In the dev pages Toady said:
Bloat309, SENSIBLE MIGRANT PROVISIONS, (Future): Immigrants should arrive with pack animals and various objects that make sense for their role and their journey.
I'd like to up the ante and have sensible immigration.
First, seven dwarves in a hole should not attract twice their number after 3 months.
Second, unequipped people wandering into an area that can't possibly support their profession are refugees, not immigrants. Why is a glassblower coming to a map with no sand? Obviously his homeland was overrun by cannibalistic elves!
Third, they come in a long drawn out line that always reminds me of the Trail of Tears, hence the refugee comparison. Let them come in a group. Maybe have a guard or two, a wagon with basic provisions.
Fourth, no more vacuums. After being on the road for 3 months our refugees have yet to speak to or look at each other! (Guessing, I don't have a recent refugee wave to check.) I suggest that they have friends and such. Perhaps some married couples could come or widowers. On that note, stop making nice with the burgers, I have hungry dwarves.
Fifth, integration with the world. Other towns have multi-racial populations. It would be nice if others showed up for whatever reason. Maybe individuals could offer specific services or just like living in holes.
For example the elves, while not upset at the number of cut trees are upset at the clear cutting. They offer to replace your cutting staff for certain concessions. You get free, elf friendly cutting, but they do it all over the map to preserve the forest, and demand elf friendly meals. And a tribute/fee. Dwarves could show up at a human settlement where riches were found to offer their services as miners in exchange for a part of the metals and gems. Fast, 100% retrieval but you have to give them chambers and send a regular tribute. Human missionaries, etc. Of course they'd spend their down time largely with each other and instead of doing hauling that isn't a part of their work they go back to their quarters and smooth and engrave it or whatever. Maybe they make friends and improve relations eventually? Lots of room for balance, trade off and play. What if that dirty old man turns out to be a shellshocked veteran of the goblin wars, carrying a legendary warhammer, who, after the first raid or loss in a raid, throws off his tattered garments to train your forces?
For that matter, having an immigrant occasionally be a trouble maker might be interesting, well it will be when the starter seven stop being such magnificent pains in the ass.
That's the crux of it. I think it makes sense and, at least in part reflects the wishes of most people for scaling immigration and fewer complains when the dwarf who dedicated his life to fish cleaning shows up empty handed demanding a legendary dining room and a beer biscuit is sent to the mines.
Raise the cap based on renown but reflect it in the population. A golden hall with 7 dwarves is the equivalent of I once killed a goblin this {.......O_O.......} big. A sandstone mountain with 200 draws populace. At first, a refugee or two, maybe a family with a cow and an anvil wander in after a bit. That extra set of hands or two I find myself wanting as I start getting everything set up. Then as you get larger, and able to build rooms and feed the masses, the groups start coming larger and with wagons and guards and tools and goods, etc. Maybe a professional merchant coming to ask to start a shop. If you don't provide one he may leave with the next caravan or if he gets it he may start getting extra or unusual goods you or your dwarves can buy.
I'm going to stop now.
