Editing v0.31:Dwarf fortress mode

:''This is a comprehensive reference guide for Fortress Mode.<br/>'''If you are looking for a fortress mode tutorial see the [[Tutorials]] or [[Quickstart guide]].'''''

'''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. In fortress mode, you pick a [[location]], then assign your seven initial [[dwarves]] some starting [[skills]], equipment, provisions, and [[animals]] to bring along.  After preparations are complete and your hardy explorers [[embark]], 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. Rather than control individual dwarves, you design everything and your dwarves go about implementing your designs on their own.

Unlike fortress mode, [[Adventurer mode]] is a sort of advanced [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbox_game open world] version of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_%28computer_game%29 rogue] or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nethack  nethack] taking place in the same worlds used for fortress mode. In adventure mode you control a single adventurer (character) who travels around, takes on quests, fights, dies, possibly visits your abandoned forts, etc, in a turn-based (rather than real-time) manner. See [[Adventurer mode]] for more information.

The main goal, if any, is to take your seven initial dwarves and expand them into a thriving community with skilled [[Labor|workers]], [[military|battle veterans]] and [[nobles]].  Make your dwarves [[wealth|rich]] with fine [[finished goods|crafts]], valuable [[currency#Coins|coins]], precious [[gem]]s and protect them from [[siege|foes]] with deadly [[trap]]s.  Make sure they have plenty of [[food]] and [[alcohol]], by way of [[farming|farms]] above and below ground and keep them [[clothing|clothed]] in [[leather]] and [[cloth]].

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

Some more specific [[challenges]] are available here, compiled by fun-loving players from all around.  There are also a wide variety of player-created [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=28829.0 game mods] which can add new creatures/crops/items/etc, or increase the difficulty of the game.

To play dwarf fortress in fortress mode you must generate a world that includes a dwarven civilization. See [[World generation]] for detailed instructions on generating a world. After at least one world has been generated you will be able to start the game. Only one game may be going on in a world at the same time.

Non-dwarven civilizations can be played in fortress mode if you modify the raws to add the '''<nowiki>[CIV_CONTROLLABLE]</nowiki>''' token to other entity definitions. This is not recommended for new players. See the [[modding guide]] for information on how to do this.

The main features of a world are [[Biome]]s on the surface and [[Stone layers]] under the surface, some of which may contain [[Aquifer]]s. Other surface features that are significant, but which aren't biomes strictly speaking, are [[River]]s, [[Volcano]]es, and [[Cave]]s.

There are also [[Cavern]]s and magma seas everywhere underground which your dwarves will most likely encounter, but you can't see these on the world map and won't see them on the local map until you dig into them. There may also be other Fun things underground that you can't see. You will have to find these on your own, if they exist.

Every playable world will be inhabited by various [[Creature]]s, [[Civilization]]s, and [[Megabeast]]s (including [[Titan]]s and [[Forgotten beast]]s) in addition to your dwarves. Even if your dwarves are minding their own business they are practically guaranteed to encounter all of these types of inhabitants at some point in the form of wildlife, invaders, or rampaging forces of nature.

Given that your world includes creatures and civilizations capable of independent action, it also has a '''History''' that is viewable in [[Legends]] mode. Historical events will show up in [[Engravings]] and other artwork created by your dwarves. Historical '''dates''' are expressed in terms of the Dwarven [[Calendar]].

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. These events may later become the subject of various [[Engraving]]s and [[Decoration]]s created by your dwarves or those in a later fortress.

:''Main article: [[Embark]]''

:''Also see: [[Reclaim fortress mode]]''

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 [[Embark]] guide for all of the details. Also see [[Starting build]] for more information on outfitting your expedition.

:''Also see: [[Menu]]''

Your main 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 [[Z-level]]s in elevation. The generated worlds are made of tiles, each representing anything in the world. There is also a command menu that lets you set commands that your dutiful dwarves will attempt to follow.

*{{DFtext|Key Bindings}} - A UI for changing the [[Key bindings]]

*{{DFtext|Music and Sound}} - Options related to the [[Music]]

*{{DFtext|Abandon the Fortress}} (or Succumb to Invasion) - This [[abandon]]s the fortress and then saves the map to the world's data files for later use. Once you abandon a fort, all of your dwarves cease to exist, all of your livestock dies, and all items including corpses will be scattered around the map before it is saved. This is how you "give up" on a fortress. You might later [[Reclaim fortress mode|reclaim]] the fortress with a new group of dwarves or visit it with an adventurer in [[Adventurer mode]].

| Move one [[Z-level]] up or down.

