Community in the Fortress (Dwarf Fortress LP)

[Emlyn]

Welcome one and all to my Dwarf Fortress Let's Play. For a while now I've wanted to actually get a decent fortress going so I figured why not use my friends from the Steam thread as Dwarfs? The following will be my account of our trials, successes, and dismal failures. But before we begin a bit about what's going to happen.

So what are you playing?
The name of the game is Dwarf Fortress, a Dwarven murder simulator. Basiclly I'm tasked with building a fortress and seeing how long I can last before I have too much fun

Why are you crazy enough to be doing this?
Fair enough. I've never played a fortress past the 1st year so I want to see how far I can take it having little to no clue what it takes to make a sustainable fortress. Also people seem to want to know how their poor little dwarven selves far.

But it all looks so confusing, how can I tell what's going on?
Well first of all I'm playing with a graphic pack so things should look a bit clearer. I'll be uploading screenshots to photobucket and will link to them when relevant.

Huh this doesn't look to bad after all! Is there anything I can do?
Of course there is! It wouldn't be much of a Let's Play if I did all the work now would it. If you'd like to become a dwarf in this wonderful fortress just ask and list the name you'd like used. Once I get immigrants I'll rename one as you. In addition I'm always open for new ideas of what to do with the fortress. Your feedback is always appreciated.

Dwarves

Spoiler

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Originals
Emlyn - Expedition Leader
Djinn - Miner
Sigs - Miner/Mason
Rutskarn - Woodworker
Dogmantra - Metalsmith
Jibar - Medic/Cook/Mechanic
Scorp - Farmer

Summer First Year
Caramon - Mechanic/Furance Operator
AlterForm - Dyer/Clothing stuff

First Wave
Fawkes - Engraver
Dread Cthulhu - Furnace Operator
Phase - Militia Leader
Kyouhen - Militia
Darth Mario - Brewer
Scuzz - Stuff

To be Dwarfed

Spoiler

Show

Mtg plyaer Zach
The Linker
potatocubed
Robert Blackletter
Even Human
Izual
Zenos
ObadiahtheSlim
TheLogman
Pokon
Zarah

Index of Years
{table]Year|Log
1051-Summer|Auspicious Beginnings
1051-Sum/Winter|A season for Drinking[/table]

[Emlyn]

Prologue
They finally did it. I mean we all expected it; after all there are only so many mining accidents and public embarrassments you can make without causing a stir. But was it really necessary to make me the leader of a new fortress? I mean banishment would have been just fine, there are plenty of other Dwarven cites. But now I'm stuck building our home from the ground up. Of course the council was merciful, oh indeed. To help me they sent six of my best friends with me. I'd feel sorry for them if they hadn't caused even more spectacular failures then I had! I mean taking the beard of that statue of our patron was bad but Sigs one hundred and eighty-six verse rant against the council at our last feast and Rutskarn making that stone support that failed and dropped two hundred barrels of ale into a pit far outweighed mine. I guess there is no helping it now though. At least they gave us ample provisions and supplies to get the blasted thing set up. Course none of us have a clue as to what a new fortress requires much less running one! Now they're throwing us out the door so I suppose that means we're off. Joy.

1st Granite 1051
Despite our best efforts we arrived at what looks to be a suitable site. Of course since none of us have a clue what it takes to start a fortress we pretty much picked the first place we saw after we got sick of walking. I’ve assigned Djinn and Sigs the task of mining out our new home and sternly reminded Djinn that cave-ins will not be tolerated.

3rd Granite
Dogmantra absolutely refused to take apart our wagon until now. Three accursed days he waited! Not that we have a place to store the stuff but that’s just details. Rutskarn found the axe we packed and has since attacked the nearby trees with a vengeance. I doubt there will be any standing by summer. Our miners have also discovered that we have coal deposits scattered about the area in which we are making our home. We’ll at least we can eventually start smelting. Assuming we live that long anyhow.

