40d:Losing - Revision history

DarklingArcher: versioned categories

2026-11-01T17:22:26Z

versioned categories

Quietust at 13:35, 16 June 2024

2024-06-16T13:35:53Z

24.180.253.106: /* Local Wildlife */

2015-03-31T00:34:49Z

Local Wildlife

Quietust at 20:50, 28 May 2014

2014-05-28T20:50:32Z

Quietust at 21:35, 14 December 2011

2011-12-14T21:35:50Z

QuietBot: Fixing links within namespace (1271/2470)

2011-12-08T14:57:58Z

Fixing links within namespace (1271/2470)

Show changes

Quietust at 21:27, 20 April 2011

2011-04-20T21:27:51Z

Quietust at 16:57, 21 March 2011

2011-03-21T16:57:29Z

138.87.140.253 at 13:35, 2 December 2010

2010-12-02T13:35:19Z

91.10.231.208 at 18:09, 29 November 2010

2010-11-29T18:09:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:22, 1 November 2026
Line 91:		Line 91:
	It is still possible to die from magma without bugs if you're trying to pull a [[Main:Boatmurdered\|Boatmurdered]] (i.e. flood the world with magma) or if you just want to roast those sieges sitting at your front door.		It is still possible to die from magma without bugs if you're trying to pull a [[Main:Boatmurdered\|Boatmurdered]] (i.e. flood the world with magma) or if you just want to roast those sieges sitting at your front door.

−	[[Category:Guides]]	+	{{Category\|Guides}}

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 === Inability to mine (aka "no picks") ===
-Simply put, you need [[pick]]s to mine [[ore]], which is then [[smelt]]ed to make [[metal]] for items like more picks.  If you are careless (or ignorant) of how to dig safely, and your [[miner]]s create a [[cave-in|collapse]] or flood and their equipment gets lost/destroyed/unrecoverable, ''and'' you have no materials to make more picks, you will be at a severe handicap until the problem is solved.  Any dwarf can be given the [[mining]] [[labour]], but without a pick they can do nothing.  There is no way to get new metals or stone for any purpose nor any way to dig new rooms/tunnels unless you have picks.
+Simply put, you need [[pick]]s to mine [[ore]], which is then [[smelt]]ed to make [[metal]] for items like more picks.  If you are careless (or ignorant) of how to dig safely, and your [[miner]]s create a [[cave-in|collapse]] or flood and their equipment gets lost/destroyed/unrecoverable, ''and'' you have no materials to make more picks, you will be at a severe handicap until the problem is solved.  Any dwarf can be given the [[mining]] [[labor]], but without a pick they can do nothing.  There is no way to get new metals or stone for any purpose nor any way to dig new rooms/tunnels unless you have picks.
 If you have [[ore]] or [[bar]]s to create a [[weapons-grade]] metal, and a [[forge]] (and [[smelter]] if you need one), you can create new picks and continue.  You can also get lucky with a dwarven [[caravan]] - elves and humans don't (ever?) offer picks.  If the first dwarven caravan doesn't bring any, you can try to keep your fortress running long enough to request additional [[pick]]s from your Outpost [[Liaison]], who will arrive with the next dwarven trade [[caravan]] in a year.  Or you can [[abandon]] and try again.

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 ===Local Wildlife===
-Goblins aren't the only creatures that want you dead.  The obvious threats aside, some [[creature]]s with benign names or descriptions can be surprisingly deadly.  Be it [[unicorn]]s, [[hippo]]s, [[rhesus macaque]]s, or (gulp) [[carp]], a sudden wildlife attack can quickly cripple or destroy an unprepared fortress.  Before you unpause the a new game for the first time, hit {{k|u}}nits, and scroll down to see what's sharing your map.  Learn to do this regularly - new creatures will frequently migrate onto your map and then off again to be replaced by others.
+Goblins aren't the only creatures that want you dead.  The obvious threats aside, some [[creature]]s with benign names or descriptions can be surprisingly deadly.  Be it [[unicorn]]s, [[hippo]]s, [[rhesus macaque]]s, or (gulp) [[carp]], a sudden wildlife attack can quickly cripple or destroy an unprepared fortress.  Before you unpause a new game for the first time, hit {{k|u}}nits, and scroll down to see what's sharing your map.  Learn to do this regularly - new creatures will frequently migrate onto your map and then off again to be replaced by others.
 Consider arming up and thinning out any predictable threats, which can also help avoid the next problem...