While the play area itself is three-dimensional, the window is not; you can only view one [[Z-level]] at a time. You can change which Z-Level is currently displayed using {{k|<}} and {{k|>}}.

On the far right side of the screen is the '''depth bar''' showing you the approximate depth, below or above ground, of the current [[Z-level]] that the map is displaying. This indicator is relative to the surface, so it will change if you move the map around a map with a non-flat surface, even if you don't press {{K|<}} or {{K|>}}.

Hit {{K|k}} and use the directional keys to move the cursor onto the tile you want information about. The command window will display information about what the tile is along with what objects are present on that tile and whether the tile is Inside or Outside, Dark or Light, and Above Ground or Subterranean (See [[Tile attributes]].)

To get information on a creature beyond what the look command gives you, use the {{K|v}}iew units command. This works the same way as loo{{K|k}} around except that more information will be displayed especially if the creature you select is one of your dwarves. In this case you will be able to examine what [[Labor]]s are enabled and examine/manipulate their inventory in addition to viewing more detailed information about them.

:''Main article: [[Hotkeys]]''

Once you have a lot of activities going on in vastly separated areas of the map, you may find it rather cumbersome to move the map view around to all of these areas using only the directional keys. [[Hotkeys]] will make your life much easier by "bookmarking" specific map areas allowing you to instantly jump to those areas at the press of a button. See the full documentation on [[Hotkeys]] for more details.

:''Main article: [[Note]]''

The Points/Routes/{{K|N}}otes command allows you to set notes on individual tiles, set up waypoints, and set up patrol routes for your [[Squads]]. This is an advanced feature that you're not likely to want to use at first. See the full documentation on [[Note]]s for more information.

In the upper left corner of the screen you may see some '''report flags''' indicating that new combat-related [[Reports]] have been generated. The flags are:

:{{Tile|C|4:7:1}}: new [[combat]] report available

:{{Tile|H|2:7:1}}: new [[Ambusher#Hunting|hunting]] report available

:{{Tile|S|3:7:1}}: new [[sparring]] report available

You may also see a '''[[Frames per second|FPS]] (Frames Per Second) counter''' on the screen if it has been enabled. It is disabled by default. See [[Frames per second]] for more information on what this counter means, as well as how to enable/disable it.

This submenu allows you to place various dwarf-constructed features on the map including furniture, doors, workshops, farm plots, roads, and other buildings. The [[Building]] menu includes the commands for placing almost any artifice that your dwarves might place on the map, whether it's furniture constructed in a workshop and installed somewhere, or a workshop built in place from raw materials.

Once you have created at least one [[Squad]] in the [[Military|military]] screen, you can give them [[Squads#Direct_Commands|direct commands]] to move to certain locations and attack certain creatures. See [[Squad]] for more details.

:''Main article: [[Announcement]]''

An '''announcement''' is a message displayed at the bottom of the game screen used to indicate something important. The {{k|a}}nnouncement screen lets you go back through the log of messages to look at ones you may have missed. See the main article on [[Announcement]]s for full details. Some announcements may automatically pause the game, requiring it to manually be resumed.

At various points your dwarves will go into [[Strange mood]]s which will cause them to create [[Legendary artifact]]s if they have the necessary materials. You can use this screen to view all of the artifacts that dwarves have created, as well as [[Weapon#Weapon-Dwarf_Relationships|named weapons]], which aren't artifacts per se.

This screen allows you to view information about [[Civilization]]s that are either near your fortress or that you have come into contact with in some manner, be it peaceful or otherwise. You can use directional keys, {{K|Enter}}, {{K|Tab}}, and {{K|Esc}} to navigate through the information, including viewing diplomatic relations and trade agreements you have negotiated with your [[Liaison]].

:''Main article: [[Reports]]''

The {{k|r}}eports window is similar to the {{K|a}}nnouncements window except that it displays detailed messages about what is going on during [[Combat]] either with your dwarves or between other creatures. This is where all of the fun messages about "jamming the skull through the brain, tearing the brain" appear. See [[Reports]] for more information.

More importantly though, the job screen is one way to access [[Manager#The_manager_screen|the manager screen]]. While not strictly required, learning to use the work orders interface is highly recommended as it can save you a tremendous amount of time and trouble. To use this you will need a [[Manager]] "noble" who has been assigned an [[Office]]. See [[#Introduction to Work Orders|introduction to work orders]] for more details on how to use work orders.

