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Voting closed: September 21, 2014, 09:36:21 pm

[ptb_ptb]

Having found my way to Castlebuds, one of the four wings of the freshly established Natural History Museum, I reflect on what has brought me thus far. While far from the legendary figures of yore, I pride myself on my general fitness being sure both in water and on craggy mountain side. The mountainhome of my youth proved too narrow and staid for me and the rumours of adventure and fame called too strongly to be denied. I can but hope my training as a speardwarf serves me well on my journey.

I, Solon Oltaram (Solon Giltspeeches), step forth into the wider world and into history.

But first, I cheekily attempt the sway Degel Mosuseral (local Sheriff) to accompany me. Unfortunately he proves loyal to his duties.

I decide to head to the nearby elven towns. Surely I can pick up something there. Unfortunately this was a potentially fatal miscalculation. I had misjudged the map scale and the sun was fast setting with no towns in sight!

I must write this quickly, for I fear it will be my last entry. Damn you Degel, if you had only come with me ... The cackling! It draws near!

(Blood smears the torn page there is no more writing to be seen).

[Timeless Bob]

That was quick.   I'm surprised you decided to head out to the elven towns when there's a plethora of woods, plants, seeds, barrels, cloth, thread, ect... all waiting to be put on display...

[ptb_ptb]

That was quick.   I'm surprised you decided to head out to the elven towns when there's a plethora of woods, plants, seeds, barrels, cloth, thread, ect... all waiting to be put on display...

It was about 1am, and I've got a cold. My judgement may not have been at its best.

I'll keep trying with new hopefuls and report progress if that's OK.

[Timeless Bob]

Sure - keep trying until next Saturday.

[ptb_ptb]

Silgeshud or "Planesfortress". It ain't much now, but it's where my latest job has taken me.

Folks say I'm easy to get along with, and I'm OK in a fight at a pinch. I've got ambitions, though, and the Natural History Museum is where I intend to achieve them. Ber Odgubzulban. One day the world will know my name. Hopefully they'll be able to pronounce it better than my last girlfriend could. That said, I heard about that poor fool Solon and I have no intention of joining him in a dozen bogeymen bellies.

I wake up on the top of the museum wing's roof. And why exactly am I wearing a silk dress?

Damn, musta drunk more than I thought yesterday.  I climb down and chat to the bookkeeper, Iden Rovodibruk. He tells me that the 'Responsible Sabres' have fled from Planesfortress ahead of an invading army led by an elf. I ask him why he's still here. He just says "Somebody has to do the books."

Walking around a bit more I find a human crossbowman near a tent. She looks like she'd be handy in a fight and she quickly agrees to accompany me. I wonder if she's one of the refugees mentioned, or just a stray caravan guard. I don't ask, it might be considered rude. I do find out that she's married, though. No sign of the husband nearby.

I explore the local area, careful not to go too far away. There is little sign of civilization and, although I see a small group of people in the distance, we didn't meet anybody. Suddenly my companion starts shooting something. It's an alligator snapping turtle in the river. I swim up to it and deliver the killing blow with my spear before she wastes all her bolts. The corpse is a wreck, but I guess it still counts so I make my way back to the museum.

[SAVE 000 before retire.zip]

I dump the corpse on the floor of the building next to a tent. It lands with a wet squelch. I hope this is the right place, eh, whatev.



Time to take a load off my feet till I'm sent out again.

[SAVE 001 after retire.zip]

A passing dwarf tells me I'm actually in Taperedceilings (NE wing) not Planesfortress (SE wing).

[ptb_ptb]

Mebzuth Unnoszefon, expedition leader. That's what it says on the plate next to my office door. Or it would, you know, if I had an office.  As I shuffle papers around the floor to make space for breakfast (and would it kill the guys to get tables made already?) a memo floats out of my 'in tray' pile. Oh yeah. That irresponsible partydwarf Ber Odgubzulban brought in an alligator snapping turtle a while back. I thought we were the foreign cultures wing, but I guess we're doing animals now? Did I miss a meeting? The note says that the corpse was a mess, but it's the only thing we have to display so far so I guess I should put it up somewhere.

Now where is the darn thing?

[SAVE 002 taperedceilings.zip]

Right. Found it.  Only one problem - it takes two mechanisms to make a display case and we have ... zero. We also have zero stones and zero metal bars. Oh, but we have a tent. Where did that come from? It's the 18th of Slate, I have a bit under a month and a half before the next review meeting. I decide the first thing I have to do is pierce the aquifer and get mining! Luckily I'm the only miner here, so I won't have to worry about someone accidentally pushing me into the water. I can't swim worth a damn, same as pretty much everyone here.

I order exactly 25 trees cut down. Don't want a war with the elves in our current state.

I mark out a large square area for the 'aquifer plug' and roll up my sleeves ready to start digging. Two weeks later I realize I've been completely distracted by making chairs. A while later and I notice that the museum is, apparently, the site of some sort of supernatural activity.  One of the doors are invisible. I don't ask for much, but it would be nice if the laws of the universe were sort of consistent. I order the door deconstructed and replaced. The new door is invisible. I give up. Whoever takes the North-most room on the East had just better get used to the lack of privacy.

