congratulations! If you've made it this far then you have a self-sustaining fort going and can now start to branch out into whatever you are interested in exploring. Expect some goblin invasions, forgotten beasts, titans, dragons, giants, and other creatures to interrupt your activities at various points. This is part of the [[fun]].

Here are some things that people almost always do eventually, though not necessarily in any particular order (these are somewhat essential):
*Build [[coffin]]s and a graveyard or [[tomb]]s for dead dwarves and pets
*Set up a [[Healthcare|hospital]]
*Build a [[well]]
*Start producing [[textile industry|clothing]] to replace [[wear|worn-out attire]]
*Build a [[jail]] for unruly dwarves
*Set up [[Scheduling#Alert_Levels|civilian alerts]] to get civilians to a safe area during ambushes and sieges

Here are some things that players often do as their population grows:
*[[Smoothing|Smooth]] and [[engraving|engrave]] walls and floors
*Produce [[Meat industry|Meat]], [[Egg production|eggs]], milk and [[Beekeeping industry|honey]]
*Continue to expand the [[military]]
*Explore new [[Industry|industries]]
*Dig down to the [[caverns]] and create a defended lower entrance with traps to defend the fort against the [[creatures|denizens]] below
*Enable [[Animal training]] for a dwarf and train some war animals
*Build a [[Mass pitting]] system to dispose of caged enemies
*Build above-ground [[construction]]s such as an archery tower or garden
*Create a [[statue|statue garden]] or [[zoo]]
*Farm in an [[Farming#Above-ground_farming|above-ground farm plot]]
*Dig down to [[magma]] and set up [[magma forge]]s and [[magma smelter]]s to avoid the need for fuel
*Build [[machine component]]s to pump magma and water
*Create more [[Trap design|elaborate traps]] such as magma and drowning chambers
*Try some [[stupid dwarf trick]]s

You may also want to just read over the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] and the many other very useful documents on the wiki to give you other ideas of what to do.

Keep in mind that how you play is not set in stone. Some people never defend, some start a [[Megaprojects|megaproject]] right after settling, some never dig and just build an above ground castle or town using logs. Some never smelt ore, some start smelting as soon as they arrive. Some make their home in the dangerous natural caverns. Some deal with invaders by flooding the map or isolating themselves completely. And that's not even considering the [[List of mods|mods]] and some of the crazier [[challenges]] that people have come up with. There's really no one "right" way to play DF.

= Feedback =
If you have any feedback on this guide, you can leave a message on the [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}|talk page]] for this article, or in [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=83452.0 this thread] on the forums.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Quickstart guide}}

[[de:DF2012:Schnellstart]]
[[ru:Быстрый старт]]
[[zh:Quickstart guide]]

Stone

2022-12-28T20:46:06Z

Tme5: fix entire page being indented (and catbox version)

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}{{av}}
{{catbox|Stone}}

:''This article is about DF geology and the distribution of stones, and does not contain the specific locations of [[ore]]s or [[gem]]s. For that, as well as a general introduction to the new player, see [[The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock]]''
:{{For/see|a list of stone sorted by tile|[[Tilesets#Stones|Tilesets § Stones]]}}

'''A quick note on terminology''':<br>
The term "'''stone'''" can refer to two different but related concepts, depending if you're talking about "stone" or "a stone". When referring to stone as general material, it encompasses all non-organic material that is not specifically [[soil]], [[metal]] or [[gem]]s, as in ''"The stone layer was mostly granite"'' or ''"The stone was dug out to make room for workshops"''. When referring to a stone, the round item left over from [[mining]], it refers to the specific object of raw material that is carried to a workshop of some type, or can be used as-is for [[construction]], and that round item can be either stone (in the first sense) or a [[gem]] or an [[ore]] of some [[metal]], as in ''"The stones left over were mostly granite with some gold"'' or ''"The stones dug out had to be removed to make room for the workshops"''. It's usually obvious from the context, but either 1) the non-ore/non-gem stuff in general, or 2) a single unit of stone/ore/gem that can be carried away - just to be clear.

[[File:stone_prev.png|200px|right]]An unmined '''rock''' or '''stone''' tile is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals. [[Mining]] a rock tile leaves behind a '''loose stone''' (or just "a stone") roughly 25% of the time. Other types of minable tiles include [[soil]], [[sand]], and [[clay]]; these tiles do not produce loose stones when mined.

Loose stones are divided into a few key categories:
* [[Ore]]: stones that produce [[metal|metal bars]] when [[Smelter|smelted]]
* Rough [[gem]]s: rough gems can be [[gem cutting|cut]], then used to [[encrust]] objects and create [[window]]s.
* Other stone: all other stones. Few of these have a use outside of items and structures ([[obsidian]] being a notable exception).

[[Economic stone]]s are types of stone that can be reserved for a special purpose. For [[ore]]s, this is smelting, and for [[flux|fluxes]], this is steel production. [[Bituminous coal]] and [[lignite]] can be reserved for making [[coke]].

Having created loose stone, most of the time you'll want to get rid of it, or at least move it someplace else. See [[stone management]] for advice.

If you are having the opposite problem, and find yourself running out of stone, try making [[block|stone blocks]].

== Main layer types ==
{{main|Stone layers}}

There are four types of stone [[stone layers|layer]]s (plus [[soil]], which is not stone). The type of layer is the primary indicator of what kind of [[ore]]s you are likely to find on the map, as well as a sign of [[volcano|volcanic]] activity.

The types are [[sedimentary layer]]s, [[igneous intrusive layer]]s, [[igneous extrusive layer]]s, and [[metamorphic layer]]s.

The primary types of rock only occur in their own layers. (e.g. you won't find [[limestone]] in a [[marble]] layer.)

== Stones forming entire layers ==
These types of stone occur as entire layers, containing some [[vein|veins and pockets]] of other minerals (see below).<br /><br />
{| border = 1 cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" -valign="top"
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" | [[Sedimentary layer|Sedimentary]]
! style="background:#efefef;" | [[Igneous intrusive layer|Igneous intrusive]]
! style="background:#efefef;" | [[Igneous extrusive layer|Igneous extrusive]]
! style="background:#efefef;" | [[Metamorphic layer|Metamorphic]]
|-valign="top"
|style="padding: 0"|
* {{Raw Tile|░|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}} [[Chalk]]
* {{Raw Tile|=|6:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:0}} [[Chert]] {{Raw Tile|≈|4:1}}
* {{Raw Tile|,|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}} [[Claystone]]
* {{Raw Tile|∞|6:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:0}} [[Conglomerate]]
* {{Raw Tile|<nowiki>`</nowiki>|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}} [[Dolomite]] {{Raw Tile|≈|4:1}}
* {{Raw Tile|▓|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}} [[Limestone]]
* {{Raw Tile|≈|6:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:0}} [[Mudstone]]
* {{Raw Tile|#|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}} [[Rock salt]]
* {{Raw Tile|#|6:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:0}} [[Sandstone]] {{Raw Tile|≈|4:1}}
* {{Raw Tile|.|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}} [[Shale]]
* {{Raw Tile|%|6:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:0}} [[Siltstone]]

|style="padding: 0"|
* {{Raw Tile|░|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}} [[Diorite]]
* {{Raw Tile|▒|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}} [[Gabbro]] {{Raw Tile|≈|4:1}}
* {{Raw Tile|▓|7:0:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:0}} [[Granite]]

|style="padding: 0"|
* {{Raw Tile|∞|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}} [[Andesite]]
* {{Raw Tile|#|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}} [[Basalt]] {{Raw Tile|≈|4:1}}
* {{Raw Tile|.|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:0}} [[Dacite]]
* {{Raw Tile|▒|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}} [[Obsidian]] {{Raw Tile|≈|4:1}}
* {{Raw Tile|,|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}} [[Rhyolite]]

|style="padding: 0"|
* {{Raw Tile|=|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:0}} [[Gneiss]]
* {{Raw Tile|▓|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}} [[Marble]]
* {{Raw Tile|-|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:0}} [[Phyllite]]
* {{Raw Tile|-|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}} [[Quartzite]] {{Raw Tile|≈|4:1}}
* {{Raw Tile|<nowiki>`</nowiki>|6:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:0}} [[Schist]]
* {{Raw Tile|%|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}} [[Slate]]

|}
:{{Raw Tile|≈|4:1}} - [[Magma-safe]]

== Other Stone ==
Stones found on this table will occur as [[vein|pockets and veins]] inside their respective stone layers (see above). When your miners newly encounter one of them you will receive an announcement, even for the ones that have no use other than to build constructions of unusual colors. Note that the veins or clusters can spread into other layers, and may cause some layers to contain stones they usually wouldn't. A few of these stones, such as [[olivine]], have other, more interesting minerals appear inside them.

Non-layer stone formations occur in one of three shapes: large clusters, veins, and small clusters. ''(See [[Vein|Veins & Clusters]] for full info.)''

''The following table does not contain [[ore]]s and [[gem]]s.''

{| class="wikitable sortable" cellspacing="0" border="1" cellpadding="5"
|-
! Icons
! Name
! Found in
! [[Fire-safe]]
! [[Magma-safe]]

|-
|{{Raw Tile|^|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}}||[[Alabaster]]||[[Gypsum]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|<nowiki>`</nowiki>|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}}||[[Alunite]]||All [[Igneous extrusive]]'''(L)''', [[Kaolinite]]'''(L)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|v|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:0}}||[[Anhydrite]]||[[Gypsum]]'''(S)''', [[Satinspar]]'''(1)''', [[Alabaster]]'''(1)''', [[Selenite]]'''(1)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|+|4:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|4:0}}||[[Bauxite]]||All [[Sedimentary]]'''(L)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|☼|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|☼|0:1}}||[[Bituminous coal]]||All [[Sedimentary layer|Sedimentary]]'''(V)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|<nowiki>`</nowiki>|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}}||[[Borax]]||[[Gypsum]]'''(S)''', [[Rock salt]]'''(L)'''|| Yes ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|%|6:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:1}}||[[Brimstone]]||All [[Igneous extrusive]]'''(S)''', [[Gypsum]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|"|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}}||[[Calcite]]||[[Limestone]]'''(S)''', [[Marble]]'''(S)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|=|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}}||[[Chromite]]||[[Olivine]]'''(V)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|£|4:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|*|4:1}}||[[Cinnabar]]||All [[Igneous extrusive]]'''(V)''', [[Shale]]'''(V)''', [[Quartzite]]'''(V)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|£|1:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|*|1:1}}||[[Cobaltite]]||All [[Igneous]]'''(V)''', All [[Metamorphic]]'''(V)'''|| Yes ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|-|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}}||[[Cryolite]]||[[Granite]]'''(S)'''|| Yes ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|o|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}}||[[Graphite]]||[[Gneiss]]'''(S)''', [[Quartzite]]'''(S)''', [[Marble]]'''(S)''', [[Schist]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|#|6:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:1}}||[[Gypsum]]||All [[Sedimentary]]'''(L)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|"|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}}||[[Hornblende]]||All [[Igneous]]'''(S)''', All [[Metamorphic]]'''(S)'''|| Yes ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|.|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}}||[[Ilmenite]]||[[Gabbro]]'''(S)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|░|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}}||[[Jet]]||All [[Sedimentary]]'''(L)'''|| Yes ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|=|4:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|4:0}}||[[Kaolinite]]||All [[Sedimentary]]'''(L)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|%|1:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|1:0}}||[[Kimberlite]]||[[Gabbro]]'''(V)'''|| Yes ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|*|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}}||[[Lignite]]||All [[Sedimentary]]'''(V)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|%|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}}||[[Marcasite]]||[[Kaolinite]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|v|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}}||[[Mica]]||All [[Metamorphic]]'''(L)''', [[Granite]]'''(L)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|%|3:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|3:1}}||[[Microcline]]||All Stone'''(L)'''|| Yes ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|%|2:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|2:0}}||[[Olivine]]||[[Gabbro]]'''(L)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|-|6:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:1}}||[[Orpiment]]||All [[Igneous extrusive]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|%|6:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:1}}||[[Orthoclase]]||All [[Igneous intrusive]]'''(L)''', All [[Metamorphic]]'''(L)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|,|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}}||[[Periclase]]||[[Marble]]'''(S)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|%|4:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|4:1}}||[[Petrified wood]]||All [[Sedimentary]]'''(S)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|*|5:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|5:0}}||[[Pitchblende]]||[[Granite]]'''(S)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|Θ|6:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:0}}||[[Puddingstone]]||[[Conglomerate]]'''(L)'''|| Yes ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|%|0:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|0:1}}||[[Pyrolusite]]||All [[Igneous]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|%|4:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|4:1}}||[[Realgar]]||All [[Igneous extrusive]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|<nowiki>`</nowiki>|5:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|5:0}}||[[Rutile]]||All [[Metamorphic]]'''(S)''', [[Granite]]'''(S)'''|| Yes || Yes
|-
|{{Raw Tile|x|6:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:1}}||[[Saltpeter]]||All [[Sedimentary]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|-|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}}||[[Satinspar]]||[[Gypsum]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|;|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}}||[[Selenite]]||[[Gypsum]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|≈|2:7:0}} {{Raw Tile|•|2:0}}||[[Serpentine]]||[[Olivine]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|%|7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:0}}||[[Stibnite]]||All [[Igneous extrusive]]'''(S)'''|| ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|=|6:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|6:1}}||[[Sylvite]]||[[Rock salt]]'''(L)'''|| Yes ||
|-
|{{Raw Tile|||7:7:1}} {{Raw Tile|•|7:1}}||[[Talc]]||[[Dolomite]]'''(L)'''|| Yes || Yes
|}
:'''(L)''' - occurs in large clusters
:'''(V)''' - occurs in veins
:'''(S)''' - occurs in small clusters
:'''(1)''' - occurs in individual tiles

== By Color ==
For those concerned with aesthetics and wanting to know which stones are available in each color.

{| border = 1 cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
|-
!width="90"| Color
!width="45%"| Non-economic stones
!width="25%"| Economic stones
! Ore
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|7:1}} White
|[[Alunite]], [[Borax]], [[Cryolite]], [[Marcasite]], [[Periclase]], [[Quartzite]] (L), [[Rock salt]] (L), [[Talc]]
|[[Alabaster]], [[Calcite]], [[Chalk]] (L), [[Dolomite]] (L), [[Limestone]] (L), [[Marble]] (L), [[Satinspar]], [[Selenite]]
|[[Galena]], [[Horn silver]], [[Native aluminum]], [[Native platinum]], [[Native silver]]
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|7:0}} Light Gray
|[[Anhydrite]], [[Dacite]] (L), [[Gneiss]] (L), [[Granite]] (L), [[Phyllite]] (L), [[Stibnite]]
|
|[[Bismuthinite]]
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|0:1}} Dark Gray
|[[Andesite]] (L), [[Basalt]] (L), [[Chromite]], [[Claystone]] (L), [[Diorite]] (L), [[Gabbro]] (L), [[Graphite]], [[Hornblende]], [[Ilmenite]], [[Jet]], [[Mica]], [[Pyrolusite]], [[Rhyolite]] (L), [[Shale]] (L), [[Slate]]
|[[Bituminous coal]], [[Lignite]], [[Obsidian]] (L)
|[[Magnetite]], [[Sphalerite]], [[Tetrahedrite]]
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|6:0}} Brown
|[[Chert]] (L), [[Conglomerate]] (L), [[Mudstone]] (L), [[Puddingstone]], [[Sandstone]] (L), [[Schist]] (L), [[Siltstone]] (L)
|
|[[Cassiterite]], [[Native copper]]
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|6:1}} Yellow
|[[Brimstone]], [[Orpiment]], [[Orthoclase]], [[Saltpeter]], [[Sylvite]]
|[[Gypsum]]
|[[Limonite]], [[Native gold]]
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|4:0}} Dark Red
|[[Bauxite]]
|[[Kaolinite]]
|[[Hematite]]
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|4:1}} Red
|[[Cinnabar]], [[Petrified wood]], [[Realgar]]
|
|
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|2:0}} Green
|[[Olivine]], [[Serpentine]]
|
|[[Malachite]]
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|2:1}} Bright Green
|
|
|[[Garnierite]]
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|3:0}} Teal
|colspan="3"| None
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|3:1}} Cyan
|[[Microcline]]
|
|[[Raw adamantine]]
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|1:1}} Blue
|[[Cobaltite]]
|
|
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|1:0}} Dark Blue
|[[Kimberlite]]
|
|
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|5:0}} Purple
|[[Pitchblende]], [[Rutile]]
|
|
|-valign="top"
|{{Raw Tile|•|5:1}} Magenta
|colspan="3"| None
|}

== DF Geology and Geology in Real Life ==

The geology and stones of ''Dwarf Fortress'' are based (to some extent) on real-world geology and mineralogy. To understand the terms used here, you may want to crack open a geology textbook (a high school one should suffice). If you don't happen to have one close by, the Wikipedia articles for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology geology], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineralogy mineralogy], or the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_layers terms in question] might help. Below is a very brief introduction tailored for DF gamers, with links to the relevant game-specific pages.

In geological terminology, a rock or stone is basically a composite of minerals. Minerals, the building blocks of rock, are hard inorganic materials with a definite chemical formula and a certain atomic structure. For example, the mineral quartz is composed of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) arranged in a pyramid structure. Quartz is a component mineral of rocks (stones) such as [[quartzite]] (almost entirely made of quartz) or [[granite]] (some 20~60% quartz, a bunch more of the mineral "feldspar", plus [[mica]] and some others). The distinction between minerals like [[mica]] (simple) and rocks like [[granite]] (composite) does not matter for ''Dwarf Fortress''; just like in everyday language, they're all just "stones". Besides minerals, some rocks may include organic material; such rocks include [[bituminous coal]] (made of dead bog things) or [[limestone]] (made of the skeletons of ocean animals).

<gallery>
Museo de La Plata - Cuarcita.jpg|Quartzite stone, made mostly of quartz mineral.
Dark Mica from Eastern Ontario.jpg|Mica, a mineral.
GRANIT KANTSTEIN.jpg|Granite stone. The whitest grains are [[rock crystal|quartz crystals]], while the dark ones are [[mica]].
Coal bituminous.jpg|Bituminous coal.
Xenocrinus baeri fossil crinoids in fossiliferous limestone (Whitewater Formation, Upper Ordovician; northeastern Warren County, southwestern Ohio, USA) 2 (15115228788).jpg|Limestone, this one still with skeletons.
</gallery>

The three minerals seen in [[granite]] are also among the most common:

* '''Feldspar''', meaning something like "field-stone", is actually a general name for an entire family of minerals, all of them based on aluminum and silicon. Their appearance varies, but they tends toward light greyish colors, and make up a lot of your typical light stone. Feldspar doesn't exist independently in the DF world; but, among the in-game stones, [[microcline]] and [[orthoclase]] are flavors of feldspar, and countless other DF stones would include feldspar in real life. A stone with a lot of feldspars and silicon is said to be '''felsic'''; granite and [[rhyolite]] are in-game examples.
* '''Quartz''', meaning "hard", easily makes big showy crystals; it's transparent if [[Rock crystal|pure]], but if the SiO₂ is combined with trace amounts of other elements (often metals like iron and manganese), it can get colored [[Rose quartz|pink]], purple ([[amethyst]]), yellow ([[citrine]]), and so on. If bubbly with air, quartz may become [[Milk quartz|milky]]; if irradiated, it may get [[Smoky quartz|smoky]].
* '''Micas''', like quartz, have silicon atoms crystalline structures. The difference is that they're organized in sheet-like, gleaming surfaces, held together by weaker bonds of other elements; this makes micas soft and flaky (the word means "grainy"). The color varies. The in-game stone [[mica]] is stated to be muscovite, which is a light variety (but the game color is dark gray, like coal; this may be a mistake). Other micas can be dark.

Other minerals that exist independently in DF include green [[olivine]] (yes, it's named after olives) and black [[hornblende]], which is similar to dark mica but forms needlelike crystals. Dark minerals like these often include magnesium and iron (Fe); stones rich in them are then termed '''mafic''' (in contrast with "felsic"). In-game mafic stones include [[basalt]] and [[gabbro]].

On the white side, [[calcite]] is a mineral based on calcium, the same stuff as bones. It forms crystals, and occurs in DF as an unremarkable white stone. Calcite is a main component of [[limestone]] and [[chalk]]—which in turn can become [[marble]]; it's often formed from the accumulated remains of ancient marine animals (for a memorable use of chalk stone layers in high fantasy, check out Terry Pratchett's novel ''The Wee Free Men'' and its sequels). The most well-known marine mineral is surely table salt, present in DF as [[rock salt]]. It's formed when saltwater evaporates; another evaporative mineral, or "evaporite", is [[gypsum]], which, in DF as in real life, can be used to make [[Gypsum plaster|plaster casts]]

<gallery>
Perthitic feldspar Dan Patch SD.jpg|Feldspars, the most common minerals, are often light-colored and "stony".
File:Muscovite-121758.jpg|[[Mica]] is a flaky, crumbly and sheet-like mineral. This is the lighter flavor "muscovite", present in DF.
File:Columnar basalt at Sheepeater Cliff in Yellowstone-closeup-750px.jpg|[[Basalt]] is a mafic rock; that is, it includes magnesium (ma-) and iron (-fic), giving it a dark color. It's made from cooled [[Magma|lava]], and makes the larger part of the ocean floor in real life.
File:Mineral Olivino GDFL046.jpg|The dark green mafic mineral [[olivine]] is a component of many basalts.
File:Cristales cueva de Naica.JPG|A large cluster of [[gypsum]] crystals (human for scale).
</gallery>

Rocks can be classified by their creation processes, which makes them settle down in distinct [[stone layers]], and possibly in [[vein|veins and clusters]]. DF models this too, so that it's quite relevant information for players; see the links for details.

An [[ore]] is a rock with a metal content high enough for it to be a viable source of that metal. Most metals do not occur by themselves in nature, but readily bind with minerals to form stones; e.g. [[zinc]] binds with sulfur minerals to form the rock [[sphalerite]]. To extract the metal from it, [[Furnace operator|someone]] has to [[Smelter|smelt]] the stone. A few metals may be found in pure form, like [[native gold]] and [[native silver|silver]] (but in DF, they still require smelting to be shaped into useable [[bars]]).

<gallery widths="200">
Sphalerite-43245.jpg|Sphalerite, an ore of zinc.
Zinc fragment sublimed and 1cm3 cube.jpg|Zinc metal.
Zlato 2.jpg|Native gold in rock.
</gallery>

A [[gem]] is a mineral (or rock, or rock-like material) with intrinsic economic value for a culture, often because they're beautiful, durable, and/or rare. This depends not just on what the mineral is made of, but also on the internal layout of its atomic structure, which can dramatically alter its appearance and properties; see the article on gems for more.

<gallery widths="200">
Uncut Rose Quartz.jpg|[[Rose quartz]] is made of the same basic quartz as quartzite (above), but its atoms are ordered into neatly arranged pyramid shapes, resulting in a shiny, transparent, faceted material.
Rose quartz drops.jpg|After being [[Gem cutting|cut]] by an [[Gem cutter|expert craftsdwarf]], the hidden beauty of the rough gem is revealed.
</gallery>

{{DF2014 stones}}{{materials}}

{{Translation
| dwarven = lam
| elvish = queca
| goblin = ngomstu
| human = ado
}}

{{Category|Materials}}
[[ru:Stone]]

Work detail

2022-12-28T13:26:54Z

Tme5: Move page contents to Labor - don't think they need to be separate pages?

#REDIRECT [[Labor]]

Labor

2022-12-28T13:23:22Z

Tme5: refactor intro and add all information from work details page

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
{{quote|'''"To get a job done, a dwarf has to do it."''' - Boss Urist McOverstates-the-obvious}}[[File:labor_preview.jpg|thumb|220px|right|"Put both your backs into it!"]]'''Labor''' is how jobs get done in a fortress and which labors are enabled for a dwarf determines which jobs they can perform. The skill level and [[attribute]]s of an individual determine how effectively they perform a job, and a dwarf's overall skill levels determine which profession the game assigns to them.

==Introduction to labor==
*Your dwarves function as semi-autonomous entities, usually fulfilling their own basic needs, and sometimes performing jobs when able.
*Most jobs correspond to a '''labor''' which a dwarf must have enabled to perform.
*Labors are assigned to dwarves in groups called '''work details'''.
*'''Jobs''', the specific tasks to be completed, are created in various ways, including [[designation]]s, [[zone]]s, [[workshop]] tasks, and [[manager]] work orders, and once created, an idle dwarf with that labor enabled will be assigned the job.
*As dwarves perform jobs, their '''skill''' in those areas increase. (The terms labor and skill are '''not''' synonyms. Skill is a measure of proficiency for a given labor, while a labor is the ability to do the work.)
**Some skills don't correspond to jobs, like [[social skills]] and miscellaneous abilities like [[swimming]].

==Work details==
The work detail tab is accessed from the {{k|y}} labor menu. Work details are listed on the left side of the screen. By clicking on one of them you will then see a list of all the adult citizens in your fortress on the right. A check mark in the rightmost box shows if the work detail has been assigned to a citizen.

Each work detail has a setting controlling how it is assigned to citizens:

*When "Only select do this" is selected, the work detail can be assigned to as many citizens as you like by checking the rightmost box next to their name.
*With "Everybody does this" selected, all citizens in the fortress will have permission to do the work detail's labors. (Any check marks/permissions set up before selecting "Everybody does this" will go white, showing that they are paused and they will be restored if you go back to "Only select do this".)
*When "Nobody does this" is selected, all citizens in the fortress will be ''banned'' from doing the work detail's labors. This does ''not'' override permission given by other works details. Any check marks/permissions set up before selecting "Nobody does this" will go red, showing that they are paused and they will be restored if you go back to "Only select do this".

Additionally, each citizen has the option to be '''specialized''', this is shown by the hammer and lock icon just to the right of their name (It can also be viewed and interacted with from the {{k|u}} Citizens menu). When this setting is on, the citizen will ignore any "Everybody does this" work detail.

Labors not assigned to ''any'' work detail are treated as "Everybody does this".{{verify}}

===Default work details===
By default the work details, and the labors associated with them, are as follows{{cite forum|180804/8438104}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Miners†
||
* [[Mining]]
|-
| Woodcutters†
||
* [[Woodcutting]]
|-
| Hunters†
||
* [[Hunting]]
|-
| Planters
||
* [[Farming (fields)]]
|-
| Fisherdwarves
||
* [[Fishing]]
|-
| Plant gatherers
||
* [[Plant gathering]]
|-
| Stonecutters
||
* [[Stonecutting]]
|-
| Engravers
||
* [[Stone engraving]]
|-
| Haulers
||
* All [[Hauling]] labors
|-
| Orderlies
||
* [[Suturing]]
* [[Dressing wounds]]
* [[Feed patients/prisoners]]
* [[Recovering wounded]]
|}

† The Mining, Woodcutting, and Hunting labors are only accessible from these default work details.

===Custom work details===
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#dd0|float=right|Utilities|You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. If you are using a supported operating system, [[Utilities#Dwarf Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]] and/or [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]] can make this much easier.}}
Additional work details can be defined. Click "Add new work detail", select which [[labor]]s will be associated with it, and then click done. You can then rename the new work detail.

There is currently no way to choose the work detail's icon, so you are stuck with what the game chooses. The roman numerals are in the file <code>Dwarf Fortress\data\vanilla\vanilla_interface\graphics\images\interface_bits_labor.png</code> and can be changed, but will still be used in order.

== Tool requirements ==
For a few specific jobs, a matching '''tool''' is also required for a dwarf to obey the job assignment. Any active [[miner]] needs a [[pick]], any active wood cutter needs a [[battle axe]], and any active [[hunter]] needs a [[crossbow]] (with quiver and bolts). If a labor needs a tool, the labor is considered '''exclusive''' such that you can only assign <u>one</u> of the three labors listed to any single dwarf at any one time.

This means that a dwarf cannot be, for instance, a [[Miner]] and a [[Hunter]] simultaneously, since both labors require a tool. If a dwarf is assigned a tool-labor and another tool-labor was previously assigned to said dwarf, the (old) tool-labor is automatically and silently unassigned, and that tool is immediately dropped where they stand at the time.

Additionally, the assignment of these tools '''overrides''' any [[Squad|uniform]] assigned to a dwarf's [[squad]], so [[military]] dwarves should never be assigned any of the aforementioned labors.

To be used, a tool cannot be [[forbidden]], nor in possession of another dwarf (even one that does not currently have a job), and a [[path]] must be available from the dwarf to that type of tool. If a tool is not available, the dwarf will typically attempt to fulfil other [[need]]s. It is possible, by using locked doors etc. to limit the paths, to force a specific tool to be assigned to a dwarf, but otherwise the tool will be randomly assigned, sometimes involving a dwarf walking long distances and past perfectly useful tools to find the one they think they want.

== Facility requirements ==
Many jobs require a workshop or some other [[Furnace|facility]] in order to be completed. Jobs are designated by way of the workshop, and any dwarf with the corresponding labor associated with the workshop will go to the shop, provided they are not eating, sleeping, drinking, etc..., and begin to complete the task. Most workshop jobs also require some raw materials in order to complete the production.

== Labor categories ==
Labor is divided into the following categories which are typically related by function or material, and for which there are multiple labors associated with each category:
* '''[[Mining]]''':
::: [[Mining]]
* '''[[Wood industry|Woodworking]]''':
::: [[Carpentry]], [[Crossbow-making]], [[Wood cutting]]
* '''[[Stone industry|Stoneworking]]''':
::: [[Masonry]], [[Stone carving]], [[Stonecutting]], [[Stone Engraving]]
* '''[[Hunting]]'''/Related:
::: [[Animal care]]†, [[Animal training]], [[Hunting]], [[Small animal dissection]]‡, [[Trapping]]‡
* '''[[Healthcare]]''':
::: [[Diagnosis]], [[Dressing wounds]], Feed Patients/Prisoners, Recovering Wounded, [[Setting bones]], [[Surgery]], [[Suturing]]
* '''[[Farming]]'''/Related:
::: [[Beekeeping]], [[Brewing]], [[Butchery]], [[Cheese making]], [[Cooking]], [[Dyeing]], [[Grower|Farming (Fields)]], [[Gelder|Gelding]], [[Lye maker|Lye Making]], [[Milking]], [[Milling]], [[Herbalist|Plant Gathering]], [[Thresher|Plant Processing]], [[Potash maker|Potash Making]], [[Presser|Pressing]], [[Shearing]], [[Soaper|Soap making]], [[Spinning]], [[Tanning]], [[Wood burner|Wood Burning]]
* '''[[Fishing]]'''/Related:
::: [[Fishing]], [[Fish cleaning]], [[Fish dissection]]‡
* '''[[Metal industry|Metalsmithing]]''':
::: [[Armoring]], [[Blacksmithing]], [[Furnace operating]], [[Metalcrafting]], [[Weaponsmithing]]
* '''[[Jewelry]]''':
::: [[Gem cutting]], [[Gem setting]]
* '''[[Crafts]]''':
::: [[Bookbinder|Book Binding]], [[Bone carver|Bone Carving]], [[Clothier|Clothesmaking]], [[Glassmaker|Glassmaking]], [[Glazer|Glazing]], [[Leatherworker|Leatherworking]], [[Papermaker|Papermaking]], [[Potter|Pottery]], [[Stone crafter|Stonecrafting]], [[Strand extractor|Strand Extraction]], [[Wax worker|Wax Working]], [[Weaver|Weaving]], [[Wood crafter|Woodcrafting]]
* '''[[Engineer]]ing''':
::: [[Mechanic]]s, [[Pump operator|Pump operating]], [[Siege engineer|Siege Engineering]], [[Siege operator|Seige Operating]]
* '''[[Hauling]]''':
::: Stone/Wood/Item/Food/[[Refuse]]/Furniture/Animal/Trade Good/Water Hauling, Burial, Push/Haul Vehicles
* '''Other''' Jobs:
::: [[Cleaning]], [[Lever operation]], Road building, Wall/Floor construction

†As of 8-2014, Animal Care is not functioning{{verify}}

‡Trapping, Small Animal Dissection, and Fish Dissection have limited utility.

=== Jobs that are not associated with a labor ===
* Basic Needs: [[food|eat]]ing, [[thirst|drinking]], [[sleep]]ing, going [[on break]], [[party]]ing, [[clean self|cleaning themselves]], and [[rest]]ing.
* A few things are listed as "No Job" but can be considered labors in a different sense: running scared, not having a path to anyplace useful, and being [[insane]].

== Managing labor and demand ==
This can be done from the labor menu {{k|y}} under the [[work detail]]s tab.
* You can view a list of all current, queued, and suspended jobs, as well as which dwarves are doing them, on the {{k|t}}asks menu.
* A [[manager]] is incredibly useful for managing production jobs ([[workshop]] based). They can queue up a significant list of jobs without the need to select the various workshops, and place orders in bulk (or to be repeated). That said, there are some caveats, the most important being that queued jobs must be done in the correct order of materials required, or the orders will auto cancel. Also, you should not assign your manager to labors that are in high demand, as this will keep them from going to their [[office]] to place the orders.
* [[Migrants|Migrating]] dwarves will typically arrive with certain work details already assigned. You will likely want to change these to put them to work in a way that best suits your fortress.

== Advanced labor management and design ==
Managing your dwarves can be a tricky business. If the in-game labor menu is not to your liking, [[Utilities#Dwarf Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]] or [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]] are both useful tools that assist you in managing your labors.

As your fortress grows, so will your labor pool, and the way you assign that labor will change over time. Typically at embark, you will have at least one Miner, a Wood cutter, Farmer, Carpenter, Mason/Stonecrafter, Cook/Brewer, Mechanic/Architect, one of which will also be a Broker/Appraiser. There are multiple combinations but this is typical (see [[Embark]] and [[Starting build]]). Early on, you will probably want to focus on fortress design and development, such that you will place priority on [[mining]] and [[masonry]], supplemented by [[carpentry]].

In order to maximize the benefit of highly skilled labor, you will eventually want to specialize your labor, such that each dwarf has a very limited number of labors assigned. Keep in mind however, that some dwarves experience minor negative feelings at not being able to perform a craft or a martial art for too long.

Hauling: Nothing can bog down your production like the distraction of hauling jobs. Losing your fort to a siege is [[fun]], but losing because all your skilled laborers spend all their time hauling stuff is no fun. One solution is to use dedicated haulers. The migrants who appear having no skilled labor, and whose attributes pretty much suck all around, aka [[peasant]]s, are best used as dedicated haulers.

== Labor, skill, and product quality ==
The amount of [[experience]] a dwarf has with a certain labor will determine how well they go about performing this labor; the more experience, the greater the skill. Certain job types can be completed more quickly, based on the skill in the labor. There are exceptions, such as [[Health care|nursing]] and [[hauling]] which will never be completed more quickly, regardless of skill.

Certain labors will produce products that have a [[quality]] tag, typically those associated with the production of an item from a workshop. The table below lists in which labors the dwarf's experience will impact the quality of produced items and in which labors a higher experience will only be beneficial for the speed of production.

* Many labors, most notably [[hauling]], have no associated skill, do not generate experience, and do not improve with practice.

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
! Category !! Labors !! Quality-effects? !! Details
|-
| Mining ||
* [[Mining]]
| no
| speed only
|-
| rowspan=3 |Woodworker ||
* [[Carpentry]]
| yes
| item and furniture quality, speed only for buildings
|-
|
* [[Crossbow-making]]
| yes
| weapon quality
|-
|
* [[Wood cutting]]
| no
| speed only
|-
| rowspan=4 | Stoneworking
||
* [[Masonry]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Stone carving]]
| yes
| items and furniture quality
|-
|
* [[Stonecutting]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Stone engraving]]
| yes
| engraving quality
|-
| rowspan=5 | Hunting/Related ||
* [[Animal training]]
| yes
| training quality
|-
|
* [[Animal care]]
| no
| not implemented
|-
|
* [[Hunting]]
| no
| success rate tends to rise from increasing ambusher and marksdwarf skills
|-
|
* [[Trapping]]
| no
| success rate? trap quality?{{verify}}
|-
|
* [[Small animal dissection]]
| no
| speed only
|-
| [[Healthcare]] (Doctoral) ||
* [[Diagnosis]]
* [[Surgery]]
* [[Setting bones]]
* [[Suturing]]
* [[Dressing wounds]]
| yes
| success chance, accuracy (and speed) of treatment <br />
|-
| [[Healthcare]] (Nursing) ||
* [[Feed patients/prisoners]]
* [[Recovering wounded]]
| no
| unskilled
|-
| rowspan=20 | Farming/Related ||
* [[Butchery]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Tanning]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Farming (fields)]]
| yes
| crop yield (stack size)
|-
|
* [[Dyeing]]
| yes
| dye quality
|-
|
* [[Gelding]]
| no
| less likely to be injured
|-
|
* [[Soap making]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Wood burning]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Potash making]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Lye making]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Milling]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Brewing]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Plant gathering]]
| yes
| success and plant yield (stack size)
|-
|
* [[Plant processing]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Cheese making]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Milking]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Shearing]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Spinning]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Cooking]]
| yes
| meal and ingredient quality
|-
|
* [[Pressing]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Beekeeping]]
| no
| speed only{{verify}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | Fishing/Related ||
* [[Fishing]]
| yes
| fish stack size
|-
|
* [[Fish cleaning]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Fish dissection]]
| no
| speed only
|-
| rowspan=5 | Metalsmithing ||
* [[Furnace operating]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Weaponsmithing]]
| yes
| weapon quality
|-
|
* [[Armoring]]
| yes
| armor quality
|-
|
* [[Blacksmithing]]
| yes
| item and furniture quality, speed only for buildings
|-
|
* [[Metalcrafting]]
| yes
| craft, item, decoration, designed building quality
|-
| rowspan=2 | Jewelry ||
* [[Gem cutting]]
| yes
| gem craft quality
|-
|
* [[Gem setting]]
| yes
| decoration quality
|-
| rowspan=11 | Crafts ||
* [[Leatherworker|Leatherworking]]
| yes
| clothing, decoration, craft quality
|-
|
* [[Wood crafter|Woodcrafting]]
| yes
| craft quality
|-
|
* [[Stone crafter|Stonecrafting]]
| yes
| craft quality
|-
|
* [[Bone carving]]
| yes
| craft, decoration quality
|-
|
* [[Glassmaking]]
| yes
| craft, item, furniture quality
|-
|
* [[Weaver|Weaving]]
| yes
| cloth quality
|-
|
* [[Clothier|Clothesmaking]]
| yes
| clothing, decoration quality
|-
|
* [[Strand extractor|Strand extraction]]
| no
| speed only
|-
|
* [[Potter|Pottery]]
| yes
| craft, item, furniture quality
|-
|
* [[Glazer|Glazing]]
| yes
| glaze quality
|-
|
* [[Wax worker|Wax working]]
| yes
| craft quality
|-
| rowspan=4 | Engineering ||
* [[Siege engineer|Siege engineering]]
| yes
| part, ammunition quality
|-
|
* [[Siege operator|Siege operating]]
| yes
| accuracy
|-
|
* [[Mechanic|Mechanics]]
| yes
| mechanism, furniture quality
|-
|
* [[Pump operator|Pump operating]]
| no
| -
|-
| [[Hauling]] ||
* Stone hauling
* Wood hauling
* Item hauling
* Burial
* Food hauling
* Refuse hauling
* Furniture hauling
* [[Hauling#Animal hauling|Animal hauling]]
* Trade Good Hauling
* Water Hauling
* [[Hauling#Push /Haul Vehicle|Push/Haul Vehicle]]
| no
| unskilled
|-
| rowspan=4 | Other Jobs ||
* [[Cleaning]]
| no
| unskilled
|-
|
* [[Lever operation]]
| no
| unskilled
|-
|
* Road building
| no
| unskilled
|-
|
* Wall/floor construction
| no
| unskilled
|}<br />

==Strange moods==
{{main|Strange mood}}
A dwarf under a strange mood will perform a specific task to create an [[artifact]] that is outside of the player's control. Until they complete the task, both they and the workshop they claim will be unavailable for any labor. If the dwarf cannot complete the artifact, they will go [[insane]] and be permanently unable to perform any labor.

{{Translation
| dwarven = èrith
| elvish = equa
| goblin = akul
| human = ebe
}}

{{Category|Skills|*}}
{{Category|Interface}}
[[ru:Labor]]

Talk:Quickstart guide

2022-12-27T22:31:44Z

Tme5: copy over some still-relevant feedback from DF2014

Stockpile

2022-12-26T23:54:20Z

Tme5: /* Corpses */ tweak wording

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}

{{For/see|exploits related to stockpiling|[[Quantum stockpile]]}}

'''Stockpiles''' are where [[dwarf|dwarves]] store items of various types, usually in a safer, closer or more convenient place for the consumers. Dwarves with the corresponding "[[hauling]]" job will seek out items that are not already on a stockpile that accepts them and carry them to an appropriate stockpile, if available. It's important to place your stockpiles carefully to minimize the amount of time spent carrying items back-and-forth. Items in a stockpile may be stored in [[container]]s such as [[bag|bags]], [[barrel|barrels]] or [[bin|bins]] (see [[Using bins and barrels]]). Seed bags, flour bags, and dye bags can go inside barrels. Empty bags, however, cannot be stacked.
[[Image:StockpilesMenu2010.png|right]]
== Creating and Removing Stockpiles ==

To create a stockpile, click the Stockpile button in the bottom-center menu (in the Premium graphics, the icon depicts a checkered floor surrounded by a red fence). At this point, you can click on any existing stockpile to inspect it, but to create a new one, you must click the button that appears immediately above the original stockpile button. When you click to create a new stockpile, you can draw a rectangle with the mouse. Clicking "Accept" in the top left pop-up finalizes the stockpile, or you can continue drawing rectangles to make the stockpile bigger. Non-contiguous regions are possible, but could be confusing to manage later for little benefit. If the chosen area has parts that cannot be made into a stockpile, like a [[wall]], a [[workshop]], or an already existing stockpile, a stockpile will be created but they will not be part of it. After clicking "accept", a new menu pane opens up with a list of pre-set stockpile rules, of which you must select one or else select "Custom" to define your own rules.

When creating a stockpile, any movable items (e.g. loose [[stone]], unbuilt [[furniture]], etc.) currently occupying the designated tiles will automatically be considered part of the stockpile, even if the stockpile settings disallow those particular items. These items also mark the tile as "full", so no new items will be stored in that tile until all the original items in the tile are moved. To handle unwanted items, you can specify that the stockpile "gives" to a workshop or stockpile that will accept those items, or use a [[dump]] command to have them carried off to a garbage [[zone]].

To edit a stockpile, click the "Stockpile" button in the main menu, then click on the stockpile. The suite of buttons (mouse over to see their tooltips to determine what each button does) can be used to edit the name, edit its boundaries, set which stockpiles or workshops give to or receive from this stockpile, delete the stockpile, or set the amount of wheelbarrows and containers that can be used.

When you click to repaint the stockpile, note that a secondary toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen, which you can use to switch to eraser mode.

== Using stockpiles ==

Once a stockpile has been allocated, by default dwarves will automatically move items to the stockpile when they are available, as long as the stockpile has available space. Note that the dwarves will place the item into the empty spot that is nearest to the item, ''not counting any obstructions''{{verify}}. Dwarves will stockpile the ''newest'' item first, which may not necessarily be the nearest item to the stockpile. Tiles within a stockpile which contain only forbidden items are considered available space, and can accumulate another item without exploiting [[Quantum_stockpile#Quantum_stockpiles|quantum stockpiling]].

One method to ensure a workshop has raw material on hand is to place a small stockpile of its input materials next to the workshop. This will speed up production as the crafter only has to take a few steps to obtain the materia, preventing them from dragging material across the entire map. Whenever a crafter picks up material from the stockpile, your hauling dwarves will automatically fetch more material to refill the stockpile. This speeds up a queue of jobs, as other dwarves perform the time-consuming distant haul whilst the crafter concentrates on actually making items.

It's not necessary to place stockpiles for all types of objects. If no storage is available for a certain item type, dwarves will seek out items wherever they might lie as mentioned earlier. This can be advantageous—if you don't have a stockpile for [[gem]]s, your [[jeweler]] will go pick up fresh gems without waiting for them to be carried to a pile first. However, this also means your jeweler has to spend a lot of time fetching the gems. If you have enough haulers available, it's generally more advantageous to designate stockpiles than not. Also remember that your workshops will get [[clutter]]ed and suffer production slowdowns if you let ridiculous numbers of items pile up in them, so it's important to occasionally clear out workshops if they get cluttered. This can be done either by having a stockpile available so that haulers will remove the items, by [[DF2012:Exploit#Quantum_stockpiles|quantum stockpiling]] the accumulation, or by removing and rebuilding the workshop, which will empty its contents onto the ground.

== Take from a stockpile/workshop ==
{{migrated section}}
Another feature of stockpiles allows you to tell dwarves to transfer items from one stockpile to another. To specify such a flow, use the {{k|q}} menu, and highlight the ''destination'' stockpile. Press {{k|t}}, and, using the cursor, highlight another stockpile and press {{k|Enter}}. Your chosen stockpile will now list the stockpile it will take from. This will cause items in the second stockpile to be hauled to the first stockpile. To stop the first stockpile from taking items from the second, use the {{K|q}} menu on the first one, highlight the unneeded stockpile in the list using {{K|+}} and {{K|-}} and press {{K|d}}'''elete Selected'''.

Each stockpile can take from any number of other stockpiles. You can't make two stockpiles feed into each other, although larger loops (e.g. three stockpiles that feed into each other in a circle) are allowed.

Stockpiles may also take from a workshop, using the same interface ({{k|q}}-{{k|t}}, then select a workshop instead of a second stockpile). In this setup, any items produced inside the workshop (visible with {{k|t}}) become eligible to move to the stockpile. Be aware that any items produced in the workshop that ''aren't'' accepted by the linked stockpile will not be moved anywhere at all. They will sit inside the workshop until a linked stockpile accepts them.

Enough micromanagement will allow for effective and (relatively) streamlined supply chains. Here are some examples:

*Speeding up [[wood cutting|lumber harvesting]], [[carpentry]], ''and'' [[ash]] and [[charcoal]] production by putting several wood stockpiles near the various [[Chop_down_trees|tree-felling areas]], then one large "primary" stockpile near the [[carpenter's workshop]] that takes from those small ones, and then finally, a small stockpile near the [[wood furnace]] that takes from the primary one.
*A smallish [[plant]] stockpile near your farms, disallowing barrels, will allow harvesters to spend very little time stockpiling the crops they just picked. A larger stockpile near the [[still]] (this one possibly allowing barrels), taking from the smaller stockpile, lets your general-purpose haulers do most of the grunt work of getting plants in place for the brewer. The larger stockpile should be set to "take from links only", so the harvesters do not waste their time.
*A [[clothier's shop]] produces high-quality new [[clothing]]. There is currently no way to stockpile ''only'' new clothing, as opposed to [[wear|worn]] clothing, except for the fact that the new clothing is sitting in its workshop. A stockpile can be set to take from the clothier's shop (and to "take from links only"), so that it only gets new clothing produced in that workshop. If another stockpile with "take from anywhere" and no links is created, that one will accept all the worn clothing - it will never take from the linked clothier's shop. This worn-clothing stockpile may be placed near the [[trade depot]], if you plan to sell the used clothing, or near the [[magma|garbage disposal]], if you do not.

== Give to a stockpile/workshop ==
{{migrated section}}
Conversely, the {{k|g}} key allows a pile to give [[item]]s to another pile, or to a workshop. When giving to a stockpile, an equal and opposite "take from stockpile" is created in the other direction (and vice versa). Deleting one of these inter-stockpile links also deletes the other link.

Specifying that a workshop or furnace will only get its materials from a certain stockpile provides a way to make sure everything that the workshop produces is of a specific material. For example, setting a granite stockpile to give to a mason's workshop ensures that the workshop will only use granite as its material. This is also extremely important when the workshop's input materials are heavy (e.g. [[stone]]s); linking a nearby stone stockpile to the workshop prevents the mason from hauling an enormous rock from hundreds of tiles away.

This option is quite powerful, but should be used '''very''' carefully as the linked workshop will now ''only'' take from the stockpiles set to give to that workshop. Make sure that the workshop gets ''all'' of the materials needed for its jobs there if you use this feature. For example, if you link your ore stockpile to a non-magma [[smelter]], but don't also link a stockpile that includes a [[fuel]] source, then the dwarves will be unable to smelt ores at that smelter due to a lack of fuel. If you set a fuel stockpile to give that smelter, it will still be unable to [[melt]] down items marked for melting, because it only takes from the ore and fuel stockpiles. Another common mistake is setting a plant stockpile to give to a [[still]], but forgetting to also link a [[furniture]] stockpile to the still so that it has access to [[barrel]]s.

==Max bin/barrel ==
{{migrated section}}
The ''max bin'' and ''max barrel'' settings control the number of barrels and bins that are used for the organisation of items inside the stockpile. It can be useful to disallow bins and barrels from some stockpiles, for example stockpiles used to store seeds or for [[Exploit#Quantum stockpiles|quantum stockpiles]], by reducing this setting to 0.

Increasing these numbers is not usually needed - they are set to the number of tiles in the stockpile when it is created, which is the maximum number of bins or barrels the stockpile can hold anyway. Which of bins or barrels is turned on is determined by the item type selected when the stockpile is designated - food stockpiles allow barrels, for example, and bar stockpiles allow bins. However, these settings are not updated if the types of items allowed in the stockpile are changed. If you change the types of items allowed in the stockpile, it may also be useful to change the number of bins and barrels that are allowed in it to allow your dwarves to store those items more efficiently.

== Max wheelbarrow ==
{{migrated section}}
Another feature of the stockpile system, ''max wheelbarrow'' allows the player to control the number of [[wheelbarrow]]s assigned to the stockpile. It can be set to 0, 1, 2, or 3.

If set to 0 (which is the default for all stockpiles other than stone stockpiles), the stockpile will generate a separate hauling job for each item that needs to be placed in it -- potentially one job per tile in the stockpile, simultaneously.

If set to non-zero, then that number of wheelbarrows will be brought to the stockpile. Once a stockpile has wheelbarrows assigned and moved to it, the number of wheelbarrows will act as a limit on the number of simultaneous hauling jobs for moving items to that stockpile. Each hauling job will be performed using a wheelbarrow, rather than by hand. You can see this as fine-tuning the speed of collection of the desired items.

Unfortunately, wheelbarrows are currently rather buggy, and may actually reduce the efficiency of your stockpiles; see [[Wheelbarrow]] for more information.

[[Minecart]]s can also be used for efficient hauling, although they require a much greater infrastructure investment.

== Will take from anywhere ==
{{migrated section}}
A stockpile that will take from anywhere does not restrict the source of its goods. Stockpiles with "take from links only" enabled will only accept goods from their assigned [[workshop]]s and linked stockpiles. You can use {{k|q}} {{k|a}} to toggle this setting on a stockpile.

Setting your [[seed]] stockpiles to "take from links only" will prevent your haulers from carrying your vital seeds back and forth across the map to pick up each new seed in the [[dining room]]. When your stockpiled seeds run low you can temporarily toggle to "anywhere" to collect the loose seeds in bulk.

== Stockpile categories ==
{{migrated section}}
===[[Ammo]]===
This stockpile contains ammo for all forms of ammunition-requiring weaponry (except [[siege engine]]s). It can use [[bin]]s to consolidate stacks.

===[[Animal]]===
[[Creature|Animals]] stored in [[cage|cages]] that are not affixed to a location will be stored in these stockpiles. [[Animal trap|Traps]] used for capturing wild animals and empty [[cage|cages]] are also stored here.

This type of stockpile cannot use bins or barrels.

===[[Armor]]===
Armor of all types is stored here. There is no preference for specific body parts, but usable/unusable armor may be specified. All types of armor can be stored in [[bin]]s.

Note that if refuse is enabled on the stockpile, armor and clothing will [[wear]] at an accelerated rate.

===[[Bar]]/[[Block]]===
Bars of smelted [[metal]] and blocks of cut stone and [[glass]] are kept here after being processed by the [[smelter]], [[mason's workshop|mason's workshops]], and [[glass furnace|glass furnaces]], before being used for other purposes. Weirdly, [[ash|ashes]], [[potash]], [[soap]], [[charcoal]], and [[coke]] from the [[wood furnace]], [[ashery]], [[soap maker's workshop]] and [[smelter]] will also be stored here. As with all stockpiles, this can be changed to allow for specific blocks and bars to be stored with custom settings. [[Bin]]s can be used to consolidate up to 10 bars/blocks.

===[[Cloth]]===
Woven cloth and [[thread]] are stored here (plant fiber, animal hair, and silk). [[Bin]]s can be used to consolidate items.

===[[Currency|Coins]]===
Minted coins are kept here, several thousand of them fitting into a single bin.

===[[Corpse|Corpses]]===
Dead sentient beings (dwarves, goblins, trolls, etc.) and [[pet|pets]] that have no burial location will be placed here. Other corpses are considered part of the ''refuse'' category.

If placed indoors, decaying bodies will generate [[miasma]], but [[bone]]s will not be removed at the end of the season. Rotting [[pet]]s or [[friend]]s give dwarves unhappy [[thought]]s unless they are given a proper burial in a [[Coffin|burial receptacle]].

===[[Finished goods|Finished Goods]]===
Finished goods created by the [[craftsdwarf's workshop]], as well as the [[clothier's shop]] and the [[leather works]], are placed here before being used in trade or other uses. This type of stockpile can use [[bin|bins]] to consolidate items, over a hundred objects can fit into a bin.

Since this stockpile can also contain supplies that the player might not want to trade away ([[splint]]s, [[crutch]]es, [[rope]]s, [[waterskin]]s...), it is wise to make separate custom stockpiles for these goods.

Note that if refuse is enabled on the stockpile, clothes and armor will [[wear]] at an accelerated rate.

=== [[Food]] ===
As one would assume based on the name, food is stored here, in addition to a wide variety of inedible plant and animal products -- [[seed]]s, [[lye]], [[giant desert scorpion]] venom, bags of [[dye]], and [[liquid fire]], to name a few. Raw [[Creature#Aquatic|fish]] is brought here, before being processed by a [[fishery]] and turned into edible [[meat]]. Drinks are always stored in [[barrel]]s or [[large pot]]s. Seeds are stored in [[bag]]s (which may in turn be stored in barrels/pots); other food items can be stored in barrels or pots.

Barrels and pots can hold, at most, 60 [[prepared meal]]s. Stacks larger than that (☼Dwarven Beer Roast [200]☼ is possible) will not fit in a barrel, but will still only take up one tile of stockpile space. To free up barrels, you may decide to have separate prepared food stockpiles that do not accept barrels - if you cook larger meals, this shouldn't be a problem.

Food will never [[wear|spoil]] while in a stockpile, although it may attract and be eaten by [[vermin]]. Food stockpiles should, in most cases, be restricted to desired types (e.g. [[seed]] stockpiles or meat stockpiles or unprepared fish stockpiles); there are simply too many things that go in them.

Fat and tallow go in the same list and are listed by animal, meaning that manual separation of fat and tallow takes a ''long'' time. Because fat will only ever enter your fortress at a butcher's shop, it is possible to link a general fat/tallow stockpile to the butchers' and have it take only from links. It may be necessary to link the butchers' to the stockpile you want the other butchery products to end up in. If you are playing with [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]], you can use the search function to show only fat or tallow- the permit and forbid keys to toggle only those visible in the list.

===[[Furniture]] Storage===
Completed items from the [[carpenter's workshop]], [[mason's workshop]], and [[mechanic's workshop]] will be stored here, along with furniture created from other shops, until placed or used in another building. Bags filled with [[sand]] can also be stored in furniture stockpiles, and in fact will appear in any furniture stockpile unless expressly forbidden, regardless of materials permitted.

Since this is a very broad category, it may be useful to create stockpiles for a specific type of item (like barrels, bags, bins, mechanisms) via the stockpile settings.

Furniture cannot be stored in barrels or bins.

If you choose to apply advanced stockpiling of furniture e.g. "make a stockpile for only [[Furniture]]>[[Bed]]s." Merely selecting "beds" under the "Type" category will not suffice. In this case one also needs to ensure the required qualities are selected! Should you want to store all quality beds, just make sure you select "all" on the categories: [[#Core Quality|Core Quality]] as well as [[#Total Quality|Total Quality]].

===[[Gem]]===
This stockpile stores gems and raw [[glass]], both cut and uncut, along with [[gizzard stone]]s. It can use [[bin]]s to consolidate gems.

===[[Leather]]===
Leather, which is produced at a [[tanner's shop]], will be kept here. Like most stockpiles, it can use [[bin]]s to consolidate items.

===[[Refuse]]===
Since dwarves hate rot, because of the [[miasma]] it spreads when in an enclosed place like a [[cave]], any garbage item that can rot will be stored in a refuse stockpile. Also, any [[wear|XXdamaged itemsXX]] will be moved to the refuse stockpile. Many players prefer to place this stockpile outside their cavern, usually a small distance from the entrance, as rottable items on tiles that are {{DFtext|Outside |3:1}}{{DFtext|Light |6:1}}{{DFtext|Above Ground|2:1}} do not generate miasma.

If placed on a {{DFtext|Subterranean|0:1}} tile, decaying items will generate miasma, which will spread through your fortress and generate a small unhappy thought in any dwarf passing through it. For this reason, it is sensible to build [[door|doors]] (preferably several, separated by a few tiles to create an airlock) to all of your indoor refuse stockpiles. Miasma won't spread through a closed door, so only dwarves with business in the room will be bothered by the rot.

An alternative to this is to dig [[channel|channels]] down from the surface, creating an area of tiles considered to be {{DFtext|Light |6:1}}{{DFtext|Above Ground|2:1}}, yet still located within your fortress. You can place your refuse stockpile here, and although it will be in your fort, rotten items on those tiles will not generate miasma. If you choose to cover them with walls or floors for security and/or aesthetic reasons, it will convert them to {{DFtext|Inside|6:0}}, but they will remain {{DFtext|Light |6:1}}{{DFtext|Above Ground|2:1}} tiles, which again do not generate miasma in rotten items. (For even more creative methods to restrict the spread of foul rotting stench, see the [[miasma]] page.)

[[Bone]]s, [[skull]]s, and [[shell]]s are also stored here, whether from defeated enemies or raw food processing - if left in an area with high [[vermin]] levels, these will randomly disappear. Refuse stockpiles can be restricted to store only [[bone]]s, [[skull]]s, [[shell]]s, teeth, and horns/hooves.

Note that a refuse stockpile is not the same as a [[Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump]]. A garbage dump is only for things manually marked to be dumped. Additionally, refuse types specifically marked as '''Dwarves Dump '''''refuse type'' in {{k|o}}-{{k|r}} will be hauled to the garbage dump instead of the refuse stockpile.

Note that all armor and clothing stored in a refuse stockpile will suffer [[wear]] at an accelerated rate. This is a "feature" intended to dispose of unwanted armor.{{bug|5711}}

Be careful on evil biomes, since some can reanimate dead creatures and body parts. If your fort is located on a map where part is evil and part is not, it is best to put your refuse stockpile on the part that is not evil.

The corpses of sentient beings (goblins, trolls, etc.) are no longer stored in refuse stockpiles, [[Stockpile#Corpses|but in a corpse stockpile instead]]. If your dwarves are not cleaning up bodies, this is probably why.

===[[Sheets]]===
This stockpile stores sheets, including paper and parchment. Like most stockpiles, it can use bins to consolidate items.

===[[Stone]]===
Rough stone will be stored here, as well as [[ore]]. These stockpiles cannot use bins or barrels, but the use of [[wheelbarrow]]s is strongly advised.

[[Stone management]] is a complex topic; in the simplest terms, most stones are extremely heavy, so you want to minimize the distance they are [[hauling|hauled]] by hand (e.g. from the stone [[stockpile]] to the [[mason's workshop]] or [[smelter]]) by putting such stockpiles very close to the workshops that they feed.

===[[Weapon|Weapons]]===
Weapons of all types are stored here by default, including picks, trap components, and weapons too large for dwarves to use. [[Bin]]s can be used to consolidate weapons of any type.

===[[Wood]]===
Chopped trees are brought to the wood stockpile before being used by carpenter's workshop, a wood furnace or siege workshop. Because wood takes a long time to haul and tends to travel a long way, the stockpile should be rather close to a fortress entrance (which does not necessarily mean on the upper z-levels - moving down one z-level is only one tile), unless you have an [[Tower-cap|underground tree farm]]. It is a good idea to position this stockpile close to your carpenter's workshop (or the other way round) since he is likely to be the main "customer". Wood stockpiles will also accept "grown" wood logs that elves bring.

This type of stockpile cannot use bins or barrels.

===Additional Options===
The options are "Allow Plant/Animal" (organic goods) and "Allow Non-Plant/Animal (non-organic goods). Unlike all the other categories, the Additional Options settings apply to all other active categories. A stockpile that allows neither organic nor non-organic goods will never receive any items. Disabling "Additional Options" is a common cause of stockpile problems, and these options generally aren't useful anyway.

=== Custom stockpiles ===

With custom stockpiles, you can change which types of materials, goods, etc., can be stored in that stockpile. Any type of things can be mixed, so you could have a stockpile that will hold raw [[turtle]], [[mechanism|mechanisms]] and all stone types apart from [[onyx]] if you wanted, or only high-quality steel crossbow bolts (Ammo), all quivers (a Finished Good), and metal crossbows (a Weapon) - the combinations are endless, and can be finely tuned. Highlighting a stockpile with {{key|q}}, then pressing {{key|s}} will allow you to adjust the stockpile settings or in the {{key|p}} menu you can press {{key|t}} to adjust a custom stockpiles settings before placing it with {{key|c}}. Note that many sub-menus consist of several pages ( the 'other' menu of stone e.g. consists of several pages while 'metal [[ore|ores]]' and 'economic' consist of only one ).

Note that any custom stockpile that accepts any type of [[refuse]] will cause automatic [[wear|degradation]] to all [[clothing]] and [[armor]] stored in that stockpile. It is highly advisable to store your [[shell]]s and [[bone]]s in a separate stockpile.

== Stockpile Settings ==
{{migrated section}}
The '''Stockpile Settings''' screen is weird to use. In the first column are the major categories. In the second column there may or may not be subcategories. In the third you will see the individual items. The second and third columns are only visible when a category is enabled and selected.

You navigate this screen with {{key|+}} and {{key|-}}, and left and right on the arrow keys. {{key|e}} and {{key|d}} are used to enable and disable the categories. {{key|a}} and {{key|b}} are used to allow or disallow all the subcategories. {{key|p}} and {{key|f}} will permit or forbid individual subcategories. These six keys work no matter which column you have selected, though the last four will not always be available.<br>{{key|Enter}} will toggle individual item types.

Be careful when selecting 'block all' on the subcategories as it can make your stockpiles useless. For example, if you block all the furniture subcategories and then re-enable beds under types, the stockpile won't actually accept anything because it still registers all materials and all quality levels as forbidden. The correct way would be to 'forbid types' and then re-enable beds.

=== Core Quality ===

Core quality means the quality of the ''craftsdwarfship of the item''. A masterfully crafted armor (made from qualityless metal bars) has masterful core quality. A finely-crafted dress (made from an exceptional pig tail fiber cloth) has fine core quality (because the craftsdwarfship ''of the item'' is fine).

=== Total Quality ===

Total quality means the highest between the craftsdwarfship of the item and the craftsdwarfship of its components (or decorations). The finely-crafted dress from our previous example has a fine core quality, but its total quality is exceptional because its component — a pig tail fiber cloth — is of exceptional quality. Likewise, a superior quality steel gauntlet, masterfully studded with copper is of masterful total quality (and superior core quality).

A more complex example: A rope reed fiber sock is superiorly decorated with pond turtle shell. Is masterfully crafted from a rope reed fiber cloth which was finely dyed with redroot dye. Core quality: masterful, Total quality: masterful. (Remember, for total quality, the best of either the item's quality, the quality of its components, or the quality of its decorations is chosen.)

See also [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=96501.msg2765710 Crafting Skills, Quality and Statistics research].

=== Notes ===
Some categories will have a special extra type of item(s) that can be toggled with {{key|u}} and sometimes {{key|j}}.

{| border="1" cellpadding="4"
|+
! Categories
! Item type
|-
| Animals
| Empty cages and Empty animal traps
|-
| Food
| Prepared food
|-
| Weapons
| Usable and unusable
|-
| Armor
| Usable and unusable
|}

If you disable an item or items that are already sitting in a stockpile then they become loose items and your dwarves will move them to a more suitable stockpile should one exist. All existing stockpiles (and zones) are listed under {{key|R}}ooms.

== Custom Stockpile Uses ==
{{migrated section}}
A custom stockpile is most useful for food, furniture, and bar/block stockpiles, to prevent your lye and venom sitting next to the [[kitchen|kitchens]], your [[floodgate|floodgates]] and mechanisms near the [[room|rooms]] that need [[statue|statues]] and doors, your stone blocks next to the forges, and your metal bars by the farms.

When setting up a custom stockpile to hold more than one type of raw material, it is often best to set up multiple custom stockpiles, one for each type. Otherwise your stockpile will invariably fill up with lesser-used items, rendering your custom stockpile nearly useless.

One use for this is to have an outdoor stockpile next to your gate that will accept all refuse except bones, shells, skins and skulls, and then one or more indoor pile(s) near your craftsdwarf's workshop that will '''only''' accept these things. If you have set the option for dwarves to gather refuse from outside, the bones will be brought in once all the meat has rotted off of any carcasses outside. This means added risk to your dwarves if they try to gather refuse that is far from your gate, and additional hauling.