:''Main article: [[Military]]''

The [[Military]] screen is almost as difficult to learn as the rest of the game put together. The main function of this interface is creating [[Squad]]s, setting up their equipment, and scheduling their activities. This document won't even attempt to get into how this all works. See [[Military]] for how to set up your military.

You can use this to record what's happening on the screen. See [[CMV]] for more information.

| View [[Nobles]] screen

This screen allows you to manage your [[Nobles]], as much as they can be managed anyway. "Noble" refers to certain positions you can appoint yourself such as manager and bookkeeper as well as positions that are forced on you such as [[Mayor]].

If you can appoint someone to a given position you can use this screen to do it. You can also change the accounting precision {{K|s}}ettings on your bookkeeper. Whether appointed or foisted upon you, you can also use this screen to view information about any of your nobles as well as their [[Mandate|annoying demands]].

:''Main article: [[Status]]''

Use the {{K|z}} ([[Status]]) screen to get information on various things in your fortress. The main status screen contains the current date in the upper right, and a count of your dwarves and provisions prepared by your [[Bookkeeper]] (who may have done an imprecise job). Along the top of the status screen are various choices for sub-menus.  Each can be highlighted with {{k|4}} and {{k|6}} (or {{k|←}} and {{k|→}}), and then selected with {{k|Enter}}.  The menu bar consists of the following options which allow you to:

* [[Animals]] - manipulate animals belonging to your dwarves.

* [[Kitchen]] - set cooking preferences.

* [[Stone]] - alter permissions on various types of stones that may be reserved for specific uses by default.

* [[Stocks]] - examine the number of various items that your fortress and its residents possess.

* [[Health screen|Health]] - get an overview of the current health status of your dwarves. See [[Healthcare]].

* [[Justice]] - examine any criminal dwarves as well as their crimes and sentences.

| View list of [[Room]]s and [[Building]]s

This will give you a detailed inventory of all of the [[Room]]s and [[Building]]s on your map, along with their location on an overview map at the right. The inventory includes an adjective for each defined room indicating the approximate value and luxuriousness of the room. Other items such as furniture which have not actually been defined as rooms will also appear.

Your [[Dwarf|dwarves]] are the creatures who implement your designs in between periods of drinking, eating, partying, drinking again, sleeping, and entertaining themselves. While you do not have full control of your dwarves, you have more control over them than any other creatures.

Dwarves need [[food]] to eat, [[alcohol]] to drink (water is a poor substitute), and time to [[sleep]]. If only one of these is available, it better be [[alcohol]]; while water will keep dwarves alive, they will actually work more slowly and get unhappy thoughts (see below) if they don't get alcohol to drink.

While going about their day, dwarves will get happy and unhappy [[thought]]s depending on what sorts of things happen to them. This will nudge their happiness levels up or down each time one occurs to them. If they become too unhappy they may throw [[tantrum]]s or go completely [[Insanity|berserk]], killing and destroying things. This is why you want them to be happy.

Periodically new dwarves will [[Immigration|migrate]] to your fortress, drawn by tales of, and looking to share in, your wealth and success. Female dwarves will also get pregnant and have [[children]] if they are [[Marriage|married]].

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#aa0|Dwarf Therapist|You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. If you are using a supported operating system, the utility '''[[Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]]''' can make this a million times easier. Many people won't play the game without it.}}

Which jobs a dwarf will try to do depend on which [[Labor]]s are enabled for that dwarf. To change a dwarf's labor preferences, access the labor screen by {{k|v}}iewing the dwarf, then select {{k|p}}references and {{k|l}}abor. Using {{K|u}} can help you locate dwarves. Select a dwarf, hit {{K|c}} for "zoom to creature" and you'll automatically be placed in view mode on that dwarf, then use {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} to get to the labor configuration menu.

Dwarves have [[Skills]] which they use to accomplish various labors and other tasks.

[[Noble]]s are dwarves who have special positions within your organization. Some of these are appointed such as your broker and bookkeeper, but others such as [[Mayor]] are essentially forced on you by conditions in the game. See the main article on [[Nobles]] for more information.

