Chapters
1. Introduction, the fortress is founded amongst bunnies and dead trees (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147150.msg5922349#msg5922349)
2. A year of infrastructure and Giant everythings (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147150.msg5924077#msg5924077)
3. Good looking Fortress! *ignores all previous designs* (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147150.msg5933223#msg5933223)
4. #$%*!! you Pencil_Art, and remember to have !FUN! (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147150.msg5936375#msg5936375)
5. The best Guard Dog ever (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147150.msg5936811#msg5936811)
5. Legendary Tanner, no biggie. Did I mention the 60-strong invasion? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147150.msg5939015#msg5939015)
6. Massive Tiger invasion, Skaia being lazy, business as usual (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147150.msg5943067#msg5943067)
7. I have no clue what's going on, and we're sober (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147150.msg5976644#msg5976644)
Turn List (In progress, pending, completed)
1. Immortal-D
2. SkaiaMechanic
3. Pencil_Art
4. maxcat61
5. mate888
6.
A few guidelines
1. Avoid exploit-trading; primarily Prepared Meals & Wooden Trap components. A few of these are ok at the begining, but we shouldn't make a habit of it.
2. A few clusters of Traps are an important defense, adding flavor. Lengthy Trap-hallway mazes should be a weapon of last resort. We are Dwarves, we can do better.
3. We should strive to keep as many Overseers alive as possible, but not at the expense of the Fortress. If a few past rulers get eaten, no biggie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With a bit of WorldGen trickery, I have a world where Terrifying (maximum Evil) and Joyous (maximum Good) exist side by side. For some reason, zombifying Giant Eagles seems like a brililiant idea 8) We'll be using standard Succession rules; 1 year of game time, try to get it knocked out in one or two weeks. Obviously pictures are welcome, but don't feel you have to document every little thing or write a novel :P Here is the future Mountainhome of The Trim Planks;
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/Joy%20Map%201.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/Joy%20Map%202.jpg)
Lastly, the world was genned with several of Masterwork's addons-
Harder Smithing; some items may require more than 1 bar
Harder Mining; Adds Coaldust and Warpstone, can be dangerous to the Miners
Harder Learning; Learning is half as fast, makes Guilds more important (but not essential)
Secret !FUN!; :-X
Assuming that our Dwarves are not instantly melted upon setting foot in this tropical forest (which is a very real possibility, Evil Clouds for the win), I'm hoping to get Year 1 completed before the week is out. A new world may be required if I get destroyed in the first few minutes, but I wanted to get the thread started, this is definitely happening :) Turns and Dorfing available upon request.
Important update; I got started, and we're not dead yet. That's actually a big deal when dealing with Evil lands, lol. Found a good-looking enclosure on the Joyous side of the map, should be able to wall off and secure above ground space for future use. I won't have much more time to play tonight, just wanted to make sure the Dwarves survived long enough to haul everything inside. I will make a proper journal when I get home from work tomorrow night, probably finish Saturday afternoon.
dorf me please, male, some military guy, high willpower if possible, can be some kind of commander
You're in luck. One of the melee-proficient Seven was gifted with precious Embark Points; Novice Speardwarf, Shield User, and Teacher, plus bronze spear & copper shield.
can i be dorfed as a legendary mechanic
We have 2 Engineer's Guild members amongst the Seven, so your Dorf will be put to good use once the Mechanisms and Siege equipment starts building.
Also note we have a veritable rogue's gallery of nearby civs ;D
Great! I love having a variety of civs as neighbors! (not sarcasm)
Ditto :) Variety is the spice, as it were. We have equal amounts of friendly traders and !FUN!, should be good times.
Lastly, here is a sample of our future Mountainhome-
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/07.jpg)
Welp, it's official, we're lost. I suppose that's what I get for trusting our professional engineer Insanegamer27 and all of his ridiculous shortcuts. Of course I probably should have expected that from such a jittery fellow who actually enjoys fresh air... weirdo.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/14.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/03.jpg)
One of the peasants we dragged along calls himself 'RiffRaff'. He claims to know a few tricks with a Still, plus stretching out even the scarcest rations into filling biscuits, provided he has a kitchen. By the looks of him, this fellow knows his way around a dining hall... several times.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/18.jpg)
We may be stranded, but a dwarf never says die! For we are
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/02.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/01.jpg)
Alright you miserable beards, STRIKE THE EARTH!
