Dwarf fortress

[ObadiahtheSlim]

No. You can't specify what materials they use. The only thing you can do is place the materials you want them use closest to the workshop. That or you can forbid all other materials. You have to be careful with that. Say you have workshops made out of alunite and you forbid alunite so they use obsidian instead. All your alunite stone workshops will be forbidden too. If you have foresight, you can build your workshops out of blocks so you can forbid your normal stone without affecting your workshops.

Aside from that, there is nothing you can do except for your preventing certain things from being used in cooking and brewing.

[Shpadoinkle]

Seems like almost every day I see something that makes me say "Holy ****, this is awesome!" I just encountered my first dragon. I was surprised when it breathed fire, and I was surprised when the three soldiers it breathed fire on walked through it unharmed, then proceeded slaughter it, again, unharmed. ONE got a bruised lower spine, but that seems to be really common for some reason. Once they closed to melee range with it, it lasted about eight seconds, most of which it was unconscious. I guess being an ultra-mighty legendary soldier who's superdwarvenly tough is no understatement.

His right rear leg also ended up in a tree ten spaces away before he died.

Also, there's now a miasma in my barracks because of rotten firefly remains. Great.

[Ilena]

Ya, i wish i knew about modding dwarf fortress because i want to have it so i pretty much have a seige almost every year, or even several times a year, so i can have a massive battles and my soldiers dont sit around idle ... and id like to take losses too! so my new soldiers, erm ... migrants can be brought up to replace them :P I dont like the idea that my dwarves are so tough that one can take on like 100 goblins without fear and slaughter them all :P

[Mael]

Ya, i wish i knew about modding dwarf fortress because i want to have it so i pretty much have a seige almost every year, or even several times a year, so i can have a massive battles and my soldiers dont sit around idle ... and id like to take losses too! so my new soldiers, erm ... migrants can be brought up to replace them :P I dont like the idea that my dwarves are so tough that one can take on like 100 goblins without fear and slaughter them all :P

I've quite recently started playing on a modded world. In my first winter, got seiged by Duergar (same stats as dwarfs). Second winter, seiged by Frost Giants (borrowed these from Civ Forge and upped the stats to be slightly lower than a Titan's). Third year I was seiged by first more Duergar, than Hobgoblins (slightly 'arder Goblins), then regular Goblins decided they wouldn't seige, but would ambush instead. It's now spring of year 4, and already there's been one more goblin ambush.
Also, my immigration and trading has been down because they don't seem to want to arrive when there's a seige ongoing.
Before the migrant wave that just arrived, I didn't even have enough dwarfs to get a mood.

Fun is definately being had

edit: If you want I can send you the mods for this.

[Arachu]

Alas, the thread has arisen once more! Praise the mighty probabil-o-matic!

*Ahem* Incidentally, I made some mods just now. Evil Demigods that call themselves good, and are megabeasts, and the all-mighty power of the Mystery Box.

Both will be worshiped. Also, the Demigod should exist, but the Box will never appear to your unworthy self

(Just kidding, about the 'unworthy' bit. Also, I can't test because my laptop's still screwed up...)


Demigod

Spoiler

Show

[CREATURE:DEMIGOD]
[NAME:Demigod:Demigods:Demigod]
[SPECNAME:FEMALE:Demigodess:Demigodesses:Demigodess]
[TILE:'@'][COLOR:6:0:0]
[MEGABEAST]
[GENPOWER:10]
[FANCIFUL]
[CANOPENDOORS]
[PREFSTRING:endless power]
[BODY:HUMANOID:2WINGS:2EYES:2EARS:NOSE:NECK:THROAT: HUMANOID_JOINTS:5FINGERS:5TOES:HEART:BRAIN:SPINE]
[NOT_BUTCHERABLE]
[NOPAIN][EXTRAVISION][NOBREATHE][NOSTUN][NONAUSEA][NOEXERT]
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]
[DAMBLOCK:15]
[NOFEAR]
[SIZE:10]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:touch:touches:5:10:BURN][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[EQUIPS]
[DIURNAL]
[BIOME:ANY_LAND]
[NO_DRINK][NO_EAT][NO_SLEEP]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
[CANNOT_UNDEAD]
[POWER]
[SPHERE:STRENGTH]
[SPHERE:WAR]
[SPHERE:HOLY]
[SPHERE:VIOLENT]
[SPHERE:OLD]
[SPHERE:LEADER]
[SPHERE:MYTHIC]
[SPHERE:MYSTERY]
[SPHERE:ASSERTIVE]
[SPHERE:PROTECT]
[SPHERE:GOOD]
[SPHERE:LIGHT]
[SPHERE:SKY]
[SPHERE:TRUTH]
[SPHERE:BATTLE]