Dwarves will inevitably [[Death|die]] from [[Wound|wounds]] or old age (usually the former). Unfortunately they are a bit picky about how they are [[Coffin|buried]] or otherwise [[Memorial|memorialized]], and they will [[Ghost|cause trouble]] if they are unsatisfied with their remembrance.

[[Healthcare]] might help wounded dwarves avoid death.

:''Main article: [[Mining]]''

All of the '''digging''' operations are considered [[Mining]]. Even if your goal is simply to dig out a passage and you don't care about extracting ore, your miners will be generating [[stone]] as a byproduct unless they are digging through [[soil]]. See [[Stone management]] for ways to deal with all the unwanted stone.

| [[Mining#Designating_the_area_to_be_mined|Designate area to mine]]

This is what you use to dig out tunnels and larger spaces underground. See [[Mining#Designating_the_area_to_be_mined|designating an area to be mined]]. Note that you can not mine constructions. Instead you must remove them with {{K|d}}-{{K|n}}. (See below.)

| Dig out a [[Channel]]

A [[Channel]] is a hole dug in the floor which will mine out the [[z-level]] below too. Channeling an area will dig out the designated tile (if it hasn't been dug out already), the floor of that tile, and the tile below, possibly leaving a [[Ramp]] on the tile below. See [[Channel]] for more information.

See [[Stair]] and [[Ramp]]. Note that digging a stairway will not automatically create a stairway on the z-level above and/or below, but it will make it possible to dig another stairway immediately above and/or below.

These allow you to dig away upward ramps and stairs, and demolish constructed walls and floors. See [[Remove]] for full details.

While digging around you may encounter [[Water]] or [[Magma]], so be on the lookout for '''damp stone''' and '''warm stone'''. Digging into water or magma in the wrong place can completely flood your fort to the point where it is unrecoverable, so be careful where you dig.

[[Stone detailing]] is the term for '''[[Smoothing]]''' out the rough walls and floors created by mining, making them look nicer while increasing their value. It basically allows you to create nice looking walls from natural rock without having to build them from scratch.

Once walls and floors have been smoothed they can then be '''Engraved''' with whatever [[Engraving]]s the responsible craftsdwarf feels like. Often these engravings will be based on historical events including events that have taken place in and around the fortress itself. Sometimes they will simply be based on what sort of things the engraving dwarf likes.

Smooth walls can also be carved into '''Fortifications'''. A [[Fortification]] is something like a wall full of arrow slits. Creatures can not move through a fortification but missile weapons can. Fortifications can also be built as [[#Constructions]], but carving fortifications into the rock may save some time and trouble.

:''Main article: [[Stockpile]]''

'''Stockpiles''' are where [[dwarf|dwarves]] will store items of various types. Dwarves with the corresponding "[[hauling]]" job on will seek out items that aren't already on a stockpile that accepts them and carry them to the appropriate stockpile. See the main [[Stockpile]] article for detailed information on setting up stockpiles.

To remove one of these, use the {{K|q}} command, place the cursor on the item to remove, and hit {{K|x}}. This will mark the item for removal and a hauling job will be queued. Eventually a dwarf will show up and haul the item off to a [[stockpile]] if one exists.

Assuming that dwarves have already made a piece of [[Furniture]], they can install it somewhere using one of these commands.

:''Main article: [[Room]]''

Certain types of furniture placed in an area can allow the area to be defined as a [[Room]] using {{K|q}}. The {{K|q}} command can also be used to undefine rooms, with or without removing the associated furniture.

These commands allow you to place already created [[Door]]s and [[Hatch cover]]s assuming that you have an adjacent wall.

These commands allow you to install [[Window]]s, [[Grate]]s, and [[Bars]] over openings, assuming that you have already created them.

| build Constructed [[Wall]]

| build Constructed [[Floor]]

| build Constructed upward [[Ramp]]

| build Constructed Up [[Stair]]

| build Constructed Down [[Stair]]

| build Constructed up and down [[Stair]]

| build Constructed [[Fortification]]

:''Main article: [[Construction]]''

[[Construction]]s are features that are built in place rather than created in a workshop and installed or carved out of existing rock. Constructions are how you build above-ground structures or structures in any other place where there's no rock or soil to carve them out of.

Constructions are usually built out of, and thus require, [[Stone]] or [[Wood]], but you can also use a variety of materials (such as metal) to build them. Possible constructions include [[Floor]]s, [[Wall]]s, [[Stair]]s, [[Ramp]]s, and [[Fortification]]s.