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/05.jpg)
It has begun, albeit in my poorly mellow-dramatic attempt at creating a mood :P Everyone else who requested a Dorfing has been added with the first load of migrants. Insanegamer, you already asked to be the Mechanic in the interest check thread, so that's what you get (plus I ran out of decent military dorfs). I am a few days into Summer, I expect to be finished and written Saturday afternoon. I also added some guidelines to the OP, pretty standard stuff.
16th Granite, year of Armok 121
Work progresses smoothly, carving out a modest home for our intrepid band. Seems we're not as far from the haunted savannah as I had originally hoped. No sooner is the last barrel hauled inside, then the sky is split open. Literally apparently, for mere Urists from our enclosure is a cursed blood rain. Thankfully the lads won't get too upset, so long as they aren't caught under it. As I lay out the designs for a proper dormitory, I ... Oh sweet Armok, that sound. That horrible trumpet. Every Dwarf freezes in their tracks, eyes drawn to the patch of shrubs which separates us from the cursed wastes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmcVq9a_rF0
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/11.jpg)
8th Malachite, year of Armok 121
Thankfully, the demons decided they had better things to do. Seems the tale of us not dieing horribly en route has reached the Mountainhome, attracting some fool-hardy new Dwarves. I expected the typical group of useless booze-suckers, seeking easy riches. I was pleasantly surprised to find that some of them were actually deserving of their own bed. First is a promising young lady named SkaiaMechanic. Rather ironic, considering she is actually the quintessential merchant. Blessed with a platinum tongue, she is quickly established as our Broker & Liaison.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/19.jpg)
We are also fortunate to attract a bit of muscle, and judging by the way the wildlife has been congregating lately, we'll definitely need it soon. The Dwarf who says his friends nicknamed him 'HARD', and a practicing Hunter who goes by 'Bigheaded'. They were assigned Military Commander & Lieutenant, creating our first squad of Speardwarves and Marksdwarves, respectively. Getting them some proper equipment should be a top priority over the coming year.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/20.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/21.jpg)
15th Limestone, year of Armok 121
We have yet to uncover any useful metals, just a bit of Aluminum for decoration. This is due as much to the slow pace of the Miners as anything. InsaneGamer has done well teaching the other Miner in between his time at the Mechanics Workshop, but he is not a professional. If we are going to achieve any measure of efficiency, we're going to need Guild instructions. I order furniture and blocks stockpiled towards a proper Guild Hall.
3rd of Sandst DEAR ARMOK BEHIND YOU!!
Something about this place. The evil energies which persist just beyond the clearing. It has warped the local inhabitants, making them gargantuan, almost comically so if they weren't craving the sweet alcohol-enriched flesh of the Dwarves.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/06.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/22.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/23.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/25.jpg)
2nd Moonstone, year of Armok 121
A caravan has arrived! Not a moment too soon, I might add (don't tell the lads, but I was forced to water down the booze this past month). Also, you remember that huge crate of medical supplies taking up most of our wagon? Turns out some greedy peasant got to it before us. I unpacked the thing at our new Trade Warehouse, only to find a mere 4 crutches and splints. No plaster, no medicinal drinks, nothing. I quietly push the empty crate aside, not wanting to disturb the civilians who are eagerly bringing out assorted gems and trinkets, plus some curious relics uncovered by the Archeologists. Skaiamechanic proves the worth of her charms, securing us not only a good deal, but a very profitable contract for next year.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/26.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/27.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/30.jpg)
28th Obsidian, year of Armok 121
The stockpiles are becoming more organized as our little enclave grows. The Miners have finally completed the first 2 industrial levels, separating the Craftdwarfship from the more specialized metal & gem industries. Our only metal continues to be Aluminum; valuable in crafting, worthless for practical matters. Still, might as well give the Furnace Operators some practice. Smelting the ores without purifying it first is essentially a waste of resources.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/28.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/29.jpg)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And thus ends the first year! The surviving Badgerdog actually birthed a litter, we have 2 puppies now :) I forgot to order cloth from the Caravan, so thread is scarce, rope is non-existent. The Boars & Bats are thriving. Remember to visit the Kitchens a few times and order 'Shear Creature'. We'll get wool hair, ivory, and leather from our respective animals. Also our military is currently in name only, supported by scattered Cage Traps. Might be worthwhile to send a few Boars to Boot Camp.