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 There is no internal end point or single goal or final Easter egg or "You Win!" announcement in Dwarf Fortress.  Therefore, eventually, almost every fortress will fall.  The only ones that don't tend to be very conservative and very boring - and what fun is that?  Therefore, DF = losing, losing = fun, DF = losing = fun, and that's okay!  It's a game philosophy, so embrace it, own it, and have ''fun'' with it!
-Most new players will lose their first few forts earlier than later; <s>if</s> when you lose a [[fortress]], don't feel like you don't understand the game.  Dwarf Fortress has a steep learning curve, and part of the process (and fun!) is discovering things for yourself.  However, this Wiki serves as an excellent place to speed up the learning process.
+Most new players will lose their first few forts earlier than later; <s>if</s> when you lose a [[fortress]], don't feel like you don't understand the game.  Dwarf Fortress has a steep difficulty curve (often referred to as a "cliff"), and part of the process (and fun!) is discovering things for yourself.  However, this Wiki serves as an excellent place to speed up the learning process.
 If you lose, you can always [[reclaim fortress mode|reclaim fortress]] or go visit it in [[adventurer mode]].

@@ Line 75: / Line 75: @@
 ===War===
-The [[Main:goblin|goblin]]s may not be your only enemy; remember that time you "accidentally" pulled the [[Main:lever|lever]] and flung that poor [[Main:elf|elf]] trader into the sky? Well turns out they got pretty annoyed, prepare for an elven [[Main:war|war]]! It may only take a simple accident (like killing a preachy hippy elf) to start a war you can't possibly win. War is especially difficult to overcome when your fort is taking its first steps, but it is easy to prevent unless you really hate elves- or humans (but then you have other serious problems, dude). The usual goblin skirmishes and sieges do not even count as war - a proper war will be signaled on the embark screen and will be denoted in-game on the {{k|c}}ivilization screen. (NOTE: You cannot be at war with your own race, so no epic dwarf showdowns.)
+The [[goblin]]s may not be your only enemy; remember that time you "accidentally" pulled the [[lever]] and flung that poor [[elf]] trader into the sky? Well turns out they got pretty annoyed, prepare for an elven [[war]]! It may only take a simple accident (like killing a preachy hippy elf) to start a war you can't possibly win. War is especially difficult to overcome when your fort is taking its first steps, but it is easy to prevent unless you really hate elves- or humans (but then you have other serious problems, dude). The usual goblin skirmishes and sieges do not even count as war - a proper war will be signaled on the embark screen and will be denoted in-game on the {{k|c}}ivilization screen. (NOTE: You cannot be at war with your own race, so no epic dwarf showdowns.)
 ===Siege===
@@ Line 87: / Line 87: @@
 ===Volcanic Death===
-[[Main:Volcano|Volcano]]es do '''not''' erupt in version 40d, but are planned to do so at some point in the future (see Toady's response on the plans for Volcanoes [http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=30026.msg994813#msg994813 here].) If magma pours from a volcano on your map, it is a bug and should be reported as such (though bugs are their own category of Fun.)
+[[Volcano]]es do '''not''' erupt in version 40d, but are planned to do so at some point in the future (see Toady's response on the plans for Volcanoes [http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=30026.msg994813#msg994813 here].) If magma pours from a volcano on your map, it is a bug and should be reported as such (though bugs are their own category of Fun.)
 It is still possible to die from magma without bugs if you're trying to pull a [[Main:Boatmurdered|Boatmurdered]] (i.e. flood the world with magma) or if you just want to roast those sieges sitting at your front door.
 [[Category:Guides]]

