v0.34:Sample Starting Builds

This is a collection of starting builds (or embark setups) which individual players find useful and generally worth trying.

These can be found in (Dwarf Fortress Folder)/data/init/embark_profiles.txt. Each one begins with a [PROFILE] tag. To use a raw starting build, just copy the text and paste it at the end of the file.

Nagidal's Allrounder

Recommended for newbies who want to play a defensive embark on sites with mild conditions (warm or temperate climate, easy access to drinking water, trees and stone).

Dwarves

According to the dwarves' attributes you assign:

• 2 Proficient Miners (high endurance, high willpower, good kinesthetic sense)
• 1 Proficient Mason (good creativity, good endurance)
• 1 Proficient Mechanic (good analytical ability)
• 1 Proficient Grower (good agility)
• 1 Proficient Wood cutter
• 1 Proficient Carpenter

Make one of five non-miners at least an adequate Appraiser (the one with good memory or intuition).

Items

Keep all the standard stuff, sell some splints, crutches and quivers to buy a couple of cats and a dog or two. (The cats will eat the vermin trying to eat your food supplies.) You can also sell one of the battle axes or the anvil to buy even more stock or some more drinks and food if you wish.

Some dwarven civilizations start with a steel anvil rather than an iron one which will reduce the amount of points you can use for the dwarves' skills and items. In this case, sell the anvil and rely on merchants bringing you one.

First year roadmap

We deliberately did't take any cooks or brewers. You can pick both from one of the first migration waves. Also, we don't have any military to start with. The idea is that our mechanic and carpenter will build us many wooden cage traps which will easily deal with the first ambushes, maybe even the first siege. Any useless migrants of the later waves will become our military.

Your aims for the first year are: farming, traps, trade, healthcare (ordered by importance)

Farming

Start farming as soon as possible. Try to harvest the spring crop of your first year. Be careful not to produce too much food. Be sure to have some barrels or large pots reserved for drinks rather than stuffed with plump helmets. Thirty tiles of farm plots are more than enough to start with. If you really want to farm more, try pig tails and get the textile industry up and running once you have more dwarves.

Traps

Build a mechanic's workshop soon and let him churn out about 2–3 dozens of mechanisms. Your carpenter should produce roughly as much wooden cages before autumn. When you build traps, build them in a one tile wide meandring corridor—preferably outdoors. There should be no way around this corridor for the enemies. Use raising bridges to direct the flow of all enemies heading for your fort's entrance through this trap corridor. Lower the bridges to allow your dwarves fast access to the fort's entrance bypassing the trap corridor. You should have at least ten traps up and ready by autumn. To deal with a siege in the later years without fighting you better have 40 of these traps ready.

Trade

Make one of your first immigrants a stone crafter and let him make stone crafts 24/7. You will need them as trade goods. Textile industry is also a good starter. If your farms produce enough pig tails, go for it and ship some fine socks to your mountain homes.

Healthcare

Before you start thinking of having some military, build a well and a hospital.

Specialized builds

These builds are good for starting megaprojects with minimal planning.

All Miners

Profile

[PROFILE] [TITLE:MINE 2] [SKILL:1:MINING:2] [SKILL:1:WOODCUTTING:1] [SKILL:2:MINING:2] [SKILL:2:MASONRY:1] [SKILL:3:MINING:2] [SKILL:3:PLANT:1] [SKILL:4:MINING:2] [SKILL:4:PLANT:1] [SKILL:5:MINING:2] [SKILL:5:CARPENTRY:1] [SKILL:6:MINING:2] [SKILL:6:MECHANICS:1] [SKILL:7:MINING:2] [SKILL:7:FORGE_FURNITURE:1] [ITEM:7:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_PICK:INORGANIC:COPPER] [ITEM:2:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_AXE_BATTLE:INORGANIC:COPPER] [ITEM:1:ANVIL:NONE:INORGANIC:IRON] [ITEM:19:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:DRINK] [ITEM:19:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:POD_SWEET:DRINK] [ITEM:18:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:DRINK] [ITEM:7:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:SEED] [ITEM:6:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:SEED] [ITEM:6:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_WHEAT_CAVE:SEED] [ITEM:6:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:POD_SWEET:SEED] [ITEM:6:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:BUSH_QUARRY:SEED] [ITEM:5:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_CUP_DIMPLE:SEED] [ITEM:15:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:REINDEER:MUSCLE] [ITEM:15:PLANT:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:STRUCTURAL] [ITEM:5:THREAD:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD] [ITEM:5:CLOTH:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD] [ITEM:5:BOX:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD] [ITEM:3:CHAIN:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD] [ITEM:3:QUIVER:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:LLAMA:LEATHER] [ITEM:1:BUCKET:NONE:PLANT_MAT:FUNGIWOOD:WOOD] [ITEM:1:SPLINT:NONE:PLANT_MAT:FUNGIWOOD:WOOD] [ITEM:1:CRUTCH:NONE:PLANT_MAT:FUNGIWOOD:WOOD] [ITEM:1:LIQUID_MISC:NONE:LYE:NONE] [PET:2:CAT:FEMALE:STANDARD] [PET:1:CAT:FEMALE:CHILD] [PET:2:CAT:MALE:STANDARD] [PET:1:CAT:MALE:CHILD] [PET:1:BIRD_CHICKEN:FEMALE:STANDARD] [PET:1:BIRD_CHICKEN:MALE:STANDARD]

Each dwarf also has some other vital skill as well. Remember, you can make adjustments to this before you embark, if you feel inclined to. I added a few animals here, which you can change before embarking.

Challenges

While 7 miners are useful for building a fort quickly, it definitely isn't a good idea for every fortress. This profile doesn't include any crafting labors, which are usually helpful as an initial source of income. Brewing is highly recommended, unless you have a source of fresh water.