A [[Bridge]] is not only used to cross rivers or chasms, but can also be used as a large door when built as a drawbridge. Such use requires that a [[#Levers|Lever]] be linked to it in order for dwarves to control its open or closed state.

[[Road]]s are most commonly used to give [[caravan|caravans]] a reliable path to your fortress from the map's edge, though they don't really require one. A paved road is much like a [[floor]] except that it requires fewer raw materials per tile to build. A dirt road requires no materials to build, but deteriorates over time.

While things like doors and furniture are technically considered buildings, the [[Building]]s described in this section are primarily the ones that are 3x3 or 5x5 tiles in size and built in place (rather than at a workshop). Most of these buildings are used for the production of various goods.

| build [[Leather works]] - for making leather clothing

| build [[Quern]] - a manually operated grindstone

| build [[Millstone]] - a mechanically operated grindstone

| build [[Loom]] - for weaving thread into cloth

| build [[Clothier's shop]] - for making clothing from cloth

| build [[Bowyer's workshop]] - for making crossbows

| build [[Carpenter's workshop]] - for making most wood items

| build [[Metalsmith's forge]] - for making most metal items using metal and fuel

| build [[Magma forge]] - a magma-powered Metalsmith's Forge

| build [[Jeweler's workshop]] - for cutting gems and encrusting finished products with cut gems

| build [[Mason's workshop]] - for making most stone items

| build [[Butcher's shop]] - for turning animal corpses into meat, bones, skin, and other body parts

| build [[Tanner's shop]] - for turning untanned hides from the butcher shop into leather

| build [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]] - for making most small crafts from any material

| build [[Siege workshop]] - for building siege engine parts

| build [[Mechanic's workshop]] - for building [[#Mechanisms]]

| build [[Still]] - for turning plants into booze

| build [[Farmer's workshop]] - for milking, spinning, shearing, spinning thread and processing plants

| build [[Kitchen]] - for cooking meat, vegetables, eggs, and booze into meals

| build [[Fishery]] - for turning ungutted fish into prepared fish

| build [[Ashery]] - for making Lye and Potash

| build [[Dyer's shop]] - for dying cloth

| build [[Soap maker's workshop]] - for making soap from lye and tallow

| build [[Screw press]] - for extracting liquids from seeds, honeycombs, etc.

| build [[Kennel]]s - for taming and training animals

[[Workshop]]s are, as the name implies, where various goods are produced or processed. While a [[Kennel]] is not in the actual "build workshop" ({{K|b}}-{{K|w}}) submenu, it operates much like a workshop so it is included here. See [[#Production|Production]] for more information on producing goods.

| build [[Wood furnace]] - for making ash and charcoal

| build [[Smelter]] - for turning ore and metal items into metal bars

| build [[Glass furnace]] - for turning sand into glass

| build [[Kiln]] - for firing things like ceramics and plaster powder

| build [[Magma smelter]] - a smelter powered by magma rather than fuel

| build [[Magma glass furnace]] - a glass furnace powered by magma rather than fuel

| build [[Magma kiln]] - a kiln powered by magma rather than fuel

A [[Furnace]] is essentially a workshop that specializes in things involving high temperatures or burning. They can either be powered by [[Fuel]] or [[Magma]]. See [[#Production|Production]] for more information on production pipelines that require furnaces.

The magma versions of furnaces are capable of exactly the same things as the non-magma versions except that you don't have to burn [[Fuel]] to use them. Instead you get an infinite supply of free heat from nearby [[magma]], but they won't work if you have no magma immediately below them.

A [[Trade depot]] is a special building that allows you to trade with [[Caravan]]s. Without a trade depot you can't do much with a caravan except kill all of it's members and take their stuff, or sit and wait for them to leave the map. See [[Trading]] for more information on how to non-violently interact with caravans that visit your fortress.

A [[Well]] provides a reliable source of water for your dwarves, especially when the water itself is one or more Z-levels below the well. Unlike furniture it is not created in a workshop and placed, but rather built in-place more like a workshop or construction.

Generic general-purpose [[Mechanism]]s can be created by a [[Mechanic]] at a [[Mechanic's workshop]] out of a stone, or at a [[Metalsmith's forge]] from 1 [[bar]] of weapons-grade metal. They are used for a variety of very useful purposes including building traps, levers, and machine components.