Another effective use of custom stockpiles is Elven trading. Make a stockpile just for elf-safe trade goods: most categories where it is relevant have a 'materials' option. Note, however, that items with [[wood]]en [[decoration]]s will '''not''' be excluded. Similarly, [[noble]]s who frequently [[mandate]] restricted trading can have their preferred goods stored separately, far away from the [[trade depot]].

A highly efficient method is to have wood burning furnaces feeding into a '[[charcoal]] only' bar/blocks stockpile, which in turn is near the smelting furnaces and forges. Bonus points if you also place a small wood stockpile near the wood furnaces.

Other good uses:
* Planter's stock: [[seed|seeds]] and [[potash]]. If your [[ashery]] is nearby, include ashes and lye.
* Smelter stock: [[ore|ores]], [[flux]] and, unless you're using [[Magma smelter]], [[coal]].
* Sandpile: [[sand]] bags.
* Dyer's stock: a food stockpile that only includes [[dye|dyes]].
* Food Plus: a food stockpile that includes barrels. This spares your dwarves from carrying empty barrels to and from the furniture stores.
* Skins: a refuse stockpile limited to [[skin|skins]], a bit like the bone & shell stockpile above. Place near the tannery.
* Brewer's stock: [[List of crops|brewable plants]].
* Miller's stock: [[List of crops|millable plants]]. (An empty [[bag]] stockpile will also speed up milling.)
* Refreshment stand: Since dwarves drink twice as often as they eat, having several small food stockpiles that only accept [[Alcohol|drinks]] scattered strategically through your fort can minimize [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoko smoko breaks]. The usefulness of this kind of stockpile is often disputed as dwarves go to the fullest barrel first, so if you can't keep your stockpile constantly filled with new full barrels of alcohol your masons might decide to run all the way over to the alcohol stockpile you have set up for your brewers or your metalsmiths. If you can keep each stockpile constantly filled with fresh supplies of full barrels of alcohol then this can increase productivity greatly. A simple way of doing this is by keeping a brewery near each separate alcohol stockpile, or [[burrow]]ing dwarves so that local stockpile is the only one they can [[path]] to.
* Artifact materials: The massive value and effectiveness of [[artifact|artifacts]] mean the materials used in them can have drastic effects, sometimes even into the ''[[Value|millions]]''. Having special stockpiles for high-value metals, stones, gems, and other such materials will make it that much easier to ensure that you will get the most out of each [[strange mood]]. (However, even with materials-specific stockpiles, it can take a fair amount of micromanagement to get a moody dwarf to use a specific material.)
* Artifact storage: Artifacts add a great deal to the created wealth of the fortress. Keep valuable artifacts safe in a special "treasure" stockpile.
* Ingredients: Store things that are cookable but not edible, like milk and quarry bush leaves, near [[kitchen]]s. Also, more [[rot|volatile]] foods (such as [[meat]]) can be stored closer to your kitchen to encourage your cooks to use them quickly.
* Mason's Stone: Linking a single- or limited-type stone stockpile to a mason's workshop allows you to specify exactly which [[stone]] your masons will use, providing consistent output (and increased [[value]] if using [[economic stone]]). Additionally, if your mason has a [[preference]] for a particular stone, you can increase output [[quality]] by having him work with that stone.
* Finished goods stockpiles near a Trade Depot that includes crafts that you want to sell, but excludes ordinary clothing, backpacks, waterskins, splints and crutches that you want your dwarves to use.

==Bugs==
* Stockpile options don't work for cloth {{Bug|4380|workaround=http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=122782.0}}.
* Gem stockpiles' material option for clay is hidden in the UI {{Bug|9749}}.
* Marksdwarves may refuse to use ammo stored in bins.{{Bug|2706}}
* [[Hauling]] blocks access to items stored in [[container]]s; consider creating container-less "feeder" stockpiles linked to your storage stockpiles.
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=92241.msg3276117#msg3276117 Research] has suggested that stockpiles are a significant cause of [[Maximizing framerate|lag]]; see [[Exploit#Quantum_stockpiles|Quantum Stockpiles]] for designs that minimize stockpile tiles.
* Disabling "Additional Options" in the stockpile menu is a common source of stockpile problems.

==Troubleshooting==
Getting dwarves to haul items to a stockpile is a frequent source of frustration. Here are some things to check:

* Do you have idle dwarves?
** Do the idle dwarves have the appropriate hauling labors enabled?
** Are the idle dwarves constantly taking and cancelling other jobs?
* Do you have a stockpile that wants this item?
** Is there an empty spot in the stockpile?
*** Note that hidden items and wheelbarrows tie up stockpile tiles.
** Can the idle dwarves path to the stockpile and the item?
** Is the stockpile set to accept from anywhere, not just links?
** Check both the item's type and its material, in stockpiles that can filter materials.
** Check that the armor/weapon stockpile setting is "usable" and/or "unusable" as appropriate.
** Check that "Additional Options" are set correctly to allow the desired items.
* Is the item unforbidden?
* Is the item accessible (no civilian alert, burrows, etc.)?
* Is the item not owned by any dwarf?
* Is the item not tasked for a job?
* Is the item not assigned for use in any buildings/constructions?
* Check your standing orders (o), and make sure this kind of item can be gathered.
** For refuse, make sure dwarves are allowed to gather refuse that is "outside" (o r).
* Does the stockpile have wheelbarrows assigned? If so, are they all in use?
* If the item normally goes in a container, do you have suitable unused containers?
* Is the item claimed by a location (hospital, tavern, library, temple)?

{{Category|Stockpiles|*}}
{{Category|Items}}
[[ru:Stockpile]]

Quickstart guide

2022-12-26T23:32:10Z

Tme5: merge Situational Awareness section into Surveying the Area to make Getting your bearings

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
{{old}}
:''For installation instructions, see [[Installation]].''
:''This is a quickstart guide for [[dwarf fortress mode]] for those who have never played before and quickly want to jump in head-first.'' ''If you are looking to learn adventure mode instead, see the [[Adventure mode quick start]] guide.''
:''Also see [[Tutorials]] for more detailed tutorials that people have submitted.''
{{TipBox2|float=right|Before you get started...|Always remember that '''losing is [[fun]]!''' Be prepared to lose a few fortresses before you get all the way through this guide – it can be easy to accidentally kill the entire fortress while learning. But remember: losing means that next time, ''[[#Situational Awareness|you'll remember how you lost]].'' In a big way, ''Dwarf Fortress'' uses the principle of learning from one's mistakes.}}

So, you want to play '''Dwarf Fortress''', but you have no idea what to do. That's understandable; in ''Dwarf Fortress'' you can really do anything you like. It is a huge, complex, and totally open-ended game. But in order to do anything, first you need a sustainable fortress. It turns out that this is not as hard as you might think.

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|446px|right|[[Main:From Caravan to Happy Dwarves|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves]] - This is a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions players usually take when starting up a new fort. Feel free to ignore it if you want. It's not necessary to refer to this to understand the rest of the guide, but by the time you finish the guide it will probably all make sense.]]

__TOC__

= Common UI Concepts =
{{old}}

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Keeping Up|While the guide contains many links, you may still need to look something up. Refer to the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] or use the wiki [[Special:Search|search]] function. Also, don't hesitate to [[Main:Troubleshooting|ask for help]] if you can't find answers on the wiki.}}

This is just the Quickstart Guide, so we skip lots of details on the UI. If you're looking for more UI help as you get deeper into your first fortress, you may also want to read this section in the [[Dwarf_fortress_mode#Gameplay_user_interface|Fortress Mode Guide]].
{{KeyConventions}}

== Options menu ==
{{main|Dwarf_fortress_mode#Options_screen|l1=Options screen}}

Most basic game-related tasks (saving, keybindings, sound, etc.) are performed through the options menu, which can be reached with {{k|Esc}} from the main screen.

To save and quit back to the main menu, select {{DFtext|Save Game}}.
{{tc|#d00|Unless you know what you are doing, do not select either}} {{DFtext|Retire the Fortress (for the time being)}} or {{DFtext|Abandon the Fortress to Ruin}}! These will essentially cause you to lose your save.

=World Generation=

First, [[World generation|generate a new world]]. ''Dwarf Fortress'' worlds are always procedurally randomly generated - there is no "default" or "standard" world. Luckily, the basic version of this process is simple, and with these suggested settings won't take too long. Wait until the game shows that the world has been generated, since stopping history too soon can limit material availability for embark and trade.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting World|
For your first game, [[World generation|generate a new world]] using the {{DFtext|Create new world}} option in the main menu with the following options:

* {{DFtext|World size}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|History length}} is {{DFtext|100 years|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Civilizations}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Sites}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Beasts}} is {{DFtext|Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Natural Savagery}} is {{DFtext|Very Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Mineral Occurrence}} is {{DFtext|Everywhere|3:1}}
}}

= Embark =
{{main|Embark}}

Embarking is the process of choosing a site, outfitting your initial dwarves, and sending them on their way.

After generating a world, select {{DFtext|Play now}} then choose fortress mode. The game will load and update the world, then show the world map.

Mouse over the map to inspect it. Left-click to zoom in, where you can then click the {{DFtext|Embark}} button to choose an embark site.

== Choosing a Good Site ==

Choosing a good embark site is crucial for beginners. Highly skilled players can run a fortress on an evil glacier, but for now, stick to friendly environments. Look for features in an embark site that will make your first fort easier to manage.

{{ambox
|type=type
|text=The world tooltip will only show features from the moused-over tile, but since the embark area covers multiple tiles it can contain '''multiple biomes'''. It is '''very important''' to inspect all tiles in your site. Each may have significantly different features such as an aquifer or evil biome '''not initially shown''' in the info due to not being under the cursor.
}}

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting Site|
[[File:Quickstart-good-location.png|thumb|300px|right|An example of a good starting site.]]
For your first game, find a site with the following properties:
*'''NO [[Aquifer]]''' (or at least not a heavy or varied aquifer. This is '''''very''''' important!)
*'''Trees:''' Woodland or Heavily Forested (or, at the very least, sparsely forested)
*'''Surroundings:''' Serene, calm, or at least '''not''' any evil or savage biome.
*A '''River'''
The following are also good to have, but focus on getting a decent site, not a perfect one.
*'''[[Climate|Temperature]]:''' Warm
*'''Clay or Soil''' makes farming easier when starting out
*'''Flux stone layer''' For your steel industry
*Also avoid sites containing '''towers''', '''goblins''', or other groups at war with you.
See '''[[/Starting site/]]''' for more info on why these characteristics are important.}}

[[File:Quickstart-finder.png|thumb|right|Initial finder criteria]]
While finding a site is not as simple as world generation, the {{DFtext|Find embark location}} button at the bottom of the screen can help.
[[File:Quickstart-finder-partial.png|thumb|right|Finder partial match missing Good surroundings]]

Once the find tool has finished searching with matches found, press {{K|Esc}} to look at the results. Any region in which it found a match will be indicated by a green {{DFtext|X|2:1}} on the map.

Additionally, when placing the embark area you can resize it using the buttons on-screen. A 4x4 embark (the default) is usually reasonable, but you may want to change the size to avoid an undesirable biome or match your finder criteria.

If you are unable to find a site that you are willing to embark on, you could always create a new world. Otherwise, move onto the next step.

== Skills and Equipment ==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Optional: Preparing Carefully|If, at this point, you'd like to get into all of the details of picking individual skills and equipment for your expedition, select {{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}} and see '''[[Quickstart_guide/Preparing_carefully|Preparing carefully]]''' for instructions. '''This is completely optional'''.
And preparing carefully makes little difference in the long run, especially without experience as to what to change.}}

Now the '''Prepare for the Journey''' screen should appear. You will be given the choice to either:
*{{DFtext|Play Now!}}
*{{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}}.

Selecting {{DFtext|Play Now!}} will start you out with a default set of equipment that is reasonably safe, allowing you to skip having to set up your skills and equipment. If you'd like to get going now, just select that option.
{{clear}}

=A Minimal Fortress=
[[File:Quickstart-map-starting.png|thumb|right|Starting out. In this example, the dwarves will be digging out an entrance tunnel in the sandy cliff on the right. (You can use {{K|Tab}} to show or hide the overview map.)]]

At this point, you have embarked, and your dwarves have arrived at their destination. You will see your dwarves clustered around their wagonful of supplies, somewhere near the center of your map. '''Immediately hit {{K|Space}} to pause the game''' unless it is already paused.

==Getting your bearings==
'''Do not unpause the game just yet.''' Take a look around with {{k|w}}{{k|a}}{{k|s}}{{k|d}}. Look up and down a few [[z-level]]s with the scroll wheel. Place the cursor on various tiles to familiarize yourself with what the symbols mean. If you get lost, you can press {{K|F1}} (or {{k-|Fn|F1}} on some systems) to return to the wagon. (You can define more [[hotkeys]] later, to jump quickly to other sites of interest.) Notice the terrain features, the vegetation, and any minerals visible. If you chose a site with flowing water, where is it? What about pools of water? The more carefully you examine your site before breaking ground, the better off you will be.

In the bottom left, click the citizens information button to see a list of your dwarves. In the {{DFtext|Others}} tab, you can see any wild animals that may be nearby.

The {{DFtext|Stocks}} button at the top of the screen will show the items owned by your fortress.

On the left, there are buttons for various message logs.

Your wagon serves as the initial meeting area for your dwarves. Since you should have started in a non-freezing, calm (low savagery), non-evil biome, you shouldn't face any immediate danger, but if for some reason the area around your wagon proves to be unsafe, immediately designate another meeting zone (see [[#Temporary Meeting Area|Temporary Meeting Area]] below).

==Controlling Your Dwarves==
The first thing to keep in mind is that, for the most part, you can't directly control your dwarves the way you control characters in a typical fantasy RPG. Instead, you '''designate''' things that need to be done and then dwarves with the appropriate labor assignments will decide what to do.

Some tasks receive a higher priority. For example, if a dwarf needs to eat, then he will go eat, and only get around to digging a tunnel once he is done eating. It is also possible to designate things that no dwarf is able to do. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but no dwarf has mining as one of his allowed labors, or no dwarf has a [[pick]], then the mining will never get done, and the game will not always advise you of why.

So, what you are doing throughout the game is essentially giving your dwarves a detailed group-wide to-do list, but it's up to them to figure out which one of them will execute any given task if the task is even possible. Often many of the details of how a task is performed (such as exactly which rock will be used to make crafts) are left up to them (though you ''can'' specify the details of tasks, such as the material or design, in the {{k|d}}etails menus in workshops).

===''Stout Labor''===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Easier menus on a laptop|
If you're on a laptop (or using a restricted keyboard), you may notice that using {{k|+}} to scroll upward on some menus is inconvenient, since it requires the {{k|Shift}} key.

Fortunately, this is easy to change to {{k|1==}}:
# Press {{k|Esc}} to access the [[#Options menu|options menu]] and select {{DFtext|Key Bindings}}
# Select {{DFtext|General}}, scroll down to {{DFtext|Move secondary selector down}} (using the arrow keys), move right, and select {{DFtext|Add binding}}
# Press {{k|1==}} and select either option that appears.
# Press {{k|Esc}} and select {{DFtext|Save and exit}}

See [[Key bindings]] for more info.
}}
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#aa0|Utilities|2=
You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. There are a few utilities available for this purpose (for Windows, Mac OS X, and most Linux systems):
* '''[[Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]]''' can make labor management considerably easier, especially when you're dealing with twenty times the number of dwarves you have now. It can group and sort dwarves by multiple attributes and display their preferences, mood, and more.
* '''[[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]]''' includes "Dwarf Manipulator", a UI for managing labors. It has fewer features than Dwarf Therapist, but displays much of the same information and is adequate for normal use. In addition, it is accessible from within DF via {{k-|u|l}}, eliminating the need to constantly switch between applications.
}}

'''Labors''' are how you control what types of tasks a dwarf will do. For example, if the [[Fishing]] labor is enabled for a dwarf, that dwarf is allowed to engage in fishing. When dwarves are idle, it could be because you haven't given them anything to do, or it could be because none of the idle dwarves have been told that they're allowed to do the types of tasks you've designated. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but none of the dwarves have the mining labor enabled, they will all just sit around ignoring your mining designation, thinking that it isn't their job. Dwarves will automatically have some labors enabled if they start out with skill in those labors, and some labors (such as hauling and cleaning) are enabled for all dwarves by default. This is why you didn't need to enable any labors on dwarves to get them to haul and mine, but later you may need a labor that no dwarf is currently capable of. Look over your dwarves' assigned [[labor]]s: Press {{K|v}} (View Units) then place the cursor on a dwarf. Now, press {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} for "preferences: labors". You will see a list of labor categories that you can navigate using {{K|-}} and {{K|+}}. You can enter each category with {{k|Enter}} (except for mining, which is a single labor), toggle each labor off and on with {{K|Enter}}, and get back out with {{K|Esc}}. After exiting the View Units menu, you can use {{K|u}} (the units screen) to help you locate dwarves. Hit {{K|u}}, select a dwarf, hit {{K|z}} for "zoom to creature" and you'll automatically be placed in view mode on that dwarf. (Then use {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} to get to the labor configuration menu if necessary.)

Even if no dwarves have the corresponding skills, ensure the following labors are set as specified:

{| class="wikitable"
! Category
! Labor
! Dwarves Assigned
|-
| Woodworking || [[wood cutter|Wood Cutting]] || 1 or more
|-
| Stoneworking || [[engraver|Stone Detailing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Hunting/Related || [[ambusher|Hunting]] || 0 (disabled for all)
|-
| Farming/Related || [[wood burner|Wood Burning]] || 1 or more
|-
| Farming/Related || [[herbalist|Plant Gathering]] || 1 or more
|-
| Fishing/Related || [[fisherdwarf|Fishing]] || 0 (disabled for all)
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[furnace operator|Furnace Operating]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[armorsmith|Armoring]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[weaponsmith|Weaponsmithing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[blacksmith|Blacksmithing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[metal crafter|Metalcrafting]] || 1 or more
|-
| Jewelry || [[gem cutter|Gem Cutting]] || 1 or more
|}

It's important to disable fishing and hunting until you have your initial fort completed — dwarves with these labors enabled will constantly be outside attempting to perform them. When you're first starting out you don't want dwarves wandering around alone where they can get killed (in addition, they won't be doing anything useful, like hauling). Note that ''any'' unskilled dwarf can perform any labor given the necessary equipment and materials. Dwarves with no skill will simply be slow and produce a smaller quantity of lower-quality goods in a given time period, but they will gain skill points as they do so.

==Strike The Earth!==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=green|float=right|Getting your dwarves to safety|
As you now know, you can't control your dwarves directly. So how do you tell them to get inside your newly dug rooms?
*[[Activity_zone#Meeting_area|Meeting Area]] You can designate a Meeting Area zone inside the new rooms. Press {{k|i}}, then draw the rectangle to create a zone. Afterwards make it a Meeting Area. ''See also the [[zone]] page for more information.''
*[[Stockpiles]] (see [[Quickstart_guide#Stockpiles|below]]) Stockpiles tell your dwarves where to put things. Create a stockpile for everything, and dwarves will start to haul all your items there.}}
Decide where you will build your main entrance. Generally, you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible. The best strategy is to put the entrance near your wagon to speed up the process of hauling all of your supplies inside.

The {{K|d}}esignations menu allows you to select areas to dig. There are multiple methods of digging:
* '''[[Mining]]''' removes solid, floor-to-ceiling terrain (natural 'walls') on the z-level selected, leaving behind a rock or soil surface (also referred to as a natural floor). This does '''not''' do anything in areas without natural walls (for example, the surface or previously-mined areas).
* '''[[Channel]]ing''' removes ''natural'' (rock/soil) floors (either created naturally or by mining) and creates a ramp (▲) on the z-level below. Note that you will see a down arrow (▼) on the current z-level, indicating a ramp on the level below. (For best results, ensure that the area below is unrevealed, i.e. black).

To designate an area for digging:
#Hit {{K|d}} to bring up the [[Designations Menu]].
#Hit {{K|d}} to mine or {{k|h}} to channel (see above)
#Place the cursor on one corner of the rectangular area you want to designate and press {{K|Enter}}.
#Move the cursor to the other corner of the rectangle and press {{K|Enter}}. A rectangle will be highlighted and a miner will start to dig out this area once you exit the menu (with {{K|Esc}}) and unpause the game with {{K|Space}}.

This is basically how all of the designation commands work. Everything has to be designated one rectangle at a time, but rectangles can be many tiles wide. After you press {{K|d}} to designate, make sure it's set to "Standard" in the settings at the bottom, rather than "Marker only." You can set this with {{K|m}}. If it's set to "Marker only", the designation will not be carried out.

[[File:Digging Channeling tiles.PNG|200px|thumb|right|Demonstrating the difference between mining and channeling. Mining creates empty space on the same level where it is designated. Channeling creates empty space in the level below, clearing the floor. The levels are connected by up/down ramps. ]]

{{TipBox2|titlebg=red|float=left|Channeling|
Note that channeling can be [[fun|dangerous]]. Unless you know what you're doing, you should only ever make a pit one z-level deep. If you dig a pit multiple z-levels deep, only the lowest level will have an upward [[ramp]], which is not enough for dwarves to leave the pit. (Dwarves can [[climb]] out in some circumstances, but this is unreliable.)

<diagram>
Pit depth: 1 z-level 2 z-levels 2 z-levels
Ground[%26] [#2:1]__[#4:1][%31][#2:1]__ __ __ __ [#4:1][%31][#2:1]_
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#]
</diagram>

This diagram shows the cross-section (side view) of 1x1 pits channeled 1 z-level deep, 2 z-levels deep and the correct way to do a 2 z-level deep ramp. The appearance of "downward ramps" can be confusing as there is no such thing - the down arrow indicates a ramp on the level below. Dwarves in the first pit can walk up the ramp to ground level and escape, while dwarves in the second pit cannot use the ramp at all. The third pit lets dwarves walk back to the surface again since the two ramps are offset to produce a continued slope. In short, channels (particularly channels multiple z-levels deep) can be dangerous. Digging an entryway from the surface level is one of the few times you'll ever need to channel.

<small>Stairs can also be used for an entryway, but channels allow [[wagon]]s entry to your fortress.</small>
}}
If your wagon is near a [[cliff]] or hill (generally speaking, any difference in levels, usually shown by the existence of natural ramps), you can just designate a tunnel to mine ({{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) into the cliff to create an entryway. If the wagon is surrounded by flat terrain, [[channel]] out a 3x3 rectangle on the surface with {{K|d}}-{{K|h}} to create a sort of pit with ramps on the edges, then go down one z-level with {{K|>}} and tunnel into one wall of the pit (with {{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) to create your entry.

Dig a hallway one tile wide and ''at least'' 10 long, ideally more like 20 ({{k|Shift}} moves 10 tiles when digging, so this can be easily accomplished by pressing {{k|Shift}}+an arrow key twice). This will be your entryway.

Your entryway defines the boundary between your safe and protected inner fort, and the big, bad, outside world. You want this to be your only entrance, so that you only have to worry about defending this one opening. A somewhat-outdated video guide to starting a fortress can be found [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLYDcuk29bE&feature=plcp here]. (Note that this applies to v0.34.11, not v{{current/version/ns}}, so some parts may be inaccurate in the current version.)

{{clear}}
=== ''Additional miners'' ===
Mining will go faster if you have more than one dwarf doing it. By default, only one dwarf has the Mining labor enabled, but this can be changed fairly easily:
* Choose a dwarf that isn't doing anything especially useful (the fish cleaner is a good choice for a beginning fortress, but you can always change your mind if you end up with a useless peasant later on)
* Press {{k|v}}, navigate to the dwarf, and press {{k|p}}-{{k|l}}
* Enable the "Mining" option (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above)
* Exit with {{k|Esc}}
The next time you designate an area for mining, both of your miners should start working (assuming they're not busy doing something else).

'''Notes:'''
* Each miner requires a [[pick]]. A standard embark comes with 2 picks. If you want more than two miners, you'll need to forge more picks (forging is covered later in this guide). Two miners should be adequate for most fortresses, but more miners can add reliability (for when a miner decides to sleep) and speed. For now, you'll almost never need more than two miners, but you'll want more once your fortress expands.
* If you're digging a one-tile-wide hallway, only one miner can work from an end.
* Mining, Wood Cutting, & Hunting labors are mutually exclusive - a dwarf can only have up to one of these professions active at a time. For this reason, it's not recommended to make your only woodcutter a miner, since they won't be able to cut wood anymore.

==Delving Secure Lodgings==
Near the middle of the entry tunnel, build a 5x5 room, and link it to the entrance tunnel with a 3-tile-wide passageway. Expand the main entry tunnel to ''three'' tiles wide from the entrance of the new room to the outside entry. At the end of the entry tunnel, dig a small room, which will later become your main stairwell. Two tiles past that, dig a larger room, which will later become your general stockpile, and connect it to the stairwell with a narrow passageway.

[[File:Quickstart lodgings 1.png|thumb|right|An example layout, as described in this section. Note the 3-tile wide passage - this allows merchants to access your depot, which will go in the 5x5 room. Note that the turn also needs to be 3 tiles wide; otherwise, wagons won't be able to access the room.]]

=== ''Room dimensions'' ===
Apart from wagon access (3 tiles wide), the trade depot (5x5), and other workshops (3x3), there are no fixed dimensions you need to worry about. The lower limiting factor is the traffic your tunnels receive (dwarves may have to start climbing over each other), and the space your rooms need (stockpiles, tables/chairs, livestock). The practical maximum size is limited by how long it takes your miners to dig the rooms out, especially if they're digging in stone instead of soil (digging through soil is much faster). Most sites have at least one level soil layer below ground level, which is where you're digging right now, but as you dig deeper you'll hit stone (if you haven't already), and digging will become slower. In most fortresses, even the main hallways never need to be wider than 3 tiles, and needing more than 3 tiles of stairs per floor is very rare. A 3x3 per floor staircase (9 stairs!) is absolute overkill for anything but 20-year-old 300-resident capitals. For most tunnels in your fortress, 2 tiles wide will be sufficient, and many will be fine at just 1 tile wide. 11x11 is a convenient size for stockpile rooms, as the {{k|Shift}}+arrow keys move the cursor 11 tiles. However, something smaller is perfectly fine for rarer stockpiles, offices, and small dining rooms. Commoners’ bedrooms need not be larger than the amount of furniture you want inside.

=== ''Mining safety'' ===
While mining, take care to avoid digging into [[water]]. Dwarves are usually poor swimmers, and are unlikely to escape from an underground flood. However, it is safe to mine ''next to'' underground water, as long as you leave at least one "wall" tile between them (see the picture to the right). You can also mine one z-level under a body of water (for example, mining under a river), but you will have to designate each tile individually because DF automatically cancels digging of newly-revealed "damp" tiles (tiles are considered damp when they are adjacent to a water tile, regardless of whether the water tile is on the same z-level or not).

Also note that '''water can flow diagonally''':
<diagram>
[#00f]≈[#]▓.▓ [#00f]≈[#]▓.▓
▓▓.▓ ▓..▓

[#0f0]ok[#] [#f00]flood[#]
</diagram>

=== ''Stockpiles'' ===
[[File:Quickstart-custom-stockpile.png|right|thumb|Keep corpses, refuse, stone and wood out of general use stockpiles. You can come back and change the settings on this stockpile using {{K|q}}, selecting the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}}. Try to remember to come back here to disable/forbid types of things as you create more specific stockpiles for them.]]
'''Stockpiles''' are very important. These areas are where your dwarves will drop things for storage when they aren't needed elsewhere. To create a '''general purpose stockpile''' for your first storage area:
#Hit {{K|p}} to open the Stockpiles menu.
#Use {{K|t}} to change the [[Stockpile#Custom_stockpiles|custom stockpile]] settings to {{K|e}}nable everything but '''Corpses''', '''Refuse''', '''Stone''', '''Gems''', and '''Wood'''. Use directional keys, {{K|e}}nable, {{K|d}}isable to do this.
#{{k|Esc}} out of that screen back to the stockpiles menu.
#Hit {{K|c}} to select Custom Stockpile, if it isn't already selected.
#Designate the whole 11x11 storage room as a custom stockpile. This works just like designating an area to dig: place the cursor on one corner of the room, hit {{K|Enter}}, move to the opposite corner, and hit {{K|Enter}} again.
#Press {{K|Esc}} to get out of the Stockpiles menu.
Once you exit the stockpiles menu and unpause, you should see dwarves running off to haul everything from your wagon into the new stockpile area. Later, if you like, you can change what sort of things the stockpile accepts by hitting {{K|q}} (Set Building Tasks/Prefs), placing the cursor on the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}} to get to the stockpile settings.

It is particularly important to '''keep wood, stone, refuse, and corpses out of your general purpose stockpile''', so you may want to double check to make sure all of these things are disabled in the stockpile settings. Failure to keep these things out of this stockpile will rapidly fill it up, causing workshops to become cluttered when dwarves can't store things in the stockpile.
'''Note:''' When assigning stockpiles, you should make sure they're in a vacant area (i.e. the tiles should not have any items already stored on them). Dwarves will not haul items to occupied tiles, so make sure the area is vacant (and already mined out) before assigning a stockpile.

=== ''Stairways'' ===

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Up, Down, Up/Down: Types of Stairs|
In Dwarf Fortress, every [[z-level]] is composed of a [[floor]] and a [[wall]] (or "space between floors"). The confusingly named "down" and "up" [[stairs]] have nothing to do with the direction creatures can move to; instead, down stairs penetrate floors, while up stairs penetrate walls. Up/down stairs penetrate the wall and the floor below. ''(note the picture to the left)''

Consequently, you will normally use up/down stairs, and use down and up stairs only for the top and bottom-most level of your staircase respectively. If you're not sure whether you want to expand the staircase in the future, use up/down stairs at the end.
}}

Designate a downward [[Stairs|stairway]] in the room you dug out for the stairwell (''not'' the 5x5 room that you dug out earlier) with {{K-|d|j}}. Notice that after your miner digs the stairway, it doesn't automatically create another stairway on the z-level below. If you hit {{K|>}} to move the view down a z-level you'll see that there's no stairway below, but there is a revealed tile of rock/soil. Because of the down stairway that was dug, this tile is now accessible to miners. You can then designate an up/down stairway on it with {{K-|d|i}} and the miner dwarf will dig it out. Below that you can then dig out another up/down stairway and so on. For now just dig down one level; we will deepen the stairwell later.

[[Image:DF2014 Terraform.png|thumb|left|600px|''This is how the different stairs would look like from the side.'']]

{{clear}}

==Temporary Meeting Area==
[[File:Quickstart lodgings 2.png|thumb|right|An example meeting area. Note that this layer has a different type of soil than the layer above - this can happen often. Also note that the "north" side of this room is directly below the lake in the level above, but no water is present.]]

On the second z-level below ground (the one below the stockpile level, which you just reached with the staircase), dig a short, 3-tile wide passageway (this only needs to be 1-2 tiles long). Past that, dig out a room between 5x5 and 7x7, leaving room to enlarge it in at least one direction in the future. Using the {{k|i}} key, create an activity zone in the room you just created, filling the entire room (be careful not to make this too small lest your [[overcrowding|overcrowded]] animals start fighting). This works much like creating a stockpile except that you draw the rectangle before defining what the area is for. Draw the rectangle, filling the entire room, and set it to be a {{K|m}}eeting area. Your idle dwarves will hang around in this area, hopefully keeping them inside the fort and out of trouble.

NOTE: Again, make sure your [[DF2014:Activity_zone|activity zone]] is already mined out before attempting to designate the meeting area.

{{clear}}

==Refuse==
[[File:Dwarf fort tut miasma.jpg|thumb|right|Avoiding [[Miasma]]]]
Outside your fort entrance, use {{K|p}} followed by {{K|r}} to create a stock{{K|p}}ile for [[Stockpile#Refuse|{{K|r}}efuse]] ''at least'' 5x5 in size. This should be outside in the open or you will have problems with [[Miasma]]. If you do not disable [[vermin]] (Item Types -> remains), you will probably have to expand it later as it will fill up with vermin remains rather quickly. If you are seeing refuse appear in your general-purpose stockpile instead of the refuse pile, use {{K|q}} on the general stockpile and check its {{K|s}}ettings to make sure refuse has been disabled.
{{clear}}

==Food==

Food is necessary for your dwarves' survival - to keep functioning, they require constant supplies of food and drink - the {{k|z}} stock screen can be used to monitor how much food and drink is available. Luckily, your dwarves will eat almost everything raw, including plants.

===''Farming''===
For a reliable, long-term food and alcohol supply, you'll need to set up a farm. Dig out a medium-sized room in a [[soil]] layer (including sand, clay, loam, silt, peat, and ooze) accessible from inside your existing fortress. 5x5 is a good size to start with, but you'll want to leave room to expand in at least one direction. You must pick an ''underground'' area with mud or soil*. Placing this near the stockpiles is more efficient, since farmers won't need to travel as far.

[[File:Quickstart layout 3.png|thumb|right|A 5x5 room with a 3x3 farm plot]]


<sub>* Hopefully you have chosen a site with a soil layer, which will make farming much easier, but if not you will need to [[Irrigation|irrigate]] to create the required mud on stone floors.</sub>

Use {{K|b}}-{{k|p}} to build a 3x3 [[Farming|farm plot]] in the room you just created. Notice that some types of buildings (as well as most constructions) are not designated corner-to-corner like digging designations, stockpiles, or activity zones. Instead, you define the length and width of the building using {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|h}} and position it with the directional keys. Use {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|k}} to make the plot 3x3 and position it in the room, ideally near the wall to leave space for more plots later on.

Remember that you must enable the {{DFtext|Farming (Fields)}} labour for at least one dwarf, or the farm plot won't get built and farming will not take place. (If you selected "Play Now" earlier then you will start with a dwarf with farming enabled.)

{{K|Esc}} out of the build menu and wait for the farmer dwarf to create the plot. Once the plot is built, use {{K|q}} to set the plot to grow [[plump helmet]]s during all seasons. You can use {{K|+}} and {{K|-}} to select plump helmets (pressing {{k|-}} once should do the trick). Select with {{K|enter}}. '''You will need to press {{K|a}}, {{K|b}}, {{K|c}}, {{K|d}} and select Plump Helmets for each season''' — otherwise you'll end up with an idle field for 3/4ths of the year.

Later, if you are curious what is planted in each plot this season and how much, select the [[Controls_guide#View_items_in_buildings.2C_t|View Items in Buildings]] command {{K|t}} and move to the farm plot.

Note that a default embark starts with ''five'' plump helmet seeds — for now, only half of your field will end up being planted. Eventually, as your dwarves consume plump helmets, more seeds will become available and will be automatically planted by an unoccupied farmer.
:''For more troubleshooting tips, see [[How do I build a farm]]''
{{clear}}

=== ''Emergency food sources'' ===
Occasionally, even with a working plump helmet farm, you may experience food shortages. For now, you should have plenty of food on hand left over from embarking. However, if you ever run low on food, there are a few ways to obtain more:

==== ''Plant gathering'' ====
If you have shrubs ({{raw tile|"|2:0}}) growing above ground, you can harvest plants from them. Note that this requires a dwarf with the {{dftext|Plant gathering}} labor enabled (under {{dftext|Farming}}), and time (this can take a while for an inexperienced dwarf, and it doesn't always yield edible plants). To start, {{k|d}}esignate some {{k|p}}lants to be gathered on the surface (similar to selecting an area for mining, except it only selects plants in the given rectangle). Once processed, some will leave behind harvested plants (often edible berries).

====''Butchering''====
If you suddenly run low on food, butchering an animal is another option. Build a [[butcher]] shop ({{k|b}}, {{k|w}}, {{k|u}}) and mark one of your animals for slaughtering (press {{k|v}}, move the cursor to the animal, then press {{k|p}}, {{k|s}}). A dwarf with the butchering labor enabled will haul the animal off to the butcher's shop, work for a while, and produce neat stacks of meat products.

==Building material==
Initially, [[wood]] is probably a good choice for building material, as it's lightweight and can be easily obtained. You will need plenty of building materials as your fortress grows, but wood will suffice for now. If you are unable to locate enough wood (or if you run out of trees, which is unlikely at this point), extend your staircase down to a stone level ({{k|d}}-{{k|i}}) and mine out a small area (at least 5x5) to obtain stone.

Even if you don't have trees, you can obtain 3 logs from your embark wagon. Press {{K|q}}, place the cursor on your wagon, and hit {{K|x}} to deconstruct it. This will flag the wagon for disassembly. Eventually a carpenter will come along and turn the useless wagon into 3 units of wood. (Removing other buildings is done the same way.)

===''Woodcutting''===
{{Update in next major version}}
Assuming your site has [[tree]]s above ground, now is a good time to start obtaining wood. Create a stock{{K|p}}ile for {{K|w}}ood outside your entrance (preferably near to it). As it will only be temporary, don't make it too big (maybe 5x3, or 15 tiles total). Later, you will move this closer to your carpenter's workshop (once you build one), so don't worry about placement too much. Also near the entry, designate a couple of trees to be chopped down with {{K|d}}-{{K|t}}. One tree will produce many logs, so only designate three to five at this point. If you designate too many trees, your woodcutters will spend all of their time chopping them down and hauling the resulting logs, instead of doing other work. As soon as one tree is cut down and its wood stored in a stockpile, you can proceed to the next step (your woodcutter will continue cutting down any remaining designated trees).

==Drinks==
Drinks can be more problematic than food, since they require more preparation (except for [[water]], that is). In warmer weather, you can specify a "water source" activity zone ({{k|i}}-{{k|w}}) around a lake or river on the surface to keep your dwarves from dying of thirst, but dwarves deprived of [[alcohol]] slow down and become unhappy. In addition, drinking outside can be dangerous — dwarves running outside constantly risk running into wild animals, or worse. Creating a [[still]] to brew alcohol is the simplest solution to these problems.

You need a [[brewer]] to brew drinks. Unfortunately, your brewer is also your woodcutter (with a default embark), who is busy cutting down trees. You will want to make a different dwarf your brewer instead, since both your brewer and woodcutter will be busy (and one dwarf can't do both jobs at the same time).
# Find your woodcutter in the {{k|u}}nits list, select it, and press {{k|z}} (this selects the dwarf without you having to search your entire map). Use the {{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu to disable brewing (located under "Farming/related" — you can navigate this menu with the {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} buttons).
# Pick another dwarf that isn't doing anything useful. Right now, this can probably be your fish cleaner, but you can change this as soon as some migrants arrive (by following these steps again).
# Use the {{k|u}}-{{k|z}}-{{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu again to enable brewing on the new dwarf.

[[File:Quickstart still 1.png|thumb|right|A completed still]]
Assuming you have building materials available (which you will if your woodcutter has been doing their job), you can now create a still:
# Dig out a 3x3 area connected to the farm plot.
# Use {{k|b}}-{{k|w}}-{{k|l}} to build a still. Position it in the 3x3 area you just created and press {{k|Enter}}.
# Use {{K|Enter}} to select a building material for the still (this is probably one of the logs you just cut down by default).
# Use {{k|Esc}} to exit the menu, and unpause the game.
After a short delay, your new brewer should run off, drag a log over to the workshop site, and build the workshop. (This is also how building other workshops works, but you won't need to do that yet).

To brew drinks, use {{k|q}} to select the still and press {{k|a}}dd task-{{k|b}}rew drink. '''This will not work yet''', since you don't have any empty barrels or rock pots, but you should start brewing in the first six months (see [[Calendar]] and [[Status]]).
{{clear}}

==Pasture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|Grazers|
If you aren't sure whether or not an animal is a grazer, you can check {{catlink|Grazer|this category}}. (You can also [[Special:search|search]] for the animal on this wiki.)
}}
If you have any grazing animals with you, such as the draft animals used to pull your wagon, they will die if they are kept away from grass for too long. Use {{K|i}} to create a Pe{{K|n}}/[[Pasture]] zone over a grassy area outside and assign your grazing animals to it using {{K|N}} (while still selecting the zone). This area needs to be about 10x10 or so to ensure they have enough grass and don't trample it all. The amount of grass required varies greatly, depending on the type(s) of animals being pastured. If you intend to keep grazing animals permanently, you may need vastly larger pastures later. As an alternative, you might wish to [[Butcher's shop|slaughter]] your largest animals for food and materials.

==Designing your first fortress==
While this guide recommends a vertical fortress design around a central stairwell, with each z-level being used for a particular purpose, it is not really that important to use this design for your first fortress. Therefore, feel free to put any of the areas described in the rest of this guide on your main level or wherever you want as long as dwarves can get to them without going outside the fort. In other words, you can think of the "levels" described in the guide more as areas that can really all be on the same level if you have space. Later you can ponder over what makes things most efficient, but for now just do whatever you find easiest. Note that you may need to dig down a bit to get to stone if you have more than one z-level of sand/clay/soil below the surface.

==Workshops==
[[File:Quickstart workshops 1.png|thumb|right|An example workshop layout. The gem stockpile (empty) is north of the Jeweler's workshop (southwest corner), the wood stockpile is east of the Carpenter's workshop (northwest corner), and the stone stockpile occupies the rest of the space. Note the wheelbarrow (Ö/umlaut-O) in the stone stockpile.]]
Most labors of your dwarves need a place where they can process raw materials — [[workshop]]s. Almost all of them occupy a 3x3 square, and most of them require just 1 unit of any building material (wood, stone, metal). Dig your stairwell down one level (with {{K-|d|i}}), if you haven't already. It's fine if this layer is soil — in fact, soil is better, since it's easier to dig through (if you only have one soil layer, you can put these workshops somewhere on your first level). Dig space for your workshops off of the stairwell. It will hold your [[Mechanic's_workshop|mechanic's]], [[Stoneworker's_workshop|stoneworker's]], [[Carpenter's_workshop|carpenter's]], and [[Jeweler's_workshop|jeweler's]] [[workshop]]s. Something to consider is stockpile proximity: the farther away the material is the dwarves use, the more time they waste with walking. So for now, dig out some more space for stockpiles close to where your new workshops will be (wood for your carpenter, stone for your stoneworker and mechanic, and gems for your jeweler).
It doesn't matter if you put everything in one large room or dig out small rooms for each workshop and stockpile. Note however that some tiles of workshops are impassable: they appear as dark green 'X' when you choose a location (the specific wiki pages of the workshops also show you this). So before you build small 3x3 rooms for each workshop, make sure your dwarves will be able to reach them. Once you've dug out your rooms, set your miners to work by adding a z-level or two to the staircase (you can designate multiple z-levels at once using {{k|<}} and {{k|>}}, just like moving up and down). Hopefully you'll obtain some stone by doing this, which will be useful eventually. While your miners are busy, use {{K-|b|w}} to build the workshops, using whatever building material you have. If you are still digging in soil and don't have stone yet, just use wood; the material really doesn't matter in this case. Be sure that your craftsdwarves still have labors corresponding to each workshop enabled (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above) so they will begin construction. (Dwarves already busy mining or hauling may not immediately stop to construct workshops; if you like, you may temporarily disable other labors in order to jumpstart workshop construction.) If the construction of any building gets "suspended" just use {{K|q}} to unsuspend it. (This can happen if another dwarf or object is blocking the way. See [[#"Garbage" Dumping|Garbage Dumping]] below if you find you need to remove an object.)

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Too Good for Menial Peon Work|Certain labors are crucial in setting up a fort. At some point you may want to disable less important labors such as hauling for dwarves with the crucial skills of mining, masonry, architecture, carpentry, mechanics, and maybe others. You want these dwarves working on creating beds, doors, and trap components before hauling stone and cleaning.}}
Remove the temporary wood stockpile you created outside (using {{K-|p|x}} and selecting the entire stockpile) and dwarves will move the wood to the new wood storage area.

Go to your stoneworker's shop with {{K|q}} and use {{K|a}} to queue up one [[table|{{k|t}}able]] and one [[throne]]/{{k|c}}hair. You will find out why you need these in a second, but now is a good time to start building them. If you still don't have any stone at this point just use wood at the carpenter's workshop.

At this point, it is a good idea to build a few [[wheelbarrow]]s to make hauling large objects (particularly stone) more efficient. Queue up 2 or 3 at the carpenter's workshop. (Wheelbarrows are located near the bottom of the list, on a separate page. They are not visible initially, so you'll need to scroll with {{k|+}} or {{k|-}} — scrolling up with {{k|-}} is more efficient, as it wraps to the bottom of the list.) While the wheelbarrows are being built, select your stone stockpile with {{k|q}} and use {{k|w}} to increase "Max Wheelbarrow" to 3 (the maximum). Your dwarves will automatically move wheelbarrows to the stockpile once they are built.

===''"Where did I build that ____?"''===
As you build workshops, furnaces, Trade Depot, other buildings, rooms and even zones, you may start to lose track of where they all are -- or where they're supposed to be built, but some dwarf is too busy eating/drinking/hauling. There are a couple of commands available from the main UI that will help you locate what you built.

* You can View {{K|R}}ooms/Buildings to see a Building List, and also Zoom {{K|t}}o the building/item, or {{K|q}}uery the building tasks.

* For incomplete buildings/constructions, you can also open the {{K|j}}ob list and then Go to {{K|b}}uilding to find the intended location.

{{clear}}

== Brewing ==
You'll need [[barrel]]s to store drinks for your dwarves. The stockpile you set up earlier will use as many barrels as possible to store items in, which means they can't be used to store drinks. To change this, press {{k|p}} to access the stockpile menu and use {{k|*}} to increase the number of "reserved" barrels (i.e. barrels kept out of stockpiles - 5 barrels is good for now). Queue up two or three barrels in your carpenter's workshop with {{k|a}}-{{k|v}}. (If you run out of wood at any point, cut down another tree or two outside). If a lack of wood cancelled a job, you will need to queue the job again. Go back to your still and order some drinks to be {{k|a}}-{{k|b}}rewed. Each drink requires one barrel and one edible plant, such as a plump helmet. Even if none of yours have been harvested yet, you should have some left over from embark. Also, brewing plump helmets creates ''two'' seeds from one plant, which makes plump helmets an excellent choice for a beginning fortress. Five barrels should be plenty for now (each plant makes 5 "units", or servings, of booze, and dwarves don't need to drink too often, so 30 units should last you a whole year. When the stocks get low, you'll probably want to start queueing up more drinks to be made (you should have more empty barrels by then)).

=="Garbage" Dumping==
{{main|Garbage dump}}

'''Note that garbage is not the same thing as refuse.''' [[Stockpile#Refuse|Refuse]] is [[Miasma|rotting stuff]]. Garbage is anything you designate to be hauled to a [[Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump]], even important things that aren't really garbage. Think of your garbage dump zone as a way to specify that objects you select will be brought to a specific area.

Use {{K|i}} to create a 1x1 activity zone somewhere near your mason's and mechanic's workshops and set it to be a garbage {{k|d}}ump. Unlike stockpile areas where you are limited to storing one object per tile, any number of items may be piled in a garbage area. That means you will only need one tile to hold as much "garbage" as you like. Although many of the room sizes in this guide are suggestions, think of the 1x1 garbage dump size as mandatory. At some point you will probably want to retrieve an important item from your garbage dump, and the more tiles your dump contains, the harder it will be to find anything in it. Press {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} to get to the mass dump/forbid screen and select the {{k|d}}ump option. With "dump" selected, designate a rectangle over the loose stones cluttering up your living area (if there are any – this often isn't a problem yet if you've built your fort in a soil layer). This will designate this stone to be transported to a garbage dump zone. Be sure not to designate the stone in your stockpiles by mistake, since that will only cause your dwarves to perform unnecessary hauling. Once the stone from your living area has been moved there, it will be set as [[Forbid|forbidden]]. Before it can be used you will need to unforbid it using the same {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} screen, hitting {{k|c}} to claim it. Note that dwarves hauling stone (or any large, heavy objects) move slowly, and can take a lot of time to reach their destination. This can be a major waste of time if you designate 50 boulders to be dumped at once. Unless the stone is in the way of something, you don't ''need'' to dump it every time you dig out a new area. Stones lying on the ground don't slow dwarves down at all. If there is a particular dwarf you don't want hauling "garbage", you can disable the "Refuse Hauling" labor (under the "Hauling" category). Miners are good candidates, since they are far more useful when digging than when moving the stone they just dug out.

Congratulations! Knowing how to use garbage dump zones puts you head and shoulders above many new players - it takes some people weeks to figure this out.

==Trading==
Not all embark sites have all the resources you need for a successful fortress, but every site has ''something'' you can sell. A talented dwarf can process any useless resource into something valuable, and [[trading]] is a good way to sell those goods.

''Note that producing goods creates [[wealth]] and getting too much wealth too fast can have [[Immigration#Migrant_wave_sizes|unwanted]] [[Siege|consequences]].''
===Trade Depot===
Build a [[trade depot]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|D}} in the 5x5 room you created near your entrance. This is where [[caravan]]s will park their stuff and where [[trading]] will take place when one arrives. (as stated earlier, the wagons are 3x3 so the entrance tunnel needs to be at least 3x3 for the wagons to go by). You will need one [[architect]], which will be enabled on your mason if you selected {{DFtext|Play now!}} at embark. You also need at least 3 logs or boulders to build the depot.

===Producing for export===
While there are some goods that are more valuable, and some that are less valuable, it's a good idea to simply produce/export what you have too much of and to import what you have too little of.
Generally though, [[Gem]]s and [[Finished goods]] are decent exports for a new player.

===Trading===
Once a caravan has arrived, you can mark the goods you want to sell through the Trade Depot, and your dwarves will begin moving them to the depot. Be careful not to sell wooden items to [[Elf|Elves]]; '''this includes containers:''' even a wooden bin full of metal crafts will make them upset. Also note that the traders will want to make a profit off of you. While they're happy with about 200%, the more profit they make on your site, the more goods they will bring next time, so it can be a good idea to give them even better deals.

''A more detailed overview of the entire process is [[Trading#Trading_Flowchart|here]].''

===What to buy===
In your first fortress, your priority should be importing some [[food]] and [[alcohol]]. In addition, you might want more [[Meat industry|livestock]], [[seed]]s (comes with a free bag), and - depending on what resources you are missing - additional [[pick]]s, [[barrel]]s, [[wood]], [[bag]]s, as well as [[rope]] and a [[bucket]] (for a well). While you're at it, check if you need an [[anvil]]. Maybe you forgot to bring one, or a [[kea]] stole it. Always having a small supply of ''all 3 kinds'' of [[cloth]], some [[gem]]s, [[leather]], a bit of [[sand]] (free bag!) are handy to have, as those are hard to come by on short notice.
If you're short on weapons-grade [[metal]] for your military, import not only actual metal [[bar]]s and [[ore]]s, buy ''all'' metal goods you can afford and [[Melt item|melt]] them down in a [[smelter]] to increase your yield.

===Troubleshooting===
Once the depot is built, use {{K|D}} from the main menu to make sure your depot is accessible. (This command is only available once the depot is built – before building, the command will be disabled, and while the depot is under construction everything will flash red until the depot is built). Once completed, checking {{k|D}}epot access will flash some of the following symbols:
* {{raw tile|X|4:4:1}}: This tile is not accessible by wagon. This could be because something is blocking it (a tree, a natural [[boulder]], etc.).
* {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}: This tile is accessible by wagon. (These tiles will radiate outward from the depot, not from the map edges.)
:This is good, but does not guarantee wagons will be able to reach the depot. Make sure you see the words {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} in the menu.
* {{raw tile|D|3:2:1}} The depot is accessible via wagon.
* {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}} The depot is '''not''' accessible by wagon. See below.

If you see the message {{DFtext|Depot inaccessible|4:1}} in the menu (or the {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}}) symbol over the depot, try these solutions:
* Is the path to the depot (in your fortress) less than 3 tiles wide? If so, expand the entranceway and try {{k|D}} again.
* Are there [[tree]]s blocking a path to the depot outside? Try clearing a path by cutting down a few (you probably won't need to cut ''all'' the trees in a 3-tile wide path); usually cutting some at the end of a path of {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}'s clears a path.
* Are there [[boulder]]s ({{raw tile|∞|7:0:0}}) blocking the path outside? To remove them easily, you need an [[engraver]]. If you selected "play now", you should have one already. Select {{k|d}}-{{k|s}}mooth Stone and designate the boulder(s) for smoothing. They should flash this symbol: {{raw tile|┼|7:0:1}}
* Is the path to the depot only accessible via stairs or did you build traps in the way? Wagons cannot pass traps or stairs, even if they're 3x3 wide.
It's possible that there are multiple obstacles blocking the depot, so keep checking {{k|D}}epot access until the {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} message appears.

''Note that even if your depot is inaccessible to wagons, traders still will come without wagons. They will carry much less goods and you can sell them much less, because their carrying capacity is greatly reduced.''

== Migrants ==
{{gametext|Some migrants have arrived.}}
At some point soon, you'll most likely be getting migrants (if you haven't already). You'll usually get between 5 and 15 migrants in the first 2 waves, which occur sometime during your second and third seasons. See [[/Migrants|this page]] for advice when you receive migrants.

== Bedrooms ==
Up to this point, your dwarves have probably been sleeping on dirt or rock in your fortress. While this is fine for a short time, your dwarves will gradually become less happy if they are forced to sleep without a bed. Under normal circumstances beds can only be made from wood, so be sure to designate some more trees to be cut down if you're short on logs.

[[Bedroom design|Designing living quarters]] is largely a matter of personal preference and aesthetic sense. While a few useful designs are discussed here, there are many other options. In general, try to keep the bedrooms close to the stairs, and make your access hallways at least two tiles wide to reduce congestion.

=== Location ===
Because noise generated from certain jobs (especially mining and woodcutting) can bother sleeping dwarves, doing these jobs within 8 tiles of a sleeping dwarf should be avoided (see [[noise]] for more information). There are two ways of accomplishing this:
* Placing bedrooms at the end of a hallway at least 8 tiles long will avoid most noise (as long as you are careful to avoid noisy jobs directly above or below the bedrooms).
* Extending your fortress down several z-levels will also work (9 levels from the surface is a safe choice), although extending a 3x3 staircase takes more work than extending a single hallway.
Both options work equally well, as long as you are careful to avoid disturbing sleeping dwarves. Ultimately it depends on how you want your fortress to look.

=== Layout ===
Due to the limited resources of a new fortress, setting up a communal sleeping area in a dormitory is often the best short-term solution. However, you can also set up individual bedrooms for dwarves.

'''Benefits of individual bedrooms:'''
* Dwarves are happier with their own bedroom and furniture.
* Individual rooms can increase your fort's perceived wealth.
'''Benefits of dormitories:'''
* Dormitories are easier to set up and expand (only one room is necessary, and each dwarf only requires one bed).
* Sleeping dwarves are much less likely to be attacked when other dwarves are around them.
* Multiple dwarves can sleep in a dormitory. In contrast, only one dwarf can ever sleep in a bedroom (dwarves cannot sleep in another dwarf's bedroom, even when unoccupied).
* Far fewer beds are needed – in a fort of 50 dwarves, for example, around five dwarves will be sleeping at a time (on average). A dormitory, therefore, rarely requires above ten beds, while individual bedrooms would require 50 beds to be built.
* Even when all of the beds are occupied, dwarves will still sleep in the general area of the dormitory. This is more convenient than having dwarves sleeping all over your fort.
For now, setting up a dormitory is easiest (although you can change this later, if you feel the need to).

=== Building ===
Queue up as many beds as you need in a carpenter's workshop (no more than 3 or 4 should be necessary for a dormitory). Beds are queued with {{k|q}}-{{k|a}}-{{k|b}} at a [[carpenter's workshop]] and built with {{k|b}}-{{k|b}}. (As long as your furniture/general-purpose stockpile isn't full yet, dwarves will store beds in them as they are finished, so there may be a delay before they're available to be built.)

'''Setting up a dormitory:'''
# Dig out an empty room in the location you selected.
# Once you have a bed ready, build it near the middle of the room (towards the end away from the entrance).
# Use {{k|q}} to select the bed and {{k|r}} to turn it into a bedroom. Resize the room until it fills the area you dug out (positioning the bed away from the entrance makes it easier to avoid extending the room out into the hallway). If you decide you don't like the position of the bed, remove it with {{k|q}}-{{k|x}} and place it again.
# Press {{k|d}} to turn the room into a dormitory (the menu should read {{DFtext|d: Dormitory <Y>}})
Once you have more beds built, you can place them in the same room. You don't need to mark them as dormitories as long as they're in the area you designated for the bedroom.

[[File:Quickstart-level-7-bedrooms.png|thumb|right|An example of individual bedrooms (with furniture, discussed below)]]
'''Setting up individual bedrooms:'''
# Dig out a small room for each bed (the size and shape are up to you, but 2 to 4 tiles generally works best).
# Build each bed in a room when ready
# Use {{k|q}}-{{k|r}} to mark the bed as a bedroom.
You should see {{DFtext|Current owner: Nobody}} in the menu. A dwarf will eventually get around to claiming the bedroom – you don't need to assign each dwarf to a specific bedroom.

==Nobles and Administrators==
Hit the {{k|n}} key to open up the [[Noble|nobles and administrators]] screen. The most important positions to assign are '''[[manager]]''', '''[[broker]]''', and '''[[bookkeeper]]'''.
* A '''manager''' will allow you to queue up [[work order]], which will greatly simplify managing your production.
* A '''bookkeeper''' will allow you to maintain inventory counts on the {{K|z}} screen so you'll know what you do and don't have.
* A '''broker''' is necessary to trade with a caravan once one has arrived at your [[trade depot]].

===Manager & Bookkeeper===
Your [[expedition leader]] is a good choice for manager and bookkeeper when starting out. Don't worry that it's just one dwarf doing all this; none of these jobs take very long.

While you are on this screen, highlight the bookkeeper and {{K|s}}et them to work for "Highest Precision" (all counts accurate). This will help train [[record keeper|bookkeeping]] faster and ensure that you aren't dealing with vague inventory counts.
:''See [[Stocks]] for a detailed explanation of the {{k|z}}-stocks screen.''

===Broker===
The broker should be another one of your other dwarves (rather than being the same as your bookkeeper) so that they're not too busy doing bookkeeping to actually talk to the traders when a trade delegation arrives.

Don't worry about the [[chief medical dwarf]] yet. He/she will be needed when you set up your [[Healthcare|hospital]] which won't be covered in this guide. Feel free to go check out the [[Healthcare]] guide once you're done.

===Offices (Studies)===
Some of your administrative positions (manager and bookkeeper) require an [[office]] in order to function. If your manager, for example, doesn't have an office, you will not be able to do any of the things that require a manager even though you have one assigned.
[[File:Quickstart-noble-selection.png|right|thumb|Nobles screen. The red stuff turns white once an office is assigned.]]

Earlier you should have queued up a table and throne in your mason's shop, and they should be done by now.
# Dig out a room near your sleeping quarters or stockpiles (at least 1x3, no more than 5x5).
# Place the furniture in it with {{k|b}}-{{k|c}} (chair) and {{k|b}}-{{k|t}} (table).
# Wait for the dwarves to install the furniture
# Use {{K|q}} to select the '''chair'''/throne (not the table), select "Make Throne Room or Study" ({{k|r}}), size the room appropriately, and then {{k|a}}ssign the chair to your expedition leader (who should be both your bookkeeper and manager).
# Hit {{K|n}} to verify that these positions now have the office they need (if so, {{DFtext|[REQUIRE]|7:1}} should no longer be red).

==Furniture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Different Names, Same Thing|As you've noticed, some things have different names based on what they're made of (for example, chairs vs. thrones and chests vs. coffers) even if they're functionally the same (material almost never makes a difference). [[Furniture#Furniture_types_with_multiple_names|Here's a list.]]

[[Bed]]s are a notable exception — they can only be made of wood.
}}
Now would be a good time to start building some [[furniture]]. You could queue up all these items directly from your workshops, but why not give your new manager a little practice?
Using the manager screen {{k|j}}-{{k|m}}, hit {{k|q}} to queue up a new job, and type "[[bed]]", and then select "construct bed." Set the quantity to around 4 (or more, depending on how many beds you need). Next, queue up at least four [[table]]s, eight [[throne]]s/chairs, and four doors. Make sure you select a material you have – rock or wood will both work for all of these (except beds), so use whatever you have in your stockpiles. If you like, you can also queue up a few wooden [[chest]]s or rock coffers and [[cabinet]]s (which can be used in bedrooms, if you set up individual bedrooms). The tables and chairs will go in your [[dining room]], speaking of which...

==Dining and Food Prep Area==
Right off the main stairwell (any unused area by the staircase will work), create three rooms. One will be for general food storage, one a [[dining room|dining hall]], and one a [[kitchen]]. The kitchen will allow you to make [[Cook#Recipes|prepared food]]. Make the room for the kitchen 5x5. The storage area and dining hall should be larger. Ideally, leave empty space on at least one side of your dining hall so that it can be expanded later if necessary.

[[File:Quickstart_dining_area.png|right|thumb|Dining level with dining hall (east), kitchen (north), storage area (west), fishery, butcher's workshop, and tanner's workshop (south).]]

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}}-{{k|z}} to build the kitchen in the middle of the 5x5 room. Use {{k|p}} to create {{K|f}}ood stockpiles in the remaining space around it, as well as the entire food storage room. Go back to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings to {{K|d}}isable Food. This will cause any food in your general purpose stockpile to get moved to your new food-only stockpiles. Hit {{K|z}} and select ''[[Kitchen]]'' from the top of the screen, then disable all cooking for plants, using {{K|c}}, {{K|C}} does everything (disable is red) and enable brewing for them so that they will only be used for brewing. Also disable alcoholic beverages for cooking, otherwise your cooks will waste perfectly good hooch in their cooking. The only time you might want to use alcohol in cooking is when you have lots of booze but are running out of food. If you plan to do any fishing, dig out another area and create a [[Fishery]] on this level so the uncleaned fish your fisherdwarf just caught can be cleaned (gutted) for consumption or cooking. If you plan to do any hunting or [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] any animals, create a [[Butcher's shop]] on this level so animal corpses can be butchered. The fishery/butcher's shop can be placed behind the kitchen or the general food stockpile, for example. A door is recommended for the butcher's shop in order to contain [[Miasma]] should something rot, and to otherwise avoid offending squeamish dwarves. Eventually, go check out the subpage on [[/Stockpiles/]] for more information on fine-tuning these stockpiles for maximum efficiency. For now you can safely procrastinate on this and move on to the next section.

==Placing Furniture==
Once your furnishings are complete, you need to place them in rooms using the {{K|b}}uild command. Put the new {{k|c}}hairs and {{k|t}}ables in the dining room. If you like, you can add doors for aesthetics (they can be useful in case something starts rotting in your food stockpiles). If you created chests and cabinets, you can add them to each room if you want, but it is not urgent now.

==Meeting Hall==
Use {{K|q}} on one of the tables you just placed in the dining room, define the area as a {{k|r}}oom, and configure it to be a meeting {{k|h}}all. This will cause idle dwarves to hang around in the dining hall. You want idlers in a central location, close to where you will be placing your emergency drawbridge levers. You should probably remove the temporary meeting area (and any other meeting areas that you created earlier) with {{K|i}}-{{k|x}}.

==Checking Supplies==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Hostile Wilds|Before turning on either hunting or fishing, examine the {{K|u}}nits screen to see if there are any dangerous critters your hunters/fishers need worry about. With hunting especially, you may need to check this screen frequently.}}
Use the {{K|z}} ([[status]]) screen to check your stock levels. How much food and booze do you have left? You only have unprepared food at this point, and the booze you brought with you, but soon you will be making more. If you are running low on food, you can designate gathering some [[shrub|outdoor plants]], [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some animals, turn on [[fishing]], or turn on [[hunting]] to tide you over for a bit. Hunting and slaughtering animals both require a butcher's shop.

==Brewing and Cooking==
Once your first crop of plump helmets starts to come in, you will want to start [[brewing]] as a [[repeat]]ing task. Also, now would be a good time to start [[cooking]] actual meals rather than forcing your dwarves to eat raw food. Cooking [[Cooking#Recipes|easy meals]] will train dwarves faster, but they may be happier with [[Cooking#Recipes|lavish meals]]. So, you might want to cook easy ones until your cook or cooks skill up to a certain point then have them start making lavish meals. Prepared food is cooked from two (easy), three (fine), or four (lavish) raw food/alcohol ingredients. Each prepared food item will be called a 'something' (for instance, a specific animal meat) "biscuit", "stew", or "roast" depending on the lavishness of the meal.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Conserving Resources|Some things absolutely require wood (like beds and charcoal), but others can be made out of more common materials like stone. For this reason it's best, especially in the beginning, to make everything that you can out of stone. For example, you could make wood chests and barrels, but stone coffers and rock pots would let you save wood for things that require it and help you rid yourself of all that stone. And if you decide you want solid gold chests or something later when you have more resources, you can always throw out the rock coffers.}}
Speaking of booze, in order to keep the booze flowing, you will need to create some [[barrel]]s, or some stone [[pot]]s. Your dwarves should have emptied a few barrels by now to get you started, but you will definitely need more. A ''lot'' more. If you have an abundance of trees, then you can designate some more for cutting, and have your carpenter make a bunch of wooden barrels, but it may be more prudent to make a [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]], make sure someone has the [[Stonecrafting]] labor enabled, and build a bunch of rock pots. (Rock pots are essentially barrels made of rock.) And don't worry that you've made too many; you almost can't get enough of them. Keep checking your food and drink stock levels on the {{K|z}} screen periodically. While cooked food (properly stockpiled) and alcohol don't spoil, there is really no need to stock 2,000 units of dwarven wine at this point. Ten times the number of drinks and meals as you have dwarves is more than enough. If you start running out of food or drinks, designate some wild plants for harvesting, [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some of your animals, start hunting or fishing, or start more farms. (Actually, now would be a fine time to make another 3x3 farm. Set it to produce [[sweet pod]]s in the spring and summer, [[cave wheat]] or [[pig tail]]s (your choice) in the fall (autumn), and [[plump helmet]]s in the winter. Having multiple types of plants will give your dwarves more variety in their food and drink, keeping them from [[Thought|grumbling]].)