22nd Felsite. I belately realize that there is now...

ROCKS FALL. EVERYBODY DIES.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

game crashed D:

[tonnot98]

I want to play!

But I guess that means that I'd have to focus on farming after making my fort.

Hmm...

[ptb_ptb]

NOTE!

The game crash appears to be the 'delayed crash when unretired fortress includes non-citizens' bug. I suggest that nobody retire an adventurer to the museum until it has been resolved. In my case it crashes on the 22nd of Felsite (happened twice). I will be turning back time to before the adventurer retired and continuing from there.

Also, I strongly suggest you use the 'lair mark' dfhack utility. It took 10 game days just to put the chests back where they should be.

As the nearest civilization is far too far for me to reach, I'm just wandering in circles near the museum. Eventually camps will appear and they can be used to rest up safely...

Meantime I have found and returned

Alligator snapping turtle
Groundhog
Platypus
Kangeroo
Resus Macaque
emu
wolf
sea otter
cow moose (skull)
sturgeon (skull)
kiwi hen
albatross
common snapping turtle
unicorn (skull/horn)
alligator

So ... long story short, I'm dead.
I did get a lot of stuff to Taperedceiling (check the tent), but then I tried to cross the vast distances to the nearest other civilization. It was the goblins. Strangely enough there were no goblins to be found there. I think the reptile men killed them. They certainly killed me. Ambushed by a group of a dozen or so including a human master spearman! It was the latter who impaled me.

TL;DR Don't explore SE

I'm uploading the world file for whoever goes next (link in next post tomorrow morning).

P.S. The museum was pillaged by monkeys. And wolves. And unicorns.

[Timeless Bob]

If dfhack has been advanced to 40.12, definitely lair the site, I guess.  Dang! I suppose setting up an embark outside the Museum is the only way to keep those who make submissions around without having to hike in and back a few days to the human civ down south.  Thanks for your perseverance.

[ptb_ptb]

If dfhack has been advanced to 40.12, definitely lair the site, I guess.  Dang! I suppose setting up an embark outside the Museum is the only way to keep those who make submissions around without having to hike in and back a few days to the human civ down south.  Thanks for your perseverance.

DFhack is up to 40.13. So that's OK at least. Having a player fortress 'retirement home' outside the museum is a bit problematic though. You could set it up, retire the fort, then never unretire it. That bit's OK. However if it falls to ruin it probably wouldn't be a good idea to reclaim it - it's quite possible that would cause the game to crash after a couple of week's game time. There a couple of options I can think of.

[EDIT 1x1 may be possible with dfhack 'embark-tools' will look into this]

1. Set up a 1x1 'retirement home' within a day's walk of the museum. After an adventurer retires there never unretire / reclaim that home - instead set up new ones elsewhere as needed.

2. Set up several 1x1 'motels' each under a day's walk from each other leading to a worldgen dwarf fortress. Players should not retire at them but use them as 'rest stops' to keep the bogeymen away while travelling.

If you like I can 'lair' each museum fortress for you (unretire, lair, retire) before I upload the save file.

[Plancky]

A few wilderness side motels seems like a good idea. at least to an mountain range or other spot one can sleep overnight. I generally use mountain ranges as sleeping spots with adventurers when not near a sight I can safely sleep at.

[ptb_ptb]

I generally use mountain ranges as sleeping spots with adventurers when not near a sight I can safely sleep at.

That works? I had no idea.

[Timeless Bob]

No bogeymen in mountains or on beaches (ocean or river).  Unfortunately, both mountains and beaches have their own "surprise, you've woken up dead!" predators.

I suppose a series of camp sites are in order. This "site crashes with retired adventurer" bug really puts a crimp in my plans.  However, so do the elves next door and I guess the marauding reptile men.  I'm going to say: Whatever strategy works for you: do it.  We may need to train up a few camps of military dwarves around the Museum to protect it, as well as create a series of "safe-houses" as we explore out from the Museum itself.

[ptb_ptb]

I suppose a series of camp sites are in order. This "site crashes with retired adventurer" bug really puts a crimp in my plans.  However, so do the elves next door and I guess the marauding reptile men.  I'm going to say: Whatever strategy works for you: do it.  We may need to train up a few camps of military dwarves around the Museum to protect it, as well as create a series of "safe-houses" as we explore out from the Museum itself.

The reptile men alone I could probably have coped with. It was the master spearman that was insta-lethal.

My 'laired museum' file has just finished uploading. I think you or one of the other players should go next. I've been plenty busy.

I'll put up a piccy in a bit with some suggested camp sites. I suggest whoever plays next makes quick small 1x1 forts then retires them before starting their first adventurer.

[Timeless Bob]

I've just sent a message to pisskop, we'll give him until the 25th to respond saying whether he wants to take a turn or not.