:''Main article: [[Trap]]''

[[Trap]]s are a comparatively quick and easy method for defending a fortress. Each trap occupies a single tile, waiting for a poor hostile creature to walk into it. To build a trap you'll generally need one [[mechanism]] and at least one other component depending on the type of trap - a stone, a cage, or one or more weapons.

These are the simplest forms of traps that you can build. Much more devious and elaborate traps can be constructed using mechanisms, constructions, bridges, pits, water, magma, etc. See [[Trap design]] for more information on complex traps.

| build [[Lever]]

| build [[Pressure plate]]

[[Lever]]s and [[Pressure plate]]s are used to activate linked objects. For example, linking a lever to a door will allow the door to be opened and closed when dwarves change the state of the lever. Pressure plates are highly configurable and basically work like levers that activate under certain conditions such as an unfriendly creature standing on the plate.

Levers require one [[Mechanism]] to build, and two mechanisms to link to another object (one mechanism for each side of the link). Therefore you will need at least three mechanisms for any lever that does anything useful.

| [[Machine component]]s submenu

:''Main article: [[Machine component]]''

[[Machine component]]s are used to build elaborate systems for pumping liquids or powering [[Millstone]]s. They can be somewhat difficult to learn how to use properly so see the main article before trying to use them. Once you know how to use them, you can do things like pump magma so that it envelops invading enemies.

[[Fishing]] is a skill with a corresponding labor that you can enable on individual dwarves. Fisherdwarves will, by default, fish in whatever water they feel like and catch raw ungutted fish that must be gutted at a [[Fishery]] before they can be eaten raw or cooked. This is an easy way to get food, but fisherdwarves are often at risk of being attacked by wildlife.

Dwarves can be assigned the [[Hunting#Hunting|Hunting]] labor and, if they have a [[Crossbow]] and ammunition available, they will roam around the map (either the surface or caverns) looking for butcherable creatures to kill and return to a [[Butcher's shop]]. This is another way to get food, but like fisherdwarves, hunters can also be vulnerable to attack by wildlife. (Luckily they implicitly carry a weapon which gives them a bit of an advantage.) Hunting is also a good way to have a dwarf train the [[Marksdwarf]] skill.

You can designate plants to be gathered using {{K|d}}-{{K|p}} and dwarves with the [[Plant gathering]] labor enabled will go about collecting them. Many plants can be eaten as food or brewed into alcoholic beverages. Plants that are eaten or brewed will also yield [[Seed]]s which will allow plants of that type to be [[Farming|farmed]].

Trees can be cut down using {{K|d}}-{{K|t}} and any dwarf with both the [[Woodcutting]] labor and an axe will go about chopping them down. "[[Tree]]s" exist on both the surface as regular trees and in caverns as giant mushrooms. Not surprisingly, cutting down trees will yield [[Wood]] which can be used in [[Carpentry]] and other things.

:''Main article: [[Industry]]''

Production can be thought of in terms of [[Industry|industries]] or final products. This section will break things down by final product and introduce the concept of work orders.

:''Main article: [[Manager]]''

While not strictly required, learning to use the manager screen is highly recommended as it can save you a tremendous amount of time and trouble. To use it you will need a [[Manager]] "noble" who has been assigned an [[Office]]. See [[Manager#Office]] for how to set up an office and and [[Manager#Work orders]] for how to queue up work orders.

You can make [[Crossbow]]s at a [[Bowyer's workshop]]. Also see [[Wood industry]].

[[Brewing]] is arguably the most important type of production in your fortress as it is used to produce [[Alcohol]], something which dwarves depend on to maintain their efficiency.

Brewing takes place at a [[Still]] using brewable [[Plants]]. You will probably want to reserve some plants for brewing-only using the [[Status#Kitchen_Status_Screen|kitchen status screen]], otherwise your dwarves and cooks may use up all of your brewable plants for food. You may also wish to disable the use of alcohol in cooking or cooks will waste perfectly good liquor in creating their meals. Some people brew all plants and have dwarves only eat meat. Dwarves are perfectly happy with this arrangement.

Most wooden items, with the exception of wooden crafts, involve carpentry and a [[Carpenter's workshop]]. See [[Wood industry]] for more information. The [[Carpentry]] skill is also used when building constructions out of wood.

A variety of [[Ceramic]] goods may be created with the use of a [[Kiln]] and some [[Clay]]. See [[Ceramic industry]] for all of the gruesome details.