==Storage Space==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#0a0|float=right|Advanced Stockpiling|Check out the [[/Stockpiles|Stockpiles]] sub-page for more information on fine-tuning your stockpiles, especially in the food production area. This is somewhat complicated and it can safely be skipped if you don't feel like tinkering with stockpiles right now.}}
You should probably start making some wooden '''[[Bin|bins]]''' to help you store more stuff in less space. You might not need them yet, but you certainly will later. Bins are somewhat like barrels/pots, but they can store things other than just food and drink. Bins will also reduce the amount of labor needed to [[haul]] things to your trade depot or other stockpiles. So designate some more trees to be chopped down and queue up some bins. As with barrels and pots, you almost can't have enough bins.

=Beyond a Minimal Fortress=

By now you should have your main entrance created, along with a farm, general-purpose stockpile, refuse pile (for trash), and [[trade depot]]. Somewhere you should have a mason's shop, a mechanic's shop, a carpenter's shop, and a jeweler's shop, surrounded by appropriate storage piles with garbage zone (for excess stone). You should also have a furnished dining area with kitchen, still, and food storage, and a residential area with furnished bedrooms and an office. You should have selected your administrators, and might even have an optional fishery, butcher's shop, craftsdwarf's workshop, or other stuff. At this point, you have all the components of a minimal but functional fortress! Your next steps will be to make it safer and better-protected, to set up your [[metal industry]], and later to prepare your [[military|militia]].

==Traps==
Start producing '''[[mechanism]]s''' at your [[mechanic's workshop]]. Queue up ten. After they are built, use them to create [[Trap#Stone-fall_Trap|stone fall traps]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|T}}. Be sure not to block access to your depot! Queue up some [[cage]]s, and more mechanisms, and use these to create some [[Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps]] right after your stone traps. Cage traps are incredibly effective at stopping ambushers, but traps in general will not protect you from [[thief|thieves and kidnappers]] who will almost always bypass them. (To deal with these ambushers, see the next section on [[#Guard Animals|guard animals]]). Continue to fill up your entry hall with alternating rows of stone and cage traps as the parts become available. Ideally you want to have enough cage traps to take out most of the [[goblin]]s so your military will only have to mop up.

Note that traps will block wagons from reaching your trade depot (although pack animals will still arrive safely). A few ways to avoid this are shown below:

{|
|-
|<diagram>
[#1:1]^^^^^
[#2:1].....
.....
.....
[#1:1]^^^^^
</diagram>
|A simple strategy, most useful above ground where invaders can come from the sides – underground, this is less useful (invaders don't tend to emerge from the walls).
'''Legend:''' In this diagram and the one below, traps are blue {{DFtext|^|1:1}} (^) symbols, and the green {{DFtext|.|2:1}} and red {{DFtext|.|4}} (.) symbols represent the ground and cave floor.
|-
|<diagram fg="4:0">
░░░░░░░░░
░.......░
░.......░
░.......░
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
░░░░░░░░░
</diagram>
|A more complex design, but also extremely effective (best used underground). The majority of invaders will choose to take the shortest path, directly through the traps. This can also be extended to make a wider group of traps of a longer safe route.

This is relatively easy to implement if you already have a 3-tile wide hallway – just dig a small loop off it and place traps in the old location.
|}

Note that this is only necessary when caravans can't get to your trade depot, because the hallway is filled with traps - if your trade depot is not behind a trap-lined hallway, you can safely make a hallway full of traps - citizens won't trigger traps.

If you place a trap somewhere you didn't mean to, remove it with {{k|t}}-{{k|x}} or {{k|q}}-{{k|x}}.

==Guard Animals==
Create one 1x1 [[pasture]] near the beginning of your entryway, in the middle tile, using {{K|i}}. Using the {{K|N}} key inside the zone interface, assign a [[dog]] or other non-grazing animal to it. This animal will spot thieves and raiders before they gain entrance to your fortress. Try to pick a disposable animal, as it ''will'' be slaughtered by the first ambush raiders. Ideally, don't assign female animals; you want them safe for [[Meat industry#Breeding|breeding]] (you should make sure to keep at least one male around for breeding as well).

==Drawbridge==
In case of an [[ambush]] or [[siege]], you will want to close up your fort, keeping the goblins out until your [[squad]]s have formed up and are in position. Therefore, you can build a [[Bridge|drawbridge]] ({{K|b}}-{{K|g}}) to seal off your entryway. Make sure to use {{K|w}}, {{K|a}}, {{K|d}}, or {{K|x}} to make it raise up in the right direction, which then forms a barrier to block enemy ranged units. If you don't get the orientation of the bridge correct, it will just retract (disappear) instead of raising up, allowing enemy ranged units to fire across.

Put the drawbridge between the trade depot and the hall-o-traps so you can lock things out of the fort. Build a lever ({{K|b}}-{{K|T}}-{{K|l}}) near your meeting area and [[Lever#Linking|link]] it to the drawbridge by using {{K|q}} on the lever. (This linking will require 3 [[mechanisms]] in total.)

==Metal Industry==
[[File:Quickstart-level-2-forge.png|thumb|right|Level -2: Forge and smelters with ore stockpile in the middle.]]
Now, below your first workshop level, dig out four more 5x5 rooms around the stairwell. Three of these will be [[smelter]]s ({{k-|b|e|s}}), and one a [[metalsmith's forge]] ({{k-|b|w|f}}). Designate stockpiles for {{K|b}}ars around the smelters and forge. The bar stockpiles will hold [[Fuel|coke and charcoal]] and metal [[bar]]s. You will probably need larger bar stockpiles, but you can dig out more space and expand them later. Also dig out some space and create a stockpile for [[ore]] somewhere nearby. To make an ore stockpile, designate a {{K|s}}tone stockpile, then use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings on it to forbid all types of stone other than ore. Finally, go to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to disable Bars. Stone should already be disabled on this stockpile, and if so, then ore is already disabled for it.

===Wood Burning===
Somewhere near your carpenter's shop, near your wood stockpile, dig out an area and build a [[wood furnace]] ({{k-|b|e|w}}). This is where you will create charcoal (see below) and ash (for making soap). Dwarf Fortress has two forms of carbon which are useful as [[fuel]] in the metal industry: ''charcoal'' (which is charred wood), and ''coke'' (refined coal). They are completely interchangeable. If your map has a lot of '''lignite''' or '''bituminous coal''', you can process that into coke, using charcoal to jump-start the process. If you don't find coal on your map, you'll need to either dig down to [[magma]] or make charcoal out of wood to run your forges and smelters, but don't worry about this yet. You need to do some digging around.

===Mining===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|"I have struck what?"|New players who don't have a degree in geology usually find themselves confused as to what all these mineral names mean. In DF you'll never strike "iron ore" but you will strike [[magnetite]] or [[limonite]] which are [[ore]]s of [[iron]]. If you don't know that these things are ores of iron then it obviously won't occur to you to try to smelt iron. Note that ores usually look like {{Raw Tile|£|6:7:1}} before they are mined and {{Raw Tile|*|6:1}} after, though the colors will differ. See '''''[[The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock]]''''' to help you figure out exactly what you've found.}}
At this point you want to start looking for metal ore. You may have already found some while digging out rooms, in which case you can just mine into the walls of the rooms to get more ore. If you haven't found ore yet or you want to see what else you can find, you will need to dig [[Exploratory mining|exploratory tunnels]] looking for ores, minerals, and [[gem]]s. For now just start digging tunnels out from your stairwell or rooms in all directions and see what you run into. Note that digging into '''damp stone''' or '''warm stone''' is not recommended as those areas may be holding back water or lava which can flood your fort.

===Fuel===
Whether you find [[coal]] or not, you will need to burn wood into at least one unit of [[charcoal]]. If you find some coal ([[lignite]] or [[bituminous coal]]), start your [[smelter]]s out processing it into [[coke]] using your charcoal to get things started. From then out you can burn coke to make more coal into more coke and so on. Put these coke-making jobs on repeat. Only use one smelter to begin with, but you should be getting a group of [[Immigration|immigrants]] fairly soon, if you haven't already, and you can put them to work in the other smelters. Don't give up on finding coal right away. Dig around for a while and if you're starting to get impatient then burn some more wood into charcoal, smelt some ore, and make some [[weapon]]s. If you rely on charcoal for fuel then you'll be needing a ''lot'' of wood, so in that case dig out another room near the furnace and create a wood stockpile. You might also want to just remove a smelter, replace it with a [[wood furnace]], and create the new wood stockpile down in the smelting area. Finally, go designate more trees for chopping.

===Forging===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Alternative Energy|If you don't find coal then you will have to continue to burn wood into charcoal, or dig down to the bottom of the map and find the magma sea so you can power [[magma smelter]]s and [[magma forge]]s. Getting to magma can be difficult for various reasons that you will discover, so make sure you are ready for some trouble before you go that direction. Burning charcoal should work out okay in the short term.}}
Once you have smelted some ore to get metal bars, and have additional bars of either coal or charcoal, you can start forging metal items. Here are some suggestions on what to make first:
#'''[[Pick]]s''' - You may have only started out with one pick which limits the number of miners you have to one. By this point you are probably wishing you had more miners. Make a few picks and give some dwarves the mining labor once you get some immigrants. It doesn't matter what metal you use to make picks, at least when it comes to mining, so even copper is perfectly good.
#'''[[Weapon]]s''' - Picks actually make pretty good weapons, but there can be some issues equipping them because they're tied to the mining labor. You may want to make a few axes. They make good weapons, at least against most lightly armored opponents you're likely to encounter first, and can be used to chop trees. Start with 5 or so.
#'''[[Armor]]''' - You're going to want some armor. Start with mail shirts, helms, leggings, then gauntlets and boots. Start with 3 or so of each in the order listed, then make more later when your military grows. Also make some shields out of wood, unless you're swimming in metal (since the shield's material doesn't matter for defensive purposes). Once you have the essentials covered, you can include breastplates (but they take 3 bars of metal to make, and they don't cover as much of the torso and arms as a mail shirt).
An important thing to note is that mail shirts protect the upper leg as well as the torso and arms, and high boots protect the lower leg. As dwarves have no knees (at least in military terms), high boots and mail shirts are sufficient to protect your dwarves' legs.
[[Steel]] is the best normal metal to make armor and most weapons out of, but you will likely find that you want some arms before you can make steel. [[Iron]] is good, as is [[bronze]]. [[Copper]] is not ideal, but it still works and is better than no metal weapons/armor at all.

==Gemcutting and Trinkets==
You should have uncovered some [[gem]]s by now, so put your [[jeweler]] to work [[Gem cutter|cutting]] them. These will be used for [[Trading|trade]]. Only buy things that you need in the first year. [[Finished goods|Stone crafts]] produced by a craftsdwarf can make good trading goods as well. To get enough goods, you will need to dedicate a craftsdwarf's workshop and craftsdwarf to this task full-time, but you're very unlikely to ever run out of stone.

==Sticking to the Plan==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Getting Distracted|Say one of your new immigrants turns out to be a legendary weaver. Should you plant some pig tails and create a loom for him? '''No!''' Put his legendary butt to work smelting metal or something that's part of your current industry even though he has no skill at it. Do not split your efforts yet. You can make use of his unique talents later when you can afford to diversify your industry.}}
Metalsmithing will be your primary economic activity, with cutting gems (and possibly making stone crafts) being used to give you some short-term [[wealth]] until the [[metal industry]] gets going. This means you will need miners, haulers, smiths and furnace operators. Unless a dwarf is doing something else vital to the proper functioning of your fort, such as training in the militia, making traps, cooking food, and so forth, they should be doing one of those four things.

==Wealth and Invasion==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Crafting Invitations for Trouble|Creating too much wealth initially is a sure fire method of pulling down a goblin ambush that you are ill-equipped to deal with. Titans will also start attacking you should your wealth go over a certain amount. For this reason, spend no time smelting gold, smoothing, or engraving anything yet. Most of the wealth you create in the beginning should be the [[weapon|sharp pointy kind]].}}
You may have struck [[gold]] or some other valuable metal, and you may be tempted to put your furnaces and smiths to work creating valuable metal crafts. Don't do it! Until you have your militia formed and fully equipped with armor and weaponry, your smelters and forge should be doing nothing else but smelting cheaper materials like coal, iron, making pig iron and steel if possible, and making weapons and armor. Making [[steel]] will actually increase your wealth quite a bit, but at least you can stab and beat things to death with steel; you can't make weapons from gold.

=Military=

Your '''military''' is an important part of fortress defense. Unless you have totally cut yourself off from the outside world, then you will want at least some sort of military. Once you reach this point, you should hopefully have enough dwarves to start a small military training program. You will need at least 5 dwarves who aren't otherwise doing anything important. If you don't have any spare dwarves yet, or just don't want to mess with it yet, just skip to the next section and come back to this later. Don't wait too long to set up your military though; you especially will want soldiers before you reach a population of 80 dwarves. (You will find out why.) When you're ready to start up your military, see the [[Military quickstart]] guide.

= What Next? =

Congratulations! If you've made it this far then you have a self-sustaining fort going and can now start to branch out into whatever you are interested in exploring. Expect some goblin invasions, forgotten beasts, titans, dragons, giants, and other creatures to interrupt your activities at various points. This is part of the [[fun]].

Here are some things that people almost always do eventually, though not necessarily in any particular order (these are somewhat essential):
*Build [[coffin]]s and a graveyard or [[tomb]]s for dead dwarves and pets
*Set up a [[Healthcare|hospital]]
*Build a [[well]]
*Start producing [[textile industry|clothing]] to replace [[wear|worn-out attire]]
*Build a [[jail]] for unruly dwarves
*Set up [[Scheduling#Alert_Levels|civilian alerts]] to get civilians to a safe area during ambushes and sieges

Here are some things that players often do as their population grows:
*[[Smoothing|Smooth]] and [[engraving|engrave]] walls and floors
*Produce [[Meat industry|Meat]], [[Egg production|eggs]], milk and [[Beekeeping industry|honey]]
*Continue to expand the [[military]]
*Explore new [[Industry|industries]]
*Dig down to the [[caverns]] and create a defended lower entrance with traps to defend the fort against the [[creatures|denizens]] below
*Enable [[Animal training]] for a dwarf and train some war animals
*Build a [[Mass pitting]] system to dispose of caged enemies
*Build above-ground [[construction]]s such as an archery tower or garden
*Create a [[statue|statue garden]] or [[zoo]]
*Farm in an [[Farming#Above-ground_farming|above-ground farm plot]]
*Dig down to [[magma]] and set up [[magma forge]]s and [[magma smelter]]s to avoid the need for fuel
*Build [[machine component]]s to pump magma and water
*Create more [[Trap design|elaborate traps]] such as magma and drowning chambers
*Try some [[stupid dwarf trick]]s

You may also want to just read over the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] and the many other very useful documents on the wiki to give you other ideas of what to do.

Keep in mind that how you play is not set in stone. Some people never defend, some start a [[Megaprojects|megaproject]] right after settling, some never dig and just build an above ground castle or town using logs. Some never smelt ore, some start smelting as soon as they arrive. Some make their home in the dangerous natural caverns. Some deal with invaders by flooding the map or isolating themselves completely. And that's not even considering the [[List of mods|mods]] and some of the crazier [[challenges]] that people have come up with. There's really no one "right" way to play DF.

= Feedback =
If you have any feedback on this guide, you can leave a message on the [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}|talk page]] for this article, or in [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=83452.0 this thread] on the forums.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Quickstart guide}}

[[de:DF2012:Schnellstart]]
[[ru:Быстрый старт]]
[[zh:Quickstart guide]]

Quickstart guide

2022-12-26T12:14:11Z

Tme5: various tweaks and v50 updates to world gen & embark

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
{{old}}
:''For installation instructions, see [[Installation]].''
:''This is a quickstart guide for [[dwarf fortress mode]] for those who have never played before and quickly want to jump in head-first.'' ''If you are looking to learn adventure mode instead, see the [[Adventure mode quick start]] guide.''
:''Also see [[Tutorials]] for more detailed tutorials that people have submitted.''
{{TipBox2|float=right|Before you get started...|Always remember that '''losing is [[fun]]!''' Be prepared to lose a few fortresses before you get all the way through this guide – it can be easy to accidentally kill the entire fortress while learning. But remember: losing means that next time, ''[[#Situational Awareness|you'll remember how you lost]].'' In a big way, ''Dwarf Fortress'' uses the principle of learning from one's mistakes.}}

So, you want to play '''Dwarf Fortress''', but you have no idea what to do. That's understandable; in ''Dwarf Fortress'' you can really do anything you like. It is a huge, complex, and totally open-ended game. But in order to do anything, first you need a sustainable fortress. It turns out that this is not as hard as you might think.

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|446px|right|[[Main:From Caravan to Happy Dwarves|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves]] - This is a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions players usually take when starting up a new fort. Feel free to ignore it if you want. It's not necessary to refer to this to understand the rest of the guide, but by the time you finish the guide it will probably all make sense.]]

__TOC__

= Common UI Concepts =
{{old}}

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Keeping Up|While the guide contains many links, you may still need to look something up. Refer to the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] or use the wiki [[Special:Search|search]] function. Also, don't hesitate to [[Main:Troubleshooting|ask for help]] if you can't find answers on the wiki.}}

This is just the Quickstart Guide, so we skip lots of details on the UI. If you're looking for more UI help as you get deeper into your first fortress, you may also want to read this section in the [[Dwarf_fortress_mode#Gameplay_user_interface|Fortress Mode Guide]].
{{KeyConventions}}

== Options menu ==
{{main|Dwarf_fortress_mode#Options_screen|l1=Options screen}}

Most basic game-related tasks (saving, keybindings, sound, etc.) are performed through the options menu, which can be reached with {{k|Esc}} from the main screen.

To save and quit back to the main menu, select {{DFtext|Save Game}}.
{{tc|#d00|Unless you know what you are doing, do not select either}} {{DFtext|Retire the Fortress (for the time being)}} or {{DFtext|Abandon the Fortress to Ruin}}! These will essentially cause you to lose your save.

=World Generation=

First, [[World generation|generate a new world]]. ''Dwarf Fortress'' worlds are always procedurally randomly generated - there is no "default" or "standard" world. Luckily, the basic version of this process is simple, and with these suggested settings won't take too long. Wait until the game shows that the world has been generated, since stopping history too soon can limit material availability for embark and trade.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting World|
For your first game, [[World generation|generate a new world]] using the {{DFtext|Create new world}} option in the main menu with the following options:

* {{DFtext|World size}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|History length}} is {{DFtext|100 years|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Civilizations}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Sites}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Beasts}} is {{DFtext|Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Natural Savagery}} is {{DFtext|Very Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Mineral Occurrence}} is {{DFtext|Everywhere|3:1}}
}}

= Embark =
{{main|Embark}}

Embarking is the process of choosing a site, outfitting your initial dwarves, and sending them on their way.

After generating a world, select {{DFtext|Play now}} then choose fortress mode. The game will load and update the world, then show the world map.

Mouse over the map to inspect it. Left-click to zoom in, where you can then click the {{DFtext|Embark}} button to choose an embark site.

== Choosing a Good Site ==

Choosing a good embark site is crucial for beginners. Highly skilled players can run a fortress on an evil glacier, but for now, stick to friendly environments. Look for features in an embark site that will make your first fort easier to manage.

{{ambox
|type=type
|text=The world tooltip will only show features from the moused-over tile, but since the embark area covers multiple tiles it can contain '''multiple biomes'''. It is '''very important''' to inspect all tiles in your site. Each may have significantly different features such as an aquifer or evil biome '''not initially shown''' in the info due to not being under the cursor.
}}

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting Site|
[[File:Quickstart-good-location.png|thumb|300px|right|An example of a good starting site.]]
For your first game, find a site with the following properties:
*'''NO [[Aquifer]]''' (or at least not a heavy or varied aquifer. This is '''''very''''' important!)
*'''Trees:''' Woodland or Heavily Forested (or, at the very least, sparsely forested)
*'''Surroundings:''' Serene, calm, or at least '''not''' any evil or savage biome.
*A '''River'''
The following are also good to have, but focus on getting a decent site, not a perfect one.
*'''[[Climate|Temperature]]:''' Warm
*'''Clay or Soil''' makes farming easier when starting out
*'''Flux stone layer''' For your steel industry
*Also avoid sites containing '''towers''', '''goblins''', or other groups at war with you.
See '''[[/Starting site/]]''' for more info on why these characteristics are important.}}

[[File:Quickstart-finder.png|thumb|right|Initial finder criteria]]
While finding a site is not as simple as world generation, the {{DFtext|Find embark location}} button at the bottom of the screen can help.
[[File:Quickstart-finder-partial.png|thumb|right|Finder partial match missing Good surroundings]]

Once the find tool has finished searching with matches found, press {{K|Esc}} to look at the results. Any region in which it found a match will be indicated by a green {{DFtext|X|2:1}} on the map.

Additionally, when placing the embark area you can resize it using the buttons on-screen. A 4x4 embark (the default) is usually reasonable, but you may want to change the size to avoid an undesirable biome or match your finder criteria.

If you are unable to find a site that you are willing to embark on, you could always create a new world. Otherwise, move onto the next step.

== Skills and Equipment ==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Optional: Preparing Carefully|If, at this point, you'd like to get into all of the details of picking individual skills and equipment for your expedition, select {{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}} and see '''[[Quickstart_guide/Preparing_carefully|Preparing carefully]]''' for instructions. '''This is completely optional'''.
And preparing carefully makes little difference in the long run, especially without experience as to what to change.}}

Now the '''Prepare for the Journey''' screen should appear. You will be given the choice to either:
*{{DFtext|Play Now!}}
*{{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}}.

Selecting {{DFtext|Play Now!}} will start you out with a default set of equipment that is reasonably safe, allowing you to skip having to set up your skills and equipment. If you'd like to get going now, just select that option.
{{clear}}

=A Minimal Fortress=
[[File:Quickstart-map-starting.png|thumb|right|Starting out. In this example, the dwarves will be digging out an entrance tunnel in the sandy cliff on the right. (You can use {{K|Tab}} to show or hide the overview map.)]]

At this point, you have embarked, and your dwarves have arrived at their destination. You will see your dwarves clustered around their wagonful of supplies, somewhere near the center of your map. '''Immediately hit {{K|Space}} to pause the game''' unless it is already paused.

==Surveying the Area==
'''Do not unpause the game just yet.''' Take a look around. Use the {{K|k}} command and the arrow keys (remember that {{k|Shift}}+arrow keys will move faster). Look up and down a few [[z-level]]s with {{K|<}} and {{K|>}} ({{k-|Shift|,}} and {{k-|Shift|.}} on many keyboards). The mousewheel will zoom the map in and out. Place the cursor on various tiles to familiarize yourself with what the symbols mean. If you get lost, you can press {{K|F1}} (or {{k-|Fn|F1}} on some systems) to return to the wagon. (You can define more [[hotkeys]] later, to jump quickly to other sites of interest.) Notice the terrain features, the vegetation, and any minerals visible. If you chose a site with flowing water, where is it? What about pools of water? The more carefully you examine your site before breaking ground, the better off you will be.

Remember that this is more of a simulation than a game. It is not "play balanced", and you can very easily find yourself in impossible situations. That is all part of the [[fun]], because even when you lose, you create an interesting story. Your wagon serves as the initial meeting area for your dwarves. Since you should have started in a non-freezing, calm (low savagery), non-evil biome, you shouldn't face any immediate danger, but if for some reason the area around your wagon proves to be unsafe, immediately designate another meeting zone using {{K|i}} (see [[#Temporary Meeting Area|Temporary Meeting Area]] below).

==Controlling Your Dwarves==
The first thing to keep in mind is that, for the most part, you can't directly control your dwarves the way you control characters in a typical fantasy RPG. Instead, you '''designate''' things that need to be done and then dwarves with the appropriate labor assignments will decide what to do.

Some tasks receive a higher priority. For example, if a dwarf needs to eat, then he will go eat, and only get around to digging a tunnel once he is done eating. It is also possible to designate things that no dwarf is able to do. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but no dwarf has mining as one of his allowed labors, or no dwarf has a [[pick]], then the mining will never get done, and the game will not always advise you of why.

So, what you are doing throughout the game is essentially giving your dwarves a detailed group-wide to-do list, but it's up to them to figure out which one of them will execute any given task if the task is even possible. Often many of the details of how a task is performed (such as exactly which rock will be used to make crafts) are left up to them (though you ''can'' specify the details of tasks, such as the material or design, in the {{k|d}}etails menus in workshops).

===''Stout Labor''===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Easier menus on a laptop|
If you're on a laptop (or using a restricted keyboard), you may notice that using {{k|+}} to scroll upward on some menus is inconvenient, since it requires the {{k|Shift}} key.

Fortunately, this is easy to change to {{k|1==}}:
# Press {{k|Esc}} to access the [[#Options menu|options menu]] and select {{DFtext|Key Bindings}}
# Select {{DFtext|General}}, scroll down to {{DFtext|Move secondary selector down}} (using the arrow keys), move right, and select {{DFtext|Add binding}}
# Press {{k|1==}} and select either option that appears.
# Press {{k|Esc}} and select {{DFtext|Save and exit}}

See [[Key bindings]] for more info.
}}
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#aa0|Utilities|2=
You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. There are a few utilities available for this purpose (for Windows, Mac OS X, and most Linux systems):
* '''[[Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]]''' can make labor management considerably easier, especially when you're dealing with twenty times the number of dwarves you have now. It can group and sort dwarves by multiple attributes and display their preferences, mood, and more.
* '''[[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]]''' includes "Dwarf Manipulator", a UI for managing labors. It has fewer features than Dwarf Therapist, but displays much of the same information and is adequate for normal use. In addition, it is accessible from within DF via {{k-|u|l}}, eliminating the need to constantly switch between applications.
}}

'''Labors''' are how you control what types of tasks a dwarf will do. For example, if the [[Fishing]] labor is enabled for a dwarf, that dwarf is allowed to engage in fishing. When dwarves are idle, it could be because you haven't given them anything to do, or it could be because none of the idle dwarves have been told that they're allowed to do the types of tasks you've designated. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but none of the dwarves have the mining labor enabled, they will all just sit around ignoring your mining designation, thinking that it isn't their job. Dwarves will automatically have some labors enabled if they start out with skill in those labors, and some labors (such as hauling and cleaning) are enabled for all dwarves by default. This is why you didn't need to enable any labors on dwarves to get them to haul and mine, but later you may need a labor that no dwarf is currently capable of. Look over your dwarves' assigned [[labor]]s: Press {{K|v}} (View Units) then place the cursor on a dwarf. Now, press {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} for "preferences: labors". You will see a list of labor categories that you can navigate using {{K|-}} and {{K|+}}. You can enter each category with {{k|Enter}} (except for mining, which is a single labor), toggle each labor off and on with {{K|Enter}}, and get back out with {{K|Esc}}. After exiting the View Units menu, you can use {{K|u}} (the units screen) to help you locate dwarves. Hit {{K|u}}, select a dwarf, hit {{K|z}} for "zoom to creature" and you'll automatically be placed in view mode on that dwarf. (Then use {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} to get to the labor configuration menu if necessary.)

Even if no dwarves have the corresponding skills, ensure the following labors are set as specified:

{| class="wikitable"
! Category
! Labor
! Dwarves Assigned
|-
| Woodworking || [[wood cutter|Wood Cutting]] || 1 or more
|-
| Stoneworking || [[engraver|Stone Detailing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Hunting/Related || [[ambusher|Hunting]] || 0 (disabled for all)
|-
| Farming/Related || [[wood burner|Wood Burning]] || 1 or more
|-
| Farming/Related || [[herbalist|Plant Gathering]] || 1 or more
|-
| Fishing/Related || [[fisherdwarf|Fishing]] || 0 (disabled for all)
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[furnace operator|Furnace Operating]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[armorsmith|Armoring]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[weaponsmith|Weaponsmithing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[blacksmith|Blacksmithing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[metal crafter|Metalcrafting]] || 1 or more
|-
| Jewelry || [[gem cutter|Gem Cutting]] || 1 or more
|}

It's important to disable fishing and hunting until you have your initial fort completed — dwarves with these labors enabled will constantly be outside attempting to perform them. When you're first starting out you don't want dwarves wandering around alone where they can get killed (in addition, they won't be doing anything useful, like hauling). Note that ''any'' unskilled dwarf can perform any labor given the necessary equipment and materials. Dwarves with no skill will simply be slow and produce a smaller quantity of lower-quality goods in a given time period, but they will gain skill points as they do so.

==Strike The Earth!==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=green|float=right|Getting your dwarves to safety|
As you now know, you can't control your dwarves directly. So how do you tell them to get inside your newly dug rooms?
*[[Activity_zone#Meeting_area|Meeting Area]] You can designate a Meeting Area zone inside the new rooms. Press {{k|i}}, then draw the rectangle to create a zone. Afterwards make it a Meeting Area. ''See also the [[zone]] page for more information.''
*[[Stockpiles]] (see [[Quickstart_guide#Stockpiles|below]]) Stockpiles tell your dwarves where to put things. Create a stockpile for everything, and dwarves will start to haul all your items there.}}
Decide where you will build your main entrance. Generally, you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible. The best strategy is to put the entrance near your wagon to speed up the process of hauling all of your supplies inside.

The {{K|d}}esignations menu allows you to select areas to dig. There are multiple methods of digging:
* '''[[Mining]]''' removes solid, floor-to-ceiling terrain (natural 'walls') on the z-level selected, leaving behind a rock or soil surface (also referred to as a natural floor). This does '''not''' do anything in areas without natural walls (for example, the surface or previously-mined areas).
* '''[[Channel]]ing''' removes ''natural'' (rock/soil) floors (either created naturally or by mining) and creates a ramp (▲) on the z-level below. Note that you will see a down arrow (▼) on the current z-level, indicating a ramp on the level below. (For best results, ensure that the area below is unrevealed, i.e. black).

To designate an area for digging:
#Hit {{K|d}} to bring up the [[Designations Menu]].
#Hit {{K|d}} to mine or {{k|h}} to channel (see above)
#Place the cursor on one corner of the rectangular area you want to designate and press {{K|Enter}}.
#Move the cursor to the other corner of the rectangle and press {{K|Enter}}. A rectangle will be highlighted and a miner will start to dig out this area once you exit the menu (with {{K|Esc}}) and unpause the game with {{K|Space}}.

This is basically how all of the designation commands work. Everything has to be designated one rectangle at a time, but rectangles can be many tiles wide. After you press {{K|d}} to designate, make sure it's set to "Standard" in the settings at the bottom, rather than "Marker only." You can set this with {{K|m}}. If it's set to "Marker only", the designation will not be carried out.

[[File:Digging Channeling tiles.PNG|200px|thumb|right|Demonstrating the difference between mining and channeling. Mining creates empty space on the same level where it is designated. Channeling creates empty space in the level below, clearing the floor. The levels are connected by up/down ramps. ]]

{{TipBox2|titlebg=red|float=left|Channeling|
Note that channeling can be [[fun|dangerous]]. Unless you know what you're doing, you should only ever make a pit one z-level deep. If you dig a pit multiple z-levels deep, only the lowest level will have an upward [[ramp]], which is not enough for dwarves to leave the pit. (Dwarves can [[climb]] out in some circumstances, but this is unreliable.)

<diagram>
Pit depth: 1 z-level 2 z-levels 2 z-levels
Ground[%26] [#2:1]__[#4:1][%31][#2:1]__ __ __ __ [#4:1][%31][#2:1]_
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#]
</diagram>

This diagram shows the cross-section (side view) of 1x1 pits channeled 1 z-level deep, 2 z-levels deep and the correct way to do a 2 z-level deep ramp. The appearance of "downward ramps" can be confusing as there is no such thing - the down arrow indicates a ramp on the level below. Dwarves in the first pit can walk up the ramp to ground level and escape, while dwarves in the second pit cannot use the ramp at all. The third pit lets dwarves walk back to the surface again since the two ramps are offset to produce a continued slope. In short, channels (particularly channels multiple z-levels deep) can be dangerous. Digging an entryway from the surface level is one of the few times you'll ever need to channel.

<small>Stairs can also be used for an entryway, but channels allow [[wagon]]s entry to your fortress.</small>
}}
If your wagon is near a [[cliff]] or hill (generally speaking, any difference in levels, usually shown by the existence of natural ramps), you can just designate a tunnel to mine ({{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) into the cliff to create an entryway. If the wagon is surrounded by flat terrain, [[channel]] out a 3x3 rectangle on the surface with {{K|d}}-{{K|h}} to create a sort of pit with ramps on the edges, then go down one z-level with {{K|>}} and tunnel into one wall of the pit (with {{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) to create your entry.

Dig a hallway one tile wide and ''at least'' 10 long, ideally more like 20 ({{k|Shift}} moves 10 tiles when digging, so this can be easily accomplished by pressing {{k|Shift}}+an arrow key twice). This will be your entryway.

Your entryway defines the boundary between your safe and protected inner fort, and the big, bad, outside world. You want this to be your only entrance, so that you only have to worry about defending this one opening. A somewhat-outdated video guide to starting a fortress can be found [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLYDcuk29bE&feature=plcp here]. (Note that this applies to v0.34.11, not v{{current/version/ns}}, so some parts may be inaccurate in the current version.)

{{clear}}
=== ''Additional miners'' ===
Mining will go faster if you have more than one dwarf doing it. By default, only one dwarf has the Mining labor enabled, but this can be changed fairly easily:
* Choose a dwarf that isn't doing anything especially useful (the fish cleaner is a good choice for a beginning fortress, but you can always change your mind if you end up with a useless peasant later on)
* Press {{k|v}}, navigate to the dwarf, and press {{k|p}}-{{k|l}}
* Enable the "Mining" option (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above)
* Exit with {{k|Esc}}
The next time you designate an area for mining, both of your miners should start working (assuming they're not busy doing something else).

'''Notes:'''
* Each miner requires a [[pick]]. A standard embark comes with 2 picks. If you want more than two miners, you'll need to forge more picks (forging is covered later in this guide). Two miners should be adequate for most fortresses, but more miners can add reliability (for when a miner decides to sleep) and speed. For now, you'll almost never need more than two miners, but you'll want more once your fortress expands.
* If you're digging a one-tile-wide hallway, only one miner can work from an end.
* Mining, Wood Cutting, & Hunting labors are mutually exclusive - a dwarf can only have up to one of these professions active at a time. For this reason, it's not recommended to make your only woodcutter a miner, since they won't be able to cut wood anymore.

==Delving Secure Lodgings==
Near the middle of the entry tunnel, build a 5x5 room, and link it to the entrance tunnel with a 3-tile-wide passageway. Expand the main entry tunnel to ''three'' tiles wide from the entrance of the new room to the outside entry. At the end of the entry tunnel, dig a small room, which will later become your main stairwell. Two tiles past that, dig a larger room, which will later become your general stockpile, and connect it to the stairwell with a narrow passageway.

[[File:Quickstart lodgings 1.png|thumb|right|An example layout, as described in this section. Note the 3-tile wide passage - this allows merchants to access your depot, which will go in the 5x5 room. Note that the turn also needs to be 3 tiles wide; otherwise, wagons won't be able to access the room.]]

=== ''Room dimensions'' ===
Apart from wagon access (3 tiles wide), the trade depot (5x5), and other workshops (3x3), there are no fixed dimensions you need to worry about. The lower limiting factor is the traffic your tunnels receive (dwarves may have to start climbing over each other), and the space your rooms need (stockpiles, tables/chairs, livestock). The practical maximum size is limited by how long it takes your miners to dig the rooms out, especially if they're digging in stone instead of soil (digging through soil is much faster). Most sites have at least one level soil layer below ground level, which is where you're digging right now, but as you dig deeper you'll hit stone (if you haven't already), and digging will become slower. In most fortresses, even the main hallways never need to be wider than 3 tiles, and needing more than 3 tiles of stairs per floor is very rare. A 3x3 per floor staircase (9 stairs!) is absolute overkill for anything but 20-year-old 300-resident capitals. For most tunnels in your fortress, 2 tiles wide will be sufficient, and many will be fine at just 1 tile wide. 11x11 is a convenient size for stockpile rooms, as the {{k|Shift}}+arrow keys move the cursor 11 tiles. However, something smaller is perfectly fine for rarer stockpiles, offices, and small dining rooms. Commoners’ bedrooms need not be larger than the amount of furniture you want inside.

=== ''Mining safety'' ===
While mining, take care to avoid digging into [[water]]. Dwarves are usually poor swimmers, and are unlikely to escape from an underground flood. However, it is safe to mine ''next to'' underground water, as long as you leave at least one "wall" tile between them (see the picture to the right). You can also mine one z-level under a body of water (for example, mining under a river), but you will have to designate each tile individually because DF automatically cancels digging of newly-revealed "damp" tiles (tiles are considered damp when they are adjacent to a water tile, regardless of whether the water tile is on the same z-level or not).

Also note that '''water can flow diagonally''':
<diagram>
[#00f]≈[#]▓.▓ [#00f]≈[#]▓.▓
▓▓.▓ ▓..▓

[#0f0]ok[#] [#f00]flood[#]
</diagram>

=== ''Stockpiles'' ===
[[File:Quickstart-custom-stockpile.png|right|thumb|Keep corpses, refuse, stone and wood out of general use stockpiles. You can come back and change the settings on this stockpile using {{K|q}}, selecting the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}}. Try to remember to come back here to disable/forbid types of things as you create more specific stockpiles for them.]]
'''Stockpiles''' are very important. These areas are where your dwarves will drop things for storage when they aren't needed elsewhere. To create a '''general purpose stockpile''' for your first storage area:
#Hit {{K|p}} to open the Stockpiles menu.
#Use {{K|t}} to change the [[Stockpile#Custom_stockpiles|custom stockpile]] settings to {{K|e}}nable everything but '''Corpses''', '''Refuse''', '''Stone''', '''Gems''', and '''Wood'''. Use directional keys, {{K|e}}nable, {{K|d}}isable to do this.
#{{k|Esc}} out of that screen back to the stockpiles menu.
#Hit {{K|c}} to select Custom Stockpile, if it isn't already selected.
#Designate the whole 11x11 storage room as a custom stockpile. This works just like designating an area to dig: place the cursor on one corner of the room, hit {{K|Enter}}, move to the opposite corner, and hit {{K|Enter}} again.
#Press {{K|Esc}} to get out of the Stockpiles menu.
Once you exit the stockpiles menu and unpause, you should see dwarves running off to haul everything from your wagon into the new stockpile area. Later, if you like, you can change what sort of things the stockpile accepts by hitting {{K|q}} (Set Building Tasks/Prefs), placing the cursor on the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}} to get to the stockpile settings.

It is particularly important to '''keep wood, stone, refuse, and corpses out of your general purpose stockpile''', so you may want to double check to make sure all of these things are disabled in the stockpile settings. Failure to keep these things out of this stockpile will rapidly fill it up, causing workshops to become cluttered when dwarves can't store things in the stockpile.
'''Note:''' When assigning stockpiles, you should make sure they're in a vacant area (i.e. the tiles should not have any items already stored on them). Dwarves will not haul items to occupied tiles, so make sure the area is vacant (and already mined out) before assigning a stockpile.

=== ''Stairways'' ===

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Up, Down, Up/Down: Types of Stairs|
In Dwarf Fortress, every [[z-level]] is composed of a [[floor]] and a [[wall]] (or "space between floors"). The confusingly named "down" and "up" [[stairs]] have nothing to do with the direction creatures can move to; instead, down stairs penetrate floors, while up stairs penetrate walls. Up/down stairs penetrate the wall and the floor below. ''(note the picture to the left)''

Consequently, you will normally use up/down stairs, and use down and up stairs only for the top and bottom-most level of your staircase respectively. If you're not sure whether you want to expand the staircase in the future, use up/down stairs at the end.
}}

Designate a downward [[Stairs|stairway]] in the room you dug out for the stairwell (''not'' the 5x5 room that you dug out earlier) with {{K-|d|j}}. Notice that after your miner digs the stairway, it doesn't automatically create another stairway on the z-level below. If you hit {{K|>}} to move the view down a z-level you'll see that there's no stairway below, but there is a revealed tile of rock/soil. Because of the down stairway that was dug, this tile is now accessible to miners. You can then designate an up/down stairway on it with {{K-|d|i}} and the miner dwarf will dig it out. Below that you can then dig out another up/down stairway and so on. For now just dig down one level; we will deepen the stairwell later.

[[Image:DF2014 Terraform.png|thumb|left|600px|''This is how the different stairs would look like from the side.'']]

{{clear}}

==Temporary Meeting Area==
[[File:Quickstart lodgings 2.png|thumb|right|An example meeting area. Note that this layer has a different type of soil than the layer above - this can happen often. Also note that the "north" side of this room is directly below the lake in the level above, but no water is present.]]

On the second z-level below ground (the one below the stockpile level, which you just reached with the staircase), dig a short, 3-tile wide passageway (this only needs to be 1-2 tiles long). Past that, dig out a room between 5x5 and 7x7, leaving room to enlarge it in at least one direction in the future. Using the {{k|i}} key, create an activity zone in the room you just created, filling the entire room (be careful not to make this too small lest your [[overcrowding|overcrowded]] animals start fighting). This works much like creating a stockpile except that you draw the rectangle before defining what the area is for. Draw the rectangle, filling the entire room, and set it to be a {{K|m}}eeting area. Your idle dwarves will hang around in this area, hopefully keeping them inside the fort and out of trouble.

NOTE: Again, make sure your [[DF2014:Activity_zone|activity zone]] is already mined out before attempting to designate the meeting area.

{{clear}}

==Refuse==
[[File:Dwarf fort tut miasma.jpg|thumb|right|Avoiding [[Miasma]]]]
Outside your fort entrance, use {{K|p}} followed by {{K|r}} to create a stock{{K|p}}ile for [[Stockpile#Refuse|{{K|r}}efuse]] ''at least'' 5x5 in size. This should be outside in the open or you will have problems with [[Miasma]]. If you do not disable [[vermin]] (Item Types -> remains), you will probably have to expand it later as it will fill up with vermin remains rather quickly. If you are seeing refuse appear in your general-purpose stockpile instead of the refuse pile, use {{K|q}} on the general stockpile and check its {{K|s}}ettings to make sure refuse has been disabled.
{{clear}}

==Food==

Food is necessary for your dwarves' survival - to keep functioning, they require constant supplies of food and drink - the {{k|z}} stock screen can be used to monitor how much food and drink is available. Luckily, your dwarves will eat almost everything raw, including plants.

===''Farming''===
For a reliable, long-term food and alcohol supply, you'll need to set up a farm. Dig out a medium-sized room in a [[soil]] layer (including sand, clay, loam, silt, peat, and ooze) accessible from inside your existing fortress. 5x5 is a good size to start with, but you'll want to leave room to expand in at least one direction. You must pick an ''underground'' area with mud or soil*. Placing this near the stockpiles is more efficient, since farmers won't need to travel as far.

[[File:Quickstart layout 3.png|thumb|right|A 5x5 room with a 3x3 farm plot]]


<sub>* Hopefully you have chosen a site with a soil layer, which will make farming much easier, but if not you will need to [[Irrigation|irrigate]] to create the required mud on stone floors.</sub>

Use {{K|b}}-{{k|p}} to build a 3x3 [[Farming|farm plot]] in the room you just created. Notice that some types of buildings (as well as most constructions) are not designated corner-to-corner like digging designations, stockpiles, or activity zones. Instead, you define the length and width of the building using {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|h}} and position it with the directional keys. Use {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|k}} to make the plot 3x3 and position it in the room, ideally near the wall to leave space for more plots later on.

Remember that you must enable the {{DFtext|Farming (Fields)}} labour for at least one dwarf, or the farm plot won't get built and farming will not take place. (If you selected "Play Now" earlier then you will start with a dwarf with farming enabled.)

{{K|Esc}} out of the build menu and wait for the farmer dwarf to create the plot. Once the plot is built, use {{K|q}} to set the plot to grow [[plump helmet]]s during all seasons. You can use {{K|+}} and {{K|-}} to select plump helmets (pressing {{k|-}} once should do the trick). Select with {{K|enter}}. '''You will need to press {{K|a}}, {{K|b}}, {{K|c}}, {{K|d}} and select Plump Helmets for each season''' — otherwise you'll end up with an idle field for 3/4ths of the year.

Later, if you are curious what is planted in each plot this season and how much, select the [[Controls_guide#View_items_in_buildings.2C_t|View Items in Buildings]] command {{K|t}} and move to the farm plot.

Note that a default embark starts with ''five'' plump helmet seeds — for now, only half of your field will end up being planted. Eventually, as your dwarves consume plump helmets, more seeds will become available and will be automatically planted by an unoccupied farmer.
:''For more troubleshooting tips, see [[How do I build a farm]]''
{{clear}}

=== ''Emergency food sources'' ===
Occasionally, even with a working plump helmet farm, you may experience food shortages. For now, you should have plenty of food on hand left over from embarking. However, if you ever run low on food, there are a few ways to obtain more:

==== ''Plant gathering'' ====
If you have shrubs ({{raw tile|"|2:0}}) growing above ground, you can harvest plants from them. Note that this requires a dwarf with the {{dftext|Plant gathering}} labor enabled (under {{dftext|Farming}}), and time (this can take a while for an inexperienced dwarf, and it doesn't always yield edible plants). To start, {{k|d}}esignate some {{k|p}}lants to be gathered on the surface (similar to selecting an area for mining, except it only selects plants in the given rectangle). Once processed, some will leave behind harvested plants (often edible berries).

====''Butchering''====
If you suddenly run low on food, butchering an animal is another option. Build a [[butcher]] shop ({{k|b}}, {{k|w}}, {{k|u}}) and mark one of your animals for slaughtering (press {{k|v}}, move the cursor to the animal, then press {{k|p}}, {{k|s}}). A dwarf with the butchering labor enabled will haul the animal off to the butcher's shop, work for a while, and produce neat stacks of meat products.

==Building material==
Initially, [[wood]] is probably a good choice for building material, as it's lightweight and can be easily obtained. You will need plenty of building materials as your fortress grows, but wood will suffice for now. If you are unable to locate enough wood (or if you run out of trees, which is unlikely at this point), extend your staircase down to a stone level ({{k|d}}-{{k|i}}) and mine out a small area (at least 5x5) to obtain stone.

Even if you don't have trees, you can obtain 3 logs from your embark wagon. Press {{K|q}}, place the cursor on your wagon, and hit {{K|x}} to deconstruct it. This will flag the wagon for disassembly. Eventually a carpenter will come along and turn the useless wagon into 3 units of wood. (Removing other buildings is done the same way.)

===''Woodcutting''===
{{Update in next major version}}
Assuming your site has [[tree]]s above ground, now is a good time to start obtaining wood. Create a stock{{K|p}}ile for {{K|w}}ood outside your entrance (preferably near to it). As it will only be temporary, don't make it too big (maybe 5x3, or 15 tiles total). Later, you will move this closer to your carpenter's workshop (once you build one), so don't worry about placement too much. Also near the entry, designate a couple of trees to be chopped down with {{K|d}}-{{K|t}}. One tree will produce many logs, so only designate three to five at this point. If you designate too many trees, your woodcutters will spend all of their time chopping them down and hauling the resulting logs, instead of doing other work. As soon as one tree is cut down and its wood stored in a stockpile, you can proceed to the next step (your woodcutter will continue cutting down any remaining designated trees).

==Drinks==
Drinks can be more problematic than food, since they require more preparation (except for [[water]], that is). In warmer weather, you can specify a "water source" activity zone ({{k|i}}-{{k|w}}) around a lake or river on the surface to keep your dwarves from dying of thirst, but dwarves deprived of [[alcohol]] slow down and become unhappy. In addition, drinking outside can be dangerous — dwarves running outside constantly risk running into wild animals, or worse. Creating a [[still]] to brew alcohol is the simplest solution to these problems.

You need a [[brewer]] to brew drinks. Unfortunately, your brewer is also your woodcutter (with a default embark), who is busy cutting down trees. You will want to make a different dwarf your brewer instead, since both your brewer and woodcutter will be busy (and one dwarf can't do both jobs at the same time).
# Find your woodcutter in the {{k|u}}nits list, select it, and press {{k|z}} (this selects the dwarf without you having to search your entire map). Use the {{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu to disable brewing (located under "Farming/related" — you can navigate this menu with the {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} buttons).
# Pick another dwarf that isn't doing anything useful. Right now, this can probably be your fish cleaner, but you can change this as soon as some migrants arrive (by following these steps again).
# Use the {{k|u}}-{{k|z}}-{{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu again to enable brewing on the new dwarf.

[[File:Quickstart still 1.png|thumb|right|A completed still]]
Assuming you have building materials available (which you will if your woodcutter has been doing their job), you can now create a still:
# Dig out a 3x3 area connected to the farm plot.
# Use {{k|b}}-{{k|w}}-{{k|l}} to build a still. Position it in the 3x3 area you just created and press {{k|Enter}}.
# Use {{K|Enter}} to select a building material for the still (this is probably one of the logs you just cut down by default).
# Use {{k|Esc}} to exit the menu, and unpause the game.
After a short delay, your new brewer should run off, drag a log over to the workshop site, and build the workshop. (This is also how building other workshops works, but you won't need to do that yet).

To brew drinks, use {{k|q}} to select the still and press {{k|a}}dd task-{{k|b}}rew drink. '''This will not work yet''', since you don't have any empty barrels or rock pots, but you should start brewing in the first six months (see [[Calendar]] and [[Status]]).
{{clear}}

==Pasture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|Grazers|
If you aren't sure whether or not an animal is a grazer, you can check {{catlink|Grazer|this category}}. (You can also [[Special:search|search]] for the animal on this wiki.)
}}
If you have any grazing animals with you, such as the draft animals used to pull your wagon, they will die if they are kept away from grass for too long. Use {{K|i}} to create a Pe{{K|n}}/[[Pasture]] zone over a grassy area outside and assign your grazing animals to it using {{K|N}} (while still selecting the zone). This area needs to be about 10x10 or so to ensure they have enough grass and don't trample it all. The amount of grass required varies greatly, depending on the type(s) of animals being pastured. If you intend to keep grazing animals permanently, you may need vastly larger pastures later. As an alternative, you might wish to [[Butcher's shop|slaughter]] your largest animals for food and materials.

==Designing your first fortress==
While this guide recommends a vertical fortress design around a central stairwell, with each z-level being used for a particular purpose, it is not really that important to use this design for your first fortress. Therefore, feel free to put any of the areas described in the rest of this guide on your main level or wherever you want as long as dwarves can get to them without going outside the fort. In other words, you can think of the "levels" described in the guide more as areas that can really all be on the same level if you have space. Later you can ponder over what makes things most efficient, but for now just do whatever you find easiest. Note that you may need to dig down a bit to get to stone if you have more than one z-level of sand/clay/soil below the surface.

==Workshops==
[[File:Quickstart workshops 1.png|thumb|right|An example workshop layout. The gem stockpile (empty) is north of the Jeweler's workshop (southwest corner), the wood stockpile is east of the Carpenter's workshop (northwest corner), and the stone stockpile occupies the rest of the space. Note the wheelbarrow (Ö/umlaut-O) in the stone stockpile.]]
Most labors of your dwarves need a place where they can process raw materials — [[workshop]]s. Almost all of them occupy a 3x3 square, and most of them require just 1 unit of any building material (wood, stone, metal). Dig your stairwell down one level (with {{K-|d|i}}), if you haven't already. It's fine if this layer is soil — in fact, soil is better, since it's easier to dig through (if you only have one soil layer, you can put these workshops somewhere on your first level). Dig space for your workshops off of the stairwell. It will hold your [[Mechanic's_workshop|mechanic's]], [[Stoneworker's_workshop|stoneworker's]], [[Carpenter's_workshop|carpenter's]], and [[Jeweler's_workshop|jeweler's]] [[workshop]]s. Something to consider is stockpile proximity: the farther away the material is the dwarves use, the more time they waste with walking. So for now, dig out some more space for stockpiles close to where your new workshops will be (wood for your carpenter, stone for your stoneworker and mechanic, and gems for your jeweler).
It doesn't matter if you put everything in one large room or dig out small rooms for each workshop and stockpile. Note however that some tiles of workshops are impassable: they appear as dark green 'X' when you choose a location (the specific wiki pages of the workshops also show you this). So before you build small 3x3 rooms for each workshop, make sure your dwarves will be able to reach them. Once you've dug out your rooms, set your miners to work by adding a z-level or two to the staircase (you can designate multiple z-levels at once using {{k|<}} and {{k|>}}, just like moving up and down). Hopefully you'll obtain some stone by doing this, which will be useful eventually. While your miners are busy, use {{K-|b|w}} to build the workshops, using whatever building material you have. If you are still digging in soil and don't have stone yet, just use wood; the material really doesn't matter in this case. Be sure that your craftsdwarves still have labors corresponding to each workshop enabled (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above) so they will begin construction. (Dwarves already busy mining or hauling may not immediately stop to construct workshops; if you like, you may temporarily disable other labors in order to jumpstart workshop construction.) If the construction of any building gets "suspended" just use {{K|q}} to unsuspend it. (This can happen if another dwarf or object is blocking the way. See [[#"Garbage" Dumping|Garbage Dumping]] below if you find you need to remove an object.)

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Too Good for Menial Peon Work|Certain labors are crucial in setting up a fort. At some point you may want to disable less important labors such as hauling for dwarves with the crucial skills of mining, masonry, architecture, carpentry, mechanics, and maybe others. You want these dwarves working on creating beds, doors, and trap components before hauling stone and cleaning.}}
Remove the temporary wood stockpile you created outside (using {{K-|p|x}} and selecting the entire stockpile) and dwarves will move the wood to the new wood storage area.

Go to your stoneworker's shop with {{K|q}} and use {{K|a}} to queue up one [[table|{{k|t}}able]] and one [[throne]]/{{k|c}}hair. You will find out why you need these in a second, but now is a good time to start building them. If you still don't have any stone at this point just use wood at the carpenter's workshop.

At this point, it is a good idea to build a few [[wheelbarrow]]s to make hauling large objects (particularly stone) more efficient. Queue up 2 or 3 at the carpenter's workshop. (Wheelbarrows are located near the bottom of the list, on a separate page. They are not visible initially, so you'll need to scroll with {{k|+}} or {{k|-}} — scrolling up with {{k|-}} is more efficient, as it wraps to the bottom of the list.) While the wheelbarrows are being built, select your stone stockpile with {{k|q}} and use {{k|w}} to increase "Max Wheelbarrow" to 3 (the maximum). Your dwarves will automatically move wheelbarrows to the stockpile once they are built.

===''"Where did I build that ____?"''===
As you build workshops, furnaces, Trade Depot, other buildings, rooms and even zones, you may start to lose track of where they all are -- or where they're supposed to be built, but some dwarf is too busy eating/drinking/hauling. There are a couple of commands available from the main UI that will help you locate what you built.

* You can View {{K|R}}ooms/Buildings to see a Building List, and also Zoom {{K|t}}o the building/item, or {{K|q}}uery the building tasks.

* For incomplete buildings/constructions, you can also open the {{K|j}}ob list and then Go to {{K|b}}uilding to find the intended location.

{{clear}}

== Brewing ==
You'll need [[barrel]]s to store drinks for your dwarves. The stockpile you set up earlier will use as many barrels as possible to store items in, which means they can't be used to store drinks. To change this, press {{k|p}} to access the stockpile menu and use {{k|*}} to increase the number of "reserved" barrels (i.e. barrels kept out of stockpiles - 5 barrels is good for now). Queue up two or three barrels in your carpenter's workshop with {{k|a}}-{{k|v}}. (If you run out of wood at any point, cut down another tree or two outside). If a lack of wood cancelled a job, you will need to queue the job again. Go back to your still and order some drinks to be {{k|a}}-{{k|b}}rewed. Each drink requires one barrel and one edible plant, such as a plump helmet. Even if none of yours have been harvested yet, you should have some left over from embark. Also, brewing plump helmets creates ''two'' seeds from one plant, which makes plump helmets an excellent choice for a beginning fortress. Five barrels should be plenty for now (each plant makes 5 "units", or servings, of booze, and dwarves don't need to drink too often, so 30 units should last you a whole year. When the stocks get low, you'll probably want to start queueing up more drinks to be made (you should have more empty barrels by then)).

=="Garbage" Dumping==
{{main|Garbage dump}}

'''Note that garbage is not the same thing as refuse.''' [[Stockpile#Refuse|Refuse]] is [[Miasma|rotting stuff]]. Garbage is anything you designate to be hauled to a [[Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump]], even important things that aren't really garbage. Think of your garbage dump zone as a way to specify that objects you select will be brought to a specific area.

Use {{K|i}} to create a 1x1 activity zone somewhere near your mason's and mechanic's workshops and set it to be a garbage {{k|d}}ump. Unlike stockpile areas where you are limited to storing one object per tile, any number of items may be piled in a garbage area. That means you will only need one tile to hold as much "garbage" as you like. Although many of the room sizes in this guide are suggestions, think of the 1x1 garbage dump size as mandatory. At some point you will probably want to retrieve an important item from your garbage dump, and the more tiles your dump contains, the harder it will be to find anything in it. Press {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} to get to the mass dump/forbid screen and select the {{k|d}}ump option. With "dump" selected, designate a rectangle over the loose stones cluttering up your living area (if there are any – this often isn't a problem yet if you've built your fort in a soil layer). This will designate this stone to be transported to a garbage dump zone. Be sure not to designate the stone in your stockpiles by mistake, since that will only cause your dwarves to perform unnecessary hauling. Once the stone from your living area has been moved there, it will be set as [[Forbid|forbidden]]. Before it can be used you will need to unforbid it using the same {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} screen, hitting {{k|c}} to claim it. Note that dwarves hauling stone (or any large, heavy objects) move slowly, and can take a lot of time to reach their destination. This can be a major waste of time if you designate 50 boulders to be dumped at once. Unless the stone is in the way of something, you don't ''need'' to dump it every time you dig out a new area. Stones lying on the ground don't slow dwarves down at all. If there is a particular dwarf you don't want hauling "garbage", you can disable the "Refuse Hauling" labor (under the "Hauling" category). Miners are good candidates, since they are far more useful when digging than when moving the stone they just dug out.

Congratulations! Knowing how to use garbage dump zones puts you head and shoulders above many new players - it takes some people weeks to figure this out.

==Trading==
Not all embark sites have all the resources you need for a successful fortress, but every site has ''something'' you can sell. A talented dwarf can process any useless resource into something valuable, and [[trading]] is a good way to sell those goods.

''Note that producing goods creates [[wealth]] and getting too much wealth too fast can have [[Immigration#Migrant_wave_sizes|unwanted]] [[Siege|consequences]].''
===Trade Depot===
Build a [[trade depot]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|D}} in the 5x5 room you created near your entrance. This is where [[caravan]]s will park their stuff and where [[trading]] will take place when one arrives. (as stated earlier, the wagons are 3x3 so the entrance tunnel needs to be at least 3x3 for the wagons to go by). You will need one [[architect]], which will be enabled on your mason if you selected {{DFtext|Play now!}} at embark. You also need at least 3 logs or boulders to build the depot.

===Producing for export===
While there are some goods that are more valuable, and some that are less valuable, it's a good idea to simply produce/export what you have too much of and to import what you have too little of.
Generally though, [[Gem]]s and [[Finished goods]] are decent exports for a new player.

===Trading===
Once a caravan has arrived, you can mark the goods you want to sell through the Trade Depot, and your dwarves will begin moving them to the depot. Be careful not to sell wooden items to [[Elf|Elves]]; '''this includes containers:''' even a wooden bin full of metal crafts will make them upset. Also note that the traders will want to make a profit off of you. While they're happy with about 200%, the more profit they make on your site, the more goods they will bring next time, so it can be a good idea to give them even better deals.

''A more detailed overview of the entire process is [[Trading#Trading_Flowchart|here]].''

===What to buy===
In your first fortress, your priority should be importing some [[food]] and [[alcohol]]. In addition, you might want more [[Meat industry|livestock]], [[seed]]s (comes with a free bag), and - depending on what resources you are missing - additional [[pick]]s, [[barrel]]s, [[wood]], [[bag]]s, as well as [[rope]] and a [[bucket]] (for a well). While you're at it, check if you need an [[anvil]]. Maybe you forgot to bring one, or a [[kea]] stole it. Always having a small supply of ''all 3 kinds'' of [[cloth]], some [[gem]]s, [[leather]], a bit of [[sand]] (free bag!) are handy to have, as those are hard to come by on short notice.
If you're short on weapons-grade [[metal]] for your military, import not only actual metal [[bar]]s and [[ore]]s, buy ''all'' metal goods you can afford and [[Melt item|melt]] them down in a [[smelter]] to increase your yield.

===Troubleshooting===
Once the depot is built, use {{K|D}} from the main menu to make sure your depot is accessible. (This command is only available once the depot is built – before building, the command will be disabled, and while the depot is under construction everything will flash red until the depot is built). Once completed, checking {{k|D}}epot access will flash some of the following symbols:
* {{raw tile|X|4:4:1}}: This tile is not accessible by wagon. This could be because something is blocking it (a tree, a natural [[boulder]], etc.).
* {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}: This tile is accessible by wagon. (These tiles will radiate outward from the depot, not from the map edges.)
:This is good, but does not guarantee wagons will be able to reach the depot. Make sure you see the words {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} in the menu.
* {{raw tile|D|3:2:1}} The depot is accessible via wagon.
* {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}} The depot is '''not''' accessible by wagon. See below.

If you see the message {{DFtext|Depot inaccessible|4:1}} in the menu (or the {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}}) symbol over the depot, try these solutions:
* Is the path to the depot (in your fortress) less than 3 tiles wide? If so, expand the entranceway and try {{k|D}} again.
* Are there [[tree]]s blocking a path to the depot outside? Try clearing a path by cutting down a few (you probably won't need to cut ''all'' the trees in a 3-tile wide path); usually cutting some at the end of a path of {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}'s clears a path.
* Are there [[boulder]]s ({{raw tile|∞|7:0:0}}) blocking the path outside? To remove them easily, you need an [[engraver]]. If you selected "play now", you should have one already. Select {{k|d}}-{{k|s}}mooth Stone and designate the boulder(s) for smoothing. They should flash this symbol: {{raw tile|┼|7:0:1}}
* Is the path to the depot only accessible via stairs or did you build traps in the way? Wagons cannot pass traps or stairs, even if they're 3x3 wide.
It's possible that there are multiple obstacles blocking the depot, so keep checking {{k|D}}epot access until the {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} message appears.

''Note that even if your depot is inaccessible to wagons, traders still will come without wagons. They will carry much less goods and you can sell them much less, because their carrying capacity is greatly reduced.''

== Migrants ==
{{gametext|Some migrants have arrived.}}
At some point soon, you'll most likely be getting migrants (if you haven't already). You'll usually get between 5 and 15 migrants in the first 2 waves, which occur sometime during your second and third seasons. See [[/Migrants|this page]] for advice when you receive migrants.

== Bedrooms ==
Up to this point, your dwarves have probably been sleeping on dirt or rock in your fortress. While this is fine for a short time, your dwarves will gradually become less happy if they are forced to sleep without a bed. Under normal circumstances beds can only be made from wood, so be sure to designate some more trees to be cut down if you're short on logs.

[[Bedroom design|Designing living quarters]] is largely a matter of personal preference and aesthetic sense. While a few useful designs are discussed here, there are many other options. In general, try to keep the bedrooms close to the stairs, and make your access hallways at least two tiles wide to reduce congestion.

=== Location ===
Because noise generated from certain jobs (especially mining and woodcutting) can bother sleeping dwarves, doing these jobs within 8 tiles of a sleeping dwarf should be avoided (see [[noise]] for more information). There are two ways of accomplishing this:
* Placing bedrooms at the end of a hallway at least 8 tiles long will avoid most noise (as long as you are careful to avoid noisy jobs directly above or below the bedrooms).
* Extending your fortress down several z-levels will also work (9 levels from the surface is a safe choice), although extending a 3x3 staircase takes more work than extending a single hallway.
Both options work equally well, as long as you are careful to avoid disturbing sleeping dwarves. Ultimately it depends on how you want your fortress to look.

=== Layout ===
Due to the limited resources of a new fortress, setting up a communal sleeping area in a dormitory is often the best short-term solution. However, you can also set up individual bedrooms for dwarves.

'''Benefits of individual bedrooms:'''
* Dwarves are happier with their own bedroom and furniture.
* Individual rooms can increase your fort's perceived wealth.
'''Benefits of dormitories:'''
* Dormitories are easier to set up and expand (only one room is necessary, and each dwarf only requires one bed).
* Sleeping dwarves are much less likely to be attacked when other dwarves are around them.
* Multiple dwarves can sleep in a dormitory. In contrast, only one dwarf can ever sleep in a bedroom (dwarves cannot sleep in another dwarf's bedroom, even when unoccupied).
* Far fewer beds are needed – in a fort of 50 dwarves, for example, around five dwarves will be sleeping at a time (on average). A dormitory, therefore, rarely requires above ten beds, while individual bedrooms would require 50 beds to be built.
* Even when all of the beds are occupied, dwarves will still sleep in the general area of the dormitory. This is more convenient than having dwarves sleeping all over your fort.
For now, setting up a dormitory is easiest (although you can change this later, if you feel the need to).

