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[DeathIsTheEnd]

This is a fairly simple system I have set up:

The wall stops stuff coming in, and later on you can change it to fortifications and build another wall to station archers on.

The gate is linked up to a lever in the dining area, meaning a dwarf will always be around to pull it, making sure nothing can get it. Well, apart from the very rare flying creatures that is.

The dots in front of the wall form a ditch, meaning even if a building destroyer does turn up they can't reach the walls to attack.

 

[Vagabundo]

Tragedy has struck. A child was murdered by a goblin thief while playing in the pastures. I'm not sure what the child was doing playing out there. I've warned them repeatedly about straying from the fort. Also a nearby wrestler got maimed after I set the local squad on the goblin. We've had a few goblins sniffing around, but usually the squads scare them off. Looks like we are going to have to review security procedures. Harsh lessons learned.

I've build loads of crossbows, like a hundred or so, but they dwarves don't seem to be arming up. I haven't smelted metal, but I have found some zircons and other gems and just recently possibly some ore in the deep deep mines, like twenty levels down from my living area. I'm going to keep digging as I need to get some metal to make weapons.

Unfortunately the dwarves have left the poor mites body to decay where it fell. Maybe they will build a shrine or something once they recover.

I've been unable to trade with the caravans, they put their stuff in the depot and my stuff is there, but they just wont let me trade, t always stays banked out, stupid elves, maybe the dwarvan caravan later in the year will be more tradey.

 

[Manik]

I've been unable to trade with the caravans, they put their stuff in the depot and my stuff is there, but they just wont let me trade, t always stays banked out, stupid elves, maybe the dwarvan caravan later in the year will be more tradey.

Did you remember to assign a Broker, through the Nobles screen? Or choose for anyone to be allowed to trade - that would rule out the possibility of your broker being a lazy so-and-so and spending his time drinking / partying / sleeping instead of heading to the trade depot.

 

[DeathIsTheEnd]

I don't know how much you now about DF, so I'll go through what should make what your having problems with normally work.

To equip dwarfs with crossbows you first need a militia commander which you choose under the nobles menu which you get to by pressing 'n'. You then choose whoever you want, preferably one with good military skills. Then then need to back out and press 'm' to go to the military menu. Then press 'c' to create a squad and since you want archers select 'archer'. You can change this later if you want and can even customise the armour any dwarf wears. Next, you need to assign dwarfs to the squad, they don't have to have any relevant skills now since they can train and combat will level them up. They should then automatically pick up ammo and weapons. If they don't go back to the military menu and press 'e' for equip and then 'w' for weapon. Then scroll down the list and pick a crossbow. Then, press 'f' to go to ammunition. Press 'c' to add an item and then select bolts.

To trade you need to select items you're willing to trade that you own, and then select some items from the traders that you want get. If you don't offer enough items then they won't trade with you because it's a poor deal. It's been a while since I've played and I don't have any merchants around right now to check precisely what the course of action is.

 

[blahness]

I've build loads of crossbows, like a hundred or so, but they dwarves don't seem to be arming up. I haven't smelted metal, but I have found some zircons and other gems and just recently possibly some ore in the deep deep mines, like twenty levels down from my living area. I'm going to keep digging as I need to get some metal to make weapons.

do you have the crossbows manually equipped to your squad members? are you missing quivers and bolts? if you dont have quivers then they will only use the butt of the crossbows as a hammer like weapon.

 

[Manik]

Also, is crossbow training still bugged? I know it used to be - whereby they wouldn't train shooting, but rather just use them as wooden clubs, or somesuch. I tend to stay away from ranged weapons, aside form equipping them to hunters, to bring food back.

Noticed an amusing 'patch' note from Toady the other day, for the upcoming release -

stopped pigs from thinking that they are selling things at the market

Poor, poor misguided pigs.

 

[Vagabundo]

Did you remember to assign a Broker, through the Nobles screen? Or choose for anyone to be allowed to trade - that would rule out the possibility of your broker being a lazy so-and-so and spending his time drinking / partying / sleeping instead of heading to the trade depot.

lol no i assigned the expedition leader as the broker and he has been hanging out there with the liason and merchant (I think).