Dwarves are normally perfectly happy to eat sushi, raw organ meats, and many kinds of raw unprocessed plants, but they really appreciate good [[Cooking]] and will get many happy [[thought]]s from a masterfully prepared meal. They may even engrave a homage to the cook on the wall.

Cooking is also used to produce [[Tallow]] which can be cooked into meals or used for making [[Soap]].

Most crafts, also known as [[Finished goods]], are very meager in practical utility but useful for trade. A single mastercrafted gold trinket might be sufficient to buy up most of a small caravan of goods. Crafts can be made out of a very wide variety of materials including, but not limited to, stone, metal, wood, bone, cloth, leather, etc. See [[Finished goods]] for more information on these items and materials.

Your dwarves will, annoyingly enough, die without [[Food]]. [[Farming]] can help prevent this from happening by providing a reliable constant supply of food for your dwarves, and more importantly a supply of plants or honey for [[#Brewing|Brewing]].

Crops can be grown above ground or underground, but plants that grow above ground won't grow underground and vice versa. See [[Agriculture#Introduction_to_Farming|Introduction to Farming]] for a nice guide on how to grow your own crops.

Some plants need to be processed by a [[Thresher]] at a [[Farmer's workshop]], a [[Miller]] at a [[Quern]] or [[Millstone]], or a [[Presser]] at a [[Screw press]]. See the appropriate links for more information on what sort of plants need processing and what they yield.

You can increase crop yield with [[Farming#Fertilization|Fertilization]]. You may find this unnecessary if you have plenty of seeds and plenty of space.

Animals can be raised and [[Butcher|slaughtered]] for meat, bones, skin, and other parts. They can also be kept alive for their [[milk]], [[egg]]s, and (in the case of bees) [[honey]]. Actually bees can't normally be slaughtered but people outside your fort seemed to have figured out how.

See [[Meat industry]] for more information about raising animals for slaughter.

[[Egg production]] will produce [[Egg]]s. Naturally you need to have tame birds or something that can actually lay eggs, and you also need an accessible [[Nest box]].

Instead of slaughtering animals you are able to [[Milk]] some of them at a [[Farmer's workshop]] periodically. You can then make the milk into [[Cheese]].

If desired you can set up a [[Beekeeping industry]] using [[Hive]]s and dwarves with the [[Beekeeping]] skill. This will produce [[Honey]] which is extracted from the comb using a [[Screw press]]. You can then proceed to brew the honey into [[Alcohol|Mead]] at a [[Still]] if you so desire.

The [[Gem industry]] involves the cutting of and encrusting with [[Gem]]s. Uncut gems that your miners mine are worth much more after they've been cut, and they can be used to improve the value of other goods by encrusting them.

A variety of glass items can be produced by setting up a [[Glass industry]] with a [[Glass furnace]]. This basically allows your dwarves to do something useful with any [[Sand]] that might be sitting around on your map.

Technically the [[Leather]] industry is part of the [[Meat industry]] because leather comes from tanning the hides of livestock, but you may find it easier to just [[#Trade|Trade]] for leather and make it into armor, clothing, and other goods.

In addition to building walls and other constructions, a [[Mason]] can also use stone to produce goods. Because you will invariably end up with more stone than you know what to do with, stone is a great choice of material for making things that you need a lot of such as [[Furniture industry|Furniture]].  

Generic general-purpose [[Mechanism]]s can be created by a [[Mechanic]] at a [[Mechanic's workshop]] out of stone, or at a [[Metalsmith's forge]] from [[bar]]s of weapons-grade metal. They are used for a variety of very useful purposes including building traps, levers, and machine components. See [[#Mechanisms|Mechanisms]].

[[Siege engine]]s must be built of siege engine parts which are produced at a [[Siege workshop]].

[[Metal_industry#Smelting|Smelting]] is the process of taking ore obtained through [[Mining]] and turning it into usable metal. It's a key part of the [[Metal industry]].

[[Metal_industry#Smithing|Smithing]] is the process of taking the metal bars that come from the smelting process and turning them into useful items. See [[Metal industry]] for more information.

[[Soap]] is more important than it sounds. It is an important aspect of [[Healthcare]]. Dwarves don't care that much if they smell bad, but they do tend to get unhappy and die when their wounds become infected. The antiseptic properties of soap are powerful medicine for preventing infection, making soap almost as useful to wounded dwarves as antibiotics would be.