=== Building ===
Queue up as many beds as you need in a carpenter's workshop (no more than 3 or 4 should be necessary for a dormitory). Beds are queued with {{k|q}}-{{k|a}}-{{k|b}} at a [[carpenter's workshop]] and built with {{k|b}}-{{k|b}}. (As long as your furniture/general-purpose stockpile isn't full yet, dwarves will store beds in them as they are finished, so there may be a delay before they're available to be built.)

'''Setting up a dormitory:'''
# Dig out an empty room in the location you selected.
# Once you have a bed ready, build it near the middle of the room (towards the end away from the entrance).
# Use {{k|q}} to select the bed and {{k|r}} to turn it into a bedroom. Resize the room until it fills the area you dug out (positioning the bed away from the entrance makes it easier to avoid extending the room out into the hallway). If you decide you don't like the position of the bed, remove it with {{k|q}}-{{k|x}} and place it again.
# Press {{k|d}} to turn the room into a dormitory (the menu should read {{DFtext|d: Dormitory <Y>}})
Once you have more beds built, you can place them in the same room. You don't need to mark them as dormitories as long as they're in the area you designated for the bedroom.

[[File:Quickstart-level-7-bedrooms.png|thumb|right|An example of individual bedrooms (with furniture, discussed below)]]
'''Setting up individual bedrooms:'''
# Dig out a small room for each bed (the size and shape are up to you, but 2 to 4 tiles generally works best).
# Build each bed in a room when ready
# Use {{k|q}}-{{k|r}} to mark the bed as a bedroom.
You should see {{DFtext|Current owner: Nobody}} in the menu. A dwarf will eventually get around to claiming the bedroom – you don't need to assign each dwarf to a specific bedroom.

==Nobles and Administrators==
Hit the {{k|n}} key to open up the [[Noble|nobles and administrators]] screen. The most important positions to assign are '''[[manager]]''', '''[[broker]]''', and '''[[bookkeeper]]'''.
* A '''manager''' will allow you to queue up [[work order]], which will greatly simplify managing your production.
* A '''bookkeeper''' will allow you to maintain inventory counts on the {{K|z}} screen so you'll know what you do and don't have.
* A '''broker''' is necessary to trade with a caravan once one has arrived at your [[trade depot]].

===Manager & Bookkeeper===
Your [[expedition leader]] is a good choice for manager and bookkeeper when starting out. Don't worry that it's just one dwarf doing all this; none of these jobs take very long.

While you are on this screen, highlight the bookkeeper and {{K|s}}et them to work for "Highest Precision" (all counts accurate). This will help train [[record keeper|bookkeeping]] faster and ensure that you aren't dealing with vague inventory counts.
:''See [[Stocks]] for a detailed explanation of the {{k|z}}-stocks screen.''

===Broker===
The broker should be another one of your other dwarves (rather than being the same as your bookkeeper) so that they're not too busy doing bookkeeping to actually talk to the traders when a trade delegation arrives.

Don't worry about the [[chief medical dwarf]] yet. He/she will be needed when you set up your [[Healthcare|hospital]] which won't be covered in this guide. Feel free to go check out the [[Healthcare]] guide once you're done.

===Offices (Studies)===
Some of your administrative positions (manager and bookkeeper) require an [[office]] in order to function. If your manager, for example, doesn't have an office, you will not be able to do any of the things that require a manager even though you have one assigned.
[[File:Quickstart-noble-selection.png|right|thumb|Nobles screen. The red stuff turns white once an office is assigned.]]

Earlier you should have queued up a table and throne in your mason's shop, and they should be done by now.
# Dig out a room near your sleeping quarters or stockpiles (at least 1x3, no more than 5x5).
# Place the furniture in it with {{k|b}}-{{k|c}} (chair) and {{k|b}}-{{k|t}} (table).
# Wait for the dwarves to install the furniture
# Use {{K|q}} to select the '''chair'''/throne (not the table), select "Make Throne Room or Study" ({{k|r}}), size the room appropriately, and then {{k|a}}ssign the chair to your expedition leader (who should be both your bookkeeper and manager).
# Hit {{K|n}} to verify that these positions now have the office they need (if so, {{DFtext|[REQUIRE]|7:1}} should no longer be red).

==Furniture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Different Names, Same Thing|As you've noticed, some things have different names based on what they're made of (for example, chairs vs. thrones and chests vs. coffers) even if they're functionally the same (material almost never makes a difference). [[Furniture#Furniture_types_with_multiple_names|Here's a list.]]

[[Bed]]s are a notable exception — they can only be made of wood.
}}
Now would be a good time to start building some [[furniture]]. You could queue up all these items directly from your workshops, but why not give your new manager a little practice?
Using the manager screen {{k|j}}-{{k|m}}, hit {{k|q}} to queue up a new job, and type "[[bed]]", and then select "construct bed." Set the quantity to around 4 (or more, depending on how many beds you need). Next, queue up at least four [[table]]s, eight [[throne]]s/chairs, and four doors. Make sure you select a material you have – rock or wood will both work for all of these (except beds), so use whatever you have in your stockpiles. If you like, you can also queue up a few wooden [[chest]]s or rock coffers and [[cabinet]]s (which can be used in bedrooms, if you set up individual bedrooms). The tables and chairs will go in your [[dining room]], speaking of which...

==Dining and Food Prep Area==
Right off the main stairwell (any unused area by the staircase will work), create three rooms. One will be for general food storage, one a [[dining room|dining hall]], and one a [[kitchen]]. The kitchen will allow you to make [[Cook#Recipes|prepared food]]. Make the room for the kitchen 5x5. The storage area and dining hall should be larger. Ideally, leave empty space on at least one side of your dining hall so that it can be expanded later if necessary.

[[File:Quickstart_dining_area.png|right|thumb|Dining level with dining hall (east), kitchen (north), storage area (west), fishery, butcher's workshop, and tanner's workshop (south).]]

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}}-{{k|z}} to build the kitchen in the middle of the 5x5 room. Use {{k|p}} to create {{K|f}}ood stockpiles in the remaining space around it, as well as the entire food storage room. Go back to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings to {{K|d}}isable Food. This will cause any food in your general purpose stockpile to get moved to your new food-only stockpiles. Hit {{K|z}} and select ''[[Kitchen]]'' from the top of the screen, then disable all cooking for plants, using {{K|c}}, {{K|C}} does everything (disable is red) and enable brewing for them so that they will only be used for brewing. Also disable alcoholic beverages for cooking, otherwise your cooks will waste perfectly good hooch in their cooking. The only time you might want to use alcohol in cooking is when you have lots of booze but are running out of food. If you plan to do any fishing, dig out another area and create a [[Fishery]] on this level so the uncleaned fish your fisherdwarf just caught can be cleaned (gutted) for consumption or cooking. If you plan to do any hunting or [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] any animals, create a [[Butcher's shop]] on this level so animal corpses can be butchered. The fishery/butcher's shop can be placed behind the kitchen or the general food stockpile, for example. A door is recommended for the butcher's shop in order to contain [[Miasma]] should something rot, and to otherwise avoid offending squeamish dwarves. Eventually, go check out the subpage on [[/Stockpiles/]] for more information on fine-tuning these stockpiles for maximum efficiency. For now you can safely procrastinate on this and move on to the next section.

==Placing Furniture==
Once your furnishings are complete, you need to place them in rooms using the {{K|b}}uild command. Put the new {{k|c}}hairs and {{k|t}}ables in the dining room. If you like, you can add doors for aesthetics (they can be useful in case something starts rotting in your food stockpiles). If you created chests and cabinets, you can add them to each room if you want, but it is not urgent now.

==Meeting Hall==
Use {{K|q}} on one of the tables you just placed in the dining room, define the area as a {{k|r}}oom, and configure it to be a meeting {{k|h}}all. This will cause idle dwarves to hang around in the dining hall. You want idlers in a central location, close to where you will be placing your emergency drawbridge levers. You should probably remove the temporary meeting area (and any other meeting areas that you created earlier) with {{K|i}}-{{k|x}}.

==Checking Supplies==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Hostile Wilds|Before turning on either hunting or fishing, examine the {{K|u}}nits screen to see if there are any dangerous critters your hunters/fishers need worry about. With hunting especially, you may need to check this screen frequently.}}
Use the {{K|z}} ([[status]]) screen to check your stock levels. How much food and booze do you have left? You only have unprepared food at this point, and the booze you brought with you, but soon you will be making more. If you are running low on food, you can designate gathering some [[shrub|outdoor plants]], [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some animals, turn on [[fishing]], or turn on [[hunting]] to tide you over for a bit. Hunting and slaughtering animals both require a butcher's shop.

==Brewing and Cooking==
Once your first crop of plump helmets starts to come in, you will want to start [[brewing]] as a [[repeat]]ing task. Also, now would be a good time to start [[cooking]] actual meals rather than forcing your dwarves to eat raw food. Cooking [[Cooking#Recipes|easy meals]] will train dwarves faster, but they may be happier with [[Cooking#Recipes|lavish meals]]. So, you might want to cook easy ones until your cook or cooks skill up to a certain point then have them start making lavish meals. Prepared food is cooked from two (easy), three (fine), or four (lavish) raw food/alcohol ingredients. Each prepared food item will be called a 'something' (for instance, a specific animal meat) "biscuit", "stew", or "roast" depending on the lavishness of the meal.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Conserving Resources|Some things absolutely require wood (like beds and charcoal), but others can be made out of more common materials like stone. For this reason it's best, especially in the beginning, to make everything that you can out of stone. For example, you could make wood chests and barrels, but stone coffers and rock pots would let you save wood for things that require it and help you rid yourself of all that stone. And if you decide you want solid gold chests or something later when you have more resources, you can always throw out the rock coffers.}}
Speaking of booze, in order to keep the booze flowing, you will need to create some [[barrel]]s, or some stone [[pot]]s. Your dwarves should have emptied a few barrels by now to get you started, but you will definitely need more. A ''lot'' more. If you have an abundance of trees, then you can designate some more for cutting, and have your carpenter make a bunch of wooden barrels, but it may be more prudent to make a [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]], make sure someone has the [[Stonecrafting]] labor enabled, and build a bunch of rock pots. (Rock pots are essentially barrels made of rock.) And don't worry that you've made too many; you almost can't get enough of them. Keep checking your food and drink stock levels on the {{K|z}} screen periodically. While cooked food (properly stockpiled) and alcohol don't spoil, there is really no need to stock 2,000 units of dwarven wine at this point. Ten times the number of drinks and meals as you have dwarves is more than enough. If you start running out of food or drinks, designate some wild plants for harvesting, [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some of your animals, start hunting or fishing, or start more farms. (Actually, now would be a fine time to make another 3x3 farm. Set it to produce [[sweet pod]]s in the spring and summer, [[cave wheat]] or [[pig tail]]s (your choice) in the fall (autumn), and [[plump helmet]]s in the winter. Having multiple types of plants will give your dwarves more variety in their food and drink, keeping them from [[Thought|grumbling]].)

==Storage Space==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#0a0|float=right|Advanced Stockpiling|Check out the [[/Stockpiles|Stockpiles]] sub-page for more information on fine-tuning your stockpiles, especially in the food production area. This is somewhat complicated and it can safely be skipped if you don't feel like tinkering with stockpiles right now.}}
You should probably start making some wooden '''[[Bin|bins]]''' to help you store more stuff in less space. You might not need them yet, but you certainly will later. Bins are somewhat like barrels/pots, but they can store things other than just food and drink. Bins will also reduce the amount of labor needed to [[haul]] things to your trade depot or other stockpiles. So designate some more trees to be chopped down and queue up some bins. As with barrels and pots, you almost can't have enough bins.

==Situational Awareness==
At this point you might already have lost one or two games. Understanding why that happened is the most important part to get better and avoid frustration. To do so, you should be aware of what situation your fortress is in at all times: Are there enemies on the map? Do your dwarves have enough food? How many dwarves do you have? What season is it?

Along with just loo{{K|k}}ing around periodically, there are 4 screens that can help you with these questions:

* The {{K|u}}nit screen with its various tabs. Keep an eye out for invaders, dangerous animals and so on
* The status screen ({{K|z}}) and its "stocks" subscreen ''(Remember to appoint a [[bookkeeper]] and set him to the highest accuracy)''. Pay attention to the current date and your supplies.
* {{K|a}}nnouncements, and
* Combat {{K|r}}eports

Check them periodically and you will be able to recognize problems earlier and avoid disasters better.

=Beyond a Minimal Fortress=

By now you should have your main entrance created, along with a farm, general-purpose stockpile, refuse pile (for trash), and [[trade depot]]. Somewhere you should have a mason's shop, a mechanic's shop, a carpenter's shop, and a jeweler's shop, surrounded by appropriate storage piles with garbage zone (for excess stone). You should also have a furnished dining area with kitchen, still, and food storage, and a residential area with furnished bedrooms and an office. You should have selected your administrators, and might even have an optional fishery, butcher's shop, craftsdwarf's workshop, or other stuff. At this point, you have all the components of a minimal but functional fortress! Your next steps will be to make it safer and better-protected, to set up your [[metal industry]], and later to prepare your [[military|militia]].

==Traps==
Start producing '''[[mechanism]]s''' at your [[mechanic's workshop]]. Queue up ten. After they are built, use them to create [[Trap#Stone-fall_Trap|stone fall traps]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|T}}. Be sure not to block access to your depot! Queue up some [[cage]]s, and more mechanisms, and use these to create some [[Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps]] right after your stone traps. Cage traps are incredibly effective at stopping ambushers, but traps in general will not protect you from [[thief|thieves and kidnappers]] who will almost always bypass them. (To deal with these ambushers, see the next section on [[#Guard Animals|guard animals]]). Continue to fill up your entry hall with alternating rows of stone and cage traps as the parts become available. Ideally you want to have enough cage traps to take out most of the [[goblin]]s so your military will only have to mop up.

Note that traps will block wagons from reaching your trade depot (although pack animals will still arrive safely). A few ways to avoid this are shown below:

{|
|-
|<diagram>
[#1:1]^^^^^
[#2:1].....
.....
.....
[#1:1]^^^^^
</diagram>
|A simple strategy, most useful above ground where invaders can come from the sides – underground, this is less useful (invaders don't tend to emerge from the walls).
'''Legend:''' In this diagram and the one below, traps are blue {{DFtext|^|1:1}} (^) symbols, and the green {{DFtext|.|2:1}} and red {{DFtext|.|4}} (.) symbols represent the ground and cave floor.
|-
|<diagram fg="4:0">
░░░░░░░░░
░.......░
░.......░
░.......░
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
░░░░░░░░░
</diagram>
|A more complex design, but also extremely effective (best used underground). The majority of invaders will choose to take the shortest path, directly through the traps. This can also be extended to make a wider group of traps of a longer safe route.

This is relatively easy to implement if you already have a 3-tile wide hallway – just dig a small loop off it and place traps in the old location.
|}

Note that this is only necessary when caravans can't get to your trade depot, because the hallway is filled with traps - if your trade depot is not behind a trap-lined hallway, you can safely make a hallway full of traps - citizens won't trigger traps.

If you place a trap somewhere you didn't mean to, remove it with {{k|t}}-{{k|x}} or {{k|q}}-{{k|x}}.

==Guard Animals==
Create one 1x1 [[pasture]] near the beginning of your entryway, in the middle tile, using {{K|i}}. Using the {{K|N}} key inside the zone interface, assign a [[dog]] or other non-grazing animal to it. This animal will spot thieves and raiders before they gain entrance to your fortress. Try to pick a disposable animal, as it ''will'' be slaughtered by the first ambush raiders. Ideally, don't assign female animals; you want them safe for [[Meat industry#Breeding|breeding]] (you should make sure to keep at least one male around for breeding as well).

==Drawbridge==
In case of an [[ambush]] or [[siege]], you will want to close up your fort, keeping the goblins out until your [[squad]]s have formed up and are in position. Therefore, you can build a [[Bridge|drawbridge]] ({{K|b}}-{{K|g}}) to seal off your entryway. Make sure to use {{K|w}}, {{K|a}}, {{K|d}}, or {{K|x}} to make it raise up in the right direction, which then forms a barrier to block enemy ranged units. If you don't get the orientation of the bridge correct, it will just retract (disappear) instead of raising up, allowing enemy ranged units to fire across.

Put the drawbridge between the trade depot and the hall-o-traps so you can lock things out of the fort. Build a lever ({{K|b}}-{{K|T}}-{{K|l}}) near your meeting area and [[Lever#Linking|link]] it to the drawbridge by using {{K|q}} on the lever. (This linking will require 3 [[mechanisms]] in total.)

==Metal Industry==
[[File:Quickstart-level-2-forge.png|thumb|right|Level -2: Forge and smelters with ore stockpile in the middle.]]
Now, below your first workshop level, dig out four more 5x5 rooms around the stairwell. Three of these will be [[smelter]]s ({{k-|b|e|s}}), and one a [[metalsmith's forge]] ({{k-|b|w|f}}). Designate stockpiles for {{K|b}}ars around the smelters and forge. The bar stockpiles will hold [[Fuel|coke and charcoal]] and metal [[bar]]s. You will probably need larger bar stockpiles, but you can dig out more space and expand them later. Also dig out some space and create a stockpile for [[ore]] somewhere nearby. To make an ore stockpile, designate a {{K|s}}tone stockpile, then use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings on it to forbid all types of stone other than ore. Finally, go to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to disable Bars. Stone should already be disabled on this stockpile, and if so, then ore is already disabled for it.

===Wood Burning===
Somewhere near your carpenter's shop, near your wood stockpile, dig out an area and build a [[wood furnace]] ({{k-|b|e|w}}). This is where you will create charcoal (see below) and ash (for making soap). Dwarf Fortress has two forms of carbon which are useful as [[fuel]] in the metal industry: ''charcoal'' (which is charred wood), and ''coke'' (refined coal). They are completely interchangeable. If your map has a lot of '''lignite''' or '''bituminous coal''', you can process that into coke, using charcoal to jump-start the process. If you don't find coal on your map, you'll need to either dig down to [[magma]] or make charcoal out of wood to run your forges and smelters, but don't worry about this yet. You need to do some digging around.

===Mining===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|"I have struck what?"|New players who don't have a degree in geology usually find themselves confused as to what all these mineral names mean. In DF you'll never strike "iron ore" but you will strike [[magnetite]] or [[limonite]] which are [[ore]]s of [[iron]]. If you don't know that these things are ores of iron then it obviously won't occur to you to try to smelt iron. Note that ores usually look like {{Raw Tile|£|6:7:1}} before they are mined and {{Raw Tile|*|6:1}} after, though the colors will differ. See '''''[[The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock]]''''' to help you figure out exactly what you've found.}}
At this point you want to start looking for metal ore. You may have already found some while digging out rooms, in which case you can just mine into the walls of the rooms to get more ore. If you haven't found ore yet or you want to see what else you can find, you will need to dig [[Exploratory mining|exploratory tunnels]] looking for ores, minerals, and [[gem]]s. For now just start digging tunnels out from your stairwell or rooms in all directions and see what you run into. Note that digging into '''damp stone''' or '''warm stone''' is not recommended as those areas may be holding back water or lava which can flood your fort.

===Fuel===
Whether you find [[coal]] or not, you will need to burn wood into at least one unit of [[charcoal]]. If you find some coal ([[lignite]] or [[bituminous coal]]), start your [[smelter]]s out processing it into [[coke]] using your charcoal to get things started. From then out you can burn coke to make more coal into more coke and so on. Put these coke-making jobs on repeat. Only use one smelter to begin with, but you should be getting a group of [[Immigration|immigrants]] fairly soon, if you haven't already, and you can put them to work in the other smelters. Don't give up on finding coal right away. Dig around for a while and if you're starting to get impatient then burn some more wood into charcoal, smelt some ore, and make some [[weapon]]s. If you rely on charcoal for fuel then you'll be needing a ''lot'' of wood, so in that case dig out another room near the furnace and create a wood stockpile. You might also want to just remove a smelter, replace it with a [[wood furnace]], and create the new wood stockpile down in the smelting area. Finally, go designate more trees for chopping.

===Forging===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Alternative Energy|If you don't find coal then you will have to continue to burn wood into charcoal, or dig down to the bottom of the map and find the magma sea so you can power [[magma smelter]]s and [[magma forge]]s. Getting to magma can be difficult for various reasons that you will discover, so make sure you are ready for some trouble before you go that direction. Burning charcoal should work out okay in the short term.}}
Once you have smelted some ore to get metal bars, and have additional bars of either coal or charcoal, you can start forging metal items. Here are some suggestions on what to make first:
#'''[[Pick]]s''' - You may have only started out with one pick which limits the number of miners you have to one. By this point you are probably wishing you had more miners. Make a few picks and give some dwarves the mining labor once you get some immigrants. It doesn't matter what metal you use to make picks, at least when it comes to mining, so even copper is perfectly good.
#'''[[Weapon]]s''' - Picks actually make pretty good weapons, but there can be some issues equipping them because they're tied to the mining labor. You may want to make a few axes. They make good weapons, at least against most lightly armored opponents you're likely to encounter first, and can be used to chop trees. Start with 5 or so.
#'''[[Armor]]''' - You're going to want some armor. Start with mail shirts, helms, leggings, then gauntlets and boots. Start with 3 or so of each in the order listed, then make more later when your military grows. Also make some shields out of wood, unless you're swimming in metal (since the shield's material doesn't matter for defensive purposes). Once you have the essentials covered, you can include breastplates (but they take 3 bars of metal to make, and they don't cover as much of the torso and arms as a mail shirt).
An important thing to note is that mail shirts protect the upper leg as well as the torso and arms, and high boots protect the lower leg. As dwarves have no knees (at least in military terms), high boots and mail shirts are sufficient to protect your dwarves' legs.
[[Steel]] is the best normal metal to make armor and most weapons out of, but you will likely find that you want some arms before you can make steel. [[Iron]] is good, as is [[bronze]]. [[Copper]] is not ideal, but it still works and is better than no metal weapons/armor at all.

==Gemcutting and Trinkets==
You should have uncovered some [[gem]]s by now, so put your [[jeweler]] to work [[Gem cutter|cutting]] them. These will be used for [[Trading|trade]]. Only buy things that you need in the first year. [[Finished goods|Stone crafts]] produced by a craftsdwarf can make good trading goods as well. To get enough goods, you will need to dedicate a craftsdwarf's workshop and craftsdwarf to this task full-time, but you're very unlikely to ever run out of stone.

==Sticking to the Plan==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Getting Distracted|Say one of your new immigrants turns out to be a legendary weaver. Should you plant some pig tails and create a loom for him? '''No!''' Put his legendary butt to work smelting metal or something that's part of your current industry even though he has no skill at it. Do not split your efforts yet. You can make use of his unique talents later when you can afford to diversify your industry.}}
Metalsmithing will be your primary economic activity, with cutting gems (and possibly making stone crafts) being used to give you some short-term [[wealth]] until the [[metal industry]] gets going. This means you will need miners, haulers, smiths and furnace operators. Unless a dwarf is doing something else vital to the proper functioning of your fort, such as training in the militia, making traps, cooking food, and so forth, they should be doing one of those four things.

==Wealth and Invasion==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Crafting Invitations for Trouble|Creating too much wealth initially is a sure fire method of pulling down a goblin ambush that you are ill-equipped to deal with. Titans will also start attacking you should your wealth go over a certain amount. For this reason, spend no time smelting gold, smoothing, or engraving anything yet. Most of the wealth you create in the beginning should be the [[weapon|sharp pointy kind]].}}
You may have struck [[gold]] or some other valuable metal, and you may be tempted to put your furnaces and smiths to work creating valuable metal crafts. Don't do it! Until you have your militia formed and fully equipped with armor and weaponry, your smelters and forge should be doing nothing else but smelting cheaper materials like coal, iron, making pig iron and steel if possible, and making weapons and armor. Making [[steel]] will actually increase your wealth quite a bit, but at least you can stab and beat things to death with steel; you can't make weapons from gold.

=Military=

Your '''military''' is an important part of fortress defense. Unless you have totally cut yourself off from the outside world, then you will want at least some sort of military. Once you reach this point, you should hopefully have enough dwarves to start a small military training program. You will need at least 5 dwarves who aren't otherwise doing anything important. If you don't have any spare dwarves yet, or just don't want to mess with it yet, just skip to the next section and come back to this later. Don't wait too long to set up your military though; you especially will want soldiers before you reach a population of 80 dwarves. (You will find out why.) When you're ready to start up your military, see the [[Military quickstart]] guide.

= What Next? =

Congratulations! If you've made it this far then you have a self-sustaining fort going and can now start to branch out into whatever you are interested in exploring. Expect some goblin invasions, forgotten beasts, titans, dragons, giants, and other creatures to interrupt your activities at various points. This is part of the [[fun]].

Here are some things that people almost always do eventually, though not necessarily in any particular order (these are somewhat essential):
*Build [[coffin]]s and a graveyard or [[tomb]]s for dead dwarves and pets
*Set up a [[Healthcare|hospital]]
*Build a [[well]]
*Start producing [[textile industry|clothing]] to replace [[wear|worn-out attire]]
*Build a [[jail]] for unruly dwarves
*Set up [[Scheduling#Alert_Levels|civilian alerts]] to get civilians to a safe area during ambushes and sieges

Here are some things that players often do as their population grows:
*[[Smoothing|Smooth]] and [[engraving|engrave]] walls and floors
*Produce [[Meat industry|Meat]], [[Egg production|eggs]], milk and [[Beekeeping industry|honey]]
*Continue to expand the [[military]]
*Explore new [[Industry|industries]]
*Dig down to the [[caverns]] and create a defended lower entrance with traps to defend the fort against the [[creatures|denizens]] below
*Enable [[Animal training]] for a dwarf and train some war animals
*Build a [[Mass pitting]] system to dispose of caged enemies
*Build above-ground [[construction]]s such as an archery tower or garden
*Create a [[statue|statue garden]] or [[zoo]]
*Farm in an [[Farming#Above-ground_farming|above-ground farm plot]]
*Dig down to [[magma]] and set up [[magma forge]]s and [[magma smelter]]s to avoid the need for fuel
*Build [[machine component]]s to pump magma and water
*Create more [[Trap design|elaborate traps]] such as magma and drowning chambers
*Try some [[stupid dwarf trick]]s

You may also want to just read over the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] and the many other very useful documents on the wiki to give you other ideas of what to do.

Keep in mind that how you play is not set in stone. Some people never defend, some start a [[Megaprojects|megaproject]] right after settling, some never dig and just build an above ground castle or town using logs. Some never smelt ore, some start smelting as soon as they arrive. Some make their home in the dangerous natural caverns. Some deal with invaders by flooding the map or isolating themselves completely. And that's not even considering the [[List of mods|mods]] and some of the crazier [[challenges]] that people have come up with. There's really no one "right" way to play DF.

= Feedback =
If you have any feedback on this guide, you can leave a message on the [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}|talk page]] for this article, or in [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=83452.0 this thread] on the forums.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Quickstart guide}}

[[de:DF2012:Schnellstart]]
[[ru:Быстрый старт]]
[[zh:Quickstart guide]]

File:BasicWorldGen.png

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Basic World Generation menu

Dwarf fortress mode

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: ''This is a detailed reference guide. For a beginner tutorial, see [[Quickstart guide]], see further [[tutorials]].''
:''[[Modding guide|Modding]] is not covered on this page.''

'''Fortress mode''' is the most popular of three modes in ''Dwarf Fortress'', with the other two being [[Adventurer mode]] and [[Legends mode]], often the mode implied when one talks about ''Dwarf Fortress''. Fortress mode is a construction and management simulation of a colony of dwarves. In fortress mode, you pick an [[embark]] location, and then assign your seven initial [[dwarves]] some starting [[Skill | skills]], equipment, provisions, and perhaps, [[animals]] to bring along. After preparations are complete and your hardy explorers [[embark]], they'll be faced with the fortress site you picked down to every little detail; from geologically appropriate stone types, to roaring waterfalls, to, for example, ornery [[Hippo | hippopotami]]. Rather than control individual dwarves, you design everything, and your dwarves will go about implementing your designs on their own.

== Goals ==
Fortress mode is considered a [[wikipedia:Construction_and_management_simulation_games|construction and management simulation game]]. This entails that few goals are imposed upon the player by the game.

The most apparent goal is survival, as your endeavors at the chosen site will, [[Reclaim fortress mode|for the moment]], end if the last dwarf dies. With this comes the need to keep your dwarves happy, as unhappy dwarves will cultivate some very unhealthy (yet surprisingly [[Losing|Fun]]) habits like murdering their colleagues.

Another goal of sorts, programmed into the game, is creating a fortress that attracts the king/queen of your civilization. Therefore players typically, but by no means necessarily, choose to expand into a thriving community with skilled [[Labor|workers]], [[military|battle-ready warriors]] and [[nobles]], creating ridiculous amounts of [[wealth|wealth]] like fine [[finished goods|crafts]], excellent armor, valuable [[furniture]], decorated with precious [[gem]]s, all the while protecting them from [[siege|foes]] with deadly [[trap]]s and a trained [[military]]. Avoiding imminent death also requires providing the dwarves with plenty of [[food]] and [[alcohol]], by way of [[farming|farms]] above and below ground, while [[clothing]] from [[leather]] or [[cloth]] will keep them happy.

Of course, every dwarf loves precious [[metal]]s, but the only way to find them is to [[mining|dig]]. Make sure you don't delve too greedily and too deep, for many creatures dwell in the [[caverns]] below...

== The world ==
To play ''Dwarf Fortress'' in fortress mode, you must generate a world that includes a dwarven civilization - see [[World generation]] for detailed instructions. After at least one world has been generated, you will be able to start the game. Only one game may be going on in a world at the same time.

=== Geographic features / Inhabitants / History ===
The main features of a world are [[biome]]s on the surface and [[stone layer]]s underground, some of which may contain [[aquifer]]s. Other surface features that are significant, but which aren't biomes, strictly speaking, are [[river]]s, [[volcano]]es, and [[cave]]s. There are also [[cavern]]s and [[magma sea]]s everywhere underground which your dwarves will most likely encounter, but you can't see these on the world map, or on the local map, for that matter, until you dig into them. There may also be other [[Fun]] things underground that you can't see. You will have to find these on your own, if they exist.

Every playable world will be inhabited by various [[creature]]s, [[civilization]]s, [[night creature]]s, and [[megabeast]]s (including [[titan]]s and [[forgotten beast]]s) in addition to your dwarves. You may encounter all of these types of inhabitants at some point in the form of wildlife, invaders, or rampaging forces of nature.

Given that your world includes creatures and civilizations capable of independent action, it also has a history that is viewable in [[legends mode]], historical events showing up in [[engraving]]s and other artwork created by your dwarves. Historical dates are expressed in terms of the [[Calendar|dwarven calendar]].

You will also be making history as events occur in your fortress, and these events will be recorded for all time in the annals of your world, even if you'd rather that they not be. These events may later become the subject of various [[engraving]]s and [[decoration]]s created by your dwarves, or those in a later fortress.

== Embarking ==
{{Main|Embark}}
:''See also: [[Reclaim fortress mode]]''

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|250px|right|[[From Caravan to Happy Dwarves|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves]] – a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions most people will take after embarking.]]

Before starting to build a fortress, you must choose the embark location in the world, then assign skills and supplies to the seven dwarves on the expedition team you will embark with into that environment. This is the embarking process, and is a major subject on its own - see the [[Embark]] guide for all the details. Also see [[Starting build]] for more information on outfitting your expedition. After you embark, the real game begins.

== Gameplay user interface ==
{{Main|Interface}}
Your main view of the in-game world is a top-down view of a multi-layered environment. You can move your view in the four main cardinal directions as well as up and down [[Z-level]]s (elevation) to see different layers. There is also a command menu that lets you issue commands that your dutiful dwarves will attempt to follow.

This section covers most of the screens and user interface elements used after embarking, at least in brief. It does not necessarily tell you how to accomplish every task you might need to, but instead just describes what you see on the screen and what various keystrokes do.

Later sections in this document and ''many'' other articles on this wiki help you tie all of this together by describing the sequence of actions needed to accomplish various things in the game; see [[Menu]] for a more detailed reference for the UI itself.

=== Common UI concepts ===
{{KeyConventions|4}}

=== Pausing and resuming ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|Space}}
| Pause/Unpause the game
|}

Entering all menus (except the {{K|s}}quads menu) will automatically pause the game, but if you want to pause or unpause the game without entering a menu use {{K|Space}}. You will see {{DFtext|*PAUSED*|3:3:1}} appear in the upper left corner of the window when the game is paused. Certain [[announcement]]s will also pause the game automatically and you will have to unpause it manually to proceed.

=== Main screen ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[Image:Mouse-wheeldown.png|20px|Scroll mouse wheel down.]][[Image:Mouse-wheelup.png|20px|Scroll mouse wheel up.]] or {{K|[}} {{K|]}}
| Zoom in and out('['and ']' must be set manually in the key bindings)
|-
| {{k|Tab}}
| Toggle mini-map and command menu.
|-
| {{k|F11}}
| Toggle fullscreen mode
|}

The screen at the top level of the user interface hierarchy consists of the '''main map''', a '''command window''', and an '''overview mini-map''' area along with a few '''status indicators''' around the edge. While the main map is always visible at the top level of the UI, you can use the {{K|Tab}} key to show and hide the command window and overview map areas, giving you more space to view the main map if desired.

=== Options screen ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|Esc}}
|
* Enter options menu (if at top level)
* Move back up one UI level (if not at top level)
|}

Assuming you are at the top level of the user interface looking at the map, you can hit {{K|Esc}} to enter the options menu.

*{{DFtext|Save and return to title menu}} – Saves the game, unloads the fortress, and returns to the main menu screen. There is no "save and continue" option, but saves can be [[saved game folder|backed up and reloaded]].
*{{DFtext|Save and continue playing}}
*{{DFtext|Retire the fortress (for the time being)}} – Saves and ends your control of the fort, giving limited control to the game. Most of the fortress remains as is, with citizens, livestock, and most items continuing to exist. Not always available, such as during [[siege]]s. After it saves and returns to the main menu you may start a new game in any mode including to [[Reclaim fortress mode|unretire]] the fortress.
*{{DFtext|Abandon the fortress to ruin}} (or {{DFtext|Succumb to Invasion}}) – This permanently [[abandon]]s the fortress, saves the map to the world's data files for later use, and returns to the main menu. Once you abandon a fort, all of your dwarves leave the site, all of your livestock dies, and all items including corpses will be scattered around the map before it is saved. This is how you "give up" on a fortress. You might later [[Reclaim fortress mode|reclaim]] the fortress with a new group of dwarves or visit it with an adventurer in [[Adventurer mode]].
*{{DFtext|Quit without saving}}
*{{DFtext|Settings}}
*{{DFtext|Return to game}} – Exits the options menu. You can also just press {{K|Esc}}.

=== Main map ===
[[File:bentgirder-embark.png|thumb|300px|Main map on the left, command window on the right.]]
[[Image:3_dimensions.png|right|300px]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} ( + {{k|Shift}})
| Move map view around
|-
| {{k|8}} {{k|2}} {{k|4}} {{k|6}} {{k|7}} {{k|9}} {{k|1}} {{k|3}} (keypad)
| Move map view around
|-
| {{k|<}} {{k|>}}
| Move one [[Z-level]] up or down.
|-
| {{k|F1}}
| Zoom to starting location (default [[#Hotkeys|hotkey]])
|}
The main map window is what you will be looking at for the majority of the time. This is where all of the action happens.

While the play area itself is three-dimensional, the window is not; you can only view one [[Z-level]] at a time. You can change which Z-Level is currently displayed using {{k|<}} and {{k|>}}.

On the far right side of the screen is the '''depth bar''' showing you the approximate depth, below or above ground, of the current [[Z-level]] that the map is displaying. This indicator is relative to the surface, so it will change if you move the map around an area with a non-flat surface, even if you don't press {{K|<}} or {{K|>}}.

==== Map cursor ====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{k|8}} {{k|2}} {{k|4}} {{k|6}} {{k|7}} {{k|9}} {{k|1}} {{k|3}} (keypad)
| Move map cursor 1 tile
|-
| {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}}
| Move map cursor 1 tile
|-
| {{k|Shift}} + direction key
| Move map cursor 10 tiles
|}

After entering a command that involves the map cursor ({{Raw Tile|X|6:0:1}}), you can use {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} as well as the numeric keypad keys to move the cursor around in all eight directions. If you hold {{k|Shift}} while pressing one of these, the cursor will move 10 tiles instead of one, enabling you to move it more quickly.

=== Overview map ===
The overview mini-map shows a compact version of the entire available map area. This can be useful especially if your embark zone is very large. After the fortress has settled into certain areas of the map, its utility decreases and it can be hidden with {{K|Tab}} to provide more space for the main map.

A cursor that looks like {{Raw Tile|X|6:0:1}} on the overview map shows approximately what part of the map you are viewing in the main map window. Parts of the map inhabited by dwarves will be highlighted in blue.

=== Status indicators ===
In the upper left corner of the screen, you may see some '''report flags''' indicating that new combat-related [[Reports]] have been generated. Some common flags are:

:{{Tile|C|4:7:1}}: new [[combat]] report available
:{{Tile|H|2:7:1}}: new [[Ambusher#Hunting|hunting]] report available
:{{Tile|S|3:7:1}}: new [[sparring]] report available

Press {{K|r}} to view the new reports in the [[DF2014:Reports#Combat|reports screen]]. Once you do so, the flags will be reset.

There is also an '''idle counter''', usually in the upper right, indicating how many dwarves are milling around uselessly, in need of something productive to do.

An '''[[FPS]] (Frames Per Second) counter''' may also be present on the screen if it has been enabled. It is disabled by default. See [[Frames per second]] for more information on what this counter means, as well as how to enable/disable it.

=== Command window ===
[[File:MainMenu.png|The command window.|frame]]
This is where key menus and most of the textual information about tiles and buildings is displayed. You can toggle it between single width, double width, and hidden using {{K|Tab}}. The double-width option is particularly useful when lines of text are too long to fit. Once you become familiar with the UI you may want to hide it completely; it will reappear as needed when you activate a command.

The most important interfaces that use the command window are listed below. Many of these encompass a wide variety of functionality so they will not be fully described here. See the linked articles for more details on how they are used.

== Your dwarves ==

Your [[Dwarf|dwarves]] are one of the creature types who implement your designs in-between periods of drinking, eating, partying, drinking again, sleeping, and entertaining themselves. While you do not have full control of your dwarves, you have more control over them than any other creatures. Be aware that it is not necessarily always the case that a dwarf is friendly; [[Insanity|insane]] dwarves, [[Werebeast|weredwarves]] or [[Vampire|vampires]] are anything but.

For a comprehensive reference, Reddit user DarxusC has done research on the minimum requirements to keep dwarves alive for long periods of time [https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/cvdssa/a_video_showing_how_little_is_needed_to_survive/ here].

=== Eating, drinking, and sleeping ===
Dwarves need [[food]] to eat, [[alcohol]] to drink (water is a poor substitute), and time to [[sleep]]. If only one of these is available, it better be [[alcohol]]; while water will keep dwarves alive, they will actually work more slowly and get unhappy thoughts (see below) if they don't get much alcohol to drink.

Dwarves will also get unhappy thoughts if forced to eat a single type of food or drink a single type of alcohol all the time, so variety is also important. Dwarves will also get unhappy thoughts if forced to sleep on the floor.

=== Happiness ===
While going about their day, dwarves will get happy and unhappy [[thought]]s, depending on what sorts of things happen to them. This will nudge their happiness levels up or down each time one such event occurs to them. If they become too unhappy, they may throw [[tantrum]]s, or go completely [[Insanity|berserk]], killing and destroying things.

=== Children and immigration ===
Periodically, new dwarves from the outside world will [[Immigration|migrate]] to your fortress, drawn by tales of, and looking to share in, your wealth and success. Female dwarves will also get pregnant and have [[children]], if they are [[Marriage|married]] to a male dwarf.

=== Jobs, labors and skills ===
Any adult dwarf can perform any [[labor]] even if they have no [[skill]] in that area. Unskilled dwarves will simply be slow and not very good at what they are trying to do, but, with practice, dwarves will acquire skill, and become faster and better at their jobs. Lack of practice for long periods leads to skill "rust".

=== Nobles ===
[[Noble]]s are dwarves who have special positions within your fort. Some of these are appointed, such as your [[broker]] and [[bookkeeper]], but others, such as the [[mayor]], are essentially forced on you by conditions in the game. See the main article on [[Noble]]s for more information.

=== Death ===

Assuming they somehow manage to avoid starving, dehydrating, freezing, drowning, burning, falling, being crushed, or otherwise suffering fatal [[wound]]s or [[soap|infections]], your dwarves will inevitably [[Death|die]] of old age. Unfortunately, they are a bit picky about how they are [[Coffin|buried]] or otherwise [[Memorial|memorialized]], and they will [[Ghost|cause trouble]] if they are unsatisfied with their remembrance. Corpses lying around can also pose a hazard if there are [[Necromancer|necromancers]] in the area.

A [[Healthcare]] industry might help your wounded dwarves postpone death.

== Digging ==
{{Main|Mining}}

Digging is an essential part of building a fort. There are several reasons you might want to dig, such as searching for various stone types, ores and gems, or simply to create the basic tunnels and rooms in your fort.

All of the digging operations are considered [[Mining]]. Even if your goal is simply to dig out a passage and you don't care about extracting ore, your miners will be generating [[stone]] as a byproduct unless they are digging through [[soil]]. See [[Stone management]] for ways to deal with all the unwanted stone.

== Stockpiles ==
{{Main|Stockpile}}

'''Stockpiles''' are where [[dwarf|dwarves]] will store items of various types. Dwarves with the corresponding "[[hauling]]" job on will seek out items that aren't already on a stockpile that accepts them and carry them to the appropriate stockpile. See the main [[Stockpile]] article for detailed information on setting up stockpiles.

== Rooms, furniture, and portals ==

To remove one of these, use the {{K|q}} command, place the cursor on the item to remove, and hit {{K|x}}. This will mark the item for removal and a hauling job will be queued. Eventually a dwarf will show up and haul the item off to a [[stockpile]] if one exists.

=== Furniture ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|a}}
| place Armor Stand
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|b}}
| place Bed
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|c}}
| place Chair or Throne (seat)
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|n}}
| place Burial Receptacle (coffin)
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|f}}
| place Cabinet
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|h}}
| place Container
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|r}}
| place Weapon Rack
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|s}}
| place Statue
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|Alt}}+{{K|s}}
| place memorial Slab
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|t}}
| place Table
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|R}}
| place Traction Bench
|}
Assuming that dwarves have already made a piece of [[Furniture]], they can install it somewhere using one of these commands.

=== Defining rooms ===
{{Main|Room}}

Certain types of furniture placed in an area can allow the area to be defined as a [[Room]] using {{K|q}}. The {{K|q}} command can also be used to undefine rooms, with or without removing the associated furniture.

=== Doors and hatches ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|d}}
| place Door
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|x}}
| place floodgate
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|H}}
| place floor Hatch
|}
These commands allow you to place already created [[Door]]s and [[Hatch cover]]s assuming that you have an adjacent wall.

=== Windows, grates, and bars ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|W}}
| place Wall grate
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|G}}
| place floor Grate
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|B}}
| place vertical Bars
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|Alt}}+{{K|b}}
| place floor Bars
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|y}}
| place glass window
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|Y}}
| place gem window
|}
These commands allow you to install [[Window]]s, [[Grate]]s, and [[Bars]] over openings, assuming that you have already created them.

== Constructions ==
{{Main|Construction}}

[[Construction]]s are features that are built in place rather than created in a workshop and installed or carved out of existing rock. Constructions are how you build above-ground structures or structures in any other place where there's no rock or soil to carve them out of.

Constructions are usually built out of, and thus require, [[Stone]] or [[Wood]], but you can also use a variety of materials (such as metal) to build them. Possible constructions include [[Floor]]s, [[Wall]]s, [[Stair]]s, [[Ramp]]s, and [[Fortification]]s.

=== Walls, floors, and stairs ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}
| build Constructions submenu
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|w}}
| build Constructed [[Wall]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|f}}
| build Constructed [[Floor]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|r}}
| build Constructed upward [[Ramp]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|u}}
| build Constructed Up [[Stair]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|d}}
| build Constructed Down [[Stair]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|x}}
| build Constructed up and down [[Stair]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|F}}
| build Constructed [[Fortification]]
|}

Walls, Floors, and Stairs are removed with {{K|d}}-{{K|n}}. Bridges and roads are removed with {{K|q}}.

=== Bridges ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|g}}
| build a bridge
|}
A [[Bridge]] is not only used to cross rivers or chasms, but can also be used as a large door when built as a drawbridge. Such use requires that a [[Lever]] be linked to it in order for dwarves to control its open or closed state.

=== Roads ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|o}}
| build Paved road
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|O}}
| build Dirt road
|}
[[Road]]s are most commonly used to give [[caravan|caravans]] a reliable path to your fortress from the map's edge, though they don't really require one. A paved road is much like a [[floor]] except that it requires fewer raw materials per tile to build. A dirt road requires no materials to build, but deteriorates over time.

== Trading ==
{{Main|Trading}}

When you want to obtain things not available on your map, and you don't want to just kill people to get them, [[Trading]] is the way to go about it. See the main article for everything you ever wanted to know about legitimately and non-violently obtaining things from other creatures.

== Military and combat ==
{{Main|Military}}
:''See also: [[Military interface]]''

The '''military''' is one of the most important aspects of a successful fortress. Even with many [[trap]]s, [[bridge|drawbridges]] and [[magma|other defenses]], your military will still need to fend off [[goblin]] [[siege]]s, [[megabeast]]s, [[titan]]s, and fiendish [[Giant cave spider|underground]] [[Forgotten beast|beasties]]. Using a combination of [[squads|squad orders]] and [[scheduling]], you can set up an elaborate offensive, defensive, or balanced military structure for your [[equipment|well-equipped]] [[soldier]]s to follow. Turning your dwarves from [[immigration|useless migrants]] into bloodthirsty killing machines never hurts (unless you're the enemy).

Setting up a military is a huge subject in and of itself, so check out the [[Military|main article]] on it and the [[military interface]] guide.

== Hospitals and healthcare ==
{{Main|Healthcare}}

Normally your dwarves do just fine assuming they get enough food and alcohol, but sometimes they get wounded. When this happens they can benefit from an efficient [[Healthcare]] system.

== Burrows ==
{{Main|Burrow}}

'''Burrows''' are optional user-defined areas in your fort where selected dwarves live and work. Dwarves will only use workshops, dig walls, use rooms, etc. in burrows they are assigned to, though dwarves not assigned to any burrow will still use workshops etc. even if they are located in a burrow assigned to some other dwarves.

Burrows are by no means required, but are useful when you want to restrict certain dwarves to certain areas of the map.

== Macros ==
{{Main|Macros and Keymaps}}

'''Macros''' allow recording sequences of keystrokes and "playing" them back into the user interface as desired. Since the game often requires using a lot of repetitive keystrokes, this can sometimes make life much easier. See the main article for full information.

== Reference sheet ==
A quick reference guide on fortress mode in DF can be found [https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8akafeuqfsxth7t/U-zOsO7pNr here.] '''Credit to spongemandan on reddit.com'''

It includes a reference sheet on the military, stone, agriculture and a summary reference sheet.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Guides}}
{{Category|Interface}}
[[ru:Dwarf fortress mode]]

Dwarf fortress mode

2022-12-26T01:08:22Z

Tme5: /* Options screen */ Update to v50

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
{{old}}
: ''This is a detailed reference guide. For a beginner tutorial, see [[Quickstart guide]], see further [[tutorials]].''
:''[[Modding guide|Modding]] is not covered on this page.''

'''Fortress mode''' is the most popular of three modes in ''Dwarf Fortress'', with the other two being [[Adventurer mode]] and [[Legends mode]], often the mode implied when one talks about ''Dwarf Fortress''. Fortress mode is a construction and management simulation of a colony of dwarves. In fortress mode, you pick an [[embark]] location, and then assign your seven initial [[dwarves]] some starting [[Skill | skills]], equipment, provisions, and perhaps, [[animals]] to bring along. After preparations are complete and your hardy explorers [[embark]], they'll be faced with the fortress site you picked down to every little detail; from geologically appropriate stone types, to roaring waterfalls, to, for example, ornery [[Hippo | hippopotami]]. Rather than control individual dwarves, you design everything, and your dwarves will go about implementing your designs on their own.

== Goals ==
Fortress mode is considered a [[wikipedia:Construction_and_management_simulation_games|construction and management simulation game]]. This entails that few goals are imposed upon the player by the game.

The most apparent goal is survival, as your endeavors at the chosen site will, [[Reclaim fortress mode|for the moment]], end if the last dwarf dies. With this comes the need to keep your dwarves happy, as unhappy dwarves will cultivate some very unhealthy (yet surprisingly [[Losing|Fun]]) habits like murdering their colleagues.

Another goal of sorts, programmed into the game, is creating a fortress that attracts the king/queen of your civilization. Therefore players typically, but by no means necessarily, choose to expand into a thriving community with skilled [[Labor|workers]], [[military|battle-ready warriors]] and [[nobles]], creating ridiculous amounts of [[wealth|wealth]] like fine [[finished goods|crafts]], excellent armor, valuable [[furniture]], decorated with precious [[gem]]s, all the while protecting them from [[siege|foes]] with deadly [[trap]]s and a trained [[military]]. Avoiding imminent death also requires providing the dwarves with plenty of [[food]] and [[alcohol]], by way of [[farming|farms]] above and below ground, while [[clothing]] from [[leather]] or [[cloth]] will keep them happy.

Of course, every dwarf loves precious [[metal]]s, but the only way to find them is to [[mining|dig]]. Make sure you don't delve too greedily and too deep, for many creatures dwell in the [[caverns]] below...

== The world ==
To play ''Dwarf Fortress'' in fortress mode, you must generate a world that includes a dwarven civilization - see [[World generation]] for detailed instructions. After at least one world has been generated, you will be able to start the game. Only one game may be going on in a world at the same time.

=== Geographic features / Inhabitants / History ===
The main features of a world are [[biome]]s on the surface and [[stone layer]]s underground, some of which may contain [[aquifer]]s. Other surface features that are significant, but which aren't biomes, strictly speaking, are [[river]]s, [[volcano]]es, and [[cave]]s. There are also [[cavern]]s and [[magma sea]]s everywhere underground which your dwarves will most likely encounter, but you can't see these on the world map, or on the local map, for that matter, until you dig into them. There may also be other [[Fun]] things underground that you can't see. You will have to find these on your own, if they exist.

Every playable world will be inhabited by various [[creature]]s, [[civilization]]s, [[night creature]]s, and [[megabeast]]s (including [[titan]]s and [[forgotten beast]]s) in addition to your dwarves. You may encounter all of these types of inhabitants at some point in the form of wildlife, invaders, or rampaging forces of nature.

Given that your world includes creatures and civilizations capable of independent action, it also has a history that is viewable in [[legends mode]], historical events showing up in [[engraving]]s and other artwork created by your dwarves. Historical dates are expressed in terms of the [[Calendar|dwarven calendar]].

You will also be making history as events occur in your fortress, and these events will be recorded for all time in the annals of your world, even if you'd rather that they not be. These events may later become the subject of various [[engraving]]s and [[decoration]]s created by your dwarves, or those in a later fortress.

== Embarking ==
{{Main|Embark}}
:''See also: [[Reclaim fortress mode]]''

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|250px|right|[[From Caravan to Happy Dwarves|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves]] – a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions most people will take after embarking.]]

Before starting to build a fortress, you must choose the embark location in the world, then assign skills and supplies to the seven dwarves on the expedition team you will embark with into that environment. This is the embarking process, and is a major subject on its own - see the [[Embark]] guide for all the details. Also see [[Starting build]] for more information on outfitting your expedition. After you embark, the real game begins.

== Gameplay user interface ==
{{Main|Interface}}
Your main view of the in-game world is a top-down view of a multi-layered environment. You can move your view in the four main cardinal directions as well as up and down [[Z-level]]s (elevation) to see different layers. There is also a command menu that lets you issue commands that your dutiful dwarves will attempt to follow.

This section covers most of the screens and user interface elements used after embarking, at least in brief. It does not necessarily tell you how to accomplish every task you might need to, but instead just describes what you see on the screen and what various keystrokes do.

Later sections in this document and ''many'' other articles on this wiki help you tie all of this together by describing the sequence of actions needed to accomplish various things in the game; see [[Menu]] for a more detailed reference for the UI itself.

=== Common UI concepts ===
{{KeyConventions|4}}

=== Pausing and resuming ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|Space}}
| Pause/Unpause the game
|}

Entering all menus (except the {{K|s}}quads menu) will automatically pause the game, but if you want to pause or unpause the game without entering a menu use {{K|Space}}. You will see {{DFtext|*PAUSED*|3:3:1}} appear in the upper left corner of the window when the game is paused. Certain [[announcement]]s will also pause the game automatically and you will have to unpause it manually to proceed.

=== Main screen ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[Image:Mouse-wheeldown.png|20px|Scroll mouse wheel down.]][[Image:Mouse-wheelup.png|20px|Scroll mouse wheel up.]] or {{K|[}} {{K|]}}
| Zoom in and out('['and ']' must be set manually in the key bindings)
|-
| {{k|Tab}}
| Toggle mini-map and command menu.
|-
| {{k|F11}}
| Toggle fullscreen mode
|}

The screen at the top level of the user interface hierarchy consists of the '''main map''', a '''command window''', and an '''overview mini-map''' area along with a few '''status indicators''' around the edge. While the main map is always visible at the top level of the UI, you can use the {{K|Tab}} key to show and hide the command window and overview map areas, giving you more space to view the main map if desired.

=== Options screen ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|Esc}}
|
* Enter options menu (if at top level)
* Move back up one UI level (if not at top level)
|}

Assuming you are at the top level of the user interface looking at the map, you can hit {{K|Esc}} to enter the options menu.

*{{DFtext|Save and return to title menu}} – Saves the game, unloads the fortress, and returns to the main menu screen. There is no "save and continue" option, but saves can be [[saved game folder|backed up and reloaded]].
*{{DFtext|Save and continue playing}}
*{{DFtext|Retire the fortress (for the time being)}} – Saves and ends your control of the fort, giving limited control to the game. Most of the fortress remains as is, with citizens, livestock, and most items continuing to exist. Not always available, such as during [[siege]]s. After it saves and returns to the main menu you may start a new game in any mode including to [[Reclaim fortress mode|unretire]] the fortress.
*{{DFtext|Abandon the fortress to ruin}} (or {{DFtext|Succumb to Invasion}}) – This permanently [[abandon]]s the fortress, saves the map to the world's data files for later use, and returns to the main menu. Once you abandon a fort, all of your dwarves leave the site, all of your livestock dies, and all items including corpses will be scattered around the map before it is saved. This is how you "give up" on a fortress. You might later [[Reclaim fortress mode|reclaim]] the fortress with a new group of dwarves or visit it with an adventurer in [[Adventurer mode]].
*{{DFtext|Quit without saving}}
*{{DFtext|Settings}}
*{{DFtext|Return to game}} – Exits the options menu. You can also just press {{K|Esc}}.

=== Main map ===
[[File:bentgirder-embark.png|thumb|300px|Main map on the left, command window on the right.]]
[[Image:3_dimensions.png|right|300px]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} ( + {{k|Shift}})
| Move map view around
|-
| {{k|8}} {{k|2}} {{k|4}} {{k|6}} {{k|7}} {{k|9}} {{k|1}} {{k|3}} (keypad)
| Move map view around
|-
| {{k|<}} {{k|>}}
| Move one [[Z-level]] up or down.
|-
| {{k|F1}}
| Zoom to starting location (default [[#Hotkeys|hotkey]])
|}
The main map window is what you will be looking at for the majority of the time. This is where all of the action happens.

While the play area itself is three-dimensional, the window is not; you can only view one [[Z-level]] at a time. You can change which Z-Level is currently displayed using {{k|<}} and {{k|>}}.

On the far right side of the screen is the '''depth bar''' showing you the approximate depth, below or above ground, of the current [[Z-level]] that the map is displaying. This indicator is relative to the surface, so it will change if you move the map around an area with a non-flat surface, even if you don't press {{K|<}} or {{K|>}}.

==== Map cursor ====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{k|8}} {{k|2}} {{k|4}} {{k|6}} {{k|7}} {{k|9}} {{k|1}} {{k|3}} (keypad)
| Move map cursor 1 tile
|-
| {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}}
| Move map cursor 1 tile
|-
| {{k|Shift}} + direction key
| Move map cursor 10 tiles
|}

After entering a command that involves the map cursor ({{Raw Tile|X|6:0:1}}), you can use {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} as well as the numeric keypad keys to move the cursor around in all eight directions. If you hold {{k|Shift}} while pressing one of these, the cursor will move 10 tiles instead of one, enabling you to move it more quickly.

=== Overview map ===
The overview mini-map shows a compact version of the entire available map area. This can be useful especially if your embark zone is very large. After the fortress has settled into certain areas of the map, its utility decreases and it can be hidden with {{K|Tab}} to provide more space for the main map.

A cursor that looks like {{Raw Tile|X|6:0:1}} on the overview map shows approximately what part of the map you are viewing in the main map window. Parts of the map inhabited by dwarves will be highlighted in blue.

=== Status indicators ===
In the upper left corner of the screen, you may see some '''report flags''' indicating that new combat-related [[Reports]] have been generated. Some common flags are:

:{{Tile|C|4:7:1}}: new [[combat]] report available
:{{Tile|H|2:7:1}}: new [[Ambusher#Hunting|hunting]] report available
:{{Tile|S|3:7:1}}: new [[sparring]] report available

Press {{K|r}} to view the new reports in the [[DF2014:Reports#Combat|reports screen]]. Once you do so, the flags will be reset.

There is also an '''idle counter''', usually in the upper right, indicating how many dwarves are milling around uselessly, in need of something productive to do.

An '''[[FPS]] (Frames Per Second) counter''' may also be present on the screen if it has been enabled. It is disabled by default. See [[Frames per second]] for more information on what this counter means, as well as how to enable/disable it.

=== Command window ===
[[File:MainMenu.png|The command window.|frame]]
This is where key menus and most of the textual information about tiles and buildings is displayed. You can toggle it between single width, double width, and hidden using {{K|Tab}}. The double-width option is particularly useful when lines of text are too long to fit. Once you become familiar with the UI you may want to hide it completely; it will reappear as needed when you activate a command.

The most important interfaces that use the command window are listed below. Many of these encompass a wide variety of functionality so they will not be fully described here. See the linked articles for more details on how they are used.

== Your dwarves ==

Your [[Dwarf|dwarves]] are one of the creature types who implement your designs in-between periods of drinking, eating, partying, drinking again, sleeping, and entertaining themselves. While you do not have full control of your dwarves, you have more control over them than any other creatures. Be aware that it is not necessarily always the case that a dwarf is friendly; [[Insanity|insane]] dwarves, [[Werebeast|weredwarves]] or [[Vampire|vampires]] are anything but.

For a comprehensive reference, Reddit user DarxusC has done research on the minimum requirements to keep dwarves alive for long periods of time [https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/cvdssa/a_video_showing_how_little_is_needed_to_survive/ here].

=== Eating, drinking, and sleeping ===
Dwarves need [[food]] to eat, [[alcohol]] to drink (water is a poor substitute), and time to [[sleep]]. If only one of these is available, it better be [[alcohol]]; while water will keep dwarves alive, they will actually work more slowly and get unhappy thoughts (see below) if they don't get much alcohol to drink.

Dwarves will also get unhappy thoughts if forced to eat a single type of food or drink a single type of alcohol all the time, so variety is also important. Dwarves will also get unhappy thoughts if forced to sleep on the floor.

=== Happiness ===
While going about their day, dwarves will get happy and unhappy [[thought]]s, depending on what sorts of things happen to them. This will nudge their happiness levels up or down each time one such event occurs to them. If they become too unhappy, they may throw [[tantrum]]s, or go completely [[Insanity|berserk]], killing and destroying things.

=== Children and immigration ===
Periodically, new dwarves from the outside world will [[Immigration|migrate]] to your fortress, drawn by tales of, and looking to share in, your wealth and success. Female dwarves will also get pregnant and have [[children]], if they are [[Marriage|married]] to a male dwarf.

=== Jobs, labors and skills ===
Any adult dwarf can perform any [[labor]] even if they have no [[skill]] in that area. Unskilled dwarves will simply be slow and not very good at what they are trying to do, but, with practice, dwarves will acquire skill, and become faster and better at their jobs. Lack of practice for long periods leads to skill "rust".

=== Nobles ===
[[Noble]]s are dwarves who have special positions within your fort. Some of these are appointed, such as your [[broker]] and [[bookkeeper]], but others, such as the [[mayor]], are essentially forced on you by conditions in the game. See the main article on [[Noble]]s for more information.

=== Death ===

Assuming they somehow manage to avoid starving, dehydrating, freezing, drowning, burning, falling, being crushed, or otherwise suffering fatal [[wound]]s or [[soap|infections]], your dwarves will inevitably [[Death|die]] of old age. Unfortunately, they are a bit picky about how they are [[Coffin|buried]] or otherwise [[Memorial|memorialized]], and they will [[Ghost|cause trouble]] if they are unsatisfied with their remembrance. Corpses lying around can also pose a hazard if there are [[Necromancer|necromancers]] in the area.

A [[Healthcare]] industry might help your wounded dwarves postpone death.

== Digging ==
{{Main|Mining}}

All of the '''digging''' operations are considered [[Mining]]. Even if your goal is simply to dig out a passage and you don't care about extracting ore, your miners will be generating [[stone]] as a byproduct unless they are digging through [[soil]]. See [[Stone management]] for ways to deal with all the unwanted stone.

All digging operations are done using the {{K|d}}esignations menu.

=== Digging out tunnels and spaces ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|d}}
| [[Mining#Designating_the_area_to_be_mined|Designate area to mine]]
|}
This is what you use to dig out tunnels and larger spaces underground. See [[Mining#Designating_the_area_to_be_mined|designating an area to be mined]]. Note that you can not mine constructions. Instead you must remove them with {{K|d}}-{{K|n}}. (See below.)

=== Channeling ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|h}}
| Dig out a [[Channel]]
|}
A [[Channel]] is a hole dug in the floor which will mine out the [[z-level]] below too. Channeling an area will dig out the designated tile (if it hasn't been dug out already), the floor of that tile, and the tile below, possibly leaving a [[Ramp]] on the tile below. See [[Channel]] for more information.

=== Stairways and ramps ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|u}}
| Designate an upward stairway
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|j}}
| Designate a downward stairway
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|i}}
| Designate an up and down stairway
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|r}}
| Designate an upward ramp
|}
See [[Stair]] and [[Ramp]]. Note that digging a stairway will not automatically create a stairway on the z-level above and/or below, but it will make it possible to dig another stairway immediately above and/or below.

=== Removing things ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|z}}
| Remove upward stairs/ramps
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|n}}
| Remove a construction
|}
These allow you to dig away upward ramps and stairs, and demolish constructed walls and floors. See [[Remove]] for full details.

=== Water and magma ===
While digging around you may encounter [[Water]] or [[Magma]], so be on the lookout for '''damp stone''' and '''warm stone'''. Digging into water or magma in the wrong place can completely flood your fort to the point where it is unrecoverable, so be careful where you dig.

== Stockpiles ==
{{Main|Stockpile}}

'''Stockpiles''' are where [[dwarf|dwarves]] will store items of various types. Dwarves with the corresponding "[[hauling]]" job on will seek out items that aren't already on a stockpile that accepts them and carry them to the appropriate stockpile. See the main [[Stockpile]] article for detailed information on setting up stockpiles.

== Rooms, furniture, and portals ==

To remove one of these, use the {{K|q}} command, place the cursor on the item to remove, and hit {{K|x}}. This will mark the item for removal and a hauling job will be queued. Eventually a dwarf will show up and haul the item off to a [[stockpile]] if one exists.

=== Furniture ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|a}}
| place Armor Stand
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|b}}
| place Bed
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|c}}
| place Chair or Throne (seat)
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|n}}
| place Burial Receptacle (coffin)
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|f}}
| place Cabinet
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|h}}
| place Container
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|r}}
| place Weapon Rack
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|s}}
| place Statue
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|Alt}}+{{K|s}}
| place memorial Slab
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|t}}
| place Table
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|R}}
| place Traction Bench
|}
Assuming that dwarves have already made a piece of [[Furniture]], they can install it somewhere using one of these commands.

=== Defining rooms ===
{{Main|Room}}

Certain types of furniture placed in an area can allow the area to be defined as a [[Room]] using {{K|q}}. The {{K|q}} command can also be used to undefine rooms, with or without removing the associated furniture.

=== Doors and hatches ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|d}}
| place Door
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|x}}
| place floodgate
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|H}}
| place floor Hatch
|}
These commands allow you to place already created [[Door]]s and [[Hatch cover]]s assuming that you have an adjacent wall.

=== Windows, grates, and bars ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|W}}
| place Wall grate
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|G}}
| place floor Grate
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|B}}
| place vertical Bars
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|Alt}}+{{K|b}}
| place floor Bars
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|y}}
| place glass window
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|Y}}
| place gem window
|}
These commands allow you to install [[Window]]s, [[Grate]]s, and [[Bars]] over openings, assuming that you have already created them.

