Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

User:Ral

2023-01-12T08:59:11Z

Ral: latest stuff

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|I've also created a template that people can use to embed "tips" in documentation that might otherwise interrupt the flow of things. They're most appropriate for tutorial-type documents that have a sort of step-to-step nature, similar to the "Whatever for Dummies" books. See [[DF2010:Quickstart guide]] for example usage. Also see [[Template:TipBox2]].

This tip box style can be created with:

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Greetings, I am Ral. On steam I am NimrodX. I wrote [https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2899235556 Dwarf Fortress Intermediate Guide: Strike The Earth Like a Master].

In the past I have done major work on:
* [[Adventurer mode]]
* [[Adventure mode quick start]]
* [[Dwarf fortress mode]]
* [[Quickstart guide]]
* [[Advanced world generation]]
* [[Mass pitting]]

But it has been years!

Contact:
*[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=35653 Ral on the forum]
*[https://steamcommunity.com/id/nimrodx/ Steam Profile]

Main page sandbox:
* [[User:Ral/Testmain]]

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User talk:Emi

2023-01-12T08:53:48Z

Ral: /* Account Recovery for Ral */

Please leave new messages by pressing the new section button. It is next to the edit button, and says "Add topic". Be sure to sign your message with <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> so I know who left me the message.
{{archive|*[[User_talk:Emi/archive1|archive 1]]}}

== Empty DF:2012 Articles ==

Hello, I'd like to offer a few suggestions:
* Could the bot which went through and replaced all the v0.31 article links with DF:2012 links be modified to actually create those articles with a <nowiki>{{av}}</nowiki> template inserted, so that users can reference an older version easily while understanding that it could be outdated?
* Could a bot be created to go through all the current dead links and create those articles and place a <nowiki>{{av}}</nowiki> template within them?
* Failing that, I'd be willing to volunteer for this; I understand that I should talk to you for article creation. In that case, would I have to present you with a list of articles to be created?
--[[User:Reilwin|Reilwin]] 02:53, 15 March 2012 (UTC)

:Looks like I can create articles myself after enough edits. --[[User:Reilwin|Reilwin]] 06:35, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

== Spanish translation ==

Hello! I'm a Spanish player of this game and I would like to begin the translation of this wiki into Spanish. I hope you like the idea! Regards.

== PROBLEM ==
since you "upgraded" the wiki, sometimes when i try to load a page, any kind of page in the wiki, instead of loading the page, my browser (chrome) starts downloading a file like this: DF2010-Magma.gz
the file never ends downloading and it contains nothing, so i dont know whats the deal with that, sometime is loads teh page as usual
*Take a look at [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=96229.0 this forum thread] - most cases seem to result from using Avast Antivirus along with Google Chrome. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 00:38, 10 February 2012 (UTC)

== Upload Button Missing ==
Hello. I've uploaded [[http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/File:DA_Quarters.JPG,stuff]] before, but the upload link seems to have vanished for me. (I'd like to upload a small .exe file which makes the depot tradeing semi-automated so I can link to it from my user page.) What should I do?

Thanks,
--[[User:DDR|-DDR]] 01:28, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

Update: Oh, so it's just down for a few days? OK, I'll be patient. Thanks for all the work you've done here, Emi. :)

== Eagles ==

Why can't I create new pages? I want to create a page about normal eagles.

: This wiki is going through a lot now. New name space for the latest DF version has been created and articles are copied to it, as far as they are still valid for the new version. Also this wiki's cluster size has been increased by two new servers and many things around it are being configured. So I think the admins just prohibited new article creation for a while until they sort things out. --[[User:Nagidal|Nagidal]] 17:31, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

: I've seen Briss has created the Eagle page, maybe it's so that you can fill it with content. --[[User:Nagidal|Nagidal]] 18:50, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

== a namespace just for me? ==

It says that if i'd like a user page i should post here asking for one.
can i have a namespace for me please? under Zazq? [[User:Zazq|Zazq]] 21:48, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

: A namespace is not the same as a user page. I'm almost sure you can't have a namespace just for you, but you can certainly have your own userpage where you can set up your own sandbox. I have created you your userpage, just click on the link on your name in the signature. You can start forging some good articles on your userpage. --[[User:Nagidal|Nagidal]] 23:46, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

== UserPage ==
could i have a page too? to edit and try stuff before posting ... Edit: it is Mohreb by the way ...

I'd like a user page too, name KevinFragger2427. Thanks.

== v34 Utilities ==

Can we get a [[DF2012:Utilities]] page created?

== Giant sponges ==

Hello, I am new to this wiki and I would like to add articles for giant sponges and giant mosquitoes.

I trust I can just copy-paste the old tags from a DF2010 creature page and change them accordyingly ?

[[User:Naryar|Naryar]] 11:28, 23 February 2012 (UTC)

== Can I have two pages created? ==

I'd like to have two pages created for me, please.

1. I'd like my user-page created, so I can do all the other cool stuff that people do with their user-pages.

2. I would also like a whole new mod article made, please. Title it "Modern Warfare: Year 2100" too, please, as well.

EDIT: Username is UristMcHuman. Sorry I forgot that

== Interactions. ==

I would like a page created under 2012:Interaction, please and thank you. [[User:Lofn|Lofn]] 15:54, 25 February 2012 (UTC)
EDIT: a userpage/sandbox would also be very much appreciated, if you find the time.

== User page for Darchitect. ==

I'd like one, if you'd be so kind.
[[User:Darchitect|Darchitect]] 20:24, 29 February 2012 (UTC)Darchitect

== Favicon Recovery ==

I notice the favicon seems to have gotten lost somewhere along the way. Since I'm the one who initially made it using the main site logo for reference, I still have a copy sitting around. [http://dffd.wimbli.com/images/dfwiki_favicon.ico Here it is, feel free to use it again.]

== Request for User Page ==

Hi there, can you please add a user page for me? Thank you. [[User:Timtek|Timtek]] 11:47, 5 March 2012 (UTC)

== Request for Confirmed User ==

I was wondering what I need to do to be able to upload a file. I registered four days ago, and have been waiting to become an "Autoconfirmed user" so that I can add my tileset to the Tileset repository. The "autoconfirmation" never comes, however. Attempting to google the issue said that I should be autoconfirmed after 3 days, which has not occurred. Am I missing something? --[[User:Taffer|Taffer]] 13:10, 6 March 2012 (UTC)

Hello again! Thanks for the help earlier, and sorry for the second message. Would it be alright if I have a user page? Thank you! --[[User:Taffer|Taffer]] 18:51, 7 March 2012 (UTC)

== Cached Special Pages ==

The wiki currently has [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:$wgMiserMode $wgMiserMode] enabled, resulting in a number of [[Special:SpecialPages|special pages]] having their results cached (by MediaWiki itself) to reduce server load, but there's no cron job to run /maintenance/updateSpecialPages.php and actually update those pages - as a result, they're all 3 months out of date. I've mentioned this at least 3 times on IRC but it still hasn't been fixed. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 20:24, 7 March 2012 (UTC)

== Is the DF2012:Creatures page getting too big for the server? ==

The Creatures page still needs to be updated with the new creatures for the lakes/rivers but when I try to submit or preview tha page I get a blank page and a submitted update is not visible on the page. Is the page simply too big now, or is there some server side changes that can be made to fix this? [[User:Organised chaos|Organised chaos]] 20:18, 13 March 2012 (UTC)
*If you ask me, the Creatures page is currently being done '''all wrong''' - it should only list each creature '''once''' and include the relevant biomes, rather than copy/pasting it for every single biome (and introducing errors when one entry has different values from the others). --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 21:00, 13 March 2012 (UTC)

== DFRawFunctions ==

I've got an update for DFRawFunctions (corrects behavior for a few functions and adds new features to some others) which also includes a few new raw files - when you've got a chance, pull 'em from github. In fact, some option to automatically pull updates from github either periodically (once or twice a day) or on demand (e.g. editing a particular wiki page) would be really nice so I won't have to bug you about it. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 18:27, 18 March 2012 (UTC)

== I want to make Korean Wiki. ==

I was looking for administrator to discuss this, but I couldn't find anyone... also, I'm not sure that I should talk it to you. anyway, I leave this here.

I want to make Korean Wiki, There're some Korean fan, but they hardly play the game because of the lack of game information. So I thought They need wiki to know the game. I want to know whether the administrator can found Korean version of this wiki or not.

How can I get the permission about it? Is it needed that something to verify myself to them? I hope I would take a positive answer. --[[User:Tragal|Tragal]] 14:44, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

== Create Redir [[DF2012:Well_guide]] ==

Need a redir or crosslink created from: [[DF2012:Well_guide]] (empty page) -> [[v0.31:Well_guide]]. And/or snap relevant links. --[[User:Kim Bruning|Kim Bruning]] 08:37, 24 April 2012 (UTC)

== Froot wants a userpage too. ==

Hey-lo.
Yet another userpage request.
[[User:Froot|Froot]] 02:08, 1 May 2012 (UTC)

there is no "DF2012 Talk:Cave crocodile", added an my issue about my "Bosa, Cave Crocodile (+trained+)" which cost me about an game-hour lost due to reloading save in the article. Wonder, why there is no "talk" pages for everything by default? There are many cases which need some science before editing articles :(

== Minecarts 101 page? ==

Can we get a "Minecarts 101" page started the same way there are intro pages for things like the military?

Thanks,

[[User:Dhokarena56|Dhokarena56]] 17:25, 14 May 2012 (UTC)dhokarena56

== Page request ==

May I request a userpage?

-Erich

== User page request ==

Hello! I am requesting a userpage. --[[User:Spacer|Spacer]] 15:31, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

== DF2012_Talk:Siege ==

please, create http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012_Talk:Siege

thanks,

[[User:Kartofius al andalus|Kartofius al andalus]] 17:00, 4 June 2012 (UTC) kartofius

== Wiki in spanish??? ==

How can I create a page for the wiki in spanish?

== add #dwarffortress irc.freenode.net to main page IRC section ==

Hello everyone, could you please add #dwarffortress IRC channel on FReeNode in the main page IRC channel list?
Thank you

== new user page request ==

looking for a user page so I can store my scripts in the wiki.

thanks
vjek

[[User:Vjek|Vjek]] 20:17, 23 June 2012 (UTC)

== User Page Request. Asva. ==

Am willing to store my constructions in a way to make them awailable for community. [[User:Asva|Asva]] 11:13, 30 December 2012 (UTC)

== new page request ==
Hi
could you add a talk page at the "raw adamantine" article
user: grafsnow

== DF2012:World rejection ==

Hi, I'm trying to write the page for DF2012:World rejection http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:World_rejection which has a red link on the Advanced World Generation page but I can't create a new page. Do I need somebody to make it for me? Thanks, Seb. --[[User:SAFry|SAFry]] 19:08, 30 June 2012 (UTC)
:I created it for him. -- [[User:HiEv|<span style="color:#E05858;font-weight:bold;">Hi</span>]][[User talk:HiEv|<span style="color:#C06060;font-weight:bold;">Ev</span>]] 02:18, 1 July 2012 (UTC)

== Could I get a page for my mod? ==

I'm currently working on a mod, and I'd really like a page where I can put what the mod is, how you use it, what it includes, etc...
I'm sorry if it looks kinda sketchy that I just created this account today and I'm being vague about the mod Dx
Anyways, if/when you create it, could you title it ''PlayableCiv+''
Thanks:)
[[User:Toxicshadow|Toxicshadow]] 05:30, 1 July 2012 (UTC)

== Arms Industry Page ==

Could you create an "Arms Industry" page for information concerning production of weapons? Alternatively, it could be called "Weapons Industry."

== User Page ==

Would be very glad if i had a user page as a kind of sandbox (and to put some !!science!! stuff up there) [[User:Lorb|Lorb]] 09:53, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

== User Page Request ==

Could you make me a user page?

== Requesting Page Creation for 'Fixed Creatures' ==

There has been some discussion on r/DwarfFortress ([http://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/w8ht8/need_help_my_giant_black_mambas_wont_breed/]) about animals that don't lay eggs that should, eggs that don't hatch due to a missing Tag, and other various issues. I would like to create a space where we can create a list of animals with the values and tags modified to be more accurate. Thanks!--Dragoon209

Edit: I haven't received any word that the pages have been created, and a quick search shows no matches for 'Fixed Creatures'. Is there any information I am missing to start the process? Thanks in advance!
[[User:Dragoon209|Dragoon209]] 18:19, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

: What page titlewould you like? --[[User:Briess|Briess]] 18:26, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

:: How about "DF2012:Fixed_Creature_RAWs"? [[User:Dragoon209|Dragoon209]] 18:34, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

== Outpost Liason ==

I am simply looking for more information about a phenomenon that has happened twice now. An outpost liason came to my fort and asked if I wanted to join their colony. What are the pros and cons of saying either yes or no? Please help!

== Yet Another User Page ==

Just requesting a user page created, to play around in and post some of my own DF-related stuff. Thanks! [[User:MasterShizzle|MasterShizzle]] 17:59, 13 July 2012 (UTC)
:Umm... wow. That was fast! You guys are awesome. [[User:MasterShizzle|MasterShizzle]] 18:12, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

== Symbol Sets (Modding) ==

Can someone create a page for Symbol Sets, as used in Entity files, and found in language_SYM.txt?
[[User:Toxicshadow|Toxicshadow]] 23:32, 15 July 2012 (UTC)

== 2012 Talk:Door ==

Hi Emily,

I'd like to start [[DF2012 Talk:Door]], since I can verify that artifact doors are indestructible. (There is a verify tag for that in the [[DF2012:Door#Notes]] section.) Here is the text I want to add:

<blockquote>
I can verify that artifact doors are indestructible. An artifact door is all that stands between my necropolis fortress (some 100 casualties in the previous siege) and 8 trolls standing right outside the door. The trolls have been there for an entire season. They showed up when the elven caravan arrived in spring, and are still there to greet the human caravan which just arrived.
</blockquote>

[[User:Great Cthulhu|Great Cthulhu]] 23:13, 19 July 2012 (UTC)

== Need 2 pages created ==

I would like to have my user page created, furthermore i would like to help improve the DF2012 Contaminant page,
and i need the DF2012 Talk:Contaminant created.<br />
[[User:Ipsin|Ipsin - Everything is better with magma ]] 16:06, 23 July 2012 (UTC)

== User page request ==

Hello there! I am writing this to request the a user page (obviously :)) I'm a confirmed user, although I have less than 10 edits so far, I swear I am not a bot! I am actually more interested in the user page as a personal sandbox of the moment to figure out name space templates and the like without messing anything up. I use the wiki daily (I have only been playing for a few months, you guys were a life saver) so I am still going through plenty of articles all the time and would like to contribute more than I am able to now. I learn by doing and don't want to mess up any templates or the like :)

Thanks very much for any help you are able to provide
--
[[User:Phage|Phage]] 05:45, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

== New User Page Request ==

Howdy, looking to get page for my user account.

Let me know if you need any additional info.

Thanks,

[[User:WhiskeyTangoFox|WhiskeyTangoFox]] 01:44, 30 July 2012 (UTC)WhiskeyTangoFox

== Permission to make new Discussion pages? ==

Hi Emi. I was trying to start a Discussion page in the "Sedimentary" article, but ran into a permission error. Since I am a longtime user, may I please have permission to make new pages? [[User:Coaldiamond|-Coaldiamond]] 20:00, 4 August 2012 (UTC)
:It seems like the wiki is a bit buggy in this regard. On [[Special:ListGroupRights]], only Administrators have the "createtalk" permission, which seems to be required to create talk pages. However, I was just able to create [[DF2012 Talk:Sedimentary layer]], but only after several attempts failing from a Permission error. Sometimes it would stop me immediately upon clicking the "Create" tab, and it always seemed to happen when I tried to Show Changes. I'm not really sure why this would happen, unless we're running on multiple servers and the configuration isn't synchronized. Hope this helps. --[[User:Timrem|timrem]] 21:26, 4 August 2012 (UTC)
:i just encoutered this problem today, I thought it'd be prohibited to create a user discussion page but that did not make sense to me. I hope this issue will be resolved soon. --[[User:Nagidal|Nagidal]] 07:28, 5 August 2012 (UTC)
::Yup, I too have noticed some odd inconsistency in the way the wiki may or may not allow you to create a page, with it being allowed after some N number of page reloads. I've mentioned on the [[Dwarf Fortress Wiki:Improvement Drive]] page that the wiki software is several versions out of date, so if we could get it updated, that would hopefully fix this problem. Is [[User_talk:Briess|Briess]] the correct person to contact about this, or is it someone else? -- [[User:HiEv|<span style="color:#E05858;font-weight:bold;">Hi</span>]][[User talk:HiEv|<span style="color:#C06060;font-weight:bold;">Ev</span>]] 22:48, 7 August 2012 (UTC)
:::A user will be unable to create any pages (talk or otherwise) until they make 10 edits to the wiki. There was a configuration error with one of the web servers that has been fixed which was denying create talk page rights to all users. --[[User:Briess|Briess]] 23:46, 7 August 2012 (UTC)

== Another User Page. ==

Just here to request permission to edit my own user-page, let me know if any sort of information is needed from me first in regards to it. --[[User:Morekouto|Morekouto]] 17:29, 5 August 2012 (UTC)

== Stockpile setting info ==

Here's something I've been thinking to add to the wiki for a couple of months now, but am not really sure what would be the best way to do it. I often set up fairly specialized stockpiles. For instance a stockpile only for seeds, another one for picks, and yet another only for empty bags (but not chests). When I was new to the game I did not know how to do these things. I expected to find the info how to set up a stockpile just for one kind of an item in the item's respective wiki page. Sometimes I was lucky, sometimes not.

Most furnitures have a piece of text about such stockpile setting somewhere in the article or at least a hint, e.g. in [[Cage]]s you can read that "Cages are stored on the Animal Stockpile." In [[Seed]]s, however, there's nothing that tells you that they are in the Food stockpile, and the [[Pick]] page redirects to [[Equipment]] which doesn't say anything about a stockpile for picks either.

Let's see an example of a stockpile setting info I'd like to see about bags:

: Stockpile of Bags: Furniture > Types > boxes and bags. Disable Stone/Clay and Metal. Restrict Other Materials to cloth, leather, silk, yarn."

I'll probably find a better way to express it, I'll have to see that it looks more or less the same across wiki pages, too.

Three ways how to add this information to the wiki came to my mind, all have their pros and cons:

: '''1.''' A stockpile setting overview page. Basically a table of all the stockpile categories, subcategories, and item entries from the stockpile setting page ({{k|p}}-{{k|t}}) and tell the users to find (Ctrl-F) the item somewhere on the page.
:: '''Pro:''' Done quickly.
:: '''Con:''' I assume people would rather expect to find the stockpile setting info in the item's dedicated page and would not think of looking for it in a stockpile setting page. Also, users should not be bothered with a search in page.

: '''2.''' Adding a "Stockpile" section to the <nowiki>{{furniture}}</nowiki> float, where people could see how to set it up.
:: '''Pro:''' Stockpile setting would be found extremely easily.
:: '''Con:''' No solution for non-furniture items.
:: '''Con:''' Would contain too much text in some cases (e.g. for bags you need to restrict the material to differentiate them from coffers or chests).

: '''3.''' Each item which can have its individual stockpile could have its own wiki page with a "Stockpile setting" section (or maybe a <nowiki>{{stockpile}}</nowiki> float?) where you could see this kind of information.
:: '''Pro:''' Stockpile setting would be found easily. People would soon realize that every item which can have a dedicated stockpile has its own wiki page which has a section where they find the stockpile setting.
:: '''Con:''' Requires many new pages to be created, but most of them would not contain much other information except for how to set an individual stockpile for them. Here I'm thinking of pages like [[Plump helmet spawn]], [[Hood]], [[Raw skin]].

Personally, I would go with solution '''3'''. I see that it is unnecessary to have an individual wiki page for each of the hundreds of animal species you can see listed in the Animal stockpile. Yet I think we should differentiate all the non-animal items as deep as [[skull]] is in the refuse stockpile, or each individual weapon is in the weapon stockpile.

So what do you guys think? Do you have any other ideas how and where to save this stockpile setting information in the wiki? Would you mind me starting to add a "Stockpile settings" section to the items' pages and creating new pages where there are redirects or no pages? I admit it would look a bit weird if there were a page about an item but no other info on it except for a stockpile setting. On the other hand this could motivate other active users to add something more.

--[[User:Nagidal|Nagidal]] 10:56, 8 August 2012 (UTC)

: I think a combination of 1 and 3 is a good approach. But feel free to do whatever you want - it is a wiki after all. :) -- [[User:Briess|Briess]] 20:31, 13 August 2012 (UTC)

== User Talk page for Kenran ==

Hello! I'd like to have a usable User Talk page, so I could put the stuff on my profile there. I could then add some information about myself and some links on my profile itself. Thanks :)

== YAUPCR ==

Yet Another User Page Creation Request. Thanks in advance! [[User:Urist McDorf|Urist McDorf]] 04:03, 7 September 2012 (UTC)

:Hang on a second, I was able to create my user page myself (by simply clicking on the redlink in my signature, and clicking "edit this page".). Not sure if that's a bug or a feature - perhaps the "page creation permitted after 10 edits" rule applies to user pages too? If so, maybe the banner announcement should note that - at present it sort of implies all new user pages need Emi to create them. [[User:Urist McDorf|Urist McDorf]] 04:19, 7 September 2012 (UTC)

hi Emi, how can i get a user page here

07:23, 13 September 2012 (UTC)[[User:Markus007|Markus007]]Markus

== page request: Noise talk ==

I wish to start a page on Noise, talk page. I believe the 8 tile noise area is ridiculous and should be confirmed. On top, I never found dwarves to be awaken by such a thing. [[User:Discipol|Discipol]] 12:04, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

== User page creation request ==

Hello, please create one for me as well! Thanks, [[User:Waba|Waba]] 04:54, 18 September 2012 (UTC)

== DF2012:Steel discussion page ==

I'd like to (suggest) add to the DF2012:Steel page an actual recipie for repeating steel production at a smelter, since it is not entirely well-described. I'd add it to the Discussion page there if there was one, but there isn't. Can one be created? (making steel at a smelter: Smelt <iron ore>/R, Make Pig Iron Bars/R, Make Steel Bars/R, Make Pig Iron Bars/R, Make Steel Bars/R -=> uses 1 iron ore, 4 flux, 4 or 5 coal to produce 4 Steel bars per cycle) Oh, and if it's not too much trouble, I'd like a User page too. Thanks,
16:45, 20 September 2012 (UTC) jpvlsmv

== Please add user page for me bsod.phantom - thanks ==

Please add user page for me bsod.phantom - thanks
[[User:Bsod.phantom|Bsod.phantom]] 06:08, 1 October 2012 (UTC)

== need discussion page for DF2012:Container ==

This text seems inaccurate with 2012 on the DF2012:Container page: (any of these 4 container types can be used to satisfy the "Needs: X Chests" requirement for nobles).

There is no Discussion page for Containers. I'm a fairly inexperienced player and just got my first Mayor who demanded two chests and a cabinet. Based on the above text I made three rock cabinets and after placing them it did not satisfy the 2 chests requirement. When I made two metal chests and placed them the requirement was met.

Since there's no discussion page, should I just edit the page and remove that line or put a note next to it that says this may not be accurate?

[[User:Bsod.phantom|Bsod.phantom]] 03:18, 4 October 2012 (UTC)

== Specific heat Page ==

<s>Greetings!
I was doing some research and just noted that, the .40d [page] on Specific heat is largely correct but it's not in the 0.31 nor DF2012 sections. I tried editing the page myself but couldn't do it, so I'm suggestion someone ports it to a DF2012 article. --[[User:Arkhometha|Arkhometha]] 08:09, 7 October 2012 (UTC)</s>

Forget it, I was the one who didn't know how to use the wiki properly. Fixed the SPEC_HEAT page to have a proper page instead of just redirecting to the temperature page. --[[User:Arkhometha|Arkhometha]] 07:42, 20 October 2012 (UTC)

== Yet another new user page request... ==

Hi. :) Could I please have a user page? I appreciate it. :) [[User:Trent|Trent]] 15:32, 9 October 2012 (UTC)

== Verified Users? ==

I don't contribute here too, too often, but does every user have to type in a captcha for every edit, or is there some way to get verified so I don't have to do it all the time? [[User:Danjen|Danjen]] 03:24, 15 October 2012 (UTC)
:If I recall correctly, you automatically become "confirmed" after 5-10 successful edits. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 13:51, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

== A user page, please ==

Hi there, could I have a user page I can edit, please?

Many thanks, --[[User:Matthewbarr|Matthewbarr]] 10:46, 5 November 2012 (UTC)

== Ratings always fail for unconfirmed users ==

The rating script always says "success" when rating a page, but it never does anything when a user is unconfirmed. --[[User:Lethosor|Lethosor]] 19:31, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

== Hi! Please welcome me... ==

But before you can {{template:welcome}} me, you'd need to create a user page and user talk page for me... :D

Westie (User:ImaWestie|talk:ImaWestie)
[[User:ImaWestie|ImaWestie]] 22:02, 17 November 2012 (UTC)

== You Must Be Tired. ==

Like many other sections, this is for a user page. Why don't you leave it up to people to create their own user page and this just be for new pages on the wiki [http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Main_Page]? It would be a lot less demanding on you and people can get the feel for writing a page by themselves.

--[[User:Professor Henn|Professor Henn]] 02:46, 30 November 2012 (UTC)Professor_Henn 2:44 AM (UTC -0:00)

:IIRC, it is done this way because the spambots like to auto-create user pages for their spam. --[[User:UristDaVinci|UristDaVinci]] 05:14, 2 December 2012 (UTC)

== I have an error report ==

In the ingame Manual for Dwarf Fortress, in '''The Manual: Accounts''' it says 'stop' instead of 'shop'.