7th Granite
Against my better judgment I appointed Jibar as our cook. Back home his food was legendary for inducing food poisoning that was said to create an earthquake in your bowels. However, when he can only use simple food his talents apparently improve dramatically.

14th Granite
We’ve mined out our main store room and have begun moving all the supplies inside. I can only pray that Jibar can finish cooking all the food before is spoils.

18th Granite
While building the Mason’s workshop Sigs managed to trap herself inside due to some poor planning on the entrance. Thankfully she still had her pick and proceeded to dig herself out. In addition to our Masons workshop we also have built a Carpentry workshop so we can do something with all the wood Rutskarn is getting.

27th Granite
Sigs is making doors so we can have clearly defined separate rooms. About time anyway, like Dog, she refused my requests for days before relenting. I’m sensing a disturbing trend that my authority isn’t being taken seriously. Meanwhile we’ve finished hauling all the supplies inside. I’ve also ordered a dining hall carved so we can have a place to eat Jibar’s cooking.

9th Slate
Jibar informed me this morning that there is no more unrotten food to turn into meals. When I asked if any food had rotted he repeated himself. Giving him a weary glance I gave him the task of making some mechanics so we can get a proper front door. How bloody hard is it to see if the food rotted? If I wasn’t so busy making sure they were actually working I’d check myself. The burdens of leadership I suppose.

16th Slate
It’s been a busy past week. We’ve set up the forage and a smelter so metal items can now be produced if we choose. At least that’s what Dogmantra claims at any rate. Our dining room finally got some much needed furniture and now I’ve drawn up plans for our own rooms as well as a farm. Djinn and Sigs have certainly been kept busy.

1st Felsite
Not only have we managed to mine out a decent sized farming plot but our wood pile is nearly filled! With each day of hard work the cold weight that we are doomed lifts. Scorp has complained that until we flood the farm plot he can’t plant. To solve this I had Djinn and Sigs make a channel out of the mountain and one towards the nearby lake. I’ve also ordered floodgates installed so we can control the flow of water. Hopefully in a week we’ll be all set.

4th Felsite
In Djinn’s infinite wisdom and skill as a miner he succeeded in trapping not only himself but Sigs in a pit. They’re quiet alright though it will take a few days for them to dig their way out. After all these years I thought I’d seen the worst he could muster. Must he prove me wrong nearly once every month?

11th Felsite
It took us a few days to realize that Rutskarn was missing. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d have disappeared only to be found sleeping in some side room. Of course the distinct lack of side rooms should have clued us in. Scorp was the one who heard his pleas for help on the other side of one of the floodgates. Apparently he thought that installing the floodgate between himself and the only exit was a good plan. Djinn has been reassigned to mine him out.

21st Felsite
After almost two weeks Djinn finally reached Rutskarn who was very much alive and well, albeit hungry and very sober. Never a good thing to happen to a Dwarf. However strange set of all was the news Djinn brought to me later in the day. He said that I had just been voted expedition leader. Puzzled I asked him what I’d been since we’d left the Dwarven Home. He replied that they’d been listening to me mainly to humor me and to get me to shut up quicker. Outrage choked my words and he left before I could start screaming. At least that explains there hesitance to work.

7th Hematite
Summer has arrived and we’re not dead so that counts for something. My quarters are finally furnished so I’ll be able to begin sorting our records soon. However to my surprise I entered my room to find Jibar sleeping in my bed. To even things out when he awoke I’ll have him assigned as our Chief Medical Officer. He’s the only one with any training but he hates doing it. Shows him for taking my bed!

21st Hemanite
Once everything was set I explained the last staged of my plan. Djinn only needed to mine into the lake. The sheer number of curses he knew staggered me. I think he went a whole hour without repeating himself. When he finally calmed down I reminded him that this was the only way we could eat. Grumbling he agreed. Once he’d breached the lake he came flying back towards me. I’ve never in my life seen a dwarf move that fast! Anyway everything worked and we’ll start planting in couple of days.