I'll try again when the dwarves come later in the year.

I don't know how much you now about DF, so I'll go through what should make what your having problems with normally work.

To equip dwarfs with crossbows you first need a militia commander which you choose under the nobles menu which you get to by pressing 'n'. You then choose whoever you want, preferably one with good military skills. Then then need to back out and press 'm' to go to the military menu. Then press 'c' to create a squad and since you want archers select 'archer'. You can change this later if you want and can even customise the armour any dwarf wears. Next, you need to assign dwarfs to the squad, they don't have to have any relevant skills now since they can train and combat will level them up. They should then automatically pick up ammo and weapons. If they don't go back to the military menu and press 'e' for equip and then 'w' for weapon. Then scroll down the list and pick a crossbow. Then, press 'f' to go to ammunition. Press 'c' to add an item and then select bolts.

To trade you need to select items you're willing to trade that you own, and then select some items from the traders that you want get. If you don't offer enough items then they won't trade with you because it's a poor deal. It's been a while since I've played and I don't have any merchants around right now to check precisely what the course of action is.

Thanks, great information there. I've two squads both with leaders. I'll recheck their equipment, but I didn't choose archer when I was creating them as I didn't have crossbows back then.

I'm going to pay attention to them again. There's been some goblin skulking recently and I've a nasty feeling that their could be a raid on their way..

do you have the crossbows manually equipped to your squad members? are you missing quivers and bolts? if you dont have quivers then they will only use the butt of the crossbows as a hammer like weapon.

Possibly quivers. They should have bolts. I recently got someone to go hunting. Everyone else I assigned to hunt would just ignore the command. This new migrant went out immediately. So I'm hoping I'll have some leater for armour and quivers soon.

I've taken away some of the ramp around my entrance I'm going to create some walls for my pastures and refuse dumps and maybe a bridge like the example above. I have cages and mechanisms, I've just been slow to install the traps.

 

[Woo-Fu]

Any tips for how to start more defensively? My new game is on a snowfield with no mountains nearby, so looks like I'll have to dig in. I'm not sure how to do a trade depot under this kind of setup, but I've hardly had much use for them anyway.

You can have a setup like this by the first winter.

What you do is leave the retracting bridge extended with that temp wall blocking access to your base. The traders come in, setup at the depot, you raise the drawbridge and remove the temp wall and then do your trading. Once you're done trading and have moved everything inside you put the temp wall back up and extend the drawbridge so the traders can get back out.

One thing to be careful of is the liason, if you keep him locked up in your base he eventually goes crazy---or at least he used to way back when I made that particular mistake.

I like putting these defenses underground so that if you do get flying enemies you at least know where they're coming in. Second year you can carve fortifications into the wall at the 90 degree turn on your side of the bridge and station a bunch of marksdwarves behind them. Later on you can add a siege maze with multiple drawbridges so that you can bottle up an entire siege force so that none of them get away, kill them, then harvest all their gear.

Also in 2nd/3rd year I start skilling up a weaponsmith on cheap metal weapons, usually spears. I'll use a bunch of those spears in weapon traps in the main tunnel. You put copper spear traps 4 or 5 deep and they'll kill anything that doesn't have really good armor. Put a line of cage traps behind them to capture anything really big.

 

[snoopeasystreet]

Thinking about trying DF out but it looks like video game equivalent of coding in whitespace. Even the website does a sufficient job at scaring me away.

 

[Awesome Animals]

Thinking about trying DF out but it looks like video game equivalent of coding in whitespace. Even the website does a sufficient job at scaring me away.

Use a tutorial your first few times through and you'll be defending sieges in no time.

 

[Woo-Fu]

Thinking about trying DF out but it looks like video game equivalent of coding in whitespace. Even the website does a sufficient job at scaring me away.

You just need the basics of digging and farming to survive long enough to enjoy the sandbox. Can pick those up in an hour or two from a good tutorial. After that you can learn all the rest at your leisure, and even pick and choose which elements of the game you're interested in.

You have to really enjoy building/creating/designing to get the most out of DF, survival itself is trivial once you know the basics.

 

[snoopeasystreet]

Cheers, lads. I'm downloading it now and am fully prepared to give it a good college try in the morning.

