Bay 12 Games Forum

I've had some trouble using the search function to find this tale, because I don't remember it well enough to wrangle through the results.

A long time ago someone told a story about something they saw in legends mode, about one old battleax of a female dwarf who led countless battles and singlehandedly saved her tiny empire from ruin again and again, at least that's how I remember it. I may be embellishing details here, but if memory serves she dropped dead of old age during her last duel, and her empire was crushed soon after she fell.

So, my latest embark has me in a sandy swamp (who knew?).

Normally, this isn't an issue, but that it is in that one temperature zone where water evaporates, but can also freeze over, and there's a nice long river. . .

Therefore, there's a lot of water flow stuff eating at my framerate, to the point that even a meager seventeen dwarves is seeing some nasty lag.

So I ask you: How do I clean out this excess water in an efficient manner?

The idea here is to create a civilization composed of a diverse group of sentient, mobile plantforms.

I'll be discussing the actual construction of them later in the post, but first I have something that is actually complete, and I endorse for the usage of any other plantpersonthing:
Plantfolk Mod's directory listing, but the only extant file: the Language.

As described on the page, this currently only contains the file for a Plantfolk language. It was made using DFLang, and operates on certain assumptions about Plantfolk: These are not humanoid plantfolk with a mouth and vocal cords. Instead, these use water dripping in a cavity (which they can reshape at will to modify the sound)  to project certain sharp sounds (t, for instance), as well as to make the ' sound (which can be made yourself by slapping your tongue against the bottom of your mouth. Sounds like droplets.) Then they use branches and leaves to create numerous sibilants and the constant h sounds. This means that they can make long and complex words that are actually impossible for a human to articulate. So you don't have to try.

Now, this civilization will abuse the caste system like a [Redacted].

Some caste ideas:

Thresher: Hulking, shambling masses, with a few combined (i.e., assembled as a rope from several smaller ones) tentacles. These are the most generalized members of the plantfolk, and will be the mainstay of their activity. High incidence rate. Don't be surprised if you start a fortress composed entirely of these.
Proposed tile: &
Proposed construction: four legs, dorf size body. two tentacles for arms and graspers. Maybe have splay-out points and extraneous pieces to increase their combat toughness. Will have a brain core present in the tentacle-side of the body.

Slider: Smaller, lighter creatures, with no actual legs, instead moving with a snakelike propulsion system*. This simplicity of motion makes them very quick, but they are not suited to combat. These are best at doing repetitive, high motion tasks. Farming, hauling, brewing, composting.
Proposed tile: Z (thanks for the suggestion)
Proposed construction: scoot along on their lower body, maybe give them four arms for extra hauling capacity, if that would make a difference. Will also use the brain core piece.
*The idea, currently, is this: They lower a forward point of their lower body, and retract the backpoint of their lower body, creating a mossy rolling motion. They can do this at very high speed, of course, and don't have to worry terribly much about tripping and such.

Neither of these two I've just described will have blood or other complex systems, being moss and fungi based.

Snapper: Descendants of fly-traps, these grew to enormous size, and grew straightforward root legs, due to the increasing prevalence of creatures which are fatal for them to swallow, and are highly suited to combat, with their natural bite being both powerful and poisonous.
Proposed tile: T (for triffid)
Proposed construction: sap blood, they've got a similar shape to triffids, but can use their mouths for grasping objects (by splaying the teeth outward and clamping down tightly), and can wear special armour.

Walker: Colossal, tough creatures, with very slow recuperation, and very low speed. You should be reminded of ents about now. They live for a very long time,  and are rarely born. This makes them perfect for beautiful craftsmanship: You get a great deal for your investment. But they're not good for repetitive, necessary tasks. Essentially, the more movement a task requires (and combat requires a great deal), the less useful they are.
Proposed tile: Y (evokes a tree)
Construction: They're ents. Not that hard to figure. These will use the sap blood as well.

Obviously, these later two will have "skin" and underlying components, to facilitate correct sap leakage.

Workshop: Composting Heap. This can be used to create fodder from wood and other types of ordinarily inedible organic matter. Obviously, you won't have much need for it, but they can eat what they like. It operates on the premise that they already have things composting in there, and operate on an honour system: unit in, take some other unit out.

Weaponry: Aside from natural weapons, the plantfolk will not use highly mechanical weapons, and will prefer to use long, heavy weapons. Ideally, the Slider will be so small, comparatively, that the larger one-handed weapons will be two-handed for them. The Walker will easily be able to use the largest weapons with one-hand, but, again, will be so slow regardless that the enemy can attack multiple times to its once, and they're really a better investment at home.

I've been scouring vast tracts of land, but the only places I can find anything to kill are in caves, and those have the unique issue for a fresh adventurer of being populated with semi- and megabeasts. Also, I can't find all that many caves, despite some pretty far roaming. . .

Forgot to add the question, though I hope it wasn't too difficult:

How do I find something to kill that won't punch out my spine with nary a second thought?

I play on a very particular type of map that's hard to find using the Site Finder, and nearly impossible to discern with the naked eye. I found one that is *almost* perfect but for two things, one I'm willing to give up (no underground water), the other is somewhat more of a bother.

CARP!

Also, hippos, but those are more interesting.

So, my questions: What are the most efficient ways to rid myself of carp? What is the best strategy to ensure no dwarf cancels suicide: interrupted by realizing how terrifying the carp actually are?

Second question translation: To ensure the dwarves don't attempt to drink from carp-infested waters.

I suppose I could just make the carp untenable in the raws for a few moments, if all else fails.

So.
I've discovered that I have sand. And a magma pipe. Naturally, I want to make myself a magma glass forge. I seem to have all the basic layout plan, but I've hit a snag: 1: Do I need to channel a hole where it will funnel the magma from below, or what? 2: Does it need to be built of magma safe materials?
Note that I already know to make a fortification block in the magma tunnel.

I have been designing worlds (in the parameter sense, not the painting sense) for some time now, but have only been able to adjust them somewhat, due to the fact that I don't actually /understand/ most of the values I'm tweaking, beyond my best guesses.

And, checking the wiki, doing a cursory check here, I haven't see anything that really explains how it works in all the details.

So, if anyone has any detailed advice to give, that would be very helpful. Ideally there's a list somewhere explaining the effects of each parameter, but I'll take what I can get.

I read on the wiki that is possible to have some form of 'combat logging', in Fortress mode, which will give you a more detailed text account of combat, instead of just watching it and examining wounds. I haven't found /how/ to do this. Can someone help me, please?