We need to form some strong team to survive in such a inhospitable environment. I recommend to collect few folks asap when first migrant wave arrive and train them with my mighty... novice speardwarf.
I had you Dorfed as the starting Speardwarf, then this Migrant shows up with crazy skills. Since I had not recorded your Dwarf yet, decided being to give you a badass instead of a founder (sorry about the huge screenshot, I'm too sleepy for editing);
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/test.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/31.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/32.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/33.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/34.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/35.jpg)
p.s. A note on the Medical Crate. I like to try a few new items with each embark, b/c Masterwork simply has so much amazing stuff. Not all of them are winners. That crate cost 150 points, yielding 2 splits and 2 crutches. No thread, no traction benches, nothing :-\ Obviously a bug, for future reference.
Okay, okay, sorry for the wait everyone. Between not being able to use my main computer, to my temporary one not being able to run MasterworkDF, it's been taking some time. But hey, an update!
Of course, the first few days playing I kept seeing this:
(http://i.imgur.com/gQy8ZYW.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/6wnP0tx.png?1)
Pulling up the stocks, I was surprised to see we still didn't have a bookkeeper. Checking the noble screen, we were missing a manager, a psychiatrist, and a medical doctor as well. I stuck a novice diagnosis dwarf as lead doctor and forgot about it. I had great social stats, so I just signed myself up for the rest of the positions.
(http://i.imgur.com/HmpegSP.png?1)
(http://i.imgur.com/yVd4iuT.png)
I also found a large area sectioned off for digging, but there were no notes to say what the purpose of said building was. It appeared he wanted to make it a two story building, but the large pillar in the middle stopped me from making anything of the room.
(http://i.imgur.com/HK4EDM5.png)
Since we had no military area, military storage, hospital, or offices, I built a floor with all those things. I'm the only one that currently has an office. No, a couple of tables and chairs in the middle of a dirt storage room does not count as offices.
(http://i.imgur.com/p5n1bzX.png?1)
Let me tell you, it's been really hard keeping up the stocks. I'm in late autumn, no one has shown up since the elves, and three friggin' migrant waves came. There are currently 61 citizens in our fort. Which was good in a way, because since the farmland was built on the other side of the fortress, (You didn't need river water! The top layer was silt loam!) and the same with the river for fishing, I've been working hard at organizing the stockpiles to put everyone to work in someway or another.
Oh, and we're almost out of food and drink due to everyone along with their pets that people bring already adopted, so there's that. On the plus side, we have a ton of barrels and bins now because I was tired of everything scattered everywhere.
(http://i.imgur.com/G8hxU6J.png)
Really, during updates I love to go through play-by-play examples of our successes and strategies. But honestly? Not much has happened. I mean, some Black Mamba men tried to sneak in, so I sent the militia to beat them to death. It worked pretty well!
(http://i.imgur.com/aRjjA5S.png?1)
What else, what else...oh, right, we struck gold!
(http://i.imgur.com/pTRdQ1Y.png?1)
(http://i.imgur.com/WhYDMwU.png?1)
We had one other artifact made through a possession, but it just used two pieces of rock so it's nothing special. I'm still figuring out the best place to put these two things....maybe the weapon rack in the training room, and the coffer for when we get a mayor?
(http://i.imgur.com/fmy1yks.png?1)
Sure it was raining blood nonstop the entire time, but I just kept everyone out of it so it wasn't a big deal.
Unable to find the dining room, I built one of my own. (It has more tables and chairs now.)
(http://i.imgur.com/v21wXeo.png?1)
So that's been nice, most of my work has just been redoing some of the stockpiles for better efficiency. It's working better!
