Bay 12 Games Forum

I am aware that near-surface dirt is considered "poor" for farming yield and that the soil in the cavern layers is much better but where does "irrigated muddy rock floor" come in this scale? Is it exactly the same as a near-surface dirt plot or is it part-way between dirt and real cavern soil?

Are there any differences in the answer when comparing dwarven crops and surface crops (assuming light has been taken care of)?

I couldn't find an answer in the wiki.

Thanks!

This isn't specifically a Steam DF issue but is one of my own making. All my early forts so far have run into what feels like a labour shortage... or "too much work, not enough Dwarfs" in their first year and I am struggling to get through it so would appreciate some advice.

I think I have responded too soon to unmet needs and am finding that nothing is getting done because Dwarfs are trying to do everything... if that makes sense.

I am around the time when the first Autumn Trader arrives. There have been one or sometimes two migrant waves and the population is about 12-16 Dwarfs. The entrance is secured (but Grazers still loose outside). There are half a dozen 1x5 farm plots between a mix of surface and dwarf seeds. Tanner and Butcher are idle. Kitchen and Still are keeping up with Easy Meal and Drink demands. Farmers workshop is jumping on every plant as it comes available. Loom is working on Cloth but is limited to an amount to make. We have a small dormitory, there are a few mugs but no tables, chairs or tavern. As for industry I have one wood, stone, craft and mechanic with the first jeweller just starting. I have a water cistern and grindstone but no hospital or well. No temples or noble quarters yet. No tavern and only a few individual bedrooms.

This is where the issue starts... just prior to the first trader, everything seems to be working adequately if a bit slowly. As soon as the first merchants arrive and I scrabble for absolutely anything to sell them, all hell breaks loose. Immediately afterwards, folks are busy hauling our purchases back to storage. All the workshops fire back up to replace the stuff we just sold (you know the sort of thing... tables with four wobbly legs, mugs you can't lift with two hands). Rocks are being dragged about to the workshops. Orders for the first few luxuries so soothe the now upset dwarfs (mostly caused by rain, lack of temples and no tables) such as coffers and cabinets are not getting made. No doors available yet. Can't dig the bedrooms because we are rolling rocks. Forget about the second stonemason as we are busy hauling cheese you just bought and can finally plant the pigtail seeds in that new farm plot... apart from the one next to it which we are too busy to build. Archery tower? No sir, we have no stone blocks. Food rotting on the floor under workshops? Nobody seems to be free to put it into barrels... if we had any made.

I suspect I am giving them too much to do and don't know how to resolve the issue. Even though work orders have upper limits (and they are small ones) there is simply too much queued to do.

Do I slow down and put up with unhappy dwarfs by cancelling all the luxuries or do I just persist and wait it out by effectively putting a sign on the door saying "Closed for staff training. Please invade later."

Each time this happens, I throw the fort away as "broken" and try again only to fall into the same trap. That first expansion of items to meet needs but not enough Dwarfs to fulfil the work.

According to Legends, I have just had a Schemer come into my fort (Spring, 251) and corrupt one of my Dwarfs so they have an agent in my Fort to steal and plot a coup. Is there anything I can do to "un-corrupt" my dude?

Sadly for Schemer there were no Artifacts to steal because the fort was too new but he has just come back again. Can I accuse him of anything to stop him turning up? I don't know what my options are to sort out my own Dwarf as well as put a stop to the Schemers.

I know Villains are a part of Dwarf Fortress but what can I do to resist their blandishments?

Here's "Mister FakeName". You can see why I was suspicious of him in the first place...


I couldn't find him in the Legends initially but got to him through his wife...


Now I need to know what to do to break this conspiracy. I am in a young fort and don't have any Jails or anything to do with Justice set up yet.

I have been watching Marcus Aurelius' Anvilquested DF video series and in Part 10, the Were Elephant attacks the fort.

I wondered if, after a Werebeast is dead, can you butcher and eat it or are you just lining up more FUN?

Hello folks - I am a new player with a Linux LNP+Meph32 43.03 install and I would appreciate some pointers to secure a water source in my current situation...

My embark is in a 3x3 Temperate Woodland. There is a roughly oval hill rising in the centre of the map by about 7 Z-levels with a bald, flat top surrounded by the woodland. The river passes very close to the foot of the hill to the North. I do not think there is an aquifer.

I understand that normally I would be expected to dig a tunnel from a cistern almost to the river then order a Channel Down at the river once everyone was out of the cistern. I have read advice that I should install a flood gate attached to a lever at the river side in case I ever wish to drain the cistern. I have read that I might want to install a U-Bend with a floor grate to prevent Swimmers getting in and this is where I need specific advice. Please could you give me a step by step on how to construct the secure U-Bend. I don't know what order to assign or clear stairs and the place the grate. Do I need a well above or should I allow stair access to the cistern?

In an unrelated subject, is there a way to change the Fort Name and Group Name after Embark? I forgot to do it before embarking and I would really like to keep this location. I also ended up with five good Dwarfs, one godly Dwarf and one Derpy McHaulerson who, strangely enough I have bonded with. I just don't want to be known as those Dwarfs living at Fluffypillows, The Vibrating Lance or something silly (not the actual names but pretty close!).

Cheers.

I am a new player starting with DF at 0.43.03 (LNP Linux) and I wondered if there is a simple way to effectively "re-roll" your starting group of seven Dwarfs?

I understand that the first step is to generate a world which will be persistent (until I discard it). Once that is done, I know the next step is to seek an Embark location that meets selected parameters. As a new player I am seeking "easy" starting locations. Once a location is found, the next step is to skill and equip your seven Dwarfs... who may or may not be suitable for a new game.

What I am wondering is this... is there a way to save or remember your Embark location? If you have to choose the Dwarfs over again, it appears you have to try to find that Embark all over again.

I used Dwarf Therapist to have a look at one party of Dwarfs in order to see who might best suit roles and discovered I had one God-Dwarf who was awesome at almost everything and six runners up for the Cavern Idiot competition. In choosing to Abandon that group, I had to forgo my Embark spot and couldn't find it again.

The next time I actually found some Dwarfs that I thought I could work with, I found my Embark location was a huge pile of soil and sand with no honest rock in sight. I know I should be able to go down but by the time I had realised I had no available rock, I was low on supplies.

This is why I am asking if there is a good way to pick a new group without losing the proposed Embark?

I would also like to know if I can scratch the Embark location but keep the group if I like them?