 

[Awesome Animals]

Cheers, lads. I'm downloading it now and am fully prepared to give it a good college try in the morning.

Hungover and with some mary j? That should work.

 

[Conciliator]

I adore Dwarf Fortress, and have put dozens of hours into it over the years, but I ultimately lose interest for the same reason I lose interest in Minecraft and Terraria, which is that I get deterred by my own lack of creativity; or perhaps by my inability to implement my creativity; or perhaps holding myself to too high of a creative standard. Also, in Dwarf Fortress's case, my obsession with micromanaging makes it a headache to play after I get 25 dudes or so.

Not really soliciting advice necessarily, just whining I guess.

 

[Aedile]

Yeah, once you get the basics of a prosperous, sustainable fortress down, it's really up to you to come up with creative projects of your own to keep it interesting. I'd love to see offensive sieges, trade routes and more political stuff--my dream game in this regard is somewhere between DF and King of Dragon Pass--but it all depends on what Toady has the inclination and resources to include.

 

[Woo-Fu]

Also, in Dwarf Fortress's case, my obsession with micromanaging makes it a headache to play after I get 25 dudes or so.

Dwarf Therapist is practically a requirement, one of the reasons they include it in the lazy newb pack.

http://code.google.com/p/dwarftherapist/

 

[Jintor]

I think I'll dive in again once he implements the caravan arc.

 

[Awesome Animals]

Dwarf Therapist is practically a requirement, one of the reasons they include it in the lazy newb pack.

http://code.google.com/p/dwarftherapist/

And the Dwarf Therapist for Mac users!
http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=4463

 

[Qwomo]

I just downloaded this game after reading Boatmurdered.

 

[Parallax Scroll]

i tried to like this game but it's terrible

 

[Qwomo]

You make some good points.

 

[Mobius 1]

Looks like Toady is aiming for a January 15th release at the earliest for the new version.

 

[Manik]

Looks like Toady is aiming for a January 15th release at the earliest for the new version.

Excellent, been putting off and putting off a new playthrough because I knew as soon as I started the new release would come out.

Good to hear it's on its way.

 

[tborsje]

Looks like Toady is aiming for a January 15th release at the earliest for the new version.

I'm really looking forward to this. Do we know how much Dwarf mode has changed in this update? Most of the changes I read about are for Adventurer mode.

Either way, I'll try to give a small donation to Bay12 when this comes out. I've spent way more time playing DF than I have for the vast majority of $50 games that I waste my money on.

 

[pix]

Tried out this game on Friday and haven't put it down all weekend. After you get over the steep learning curve, it is well worth the investment.

I got one question though. I am at a point where I don't know what to do next. I have about 90 dwarfs, beds for everyone, sustainable food/drink. My squads are in steel armor/swords. I am not sure what to aim for now. Does anyone have any input on what I should be working on /advancing?

 

[Woo-Fu]

I am not sure what to aim for now. Does anyone have any input on what I should be working on /advancing?

Keep digging.

 

[Toma]

Tried out this game on Friday and haven't put it down all weekend. After you get over the steep learning curve, it is well worth the investment.

I got one question though. I am at a point where I don't know what to do next. I have about 90 dwarfs, beds for everyone, sustainable food/drink. My squads are in steel armor/swords. I am not sure what to aim for now. Does anyone have any input on what I should be working on /advancing?

What the guy above me said.

And also:

Welcome to the exclusive group of people who know how to play the most complex game known to man (or at least to me).

 

[Manik]

I'm really looking forward to this. Do we know how much Dwarf mode has changed in this update? Most of the changes I read about are for Adventurer mode.

Either way, I'll try to give a small donation to Bay12 when this comes out. I've spent way more time playing DF than I have for the vast majority of $50 games that I waste my money on.

From what I understand there is a big update centering around criminal trials and the prisoner / jail mechanic that comes included in this update. It's in one of the future of the fortress updates.

I may be wrong though.

And I would imagine that all of the undead fun will, whilst mainly being focused on adventure mode, also bleed over into dwarf mode somewhat. Vampires on the loose in forts - yes please!



