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[tombhart]

Right, I just recently downloaded Dwarf Fortress on my home computer and have had a great deal of fun playing around with this autistic, clunky, inconvenient, glorious game. I have probably logged more hours designating dig squares than the psalter spent on the book of proverbs.

So, I somehow found my way into college, armed with nothing but a laptop. One of the first things I did was download and install dwarf fortress. This time, It's Iron Man edition. No graphics mods. No add-ons  (except for giving Giant Desert Scorpions the ability to reproduce. Fucking Battle-Tank-Sized monstrosities that they are), not even a square set. I'm gonna kick it old school.

So I fire up my game, make a world, and prepare to embark... when I realize my laptop has no numpad. Even worse, it doesn't have the side + and - keys that I depend on for navigating the sub-menus- Without it, I can't even move around the 'help' menu!

I am not a particularly tech-saavy individual, and I am terrified of the prospect of having to go in manually and edit the interface files. Does anyone have any advice or tips on how to circumvent or fix these problems? I'll suck your dick be very grateful!

[Jack A T]

Function key.

[umiman]

Here you go.

http://dwarf.lendemaindeveille.com/index.php/Key_bindings

Easier to understand version: http://archive.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Key_Bindings

[Kagus]

'Esc' -> Key Bindings -> (scroll down one page to find the  "-+" keys) -> 'K' -> (key of your choice.  I use the non-numpad "-+" keys for scrolling, and the "[ ]" keys for paging)

And don't worry about the numpad.  You can either hold down the function key and use the built-in numpad, or you can just press the numbers on your 123456 lineup. 

[tombhart]

Thanks for the help everybody! I'll check up on your advice and hopefully I won't have to suck any more man meat post again!

[tombhart]

Right then! Only one last problem: I can't seem to move up and down through the Z-axis- How do I set  the key bindings for that?

[Surma]

I'd guess changing the

[CURSOR_UP_Z:DIVIDE]
[CURSOR_DOWN_Z:MULTIPLY]
[CURSOR_UP_Z_AUX:SHIFT+5]
[CURSOR_DOWN_Z_AUX:CTRL+5]

to some key(s) that make more sense for your laptop.

[SmileyMan]

You could always pop into a computer shop and get a USB number pad.  I picked mine up for £6 - presumably you can get one for no more than $10.  Saves my life when I have to do the accounts, and incidentally makes DF easier to play.

[Quift]

I sometimes use the screen keyboard. The one normally used to help those physically challenged.

Works quite fine, albeit slower than a real keyboard.

[Sartain]

I played Dwarf Fortress on my laptop for a year or so. You really just need to change the keys for up/down on the z-axis to keys you actually have, and you're set to go. No big deal

[Qmarx]

I end up using -= instead of plus and minus, and [] instead of <>.  Just remember to save the file after redoing the settings...

[RPharazon]

I've always played DF on a laptop. I actually find regular keyboards quite cumbersome now.

The function key is your friend, by the way.

[DarkMagnus]

Yeah, I play DF exclusively on a laptop and I have no trouble. Just change whatever key bindings you need (I don't even use the function key).

[Skizelo]

Does anyone have a good suggestion for diagonal movement on a keyboard without the full numpad?
It's occasionally needed in adventure mode. What can I say.

[RPharazon]

I can do diagonal movement by doing Fn+[Arrow Key].

It's a bit spastic, but it works.