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User:Ral/Fortress mode

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Revision as of 01:39, 21 April 2011 by Ral (talk | contribs) (float right the TOC)
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Fortress mode is the most popular mode of gameplay in Dwarf Fortress and what most people are thinking of when they talk about the game. It provides a sort of real-time strategy sandbox where your simulated dwarves dig out and build a settlement for themselves, mine ore, craft items, trade with caravans, produce food, eat, sleep, drink massive amounts of alcohol, socialize, throw tantrums, get married, have children, and occasionally fight off invaders using a combination of military units, fortifications, and devious traps. Rather than control individual dwarves, you design everything and your dwarves go about implementing your designs on their own.

In fortress mode, you pick a Template:L, then assign your seven initial Template:L some starting Template:L, equipment, provisions, and Template:L to bring along. After preparations are complete and your hardy explorers Template:L, they'll be faced with the fortress site you picked down to every detail, from geologically appropriate stone types to roaring waterfalls to ornery hippopotami.

Fortress mode is significantly different from Template:L which is more like an advanced version of 'rogue' or 'nethack' taking place in the same worlds in which fortresses are built. In adventure mode you control a single adventurer (character) who travels around, takes on quests, fights, dies, visits your abandoned forts, etc, in a turn-based (rather than real-time) manner. See Template:L for more information on this mode of play.


Goals

As an alpha version and sandbox game, there are few goals imposed upon the player by the programming.

The main goal, if any, is to take your seven initial dwarves and expand them into a thriving community with skilled workers, Template:L and Template:L. Make your dwarves Template:L with fine Template:L, valuable Template:L, precious Template:Ls and protect them from Template:L with deadly Template:Ls. Make sure they have plenty of Template:L and Template:L, by way of Template:L above and below ground and keep them Template:L in Template:L and Template:L.

Of course, every dwarf loves precious Template:Ls, but the only way to find them is Template:L down, down, far down. Make sure you don't dig too greedily, or too deep, for many creatures dwell in the Template:L below and not all are friendly to dwarves....

And don't forget the alcohol. Dwarves get very unhappy without a good stiff drink when the urge hits.


The World

To play dwarf fortress in fortress mode you must generate a world that includes a dwarven civilization. See Template:L for detailed instructions on generating a world. Once at least one world has been generated you will be able to start the game.

Non-dwarven civilizations can be played in fortress mode if you modify the raws to add the [CIV_CONTROLLABLE] token to other entity definitions. This is not recommended for new players. See the Template:L for information on how to do this.

Geographic Features

The main features of a world are Template:Ls on the surface and Template:L under the surface, some of which may contain Template:Ls. Other surface features that are significant, but which aren't biomes strictly speaking, are Template:Ls, Template:Les, Template:Ls, and Template:L.

There are also Template:Ls underground which your dwarves will most likely encounter, but you can't see these on the world map. There may also be other fun things underground that you can't see.

Inhabitants

Template:L Template:L Template:L Template:L Template:L

History

Given that your world includes creatures and civilizations that can run around doing things, it also has a History that is viewable in Template:L mode and which will show up in Template:L and other artwork created by your dwarves. Dates are expressed in terms of the Dwarven Template:L.

You will also be making history as events occur in your fortress and these events will be recorded for all time in the annals of your world, even if you'd rather that they not be.


Embarking

Main article: Template:L

Before starting to build a fortress you must pick a site, assign skill points to dwarves, and buy starting equipment. This is known as Embarking and is a major subject in and of itself. See the Template:L guide for all of the details.

After you embark, gameplay begins.


Gameplay User Interface

Your view of the in game world is that of a multi-layered environment which you can move in the four main cardinal directions as well as up and down in elevation. The generated worlds are made of tiles or pixels each representing anything in the world. Dwarves are represented by little faces, rocks by black tiles and open space by blue tiles. There is a command menu that lets you set commands that your dutiful dwarves will attempt to follow.

This section covers all of the screens and user interface elements used after embarking. It does not necessarily tell you how to accomplish every task you might need to, but instead just describes what you see on the screen and what various keystrokes do.