I should have my year finished by tomorrow.
It'll probably get exciting soon enough for the future years. We're also trying to train a couple caged animals, but it keeps wearing off so don't uncage them.
And I'm finishing the turn up now! And perhaps the end of it all...
As soon as I started playing, I hit a magma lake. Which was surprising, considering I hadn't hit the first cavern yet.
(http://i.imgur.com/ilqpMVd.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/cgvmXtJ.png)
Soon after that I noticed the Dwarves' Caravan had already set up shop in the trade depot. Immortal-D, you are forgiven for getting annoyed at my dwarf the broker. I had trouble making him trade as well.
When I did get to trade though, I got some good prices, as well as enough food and booze to hold us for a while.
(http://i.imgur.com/gIp9Fo7.png)
Soon, it hit winter. I did my best to keep everything flowing smoothly. Although some stockpiles could still be optimized.
Yes, it really did appear my turn was uneventful, other than punching a snakeman to death.
Then a small message popped up.
(http://i.imgur.com/weT8FIw.png)
Especially since I didn't really have any defenses other than the bridge at the front gate, which he could easily fly over. For a moment he seemed to stand still at the edge of the map, but my hopes were dashed as he suddenly rose a few levels into the air and took off like a bullet towards the courtyard.
He landed in the far corner, inside the gate. Various animals rushed to attack.
(http://i.imgur.com/u22lpZ3.png?1)
While the animals distracted him I order for the doors to be sealed. But if he was a building destroyer with Trap_Avoid, he could easily storm the main hallway. I called up my military to stand guard just inside the fortress. They got new weapons, and a bit of armor, but I knew they weren't ready at all.
At the same time, I ordered a two-block wall built quickly behind the main entrance. If we could get it up in time, we'd be safe. Unfortunately, almost everyone was busy at the moment, and not switching their current jobs easily.
(http://i.imgur.com/rGUaZXV.png?1)
Meanwhile, the animals understandably were losing their battle. However, they were stalling pretty nicely.
(http://i.imgur.com/CNPqKMO.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/ER64chk.png?1)
After passing the Trade Depot, the three story tall, four-armed skeleton of decease and death landed in front of my entrance. My only hope, was that the Wraith would get distracted and go after a few of the dwarves trapped outside.
Yet.....As I unpaused the game, the the Wraith promptly disappeared from the screen.
(http://i.imgur.com/z2IPK4b.png?1)
I checked the sky.
I checked the surrounding area.
And then it hit me.
"No....," I said, "No. Really? REALLY?"
(http://i.imgur.com/h8Frykd.png?1)
Immortal-D had planted about five or six cage traps around the courtyard in random locations. They weren't really at any chokepoints, so I disregarded them, simply making some cages to stop it from yelling at me.
But it was captured. The fortress would live another day.
How anticlimactic.
It hit the last month of the year, so I started mapping out the fortress and the progress I had made.
Top Floor: Farming, Food Processing, and Warehouse
(http://i.imgur.com/ghBGy6Y.png?1)
2nd Floor down: Military Barracks, Hospital, and Office Rooms
(http://i.imgur.com/OgJjk2f.png?1)
3rd Floor Down: Bedrooms and Dining Hall
(http://i.imgur.com/UC93P9M.png)
4th Floor Down: All Non-Fueled Craftdwarves Workshops, and Archeology Study
(http://i.imgur.com/3gMg00d.png?1)
5th Floor Down: Metal and Ore Workshops
(http://i.imgur.com/KJQsGc8.png?1)
And Far, Far Down, at the Bottom of the Mineshaft: Magma Workshop Room
(http://i.imgur.com/Fz1t1bN.png)
Now all I needed to do was wait until Spring arrived.
(http://i.imgur.com/H1DlGf4.png?1)
Wait. What?
(http://i.imgur.com/VLijgSf.png?1)
A single platoon of white tigermen/women. Nothing too bad, but matched against my troops could go either way.
They marched towards the base, catching a few fishermen off guard.
(http://i.imgur.com/GU8MHKB.png)
By now I had the gate up. But I realized that there was nothing stopping them from simply climbing up on the hill around it and jump down. I set up the army in the courtyard to prepare for the defense.