EDIT - Found a handy GoogleDocs document which details all of the new features in the upcoming update - Here

 

[DeathIsTheEnd]

From what I understand there is a big update centering around criminal trials and the prisoner / jail mechanic that comes included in this update. It's in one of the future of the fortress updates.

I may be wrong though.

And I would imagine that all of the undead fun will, whilst mainly being focused on adventure mode, also bleed over into dwarf mode somewhat. Vampires on the loose in forts - yes please!

EDIT - Found a handy GoogleDocs document which details all of the new features in the upcoming update - Here

Awesome, thanks. I think I'm going to try and make a prison fortress then.

 

[platypotamus]

Guess I will be playing this again soon!

 

[Manik]

If anyone is interested in doing a Gaf succession fortress once the new version is out, then let me know. I'm more than happy to set it up, even if we just have 5 people or so.

Newbies are, of course, welcome to join in. It can only add to the Fun, surely!

 

[tborsje]

EDIT - Found a handy GoogleDocs document which details all of the new features in the upcoming update - Here

The specific justice system changes:

Justice

Dwarves are now announced only as “missing” until someone finds the body
You now select a person to be punished from the justice system
Dwarves may witness a crime and report it to the sheriff
Dwarves won’t report a crime to the sheriff if that’s who committed it
Dwarves with grudges may level false accusations
The Hammerer is now an appointed position.

Holy shit:

Necromancers

World gen NPCs that are afraid of dying may search out (either through their gods or artifacts) the secret to immortality. Naturally they use it for evil
They run off and build their own towers, and send hordes of undead to attack both world gen cities and fortresses

And AWESOME:

No more material based mandates!

 

[Log4Girlz]

This game looks too hard. I've read this thread a few times, and I love what its trying to do...but I don't think I would be able to get into it.

 

[Rapstah]

I can see the justice system causing strange events, like a dwarf holding a grudge against someone for committing a crime, and therefore reporting them "falsely". It'll be a new aspect of game writeups though.

 

[Toma]

This game looks too hard. I've read this thread a few times, and I love what its trying to do...but I don't think I would be able to get into it.

Did you watch the tutorial vids recommended here?

If not, try these, its a very easy way of building your first fortress from what the vids tell you to do. Other than that, I am sure there are a few here who would help you out setting up your first fortress/answering all your questions.

 

[Sarcasm]

I tried to get into it. But for me its somewhat hard.

*goes back to roguelike*

 

[Sarcasm]

Illustrated tutorial: http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Indecisive's_illustrated_fortress_mode_tutorial

That link isn't working for me, anyone else?

 

[slidewinder]

Looks like the wiki moved.

 

[DeathIsTheEnd]

The new version, 0.34.01, has just been released.

 

[Robin64]

Holy crap. I had only ever heard of the title of this game, spoken of in legend. I had no idea what it was, but now I'm blown away. Is it REALLY as deep as the OT tries to convey? Because that's just amazing. I get the feeling this game and my Macbook will be friends for a long time.

 

[Toma]

Holy crap. I had only ever heard of the title of this game, spoken of in legend. I had no idea what it was, but now I'm blown away. Is it REALLY as deep as the OT tries to convey? Because that's just amazing. I get the feeling this game and my Macbook will be friends for a long time.

Dude.. what you see in the OP is just just the outer rim of the rabbit hole.

The new version, 0.34.01, has just been released.

Some highlights bolded:

cities in adventure mode that have various buildings, dungeons, items, livestock, etc.
protect your community from secret vampire dwarves or hunt them as an adventurer
defend your fort during the full moon or risk a werewolf infestion -- hunt/be hunted as an adventurer
face armies of the dead in dwarf mode or visit their necromancers' towers and learn their secrets as an adventurer
evil regions where the dead and pieces of the dead can come alive, with evil mists and rain
tombs built in world gen which can be visited in adv mode, either beneath towns or out in the wilds -- beware the dead!
revamped justice/witness/death notification system in dwarf mode
immigrants to your fortress will now be historical figures whenever possible, which means more family relationships and history for each one
dropped items/bodies tracked between plays in the wilderness anywhere in the world
more battlefield information tracked/war dead raisable in world gen
all sponsorship animals and their giant/man versions are in the game now
various new abilities for creatures (see file_changes.txt for list and syntax)
adventurers can use creature abilities/learned powers and they can be tested from the arena
new site travel map to make navigating towns easier
reading/swimming/observer (for traps) relevant in adv mode now
established historical figures can lead bandits
rivers block movement in adv mode travel
eating/drinking required in adv mode
ingested syndromes are now possible
ability to make campfire (from 'g') and warm items at campfire/fire/magma (from 'I') in adv mode
traps work in adv mode, once spotted they can be ignored
gems now have different cuts
necromancers can write books about various topics (all books are in their towers as it stands)
moon phase indicator in fort
alphanumeric world gen seeds and some more world gen params (see file_changes.txt)
the legends xml has a lot of new info for historical figures


