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40d:Dwarf fortress mode
After creating a new world, most new users will play in fortress mode. In fortress mode, you pick a location in your world, then assign your seven initial dwarves some starting skills and pick items and animals to bring along. When the game starts, unlike previous versions, you will not be presented with the typical |river|field|cliff| layout that we are all used to, but instead with whatever area of the map you picked. There is a new Z axis (up and down) which you probably have to use if you picked a non mountainous area. You can get to the different layers using > (down) and < (up). To dig to other layers first designate a down staircase, then go down a layer and designate and up staircase below it. You can then build buildings and workshops in the space you have dug out.
Selecting a site
The most important decision that will lead to success or failure of your fort is your starting location. Study carefully the options presented so that you select a site that you can confidently play in. Things to consider are vegetation (trees, plants), water (rivers or brooks), temperature (hot, warm, cold, freezing) and locale? (evil, terrifying, calm, sinister). There are volcanos, if you want magma then find a magma vent near a volcano. Is there an aquifer stopping you from reaching stone? What minerals do those stone layers contain?
Embarking
Selecting your dwarves and starting materials.
Playing
Your view of the in game world is that of a multi-layered environment which you can move up and down and left to right. Dwarves are represented by little smiles, rocks by blackness and sky by blueness. You have a command menu that lets you set commands that your dutiful dwarves will attempt to follow. The rest of this wiki is dedicated to helping you with these commands.
Losing
DEATH. Try to avoid this. But don't forget that losing is fun!
Winning
Not known! Set your own goals. Survival is one, set your score by how many years your dwarves can thrive for.
Goals
There aren't really many goals in this game. Any goal would be the ones you set for yourself.
Here is a list of fun game goals to attempt: List of Fun Goals
Compared to the 2D version
There is no promise of finding a Cave River, however farming may now be performed in any soil, such as loam or sand. Complex irrigation systems are required for farming on bare rock, which must first be covered in mud.
Rather than being able to expect better ore by simply digging to the right, it is now necessary to look at the geological formation of your potential fortress site to predict what kind of ore, stone, and gems to expect.