3rd Malachite
Scorp has our first crop, Plump Helm, planted. He expects to be harvesting in a few weeks. The news warms my heart as it means we will finally have use for the still we built a month ago. Since we seem to have enough space I’ve had Djinn and Dogmantra begin to get our metal smithing underway. To no surprise I learned that they couldn’t start because we had no fuel. I swear I age a year every day I’m around them.

6th Malachite
Finally solved the fuel problem, burning wood into charcoal allowed us to finally melt the coal into fuel. I’ve confined myself to my office to get our records up to date. Currently I don’t even know how much food we have.

26th Malachite
Not much has happened, just some more mining and the metal smithing finding its legs. All our rooms are furnished and we even have extra beds in the barracks. However while installing the main gates Scorp trapped himself outside after he installed the last one. Hopefully Jibar can get the doors hooked up to the lever so we can let him in.

3rd Galena
I’m at my wits end. I’ve spent the last five days trying to get someone to get the doors hooked up to the leaver. Instead of that they just want to carry rocks outside but can’t because the doors are shut. So hook up the thrice blasted doors! I barely restrained myself from slamming my head against the wall till I passed out. Finally I had Djinn dig around the doors. Scorp got in but it kind of invalidates the main gate. Well at least we can build a wall…

8th Galena
Out of the blue two immigrants arrived today. Apparently they were looking for adventure and heard we were in the neighborhood. When questioned about their skills one revealed to have next to none and the other was an adapt dyer. Barely keeping the shock from my face I’ve assigned them menial labors. What on earth am I supposed to do with a dyer? Do we look like the kind of place that makes cloth? Well there are always more rocks to haul.

20th Galena
As summer nears its close I must look towards the future and the rest of this year. The dwarven caravan should be arriving in the next three months and currently we have nothing to offer them. I’ve made it a priority to have some iron weapons foraged for trading by the time they arrive but we have a long ways to go yet. Currently we are building our fuel supply so we can start making iron bars. Oh and getting a trade depot built couldn’t hurt either.

[Mtg_player_zach]

I think I should be a dwarf.

[The Linker]

11th and 21st Felsite are my favorite. That Rutskarn!

Was the part about you having JUST been voted expedition leader actually true and represented in the game? I don't know much about Dwarf Fortress. Were you just controlling Emlyn the dwarf and making him order around the rest of the dwarves, not knowing he had never ACTUALLY been the leader? Or was that just flavor text you came up with?

Also, yes, reserving a spot in the second wave.

[potatocubed]

11th and 21st Felsite are my favorite. That Rutskarn!

Dwarves walling themselves in on the wrong side of floodgates (or walls, or just about any other construction) is common practice. I think it's one of the things they teach at masonry school.

Also, sign me up for dwarfhood.

[Robert Blackletter]

I want to be a dwarf too?

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Good to see I'm so "useful," Emlyn!

[Emlyn]

11th and 21st Felsite are my favorite. That Rutskarn!

Was the part about you having JUST been voted expedition leader actually true and represented in the game? I don't know much about Dwarf Fortress. Were you just controlling Emlyn the dwarf and making him order around the rest of the dwarves, not knowing he had never ACTUALLY been the leader? Or was that just flavor text you came up with?

Ya I have absolutely no idea what happened there. When you set out one dwarf is your leader(which was me) but then they voted me into the position I already had.

Everyone who has expressed interest has been recorded and will be added as soon as possible.

[Dogmantra]

I like the way you paint me as entirely incompetent.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

I never really got into DF, but I'll happily lend my name and likeness for the glory and betterment continued hilarity of this LP.

[Izual6764]

Could you reserve me a dwarf? I won't be picky, any profession you want or need.

[Zenos]

I too would like a spot in the fortress, preferably as militia.

[Emlyn]

I like the way you paint me as entirely incompetent.

It's not my fualt you refused to work realiably until nrealy four months had passed! BUt don't worry, when Mario shows up you'll be looking like a saint.

