40d:Notes

Notes are comments that you can leave around your fortress. They are both placed and read using the N key, and they are visible only when in that mode.

Notes show up as custom symbols on the map, with the full text in the Notes menu when you enter the Note function, much the same way that zones and their information are visible only when you enter the zone function ( i ). However, each note is attached to 1 symbol on 1 tile, and you can set the symbol and color of each of these notes to your choosing. By navigating the cursor nearest a particular symbol, you can read (and edit) the text of that note in the Notes menu.

The Notes menu

Press N to bring up the notes screen.

The first screen you see determines the single symbol that will mark that note. One note is attached to one tile - one note per tile max. There are 3 parts to that screen - at the top is the list of available symbols to mark your note, and below are (in order) 8 possible background colors and 8 more (16 total) possible font colors. One and only one symbol will mark your note in each selected tile.

Choosing & Placing your Note symbol

There are 3 flashing X's; two are grey, one is highlighted white - that's the active selector. You change which one is active by pressing change. Change the selection itself with the -/+ keys.

Choose the location of your symbol by placing the cursor with the standard navigation keys - you'll see the cursor moving around the screen.

When you have the symbol, colors, and location you want, press p to place it. This changes the menus, disabling 'place' until you move to a new location (only one note per tile). (If you move the cursor, you'll see your note symbol flashing on the tile where you placed it. The flashing indicates that it is the currently displayed note, and you can see how far away from it with the coordinates at the top of the notes screen. The coordinates and menu always display the closest note, even if its off-screen, but by using the coords you can see where you need to move to get to the note tile itself.)

Typing the Note itself

Once you have placed the symbol you can type the note itself. Hit the "Enter note text" key, and type your message. You have 100 characters to work with, so be brief. Press Enter when done typing.

To change the selected note symbol or colors (now or later) when in the Notes menu, first select a new symbol (as above when selecting the original symbol), and press the s key to "Adopt selected symbol". The flashing symbol will change to your new selection.

If you want to delete the note, make sure it's the active (flashing) one and press delete. Hitting delete multiple times will delete the nearest note each time, even if that's off-screen.

Remember that the function edits the closest note, which will be flashing when it's automatically selected as such. You cannot see the symbol flash when the cursor is directly on the symbol.

Suggested Uses

It's recommended that all important levers are labeled, and possibly anything they are connected to, to remind you which lever activates exactly which items, and how, and what the result will be, and anything else that might possibly be of concern. The more complex the fortress, the more important this can be. You never know when you'll walk away from a fortress for a few weeks, come back and not know how to do anything - or, worse, only think you do.

Consider color coding your notes (and levers), to know approximately what they do - maybe red can injure dwarves, dk red controls magma, dk blue controls water at the source, lt blue at the function - whatever works for you.

This becomes even more important in a succession game, where the next player has no idea what the previous one(s) built. Also for comments on future plans, ongoing projects, or perceived trouble spots.