NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

Since there has seemed to be continuing, unspoken interest in my Dwarf Fortress exploits, I've decided to make a new truck with some level of visibility and coherence. My old fortress is still around, but I wanted to take everyone through the process from the get-go with illustrations.

1. I'm using a graphical version of the game. This helps me figure out what the fuck is going on and is equally helpful for you in this manner. The more easily you're able to understand the important aspects of what's happening, then the joy of the game's inherent dwarfiness will come out soon enough.

2. The parameters I opted for were pretty similar to what I've run previously, in large part because I have no idea what I'm doing. Most of the dwarves in my old fortress are wearing tatters. Clothing is something of a mystery to me. The deviations from the default settings are as follows: history is short (I started in the year 21 or something), natural savagery is very low, and mineral appearances are frequent. My particular start location is in a warm biome on the side of a mountain range and has access to flux, shallow metal (singular), deep metals (plural), and a river nearby which probably has some dumb name. I can't be bothered to figure everything out. This may seem like an easy setup, but note that I only have shallow metal (singular), which means I could end up with something that's no good to work with and spend a while bungling around.

There's some other interesting aspects too. I'm pretty close to the Dwarven home lands and a few other civilizations (I can't read the languages well enough to know if they're good or hostile), but I'm also four squares away from sinister and haunted portions of the map, meaning that some particularly nasty titan could spawn and wander in or I could find myself regularly dealing with the goblins that were absent in Roughnesspointed. All resulting fun will be documented, but in general it behooves me to have my shit in order early in the game or suffer mightily.

Speaking of which, my new outpost is named "Palacelands." Which is the least interesting name ever.

A quick tour:



I went with the defaults of everything, which means I ended up with all female animals, two dogs, two cats, a water buggalo, and a horse. I meant to type buffalo, but buggalo are funnier. Note that I do not yet have a yak. Woe be to all of you once I get a yak. None of my dwarves have social or combat skills, but one is a jeweler/craftsdwarf, one's a mason/mechanic, there's a wood cutter/all-purpose farmer, a butcher/clothesmaker who for some reason is also the only one to be able to clean fish, a carpenter/bowyer, a miner, and a fisherman. Oddly, my miner is the creative one in the bunch so I'll probably have him take on the mason's work. The butcher is the expedition leader. Whatever.

This is my start location. I got a lot of sand and phyllite and some gems. Sand means there's hope of some level of farming and glass making for me once I get the various workshops squared away, and the gem clusters mean I'll have things to cut. Stars are ore. From the look of it, I have zinc here. that's... all... okay that's not good if it's the only thing I have. Looks like to the west I have tetrahedrite, so I'll be making bronze stuff early on, I guess. Those "c"s in the lower center portion of the picture are chinchillas. As soon as I get a leather works, a butcher's shop, and some crossbows in order, I'm fucking their adorable little shit up.

I also have a waterfall in the lower part of my map that spans four z-levels. This is the first time I've so much as seen a waterfall in the game. Aces. I've read where you can set up floor grates at the base of a waterfall and use those to get dead fish instantly delivered with no upkeep, which means that I might be able to disable the fishing labor entirely.

I will be updating on a seasonal basis, but the first few are mostly tedious. I'll be setting up my entry hall, a trade depot, workshops, and carving out the beginnings of the fractal bedrooms while biding my time waiting for immigrant waves to show up and hoping they aren't mostly children. It doesn't really matter until the third wave anyway, at which time they stop being randomized and start relating to your relative opportunities available. I might also lay the groundwork for a well below the housing area. since I figured out how to do that.

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

Summer, 21

Palacelands is not yet a land for boys and girls. It's not a land for much of anything at the moment.

One of the things I'm trying to prepare for at the moment is eventualities. I suspect that given my somewhat unique location, I'll be fighting off some substantial sieges later on in the game and otherwise hanging out in lockdown mode. For this reason, I've decided that I probably ought to build an excess of workshops and stockpiles relative to my normal mode. What this means is an excess of mining. What this means is that shit doesn't get done. I've had to temporarily defer plans for a wood-burning forge and assorted other workshops in an effort to get down the basics: mason, carpenter, jeweler, mechanics. Also craft, which is pretty basic too. ANYWAY.

Tensions are running unusually high at the moment. My two miners have mutual grudges and one of them additionally is in a grudge with a fisherdwarf. The fisherdwarf also has a second mutual grudge with a woodcutter. The two woodcutters, meanwhile, are totally in love and work well together.

THESE ARE THE MEASUREMENTS FOR THE MACHINE I AM BUILDING



The ground floor is kind of a mess right now. The large square will become a general custom stockpile soon, I just need to clear some of the stone out of there first. Meeting area, for now, is south of the stairs. I'll build a farm or two south of the stockpile in the sands soon enough. Last time around, I was way too late in building farms and everyone nearly starved to death. Also the entry hall will be widened later. I keep my trade depot outside anyway, since the new version means that wagons can't cross traps.