== Constructions ==
{{Main|Construction}}

[[Construction]]s are features that are built in place rather than created in a workshop and installed or carved out of existing rock. Constructions are how you build above-ground structures or structures in any other place where there's no rock or soil to carve them out of.

Constructions are usually built out of, and thus require, [[Stone]] or [[Wood]], but you can also use a variety of materials (such as metal) to build them. Possible constructions include [[Floor]]s, [[Wall]]s, [[Stair]]s, [[Ramp]]s, and [[Fortification]]s.

=== Walls, floors, and stairs ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}
| build Constructions submenu
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|w}}
| build Constructed [[Wall]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|f}}
| build Constructed [[Floor]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|r}}
| build Constructed upward [[Ramp]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|u}}
| build Constructed Up [[Stair]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|d}}
| build Constructed Down [[Stair]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|x}}
| build Constructed up and down [[Stair]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|F}}
| build Constructed [[Fortification]]
|}

Walls, Floors, and Stairs are removed with {{K|d}}-{{K|n}}. Bridges and roads are removed with {{K|q}}.

=== Bridges ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|g}}
| build a bridge
|}
A [[Bridge]] is not only used to cross rivers or chasms, but can also be used as a large door when built as a drawbridge. Such use requires that a [[Lever]] be linked to it in order for dwarves to control its open or closed state.

=== Roads ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|o}}
| build Paved road
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|O}}
| build Dirt road
|}
[[Road]]s are most commonly used to give [[caravan|caravans]] a reliable path to your fortress from the map's edge, though they don't really require one. A paved road is much like a [[floor]] except that it requires fewer raw materials per tile to build. A dirt road requires no materials to build, but deteriorates over time.

== Trading ==
{{Main|Trading}}

When you want to obtain things not available on your map, and you don't want to just kill people to get them, [[Trading]] is the way to go about it. See the main article for everything you ever wanted to know about legitimately and non-violently obtaining things from other creatures.

== Military and combat ==
{{Main|Military}}
:''See also: [[Military interface]]''

The '''military''' is one of the most important aspects of a successful fortress. Even with many [[trap]]s, [[bridge|drawbridges]] and [[magma|other defenses]], your military will still need to fend off [[goblin]] [[siege]]s, [[megabeast]]s, [[titan]]s, and fiendish [[Giant cave spider|underground]] [[Forgotten beast|beasties]]. Using a combination of [[squads|squad orders]] and [[scheduling]], you can set up an elaborate offensive, defensive, or balanced military structure for your [[equipment|well-equipped]] [[soldier]]s to follow. Turning your dwarves from [[immigration|useless migrants]] into bloodthirsty killing machines never hurts (unless you're the enemy).

Setting up a military is a huge subject in and of itself, so check out the [[Military|main article]] on it and the [[military interface]] guide.

== Hospitals and healthcare ==
{{Main|Healthcare}}

Normally your dwarves do just fine assuming they get enough food and alcohol, but sometimes they get wounded. When this happens they can benefit from an efficient [[Healthcare]] system.

== Burrows ==
{{Main|Burrow}}

'''Burrows''' are optional user-defined areas in your fort where selected dwarves live and work. Dwarves will only use workshops, dig walls, use rooms, etc. in burrows they are assigned to, though dwarves not assigned to any burrow will still use workshops etc. even if they are located in a burrow assigned to some other dwarves.

Burrows are by no means required, but are useful when you want to restrict certain dwarves to certain areas of the map.

== Macros ==
{{Main|Macros and Keymaps}}

'''Macros''' allow recording sequences of keystrokes and "playing" them back into the user interface as desired. Since the game often requires using a lot of repetitive keystrokes, this can sometimes make life much easier. See the main article for full information.

== Reference sheet ==
A quick reference guide on fortress mode in DF can be found [https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8akafeuqfsxth7t/U-zOsO7pNr here.] '''Credit to spongemandan on reddit.com'''

It includes a reference sheet on the military, stone, agriculture and a summary reference sheet.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Guides}}
{{Category|Interface}}
[[ru:Dwarf fortress mode]]

World generation

2022-12-26T00:33:43Z

Tme5: Update some parameter info for v50

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
{{buggy}}

[[File:worldgen_medium.png|thumb|250px|right|A medium-sized generated world.]][[File:worldgen_large.png|thumb|250px|right|A large-sized generated world.]]

To begin playing, you must first '''generate a world''' to play in.

World generation can take a long time and may seem like a nuisance, but it is the actual heart of the game. This is where [[Main:Toady One|Toady]] invests most of his time, this is the [http://www.moma.org/collection/works/164920 piece of art] that makes ''Dwarf Fortress'' unique enough for the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. While you wait for the counter to finish, an entire fantasy world with unique geography, history, and even language is created. Entire civilizations rise, wage war, fall, rise again, and fall. Countless characters, each with a unique appearance and personality, live their lives, some of them calmly, while others go out and influence history. The world's complexity could rival the works of Tolkien himself. ''Dwarf Fortress'' is not only a game, it is a gigantic fantasy world simulator. [[Fortress mode|Fortress]] and [[adventurer mode|Adventurer]] modes allow you to influence a tiny part of that tale and write your own chapter; one chapter in an enormous bookshelf.

== Basic world generation menu ==

The basic world generation menu looks like this:

[[File:BasicWorldGen.png]]

=== World size ===
"This controls the size of the world map." Using basic world generation, the size options are:

* Pocket (17×17 region tiles)
* Smaller (33×33)
* Small (65×65)
* Medium (129×129)
* Large (257×257)

Each region tile corresponds to 16×16 local area blocks of 48×48 [[tile]]s each.

Setting this to a larger value will cause world generation to take longer, as more events will need to be calculated per step. Selecting bigger worlds will reduce the [[Frames per second|framerate]] (update speed) of the game in fortress mode, so selecting small or smaller worlds is recommended.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!
!width="80"| Pocket
!width="80"| Smaller
!width="80"| Small
!width="80"| Medium
!width="80"| Large
|-
! Forgotten beasts
| 12
| 27
| 75
| 243
| 867
|}

=== History length ===

[[File:history_gen.gif|thumb|right|278px|Animation of the world and history being developed.]]"This is the (maximum) length of pre-generated history." The number of years for the currently selected length will be shown in the lower right. A longer history allows more time for civilizations to grow, attack each other, and starve to death before the player can start playing. It also determines the amount of time that [[megabeast]]s will have to roam and kill things, get killed, etc. The longer the history, the more historical events will be generated by the time gameplay begins.

Note that history generation can be interrupted and the world saved far short of the selected history value. (Players might choose to do so if they are trying to reach a certain [[Calendar#Ages|age]], if they want to embark near a [[Tower (necromancy)|tower]], or if worldgen has slowed to a crawl, for instance). The actual length of history generation determines the details of the world; the history configuration setting only establishes a maximum year at which generation will stop automatically.

Longer histories will cause world generation to take longer, both because there are more years of events and because there tend to be more events in subsequent years. Conversely, shorter histories will take much less time to generate, but may limit some features (civilization size, sites, knowledge, historical artifacts, and necromancer towers).

Longer histories will also increase the number of abandoned (sacked) towns and fortresses, which can matter for adventure mode, but conversely, doesn't matter that much for fortress mode. The recommended values for worlds you plan to use for adventure mode are Short or Medium.

History will still progress after world generation, concurrently with normal gameplay, but this will, of course, be much slower (around two weeks per session start, in either fortress or adventurer mode). Therefore, it is recommended to set the history length so that the number of sites, megabeasts, and historical events is roughly what one wants it to be during gameplay.

The youngest world possible to generate is 2 years old. This can be done through custom world-gen parameters.

For more information on the history aspect of the game, see [[Legends]] and [[Calendar#Ages|Ages]].

=== Number of civilizations ===

This controls the number of distinct civilizations that exist in a world. Civilizations are [[Dwarf|dwarves]], [[human]]s, [[goblin]]s, [[kobold]]s and [[Elf|elves]].

It should be noted that this refers to different kingdoms of the same races. A smaller number of civilizations (smaller than 5 - 7) may exclude one or two races from your world, but fewer civilizations will reduce history generation time, while larger numbers of civilizations would increase history generation time and make historical events happen much more often.

The maximum amount of civilizations is affected by the world size. At higher numbers (> 40) humans, kobolds and elves are more frequent than dwarves and goblins.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!
!width="80"| Pocket
!width="80"| Smaller
!width="80"| Small
!width="80"| Medium
!width="80"| Large
|-
! Very Low
| 3
| 4
| 6
| 8
| 10
|-
! Low
| 4
| 6
| 9
| 13
| 20
|-
! Medium
| 5
| 9
| 14
| 24
| 40
|-
! High
| 7
| 13
| 24
| 44
| 80
|-
! Very High
| 10
| 20
| 40
| 80
| 160
|}

=== Maximum number of sites ===

This affects the maximum number of [[Advanced_world_generation#Site_cap_after_civ_creation|new sites]] such as [[town]]s, [[hamlet]]s, [[forest retreat]]s, etc. existing civilizations can expand to during world generation combined. New sites increase the maximum amount of members of the civilization founding the site.

High site numbers increase the duration of history generation by a huge amount of time.
With very low site numbers only the civilization's home settlements may exist after a few years of history with a high probability of getting eradicated by some event.

Turning this up is advised for adventure mode games.

The total amount of sites is affected by the selected world size.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!
!width="80"| Pocket
!width="80"| Smaller
!width="80"| Small
!width="80"| Medium
!width="80"| Large
|-
! Very Low
| 4
| 17
| 66
| 260
| 375
|-
! Low
| 13
| 51
| 198
| 780
| 1125
|-
! Medium
| 18
| 68
| 264
| 1040
| 1500
|-
! High
| 27
| 102
| 396
| 1560
| 2000
|-
! Very High
| 36
| 136
| 528
| 2000
| 2000
|}

=== Number of beasts ===

This controls the number of [[megabeast]]s, [[semi-megabeast]]s and [[titan]]s that exist at the beginning of the world. They can later die (get killed) due to historical events, so the longer the history, the more likely some of them will die.

The number of beasts does not appear to impact how often your fortress will be attacked by beasts in [[fortress mode]]. In [[adventure mode]], it means it will be easier to find more megabeasts. If set very low, then you may actually run out of beasts during a game.

Since beasts can attack civilizations, more beasts may reduce the population of the world a little bit. The total amount of beasts is affected by the selected world size:

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!
!width="80"| Pocket
!width="80"| Smaller
!width="80"| Small
!width="80"| Medium
!width="80"| Large
|-
! Very Low
| 0 / 1 / 0
| 0 / 1 / 0
| 2 / 4 / 1
| 9 / 18 / 4
| 37 / 75 / 16
|-
! Low
| 0 / 1 / 0
| 0 / 1 / 0
| 3 / 6 / 2
| 13 / 27 / 6
| 56 / 112 / 24
|-
! Medium
| 1 / 2 / 1
| 1 / 2 / 1
| 4 / 9 / 3
| 18 / 37 / 9
| 75 / 150 / 33
|-
! High
| 1 / 3 / 1
| 1 / 3 / 1
| 6 / 13 / 4
| 27 / 55 / 13
| 112 / 225 / 49
|-
! Very High
| 2 / 4 / 2
| 2 / 4 / 2
| 8 / 18 / 6
| 36 / 74 / 18
| 150 / 300 / 66
|}
*Read numbers as: Megabeasts // Semi-megabeasts // Titans

=== Natural savagery ===

Increasing this value increases the number of [[Surroundings#Savage|savage]] [[biome]]s in the world. In short, this means that more areas are likely to have aggressive animals which may try to kill dwarves immediately upon embark, and attack adventurers more often while traveling.

New players may want to just leave this at the Medium setting (which isn't that hard) or set it lower. Turn this up to make the game more [[losing|fun]].

=== Mineral occurrence ===

This is a rather important parameter for [[fortress mode]]. Sparse means that many areas will only have one or two types of metal ore, if any, which could be very annoying to people until the economy is fully (re)implemented and other metals can more easily be obtained via trade. New players should probably turn this up to Frequent. See [[Advanced_world_generation#Mineral_Scarcity|Mineral Scarcity]] for more details.

In [[adventure mode]] this can impact the types of metals that civilizations have access to, which can then in turn affect the types of items that are available in shops. Therefore, it may not be a bad idea to turn this up for worlds in which you plan to play [[adventure mode]] games.

== The generation process ==

Once you're satisfied with your parameter selections, hit {{k|y}} to proceed.

The screen will show something like this:

[[File:WorldGenerationScreen.png]]

The name of the world will be randomized in basic world generation mode.

=== Rejections ===
{{main|World rejection}}
You may notice that during various phases of the world generation process, worlds will be rejected, leading to the rejection count going up and the process starting over. This happens because certain factors, such as the number of mountain tiles, can't be determined ahead of time by the generation process. Instead, worlds are generated with parameters which are likely to produce worlds that can support a required number of mountains, and are then checked to make sure they meet the criteria. For example, the random generation of the topography of the land may result in too few high-elevation areas to place mountains.

In practice, you don't need to worry about this for basic world generation, because the preset hidden values that determine acceptable criteria are designed to decrease the chance of rejections, but certain combinations of basic parameters (especially with very large worlds) may make it harder for the process to generate "acceptable" worlds. Basically, what this amounts to is that world generation will just take longer for certain parameter selections that are more difficult for the generator to satisfy.

=== Map generation ===

[[File:resources_worldgen.png|thumb|300px|right|Location and resources section of the screen.]] First ''Dwarf Fortress'' generates the map topography. This process is generally much faster than history generation (unless you've specified parameters that lead to constant map rejections).

In an interview{{cite|gamasutra|https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/343859/}}, [[Main:Toady One|Toady One]] described map generation:

:"It allocates the memory for the map. Then it chooses what sort of pole (e.g. north, south) it is going to have (or respects the parameters fed by the player, throughout.) The basic map field values (elevation, rainfall, temperature, drainage, volcanism, wildness) are seeded along a grid of variable size, respecting various settings (oceans, island sizes, other variances, etc.), and then filled in fractally. The poles vary the temperature, and it selects some points for the highest peaks. Here it does a first pass to see how it is doing, and attempts to adjust some altitudes to fit the map within the desired parameters if it missed. The world can be rejected at this point if it is unfixable, and it tries again.

:The first derived field, vegetation, is then set based on elevation, rainfall, temperature, etc., and it tests for [[biome]] rejections if the map's biomes don't satisfy the ranges set in the parameters. The mid-level elevations are smoothed at this point to make more plains areas, and volcanoes are placed respecting the hot spots in the volcanism field.

:Then we enter the erosion and river stage. Small oceans are dried out, and it locates edges of mountain sides where it can run test rivers. It also places the camera on one of these so the player can watch the process. Many fake rivers flow downward from these points, carving channels in the elevation field if they can't find a path to the sea. Extreme elevations differences are often smoothed here so that everything isn't canyons. Ideally we'd use mineral types for that, but we don't yet. Lakes are grown out at several points along the rivers.

:Elevations are smoothed again from the mountains down to the sea, and the peaks and volcanoes do some local adjustments. Now that the elevations are finalized, it makes adjustments to rainfall based on rain shadows and orographic precipitation. Temperatures are reset based on elevation and rainfall and the dampening effects of forests, and it uses the new values to set the vegetation level one final time. Salinity values are set for the ocean and tiles neighboring the ocean.

:Now that everything has settled down, we can detect the limits of the final biome regions and give them names and their own identity. We also add the geological layers and the underground layers here, though the geological stuff should really be earlier, as previously mentioned. There's a final verification process against the parameters here, to make sure it hasn't drifted too far afield from what the player wanted. Once that's done, it generates the initial wildlife populations in each region, and sets some weather variables."

=== History ===

After generating the world, ''Dwarf Fortress'' will generate a history for that world, tracking civilizations, sites, populations, and other events. This can take a ''very'' long time for large, heavily populated worlds with very long, 2,000-year histories. History generation can be interrupted and the world saved before reaching the maximum year selected on the configuration menu.

In an interview{{cite|gamasutra}}, [[Main:Toady One|Toady One]] described history generation:

:"History itself can begin at this point. Civilizations and caves are placed. It's a bit complicated to go into what happens after that, but the basic idea is that there's a giant zero-player strategy game going on with somewhat loose turn rules and bad AI (but thousands of agents), and history is just a record of that. Procedurally generating stories by recording a log of a simulation is a valid enough approach, though it has drawbacks, of course. It's a lot of work, you need to do post-processing or investigation to find any good moments you'd like to highlight, and if you don't have enough dynamics and mechanisms, the output can be boring (in any number of ways.)"

=== Finishing ===

Once everything is complete, you can take a look around using the directional [[controls|keys]]. (Using {{k|Shift}}+directional key will make this faster.) If you find yourself confused about what all the characters actually mean, you are not alone - check out the [[map legend]]. At this point you can either abort the process, or hit {{k|Enter}} to save the world to disk.

Unfortunately, the post-generation-process viewer doesn't give you a way to view much information about the world, so unless you really hate the look of the map or something, you probably want to just save the world and load it up in [[Legends]] mode to view more information.

== Getting more advanced ==

At first you will probably be satisfied with basic world generation, but later you may find that you want to create worlds with specific, more extreme conditions - check out the documentation on [[advanced world generation]] for help with this.

== Easter Eggs ==

* On the 86th rejected world an error report will appear with four options, this is in reference to the term "86ing" something, which is defined in the Urban Dictionary as "To remove, end usage, or take something out or away." <sup>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=86]</sup>

== Bugs ==

* Magma sea breaching into [[HFS]]{{bug|1791}}
* Anti-Gravity Ants - Floating ant hills above river{{bug|3054}}

== Trivia ==
* The maximum size of the world is comparable to that of the state of Minnesota.

{{D for Dwarf}}
It is universally known that the world is flat. Anyone who says otherwise has to be [[Unfortunate accident|treated with magma]].

== Gallery ==
<gallery heights=150px>
File:df_map_small.png|A "small" size generated world.
</gallery>

{{World}}

File:BasicWorldGen.png

2022-12-26T00:25:02Z

Tme5: Tme5 uploaded a new version of File:BasicWorldGen.png

Basic World Generation menu

Talk:Quickstart guide

2022-12-22T22:11:29Z

Tme5: /* Updating to v50 */

Main Page

2022-12-20T23:08:53Z

Tme5: remove #dfwiki, #lazynewbpack IRC channels (completely empty); replace freenode channel with libera (has more users)

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[[Welcome]] to the [[Dwarf Fortress Wiki]]. This is a collection of user-submitted guides, information and advice for [http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/ ''Dwarf Fortress'']. ''[[Dwarf Fortress]]'' is a game for Windows, Linux and Mac, developed by [http://www.bay12games.com/ Bay 12 Games] featuring two modes of play ([[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress]] and [[Adventurer mode|Adventurer]]), as well as distinct, randomly-generated worlds (complete with [[Biome|terrain]], [[creatures|wildlife]] and [[legend]]s), gruesome combat mechanics and ubiquitous [[Dwarf|dwarven]] [[alcohol]] dependency.
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{| style="width:100%; height: 150px; padding: 0px 12px;"
|<p style="margin: 0 auto 0em;">
<span style="border-bottom:1px solid #ddd; white-space:nowrap;">'''<span style="color:#CA7A02 !important;">New to ''Dwarf Fortress''?</span>'''</span>

[[Installation|Download & install]]

[[Quickstart guide|Fortress mode tutorial]]

[[Adventure mode quick start|Adventure mode tutorial]]

[[Troubleshooting|How do I get more help?]]
</p>
|}
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{| style="width:100%; height: 150px; padding-left:12px; padding-top: 8px;"
|colspan="3"|<span style="border-bottom:1px solid #ddd;">'''Reference Pages'''</span>
|-
|<p style="margin: 0 auto 0em;">

[[Design strategies]]

[[Adventurer mode]]

[[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress mode]]

[[Material]]s

[[Farming]]

[[Trading]]
</p>
|style="padding-left:30px;"|<p style="margin: 0 auto 0em;">

[[World generation]]

[[Advanced world generation]]

[[Industry]]

[[Combat]]

[[Military]]

[[Fun]]
</p>
|style="padding-left:12px;"|<p style="margin: 0 auto 0em;">

[[Creature]]s

[[Weapon]]s

[[Building]]s

[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]

[[Mining]]

[[Skills]]
</p>
|}
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|-
| <span style="border-bottom:1px solid #ddd;">'''Other / [[Mods]]'''</span>
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|| [[Bloodline games]] || [[Cheating]] || [[Known bugs and issues|Known bugs]] || [[Framerate]] || [[Modding guide]]
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|| [[Masterwork:Main Page|Masterwork DF]] || [[Graphics]] || [[Utilities]] || [[Technical tricks]] || [[Dwarf Fortress webcomics|DF webcomics]]
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<div id="norate"></div>

DF2014 Talk:Quickstart guide

2022-12-20T13:41:48Z

Tme5: /* Updating to v50 */ new section

{{Archive|
# [[DF2014_Talk:Quickstart_guide/archive1|Archive 1]]
}}
==Spring==
Some of this article still assumes that the fortress will start in Spring, but that's not necessarily true any more. I don't know how to fix it without making things more complicated though. --[[User:Dree12|Dree12]] ([[User Talk:Dree12|talk]]) 20:31, 14 July 2014 (UTC)
:I decided to go with "in the first six month", "by your third season", or similar. --[[User:Dree12|Dree12]] ([[User Talk:Dree12|talk]]) 02:19, 15 July 2014 (UTC)

== Feedback: what? ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Delving Secure Lodgings|Delving Secure Lodgings]]</div>
This is incredibly confusing. The picture doesn't even show the entrance. I thought it was supposed to be 20 tiles long and 1 wide. It is nowhere to be found. --[[Special:Contributions/63.142.119.65|63.142.119.65]] 13:14, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

:This picture shows the entry tunnel ''after'' the modifications described in the first two sentences of this section:
<blockquote>
"Near the middle of the entry tunnel, build a 5x5 room, and link it to the entrance tunnel with a 3-tile-wide passageway. Expand the main entry tunnel to three tiles wide from the entrance of the new room to the outside entry."
</blockquote>
:The entrance tunnel extends from the upward ramps on the right to the large room on the left. —[[User:Lethosor|<span style="color:#074">Lethosor</span>]] ([[User talk:Lethosor|<span style="color:#092">talk</span>]]) 14:16, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

== Feedback: Boooze over ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Checking Supplies|Checking Supplies]]</div>
In a upper paragraph didn't we make more booze? --[[Special:Contributions/191.180.4.103|191.180.4.103]] 02:38, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

== Feedback from anonymous user ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Stockpiles | Stockpiles ]]</div>
I got some issues with my "general purpose stockpiles", whem digging it, i got many leftover chert . . . I don't know how to remove those stuff to create a fully vacant stockpiles.

In the guide we get a note about it, but no info on how to change this. Hide the chert let them still on the tiles and dumping them, not make something for me at this point . . .

Thank for the guide and for the help --[[Special:Contributions/89.3.210.92|89.3.210.92]] 18:24, 4 January 2015 (UTC)

== Strictness of instructions ==
There are a lot of instructions like "dig a 3x20 hallway", "make a 3x3 stairway", "two tiles past that, dig a 11x11 room". I believe it's detrimental to the creativity of beginners and ultimately the variety of fortresses to give such exact instructions. Instead, something like "make a stairway", "dig a large room", etc should be preferred. In addition, a paragraph talking about reasonable dimensions ("most fortresses will do with a 2x2 staircase", "a 3 tile wide hallway is enough for the main hallways of 200+ fortresses") should give beginners a sufficient scale to base their decisions on.

The question is whether it's better to give new players actual numbers to follow or instead give them rough dimensions and tell them to experiment.
I fear that the former will rear players that build nothing but cookie cutter fortresses following exact dimensions of this guide; while the latter might simply be inferior as a guide.
[[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 23:31, 23 July 2015 (UTC)

:I tried to remove some rigid measurements from the guide a while back, so I don't object to removing others and adding more explanations. Of course, the minimum 3-tile-wide hallway to allow for wagon access is important to mention, but I can't think of anything else off the top of my head. —[[User:Lethosor|<span style="color:#074">Lethosor</span>]] ([[User talk:Lethosor|<span style="color:#092">talk</span>]]) 18:40, 26 July 2015 (UTC)
::Done. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 18:06, 28 August 2015 (UTC)

== Perhaps more information on trading would be useful? ==

What should I get? What should I be trading? [[Special:Contributions/216.254.133.138|216.254.133.138]] 21:28, 21 August 2015 (UTC)
:I think the most reliable thing for trading away would be prepared meals? They're relatively high value, and not very difficult to make lots of. [[Special:Contributions/2602:302:D111:7290:9357:C7C4:D315:4B93|2602:302:D111:7290:9357:C7C4:D315:4B93]] 01:38, 22 August 2015 (UTC)
::I expanded the trading section a little. Probably needs some correction and changes. In the end, I decided to omit the prepared meals, as a couple of barrels full of lavish meals created by a legendary cook can easily buy the entire caravan 3 times over. It makes the game ridiculously easy really quick, and I figure new players probably have more fun in the long run if they can't get everything from a caravan right away. I also mentioned the usual suspects for missing mood items as must-have supply, without explicitly mentioning moods as they're a bit spoiler-y and not mentioned anywhere else in the guide. Not sure if we should a) not mention these altogether, b) mention them without explaining why they're important, or c) list them with an explanation and link to mood page. Personally I think it's fine as I made it though.[[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 13:54, 23 August 2015 (UTC)

== Feedback: how to cook ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Brewing and Cooking|Brewing and Cooking]]</div>
It would be nice to know how one actually does any cooking. Shall one dwarf be assigned with the cooking labor? And then what? --[[Special:Contributions/81.216.197.38|81.216.197.38]] 13:14, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

== Feedback: Those pictures are extremely confusing ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Traps|Traps]]</div>
The pictures are either not helpful at all or marginally helpful without explanation of what they mean. --[[Special:Contributions/67.54.220.18|67.54.220.18]] 20:27, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

== Feedback: Zombies! ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#World Generation|World Generation]]</div>
I would like to suggests that all players to consider the fact that if there's a necromancer tower near you. Your kingdom will most likely be siege by various undead animals. Please put this note in for future new players. I have suffered the consequence by these unholy beings slaughtering my 22 little workers, 2 of which being children. RIP Rocksgrope. --[[User:Stagskull|Stagskull]] ([[User talk:Stagskull|talk]]) 07:04, 31 January 2016 (UTC)

==Mouse wheel==
Under [[DF2014:Quickstart_guide#Surveying_the_Area]] it talks about keys. I noticed that when I scroll my mouse wheel up/forward it zooms out and down/back it zooms in. Is this a proper way to interact with the map? [[Special:Contributions/184.145.18.50|184.145.18.50]] 20:54, 27 February 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Add a bit more ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Refuse|Refuse]]</div>
Add a bit more --[[Special:Contributions/69.112.13.248|69.112.13.248]] 00:43, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

:Such as? For a quick start, that's all you need to know about refuse. Remember that this is the quickstart guide - here to give you a quick start with only the minimal amount of critical information. If you need in depth documentation, you can look up everything on the relevant wiki pages. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 11:32, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Example screenshot of search ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Choosing a Good Site | Choosing a Good Site ]]</div>
There should be an example screenshot of the search window for new players to understand how the interface works better. --[[User:Enzanki ars|Enzanki ars]] ([[User talk:Enzanki ars|talk]]) 22:52, 30 May 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Thanks! ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Feedback | Feedback ]]</div>
Most helpful.

One confusing area: the pictures illustrating the initial setup in the Room Dimensions section.

Please edit the picture to include labels, so that it actually *is* clear which area is which. Also, it isn't too clear where in that image the fortress connects with the surface. --[[Special:Contributions/109.202.107.10|109.202.107.10]] 10:31, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Problems? ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Workshops|Workshops]]</div>
I've followed all of the instructions and have a ton of architect dwarves and everything is set up like it should be, but my dwarves aren't building workshops. In the "q" menu it says "Waiting for construction... Construction inactive." Maybe add more troubleshoots, I can't possibly be the only one having this problem. --[[Special:Contributions/50.35.12.66|50.35.12.66]] 00:30, 4 February 2017 (UTC)

:Only a few workshops require the [[architecture]] labor to be enabled for their construction. Most instead only require a labor specific to the kind of work performed at the workshop. For instance, to build a kitchen ({{k|b}}-{{k|w}}-{{k|z}}), you need to enable the [[cooking]] labor for at least one dwarf. The chosen dwarf does not actually need to have any [[skill]] in cooking; only workshops that actually do require Architecture have any measure of building quality, and even that has no effect on how well they function. If you choose an unskilled dwarf to construct the workshop, remember to disable the labor afterwards so he doesn't then try to make use of the workshop.

:Another thing that might be wrong is for construction to have been interrupted for some reason. Common causes are animals (domestic or otherwise) wandering over the construction site, dwarves getting spooked by threatening encounters, or the selected building materials becoming inaccessible for some reason. If so, you should resolve the issue ([[pasture]] animals, wait for the threat to pass, send [[squad]]s, etc.) and then {{k|q}}-{{k|s}} over the workshop in order to resume construction. If all else fails, you can {{k|q}}-{{k|x}} the workshop to deconstruct it (instantaneous if it hasn't been built yet) and attempt to build it at a different location. --[[User:Rriegs|Rriegs]] ([[User talk:Rriegs|talk]]) 17:03, 8 February 2017 (UTC)

::I've added explicit mention of the need for workshop labors to be enabled in order to construct workshops. The other possible problem (suspended construction) and its solution was already mentioned in the [[Quickstart guide#Workshops|Workshops]] section. --[[User:Rriegs|Rriegs]] ([[User talk:Rriegs|talk]]) 18:40, 8 February 2017 (UTC)

== Feedback: Doesn't describe how to haul dwarves and supplies inside ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Strike The Earth!|Strike The Earth!]]</div>
This section's first paragraph states that "you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible." Wise words.

But the section doesn't describe how to do that. It only describes how to designate an initial entrance and room. This is confusing for readers who expect that the section is about getting dwarves protected as fast as possible. --[[Special:Contributions/216.114.117.77|216.114.117.77]] 01:11, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

:Clarified. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 19:23, 6 September 2017 (UTC)

== Feedback: UI (priorities/diplomacy?) ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Choosing what to sell and what to buy|Choosing what to sell and what to buy]]</div>
Hi! Thanks for the lovely quick start guide, however it assumes that I have any idea how to interact with trader. I have no idea what has happened just now, just some lines of text were shown, no trade was done, could not set the priority (assuming it is my priority) and then they just left... maybe next year lol --[[Special:Contributions/77.247.162.32|77.247.162.32]] 00:41, 29 August 2017 (UTC)
:There has been a link to the trade page for a while now. I reorganized the text a little. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 19:25, 6 September 2017 (UTC)
::There's no mention, here or on the trading page, of the negotiation screen that pops up where you set priorities for importing goods etc. I think this was a [[diplomat]]? But it says they should only show up once you have a baron...
::It happened to me too, and as an inexperienced player I was confused that it wasn't mentioned. [[User:Tme5|Tme5]] ([[User talk:Tme5|talk]]) 19:22, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
::: It is the [[trade agreement]]s that are negotiated with [[outpost liaison]] or foreign trade representatives\diplomats. It is mentioned on the [[Trading#Trade_Agreements_and_Liaisons]]. I agree it could be improved. --[[User:Jan|Jan]] ([[User talk:Jan|talk]]) 20:38, 18 December 2022 (UTC)

== Feedback: Navigating through menus ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Common UI Concepts | Common UI Concepts ]]</div>
You should write where should I expect to not use arrow keys and how to navigate through main menu. I was also confused with the number of pre-set controls configurations in lazy newb pack. --[[Special:Contributions/37.248.155.248|37.248.155.248]] 10:26, 4 December 2017 (UTC)

== Feedback: needs more depth ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Surveying the Area|Surveying the Area]]</div>
. --[[Special:Contributions/173.79.11.244|173.79.11.244]] 19:06, 24 December 2017 (UTC)

== Created a PDF Version ==

I have created a PDF version of the Quickstart guide page for offline use, for users with poor internet connection or limited data. It is largely a copy-paste of the article, arranged in a way that is cleaner than the "Printable Version" of the pages, and includes the images. Would it be a good idea to upload it on the page, and how would I go about adding a link to it?

[[User:AlastríonaCatskill|AlastríonaCatskill]] ([[User talk:AlastríonaCatskill|talk]]) 21:51, 12 January 2020 (UTC)

== Feedback: stone stockpile? ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">"While the wheelbarrows are being built, select your stone stockpile with q and use w to increase "Max Wheelbarrow" to 3 (the maximum)."</div>
When/where should a stone stockpile be created? By this point, the guide suggests ''not'' including stone in a general purpose stockpile, but never suggests when/where to create stone stockpile.

[[User:Qwiption|Qwiption]] ([[User talk:Qwiption|talk]]) 02:59, 3 March 2021 (UTC)

== Feedback: dining hall furniture ==
Guide describes construction 4 tables and 8 thrones for dining hall, however only one dwarf can make use of a table no matter how many thrones are placed around it, so this furniture layout doesn't function as intended.

== Updating to v50 ==

AFAIK, it's yet to be seen how much Classic will resemble the new Premium versions, and hence how much of this material will be made completely redundant by the tutorial. What kind of purpose would we see this page being?
* update it and keep it as our own tutorial?
* retire it and try to merge useful pointers into [[Dwarf fortress mode]]?
* change it to be a "beyond the tutorial" guide? or an accompaniment to it?
BTW I haven't actually messed around with the new tutorial yet so I'm not sure what it covers. [[User:Tme5|Tme5]] ([[User talk:Tme5|talk]]) 13:41, 20 December 2022 (UTC)

Quickstart guide

2022-12-18T22:01:23Z

Tme5: /* Stout Labor keybindings tip box */ retitle; shorten instructions; explicitly link key bindings page

{{Quality|Masterwork|17:56, 5 July 2018 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
:''For installation instructions, see [[Installation]].''
:''This is a quickstart guide for [[dwarf fortress mode]] for those who have never played before and quickly want to jump in head-first.'' ''If you are looking to learn adventure mode instead, see the [[Adventure mode quick start]] guide.''
:''Also see [[Tutorials]] for more detailed tutorials that people have submitted.''
{{TipBox2|float=right|Before you get started...|Always remember that '''losing is [[fun]]!''' Be prepared to lose a few fortresses before you get all the way through this guide – it can be easy to accidentally kill the entire fortress while learning. But remember: losing means that next time, ''[[#Situational Awareness|you'll remember how you lost]].'' In a big way, ''Dwarf Fortress'' uses the principle of learning from one's mistakes.}}

So, you want to play '''Dwarf Fortress''', but you have no idea what to do. That's understandable; in ''Dwarf Fortress'' you can really do anything you like. It is a huge, complex, and totally open-ended game. But in order to do anything, first you need a sustainable fortress. It turns out that this is not as hard as you might think.

As this article doesn't always contain the exact key sequences needed to do everything described, you will likely need to refer to the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] and the rest of the wiki while reading this.

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|446px|right|[[Main:From Caravan to Happy Dwarves|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves]] - This is a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions players usually take when starting up a new fort. Feel free to ignore it if you want. It's not necessary to refer to this to understand the rest of the guide, but by the time you finish the guide it will probably all make sense.]]

__TOC__

= Common UI Concepts =

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Keeping Up|While the guide contains many links, you may still need to look something up. Refer to the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] or use the wiki [[Special:Search|search]] function. Also, don't hesitate to [[Main:Troubleshooting|ask for help]] if you can't find answers on the wiki.}}

Contrary to what you might be used to, the ''Dwarf Fortress'' interface uses a combination of key presses, instead of clicking through menus with the mouse, so, for example, instead of clicking on the Build menu, then on the Workshop submenu, and finally on the specific workshop, you press {{k|b}}-{{k|w}}-{{k|c}}. All the keys you can use in a menu are shown in green somewhere on the screen. (If you see any displayed in red, those are added through [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]].)

This is just the Quickstart Guide, so we skip lots of details on the UI. If you're looking for more UI help as you get deeper into your first fortress, you may also want to read this section in the [[Dwarf_fortress_mode#Gameplay_user_interface|Fortress Mode Guide]].
{{KeyConventions}}

== Options menu ==
{{main|Dwarf_fortress_mode#Options_screen|l1=Options screen}}

Most basic game-related tasks (saving, keybindings, sound, etc.) are performed through the options menu, which can be reached with {{k|Esc}} from the main screen.

To save and quit back to the main menu, select {{DFtext|Save Game}}. Note that there is no "save and continue" option, but saves can be [[saved game folder|backed up and reloaded]]. (If you have DFHack, you can use the ''quicksave'' command.)

{{tc|#d00|Unless you know what you are doing, do not select either}} {{DFtext|Retire the Fortress (for the time being)}} or {{DFtext|Abandon the Fortress to Ruin}}! These will essentially cause you to lose your save.

=World Generation=

First, [[World generation|generate a new world]]. ''Dwarf Fortress'' worlds are always procedurally randomly generated - there is no "default" or "standard" world. Luckily, the basic version of this process is simple, and with these suggested settings won't take too long. Wait until the game shows that the world has been generated, in this case at year 125, since stopping history too soon can limit material availability for embark and trade.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting World|
For your first game, [[World generation|generate a new world]] using the {{DFtext|Create New World!}} option in the main menu with the following options:

* {{DFtext|World Size}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|History}} is {{DFtext|Short|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Civilizations}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Sites}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Beasts}} is {{DFtext|Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Natural Savagery}} is {{DFtext|Very Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Mineral Occurrence}} is {{DFtext|Everywhere|3:1}}

Then hit {{k|y}} to generate the world. Note that you don't need to understand what's happening during world generation at this point, you can inspect the world during embark. At the end of world creation, hit {{k|Enter}} to Accept your newly created world.
}}

= Embark =
{{main|Embark}}

Embarking is the process of choosing a site, outfitting your initial dwarves, and sending them on their way. Select {{DFtext|Start Playing}} from the main menu, then {{DFtext|Dwarf Fortress}}. The game will load and update the world, then show the '''Choose Fortress Location''' screen. There are three maps: Local, Region, and World.
* '''World''' shows the whole world.
* '''Region''' shows all of the region tiles in the part of the world indicated by the cursor on the world map.
* '''Local''' shows all of the local embark tiles in the region tile indicated by the cursor on the region map.
In the local map area is the highlighted embark area that you can move around with {{K|u}} {{K|m}} {{K|k}} {{K|h}} and resize with {{K|U}} {{K|M}} {{K|K}} {{K|H}}. This highlighted square will be your play area after you embark; you cannot directly act or see details [[Civilization_and_World_Info|outside of this area]] during your game. Use {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} to move the region and world cursors around. Hold down {{K|Shift}} while doing this to move more rapidly.

== Choosing a Good Site ==

Choosing a good embark site is crucial for beginners. Highly skilled players can run a fortress on an evil glacier, but for now, stick to friendly environments. Look for features in an embark site that will make your first fort easier to manage.

{{ambox
|type=type
|text=The highlighted embark area may contain '''multiple biomes''', and the game will display {{DFtext|F1F2F3|2:1}}⁠{{DFtext|: View Biome|7:1}} near the bottom right. It is '''very important''' to press {{K|F1}}, {{K|F2}}, etc, to check all of them (Macs and laptops may require {{k|fn}}-{{k|F1}}). Each may have significantly different features such as an aquifer or evil biome '''not initially shown''' in the info due to not being in the main biome (the one visible with {{k|F1}}).
}}

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting Site|
[[File:Quickstart-good-location.png|thumb|300px|right|An example of a good starting site.]]
For your first game, find a site with the following properties:
*'''NO [[Aquifer]]''' (or at least not a heavy or varied aquifer. This is '''''very''''' important!)
*'''Trees:''' Woodland or Heavily Forested (or, at the very least, sparsely forested)
*'''Surroundings:''' Serene, calm, or at least '''not''' any evil or savage biome.
*A '''River'''
The following are also good to have, but focus on getting a decent site, not a perfect one.
*'''Temperature:''' Warm
*'''Clay or Soil''' makes farming easier when starting out
*'''Shallow Metals''' (That's Metals, plural, not Metal. You want more than one.)
*'''Deep Metal(s)'''
*'''Flux Stone''' For your steel industry
*Use {{k|Tab}} to check your neighbors and avoid places with '''towers''', '''goblins''', or other groups at war with you.
See '''[[/Starting site/]]''' for more info on why these characteristics are important.}}

[[File:Quickstart-finder.png|thumb|right|Initial finder criteria]]
While finding a site is not as simple as world generation, the {{K|f}}ind tool can help quite a bit. Use {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} to change the criteria as shown to the right, then press {{k|Enter}} to start the search.
[[File:Quickstart-finder-partial.png|thumb|right|Finder partial match missing Good surroundings]]
If the search completes and the world map is covered with red flashing {{DFtext|X|4:1}}s, that means that it couldn't find any area matching your criteria. The criteria list shows which criteria it couldn't meet in red for the closet match — try changing or removing the red criteria and searching again. Or, you can put only some criteria into the tool (at the very least, No Heavy/Varied Aquifer) and add more to narrow the search. Note that "Calm" is classified as Neutral with Low Savagery (see [[Surroundings#Combinations_of_surroundings|the chart here]] for why) and that Neutral is Medium Evil on the finder criteria, while Good is Low Evil.)

Once the find tool has finished searching with matches found, press {{K|ESC}} to look at the results. Any region in which it found a match will be indicated by a green flashing {{DFtext|X|2:1}} on the region and world maps. Since the find tool '''only''' indicates '''regions''' containing matches, you will need to check the local map manually (with {{k|u}} {{k|m}} {{k|k}} {{k|h}}) until you find the most suitable site. Don't forget that there can be multiple biomes to check with {{K|F1}}, {{K|F2}}, etc.

Additionally, you can resize your embark area using {{k|U}} {{k|M}} {{k|K}} {{k|H}}. A 4x4 embark (the default) is usually reasonable, but you may want to change the size to avoid an undesirable biome or match your finder criteria.

If you are unable to find a site that you are willing to embark on, you could always create a new world. Otherwise, once you have the right area highlighted on the local map, press {{K|e}} to move onto the next step.

== Skills and Equipment ==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Optional: Preparing Carefully|If, at this point, you'd like to get into all of the details of picking individual skills and equipment for your expedition, select {{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}} and see '''[[Quickstart_guide/Preparing_carefully|Preparing carefully]]''' for instructions. '''This is completely optional'''.
And preparing carefully makes little difference in the long run, especially without experience as to what to change.}}

Now the '''Prepare for the Journey''' screen should appear. You will be given the choice to either:
*{{DFtext|Play Now!}}
*{{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}}.

Selecting {{DFtext|Play Now!}} will start you out with a default set of equipment that is reasonably safe, allowing you to skip having to set up your skills and equipment. If you'd like to get going now, just select that option.
{{clear}}

=A Minimal Fortress=
[[File:Quickstart-map-starting.png|thumb|right|Starting out. In this example, the dwarves will be digging out an entrance tunnel in the sandy cliff on the right. (You can use {{K|Tab}} to show or hide the overview map.)]]

At this point, you have embarked, and your dwarves have arrived at their destination. You will see your dwarves clustered around their wagonful of supplies, somewhere near the center of your map. '''Immediately hit {{K|Space}} to pause the game''' unless it is already paused.

==Surveying the Area==
'''Do not unpause the game just yet.''' Take a look around. Use the {{K|k}} command and the arrow keys (remember that {{k|Shift}}+arrow keys will move faster). Look up and down a few [[z-level]]s with {{K|<}} and {{K|>}} ({{k-|Shift|,}} and {{k-|Shift|.}} on many keyboards). The mousewheel will zoom the map in and out. Place the cursor on various tiles to familiarize yourself with what the symbols mean. If you get lost, you can press {{K|F1}} (or {{k-|Fn|F1}} on some systems) to return to the wagon. (You can define more [[hotkeys]] later, to jump quickly to other sites of interest.) Notice the terrain features, the vegetation, and any minerals visible. If you chose a site with flowing water, where is it? What about pools of water? The more carefully you examine your site before breaking ground, the better off you will be.

Remember that this is more of a simulation than a game. It is not "play balanced", and you can very easily find yourself in impossible situations. That is all part of the [[fun]], because even when you lose, you create an interesting story. Your wagon serves as the initial meeting area for your dwarves. Since you should have started in a non-freezing, calm (low savagery), non-evil biome, you shouldn't face any immediate danger, but if for some reason the area around your wagon proves to be unsafe, immediately designate another meeting zone using {{K|i}} (see [[#Temporary Meeting Area|Temporary Meeting Area]] below).

==Controlling Your Dwarves==
The first thing to keep in mind is that, for the most part, you can't directly control your dwarves the way you control characters in a typical fantasy RPG. Instead, you '''designate''' things that need to be done and then dwarves with the appropriate labor assignments will decide what to do.

Some tasks receive a higher priority. For example, if a dwarf needs to eat, then he will go eat, and only get around to digging a tunnel once he is done eating. It is also possible to designate things that no dwarf is able to do. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but no dwarf has mining as one of his allowed labors, or no dwarf has a [[pick]], then the mining will never get done, and the game will not always advise you of why.

So, what you are doing throughout the game is essentially giving your dwarves a detailed group-wide to-do list, but it's up to them to figure out which one of them will execute any given task if the task is even possible. Often many of the details of how a task is performed (such as exactly which rock will be used to make crafts) are left up to them (though you ''can'' specify the details of tasks, such as the material or design, in the {{k|d}}etails menus in workshops).

===''Stout Labor''===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Easier menus on a laptop|
If you're on a laptop (or using a restricted keyboard), you may notice that using {{k|+}} to scroll upward on some menus is inconvenient, since it requires the {{k|Shift}} key.

Fortunately, this is easy to change to {{k|1==}}:
# Press {{k|Esc}} to access the [[#Options menu|options menu]] and select {{DFtext|Key Bindings}}
# Select {{DFtext|General}}, scroll down to {{DFtext|Move secondary selector down}} (using the arrow keys), move right, and select {{DFtext|Add binding}}
# Press {{k|1==}} and select either option that appears.
# Press {{k|Esc}} and select {{DFtext|Save and exit}}

See [[Key bindings]] for more info.
}}
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#aa0|Utilities|2=
You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. There are a few utilities available for this purpose (for Windows, Mac OS X, and most Linux systems):
* '''[[Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]]''' can make labor management considerably easier, especially when you're dealing with twenty times the number of dwarves you have now. It can group and sort dwarves by multiple attributes and display their preferences, mood, and more.
* '''[[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]]''' includes "Dwarf Manipulator", a UI for managing labors. It has fewer features than Dwarf Therapist, but displays much of the same information and is adequate for normal use. In addition, it is accessible from within DF via {{k-|u|l}}, eliminating the need to constantly switch between applications.
}}

'''Labors''' are how you control what types of tasks a dwarf will do. For example, if the [[Fishing]] labor is enabled for a dwarf, that dwarf is allowed to engage in fishing. When dwarves are idle, it could be because you haven't given them anything to do, or it could be because none of the idle dwarves have been told that they're allowed to do the types of tasks you've designated. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but none of the dwarves have the mining labor enabled, they will all just sit around ignoring your mining designation, thinking that it isn't their job. Dwarves will automatically have some labors enabled if they start out with skill in those labors, and some labors (such as hauling and cleaning) are enabled for all dwarves by default. This is why you didn't need to enable any labors on dwarves to get them to haul and mine, but later you may need a labor that no dwarf is currently capable of. Look over your dwarves' assigned [[labor]]s: Press {{K|v}} (View Units) then place the cursor on a dwarf. Now, press {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} for "preferences: labors". You will see a list of labor categories that you can navigate using {{K|-}} and {{K|+}}. You can enter each category with {{k|Enter}} (except for mining, which is a single labor), toggle each labor off and on with {{K|Enter}}, and get back out with {{K|Esc}}. After exiting the View Units menu, you can use {{K|u}} (the units screen) to help you locate dwarves. Hit {{K|u}}, select a dwarf, hit {{K|z}} for "zoom to creature" and you'll automatically be placed in view mode on that dwarf. (Then use {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} to get to the labor configuration menu if necessary.)

Even if no dwarves have the corresponding skills, ensure the following labors are set as specified:

{| class="wikitable"
! Category
! Labor
! Dwarves Assigned
|-
| Woodworking || [[wood cutter|Wood Cutting]] || 1 or more
|-
| Stoneworking || [[engraver|Stone Detailing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Hunting/Related || [[ambusher|Hunting]] || 0 (disabled for all)
|-
| Farming/Related || [[wood burner|Wood Burning]] || 1 or more
|-
| Farming/Related || [[herbalist|Plant Gathering]] || 1 or more
|-
| Fishing/Related || [[fisherdwarf|Fishing]] || 0 (disabled for all)
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[furnace operator|Furnace Operating]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[armorsmith|Armoring]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[weaponsmith|Weaponsmithing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[blacksmith|Blacksmithing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[metal crafter|Metalcrafting]] || 1 or more
|-
| Jewelry || [[gem cutter|Gem Cutting]] || 1 or more
|}

It's important to disable fishing and hunting until you have your initial fort completed — dwarves with these labors enabled will constantly be outside attempting to perform them. When you're first starting out you don't want dwarves wandering around alone where they can get killed (in addition, they won't be doing anything useful, like hauling). Note that ''any'' unskilled dwarf can perform any labor given the necessary equipment and materials. Dwarves with no skill will simply be slow and produce a smaller quantity of lower-quality goods in a given time period, but they will gain skill points as they do so.

==Strike The Earth!==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=green|float=right|Getting your dwarves to safety|
As you now know, you can't control your dwarves directly. So how do you tell them to get inside your newly dug rooms?
*[[Activity_zone#Meeting_area|Meeting Area]] You can designate a Meeting Area zone inside the new rooms. Press {{k|i}}, then draw the rectangle to create a zone. Afterwards make it a Meeting Area. ''See also the [[zone]] page for more information.''
*[[Stockpiles]] (see [[Quickstart_guide#Stockpiles|below]]) Stockpiles tell your dwarves where to put things. Create a stockpile for everything, and dwarves will start to haul all your items there.}}
Decide where you will build your main entrance. Generally, you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible. The best strategy is to put the entrance near your wagon to speed up the process of hauling all of your supplies inside.

The {{K|d}}esignations menu allows you to select areas to dig. There are multiple methods of digging:
* '''[[Mining]]''' removes solid, floor-to-ceiling terrain (natural 'walls') on the z-level selected, leaving behind a rock or soil surface (also referred to as a natural floor). This does '''not''' do anything in areas without natural walls (for example, the surface or previously-mined areas).
* '''[[Channel]]ing''' removes ''natural'' (rock/soil) floors (either created naturally or by mining) and creates a ramp (▲) on the z-level below. Note that you will see a down arrow (▼) on the current z-level, indicating a ramp on the level below. (For best results, ensure that the area below is unrevealed, i.e. black).

To designate an area for digging:
#Hit {{K|d}} to bring up the [[Designations Menu]].
#Hit {{K|d}} to mine or {{k|h}} to channel (see above)
#Place the cursor on one corner of the rectangular area you want to designate and press {{K|Enter}}.
#Move the cursor to the other corner of the rectangle and press {{K|Enter}}. A rectangle will be highlighted and a miner will start to dig out this area once you exit the menu (with {{K|Esc}}) and unpause the game with {{K|Space}}.

This is basically how all of the designation commands work. Everything has to be designated one rectangle at a time, but rectangles can be many tiles wide. After you press {{K|d}} to designate, make sure it's set to "Standard" in the settings at the bottom, rather than "Marker only." You can set this with {{K|m}}. If it's set to "Marker only", the designation will not be carried out.

[[File:Digging Channeling tiles.PNG|200px|thumb|right|Demonstrating the difference between mining and channeling. Mining creates empty space on the same level where it is designated. Channeling creates empty space in the level below, clearing the floor. The levels are connected by up/down ramps. ]]

{{TipBox2|titlebg=red|float=left|Channeling|
Note that channeling can be [[fun|dangerous]]. Unless you know what you're doing, you should only ever make a pit one z-level deep. If you dig a pit multiple z-levels deep, only the lowest level will have an upward [[ramp]], which is not enough for dwarves to leave the pit. (Dwarves can [[climb]] out in some circumstances, but this is unreliable.)

<diagram>
Pit depth: 1 z-level 2 z-levels 2 z-levels
Ground[%26] [#2:1]__[#4:1][%31][#2:1]__ __ __ __ [#4:1][%31][#2:1]_
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#]
</diagram>

This diagram shows the cross-section (side view) of 1x1 pits channeled 1 z-level deep, 2 z-levels deep and the correct way to do a 2 z-level deep ramp. The appearance of "downward ramps" can be confusing as there is no such thing - the down arrow indicates a ramp on the level below. Dwarves in the first pit can walk up the ramp to ground level and escape, while dwarves in the second pit cannot use the ramp at all. The third pit lets dwarves walk back to the surface again since the two ramps are offset to produce a continued slope. In short, channels (particularly channels multiple z-levels deep) can be dangerous. Digging an entryway from the surface level is one of the few times you'll ever need to channel.

<small>Stairs can also be used for an entryway, but channels allow [[wagon]]s entry to your fortress.</small>
}}
If your wagon is near a [[cliff]] or hill (generally speaking, any difference in levels, usually shown by the existence of natural ramps), you can just designate a tunnel to mine ({{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) into the cliff to create an entryway. If the wagon is surrounded by flat terrain, [[channel]] out a 3x3 rectangle on the surface with {{K|d}}-{{K|h}} to create a sort of pit with ramps on the edges, then go down one z-level with {{K|>}} and tunnel into one wall of the pit (with {{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) to create your entry.

Dig a hallway one tile wide and ''at least'' 10 long, ideally more like 20 ({{k|Shift}} moves 10 tiles when digging, so this can be easily accomplished by pressing {{k|Shift}}+an arrow key twice). This will be your entryway.

Your entryway defines the boundary between your safe and protected inner fort, and the big, bad, outside world. You want this to be your only entrance, so that you only have to worry about defending this one opening. A somewhat-outdated video guide to starting a fortress can be found [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLYDcuk29bE&feature=plcp here]. (Note that this applies to v0.34.11, not v{{current/version/ns}}, so some parts may be inaccurate in the current version.)

{{clear}}
=== ''Additional miners'' ===
Mining will go faster if you have more than one dwarf doing it. By default, only one dwarf has the Mining labor enabled, but this can be changed fairly easily:
* Choose a dwarf that isn't doing anything especially useful (the fish cleaner is a good choice for a beginning fortress, but you can always change your mind if you end up with a useless peasant later on)
* Press {{k|v}}, navigate to the dwarf, and press {{k|p}}-{{k|l}}
* Enable the "Mining" option (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above)
* Exit with {{k|Esc}}
The next time you designate an area for mining, both of your miners should start working (assuming they're not busy doing something else).

'''Notes:'''
* Each miner requires a [[pick]]. A standard embark comes with 2 picks. If you want more than two miners, you'll need to forge more picks (forging is covered later in this guide). Two miners should be adequate for most fortresses, but more miners can add reliability (for when a miner decides to sleep) and speed. For now, you'll almost never need more than two miners, but you'll want more once your fortress expands.
* If you're digging a one-tile-wide hallway, only one miner can work from an end.
* Mining, Wood Cutting, & Hunting labors are mutually exclusive - a dwarf can only have up to one of these professions active at a time. For this reason, it's not recommended to make your only woodcutter a miner, since they won't be able to cut wood anymore.

==Delving Secure Lodgings==
Near the middle of the entry tunnel, build a 5x5 room, and link it to the entrance tunnel with a 3-tile-wide passageway. Expand the main entry tunnel to ''three'' tiles wide from the entrance of the new room to the outside entry. At the end of the entry tunnel, dig a small room, which will later become your main stairwell. Two tiles past that, dig a larger room, which will later become your general stockpile, and connect it to the stairwell with a narrow passageway.

[[File:Quickstart lodgings 1.png|thumb|right|An example layout, as described in this section. Note the 3-tile wide passage - this allows merchants to access your depot, which will go in the 5x5 room. Note that the turn also needs to be 3 tiles wide; otherwise, wagons won't be able to access the room.]]

=== ''Room dimensions'' ===
Apart from wagon access (3 tiles wide), the trade depot (5x5), and other workshops (3x3), there are no fixed dimensions you need to worry about. The lower limiting factor is the traffic your tunnels receive (dwarves may have to start climbing over each other), and the space your rooms need (stockpiles, tables/chairs, livestock). The practical maximum size is limited by how long it takes your miners to dig the rooms out, especially if they're digging in stone instead of soil (digging through soil is much faster). Most sites have at least one level soil layer below ground level, which is where you're digging right now, but as you dig deeper you'll hit stone (if you haven't already), and digging will become slower. In most fortresses, even the main hallways never need to be wider than 3 tiles, and needing more than 3 tiles of stairs per floor is very rare. A 3x3 per floor staircase (9 stairs!) is absolute overkill for anything but 20-year-old 300-resident capitals. For most tunnels in your fortress, 2 tiles wide will be sufficient, and many will be fine at just 1 tile wide. 11x11 is a convenient size for stockpile rooms, as the {{k|Shift}}+arrow keys move the cursor 11 tiles. However, something smaller is perfectly fine for rarer stockpiles, offices, and small dining rooms. Commoners’ bedrooms need not be larger than the amount of furniture you want inside.

=== ''Mining safety'' ===
While mining, take care to avoid digging into [[water]]. Dwarves are usually poor swimmers, and are unlikely to escape from an underground flood. However, it is safe to mine ''next to'' underground water, as long as you leave at least one "wall" tile between them (see the picture to the right). You can also mine one z-level under a body of water (for example, mining under a river), but you will have to designate each tile individually because DF automatically cancels digging of newly-revealed "damp" tiles (tiles are considered damp when they are adjacent to a water tile, regardless of whether the water tile is on the same z-level or not).

Also note that '''water can flow diagonally''':
<diagram>
[#00f]≈[#]▓.▓ [#00f]≈[#]▓.▓
▓▓.▓ ▓..▓

[#0f0]ok[#] [#f00]flood[#]
</diagram>

=== ''Stockpiles'' ===
[[File:Quickstart-custom-stockpile.png|right|thumb|Keep corpses, refuse, stone and wood out of general use stockpiles. You can come back and change the settings on this stockpile using {{K|q}}, selecting the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}}. Try to remember to come back here to disable/forbid types of things as you create more specific stockpiles for them.]]
'''Stockpiles''' are very important. These areas are where your dwarves will drop things for storage when they aren't needed elsewhere. To create a '''general purpose stockpile''' for your first storage area:
#Hit {{K|p}} to open the Stockpiles menu.
#Use {{K|t}} to change the [[Stockpile#Custom_stockpiles|custom stockpile]] settings to {{K|e}}nable everything but '''Corpses''', '''Refuse''', '''Stone''', '''Gems''', and '''Wood'''. Use directional keys, {{K|e}}nable, {{K|d}}isable to do this.
#{{k|Esc}} out of that screen back to the stockpiles menu.
#Hit {{K|c}} to select Custom Stockpile, if it isn't already selected.
#Designate the whole 11x11 storage room as a custom stockpile. This works just like designating an area to dig: place the cursor on one corner of the room, hit {{K|Enter}}, move to the opposite corner, and hit {{K|Enter}} again.
#Press {{K|Esc}} to get out of the Stockpiles menu.
Once you exit the stockpiles menu and unpause, you should see dwarves running off to haul everything from your wagon into the new stockpile area. Later, if you like, you can change what sort of things the stockpile accepts by hitting {{K|q}} (Set Building Tasks/Prefs), placing the cursor on the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}} to get to the stockpile settings.

It is particularly important to '''keep wood, stone, refuse, and corpses out of your general purpose stockpile''', so you may want to double check to make sure all of these things are disabled in the stockpile settings. Failure to keep these things out of this stockpile will rapidly fill it up, causing workshops to become cluttered when dwarves can't store things in the stockpile.
'''Note:''' When assigning stockpiles, you should make sure they're in a vacant area (i.e. the tiles should not have any items already stored on them). Dwarves will not haul items to occupied tiles, so make sure the area is vacant (and already mined out) before assigning a stockpile.

=== ''Stairways'' ===

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Up, Down, Up/Down: Types of Stairs|
In Dwarf Fortress, every [[z-level]] is composed of a [[floor]] and a [[wall]] (or "space between floors"). The confusingly named "down" and "up" [[stairs]] have nothing to do with the direction creatures can move to; instead, down stairs penetrate floors, while up stairs penetrate walls. Up/down stairs penetrate the wall and the floor below. ''(note the picture to the left)''

Consequently, you will normally use up/down stairs, and use down and up stairs only for the top and bottom-most level of your staircase respectively. If you're not sure whether you want to expand the staircase in the future, use up/down stairs at the end.
}}

Designate a downward [[Stairs|stairway]] in the room you dug out for the stairwell (''not'' the 5x5 room that you dug out earlier) with {{K-|d|j}}. Notice that after your miner digs the stairway, it doesn't automatically create another stairway on the z-level below. If you hit {{K|>}} to move the view down a z-level you'll see that there's no stairway below, but there is a revealed tile of rock/soil. Because of the down stairway that was dug, this tile is now accessible to miners. You can then designate an up/down stairway on it with {{K-|d|i}} and the miner dwarf will dig it out. Below that you can then dig out another up/down stairway and so on. For now just dig down one level; we will deepen the stairwell later.

[[Image:DF2014 Terraform.png|thumb|left|600px|''This is how the different stairs would look like from the side.'']]

{{clear}}

==Temporary Meeting Area==
[[File:Quickstart lodgings 2.png|thumb|right|An example meeting area. Note that this layer has a different type of soil than the layer above - this can happen often. Also note that the "north" side of this room is directly below the lake in the level above, but no water is present.]]

On the second z-level below ground (the one below the stockpile level, which you just reached with the staircase), dig a short, 3-tile wide passageway (this only needs to be 1-2 tiles long). Past that, dig out a room between 5x5 and 7x7, leaving room to enlarge it in at least one direction in the future. Using the {{k|i}} key, create an activity zone in the room you just created, filling the entire room (be careful not to make this too small lest your [[overcrowding|overcrowded]] animals start fighting). This works much like creating a stockpile except that you draw the rectangle before defining what the area is for. Draw the rectangle, filling the entire room, and set it to be a {{K|m}}eeting area. Your idle dwarves will hang around in this area, hopefully keeping them inside the fort and out of trouble.

NOTE: Again, make sure your [[DF2014:Activity_zone|activity zone]] is already mined out before attempting to designate the meeting area.

{{clear}}

==Refuse==
[[File:Dwarf fort tut miasma.jpg|thumb|right|Avoiding [[Miasma]]]]
Outside your fort entrance, use {{K|p}} followed by {{K|r}} to create a stock{{K|p}}ile for [[Stockpile#Refuse|{{K|r}}efuse]] ''at least'' 5x5 in size. This should be outside in the open or you will have problems with [[Miasma]]. If you do not disable [[vermin]] (Item Types -> remains), you will probably have to expand it later as it will fill up with vermin remains rather quickly. If you are seeing refuse appear in your general-purpose stockpile instead of the refuse pile, use {{K|q}} on the general stockpile and check its {{K|s}}ettings to make sure refuse has been disabled.
{{clear}}

==Food==

Food is necessary for your dwarves' survival - to keep functioning, they require constant supplies of food and drink - the {{k|z}} stock screen can be used to monitor how much food and drink is available. Luckily, your dwarves will eat almost everything raw, including plants.

===''Farming''===
For a reliable, long-term food and alcohol supply, you'll need to set up a farm. Dig out a medium-sized room in a [[soil]] layer (including sand, clay, loam, silt, peat, and ooze) accessible from inside your existing fortress. 5x5 is a good size to start with, but you'll want to leave room to expand in at least one direction. You must pick an ''underground'' area with mud or soil*. Placing this near the stockpiles is more efficient, since farmers won't need to travel as far.

[[File:Quickstart layout 3.png|thumb|right|A 5x5 room with a 3x3 farm plot]]


<sub>* Hopefully you have chosen a site with a soil layer, which will make farming much easier, but if not you will need to [[Irrigation|irrigate]] to create the required mud on stone floors.</sub>

Use {{K|b}}-{{k|p}} to build a 3x3 [[Farming|farm plot]] in the room you just created. Notice that some types of buildings (as well as most constructions) are not designated corner-to-corner like digging designations, stockpiles, or activity zones. Instead, you define the length and width of the building using {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|h}} and position it with the directional keys. Use {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|k}} to make the plot 3x3 and position it in the room, ideally near the wall to leave space for more plots later on.

Remember that you must enable the {{DFtext|Farming (Fields)}} labour for at least one dwarf, or the farm plot won't get built and farming will not take place. (If you selected "Play Now" earlier then you will start with a dwarf with farming enabled.)

{{K|Esc}} out of the build menu and wait for the farmer dwarf to create the plot. Once the plot is built, use {{K|q}} to set the plot to grow [[plump helmet]]s during all seasons. You can use {{K|+}} and {{K|-}} to select plump helmets (pressing {{k|-}} once should do the trick). Select with {{K|enter}}. '''You will need to press {{K|a}}, {{K|b}}, {{K|c}}, {{K|d}} and select Plump Helmets for each season''' — otherwise you'll end up with an idle field for 3/4ths of the year.

