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Author Topic: How do you stay motivated on one map?  (Read 954 times)

Lopezruy

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How do you stay motivated on one map?
« on: February 23, 2013, 05:47:59 pm »

I used to play maps to the end, waiting out the deaths of the final dwarves.. but now, I feel like nothing is good about a map before the game gets good. Any help to stay motivated?
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jimbobobby

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Re: How do you stay motivated on one map?
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2013, 07:18:46 pm »

Start a mega-project or make something interesting happen, if there's any animals alone send some of your dwarves to murder it or its family. I usually like to channel a pit, capture a bunch of animals which attack anyone nearby and place their cages in the pit then link them to levers, channel 1 square in the direction of a nearby water source and build a floodgate there then channel towards the water source.
This is how I see which migrants is good enough for my fortresses, first kids go in with maybe a couple animals or one if its something dangerous (insane dwarf) and if they kill the opposition they get access to my fort. Adults fight 3-5 depending on their skills and if they have a baby, any survivors who I don't want drown. It's usually a good idea to build a ceiling over the pit so flying animals/beasts can't escape.
For mega-projects I'd say a Colosseum, a giant tower with a bridge for dropping migrants and kids, a 30x30 wall, 3 z-levels high all around your entrance, above ground and underground panic rooms, mine-cart roller coasters, cat breeding rooms or anything that uses a lot of resources which serves you no purpose.
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When I was younger, I was a baby.
The power of an Eskimo isn't really something you should just forget about, they can cut a hole in your ice and catch a fish in minutes.

Solon64

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Re: How do you stay motivated on one map?
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2013, 07:31:05 pm »

The best way to stay motivated with a fort is to set out with a specific goal in mind.

My most recent fort, I use the masterwork mod.  My goal was to 1) attract the king, 2) make sure he had children, and 3) develop a noble and glorious lineage of royal blood.  My king and all 3 of his sons are legendary swordsdwarves.  I made for him a suit of masterwork gold armor inlaid with emeralds, sapphires, and rubies for official, state-sponsored events (such as the death of my fortresses' greatest warrior Nish Poisonarrows.  He died single-handedly holding off an entire Pandashi siege so the civilians could escape.  I gave him a traditional dwarven burial, i.e. bury him in a platinum sarcophagus, have the king in his ornamental blingin' armor "give a speech to the crowd" basically using lots of burrows so my entire fortress was present, then dumped his tomb into the magma sea via lever which the king himself pulled.  Was... well, I thought it was pretty epic anyway).  For battle, the king has a suit of candy.  When he inevitably dies due to some dwarven stupidity, his armor will be passed down to his eldest son.  I'm rather happy with how this fort is going so far.

I'm currently deciding on a design for a new vast Cathedral to Armok made entirely of marble blocks, silver blocks, and gold blocks.  It will be on a hill over a river.  Inside the chapel will be waterfalls, magmafalls, and somehow by Armok I'm going to get a pool of blood at the altar.  Maybe dump a sock into it too.  Beneath the cathedral will be storage, scriptoriums, cells for the "monks" living there, etc.  They will grow red and white grapes and export only wine and books.  Migrants I will title "pilgrims" who will either earn their initiation into the Cathedral or be left outside in the small village at the foot of the hill.  I haven't found a good looking site yet though, I've already genned like 10 worlds -_-


That's what I mean though, before you even embark, have a plan ready to implement and do whatever it takes to get that plan done. 
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PS: Seriously, you must have, like, super-getting-lost skills. You could go missing in a straight corridor and impale yourself on flat ground if I don't tell you where to go.

HavingPhun

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Re: How do you stay motivated on one map?
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2013, 09:46:37 pm »

Right now my fort is boring but i'm going to create some fun. I'm going to lock my 200+ dwarfs inside and after I dig a tunnel and a small habitat in a mountain. It's not going to be connected to the fort. Once I feel ready, perhaps after getting a few more nobles. I will lock everyone inside then raise my population limit so i get more migrants and have my fort sealed up. The migrants will come hoping for a better life then find that the great fortress they heard about was sealed up. Find a small abandoned habitat in the side of a mountain. They see all the dead goblin bodies in front of the fort and think the fort is dead. The old inhabitants must have sealed it up before they were killed to keep the horrors inside locked from the outside world. It will be fun to see them struggle to build a fort with the scarce amount of trees and plants. Then there would be sieges. Also when the fort actually dies they could go inside to find all the riches if they are brave enough.

   
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