I didn't know whom to report this typo, so I'm posting here. Is this OK? <small>– [[template:unsigned|unsigned]] comment by [[User:89.110.240.186|89.110.240.186]]</small>

:Thanks. [http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/ Dwarf Fortress bug tracker] is generally a good place to post those. --[[User:Lethosor|Lethosor]] 19:04, 20 January 2013 (UTC)

== New page request (and/or allow me to create pages) ==

Could I please have the http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php?title=Special:Upload&wpDestFile=Tree-kills-woodcutter.png page created? I'm trying to add a picture to http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Wood_cutter (unless there's a better way?)
--[[User:Infiltrator|Infiltrator]] ([[User talk:Infiltrator|talk]]) 09:14, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

:I figured out (after RTFM) that I just had to made three edits to upload files, so that's cool now. However, what are requirements for getting permissions to create pages?
:--[[User:Infiltrator|Infiltrator]] ([[User talk:Infiltrator|talk]]) 09:27, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

:: They should be the same (since uploading a file requires permission to create a page). —[[User:Lethosor|<span style="color:#074">Lethosor</span>]] ([[User talk:Lethosor|<span style="color:#092">talk</span>]]) 13:57, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

== Using This Wiki In My App ==

Hi Emi, was wondering if its okay for me to use data from this wiki in my android wiki app (which would be called Dwarf Fortress Wiki)? If anything, I can include copyright notes or any other required thing.
Thanks!
:Hey, to the extent that it can be (e.g. game data files are a notable exception) everything on the wiki is covered under the GNU FDL. As long as you follow that license, you can generally use any content from this website (again, there are some exceptions, and usually they are noted). However, please do not call the app "Dwarf Fortress Wiki", since I'd like to avoid confusion as to how closely the app is related to the wiki.
:[[user:Emi|<span style="color:#8a4e4e">Emi</span>]] [[user_talk:Emi|<span style="color:#6a3e4e">[T]</span>]] 06:31, 22 December 2022 (UTC)

== Account Recovery for Ral ==
Never mind it looks like I got it figured out. [[User:Ral|Ral]] ([[User talk:Ral|talk]]) 08:53, 12 January 2023 (UTC)

Tutorials

2023-01-12T08:51:49Z

Ral: /* Learning Fortress Mode */ add steam guide

{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}

[[File:NoFunAllowed.jpg|thumb|right|Of course, instead of trial and error you could also just read the wiki...]]
''Dwarf Fortress'' started as a pretty complex game back in the days when it was 2D and barely had a quarter of the features it has now. It's easy to get overwhelmed when you first fire it up. Don't worry though, following a tutorial is a very easy way to learn the basics of the game in an afternoon.

Don't worry if you don't understand why you do things on your first run, even after reading the tutorial's explanation. If one particular thing bugs you, try starting a new fort and skipping it, then seeing what goes wrong! Especially in the current version, trial and error is great way of having lots of [[fun]].

== Installing and Running the Game ==

If you have not installed the game yet, see [[Installation]].

== Learning Fortress Mode ==

Most of the tutorials were written for the older (40d) version of ''Dwarf Fortress'', but nonetheless, they are still helpful. If you get stuck within a specific aspect of the game, then [[Special:Search|search]] the wiki and don't hesitate to ask questions in the [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?board=7.0 forum].

The following tutorials will walk you through world generation, embarking with your 7 dwarves, game basics, and building a full-fledged fortress.

=== Recommended tutorials and wiki articles===
[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|right|200px|[[From Caravan to Happy Dwarves]] - This is a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions players usually take when starting up a new fort.]]

'''For v50:'''
*[[Quickstart guide|The Fortress Mode Quickstart Guide]]
*[https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2899235556 Dwarf Fortress Intermediate Guide: Strike The Earth Like a Master] by NimrodX on Steam

'''For v0.47:'''
*[[DF2014:Quickstart guide|The Fortress Mode Quickstart Guide]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5-Ab4ta4zm9benUlfb5_vJXNTChfBll2 Salford Sal's Dwarf Fortress (Villains Update) Tutorials for the First Year of Your Fortress]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp0pUoo_Z30&list=PL5-Ab4ta4zm9FRjc6I01T-ilXlOq_o0hC Salford Sal's Dwarf Fortress (Villains Update) Advanced Tutorials]

'''For v0.40:'''
*[http://df-walkthrough.rtfd.org PeridexisErrant's DF walkthrough and tutorials]
*[http://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=10552 Captain Duck's updated play along tutorial]
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_4titxTj-2v4tg_QisHa5os5qraDpTLZ Ongoing German tutorial series by konni.tv]
*[https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/fkm1s4/from_wagon_to_fortress_in_thirteen_steps/ From Wagon to Fortress in Thirteen Steps]

'''For v0.34:'''
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI9Dy-4slVw&list=PLwWlb_jkC2UmyKmTWqD711j2QYX_Zmw-x A Noob's Guide to Dwarf Fortress] A tutorial series dedicated to beginners.
*[[Main:From Caravan to Happy Dwarves|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves]]. A minimalistic, but great, diagram (maybe for players with a bit more experience).
*[[User:Calite/Gloss Guide|Jumping Into Fortress Mode]]. An outline of main concepts, though it lacks any technical help.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmkPbGrH7VA&feature=plcp A beginner's tutorial to dwarf fortress.] Look here for a wide variety of guides on how to play fortress mode.
*[http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2C4E18093853E338 Let's Play/Tutorial Dwarf Fortress by Gerugon] A German video series that will teach you all you need to know to create your own fort.
*[https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8akafeuqfsxth7t/U-zOsO7pNr A quick reference guide on fortress mode] (Credit to spongemandan on reddit.com)

'''For the old versions:'''
*[http://dftutorial.wordpress.com/ I Play Dwarf Fortress - (And You Can Too!)] Play-Along Beginner's Guide With Pictures
*[[v0.31:Bentgirder]]. A good, mostly-complete tutorial.
*[[40d:Video_tutorials|The legendary video tutorials by Captain Duck]].
*[http://afteractionreporter.com/2009/02/09/the-complete-and-utter-newby-tutorial-for-dwarf-fortress-part-1-wtf/ The Complete and Utter Newby Tutorial for Dwarf Fortress] with lots of screenshots ([http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=31928.0 forum thread])
*[[40d:Indecisive's illustrated fortress mode tutorial|Indecisive's illustrated fortress mode tutorial]].
*[[40d:Quickstart_guide|A quickstart guide]]
*[[40d:What should I build first|"What should I build first?"]]

=== Specific Elements ===

These are not necessarily tutorials, but they can help out with specific parts of the game.

*'''[[Important advice|Important Advice]]''' - Disregard at your own risk.

=== Basics of World Generation ===

*[[World generation]]
*[[Map legend]]

=== Basics of Embarking ===

*[[Embark]]
*[[Location]]
*[[Biome]]
*[[Surroundings]]

=== Feeding Dwarves ===

*[[Farming]]
*[[Meat industry]]
*[[Fishing]]
*[[Herbalist|Gathering plants]]
*[[Trading|Trading for food]]
*And not to forget: [[Alcohol]]

=== Mining and Minerals ===

*[[The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock]] - A primer, explaining geology in so far as it is implemented in ''Dwarf Fortress''. Note that DF geology is actually quite realistic, so knowledge of real world geology could make much of the game seem very familiar to you.

=== Defending Against Enemies ===

This is one of the most challenging aspects of the game, so if you feel confused even after reading all of this then you are not alone.

*[[Military quickstart]]
*[[Military]] - or for a complete explanation and walkthrough of the military menu (advisable to look at first) the [[Military interface]]
*[[Armor]] and [[Weapon]]s
*[[Sparring]]
*[[Trap]]s

==Adventurer Mode==
{{main|Adventurer mode}}
Adventure mode tutorials are less common than for fortress mode. Also, some of the adventure mode wiki content is in sections on related pages, rather than on adventure mode-specific pages; the [[Adventurer mode|main page]] provides an overview with links to the sections or pages with more information.

===Recommended tutorials and wiki articles===
'''For v50:'''
*[[Adventure mode quick reference]]
*[[Adventure mode quick start]]

'''For v0.47:'''
*[[DF2014:Adventure mode quick reference|Adventure mode quick reference]]
*[[DF2014:Adventure mode quick start|Adventure mode quick start]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHoJILHc7xU Salford Sal's Getting Started with Adventure Mode]

'''For v0.44:'''
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br0_zc7RzLE Nookrium's Adventure Mode Tutorial - (Beginners Guide)]

{{Getting Started}}

User:Ral

2020-04-21T00:38:06Z

Ral: i'm back after years

{{TipBox2
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|Tip Boxes!
|I've also created a template that people can use to embed "tips" in documentation that might otherwise interrupt the flow of things. They're most appropriate for tutorial-type documents that have a sort of step-to-step nature, similar to the "Whatever for Dummies" books. See [[DF2010:Quickstart guide]] for example usage. Also see [[Template:TipBox2]].

This tip box style can be created with:

<pre>{{TipBox2
|float=right (defaults to no float)
|width=50% (defaults to 35% for floating)
|titlebg=#a00 (defaults to green #0a0)
|textbg=#fee (defaults to white)
|Tip Boxes!
|I've also created...}}</pre>
}}

Greetings, I am Ral.

I have done major work on:
* [[Adventurer mode]]
* [[Adventure mode quick start]]
* [[Dwarf fortress mode]]
* [[Quickstart guide]]
* [[Advanced world generation]]
* [[Mass pitting]]

But it has been years!

Contact [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=35653 Ral on the forum]

Main page sandbox:
* [[User:Ral/Testmain]]

{{TipBox2
|titlebg=#0a0
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|Tip Boxes! No Float (inline)
|If you omit the float parameter then you'll get something like this that's inline with the text. This can be used to emphasize warnings, etc. Width defaults to 80% for the inline type box and 35% for the floating box, so you can usually leave out the width also.

<pre>{{TipBox2
|titlebg=#0a0
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|If you omit...</pre>
}}

User:Ral/Testmain

2020-04-21T00:36:51Z

Ral: This is now ancient

v0.31:Quickstart guide

2011-06-12T13:23:16Z

Ral: /* Nobles */ explain why you need these assignments

{{quality|Exceptional|23:16, 24 April 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}

<div style="font-size:120%">
:''This is a quickstart guide for {{L|Dwarf fortress mode}} for those who have never played before who quickly want to jump in head-first.''
:''If you are looking to learn adventure mode instead, see the {{L|Adventure mode quick start}} guide.''
</div>
<div style="font-size:120%">
:'''''Also see {{L|Tutorials}} for more detailed tutorials that people have submitted.'''''
</div>
{{TipBox2|float=right|Before you get started...|Always remember that '''losing is {{L|fun}}!''' Be prepared to lose a few fortresses before you get all the way through this guide – it can be easy to accidentally kill the entire fortress while learning. But remember: losing means that next time, ''you'll remember how you lost.'' In a big way, Dwarf Fortress uses the principle of learning from one's mistakes.}}

So, you want to play '''Dwarf Fortress''', but you have no idea what to do. That's understandable; in Dwarf Fortress you can really do anything you like. It is a huge, complex, and totally open-ended game. But in order to do anything, first you need a sustainable fortress. It turns out that this is not as hard as you might think.

As this article doesn't always contain the exact key sequences needed to do everything described, you will likely need to refer to the {{L|Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide}} and the rest of the wiki while reading this. For something more detailed see the excellent {{L|Bentgirder}} tutorial.

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|500px|right|{{L|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves}} - This is a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions players usually take when starting up a new fort. Feel free to ignore it if you want. It's not necessary to refer to this to understand the rest of the guide, but by the time you finish the guide it will probably all make sense.]]

__TOC__

= Common UI Concepts =

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Keeping Up|While the guide contains many links, you may still need to look something up. Refer to the {{L|Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide}} or use the wiki [[Special:Search|search]] function. Also, don't hesitate to [[Troubleshooting|ask for help]] if you can't find answers on the wiki.}}
{{KeyConventions}}

=World Generation=

The first thing you will need to do is {{L|World generation|generate a new world}}. Unlike many games, the world that your game takes place in will always be procedurally randomly generated by you or someone else. There is no "default" or "standard" world.

Luckily the basic version of this process is rather simple, and doesn't usually take too long unless your computer is a bit outdated.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting World|
For your first game, {{L|World generation|generate a new world}} using the {{DFtext|Create New World!}} option in the main menu with the following options:

* {{DFtext|World Size}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|History}} is {{DFtext|Short|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Civilizations}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Sites}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Beasts}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Natural Savagery}} is {{DFtext|Very Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Mineral Occurrence}} is {{DFtext|Frequent|3:1}}

This should help to avoid difficulties.
}}

= Pre-Embark =

:''Also see: {{L|Embark}}''

'''Embarking''' is the process of choosing a site, outfitting your initial dwarves, and sending them on their way.

Select {{DFtext|Start Playing}} from the main menu, then select {{DFtext|Dwarf Fortress}}.

The map you see on the right is the '''World Map''' which will show you the whole world. The one in the middle is the '''Region Map''' which will show you a zoomed-in view of the part of the world indicated by the cursor in the world map. The '''Local Map''' on the left will show a zoomed-in view of the part of the region indicated by the cursor in the region map. In the local map area will be a highlighted embark region that you can move around with {{K|u}} {{K|m}} {{K|k}} {{K|h}}. This highlighted square is what will become your play area after you embark. Use {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} to move the region and world cursors around. Hold down {{K|Shift}} while doing this to move more rapidly.

== Choosing a Good Site ==

Choosing a good embark site is crucial for beginners. Advanced players can create a functional fortress on a glacier, but for now, lets stick to dwarf (and newbie) friendly environments. You will want to look for certain features in your initial embark site that will make your first fort much easier to manage.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting Site|
[[File:Quickstart-good-location.png|thumb|300px|right|An example of a good starting site.]]
For your first game, find a site with the following properties:
*'''NO Aquifer''' (This is '''''very''''' important!)
*'''Trees:''' Forested or Heavily Forested
*'''Temperature:''' Warm
*'''Surroundings:''' Calm or at least '''not''' Sinister, Haunted, or Terrifying
*'''Clay or Soil''' is important to make farming easier when starting out
*'''Shallow Metals''' (That's Metals, plural, not Metal. You want more than one.)
*A '''River''' if possible
*'''Deep Metal(s)''' if possible
*'''Flux Stone''' if possible

You may want to use the {{K|f}}ind tool to help you find a site. Notes about find tool:
"Calm" is classified as Medium Evil, Low Savagery. (See {{L|Surroundings#Combinations_of_surroundings|the chart here}} for why.) The find tool will also only indicate a general area so you will still need to check the attributes manually.

Your site may have multiple biomes overlapping it. If so make sure to press {{K|F1}}, {{K|F2}}, etc, to take a look at all of them. They may each have significantly different characteristics.

See '''[[/Starting site]]''' for more info on why these characteristics are important.}}

Press {{K|e}} to embark once you're sure you have the right area highlighted on the local map.

== Skills and Equipment ==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Optional: Preparing Carefully|If, at this point, you'd like to get into all of the details of picking individual skills and equipment for your expedition, select {{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}} and see '''[[/Preparing carefully]]''' for instructions. '''This is completely optional.'''}}

Now the '''Prepare for the Journey''' screen should appear. You will be given the choice to either:
*{{DFtext|Play Now!}}
*{{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}}.

Selecting {{DFtext|Play Now!}} will start you out with a default set of equipment that is reasonably safe, allowing you to skip having to set up your skills and equipment. If you'd like to get going now, just select that option.

=A Minimal Fortress=
[[File:Quickstart-map-starting.png|thumb|right|Starting out. In this example the dwarves will be digging out an entrance tunnel in the sandy cliff on the right. (You can use {{K|Tab}} to show or hide the overview map.)]]

At this point you have embarked and your dwarves have arrived at their destination. You will see your dwarves clustered around their wagon full of supplies somewhere near the center of your map. '''Immediately hit {{K|Space}} to pause the game''' unless it is already paused.

==Surveying the Area==
'''Do not unpause the game just yet.''' Take a look around. Use the {{K|k}} command and the arrow keys. Look up and down a few {{L|z-level}}s with {{K|<}} and {{K|>}}. Place the cursor on various tiles to familiarize yourself with what the symbols mean. If you get lost, you can press {{K|F1}} to return to the wagon. (You can define more {{L|hotkeys}} later, to jump quickly to other sites of interest.)

Notice the terrain features, the vegetation, and any minerals visible. If you chose a site with flowing water, where is it? What about pools of water? The more carefully you examine your site before breaking ground, the better off you will be.

Remember that this is more of a simulation than a game. It is not "play balanced", and you can very easily find yourself in impossible situations. That is all part of the {{L|fun}} because even when you lose, you create an interesting story.

Your wagon serves as the initial meeting area for your dwarves. Since you should have started in a non-freezing, calm (low savagery), non-evil biome, you shouldn't face any immediate danger, but if for some reason the area around your wagon proves to be unsafe, immediately designate another meeting zone using {{K|i}} (see ''Temporary Meeting Area'' below).

==Controlling Your Dwarves==
The first thing to keep in mind is that, for the most part, you can't directly control your dwarves the way you control characters in a typical fantasy RPG. Instead, you '''designate''' things that need to be done and then dwarves with the appropriate labor assignments will decide what to start working on based on a set of largely hard-coded priorities.

For example, if a dwarf needs to eat then he will go eat and only get around to digging a tunnel once he is done eating. It is also possible to designate things that no dwarf is able to do. For example, if you designate an area to mine but no dwarf has mining as one of his allowed labors or no dwarf has a pickaxe then the mining will never get done, and the game will not always advise you of why.

So what you are doing throughout the game is essentially giving your dwarves a detailed group-wide to-do list, but it's up to them to figure out which one of them will execute any given task if the task is even possible. Often many of the details of how a task is performed (such as exactly which rock will be used to make crafts) are left up to them.

==Strike The Earth!==
Generally, you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible. So the first thing you will do is {{K|d}}esignate some areas to "mine".

Decide where you will build your main entrance. The best thing to do is just put it near your wagon to make it faster and less work to haul all of your supplies inside.

To designate an area for digging:
#Hit {{K|d}} to bring up the Designations menu.
#Hit {{K|d}} again to select Mine
#Place the cursor on one corner of the rectangular area you want to designate and press {{K|Enter}}
#Move the cursor to the other corner of the rectangle and press {{K|Enter}}. A rectangle will be highlighted and a miner dwarf will start to dig out this area once you exit the menu (with {{K|Esc}}) and unpause the game with {{K|Space}}.

This is basically how all of the designation commands work. Everything has to be designated one rectangle at a time, but rectangles can always be one tile wide, or just one single tile.

If your wagon is near a {{L|cliff}}, you can just designate a tunnel to mine ({{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) into the cliff to create an entryway. If you are on flat land with no cliff near the wagon, {{L|channel}} out a small rectangle (perhaps 3x3) on the surface with {{K|d}}-{{K|h}} to create a sort of pit with ramps on the edges, then go down one z-level with {{K|>}} and tunnel into the wall of the pit to create your entry. (Think of this as creating your own cliff, with the inside wall of the pit being the "cliff".)

Dig a hallway one tile wide and ''at least'' 10 long, ideally more like 20. This will be your entryway. Later you may want to expand this to 2 or 3 tiles wide but for now make it narrow so it will be easier to defend.

Your entryway defines the boundary between your safe and protected inner fort, and the big bad outside world. You want this to be your only entrance so that you only have to worry about defending this one opening.

==Delving Secure Lodgings==
[[File:Quickstart-level0.png|thumb|right|Level 0: This is the ground level which we'll call "level 0". The entrance tunnel is on the left where the refuse and wood stockpiles are partially visible. Inside are the general storage area, trade depot, stairwell, and farm plot.]]
At the end of the entry hall, dig a 5x5 room (where you'll later build your trade depot). Then dig out at least another 3 or 4 tiles of interior hallway beyond that, and beyond that another room for a general stockpile area about 10x10 tiles. You have some flexibility in how you do this; see the image at the right for an example.

Don't make any of these rooms too big or your miner will take forever to dig the rooms out, especially if he is digging in stone instead of soil. (Digging through soil is much faster.) You may want to designate one room at a time, then wait for it to be mined out before designating the next room.

=== Stockpiles ===
[[File:Quickstart-custom-stockpile.png|right|thumb|Keep corpses, refuse, stone and wood out of general use stockpiles. You can come back and change the settings on this stockpile using {{K|q}}, selecting the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}}. Try to remember to come back here to disable/forbid types of things as you create more specific stockpiles for them.]]
'''Stockpiles''' are very important. These areas are where your dwarves will drop things for storage when they aren't needed elsewhere. To create a '''general purpose stockpile''' for your first storage area:
#Hit {{K|p}} to open the Stockpiles menu.
#Use {{K|t}} to change the the {{L|Stockpile#Custom_stockpiles|custom stockpile}} settings to {{K|e}}nable everything but '''Wood''', '''Corpses''', '''Refuse''', '''Stone''', and '''Gems'''. Use directional keys, {{K|e}}nable, {{K|d}}isable to do this.
#{{k|Esc}} out of that screen back to the stockpiles menu.
#Hit {{K|c}} to select Custom Stockpile.
#Designate the whole 10x10 storage room as a custom stockpile. This works just like designating an area to dig: place the cursor on one corner of the room, hit {{K|Enter}}, move to the opposite corner, and hit {{K|Enter}} again.
#Press {{K|Esc}} to get out of the Stockpiles menu.
Once you exit the stockpiles menu you should see dwarves running off to haul everything from your wagon into the new stockpile area. Later you can change what sort of things the stockpile accepts by hitting {{K|q}} (Set Building Tasks/Prefs), placing the cursor on the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}} to get to the stockpile settings.

It is particularly important to '''keep wood, stone, refuse, and corpses out of your general purpose stockpile''', so you may want to double check to make sure all of these things are disabled in the stockpile settings. Failure to keep these things out of this stockpile will cause problems.

=== Stairways ===
Somewhere off of your interior hallway, dig out a 3x3 or so area and designate a Downward Stairway in the middle of it with {{K|d}}-{{K|j}}. Notice that after your miner digs the stairway, it doesn't automatically create another stairway on the z-level below. If you hit {{K|>}} to move the view down a z-level you'll see that there's no stairway below, but there is a revealed tile of rock/soil. Because of the down stairway that was dug, this tile is now accessible to miners. You can then designate an Up/Down Stairway on it with {{K|d}}-{{K|i}} and the miner dwarf will dig it out. Below that you can then dig out another up/down stairway and so on. For now just dig down one level; we will deepen the stairwell later.

==Stout Labor==
'''Labors''' are how you control what types of tasks a dwarf will do. For example, if the Fishing labor is enabled for a dwarf, that dwarf is allowed to engage in fishing.

When dwarves are idle, it could be because you haven't given them anything to do, or it could be because none of the idle dwarves have been told that they're allowed to do the types of tasks you've designated. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but none of the dwarves have the mining labor enabled, they will all just sit around ignoring your mining designation thinking that it isn't their job.

Dwarves will automatically have some labors enabled if they start out with skill in those labors, and some labors (such as hauling and cleaning) are enabled for all dwarves by default. This is why you didn't need to enable any labors on dwarves to get them to haul and mine, but later you may need to do something that no dwarf has currently been told they're allow to attempt.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#aa0|Dwarf Therapist|You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. If you are using a supported operating system, the utility '''{{L|Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist}}''' can make this a million times easier, especially later when you're dealing with twenty times the number of dwarves you have now.}}
With the digging and stockpile taken care of, look over your dwarves' assigned {{L|labor}}s. Press {{K|v}} (View Units) then place the cursor on a dwarf. Now, press {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} for "preferences: labors". You will see a list of labor categories that you can navigate using {{K|-}}{{K|+}}. You can enter each category and toggle each labor off and on with {{K|Enter}} and get back out with {{K|Esc}}.

After exiting the View Units menu, you can use {{K|u}} (the units screen) to help you locate dwarves. Hit {{K|u}}, select a dwarf, hit {{K|c}} for "zoom to creature" and you'll automatically be placed in view mode on that dwarf. (Then use {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} to get to the labor configuration menu if necessary.)

Even if no dwarves have the corresponding skills, ensure that someone has {{L|wood burner}}, {{L|furnace operator}}, {{L|wood cutter}}, {{L|plant gathering}}, {{L|gem cutter}}, {{L|armorsmith}}, {{L|weaponsmith}}, {{L|blacksmith}}, {{L|metal crafter}}, and {{L|engraver}} (stone detailing) enabled. If you have dwarves with hunting or fishing, ''disable'' those until you have your initial fort completed. When you're first starting out you don't want dwarves wandering around alone where they can get killed.

Any unskilled dwarf can perform any labor given the necessary equipment and materials. Dwarves with no skill will simply be slow and produce a smaller quantity of lower quality goods in a given time period, but they will gain skill points as they do so.

==Temporary Meeting Area==
Using the {{k|i}} key, create an activity zone (at least 3x3) in the stairwell area. This works much like creating a stockpile except that you draw the rectangle first then hit keys to define what the area is for. Draw the rectangle over the area then set it to be a {{K|m}}eeting area. Your idle dwarves will hang around in this area, hopefully keeping them inside the fort and out of trouble.

==Refuse==
[[File:Dwarf fort tut miasma.jpg|thumb|right|Avoiding {{L|Miasma}}]]
Outside your fort entrance, use {{K|p}} followed by {{K|r}} to create a stock{{K|p}}ile for {{L|Stockpile#Refuse|{{K|r}}efuse}} ''at least'' 5x5 in size. This should be outside in the open or you will have problems with {{L|Miasma}}. You will probably have to expand it later as it will fill up with vermin remains rather quickly. If you are seeing refuse appear in your general-purpose stockpile instead of the refuse pile, use {{K|q}} on the general stockpile and check it's {{K|s}}ettings to make sure refuse has been disabled.

==Woodcutting==
Create another stock{{K|p}}ile for {{K|w}}ood outside your entrance. As it will only be temporary, don't make it too big (maybe 5x3, or 15 tiles total). Later you will move this closer to your carpenter's workshop once you build one.

Press {{K|q}}, place the cursor on your wagon, and hit {{K|x}} to deconstruct it. This will flag the wagon for disassembly. Eventually a carpenter will come along and turn the useless wagon into a few units of wood. Removing other buildings is done the same way.

Also near the entry, designate at least 10 trees to be chopped down with {{K|d}}-{{K|t}}. Don't designate too many trees at the beginning, or your dwarves will spend all of their time chopping them down and hauling them rather than doing other work.

==Pasture==
If you have any grazing animals with you, such as the draft animals used to pull your wagon, they will die if they are kept away from grass for too long. Use {{K|i}} to create a Pe{{K|n}}/{{L|Pasture}} zone over a grassy area outside and assign your grazing animals to it using {{K|N}}. This area needs to be about 10x10 or so to ensure they have enough grass and don't trample it all.

==Sustenance by Plow==
Dig out an area in a soil layer, accessible from inside your fort but not reachable from the outside. You must pick an ''underground'' area with mud or soil. Hopefully you have chosen a site with a soil layer as this will make farming much easier, but if not then you will need to {{L|Irrigation|irrigate}} to create the required mud on stone floors.

Now use {{K|b}} to build a 3x3 {{L|Farming|farm {{K|p}}lot}}. Notice that some things like buildings and constructions are not designated corner-to-corner like digging designations, stockpiles, or activity zones. Instead, you define the width and height of the "building" using {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|h}} then position it with the directional keys. So hit {{K|u}}{{K|u}}{{K|k}}{{K|k}} to make the plot 3x3 and position it in the room you just excavated.

Remember you must enable the "Farming (Fields)" labour for at least one dwarf or the farm plot won't get built and farming will not take place. (If you selected "Play Now" earlier then you will start with a dwarf with farming enabled.)

{{K|Esc}} out of the build menu and wait for the farmer dwarf to create the plot. Once the plot is built, use {{K|q}} to set the plot to grow {{L|plump helmet}}s during all seasons. You will need to press {{K|a}}, {{K|b}}, {{K|c}}, {{K|d}} and select Plump Helmets for each season, otherwise you'll end up with an idle field for 3/4ths of the year.