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 Healthy dwarves will not die of thirst as long as they have alcohol, which in the current version can be {{L|Brewing|brewed}} without the use of water.  However, injured dwarves must be given water, not alcohol, or they will die of dehydration.
-In version{{version|0.28.181.40d}}, {{L|rain}} will refill stagnant {{L|pool}}s of water slowly.  In a hot {{L|climate}}, this may evaporate almost immediately. What's more, if the map is in a dry {{L|climate}}, such as a desert (hot or cold), then there can be long periods of time with no water anywhere - in extreme cases, none ever.  Snow will not refill pools, so you can also have a lack of water in very cold {{L|climate}}s.  Also, if weather has been turned off in the {{L|init.txt}} file then there will be no rain and no water will accumulate, though it may be there at the beginning of the game.
+{{L|Rain}} will refill stagnant {{L|pool}}s of water slowly.  In a hot {{L|climate}}, this may evaporate almost immediately. What's more, if the map is in a dry {{L|climate}}, such as a desert (hot or cold), then there can be long periods of time with no water anywhere - in extreme cases, none ever.  Snow will not refill pools, so you can also have a lack of water in very cold {{L|climate}}s.  Also, if weather has been turned off in the {{L|init.txt}} file then there will be no rain and no water will accumulate, though it may be there at the beginning of the game.
 ===Flooding accidents (aka "too much water")===

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 ===Local Wildlife===
-Goblins aren't the only creatures that want you dead.  The obvious threats aside, some {{L|creature}}s with benign names or descriptions can be surprisingly deadly.  Be it {{L|unicorn|unicorns}}, {{L|hippo|hippos}}, {{L|rhesus macaque}}s, or (gulp) {{L|carp}}, a sudden wildlife attack can quickly cripple or destroy an unprepared fortress.  Before you unpause the a new game for the first time, hit {{k|u}}nits, and scroll down to see what's sharing your map.  Learn to do this regularly - new creatures will frequently migrate onto your map and then off again to be replaced by others.
+Goblins aren't the only creatures that want you dead.  The obvious threats aside, some {{L|creature}}s with benign names or descriptions can be surprisingly deadly.  Be it {{L|unicorn}}s, {{L|hippo}}s, {{L|rhesus macaque}}s, or (gulp) {{L|carp}}, a sudden wildlife attack can quickly cripple or destroy an unprepared fortress.  Before you unpause the a new game for the first time, hit {{k|u}}nits, and scroll down to see what's sharing your map.  Learn to do this regularly - new creatures will frequently migrate onto your map and then off again to be replaced by others.
 Consider arming up and thinning out any predictable threats, which can also help avoid the next problem...
@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 Think it's no big deal to leave your dwarves with a mediocre {{L|dining room}}, no-{{L|quality}} bed and a generally inadequate fortress?
-If there is little in a fortress to give your dwarves happy {{L|thoughts}} and enough to give them unhappy {{L|thoughts}}, then your dwarves will start to throw {{L|tantrum}}s, grow melancholy, and/or cause general chaos. In extreme (but sadly not "rare") examples, this can lead to a {{L|tantrum spiral}} and the loss of the entire fortress.  Unhappiness is more likely to occur if your fortress is suffering other kinds of downfall, so try to keep all the bases covered.
+If there is little in a fortress to give your dwarves happy {{L|thought}}s and enough to give them unhappy {{L|thought}}s, then your dwarves will start to throw {{L|tantrum}}s, grow melancholy, and/or cause general chaos. In extreme (but sadly not "rare") examples, this can lead to a {{L|tantrum spiral}} and the loss of the entire fortress.  Unhappiness is more likely to occur if your fortress is suffering other kinds of downfall, so try to keep all the bases covered.
 ===Ambush===

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 Either way, it keeps you busy.
-There is no internal end point or single goal or final Easter egg or "You Win!" announcement in Dwarf Fortress.  Therefore, eventually, almost every fortress will fall.  The only ones that don't tend to be very conservative and very boring - and what fun is that?  Therefore, fun = losing, losing = fun, DF = losing = fun, and that's okay!  It's a game philosophy, so embrace it, own it, and have ''fun'' with it!
+There is no internal end point or single goal or final Easter egg or "You Win!" announcement in Dwarf Fortress.  Therefore, eventually, almost every fortress will fall.  The only ones that don't tend to be very conservative and very boring - and what fun is that?  Therefore, DF = losing, losing = fun, DF = losing = fun, and that's okay!  It's a game philosophy, so embrace it, own it, and have ''fun'' with it!
 Most new players will lose their first few forts earlier than later; <s>if</s> when you lose a {{L|fortress}}, don't feel like you don't understand the game.  Dwarf Fortress has a steep learning curve, and part of the process (and fun!) is discovering things for yourself.  However, this Wiki serves as an excellent place to speed up the learning process.