They moved closer, closer, closer! And as they reached the edge I got a message I didn't expect.
(http://i.imgur.com/bcC86LV.png?1)
I had forgotten about the Dwarven Caravan a long time ago. On the brink of battle, the Liaison saw his chance to get in a word.
When I had exited out, it seemed the moment was lost for the tigermen as well, as they just came down from the cliffs and hung around my front gate.
(http://i.imgur.com/P9ztJcJ.png)
The Liaison gave me a sheet of what they wanted and promptly walked towards the front gate, waiting for it to be opened for him.
The tigermen chased down a couple dwarves trapped outside, killing one and getting a pickaxe to the knee for the tiger to grab the other. The group started hunting the lone miner down and...
Spring Had Arrived.
Have fun finishing up the Siege!
http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=10394 (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=10394)
Possible greatest guard-dog ever is still there (you lied to me!).
(http://i.imgur.com/l4Dk6R9.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/5MgoaM9.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/gofclqm.png)
Those White Tigermen and Women are still there... right outside the gates too.
(http://i.imgur.com/TmAbISN.png)
??What??
(http://i.imgur.com/gmZyiZ5.png)We are right underneath them and they can't see us.
Hoorah! We know stuff about plague wraith training!
(http://i.imgur.com/RpmQJ0C.png)
And someone is now attached to their steel mace.
(http://i.imgur.com/4otPTfW.png)
Whoops. Sorry about this guys.
(http://i.imgur.com/igOlnXl.png)
The seige lifted! Yay!
(http://i.imgur.com/gaa3y0U.png)
Aaaaaand that was it, really.
Seige lifted, lost a not very good metalcrafter to insanity due to my unattentiveness. Sorry about that. Probably going to build a Temple to Armok and sacrifice him.
Summer, Year 3.
So, migrants arrived, as well as a trader. Who got killed by the second siege to happen.
A Lot of Invaders:
(http://i.imgur.com/LWdIlQk.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/AZr6g5A.png)
Other then that, a mood happened, one which will give us a legendary tanner. Which is cool.
Other than that, not much happened at all.
Final Diary of Overseer Immortal, 8 Felsite, in the year 124
That's what we get for trying to be nice. This whole mess started because we were chosen to deliver supplies to some Armok-forsaken output further North. The world itself knew enough to stay away from these lands; infested as they are with Giant aberrations and unholy weather, even the fabled Cavern creatures saw fit to stay away. Several prominent Dwarves remain trapped outside, beset by a small army of White Tigerpeople. Even worse, the Greatest Guard Dog Ever is nowhere to be found.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/Final%201.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/Final%202.jpg)
I check in one final time on the Dwarves I have come to call friends. Though not leaders, they served well in their own right.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/Final%203.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/Final%204.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1503118/Dwarf%20Fortress/Final%205.jpg)
With death above us, and fiery molten death below us, the choice seems clear. I have quietly assigned myself a pick, so as not to alarm the others. I shall end both problems at once. I am pained that such a noble Fortress should succumb in this fashion, but tis far better than languishing away in purgatory- no purpose, no challenge, no future. I hear the alarm horns sounding as Tigerpeople swarm through the front doors that were nudged open. I always thought I would live to see the beach. As the Tigerpeople swarm downward to share the fate of the Dwarves, I ponder if warm sand would be as pleasing as molten rock. Perhaps in another life. I take a degree of comfort in seeing the expression on the Tiger's faces when they spot me, pick raised above a visibly glowing stone.
"You should feel honored" I grin, "For you bare first-hand witness to the heart of the Dwarves".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bit of a melodramatic end I admit, but I hate to leave a Fortress in limbo. With the cave gens botched in this world (my fault) and no prospective signups, I took it upon myself to give the Fortress a proper sendoff. Thanks to Skaia and Pencil for the laughs :) Masterwork isn't for everyone. Still, this was an amusing experiment. I'm considering modifying my 'extreme biomes' setup to create a beach embark in vanilla DF, since I haven't really played with Climbing yet. Well, in due time perhaps.