I too would like a spot in the fortress, preferably as militia.

Easily accomodated as the immigrents tend to be worthless slackers with no redemable skills or qualities and as such make excellent cannon fodder well suited for military training.

[Jibar]

Jeeze, Dorf me's never get a break. Ever.
At least this time I haven't been driven insane by a dorf hoarding marmot corpses in his room.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Could you reserve a dwarf for me? I'd prefer a mechanic, but i'm not picky.

[Zenos]

Easily accomodated as the immigrents tend to be worthless slackers with no redemable skills or qualities and as such make excellent cannon fodder well suited for military training.

For the overlord expedition leader!

[ObadiahtheSlim]

I've gotten some good luck with immigrants before. I've had at least one come with a High Master skill level. I've also had one will almost all of the doctor skills.

[TheLogman]

I'd like to be a Dwarf in this if I could.

[Scuzzball]

Well, it says I'm going to be a dwarf. This makes me happy, but I still have no idea how to play df.

[The Linker]

I like the way you paint me as entirely incompetent.

Yeah. C'mon, Emlyn, let's not let real-world track records influence their dwarf representations.



Don't kill me! D:

[Pokonic]

I would like to be a dwarf in the military but anythings ok.

[Emlyn]

Yeah. C'mon, Emlyn, let's not let real-world track records influence their dwarf representations.



Don't kill me! D:

It's not my bloody fault that his persona carries over in game!

As for learning the game, go the the wiki (which I linked the start) and follow one of their tutorials. After a couple practice forts you'll be doing just fine.

[Emlyn]

Year 1 second update

7th Limestone
You wouldn’t think a trade depot would be that challenging to build. But since I’m blessed with the most “efficient” dwarves to ever walk this earth it took still isn’t up. Not that it matters as the iron weapons are only begging to be made and there are still no signs of the caravan. I begin to fear they will not arrive. Without the supplies they bring we will have no hope of lasting till the next arrives.

24th Limestone
It’s time we go searching for a new source of fuel. While we currently have plenty in reserve we are out of coal so no new fuel can be processed. Djinn and Sigs have been given that as their top priority. In other news, we finally have a trade depot! It only took three weeks, so I suppose I shouldn’t be too worried. Oh who am I kidding, this is pathetic. I’m going to get a drink.

(The next entry has been washed out by what looks like dwarven rum.)

11th Sandstone
Well the worlds stopped spinning so I suppose that means I can write again. Now if running out of fuel wasn’t enough we’re also running low on limonite. Can’t make iron without that stuff, or a similar rock. Added that to the growing list of things for Djinn and Sigs to mine. Smithing is in full swing and with any luck we’ll at least have a few wares to trade.

14th Sandstone
Something rather, peculiar happened today. I was returning to my study to continue organizing our records when I happened to notice Djinn leaving Sigs room. Being the good friend that I am I offered him a beer. Over the course of (several) beers I got the whole story. Apparently all the time they had spent working together had not only turned into a deep friendship but something more. It seems our fortress has its first lovers! I offered him my congratulations and returned to my duties, a happier dwarf.

17th Sandstone
Today brought a very welcome surprise. Six new immigrants arrived today though there reaction at seeing the fort was rather peculiar. They asked if this was the Dwarven resort they had been told about. Our incredulous stares informed them that this wasn’t the place they were looking for. After further questioning the whole story became clear. Apparently someone back at the Dwarven Home thought that a quick buck could be made by selling vacations to a “resort fortress” where the fortress in question was ours. Well beggars can’t be choosers and since they don’t have the supplies to return they are our new permanent residents.

26th Sandstone
I’ve finally got the new residents sorted out and assigned jobs. Having no real skills Fawkes has been assigned to smooth the entire fortress, walls and floor. Hopefully he won’t screw that up too badly. Scuzz has some small talent with woodcrafting so he and Rutskarn can work together. I have my hopes set high on Darth Mario. He has some small measure of talent with fighting and as such I have appointed him as the militia commander. Hopefully he won’t fail me. Also among those that arrived where a husband and wife. Dread Cuthulhu is happily married to his wife Phase. I’ve given them their own room and assigned Dread to the smithery. After all anyone can stick a lump of rock in a furnace and pull it out. Phase surprisingly also promising talent in the military so she has been recruited as well. Our fortress is finally getting some defense.