==Designing Your First Fortress==
While this guide recommends a vertical fortress design around a central stairwell with each z-level being used for a particular purpose, it is really not that important to use this design for your first fortress. Therefore, feel free to put any of the areas described in the rest of this guide on your main level or wherever you want as long as dwarves can get to them without going outside the fort. In other words, you can think of the "levels" described in the guide more as areas that can really all be on the same level if you have space. Later you can ponder over what makes things most efficient, but for now just do whatever you find easiest.

To get stone though you may need to dig down a bit if you have more than one z-level of sand/clay/soil on the surface.

==Workshops==
[[File:Quickstart-level-1-workshops.png|right|thumb|Level -1: Mason's, carpenter's, mechanic's, and jeweler's workshops surrounded by appropriate stockpiles.]]
Dig your stairwell down one level (with {{K|d}}-{{K|i}}), if you haven't already, and create four 5x5 rooms off of the stairwell. These will hold your {{L|Mechanic's_workshop|mechanic's}}, {{L|Mason's_workshop|mason's}}, {{L|Carpenter's_workshop|carpenter's}}, and {{L|Jeweler's_workshop|jeweler's}} {{L|workshop}}s.

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}} to build the workshops, and select some sort of junk stone for the material. If you are still digging in soil and don't have stone yet, just use wood. (The material really doesn't matter in this case.) Put each workshop in the center of each room, and use the remaining space for the appropriate type of stockpile (wood for your carpenter, stone for your mason and mechanic, and gems for your jeweler.) If the construction of any building gets "suspended" just use {{K|q}} to unsuspend it. (This can happen if stone is blocking the way. See "Garbage" Dumping below if you find you need to remove some stone.)

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Too Good for Menial Peon Work|Certain labors are crucial in setting up a fort. At some point you may want to disable less important labors such as hauling for dwarves with the crucial skills of masonry, architecture, carpentry, mechanics, and maybe others. You want these dwarves working on creating beds, doors, and trap components before hauling stone and cleaning.}}
Remove the temporary wood stockpile you created outside (using {{K|p}}-{{K|x}}) and dwarves will move the wood to the new wood storage area.

Go to your mason's shop with {{K|q}} and use {{K|a}} to queue up one {{L|table}} and one {{L|throne}}/chair. You will find out why you need these in a second, but now is a good time to start building them. If you still don't have any stone at this point just use wood at the carpenter's workshop.

=="Garbage" Dumping==
'''Note that garbage is not the same thing as refuse.''' {{L|Stockpile#Refuse|Refuse}} is {{L|Miasma|rotting stuff}}. Garbage is anything you designate to be hauled to a {{L|Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump}}, even important things that aren't really garbage. Think of your garbage dump zone as a way to specify that objects you select will be brought to a specific area.

Use {{K|i}} to create a 1x1 activity zone somewhere near your mason's and mechanic's workshops and set it to be a {{K|g}}arbage Dump. Unlike stockpile areas where you are limited to storing one object per tile, any number of items may be piled in a garbage area. That means you will only need one tile to hold as much garbage as you like. Although many of the room sizes in this guide are suggestions, think of the 1x1 garbage dump size as mandatory. At some point you will probably want to retrieve an important item from your garbage dump, and the larger your dump is, the harder it will be to find anything in it.

Press {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} to get to the mass dump/forbid screen and select the {{k|d}}ump option. With "dump" selected, designate a rectangle over all of the loose stones cluttering up your living area. This will designate this stone to be transported to the closest garbage dump zone.

Once the stone from your living area has been moved there, it will be set as {{L|Forbid|forbidden}}. Before it can be used you will need to unforbid it using the same {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} screen, hitting {{k|c}} to claim it.

Congratulations! Knowing how to use garbage zones and dump commands puts you head and shoulders above most newbs. It takes some people weeks to figure this out.

==Trade Depot==
Build a {{L|trade depot}} using {{K|b}}-{{K|D}} in the 5x5 room you created near your entrance. This is where caravans will park their stuff and where {{L|trading}} will take place when one arrives.

==Bedrooms==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Communal Living|When a fort is first getting started, a common {{L|dormitory}} type {{L|bedroom}} will suffice for a while, but dwarves will eventually want their own rooms. So feel free to create a {{L|dormitory}} now if you want and come back later to create individual rooms. You will want an office now though.}}
[[File:Quickstart-level-7-bedrooms.png|left|thumb|Level -7: Meager bedrooms and office. All rooms have doors; the bedrooms have a bed, cabinet, and coffer; and the office has a table and chair.]]
Continue digging your stairwell down about seven more levels. Just create the stairwells for now.

On the lowest level, dig some halls leading to rooms for sleeping quarters. Dwarves don't need much space for living quarters; in fact, you can turn a 1x3 room into decent quarters by smoothing the stone and filling it with some decent quality furniture.

{{L|Bedroom design|Designing living quarters}} is a matter of personal preference and aesthetic sense. Actual design will be left as an exercise for the player. Just try to keep the bedrooms close to the stairs, and ideally make your access hallways at least two tiles wide so your dwarves don't have to crawl over and under each other to get where they are going.

You will want to create at least eight rooms: seven for your {{L|bedroom}}s, and one as an {{L|office}} for your manager/bookkeeper, which, rather than a chest, bed and cabinet, will contain the chair and table you queued up earlier.

==Nobles==
Hit the {{k|n}} key to open up the {{L|Noble|nobles and administrators}} screen.

The most important positions to assign are '''{{L|broker}}''', '''{{L|bookkeeper}}''' and '''{{L|manager}}'''. Your {{L|expedition leader}} is a good choice for all three when starting out. Don't worry that it's just one dwarf doing all this; none of these jobs take very long.

Having a manager will allow you to queue up work orders which will greatly simplify managing your production. Having a bookkeeper will allow you to maintain inventory counts on the {{K|z}} screen so you'll know what you do and don't have. A broker is necessary to trade with a caravan once one has arrived at your trade depot.

[[File:Quickstart-noble-selection.png|right|thumb|Nobles screen. The red stuff turns white once an office is assigned.]]
Don't worry about the {{L|chief medical dwarf}} yet. He will be needed when you set up your {{L|Healthcare|hospital}} which won't be covered in this guide. Feel free to go check out the {{L|Healthcare}} guide once you're done.

Lastly, while you are on this screen, highlight the bookkeeper and {{K|s}}et him to work for maximum precision. This will help train bookkeeping faster and ensure that you aren't dealing with vague inventory counts.

===Offices===
Some of your administrative positions (manager and bookkeeper) require an {{L|office}} in order to function. If your manager, for example, doesn't have an office, you will not be able to do any of the things that require a manager even though you have one assigned.

Earlier you should have queued up a table and throne in your mason's shop, and they should be done by now. Place them in the office (room you created down in the sleeping area) using the {{K|b}}uild command. Once dwarves has installed the furniture, use {{K|q}} to select the chair, make the room into an office, and assign the office to your expedition leader (who should be your bookkeeper and manager). Hit {{K|n}} to verify that these positions now have the office they need. If so then you shouldn't see any red.

==Furniture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Different Names, Same Thing|As you've noticed, some things have different names based on what they're made of (like chairs vs. thrones) even if they're functionally the same. So, if it seems like you can't make something of a particular material, do some poking around and check the wiki.}}
Now would be a good time to start building some {{L|furniture}}. You could queue up all these items directly from your workshops, but why not give your new manager a little practice?

Using the manager screen {{k|j}}-{{k|m}}, hit {{k|q}} to queue up a new job, and type "bed", and then select "construct bed." Set the quantity to seven. Next, queue up seven wooden {{L|chest}}s or stone coffers, eight {{L|door}}s, seven {{L|cabinet}}s, at least two {{L|table}}s and two {{L|throne}}s/chairs. The tables and chairs will go in your {{L|dining room}}, speaking of which...

==Dining and Food Prep Area==
Above the living quarters, and right off the main stairwell, create another four rooms. One will be for general food storage, one a {{L|dining room|dining hall}}, one a {{L|kitchen}}, and one a {{L|still}}. The still will allow you to make alcohol. The Kitchen will allow you to make {{L|Cook#Recipes|Prepared food}}.

Make the rooms for the kitchen and still 5x5 each. The storage area and dining hall should be larger. Ideally make the dining hall so that it can be further expanded later.

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}} to build the still and kitchen in the middle of the 5x5 rooms. Create {{K|f}}ood stockpiles in the remaining space around each workshop, as well as the entire food storage room.

[[File:Quickstart-level-6-dining.png|right|thumb|Level -6: Dining level with dining hall, kitchen, still, and storage area.]]

Go back to your general purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings to {{K|d}}isable Food. This will cause any food in your general purpose stockpile to get moved to your new food-only stockpiles.

Hit {{K|z}} and select ''{{L|Kitchen}}'' from the top of the screen, then disable all cooking for plants and enable brewing for them so that they will only be used for brewing. Also disable alcoholic beverages for cooking, otherwise your cooks will waste perfectly good hooch in their cooking. The only time you might want to use alcohol in cooking is when you have lots of booze but are running out of food.

If you plan to do any fishing, dig out another area and create a {{L|Fishery}} on this level so the uncleaned fish your fisherdwarf just caught can be cleaned (gutted) for consumption or cooking. If you plan to do any hunting or {{L|Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter}} any animals, create a {{L|Butcher's shop}} on this level so animal corpses can be butchered. The fishery/butcher's shop can be placed behind the kitchen or the general food stockpile, for example. A door is recommended for the butcher's shop in order to contain {{L|Miasma}} should something rot, and to otherwise avoid offending squeamish dwarves.

Eventually go check out the subpage on [[/Stockpiles]] for more information on fine-tuning these stockpiles for maximum efficiency. For now you can safely procrastinate on this and move on to the next section.

==Placing Furniture==
Once your furnishings are complete, you need to place them in rooms using the {{K|b}}uild command. Make sure each bedroom gets a door, chest, bed and cabinet. Put a door on the office (which should already have a chair and table). Put the new chairs and tables in the dining room. Make more doors and put them on other rooms if you want.

Once dwarves have hauled beds to the bedrooms, use {{K|q}} on the installed beds to make the bedrooms into bedrooms. Don't worry about assigning the bedrooms to specific dwarves; they will eventually pick their own as long as they have been defined as unowned bedrooms.

==Meeting Hall==
Use {{K|q}} on one of the tables you just placed in the dining room, define the area as a room, and configure it to be a meeting hall. This will cause idle dwarves to hang around in the dining hall. You want idlers in a central location, close to where you will be placing your emergency drawbridge levers. You may want to go remove the temporary meeting area and any other meeting areas that you created earlier (with {{K|i}}).

==Checking Supplies==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Hostile Wilds|Before turning on either hunting or fishing, examine the {{K|u}}nits screen to see if there are any dangerous critters your hunters/fishers need worry about. With hunting especially, you may need to check this screen frequently.}}
Use the {{K|z}} ({{L|status}}) screen to check your stock levels. How much food and booze do you have left? You only have unprepared food at this point, and the booze you brought with you, but soon you will be making more. If you are running low on food, you can designate gathering some {{L|shrub|outdoor plants}}, {{L|Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter}} some animals, turn on {{L|fishing}}, or turn on {{L|hunting}} to tide you over for a bit. Hunting and slaughtering animals both require a butcher's shop.

==Brewing and Cooking==
Once your first crop of plump helmets starts to come in, you will want to start {{L|brewing}} as a {{L|repeat}}ing task. Also, now would be a good time to start {{L|cooking}} actual meals rather than forcing your dwarves to eat raw food. Cooking {{L|Cooking#Recipes|easy meals}} will train dwarves faster, but they may be happier with {{L|Cooking#Recipes|lavish meals}}. So, you might want to cook easy ones until your cook or cooks skill up to a certain point then have them start making lavish meals. Prepared food is cooked from two (easy), three (fine), or four (lavish) raw food/alcohol ingredients. Each prepared food item will be called a something "biscuit", "stew", or "roast" depending on the lavishness of the meal.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Conserving Resources|Some things absolutely require wood (like beds and charcoal), but others can be made out of more common materials like stone. For this reason it's best, especially in the beginning, to make everything that you can out of stone. For example, you could make wood chests and barrels, but stone coffers and rock pots would let you save wood for things that require it and help you rid yourself of all that stone. And if you decide you want solid gold chests or something later when you have more resources, you can always throw out the rock coffers.}}
Speaking of booze, in order to keep the booze flowing, you will need to create some {{L|barrel}}s, or some stone {{L|pot}}s. Your dwarves should have emptied a few barrels by now to get you started, but you will definitely need more. A ''lot'' more. If you have an abundance of trees, then you can designate some more for cutting, and have your carpenter make a bunch of wooden barrels, but it may be more prudent to make a {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}}, make sure someone has the {{L|Stonecrafting}} labor enabled, and build a bunch of rock pots. (Rock pots are essentially barrels made of rock.) And don't worry that you've made too many; you almost can't get enough of them.

Keep checking your food and drink stock levels on the {{K|z}} screen periodically. While cooked food (properly stockpiled) and alcohol don't spoil, there is really no need to stock 2,000 units of dwarven wine at this point. Ten times the number of drinks and meals as you have dwarves is more than enough. If you start running out of food or drinks, designate some wild plants for harvesting, {{L|Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter}} some of your animals, start hunting or fishing, or start more farms.

Actually, now would be a fine time to make another three by three farm. Set it to produce {{L|sweet pod}}s in the spring and summer, {{L|cave wheat}} or {{L|pig tail}}s (your choice) in the fall, and {{L|plump helmet}}s in the winter. Having multiple types of plants will give your dwarves more variety in their food and drink, keeping them from {{L|Thought|grumbling}}.

==Storage Space==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#0a0|float=right|Advanced Stockpiling|Check out the [[/Stockpiles]] sub page for more information on fine-tuning your stockpiles, especially in the food production area. This is somewhat complicated and it can safely be skipped if you don't feel like tinkering with stockpiles right now.}}
You should probably start making some wooden '''{{L|Bin|bins}}''' to help you store more stuff in less space. You might not need them yet, but you certainly will later. Bins are somewhat like barrels/pots, but they can store things other than just food and drink. Bins will also reduce the amount of labor needed to {{L|haul}} things to your trade depot or other stockpiles. So designate some more trees to be chopped down and queue up some bins. As with barrels and pots, you almost can't have enough bins.

=Beyond a Minimal Fortress=

By now you should have your main entrance created, along with a farm, general purpose stockpile, refuse pile (for trash), and {{L|trade depot}}. Somewhere you should have a mason's shop, a mechanic's shop, a carpenter's shop, and a jeweler's shop, surrounded by appropriate storage piles with garbage zone (for excess stone). You should also have a furnished dining area with kitchen, still, and food storage, and a residential area with furnished bedrooms and an office. You should have selected your administrators, and might even have an optional fishery, butcher's shop, craftsdwarf's workshop, or other stuff.

At this point, you have all the components of a minimal but functional fortress! Your next steps will be to make it safer and better protected, to set up your {{L|metal industry}}, and later to prepare your {{L|military|militia}}.

==Preparing for Immigrants==
Soon you should get some {{L|Immigration|immigrants}} if you haven't already. When you do get a group of {{L|Immigration|immigrants}}, take a headcount and queue up enough beds, doors, cabinets and chests to make bedrooms for them all. Examine their skills. (This is where {{L|Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist}} can come in handy again.) Be sure to enable any labors that they have skills in, but aren't active. Turn any useless dwarves into furnace operators.

==Traps==
Start producing '''{{L|mechanism}}s''' at your {{L|mechanic's workshop}}. Queue up ten. After they are built, use them to create {{L|Trap#Stone-fall_Trap|stone fall traps}} near the start of your entry hall using {{K|b}}-{{K|T}}. Queue up some {{L|cage}}s, and more mechanisms, and use these to create some {{L|Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps}} right after your stone traps. Cage traps are incredibly effective at stopping ambushers, but traps in general will not protect you from {{L|thief|thieves and kidnappers}} who will almost always bypass them.

Continue to fill up your entry hall with alternating rows of stone and cage traps as the parts become available.

==Guard Animals==
Create two 1x1 {{L|pasture}}s near the beginning of your entryway, one on either side, using {{K|i}}. Using the {{K|N}} key inside the zone interface, assign a {{L|dog}} or other non-grazing animal to each of them. These animals will spot thieves and raiders before they gain entrance to your fortress. Try to pick disposable animals, as they ''will'' be slaughtered by the first ambush raiders. Ideally, don't assign female animals; you want them safe for {{L|Meat industry#Breeding|breeding}}.

==Drawbridge==
Build a {{L|Bridge|drawbridge}} ({{K|b}}-{{K|g}}) to seal off your entryway. Make sure to use {{K|w}}, {{K|a}}, {{K|d}}, or {{K|x}} to make it raise up in the right direction; otherwise it will just retract (disappear) instead of raising up to form a barrier.

Put the drawbridge between the trade depot and the hall-o-traps so you can lock things out of the trade depot and the rest of the fort. Build a lever ({{K|b}}-{{K|T}}-{{K|l}}) near your meeting area and connect it to the drawbridge by using {{K|q}} on the lever.

In case of an {{L|ambush}} or {{L|siege}}, you will want to close up your fort, keeping the goblins out until your {{L|squad}}s have formed up and are in position. Ideally you want to have enough cage traps to take out most of the goblins so your military will only have to mop up.

==Metal Industry==
[[File:Quickstart-level-2-forge.png|thumb|right|Level -2: Forge and smelters with ore stockpile in the middle.]]
Now, below your first workshop level, dig out four more 5x5 rooms around the stairwell. Three of these will be {{L|smelter}}s, and one a {{L|metalsmith's forge}}. Designate stockpiles for {{K|b}}ars around the smelters and forge. The bar stockpiles will hold {{L|Fuel|coke and charcoal}} and metal {{L|bar}}s. You will probably need larger bar stockpiles, but you can dig out more space and expand them later.

Also dig out some space and create a stockpile for {{L|ore}} somewhere nearby. To make an ore stockpile, designate a {{K|s}}tone stockpile, then use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings on it to forbid all types of stone other than ore.

Finally, go to your general purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to disable Bars. Stone should already be disabled on this stockpile, and if so then ore is already disabled for it.

===Wood Burning===
Somewhere near your carpenter's shop, near your wood stockpile, dig out an area and build a {{L|wood furnace}}. Hopefully, you will find enough '''lignite''' or '''bituminous coal''' that you will only need to use the wood furnace to create enough charcoal to jump-start the '''coke''' (refined coal) production. Without {{L|magma}}, you need to refine raw coal to make coke, or burn wood to make charcoal. Unprocessed coal is not a usable fuel; only refined coke and charcoal are.

If you don't find coal on your map, you'll need to either dig down to {{L|magma}} or make charcoal out of wood to run your forges and smelters, but don't worry about this yet. You need to do some digging around.

===Mining===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|"I have struck what?"|New players who don't have a degree in geology usually find themselves confused as to what all these mineral names mean. In DF you'll never strike "iron ore" but you will strike {{L|magnetite}} or {{L|limonite}} which are {{L|ore}}s of {{L|iron}}. If you don't know that these things are ores of iron then it obviously won't occur to you to try to smelt iron. Note that ores usually look like {{Raw Tile|£|6:7:1}} before they are mined and {{Raw Tile|*|6:1}} after, though the colors will differ. See '''''{{L|The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock}}''''' to help you figure out exactly what you've found.}}
At this point you want to start looking for metal ore. You may have already found some while digging out rooms, in which case you can just mine into the walls of the rooms to get more ore. If you haven't found ore yet or you want to see what else you can find, you will need to dig {{L|Exploratory mining|exploratory tunnels}} looking for ores, minerals, and {{L|gem}}s. For now just start digging tunnels out from your stairwell or rooms in all directions and see what you run into. Note that digging into '''damp stone''' or '''warm stone''' is not recommended as those areas may be holding back water or lava which can flood your fort.

===Fuel===
Whether you find coal or not, you will need to burn wood into at least one unit of charcoal. If you find some coal (lignite or bituminous coal), start your smelters out processing it into coke using your charcoal to get things started. From then out you can burn coke to make more coal into more coke and so on.

Put these coke-making jobs on repeat. Only use one smelter to begin with, but you should be getting a group of {{L|Immigration|immigrants}} fairly soon, if you haven't already, and you can put them to work in the other smelters.

Don't give up on finding coal right away. Dig around for a while and if you're starting to get impatient then burn some more wood into charcoal, smelt some ore, and make some {{L|weapon}}s. If you rely on charcoal for fuel then you'll be needing a ''lot'' of wood, so in that case dig out another room near the furnace and create a wood stockpile. You might also want to just remove a smelter, replace it with a wood furnace, and create the new wood stockpile down in the smelting area. Finally, go designate more trees for chopping.

===Forging===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Alternative Energy|If you don't find coal then you will have to continue to burn wood into charcoal, or dig down to the bottom of the map and find the magma sea so you can power {{L|magma smelter}}s and {{L|magma forge}}s. Getting to magma can be difficult for various reasons that you will discover, so make sure you are ready for some trouble before you go that direction. Burning charcoal should work out ok in the short term.}}
Once you have smelted some ore to get metal bars, and have additional bars of either coal or charcoal, you can start forging metal items. Here are some suggestions on what to make first:
#'''{{L|Pick}}s''' - You may have only started out with one pick which limits the number of miners you have to one. By this point you are probably wishing you had more miners. Make a few picks and give some dwarves the mining labor once you get some immigrants. It doesn't matter what metal you use to make picks, at least when it comes to mining, so even copper is perfectly good.
#'''{{L|Weapon}}s''' - Picks actually make pretty good weapons, but there can be some issues equipping them because they're tied to the mining labor. You may want to make a few axes. They make good weapons, at least against most lightly armored opponents you're likely to encounter first, and can be used to chop trees. Start with 5 or so.
#'''{{L|Armor}}''' - You're going to want some armor. Start with shields, breastplates or mail shirts, helmets, leggings, then gauntlets and boots. Start with 5 or so of each in the order listed.
{{L|Steel}} is the best normal metal to make armor and most weapons out of, but you're likely find that you want some arms before you can make steel. {{L|Iron}} is good, {{L|bronze}} is also good. {{L|Copper}} is not ideal, but it still works and is better than no metal weapons/armor at all.

==Gemcutting and Trinkets==
You should have uncovered some {{L|gem}}s by now, so put your {{L|jeweler}} to work {{L|Gem cutter|cutting}} them. These will be the only thing you {{L|Trading|trade}} in the first year, and only for things you absolutely need and can't produce enough of yourself.

Actually, {{L|Finished goods|stone crafts}} produced by a craftsdwarf can make good trading goods as well. The only problem with this is that you'll need to make a lot of them (50+) because each one isn't too valuable individually. If you go this route you will probably need to dedicate a craftsdwarf's workshop and craftsdwarf to this task almost full-time, but you're very unlikely to ever run out of stone.

==Sticking to the Plan==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Getting Distracted|Say one of your new immigrants turns out to be a legendary weaver. Should you plant some pig tails and create a loom for him? '''No!''' Put his legendary ass to work smelting metal or something that's part of your current industry even though he has no skill at it. Do not split your efforts yet. You can make use of his unique talents later when you can afford to diversify your industry.}}
Metalsmithing will be your primary economic activity, with cutting gems (and possibly making stone crafts) being used to give you some short-term {{L|wealth}} until the {{L|metal industry}} gets going. This means you will need miners, haulers, smiths and furnace operators. Unless a dwarf is doing something else vital to the proper functioning of your fort, such as training in the militia, making traps, cooking food, and so forth, they should be doing one of those four things.

==Wealth and Invasion==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Crafting Invitations for Trouble|Creating too much wealth initially is a sure fire method of pulling down a goblin ambush that you are ill-equipped to deal with. Titans will also start attacking you should your wealth go over a certain amount. For this reason, spend no time smelting gold, smoothing, or engraving anything yet. Most of the wealth you create in the beginning should be the sharp pointy kind.}}
You may have struck {{L|gold}} or some other valuable metal, and you may be tempted to put your furnaces and smiths to work creating valuable metal crafts. Don't do it! Until you have your militia formed and fully equipped with armor and weaponry, your smelters and forge should be doing nothing else but smelting cheaper materials like coal, iron, making pig iron and steel if possible, and making weapons and armor. Making {{L|steel}} will actually increase your wealth quite a bit, but at least you can stab and beat things to death with steel; you can't make weapons from gold.

=Military=

Your '''military''' is an important part of fortress defense. Unless you have totally cut yourself off from the outside world then you will want at least some sort of military.

Once you reach this point you should hopefully have enough dwarves to start a small military training program. You will need at least 5 dwarves who aren't otherwise doing anything important.

If you don't have any spare dwarves yet, or just don't want to mess with it yet, just skip to the next section and come back to this later. Don't wait too long to set up your military though; you especially will want soldiers before you reach a population of 80 dwarves. (You will find out why.)

When you're ready to start up your military, see the {{L|Military quickstart}} guide.

= What Next =

Congratulations! If you've made it this far then you have a self-sustaining fort going and can now start to branch out into whatever you are interested in exploring. Expect some goblin invasions, forgotten beasts, titans, dragons, giants, and other creatures to interrupt your activities at various points. This is part of the {{L|fun}}.

Here are some things that people almost always do eventually though not necessarily in any particular order (these are somewhat essential):
*Build {{L|coffin}}s and a graveyard or {{L|tomb}}s for dead dwarves and pets
*Set up a {{L|Healthcare|hospital}}
*Build a {{L|well}}
*Build a {{L|jail}} for unruly dwarves
*Set up {{L|Scheduling#Alert_Levels|civilian alerts}} to get civilians to a safe area during ambushes and sieges

Here are some things that players often do as their population grows:
*Smooth and {{L|engraving|engrave}} walls and floors
*Produce {{L|Dwarf_fortress_mode#Livestock|Meat, eggs, milk, and honey}}
*Continue to expand the {{L|military}}
*Explore new {{L|Industry|industries}}
*Dig down to the {{L|caverns}} and create a defended lower entrance with traps to defend the fort against the {{L|creatures|denizens}} below
*Build a {{L|kennel}} and train some war animals
*Build a {{L|Mass pitting}} system to dispose of caged enemies
*Build above-ground {{L|construction}}s such as an archery tower or garden
*Create a {{L|statue|statue garden}} or {{L|zoo}}
*Farm in an {{L|Farm#Above_Ground_Farming|above-ground farm plot}}
*Dig down to {{L|magma}} and set up {{L|magma forge}}s and {{L|magma smelter}}s to avoid the need for fuel
*Build {{L|machine component}}s to pump magma and water
*Create more {{L|Trap design|elaborate traps}} such as magma and drowning chambers
*Try some {{L|stupid dwarf trick}}s

You may also want to just read over the {{L|Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide}} and the many other very useful documents on the wiki to give you other ideas of what to do.

Keep in mind that how you play is not set in stone. Some people never defend, some start a {{L|Megaprojects|megaproject}} right after settling, some never dig and just build an above ground castle or town using logs. Some never smelt ore, some start smelting as soon as they arrive. Some make their home in the dangerous natural caverns. Some deal with invaders by flooding the map or isolating themselves completely. And that's not even considering the {{L|List of mods|mods}} and some of the crazier {{L|challenges}} that people have come up with. There's really no one "right" way to play DF.

