Dwarf Fortress > DF Dwarf Mode Discussion

Avoiding central stairs and making interesting but functional forts

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a52:
I understand the mechanics of this game very well, but I'm never really satisfied with my fortress designs, despite playing on and off for around two years. I always end up with a single central staircase that nearly all levels branch off (with other connections added as the game goes on).

In the early stages especially I have trouble designing things. I never know what to prioritize first and find it difficult to balance aesthetics, long-term efficiency, and the industries I need right now, and usually end up with a single industry being ultra-optimized while all the other industries, as well as the living space, sitting around in a big empty room or scattered wherever I could fit it.

This all gets even worse when I start digging really deep, and have to decide if I want to bother finishing my half-completed upper fortress and haul stuff back up, or just move everything all the way down.

Anybody have any advice on interesting fortress design, which industries to build first, constraints/embarks that would make it harder to make boring designs, etc?

What do you guys do immediately after embark?

Fleeting Frames:
Sup, 2016 flightmate!

I think your questions would probably merit separate topics; industry prioritization is somewhat distanced from fortress layout. I have a feeling you care more for the latter, anyway.

Avoiding single central staircase in letter is easy, obviously. Avoiding in spirit, though...I don't think I've truly tried. Sure, you can do stuff like octohelix rampways surrounding work areas or descending into split rampways, but that's still centralization and minimizing walk distance; even old .40d forts I've looked at on dfma had central hallway more often than not. You could branch paths fractally, but then you have a central node. etc.

I can suggest you three constraints:

Follow the curvature of the land (particularly interesting in caverns imho).

Weave your world into your fort (important people, religion, access to stuff).

Limit your fortress itself to within 1, maybe 2z if you want stockpile level or something.

a52:
Those are good ideas. I don't want to completely eliminate centralization -- I just want to add some variation, fill out space a bit better, and make forts that are more like real-life medieval castles than mineshafts.

Perhaps a restriction that I could only build rooms that were directly adjacent to or directly above/below other rooms (with some minor exceptions) would help. If you think about it, real-life buildings are often constrained this way, as they don't have the full 3D space to waste on long hallways or ladders. It would also be a good way to make it look pleasing without relying on complete symmetry.

I've taken a look at some other threads of a similar nature, and a common suggestion is to make lots of rooms with ceilings multiple z-levels high. That could pair really interestingly with this other rule.

Russell.s:
I try my best to make forts that are interesting looking first, and functional second. Apart from the need for a defensible entrance and the basics like enough food, I don't actually see the point in ultra optimising a fortress. Yes, things will take longer to produce, but there's no hurry :). I sit back and enjoy that soothing guitar and ponder my next design while waiting.

In terms of interesting forts, I tend to use a lot of circles and angles. I also tend to stay on just a few z-levels. It's less efficient to have a big sprawling shallow fort, but it's much more visually pleasing! And it gives me the joy of watching my dwarves run back and forth to their various temples and taverns and tasks.

The only fort I've got screenshots of is my old fort Eaglemansions, here: https://imgur.com/gallery/RSGkN.

Keep us updated on what you decide to do! :)

TheyHaveACaveTroll:
I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for, but I'm building a fort that has a central cavern, with all the buildings carved into the face of the cavern. But i'm only 5 years in, so it's too early to tell if it's going to look good. But the idea is that I get to have stuff like windows, walkways 7z levels above floor, terrace farms etc. The cavern is going to be mostly artificial but as it is, it already opens to natural cave system, so maybe finding a suitable natural cavern could be an option on some embarks.

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