Bay 12 Games Forum

I voted for 'Good' instead of 'Very Good', simply b/c starting completely from scratch, even when you have basis to reference, can be both daunting and mentally draining.  Will weigh in on the Dwarf revamp later, must sleep now :/

Normally it is only available for Artefacts and Furniture.  Browsing through my Metalsmith reveals that it can now be crafted into all manner of armaments.  I have a ridiculous amount of the stuff, and only a few useful bars I snagged from the traders.  How would the weapons & armors compare to a Gemforge?

As Winter of year 2 draws to a close, I am fast approaching the first Cavern.  Here is the state of my metal stocks;
I also have lots and lots of Flux Stone, to the point where 75% of my furniture is made of Chert   I disabled the use of Chert once I hit Granite and Kaolinite.  Thankfully the Giant animals of my little tundra provide sufficient bone to equip a Marksdwarf squad with bows & bolts.  However, any melee Dorfs will be relying on Gemstone armaments and whatever decent pieces I can snag from invaders once they show up (which at the current rate of gold smithing, should be any day now).

I just through 'Elves of Amanereli'.  The caged Elephant in update 19 had me actually lol'ing

Sounds good! I'll be picking this up today. Looking forward to it!

EDIT: This Fortress is really nice, with quite a bit to build up from!

Glad to hear it   Apparently the Mountainhome is in dire need of Figurines, Abacuses, and Hourglasses   We should make a mint with the next Dwarven Caravan.  Also, for anyone who is reading this that might be a bit intimidated by Masterwork; in addition to a comprehensive manual, you can find view any Workshop or Reaction to see the necessary reagents.

Claim a room, get some real food & booze.  Avoid any nobles.

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.
... don't move.  They can't see us if we don't move.

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.

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.
Looks like we might actually make it for ourselves out here.

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.
At least now I know what happened to the Badgerdogs.  Even the Giant beasts seem to know enough to stay away from the blood rain; the dogs thankfully perished on our side of the plains.  Thank Armok for small favors.  The only one to survive is the female we stationed to guard the entrance.  I have ordered our Leatherwing Bats inside for now, and prioritized a large cave for the Boars.

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.
Watching her flatter and chat, it's easy to forget that we're sitting in the middle of a hillside, surrounded by Giant beasts, blood, vomit, and stupid amount of Fluffly Wambler remains.  Seriously, how can something that round have so many bones that are too small to use?

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.
We also have a separate pile for cut logs and food on the surface level.  With a bit of effort, we can drain the river one level below, creating a large, secure cistern.  This can in turn be distributed throughout the fortress; personal waterfall, cave-flooding, you name it.  I pause for a moment to indulge in the thought of a waterfall at my personal table.  I am interrupted by a cheering from the Craftdwarves area.
Although Kimberlite is supposedly a good stone for holding diamonds, we have found exactly nill, so I'm glad to see some Dwarf putting the extra rocks to good use.  The statue has been placed at the central dormitory for all to enjoy, and perhaps as an inspiration for our future waterfall.  With the basic industry setup and a proper dining hall planned, I decide to retire from the leadership role.  I am content to manage the work orders, leaving direction to another.  Our Broker really does have a way with words, and she isn't half-bad to look at either.  Hmm....

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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);
We should be ok on creature comforts, now we need serious industrial resources and military power.  I leave you with an overview and stocks.  Good luck to my successor Click Me!

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.

10th of Granite in the year of Armok 121

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.
The worst part (aside from that awful sunshine and pesky rabbits) is that we have at most a few week's worth of rations.  Most of the wagon space is taken up by a huge crate of medical supplies, destined for some outpost in the scorching wastelands further North.  Tufted Stockades, I think they called it.  No help for it now, I suppose.  Whatever explorations they are doing out there, I'm sure they wouldn't be fool enough to stop in the haunted savannah like we were forced to, so I doubt they will miss one measly crate.  We ate most of the seeds on the way here, so I felt obliged to take a proper inventory.  At least then I'll know how long until I starve to death.

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.

We may be stranded, but a dwarf never says die!  For we are
the mightiest prospectors to ever venture forth, for the glory of The Trim Planks!!  We have picks, animals, and I'm sure those Fluffy Wamblers will make a good stew.  I hereby Armokify this hillside

Alright you miserable beards, STRIKE THE EARTH!
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It has begun, albeit in my poorly mellow-dramatic attempt at creating a mood   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.