= Feedback =

If you have any feedback on this guide, please leave a message on the [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}|talk page]] for this article or in [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=83452.0 this thread] on the forums.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Guides}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}

v0.31 Talk:Quickstart guide

2011-06-12T05:35:48Z

Ral: remove some very old comments that pretty much only applied to a very old version of the page, and answer a question

== Major Updates ==

This article seemed to be stagnating so I made some major improvements to the guide. It still doesn't tell you exactly how to do everything step-by-step, but there's a better reference guide for looking things up now. I did improve the level of detail somewhat, and linked to Bentgirder for people looking for something more specific. Also linked to Dwarf Therapist in about 3 places. --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 08:46, 27 April 2011 (UTC)

::: The tutorial ''is'' helpful, to an extent. However, I can't follow the reasoning why it tells the player to dig nine levels down before excavating a living area, largely because no actual reason is given. This takes a ton and a half of extra time, all while my dwarves starve and go cold turkey and my storage areas fill up with lizard corpses that mysteriously fail to be carted off to the refuse pile.

::: I'm still hanging in there, but the lack of oversight is a serious flaw. As a tutorial it starts out well enough, but aside from the section on dumping, it gives the player little ability to understand or control what's happening. --Eleas (unregistered) 00:19, 12 May 2011 (GMT +1:00)

:::: First, keep in mind that this particular thread predates major changes to the guide so any more threads with feedback should probably be started somewhere below to avoid confusion. Anyway, the original reasoning behind the "build living quarters on level -7" is that dwarves can be awakened by noise from activities on upper levels, but I'm not sure if this is any longer the case in the current version. It shouldn't actually take any longer to build a single stairwell 7 levels down than it does to dig a tunnel 7 tiles long. How long is it taking and how are you going about it? Also, aside from dumping there isn't much of any way to directly control dwarves. You pretty much just specify things for them to do, build, put things, etc, and they take on jobs and perform them as hardcoded priorities allow.... Perhaps I should add something about that.... --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 00:08, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

::::: Firstly, with the caveat that I'm a rank newbie, the problem is not merely that we dig down eight levels. The problem is that we excavate an entire extra level before doing that, and that we have to divide our attention between the surface layers and the sleeping quarters. We're not told why it has to be this way. We do not know whether there might be caves full of fire and brimstone and burrowing Balrogs in the layers between. We're not given any sort of timeframe to work with either, so we have no way of knowing if we're making good time. While we're trying to figure out this, our limited control over labors is tested by the distance to the planting fields, and we don't realize why the plump helmets rot unattended. The tutorial tries to be helpful, but (particularly after a while) falls into the trap of assuming that the reader will understand by inferring the relationships.

::::: So as constructive criticism, I would say the tutorial was informative and useful until [http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/DF2010:Quickstart_guide#Strike_The_Earth.21 Strike the Earth]. At that point, we're told stuff without the requisite context. Why is a long, narrow corridor easy to defend? How does one defend at all? What does a jeweler have to do with getting basic amenities into position (food, drink, rest)? What's the real purpose of the administrator? Et cetera. The fact that the tutorial is billed as the most up to date on the wiki (the DF build icon) meant I trusted it to be so, and that could have been one reason for the disconnect. --Eleas (unregistered) 00:22, 13 May 2011 (GMT +1:00).

:::::: Currently it is the most up-to-date. It's true that at some point I kind of start glossing over things a bit, but I was trying to keep it from getting too long and it's about 10 times longer than it was before I started working on it. (You would have found the original one totally worthless, most likely.) Part of the reason that it's not more detailed is that it's supposed to be "quick" and cover more material in less detail than a normal tutorial. You might want to check out {{L|Bentgirder}} which covers less material but covers it in more detail I think. I did actually update some stuff in the quickstart quite to address the fortress design stuff, but the game is so complex that there's no way to explain everything that might happen as you might be able to in SimCity. --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 22:41, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

== Kitchen / Still Stockpiles ==

I think the area dealing with the stockpiles in the kitchen and still could use some work. There is no entry for "Large Pots" under the furniture section for instance. Also, what is considered prepared food versus non-prepared? I started going through all the meats excluding everything starting with "Prepared..." and almost lost my mind. Overall I've found the guide useful and feel like I'm getting a practical grasp of the game now that I'm on my third time going through it. [[User:Vitriolum|Vitriolum]] 01:48, 8 May 2011 (UTC)

:The stockpiles screen is confusing. "Prepared food" are not actually the things that start with "Prepared" like "Prepared whatever meat". It took me forever to notice the {{DFtext|u: Prepared Food}} thing in the lower right corner. (Keep on the lookout for other toggles that appear in this part of the screen when you select other things like Animals, for instance.) "Prepared Food" should probably be called "Cooked Meals" or something since that's what it actually is. This configuration is complex enough that it's worth elaborating on so I updated that section and the first section on stockpiles. Let me know what you think. --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 03:36, 8 May 2011 (UTC)

::Excellent. Yes that clears it up for me! I suppose it does make sense to keep that stuff in a separate article. Maybe we should spell out the benefits of the advanced stockpiling, though, with the link. I'll add that later tonight. Also, I'm now set to be emailed when watched pages update so it won't take me 3 days to learn that something's been added here! [[User:Vitriolum|Vitriolum]] 20:32, 11 May 2011 (UTC)

:::Feel free to add whatever you want especially since it's in its own page now and doesn't contribute to the complexity of the main guide. I do seem to remember in my first fort that I really didn't want to mess with custom stockpiles too much and would rather just focus on other things. (Like I knew I could create a seeds-only stockpile but I just didn't want to bother with it yet). So I tried to remove everything about custom stockpiles, but the general-purpose custom stockpile seemed pretty important so I left that one in. I at least simplified the general purpose one so that people only have to mess with enabling/disabling top level categories of things and not worry about digging around finding rock pots and such. I should probably read back over and see if there is anything else I can simplify. Like perfectly optimal stockpiles there are probably some other things that a fort could operate without that might be removed or simplified.... --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 21:43, 11 May 2011 (UTC)

== Military and stockpiles ==

I moved the military stuff to [[DF2010:Military quickstart]] to try to shorten the article a bit, and I simplified the stockpile stuff and moved the more advanced stockpile tweaking to its own subpage. I wish I could shorten the guide more but it seems very hard to do so because there's just a lot of stuff that you have to do to get a minimal fortress working. Though the guide isn't short it is relatively quick compared to trying to learn by trial and error using the rest of the docs on the wiki..... --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 19:37, 9 May 2011 (UTC)

== Rest of fortress? ==

Y'know how in this guide it tells you levels (level 0, level -1, level -7, &c.)? Why doesn't it give you recommendations/suggestions for the other levels like level -3, -4, and -5? --[[Special:Contributions/69.248.54.74|69.248.54.74]] 03:42, 12 June 2011 (UTC)

:Well, it does sort of. It tells you to just mine around in those levels looking for minerals. Originally the reason for putting the bedrooms 7 levels under was to avoid noise from the surface, but that doesn't really seem to be an issue in the latest versions (if it ever was) so I could probably just change the numbering. --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 05:35, 12 June 2011 (UTC)

User:Root Infinity

2011-06-11T03:25:03Z

Ral: Created page with 'Here's your user page.'

Here's your user page.

User talk:Acemaster296

2011-06-08T19:46:46Z

Ral:

I just made an account!I need some help. :( I was playing adventurer mode, having fun, went to quick travel, and bam! I get a strange feeling and I am in a pit! I can't get out. I can't sleep or anything, so I am stuck. I have a pick, but I have no idea how to use it. Can someone help me?

:You're more likely to get help on the forums as most people don't monitor talk pages on here. i think the answer to your question is that you can't really do anything but walk around in circles and wait for whatever creature thats around to go away. I don't believe adventurers can use a pick to dig in adventure mode. --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 19:46, 8 June 2011 (UTC)

User talk:Khym Chanur

2011-06-07T19:10:22Z

Ral: /* Plural of dwarf */

==Bug Tracker==
Out of curiosity, is there a reason why you monitor so many bugs on the tracker? I ask because each time you do so, the bug gets marked as having been Recently Modified even though no meaningful changes have been made. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 16:13, 10 March 2011 (UTC)

: Curiosity. I didn't realize it marked it as modified; I'll stop watching bugs so often. -- [[User:Khym Chanur|Khym Chanur]] 16:47, 10 March 2011 (UTC)
::Rotted away stack still leaves proper amount of shells though

==Plural of dwarf==

Hi Khym Chanur,

In this game the correct plural actually is "dwarves". You can see that from the line "[NAME:dwarf:dwarves:dwarven]" in the raws for {{L|Dwarf}}. Toady's followed an unofficial fantasy convention that I think started with Tolkien, who similarly used "elves" instead of the formally correct "elfs".

Cheers, [[User:Bognor|Bognor]] 11:01, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

:Also, the wiki rules say that, when the game uses a particular spelling of a term, the same spelling should be used on the wiki. In fact, Quietust actually had his bot replace all occurrences of "dwarfs" with "dwarves" a while back, and did some manual cleanup as well. --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 19:10, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

v0.31 Talk:Adventurer mode

2011-06-04T19:23:19Z

Ral: /* Sex? */

== Bleeding, wounds, combat ==

Anyone know if bleeding can be stopped in adventurer mode? My adventurer got hit by an arrow and bled to death. I removed the arrow but couldn't do anything about THE BLOOD. [[User:Haruspex Pariah|Haruspex Pariah]] 02:13, 5 April 2010 (UTC)

It looks like wounds can become infected (even after partial healing) in adventurer mode. My whole right leg is "swelling", and I keep vomiting everywhere. I wonder if it'll become worse. [[User:Timst|Timst]] 13:27, 5 April 2010 (UTC)

It might be worth pointing out and further testing that the combat in adventure mode seems to be much more detailed in DF2010. There are now nerves and layers of fat and muscle involved and it will tell you if you have served motor nerves etc. or just cut into fat. Also I must agree that hammers and other blunt weapons seem to be useless as in arena mode I used an adamantine hammer and couldn't do anything but bruise the heck out of people :P Switch to an axe and suddenly the same monster died on one hit (A dragon) Could use further testing of course, also to see if that weakness carries over to Fortress Mode so people can make informed choices when attempting to defend their fortress : --[[Special:Contributions/205.145.64.64|205.145.64.64]] 17:02, 7 May 2010 (UTC)Railick Stonemane
* Adamantine blunt weapons are poor because they are very lightweight; use heavier metals for blunt weapons. --[[User:TomiTapio|TomiTapio]] 18:29, 6 July 2010 (UTC)

I'm relatively certain it's relevant to my infection - after killing a dragon (all dragonfire blocked), I reported the victory thrice, and upon entering another town and thus leaving the travel, my feet spontaneously began melting. None of my equipment was on fire, so I'm assuming my infected finger (smashed apart of course) spread to my feet and the message was interpreted as melting, a half dozen times per movement. Very disconcerting.
(Another possible explanation is that the stairs of mead halls in a select few human capitals have faulty magma traps.)
: That sounds more like a bug than how infection or burning work. You could keep a perpetual infection with no effect other than occasional puss drainage, and it doesn't spread unless you also have a syndrome. Another explanation for the melting is that you might have walked across items burning in the wake of the dragonfire and set your feet aflame; you don't get any message that your equipment is on fire until you feel the pain of the flames. [[User:DokEnkephalin|DokEnkephalin]] 17:20, 9 September 2010 (UTC)

== Don't know where he lives ==

Have been tasked, as my first quest, to kill an armadillo fiend that is the god of one of the two of the only civilization left's religions. He's in my town, but I've no clue where he is

:The 'Q'uest Log should be useful for finding things. I think it can also help pinpoint quest targets. If you're in the same world map tile (e.g. you're in the same town), zooming in on something will show you the region map instead of the world map. I was able to see a 3x3 town on the map this way (or maybe it was a cave; I forget). Region tiles represent a 48x48 space IIRC, so that should help you find the rascal. -[[Special:Contributions/128.211.250.173|128.211.250.173]] 06:11, 16 April 2010 (UTC)

::I've encountered this as well; it's my (untested) assumption that the creature in question is somewhere in a cavern underneath the town. Also, the few times I've used the quest log to zoom in on a quest target, the most precise it gets is showing the 3x3 grid on the "local area" map where the Site in question is. [[User:Anacrucis|Anacrucis]] 21:59, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
:::If he's a demon, he's probably in one of the various houses and he's probably the town's Law-giver. If you actually attack him, the entire town will go hostile and try to kill you, including the guy who gave you the quest in the first place. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 22:02, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

== Mainspace redirect ==
Why does the mainspace Adventurer mode (and thereby the link on the main page) point to the 40d adventure mode? --[[User:StrongAxe|StrongAxe]] 15:39, 20 April 2010 (UTC)

== No attribute increase in adventure mode? ==
On the page it said that the attributes don't increase, but I started a dwarven adventurer and looked at his stats and it said I had a very good focus. But later that changed to a great ability to focus. So not only attributes INCREASE but also soul attributes can increase with no apparent reason.--[[User:Niggy|Niggy]] 13:54, 22 June 2010 (UTC)
: The article can't be accurate; attributes can increase with ranks in any skills. So far it appears to be random whether you get an increase and which attribute increases with each skill, but if you get enough to Legendary, you will notice some attributes climbing to Superhuman. [[User:DokEnkephalin|DokEnkephalin]] 08:08, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

== Dwarven Fortresses ==
I've seen a couple dwarven fortresses in adventure mode and in each case there's a large outer wall with a ring of stairs down to a "first" floor, in which there is a centered column of ramps down to the next level (all typical from ver. 40d). The ramp leads to a "ramp room" which has another ramp (column) opposite the first, then this repeats down several more levels, until you reach a level where there is no 'next' ramp down. Importantly, each ramp room is completely enclosed. There appears to be no actual body to the fortress, no rooms, hallways, certainly no workshops, etc. [[User:Piwowk|Piwowk]] 22:54, 20 April 2010 (UTC)
:It's been reported in the bug tracker. I actually once discovered a fortress just like this in 40d, but it seems that something has broken and is causing '''all''' worldgen dwarf fortresses to turn out like this. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 23:36, 20 April 2010 (UTC)
::I have discovered exactly one dwarf settlement in 31.04 that actually had halls and rooms in the underground layer. Just one. [[User:Anacrucis|Anacrucis]] 21:59, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
:::There is a workaround... well, kind of. By replacing DEFAULT_SITE_TYPE and LIKES_SITE (latter could be an overkill) from CAVE_DETAILED to CITY in raw's "default_entity.txt" you can supply every dorf's civilization with human architector, who '''can''' design functioning shops and whistles (having bad habit of building things above the ground though)

== Thoughts on Elf Adventurers ==
The current version of this page doesn't talk about the playable races so I thought this might be the best place to put my thoughts on elves:
:*Wood equipment makes them initially a poor choice as discussed on 40d page; however they can use the same size equipment as dwarfs (and goblins) which makes looting better gear a little easier than for a Human.
:*Elves seem to be friendly to most animals and non-evil creatures. They seem to lose this ability if they retire and then restart, though the loss might be caused by some other action (like killing Bambi) and the retire/restart correlation purely coincidental. Needs more testing.
:*If you lack the patience to reroll countless elf adventurers and send them to their deaths in search of a metal weapon, you could roll a dwarf character, put all it's starting steel and bronze gear in it's backpack, and drop the backpack somewhere like a human town, then retire the character. Revisiting that town with your elf, you should be able to find the backpack; this is more efficient than dropping the items individually as they all seem to stay in the backpack and only the backpack is "scattered." Whether or not this method requires more or less patience than the endless stream of dead elf adventurers method requires further testing.
:*Based on reviews of the Legends logs, attacking (or being attacked by?) members of a given Entity seems to make that Entity an Enemy of any Entities your adventurer belongs to. While I haven't tested this, it would seem possible that this could cause your civilization in Fortress mode to be at War with someone on embark, if you made some enemies with a dwarf adventurer of the same civilization. Playing an elf would avoid this presumed problem as long as you don't retire in a dwarven town or anything. (After all, every dwarf knows that elves are no [[fun]].) I propose more testing for this.
[[User:Anacrucis|Anacrucis]] 21:59, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

:The lack of random encounters from savage creatures does shelter a starting elf, from unprepared attacks that can end a novice dwarf or human quickly, but also from developing skill that other races have to. You can pick your targets at leisure, but the interface gets tedious as you have to confirm each and every attack. Since you can pretty much ignore wildlife, in later stages you don't have to waste time on the zerg rushes from outleagued critters. If evil lands exist in your world, they're a decent place to farm weapon experience in low-to-mid levels, until you're ready for local questing.
:The early equipment problem is solved with hand-picked recruitment of dwarves eager for glorious death. Goblin civilizations populated with dwarves tend to have more dwarves with better overall gear, so they make good targets, and they're fitting enemies for your dwarven companions to die in battle with. Money is pretty much pointless for elves, so you can travel light with only the weapons you like, or are currently training. You can have full steel in short order with this method; better gear than human coin can buy.
[[User:DokEnkephalin|DokEnkephalin]] 08:27, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

== Starting wars? ==
Can an adventurer cause wars by traveling around and attacking peaceful civilizations? --[[User:TomiTapio|TomiTapio]] 18:27, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
:Sort of. If the civilizations aren't already at war, they won't call it war. But if you're allied with one and cause trouble in another, they will name anyone you attack or who attacks you as an enemy, who will become a quest target. You could very easily make this snowball into a chain of aggressions from your allied nation on the ones that you're attacking. Even better, if you bring companions from your allies into settlement that has declared you enemy, they will run completely amok. This could be any nations at any range, whether they have any good reason for war or not. [[User:DokEnkephalin|DokEnkephalin]] 17:09, 9 September 2010 (UTC)

== Pools and swimming ==
Is the "climb out of pool" bugged in 31.08? Alt-move (and shift & ctrl) doesn't climb out. --[[User:TomiTapio|TomiTapio]] 19:02, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
:Once you issue the command, press Enter (or click the mouse) and you should actually be on the surface - there's some bugs with delayed input that have yet to be resolved. If Alt+Move isn't actually giving you a movement menu, then you're probably drowning and aren't physically capable of climbing out of the pool. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 19:32, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
:: So an adventurer should invest in the swimming skill, because of charging attacks and dodging jumps. --[[User:TomiTapio|TomiTapio]] 23:30, 19 July 2010 (UTC)

Now DF .31.13, (alt-move, a, enter) lets you jump into river for a swim, and similarly climb out. --[[User:TomiTapio|TomiTapio]] 14:20, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

==Bandages==
After getting cut up way more than is socially acceptable, I've concluded that you cannot use cloth to bandage a wound. If anyone can prove that they can, please, by all means revert my edit.

==Adventure Mode Combat==

or how to kill everything.

'''The Weapons'''
There are many types of weapons; not all can kill and maim at the same level.

Swords are your jack of all trades weapon, doing reasonable slashing damage.
The size of the blade helps in making bigger wound and dismembering foes.

'''subtypes'''
*large dagger*
Short sword
long sword
scimitar
two-handed sword

large dagger small weak shallow cuts and stabs, at best a fall back blade, at worst throw it at someone. NOTE uses dagger skill, not sword skill.

Short swords are the weakest true sword, but are still good for use fighting wolfs and the like, just don't take it to fight a dragon.

Long sword it's longer and so it cuts deeper and dismembers more.

Scimitar, ok this is just as good as the short sword.

Two-handed sword 5 times the cutting power of the short sword,it stabs go in 2 time as far, truly this is the king swords

'''Axes'''

ok a lot like swords but bigger and better when fighting armor.

'''subtypes'''
battle axe
great axe
halberd

battle axe on par with the long sword a good weapon over all.

great axe bigger and better.

halberd the oddball it has a smaller edge but can stab as well as chop, think of the offspring of a Short sword and a spear.

'''Spears'''
ok the spear ot as good or as bad as it was,yes no endless Stick-ins but no more stabbing every internal organs in one blow.

'''subtypes'''
spear
*pike*

spear a poor anti-group weapon for the love of Armok use a different weapon.

pike ok it stabs a little deeper and uses pike skill, still use a different weapon.

'''Blunts'''
good at smashing stuff and fighting armor.
for blunt weapons there weight is the main factor.

'''subtypes'''
war hammer
mace
maul
flail
morningstar

war hammer with skill to can put nice holes in heads.

mace has more weight than the warhammer, in skilled hands Goblins shatter like glass. In less skilled hands it's bruising.

maul a bigger mace,now hit stuff harder.

flail mace on a chain,hit them not you.

morningstar spiked ball on a chain cuts as it smashes.

'''other weapons'''
the odd one.

whip
pick
scourge

whip shatters the bone,bruise the flesh.

pick goes in deep,rips organs ,shatters bones.fear the miners.

scourge tears muscle,brakes bones.
--[[User:Funk|Funk]]

== Worldgen for Adventurers ==

It might be a good idea to have a section on worldgen parameters and settings that are useful to adventurers.

For ex: I always set CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MIN and CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MIN to 15 instead of 0, this gives a much less maze-like feel to the underground, allowing you to travel with only occasional side-trips to get around an impassible region. It's not so hot for fortress mode, since it's harder to wall out the nasties, but still doable.

I also set CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MAX to 80 -- it costs a bit in framerate when you enter a region and the underground water begins to flow, but a 100% flooded region once prevented me from using the 'T'ravel trick to escape the underworld. It told me I couldn't fast travel because I was swimming, and the region square I was on had not a single tile of dry land. (A fairly common thing with this set to 100%) Wound up having to backtrack for hours. (This was before I tried the openness and passage density params, though.) This also seems to me to give slightly more natural-shaped underground pools.

Maybe a mention of MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN and NON_MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN, which will get you more interesting stuff to kill, or ALL_CAVES_VISIBLE, which keeps you from having to talk to people to find caves.

BEAST_END_YEAR is handy, too -- an adventurer probably doesn't care if the world still has a ton of megabeasts. Hey, they're not invading his house, right? It defaults to not ending worldgen until 80% of all megabeasts are dead, but I usually reduce that to 50 or less.

You don't want to have worldgen end too early, though. I find ending the worldgen early (like pre-500) leaves tons of megabeasts, but also gives you nearly empty cavern layers.

Finally, I find boosting the SAVAGERY minimum to about 10 is a good idea for adventurers, since it means less time spent trudging through empty forest when you're hunting, while not going to the insane step-WOLFAMBUSH-step-WOLFAMBUSH-step extreme.

--Anonymous July 30, 2010

== The Basics ==

I think it would be worth adding a paragraph or two describing the basics of Adventurer mode. What it is, and most importantly, how to start it. (Can it be started if a Fortress game is in progress?) -- Anonymous 2010-08-02

I definitely agree. I've spent around half an hour trying to 'g'et prickleberries etc, starving to death while my human (who only started with copper spear and dagger, apparently due to hitting 'play now') merrily ignites everything. Getting a waterskin is nearly impossible, as there are no towns for miles in every direction from my starting place. I'm not sure if this is a bug or not, but none of this really basic stuff is covered here.
* drink/lick the blood spatters off your clothes, for survival. --[[User:TomiTapio|TomiTapio]] 10:01, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

== Small Bugs - Conversations, Other little niggles ==

What's the wiki's policy on minor bugs? I found that in adventurer mode, asking peasants their profession makes them reply "I am a .", presumably because they have no job. Should I post that here, or is that too small? I can imagine the list getting full quick otherwise.

Ah - and apparently you can hold two things in one hand - although you need to juggle your inventory round to do it. Weird.

== priesthood ==

There's more to say on the subject, but most of it is better suited to a separate article on religion. It could be pared down to the basics dealing with quest finding, even though they don't currently give quests, the info could lay a foundation for it in future releases.[[User:DokEnkephalin|DokEnkephalin]] 17:04, 9 September 2010 (UTC)

== Companions limited to 2? ==

While in adventure mode I was playing as a human. I was able to convince a swordsman and a hammerman to join me. When trying to convince another hammerman to join me, he told me
"With a band so large, what share of the glory would I have?"

Does this mean that the companion limit has been decreased?