and the Mystery Boxes

Spoiler

Show

[CREATURE:MYSTERY_BOX]
[NAME:Mystery Box:Mystery Boxes:Mystery Box]
[TILE:'#'][COLOR:3:0:0]
[SPEED:0][GRASSTRAMPLE:0]
[GENPOWER:100]
[INTELLIGENT]
[NO_EAT][NO_DRINK][NO_SLEEP]
[EXTRAVISION]
[CANOPENDOORS]
[PREFSTRING:legions of followers]
[PREFSTRING:enthralling nature]
[BODY:BASIC_1PARTBODY:BRAIN]
[NARROW]
[DAMBLOCK:-1]
[SIZE:5]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:STANCE:EXIST:EXISTS:100:100:GOR E][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[SPEECH:dwarf.txt]
[HOMEOTHERM:50000]
[POWER]
[SPHERE:MYSTERY]

Also, I'm pretty sure I never put my little... Pet monstrosity on here. This creature is the Gargathos, a twisted mass of writhing arms and leathery flesh, topped with an eternally screaming head with empty eye sockets.

I even made a DnD version, I'll just post that when I think of a good hook...

anyway, without further ado-

Spoiler

Show

[CREATURE:GARGATHOS]
[NAME:gargathos:gargathae:gargathos]
[TILE:'&'][COLOR:4:0:0]
[GENPOWER:3]
[FREQUENCY:100]
[SLOW_LEARNER]
[BUILDINGKILLER:1]
[PREFSTRING:haunting screams]
[BODY:BASIC_2PARTBODY:2_3PARTARMS_RIGHT:BASIC_FRONT LEGS:BASIC_REARLEGS:BASIC_HEAD:THREE_TENTACLES_LEF T:2EARS:NOSE:2LUNGS:MOUTH:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:THROAT :NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:3FINGERS]
[BODYGLOSS:CLAW_HAND]
[BODYGLOSS:MAW]
[BODYGLOSS:HOOF]
[BODYGLOSS:INSECT_UPPERBODY]
[SIZE:7]
[MAXAGE:45:90]
[SEMIMEGABEAST]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:RH1:slash:slashes:2:3:SLASH][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:RH2:slash:slashes:2:3:SLASH][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:LUTC:stab:stabs:2:3:PIERCE][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:LMTC:stab:stabs:2:3:PIERCE][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:LLTC:stab:stabs:2:3:PIERCE][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[NO_GENDER]
[NOT_BUTCHERABLE]
[NO_SLEEP][NO_EXERT][NO_DRINK][NO_PAIN]
[BONECARN]
[NOCTURNAL]
[POPULATION_NUMBER:1:5]
[CLUSTER_NUMBER:1:1]
[BIOME:SUBTERRANEAN_CHASM]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10267]
[LAYERING:50]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]

You'll also need some body parts....