18th Timber
Amorak be praised! The caravan has at last arrived. Though winter arrives in less than two weeks they made it. They’ll spend the next several days unloading while we bring out our goods to barer. In other news our military has had some, issues. Darth Mario has surpassed any dwarf in this fortress before him in shear laziness. No amount of prompting or threatening will get him to train. Each time he mutters something about not messing up his completion and wonders off to go drinking. Finally I couldn’t deal with it anymore and stripped him of his command. Phase is now our new commander due to her diligence and dedication she has so far demonstrated. A dwarf from the recent immigrant wave, I forget to mention him, stepped forward to fill the second slot in our military. Kyouhen is his name and he seems to share Phases’ strict policies on training. At least there was some good out of all this mess.

23rd Timber
Finally got enough time to visit the caravan and do our trading. They highly valued our weapons and I was able to not only get a considerable amount of food but also silk so that our dyer could actually do what he’s skilled at. Of course I found at later that he has no idea how to weave.

7th Moonstone
Jibar has been busy cooking up all the food we bought before it spoils. I’ve ordered the construction of a weavers shop so that all that silk cloth doesn’t go to waste. AlterFrom will learn how to sew, by my beard! I swear this whole place will come crashing down on our heads from sheer stupidity.

19th Moonstone
Someone forgot to notify me we were running low on wood so we’ve managed to run out. Thankfully since the climate is fairly warm here Rutskarn won’t have too bad a time cutting more down. On the mining front Ruts and Sigs are now strip mining the mountain for fuel and limonite. We’re burning through it far faster then we can mine it. Our military is fully outfitted with iron armor and weapons. I suppose that just increase the likelihood of them hurting themselves.

26th Moonstone
To prevent our fearless warriors from succumbing to the devastating power of the sun and being aboveground I’ve moved the barracks outside. I’m currently building it two stories high out of stone walls. The roof is open to allow the dreaded sun in. They can just suck it up. What used to be the barracks is now the dorms for all the new dwarves until we get some more rooms.

2nd Opal
In what can only be described as truly stunning, my dwarves decided that when there is only one unit of fuel left that the best use of it is not to make more fuel, rather smelt limonite into Iron. Last I checked we have somewhere around twenty plus bars of iron. Well time to fire up the wood burner and use, oh yes that’s right. We have no wood. Now where’s that bottle of rum.

5th Opal
I swear each day that doesn’t bring a new reason for me to hate my life exists only to heighten the pain when something goes horribly wrong. For example when Sigs traps herself on top of the new barracks and refuses to jump down. Current estimations leave her up there for two days until we can get a ramp built to her. I’ve already been over to console Djinn and made sure he’d keep working.

12th Opal
Well we are currently doing okay economy wise so it’s about time we actually started expanding. Djinn and Sigs are now going to mine out a shaft down about fifteen levels and we’ll see what we can find. With any luck nothing that bites.

9th Obsidian
Mining went well, surprisingly so. First of all because it was done in this fortress, but secondly because we found silver. I’ve ordered a metalworkers shop so we can do something with it. Another miracle I should record is that Darth Mario has actually started working consistently. I tell you Amorak is trying to keep me from drinking our entire rum supply.

[Zarah]

Since I just recently finished reading the epic that is Syrupleaf, I must request my own Dwarfing. I'd like to be some kind of Medical-Dorf if at all possible, but I won't be terribly picky with my job assignment.

EDIT: Also, this LP has far too few screenshots. We need to see what this fortress looks like!

[Izual6764]

It's all great, but you need to give us some screenshots. Also, it's Armok, not Amorak.