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40d:Calendar
| This article is about an older version of DF. |
The dwarven calendar is used to display dates, and is visible in the upper right corner of the Status Screen (z). One year has 336 days and consists of twelve month in four seasons, with three months per season. Every month has 28 days. The months are named after kinds of stones, ore, gems and wood. New Year's Day and the first day of spring both fall on the 1st of Granite. New Year's Eve and the last day of winter both fall on the 28th of Obsidian.
The game's first playable year begins whenever the world stops generating, due to certain parameters you or the game has set up. By default, the world will stop genning when a percentage of megabeasts are dead, currently resulting in the starting years being in the low 200s to mid 300s on average.
Months and seasons
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Granite | Early- | Spring |
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Slate | Mid- | |
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Felsite | Late- | |
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Hematite | Early- | Summer |
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Malachite | Mid- | |
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Galena | Late- | |
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Limestone | Early- | Autumn |
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Sandstone | Mid- | |
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Timber | Late- | |
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Moonstone | Early- | Winter |
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Opal | Mid- | |
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Obsidian | Late- |
Ages
Ages are determined by the states of the world during world generation. Some of the known things that influence the ages are: number of megabeasts alive and dominant civilizations. It is possible for the Age of Myth to transition into the Age of Legends and then fall back into the Age of Myth, resulting in "The Second Age of Myth".
Known Ages
Below is a list of 'Ages' that may occur, an explanation and their triggers, and their in-game descriptions. World size may affect how long an age lasts. Because the age is dependent on variables such as number of megabeasts, number of civilized creatures, etc., smaller worlds will tend to change ages more frequently. Conversely, larger worlds tend to be more age-stable.
Great Powers in Control
If there are more than 3 significant powers (historical figures with the [POWER] or [MEGABEAST]/[TITAN] creature tokens) in a world when it begins, then it will progress through the ages of Myth, Legends, and Heroes. If there are 3 or less, then it will progress through the various Ages of Powers.
- The Age of Myth
- The number of living powers and megabeasts is at least 2/3 of what it was when the world began.
- The Age of Myth was a time when living gods and mighty beasts still held sway.
- The Age of Legends
- The number of living powers and megabeasts is at least 1/3 of what it was when the world began.
- The Age of Legends was a time when the powers of the world were fading.
- The Age of Heroes
- The number of living powers and megabeasts is greater than zero.
- The Age of Heroes was a time when the last of the powers fought their final battles.
- The Age of Three Powers
- Exactly three powers are alive in the world. If a world starts with 3 powers and manages to progress beyond that, it will proceed to the Age of Myth.
- The Age of Three Powers was a time when the dragon Flarrgh, the demon Blarrgh and the titan Glarrgh were the only great powers in the world.
- The Age of (Race) and (Race)
- The Age of Two (Race)s
- Exactly two powers are alive in the world.
- The Age of Dragon and Demon was a time when the dragon Flarrgh and the demon Blarrgh were the only great powers in the world.
- The Age of Two Dragons was a time when the dragon Flarrgh and the dragon Blarrgh were the only great powers in the world.
- The Age of (Name)
- The Age of the (Race)
- The (Racial) Age
- Exactly one power is alive in the world. The name style is selected randomly.
- The Age of the Hydra was a time when the hydra Flarrgh was the only great power in the world.
- The Age of Flarrgh was a time when the titan Flarrgh was the only great power in the world.
- The Draconic Age was a time when the dragon Flarrgh was the only great power in the world.
No Great Powers
Once there are no powers left in the world, the ages will proceed as follows.
- The Age of (Race)
- Less than 50% of all civilized creatures are mundane, and the majority are of one race.
- The Age of Dwarves was a time when dwarves ruled the world.
- The Golden Age
- Less than 50% of all civilized creatures are mundane, but there is no single majority.
- The Golden Age was a time when various civilized races peopled the world.
- The Twilight Age
- Between 50% and 90% of all civilized creatures are mundane.
- The Twilight Age was a time when fantastic creatures no longer lived in great numbers.
- The Age of Fairy Tales
- Over 90% of all civilized creatures are mundane, but some non-mundane ones still remain. Toady One' quote from 2008 devlog:
"I finally saw a world arrive at the Age of Fairy Tales, which happens if mundane creatures (ie humans) make up at least 90% of the world's civilized population with the requirement that there are still a few fantasy creatures lurking around. In this case, it was a kobold cave that their scouts never found. I guess all of the fairy tales were about people having their crap stolen."
- The Age of Fairy Tales was a time when fantastic creatures were few and far between, and some even doubted their existence.
- The Age of Civilization
- All civilized creatures are mundane, and all semi-megabeasts have been vanquished.
- The Age of Civilization was a time when fantastic creatures were but mere stories told by travelers.
- The Age of Death
- All civilized creatures are dead, and the world has passed through at least one Age of Twilight, Age of Fairy Tales, Age of (Race), Golden Age, or Age of Civilization.
- The Age of Death was a time after civilization had crumbled completely.
- The Age of Emptiness
- All civilized creatures are dead, but the world never progressed beyond the Ages of Myth, Legends, Heroes, or Powers.
- The Age of Emptiness was a time when no civilized peoples existed in the world.
- The Age of Emptiness was a time when only simple creatures inhabited the world.
A world that ends generation in the Age of Death or the Age of Emptiness will only allow games to be started in Legends mode or Adventurer mode.
Farming
With the changing seasons come different weather conditions, depending on your climate. A typical temperate mountainside fort will have snow in spring and winter, with warm summers and colourful autumns. The seasons correspond to growing seasons from the farm plot q menu, which dictate what can be grown when during the year. (See the List of crops.)
Trading
Each season brings the possibility of traders from one race or another.
The fussy hippie tree lovers elves arrive in Spring with wooden crafts and weapons, cages (often containing exotic animals), various fruits and berries, and rope reed cloth items.
Humans come in Summer with their wagon bursting with supplies, eager for junk stone craft goods.
Dwarves come in Autumn and their departure is a fortelling of the cold winter to come. Ensuring the dwarves depart with a good profit will bring the best chance of fresh cannon fodder new migrants in the year ahead.
A goblin caravan may arrive during winter if your civilization is at peace with the goblins.
Worlds | |
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Badlands · Desert · Flatland · Forest · Glacier · Lake · Marsh · Mountain · Murky pool · Ocean · River · Rocky wasteland · Sand desert · Swamp · Tundra |