Spoiler

Show

[BODY:2_3PARTARMS_RIGHT]
[BP:RUA1:top upper arm][CONTYPE:UPPERBODY][LIMB][RIGHT]
[BP:RLA1:top lower arm][CON:RUA1][LIMB][RIGHT]
[BP:RH1:top hand][CON:RLA1][GRASP][RIGHT]
[BP:RUA2:bottom upper arm][CONTYPE:LOWERBODY][LIMB][RIGHT]
[BP:RLA2:bottom lower arm][CON:RUA2][LIMB][RIGHT]
[BP:RH2:bottom hand][CON:RLA2][GRASP][RIGHT]

[BODY:THREE_TENTACLES_LEFT]
[BP:LUT:upper tentacle][CON:UB][LIMB][LEFT]
[BP:LUTC:upper claw][CON:LUT][LEFT]
[BP:LMT:middle tentacle][CON:UB][LIMB][LEFT]
[BP:LMTC:middle claw][CON:LMT][LEFT]
[BP:LLT:lower tentacle][CON:UB][LIMB][LEFT]
[BP:LLTC:lower claw][CON:LLT][LEFT]

The body parts are needed so the game knows how the hell to make the Gargathos' body. In summary, they have a central, two-part body, four legs that end in hooves, two tri-clawed arms on their right side, one on the shoulder and the other on the gut, three stabbing tentacles on their left shoulder, and a screaming, eyeless face.

I put the body parts in (body_default) and the Gargathos itself into (creature_subterranean).


Also, I've decided to showcase two of my first creations; the Spectre and the Wraith. The Spectre is a black @ symbol on a white background, accenting that they do not belong.

They're also vermin, meaning that they appear, wander for a bit, and disappear. They can also be hated. I'm almost certain that they work.

The Wraith is almost humanoid in shape, with massive claws for hands. They're coated in a chitin shell, and tend to be worshiped by various things. Unfortunately, almost all of them get killed a few years in due to either a Bronze Colossus (and it's always a Colossus), or the Drethar (a modded amphibious race I made). They should work (though I can't find them for crap).

Well, now for the wall of text

Spoiler

Show

Spectre

Spoiler

Show

[CREATURE:SPECTRE]
[NAME:spectre:spectres:spectral]
[TILE:'@'][COLOR:0:7:0]
[MODVALUE:3]
[VERMIN_HATEABLE][VERMIN_NOTRAP][FREQUENCY:5]
[EVIL]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[CANNOT_UNDEAD]
[FANCIFUL]
[GLOWTILE]
[GRASSTRAMPLE:0]
[MEANDERER]
[NO_SLEEP]
[NO_EAT]
[NO_DRINK]
[NOBEATHE]
[NOBLEED]
[NOT_BUTCHERABLE]
[SMALL_REMAINS]
[NOSMELLYROT]
[NOSTUCKINS]
[PARALYZEIMMUNE]
[PREFSTRING:beauty]
[PREFSTRING:eerie prescence]
[SIZE:7]
[UTTERANCES]
[BIOME:ANY_LAND]
[TRAPAVOID]