This is my clusterfuck of a workshop zone. To the west are wood burning furnaces, carpenter's workshops, and what will eventually be large wood stockpiles in between. The south has a mechanic's workshop. I don't care too much about having a lot of space for that because you don't generally find yourself needing as many mechanisms. East would be the mason's workshops and stone piles if the fuckers ever finished. To the north, we have a jeweler and a craftsdwarf workshop. I might build a couple more craft ones later, but I haven't decided yet. It's not super necessary, but it helps when you have multiple dwarfs you want working in multiple mediums.



Fractal bedrooms. They will expand almost indefinitely.



I kind of want to get some of the other workshops going, like the smelters, forge, bowyer, leatherworks, and tannery, but given that I don't have the manpower to start hunting seriously anyway, those are going to go on the backburner for a while in favor of getting foodstores in order. As soon as the workshops are chiseled out (around which time we'll get some furniture in those bedrooms), I intend to roll out some farms and two each of kitchens, stills, fisheries, and butcher's shops. Along with these will come a dedicated food stockpile and my typical "whatever, fuck it"-style dining hall. Wells and forges will have to follow those.

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

Autumn, 21

Seasons go by pretty damned quickly when you aren't having to pause or be interrupted for any reason.

There are no pictures for this update because not a great deal has happened, or at least not enough to be worthy of documentation.

Synopsis:

First Migrant wave:

No military skills or social skills. Nothing so much as a hunter.
1 x fishery workers
1 x Crossbowmaker
2 x farmers (one with some rudimentary blacksmithing skills)
1 x all-arounder (has some farming, fishing, and clothesmaking skills)
5 x useless children
0 x aminals (though two cats have adopted owners)

* 2x Stills, Kitchens, Fisheries installed. Delay on butchers, no hunting yet.
* Carving out additional bedrooms so that I can accommodate 17 dwarves.
* Portions of forge cleared (actual forging areas)
* 5x5 plump helmet farm to help stave off starvation.
* Mason's shops and stone stockpiles active. Some furniture produced.

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

Fall, 21

Second Migrant Wave:

3x farmer
2x child
1x fisher
1x stonecrafter
1x weaponsmith (w/ sword skills)
1x donkey foal
1x poult
1x kitten

Shortly after his arrival, one of my new farmers lost his shit and took over a craftsdwarf workshop. This was fun because I knew that if he wanted any of the clothier's workshops, he would go insane because those aren't active yet. But ah, he wanted stone and metal bars. I didn't have smelters yet. So I rushed to build some and forged a bronze bar. The result was my first artifact and a legendary stonecrafter.

Sarekzagod Stibmer Togum, "Echogripped the Shores of Verse", a gabbro bracelet.

This is a gabbro bracelet. All crafsdwarfship is of the highest quality. This object menaces with spikes of gabbro. On the item is an image of The Riddled Renown the shale slab in bronze.

So apparently there's an artifact-level shale slab out there somewhere.

Forgot to build a depot. Yep. I'm an idiot. That will definitely hamstring me for a while, but it also gives me a chance to throw some more goods together.

At present, my dwarves have a primary form of entertainment. That form of entertainment is watching vermin get caught in the waterfall and then crash into the river below, dead. Bless their little hearts.

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

Winter 22, Summer 23

These are conflated because a lot of things seemed to be happening at once towards the end of winter. So I was getting my shit together, no problem, when one of my dwarven children freaks the fuck out and takes over a craft workshop while ceaselessly drawing pictures of skeletons. Normal behavior, I suspect. Well, I don't have any bones and no one knows how to hunt. Panic sets in, I build my bowyer's shop and then realize, "oh wait, I have livestock. I could slaughter the livestock." And what is the result of small child becoming obsessed with bones?

Ikudlegan, "Reignedmirthful", a giant horse bone axe blade

This is a giant horse bone axe blade. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. It is encircled with bands of horse bone.

No shit?

Around this time, a wave of immigrants invades and I need to start building shit again. Among notables:

1x Talented (lvl 6) woodworker
1x High Master (lvl 13) bowyer
1x High Master (lvl 13) fish cleaner (the fish are so clean you could eat off them)
1x Accomplished (lvl 10) herbalist
1x Accomplished (lvl 10) metalcrafter
1x Talented (lvl 6) fighter/dodger/armor user/ kicker

Things remain calm. I've been invaded by one kobold thief and three goblin snatchers, which I imagine I'll be seeing more of. One of the snatchers, I killed. Free clothes, bitches.

Let's take a look at the shit I now have in a more passing order.