--[[Special:Contributions/98.144.80.228|98.144.80.228]] 16:43, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

*This happened for me, too. I've tried it using dwarves and elves, and I was only ever able to get 2 followers. [[User:Gasheegooger|Gasheegooger]] 23:12, 9 October 2010 (UTC)
*Deon managed to get seven followers. --[[User:TomiTapio|TomiTapio]] 09:58, 13 November 2010 (UTC)
*The number of followers you can get is determined by your notoriety; when you first start out you'll only be able to get two warriors to join your band, but once you get some tasks under your belt and slay a dragon or two you can have upward of fifteen. More may be possible but I sort of figured 15 was enough and stopped there. [[Special:Contributions/72.230.201.43|72.230.201.43]] 20:41, 14 November 2010 (UTC)
*I am not able to get more than 19 companions, even after slaying lots of megabeasts. 19 seems to be the absolute maximum --[[User:Blur|Blur]] 13:32, 21 December 2010 (UTC)
*I once had 20 companions (I had to page down with * on the {{K|c}}ompanions screen to see my 20th guy). When one of them died during a raid on a bandit camp, I went to a fortress for a replacement and was surprised to find soldiers giving me the "With a band so large" line, even after reporting my success! At first I thought I had somehow lowered my fame by completing one of my earlier leftover "kill the bandit" quests I got from a peasant after accepting a "slay the dragon" quest from a lord. On a later adventurer I managed to get 4 companions without completing any quests or doing anything else that would increase my fame, and then I theorized that what really happened was that I had accidentally exploited a bug regarding companions leaving and re-joining. With this new adventurer, I raided a bandit camp with 2 companions and found myself hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned. One got knocked unconscious with a bruised brain, the other was still standing but severely cut up, likely to bleed out shortly (he was "Pale"). I turned tail and ran, intending to get some new companions from the nearby fortress. Because they were still alive, I knew I'd have to ditch my current companions to be able to pick up new companions. By the time I was far away enough from the site to {{K|T}}ravel, the cut-up guy was off my companions list, and the other guy was still unconscious, meaning he wouldn't follow me in travel mode. I get to the fortress with 0 companions, pick up 2 new ones, and head back to the camp, approaching from the same side I had previously fled from. As I approached the center of the camp, I started getting announcements of my previous companions still fighting the bandits. When I got within visual range, not only did I see they had recovered (with massive scars, but no longer suffering from concussion or blood loss), they still had the "companion" character (instead of the usual "U" for non-allied humans). I checked the {{K|c}}ompanions list, and sure enough, all 4 were listed. Although I wasn't paying attention, I think something similar happened with the earlier adventurer with 20 companions, although it did not involve {{K|T}}ravel. It was probably when I slept at a fortress, when I woke up one of my companions was outside the fortress walls. I then wandered to the middle of the fortress looking for more companions, moving far enough from the wall that the outside companion disappeared off my companions list, but still tried following me, making his way around the fortress edge. After gathering up my maximum of 19 companions, I headed for the fortress doors, where I met up with that other companion who had been outside, bringing my number of companions to 20. If my theory about how this bug works is correct, there may be no limit to how many companions you can have. The two exploit methods I stumbled on by accident probably aren't very reliable though, as the first depends on luck and the second could leave you with some severely crippled companions. I've thought up some methods to test, but they also slightly rely on luck to work:
:1) Sleep in a town/hamlet, and hope you wake up before your companions (perhaps sleeping while they are Drowsy and you are not will help?). {{K|T}}ravel as soon as you wake up, get replacement companions from a fortress, return to the hamlet to see if you can still get your original companions back.
:2) Find a fortress near a river. Stop traveling on the riverbank opposite the fortress, swim across, enter fortress, pick up new companions (by the time you reach the fortress, you should be far enough from the river that your companions are off the list), return to the river and see if your old companions are still hanging out, {{K|T}}ravel to get your full group across the river to wherever you're going next.<br>
--[[User:MightyJAK|MightyJAK]] 18:30, 24 March 2011 (UTC)

== "<Adventurer> was guided by forces unknown" ==

That says if you check out your dead adventurer in legends.
* Yep, one of Armok's little helpers guided the person. --[[User:TomiTapio|TomiTapio]] 10:01, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

== tips and tricks in.31.17 ==
<blockquote>
Some vanilla .17 adventuring... this might be helpful to you.<br>

1. start a demigod adventurer. Buy agility and dodging. Surrounded == dead.<br>
2. run away from bogeymen, leave the low-agility ones far behind.<br>
3. no adventurer can ever start with armor, it seems.<br>

4. try aimed ("A") easy attacks, stab torso with sword. Or slash at foot/hand. Miss because bogeymen have very good dodging skills.<br>
5. use trees to force enemies into single file.<br>
6. "C" change combat mode to strike instead of charge. Charging makes you trip and fall often.<br>

8. one bogeyman is about as difficult as .16 's elephant/ogre/giant/marshtitan. Because of dodging skill.<br>
9. fighting skill may give you lots of nice counterstrikes. You might want to practice fighting with slow-moving wildlife (not camels!)<br>
10. "mortal wound" means internal organ bruising, not dangerous, unlike "CANT STAND".<br>
11. haul bogeyman body parts to town to show off.<br>
<br>
12. inside a crowded building, would need a "swap places with friendly" key so can move around.<br>
Quote from: Miko19: You can press "s" to lay on the ground, and then you can move on the same tile as an other person is<br>
Oookay... crawl under the moronic humans who cower inside their houses, check.<br>
<br>
13. goblins and dwarven bandits are nothing compared to bogeymen. (Or my skills got really high already.)<br>
14. cross the rivers and streams in travel mode, not with swimming.<br>
15. go thank Toady for adding bandits and "The quest for armor".<br>

16. some humans are morons and block doorways for hours on end.<br>
17. wear shirt, dress, dress, dress, robe for "protection".<br>
18. ask the cyan-coloured humans (who have no profession) to join you.<br>
19. your human companions will have a longer sight range than you, at least at night when the felines attack.<br>
20. wear one more dress. And two togas.<br>
21. the red-cross-blinking cyan @ draws you eye away from the brown, dirt-coloured @. And the companion will crawl miles and miles, matching your speed, faithfully following you.<br>

Q for quest log, z to see where the quest target is. Esc to exit quest log.<br>
Z, d, enter to sleep the night.<br>

ps. some of these notes are more like bug reports to Toady. --[[User:TomiTapio|TomiTapio]] 09:58, 13 November 2010 (UTC)<br>
</blockquote>

== .31.17 peasant/hero/demigod, thoughts ==
About the adventurer... think of "peasant" as "joe average who was the worst learner in the whole county". Novice in seven skills after many years of trying.<br>
A "hero" could be a circus strongman, strong and tough, or a tumbler (acrobat) with superior agility and above average patience and focus, adequate in eight skills due to 1-2 years of training as a teenager.<br>
A "demigod" is one in a thousand, competent in nine skills, perhaps a former soldier with five years of experience. Or proficient in 4.5 skills (not even a legendary in fortress mode, that soldier.)--[[User:TomiTapio|TomiTapio]] 11:43, 13 November 2010 (UTC)<br>

== Info on diff. between Adv Mode & Dwarf Mode ==
In adding some minor information to the Quick Start guide, I fell upon a conundrum. In that article I wanted to add a fair bit more information, but I wasn't sure that it belonged there (likely not as part of a quick start guide). Indeed, I'm not sure where to put them at all, whether they deserved their own page. I am thinking about: attributes and skills, which deserves more depth than what is necessary for dwarf mode (such as suggested skills to invest in, and the function of such skills and attributes in adventure mode); the benefits of the various races (which is not even covered in this article); probably known "quirks", such as the virtual non-existance of "small" equipment for use by dwarves and that goblins are a source; among other things. Should they simply get their own page so they can belong specifically to an Adventure Mode category, or perhaps add an "In Adventure Mode" section to the relevant pages in order to detail those differences? <br>
I ask this question here since this seem to be a bit of catch all discussion area for adventure mode. Seemed better suited to it than the Quick Start discussion page, anyway.
: [[User:Niveras|Niveras]] 02:21, 14 November 2010 (UTC)

This is weird. I thought demigods were not allowed starting companions like heroes -- I tested it with two different demigods and the townspeople consistently gave me "I would....rather not" when asked about joining before I had completed any quest, and edited the page to reflect that. Yet, someone changed the edit back saying they *always* take two companions when playing demigod. Can anyone else test?
Is that right? Am I subject to a bug?
: Anonymous, Nov 15

::I'm the one who made that edit, I think your problem is you were trying to recruit regular townspeople; look around towns/hamets for some actual fighters, or head to a fortress and try to recruit them there. It takes a while before you can get non-fighters to come with you, because whether they join you or not doesn't depend on how much stronger you are than them like in previous versions, but by how famous you are for being a hero, and they know they're weak and probably just cannonfodder unless you're a legend. Or at least that's my theory. I do admit that I haven't played any Peasant-class or Hero-class adventurers yet, so I can't say there is ''no'' difference between their abilities to recruit, but I can say for sure that I can get two swordsmen before I do a quest with my demigods. [[Special:Contributions/72.230.201.43|72.230.201.43]] 19:55, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

== Ghost towns? ==

Is it a bug that I found ghost towns? Towns where there were no surviving inhabitants, but the stores are still stocked (and the items owned so I couldn't purchase anything without theft.) Was everyone just out in the fields or something?

(Also, I found a phantom hamlet, which I'm pretty sure *is* a bug. It showed up on the world map, but not the travel map. The local map had a pointer to the town, and as I walked there I hit the center but there were no buildings or people. It was safe to sleep, though, thankfully, 'cause I'd just lost all my companions to a troll attack and the sun had gone down.)

-- Anonymous, November 14, 7:08 pm pacific time

== Difficulty settings ==

What exactly are the differences between Peasant, Hero, and Demigod difficulties?
:I am fairly sure the only difference between them are the number of points you begin with to divide among your attributes and skills. [[Special:Contributions/72.230.201.43|72.230.201.43]] 02:17, 17 November 2010 (UTC)
::Further testing may be needed. I've gone through a spate of demigods who died suddenly, while my current character, a peasant, has developed very well through skill training and has lived long enough to get a nearly full set of steel armor in dwarf size. I don't know if he's been plain lucky, or I'm getting better, or if there's some mitigating factor in the code that takes it easier on peasants than demigods. -Anonymous, 20 November 2010
:::Seconding this. At first glance, it appears that Demigod is easymode and Peasant is hardmode, but I've had similar experiences to Anonymous above. Even with good armor and high starting levels in Armor User, Shield User, and Dodger, many of my Demigods get OHKOed by the first bandit they come across, with the bandit getting a lucky shot at the brain or heart right away. I'm thinking either Demigods get sent after more skillful bandits for initial quests, or Toady programmed in a hidden "Luck" stat to be high for peasants and low for Demigods. Alternate theory: this "Luck" stat is not determined by your choice of Peasant, Hero, or Demigod, but by how many stat and skill points you actually use. In that case, making an adventurer with every skill at "Not" and every stat at "Very Low" would give you a super-lucky weakling. I think I'll test this and report back. --[[User:MightyJAK|MightyJAK]] 15:01, 24 March 2011 (UTC)

== Starting Armor ==

From 31.17 and continuing in 31.18, is it correct that adventurers only start with leather clothes and never any metal armor except for a shield? - Anonymous, 18 November 2010, 3:14 UTC
:Having played about a dozen characters, this appears to be true. Currently you've got to find armor in shops, lairs, caves, and bandit camps. - Anonymous, 20 November 2010

== Equipping ==

I cannot find a way to equip a weapon.... And i searched all over the wiki and i still cannot find any place where it tells me how to equip a weapon. Any help??? -- Anonymous 198.53.163.246, 08:27 UTC, 28 November 2010

:Anything held in your hands is an available weapon. Drop what's in your hands on the ground (or 'p'ut it in a container if you have one that has room) and then get your weapon -- either 'g'etting it off the ground or 'r'emoving it from a container. It will automatically go into your primary hand (depending on handedness; DF has a lot of lefties) and be used as a weapon. Then grab your shield if you use one, or offhand weapon if you're training another skill, or leave that hand empty for choking throats if you like. -- Anonymous 74.37.93.115, 28 Nov 2010
3

==This article is terrible==
it doesnt describe much of any of the specifics of adventure mode, its all generalized ideas on the basic concept of it, with a sprinkling of various outdated versions thrown in for <s>good</s> measure. There needs to be a section on the (Q)uest section (which even i dont really get that still, companions, basic combat strategy's, and a whole crap load of other st00f. --[[User:Dudemcman|Dudemcman]] 05:18, 3 December 2010 (UTC)
:Alright i'll have time to work on this page in about a week. In the meantime suggestions anybody? [[User:LightBearer|LightBearer]] 18:23, 12 December 2010 (UTC)
::Edit I know I said I'd be working on this by now but im still working on testing for a new jewelry page so maybe ill have time in another week...[[User:LightBearer|LightBearer]] 06:36, 20 December 2010 (UTC)
:::I've started to work on it, but don't hold your breath. . . [[User:Freya|Freya]] 12:56, 3 January 2011 (UTC)

== Companions choose the innocent over you. ==

In my experiences, attacking civilians will cause your companions to turn on you, but they still flash blue (i use maydays graphics, so its blue for me atleast), and try to kill you, im not sure how they react if you attack a soldier in a castle, or a town. more testing needed. --[[User:Dudemcman|Dudemcman]] 05:22, 3 December 2010 (UTC)

:They still attack you. I dare you to kill a lord/lady/other royal person. Everyone'll be out to get you. --[[User:ANormalUsername1|ANormalUsername1]] 21:14, 12 December 2010 (UTC)

== Backpacks ==

It seems that if you are caught in frost wyrm breath, your backpack will be damaged and disappear. Also, removing one's backpack (in an effort to leave it outside the lair and pick it back up when exiting) causes it to disappear as well.
:what mod is this? also leave the backpack just inside the lair. Anything left Anywhere that is not A in a lair, B in a camp or C in a cave will disappear forever. and sign your talk [[User:LightBearer|LightBearer]] 06:03, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

==Trading problem?==

I tried to trade with clerk and sold something for 7 coins, picked up the coin traded again but when I get things for 4 coins ten when i offer 4 coins he says "perchaps if you throw some more goods i can make an offer"what i am doing wrong?[[Special:Contributions/85.222.75.88|85.222.75.88]] 13:26, 29 January 2011 (UTC)
<br>I now checked and i can't buy anything! I Tried to buy spiny dogfish leather skirt (1 coin) and i gave ashen shest full of money which was worth 12 coins and he sais the same thing! [[Special:Contributions/85.222.75.88|85.222.75.88]] 14:17, 29 January 2011 (UTC)

== Nobody home? ==

Heya, I've been wandering around in the adventurer mode for ages now, and seem to come across empty 'Dark Fortresses', 'Mountain Homes' and 'Forest Retreats'. So far as I can see, only human settlements and castles are there. All the other sites, aside from lairs, caves and the occasional bandit camp, are completely void of any life or buildings whatsoever.

12:36, 6 March 2011 (UTC)

== Bandit leader ran away ==

Playing as an "ambusher" adventurer, I seem to encounter this problem at least once per world. I take a quest to kill a bandit leader, proceed to murder all of his companions, but get spotted along the way. If instead of attacking me he runs away and I'm too slow to catch up, is there any way to find him later? The adventure log still points to the deserted camp, and my plan to stalk him through Legends mode didn't work because the current world has "Reveal all history" set to 0.
:If you wait a while the leader might return to his camp, or he may ambush you if you travel around near the camp. However, it's possible neither of these will happen if you really did kill every single one of his companions. If the leader only runs when all of his friends are dead, you may be able to prevent this situation by sneaking around the companions and trying to take the leader out first. If the leader has his buddies too close (meaning you'd get slaughtered if you get spotted), you could bring some companions of your own to take the heat off you. When your companions are spotted, swing around sideways to stay hidden and sneak up behind the boss. Then even if you are spotted, the leader's buddies will be too busy dealing with your buddies to be able to interfere with your 1-on-1 duel. This strategy works best with archer-type leaders, as melee leaders are likely to charge your companions first, leaving flunkies behind to cover their flank. Sorry I couldn't be more help, even when I play ambush-style I never have the problem (the leader sometimes runs, but I always catch him).--[[User:MightyJAK|MightyJAK]] 19:39, 24 March 2011 (UTC)

== Wounds on Foes in Adventure? ==

Recently started playing Adventure mode and am loving it really. Though I do have to say, I'm wondering if there's a way to check wounds on my opponents in battle, or if I just have to guess based on the combat logs in announcements. As a newbie to the game it's probably astounding I've made it past the 6 hour mark, but this still confuses me and the want to see the enemies gain wounds as I slowly slice them apart is all-consuming. Anyone know if I'm doing something wrong, or care to give me a tip to make it work better?

:You can {{K|l}}ook at your enemy to see what parts of their body have been damaged and check their current status. Refer {{l|Wound|here}} to decipher the color codes. All wounds also appear on creature's {{K|d}}escription page with more details, such as whether the body part is bruised, cut apart or missing. However, the most detailed description of each wound can only be found in the log.

== No warriors? ==

For some reason in adventurer mode for me, no warriors seem to spawn. I've gone to fortresses, towns, and none of them have had any warriors whatsoever. This makes it very hard for me to survive the night, as you need companions to not get attacked by the bogeymen, and no one else will join you. Please help me out on this. It used to work, and it seems to be a recent problem. --Aardvarkperson 5:16 PM 3/26/2011

:If you have a world with a history that's longer than 100 years or so, forts are likely to be abandoned. Try playing with a world with "Medium" history length. --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 06:28, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

::I've got a world in year 1050 with no abandoned fortresses, but that may just be because the human civilizations have been very successful. On the other hand, I've also generated a world with minimum savagery set to 16, and even though humans were still pretty successful (HUGE sprawling towns and hamlets), every fortress I've explored has been infested with Lions and Rhinos.--[[User:MightyJAK|MightyJAK]] 13:57, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

== Reorganization ==

If there are no objections I will work on reorganizing and improving this article tomorrow.
--[[User:Ral|Ral]] 03:23, 30 March 2011 (UTC)

== Many updates made ==

Major updates and rewrite. Comments requested. --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 06:21, 6 April 2011 (UTC)

== Levels of sleepiness ==

As I played, I thought there were three main levels of sleepiness:
Tired, Drowsy, and Very Drowsy.
And then I was running a macro to walk back and forth inside some guys house (I needed to train crutch-walking) and I discovered a new level: Slumberous. On the main screen, the status is Sleep! and is flashing red an purple and on my z-screen it's Slumberous and is also red and purple. It also took my character OVER A FULL WEEK of sleeping to get less sleepy. (The script file I was running was over 200 kilobytes of 82). On the plus side, I'm now Legendary+ something crutch-walker. (I need 4600 exp for next level, and I don't know what that translates to off the top of my head) --[[User:Waladil|Waladil]] 17:59, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

== Sex? ==

Does gender make any difference in adventure mode?

I assume you can't marry or sleep with people... (yet?)
[[Special:Contributions/89.242.74.114|89.242.74.114]] 12:45, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

:No, it would only really matter if you used a series of hacks to get your adventure mode character into a fortress where he/she could breed or something. I suppose in theory if you just retired the adventurer and ran time by enough years by hanging around in fortress mode for a long time then maybe they could have a kid but I'm not sure if you could even find their kid. So essentially it doesn't matter. --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 19:23, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

v0.31:Quickstart guide

2011-06-04T02:16:58Z

Ral: /* Traps */ keys

{{quality|Exceptional|23:16, 24 April 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}

<div style="font-size:120%">
:''This is a quickstart guide for {{L|Dwarf fortress mode}} for those who have never played before who quickly want to jump in head-first.''
:''If you are looking to learn adventure mode instead, see the {{L|Adventure mode quick start}} guide.''
</div>
<div style="font-size:120%">
:'''''Also see {{L|Tutorials}} for more detailed tutorials that people have submitted.'''''
</div>
{{TipBox2|float=right|Before you get started...|Always remember that '''losing is {{L|fun}}!''' Be prepared to lose a few fortresses before you get all the way through this guide – it can be easy to accidentally kill the entire fortress while learning. But remember: losing means that next time, ''you'll remember how you lost.'' In a big way, Dwarf Fortress uses the principle of learning from one's mistakes.}}

So, you want to play '''Dwarf Fortress''', but you have no idea what to do. That's understandable; in Dwarf Fortress you can really do anything you like. It is a huge, complex, and totally open-ended game. But in order to do anything, first you need a sustainable fortress. It turns out that this is not as hard as you might think.

As this article doesn't always contain the exact key sequences needed to do everything described, you will likely need to refer to the {{L|Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide}} and the rest of the wiki while reading this. For something more detailed see the excellent {{L|Bentgirder}} tutorial.

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|500px|right|{{L|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves}} - This is a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions players usually take when starting up a new fort. Feel free to ignore it if you want. It's not necessary to refer to this to understand the rest of the guide, but by the time you finish the guide it will probably all make sense.]]

__TOC__

= Common UI Concepts =

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Keeping Up|While the guide contains many links, you may still need to look something up. Refer to the {{L|Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide}} or use the wiki [[Special:Search|search]] function. Also, don't hesitate to [[Troubleshooting|ask for help]] if you can't find answers on the wiki.}}
{{KeyConventions}}

=World Generation=

The first thing you will need to do is {{L|World generation|generate a new world}}. Unlike many games, the world that your game takes place in will always be procedurally randomly generated by you or someone else. There is no "default" or "standard" world.

Luckily the basic version of this process is rather simple, and doesn't usually take too long unless your computer is a bit outdated.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting World|
For your first game, {{L|World generation|generate a new world}} using the {{DFtext|Create New World!}} option in the main menu with the following options:

* {{DFtext|World Size}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|History}} is {{DFtext|Short|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Civilizations}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Sites}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Beasts}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Natural Savagery}} is {{DFtext|Very Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Mineral Occurrence}} is {{DFtext|Frequent|3:1}}

This should help to avoid difficulties.
}}

= Pre-Embark =

:''Also see: {{L|Embark}}''

'''Embarking''' is the process of choosing a site, outfitting your initial dwarves, and sending them on their way.

Select {{DFtext|Start Playing}} from the main menu, then select {{DFtext|Dwarf Fortress}}.

The map you see on the right is the '''World Map''' which will show you the whole world. The one in the middle is the '''Region Map''' which will show you a zoomed-in view of the part of the world indicated by the cursor in the world map. The '''Local Map''' on the left will show a zoomed-in view of the part of the region indicated by the cursor in the region map. In the local map area will be a highlighted embark region that you can move around with {{K|u}} {{K|m}} {{K|k}} {{K|h}}. This highlighted square is what will become your play area after you embark. Use {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} to move the region and world cursors around. Hold down {{K|Shift}} while doing this to move more rapidly.

== Choosing a Good Site ==

Choosing a good embark site is crucial for beginners. Advanced players can create a functional fortress on a glacier, but for now, lets stick to dwarf (and newbie) friendly environments. You will want to look for certain features in your initial embark site that will make your first fort much easier to manage.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting Site|
[[File:Quickstart-good-location.png|thumb|300px|right|An example of a good starting site.]]
For your first game, find a site with the following properties:
*'''NO Aquifer''' (This is '''''very''''' important!)
*'''Trees:''' Forested or Heavily Forested
*'''Temperature:''' Warm
*'''Surroundings:''' Calm or at least '''not''' Sinister, Haunted, or Terrifying
*'''Clay or Soil''' is important to make farming easier when starting out
*'''Shallow Metals''' (That's Metals, plural, not Metal. You want more than one.)
*A '''River''' if possible
*'''Deep Metal(s)''' if possible
*'''Flux Stone''' if possible

You may want to use the {{K|f}}ind tool to help you find a site. Notes about find tool:
"Calm" is classified as Medium Evil, Low Savagery. (See {{L|Surroundings#Combinations_of_surroundings|the chart here}} for why.) The find tool will also only indicate a general area so you will still need to check the attributes manually.

Your site may have multiple biomes overlapping it. If so make sure to press {{K|F1}}, {{K|F2}}, etc, to take a look at all of them. They may each have significantly different characteristics.

See '''[[/Starting site]]''' for more info on why these characteristics are important.}}

Press {{K|e}} to embark once you're sure you have the right area highlighted on the local map.

== Skills and Equipment ==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Optional: Preparing Carefully|If, at this point, you'd like to get into all of the details of picking individual skills and equipment for your expedition, select {{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}} and see '''[[/Preparing carefully]]''' for instructions. '''This is completely optional.'''}}

Now the '''Prepare for the Journey''' screen should appear. You will be given the choice to either:
*{{DFtext|Play Now!}}
*{{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}}.

Selecting {{DFtext|Play Now!}} will start you out with a default set of equipment that is reasonably safe, allowing you to skip having to set up your skills and equipment. If you'd like to get going now, just select that option.

=A Minimal Fortress=
[[File:Quickstart-map-starting.png|thumb|right|Starting out. In this example the dwarves will be digging out an entrance tunnel in the sandy cliff on the right. (You can use {{K|Tab}} to show or hide the overview map.)]]

At this point you have embarked and your dwarves have arrived at their destination. You will see your dwarves clustered around their wagon full of supplies somewhere near the center of your map. '''Immediately hit {{K|Space}} to pause the game''' unless it is already paused.

==Surveying the Area==
'''Do not unpause the game just yet.''' Take a look around. Use the {{K|k}} command and the arrow keys. Look up and down a few {{L|z-level}}s with {{K|<}} and {{K|>}}. Place the cursor on various tiles to familiarize yourself with what the symbols mean. If you get lost, you can press {{K|F1}} to return to the wagon. (You can define more {{L|hotkeys}} later, to jump quickly to other sites of interest.)

Notice the terrain features, the vegetation, and any minerals visible. If you chose a site with flowing water, where is it? What about pools of water? The more carefully you examine your site before breaking ground, the better off you will be.

Remember that this is more of a simulation than a game. It is not "play balanced", and you can very easily find yourself in impossible situations. That is all part of the {{L|fun}} because even when you lose, you create an interesting story.

Your wagon serves as the initial meeting area for your dwarves. Since you should have started in a non-freezing, calm (low savagery), non-evil biome, you shouldn't face any immediate danger, but if for some reason the area around your wagon proves to be unsafe, immediately designate another meeting zone using {{K|i}} (see ''Temporary Meeting Area'' below).

==Controlling Your Dwarves==
The first thing to keep in mind is that, for the most part, you can't directly control your dwarves the way you control characters in a typical fantasy RPG. Instead, you '''designate''' things that need to be done and then dwarves with the appropriate labor assignments will decide what to start working on based on a set of largely hard-coded priorities.

For example, if a dwarf needs to eat then he will go eat and only get around to digging a tunnel once he is done eating. It is also possible to designate things that no dwarf is able to do. For example, if you designate an area to mine but no dwarf has mining as one of his allowed labors or no dwarf has a pickaxe then the mining will never get done, and the game will not always advise you of why.

So what you are doing throughout the game is essentially giving your dwarves a detailed group-wide to-do list, but it's up to them to figure out which one of them will execute any given task if the task is even possible. Often many of the details of how a task is performed (such as exactly which rock will be used to make crafts) are left up to them.

==Strike The Earth!==
Generally, you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible. So the first thing you will do is {{K|d}}esignate some areas to "mine".

Decide where you will build your main entrance. The best thing to do is just put it near your wagon to make it faster and less work to haul all of your supplies inside.

To designate an area for digging:
#Hit {{K|d}} to bring up the Designations menu.
#Hit {{K|d}} again to select Mine
#Place the cursor on one corner of the rectangular area you want to designate and press {{K|Enter}}
#Move the cursor to the other corner of the rectangle and press {{K|Enter}}. A rectangle will be highlighted and a miner dwarf will start to dig out this area once you exit the menu (with {{K|Esc}}) and unpause the game with {{K|Space}}.

This is basically how all of the designation commands work. Everything has to be designated one rectangle at a time, but rectangles can always be one tile wide, or just one single tile.

If your wagon is near a {{L|cliff}}, you can just designate a tunnel to mine ({{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) into the cliff to create an entryway. If you are on flat land with no cliff near the wagon, {{L|channel}} out a small rectangle (perhaps 3x3) on the surface with {{K|d}}-{{K|h}} to create a sort of pit with ramps on the edges, then go down one z-level with {{K|>}} and tunnel into the wall of the pit to create your entry. (Think of this as creating your own cliff, with the inside wall of the pit being the "cliff".)

Dig a hallway one tile wide and ''at least'' 10 long, ideally more like 20. This will be your entryway. Later you may want to expand this to 2 or 3 tiles wide but for now make it narrow so it will be easier to defend.

Your entryway defines the boundary between your safe and protected inner fort, and the big bad outside world. You want this to be your only entrance so that you only have to worry about defending this one opening.

==Delving Secure Lodgings==
[[File:Quickstart-level0.png|thumb|right|Level 0: This is the ground level which we'll call "level 0". The entrance tunnel is on the left where the refuse and wood stockpiles are partially visible. Inside are the general storage area, trade depot, stairwell, and farm plot.]]
At the end of the entry hall, dig a 5x5 room (where you'll later build your trade depot). Then dig out at least another 3 or 4 tiles of interior hallway beyond that, and beyond that another room for a general stockpile area about 10x10 tiles. You have some flexibility in how you do this; see the image at the right for an example.

Don't make any of these rooms too big or your miner will take forever to dig the rooms out, especially if he is digging in stone instead of soil. (Digging through soil is much faster.) You may want to designate one room at a time, then wait for it to be mined out before designating the next room.