Wraith

Spoiler

Show

[CREATURE:WRAITH]
[NAME:wraith:wraithes:wraith]
[TILE:'&'][COLOR:4:0:1]
[MODVALUE:3]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[AMBUSHPREDATOR]
[BIOME:ANY_LAND]
[EVIL]
[BODY:HUMANOID:2EYES:2EARS:NOSE:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:O RGANS:HUMANOID_JOINTS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:5FIN GERS:5TOES:MOUTH]
[BODYGLOSS:CLAW_HAND:hand:claw]
[CAN_SPEAK]
[CANNOT_UNDEAD]
[CARNIVORE]
[DAMBLOCK:4]
[SEMIMEGASBEAST]
[EXTRAVISION]
[FANCIFUL]
[FREQUENCY:20]
[GRASSTRAMPLE:70]
[LARGE_CHASM]
[LARGE_PREDATOR]
[LARGE_ROAMING]
[LIKES_FIGHTING]
[LISP]
[LOOSE_CLUSTERS]
[MEANDERER]
[NO_GENDER]
[NO_SLEEP]
[NO_DRINK]
[NOBREATHE]
[NOBLEED]
[NOBONES]
[NOCTURNAL]
[NOEXERT]
[NOFEAR]
[NONAUSEA]
[NOPAIN]
[NOSKULL]
[NOSMELLYROT]
[NOSTUCKINS]
[NOSTUN]
[NOT_BUTCHERABLE]
[PARALYZEIMMUNE]
[POWER]
[SAVAGE]
[SEVERONBREAKS]
[SIZE:8]
[SMALL_REMAINS]
[SPHERE:DEATH]
[SPHERE:NIGHT]
[SPHERE:DARKNESS]
[SPHERE:CHAOS]
[SPHERE:MISERY]
[WEBIMMUNE]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:slash:slashes:3:5:SLASH]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:MOUTH:bite:bites:2:3:PIERCE]
[PERSONALITY:ACTIVITY_LEVEL:80:90:100]
[PERSONALITY:ADVENTUROUSNESS:100:100:100]
[PERSONALITY:ALTRUISM:0:0:0]
[PERSONALITY:ANGER:100:100:100]
[PERSONALITY:ANXIETY:76:90:100]
[PERSONALITY:CHEERFULNESS:0:0:0]
[PERSONALITY:COOPERATION:0:0:0]
[PERSONALITY:DEPRESSION:100:100:100]
[PERSONALITY:IMMODERATION:100:100:100]
[PERSONALITY:SYMPATHY:0:0:0]
[PERSONALITY:CAUTIOUSNESS:0:0:0]

I put them both in (creature_other).


I feel a tad braggish, but in honesty that's about half of the creatures I've modded... I still have some items and Starmetal floating around...

I oughtta make a Fallout Centaur. Oh, that will be fun

[Lord Herman]

With my gaming PC being broken, and my spare PC not being able to run anything recent, I've decided to play DF again.

I just had lots of Fun with a fortress built next to a chasm. At first, I hadn't realised there even was a chasm. I also didn't notice the hordes of antmen, troglodytes, ratmen, and other monstrous creatures that roved the map. Then my dorfs started dying. Before I knew it, my fortress was overrun with Fun stuff.

Now I've started a new fortess in a fairly flat area. I just had to find a new spot to build my initial rooms, because the spot I chose was chock full of magnetite and native platinum. And be honest, what's more important: to have a place to live, or to have lots of shiny things?

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Shiny things. They help keep the tantrum spirals at bay.

[Dragonus45]

I've always wanted to ask if anyone on the playground wanted to run a succession fame for this. I read about one a while back but the eyestrain on this game used to really kill me. Anyways turned out y glasses were the wrong prescription and by that point i wants really playing. Well long ramble less long i finally have a working tile set that wont make me go blinder and im resonably sure i wont kill us all. Anyone interested?

[charl]

I've always wanted to ask if anyone on the playground wanted to run a succession fame for this. I read about one a while back but the eyestrain on this game used to really kill me. Anyways turned out y glasses were the wrong prescription and by that point i wants really playing. Well long ramble less long i finally have a working tile set that wont make me go blinder and im resonably sure i wont kill us all. Anyone interested?

I would certainly be interested in such a thing.

[Lord Herman]

We already have a succession game underway: Linky!

It hasn't been too active lately, but we're trying to get it running again. A few more players would certainly be welcome.


Edit: Nuuuu! My legendary engraver, Uristangelo, just went melancholic! Such is the fate of all great artists, I suppose.

Lord Herman is stricken by melancholy!

[ObadiahtheSlim]

My marksdwarf just doesn't have any luck. He was shot by an elite bowgoblin two z-levels up and behind fortifications. Three years later he recovers from his wounds and what happens? I get a siege and another elite bow goblin shots and hospitalizes him. At least this time it's only a broken arm and not two mangled arms.

Also does dragon fire melt soap? I had a soap road and when a dragon came and breathed flame at it, the soap was "cleaned" up. It wasn't the blocks that it had originally been.