Soap must be made by taking [[Wood]], burning it into [[Ash]], taking the ash and making it into [[Lye]], then taking lye and [[Tallow]] and combining it. This is a rather elaborate process just to get soap, but the healing powers of scrubbing bubbles make it worthwhile. You don't really need that much soap anyway.

A [[Textile industry]] allows you to take plant fibers, silk, or spun yarn and weave them into cloth, take the cloth and dye it, and take cloth and make clothing out of it. Raw cloth is also needed in [[Healthcare]] for bandages. Cloth can also be used for crafts and other things.

[[Armor]] and [[Weapon]]s are usually made of [[Metal]] but can also be made of other things like [[Wood]], [[Bone]], or [[Leather]]. See [[Weaponsmith]] and [[Armorsmith]].

:''Main article: [[Trading]]''

When you want to obtain things not available on your map, and you don't want to just kill people to get them, [[Trading]] is the way to go about it. See the main article for everything you ever wanted to know about legitimately and non-violently obtaining things from other creatures.

:''Main article: [[Military]]''

:''Also see: [[Military interface]] guide''

The '''military''' is one of the most important aspects of a successful fortress. Even with many [[trap]]s, [[bridge|drawbridges]] and [[magma|other defenses]], your military will still need to fend off [[goblin]] [[siege]]s, [[megabeast]]s, [[titan]]s, and fiendish [[Giant cave spider|underground]] [[Forgotten beast|beasties]]. Using a combination of [[squads|squad orders]] and [[scheduling]], you can set up an elaborate offensive, defensive, or balanced military structure for your [[equipment|well-equipped]] [[soldier]]s to follow. Turning your dwarves from [[immigration|useless migrants]] into bloodthirsty killing machines never hurts (unless you're the enemy).

Setting up a military is a huge subject in and of itself, so check out the [[Military|main article]] on the subject and the [[military interface]] guide.

:''Main article: [[Healthcare]]''

Normally your dwarves do just fine assuming they get enough food and alcohol, but sometimes they get wounded. When this happens they can benefit from an efficient [[Healthcare]] system.

:''Main article: [[Burrow]]''

:''Main article: [[Activity zone]]''

'''Activity zones''' are areas in which [[dwarf|dwarves]] are instructed to perform specific tasks, such as [[fishing]], dumping objects, or collecting [[water]]. Activity zones that can be defined are:

*'''Meeting Area''' - designates an area where dwarves will congregate when idle. Certain [[Room]]s are either implicitly meeting areas, or can be configured to act as meeting areas, regardless of this zone setting.

*'''Hospital''' - designates that an area should be used as a hospital. See [[Activity zone#Hospital|Hospitals]] and [[Healthcare]].

See the main article on [[Activity zone]]s for all of the details on how to define activity zones and exactly what they do.

:''Main article: [[Standing orders]]''

'''Standing orders''' are non-military orders that apply to the entire fortress, including civilians. They should not be confused with military orders as they have no military function. (See [[Squads]] for information on issuing military orders.)

Individual items in the game can be designated as [[Forbid|forbidden]], marked for [[Dump#Garbage_Dump|dumping]] or [[Melt item|melting]], and [[Hide Items or Buildings|hidden]] or unhidden. There is more than one way to set these properties:

#Using commands in the [[Stocks]] screen

:''Main article: [[Forbid]]''

:''Main article: [[Melt item]]''

:''Main article: [[Activity zone#Garbage Dump]]''

Marking an item for '''Dumping''' causes dwarves to haul the item off to a [[Dump#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump zone]]. After depositing an item in a garbage dump zone, the item will automatically be '''forbidden''' as well. Despite the use of the term "garbage", the dumped items are not necessarily garbage at all. After being dumped they may later be reclaimed and used if desired. Players often use/abuse garbage dump zones for use as [[Exploit#Quantum_stockpiles|Quantum Stockpiles]] for goods they don't intend to discard.

You can [[Hide Items or Buildings]] so that they don't appear on the map. You can later unhide them. See [[Hide Items or Buildings]] for more details.

:''Main article: [[Traffic]]''

'''Traffic designations''' determine preferred paths for dwarves going around in your fortress. Normally, dwarves use the shortest route possible, but using these designations you can force them to take a different route. This is an optional feature that you may not ever need, but if you do then it comes in handy. Careful use of this option can conceivably increase [[Frames per second|FPS]]. See the main article on [[Traffic]] for detailed information on how all of this works.

:''Main article: [[Macros and Keymaps]]''