=== Stockpiles ===
[[File:Quickstart-custom-stockpile.png|right|thumb|Keep corpses, refuse, stone and wood out of general use stockpiles. You can come back and change the settings on this stockpile using {{K|q}}, selecting the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}}. Try to remember to come back here to disable/forbid types of things as you create more specific stockpiles for them.]]
'''Stockpiles''' are very important. These areas are where your dwarves will drop things for storage when they aren't needed elsewhere. To create a '''general purpose stockpile''' for your first storage area:
#Hit {{K|p}} to open the Stockpiles menu.
#Use {{K|t}} to change the the {{L|Stockpile#Custom_stockpiles|custom stockpile}} settings to {{K|e}}nable everything but '''Wood''', '''Corpses''', '''Refuse''', '''Stone''', and '''Gems'''. Use directional keys, {{K|e}}nable, {{K|d}}isable to do this.
#{{k|Esc}} out of that screen back to the stockpiles menu.
#Hit {{K|c}} to select Custom Stockpile.
#Designate the whole 10x10 storage room as a custom stockpile. This works just like designating an area to dig: place the cursor on one corner of the room, hit {{K|Enter}}, move to the opposite corner, and hit {{K|Enter}} again.
#Press {{K|Esc}} to get out of the Stockpiles menu.
Once you exit the stockpiles menu you should see dwarves running off to haul everything from your wagon into the new stockpile area. Later you can change what sort of things the stockpile accepts by hitting {{K|q}} (Set Building Tasks/Prefs), placing the cursor on the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}} to get to the stockpile settings.

It is particularly important to '''keep wood, stone, refuse, and corpses out of your general purpose stockpile''', so you may want to double check to make sure all of these things are disabled in the stockpile settings. Failure to keep these things out of this stockpile will cause problems.

=== Stairways ===
Somewhere off of your interior hallway, dig out a 3x3 or so area and designate a Downward Stairway in the middle of it with {{K|d}}-{{K|j}}. Notice that after your miner digs the stairway, it doesn't automatically create another stairway on the z-level below. If you hit {{K|>}} to move the view down a z-level you'll see that there's no stairway below, but there is a revealed tile of rock/soil. Because of the down stairway that was dug, this tile is now accessible to miners. You can then designate an Up/Down Stairway on it with {{K|d}}-{{K|i}} and the miner dwarf will dig it out. Below that you can then dig out another up/down stairway and so on. For now just dig down one level; we will deepen the stairwell later.

==Stout Labor==
'''Labors''' are how you control what types of tasks a dwarf will do. For example, if the Fishing labor is enabled for a dwarf, that dwarf is allowed to engage in fishing.

When dwarves are idle, it could be because you haven't given them anything to do, or it could be because none of the idle dwarves have been told that they're allowed to do the types of tasks you've designated. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but none of the dwarves have the mining labor enabled, they will all just sit around ignoring your mining designation thinking that it isn't their job.

Dwarves will automatically have some labors enabled if they start out with skill in those labors, and some labors (such as hauling and cleaning) are enabled for all dwarves by default. This is why you didn't need to enable any labors on dwarves to get them to haul and mine, but later you may need to do something that no dwarf has currently been told they're allow to attempt.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#aa0|Dwarf Therapist|You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. If you are using a supported operating system, the utility '''{{L|Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist}}''' can make this a million times easier, especially later when you're dealing with twenty times the number of dwarves you have now.}}
With the digging and stockpile taken care of, look over your dwarves' assigned {{L|labor}}s. Press {{K|v}} (View Units) then place the cursor on a dwarf. Now, press {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} for "preferences: labors". You will see a list of labor categories that you can navigate using {{K|-}}{{K|+}}. You can enter each category and toggle each labor off and on with {{K|Enter}} and get back out with {{K|Esc}}.

After exiting the View Units menu, you can use {{K|u}} (the units screen) to help you locate dwarves. Hit {{K|u}}, select a dwarf, hit {{K|c}} for "zoom to creature" and you'll automatically be placed in view mode on that dwarf. (Then use {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} to get to the labor configuration menu if necessary.)

Even if no dwarves have the corresponding skills, ensure that someone has {{L|wood burner}}, {{L|furnace operator}}, {{L|wood cutter}}, {{L|plant gathering}}, {{L|gem cutter}}, {{L|armorsmith}}, {{L|weaponsmith}}, {{L|blacksmith}}, {{L|metal crafter}}, and {{L|engraver}} (stone detailing) enabled. If you have dwarves with hunting or fishing, ''disable'' those until you have your initial fort completed. When you're first starting out you don't want dwarves wandering around alone where they can get killed.

Any unskilled dwarf can perform any labor given the necessary equipment and materials. Dwarves with no skill will simply be slow and produce a smaller quantity of lower quality goods in a given time period, but they will gain skill points as they do so.

==Temporary Meeting Area==
Using the {{k|i}} key, create an activity zone (at least 3x3) in the stairwell area. This works much like creating a stockpile except that you draw the rectangle first then hit keys to define what the area is for. Draw the rectangle over the area then set it to be a {{K|m}}eeting area. Your idle dwarves will hang around in this area, hopefully keeping them inside the fort and out of trouble.

==Refuse==
[[File:Dwarf fort tut miasma.jpg|thumb|right|Avoiding {{L|Miasma}}]]
Outside your fort entrance, use {{K|p}} followed by {{K|r}} to create a stock{{K|p}}ile for {{L|Stockpile#Refuse|{{K|r}}efuse}} ''at least'' 5x5 in size. This should be outside in the open or you will have problems with {{L|Miasma}}. You will probably have to expand it later as it will fill up with vermin remains rather quickly. If you are seeing refuse appear in your general-purpose stockpile instead of the refuse pile, use {{K|q}} on the general stockpile and check it's {{K|s}}ettings to make sure refuse has been disabled.

==Woodcutting==
Create another stock{{K|p}}ile for {{K|w}}ood outside your entrance. As it will only be temporary, don't make it too big (maybe 5x3, or 15 tiles total). Later you will move this closer to your carpenter's workshop once you build one.

Press {{K|q}}, place the cursor on your wagon, and hit {{K|x}} to deconstruct it. This will flag the wagon for disassembly. Eventually a carpenter will come along and turn the useless wagon into a few units of wood. Removing other buildings is done the same way.

Also near the entry, designate at least 10 trees to be chopped down with {{K|d}}-{{K|t}}. Don't designate too many trees at the beginning, or your dwarves will spend all of their time chopping them down and hauling them rather than doing other work.

==Pasture==
If you have any grazing animals with you, such as the draft animals used to pull your wagon, they will die if they are kept away from grass for too long. Use {{K|i}} to create a Pe{{K|n}}/{{L|Pasture}} zone over a grassy area outside and assign your grazing animals to it using {{K|N}}. This area needs to be about 10x10 or so to ensure they have enough grass and don't trample it all.

==Sustenance by Plow==
Dig out an area in a soil layer, accessible from inside your fort but not reachable from the outside. You must pick an ''underground'' area with mud or soil. Hopefully you have chosen a site with a soil layer as this will make farming much easier, but if not then you will need to {{L|Irrigation|irrigate}} to create the required mud on stone floors.

Now use {{K|b}} to build a 3x3 {{L|Farming|farm {{K|p}}lot}}. Notice that some things like buildings and constructions are not designated corner-to-corner like digging designations, stockpiles, or activity zones. Instead, you define the width and height of the "building" using {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|h}} then position it with the directional keys. So hit {{K|u}}{{K|u}}{{K|k}}{{K|k}} to make the plot 3x3 and position it in the room you just excavated.

Remember you must enable the "Farming (Fields)" labour for at least one dwarf or the farm plot won't get built and farming will not take place. (If you selected "Play Now" earlier then you will start with a dwarf with farming enabled.)

{{K|Esc}} out of the build menu and wait for the farmer dwarf to create the plot. Once the plot is built, use {{K|q}} to set the plot to grow {{L|plump helmet}}s during all seasons. You will need to press {{K|a}}, {{K|b}}, {{K|c}}, {{K|d}} and select Plump Helmets for each season, otherwise you'll end up with an idle field for 3/4ths of the year.

==Designing Your First Fortress==
While this guide recommends a vertical fortress design around a central stairwell with each z-level being used for a particular purpose, it is really not that important to use this design for your first fortress. Therefore, feel free to put any of the areas described in the rest of this guide on your main level or wherever you want as long as dwarves can get to them without going outside the fort. In other words, you can think of the "levels" described in the guide more as areas that can really all be on the same level if you have space. Later you can ponder over what makes things most efficient, but for now just do whatever you find easiest.

To get stone though you may need to dig down a bit if you have more than one z-level of sand/clay/soil on the surface.

==Workshops==
[[File:Quickstart-level-1-workshops.png|right|thumb|Level -1: Mason's, carpenter's, mechanic's, and jeweler's workshops surrounded by appropriate stockpiles.]]
Dig your stairwell down one level (with {{K|d}}-{{K|i}}), if you haven't already, and create four 5x5 rooms off of the stairwell. These will hold your {{L|Mechanic's_workshop|mechanic's}}, {{L|Mason's_workshop|mason's}}, {{L|Carpenter's_workshop|carpenter's}}, and {{L|Jeweler's_workshop|jeweler's}} {{L|workshop}}s.

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}} to build the workshops, and select some sort of junk stone for the material. If you are still digging in soil and don't have stone yet, just use wood. (The material really doesn't matter in this case.) Put each workshop in the center of each room, and use the remaining space for the appropriate type of stockpile (wood for your carpenter, stone for your mason and mechanic, and gems for your jeweler.) If the construction of any building gets "suspended" just use {{K|q}} to unsuspend it. (This can happen if stone is blocking the way. See "Garbage" Dumping below if you find you need to remove some stone.)

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Too Good for Menial Peon Work|Certain labors are crucial in setting up a fort. At some point you may want to disable less important labors such as hauling for dwarves with the crucial skills of masonry, architecture, carpentry, mechanics, and maybe others. You want these dwarves working on creating beds, doors, and trap components before hauling stone and cleaning.}}
Remove the temporary wood stockpile you created outside (using {{K|p}}-{{K|x}}) and dwarves will move the wood to the new wood storage area.

Go to your mason's shop with {{K|q}} and use {{K|a}} to queue up one {{L|table}} and one {{L|throne}}/chair. You will find out why you need these in a second, but now is a good time to start building them. If you still don't have any stone at this point just use wood at the carpenter's workshop.

=="Garbage" Dumping==
'''Note that garbage is not the same thing as refuse.''' {{L|Stockpile#Refuse|Refuse}} is {{L|Miasma|rotting stuff}}. Garbage is anything you designate to be hauled to a {{L|Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump}}, even important things that aren't really garbage. Think of your garbage dump zone as a way to specify that objects you select will be brought to a specific area.

Use {{K|i}} to create a 1x1 activity zone somewhere near your mason's and mechanic's workshops and set it to be a {{K|g}}arbage Dump. Unlike stockpile areas where you are limited to storing one object per tile, any number of items may be piled in a garbage area. That means you will only need one tile to hold as much garbage as you like. Although many of the room sizes in this guide are suggestions, think of the 1x1 garbage dump size as mandatory. At some point you will probably want to retrieve an important item from your garbage dump, and the larger your dump is, the harder it will be to find anything in it.

Press {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} to get to the mass dump/forbid screen and select the {{k|d}}ump option. With "dump" selected, designate a rectangle over all of the loose stones cluttering up your living area. This will designate this stone to be transported to the closest garbage dump zone.

Once the stone from your living area has been moved there, it will be set as {{L|Forbid|forbidden}}. Before it can be used you will need to unforbid it using the same {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} screen, hitting {{k|c}} to claim it.

Congratulations! Knowing how to use garbage zones and dump commands puts you head and shoulders above most newbs. It takes some people weeks to figure this out.

==Trade Depot==
Build a {{L|trade depot}} using {{K|b}}-{{K|D}} in the 5x5 room you created near your entrance. This is where caravans will park their stuff and where {{L|trading}} will take place when one arrives.

==Bedrooms==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Communal Living|When a fort is first getting started, a common {{L|dormitory}} type {{L|bedroom}} will suffice for a while, but dwarves will eventually want their own rooms. So feel free to create a {{L|dormitory}} now if you want and come back later to create individual rooms. You will want an office now though.}}
[[File:Quickstart-level-7-bedrooms.png|left|thumb|Level -7: Meager bedrooms and office. All rooms have doors; the bedrooms have a bed, cabinet, and coffer; and the office has a table and chair.]]
Continue digging your stairwell down about seven more levels. Just create the stairwells for now.

On the lowest level, dig some halls leading to rooms for sleeping quarters. Dwarves don't need much space for living quarters; in fact, you can turn a 1x3 room into decent quarters by smoothing the stone and filling it with some decent quality furniture.

{{L|Bedroom design|Designing living quarters}} is a matter of personal preference and aesthetic sense. Actual design will be left as an exercise for the player. Just try to keep the bedrooms close to the stairs, and ideally make your access hallways at least two tiles wide so your dwarves don't have to crawl over and under each other to get where they are going.

You will want to create at least eight rooms: seven for your {{L|bedroom}}s, and one as an {{L|office}} for your manager/bookkeeper, which, rather than a chest, bed and cabinet, will contain the chair and table you queued up earlier.

==Nobles==
Hit the {{k|n}} key to open up the {{L|Noble|nobles and administrators}} screen.

The most important positions to assign are '''{{L|broker}}''', '''{{L|bookkeeper}}''' and '''{{L|manager}}'''. Your {{L|expedition leader}} is a good choice for all three when starting out. Don't worry that it's just one dwarf doing all this; none of these jobs take very long.

[[File:Quickstart-noble-selection.png|right|thumb|Nobles screen. The red stuff turns white once an office is assigned.]]
Don't worry about the {{L|chief medical dwarf}} yet. He will be needed when you set up your {{L|Healthcare|hospital}} which won't be covered in this guide. Feel free to go check out the {{L|Healthcare}} guide once you're done.

Lastly, while you are on this screen, highlight the bookkeeper and {{K|s}}et him to work for maximum precision. This will help train bookkeeping faster and ensure that you aren't dealing with vague inventory counts.

===Offices===
Some of your administrative positions (manager and bookkeeper) require an {{L|office}}. Earlier you should have queued up a table and throne in your mason's shop, and they should be done by now. Place them in the office (room you created down in the sleeping area) using the {{K|b}}uild command. Once dwarves has installed the furniture, use {{K|q}} to select the chair, make the room into an office, and assign the office to your expedition leader (who should be your bookkeeper and manager). Hit {{K|n}} to verify that these positions now have the office they need. If so then you shouldn't see any red.

==Furniture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Different Names, Same Thing|As you've noticed, some things have different names based on what they're made of (like chairs vs. thrones) even if they're functionally the same. So, if it seems like you can't make something of a particular material, do some poking around and check the wiki.}}
Now would be a good time to start building some {{L|furniture}}. You could queue up all these items directly from your workshops, but why not give your new manager a little practice?

Using the manager screen {{k|j}}-{{k|m}}, hit {{k|q}} to queue up a new job, and type "bed", and then select "construct bed." Set the quantity to seven. Next, queue up seven wooden {{L|chest}}s or stone coffers, eight {{L|door}}s, seven {{L|cabinet}}s, at least two {{L|table}}s and two {{L|throne}}s/chairs. The tables and chairs will go in your {{L|dining room}}, speaking of which...

==Dining and Food Prep Area==
Above the living quarters, and right off the main stairwell, create another four rooms. One will be for general food storage, one a {{L|dining room|dining hall}}, one a {{L|kitchen}}, and one a {{L|still}}. The still will allow you to make alcohol. The Kitchen will allow you to make {{L|Cook#Recipes|Prepared food}}.

Make the rooms for the kitchen and still 5x5 each. The storage area and dining hall should be larger. Ideally make the dining hall so that it can be further expanded later.

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}} to build the still and kitchen in the middle of the 5x5 rooms. Create {{K|f}}ood stockpiles in the remaining space around each workshop, as well as the entire food storage room.

[[File:Quickstart-level-6-dining.png|right|thumb|Level -6: Dining level with dining hall, kitchen, still, and storage area.]]

Go back to your general purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings to {{K|d}}isable Food. This will cause any food in your general purpose stockpile to get moved to your new food-only stockpiles.

Hit {{K|z}} and select ''{{L|Kitchen}}'' from the top of the screen, then disable all cooking for plants and enable brewing for them so that they will only be used for brewing. Also disable alcoholic beverages for cooking, otherwise your cooks will waste perfectly good hooch in their cooking. The only time you might want to use alcohol in cooking is when you have lots of booze but are running out of food.

If you plan to do any fishing, dig out another area and create a {{L|Fishery}} on this level so the uncleaned fish your fisherdwarf just caught can be cleaned (gutted) for consumption or cooking. If you plan to do any hunting or {{L|Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter}} any animals, create a {{L|Butcher's shop}} on this level so animal corpses can be butchered. The fishery/butcher's shop can be placed behind the kitchen or the general food stockpile, for example. A door is recommended for the butcher's shop in order to contain {{L|Miasma}} should something rot, and to otherwise avoid offending squeamish dwarves.

Eventually go check out the subpage on [[/Stockpiles]] for more information on fine-tuning these stockpiles for maximum efficiency. For now you can safely procrastinate on this and move on to the next section.

==Placing Furniture==
Once your furnishings are complete, you need to place them in rooms using the {{K|b}}uild command. Make sure each bedroom gets a door, chest, bed and cabinet. Put a door on the office (which should already have a chair and table). Put the new chairs and tables in the dining room. Make more doors and put them on other rooms if you want.

Once dwarves have hauled beds to the bedrooms, use {{K|q}} on the installed beds to make the bedrooms into bedrooms. Don't worry about assigning the bedrooms to specific dwarves; they will eventually pick their own as long as they have been defined as unowned bedrooms.

==Meeting Hall==
Use {{K|q}} on one of the tables you just placed in the dining room, define the area as a room, and configure it to be a meeting hall. This will cause idle dwarves to hang around in the dining hall. You want idlers in a central location, close to where you will be placing your emergency drawbridge levers. You may want to go remove the temporary meeting area and any other meeting areas that you created earlier (with {{K|i}}).

==Checking Supplies==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Hostile Wilds|Before turning on either hunting or fishing, examine the {{K|u}}nits screen to see if there are any dangerous critters your hunters/fishers need worry about. With hunting especially, you may need to check this screen frequently.}}
Use the {{K|z}} ({{L|status}}) screen to check your stock levels. How much food and booze do you have left? You only have unprepared food at this point, and the booze you brought with you, but soon you will be making more. If you are running low on food, you can designate gathering some {{L|shrub|outdoor plants}}, {{L|Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter}} some animals, turn on {{L|fishing}}, or turn on {{L|hunting}} to tide you over for a bit. Hunting and slaughtering animals both require a butcher's shop.

==Brewing and Cooking==
Once your first crop of plump helmets starts to come in, you will want to start {{L|brewing}} as a {{L|repeat}}ing task. Also, now would be a good time to start {{L|cooking}} actual meals rather than forcing your dwarves to eat raw food. Cooking {{L|Cooking#Recipes|easy meals}} will train dwarves faster, but they may be happier with {{L|Cooking#Recipes|lavish meals}}. So, you might want to cook easy ones until your cook or cooks skill up to a certain point then have them start making lavish meals. Prepared food is cooked from two (easy), three (fine), or four (lavish) raw food/alcohol ingredients. Each prepared food item will be called a something "biscuit", "stew", or "roast" depending on the lavishness of the meal.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Conserving Resources|Some things absolutely require wood (like beds and charcoal), but others can be made out of more common materials like stone. For this reason it's best, especially in the beginning, to make everything that you can out of stone. For example, you could make wood chests and barrels, but stone coffers and rock pots would let you save wood for things that require it and help you rid yourself of all that stone. And if you decide you want solid gold chests or something later when you have more resources, you can always throw out the rock coffers.}}
Speaking of booze, in order to keep the booze flowing, you will need to create some {{L|barrel}}s, or some stone {{L|pot}}s. Your dwarves should have emptied a few barrels by now to get you started, but you will definitely need more. A ''lot'' more. If you have an abundance of trees, then you can designate some more for cutting, and have your carpenter make a bunch of wooden barrels, but it may be more prudent to make a {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}}, make sure someone has the {{L|Stonecrafting}} labor enabled, and build a bunch of rock pots. (Rock pots are essentially barrels made of rock.) And don't worry that you've made too many; you almost can't get enough of them.

Keep checking your food and drink stock levels on the {{K|z}} screen periodically. While cooked food (properly stockpiled) and alcohol don't spoil, there is really no need to stock 2,000 units of dwarven wine at this point. Ten times the number of drinks and meals as you have dwarves is more than enough. If you start running out of food or drinks, designate some wild plants for harvesting, {{L|Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter}} some of your animals, start hunting or fishing, or start more farms.

Actually, now would be a fine time to make another three by three farm. Set it to produce {{L|sweet pod}}s in the spring and summer, {{L|cave wheat}} or {{L|pig tail}}s (your choice) in the fall, and {{L|plump helmet}}s in the winter. Having multiple types of plants will give your dwarves more variety in their food and drink, keeping them from {{L|Thought|grumbling}}.

==Storage Space==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#0a0|float=right|Advanced Stockpiling|Check out the [[/Stockpiles]] sub page for more information on fine-tuning your stockpiles, especially in the food production area. This is somewhat complicated and it can safely be skipped if you don't feel like tinkering with stockpiles right now.}}
You should probably start making some wooden '''{{L|Bin|bins}}''' to help you store more stuff in less space. You might not need them yet, but you certainly will later. Bins are somewhat like barrels/pots, but they can store things other than just food and drink. Bins will also reduce the amount of labor needed to {{L|haul}} things to your trade depot or other stockpiles. So designate some more trees to be chopped down and queue up some bins. As with barrels and pots, you almost can't have enough bins.

=Beyond a Minimal Fortress=

By now you should have your main entrance created, along with a farm, general purpose stockpile, refuse pile (for trash), and {{L|trade depot}}. Somewhere you should have a mason's shop, a mechanic's shop, a carpenter's shop, and a jeweler's shop, surrounded by appropriate storage piles with garbage zone (for excess stone). You should also have a furnished dining area with kitchen, still, and food storage, and a residential area with furnished bedrooms and an office. You should have selected your administrators, and might even have an optional fishery, butcher's shop, craftsdwarf's workshop, or other stuff.

At this point, you have all the components of a minimal but functional fortress! Your next steps will be to make it safer and better protected, to set up your {{L|metal industry}}, and later to prepare your {{L|military|militia}}.

==Preparing for Immigrants==
Soon you should get some {{L|Immigration|immigrants}} if you haven't already. When you do get a group of {{L|Immigration|immigrants}}, take a headcount and queue up enough beds, doors, cabinets and chests to make bedrooms for them all. Examine their skills. (This is where {{L|Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist}} can come in handy again.) Be sure to enable any labors that they have skills in, but aren't active. Turn any useless dwarves into furnace operators.

==Traps==
Start producing '''{{L|mechanism}}s''' at your {{L|mechanic's workshop}}. Queue up ten. After they are built, use them to create {{L|Trap#Stone-fall_Trap|stone fall traps}} near the start of your entry hall using {{K|b}}-{{K|T}}. Queue up some {{L|cage}}s, and more mechanisms, and use these to create some {{L|Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps}} right after your stone traps. Cage traps are incredibly effective at stopping ambushers, but traps in general will not protect you from {{L|thief|thieves and kidnappers}} who will almost always bypass them.

Continue to fill up your entry hall with alternating rows of stone and cage traps as the parts become available.

==Guard Animals==
Create two 1x1 {{L|pasture}}s near the beginning of your entryway, one on either side, using {{K|i}}. Using the {{K|N}} key inside the zone interface, assign a {{L|dog}} or other non-grazing animal to each of them. These animals will spot thieves and raiders before they gain entrance to your fortress. Try to pick disposable animals, as they ''will'' be slaughtered by the first ambush raiders. Ideally, don't assign female animals; you want them safe for {{L|Meat industry#Breeding|breeding}}.

==Drawbridge==
Build a {{L|Bridge|drawbridge}} ({{K|b}}-{{K|g}}) to seal off your entryway. Make sure to use {{K|w}}, {{K|a}}, {{K|d}}, or {{K|x}} to make it raise up in the right direction; otherwise it will just retract (disappear) instead of raising up to form a barrier.

Put the drawbridge between the trade depot and the hall-o-traps so you can lock things out of the trade depot and the rest of the fort. Build a lever ({{K|b}}-{{K|T}}-{{K|l}}) near your meeting area and connect it to the drawbridge by using {{K|q}} on the lever.

In case of an {{L|ambush}} or {{L|siege}}, you will want to close up your fort, keeping the goblins out until your {{L|squad}}s have formed up and are in position. Ideally you want to have enough cage traps to take out most of the goblins so your military will only have to mop up.

==Metal Industry==
[[File:Quickstart-level-2-forge.png|thumb|right|Level -2: Forge and smelters with ore stockpile in the middle.]]
Now, below your first workshop level, dig out four more 5x5 rooms around the stairwell. Three of these will be {{L|smelter}}s, and one a {{L|metalsmith's forge}}. Designate stockpiles for {{K|b}}ars around the smelters and forge. The bar stockpiles will hold {{L|Fuel|coke and charcoal}} and metal {{L|bar}}s. You will probably need larger bar stockpiles, but you can dig out more space and expand them later.

Also dig out some space and create a stockpile for {{L|ore}} somewhere nearby. To make an ore stockpile, designate a {{K|s}}tone stockpile, then use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings on it to forbid all types of stone other than ore.

Finally, go to your general purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to disable Bars. Stone should already be disabled on this stockpile, and if so then ore is already disabled for it.

===Wood Burning===
Somewhere near your carpenter's shop, near your wood stockpile, dig out an area and build a {{L|wood furnace}}. Hopefully, you will find enough '''lignite''' or '''bituminous coal''' that you will only need to use the wood furnace to create enough charcoal to jump-start the '''coke''' (refined coal) production. Without {{L|magma}}, you need to refine raw coal to make coke, or burn wood to make charcoal. Unprocessed coal is not a usable fuel; only refined coke and charcoal are.

If you don't find coal on your map, you'll need to either dig down to {{L|magma}} or make charcoal out of wood to run your forges and smelters, but don't worry about this yet. You need to do some digging around.

===Mining===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|"I have struck what?"|New players who don't have a degree in geology usually find themselves confused as to what all these mineral names mean. In DF you'll never strike "iron ore" but you will strike {{L|magnetite}} or {{L|limonite}} which are {{L|ore}}s of {{L|iron}}. If you don't know that these things are ores of iron then it obviously won't occur to you to try to smelt iron. Note that ores usually look like {{Raw Tile|£|6:7:1}} before they are mined and {{Raw Tile|*|6:1}} after, though the colors will differ. See '''''{{L|The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock}}''''' to help you figure out exactly what you've found.}}
At this point you want to start looking for metal ore. You may have already found some while digging out rooms, in which case you can just mine into the walls of the rooms to get more ore. If you haven't found ore yet or you want to see what else you can find, you will need to dig {{L|Exploratory mining|exploratory tunnels}} looking for ores, minerals, and {{L|gem}}s. For now just start digging tunnels out from your stairwell or rooms in all directions and see what you run into. Note that digging into '''damp stone''' or '''warm stone''' is not recommended as those areas may be holding back water or lava which can flood your fort.