Later, if you are curious what is planted in each plot this season and how much, select the [[Controls_guide#View_items_in_buildings.2C_t|View Items in Buildings]] command {{K|t}} and move to the farm plot.

Note that a default embark starts with ''five'' plump helmet seeds — for now, only half of your field will end up being planted. Eventually, as your dwarves consume plump helmets, more seeds will become available and will be automatically planted by an unoccupied farmer.
:''For more troubleshooting tips, see [[How do I build a farm]]''
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=== ''Emergency food sources'' ===
Occasionally, even with a working plump helmet farm, you may experience food shortages. For now, you should have plenty of food on hand left over from embarking. However, if you ever run low on food, there are a few ways to obtain more:

==== ''Plant gathering'' ====
If you have shrubs ({{raw tile|"|2:0}}) growing above ground, you can harvest plants from them. Note that this requires a dwarf with the {{dftext|Plant gathering}} labor enabled (under {{dftext|Farming}}), and time (this can take a while for an inexperienced dwarf, and it doesn't always yield edible plants). To start, {{k|d}}esignate some {{k|p}}lants to be gathered on the surface (similar to selecting an area for mining, except it only selects plants in the given rectangle). Once processed, some will leave behind harvested plants (often edible berries).

====''Butchering''====
If you suddenly run low on food, butchering an animal is another option. Build a [[butcher]] shop ({{k|b}}, {{k|w}}, {{k|u}}) and mark one of your animals for slaughtering (press {{k|v}}, move the cursor to the animal, then press {{k|p}}, {{k|s}}). A dwarf with the butchering labor enabled will haul the animal off to the butcher's shop, work for a while, and produce neat stacks of meat products.

==Building material==
Initially, [[wood]] is probably a good choice for building material, as it's lightweight and can be easily obtained. You will need plenty of building materials as your fortress grows, but wood will suffice for now. If you are unable to locate enough wood (or if you run out of trees, which is unlikely at this point), extend your staircase down to a stone level ({{k|d}}-{{k|i}}) and mine out a small area (at least 5x5) to obtain stone.

Even if you don't have trees, you can obtain 3 logs from your embark wagon. Press {{K|q}}, place the cursor on your wagon, and hit {{K|x}} to deconstruct it. This will flag the wagon for disassembly. Eventually a carpenter will come along and turn the useless wagon into 3 units of wood. (Removing other buildings is done the same way.)

===''Woodcutting''===
{{Update in next major version}}
Assuming your site has [[tree]]s above ground, now is a good time to start obtaining wood. Create a stock{{K|p}}ile for {{K|w}}ood outside your entrance (preferably near to it). As it will only be temporary, don't make it too big (maybe 5x3, or 15 tiles total). Later, you will move this closer to your carpenter's workshop (once you build one), so don't worry about placement too much. Also near the entry, designate a couple of trees to be chopped down with {{K|d}}-{{K|t}}. One tree will produce many logs, so only designate three to five at this point. If you designate too many trees, your woodcutters will spend all of their time chopping them down and hauling the resulting logs, instead of doing other work. As soon as one tree is cut down and its wood stored in a stockpile, you can proceed to the next step (your woodcutter will continue cutting down any remaining designated trees).

==Drinks==
Drinks can be more problematic than food, since they require more preparation (except for [[water]], that is). In warmer weather, you can specify a "water source" activity zone ({{k|i}}-{{k|w}}) around a lake or river on the surface to keep your dwarves from dying of thirst, but dwarves deprived of [[alcohol]] slow down and become unhappy. In addition, drinking outside can be dangerous — dwarves running outside constantly risk running into wild animals, or worse. Creating a [[still]] to brew alcohol is the simplest solution to these problems.

You need a [[brewer]] to brew drinks. Unfortunately, your brewer is also your woodcutter (with a default embark), who is busy cutting down trees. You will want to make a different dwarf your brewer instead, since both your brewer and woodcutter will be busy (and one dwarf can't do both jobs at the same time).
# Find your woodcutter in the {{k|u}}nits list, select it, and press {{k|z}} (this selects the dwarf without you having to search your entire map). Use the {{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu to disable brewing (located under "Farming/related" — you can navigate this menu with the {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} buttons).
# Pick another dwarf that isn't doing anything useful. Right now, this can probably be your fish cleaner, but you can change this as soon as some migrants arrive (by following these steps again).
# Use the {{k|u}}-{{k|z}}-{{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu again to enable brewing on the new dwarf.

[[File:Quickstart still 1.png|thumb|right|A completed still]]
Assuming you have building materials available (which you will if your woodcutter has been doing their job), you can now create a still:
# Dig out a 3x3 area connected to the farm plot.
# Use {{k|b}}-{{k|w}}-{{k|l}} to build a still. Position it in the 3x3 area you just created and press {{k|Enter}}.
# Use {{K|Enter}} to select a building material for the still (this is probably one of the logs you just cut down by default).
# Use {{k|Esc}} to exit the menu, and unpause the game.
After a short delay, your new brewer should run off, drag a log over to the workshop site, and build the workshop. (This is also how building other workshops works, but you won't need to do that yet).

To brew drinks, use {{k|q}} to select the still and press {{k|a}}dd task-{{k|b}}rew drink. '''This will not work yet''', since you don't have any empty barrels or rock pots, but you should start brewing in the first six months (see [[Calendar]] and [[Status]]).
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==Pasture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|Grazers|
If you aren't sure whether or not an animal is a grazer, you can check {{catlink|Grazer|this category}}. (You can also [[Special:search|search]] for the animal on this wiki.)
}}
If you have any grazing animals with you, such as the draft animals used to pull your wagon, they will die if they are kept away from grass for too long. Use {{K|i}} to create a Pe{{K|n}}/[[Pasture]] zone over a grassy area outside and assign your grazing animals to it using {{K|N}} (while still selecting the zone). This area needs to be about 10x10 or so to ensure they have enough grass and don't trample it all. The amount of grass required varies greatly, depending on the type(s) of animals being pastured. If you intend to keep grazing animals permanently, you may need vastly larger pastures later. As an alternative, you might wish to [[Butcher's shop|slaughter]] your largest animals for food and materials.

==Designing your first fortress==
While this guide recommends a vertical fortress design around a central stairwell, with each z-level being used for a particular purpose, it is not really that important to use this design for your first fortress. Therefore, feel free to put any of the areas described in the rest of this guide on your main level or wherever you want as long as dwarves can get to them without going outside the fort. In other words, you can think of the "levels" described in the guide more as areas that can really all be on the same level if you have space. Later you can ponder over what makes things most efficient, but for now just do whatever you find easiest. Note that you may need to dig down a bit to get to stone if you have more than one z-level of sand/clay/soil below the surface.

==Workshops==
[[File:Quickstart workshops 1.png|thumb|right|An example workshop layout. The gem stockpile (empty) is north of the Jeweler's workshop (southwest corner), the wood stockpile is east of the Carpenter's workshop (northwest corner), and the stone stockpile occupies the rest of the space. Note the wheelbarrow (Ö/umlaut-O) in the stone stockpile.]]
Most labors of your dwarves need a place where they can process raw materials — [[workshop]]s. Almost all of them occupy a 3x3 square, and most of them require just 1 unit of any building material (wood, stone, metal). Dig your stairwell down one level (with {{K-|d|i}}), if you haven't already. It's fine if this layer is soil — in fact, soil is better, since it's easier to dig through (if you only have one soil layer, you can put these workshops somewhere on your first level). Dig space for your workshops off of the stairwell. It will hold your [[Mechanic's_workshop|mechanic's]], [[Mason's_workshop|mason's]], [[Carpenter's_workshop|carpenter's]], and [[Jeweler's_workshop|jeweler's]] [[workshop]]s. Something to consider is stockpile proximity: the farther away the material is the dwarves use, the more time they waste with walking. So for now, dig out some more space for stockpiles close to where your new workshops will be (wood for your carpenter, stone for your mason and mechanic, and gems for your jeweler).
It doesn't matter if you put everything in one large room or dig out small rooms for each workshop and stockpile. Note however that some tiles of workshops are impassable: they appear as dark green 'X' when you choose a location (the specific wiki pages of the workshops also show you this). So before you build small 3x3 rooms for each workshop, make sure your dwarves will be able to reach them. Once you've dug out your rooms, set your miners to work by adding a z-level or two to the staircase (you can designate multiple z-levels at once using {{k|<}} and {{k|>}}, just like moving up and down). Hopefully you'll obtain some stone by doing this, which will be useful eventually. While your miners are busy, use {{K-|b|w}} to build the workshops, using whatever building material you have. If you are still digging in soil and don't have stone yet, just use wood; the material really doesn't matter in this case. Be sure that your craftsdwarves still have labors corresponding to each workshop enabled (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above) so they will begin construction. (Dwarves already busy mining or hauling may not immediately stop to construct workshops; if you like, you may temporarily disable other labors in order to jumpstart workshop construction.) If the construction of any building gets "suspended" just use {{K|q}} to unsuspend it. (This can happen if another dwarf or object is blocking the way. See [[#"Garbage" Dumping|Garbage Dumping]] below if you find you need to remove an object.)

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Too Good for Menial Peon Work|Certain labors are crucial in setting up a fort. At some point you may want to disable less important labors such as hauling for dwarves with the crucial skills of mining, masonry, architecture, carpentry, mechanics, and maybe others. You want these dwarves working on creating beds, doors, and trap components before hauling stone and cleaning.}}
Remove the temporary wood stockpile you created outside (using {{K-|p|x}} and selecting the entire stockpile) and dwarves will move the wood to the new wood storage area.

Go to your mason's shop with {{K|q}} and use {{K|a}} to queue up one [[table|{{k|t}}able]] and one [[throne]]/{{k|c}}hair. You will find out why you need these in a second, but now is a good time to start building them. If you still don't have any stone at this point just use wood at the carpenter's workshop.

At this point, it is a good idea to build a few [[wheelbarrow]]s to make hauling large objects (particularly stone) more efficient. Queue up 2 or 3 at the carpenter's workshop. (Wheelbarrows are located near the bottom of the list, on a separate page. They are not visible initially, so you'll need to scroll with {{k|+}} or {{k|-}} — scrolling up with {{k|-}} is more efficient, as it wraps to the bottom of the list.) While the wheelbarrows are being built, select your stone stockpile with {{k|q}} and use {{k|w}} to increase "Max Wheelbarrow" to 3 (the maximum). Your dwarves will automatically move wheelbarrows to the stockpile once they are built.

===''"Where did I build that ____?"''===
As you build workshops, furnaces, Trade Depot, other buildings, rooms and even zones, you may start to lose track of where they all are -- or where they're supposed to be built, but some dwarf is too busy eating/drinking/hauling. There are a couple of commands available from the main UI that will help you locate what you built.

* You can View {{K|R}}ooms/Buildings to see a Building List, and also Zoom {{K|t}}o the building/item, or {{K|q}}uery the building tasks.

* For incomplete buildings/constructions, you can also open the {{K|j}}ob list and then Go to {{K|b}}uilding to find the intended location.

{{clear}}

== Brewing ==
You'll need [[barrel]]s to store drinks for your dwarves. The stockpile you set up earlier will use as many barrels as possible to store items in, which means they can't be used to store drinks. To change this, press {{k|p}} to access the stockpile menu and use {{k|*}} to increase the number of "reserved" barrels (i.e. barrels kept out of stockpiles - 5 barrels is good for now). Queue up two or three barrels in your carpenter's workshop with {{k|a}}-{{k|v}}. (If you run out of wood at any point, cut down another tree or two outside). If a lack of wood cancelled a job, you will need to queue the job again. Go back to your still and order some drinks to be {{k|a}}-{{k|b}}rewed. Each drink requires one barrel and one edible plant, such as a plump helmet. Even if none of yours have been harvested yet, you should have some left over from embark. Also, brewing plump helmets creates ''two'' seeds from one plant, which makes plump helmets an excellent choice for a beginning fortress. Five barrels should be plenty for now (each plant makes 5 "units", or servings, of booze, and dwarves don't need to drink too often, so 30 units should last you a whole year. When the stocks get low, you'll probably want to start queueing up more drinks to be made (you should have more empty barrels by then)).

=="Garbage" Dumping==
{{main|Garbage dump}}

'''Note that garbage is not the same thing as refuse.''' [[Stockpile#Refuse|Refuse]] is [[Miasma|rotting stuff]]. Garbage is anything you designate to be hauled to a [[Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump]], even important things that aren't really garbage. Think of your garbage dump zone as a way to specify that objects you select will be brought to a specific area.

Use {{K|i}} to create a 1x1 activity zone somewhere near your mason's and mechanic's workshops and set it to be a garbage {{k|d}}ump. Unlike stockpile areas where you are limited to storing one object per tile, any number of items may be piled in a garbage area. That means you will only need one tile to hold as much "garbage" as you like. Although many of the room sizes in this guide are suggestions, think of the 1x1 garbage dump size as mandatory. At some point you will probably want to retrieve an important item from your garbage dump, and the more tiles your dump contains, the harder it will be to find anything in it. Press {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} to get to the mass dump/forbid screen and select the {{k|d}}ump option. With "dump" selected, designate a rectangle over the loose stones cluttering up your living area (if there are any – this often isn't a problem yet if you've built your fort in a soil layer). This will designate this stone to be transported to a garbage dump zone. Be sure not to designate the stone in your stockpiles by mistake, since that will only cause your dwarves to perform unnecessary hauling. Once the stone from your living area has been moved there, it will be set as [[Forbid|forbidden]]. Before it can be used you will need to unforbid it using the same {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} screen, hitting {{k|c}} to claim it. Note that dwarves hauling stone (or any large, heavy objects) move slowly, and can take a lot of time to reach their destination. This can be a major waste of time if you designate 50 boulders to be dumped at once. Unless the stone is in the way of something, you don't ''need'' to dump it every time you dig out a new area. Stones lying on the ground don't slow dwarves down at all. If there is a particular dwarf you don't want hauling "garbage", you can disable the "Refuse Hauling" labor (under the "Hauling" category). Miners are good candidates, since they are far more useful when digging than when moving the stone they just dug out.

Congratulations! Knowing how to use garbage dump zones puts you head and shoulders above many new players - it takes some people weeks to figure this out.

==Trading==
Not all embark sites have all the resources you need for a successful fortress, but every site has ''something'' you can sell. A talented dwarf can process any useless resource into something valuable, and [[trading]] is a good way to sell those goods.

''Note that producing goods creates [[wealth]] and getting too much wealth too fast can have [[Immigration#Migrant_wave_sizes|unwanted]] [[Siege|consequences]].''
===Trade Depot===
Build a [[trade depot]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|D}} in the 5x5 room you created near your entrance. This is where [[caravan]]s will park their stuff and where [[trading]] will take place when one arrives. (as stated earlier, the wagons are 3x3 so the entrance tunnel needs to be at least 3x3 for the wagons to go by). You will need one [[architect]], which will be enabled on your mason if you selected {{DFtext|Play now!}} at embark. You also need at least 3 logs or boulders to build the depot.

===Producing for export===
While there are some goods that are more valuable, and some that are less valuable, it's a good idea to simply produce/export what you have too much of and to import what you have too little of.
Generally though, [[Gem]]s and [[Finished goods]] are decent exports for a new player.

===Trading===
Once a caravan has arrived, you can mark the goods you want to sell through the Trade Depot, and your dwarves will begin moving them to the depot. Be careful not to sell wooden items to [[Elf|Elves]]; '''this includes containers:''' even a wooden bin full of metal crafts will make them upset. Also note that the traders will want to make a profit off of you. While they're happy with about 200%, the more profit they make on your site, the more goods they will bring next time, so it can be a good idea to give them even better deals.

''A more detailed overview of the entire process is [[Trading#Trading_Flowchart|here]].''

===What to buy===
In your first fortress, your priority should be importing some [[food]] and [[alcohol]]. In addition, you might want more [[Meat industry|livestock]], [[seed]]s (comes with a free bag), and - depending on what resources you are missing - additional [[pick]]s, [[barrel]]s, [[wood]], [[bag]]s, as well as [[rope]] and a [[bucket]] (for a well). While you're at it, check if you need an [[anvil]]. Maybe you forgot to bring one, or a [[kea]] stole it. Always having a small supply of ''all 3 kinds'' of [[cloth]], some [[gem]]s, [[leather]], a bit of [[sand]] (free bag!) are handy to have, as those are hard to come by on short notice.
If you're short on weapons-grade [[metal]] for your military, import not only actual metal [[bar]]s and [[ore]]s, buy ''all'' metal goods you can afford and [[Melt item|melt]] them down in a [[smelter]] to increase your yield.

===Troubleshooting===
Once the depot is built, use {{K|D}} from the main menu to make sure your depot is accessible. (This command is only available once the depot is built – before building, the command will be disabled, and while the depot is under construction everything will flash red until the depot is built). Once completed, checking {{k|D}}epot access will flash some of the following symbols:
* {{raw tile|X|4:4:1}}: This tile is not accessible by wagon. This could be because something is blocking it (a tree, a natural [[boulder]], etc.).
* {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}: This tile is accessible by wagon. (These tiles will radiate outward from the depot, not from the map edges.)
:This is good, but does not guarantee wagons will be able to reach the depot. Make sure you see the words {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} in the menu.
* {{raw tile|D|3:2:1}} The depot is accessible via wagon.
* {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}} The depot is '''not''' accessible by wagon. See below.

If you see the message {{DFtext|Depot inaccessible|4:1}} in the menu (or the {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}}) symbol over the depot, try these solutions:
* Is the path to the depot (in your fortress) less than 3 tiles wide? If so, expand the entranceway and try {{k|D}} again.
* Are there [[tree]]s blocking a path to the depot outside? Try clearing a path by cutting down a few (you probably won't need to cut ''all'' the trees in a 3-tile wide path); usually cutting some at the end of a path of {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}'s clears a path.
* Are there [[boulder]]s ({{raw tile|∞|7:0:0}}) blocking the path outside? To remove them easily, you need an [[engraver]]. If you selected "play now", you should have one already. Select {{k|d}}-{{k|s}}mooth Stone and designate the boulder(s) for smoothing. They should flash this symbol: {{raw tile|┼|7:0:1}}
* Is the path to the depot only accessible via stairs or did you build traps in the way? Wagons cannot pass traps or stairs, even if they're 3x3 wide.
It's possible that there are multiple obstacles blocking the depot, so keep checking {{k|D}}epot access until the {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} message appears.

''Note that even if your depot is inaccessible to wagons, traders still will come without wagons. They will carry much less goods and you can sell them much less, because their carrying capacity is greatly reduced.''

== Migrants ==
{{gametext|Some migrants have arrived.}}
At some point soon, you'll most likely be getting migrants (if you haven't already). You'll usually get between 5 and 15 migrants in the first 2 waves, which occur sometime during your second and third seasons. See [[/Migrants|this page]] for advice when you receive migrants.

== Bedrooms ==
Up to this point, your dwarves have probably been sleeping on dirt or rock in your fortress. While this is fine for a short time, your dwarves will gradually become less happy if they are forced to sleep without a bed. Under normal circumstances beds can only be made from wood, so be sure to designate some more trees to be cut down if you're short on logs.

[[Bedroom design|Designing living quarters]] is largely a matter of personal preference and aesthetic sense. While a few useful designs are discussed here, there are many other options. In general, try to keep the bedrooms close to the stairs, and make your access hallways at least two tiles wide to reduce congestion.

=== Location ===
Because noise generated from certain jobs (especially mining and woodcutting) can bother sleeping dwarves, doing these jobs within 8 tiles of a sleeping dwarf should be avoided (see [[noise]] for more information). There are two ways of accomplishing this:
* Placing bedrooms at the end of a hallway at least 8 tiles long will avoid most noise (as long as you are careful to avoid noisy jobs directly above or below the bedrooms).
* Extending your fortress down several z-levels will also work (9 levels from the surface is a safe choice), although extending a 3x3 staircase takes more work than extending a single hallway.
Both options work equally well, as long as you are careful to avoid disturbing sleeping dwarves. Ultimately it depends on how you want your fortress to look.

=== Layout ===
Due to the limited resources of a new fortress, setting up a communal sleeping area in a dormitory is often the best short-term solution. However, you can also set up individual bedrooms for dwarves.

'''Benefits of individual bedrooms:'''
* Dwarves are happier with their own bedroom and furniture.
* Individual rooms can increase your fort's perceived wealth.
'''Benefits of dormitories:'''
* Dormitories are easier to set up and expand (only one room is necessary, and each dwarf only requires one bed).
* Sleeping dwarves are much less likely to be attacked when other dwarves are around them.
* Multiple dwarves can sleep in a dormitory. In contrast, only one dwarf can ever sleep in a bedroom (dwarves cannot sleep in another dwarf's bedroom, even when unoccupied).
* Far fewer beds are needed – in a fort of 50 dwarves, for example, around five dwarves will be sleeping at a time (on average). A dormitory, therefore, rarely requires above ten beds, while individual bedrooms would require 50 beds to be built.
* Even when all of the beds are occupied, dwarves will still sleep in the general area of the dormitory. This is more convenient than having dwarves sleeping all over your fort.
For now, setting up a dormitory is easiest (although you can change this later, if you feel the need to).

=== Building ===
Queue up as many beds as you need in a carpenter's workshop (no more than 3 or 4 should be necessary for a dormitory). Beds are queued with {{k|q}}-{{k|a}}-{{k|b}} at a [[carpenter's workshop]] and built with {{k|b}}-{{k|b}}. (As long as your furniture/general-purpose stockpile isn't full yet, dwarves will store beds in them as they are finished, so there may be a delay before they're available to be built.)

'''Setting up a dormitory:'''
# Dig out an empty room in the location you selected.
# Once you have a bed ready, build it near the middle of the room (towards the end away from the entrance).
# Use {{k|q}} to select the bed and {{k|r}} to turn it into a bedroom. Resize the room until it fills the area you dug out (positioning the bed away from the entrance makes it easier to avoid extending the room out into the hallway). If you decide you don't like the position of the bed, remove it with {{k|q}}-{{k|x}} and place it again.
# Press {{k|d}} to turn the room into a dormitory (the menu should read {{DFtext|d: Dormitory <Y>}})
Once you have more beds built, you can place them in the same room. You don't need to mark them as dormitories as long as they're in the area you designated for the bedroom.

[[File:Quickstart-level-7-bedrooms.png|thumb|right|An example of individual bedrooms (with furniture, discussed below)]]
'''Setting up individual bedrooms:'''
# Dig out a small room for each bed (the size and shape are up to you, but 2 to 4 tiles generally works best).
# Build each bed in a room when ready
# Use {{k|q}}-{{k|r}} to mark the bed as a bedroom.
You should see {{DFtext|Current owner: Nobody}} in the menu. A dwarf will eventually get around to claiming the bedroom – you don't need to assign each dwarf to a specific bedroom.

==Nobles and Administrators==
Hit the {{k|n}} key to open up the [[Noble|nobles and administrators]] screen. The most important positions to assign are '''[[manager]]''', '''[[broker]]''', and '''[[bookkeeper]]'''.
* A '''manager''' will allow you to queue up [[work order]], which will greatly simplify managing your production.
* A '''bookkeeper''' will allow you to maintain inventory counts on the {{K|z}} screen so you'll know what you do and don't have.
* A '''broker''' is necessary to trade with a caravan once one has arrived at your [[trade depot]].

===Manager & Bookkeeper===
Your [[expedition leader]] is a good choice for manager and bookkeeper when starting out. Don't worry that it's just one dwarf doing all this; none of these jobs take very long.

While you are on this screen, highlight the bookkeeper and {{K|s}}et them to work for "Highest Precision" (all counts accurate). This will help train [[record keeper|bookkeeping]] faster and ensure that you aren't dealing with vague inventory counts.
:''See [[Stocks]] for a detailed explanation of the {{k|z}}-stocks screen.''

===Broker===
The broker should be another one of your other dwarves (rather than being the same as your bookkeeper) so that they're not too busy doing bookkeeping to actually talk to the traders when a trade delegation arrives.

Don't worry about the [[chief medical dwarf]] yet. He/she will be needed when you set up your [[Healthcare|hospital]] which won't be covered in this guide. Feel free to go check out the [[Healthcare]] guide once you're done.

===Offices (Studies)===
Some of your administrative positions (manager and bookkeeper) require an [[office]] in order to function. If your manager, for example, doesn't have an office, you will not be able to do any of the things that require a manager even though you have one assigned.
[[File:Quickstart-noble-selection.png|right|thumb|Nobles screen. The red stuff turns white once an office is assigned.]]

Earlier you should have queued up a table and throne in your mason's shop, and they should be done by now.
# Dig out a room near your sleeping quarters or stockpiles (at least 1x3, no more than 5x5).
# Place the furniture in it with {{k|b}}-{{k|c}} (chair) and {{k|b}}-{{k|t}} (table).
# Wait for the dwarves to install the furniture
# Use {{K|q}} to select the '''chair'''/throne (not the table), select "Make Throne Room or Study" ({{k|r}}), size the room appropriately, and then {{k|a}}ssign the chair to your expedition leader (who should be both your bookkeeper and manager).
# Hit {{K|n}} to verify that these positions now have the office they need (if so, {{DFtext|[REQUIRE]|7:1}} should no longer be red).

==Furniture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Different Names, Same Thing|As you've noticed, some things have different names based on what they're made of (for example, chairs vs. thrones and chests vs. coffers) even if they're functionally the same (material almost never makes a difference). [[Furniture#Furniture_types_with_multiple_names|Here's a list.]]

[[Bed]]s are a notable exception — they can only be made of wood.
}}
Now would be a good time to start building some [[furniture]]. You could queue up all these items directly from your workshops, but why not give your new manager a little practice?
Using the manager screen {{k|j}}-{{k|m}}, hit {{k|q}} to queue up a new job, and type "[[bed]]", and then select "construct bed." Set the quantity to around 4 (or more, depending on how many beds you need). Next, queue up at least four [[table]]s, eight [[throne]]s/chairs, and four doors. Make sure you select a material you have – rock or wood will both work for all of these (except beds), so use whatever you have in your stockpiles. If you like, you can also queue up a few wooden [[chest]]s or rock coffers and [[cabinet]]s (which can be used in bedrooms, if you set up individual bedrooms). The tables and chairs will go in your [[dining room]], speaking of which...

==Dining and Food Prep Area==
Right off the main stairwell (any unused area by the staircase will work), create three rooms. One will be for general food storage, one a [[dining room|dining hall]], and one a [[kitchen]]. The kitchen will allow you to make [[Cook#Recipes|prepared food]]. Make the room for the kitchen 5x5. The storage area and dining hall should be larger. Ideally, leave empty space on at least one side of your dining hall so that it can be expanded later if necessary.

[[File:Quickstart_dining_area.png|right|thumb|Dining level with dining hall (east), kitchen (north), storage area (west), fishery, butcher's workshop, and tanner's workshop (south).]]

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}}-{{k|z}} to build the kitchen in the middle of the 5x5 room. Use {{k|p}} to create {{K|f}}ood stockpiles in the remaining space around it, as well as the entire food storage room. Go back to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings to {{K|d}}isable Food. This will cause any food in your general purpose stockpile to get moved to your new food-only stockpiles. Hit {{K|z}} and select ''[[Kitchen]]'' from the top of the screen, then disable all cooking for plants, using {{K|c}}, {{K|C}} does everything (disable is red) and enable brewing for them so that they will only be used for brewing. Also disable alcoholic beverages for cooking, otherwise your cooks will waste perfectly good hooch in their cooking. The only time you might want to use alcohol in cooking is when you have lots of booze but are running out of food. If you plan to do any fishing, dig out another area and create a [[Fishery]] on this level so the uncleaned fish your fisherdwarf just caught can be cleaned (gutted) for consumption or cooking. If you plan to do any hunting or [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] any animals, create a [[Butcher's shop]] on this level so animal corpses can be butchered. The fishery/butcher's shop can be placed behind the kitchen or the general food stockpile, for example. A door is recommended for the butcher's shop in order to contain [[Miasma]] should something rot, and to otherwise avoid offending squeamish dwarves. Eventually, go check out the subpage on [[/Stockpiles/]] for more information on fine-tuning these stockpiles for maximum efficiency. For now you can safely procrastinate on this and move on to the next section.

==Placing Furniture==
Once your furnishings are complete, you need to place them in rooms using the {{K|b}}uild command. Put the new {{k|c}}hairs and {{k|t}}ables in the dining room. If you like, you can add doors for aesthetics (they can be useful in case something starts rotting in your food stockpiles). If you created chests and cabinets, you can add them to each room if you want, but it is not urgent now.

==Meeting Hall==
Use {{K|q}} on one of the tables you just placed in the dining room, define the area as a {{k|r}}oom, and configure it to be a meeting {{k|h}}all. This will cause idle dwarves to hang around in the dining hall. You want idlers in a central location, close to where you will be placing your emergency drawbridge levers. You should probably remove the temporary meeting area (and any other meeting areas that you created earlier) with {{K|i}}-{{k|x}}.

==Checking Supplies==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Hostile Wilds|Before turning on either hunting or fishing, examine the {{K|u}}nits screen to see if there are any dangerous critters your hunters/fishers need worry about. With hunting especially, you may need to check this screen frequently.}}
Use the {{K|z}} ([[status]]) screen to check your stock levels. How much food and booze do you have left? You only have unprepared food at this point, and the booze you brought with you, but soon you will be making more. If you are running low on food, you can designate gathering some [[shrub|outdoor plants]], [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some animals, turn on [[fishing]], or turn on [[hunting]] to tide you over for a bit. Hunting and slaughtering animals both require a butcher's shop.

==Brewing and Cooking==
Once your first crop of plump helmets starts to come in, you will want to start [[brewing]] as a [[repeat]]ing task. Also, now would be a good time to start [[cooking]] actual meals rather than forcing your dwarves to eat raw food. Cooking [[Cooking#Recipes|easy meals]] will train dwarves faster, but they may be happier with [[Cooking#Recipes|lavish meals]]. So, you might want to cook easy ones until your cook or cooks skill up to a certain point then have them start making lavish meals. Prepared food is cooked from two (easy), three (fine), or four (lavish) raw food/alcohol ingredients. Each prepared food item will be called a 'something' (for instance, a specific animal meat) "biscuit", "stew", or "roast" depending on the lavishness of the meal.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Conserving Resources|Some things absolutely require wood (like beds and charcoal), but others can be made out of more common materials like stone. For this reason it's best, especially in the beginning, to make everything that you can out of stone. For example, you could make wood chests and barrels, but stone coffers and rock pots would let you save wood for things that require it and help you rid yourself of all that stone. And if you decide you want solid gold chests or something later when you have more resources, you can always throw out the rock coffers.}}
Speaking of booze, in order to keep the booze flowing, you will need to create some [[barrel]]s, or some stone [[pot]]s. Your dwarves should have emptied a few barrels by now to get you started, but you will definitely need more. A ''lot'' more. If you have an abundance of trees, then you can designate some more for cutting, and have your carpenter make a bunch of wooden barrels, but it may be more prudent to make a [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]], make sure someone has the [[Stonecrafting]] labor enabled, and build a bunch of rock pots. (Rock pots are essentially barrels made of rock.) And don't worry that you've made too many; you almost can't get enough of them. Keep checking your food and drink stock levels on the {{K|z}} screen periodically. While cooked food (properly stockpiled) and alcohol don't spoil, there is really no need to stock 2,000 units of dwarven wine at this point. Ten times the number of drinks and meals as you have dwarves is more than enough. If you start running out of food or drinks, designate some wild plants for harvesting, [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some of your animals, start hunting or fishing, or start more farms. (Actually, now would be a fine time to make another 3x3 farm. Set it to produce [[sweet pod]]s in the spring and summer, [[cave wheat]] or [[pig tail]]s (your choice) in the fall (autumn), and [[plump helmet]]s in the winter. Having multiple types of plants will give your dwarves more variety in their food and drink, keeping them from [[Thought|grumbling]].)

==Storage Space==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#0a0|float=right|Advanced Stockpiling|Check out the [[/Stockpiles|Stockpiles]] sub-page for more information on fine-tuning your stockpiles, especially in the food production area. This is somewhat complicated and it can safely be skipped if you don't feel like tinkering with stockpiles right now.}}
You should probably start making some wooden '''[[Bin|bins]]''' to help you store more stuff in less space. You might not need them yet, but you certainly will later. Bins are somewhat like barrels/pots, but they can store things other than just food and drink. Bins will also reduce the amount of labor needed to [[haul]] things to your trade depot or other stockpiles. So designate some more trees to be chopped down and queue up some bins. As with barrels and pots, you almost can't have enough bins.

==Situational Awareness==
At this point you might already have lost one or two games. Understanding why that happened is the most important part to get better and avoid frustration. To do so, you should be aware of what situation your fortress is in at all times: Are there enemies on the map? Do your dwarves have enough food? How many dwarves do you have? What season is it?

Along with just loo{{K|k}}ing around periodically, there are 4 screens that can help you with these questions:

* The {{K|u}}nit screen with its various tabs. Keep an eye out for invaders, dangerous animals and so on
* The status screen ({{K|z}}) and its "stocks" subscreen ''(Remember to appoint a [[bookkeeper]] and set him to the highest accuracy)''. Pay attention to the current date and your supplies.
* {{K|a}}nnouncements, and
* Combat {{K|r}}eports

Check them periodically and you will be able to recognize problems earlier and avoid disasters better.

=Beyond a Minimal Fortress=

By now you should have your main entrance created, along with a farm, general-purpose stockpile, refuse pile (for trash), and [[trade depot]]. Somewhere you should have a mason's shop, a mechanic's shop, a carpenter's shop, and a jeweler's shop, surrounded by appropriate storage piles with garbage zone (for excess stone). You should also have a furnished dining area with kitchen, still, and food storage, and a residential area with furnished bedrooms and an office. You should have selected your administrators, and might even have an optional fishery, butcher's shop, craftsdwarf's workshop, or other stuff. At this point, you have all the components of a minimal but functional fortress! Your next steps will be to make it safer and better-protected, to set up your [[metal industry]], and later to prepare your [[military|militia]].

==Traps==
Start producing '''[[mechanism]]s''' at your [[mechanic's workshop]]. Queue up ten. After they are built, use them to create [[Trap#Stone-fall_Trap|stone fall traps]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|T}}. Be sure not to block access to your depot! Queue up some [[cage]]s, and more mechanisms, and use these to create some [[Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps]] right after your stone traps. Cage traps are incredibly effective at stopping ambushers, but traps in general will not protect you from [[thief|thieves and kidnappers]] who will almost always bypass them. (To deal with these ambushers, see the next section on [[#Guard Animals|guard animals]]). Continue to fill up your entry hall with alternating rows of stone and cage traps as the parts become available. Ideally you want to have enough cage traps to take out most of the [[goblin]]s so your military will only have to mop up.

Note that traps will block wagons from reaching your trade depot (although pack animals will still arrive safely). A few ways to avoid this are shown below:

{|
|-
|<diagram>
[#1:1]^^^^^
[#2:1].....
.....
.....
[#1:1]^^^^^
</diagram>
|A simple strategy, most useful above ground where invaders can come from the sides – underground, this is less useful (invaders don't tend to emerge from the walls).
'''Legend:''' In this diagram and the one below, traps are blue {{DFtext|^|1:1}} (^) symbols, and the green {{DFtext|.|2:1}} and red {{DFtext|.|4}} (.) symbols represent the ground and cave floor.
|-
|<diagram fg="4:0">
░░░░░░░░░
░.......░
░.......░
░.......░
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
░░░░░░░░░
</diagram>
|A more complex design, but also extremely effective (best used underground). The majority of invaders will choose to take the shortest path, directly through the traps. This can also be extended to make a wider group of traps of a longer safe route.

This is relatively easy to implement if you already have a 3-tile wide hallway – just dig a small loop off it and place traps in the old location.
|}

Note that this is only necessary when caravans can't get to your trade depot, because the hallway is filled with traps - if your trade depot is not behind a trap-lined hallway, you can safely make a hallway full of traps - citizens won't trigger traps.

If you place a trap somewhere you didn't mean to, remove it with {{k|t}}-{{k|x}} or {{k|q}}-{{k|x}}.

==Guard Animals==
Create one 1x1 [[pasture]] near the beginning of your entryway, in the middle tile, using {{K|i}}. Using the {{K|N}} key inside the zone interface, assign a [[dog]] or other non-grazing animal to it. This animal will spot thieves and raiders before they gain entrance to your fortress. Try to pick a disposable animal, as it ''will'' be slaughtered by the first ambush raiders. Ideally, don't assign female animals; you want them safe for [[Meat industry#Breeding|breeding]] (you should make sure to keep at least one male around for breeding as well).

==Drawbridge==
In case of an [[ambush]] or [[siege]], you will want to close up your fort, keeping the goblins out until your [[squad]]s have formed up and are in position. Therefore, you can build a [[Bridge|drawbridge]] ({{K|b}}-{{K|g}}) to seal off your entryway. Make sure to use {{K|w}}, {{K|a}}, {{K|d}}, or {{K|x}} to make it raise up in the right direction, which then forms a barrier to block enemy ranged units. If you don't get the orientation of the bridge correct, it will just retract (disappear) instead of raising up, allowing enemy ranged units to fire across.

Put the drawbridge between the trade depot and the hall-o-traps so you can lock things out of the fort. Build a lever ({{K|b}}-{{K|T}}-{{K|l}}) near your meeting area and [[Lever#Linking|link]] it to the drawbridge by using {{K|q}} on the lever. (This linking will require 3 [[mechanisms]] in total.)

==Metal Industry==
[[File:Quickstart-level-2-forge.png|thumb|right|Level -2: Forge and smelters with ore stockpile in the middle.]]
Now, below your first workshop level, dig out four more 5x5 rooms around the stairwell. Three of these will be [[smelter]]s ({{k-|b|e|s}}), and one a [[metalsmith's forge]] ({{k-|b|w|f}}). Designate stockpiles for {{K|b}}ars around the smelters and forge. The bar stockpiles will hold [[Fuel|coke and charcoal]] and metal [[bar]]s. You will probably need larger bar stockpiles, but you can dig out more space and expand them later. Also dig out some space and create a stockpile for [[ore]] somewhere nearby. To make an ore stockpile, designate a {{K|s}}tone stockpile, then use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings on it to forbid all types of stone other than ore. Finally, go to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to disable Bars. Stone should already be disabled on this stockpile, and if so, then ore is already disabled for it.

===Wood Burning===
Somewhere near your carpenter's shop, near your wood stockpile, dig out an area and build a [[wood furnace]] ({{k-|b|e|w}}). This is where you will create charcoal (see below) and ash (for making soap). Dwarf Fortress has two forms of carbon which are useful as [[fuel]] in the metal industry: ''charcoal'' (which is charred wood), and ''coke'' (refined coal). They are completely interchangeable. If your map has a lot of '''lignite''' or '''bituminous coal''', you can process that into coke, using charcoal to jump-start the process. If you don't find coal on your map, you'll need to either dig down to [[magma]] or make charcoal out of wood to run your forges and smelters, but don't worry about this yet. You need to do some digging around.

===Mining===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|"I have struck what?"|New players who don't have a degree in geology usually find themselves confused as to what all these mineral names mean. In DF you'll never strike "iron ore" but you will strike [[magnetite]] or [[limonite]] which are [[ore]]s of [[iron]]. If you don't know that these things are ores of iron then it obviously won't occur to you to try to smelt iron. Note that ores usually look like {{Raw Tile|£|6:7:1}} before they are mined and {{Raw Tile|*|6:1}} after, though the colors will differ. See '''''[[The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock]]''''' to help you figure out exactly what you've found.}}
At this point you want to start looking for metal ore. You may have already found some while digging out rooms, in which case you can just mine into the walls of the rooms to get more ore. If you haven't found ore yet or you want to see what else you can find, you will need to dig [[Exploratory mining|exploratory tunnels]] looking for ores, minerals, and [[gem]]s. For now just start digging tunnels out from your stairwell or rooms in all directions and see what you run into. Note that digging into '''damp stone''' or '''warm stone''' is not recommended as those areas may be holding back water or lava which can flood your fort.

===Fuel===
Whether you find [[coal]] or not, you will need to burn wood into at least one unit of [[charcoal]]. If you find some coal ([[lignite]] or [[bituminous coal]]), start your [[smelter]]s out processing it into [[coke]] using your charcoal to get things started. From then out you can burn coke to make more coal into more coke and so on. Put these coke-making jobs on repeat. Only use one smelter to begin with, but you should be getting a group of [[Immigration|immigrants]] fairly soon, if you haven't already, and you can put them to work in the other smelters. Don't give up on finding coal right away. Dig around for a while and if you're starting to get impatient then burn some more wood into charcoal, smelt some ore, and make some [[weapon]]s. If you rely on charcoal for fuel then you'll be needing a ''lot'' of wood, so in that case dig out another room near the furnace and create a wood stockpile. You might also want to just remove a smelter, replace it with a [[wood furnace]], and create the new wood stockpile down in the smelting area. Finally, go designate more trees for chopping.

===Forging===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Alternative Energy|If you don't find coal then you will have to continue to burn wood into charcoal, or dig down to the bottom of the map and find the magma sea so you can power [[magma smelter]]s and [[magma forge]]s. Getting to magma can be difficult for various reasons that you will discover, so make sure you are ready for some trouble before you go that direction. Burning charcoal should work out okay in the short term.}}
Once you have smelted some ore to get metal bars, and have additional bars of either coal or charcoal, you can start forging metal items. Here are some suggestions on what to make first:
#'''[[Pick]]s''' - You may have only started out with one pick which limits the number of miners you have to one. By this point you are probably wishing you had more miners. Make a few picks and give some dwarves the mining labor once you get some immigrants. It doesn't matter what metal you use to make picks, at least when it comes to mining, so even copper is perfectly good.
#'''[[Weapon]]s''' - Picks actually make pretty good weapons, but there can be some issues equipping them because they're tied to the mining labor. You may want to make a few axes. They make good weapons, at least against most lightly armored opponents you're likely to encounter first, and can be used to chop trees. Start with 5 or so.
#'''[[Armor]]''' - You're going to want some armor. Start with mail shirts, helms, leggings, then gauntlets and boots. Start with 3 or so of each in the order listed, then make more later when your military grows. Also make some shields out of wood, unless you're swimming in metal (since the shield's material doesn't matter for defensive purposes). Once you have the essentials covered, you can include breastplates (but they take 3 bars of metal to make, and they don't cover as much of the torso and arms as a mail shirt).
An important thing to note is that mail shirts protect the upper leg as well as the torso and arms, and high boots protect the lower leg. As dwarves have no knees (at least in military terms), high boots and mail shirts are sufficient to protect your dwarves' legs.
[[Steel]] is the best normal metal to make armor and most weapons out of, but you will likely find that you want some arms before you can make steel. [[Iron]] is good, as is [[bronze]]. [[Copper]] is not ideal, but it still works and is better than no metal weapons/armor at all.

==Gemcutting and Trinkets==
You should have uncovered some [[gem]]s by now, so put your [[jeweler]] to work [[Gem cutter|cutting]] them. These will be used for [[Trading|trade]]. Only buy things that you need in the first year. [[Finished goods|Stone crafts]] produced by a craftsdwarf can make good trading goods as well. To get enough goods, you will need to dedicate a craftsdwarf's workshop and craftsdwarf to this task full-time, but you're very unlikely to ever run out of stone.

==Sticking to the Plan==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Getting Distracted|Say one of your new immigrants turns out to be a legendary weaver. Should you plant some pig tails and create a loom for him? '''No!''' Put his legendary butt to work smelting metal or something that's part of your current industry even though he has no skill at it. Do not split your efforts yet. You can make use of his unique talents later when you can afford to diversify your industry.}}
Metalsmithing will be your primary economic activity, with cutting gems (and possibly making stone crafts) being used to give you some short-term [[wealth]] until the [[metal industry]] gets going. This means you will need miners, haulers, smiths and furnace operators. Unless a dwarf is doing something else vital to the proper functioning of your fort, such as training in the militia, making traps, cooking food, and so forth, they should be doing one of those four things.

==Wealth and Invasion==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Crafting Invitations for Trouble|Creating too much wealth initially is a sure fire method of pulling down a goblin ambush that you are ill-equipped to deal with. Titans will also start attacking you should your wealth go over a certain amount. For this reason, spend no time smelting gold, smoothing, or engraving anything yet. Most of the wealth you create in the beginning should be the [[weapon|sharp pointy kind]].}}
You may have struck [[gold]] or some other valuable metal, and you may be tempted to put your furnaces and smiths to work creating valuable metal crafts. Don't do it! Until you have your militia formed and fully equipped with armor and weaponry, your smelters and forge should be doing nothing else but smelting cheaper materials like coal, iron, making pig iron and steel if possible, and making weapons and armor. Making [[steel]] will actually increase your wealth quite a bit, but at least you can stab and beat things to death with steel; you can't make weapons from gold.

=Military=

Your '''military''' is an important part of fortress defense. Unless you have totally cut yourself off from the outside world, then you will want at least some sort of military. Once you reach this point, you should hopefully have enough dwarves to start a small military training program. You will need at least 5 dwarves who aren't otherwise doing anything important. If you don't have any spare dwarves yet, or just don't want to mess with it yet, just skip to the next section and come back to this later. Don't wait too long to set up your military though; you especially will want soldiers before you reach a population of 80 dwarves. (You will find out why.) When you're ready to start up your military, see the [[Military quickstart]] guide.

= What Next? =

Congratulations! If you've made it this far then you have a self-sustaining fort going and can now start to branch out into whatever you are interested in exploring. Expect some goblin invasions, forgotten beasts, titans, dragons, giants, and other creatures to interrupt your activities at various points. This is part of the [[fun]].

Here are some things that people almost always do eventually, though not necessarily in any particular order (these are somewhat essential):
*Build [[coffin]]s and a graveyard or [[tomb]]s for dead dwarves and pets
*Set up a [[Healthcare|hospital]]
*Build a [[well]]
*Start producing [[textile industry|clothing]] to replace [[wear|worn-out attire]]
*Build a [[jail]] for unruly dwarves
*Set up [[Scheduling#Alert_Levels|civilian alerts]] to get civilians to a safe area during ambushes and sieges

Here are some things that players often do as their population grows:
*[[Smoothing|Smooth]] and [[engraving|engrave]] walls and floors
*Produce [[Meat industry|Meat]], [[Egg production|eggs]], milk and [[Beekeeping industry|honey]]
*Continue to expand the [[military]]
*Explore new [[Industry|industries]]
*Dig down to the [[caverns]] and create a defended lower entrance with traps to defend the fort against the [[creatures|denizens]] below
*Enable [[Animal training]] for a dwarf and train some war animals
*Build a [[Mass pitting]] system to dispose of caged enemies
*Build above-ground [[construction]]s such as an archery tower or garden
*Create a [[statue|statue garden]] or [[zoo]]
*Farm in an [[Farming#Above-ground_farming|above-ground farm plot]]
*Dig down to [[magma]] and set up [[magma forge]]s and [[magma smelter]]s to avoid the need for fuel
*Build [[machine component]]s to pump magma and water
*Create more [[Trap design|elaborate traps]] such as magma and drowning chambers
*Try some [[stupid dwarf trick]]s

You may also want to just read over the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] and the many other very useful documents on the wiki to give you other ideas of what to do.

Keep in mind that how you play is not set in stone. Some people never defend, some start a [[Megaprojects|megaproject]] right after settling, some never dig and just build an above ground castle or town using logs. Some never smelt ore, some start smelting as soon as they arrive. Some make their home in the dangerous natural caverns. Some deal with invaders by flooding the map or isolating themselves completely. And that's not even considering the [[List of mods|mods]] and some of the crazier [[challenges]] that people have come up with. There's really no one "right" way to play DF.

= Feedback =
If you have any feedback on this guide, you can leave a message on the [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}|talk page]] for this article, or in [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=83452.0 this thread] on the forums.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Quickstart guide}}

[[de:DF2012:Schnellstart]]
[[ru:Быстрый старт]]
[[zh:Quickstart guide]]

Interface.txt

2022-12-18T21:38:08Z

Tme5: refactor custom bindings into own section; add laptop -+/* alt; remove old info

{{Quality|Superior|20:29, 30 April 2013 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
{{file|DF/data/init/interface.txt}}
: ''See [[Controls]] for the default key binds.''

'''Key bindings''' determine how the game responds to the user (you) pressing different keys on their keyboard, numberpad, laptop, whatever.

The game key bindings are stored in '''interface.txt'''. They can be configured in the {{DFtext|Key Bindings}} section of the in-game options screen or by editing this file directly.

Each action can be bound to any number of keys, either by keyboard location or letter. They can also be given a repeat style which specified what happens when any of the bound keys are held:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Repeat Style
! Behavior
|-
| Don't repeat
| The action does not repeat at all; pressing the key performs the action exactly once, no matter how long it is held.
|-
| Delayed repeat
| The action repeats after a delay of [[DF2014:Technical_tricks#Keyboard|<code>KEY_HOLD_MS</code>]] milliseconds.
|-
| Immediate repeat
| The action repeats immediately.
|}

== Changing key bindings in-game==
When in-game, press {{k|Esc}} to open the options screen and select {{DFtext|Key Bindings}}. This shows the various game mode/screen categories (and [[Macros]]).

Selecting one shows all of the bindable game commands in that category. On the left is a list of bindable commands and on the right are options to add bindings and change the action's repeat style. Use the left and right selection keys to move between them.

Use {{k|Backspace}} on a binding to remove it.

For example if you wanted to add {{k|9}} to "Select" command (odd, but your choice) you would then select the General category, press right on the first command(Select) and hit {{k|Enter}} on the "Add binding" option to open a key registration prompt and then press {{k|9}} and select whether you want to bind [[#Differences_between_KEY_and_SYM|by position or by key]] and hit {{k|Enter}} or if you hit the wrong button {{k|Esc}} (or whatever you have set to "Main menu" or "Leave screen" keys) to abort.

Adding bindings does not remove any other binding that also uses this key. This is almost never what you want, so you'd then have to find any command that is also bound to your added key, or you'll be sending both commands every time.

== Useful custom bindings ==

===Scrolling without keypad===

If you're on a laptop or using a restricted keyboard, using {{k|+}} and {{k|*}} to scroll on some menus is inconvenient since it requires the Shift key. To scroll with <code>-=[]</code> instead of <code>-+/*</code>, add:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Category !! Command !! Key
|-
| General || Move secondary selector down || {{k|<nowiki>=</nowiki>}}
|-
| General || Page secondary selector up || {{k|[}}
|-
| General || Page secondary selector down || {{k|]}}
|}

===Change z-level without shift===

You can use the comma {{k|,}} and period {{k|.}}, rather than {{k|<}} and {{k|>}} (the same keys + {{k|Shift}}) for up/down [[z-level]]s, thus avoiding the need to use two hands/keys for this common action.

Add the following:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Category !! Command !! Key
|-
| General || Move view/cursor up (z) || {{k|,}}
|-
| General || Move view/cursor down (z) || {{k|.}}
|}

Then remove the following to avoid clashing:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Category !! Command !! Key
|-
| Dwarf mode || Main: One-Step || {{k|.}}
|}

== interface.txt ==
The file can be found in <code>Dwarf Fortress\data\init\interface.txt</code>

=== Default settings ===
{{gamedata}}

=== Key syntax ===
A key bindings block has this structure:
<pre>
[BIND:Action:Repeat_Style]
[SYM:Modifiers:Key]
[KEY:Key]
</pre>
It is made of two parts:
*The <code>BIND</code> part, which defines what the key does,
*And the <code>SYM/KEY</code> part, which defines which key the action is mapped to.

====BIND====
<code>BIND</code> begins a block of key bindings for a specified action in the Key Bindings menu.

Syntax:
<pre>
[BIND:Action:Repeat_Style]
</pre>

Each <code>BIND</code> is followed by a block of one or more key bindings (<code>SYM</code> or <code>KEY</code>; see below) terminated either by the next <code>BIND</code> or by the end of file.

The repeat style is given as one of the following:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! String
! Repeat Style
|-
| <code>REPEAT_NOT</code>
| Don't repeat
|-
| <code>REPEAT_SLOW</code>
| Delayed repeat
|-
| <code>REPEAT_FAST</code>
| Immediate repeat
|}
It is not possible to specify key bindings with different repeat styles for the same action; if more than one <code>BIND</code> exists for the same action, the repeat style of the last <code>BIND</code> is used for all bound keys.

Vanilla interface.txt already includes <code>BIND</code> entries for all valid actions. It is possible to remove all key bindings for a given action by removing all <code>SYM</code> and <code>KEY</code> entries after the action's <code>BIND</code>, and (optionally) removing the <code>BIND</code> itself. This, however, can result in frequent warnings output to the terminal if the game wants to display a key binding for the action (e.g. {{DFtext|;: Movies}} in the Dwarf Mode side bar; one can mitigate this by closing the side bar with {{k|Tab}}).

====SYM====
<code>SYM</code> is used for keys listed as {{DFtext|By position}} in the Key Bindings menu.

Syntax:
<pre>[SYM:Modifiers:Key]</pre>

The modifiers are represented as the sum of their codes listed below:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Modifier
! Value
|-
| Shift
| 1
|-
| Ctrl
| 2
|-
| Alt
| 4
|}

For example, <code>[SYM:0:A]</code> represents {{k|a}}, <code>[SYM:1:Enter]</code> represents {{k|Shift}}-{{k|Enter}}, and <code>[SYM:6:Left]</code> represents {{k|Ctrl}}-{{k|Alt}}-{{k|←}}.

The key can be any letter or number, or can be listed by name. This is useful when typing the actual symbol would cause a syntax error (for example, <code>[SYM:0:]]</code> and <code>[SYM:0::]</code> cause errors instead of representing {{k|]}} and {{k|:}}), or when the symbol isn't type-able (it's hard to insert a backspace character in a basic text editor without deleting something).

====KEY====

<code>KEY</code> is a simpler version of <code>SYM</code>, only allowing plain keys (no modifiers). These are listed as {{DFtext|By letter}} in the Key Bindings menu.

Syntax: <pre>[KEY:Key]</pre>

For example, <code>[KEY:a]</code> represents the {{k|a}} key.

Unlike the above, the key must be given as an actual symbol. Entries such as <code>[KEY:]]</code> and <code>[KEY::]</code> work as one might expect, i.e., representing {{k|]}} and {{k|:}}, respectively.

====Differences between <code>KEY</code> and <code>SYM</code>====

<code>KEY</code> '''does''' allow special characters '''if''' they are able to be typed. For example, <code>[KEY:%]</code> is equivalent to <code>[SYM:1:5]</code>. Note that <code>SYM</code> requires the key on the keyboard, while <code>KEY</code> requires the letter generated.

===Mac-specific===
* Some keys unavailable on the keyboard (such as {{k|PgDown}}) can be generated with the {{k|fn}} key. Dwarf fortress sees these as ''independent keys''; the {{k|fn}} key is essentially invisible to DF. There is no modifier code for {{k|fn}}.
* Characters like {{k|å}} aren't recognized when typed as {{k|alt}}-{{k|a}}.
* The {{k|Command}} key is unrecognized by DF and can't be used as a modifier.

{{files}}
{{Category|Mods}}
{{Category|Interface}}

Interface.txt

2022-12-18T20:10:57Z

Tme5: /* Additional Up/Down Z-Level Keys */ use tables to describe bindings

{{Quality|Superior|20:29, 30 April 2013 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
{{file|DF/data/init/interface.txt}}
: ''See [[Controls]] for the default key binds.''

'''Key bindings''' determine how the game responds to the user (you) pressing different keys on their keyboard, numberpad, laptop, whatever.

The game key bindings are stored in '''interface.txt'''. They can be configured in the {{DFtext|Key Bindings}} section of the in-game options screen or by editing this file directly.

Each action can be bound to any number of keys, either by keyboard location or letter. They can also be given a repeat style which specified what happens when any of the bound keys are held:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Repeat Style
! Behavior
|-
| Don't repeat
| The action does not repeat at all; pressing the key performs the action exactly once, no matter how long it is held.
|-
| Delayed repeat
| The action repeats after a delay of [[DF2014:Technical_tricks#Keyboard|<code>KEY_HOLD_MS</code>]] milliseconds.
|-
| Immediate repeat
| The action repeats immediately.
|}

== Changing key bindings in-game==
When in-game, press {{k|Esc}} to open the options screen and select {{DFtext|Key Bindings}}. This shows the various game mode/screen categories (and [[Macros]]).

Selecting one shows all of the bindable game commands in that category. On the left is a list of bindable commands and on the right are options to add bindings and change the action's repeat style. Use the left and right selection keys to move between them.

Use {{k|Backspace}} on a binding to remove it.

For example if you wanted to add {{k|9}} to "Select" command (odd, but your choice) you would then select the General category, press right on the first command(Select) and hit {{k|Enter}} on the "Add binding" option to open a key registration prompt and then press {{k|9}} and select whether you want to bind [[#Differences_between_KEY_and_SYM|by position or by key]] and hit {{k|Enter}} or if you hit the wrong button {{k|Esc}} (or whatever you have set to "Main menu" or "Leave screen" keys) to abort.

Adding bindings does not remove any other binding that also uses this key. This is almost never what you want, so you'd then have to find any command that is also bound to your added key, or you'll be sending 'both commands every time.

===Additional Up/Down Z-Level Keys===

One of the more common key binding changes, is to use the comma {{k|,}} and period {{k|.}}, rather than {{k|<}} and {{k|>}} (the same keys + {{k|Shift}}) for up/down [[z-level]]s, thus avoiding the need to use two hands/keys for this common action.

You'll need to add the following:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Category !! Command !! Key
|-
| General || Move view/cursor up (z) || {{k|,}}
|-
| General || Move view/cursor down (z) || {{k|.}}
|}

Then remove the following to avoid clashing:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Category !! Command !! Key
|-
| Dwarf mode || Main: One-Step || {{k|.}}
|}

Some players may feel more comfortable by switching the PgDn/PgUp keys to control moving between z-levels, though this is not recommended should you use the numpad for movement.

=== Laptop Bindings ===
[[40d:Key_bindings#Laptop Bindings|40d version]] required some editing to use non-numpad versions of keys but this is no longer necessary so there are no longer any changes possible that could make laptop keyboards easier to use for playing DF.

== interface.txt ==
The file can be found in <code>Dwarf Fortress\data\init\interface.txt</code>

=== Default settings ===
{{gamedata}}

=== Key syntax ===
A key bindings block has this structure:
<pre>
[BIND:Action:Repeat_Style]
[SYM:Modifiers:Key]
[KEY:Key]
</pre>
It is made of two parts:
*The <code>BIND</code> part, which defines what the key does,
*And the <code>SYM/KEY</code> part, which defines which key the action is mapped to.

====BIND====
<code>BIND</code> begins a block of key bindings for a specified action in the Key Bindings menu.

Syntax:
<pre>
[BIND:Action:Repeat_Style]
</pre>

Each <code>BIND</code> is followed by a block of one or more key bindings (<code>SYM</code> or <code>KEY</code>; see below) terminated either by the next <code>BIND</code> or by the end of file.

The repeat style is given as one of the following:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! String
! Repeat Style
|-
| <code>REPEAT_NOT</code>
| Don't repeat
|-
| <code>REPEAT_SLOW</code>
| Delayed repeat
|-
| <code>REPEAT_FAST</code>
| Immediate repeat
|}
It is not possible to specify key bindings with different repeat styles for the same action; if more than one <code>BIND</code> exists for the same action, the repeat style of the last <code>BIND</code> is used for all bound keys.

Vanilla interface.txt already includes <code>BIND</code> entries for all valid actions. It is possible to remove all key bindings for a given action by removing all <code>SYM</code> and <code>KEY</code> entries after the action's <code>BIND</code>, and (optionally) removing the <code>BIND</code> itself. This, however, can result in frequent warnings output to the terminal if the game wants to display a key binding for the action (e.g. {{DFtext|;: Movies}} in the Dwarf Mode side bar; one can mitigate this by closing the side bar with {{k|Tab}}).

====SYM====
<code>SYM</code> is used for keys listed as {{DFtext|By position}} in the Key Bindings menu.

Syntax:
<pre>[SYM:Modifiers:Key]</pre>

The modifiers are represented as the sum of their codes listed below:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Modifier
! Value
|-
| Shift
| 1
|-
| Ctrl
| 2
|-
| Alt
| 4
|}

For example, <code>[SYM:0:A]</code> represents {{k|a}}, <code>[SYM:1:Enter]</code> represents {{k|Shift}}-{{k|Enter}}, and <code>[SYM:6:Left]</code> represents {{k|Ctrl}}-{{k|Alt}}-{{k|←}}.

The key can be any letter or number, or can be listed by name. This is useful when typing the actual symbol would cause a syntax error (for example, <code>[SYM:0:]]</code> and <code>[SYM:0::]</code> cause errors instead of representing {{k|]}} and {{k|:}}), or when the symbol isn't type-able (it's hard to insert a backspace character in a basic text editor without deleting something).

====KEY====

<code>KEY</code> is a simpler version of <code>SYM</code>, only allowing plain keys (no modifiers). These are listed as {{DFtext|By letter}} in the Key Bindings menu.

Syntax: <pre>[KEY:Key]</pre>

For example, <code>[KEY:a]</code> represents the {{k|a}} key.

Unlike the above, the key must be given as an actual symbol. Entries such as <code>[KEY:]]</code> and <code>[KEY::]</code> work as one might expect, i.e., representing {{k|]}} and {{k|:}}, respectively.

====Differences between <code>KEY</code> and <code>SYM</code>====

<code>KEY</code> '''does''' allow special characters '''if''' they are able to be typed. For example, <code>[KEY:%]</code> is equivalent to <code>[SYM:1:5]</code>. Note that <code>SYM</code> requires the key on the keyboard, while <code>KEY</code> requires the letter generated.

===Mac-specific===
* Some keys unavailable on the keyboard (such as {{k|PgDown}}) can be generated with the {{k|fn}} key. Dwarf fortress sees these as ''independent keys''; the {{k|fn}} key is essentially invisible to DF. There is no modifier code for {{k|fn}}.
* Characters like {{k|å}} aren't recognized when typed as {{k|alt}}-{{k|a}}.
* The {{k|Command}} key is unrecognized by DF and can't be used as a modifier.

{{files}}
{{Category|Mods}}
{{Category|Interface}}

DF2014 Talk:Interface.txt

2022-12-18T19:51:14Z

Tme5: create topic

== Page purpose / "key bindings" redirect

Do you think it's worth splitting this page into two? One for the interface.txt file reference, and another for the general binding info, in-game menu, and useful custom binds? [[User:Tme5|Tme5]] ([[User talk:Tme5|talk]]) 19:51, 18 December 2022 (UTC)

DF2014 Talk:Quickstart guide

2022-12-18T19:22:05Z

Tme5: /* Feedback: UI */ reply

==Spring==
Some of this article still assumes that the fortress will start in Spring, but that's not necessarily true any more. I don't know how to fix it without making things more complicated though. --[[User:Dree12|Dree12]] ([[User Talk:Dree12|talk]]) 20:31, 14 July 2014 (UTC)
:I decided to go with "in the first six month", "by your third season", or similar. --[[User:Dree12|Dree12]] ([[User Talk:Dree12|talk]]) 02:19, 15 July 2014 (UTC)

== Feedback: what? ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Delving Secure Lodgings|Delving Secure Lodgings]]</div>
This is incredibly confusing. The picture doesn't even show the entrance. I thought it was supposed to be 20 tiles long and 1 wide. It is nowhere to be found. --[[Special:Contributions/63.142.119.65|63.142.119.65]] 13:14, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

:This picture shows the entry tunnel ''after'' the modifications described in the first two sentences of this section:
<blockquote>
"Near the middle of the entry tunnel, build a 5x5 room, and link it to the entrance tunnel with a 3-tile-wide passageway. Expand the main entry tunnel to three tiles wide from the entrance of the new room to the outside entry."
</blockquote>
:The entrance tunnel extends from the upward ramps on the right to the large room on the left. —[[User:Lethosor|<span style="color:#074">Lethosor</span>]] ([[User talk:Lethosor|<span style="color:#092">talk</span>]]) 14:16, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

== Feedback: Boooze over ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Checking Supplies|Checking Supplies]]</div>
In a upper paragraph didn't we make more booze? --[[Special:Contributions/191.180.4.103|191.180.4.103]] 02:38, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

== Feedback from anonymous user ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Stockpiles | Stockpiles ]]</div>
I got some issues with my "general purpose stockpiles", whem digging it, i got many leftover chert . . . I don't know how to remove those stuff to create a fully vacant stockpiles.

In the guide we get a note about it, but no info on how to change this. Hide the chert let them still on the tiles and dumping them, not make something for me at this point . . .

Thank for the guide and for the help --[[Special:Contributions/89.3.210.92|89.3.210.92]] 18:24, 4 January 2015 (UTC)

== Strictness of instructions ==
There are a lot of instructions like "dig a 3x20 hallway", "make a 3x3 stairway", "two tiles past that, dig a 11x11 room". I believe it's detrimental to the creativity of beginners and ultimately the variety of fortresses to give such exact instructions. Instead, something like "make a stairway", "dig a large room", etc should be preferred. In addition, a paragraph talking about reasonable dimensions ("most fortresses will do with a 2x2 staircase", "a 3 tile wide hallway is enough for the main hallways of 200+ fortresses") should give beginners a sufficient scale to base their decisions on.