[Lord Herman]

Tip of the day: before luring the goblins into your trap by lowering the drawbridge, make sure not to allow your dorfs to go outside. Otherwise, this might happen to your fortress:




Edit: I was forced to abandon The Dismal Dump. I lost half my population in that massacre, and the other half went mad. Oh well. Now I'm starting a new fortress near a magma pit. I called it the Fiery Halls of Death. The dorfs, a group called 'Suckers', apparently thought it was meant to be ironic or something.

[TheSummoner]

So... I started a new fortress up, things were going well and then I got my first immigration wave...

One of my immigrants got tore up pretty bad by a pair of harpies before he and another one (he was a hunter and the other was a ranger with some crossbow skill) took the two winged hags down. He has a yellow wound to his upper body and a red one to his right lung.

Considering I have very few dwarves currently (still in the first year), and his nervous system is intact (he still has military value when/if he recovers), and most importantly, I havent properly harnessed magma or even water yet, I'm reluctant to kill him. Any ideas on how long a mangled lung takes to recover?

Edit: Interesting... despite having his lung still mangled, his upper body recovered and he returned to hauling stuff... Still curious about that lung's reccovery time though.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Internal organs take a very long time. If he has high enough toughness he should be good, otherwise he may pass out from pain or just get winded. I'd put him on pump duty till he gains a few toughness stats just to be safe. Only takes about a year for him to hit legendary and then you can perma draft him for some easy wrestling XP.

Edit:

Even better, since you have a young fort, promote him to bookkeeper and demand all stocks accurate. He'll hit legendary in no time and that will hopefully get him some toughness boosts.

[Zeful]

If book keeper doesn't get the necessary toughness boosts, then put him on pump duty 'till he's legendary there to (even if you have to build a pump going nowhere).

[Rockphed]

Another good profession is Miner if you don't mind him not producing stone every time he mines a tile. On the other hand, to get miner to work like that, you kinda need to have lots of space to dig out.

[TheSummoner]

Eh, I ended up having to abandon it anyways... Ogres...

Working on generating a new world... I just cant get the right mix of evil, savage, and cold (but not freezing)... I can live without magma provided theres a decent ammount of wood to be chopped, but flux is another story (iron is easy enough to get off goblins)

Honestly, the biggest thing I'm after is a map with a good freeze/thaw cycle and an actual river (not brook)... Temperate maps never want to freeze for me (not entirely anyways They'll freeze over a few squares of the river, but never the entire thing). Its been annoying.

[Arachu]

Which reminds me; has anyone ever tried to mine into a glacier and got their miner (and all of his gear) encased in a wall of solid ice? I lost both a Miner and a Stoneworker that way, and had to survive off of the remaining 4 with no mining or wood.

Now that was fun

Also, I have a request;

Spoiler

Show

... Does anyone here know if you can run Dwarf Fortress in DOSBox? I'm starting to get all withdrawy (I'm modding things I can't even test ), and I can actually run games in DOS. I just have no idea whether I can run DF in it, much less how to decipher the instructions anytime soon. Also, if it is possible and someone knows how, could you send instructions in a PM?

I wouldn't ask, normally, but I did exactly what it told me to do and nothing happened. Is DF just too advanced for it? A quick Google search suggests that it can be done, but I can' event find the text mentioned, much less be certain the claims are even being made

[TheSummoner]

Hmm... Arachu, you've created several modded races, right? The kind that will provide me with tons of siege type fun?

Can you post a list of the ones you've made so far? (just names, details not needed... yet =P)

[Arachu]

*Perks up*

Not only that, but I made some monsters and gear

Spoiler

Show

Races:
The Drethar (singular Dreth); semi-peaceful, amphibious alcoholics. They play something like Dwarves, and if you were to anger them, water would neither stop nor kill them. Also, they have goblin slaves in their military.

I never figured out how to fix the Automata, but if I could narrow down the problem they would provide relentless, tireless, powerful soldiers that do not breathe, feel pain, or feel fear. And they are literally ten times tougher than a Dwarf.

