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Author Topic: Help with dwarf-breeding  (Read 2865 times)

Tilmar13

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Help with dwarf-breeding
« on: August 15, 2019, 04:06:42 pm »

I wanted to try and make a "true" generational fort, with just a few starting families whose descendants populate and inherit the fort, so my pop cap is 15, baby cap is 30, and the absolute population cap is set to 100. I've tried housing heterosexual/bisexual dwarves of opposite sexes in the same room, but to no avail. In 6 years, I've only gotten one potential pairing, and they've been lovers for 3 years now. (The she-dwarf in that relationship became queen, but thankfully she is a legendary carpenter and only demands wooden bucklers.)

I can't really afford to separate a few dwarves from the rest of the fortress, because I need everyone. How can I set up a dwarf breeding program under these conditions?
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Klinka Na Karaz : Grung A Na Grungron : Az A Na Ankor
A Pick for the Earth : A Hammer for the Anvil : An Axe for everything else

Fleeting Frames

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Re: Help with dwarf-breeding
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2019, 08:12:25 pm »

My firm recommendation on experience is to not half-ass it with meeting areas. If you can't afford to have two locked away into tiny space for two months to stand next to each other, you probably can't afford any of the slower methods either (you can get meetings with synchronized eating on the cheap, but that's about it - and relationships decay to boot) - but even past marriage, one needs to ensure the pregnancies as well, not just merely rely on eating and sleeping for it.

Also, you probably know this, but check whether your queen or their partner isn't unwilling to commit (not visible in base game, but neither is bisexuality) or disliking marriage/family.

PS: Wondering why you can't afford locking with 15, given usual generational fort locks away 4/7 dwarves to get going.

Tilmar13

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Re: Help with dwarf-breeding
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2019, 09:57:07 pm »

My fort is pretty big with just my 15, and running all the necessities plus steel, soap, glass, and carpentry all automated makes it harder to lock away dwarves. I'll try and find a few, but I believe I only have 3 marriage-oriented dwarves...too bad they're all great at what they do. I was hoping the meeting area would do it, but honeymoon suite it is, I guess
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Klinka Na Karaz : Grung A Na Grungron : Az A Na Ankor
A Pick for the Earth : A Hammer for the Anvil : An Axe for everything else

PatrikLundell

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Re: Help with dwarf-breeding
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2019, 01:42:44 am »

Yes, dorfs are currently completely inept when it comes to relations and fulfilling needs associated with relations, so you need to use nuptial encouragement suites (and out of DF candidate screening with e.g. Dwarf Therapist to verify orientation and willingness to marry). Once married, the couples should get their own room where they're burrowed to do their job to produce dorflets (it helps if you use a script to check for pregnancy so you know when to let them out).

A small fortress population always has more work to do that hands to do it, and constant work will affect the dorfs eventually. I run my (small) fortresses on a season based schedule where spring is work and agriculture (plus elven caravan), summer is work and fruit harvest (plus human caravan), autumn is for catching up on hauling (dead civs don't have caravans, but dead civs are bugged when it comes to raiding, although raiding is itself fatally bugged...), and winter is for rest and recreation (which includes a month of militia training with different squads each month to satisfy martial training needs). This schedule is often interrupted by gobbo invasions, though...
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ulf

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Re: Help with dwarf-breeding
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2019, 04:07:34 am »

From my own experience the trick is to make the dining room tiny, and an inn (citizens only). It also helps having people work close to each other - my miners tend to find each other after working side by side in 2 wide corridors. Same with planters on small fields, and militia in tiny barracks.
Pay attention to the relationships. If each dwarf does not have multiple friends, then the chance of finding someone to love is pretty slim...

I've been trying with a new fort with 2 times your limit, but after 2 years (before reaching that limit), I had 2 marriages and 1 kid.
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Thunderforge

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Re: Help with dwarf-breeding
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2019, 12:12:44 pm »

I’ve taken the square brackets off of MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE in the dwarf raws and set my pop cap to 30. Hopefully it’ll give me more children per birth. I’ve hit the pop cap and receiving no more migrants, but no kids yet...
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Klinka Na Karaz : Grung A Na Grungron : Az A Na Ankor
A Pick for the Earth : A Hammer for the Anvil : An Axe for everything else

Tilmar13

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Re: Help with dwarf-breeding
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2019, 02:19:17 pm »

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Klinka Na Karaz : Grung A Na Grungron : Az A Na Ankor
A Pick for the Earth : A Hammer for the Anvil : An Axe for everything else

Thunderforge

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Re: Help with dwarf-breeding
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2019, 03:48:56 pm »

My signature is the battle call of the Thunderforge Clan of Norsca.
We shall welcome a dwarven battle brother joining the cry against our enemies!!
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Klinka Na Karaz : Grung A Na Grungron : Az A Na Ankor
A Pick for the Earth : A Hammer for the Anvil : An Axe for everything else