The question is whether it's better to give new players actual numbers to follow or instead give them rough dimensions and tell them to experiment.
I fear that the former will rear players that build nothing but cookie cutter fortresses following exact dimensions of this guide; while the latter might simply be inferior as a guide.
[[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 23:31, 23 July 2015 (UTC)

:I tried to remove some rigid measurements from the guide a while back, so I don't object to removing others and adding more explanations. Of course, the minimum 3-tile-wide hallway to allow for wagon access is important to mention, but I can't think of anything else off the top of my head. —[[User:Lethosor|<span style="color:#074">Lethosor</span>]] ([[User talk:Lethosor|<span style="color:#092">talk</span>]]) 18:40, 26 July 2015 (UTC)
::Done. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 18:06, 28 August 2015 (UTC)

== Perhaps more information on trading would be useful? ==

What should I get? What should I be trading? [[Special:Contributions/216.254.133.138|216.254.133.138]] 21:28, 21 August 2015 (UTC)
:I think the most reliable thing for trading away would be prepared meals? They're relatively high value, and not very difficult to make lots of. [[Special:Contributions/2602:302:D111:7290:9357:C7C4:D315:4B93|2602:302:D111:7290:9357:C7C4:D315:4B93]] 01:38, 22 August 2015 (UTC)
::I expanded the trading section a little. Probably needs some correction and changes. In the end, I decided to omit the prepared meals, as a couple of barrels full of lavish meals created by a legendary cook can easily buy the entire caravan 3 times over. It makes the game ridiculously easy really quick, and I figure new players probably have more fun in the long run if they can't get everything from a caravan right away. I also mentioned the usual suspects for missing mood items as must-have supply, without explicitly mentioning moods as they're a bit spoiler-y and not mentioned anywhere else in the guide. Not sure if we should a) not mention these altogether, b) mention them without explaining why they're important, or c) list them with an explanation and link to mood page. Personally I think it's fine as I made it though.[[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 13:54, 23 August 2015 (UTC)

== Feedback: how to cook ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Brewing and Cooking|Brewing and Cooking]]</div>
It would be nice to know how one actually does any cooking. Shall one dwarf be assigned with the cooking labor? And then what? --[[Special:Contributions/81.216.197.38|81.216.197.38]] 13:14, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

== Feedback: Those pictures are extremely confusing ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Traps|Traps]]</div>
The pictures are either not helpful at all or marginally helpful without explanation of what they mean. --[[Special:Contributions/67.54.220.18|67.54.220.18]] 20:27, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

== Feedback: Zombies! ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#World Generation|World Generation]]</div>
I would like to suggests that all players to consider the fact that if there's a necromancer tower near you. Your kingdom will most likely be siege by various undead animals. Please put this note in for future new players. I have suffered the consequence by these unholy beings slaughtering my 22 little workers, 2 of which being children. RIP Rocksgrope. --[[User:Stagskull|Stagskull]] ([[User talk:Stagskull|talk]]) 07:04, 31 January 2016 (UTC)

==Mouse wheel==
Under [[DF2014:Quickstart_guide#Surveying_the_Area]] it talks about keys. I noticed that when I scroll my mouse wheel up/forward it zooms out and down/back it zooms in. Is this a proper way to interact with the map? [[Special:Contributions/184.145.18.50|184.145.18.50]] 20:54, 27 February 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Add a bit more ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Refuse|Refuse]]</div>
Add a bit more --[[Special:Contributions/69.112.13.248|69.112.13.248]] 00:43, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

:Such as? For a quick start, that's all you need to know about refuse. Remember that this is the quickstart guide - here to give you a quick start with only the minimal amount of critical information. If you need in depth documentation, you can look up everything on the relevant wiki pages. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 11:32, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Example screenshot of search ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Choosing a Good Site | Choosing a Good Site ]]</div>
There should be an example screenshot of the search window for new players to understand how the interface works better. --[[User:Enzanki ars|Enzanki ars]] ([[User talk:Enzanki ars|talk]]) 22:52, 30 May 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Thanks! ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Feedback | Feedback ]]</div>
Most helpful.

One confusing area: the pictures illustrating the initial setup in the Room Dimensions section.

Please edit the picture to include labels, so that it actually *is* clear which area is which. Also, it isn't too clear where in that image the fortress connects with the surface. --[[Special:Contributions/109.202.107.10|109.202.107.10]] 10:31, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Problems? ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Workshops|Workshops]]</div>
I've followed all of the instructions and have a ton of architect dwarves and everything is set up like it should be, but my dwarves aren't building workshops. In the "q" menu it says "Waiting for construction... Construction inactive." Maybe add more troubleshoots, I can't possibly be the only one having this problem. --[[Special:Contributions/50.35.12.66|50.35.12.66]] 00:30, 4 February 2017 (UTC)

:Only a few workshops require the [[architecture]] labor to be enabled for their construction. Most instead only require a labor specific to the kind of work performed at the workshop. For instance, to build a kitchen ({{k|b}}-{{k|w}}-{{k|z}}), you need to enable the [[cooking]] labor for at least one dwarf. The chosen dwarf does not actually need to have any [[skill]] in cooking; only workshops that actually do require Architecture have any measure of building quality, and even that has no effect on how well they function. If you choose an unskilled dwarf to construct the workshop, remember to disable the labor afterwards so he doesn't then try to make use of the workshop.

:Another thing that might be wrong is for construction to have been interrupted for some reason. Common causes are animals (domestic or otherwise) wandering over the construction site, dwarves getting spooked by threatening encounters, or the selected building materials becoming inaccessible for some reason. If so, you should resolve the issue ([[pasture]] animals, wait for the threat to pass, send [[squad]]s, etc.) and then {{k|q}}-{{k|s}} over the workshop in order to resume construction. If all else fails, you can {{k|q}}-{{k|x}} the workshop to deconstruct it (instantaneous if it hasn't been built yet) and attempt to build it at a different location. --[[User:Rriegs|Rriegs]] ([[User talk:Rriegs|talk]]) 17:03, 8 February 2017 (UTC)

::I've added explicit mention of the need for workshop labors to be enabled in order to construct workshops. The other possible problem (suspended construction) and its solution was already mentioned in the [[Quickstart guide#Workshops|Workshops]] section. --[[User:Rriegs|Rriegs]] ([[User talk:Rriegs|talk]]) 18:40, 8 February 2017 (UTC)

== Feedback: Doesn't describe how to haul dwarves and supplies inside ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Strike The Earth!|Strike The Earth!]]</div>
This section's first paragraph states that "you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible." Wise words.

But the section doesn't describe how to do that. It only describes how to designate an initial entrance and room. This is confusing for readers who expect that the section is about getting dwarves protected as fast as possible. --[[Special:Contributions/216.114.117.77|216.114.117.77]] 01:11, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

:Clarified. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 19:23, 6 September 2017 (UTC)

== Feedback: UI (priorities/diplomacy?) ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Choosing what to sell and what to buy|Choosing what to sell and what to buy]]</div>
Hi! Thanks for the lovely quick start guide, however it assumes that I have any idea how to interact with trader. I have no idea what has happened just now, just some lines of text were shown, no trade was done, could not set the priority (assuming it is my priority) and then they just left... maybe next year lol --[[Special:Contributions/77.247.162.32|77.247.162.32]] 00:41, 29 August 2017 (UTC)
:There has been a link to the trade page for a while now. I reorganized the text a little. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 19:25, 6 September 2017 (UTC)
::There's no mention, here or on the trading page, of the negotiation screen that pops up where you set priorities for importing goods etc. I think this was a [[diplomat]]? But it says they should only show up once you have a baron...
::It happened to me too, and as an inexperienced player I was confused that it wasn't mentioned. [[User:Tme5|Tme5]] ([[User talk:Tme5|talk]]) 19:22, 18 December 2022 (UTC)

== Feedback: Navigating through menus ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Common UI Concepts | Common UI Concepts ]]</div>
You should write where should I expect to not use arrow keys and how to navigate through main menu. I was also confused with the number of pre-set controls configurations in lazy newb pack. --[[Special:Contributions/37.248.155.248|37.248.155.248]] 10:26, 4 December 2017 (UTC)

== Feedback: needs more depth ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Surveying the Area|Surveying the Area]]</div>
. --[[Special:Contributions/173.79.11.244|173.79.11.244]] 19:06, 24 December 2017 (UTC)

== Created a PDF Version ==

I have created a PDF version of the Quickstart guide page for offline use, for users with poor internet connection or limited data. It is largely a copy-paste of the article, arranged in a way that is cleaner than the "Printable Version" of the pages, and includes the images. Would it be a good idea to upload it on the page, and how would I go about adding a link to it?

[[User:AlastríonaCatskill|AlastríonaCatskill]] ([[User talk:AlastríonaCatskill|talk]]) 21:51, 12 January 2020 (UTC)

== Feedback: stone stockpile? ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">"While the wheelbarrows are being built, select your stone stockpile with q and use w to increase "Max Wheelbarrow" to 3 (the maximum)."</div>
When/where should a stone stockpile be created? By this point, the guide suggests ''not'' including stone in a general purpose stockpile, but never suggests when/where to create stone stockpile.

[[User:Qwiption|Qwiption]] ([[User talk:Qwiption|talk]]) 02:59, 3 March 2021 (UTC)

== Feedback: dining hall furniture ==
Guide describes construction 4 tables and 8 thrones for dining hall, however only one dwarf can make use of a table no matter how many thrones are placed around it, so this furniture layout doesn't function as intended.

DF2014 Talk:Quickstart guide

2022-12-18T19:03:39Z

Tme5: removed many old feedback sections which seemed to have been resolved

==Spring==
Some of this article still assumes that the fortress will start in Spring, but that's not necessarily true any more. I don't know how to fix it without making things more complicated though. --[[User:Dree12|Dree12]] ([[User Talk:Dree12|talk]]) 20:31, 14 July 2014 (UTC)
:I decided to go with "in the first six month", "by your third season", or similar. --[[User:Dree12|Dree12]] ([[User Talk:Dree12|talk]]) 02:19, 15 July 2014 (UTC)

== Feedback: what? ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Delving Secure Lodgings|Delving Secure Lodgings]]</div>
This is incredibly confusing. The picture doesn't even show the entrance. I thought it was supposed to be 20 tiles long and 1 wide. It is nowhere to be found. --[[Special:Contributions/63.142.119.65|63.142.119.65]] 13:14, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

:This picture shows the entry tunnel ''after'' the modifications described in the first two sentences of this section:
<blockquote>
"Near the middle of the entry tunnel, build a 5x5 room, and link it to the entrance tunnel with a 3-tile-wide passageway. Expand the main entry tunnel to three tiles wide from the entrance of the new room to the outside entry."
</blockquote>
:The entrance tunnel extends from the upward ramps on the right to the large room on the left. —[[User:Lethosor|<span style="color:#074">Lethosor</span>]] ([[User talk:Lethosor|<span style="color:#092">talk</span>]]) 14:16, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

== Feedback: Boooze over ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Checking Supplies|Checking Supplies]]</div>
In a upper paragraph didn't we make more booze? --[[Special:Contributions/191.180.4.103|191.180.4.103]] 02:38, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

== Feedback from anonymous user ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Stockpiles | Stockpiles ]]</div>
I got some issues with my "general purpose stockpiles", whem digging it, i got many leftover chert . . . I don't know how to remove those stuff to create a fully vacant stockpiles.

In the guide we get a note about it, but no info on how to change this. Hide the chert let them still on the tiles and dumping them, not make something for me at this point . . .

Thank for the guide and for the help --[[Special:Contributions/89.3.210.92|89.3.210.92]] 18:24, 4 January 2015 (UTC)

== Strictness of instructions ==
There are a lot of instructions like "dig a 3x20 hallway", "make a 3x3 stairway", "two tiles past that, dig a 11x11 room". I believe it's detrimental to the creativity of beginners and ultimately the variety of fortresses to give such exact instructions. Instead, something like "make a stairway", "dig a large room", etc should be preferred. In addition, a paragraph talking about reasonable dimensions ("most fortresses will do with a 2x2 staircase", "a 3 tile wide hallway is enough for the main hallways of 200+ fortresses") should give beginners a sufficient scale to base their decisions on.

The question is whether it's better to give new players actual numbers to follow or instead give them rough dimensions and tell them to experiment.
I fear that the former will rear players that build nothing but cookie cutter fortresses following exact dimensions of this guide; while the latter might simply be inferior as a guide.
[[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 23:31, 23 July 2015 (UTC)

:I tried to remove some rigid measurements from the guide a while back, so I don't object to removing others and adding more explanations. Of course, the minimum 3-tile-wide hallway to allow for wagon access is important to mention, but I can't think of anything else off the top of my head. —[[User:Lethosor|<span style="color:#074">Lethosor</span>]] ([[User talk:Lethosor|<span style="color:#092">talk</span>]]) 18:40, 26 July 2015 (UTC)
::Done. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 18:06, 28 August 2015 (UTC)

== Perhaps more information on trading would be useful? ==

What should I get? What should I be trading? [[Special:Contributions/216.254.133.138|216.254.133.138]] 21:28, 21 August 2015 (UTC)
:I think the most reliable thing for trading away would be prepared meals? They're relatively high value, and not very difficult to make lots of. [[Special:Contributions/2602:302:D111:7290:9357:C7C4:D315:4B93|2602:302:D111:7290:9357:C7C4:D315:4B93]] 01:38, 22 August 2015 (UTC)
::I expanded the trading section a little. Probably needs some correction and changes. In the end, I decided to omit the prepared meals, as a couple of barrels full of lavish meals created by a legendary cook can easily buy the entire caravan 3 times over. It makes the game ridiculously easy really quick, and I figure new players probably have more fun in the long run if they can't get everything from a caravan right away. I also mentioned the usual suspects for missing mood items as must-have supply, without explicitly mentioning moods as they're a bit spoiler-y and not mentioned anywhere else in the guide. Not sure if we should a) not mention these altogether, b) mention them without explaining why they're important, or c) list them with an explanation and link to mood page. Personally I think it's fine as I made it though.[[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 13:54, 23 August 2015 (UTC)

== Feedback: how to cook ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Brewing and Cooking|Brewing and Cooking]]</div>
It would be nice to know how one actually does any cooking. Shall one dwarf be assigned with the cooking labor? And then what? --[[Special:Contributions/81.216.197.38|81.216.197.38]] 13:14, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

== Feedback: Those pictures are extremely confusing ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Traps|Traps]]</div>
The pictures are either not helpful at all or marginally helpful without explanation of what they mean. --[[Special:Contributions/67.54.220.18|67.54.220.18]] 20:27, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

== Feedback: Zombies! ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#World Generation|World Generation]]</div>
I would like to suggests that all players to consider the fact that if there's a necromancer tower near you. Your kingdom will most likely be siege by various undead animals. Please put this note in for future new players. I have suffered the consequence by these unholy beings slaughtering my 22 little workers, 2 of which being children. RIP Rocksgrope. --[[User:Stagskull|Stagskull]] ([[User talk:Stagskull|talk]]) 07:04, 31 January 2016 (UTC)

==Mouse wheel==
Under [[DF2014:Quickstart_guide#Surveying_the_Area]] it talks about keys. I noticed that when I scroll my mouse wheel up/forward it zooms out and down/back it zooms in. Is this a proper way to interact with the map? [[Special:Contributions/184.145.18.50|184.145.18.50]] 20:54, 27 February 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Add a bit more ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Refuse|Refuse]]</div>
Add a bit more --[[Special:Contributions/69.112.13.248|69.112.13.248]] 00:43, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

:Such as? For a quick start, that's all you need to know about refuse. Remember that this is the quickstart guide - here to give you a quick start with only the minimal amount of critical information. If you need in depth documentation, you can look up everything on the relevant wiki pages. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 11:32, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Example screenshot of search ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Choosing a Good Site | Choosing a Good Site ]]</div>
There should be an example screenshot of the search window for new players to understand how the interface works better. --[[User:Enzanki ars|Enzanki ars]] ([[User talk:Enzanki ars|talk]]) 22:52, 30 May 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Thanks! ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Feedback | Feedback ]]</div>
Most helpful.

One confusing area: the pictures illustrating the initial setup in the Room Dimensions section.

Please edit the picture to include labels, so that it actually *is* clear which area is which. Also, it isn't too clear where in that image the fortress connects with the surface. --[[Special:Contributions/109.202.107.10|109.202.107.10]] 10:31, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

== Feedback: Problems? ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Workshops|Workshops]]</div>
I've followed all of the instructions and have a ton of architect dwarves and everything is set up like it should be, but my dwarves aren't building workshops. In the "q" menu it says "Waiting for construction... Construction inactive." Maybe add more troubleshoots, I can't possibly be the only one having this problem. --[[Special:Contributions/50.35.12.66|50.35.12.66]] 00:30, 4 February 2017 (UTC)

:Only a few workshops require the [[architecture]] labor to be enabled for their construction. Most instead only require a labor specific to the kind of work performed at the workshop. For instance, to build a kitchen ({{k|b}}-{{k|w}}-{{k|z}}), you need to enable the [[cooking]] labor for at least one dwarf. The chosen dwarf does not actually need to have any [[skill]] in cooking; only workshops that actually do require Architecture have any measure of building quality, and even that has no effect on how well they function. If you choose an unskilled dwarf to construct the workshop, remember to disable the labor afterwards so he doesn't then try to make use of the workshop.

:Another thing that might be wrong is for construction to have been interrupted for some reason. Common causes are animals (domestic or otherwise) wandering over the construction site, dwarves getting spooked by threatening encounters, or the selected building materials becoming inaccessible for some reason. If so, you should resolve the issue ([[pasture]] animals, wait for the threat to pass, send [[squad]]s, etc.) and then {{k|q}}-{{k|s}} over the workshop in order to resume construction. If all else fails, you can {{k|q}}-{{k|x}} the workshop to deconstruct it (instantaneous if it hasn't been built yet) and attempt to build it at a different location. --[[User:Rriegs|Rriegs]] ([[User talk:Rriegs|talk]]) 17:03, 8 February 2017 (UTC)

::I've added explicit mention of the need for workshop labors to be enabled in order to construct workshops. The other possible problem (suspended construction) and its solution was already mentioned in the [[Quickstart guide#Workshops|Workshops]] section. --[[User:Rriegs|Rriegs]] ([[User talk:Rriegs|talk]]) 18:40, 8 February 2017 (UTC)

== Feedback: Doesn't describe how to haul dwarves and supplies inside ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Strike The Earth!|Strike The Earth!]]</div>
This section's first paragraph states that "you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible." Wise words.

But the section doesn't describe how to do that. It only describes how to designate an initial entrance and room. This is confusing for readers who expect that the section is about getting dwarves protected as fast as possible. --[[Special:Contributions/216.114.117.77|216.114.117.77]] 01:11, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

:Clarified. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 19:23, 6 September 2017 (UTC)

== Feedback: UI ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Choosing what to sell and what to buy|Choosing what to sell and what to buy]]</div>
Hi! Thanks for the lovely quick start guide, however it assumes that I have any idea how to interact with trader. I have no idea what has happened just now, just some lines of text were shown, no trade was done, could not set the priority (assuming it is my priority) and then they just left... maybe next year lol --[[Special:Contributions/77.247.162.32|77.247.162.32]] 00:41, 29 August 2017 (UTC)
:There has been a link to the trade page for a while now. I reorganized the text a little. [[User:CLA|CLA]] ([[User talk:CLA|talk]]) 19:25, 6 September 2017 (UTC)

== Feedback: Navigating through menus ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide# Common UI Concepts | Common UI Concepts ]]</div>
You should write where should I expect to not use arrow keys and how to navigate through main menu. I was also confused with the number of pre-set controls configurations in lazy newb pack. --[[Special:Contributions/37.248.155.248|37.248.155.248]] 10:26, 4 December 2017 (UTC)

== Feedback: needs more depth ==

<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">Section: [[DF2014:Quickstart guide#Surveying the Area|Surveying the Area]]</div>
. --[[Special:Contributions/173.79.11.244|173.79.11.244]] 19:06, 24 December 2017 (UTC)

== Created a PDF Version ==

I have created a PDF version of the Quickstart guide page for offline use, for users with poor internet connection or limited data. It is largely a copy-paste of the article, arranged in a way that is cleaner than the "Printable Version" of the pages, and includes the images. Would it be a good idea to upload it on the page, and how would I go about adding a link to it?

[[User:AlastríonaCatskill|AlastríonaCatskill]] ([[User talk:AlastríonaCatskill|talk]]) 21:51, 12 January 2020 (UTC)

== Feedback: stone stockpile? ==
<div style="color:#888;padding-left:2em;">"While the wheelbarrows are being built, select your stone stockpile with q and use w to increase "Max Wheelbarrow" to 3 (the maximum)."</div>
When/where should a stone stockpile be created? By this point, the guide suggests ''not'' including stone in a general purpose stockpile, but never suggests when/where to create stone stockpile.

[[User:Qwiption|Qwiption]] ([[User talk:Qwiption|talk]]) 02:59, 3 March 2021 (UTC)

== Feedback: dining hall furniture ==
Guide describes construction 4 tables and 8 thrones for dining hall, however only one dwarf can make use of a table no matter how many thrones are placed around it, so this furniture layout doesn't function as intended.

Interface.txt

2022-12-18T18:49:23Z

Tme5: refactor; consolidate repeat style info at top

{{Quality|Superior|20:29, 30 April 2013 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
{{file|DF/data/init/interface.txt}}
: ''See [[Controls]] for the default key binds.''

'''Key bindings''' determine how the game responds to the user (you) pressing different keys on their keyboard, numberpad, laptop, whatever.

The game key bindings are stored in '''interface.txt'''. They can be configured in the {{DFtext|Key Bindings}} section of the in-game options screen or by editing this file directly.

Each action can be bound to any number of keys, either by keyboard location or letter. They can also be given a repeat style which specified what happens when any of the bound keys are held:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Repeat Style
! Behavior
|-
| Don't repeat
| The action does not repeat at all; pressing the key performs the action exactly once, no matter how long it is held.
|-
| Delayed repeat
| The action repeats after a delay of [[DF2014:Technical_tricks#Keyboard|<code>KEY_HOLD_MS</code>]] milliseconds.
|-
| Immediate repeat
| The action repeats immediately.
|}

== Changing key bindings in-game==
When in-game, press {{k|Esc}} to open the options screen and select {{DFtext|Key Bindings}}. This shows the various game mode/screen categories (and [[Macros]]).

Selecting one shows all of the bindable game commands in that category. On the left is a list of bindable commands and on the right are options to add bindings and change the action's repeat style. Use the left and right selection keys to move between them.

Use {{k|Backspace}} on a binding to remove it.

For example if you wanted to add {{k|9}} to "Select" command (odd, but your choice) you would then select the General category, press right on the first command(Select) and hit {{k|Enter}} on the "Add binding" option to open a key registration prompt and then press {{k|9}} and select whether you want to bind [[#Differences_between_KEY_and_SYM|by position or by key]] and hit {{k|Enter}} or if you hit the wrong button {{k|Esc}} (or whatever you have set to "Main menu" or "Leave screen" keys) to abort.

Adding bindings does not remove any other binding that also uses this key. This is almost never what you want, so you'd then have to find any command that is also bound to your added key, or you'll be sending 'both commands every time.

===Additional Up/Down Z-Level Keys===

One of the more common key binding changes, is to use the comma {{k|,}} and period {{k|.}}, rather than {{k|<}} and {{k|>}} (the same keys + {{k|Shift}}) for up/down [[z-level]]s, thus avoiding the need to use two hands/keys for this common action.

You'll need to add the following in the ''General'' category:

Move view/cursor up (z) By position/letter: ,
Move view/cursor down (z) By position/letter: .

Then remove following entry from the ''Dwarf mode'' category to avoid clashing:

Main: One-Step By letter: .

Some players may feel more comfortable by switching the PgDn/PgUp keys to control moving between z-levels, though this is not recommended should you use the numpad for movement.

=== Laptop Bindings ===
[[40d:Key_bindings#Laptop Bindings|40d version]] required some editing to use non-numpad versions of keys but this is no longer necessary so there are no longer any changes possible that could make laptop keyboards easier to use for playing DF.

== interface.txt ==
The file can be found in <code>Dwarf Fortress\data\init\interface.txt</code>

=== Default settings ===
{{gamedata}}

=== Key syntax ===
A key bindings block has this structure:
<pre>
[BIND:Action:Repeat_Style]
[SYM:Modifiers:Key]
[KEY:Key]
</pre>
It is made of two parts:
*The <code>BIND</code> part, which defines what the key does,
*And the <code>SYM/KEY</code> part, which defines which key the action is mapped to.

====BIND====
<code>BIND</code> begins a block of key bindings for a specified action in the Key Bindings menu.

Syntax:
<pre>
[BIND:Action:Repeat_Style]
</pre>

Each <code>BIND</code> is followed by a block of one or more key bindings (<code>SYM</code> or <code>KEY</code>; see below) terminated either by the next <code>BIND</code> or by the end of file.

The repeat style is given as one of the following:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! String
! Repeat Style
|-
| <code>REPEAT_NOT</code>
| Don't repeat
|-
| <code>REPEAT_SLOW</code>
| Delayed repeat
|-
| <code>REPEAT_FAST</code>
| Immediate repeat
|}
It is not possible to specify key bindings with different repeat styles for the same action; if more than one <code>BIND</code> exists for the same action, the repeat style of the last <code>BIND</code> is used for all bound keys.

Vanilla interface.txt already includes <code>BIND</code> entries for all valid actions. It is possible to remove all key bindings for a given action by removing all <code>SYM</code> and <code>KEY</code> entries after the action's <code>BIND</code>, and (optionally) removing the <code>BIND</code> itself. This, however, can result in frequent warnings output to the terminal if the game wants to display a key binding for the action (e.g. {{DFtext|;: Movies}} in the Dwarf Mode side bar; one can mitigate this by closing the side bar with {{k|Tab}}).

====SYM====
<code>SYM</code> is used for keys listed as {{DFtext|By position}} in the Key Bindings menu.

Syntax:
<pre>[SYM:Modifiers:Key]</pre>

The modifiers are represented as the sum of their codes listed below:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Modifier
! Value
|-
| Shift
| 1
|-
| Ctrl
| 2
|-
| Alt
| 4
|}

For example, <code>[SYM:0:A]</code> represents {{k|a}}, <code>[SYM:1:Enter]</code> represents {{k|Shift}}-{{k|Enter}}, and <code>[SYM:6:Left]</code> represents {{k|Ctrl}}-{{k|Alt}}-{{k|←}}.

The key can be any letter or number, or can be listed by name. This is useful when typing the actual symbol would cause a syntax error (for example, <code>[SYM:0:]]</code> and <code>[SYM:0::]</code> cause errors instead of representing {{k|]}} and {{k|:}}), or when the symbol isn't type-able (it's hard to insert a backspace character in a basic text editor without deleting something).

====KEY====

<code>KEY</code> is a simpler version of <code>SYM</code>, only allowing plain keys (no modifiers). These are listed as {{DFtext|By letter}} in the Key Bindings menu.

Syntax: <pre>[KEY:Key]</pre>

For example, <code>[KEY:a]</code> represents the {{k|a}} key.

Unlike the above, the key must be given as an actual symbol. Entries such as <code>[KEY:]]</code> and <code>[KEY::]</code> work as one might expect, i.e., representing {{k|]}} and {{k|:}}, respectively.

====Differences between <code>KEY</code> and <code>SYM</code>====

<code>KEY</code> '''does''' allow special characters '''if''' they are able to be typed. For example, <code>[KEY:%]</code> is equivalent to <code>[SYM:1:5]</code>. Note that <code>SYM</code> requires the key on the keyboard, while <code>KEY</code> requires the letter generated.

===Mac-specific===
* Some keys unavailable on the keyboard (such as {{k|PgDown}}) can be generated with the {{k|fn}} key. Dwarf fortress sees these as ''independent keys''; the {{k|fn}} key is essentially invisible to DF. There is no modifier code for {{k|fn}}.
* Characters like {{k|å}} aren't recognized when typed as {{k|alt}}-{{k|a}}.
* The {{k|Command}} key is unrecognized by DF and can't be used as a modifier.

{{files}}
{{Category|Mods}}
{{Category|Interface}}

Quickstart guide

2022-12-18T18:13:53Z

Tme5: /* Options menu */ de-dup section; only mention save-related options; others mostly irrelevant or covered in main article

{{Quality|Masterwork|17:56, 5 July 2018 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
:''For installation instructions, see [[Installation]].''
:''This is a quickstart guide for [[dwarf fortress mode]] for those who have never played before and quickly want to jump in head-first.'' ''If you are looking to learn adventure mode instead, see the [[Adventure mode quick start]] guide.''
:''Also see [[Tutorials]] for more detailed tutorials that people have submitted.''
{{TipBox2|float=right|Before you get started...|Always remember that '''losing is [[fun]]!''' Be prepared to lose a few fortresses before you get all the way through this guide – it can be easy to accidentally kill the entire fortress while learning. But remember: losing means that next time, ''[[#Situational Awareness|you'll remember how you lost]].'' In a big way, ''Dwarf Fortress'' uses the principle of learning from one's mistakes.}}

So, you want to play '''Dwarf Fortress''', but you have no idea what to do. That's understandable; in ''Dwarf Fortress'' you can really do anything you like. It is a huge, complex, and totally open-ended game. But in order to do anything, first you need a sustainable fortress. It turns out that this is not as hard as you might think.

As this article doesn't always contain the exact key sequences needed to do everything described, you will likely need to refer to the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] and the rest of the wiki while reading this.

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|446px|right|[[Main:From Caravan to Happy Dwarves|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves]] - This is a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions players usually take when starting up a new fort. Feel free to ignore it if you want. It's not necessary to refer to this to understand the rest of the guide, but by the time you finish the guide it will probably all make sense.]]

__TOC__

= Common UI Concepts =

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Keeping Up|While the guide contains many links, you may still need to look something up. Refer to the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] or use the wiki [[Special:Search|search]] function. Also, don't hesitate to [[Main:Troubleshooting|ask for help]] if you can't find answers on the wiki.}}

Contrary to what you might be used to, the ''Dwarf Fortress'' interface uses a combination of key presses, instead of clicking through menus with the mouse, so, for example, instead of clicking on the Build menu, then on the Workshop submenu, and finally on the specific workshop, you press {{k|b}}-{{k|w}}-{{k|c}}. All the keys you can use in a menu are shown in green somewhere on the screen. (If you see any displayed in red, those are added through [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]].)

This is just the Quickstart Guide, so we skip lots of details on the UI. If you're looking for more UI help as you get deeper into your first fortress, you may also want to read this section in the [[Dwarf_fortress_mode#Gameplay_user_interface|Fortress Mode Guide]].
{{KeyConventions}}

== Options menu ==
{{main|Dwarf_fortress_mode#Options_screen|l1=Options screen}}

Most basic game-related tasks (saving, keybindings, sound, etc.) are performed through the options menu, which can be reached with {{k|Esc}} from the main screen.

To save and quit back to the main menu, select {{DFtext|Save Game}}. Note that there is no "save and continue" option, but saves can be [[saved game folder|backed up and reloaded]]. (If you have DFHack, you can use the ''quicksave'' command.)

{{tc|#d00|Unless you know what you are doing, do not select either}} {{DFtext|Retire the Fortress (for the time being)}} or {{DFtext|Abandon the Fortress to Ruin}}! These will essentially cause you to lose your save.

=World Generation=

First, [[World generation|generate a new world]]. ''Dwarf Fortress'' worlds are always procedurally randomly generated - there is no "default" or "standard" world. Luckily, the basic version of this process is simple, and with these suggested settings won't take too long. Wait until the game shows that the world has been generated, in this case at year 125, since stopping history too soon can limit material availability for embark and trade.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting World|
For your first game, [[World generation|generate a new world]] using the {{DFtext|Create New World!}} option in the main menu with the following options:

* {{DFtext|World Size}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|History}} is {{DFtext|Short|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Civilizations}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Sites}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Beasts}} is {{DFtext|Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Natural Savagery}} is {{DFtext|Very Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Mineral Occurrence}} is {{DFtext|Everywhere|3:1}}

Then hit {{k|y}} to generate the world. Note that you don't need to understand what's happening during world generation at this point, you can inspect the world during embark. At the end of world creation, hit {{k|Enter}} to Accept your newly created world.
}}

= Embark =
{{main|Embark}}

Embarking is the process of choosing a site, outfitting your initial dwarves, and sending them on their way. Select {{DFtext|Start Playing}} from the main menu, then {{DFtext|Dwarf Fortress}}. The game will load and update the world, then show the '''Choose Fortress Location''' screen. There are three maps: Local, Region, and World.
* '''World''' shows the whole world.
* '''Region''' shows all of the region tiles in the part of the world indicated by the cursor on the world map.
* '''Local''' shows all of the local embark tiles in the region tile indicated by the cursor on the region map.
In the local map area is the highlighted embark area that you can move around with {{K|u}} {{K|m}} {{K|k}} {{K|h}} and resize with {{K|U}} {{K|M}} {{K|K}} {{K|H}}. This highlighted square will be your play area after you embark; you cannot directly act or see details [[Civilization_and_World_Info|outside of this area]] during your game. Use {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} to move the region and world cursors around. Hold down {{K|Shift}} while doing this to move more rapidly.

== Choosing a Good Site ==

Choosing a good embark site is crucial for beginners. Highly skilled players can run a fortress on an evil glacier, but for now, stick to friendly environments. Look for features in an embark site that will make your first fort easier to manage.

{{ambox
|type=type
|text=The highlighted embark area may contain '''multiple biomes''', and the game will display {{DFtext|F1F2F3|2:1}}⁠{{DFtext|: View Biome|7:1}} near the bottom right. It is '''very important''' to press {{K|F1}}, {{K|F2}}, etc, to check all of them (Macs and laptops may require {{k|fn}}-{{k|F1}}). Each may have significantly different features such as an aquifer or evil biome '''not initially shown''' in the info due to not being in the main biome (the one visible with {{k|F1}}).
}}

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting Site|
[[File:Quickstart-good-location.png|thumb|300px|right|An example of a good starting site.]]
For your first game, find a site with the following properties:
*'''NO [[Aquifer]]''' (or at least not a heavy or varied aquifer. This is '''''very''''' important!)
*'''Trees:''' Woodland or Heavily Forested (or, at the very least, sparsely forested)
*'''Surroundings:''' Serene, calm, or at least '''not''' any evil or savage biome.
*A '''River'''
The following are also good to have, but focus on getting a decent site, not a perfect one.
*'''Temperature:''' Warm
*'''Clay or Soil''' makes farming easier when starting out
*'''Shallow Metals''' (That's Metals, plural, not Metal. You want more than one.)
*'''Deep Metal(s)'''
*'''Flux Stone''' For your steel industry
*Use {{k|Tab}} to check your neighbors and avoid places with '''towers''', '''goblins''', or other groups at war with you.
See '''[[/Starting site/]]''' for more info on why these characteristics are important.}}

[[File:Quickstart-finder.png|thumb|right|Initial finder criteria]]
While finding a site is not as simple as world generation, the {{K|f}}ind tool can help quite a bit. Use {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} to change the criteria as shown to the right, then press {{k|Enter}} to start the search.
[[File:Quickstart-finder-partial.png|thumb|right|Finder partial match missing Good surroundings]]
If the search completes and the world map is covered with red flashing {{DFtext|X|4:1}}s, that means that it couldn't find any area matching your criteria. The criteria list shows which criteria it couldn't meet in red for the closet match — try changing or removing the red criteria and searching again. Or, you can put only some criteria into the tool (at the very least, No Heavy/Varied Aquifer) and add more to narrow the search. Note that "Calm" is classified as Neutral with Low Savagery (see [[Surroundings#Combinations_of_surroundings|the chart here]] for why) and that Neutral is Medium Evil on the finder criteria, while Good is Low Evil.)

Once the find tool has finished searching with matches found, press {{K|ESC}} to look at the results. Any region in which it found a match will be indicated by a green flashing {{DFtext|X|2:1}} on the region and world maps. Since the find tool '''only''' indicates '''regions''' containing matches, you will need to check the local map manually (with {{k|u}} {{k|m}} {{k|k}} {{k|h}}) until you find the most suitable site. Don't forget that there can be multiple biomes to check with {{K|F1}}, {{K|F2}}, etc.

Additionally, you can resize your embark area using {{k|U}} {{k|M}} {{k|K}} {{k|H}}. A 4x4 embark (the default) is usually reasonable, but you may want to change the size to avoid an undesirable biome or match your finder criteria.

If you are unable to find a site that you are willing to embark on, you could always create a new world. Otherwise, once you have the right area highlighted on the local map, press {{K|e}} to move onto the next step.

== Skills and Equipment ==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Optional: Preparing Carefully|If, at this point, you'd like to get into all of the details of picking individual skills and equipment for your expedition, select {{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}} and see '''[[Quickstart_guide/Preparing_carefully|Preparing carefully]]''' for instructions. '''This is completely optional'''.
And preparing carefully makes little difference in the long run, especially without experience as to what to change.}}

Now the '''Prepare for the Journey''' screen should appear. You will be given the choice to either:
*{{DFtext|Play Now!}}
*{{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}}.

Selecting {{DFtext|Play Now!}} will start you out with a default set of equipment that is reasonably safe, allowing you to skip having to set up your skills and equipment. If you'd like to get going now, just select that option.
{{clear}}

=A Minimal Fortress=
[[File:Quickstart-map-starting.png|thumb|right|Starting out. In this example, the dwarves will be digging out an entrance tunnel in the sandy cliff on the right. (You can use {{K|Tab}} to show or hide the overview map.)]]

At this point, you have embarked, and your dwarves have arrived at their destination. You will see your dwarves clustered around their wagonful of supplies, somewhere near the center of your map. '''Immediately hit {{K|Space}} to pause the game''' unless it is already paused.

==Surveying the Area==
'''Do not unpause the game just yet.''' Take a look around. Use the {{K|k}} command and the arrow keys (remember that {{k|Shift}}+arrow keys will move faster). Look up and down a few [[z-level]]s with {{K|<}} and {{K|>}} ({{k-|Shift|,}} and {{k-|Shift|.}} on many keyboards). The mousewheel will zoom the map in and out. Place the cursor on various tiles to familiarize yourself with what the symbols mean. If you get lost, you can press {{K|F1}} (or {{k-|Fn|F1}} on some systems) to return to the wagon. (You can define more [[hotkeys]] later, to jump quickly to other sites of interest.) Notice the terrain features, the vegetation, and any minerals visible. If you chose a site with flowing water, where is it? What about pools of water? The more carefully you examine your site before breaking ground, the better off you will be.

Remember that this is more of a simulation than a game. It is not "play balanced", and you can very easily find yourself in impossible situations. That is all part of the [[fun]], because even when you lose, you create an interesting story. Your wagon serves as the initial meeting area for your dwarves. Since you should have started in a non-freezing, calm (low savagery), non-evil biome, you shouldn't face any immediate danger, but if for some reason the area around your wagon proves to be unsafe, immediately designate another meeting zone using {{K|i}} (see [[#Temporary Meeting Area|Temporary Meeting Area]] below).

==Controlling Your Dwarves==
The first thing to keep in mind is that, for the most part, you can't directly control your dwarves the way you control characters in a typical fantasy RPG. Instead, you '''designate''' things that need to be done and then dwarves with the appropriate labor assignments will decide what to do.

Some tasks receive a higher priority. For example, if a dwarf needs to eat, then he will go eat, and only get around to digging a tunnel once he is done eating. It is also possible to designate things that no dwarf is able to do. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but no dwarf has mining as one of his allowed labors, or no dwarf has a [[pick]], then the mining will never get done, and the game will not always advise you of why.

So, what you are doing throughout the game is essentially giving your dwarves a detailed group-wide to-do list, but it's up to them to figure out which one of them will execute any given task if the task is even possible. Often many of the details of how a task is performed (such as exactly which rock will be used to make crafts) are left up to them (though you ''can'' specify the details of tasks, such as the material or design, in the {{k|d}}etails menus in workshops).

===''Stout Labor''===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Keybindings|
If you're on a laptop (or using a restricted keyboard), you may notice that using {{k|+}} to scroll upward on some menus is inconvenient, since it requires the {{k|Shift}} key. Fortunately, this is easy to change by modifying your [[key binding]]s:
# Press {{k|Esc}} to access the [[#Options menu|options menu]] and select {{DFtext|Key Bindings}}
# Select {{DFtext|General}}, scroll down to {{DFtext|Move secondary selector down}} (using the arrow keys), move right, and select {{DFtext|Add binding}}
# Press {{k|1==}} and select either option that appears. (Technically, you can choose any key you like at this point. However, {{k|1==}} (equals) is probably a good choice, since it's next to {{k|-}}, if you are using an American keyboard, and isn't used for anything else in menus.)
# Scroll down, select {{DFtext|By letter: +}}, and press {{k|Backspace}} (or {{k|Delete}}, depending on your keyboard)
# Press {{k|Esc}} and select {{DFtext|Save and exit}}
You can now use {{k|1==}} instead of {{k|+}} to scroll these types of menus (including the labors menu), which can be significantly easier than using {{k|+}} on certain keyboards.
}}
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#aa0|Utilities|2=
You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. There are a few utilities available for this purpose (for Windows, Mac OS X, and most Linux systems):
* '''[[Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]]''' can make labor management considerably easier, especially when you're dealing with twenty times the number of dwarves you have now. It can group and sort dwarves by multiple attributes and display their preferences, mood, and more.
* '''[[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]]''' includes "Dwarf Manipulator", a UI for managing labors. It has fewer features than Dwarf Therapist, but displays much of the same information and is adequate for normal use. In addition, it is accessible from within DF via {{k-|u|l}}, eliminating the need to constantly switch between applications.
}}

'''Labors''' are how you control what types of tasks a dwarf will do. For example, if the [[Fishing]] labor is enabled for a dwarf, that dwarf is allowed to engage in fishing. When dwarves are idle, it could be because you haven't given them anything to do, or it could be because none of the idle dwarves have been told that they're allowed to do the types of tasks you've designated. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but none of the dwarves have the mining labor enabled, they will all just sit around ignoring your mining designation, thinking that it isn't their job. Dwarves will automatically have some labors enabled if they start out with skill in those labors, and some labors (such as hauling and cleaning) are enabled for all dwarves by default. This is why you didn't need to enable any labors on dwarves to get them to haul and mine, but later you may need a labor that no dwarf is currently capable of. Look over your dwarves' assigned [[labor]]s: Press {{K|v}} (View Units) then place the cursor on a dwarf. Now, press {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} for "preferences: labors". You will see a list of labor categories that you can navigate using {{K|-}} and {{K|+}}. You can enter each category with {{k|Enter}} (except for mining, which is a single labor), toggle each labor off and on with {{K|Enter}}, and get back out with {{K|Esc}}. After exiting the View Units menu, you can use {{K|u}} (the units screen) to help you locate dwarves. Hit {{K|u}}, select a dwarf, hit {{K|z}} for "zoom to creature" and you'll automatically be placed in view mode on that dwarf. (Then use {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} to get to the labor configuration menu if necessary.)

Even if no dwarves have the corresponding skills, ensure the following labors are set as specified:

{| class="wikitable"
! Category
! Labor
! Dwarves Assigned
|-
| Woodworking || [[wood cutter|Wood Cutting]] || 1 or more
|-
| Stoneworking || [[engraver|Stone Detailing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Hunting/Related || [[ambusher|Hunting]] || 0 (disabled for all)
|-
| Farming/Related || [[wood burner|Wood Burning]] || 1 or more
|-
| Farming/Related || [[herbalist|Plant Gathering]] || 1 or more
|-
| Fishing/Related || [[fisherdwarf|Fishing]] || 0 (disabled for all)
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[furnace operator|Furnace Operating]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[armorsmith|Armoring]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[weaponsmith|Weaponsmithing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[blacksmith|Blacksmithing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[metal crafter|Metalcrafting]] || 1 or more
|-
| Jewelry || [[gem cutter|Gem Cutting]] || 1 or more
|}

It's important to disable fishing and hunting until you have your initial fort completed — dwarves with these labors enabled will constantly be outside attempting to perform them. When you're first starting out you don't want dwarves wandering around alone where they can get killed (in addition, they won't be doing anything useful, like hauling). Note that ''any'' unskilled dwarf can perform any labor given the necessary equipment and materials. Dwarves with no skill will simply be slow and produce a smaller quantity of lower-quality goods in a given time period, but they will gain skill points as they do so.

==Strike The Earth!==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=green|float=right|Getting your dwarves to safety|
As you now know, you can't control your dwarves directly. So how do you tell them to get inside your newly dug rooms?
*[[Activity_zone#Meeting_area|Meeting Area]] You can designate a Meeting Area zone inside the new rooms. Press {{k|i}}, then draw the rectangle to create a zone. Afterwards make it a Meeting Area. ''See also the [[zone]] page for more information.''
*[[Stockpiles]] (see [[Quickstart_guide#Stockpiles|below]]) Stockpiles tell your dwarves where to put things. Create a stockpile for everything, and dwarves will start to haul all your items there.}}
Decide where you will build your main entrance. Generally, you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible. The best strategy is to put the entrance near your wagon to speed up the process of hauling all of your supplies inside.

The {{K|d}}esignations menu allows you to select areas to dig. There are multiple methods of digging:
* '''[[Mining]]''' removes solid, floor-to-ceiling terrain (natural 'walls') on the z-level selected, leaving behind a rock or soil surface (also referred to as a natural floor). This does '''not''' do anything in areas without natural walls (for example, the surface or previously-mined areas).
* '''[[Channel]]ing''' removes ''natural'' (rock/soil) floors (either created naturally or by mining) and creates a ramp (▲) on the z-level below. Note that you will see a down arrow (▼) on the current z-level, indicating a ramp on the level below. (For best results, ensure that the area below is unrevealed, i.e. black).

To designate an area for digging:
#Hit {{K|d}} to bring up the [[Designations Menu]].
#Hit {{K|d}} to mine or {{k|h}} to channel (see above)
#Place the cursor on one corner of the rectangular area you want to designate and press {{K|Enter}}.
#Move the cursor to the other corner of the rectangle and press {{K|Enter}}. A rectangle will be highlighted and a miner will start to dig out this area once you exit the menu (with {{K|Esc}}) and unpause the game with {{K|Space}}.

This is basically how all of the designation commands work. Everything has to be designated one rectangle at a time, but rectangles can be many tiles wide. After you press {{K|d}} to designate, make sure it's set to "Standard" in the settings at the bottom, rather than "Marker only." You can set this with {{K|m}}. If it's set to "Marker only", the designation will not be carried out.

[[File:Digging Channeling tiles.PNG|200px|thumb|right|Demonstrating the difference between mining and channeling. Mining creates empty space on the same level where it is designated. Channeling creates empty space in the level below, clearing the floor. The levels are connected by up/down ramps. ]]

{{TipBox2|titlebg=red|float=left|Channeling|
Note that channeling can be [[fun|dangerous]]. Unless you know what you're doing, you should only ever make a pit one z-level deep. If you dig a pit multiple z-levels deep, only the lowest level will have an upward [[ramp]], which is not enough for dwarves to leave the pit. (Dwarves can [[climb]] out in some circumstances, but this is unreliable.)

<diagram>
Pit depth: 1 z-level 2 z-levels 2 z-levels
Ground[%26] [#2:1]__[#4:1][%31][#2:1]__ __ __ __ [#4:1][%31][#2:1]_
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%31][#6:1][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][#4:1][@][%30][#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][@#]
[#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#] [#6:1][@4:1][%178][%178][%178][%178][%178][@#]
</diagram>

This diagram shows the cross-section (side view) of 1x1 pits channeled 1 z-level deep, 2 z-levels deep and the correct way to do a 2 z-level deep ramp. The appearance of "downward ramps" can be confusing as there is no such thing - the down arrow indicates a ramp on the level below. Dwarves in the first pit can walk up the ramp to ground level and escape, while dwarves in the second pit cannot use the ramp at all. The third pit lets dwarves walk back to the surface again since the two ramps are offset to produce a continued slope. In short, channels (particularly channels multiple z-levels deep) can be dangerous. Digging an entryway from the surface level is one of the few times you'll ever need to channel.

<small>Stairs can also be used for an entryway, but channels allow [[wagon]]s entry to your fortress.</small>
}}
If your wagon is near a [[cliff]] or hill (generally speaking, any difference in levels, usually shown by the existence of natural ramps), you can just designate a tunnel to mine ({{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) into the cliff to create an entryway. If the wagon is surrounded by flat terrain, [[channel]] out a 3x3 rectangle on the surface with {{K|d}}-{{K|h}} to create a sort of pit with ramps on the edges, then go down one z-level with {{K|>}} and tunnel into one wall of the pit (with {{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) to create your entry.

Dig a hallway one tile wide and ''at least'' 10 long, ideally more like 20 ({{k|Shift}} moves 10 tiles when digging, so this can be easily accomplished by pressing {{k|Shift}}+an arrow key twice). This will be your entryway.

Your entryway defines the boundary between your safe and protected inner fort, and the big, bad, outside world. You want this to be your only entrance, so that you only have to worry about defending this one opening. A somewhat-outdated video guide to starting a fortress can be found [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLYDcuk29bE&feature=plcp here]. (Note that this applies to v0.34.11, not v{{current/version/ns}}, so some parts may be inaccurate in the current version.)

{{clear}}
=== ''Additional miners'' ===
Mining will go faster if you have more than one dwarf doing it. By default, only one dwarf has the Mining labor enabled, but this can be changed fairly easily:
* Choose a dwarf that isn't doing anything especially useful (the fish cleaner is a good choice for a beginning fortress, but you can always change your mind if you end up with a useless peasant later on)
* Press {{k|v}}, navigate to the dwarf, and press {{k|p}}-{{k|l}}
* Enable the "Mining" option (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above)
* Exit with {{k|Esc}}
The next time you designate an area for mining, both of your miners should start working (assuming they're not busy doing something else).

'''Notes:'''
* Each miner requires a [[pick]]. A standard embark comes with 2 picks. If you want more than two miners, you'll need to forge more picks (forging is covered later in this guide). Two miners should be adequate for most fortresses, but more miners can add reliability (for when a miner decides to sleep) and speed. For now, you'll almost never need more than two miners, but you'll want more once your fortress expands.
* If you're digging a one-tile-wide hallway, only one miner can work from an end.
* Mining, Wood Cutting, & Hunting labors are mutually exclusive - a dwarf can only have up to one of these professions active at a time. For this reason, it's not recommended to make your only woodcutter a miner, since they won't be able to cut wood anymore.

==Delving Secure Lodgings==
Near the middle of the entry tunnel, build a 5x5 room, and link it to the entrance tunnel with a 3-tile-wide passageway. Expand the main entry tunnel to ''three'' tiles wide from the entrance of the new room to the outside entry. At the end of the entry tunnel, dig a small room, which will later become your main stairwell. Two tiles past that, dig a larger room, which will later become your general stockpile, and connect it to the stairwell with a narrow passageway.

[[File:Quickstart lodgings 1.png|thumb|right|An example layout, as described in this section. Note the 3-tile wide passage - this allows merchants to access your depot, which will go in the 5x5 room. Note that the turn also needs to be 3 tiles wide; otherwise, wagons won't be able to access the room.]]

=== ''Room dimensions'' ===
Apart from wagon access (3 tiles wide), the trade depot (5x5), and other workshops (3x3), there are no fixed dimensions you need to worry about. The lower limiting factor is the traffic your tunnels receive (dwarves may have to start climbing over each other), and the space your rooms need (stockpiles, tables/chairs, livestock). The practical maximum size is limited by how long it takes your miners to dig the rooms out, especially if they're digging in stone instead of soil (digging through soil is much faster). Most sites have at least one level soil layer below ground level, which is where you're digging right now, but as you dig deeper you'll hit stone (if you haven't already), and digging will become slower. In most fortresses, even the main hallways never need to be wider than 3 tiles, and needing more than 3 tiles of stairs per floor is very rare. A 3x3 per floor staircase (9 stairs!) is absolute overkill for anything but 20-year-old 300-resident capitals. For most tunnels in your fortress, 2 tiles wide will be sufficient, and many will be fine at just 1 tile wide. 11x11 is a convenient size for stockpile rooms, as the {{k|Shift}}+arrow keys move the cursor 11 tiles. However, something smaller is perfectly fine for rarer stockpiles, offices, and small dining rooms. Commoners’ bedrooms need not be larger than the amount of furniture you want inside.

=== ''Mining safety'' ===
While mining, take care to avoid digging into [[water]]. Dwarves are usually poor swimmers, and are unlikely to escape from an underground flood. However, it is safe to mine ''next to'' underground water, as long as you leave at least one "wall" tile between them (see the picture to the right). You can also mine one z-level under a body of water (for example, mining under a river), but you will have to designate each tile individually because DF automatically cancels digging of newly-revealed "damp" tiles (tiles are considered damp when they are adjacent to a water tile, regardless of whether the water tile is on the same z-level or not).

Also note that '''water can flow diagonally''':
<diagram>
[#00f]≈[#]▓.▓ [#00f]≈[#]▓.▓
▓▓.▓ ▓..▓

[#0f0]ok[#] [#f00]flood[#]
</diagram>

=== ''Stockpiles'' ===
[[File:Quickstart-custom-stockpile.png|right|thumb|Keep corpses, refuse, stone and wood out of general use stockpiles. You can come back and change the settings on this stockpile using {{K|q}}, selecting the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}}. Try to remember to come back here to disable/forbid types of things as you create more specific stockpiles for them.]]
'''Stockpiles''' are very important. These areas are where your dwarves will drop things for storage when they aren't needed elsewhere. To create a '''general purpose stockpile''' for your first storage area:
#Hit {{K|p}} to open the Stockpiles menu.
#Use {{K|t}} to change the [[Stockpile#Custom_stockpiles|custom stockpile]] settings to {{K|e}}nable everything but '''Corpses''', '''Refuse''', '''Stone''', '''Gems''', and '''Wood'''. Use directional keys, {{K|e}}nable, {{K|d}}isable to do this.
#{{k|Esc}} out of that screen back to the stockpiles menu.
#Hit {{K|c}} to select Custom Stockpile, if it isn't already selected.
#Designate the whole 11x11 storage room as a custom stockpile. This works just like designating an area to dig: place the cursor on one corner of the room, hit {{K|Enter}}, move to the opposite corner, and hit {{K|Enter}} again.
#Press {{K|Esc}} to get out of the Stockpiles menu.
Once you exit the stockpiles menu and unpause, you should see dwarves running off to haul everything from your wagon into the new stockpile area. Later, if you like, you can change what sort of things the stockpile accepts by hitting {{K|q}} (Set Building Tasks/Prefs), placing the cursor on the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}} to get to the stockpile settings.

It is particularly important to '''keep wood, stone, refuse, and corpses out of your general purpose stockpile''', so you may want to double check to make sure all of these things are disabled in the stockpile settings. Failure to keep these things out of this stockpile will rapidly fill it up, causing workshops to become cluttered when dwarves can't store things in the stockpile.
'''Note:''' When assigning stockpiles, you should make sure they're in a vacant area (i.e. the tiles should not have any items already stored on them). Dwarves will not haul items to occupied tiles, so make sure the area is vacant (and already mined out) before assigning a stockpile.

=== ''Stairways'' ===

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Up, Down, Up/Down: Types of Stairs|
In Dwarf Fortress, every [[z-level]] is composed of a [[floor]] and a [[wall]] (or "space between floors"). The confusingly named "down" and "up" [[stairs]] have nothing to do with the direction creatures can move to; instead, down stairs penetrate floors, while up stairs penetrate walls. Up/down stairs penetrate the wall and the floor below. ''(note the picture to the left)''

Consequently, you will normally use up/down stairs, and use down and up stairs only for the top and bottom-most level of your staircase respectively. If you're not sure whether you want to expand the staircase in the future, use up/down stairs at the end.
}}

Designate a downward [[Stairs|stairway]] in the room you dug out for the stairwell (''not'' the 5x5 room that you dug out earlier) with {{K-|d|j}}. Notice that after your miner digs the stairway, it doesn't automatically create another stairway on the z-level below. If you hit {{K|>}} to move the view down a z-level you'll see that there's no stairway below, but there is a revealed tile of rock/soil. Because of the down stairway that was dug, this tile is now accessible to miners. You can then designate an up/down stairway on it with {{K-|d|i}} and the miner dwarf will dig it out. Below that you can then dig out another up/down stairway and so on. For now just dig down one level; we will deepen the stairwell later.

[[Image:DF2014 Terraform.png|thumb|left|600px|''This is how the different stairs would look like from the side.'']]

{{clear}}

==Temporary Meeting Area==
[[File:Quickstart lodgings 2.png|thumb|right|An example meeting area. Note that this layer has a different type of soil than the layer above - this can happen often. Also note that the "north" side of this room is directly below the lake in the level above, but no water is present.]]

On the second z-level below ground (the one below the stockpile level, which you just reached with the staircase), dig a short, 3-tile wide passageway (this only needs to be 1-2 tiles long). Past that, dig out a room between 5x5 and 7x7, leaving room to enlarge it in at least one direction in the future. Using the {{k|i}} key, create an activity zone in the room you just created, filling the entire room (be careful not to make this too small lest your [[overcrowding|overcrowded]] animals start fighting). This works much like creating a stockpile except that you draw the rectangle before defining what the area is for. Draw the rectangle, filling the entire room, and set it to be a {{K|m}}eeting area. Your idle dwarves will hang around in this area, hopefully keeping them inside the fort and out of trouble.

NOTE: Again, make sure your [[DF2014:Activity_zone|activity zone]] is already mined out before attempting to designate the meeting area.

{{clear}}

==Refuse==
[[File:Dwarf fort tut miasma.jpg|thumb|right|Avoiding [[Miasma]]]]
Outside your fort entrance, use {{K|p}} followed by {{K|r}} to create a stock{{K|p}}ile for [[Stockpile#Refuse|{{K|r}}efuse]] ''at least'' 5x5 in size. This should be outside in the open or you will have problems with [[Miasma]]. If you do not disable [[vermin]] (Item Types -> remains), you will probably have to expand it later as it will fill up with vermin remains rather quickly. If you are seeing refuse appear in your general-purpose stockpile instead of the refuse pile, use {{K|q}} on the general stockpile and check its {{K|s}}ettings to make sure refuse has been disabled.
{{clear}}

==Food==

Food is necessary for your dwarves' survival - to keep functioning, they require constant supplies of food and drink - the {{k|z}} stock screen can be used to monitor how much food and drink is available. Luckily, your dwarves will eat almost everything raw, including plants.

===''Farming''===
For a reliable, long-term food and alcohol supply, you'll need to set up a farm. Dig out a medium-sized room in a [[soil]] layer (including sand, clay, loam, silt, peat, and ooze) accessible from inside your existing fortress. 5x5 is a good size to start with, but you'll want to leave room to expand in at least one direction. You must pick an ''underground'' area with mud or soil*. Placing this near the stockpiles is more efficient, since farmers won't need to travel as far.

[[File:Quickstart layout 3.png|thumb|right|A 5x5 room with a 3x3 farm plot]]


<sub>* Hopefully you have chosen a site with a soil layer, which will make farming much easier, but if not you will need to [[Irrigation|irrigate]] to create the required mud on stone floors.</sub>

Use {{K|b}}-{{k|p}} to build a 3x3 [[Farming|farm plot]] in the room you just created. Notice that some types of buildings (as well as most constructions) are not designated corner-to-corner like digging designations, stockpiles, or activity zones. Instead, you define the length and width of the building using {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|h}} and position it with the directional keys. Use {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|k}} to make the plot 3x3 and position it in the room, ideally near the wall to leave space for more plots later on.

Remember that you must enable the {{DFtext|Farming (Fields)}} labour for at least one dwarf, or the farm plot won't get built and farming will not take place. (If you selected "Play Now" earlier then you will start with a dwarf with farming enabled.)

{{K|Esc}} out of the build menu and wait for the farmer dwarf to create the plot. Once the plot is built, use {{K|q}} to set the plot to grow [[plump helmet]]s during all seasons. You can use {{K|+}} and {{K|-}} to select plump helmets (pressing {{k|-}} once should do the trick). Select with {{K|enter}}. '''You will need to press {{K|a}}, {{K|b}}, {{K|c}}, {{K|d}} and select Plump Helmets for each season''' — otherwise you'll end up with an idle field for 3/4ths of the year.

Later, if you are curious what is planted in each plot this season and how much, select the [[Controls_guide#View_items_in_buildings.2C_t|View Items in Buildings]] command {{K|t}} and move to the farm plot.

Note that a default embark starts with ''five'' plump helmet seeds — for now, only half of your field will end up being planted. Eventually, as your dwarves consume plump helmets, more seeds will become available and will be automatically planted by an unoccupied farmer.
:''For more troubleshooting tips, see [[How do I build a farm]]''
{{clear}}

=== ''Emergency food sources'' ===
Occasionally, even with a working plump helmet farm, you may experience food shortages. For now, you should have plenty of food on hand left over from embarking. However, if you ever run low on food, there are a few ways to obtain more:

==== ''Plant gathering'' ====
If you have shrubs ({{raw tile|"|2:0}}) growing above ground, you can harvest plants from them. Note that this requires a dwarf with the {{dftext|Plant gathering}} labor enabled (under {{dftext|Farming}}), and time (this can take a while for an inexperienced dwarf, and it doesn't always yield edible plants). To start, {{k|d}}esignate some {{k|p}}lants to be gathered on the surface (similar to selecting an area for mining, except it only selects plants in the given rectangle). Once processed, some will leave behind harvested plants (often edible berries).

====''Butchering''====
If you suddenly run low on food, butchering an animal is another option. Build a [[butcher]] shop ({{k|b}}, {{k|w}}, {{k|u}}) and mark one of your animals for slaughtering (press {{k|v}}, move the cursor to the animal, then press {{k|p}}, {{k|s}}). A dwarf with the butchering labor enabled will haul the animal off to the butcher's shop, work for a while, and produce neat stacks of meat products.

==Building material==
Initially, [[wood]] is probably a good choice for building material, as it's lightweight and can be easily obtained. You will need plenty of building materials as your fortress grows, but wood will suffice for now. If you are unable to locate enough wood (or if you run out of trees, which is unlikely at this point), extend your staircase down to a stone level ({{k|d}}-{{k|i}}) and mine out a small area (at least 5x5) to obtain stone.

Even if you don't have trees, you can obtain 3 logs from your embark wagon. Press {{K|q}}, place the cursor on your wagon, and hit {{K|x}} to deconstruct it. This will flag the wagon for disassembly. Eventually a carpenter will come along and turn the useless wagon into 3 units of wood. (Removing other buildings is done the same way.)

===''Woodcutting''===
{{Update in next major version}}
Assuming your site has [[tree]]s above ground, now is a good time to start obtaining wood. Create a stock{{K|p}}ile for {{K|w}}ood outside your entrance (preferably near to it). As it will only be temporary, don't make it too big (maybe 5x3, or 15 tiles total). Later, you will move this closer to your carpenter's workshop (once you build one), so don't worry about placement too much. Also near the entry, designate a couple of trees to be chopped down with {{K|d}}-{{K|t}}. One tree will produce many logs, so only designate three to five at this point. If you designate too many trees, your woodcutters will spend all of their time chopping them down and hauling the resulting logs, instead of doing other work. As soon as one tree is cut down and its wood stored in a stockpile, you can proceed to the next step (your woodcutter will continue cutting down any remaining designated trees).

==Drinks==
Drinks can be more problematic than food, since they require more preparation (except for [[water]], that is). In warmer weather, you can specify a "water source" activity zone ({{k|i}}-{{k|w}}) around a lake or river on the surface to keep your dwarves from dying of thirst, but dwarves deprived of [[alcohol]] slow down and become unhappy. In addition, drinking outside can be dangerous — dwarves running outside constantly risk running into wild animals, or worse. Creating a [[still]] to brew alcohol is the simplest solution to these problems.

You need a [[brewer]] to brew drinks. Unfortunately, your brewer is also your woodcutter (with a default embark), who is busy cutting down trees. You will want to make a different dwarf your brewer instead, since both your brewer and woodcutter will be busy (and one dwarf can't do both jobs at the same time).
# Find your woodcutter in the {{k|u}}nits list, select it, and press {{k|z}} (this selects the dwarf without you having to search your entire map). Use the {{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu to disable brewing (located under "Farming/related" — you can navigate this menu with the {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} buttons).
# Pick another dwarf that isn't doing anything useful. Right now, this can probably be your fish cleaner, but you can change this as soon as some migrants arrive (by following these steps again).
# Use the {{k|u}}-{{k|z}}-{{k|p}}-{{k|l}} menu again to enable brewing on the new dwarf.

[[File:Quickstart still 1.png|thumb|right|A completed still]]
Assuming you have building materials available (which you will if your woodcutter has been doing their job), you can now create a still:
# Dig out a 3x3 area connected to the farm plot.
# Use {{k|b}}-{{k|w}}-{{k|l}} to build a still. Position it in the 3x3 area you just created and press {{k|Enter}}.
# Use {{K|Enter}} to select a building material for the still (this is probably one of the logs you just cut down by default).
# Use {{k|Esc}} to exit the menu, and unpause the game.
After a short delay, your new brewer should run off, drag a log over to the workshop site, and build the workshop. (This is also how building other workshops works, but you won't need to do that yet).