There's the Ortoth, which I never got to test, but a little more tweaking and they'll turn up something like genocidal apes. They're always angry, ALL THE TIME (I made a funny :D), they can slash with their claws, bludgeon with their fists or gore via biting, all for twice a Dwarf's punching strength, and they're the size of Humans. They also equip gear and eat your bones.
Not to mention that their claws actually deal Slashing damage, meaning there's a one in three chance that their attack may dismember you.

There's the Viasen (don't ask, there's no answer), which are a race of owl-men I made specifically to use weapons I know to be overpowered; a melee weapon that deals 80 Gore damage (which I'll have to redesign for any semblance of balance) and a ranged weapon that deals 200 Bludgeoning damage. Now, that would be a siege...

There is also this race I made recently, called the Liches. They kill grass underneath their feet (80% chance, in fact) and have an attack that deals 1 Burn damage, setting the target on fire. They wouldn't be a threat to a well-trained military, but they would be a nightmare early on...

Spoiler

Show

Monsters:

Demigods. That's right, Demigods. I think they might be on this page, in fact... Well, anyway, they pose as gods of salvation (leading to sanctimonious names and 'good' followers), but they are in fact gods of destruction. And they are megabeasts. They can crush your buildings and light their foes aflame with a touch for 5-10 Burn damage. Did I mention that they're twice the size of a Dwarf and 15 times as tough? These suckers are Fortress killers

The Gargathos, a semimegabeast that will run you down, stab you to death with tentacles and eat your corpse. They can also learn, they just do it slowly. They're worse than I make them sound.

There are Wraithes, but I never figured out how to make them survive long enough. They're still worshiped by things, and ironically it was always the Drethar that hunted them down.

Spoiler

Show

and Gear:

Flintlock Pistols and Rifles, my first (and frankly proudest) production. They work very well, and give a powerful weapon to any army (for more challenge, give them to enemies )

There are also Hand Scissors (hand-covering axes used in Rome's Coliseum), as well as Punching Daggers that use the Unarmed skill.

Then there's the Psionic Fist and Psionic Interface, the weapons I made the Viasen over. For some reason, you couldn't buy ammo for the Interface in Adventurer, but the Fist worked wonders (very gory wonders )

Then there are Bracers, which are a poor man's Gauntlets (cheaper and weaker), Mail Skirts, which are stronger and more costly than Greaves, and Tower Shields, which are tougher than normal shields. There are also Great Helms that are tougher than normal Helms.

Then there are traps: Bear Traps, Re-Fitted Threshers (for Dwarfbillies ) and even a Giant Hammer to drop on your foes. These are all more than a little over-the top. Which is kind of the point.

And that's about it. For now

[TheSummoner]

Hmm... are you open to suggestions?

[Arachu]

As long as I can grasp the concept, yes

[Lord Herman]

I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but managers are awesome.

I've always neglected managers and bookkeepers, sometimes not even appointing someone to the position. But boy, are they useful. I wanted to build a housing area. In the past, I'd set all my carpenters to repeat building beds, cabinets, chests and doors, and make them stop when I think I have enough. With a manager, I can just order 20 beds, 20 cabinets, 20 chests and 20 doors, and presto! I have everything I need for 20 new bedrooms.

Bookkeepers are very useful too, it seems. I'd always wondered why I couldn't see what kinds of metal bars I had, or exactly how many of each plant seed I had. But with a full-time bookkeeper set to maximum precision, I get a neat list of everything I have.

So although it takes two dorfs from my workforce (three, if I also appoint a full-time broker), full-time bureaucrats are totally worth it.

[TheSummoner]

I was building an entire fortress out of ice, but something about Megaman 9 and Dwarf Fortress don't go together well... so I had to postpone the project.

[Rockphed]

I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but managers are awesome.

I've always neglected managers and bookkeepers, sometimes not even appointing someone to the position. But boy, are they useful. I wanted to build a housing area. In the past, I'd set all my carpenters to repeat building beds, cabinets, chests and doors, and make them stop when I think I have enough. With a manager, I can just order 20 beds, 20 cabinets, 20 chests and 20 doors, and presto! I have everything I need for 20 new bedrooms.

