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v0.31:Exploit
| This article is about an older version of DF. |
An exploit is a quirk of a game that allows players to gain what other players may consider an unfair advantage, usually by making use of a feature that is not working properly or which defies logic. 'Exploiting the game' is distinct from 'cheating' because exploits occur within the game as written and do not need any external utilities or modding. Whether a player chooses to make use of an exploit or not depends on their personal taste; given that Dwarf Fortress is a single-player game, the user alone can decide what liberties to take and what options to shun. Among DF players there is much discussion what actually should be considered an exploit, going from making sweetpod syrup instead of sugar, growing crops in winter, or even underground, as the one extreme, to justifying 'water wheel batteries' as the other. This page takes a rather relaxed approach in that you considering it an exploit is basically enough to add it, if you don't get too much opposition.
Atom Smasher
A drawbridge, when rapidly triggered on and off, can be used to obliterate some creatures or items beneath it. The drawbridge will be destroyed if it is used to crush a creature of too large a size.
Bookkeeper Exercise Program
Changing your bookkeeper's settings to maximum accuracy causes him to work furiously in his office, training quickly up to legendary. Even if this is a bug it is not really an exploit, since a) you actually want highest precision anyway b) he attains highest precision rather fast (depending, for example, on how many stones you have mined) and thus one can not train an unlimited number of, if even several, dwarves that way.
Some would argue this is not as much of an exploit as it was in 40d, since the legendary bookkeeping skill does not lead to new attributes, and therefore really gets you very little.
Manager Exercise Program
As a Template:L, skill is gained as tasks are approved, not completed. Simply by queuing lots of jobs (j m q) (and providing a meager office), the manager will quickly level to Template:L as an Template:L. The tasks can then be removed once approved. This is advantageous as the dwarf can then be assigned as an arsenal dwarf, which utilizes this skill.[Verify]
Merchant Swindles
There are a variety of ways to cheat merchants out of their cargo without seizing it. Tearing down the trade depot while the merchants are there is the easiest way.
Also, marking items for dumping, using view creature mode (v), the stocks menu (z), items in room mode (t), or mass dump mode (d)-(b)-(d) then marking the entire depot, lets you relieve merchants of their goods. Just reclaim the items from your garbage dump zone later. You can even take clothing and equipment off merchant and guards this way.
However, the merchants will consider any lost goods to be stolen goods regardless of the method used to take possession of them, or used to destroy them.[Verify] See the 40d page and This forum post. So unless you specifically want to take the clothing off the backs of the merchants, you might as well just sieze the goods anyway.
Quantum stockpiles
By designating a garbage pit zone instead of a stockpile, you may store an infinite number of objects in a single tile by dumping them, then reclaiming them when you want to use them.
A similar effect may be achieved by building a wall two tiles in front of a catapult and digging a channel between the wall and catapult. By firing the catapult at the wall, the stone falls into the trench. The stone will pile up in the channel, putting it out of sight and out of mind. Not only does this train siege operators, but it clears the stone that your legendary miners leave.
Another way to quantum stockpile is to not have appropriate stockpiles to move items back you moved to the trading depot. The depot can hold an infinite number of items, and those items will not be removed if there is nowhere else to place them. This is also useful for anything you want to trade anyway.
Trap fields
Laying a field of traps with a sufficient depth can protect your fortress from all invaders (except the ones that are trap immune) with no need to maintain a military. Traps are somehow intelligent enough to distinguish between pets and allies while being dangerous to enemies and wild animals.