===Fuel===
Whether you find coal or not, you will need to burn wood into at least one unit of charcoal. If you find some coal (lignite or bituminous coal), start your smelters out processing it into coke using your charcoal to get things started. From then out you can burn coke to make more coal into more coke and so on.

Put these coke-making jobs on repeat. Only use one smelter to begin with, but you should be getting a group of {{L|Immigration|immigrants}} fairly soon, if you haven't already, and you can put them to work in the other smelters.

Don't give up on finding coal right away. Dig around for a while and if you're starting to get impatient then burn some more wood into charcoal, smelt some ore, and make some {{L|weapon}}s. If you rely on charcoal for fuel then you'll be needing a ''lot'' of wood, so in that case dig out another room near the furnace and create a wood stockpile. You might also want to just remove a smelter, replace it with a wood furnace, and create the new wood stockpile down in the smelting area. Finally, go designate more trees for chopping.

===Forging===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Alternative Energy|If you don't find coal then you will have to continue to burn wood into charcoal, or dig down to the bottom of the map and find the magma sea so you can power {{L|magma smelter}}s and {{L|magma forge}}s. Getting to magma can be difficult for various reasons that you will discover, so make sure you are ready for some trouble before you go that direction. Burning charcoal should work out ok in the short term.}}
Once you have smelted some ore to get metal bars, and have additional bars of either coal or charcoal, you can start forging metal items. Here are some suggestions on what to make first:
#'''{{L|Pick}}s''' - You may have only started out with one pick which limits the number of miners you have to one. By this point you are probably wishing you had more miners. Make a few picks and give some dwarves the mining labor once you get some immigrants. It doesn't matter what metal you use to make picks, at least when it comes to mining, so even copper is perfectly good.
#'''{{L|Weapon}}s''' - Picks actually make pretty good weapons, but there can be some issues equipping them because they're tied to the mining labor. You may want to make a few axes. They make good weapons, at least against most lightly armored opponents you're likely to encounter first, and can be used to chop trees. Start with 5 or so.
#'''{{L|Armor}}''' - You're going to want some armor. Start with shields, breastplates or mail shirts, helmets, leggings, then gauntlets and boots. Start with 5 or so of each in the order listed.
{{L|Steel}} is the best normal metal to make armor and most weapons out of, but you're likely find that you want some arms before you can make steel. {{L|Iron}} is good, {{L|bronze}} is also good. {{L|Copper}} is not ideal, but it still works and is better than no metal weapons/armor at all.

==Gemcutting and Trinkets==
You should have uncovered some {{L|gem}}s by now, so put your {{L|jeweler}} to work {{L|Gem cutter|cutting}} them. These will be the only thing you {{L|Trading|trade}} in the first year, and only for things you absolutely need and can't produce enough of yourself.

Actually, {{L|Finished goods|stone crafts}} produced by a craftsdwarf can make good trading goods as well. The only problem with this is that you'll need to make a lot of them (50+) because each one isn't too valuable individually. If you go this route you will probably need to dedicate a craftsdwarf's workshop and craftsdwarf to this task almost full-time, but you're very unlikely to ever run out of stone.

==Sticking to the Plan==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Getting Distracted|Say one of your new immigrants turns out to be a legendary weaver. Should you plant some pig tails and create a loom for him? '''No!''' Put his legendary ass to work smelting metal or something that's part of your current industry even though he has no skill at it. Do not split your efforts yet. You can make use of his unique talents later when you can afford to diversify your industry.}}
Metalsmithing will be your primary economic activity, with cutting gems (and possibly making stone crafts) being used to give you some short-term {{L|wealth}} until the {{L|metal industry}} gets going. This means you will need miners, haulers, smiths and furnace operators. Unless a dwarf is doing something else vital to the proper functioning of your fort, such as training in the militia, making traps, cooking food, and so forth, they should be doing one of those four things.

==Wealth and Invasion==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Crafting Invitations for Trouble|Creating too much wealth initially is a sure fire method of pulling down a goblin ambush that you are ill-equipped to deal with. Titans will also start attacking you should your wealth go over a certain amount. For this reason, spend no time smelting gold, smoothing, or engraving anything yet. Most of the wealth you create in the beginning should be the sharp pointy kind.}}
You may have struck {{L|gold}} or some other valuable metal, and you may be tempted to put your furnaces and smiths to work creating valuable metal crafts. Don't do it! Until you have your militia formed and fully equipped with armor and weaponry, your smelters and forge should be doing nothing else but smelting cheaper materials like coal, iron, making pig iron and steel if possible, and making weapons and armor. Making {{L|steel}} will actually increase your wealth quite a bit, but at least you can stab and beat things to death with steel; you can't make weapons from gold.

=Military=

Your '''military''' is an important part of fortress defense. Unless you have totally cut yourself off from the outside world then you will want at least some sort of military.

Once you reach this point you should hopefully have enough dwarves to start a small military training program. You will need at least 5 dwarves who aren't otherwise doing anything important.

If you don't have any spare dwarves yet, or just don't want to mess with it yet, just skip to the next section and come back to this later. Don't wait too long to set up your military though; you especially will want soldiers before you reach a population of 80 dwarves. (You will find out why.)

When you're ready to start up your military, see the {{L|Military quickstart}} guide.

= What Next =

Congratulations! If you've made it this far then you have a self-sustaining fort going and can now start to branch out into whatever you are interested in exploring. Expect some goblin invasions, forgotten beasts, titans, dragons, giants, and other creatures to interrupt your activities at various points. This is part of the {{L|fun}}.

Here are some things that people almost always do eventually though not necessarily in any particular order (these are somewhat essential):
*Build {{L|coffin}}s and a graveyard or {{L|tomb}}s for dead dwarves and pets
*Set up a {{L|Healthcare|hospital}}
*Build a {{L|well}}
*Build a {{L|jail}} for unruly dwarves
*Set up {{L|Scheduling#Alert_Levels|civilian alerts}} to get civilians to a safe area during ambushes and sieges

Here are some things that players often do as their population grows:
*Smooth and {{L|engraving|engrave}} walls and floors
*Produce {{L|Dwarf_fortress_mode#Livestock|Meat, eggs, milk, and honey}}
*Continue to expand the {{L|military}}
*Explore new {{L|Industry|industries}}
*Dig down to the {{L|caverns}} and create a defended lower entrance with traps to defend the fort against the {{L|creatures|denizens}} below
*Build a {{L|kennel}} and train some war animals
*Build a {{L|Mass pitting}} system to dispose of caged enemies
*Build above-ground {{L|construction}}s such as an archery tower or garden
*Create a {{L|statue|statue garden}} or {{L|zoo}}
*Farm in an {{L|Farm#Above_Ground_Farming|above-ground farm plot}}
*Dig down to {{L|magma}} and set up {{L|magma forge}}s and {{L|magma smelter}}s to avoid the need for fuel
*Build {{L|machine component}}s to pump magma and water
*Create more {{L|Trap design|elaborate traps}} such as magma and drowning chambers
*Try some {{L|stupid dwarf trick}}s

You may also want to just read over the {{L|Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide}} and the many other very useful documents on the wiki to give you other ideas of what to do.

Keep in mind that how you play is not set in stone. Some people never defend, some start a {{L|Megaprojects|megaproject}} right after settling, some never dig and just build an above ground castle or town using logs. Some never smelt ore, some start smelting as soon as they arrive. Some make their home in the dangerous natural caverns. Some deal with invaders by flooding the map or isolating themselves completely. And that's not even considering the {{L|List of mods|mods}} and some of the crazier {{L|challenges}} that people have come up with. There's really no one "right" way to play DF.

= Feedback =

If you have any feedback on this guide, please leave a message on the [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}|talk page]] for this article or in [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=83452.0 this thread] on the forums.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Guides}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}

v0.31:Installation

2011-05-17T22:53:57Z

Ral: /* Download */ tell windows users to use Main unless otherwise specified

= Download =
__NOTOC__
You can always get Dwarf Fortress as [[Toady One]], the developer, released it from the [http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/ Bay12 site] (check the top of the page).

You can also download the latest version here:
{{News/Mirrors/{{current/version}}}}
Windows users: Use the "Main" version unless there's some reason not to.
== Third-Party Packages ==

*[[Lazy Newb Pack]] (Windows Only) - the full game plus utilities and graphics sets in one big package
*[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=53180.0 Ironhand's Graphics Set] - improves the look of tiles
*[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=57557.0 Phoebus' Graphic Set] - another graphics set
*{{L|Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist}} - Utility for managing dwarves

The Dwarf Fortress community often creates custom {{L|Graphics set repository|graphics sets}} and {{L|Tilesets|tilesets}}. They're like graphical mods that make DF look prettier or just different. A lot of people pack the game folder with the tileset installed and everything already set up, so all you have to do is extract and play. Among the most popular of these are [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=53180.0 Ironhand's Graphics Set] and [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=57557.0 Phoebus' Graphic Set].

There's also the (Windows only) [[Lazy Newb Pack]] which has several tilesets and utilities gathered together to make it easier for new players to get started and to experiment with the different tilesets. The only disadvantage to downloading LNP is that there is usually some lag time between when a new version of the game is released and when the LNP is updated to include it. So, if a new version of the game has just been released it may not be in the LNP yet.

Also see {{L|Utilities}} for a long list of utilities that people have created, including the incredibly useful {{L|Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist}}, something that many people won't play the game without.

= Installation =
:''Also see: {{L|System requirements}}''

== Windows ==

There is no installer for the game. Simply extract the archive file to a folder somewhere and run the game from within the folder.

Make sure to actually ''extract'' the archive; do not just open the archive and run the game from the window that appears. If you do this then it may appear to work, but your save game data will get discarded. This is the cause of many "my saved games keep getting deleted" complaints. The game also needs to be able to write to its own folder, so do '''not''' install it in C:\Program Files if you are running Windows Vista or later.

== Mac ==

The Mac version is not a single application bundle, but like the Windows version it consists of a folder containing the application along with data files and there is no installer. The entire folder can be dragged into the Applications folder or placed elsewhere. As with the Windows version, the game must be able to write to its own folder.

== Linux ==

The Linux version of the game is shipped as a compiled 32-bit x86 (Intel/AMD) application. It will also run on a system with a 64-bit AMD or Intel processor and a 64-bit kernel, provided that you have the (32-bit) shared libraries available that the program needs.

Dwarf Fortress for Linux is meant to be run from a terminal (command-line) interface, and so the instructions here will assume you know how to login and get to a command prompt. At least in the default mode, however, Dwarf Fortress is an X client program, so you should be in a terminal inside an X session before starting the game. Dwarf Fortress will create a new X window outside of the terminal window, so don't worry about the size of the terminal.

* '''Unpacking''': Dwarf Fortress is shipped as a (bzip2) compressed tar archive. It will extract into a new directory called '''df_linux'''. So, cd to wherever you want the game to be unpacked, and then run '''tar xjf /path/to/df_XX_YY_linux.tar.bz2''' (where df_XX_YY_linux.tar.bz2 is the filename). Then run '''cd df_linux''' to change into the new directory.
* '''Running''': Run '''./df''' to execute the Dwarf Fortress wrapper script.
* '''Troubleshooting''': If you get an error like this:
./libs/Dwarf_Fortress: error while loading shared libraries: libSDL_image-1.2.so.0:
cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
: it means that your system is missing one or more shared libraries. See below.
* '''Upgrading''': Since every new version of Dwarf Fortress unpacks in a directory named '''df_linux''' you have to manage upgrades yourself. You should '''not''' unpack a new version of DF on top of an old version's directory -- this will cause things to break, usually in subtle and mysterious ways. Instead, you should either delete or rename the old '''df_linux''' directory first, before extracting the new version.

=== 32-bit vs. 64-bit systems ===

Modern desktop PCs (of the Intel/AMD persuasion) contain CPUs that can run in either 32-bit or 64-bit modes. When you install Linux, you choose one of these architectures. The programs on your system will then be compiled either for the 32-bit (i386, x86) arch, or the 64-bit (amd64, x86_64) arch. If you've forgotten which one you have, you can check:

$ file /bin/ls
/bin/ls: ELF 64-bit LSB executable, x86-64, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked (uses shared libs),
for GNU/Linux 2.6.18, stripped

The above would indicate a 64-bit system. Here's one from a 32-bit system:

$ file /bin/ls
/bin/ls: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked (uses shared libs),
for GNU/Linux 2.6.18, stripped

Dwarf Fortress is compiled for 32-bit systems, so if you're on a 32-bit system, things will be slightly easier. If you are getting errors about missing SDL_image libraries (etc.) then you simply need to install them. Use your distribution's package manager for this -- details will be extremely distribution-specific. You don't need the development versions of the packages with the headers (although that won't hurt) -- you just need the runtime versions, with the actual shared libraries.

If you're on a 64-bit system, then things get a bit trickier. Since DF is a 32-bit application, it needs 32-bit versions of the shared libraries. Some Linux distributions provide these in one or more packages that you can download. For example, in Debian, the ia32-libs package contains most of the common 32-bit libraries, including libSDL. Unfortunately, it does ''not'' include the SDL add-on libraries such as libSDL_image and libSDL_ttf. If your distribution does not include these, then you may have to supply them manually.

If this is the case, then the first step is to figure out where you will be putting them. Check to see where your other 32-bit libraries are already installed; for example, on Debian, some are in /lib32 and others are in /usr/lib32. Since libSDL is in /usr/lib32 on a Debian system, that's where we'll want to put libSDL_image and libSDL_ttf. On other distributions, the path could be different.

The second step is to get the 32-bit libraries. You can typically do this by downloading them directly from your distribution's 32-bit package repository. Again using Debian as our example, we can perform a search at http://packages.debian.org/ for files containing the word libSDL_image for the Intel x86 architecture. This takes us to [http://packages.debian.org/search?searchon=contents&keywords=libSDL_image&mode=filename&suite=stable&arch=i386 a results page] from which we can proceed to [http://packages.debian.org/squeeze/libsdl-image1.2 the libsdl-image1.2 package page] with a list of download links arranged by architecture. Grab the i386 package from here, and repeat this for the libSDL_ttf package, and whatever other library you are missing. Store these package files somewhere convenient.

The third step is to extract the libraries from the packages and get them in the proper location. You probably ''won't'' be able simply to install the packages using your package manager, because they are for the wrong architecture. Instead, you'll probably have to extract them by hand. The steps for doing this are distribution-specific, so when in doubt consult your distribution's help resources. I'll show the steps for a .deb package.

* cd into some temporary working directory such as /tmp
* Extract the files from the .deb archive, which is in ar(1) format:
ar x /path/to/libsdl-image1.2*_i386.deb
: This creates three files: debian-binary, control.tar.gz and data.tar.gz. We only care about data.tar.gz.
* Extract data.tar.gz:
tar xzf data.tar.gz
: This creates a subdirectory named usr with various files inside it. We only care about usr/lib/libSDL_image-1.2.so.0.8.2 (or whatever precise version yours has).
* Move the shared library into place:
sudo mv usr/lib/libSDL_image-1.2.so.* /usr/lib32/
* Create a symlink to it:
cd /usr/lib32
sudo ln -s libSDL_image-1.2.so.0.* libSDL_image-1.2.so.0
cd -

Repeat this for libSDL_ttf and whatever other libraries are required.

= Documentation =

Fortunately the documentation on this wiki is very detailed and extensive. You may want to start out with:
* {{L|Tutorials}}
* {{L|Quickstart_guide|Fortress Mode Quickstart Guide}}
* {{L|Adventure mode quick start|Adventure Mode Quickstart Guide}}

Then move on to:
* {{L|Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode reference}}
* {{L|Adventure mode|Adventure Mode reference}}
* [[Special:Search|Searching]] the wiki

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Guides}}

v0.31:Trap

2011-05-16T11:37:31Z

Ral: /* See Also */

{{quality|Masterwork|21:10, 26 April 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}

'''Traps''' are a comparatively quick and easy method for defending a fortress. Unlike {{L|soldier}}s, they're always on duty, and, once set up, need less management. On the other hand, they are immobile and can only lie in wait for foes to walk over them. To build a trap, go to the {{k|b}}uild->{{k|T}}raps/Levers menu. You'll generally need one {{L|mechanism}}, a dwarf with the {{L|mechanic}} labor designated (ranks in this {{L|skill}} reduce the time to place a trap), and at least one other component depending on the type of trap - a stone, a cage, or one or more weapons. They can be built indoors or outdoors, and require a level ground square with no other constructions in them.

Stone-fall, weapon and cage traps will be triggered by most hostile entities entering their tile, with the possible exception of {{L|thief|thieves}}, flying creatures and other occasional nasty surprises. Any unconscious creature will trigger traps, including your own dwarves.

Note that only dwarves with the mechanic labor enabled will reload traps (cage, stone or weapon). In combat situations, {{L|mechanic}}s have a nasty habit of wanting to reload (or clean) traps when they are triggered, regardless of who or what might be out there as well. {{L|Forbid}}ding traps after they are built will keep [[Urist|Urist McSuicide]] from deciding to reload a trap in the middle of a {{L|siege}}. Just remember to unforbid them when things calm down, so the traps are all ready for next time. Note that forbidding a trap after it has been triggered doesn't help, as the job to refill the trap has already been issued in that case, so a Mechanic will carry a stone out to the trap anyway. Alternatively, simply order your dwarves to stay within a safe {{L|burrow}} until any threats have been dealt with.

It is possible to determine the state of a trap (loaded/unloaded) and the components it contains using the 't' query.
Deconstructing a trap leaves the components used in its creation on the ground around the tile. Traps destroyed by hostile action may return damaged objects.

==Stone-fall Trap==
The simplest trap to construct, a stone-fall trap is essentially a {{L|stone}} suspended up in the air which is dropped on intruders when the trap is triggered. These are a popular defensive measure early on, as the components needed are readily available as soon as you start mining. A single stone trap will usually '''not''' severely wound or kill most animals and enemies, to the extent that this may be a bug. After being used they need to be reloaded with another stone by any {{L|dwarf}} with {{L|mechanic}} {{L|skill}} enabled, a task which your dwarves will see to automatically. The dwarf will generally not use the stone that just dropped, but a new one (would you want to put your hands on that gory mess?). Being that stonefall traps do <em>not</em> alert you of ambushes when triggered by hidden invaders{{verify}}, this can frequently lead your mechanics into peril. The weight of the stone used in the trap affects the amount of damage the trap does, but it's quite difficult to get your dwarves to use heavier stones, like galena, when loading the traps.

:*Shortcut {{k|b}} {{k|T}} {{k|s}}
:*Components used: {{L|mechanism}} and an ordinary {{L|stone}}

==Weapon Trap==
Weapon traps are similar in nature to stone-fall traps, and are triggered when any hostile creature stands on the trap. They contain between one and ten weapons, and tend to be much more reliable for outright killing or critically injuring invading creatures. Before you write off stone-fall traps as worse versions of weapon traps, note that weapon traps require you to have previously made {{L|weapon}}s, making them more of an option somewhat later in the game. Any weapon can be used, including human weapons, training weapons, bows, traded weapons and weapons recovered from dead goblins. Think of it as fair retribution when goblins are sliced to pieces by their own axes!

You can also use the corkscrews that are normally used in {{L|screw pump}}s, or menacing spikes that are normally used in spike traps, or any of three specialist trap only weapons:

{{L|Metalsmith's forge}}
*menacing <metal> spike
*large, serrated <metal> disc
*spiked <metal> ball
*enormous <metal> corkscrew
*giant <metal> axe blade

{{L|Carpenter's workshop}}
*menacing <wooden> spike
*spiked <wooden> ball
*enormous <wooden> corkscrew

{{L|Glass furnace}}
*menacing <glass> spike
*large, serrated <glass> disc
*spiked <glass> ball
*enormous <glass> corkscrew
*giant <glass> axe blade

Don't know which to make? -> '''Detailed {{L|Trap component}} information'''

These weapons have all the material property advantages and disadvantages that normal weapons have. It should be noted that the trap weapons are larger than normal dwarf weapons, meaning they should be more effective than normal weapons made of equivalent materials. When triggered, this trap will "attack" the creature with all the weapons available to it, normally doing massive damage.

Weapon traps do not cause slightly suicidal mechanics to reset them after each triggering but instead reset automatically after an unknown period of time. However it is possible for the traps to jam when the unfortunate victim gets stuck in the mechanism (use "t" to check the trap), requiring a dwarf to remove the body. When the trap jams, the mechanic will automatically attempt to clean it, so forbidding the body may be necessary to save him from the victim's friends.

When placing the trap you will be asked for a type of mechanism as normal, then asked to select weapons to use. At this point you will get a list of all stockpiled weapons in your fortress. {{k|+}}{{k|-}} will select different weapons and pressing "Enter/Return" adds 1 of the selected weapon to the trap. Up to 10 weapons can be put in each trap and all weapons in the trap will attack at once when it is triggered (10 large serrated disks normally results in the unfortunate triggering creature leaving with less limbs than it came in with). When happy with your weapon selection press {{k|d}} to set the trap.

It also appears that there's a chance that invaders may dodge the traps: in fact, the triggering creature will defend from the trap's attacks just like from a dwarf's, by jumping away, dodging and blocking. This can be used in your favor if the trapped tile happens to be surrounded by pits...

:*Shortcut {{k|b}} {{k|T}} {{k|w}}
:*Components used: {{L|mechanism}} and 1 to 10 weapons.

==Cage Trap==
Cage traps are different to the other trap types in that they do not directly kill or injure invaders. Instead, they capture the unfortunate creature that triggers them in a {{L|cage}}. Despite the unfortunate lack of violence, this is still very effective as it completely neutralizes the target so that it can be dealt with later. After a creature is captured, it's stored in an animal {{L|stockpile}}. The trap must then be reset by hauling an empty cage to the trap's location (this is done automatically by any dwarf with the {{L|Mechanic}}s labor enabled). '''Most''' captured creatures do not require any nourishment and will survive being in a cage indefinitely; in fact, even submersion in water appears to have no effect on caged creatures. Cage traps will also alert you to ambushes when triggered by hidden invaders, making them a useful forward defense mechanism.

It is possible for dwarves to bring {{L|water}} to cages, but this will only occur if you have someone friendly also locked in the cage - like a dwarf child snatched by a goblin. In this case remove the poor fellow using the goblin's inventory screen.

'''Cage traps cannot always capture every creature in the game''', so you will need alternative defenses - {{L|titan}}s and {{L|forgotten beast}}s (as well as certain other types of creatures) are immune to traps entirely and will waltz right past all of your carefully placed cages unless the cage has a giant cave spider web on it. A webbed cage trap '''will''' capture absolutely '''anything''' in the current version.

Cage traps are also useful for catching animals. This can be done by simply placing traps in areas where wild animals roam (this does '''not''' require a dwarf with the {{L|trapping}} labor enabled). The captured animals can be used to fuel your meat industry, or can be tamed (and sometimes trained into war animals!) at the {{L|kennel|kennels}}. Note that many animals require the presence of the {{L|dungeon master}} to be tamable.

:*Shortcut {{k|b}} {{k|T}} {{k|c}}
:*Components used: {{L|mechanism}} and a {{L|cage}}.
:*If the trap is a Dark Green, then it does not have a cage in it.
:*If the trap is a Light Green, then it does have a cage in it.
:*Note that cage material has no effect (beyond weight for hauling, value of finished trap, and the fact that {{L|elf}} merchants will get pissy if the cage, creature inside or not, is wooden)

To release a tame creature from a cage, build the cage ({{k|b}} {{k|j}}) and use {{k|q}} to unassign it. To release a hostile creature, you must build it and link it to a {{L|lever}} or designate the creature inside to be dumped in a pit. If you have many cages you need to empty out quickly see {{L|Mass pitting}}.

==Upright Spear/Spike==

A variation of the weapon trap, the Upright Spear/Spike itself requires no mechanisms, and can be fitted with up to 10 {{L|Weapon|spears}} or {{L|Trap component|spikes}}. However, it requires an external trigger to actually impale things. Either a {{L|pressure plate}} or a {{L|lever}} must be connected to this trap for it to be operated. An advantage of this trap is it doesn't require a mechanic to set it up - just to link it to a trigger.

An often overlooked ability of an upright spike trap is that it also inflicts damage on a creature that falls onto it while it is deployed. And since they are built in the deployed state they can be quickly built to make a pit trap more lethal, without the need for extra mechanisms. However, you will still need the mechanisms that cause your victims to fall onto the spike from above in the first place, and the pit must be more than 1 z level deep for the spikes to cause damage.

:*Shortcut {{k|b}} {{k|T}} {{k|S}}
:*Components used: between 1 and 10 spears or spikes.

==Mechanism Quality==

All of the above traps other than Upright Spear use mechanisms in their construction. The quality of the mechanism used impacts weapon traps beyond their value however, in weapons traps the mechanism quality seems to act similarly to weapon skill in an entity and will play a part in determining whether a strike lands. No visible effect of mechanism quality has been observed in cage traps beyond the usual value.

==Other Traps==
You can create even more elaborate traps with imaginative use of pits, {{L|pressure plate}}s, {{L|lever}}s, {{L|grate}}s, {{L|support}}s, {{L|water}}, and/or {{L|magma}}, creating sacrificial altars (blood for the Blood God!) and whatever else you can think of. Watching those goblins try to find a way out of your drowning chamber as it begins to fill is really quite satisfying. These are best made in a large, repeatable mass killing way. If you make a trap that kills 10 or so goblins that only works once and you have to rebuild it, wasting time you don't have during a {{L|siege}}, then you're not trying hard enough.

==See Also==
*{{L|Trap design}}
*{{L|Mass pitting}}
{{buildings}}

v0.31:Captured creatures

2011-05-16T11:36:26Z

Ral: /* Holding */

{{Quality|Fine|08:55, 23 July 2010 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

You can capture creatures in a variety of ways, including {{L|animal trap}}s for {{L|vermin}}, {{L|cage trap}}s for wild {{L|animal}}s and hostiles (like goblins), forcibly caging tame animals (see below), and you can also buy caged animals from traders. Caged animals do not require food or nourishment, but this is only because animals do not require food. Caged animals have lifetimes, though, so they will die eventually. Caged dwarves (except those in {{L|jail}}) will quickly starve, for they are never fed. The only case when a caged creature is fed is during its taming.

Below is a collection of some things you can do with creatures in {{L|cage}}s or other holding devices.

===Training and taming===
A dwarf with the {{L|animal trainer|animal training}} labor enabled can tame wild animals (including {{L|vermin}}) at a {{L|kennel}}. A tame animal has the tag '''(Tame)''' after its name and is safe to be released into the fortress. They will not attack your dwarves, and do not set off your traps.

Beware, creatures that have killed dwarves (or other friendly creatures {{verify}}) before being tamed even off the map are "un-tamable". Despite appearing tame, such a creature will go dwarf-killing as soon as it is released.

Elven merchants often sell caged animals, even some that can't normally be trained. Often cages that appear empty on the trading screen (ie, -oaken cage-) will have tame rats, squirrels or other small animals in them. Tamed animals can act as a guard, attacking hostile creatures.