Major bug fixes

buffer overload from aborted world gen fixed
fixed cave-in-on-embark issue with hidden underground structure, and a few others


Other bug fixes/tweaks

designations over z levels all at once now possible
unit screen divided into four sections
rivers/pools have ramps now
able to trade portions of stacks in both modes
messed with adv mode currency trading and made items teleport to you
tweaked how fire damage works
made vision work through floor grates and bars properly
fixed some road/bridge problems
crystal glass items possible again
tweaked adventure mode swimming and alt-movement readout (use alt-movement to get into a river you want to cross)
skeletons/zombies replaced by animation effect
demons masquerading as gods will try a little harder (lol)
restricted mandates so they'll be more reasonable
stopped blank map from being exported when you back out of detailed map export

 

[Ithil]

Isn't it just one guy writing all the code?

I know it's an ultra simple looking game, but how does he write so many new systems for the game so quickly? Seems like there's updates with new things and bug fixes every few days.

 

[Toma]

Isn't it just one guy writing all the code?

I know it's an ultra simple looking game, but how does he write so many new systems for the game so quickly? Seems like there's updates with new things and bug fixes every few days.

That was the first update in 11 months. But yeah, after new releases fixes come a bit more regularly.

 

[Sarcasm]

wtb Android version!

 

[kyubajin]

After reading most of the OP I'm very interested in this game. Any hope for iOS or Android ports? It would be killer to have it on the go.

 

[Sarcasm]

After reading most of the OP I'm very interested in this game. Any hope for iOS or Android ports? It would be killer to have it on the go.

I said it first!

It would be sooo awesome on my Samsung Galaxy Note (5.3" screeeeeeen)

 

[Beaniedude]

Well I read the OP and I was interested in trying out Dwarf Fortress.
And then I read the starter guide...
I think I may have become a little too intimidated to continue.

 

[Orayn]

Well I read the OP and I was interested in trying out Dwarf Fortress.
And then I read the starter guide...
I think I may have become a little too intimidated to continue.

Totally worth learning. Just bear in mind that there are surprisingly few things you actively need to work with to play the game on a basic level.

 

[Diman]

Totally worth learning. Just bear in mind that there are surprisingly few things you actively need to work with to play the game on a basic level.

Totally true. You play this game as a manager. You only have to delegate. The micromanaging is handled by the dwarves themselves.

You want your dwarves to start digging inside your mountain. Then you only have to designate it. That's it. One of the dwarves with the mining labour enabled and who is not to busy with more essential tasks (eating/drinking, sleeping) will pick up the job and start digging. You don't have to tell your dwarves to actually do it, but you only have to create the tasks. The expedition leader and later on the manager, will delegate your created tasks to the dwarves. The only important thing is, that you must have a dwarf with the actual labour enabled.


That makes this game so great! You have all those individual different dwarves with their own characteristics and abilities who actually live and work. They make friends, become happy when attending a party, marvel when they made a beautiful carving in the wall, marry, make kids, become sad when losing a dear friend. Don't forget all those different personalities. For example a dwarf that doesn't feel comfortable in groups ( a lonewolf with no social skills), shouldn't be assigned as a manager or he will become unhappy, from talking to all the dwarves when he only wants to be alone. There is so much interaction going on while the simulation is playing and you the player only has to designate things you want to happen.

 

[Beaniedude]

Well that does make it a lot less intimidating,
And lets face it, I wasn't really studying anyway.
TO THE MINES OF MORIA!