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Dwarf Fortress => DF General Discussion => Topic started by: Mechanoid on August 22, 2006, 06:39:00 am

Title: [Suggestion] Min. equip numbers on Fort Mode
Post by: Mechanoid on August 22, 2006, 06:39:00 am
Ok, first:
I suggest that the player always be forced to take along ONE iron pick and ONE iron axe if the answer to my question or next suggestion is "No" or "Later" Because, well... It was a really stupid mistake.

Second, my question:
Is there any way to get a new axe (or even a pickaxe) without any axes? Or wood? I, uh... Forgot to take one with me (2 picks; no axes for wood cutting) and now i need one to cut down trees to make more beds before my chilled, mud-encrusted dwarves (all 15 of them) start stabbing eachother in the eyesockets with their fingernails. Alternately to a minimum equipment number on the initiation of a Fortress Mode game, i suggest that more then just axes can cut down trees. What about saws? Or swords? Or even stone axes, which could shatter after 2 or 3 trees were cut?

Some form of redundancy is required in Fortress Mode item functions, at least. Even to go so far as to toss wooden barrels into the wood burner to produce enough charcoal to create the metal bar and eventually a new axe. This way, the player may be down but never really out... At least until every dwarf under his command dies; then he's out.  :)

Title: Re: [Suggestion] Min. equip numbers on Fort Mode
Post by: Stromko on August 22, 2006, 06:49:00 am
It's pretty likely that a carpenter will come along in a migration though, if your fortress is otherwise successful. Not bringing axes or picks is such a simple, immediate mistake that probably the best thing to do is just abandon the fort.

You could always reclaim the fort later, in which case (if you bring along axedwarves) you'll have plenty of axes too.

Title: Re: [Suggestion] Min. equip numbers on Fort Mode
Post by: Mechanoid on August 22, 2006, 06:57:00 am
Yeah but i'd lose the 30-odd peices of meat i obtained from a successful fight after a hostile NPC-creature raid, the loads of leather, the simply awsome fort setup (i mean, it went flawlessly; often some rooms just 2 tiles away from a large ore vien. PERFECT POSITIONING) and the time i spent building it... And the stress of surviving that NPC raid.

I'd just like the player to be in less of a "Aw crap, i'm screwed" position... The wooden beds are right there, along with the barrels. If it were a real life situation (Dwarves excluded; imagine they're humans) i'm sure people would start throwing anything they could into the furnace /smelter /forge to create that one peice of equipment critical for their survival.


Oh, and i also got 3 fisherdwarves in the migration. W.T.F.  :confused:

Title: Re: [Suggestion] Min. equip numbers on Fort Mode
Post by: FunkyWaltDogg on August 22, 2006, 08:31:00 am
You did remember to take apart your wagons, right?  Those have something like 9 wood apiece.
Title: Re: [Suggestion] Min. equip numbers on Fort Mode
Post by: bbb on August 22, 2006, 12:56:00 pm
isn't it only 3? since there's beds/barrels, etc... chances are they've been used already..

don't suppose the merchants might sell you one (if lucky)

Title: Re: [Suggestion] Min. equip numbers on Fort Mode
Post by: Aquillion on August 22, 2006, 02:30:00 pm
Focus on keeping your dwarves happy in other ways.  Decorate their dining room to perfection.  Farm so thoroughly that they'll never be short of food for even the briefest second.  If you do it right you should be able to keep at least some of them alive until the next migration.

Alternatively, you -could- make the Long Dig all the way to the lava and build a lava furnace.  It might make things tough digging so far so fast before you're ready, but it is an option.

[ August 22, 2006: Message edited by: Aquillion ]

Title: Re: [Suggestion] Min. equip numbers on Fort Mode
Post by: FunkyWaltDogg on August 22, 2006, 02:35:00 pm
Don't you need steel to build a lava furnace, though?  

It seems like there's nothing to be done except wait for an Axedwarf to show up.

Title: Re: [Suggestion] Min. equip numbers on Fort Mode
Post by: Janne Joensuu on August 22, 2006, 03:10:00 pm
quote:
Originally posted by FunkyWaltDogg:
<STRONG>Don't you need steel to build a lava furnace, though?  

It seems like there's nothing to be done except wait for an Axedwarf to show up.</STRONG>


You can speed that up, though:
hunt with a soldier. It should count as using military, which should give you more militant immigrants. It can also work better than with normal hunters, because you can order your soldier to go to a spesific tile which you can place near a deer pack your dwarves can't see.

Title: Re: [Suggestion] Min. equip numbers on Fort Mode
Post by: PNB on August 22, 2006, 03:46:00 pm
Did you know that reclaiming a fort can be awesome?

I am on my second reclaimation... first settlers were eaten by lizards, but set some stuff up, second got massacred by one nutso, but they had stocked over 115 plump fruits. This one brought the same and are doing fine, I'm detailing everything, but since food stays... if they fail, the next trip is bringing in over 200 barrels OF ALE!

That will keep them drunk and happy... until the frogmen eat them.

Title: Re: [Suggestion] Min. equip numbers on Fort Mode
Post by: Aristharus on August 23, 2006, 06:22:00 am
More of those horror stories... My dwarves are really having it too easy. Of course I get the occasional berserk dwarves and sheriffs beating people to death, but I've yet to see anything that could even nearly wipe out my whole fortress.

I've seen some frogmen, antmen and a couple of fire imps in my current game, but I don't think they have managed to kill even 5 dwarves total before stumbling into some trap or against an axedwarf.

Even though one of my nobles keeps mandating steel stuff, I'm about to get the bridge over the lava done soon, so this'll all change.

Title: Re: [Suggestion] Min. equip numbers on Fort Mode
Post by: Janne Joensuu on August 24, 2006, 07:53:00 am
quote:
Originally posted by Aristharus:
<STRONG>More of those horror stories... My dwarves are really having it too easy. Of course I get the occasional berserk dwarves and sheriffs beating people to death, but I've yet to see anything that could even nearly wipe out my whole fortress.

I've seen some frogmen, antmen and a couple of fire imps in my current game, but I don't think they have managed to kill even 5 dwarves total before stumbling into some trap or against an axedwarf.

Even though one of my nobles keeps mandating steel stuff, I'm about to get the bridge over the lava done soon, so this'll all change.</STRONG>


I have the same problem with my first fortress. However, I read Toady's comment about any one of Treasurer, Mayor and some other high-ranking noble triggering something special. I just received my mayor.  :-/