Later sections in this document and many other articles on this wiki help you tie all of this together by describing the sequence of actions needed to accomplish various things in the game; this section is mostly a reference for those who see something on the screen and want to know what it is, or are wondering where the controls for particular functions are.

Main Screen

The screen at the top level of the user interface hierarchy consists of the main map, a menu, and an overview map areas along with a few indicators around the edge. While the main map is always visible, you can use the Tab key to show and hide the menu and overview map areas, giving you more space to view the main map if desired.

Options Menu

Assuming you are at the top level of the user interface looking at the map, you can hit Esc to enter the options menu. This allows you to do things like save or abandon your game.

  • Return to Game
  • Save Game
  • Key Bindings
  • Export Local Image
  • Music and Sound
  • Abandon the Fortress (or Succumb to Invasion)

Main Map

Examining Map Tiles

Look
View Units
Items in Buildings

Hot Keys

Template:L

Points/Routes/Notes

Template:L

Overview Map

Menu Area

Indicators

Pausing and Resuming

Cursor Movement

Status Screen

Template:L

Job Screen

Template:L

Announcements

Template:L

Combat Reports

Template:L

Military

Template:L

Squads

Template:L

View Rooms/Buildings

Template:L

Nobles and Administrators

Template:L

Civilizations

Template:L

Artifacts

Template:L

Movies

Template:L


Digging

Template:L

Mine

Channel

Template:L

Stairways

Template:L

Ramps

Template:L

Remove Up Stairs/Ramps

Template:L

Remove Constructions

Template:L

Stone Detailing

Template:L

Smoothing Stone

Template:L

Engraving

Template:L

Carving Fortifications

Template:L

Stockpiles

Template:L

Building

Template:L

Furniture

Template:L

Rooms

Template:L

Doors and Hatches

Template:L Template:L

Windows, Grates, and Bars

Template:L Template:L Template:L

Constructions

Template:L

Walls and Floors

Template:L Template:L

Stairs/Ramps

Template:L Template:L

Fortifications

Template:L

Buildings

Workshops

Template:L

Furnaces

Template:L

Kennel

Template:L

Trade Depot

Template:L

Farm Plot

Template:L

Roads

Template:L

Bridges

Template:L

Wells

Template:L

Traps

Template:L

Levers

Template:L

Machine Components

Template:L

Foraging

Woodcutting

Template:L

Plant Gathering

Template:L

Manufacturing

Template:L

Management

Template:L

Carpentry

Template:L

Bowmaking

Template:L

Masonry

Template:L Template:L

Crafts

Template:L

Mechanics

Template:L

Metal Industry

Template:L

Smelting

Template:L

Smithing

Template:L

Weapons/Armor

Template:L Template:L

Farming

Template:L Template:L

Crops

Template:L

Plant Processing

Template:L Template:L

Fertilization

Template:L

Fish

Template:L Template:L

Livestock

Template:L

Meat

Template:L

Eggs

Template:L Template:L

Milk

Template:L

Bees

Template:L

Cooking and Brewing

Template:L Template:L

Textiles

Template:L

Jewels

Template:L

Siege Engines

Template:L

Soap Making

Template:L

Glass

Template:L

Ceramics

Template:L

Artifacts

Template:L

Trading

Template:L

Military and Combat

Template:L Template:L

Healthcare

Template:L

Burrows

Template:L

Your Dwarves

Jobs

Template:L

Skills

Template:L

Nobles

Template:L

Dwarven Civilizations

Template:L


Activity Zones

Template:L

Standing Orders

Template:L

Setting Item Properties

Forbidding/Reclaiming

Template:L

Melting

Template:L

Dumping

Template:L

Hiding/Unhiding

Template:L

Traffic Designations

Template:L

Macros

Template:L

Challenges

Some more specific Template:L are available here, compiled by fun-loving players from all around. There's also a wide variety of player created games mods which can add new creatures/crops/items/etc, or increase the difficulty of the game.