Bay 12 Games Forum

Yes.  In effect, I'd rather have the full DF forum experience even if that means signature images that I think are a waste of valuable space and a distraction from the topcis being discussed.

Optimally, I'd like for the forums to be the way I most prefer, text only signatures, by default.  That is why I cast my vote as such.

I think that is a pretty logical and natural point of view.  I think many of the people who have voted against images will agree that, for instance, maxvances image is pretty damn cool.  But, I think we all realize, and Slarti really drove the point home, that many won't be as cool as maxvance's.  Which begs the question, even if I like some the majority will likely become very distracting, shouldn't I have just voted against them in the first place?  Yes.  Can I turn them off?  Yes.  Do I want that to be the situation?  No.

This thread is about casting a vote.  Thus these arguements should be encouraged.  Supporters of sig images need to be pleading their case as well.

And saying oh, you can turn them off is a kind of hollow arguement.  We all like these boards alot and want them to be our favorite way by default.  The vote count stands at 115 for no images vs 136 for images of any kind.  I voted against images because I do find them distracting and a waste of space, but I probably wouldn't turn them off because I'd feel like I was missing out on something, hah, something admittedly annoyinh, but missing out none-the-less.

Bring a dwarf with Proficient Mining and Proficient wrestling.  I always bring this guy, wrestling makes him a melee badass and gives him a better chance to dodge a fireball.  Making an attack with a wielded pick checks mining skill, so a Proficient Miner hits nearly as hard as a Proficient Speardwarf.

You might not need to bother with the imps and magma men right away, but in the event you do, you'll have a very capable combat dwarf who can shred an imp and should handle magma men pretty easy too.

Spent some time of my own with Adventure Mode, a couple thoughts on skilling up a warrior.  I had good success starting with some points in Wrestling and Shield User and the rest in a weapon skill,  I did Spear but ended up going from Dabbling to (finally) Legendary in Swordsman.  

On your first couple quests, strangle everything.  [shift]+[A] and wrestling an opponent, grabbing a head or limb and do a couple take downs.  Then grab the throat, put in a chokehold and strangle until dead.  Use another throw / take down if they try standing back up.  This kept me relatively safe ...  Until I got the hang of ruins.  Smashing all the Skellies and Zombies, leave one Zed alive and just strangle and strangle him.  Legendary Wrestler comes up pretty quick, just take a few steps back and "walk it off" when you get Tired.

This led me to realize how to get from Skilled Shield User and Armor User to Legendary in about 10 minutes.  Visiting a ruin, I selectively culled the undead until about 3-4 Skeletons were left alive and intact.  Using [c]ombat preferences attack was set to Close Combat (to prevent deadly counterstrikes) and the other two to Stand Ground.  Then just lie on the ground and use the [.] rest key and roll with the punches.  When you get tired, stand up, retreat and walk it off.  Laying on the ground is important because it is only when you "block the shot" that shield user is trained and Skellies just miss if you are on your feet.  I don't know how tough you have to be before this is safe, but test it with one Skeleton, or better one Zombie until you think you are safe.

With max shield skill, I could ransack a Kobold cave and block down arrows with impunity.

quote:

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Originally posted by skeightmachine:
<STRONG>... Go to a ruin. Set your combat to 'close combat'. Run and gather a few undead within range then sit on the ground... </STRONG>

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Should've read this before posting in the other thread, we came to the same conclusion about training Shield User.  Really neutralizes every threat, particularily those arrows.

To best avoid dying, its important to identify what can kill you.

In DF Combat, you can win almost any one on one fight with even a starting character.  Face off against two or more monsters though, and your odds start getting much worse.  Grab a monster with wrestling then throw them to put them on the ground and stun them.  Can buy you some time to hack on a second monster.

Stay on your feet.  Use the [c]ombat key to keep your settings to Dodge enemy charges.  If you get knocked down, tand up immediately.  If something is now standing over you, move to a free square and then stand up.

Bite attacks can be very deadly.  Use wrestling to try and break the grip of a monsters mouth.  Stepping away can cause more bleeding and damage.

If you use a sword it will get stuck.  And the bigger the monster, the harder it is to unstick it.  A Minotaur you could've handled now has your sword stuck in his thigh and you can't get it out when an Iron Man joins the fight.  You aren't going to punch them both to death.  Carry an extra weapon or two in your backpack.

Travel to all the human towns until you find the shops that sell Iron.  Ruins are the best sites for loot and to skill up.  You can hit and run at a Ruins, grabbing some of the crafts lying around and beating on skeletons and zombies until you get too tired.  Then go buy the best iron weapon first and the best iron shield second.  Be sure to check the descrpition (v: View this item) to make sure its an exceptional long sword, not just an exceptionally decorated long sword.  Exceptional bronze is just as good as most iron if iron equipment is scarce.

There are some kinda exploitive ways to max out skills, you can read about that in other threads.  Wrestling is important, wrestling is checked when you dodge, attempt to break a grip or try to retrieve your weapon.  Skill it up by strangling any prone enemies.  You don't get skill for striking a prone enemy, so if your first shot takes out a leg, finish them off with a sound throttling.

One of the generated worlds on JT's site, my neighboring human civilization were The Lush Sack of Heads

I had a weaver tantrum after some bags got washed into the river.  He was given a prison sentence and a guard was assigned to jail him.  Weaver resisted arrest and gave the guard a yellow upper body and a yellow left arm who spent the next year in bed recovering.  The Captain never assigned another dwarf to imprison the weaver, so he got a year of parole before his assigned officer was sufficiently healed to book him for ~280 days.  His charges did include assualting the guard.