There's my stockpile and farms. Could probably make a second farm, haven't yet. The blue thing in the south is my depot. Filled with hippies.



Workshops. Still clearing stones away I think.



Ever increasing bedrooms.



I've also got a tannery, a leather workshop, and two butcher's workshops up and running.

I bought a jaguar from the hippies. And some wine. And two bins of cloth. It's going to be a hot time in the old town tonight!

It was mostly about the jaguar. Need a mate for him, so that I can send out all of my hunters with jaguar accompaniment. Stylish and threatening.

Impending goals:
* Get the non-marksdwarf part of the army active
* Hospital below the bedrooms
* Well adjacent to the hospital.

aaronjer
*****'n Admin


2005 Mar 21 • 4940
1,227 ₧

I do hope you're prepared to explain to me why you chose a map in which you do not need to pump that mister.

Hold on. Impending goals? So they aren't goals yet? What does that even mean?

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

I don't know. I think i meant it to mean that those were the things I wanted to do next? Oh god, Dwarf Fortress is soooo confusing.

I should also probably get a mist generator up near the entrance, just to make everyone happy. And a smallish moat type thing to get the ichor off, bearing in mind that I have no idea how dangerous the first attack on my fortress will be.

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

Months and months and months have passed and I've gotten a non-marksdwarf army component, built a hospital and used it a few times, and have a well area nearly ready to flood. I've also revved up a mister a few times only to see it flail and fall short of completing a cycle. I'm too tired to debug it and try to figure out what the fuck engineering-wise, but here's a recap of a few season's time, or further adventures in preposterous bullshit:

New artifact, made by one of my threshers (otherwise useless):

Ostarkalal Togaldastot, "Burialmelt the Stormy Sword", a granite scepter (probably because he took over a workshop that was making stone crafts):


This is a granite scepter. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. It is encircled with bands of rectangular granite cabochons. This object is adorned with hanging rings of kakapo bone. On the item is an image of Morul Tomblarge the dwarf in kunzite [note: that dwarf? Not in my fortress].
On the item is an image of Burialmelt the Stormy Sword the granite scepter in kiwi leather.

Ladies and gents, my first recursive artifact.

I killed a trio of goblin thieves. One was a master thief. I did not know that master thieves existed! He didn't last very long. His first move was to stab the Fisherdwarf who noticed him in the head. The fisherdwarf was a crossbowdwarf, and as the thief tried to beat his retreat, the dwarf shot the dagger out of his hand, then shot him in the stomach, spleen, and then both legs. After the second hit, he went unconscious, and woke up just in time for a swordsdwarf to bash him with the handle, then slash at his head. Didn't leave much more than a scratch, but it pissed off the thief right proper and the thief lunged, missed, and was stabbed through the skull. Short day. Later on another goblin thief appeared. The Mayor punched the thief's skull through his brain. That was how the goblin died. You do not fuck with The Mayor. The Mayor, from what I can tell, is also a plant as his profile informs me that "When possible, he prefers to consume sunshine."

In order to power my water pump, I've been trying to clear out an area to build a windmill. In order for anything to be affected by "wind", it needs to be open air, which means I carve out the level it needs to be on and, if that level is covered, I channel out the top. About five times now, a dwarf has climbed on top of the channel portion, stood on a single square, channeled out every square around him, caused a partial tunnel collapse, knocked himself unconscious, then got up again and resumed doing the exact same thing. DWARVES. One of them eventually died from this. It was probably because he was an inexperienced miner. Another time a few levels collapsed and it ended up killing a woodworker and his pet pig, both of whom were below. I guess they were inexperienced too. So far all of my casualties have been from negligence on my part. I am awesome.

Another farmer flipped out and started doing things with Stone. I only get stonecraft artifacts.

Onsheniddor Sebir Igath, "Chantedlark the Hide of Scraping", a slate scepter:

This is a slate scepter. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. On the item is an image of Edem Orbauthor the dwarve and dwarves in slate. Edem Orbauthor is surrounded by the dwarves. The artwork relates to the ascension of the dwarf Edem Orbauthor to the position of king of The Spread Syrups in 1.
On the item is an image of a tower-cap in alder.

I couldn't get an image of a tower-cap in tower-cap because I haven't gotten into the caverns yet.

Spring came and my main carpenter flipped out and created the most ornate goods bin yet seen by dwarfkind.

Abiremal Vozbel Kirar, "Romancesense the Ravager of Rights", a alder bin <#3>:

This is a alder bin <#3>. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. It is encrusted with oval gabbro cabochons decorated with alder and circled with bands of alder, oak, and oval cut rubicelles. This object menaces with spikes of gabbro. On the item is an image of a giant kea in steel. On the item is an image of a alder in kakapo leather.

'kay.