To brew drinks, use {{k|q}} to select the still and press {{k|a}}dd task-{{k|b}}rew drink. '''This will not work yet''', since you don't have any empty barrels or rock pots, but you should start brewing in the first six months (see [[Calendar]] and [[Status]]).
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==Pasture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|Grazers|
If you aren't sure whether or not an animal is a grazer, you can check {{catlink|Grazer|this category}}. (You can also [[Special:search|search]] for the animal on this wiki.)
}}
If you have any grazing animals with you, such as the draft animals used to pull your wagon, they will die if they are kept away from grass for too long. Use {{K|i}} to create a Pe{{K|n}}/[[Pasture]] zone over a grassy area outside and assign your grazing animals to it using {{K|N}} (while still selecting the zone). This area needs to be about 10x10 or so to ensure they have enough grass and don't trample it all. The amount of grass required varies greatly, depending on the type(s) of animals being pastured. If you intend to keep grazing animals permanently, you may need vastly larger pastures later. As an alternative, you might wish to [[Butcher's shop|slaughter]] your largest animals for food and materials.

==Designing your first fortress==
While this guide recommends a vertical fortress design around a central stairwell, with each z-level being used for a particular purpose, it is not really that important to use this design for your first fortress. Therefore, feel free to put any of the areas described in the rest of this guide on your main level or wherever you want as long as dwarves can get to them without going outside the fort. In other words, you can think of the "levels" described in the guide more as areas that can really all be on the same level if you have space. Later you can ponder over what makes things most efficient, but for now just do whatever you find easiest. Note that you may need to dig down a bit to get to stone if you have more than one z-level of sand/clay/soil below the surface.

==Workshops==
[[File:Quickstart workshops 1.png|thumb|right|An example workshop layout. The gem stockpile (empty) is north of the Jeweler's workshop (southwest corner), the wood stockpile is east of the Carpenter's workshop (northwest corner), and the stone stockpile occupies the rest of the space. Note the wheelbarrow (Ö/umlaut-O) in the stone stockpile.]]
Most labors of your dwarves need a place where they can process raw materials — [[workshop]]s. Almost all of them occupy a 3x3 square, and most of them require just 1 unit of any building material (wood, stone, metal). Dig your stairwell down one level (with {{K-|d|i}}), if you haven't already. It's fine if this layer is soil — in fact, soil is better, since it's easier to dig through (if you only have one soil layer, you can put these workshops somewhere on your first level). Dig space for your workshops off of the stairwell. It will hold your [[Mechanic's_workshop|mechanic's]], [[Mason's_workshop|mason's]], [[Carpenter's_workshop|carpenter's]], and [[Jeweler's_workshop|jeweler's]] [[workshop]]s. Something to consider is stockpile proximity: the farther away the material is the dwarves use, the more time they waste with walking. So for now, dig out some more space for stockpiles close to where your new workshops will be (wood for your carpenter, stone for your mason and mechanic, and gems for your jeweler).
It doesn't matter if you put everything in one large room or dig out small rooms for each workshop and stockpile. Note however that some tiles of workshops are impassable: they appear as dark green 'X' when you choose a location (the specific wiki pages of the workshops also show you this). So before you build small 3x3 rooms for each workshop, make sure your dwarves will be able to reach them. Once you've dug out your rooms, set your miners to work by adding a z-level or two to the staircase (you can designate multiple z-levels at once using {{k|<}} and {{k|>}}, just like moving up and down). Hopefully you'll obtain some stone by doing this, which will be useful eventually. While your miners are busy, use {{K-|b|w}} to build the workshops, using whatever building material you have. If you are still digging in soil and don't have stone yet, just use wood; the material really doesn't matter in this case. Be sure that your craftsdwarves still have labors corresponding to each workshop enabled (see [[#Stout Labor|Stout Labor]] above) so they will begin construction. (Dwarves already busy mining or hauling may not immediately stop to construct workshops; if you like, you may temporarily disable other labors in order to jumpstart workshop construction.) If the construction of any building gets "suspended" just use {{K|q}} to unsuspend it. (This can happen if another dwarf or object is blocking the way. See [[#"Garbage" Dumping|Garbage Dumping]] below if you find you need to remove an object.)

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Too Good for Menial Peon Work|Certain labors are crucial in setting up a fort. At some point you may want to disable less important labors such as hauling for dwarves with the crucial skills of mining, masonry, architecture, carpentry, mechanics, and maybe others. You want these dwarves working on creating beds, doors, and trap components before hauling stone and cleaning.}}
Remove the temporary wood stockpile you created outside (using {{K-|p|x}} and selecting the entire stockpile) and dwarves will move the wood to the new wood storage area.

Go to your mason's shop with {{K|q}} and use {{K|a}} to queue up one [[table|{{k|t}}able]] and one [[throne]]/{{k|c}}hair. You will find out why you need these in a second, but now is a good time to start building them. If you still don't have any stone at this point just use wood at the carpenter's workshop.

At this point, it is a good idea to build a few [[wheelbarrow]]s to make hauling large objects (particularly stone) more efficient. Queue up 2 or 3 at the carpenter's workshop. (Wheelbarrows are located near the bottom of the list, on a separate page. They are not visible initially, so you'll need to scroll with {{k|+}} or {{k|-}} — scrolling up with {{k|-}} is more efficient, as it wraps to the bottom of the list.) While the wheelbarrows are being built, select your stone stockpile with {{k|q}} and use {{k|w}} to increase "Max Wheelbarrow" to 3 (the maximum). Your dwarves will automatically move wheelbarrows to the stockpile once they are built.

===''"Where did I build that ____?"''===
As you build workshops, furnaces, Trade Depot, other buildings, rooms and even zones, you may start to lose track of where they all are -- or where they're supposed to be built, but some dwarf is too busy eating/drinking/hauling. There are a couple of commands available from the main UI that will help you locate what you built.

* You can View {{K|R}}ooms/Buildings to see a Building List, and also Zoom {{K|t}}o the building/item, or {{K|q}}uery the building tasks.

* For incomplete buildings/constructions, you can also open the {{K|j}}ob list and then Go to {{K|b}}uilding to find the intended location.

{{clear}}

== Brewing ==
You'll need [[barrel]]s to store drinks for your dwarves. The stockpile you set up earlier will use as many barrels as possible to store items in, which means they can't be used to store drinks. To change this, press {{k|p}} to access the stockpile menu and use {{k|*}} to increase the number of "reserved" barrels (i.e. barrels kept out of stockpiles - 5 barrels is good for now). Queue up two or three barrels in your carpenter's workshop with {{k|a}}-{{k|v}}. (If you run out of wood at any point, cut down another tree or two outside). If a lack of wood cancelled a job, you will need to queue the job again. Go back to your still and order some drinks to be {{k|a}}-{{k|b}}rewed. Each drink requires one barrel and one edible plant, such as a plump helmet. Even if none of yours have been harvested yet, you should have some left over from embark. Also, brewing plump helmets creates ''two'' seeds from one plant, which makes plump helmets an excellent choice for a beginning fortress. Five barrels should be plenty for now (each plant makes 5 "units", or servings, of booze, and dwarves don't need to drink too often, so 30 units should last you a whole year. When the stocks get low, you'll probably want to start queueing up more drinks to be made (you should have more empty barrels by then)).

=="Garbage" Dumping==
{{main|Garbage dump}}

'''Note that garbage is not the same thing as refuse.''' [[Stockpile#Refuse|Refuse]] is [[Miasma|rotting stuff]]. Garbage is anything you designate to be hauled to a [[Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump]], even important things that aren't really garbage. Think of your garbage dump zone as a way to specify that objects you select will be brought to a specific area.

Use {{K|i}} to create a 1x1 activity zone somewhere near your mason's and mechanic's workshops and set it to be a garbage {{k|d}}ump. Unlike stockpile areas where you are limited to storing one object per tile, any number of items may be piled in a garbage area. That means you will only need one tile to hold as much "garbage" as you like. Although many of the room sizes in this guide are suggestions, think of the 1x1 garbage dump size as mandatory. At some point you will probably want to retrieve an important item from your garbage dump, and the more tiles your dump contains, the harder it will be to find anything in it. Press {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} to get to the mass dump/forbid screen and select the {{k|d}}ump option. With "dump" selected, designate a rectangle over the loose stones cluttering up your living area (if there are any – this often isn't a problem yet if you've built your fort in a soil layer). This will designate this stone to be transported to a garbage dump zone. Be sure not to designate the stone in your stockpiles by mistake, since that will only cause your dwarves to perform unnecessary hauling. Once the stone from your living area has been moved there, it will be set as [[Forbid|forbidden]]. Before it can be used you will need to unforbid it using the same {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} screen, hitting {{k|c}} to claim it. Note that dwarves hauling stone (or any large, heavy objects) move slowly, and can take a lot of time to reach their destination. This can be a major waste of time if you designate 50 boulders to be dumped at once. Unless the stone is in the way of something, you don't ''need'' to dump it every time you dig out a new area. Stones lying on the ground don't slow dwarves down at all. If there is a particular dwarf you don't want hauling "garbage", you can disable the "Refuse Hauling" labor (under the "Hauling" category). Miners are good candidates, since they are far more useful when digging than when moving the stone they just dug out.

Congratulations! Knowing how to use garbage dump zones puts you head and shoulders above many new players - it takes some people weeks to figure this out.

==Trading==
Not all embark sites have all the resources you need for a successful fortress, but every site has ''something'' you can sell. A talented dwarf can process any useless resource into something valuable, and [[trading]] is a good way to sell those goods.

''Note that producing goods creates [[wealth]] and getting too much wealth too fast can have [[Immigration#Migrant_wave_sizes|unwanted]] [[Siege|consequences]].''
===Trade Depot===
Build a [[trade depot]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|D}} in the 5x5 room you created near your entrance. This is where [[caravan]]s will park their stuff and where [[trading]] will take place when one arrives. (as stated earlier, the wagons are 3x3 so the entrance tunnel needs to be at least 3x3 for the wagons to go by). You will need one [[architect]], which will be enabled on your mason if you selected {{DFtext|Play now!}} at embark. You also need at least 3 logs or boulders to build the depot.

===Producing for export===
While there are some goods that are more valuable, and some that are less valuable, it's a good idea to simply produce/export what you have too much of and to import what you have too little of.
Generally though, [[Gem]]s and [[Finished goods]] are decent exports for a new player.

===Trading===
Once a caravan has arrived, you can mark the goods you want to sell through the Trade Depot, and your dwarves will begin moving them to the depot. Be careful not to sell wooden items to [[Elf|Elves]]; '''this includes containers:''' even a wooden bin full of metal crafts will make them upset. Also note that the traders will want to make a profit off of you. While they're happy with about 200%, the more profit they make on your site, the more goods they will bring next time, so it can be a good idea to give them even better deals.

''A more detailed overview of the entire process is [[Trading#Trading_Flowchart|here]].''

===What to buy===
In your first fortress, your priority should be importing some [[food]] and [[alcohol]]. In addition, you might want more [[Meat industry|livestock]], [[seed]]s (comes with a free bag), and - depending on what resources you are missing - additional [[pick]]s, [[barrel]]s, [[wood]], [[bag]]s, as well as [[rope]] and a [[bucket]] (for a well). While you're at it, check if you need an [[anvil]]. Maybe you forgot to bring one, or a [[kea]] stole it. Always having a small supply of ''all 3 kinds'' of [[cloth]], some [[gem]]s, [[leather]], a bit of [[sand]] (free bag!) are handy to have, as those are hard to come by on short notice.
If you're short on weapons-grade [[metal]] for your military, import not only actual metal [[bar]]s and [[ore]]s, buy ''all'' metal goods you can afford and [[Melt item|melt]] them down in a [[smelter]] to increase your yield.

===Troubleshooting===
Once the depot is built, use {{K|D}} from the main menu to make sure your depot is accessible. (This command is only available once the depot is built – before building, the command will be disabled, and while the depot is under construction everything will flash red until the depot is built). Once completed, checking {{k|D}}epot access will flash some of the following symbols:
* {{raw tile|X|4:4:1}}: This tile is not accessible by wagon. This could be because something is blocking it (a tree, a natural [[boulder]], etc.).
* {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}: This tile is accessible by wagon. (These tiles will radiate outward from the depot, not from the map edges.)
:This is good, but does not guarantee wagons will be able to reach the depot. Make sure you see the words {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} in the menu.
* {{raw tile|D|3:2:1}} The depot is accessible via wagon.
* {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}} The depot is '''not''' accessible by wagon. See below.

If you see the message {{DFtext|Depot inaccessible|4:1}} in the menu (or the {{raw tile|D|6:2:1}}) symbol over the depot, try these solutions:
* Is the path to the depot (in your fortress) less than 3 tiles wide? If so, expand the entranceway and try {{k|D}} again.
* Are there [[tree]]s blocking a path to the depot outside? Try clearing a path by cutting down a few (you probably won't need to cut ''all'' the trees in a 3-tile wide path); usually cutting some at the end of a path of {{raw tile|W|2:2:1}}'s clears a path.
* Are there [[boulder]]s ({{raw tile|∞|7:0:0}}) blocking the path outside? To remove them easily, you need an [[engraver]]. If you selected "play now", you should have one already. Select {{k|d}}-{{k|s}}mooth Stone and designate the boulder(s) for smoothing. They should flash this symbol: {{raw tile|┼|7:0:1}}
* Is the path to the depot only accessible via stairs or did you build traps in the way? Wagons cannot pass traps or stairs, even if they're 3x3 wide.
It's possible that there are multiple obstacles blocking the depot, so keep checking {{k|D}}epot access until the {{DFtext|Depot accessible|2:1}} message appears.

''Note that even if your depot is inaccessible to wagons, traders still will come without wagons. They will carry much less goods and you can sell them much less, because their carrying capacity is greatly reduced.''

== Migrants ==
{{gametext|Some migrants have arrived.}}
At some point soon, you'll most likely be getting migrants (if you haven't already). You'll usually get between 5 and 15 migrants in the first 2 waves, which occur sometime during your second and third seasons. See [[/Migrants|this page]] for advice when you receive migrants.

== Bedrooms ==
Up to this point, your dwarves have probably been sleeping on dirt or rock in your fortress. While this is fine for a short time, your dwarves will gradually become less happy if they are forced to sleep without a bed. Under normal circumstances beds can only be made from wood, so be sure to designate some more trees to be cut down if you're short on logs.

[[Bedroom design|Designing living quarters]] is largely a matter of personal preference and aesthetic sense. While a few useful designs are discussed here, there are many other options. In general, try to keep the bedrooms close to the stairs, and make your access hallways at least two tiles wide to reduce congestion.

=== Location ===
Because noise generated from certain jobs (especially mining and woodcutting) can bother sleeping dwarves, doing these jobs within 8 tiles of a sleeping dwarf should be avoided (see [[noise]] for more information). There are two ways of accomplishing this:
* Placing bedrooms at the end of a hallway at least 8 tiles long will avoid most noise (as long as you are careful to avoid noisy jobs directly above or below the bedrooms).
* Extending your fortress down several z-levels will also work (9 levels from the surface is a safe choice), although extending a 3x3 staircase takes more work than extending a single hallway.
Both options work equally well, as long as you are careful to avoid disturbing sleeping dwarves. Ultimately it depends on how you want your fortress to look.

=== Layout ===
Due to the limited resources of a new fortress, setting up a communal sleeping area in a dormitory is often the best short-term solution. However, you can also set up individual bedrooms for dwarves.

'''Benefits of individual bedrooms:'''
* Dwarves are happier with their own bedroom and furniture.
* Individual rooms can increase your fort's perceived wealth.
'''Benefits of dormitories:'''
* Dormitories are easier to set up and expand (only one room is necessary, and each dwarf only requires one bed).
* Sleeping dwarves are much less likely to be attacked when other dwarves are around them.
* Multiple dwarves can sleep in a dormitory. In contrast, only one dwarf can ever sleep in a bedroom (dwarves cannot sleep in another dwarf's bedroom, even when unoccupied).
* Far fewer beds are needed – in a fort of 50 dwarves, for example, around five dwarves will be sleeping at a time (on average). A dormitory, therefore, rarely requires above ten beds, while individual bedrooms would require 50 beds to be built.
* Even when all of the beds are occupied, dwarves will still sleep in the general area of the dormitory. This is more convenient than having dwarves sleeping all over your fort.
For now, setting up a dormitory is easiest (although you can change this later, if you feel the need to).

=== Building ===
Queue up as many beds as you need in a carpenter's workshop (no more than 3 or 4 should be necessary for a dormitory). Beds are queued with {{k|q}}-{{k|a}}-{{k|b}} at a [[carpenter's workshop]] and built with {{k|b}}-{{k|b}}. (As long as your furniture/general-purpose stockpile isn't full yet, dwarves will store beds in them as they are finished, so there may be a delay before they're available to be built.)

'''Setting up a dormitory:'''
# Dig out an empty room in the location you selected.
# Once you have a bed ready, build it near the middle of the room (towards the end away from the entrance).
# Use {{k|q}} to select the bed and {{k|r}} to turn it into a bedroom. Resize the room until it fills the area you dug out (positioning the bed away from the entrance makes it easier to avoid extending the room out into the hallway). If you decide you don't like the position of the bed, remove it with {{k|q}}-{{k|x}} and place it again.
# Press {{k|d}} to turn the room into a dormitory (the menu should read {{DFtext|d: Dormitory <Y>}})
Once you have more beds built, you can place them in the same room. You don't need to mark them as dormitories as long as they're in the area you designated for the bedroom.

[[File:Quickstart-level-7-bedrooms.png|thumb|right|An example of individual bedrooms (with furniture, discussed below)]]
'''Setting up individual bedrooms:'''
# Dig out a small room for each bed (the size and shape are up to you, but 2 to 4 tiles generally works best).
# Build each bed in a room when ready
# Use {{k|q}}-{{k|r}} to mark the bed as a bedroom.
You should see {{DFtext|Current owner: Nobody}} in the menu. A dwarf will eventually get around to claiming the bedroom – you don't need to assign each dwarf to a specific bedroom.

==Nobles and Administrators==
Hit the {{k|n}} key to open up the [[Noble|nobles and administrators]] screen. The most important positions to assign are '''[[manager]]''', '''[[broker]]''', and '''[[bookkeeper]]'''.
* A '''manager''' will allow you to queue up [[work order]], which will greatly simplify managing your production.
* A '''bookkeeper''' will allow you to maintain inventory counts on the {{K|z}} screen so you'll know what you do and don't have.
* A '''broker''' is necessary to trade with a caravan once one has arrived at your [[trade depot]].

===Manager & Bookkeeper===
Your [[expedition leader]] is a good choice for manager and bookkeeper when starting out. Don't worry that it's just one dwarf doing all this; none of these jobs take very long.

While you are on this screen, highlight the bookkeeper and {{K|s}}et them to work for "Highest Precision" (all counts accurate). This will help train [[record keeper|bookkeeping]] faster and ensure that you aren't dealing with vague inventory counts.
:''See [[Stocks]] for a detailed explanation of the {{k|z}}-stocks screen.''

===Broker===
The broker should be another one of your other dwarves (rather than being the same as your bookkeeper) so that they're not too busy doing bookkeeping to actually talk to the traders when a trade delegation arrives.

Don't worry about the [[chief medical dwarf]] yet. He/she will be needed when you set up your [[Healthcare|hospital]] which won't be covered in this guide. Feel free to go check out the [[Healthcare]] guide once you're done.

===Offices (Studies)===
Some of your administrative positions (manager and bookkeeper) require an [[office]] in order to function. If your manager, for example, doesn't have an office, you will not be able to do any of the things that require a manager even though you have one assigned.
[[File:Quickstart-noble-selection.png|right|thumb|Nobles screen. The red stuff turns white once an office is assigned.]]

Earlier you should have queued up a table and throne in your mason's shop, and they should be done by now.
# Dig out a room near your sleeping quarters or stockpiles (at least 1x3, no more than 5x5).
# Place the furniture in it with {{k|b}}-{{k|c}} (chair) and {{k|b}}-{{k|t}} (table).
# Wait for the dwarves to install the furniture
# Use {{K|q}} to select the '''chair'''/throne (not the table), select "Make Throne Room or Study" ({{k|r}}), size the room appropriately, and then {{k|a}}ssign the chair to your expedition leader (who should be both your bookkeeper and manager).
# Hit {{K|n}} to verify that these positions now have the office they need (if so, {{DFtext|[REQUIRE]|7:1}} should no longer be red).

==Furniture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|width=45%|Different Names, Same Thing|As you've noticed, some things have different names based on what they're made of (for example, chairs vs. thrones and chests vs. coffers) even if they're functionally the same (material almost never makes a difference). [[Furniture#Furniture_types_with_multiple_names|Here's a list.]]

[[Bed]]s are a notable exception — they can only be made of wood.
}}
Now would be a good time to start building some [[furniture]]. You could queue up all these items directly from your workshops, but why not give your new manager a little practice?
Using the manager screen {{k|j}}-{{k|m}}, hit {{k|q}} to queue up a new job, and type "[[bed]]", and then select "construct bed." Set the quantity to around 4 (or more, depending on how many beds you need). Next, queue up at least four [[table]]s, eight [[throne]]s/chairs, and four doors. Make sure you select a material you have – rock or wood will both work for all of these (except beds), so use whatever you have in your stockpiles. If you like, you can also queue up a few wooden [[chest]]s or rock coffers and [[cabinet]]s (which can be used in bedrooms, if you set up individual bedrooms). The tables and chairs will go in your [[dining room]], speaking of which...

==Dining and Food Prep Area==
Right off the main stairwell (any unused area by the staircase will work), create three rooms. One will be for general food storage, one a [[dining room|dining hall]], and one a [[kitchen]]. The kitchen will allow you to make [[Cook#Recipes|prepared food]]. Make the room for the kitchen 5x5. The storage area and dining hall should be larger. Ideally, leave empty space on at least one side of your dining hall so that it can be expanded later if necessary.

[[File:Quickstart_dining_area.png|right|thumb|Dining level with dining hall (east), kitchen (north), storage area (west), fishery, butcher's workshop, and tanner's workshop (south).]]

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}}-{{k|z}} to build the kitchen in the middle of the 5x5 room. Use {{k|p}} to create {{K|f}}ood stockpiles in the remaining space around it, as well as the entire food storage room. Go back to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings to {{K|d}}isable Food. This will cause any food in your general purpose stockpile to get moved to your new food-only stockpiles. Hit {{K|z}} and select ''[[Kitchen]]'' from the top of the screen, then disable all cooking for plants, using {{K|c}}, {{K|C}} does everything (disable is red) and enable brewing for them so that they will only be used for brewing. Also disable alcoholic beverages for cooking, otherwise your cooks will waste perfectly good hooch in their cooking. The only time you might want to use alcohol in cooking is when you have lots of booze but are running out of food. If you plan to do any fishing, dig out another area and create a [[Fishery]] on this level so the uncleaned fish your fisherdwarf just caught can be cleaned (gutted) for consumption or cooking. If you plan to do any hunting or [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] any animals, create a [[Butcher's shop]] on this level so animal corpses can be butchered. The fishery/butcher's shop can be placed behind the kitchen or the general food stockpile, for example. A door is recommended for the butcher's shop in order to contain [[Miasma]] should something rot, and to otherwise avoid offending squeamish dwarves. Eventually, go check out the subpage on [[/Stockpiles/]] for more information on fine-tuning these stockpiles for maximum efficiency. For now you can safely procrastinate on this and move on to the next section.

==Placing Furniture==
Once your furnishings are complete, you need to place them in rooms using the {{K|b}}uild command. Put the new {{k|c}}hairs and {{k|t}}ables in the dining room. If you like, you can add doors for aesthetics (they can be useful in case something starts rotting in your food stockpiles). If you created chests and cabinets, you can add them to each room if you want, but it is not urgent now.

==Meeting Hall==
Use {{K|q}} on one of the tables you just placed in the dining room, define the area as a {{k|r}}oom, and configure it to be a meeting {{k|h}}all. This will cause idle dwarves to hang around in the dining hall. You want idlers in a central location, close to where you will be placing your emergency drawbridge levers. You should probably remove the temporary meeting area (and any other meeting areas that you created earlier) with {{K|i}}-{{k|x}}.

==Checking Supplies==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Hostile Wilds|Before turning on either hunting or fishing, examine the {{K|u}}nits screen to see if there are any dangerous critters your hunters/fishers need worry about. With hunting especially, you may need to check this screen frequently.}}
Use the {{K|z}} ([[status]]) screen to check your stock levels. How much food and booze do you have left? You only have unprepared food at this point, and the booze you brought with you, but soon you will be making more. If you are running low on food, you can designate gathering some [[shrub|outdoor plants]], [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some animals, turn on [[fishing]], or turn on [[hunting]] to tide you over for a bit. Hunting and slaughtering animals both require a butcher's shop.

==Brewing and Cooking==
Once your first crop of plump helmets starts to come in, you will want to start [[brewing]] as a [[repeat]]ing task. Also, now would be a good time to start [[cooking]] actual meals rather than forcing your dwarves to eat raw food. Cooking [[Cooking#Recipes|easy meals]] will train dwarves faster, but they may be happier with [[Cooking#Recipes|lavish meals]]. So, you might want to cook easy ones until your cook or cooks skill up to a certain point then have them start making lavish meals. Prepared food is cooked from two (easy), three (fine), or four (lavish) raw food/alcohol ingredients. Each prepared food item will be called a 'something' (for instance, a specific animal meat) "biscuit", "stew", or "roast" depending on the lavishness of the meal.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Conserving Resources|Some things absolutely require wood (like beds and charcoal), but others can be made out of more common materials like stone. For this reason it's best, especially in the beginning, to make everything that you can out of stone. For example, you could make wood chests and barrels, but stone coffers and rock pots would let you save wood for things that require it and help you rid yourself of all that stone. And if you decide you want solid gold chests or something later when you have more resources, you can always throw out the rock coffers.}}
Speaking of booze, in order to keep the booze flowing, you will need to create some [[barrel]]s, or some stone [[pot]]s. Your dwarves should have emptied a few barrels by now to get you started, but you will definitely need more. A ''lot'' more. If you have an abundance of trees, then you can designate some more for cutting, and have your carpenter make a bunch of wooden barrels, but it may be more prudent to make a [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]], make sure someone has the [[Stonecrafting]] labor enabled, and build a bunch of rock pots. (Rock pots are essentially barrels made of rock.) And don't worry that you've made too many; you almost can't get enough of them. Keep checking your food and drink stock levels on the {{K|z}} screen periodically. While cooked food (properly stockpiled) and alcohol don't spoil, there is really no need to stock 2,000 units of dwarven wine at this point. Ten times the number of drinks and meals as you have dwarves is more than enough. If you start running out of food or drinks, designate some wild plants for harvesting, [[Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter]] some of your animals, start hunting or fishing, or start more farms. (Actually, now would be a fine time to make another 3x3 farm. Set it to produce [[sweet pod]]s in the spring and summer, [[cave wheat]] or [[pig tail]]s (your choice) in the fall (autumn), and [[plump helmet]]s in the winter. Having multiple types of plants will give your dwarves more variety in their food and drink, keeping them from [[Thought|grumbling]].)

==Storage Space==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#0a0|float=right|Advanced Stockpiling|Check out the [[/Stockpiles|Stockpiles]] sub-page for more information on fine-tuning your stockpiles, especially in the food production area. This is somewhat complicated and it can safely be skipped if you don't feel like tinkering with stockpiles right now.}}
You should probably start making some wooden '''[[Bin|bins]]''' to help you store more stuff in less space. You might not need them yet, but you certainly will later. Bins are somewhat like barrels/pots, but they can store things other than just food and drink. Bins will also reduce the amount of labor needed to [[haul]] things to your trade depot or other stockpiles. So designate some more trees to be chopped down and queue up some bins. As with barrels and pots, you almost can't have enough bins.

==Situational Awareness==
At this point you might already have lost one or two games. Understanding why that happened is the most important part to get better and avoid frustration. To do so, you should be aware of what situation your fortress is in at all times: Are there enemies on the map? Do your dwarves have enough food? How many dwarves do you have? What season is it?

Along with just loo{{K|k}}ing around periodically, there are 4 screens that can help you with these questions:

* The {{K|u}}nit screen with its various tabs. Keep an eye out for invaders, dangerous animals and so on
* The status screen ({{K|z}}) and its "stocks" subscreen ''(Remember to appoint a [[bookkeeper]] and set him to the highest accuracy)''. Pay attention to the current date and your supplies.
* {{K|a}}nnouncements, and
* Combat {{K|r}}eports

Check them periodically and you will be able to recognize problems earlier and avoid disasters better.

=Beyond a Minimal Fortress=

By now you should have your main entrance created, along with a farm, general-purpose stockpile, refuse pile (for trash), and [[trade depot]]. Somewhere you should have a mason's shop, a mechanic's shop, a carpenter's shop, and a jeweler's shop, surrounded by appropriate storage piles with garbage zone (for excess stone). You should also have a furnished dining area with kitchen, still, and food storage, and a residential area with furnished bedrooms and an office. You should have selected your administrators, and might even have an optional fishery, butcher's shop, craftsdwarf's workshop, or other stuff. At this point, you have all the components of a minimal but functional fortress! Your next steps will be to make it safer and better-protected, to set up your [[metal industry]], and later to prepare your [[military|militia]].

==Traps==
Start producing '''[[mechanism]]s''' at your [[mechanic's workshop]]. Queue up ten. After they are built, use them to create [[Trap#Stone-fall_Trap|stone fall traps]] using {{K|b}}-{{K|T}}. Be sure not to block access to your depot! Queue up some [[cage]]s, and more mechanisms, and use these to create some [[Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps]] right after your stone traps. Cage traps are incredibly effective at stopping ambushers, but traps in general will not protect you from [[thief|thieves and kidnappers]] who will almost always bypass them. (To deal with these ambushers, see the next section on [[#Guard Animals|guard animals]]). Continue to fill up your entry hall with alternating rows of stone and cage traps as the parts become available. Ideally you want to have enough cage traps to take out most of the [[goblin]]s so your military will only have to mop up.

Note that traps will block wagons from reaching your trade depot (although pack animals will still arrive safely). A few ways to avoid this are shown below:

{|
|-
|<diagram>
[#1:1]^^^^^
[#2:1].....
.....
.....
[#1:1]^^^^^
</diagram>
|A simple strategy, most useful above ground where invaders can come from the sides – underground, this is less useful (invaders don't tend to emerge from the walls).
'''Legend:''' In this diagram and the one below, traps are blue {{DFtext|^|1:1}} (^) symbols, and the green {{DFtext|.|2:1}} and red {{DFtext|.|4}} (.) symbols represent the ground and cave floor.
|-
|<diagram fg="4:0">
░░░░░░░░░
░.......░
░.......░
░.......░
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
....[#1:1]^[#]....
░░░░░░░░░
</diagram>
|A more complex design, but also extremely effective (best used underground). The majority of invaders will choose to take the shortest path, directly through the traps. This can also be extended to make a wider group of traps of a longer safe route.

This is relatively easy to implement if you already have a 3-tile wide hallway – just dig a small loop off it and place traps in the old location.
|}

Note that this is only necessary when caravans can't get to your trade depot, because the hallway is filled with traps - if your trade depot is not behind a trap-lined hallway, you can safely make a hallway full of traps - citizens won't trigger traps.

If you place a trap somewhere you didn't mean to, remove it with {{k|t}}-{{k|x}} or {{k|q}}-{{k|x}}.

==Guard Animals==
Create one 1x1 [[pasture]] near the beginning of your entryway, in the middle tile, using {{K|i}}. Using the {{K|N}} key inside the zone interface, assign a [[dog]] or other non-grazing animal to it. This animal will spot thieves and raiders before they gain entrance to your fortress. Try to pick a disposable animal, as it ''will'' be slaughtered by the first ambush raiders. Ideally, don't assign female animals; you want them safe for [[Meat industry#Breeding|breeding]] (you should make sure to keep at least one male around for breeding as well).

==Drawbridge==
In case of an [[ambush]] or [[siege]], you will want to close up your fort, keeping the goblins out until your [[squad]]s have formed up and are in position. Therefore, you can build a [[Bridge|drawbridge]] ({{K|b}}-{{K|g}}) to seal off your entryway. Make sure to use {{K|w}}, {{K|a}}, {{K|d}}, or {{K|x}} to make it raise up in the right direction, which then forms a barrier to block enemy ranged units. If you don't get the orientation of the bridge correct, it will just retract (disappear) instead of raising up, allowing enemy ranged units to fire across.

Put the drawbridge between the trade depot and the hall-o-traps so you can lock things out of the fort. Build a lever ({{K|b}}-{{K|T}}-{{K|l}}) near your meeting area and [[Lever#Linking|link]] it to the drawbridge by using {{K|q}} on the lever. (This linking will require 3 [[mechanisms]] in total.)

==Metal Industry==
[[File:Quickstart-level-2-forge.png|thumb|right|Level -2: Forge and smelters with ore stockpile in the middle.]]
Now, below your first workshop level, dig out four more 5x5 rooms around the stairwell. Three of these will be [[smelter]]s ({{k-|b|e|s}}), and one a [[metalsmith's forge]] ({{k-|b|w|f}}). Designate stockpiles for {{K|b}}ars around the smelters and forge. The bar stockpiles will hold [[Fuel|coke and charcoal]] and metal [[bar]]s. You will probably need larger bar stockpiles, but you can dig out more space and expand them later. Also dig out some space and create a stockpile for [[ore]] somewhere nearby. To make an ore stockpile, designate a {{K|s}}tone stockpile, then use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings on it to forbid all types of stone other than ore. Finally, go to your general-purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to disable Bars. Stone should already be disabled on this stockpile, and if so, then ore is already disabled for it.

===Wood Burning===
Somewhere near your carpenter's shop, near your wood stockpile, dig out an area and build a [[wood furnace]] ({{k-|b|e|w}}). This is where you will create charcoal (see below) and ash (for making soap). Dwarf Fortress has two forms of carbon which are useful as [[fuel]] in the metal industry: ''charcoal'' (which is charred wood), and ''coke'' (refined coal). They are completely interchangeable. If your map has a lot of '''lignite''' or '''bituminous coal''', you can process that into coke, using charcoal to jump-start the process. If you don't find coal on your map, you'll need to either dig down to [[magma]] or make charcoal out of wood to run your forges and smelters, but don't worry about this yet. You need to do some digging around.

===Mining===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|"I have struck what?"|New players who don't have a degree in geology usually find themselves confused as to what all these mineral names mean. In DF you'll never strike "iron ore" but you will strike [[magnetite]] or [[limonite]] which are [[ore]]s of [[iron]]. If you don't know that these things are ores of iron then it obviously won't occur to you to try to smelt iron. Note that ores usually look like {{Raw Tile|£|6:7:1}} before they are mined and {{Raw Tile|*|6:1}} after, though the colors will differ. See '''''[[The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock]]''''' to help you figure out exactly what you've found.}}
At this point you want to start looking for metal ore. You may have already found some while digging out rooms, in which case you can just mine into the walls of the rooms to get more ore. If you haven't found ore yet or you want to see what else you can find, you will need to dig [[Exploratory mining|exploratory tunnels]] looking for ores, minerals, and [[gem]]s. For now just start digging tunnels out from your stairwell or rooms in all directions and see what you run into. Note that digging into '''damp stone''' or '''warm stone''' is not recommended as those areas may be holding back water or lava which can flood your fort.

===Fuel===
Whether you find [[coal]] or not, you will need to burn wood into at least one unit of [[charcoal]]. If you find some coal ([[lignite]] or [[bituminous coal]]), start your [[smelter]]s out processing it into [[coke]] using your charcoal to get things started. From then out you can burn coke to make more coal into more coke and so on. Put these coke-making jobs on repeat. Only use one smelter to begin with, but you should be getting a group of [[Immigration|immigrants]] fairly soon, if you haven't already, and you can put them to work in the other smelters. Don't give up on finding coal right away. Dig around for a while and if you're starting to get impatient then burn some more wood into charcoal, smelt some ore, and make some [[weapon]]s. If you rely on charcoal for fuel then you'll be needing a ''lot'' of wood, so in that case dig out another room near the furnace and create a wood stockpile. You might also want to just remove a smelter, replace it with a [[wood furnace]], and create the new wood stockpile down in the smelting area. Finally, go designate more trees for chopping.

===Forging===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Alternative Energy|If you don't find coal then you will have to continue to burn wood into charcoal, or dig down to the bottom of the map and find the magma sea so you can power [[magma smelter]]s and [[magma forge]]s. Getting to magma can be difficult for various reasons that you will discover, so make sure you are ready for some trouble before you go that direction. Burning charcoal should work out okay in the short term.}}
Once you have smelted some ore to get metal bars, and have additional bars of either coal or charcoal, you can start forging metal items. Here are some suggestions on what to make first:
#'''[[Pick]]s''' - You may have only started out with one pick which limits the number of miners you have to one. By this point you are probably wishing you had more miners. Make a few picks and give some dwarves the mining labor once you get some immigrants. It doesn't matter what metal you use to make picks, at least when it comes to mining, so even copper is perfectly good.
#'''[[Weapon]]s''' - Picks actually make pretty good weapons, but there can be some issues equipping them because they're tied to the mining labor. You may want to make a few axes. They make good weapons, at least against most lightly armored opponents you're likely to encounter first, and can be used to chop trees. Start with 5 or so.
#'''[[Armor]]''' - You're going to want some armor. Start with mail shirts, helms, leggings, then gauntlets and boots. Start with 3 or so of each in the order listed, then make more later when your military grows. Also make some shields out of wood, unless you're swimming in metal (since the shield's material doesn't matter for defensive purposes). Once you have the essentials covered, you can include breastplates (but they take 3 bars of metal to make, and they don't cover as much of the torso and arms as a mail shirt).
An important thing to note is that mail shirts protect the upper leg as well as the torso and arms, and high boots protect the lower leg. As dwarves have no knees (at least in military terms), high boots and mail shirts are sufficient to protect your dwarves' legs.
[[Steel]] is the best normal metal to make armor and most weapons out of, but you will likely find that you want some arms before you can make steel. [[Iron]] is good, as is [[bronze]]. [[Copper]] is not ideal, but it still works and is better than no metal weapons/armor at all.

==Gemcutting and Trinkets==
You should have uncovered some [[gem]]s by now, so put your [[jeweler]] to work [[Gem cutter|cutting]] them. These will be used for [[Trading|trade]]. Only buy things that you need in the first year. [[Finished goods|Stone crafts]] produced by a craftsdwarf can make good trading goods as well. To get enough goods, you will need to dedicate a craftsdwarf's workshop and craftsdwarf to this task full-time, but you're very unlikely to ever run out of stone.

==Sticking to the Plan==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Getting Distracted|Say one of your new immigrants turns out to be a legendary weaver. Should you plant some pig tails and create a loom for him? '''No!''' Put his legendary butt to work smelting metal or something that's part of your current industry even though he has no skill at it. Do not split your efforts yet. You can make use of his unique talents later when you can afford to diversify your industry.}}
Metalsmithing will be your primary economic activity, with cutting gems (and possibly making stone crafts) being used to give you some short-term [[wealth]] until the [[metal industry]] gets going. This means you will need miners, haulers, smiths and furnace operators. Unless a dwarf is doing something else vital to the proper functioning of your fort, such as training in the militia, making traps, cooking food, and so forth, they should be doing one of those four things.

==Wealth and Invasion==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Crafting Invitations for Trouble|Creating too much wealth initially is a sure fire method of pulling down a goblin ambush that you are ill-equipped to deal with. Titans will also start attacking you should your wealth go over a certain amount. For this reason, spend no time smelting gold, smoothing, or engraving anything yet. Most of the wealth you create in the beginning should be the [[weapon|sharp pointy kind]].}}
You may have struck [[gold]] or some other valuable metal, and you may be tempted to put your furnaces and smiths to work creating valuable metal crafts. Don't do it! Until you have your militia formed and fully equipped with armor and weaponry, your smelters and forge should be doing nothing else but smelting cheaper materials like coal, iron, making pig iron and steel if possible, and making weapons and armor. Making [[steel]] will actually increase your wealth quite a bit, but at least you can stab and beat things to death with steel; you can't make weapons from gold.

=Military=

Your '''military''' is an important part of fortress defense. Unless you have totally cut yourself off from the outside world, then you will want at least some sort of military. Once you reach this point, you should hopefully have enough dwarves to start a small military training program. You will need at least 5 dwarves who aren't otherwise doing anything important. If you don't have any spare dwarves yet, or just don't want to mess with it yet, just skip to the next section and come back to this later. Don't wait too long to set up your military though; you especially will want soldiers before you reach a population of 80 dwarves. (You will find out why.) When you're ready to start up your military, see the [[Military quickstart]] guide.

= What Next? =

Congratulations! If you've made it this far then you have a self-sustaining fort going and can now start to branch out into whatever you are interested in exploring. Expect some goblin invasions, forgotten beasts, titans, dragons, giants, and other creatures to interrupt your activities at various points. This is part of the [[fun]].

Here are some things that people almost always do eventually, though not necessarily in any particular order (these are somewhat essential):
*Build [[coffin]]s and a graveyard or [[tomb]]s for dead dwarves and pets
*Set up a [[Healthcare|hospital]]
*Build a [[well]]
*Start producing [[textile industry|clothing]] to replace [[wear|worn-out attire]]
*Build a [[jail]] for unruly dwarves
*Set up [[Scheduling#Alert_Levels|civilian alerts]] to get civilians to a safe area during ambushes and sieges

Here are some things that players often do as their population grows:
*[[Smoothing|Smooth]] and [[engraving|engrave]] walls and floors
*Produce [[Meat industry|Meat]], [[Egg production|eggs]], milk and [[Beekeeping industry|honey]]
*Continue to expand the [[military]]
*Explore new [[Industry|industries]]
*Dig down to the [[caverns]] and create a defended lower entrance with traps to defend the fort against the [[creatures|denizens]] below
*Enable [[Animal training]] for a dwarf and train some war animals
*Build a [[Mass pitting]] system to dispose of caged enemies
*Build above-ground [[construction]]s such as an archery tower or garden
*Create a [[statue|statue garden]] or [[zoo]]
*Farm in an [[Farming#Above-ground_farming|above-ground farm plot]]
*Dig down to [[magma]] and set up [[magma forge]]s and [[magma smelter]]s to avoid the need for fuel
*Build [[machine component]]s to pump magma and water
*Create more [[Trap design|elaborate traps]] such as magma and drowning chambers
*Try some [[stupid dwarf trick]]s

You may also want to just read over the [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide]] and the many other very useful documents on the wiki to give you other ideas of what to do.

Keep in mind that how you play is not set in stone. Some people never defend, some start a [[Megaprojects|megaproject]] right after settling, some never dig and just build an above ground castle or town using logs. Some never smelt ore, some start smelting as soon as they arrive. Some make their home in the dangerous natural caverns. Some deal with invaders by flooding the map or isolating themselves completely. And that's not even considering the [[List of mods|mods]] and some of the crazier [[challenges]] that people have come up with. There's really no one "right" way to play DF.

= Feedback =
If you have any feedback on this guide, you can leave a message on the [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}|talk page]] for this article, or in [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=83452.0 this thread] on the forums.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Quickstart guide}}

[[de:DF2012:Schnellstart]]
[[ru:Быстрый старт]]
[[zh:Quickstart guide]]

Dwarf fortress mode

2022-12-18T17:36:07Z

Tme5: /* Options screen */ fix some labels; copy across extra info from tutorial

{{Quality|Exceptional|09:26, 7 May 2015 (UTC)}}
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: ''This is a detailed reference guide. For a beginner tutorial, see [[Quickstart guide]], see further [[tutorials]].''
:''[[Modding guide|Modding]] is not covered on this page.''

'''Fortress mode''' is the most popular of three modes in ''Dwarf Fortress'', with the other two being [[Adventurer mode]] and [[Legends mode]], often the mode implied when one talks about ''Dwarf Fortress''. Fortress mode is a construction and management simulation of a colony of dwarves. In fortress mode, you pick an [[embark]] location, and then assign your seven initial [[dwarves]] some starting [[Skill | skills]], equipment, provisions, and perhaps, [[animals]] to bring along. After preparations are complete and your hardy explorers [[embark]], they'll be faced with the fortress site you picked down to every little detail; from geologically appropriate stone types, to roaring waterfalls, to, for example, ornery [[Hippo | hippopotami]]. Rather than control individual dwarves, you design everything, and your dwarves will go about implementing your designs on their own.

== Goals ==
Fortress mode is considered a [[wikipedia:Construction_and_management_simulation_games|construction and management simulation game]]. This entails that few goals are imposed upon the player by the game.

The most apparent goal is survival, as your endeavors at the chosen site will, [[Reclaim fortress mode|for the moment]], end if the last dwarf dies. With this comes the need to keep your dwarves happy, as unhappy dwarves will cultivate some very unhealthy (yet surprisingly [[Losing|Fun]]) habits like murdering their colleagues.

Another goal of sorts, programmed into the game, is creating a fortress that attracts the king/queen of your civilization. Therefore players typically, but by no means necessarily, choose to expand into a thriving community with skilled [[Labor|workers]], [[military|battle-ready warriors]] and [[nobles]], creating ridiculous amounts of [[wealth|wealth]] like fine [[finished goods|crafts]], excellent armor, valuable [[furniture]], decorated with precious [[gem]]s, all the while protecting them from [[siege|foes]] with deadly [[trap]]s and a trained [[military]]. Avoiding imminent death also requires providing the dwarves with plenty of [[food]] and [[alcohol]], by way of [[farming|farms]] above and below ground, while [[clothing]] from [[leather]] or [[cloth]] will keep them happy.

Of course, every dwarf loves precious [[metal]]s, but the only way to find them is to [[mining|dig]]. Make sure you don't delve too greedily and too deep, for many creatures dwell in the [[caverns]] below...

== The world ==
To play ''Dwarf Fortress'' in fortress mode, you must generate a world that includes a dwarven civilization - see [[World generation]] for detailed instructions. After at least one world has been generated, you will be able to start the game. Only one game may be going on in a world at the same time.

=== Geographic features / Inhabitants / History ===
The main features of a world are [[biome]]s on the surface and [[stone layer]]s underground, some of which may contain [[aquifer]]s. Other surface features that are significant, but which aren't biomes, strictly speaking, are [[river]]s, [[volcano]]es, and [[cave]]s. There are also [[cavern]]s and [[magma sea]]s everywhere underground which your dwarves will most likely encounter, but you can't see these on the world map, or on the local map, for that matter, until you dig into them. There may also be other [[Fun]] things underground that you can't see. You will have to find these on your own, if they exist.

Every playable world will be inhabited by various [[creature]]s, [[civilization]]s, [[night creature]]s, and [[megabeast]]s (including [[titan]]s and [[forgotten beast]]s) in addition to your dwarves. You may encounter all of these types of inhabitants at some point in the form of wildlife, invaders, or rampaging forces of nature.

Given that your world includes creatures and civilizations capable of independent action, it also has a history that is viewable in [[legends mode]], historical events showing up in [[engraving]]s and other artwork created by your dwarves. Historical dates are expressed in terms of the [[Calendar|dwarven calendar]].

You will also be making history as events occur in your fortress, and these events will be recorded for all time in the annals of your world, even if you'd rather that they not be. These events may later become the subject of various [[engraving]]s and [[decoration]]s created by your dwarves, or those in a later fortress.

== Embarking ==
{{Main|Embark}}
:''See also: [[Reclaim fortress mode]]''

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|250px|right|[[From Caravan to Happy Dwarves|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves]] – a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions most people will take after embarking.]]

Before starting to build a fortress, you must choose the embark location in the world, then assign skills and supplies to the seven dwarves on the expedition team you will embark with into that environment. This is the embarking process, and is a major subject on its own - see the [[Embark]] guide for all the details. Also see [[Starting build]] for more information on outfitting your expedition. After you embark, the real game begins.

== Gameplay user interface ==
{{Main|Interface}}
Your main view of the in-game world is a top-down view of a multi-layered environment. You can move your view in the four main cardinal directions as well as up and down [[Z-level]]s (elevation) to see different layers. There is also a command menu that lets you issue commands that your dutiful dwarves will attempt to follow.

This section covers most of the screens and user interface elements used after embarking, at least in brief. It does not necessarily tell you how to accomplish every task you might need to, but instead just describes what you see on the screen and what various keystrokes do.

Later sections in this document and ''many'' other articles on this wiki help you tie all of this together by describing the sequence of actions needed to accomplish various things in the game; see [[Menu]] for a more detailed reference for the UI itself.

=== Common UI concepts ===
{{KeyConventions|4}}

=== Pausing and resuming ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|Space}}
| Pause/Unpause the game
|}

Entering all menus (except the {{K|s}}quads menu) will automatically pause the game, but if you want to pause or unpause the game without entering a menu use {{K|Space}}. You will see {{DFtext|*PAUSED*|3:3:1}} appear in the upper left corner of the window when the game is paused. Certain [[announcement]]s will also pause the game automatically and you will have to unpause it manually to proceed.

=== Main screen ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[Image:Mouse-wheeldown.png|20px|Scroll mouse wheel down.]][[Image:Mouse-wheelup.png|20px|Scroll mouse wheel up.]] or {{K|[}} {{K|]}}
| Zoom in and out('['and ']' must be set manually in the key bindings)
|-
| {{k|Tab}}
| Toggle mini-map and command menu.
|-
| {{k|F11}}
| Toggle fullscreen mode
|}

The screen at the top level of the user interface hierarchy consists of the '''main map''', a '''command window''', and an '''overview mini-map''' area along with a few '''status indicators''' around the edge. While the main map is always visible at the top level of the UI, you can use the {{K|Tab}} key to show and hide the command window and overview map areas, giving you more space to view the main map if desired.

=== Options screen ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|Esc}}
|
* Enter options menu (if at top level)
* Move back up one UI level (if not at top level)
|}

Assuming you are at the top level of the user interface looking at the map, you can hit {{K|Esc}} to enter the options menu.

*{{DFtext|Return to Game}} – Exit the options menu. You can also just press {{K|Esc}}.
*{{DFtext|Save Game}} – Saves the game, unloads the fortress, and returns to the main menu screen. There is no "save and continue" option, but saves can be [[saved game folder|backed up and reloaded]].
*{{DFtext|Key Bindings}} – A UI for changing the [[Key bindings]].
*{{DFtext|Export Local Image}} – Use this to export each level of your map as .BMP files for use on such things as the [http://mkv25.net/dfma/ Dwarf Fortress Map Archive].
*{{DFtext|Music and Sound}} – Options related to the [[Soundtrack | Music]].
*{{DFtext|Retire the Fortress (for the time being)}} – This ends the game without destroying the fortress, with citizens, livestock, and items continuing to exist. You may start new games in any mode and can later [[Reclaim fortress mode|unretire]] the fortress.
*{{DFtext|Abandon the Fortress to Ruin}} (or {{DFtext|Succumb to Invasion}}) – This permanently [[abandon]]s the fortress, saves the map to the world's data files for later use, and returns to the main menu. Once you abandon a fort, all of your dwarves leave the site, all of your livestock dies, and all items including corpses will be scattered around the map before it is saved. This is how you "give up" on a fortress. You might later [[Reclaim fortress mode|reclaim]] the fortress with a new group of dwarves or visit it with an adventurer in [[Adventurer mode]].

Notably lacking is an "exit without save" option. Players who wish to quit and leave their previous save unchanged may manually kill the ''Dwarf Fortress'' process in the system task manager, or by using the `die` command in DFHack. '''Do not''' attempt this while saving, as your save folder will become corrupted. Alternatively, you can make a copy of your region folder in the ''data/save'' folder before saving, save the game normally, then delete and replace the region folder with the copy.

=== Main map ===
[[File:bentgirder-embark.png|thumb|300px|Main map on the left, command window on the right.]]
[[Image:3_dimensions.png|right|300px]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} ( + {{k|Shift}})
| Move map view around
|-
| {{k|8}} {{k|2}} {{k|4}} {{k|6}} {{k|7}} {{k|9}} {{k|1}} {{k|3}} (keypad)
| Move map view around
|-
| {{k|<}} {{k|>}}
| Move one [[Z-level]] up or down.
|-
| {{k|F1}}
| Zoom to starting location (default [[#Hotkeys|hotkey]])
|}
The main map window is what you will be looking at for the majority of the time. This is where all of the action happens.

While the play area itself is three-dimensional, the window is not; you can only view one [[Z-level]] at a time. You can change which Z-Level is currently displayed using {{k|<}} and {{k|>}}.

On the far right side of the screen is the '''depth bar''' showing you the approximate depth, below or above ground, of the current [[Z-level]] that the map is displaying. This indicator is relative to the surface, so it will change if you move the map around an area with a non-flat surface, even if you don't press {{K|<}} or {{K|>}}.

==== Map cursor ====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{k|8}} {{k|2}} {{k|4}} {{k|6}} {{k|7}} {{k|9}} {{k|1}} {{k|3}} (keypad)
| Move map cursor 1 tile
|-
| {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}}
| Move map cursor 1 tile
|-
| {{k|Shift}} + direction key
| Move map cursor 10 tiles
|}

After entering a command that involves the map cursor ({{Raw Tile|X|6:0:1}}), you can use {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} as well as the numeric keypad keys to move the cursor around in all eight directions. If you hold {{k|Shift}} while pressing one of these, the cursor will move 10 tiles instead of one, enabling you to move it more quickly.

=== Overview map ===
The overview mini-map shows a compact version of the entire available map area. This can be useful especially if your embark zone is very large. After the fortress has settled into certain areas of the map, its utility decreases and it can be hidden with {{K|Tab}} to provide more space for the main map.

A cursor that looks like {{Raw Tile|X|6:0:1}} on the overview map shows approximately what part of the map you are viewing in the main map window. Parts of the map inhabited by dwarves will be highlighted in blue.

=== Status indicators ===
In the upper left corner of the screen, you may see some '''report flags''' indicating that new combat-related [[Reports]] have been generated. Some common flags are:

:{{Tile|C|4:7:1}}: new [[combat]] report available
:{{Tile|H|2:7:1}}: new [[Ambusher#Hunting|hunting]] report available
:{{Tile|S|3:7:1}}: new [[sparring]] report available

Press {{K|r}} to view the new reports in the [[DF2014:Reports#Combat|reports screen]]. Once you do so, the flags will be reset.

There is also an '''idle counter''', usually in the upper right, indicating how many dwarves are milling around uselessly, in need of something productive to do.

An '''[[FPS]] (Frames Per Second) counter''' may also be present on the screen if it has been enabled. It is disabled by default. See [[Frames per second]] for more information on what this counter means, as well as how to enable/disable it.

=== Command window ===
[[File:MainMenu.png|The command window.|frame]]
This is where key menus and most of the textual information about tiles and buildings is displayed. You can toggle it between single width, double width, and hidden using {{K|Tab}}. The double-width option is particularly useful when lines of text are too long to fit. Once you become familiar with the UI you may want to hide it completely; it will reappear as needed when you activate a command.

The most important interfaces that use the command window are listed below. Many of these encompass a wide variety of functionality so they will not be fully described here. See the linked articles for more details on how they are used.

== Your dwarves ==

Your [[Dwarf|dwarves]] are one of the creature types who implement your designs in-between periods of drinking, eating, partying, drinking again, sleeping, and entertaining themselves. While you do not have full control of your dwarves, you have more control over them than any other creatures. Be aware that it is not necessarily always the case that a dwarf is friendly; [[Insanity|insane]] dwarves, [[Werebeast|weredwarves]] or [[Vampire|vampires]] are anything but.

For a comprehensive reference, Reddit user DarxusC has done research on the minimum requirements to keep dwarves alive for long periods of time [https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/cvdssa/a_video_showing_how_little_is_needed_to_survive/ here].

=== Eating, drinking, and sleeping ===
Dwarves need [[food]] to eat, [[alcohol]] to drink (water is a poor substitute), and time to [[sleep]]. If only one of these is available, it better be [[alcohol]]; while water will keep dwarves alive, they will actually work more slowly and get unhappy thoughts (see below) if they don't get much alcohol to drink.

Dwarves will also get unhappy thoughts if forced to eat a single type of food or drink a single type of alcohol all the time, so variety is also important. Dwarves will also get unhappy thoughts if forced to sleep on the floor.

=== Happiness ===
While going about their day, dwarves will get happy and unhappy [[thought]]s, depending on what sorts of things happen to them. This will nudge their happiness levels up or down each time one such event occurs to them. If they become too unhappy, they may throw [[tantrum]]s, or go completely [[Insanity|berserk]], killing and destroying things.

=== Children and immigration ===
Periodically, new dwarves from the outside world will [[Immigration|migrate]] to your fortress, drawn by tales of, and looking to share in, your wealth and success. Female dwarves will also get pregnant and have [[children]], if they are [[Marriage|married]] to a male dwarf.

=== Jobs, labors and skills ===
Any adult dwarf can perform any [[labor]] even if they have no [[skill]] in that area. Unskilled dwarves will simply be slow and not very good at what they are trying to do, but, with practice, dwarves will acquire skill, and become faster and better at their jobs. Lack of practice for long periods leads to skill "rust".

=== Nobles ===
[[Noble]]s are dwarves who have special positions within your fort. Some of these are appointed, such as your [[broker]] and [[bookkeeper]], but others, such as the [[mayor]], are essentially forced on you by conditions in the game. See the main article on [[Noble]]s for more information.

=== Death ===

Assuming they somehow manage to avoid starving, dehydrating, freezing, drowning, burning, falling, being crushed, or otherwise suffering fatal [[wound]]s or [[soap|infections]], your dwarves will inevitably [[Death|die]] of old age. Unfortunately, they are a bit picky about how they are [[Coffin|buried]] or otherwise [[Memorial|memorialized]], and they will [[Ghost|cause trouble]] if they are unsatisfied with their remembrance. Corpses lying around can also pose a hazard if there are [[Necromancer|necromancers]] in the area.

A [[Healthcare]] industry might help your wounded dwarves postpone death.

== Digging ==
{{Main|Mining}}

All of the '''digging''' operations are considered [[Mining]]. Even if your goal is simply to dig out a passage and you don't care about extracting ore, your miners will be generating [[stone]] as a byproduct unless they are digging through [[soil]]. See [[Stone management]] for ways to deal with all the unwanted stone.

All digging operations are done using the {{K|d}}esignations menu.

=== Digging out tunnels and spaces ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|d}}
| [[Mining#Designating_the_area_to_be_mined|Designate area to mine]]
|}
This is what you use to dig out tunnels and larger spaces underground. See [[Mining#Designating_the_area_to_be_mined|designating an area to be mined]]. Note that you can not mine constructions. Instead you must remove them with {{K|d}}-{{K|n}}. (See below.)

=== Channeling ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|h}}
| Dig out a [[Channel]]
|}
A [[Channel]] is a hole dug in the floor which will mine out the [[z-level]] below too. Channeling an area will dig out the designated tile (if it hasn't been dug out already), the floor of that tile, and the tile below, possibly leaving a [[Ramp]] on the tile below. See [[Channel]] for more information.

=== Stairways and ramps ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|u}}
| Designate an upward stairway
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|j}}
| Designate a downward stairway
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|i}}
| Designate an up and down stairway
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|r}}
| Designate an upward ramp
|}
See [[Stair]] and [[Ramp]]. Note that digging a stairway will not automatically create a stairway on the z-level above and/or below, but it will make it possible to dig another stairway immediately above and/or below.

=== Removing things ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|z}}
| Remove upward stairs/ramps
|-
| {{K|d}}-{{K|n}}
| Remove a construction
|}
These allow you to dig away upward ramps and stairs, and demolish constructed walls and floors. See [[Remove]] for full details.

=== Water and magma ===
While digging around you may encounter [[Water]] or [[Magma]], so be on the lookout for '''damp stone''' and '''warm stone'''. Digging into water or magma in the wrong place can completely flood your fort to the point where it is unrecoverable, so be careful where you dig.

== Stockpiles ==
{{Main|Stockpile}}

'''Stockpiles''' are where [[dwarf|dwarves]] will store items of various types. Dwarves with the corresponding "[[hauling]]" job on will seek out items that aren't already on a stockpile that accepts them and carry them to the appropriate stockpile. See the main [[Stockpile]] article for detailed information on setting up stockpiles.

== Rooms, furniture, and portals ==

To remove one of these, use the {{K|q}} command, place the cursor on the item to remove, and hit {{K|x}}. This will mark the item for removal and a hauling job will be queued. Eventually a dwarf will show up and haul the item off to a [[stockpile]] if one exists.

=== Furniture ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|a}}
| place Armor Stand
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|b}}
| place Bed
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|c}}
| place Chair or Throne (seat)
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|n}}
| place Burial Receptacle (coffin)
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|f}}
| place Cabinet
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|h}}
| place Container
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|r}}
| place Weapon Rack
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|s}}
| place Statue
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|Alt}}+{{K|s}}
| place memorial Slab
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|t}}
| place Table
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|R}}
| place Traction Bench
|}
Assuming that dwarves have already made a piece of [[Furniture]], they can install it somewhere using one of these commands.

=== Defining rooms ===
{{Main|Room}}

Certain types of furniture placed in an area can allow the area to be defined as a [[Room]] using {{K|q}}. The {{K|q}} command can also be used to undefine rooms, with or without removing the associated furniture.

=== Doors and hatches ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|d}}
| place Door
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|x}}
| place floodgate
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|H}}
| place floor Hatch
|}
These commands allow you to place already created [[Door]]s and [[Hatch cover]]s assuming that you have an adjacent wall.

=== Windows, grates, and bars ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|W}}
| place Wall grate
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|G}}
| place floor Grate
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|B}}
| place vertical Bars
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|Alt}}+{{K|b}}
| place floor Bars
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|y}}
| place glass window
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|Y}}
| place gem window
|}
These commands allow you to install [[Window]]s, [[Grate]]s, and [[Bars]] over openings, assuming that you have already created them.

== Constructions ==
{{Main|Construction}}

[[Construction]]s are features that are built in place rather than created in a workshop and installed or carved out of existing rock. Constructions are how you build above-ground structures or structures in any other place where there's no rock or soil to carve them out of.

Constructions are usually built out of, and thus require, [[Stone]] or [[Wood]], but you can also use a variety of materials (such as metal) to build them. Possible constructions include [[Floor]]s, [[Wall]]s, [[Stair]]s, [[Ramp]]s, and [[Fortification]]s.

=== Walls, floors, and stairs ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}
| build Constructions submenu
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|w}}
| build Constructed [[Wall]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|f}}
| build Constructed [[Floor]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|r}}
| build Constructed upward [[Ramp]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|u}}
| build Constructed Up [[Stair]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|d}}
| build Constructed Down [[Stair]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|x}}
| build Constructed up and down [[Stair]]
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|C}}-{{K|F}}
| build Constructed [[Fortification]]
|}

Walls, Floors, and Stairs are removed with {{K|d}}-{{K|n}}. Bridges and roads are removed with {{K|q}}.

=== Bridges ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|g}}
| build a bridge
|}
A [[Bridge]] is not only used to cross rivers or chasms, but can also be used as a large door when built as a drawbridge. Such use requires that a [[Lever]] be linked to it in order for dwarves to control its open or closed state.

=== Roads ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|o}}
| build Paved road
|-
| {{K|b}}-{{K|O}}
| build Dirt road
|}
[[Road]]s are most commonly used to give [[caravan|caravans]] a reliable path to your fortress from the map's edge, though they don't really require one. A paved road is much like a [[floor]] except that it requires fewer raw materials per tile to build. A dirt road requires no materials to build, but deteriorates over time.

== Trading ==
{{Main|Trading}}

When you want to obtain things not available on your map, and you don't want to just kill people to get them, [[Trading]] is the way to go about it. See the main article for everything you ever wanted to know about legitimately and non-violently obtaining things from other creatures.

== Military and combat ==
{{Main|Military}}
:''See also: [[Military interface]]''

The '''military''' is one of the most important aspects of a successful fortress. Even with many [[trap]]s, [[bridge|drawbridges]] and [[magma|other defenses]], your military will still need to fend off [[goblin]] [[siege]]s, [[megabeast]]s, [[titan]]s, and fiendish [[Giant cave spider|underground]] [[Forgotten beast|beasties]]. Using a combination of [[squads|squad orders]] and [[scheduling]], you can set up an elaborate offensive, defensive, or balanced military structure for your [[equipment|well-equipped]] [[soldier]]s to follow. Turning your dwarves from [[immigration|useless migrants]] into bloodthirsty killing machines never hurts (unless you're the enemy).

Setting up a military is a huge subject in and of itself, so check out the [[Military|main article]] on it and the [[military interface]] guide.

== Hospitals and healthcare ==
{{Main|Healthcare}}

Normally your dwarves do just fine assuming they get enough food and alcohol, but sometimes they get wounded. When this happens they can benefit from an efficient [[Healthcare]] system.

== Burrows ==
{{Main|Burrow}}

'''Burrows''' are optional user-defined areas in your fort where selected dwarves live and work. Dwarves will only use workshops, dig walls, use rooms, etc. in burrows they are assigned to, though dwarves not assigned to any burrow will still use workshops etc. even if they are located in a burrow assigned to some other dwarves.

Burrows are by no means required, but are useful when you want to restrict certain dwarves to certain areas of the map.

== Macros ==
{{Main|Macros and Keymaps}}

'''Macros''' allow recording sequences of keystrokes and "playing" them back into the user interface as desired. Since the game often requires using a lot of repetitive keystrokes, this can sometimes make life much easier. See the main article for full information.

== Reference sheet ==
A quick reference guide on fortress mode in DF can be found [https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8akafeuqfsxth7t/U-zOsO7pNr here.] '''Credit to spongemandan on reddit.com'''

It includes a reference sheet on the military, stone, agriculture and a summary reference sheet.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Guides}}
{{Category|Interface}}
[[ru:Dwarf fortress mode]]