40d:Important advice

v50.14 · v0.47 · v0.34 · v0.31 · v0.28.181.40d · v0.23 This article is about an older version of DF. More Info · V

Here are a few things to keep in mind when playing Dwarf Fortress.

Above all, one must remember that losing is Template:L! Be prepared to lose a few fortresses before you get the hang of things – it can be easy to accidentally kill the entire fortress while playing around with the different mechanics. But remember: losing means that next time, you'll remember how you lost! In a big way, Dwarf Fortress uses the principle of learning from one's mistakes.

If you cannot find your answer on this wiki, check out the forums at Bay12games.com

Advice

• Keep in mind that Dwarf Fortress doesn't have a "win" condition. It just has a long series of "lose" conditions.

• Learn the Template:L. There's lots of them, and learning them may seem daunting at first, but once you get the basics down (like how to check the status of your dwarves or the hotkeys for building certain structures), you'll find yourself playing much more efficiently. Template:L offers some time-saving tips.

• If your game is running slowly, learn how to Template:L.

• Save often! Although it can be a hassle to have to quit out and get back in, it's a lot better than having to build that long hallway of stone-fall traps, plant the whole bag of plump helmet seeds, and make that shipment of steel battleaxes for the caravan next year, all over again.
  • In this vein, there is a seasonal auto-save feature which you can turn on by editing your /data/init/init.txt file.

• Plan ahead a little during construction. When building your first couple dozen rooms, consider that in the future you might want to make certain busy hallways wider so dwarves aren't always climbing over each other. This will be a lot easier if you put rooms back an extra tile so you don't have to rebuild everything.

• Think three-dimensionally. You have a Z-axis. Things will be much closer when they're downstairs one floor than if they're 20 tiles away down the hallway. Also note that, with the default Template:L, your display of the fortress is not square, so north/south distances will appear longer than east/west distances -- they aren't.

Tips

• Dwarves thrive on Template:L. If a dwarf drinks only water, the rate at which he gets tasks done decreases. If the fortress has no alcohol for years, things will slow down quite a bit.
• Dwarves also need Template:L, obviously - and a good Template:L (and a nice dining hall) go a long way towards keeping your fortress happy.
  • Don't cook all your alcohol or all your Template:Ls (or all the things that leave seeds). (z >> Kitchen).
• Dwarves tend to get trapped easily. They like Template:L, so try to make sure there is a way out (and keep an eye on them just in case they try something crazy). Also keep in mind that workshops block certain squares, so if ever notice that your jeweler dies after constructing a workshop with a door on the east side, that's why.
• Construction and combat are Template:L. Keep your sleeping areas away from noise and your dwarves will get a good night's rest.
• Workshops will become Template:L once they have 15 average goods in them (more for Template:Ls, less for Template:Ls). Make stockpiles to receive the goods, and have ample Template:Ls, and/or more than one of a workshop that's likely to get cluttered.
• If a dwarf gets badly Template:L, he'll need a hospital bed and someone to bring him Template:L in a Template:L. It's probably a good idea to have a set of those sitting around.
• Template:L can help take care of invaders at no risk to your dwarves. Any fortress can build a bunch of stone-fall traps. Cage traps are also easy (you can make cages out of wood).
• Having a dwarf with the Appraiser skill to be your Template:L will help a lot when Template:L. Otherwise, you can't see how much an item is worth.
• Template:Ling some Template:Ls by your front door may deter thieves.
• Remember that dwarves can be assigned new Template:L at any time. If your carpenter has died, your farmer can start making beds. (He probably won't be very good at it, since he doesn't have the skill, but it's better than sleeping on the ground.)
• Idle carpenters? It's hard to have too many Template:Ls (or too many Template:Ls... Template:Ls for the next wave of Template:Ls are pretty handy too). Idle masons? You can fit a lot of Template:Ls into your fortress, and buildings constructed from Template:L add value over rough stone.
• Too many Template:Ls? Don't know what to do with them? Have you started an Template:L yet?
• When setting a Template:L source (for designated drinking zones) or a Template:L zone, remember that only walkable tiles are valid - you need only mark the shore.
• If you don't have Template:L on the map, smelt only what you need; Template:L is a finite resource.
• That being said, Template:L brings its own unique set of challenges; complete beginners should probably give it a wide berth.

Tricks

• To find a dead dwarf, go under status (z), then select stock>>corpses. Hit tab, and use z to zoom to the particular dwarf to find a hint on where and how he died.

• Don't like all the stone laying around? Instead of using a stone Template:L create a 1-square garbage Template:L and Template:L the stone. Reclaim the stone after it's been dumped. This way, you can store an unlimited amount of stone in just 1 tile! (This is especially useful when the tile in question is next to your mason shop).

• Usually the closest available material is used for tasks such as (for example) building a floodgate, but not always. To prevent frustration, you can make a custom stockpile (e.g. for Template:L) next to your workshop and close the dwarf in. Don't forget theres a z-axis, so make sure there aren't unwanted materials above/below your workshop.
  • If you bring Template:L to a Template:L map, you can build the workshop next to the wagon and get your magma-proof grates/floodgate/mechanisms immediately.
  • Lock your Template:L in a room with some cut Template:Ls and a Template:L set to gather quality Template:L, so that he doesn't waste time (and valuables) encrusting stupid things like barrels.

• The Standing Orders (o) screen can be used for a variety of useful settings, like having your dwarves temporarily ignore wood, or all hide inside for a siege, or making your weavers stop heading outside all the time to collect spiderwebs and get slaughtered by wild animals.

• Hitting x when building a building expands the list of items, so you can pick one with a specific Template:L (a nice bed for a noble's bedroom, or a cheap door for the garbage room).

• If you're scanning the outdoors for your next swath of Template:Ls, move your view up one level. They will appear as little rectangles on a field of dots and will be easier to spot.
  • Speaking of timber, try designating some high-traffic lanes (d o h) outside radiating away from your front door to the trees. Your dwarves will stick to the paths somewhat, and probably trample fewer saplings. (They also won't mess up the ground and leave a bunch of ugly Template:L spots scattered around on a sandy map.)

• Build a walled Template:L garden outside your fortress so that your dwarves don't get Template:L.

• Bring along a few Template:Ls or Template:Ls when you start the game. Make sure the dwarves eat them raw (disable cooking) (z >> Kitchen). This way you will have Template:Ls - useful in case you ever run into a Template:L.

• Template:L for basic items like Template:L and Template:L. They're cheap, and it's easier than gathering them yourself.