Bookkeepers are very useful too, it seems. I'd always wondered why I couldn't see what kinds of metal bars I had, or exactly how many of each plant seed I had. But with a full-time bookkeeper set to maximum precision, I get a neat list of everything I have.

So although it takes two dorfs from my workforce (three, if I also appoint a full-time broker), full-time bureaucrats are totally worth it.

The really fun thing is that, until the next version, having a dwarf get your book-keeping up to highest precision will get you an Uber-elite dwarf, ready to be drafted straight away, and you pretty much never need another book keeper.

As for managers, the worst is when your manager gets wounded. Then nothing gets done.

[Lord Herman]

Another dorf that's been really useful in my current fortress is my janitor. I've disabled all labour except refuse hauling and cleaning for him. He keeps my fortress squeaky clean; there are never any dead rats or chunks of dwarf lying around.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

My bookkeeper and manager are always one of my starting 7. I generally give him 1 rank in weapon/armor-smithing so if he moods he can make a nice useful artifact. Plus he is never busy so he can do meetings and some misc hauling as required. Very rarely will I give him a real job, even a hauling one. If I feel like saving on furniture, I'll even make him captain of the guard and let him deal out Ultra-Mighty beatings.

[TheSummoner]

My starting 7 is usually...

1 Miner
1 Woodcutter
1 Carpenter/Boyer/Woodcrafter
1 Mason/Engraver/Stonecrafter/Architect
1 Grower
1 Brewer with social skills (Mayor)
1 Other (Usually a Marksman though I've been known to take an Engineer or second Mason in the past)

*Bold are the ones I put points into on embark, the rest are just other things I use them for that they have to learn from nothing

Oh... I have a question! What happens to a dwarf if hes bitten by a venomous creature, but not killed by it (lets say for example a squad of axedwarves goes to fight a couple snakemen and they slaughter the snakemen, but one of them gets bitten in the process but has no other noteworthy injuries). What happens to this dwarf?

No particular reason I'm asking ^_^.

[Celesyne]

ok, after spending forever to generate and search 37 different worlds, I've come to beg a good world for a fort from the Playgrounders. I don't know how to manipulate the world gen process to make what i want more likely so, I figured I'd ask and see if any of you folks happen to have a map that fits.

I'm trying to locate a fortress site that has all of the following: Magma Pipe, Chasm (i think thats the demon/adamantine thingy), no aquifer, flux stone, and underground river, and trees. I can get all of that stuff, but never any trees. Sand for glass and an above ground water source as well would be bonus points, but I figured that would be reaching a little.

If any of you have a world with that I would gladly build a wonderful shrine in the fortress itself just for your efforts, and the dwarves shall worship you for their wonderful fortress and hellish existence when i unleash the demons on them.

I greatly appreciate any help in this area, and in the mean time shall generate another 30 worlds myself in attepts to self-rectify the situation.

[Mael]

ok, after spending forever to generate and search 37 different worlds, I've come to beg a good world for a fort from the Playgrounders. I don't know how to manipulate the world gen process to make what i want more likely so, I figured I'd ask and see if any of you folks happen to have a map that fits.

I'm trying to locate a fortress site that has all of the following: Magma Pipe, Chasm (i think thats the demon/adamantine thingy), no aquifer, flux stone, and underground river, and trees. I can get all of that stuff, but never any trees. Sand for glass and an above ground water source as well would be bonus points, but I figured that would be reaching a little.

It's actually a pit that gives you the demons and adamantine. Search for 'other features' on your map, shows up as a cyan £ symbol.
If you want to make it easier to find your location, cheat and make flux not needed for steel manufacture.

Spoiler

Show

go to dwarf fortress\raw\objects,
edit the file reaction_standard.txt
remove the line [REAGENT:1:REACTION_CLASS:FLUX]
from the entries for [REACTION:PIG_IRON_MAKING] and [REACTION:STEEL_MAKING]