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.

As there is no promise of finding a Cave River, farming must now require the lower level of the nearest river to be tunneled out to connect to your fortress. Although the water will flow through the new passage on its own, it will move very slowly (which is safe, for the miners) and is advised that you build a floodgame somewhere along the passageway. Be careful, because if a designated floodgate is flooded before it can be put in place, you will lose the floodgate.

It is suggested that digging downwards to get further in the game is to replace digging to the right in the older versions, and that better stones and ore can be found lower down.