Dragons and other {{L|megabeast}}s may also be tamed, but this requires a {{L|Dungeon master}} which is currently buggy (0.31.10). Specifically, any vermin or creature with the [PET_EXOTIC] flag requires a dungeon master.

Tamed vermin and animals may be adopted as {{L|pet}}s by the dwarves, and animals may also be {{L|Butchery|slaughter}}ed for food. {{L|Cage}}s and {{L|restraint}}s are also useful in {{L|meat_industry|animal husbandry}}.

===Holding===
You can restrain creatures by assigning them to {{L|restraint}}s, putting them in cages, or throwing them in {{L|Activity zone#Pit/Pond|pits or ponds}}. This can reduce {{L|Frames per second|lag}}, and may prevent adoption as pets (so they remain slaughterable without tantruming owners). This will ''not'' work with {{L|cat}}s, who adopt their masters, not the other way around, and despite any physical barriers

* '''Cages''': An indefinite number of animals may be locked into one single cage. If you wish to fit your own tame animals into cages, you can do this by building a cage, and assigning some animals to it via the Building properties window (accessible by {{k|q}}). "Large animal caging" jobs will then be created, and dwarves will lock the hapless animals into the cage. Any offspring they give birth to is also born in the cage (But is not ''assigned'' to the cage, so your dwarves will free it if you don't stop them.). Animals do not breed in cages, but an already pregnant animal will give birth while in a cage.

:Caveat — Do not reassign any animal that is not tame (for example, one captured via a {{L|cage trap}}). If you do, the dwarf moving the animal may open the cage and then flee due to the proximity of the wild animal.

::By stationing military dwarves nearby, this can be used as an easy way to release and kill caged creature. This works especially well if the military dwarves already have an order to kill the creature before you attempt to transfer it. (Some creatures may actually get transferred successfully, however.)

* '''Chains/ropes''': Installed chains ({{k|b}}-{{k|v}}) and assign animals to them {{k|q}}. They'll be able to move one tile in any direction (including up/down/diagonal).

* '''Pits/ponds''': You can designate an area as pit or pond by creating an {{L|Activity zone#Pit/Pond|activity zone}}, designating it as pit/pond and assigning animals to it by setting its properties by pressing {{k|P}}. Beware that land animals generally do not like to remain in a dark pit instead of your magnificent fortress, so they'll break free at the earliest opportunity. See {{L|Mass pitting}} for information on dumping many caged creatures into a pit/pond at once.

===Other uses===

* '''{{L|Zoo}}''' areas may be defined from a built cage via the {{k|q}} menu for the enjoyment of your dwarves. Be aware that dwarves will receive happy or unhappy thoughts from seeing an animal in a zoo based on their preferences. Owning the cage containing a loved animal is even better.

* '''Confiscating prisoner items''': You can strip a captured critter of its equipment. First, use {{k|d}}-{{k|b}}-{{k|c}} and {{k|d}}-{{k|b}}-{{k|d}}to mark the entire stockpile of cages (and ''every item in the cages'') for reclaiming and then for dumping, then use {{k|k}} (for unbuilt cages) or {{k|t}} (for built cages) to view and undump the cage itself. After you ordered the items dumped, dwarves will come and strip the items from your captives. If they do not, double-check that you have a dumping activity zone and that you've reclaimed ({{k|d}}-{{k|b}}-{{k|c}}) - all the equipment a hostile carries is {{k|f}}orbidden by default. You can also dump caged prisoner items through the {{l|stocks}} menu.

* '''Usage as an execution device''': Instead of executing the trapped creature, one could execute a noble by placing a caged megabeast in its quarters and then releasing the beast. Remember to also install a cage trap to recapture the beast afterward.

* '''Silk farming''': If you are the lucky owner of a tamed {{L|giant cave spider}}, you can release disarmed enemies in a room with it, causing it to shoot significant quantities of {{L|silk}} which can then be woven into expensive cloth. Creative arrangements of doors, chains, and fortifications can allow a setup which generates a near-constant stream of silk using a single creature as bait.

{{Category|Creatures}}

v0.31:Trap

2011-05-16T11:35:32Z

Ral: /* Cage Trap */

v0.31:Cage

2011-05-16T11:34:57Z

Ral: /* How to quickly empty out many cages */

{{quality|Exceptional|22:58, 6 January 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}

{{furniture|name=Cage
|tile=‼|col=0:6:0
|wood=y
|metal=y
|glass=y
|rooms=
* {{L|Jail}} (if metal)
}}
For cage traps, see [[Traps#Cage_Trap|traps]].

'''Cages''' are used in {{L|cage trap}}s, {{L|jail}}s, and zoos, {{L|pit}}s and aquariums.

A glass cage is called a terrarium or, if filled with water for holding {{L|Captured live fish|captured}} live {{L|fish}}, an aquarium.

Cages are stored on the Animal Stockpile.

==Building and using a cage==
Cages can be constructed from {{L|wood}} at a {{L|carpenter's workshop}}, from {{L|metal}} at a {{L|metalsmith's forge}}, and from {{L|glass}} at a {{L|glass furnace}}.

You can then either build them to a tile via {{k|b}} - {{k|j}} (this is needed for linking a lever to them, or assigning a pet to it) or simply keep them stockpiled so they can be used to load cage {{L|trap}}s.

When building a cage, you can use a cage that already has something inside. To precisely choose which cage to use, you can expand the list of the cages of a certain type via {{k|x}}.

===Creature containment===

To assign creatures to a cage, press {{k|q}} and move the cursor over the cage. Use {{k|+}} and {{k|-}} to scroll up and down the list of {{L|creatures}}, and {{k|Enter}} to assign them to the cage. A major change in version .31.19 is that grazing creatures will starve if left in cages. Grazing creatures require access to {{L|grass}}, {{L|moss}} or {{L|floor fungus}} for survival, which can be achieved by assigning them to a {{L|zone|pasture}} that has plenty of tasty grass/moss.

Multiple creatures can be assigned to the same cage with no penalty. It is completely possible to fit hundreds of {{L|dog|puppies}} in a cage with dozens of {{L|blind cave ogre}}s with no ill effects or a {{L|dragon}}, a thousand cats plus more, leading some players to conclude that cages include some sort of hidden "cage space" that allows infinitely tight packing of creatures.

There is no particular labor for releasing creatures in cages. Use {{k|q}} to examine the cage (it must first be "built," not just stored), {{k|a}} to assign, and then use {{k|enter}} to toggle the animal(s) currently inside (animals assigned to the cage will have a green "+" next to them). Any available dwarf will perform the job, so beware of pitting untamed or hostile creatures with a weak dwarf. For more information, see {{L|captured creatures}}.

You can get details about the creatures which are in a built cage by pressing {{k|t}} and then {{k|enter}}. There, you can scroll the list of creatures and get details, for example, you can tell whether a Donkey is male or female, which is interesting if your intention is to keep milkable animals near a farmer's workshop.

===Prisons===

To set a cage as a {{L|jail}}, {{k|q}}uery the cage, designate it as a {{k|r}}oom, and then set it to be used for {{k|j}}ustice. Only {{L|metal}} cages may be used in this way, despite {{L|wood}}en cages being strong enough to hold {{L|dragon}}s.

Dwarves in cages must be fed by other dwarves.

===Remotely Opening Cages===

A built cage can be linked to a {{L|lever}} to remotely open it. When the cage opens, the occupant(s) inside are released, the cage and {{L|mechanism}} deconstruct and can be returned to their respective stockpiles. Note that you have to use a "built" cage as described above, it won't work with cages on your stockpile.

===Alternate way of Opening Cages===

When traders are around, you can select "move good to trading depot" and select the cage of choice.
When a hauler takes the cage, the creature inside will be released. be sure to disarm the creature beforehand...

Another way to get creatures out of cages which are not built, is to assign the creatures to pastures (which is possible for any living thing except dwarves). The same precautions as for trading the cage should be taken first.

===Cages and Fluids===

A cage will protect a creature inside it from {{L|swimmer|drowning}}, so if you want to drown a creature in a cage, you must open it remotely, as explained in the above section (as a corollary, if your fortress is drowning in water, you can cage your dwarves and rescue them later). However, built cages will not protect caged creatures from {{L|magma}}, making this a somewhat faster option, as it doesn't require linking each cage to a lever. Cages which are not {{L|magma-safe}} will be degraded and/or destroyed by this process, and cages which are made of flammable materials (such as wood) may be set on {{L|fire}}. Any items the creature had equipped will teleport to wherever the creature was caged, typically a tile with a {{L|cage trap}} on it. These items may or may not be on fire; no case of teleporting !!large cave spider silk sock!!s have yet been observed, but this doesn't prove it can't happen. Exercise caution.

===Buying Cages ===
Traders may bring cages for sale. If these cages contain a {{L|tame}}d {{L|creature}}, the item will be listed as (creature) cage, and will not describe the material the cage is made out of. However, the cage may contain a tamed {{L|vermin}}, in which case it will be listed in the trading dialogue as by the material the cage is made out of. In such cases, the expanded cage description will list the contents of the cage. You can often infer that trained vermin are in a cage by noting the cage's value compared to other cages of identical quality in the list.

However, once you have bought the cage the item name will list the material of the cage; ie: Wolf Cage (Oaken).

=== How to disarm hostiles in cages ===
The easiest way to take away all prisoner-held armor and clothing is via the mass designation tool. Use {{K|d}}-{{K|b}}-{{K|c}} and {{K|d}}-{{K|b}}-{{K|d}} to designate an area (i.e. your animal {{L|stockpile}}, filled with caged hostiles) from which all items will be reclaimed and dumped. Afterwards, hit {{K|k}}, go over each cage and press {{K|d}} for each of them - this stops the dumping on the cages themselves. The end result will be that prisoners will be stripped naked but the cages themselves (and the creatures within) will remain in place, ready to be used for whatever purpose. If you want to keep the items, you need only place your garbage dump zone somewhere near your armor stockpiles and unforbid all the stuff after it is dumped there.

You can also find the items carried by caged {{L|troll}}s, {{L|kobold}}s, etc. in the {{L|stocks}} menu and designate them for dumping. While it is easy to identify troll/kobold clothes because they will always be described as "large"/"small", it is harder to make sure you have found the right weapons; you can verify that you are targeting the right items by using the zoom function; it should point you to the cage. Mark the items for dumping, and dwarves will come to the cage and take them.

If you want to use caged invaders for target practice, it may be wise to go into the Stocks screen and remove the Dump designation from all of their armor - this way, only their weapons will be taken away, allowing them to take significantly more damage (and provide more experience).

=== How to quickly empty out many cages ===
If you have many {{L|Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps}} then you may have trouble emptying out cages quickly enough at times. See {{L|Mass pitting}} for suggestions on how to quickly recycle cages.

{{buildings}}

==Bugs==

Creatures in cages that come from dead merchants cannot be freed. They can only be transferred between cages.

'''Update:''' Creatures in cages that come from dead merchants CAN be freed by assigning them to a [[Zone#Pen/Pasture|pen/pasture zone]] and then when they have been put there, deassign them from the pen/pasture.

{{Category|Justice}}

v0.31:Quickstart guide

2011-05-16T11:34:29Z

Ral: /* What Next */

{{quality|Exceptional|23:16, 24 April 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}

<div style="font-size:120%">
:''This is a quickstart guide for {{L|Dwarf fortress mode}} for those who have never played before who quickly want to jump in head-first.''
:''If you are looking to learn adventure mode instead, see the {{L|Adventure mode quick start}} guide.''
</div>
<div style="font-size:120%">
:'''''Also see {{L|Tutorials}} for more detailed tutorials that people have submitted.'''''
</div>
{{TipBox2|float=right|Before you get started...|Always remember that '''losing is {{L|fun}}!''' Be prepared to lose a few fortresses before you get all the way through this guide – it can be easy to accidentally kill the entire fortress while learning. But remember: losing means that next time, you'll remember how you lost! In a big way, Dwarf Fortress uses the principle of learning from one's mistakes.}}

So, you want to play '''Dwarf Fortress''', but you have no idea what to do. That's understandable; in Dwarf Fortress you can really do anything you like. It is a huge, complex, and totally open-ended game. But in order to do anything, first you need a sustainable fortress. It turns out that this is not as hard as you might think.

As this article doesn't always contain the exact key sequences needed to do everything described, you will likely need to refer to the {{L|Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide}} and the rest of the wiki while reading this. For something more detailed see the excellent {{L|Bentgirder}} tutorial.

[[File:FlowchartDF.png|thumb|500px|right|{{L|From Caravan to Happy Dwarves}} - This is a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions players usually take when starting up a new fort. Feel free to ignore it if you want. It's not necessary to refer to this to understand the rest of the guide, but by the time you finish the guide it will probably all make sense.]]

__TOC__

= Common UI Concepts =

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Keeping Up|While the guide contains many links, you may still need to look something up. Refer to the {{L|Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide}} or use the wiki [[Special:Search|search]] function. Also, don't hesitate to [[Troubleshooting|ask for help]] if you can't find answers on the wiki.}}
{{KeyConventions}}

=World Generation=

The first thing you will need to do is {{L|World generation|generate a new world}}. Unlike many games, the world that your game takes place in will always be procedurally randomly generated by you or someone else. There is no "default" or "standard" world.

Luckily the basic version of this process is rather simple, and doesn't usually take too long unless your computer is a bit outdated.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting World|
For your first game, {{L|World generation|generate a new world}} using the {{DFtext|Create New World!}} option in the main menu with the following options:

* {{DFtext|World Size}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|History}} is {{DFtext|Short|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Civilizations}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Sites}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Number of Beasts}} is {{DFtext|Medium|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Natural Savagery}} is {{DFtext|Very Low|3:1}}

* {{DFtext|Mineral Occurrence}} is {{DFtext|Frequent|3:1}}

This should help to avoid difficulties.
}}

= Pre-Embark =

:''Also see: {{L|Embark}}''

'''Embarking''' is the process of choosing a site, outfitting your initial dwarves, and sending them on their way.

Select {{DFtext|Start Playing}} from the main menu, then select {{DFtext|Dwarf Fortress}}.

The map you see on the right is the '''World Map''' which will show you the whole world. The one in the middle is the '''Region Map''' which will show you a zoomed-in view of the part of the world indicated by the cursor in the world map. The '''Local Map''' on the left will show a zoomed-in view of the part of the region indicated by the cursor in the region map. In the local map area will be a highlighted embark region that you can move around with {{K|u}} {{K|m}} {{K|k}} {{K|h}}. This highlighted square is what will become your play area after you embark. Use {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}} to move the region and world cursors around. Hold down {{K|Shift}} while doing this to move more rapidly.

== Choosing a Good Site ==

Choosing a good embark site is crucial for beginners. Advanced players can create a functional fortress on a glacier, but for now, lets stick to dwarf (and newbie) friendly environments. You will want to look for certain features in your initial embark site that will make your first fort much easier to manage.

{{TipBox2|titlebg=#00a|Starting Site|
[[File:Quickstart-good-location.png|thumb|300px|right|An example of a good starting site.]]
For your first game, find a site with the following properties:
*'''NO Aquifer''' (This is '''''very''''' important!)
*'''Trees:''' Forested or Heavily Forested
*'''Temperature:''' Warm
*'''Surroundings:''' Calm or at least '''not''' Sinister, Haunted, or Terrifying
*'''Clay or Soil''' is important to make farming easier when starting out
*'''Shallow Metals''' (That's Metals, plural, not Metal. You want more than one.)
*A '''River''' if possible
*'''Deep Metal(s)''' if possible
*'''Flux Stone''' if possible

You may want to use the {{K|f}}ind tool to help you find a site. Notes about find tool:
"Calm" is classified as Medium Evil, Low Savagery. (See {{L|Surroundings#Combinations_of_surroundings|the chart here}} for why.) The find tool will also only indicate a general area so you will still need to check the attributes manually.

Your site may have multiple biomes overlapping it. If so make sure to press {{K|F1}}, {{K|F2}}, etc, to take a look at all of them. They may each have significantly different characteristics.

See '''[[/Starting site]]''' for more info on why these characteristics are important.}}

Press {{K|e}} to embark once you're sure you have the right area highlighted on the local map.

== Skills and Equipment ==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Optional: Preparing Carefully|If, at this point, you'd like to get into all of the details of picking individual skills and equipment for your expedition, select {{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}} and see '''[[/Preparing carefully]]''' for instructions. '''This is completely optional.'''}}

Now the '''Prepare for the Journey''' screen should appear. You will be given the choice to either:
*{{DFtext|Play Now!}}
*{{DFtext|Prepare for the journey carefully}}.

Selecting {{DFtext|Play Now!}} will start you out with a default set of equipment that is reasonably safe, allowing you to skip having to set up your skills and equipment. If you'd like to get going now, just select that option.

=A Minimal Fortress=
[[File:Quickstart-map-starting.png|thumb|right|Starting out. In this example the dwarves will be digging out an entrance tunnel in the sandy cliff on the right. (You can use {{K|Tab}} to show or hide the overview map.)]]

At this point you have embarked and your dwarves have arrived at their destination. You will see your dwarves clustered around their wagon full of supplies somewhere near the center of your map. '''Immediately hit {{K|Space}} to pause the game''' unless it is already paused.

==Surveying the Area==
'''Do not unpause the game just yet.''' Take a look around. Use the {{K|k}} command and the arrow keys. Look up and down a few {{L|z-level}}s with {{K|<}} and {{K|>}}. Place the cursor on various tiles to familiarize yourself with what the symbols mean. If you get lost, you can press {{K|F1}} to return to the wagon. (You can define more {{L|hotkeys}} later, to jump quickly to other sites of interest.)

Notice the terrain features, the vegetation, and any minerals visible. If you chose a site with flowing water, where is it? What about pools of water? The more carefully you examine your site before breaking ground, the better off you will be.

Remember that this is more of a simulation than a game. It is not "play balanced", and you can very easily find yourself in impossible situations. That is all part of the {{L|fun}} because even when you lose, you create an interesting story.

Your wagon serves as the initial meeting area for your dwarves. Since you should have started in a non-freezing, calm (low savagery), non-evil biome, you shouldn't face any immediate danger, but if for some reason the area around your wagon proves to be unsafe, immediately designate another meeting zone using {{K|i}} (see ''Temporary Meeting Area'' below).

==Controlling Your Dwarves==
The first thing to keep in mind is that, for the most part, you can't directly control your dwarves the way you control characters in a typical fantasy RPG. Instead, you '''designate''' things that need to be done and then dwarves with the appropriate labor assignments will decide what to start working on based on a set of largely hard-coded priorities.

For example, if a dwarf needs to eat then he will go eat and only get around to digging a tunnel once he is done eating. It is also possible to designate things that no dwarf is able to do. For example, if you designate an area to mine but no dwarf has mining as one of his allowed labors or no dwarf has a pickaxe then the mining will never get done, and the game will not always advise you of why.

So what you are doing throughout the game is essentially giving your dwarves a detailed group-wide to-do list, but it's up to them to figure out which one of them will execute any given task if the task is even possible. Often many of the details of how a task is performed (such as exactly which rock will be used to make crafts) are left up to them.

==Strike The Earth!==
Generally, you will want to get all your dwarves and supplies inside a protected area as quickly as possible. So the first thing you will do is {{K|d}}esignate some areas to "mine".

Decide where you will build your main entrance. The best thing to do is just put it near your wagon to make it faster and less work to haul all of your supplies inside.

To designate an area for digging:
#Hit {{K|d}} to bring up the Designations menu.
#Hit {{K|d}} again to select Mine
#Place the cursor on one corner of the rectangular area you want to designate and press {{K|Enter}}
#Move the cursor to the other corner of the rectangle and press {{K|Enter}}. A rectangle will be highlighted and a miner dwarf will start to dig out this area once you exit the menu (with {{K|Esc}}) and unpause the game with {{K|Space}}.

This is basically how all of the designation commands work. Everything has to be designated one rectangle at a time, but rectangles can always be one tile wide, or just one single tile.

If your wagon is near a {{L|cliff}}, you can just designate a tunnel to mine ({{K|d}}-{{K|d}}) into the cliff to create an entryway. If you are on flat land with no cliff near the wagon, {{L|channel}} out a small rectangle (perhaps 3x3) on the surface with {{K|d}}-{{K|h}} to create a sort of pit with ramps on the edges, then go down one z-level with {{K|>}} and tunnel into the wall of the pit to create your entry. (Think of this as creating your own cliff, with the inside wall of the pit being the "cliff".)

Dig a hallway one tile wide and ''at least'' 10 long, ideally more like 20. This will be your entryway. Later you may want to expand this to 2 or 3 tiles wide but for now make it narrow so it will be easier to defend.

Your entryway defines the boundary between your safe and protected inner fort, and the big bad outside world. You want this to be your only entrance so that you only have to worry about defending this one opening.

==Delving Secure Lodgings==
[[File:Quickstart-level0.png|thumb|right|Level 0: This is the ground level which we'll call "level 0". The entrance tunnel is on the left where the refuse and wood stockpiles are partially visible. Inside are the general storage area, trade depot, stairwell, and farm plot.]]
At the end of the entry hall, dig a 5x5 room (where you'll later build your trade depot). Then dig out at least another 3 or 4 tiles of interior hallway beyond that, and beyond that another room for a general stockpile area about 10x10 tiles. You have some flexibility in how you do this; see the image at the right for an example.

Don't make any of these rooms too big or your miner will take forever to dig the rooms out, especially if he is digging in stone instead of soil. (Digging through soil is much faster.) You may want to designate one room at a time, then wait for it to be mined out before designating the next room.

=== Stockpiles ===
[[File:Quickstart-custom-stockpile.png|right|thumb|Keep corpses, refuse, stone and wood out of general use stockpiles. You can come back and change the settings on this stockpile using {{K|q}}, selecting the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}}. Try to remember to come back here to disable/forbid types of things as you create more specific stockpiles for them.]]
'''Stockpiles''' are very important. These areas are where your dwarves will drop things for storage when they aren't needed elsewhere. To create a '''general purpose stockpile''' for your first storage area:
#Hit {{K|p}} to open the Stockpiles menu.
#Use {{K|t}} to change the the {{L|Stockpile#Custom_stockpiles|custom stockpile}} settings to {{K|e}}nable everything but '''Wood''', '''Corpses''', '''Refuse''', '''Stone''', and '''Gems'''. Use directional keys, {{K|e}}nable, {{K|d}}isable to do this.
#{{k|Esc}} out of that screen back to the stockpiles menu.
#Hit {{K|c}} to select Custom Stockpile.
#Designate the whole 10x10 storage room as a custom stockpile. This works just like designating an area to dig: place the cursor on one corner of the room, hit {{K|Enter}}, move to the opposite corner, and hit {{K|Enter}} again.
#Press {{K|Esc}} to get out of the Stockpiles menu.
Once you exit the stockpiles menu you should see dwarves running off to haul everything from your wagon into the new stockpile area. Later you can change what sort of things the stockpile accepts by hitting {{K|q}} (Set Building Tasks/Prefs), placing the cursor on the stockpile, then pressing {{K|s}} to get to the stockpile settings.

It is particularly important to '''keep wood, stone, refuse, and corpses out of your general purpose stockpile''', so you make want to double check to make sure all of these things are disabled in the stockpile settings. Failure to keep these things out of this stockpile will cause problems.

=== Stairways ===
Somewhere off of your interior hallway, dig out a 3x3 or so area and designate a Downward Stairway in the middle of it with {{K|d}}-{{K|j}}. Notice that after your miner digs the stairway, it doesn't automatically create another stairway on the z-level below. If you hit {{K|>}} to move the view down a z-level you'll see that there's no stairway below, but there is a revealed tile of rock/soil. Because of the down stairway that was dug, this tile is now accessible to miners. You can then designate an Up/Down Stairway on it with {{K|d}}-{{K|i}} and the miner dwarf will dig it out. Below that you can then dig out another up/down stairway and so on. For now just dig down one level; we will deepen the stairwell later.

==Stout Labor==
'''Labors''' are how you control what types of tasks a dwarf will do. For example, if the Fishing labor is enabled for a dwarf, that dwarf is allowed to engage in fishing.

When dwarves are idle, it could be because you haven't given them anything to do, or it could be because none of the idle dwarves have been told that they're allowed to do the types of tasks you've designated. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but none of the dwarves have the mining labor enabled, they will all just sit around ignoring your mining designation thinking that it isn't their job.

Dwarves will automatically have some labors enabled if they start out with skill in those labors, and some labors (such as hauling and cleaning) are enabled for all dwarves by default. This is why you didn't need to enable any labors on dwarves to get them to haul and mine, but later you may need to do something that no dwarf has currently been told they're allow to attempt.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#aa0|Dwarf Therapist|You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. If you are using a supported operating system, the utility '''{{L|Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist}}''' can make this a million times easier, especially later when you're dealing with twenty times the number of dwarves you have now.}}
With the digging and stockpile taken care of, look over your dwarves' assigned {{L|labor}}s. Press {{K|v}} (View Units) then place the cursor on a dwarf. Now, press {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} for "preferences: labors". You will see a list of labor categories that you can navigate using {{K|-}}{{K|+}}. You can enter each category and toggle each labor off and on with {{K|Enter}} and get back out with {{K|Esc}}.

After exiting the View Units menu, you can use {{K|u}} (the units screen) to help you locate dwarves. Hit {{K|u}}, select a dwarf, hit {{K|c}} for "zoom to creature" and you'll automatically be placed in view mode on that dwarf. (Then use {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} to get to the labor configuration menu if necessary.)

Even if no dwarves have the corresponding skills, ensure that someone has {{L|wood burner}}, {{L|furnace operator}}, {{L|wood cutter}}, {{L|plant gathering}}, {{L|gem cutter}}, {{L|armorsmith}}, {{L|weaponsmith}}, {{L|blacksmith}}, {{L|metal crafter}}, and {{L|engraver}} (stone detailing) enabled. If you have dwarves with hunting or fishing, ''disable'' those until you have your initial fort completed. When you're first starting out you don't want dwarves wandering around alone where they can get killed.

Any unskilled dwarf can perform any labor given the necessary equipment and materials. Dwarves with no skill will simply be slow and produce a smaller quantity of lower quality goods in a given time period, but they will gain skill points as they do so.

==Temporary Meeting Area==
Using the {{k|i}} key, create an activity zone (at least 3x3) in the stairwell area. This works much like creating a stockpile except that you draw the rectangle first then hit keys to define what the area is for. Draw the rectangle over the area then set it to be a {{K|m}}eeting area. Your idle dwarves will hang around in this area, hopefully keeping them inside the fort and out of trouble.

==Refuse==
[[File:Dwarf fort tut miasma.jpg|thumb|right|Avoiding {{L|Miasma}}]]
Outside your fort entrance, use {{K|p}} followed by {{K|r}} to create a stock{{K|p}}ile for {{L|Stockpile#Refuse|{{K|r}}efuse}} ''at least'' 5x5 in size. This should be outside in the open or you will have problems with {{L|Miasma}}. You will probably have to expand it later as it will fill up with vermin remains rather quickly. If you are seeing refuse appear in your general-purpose stockpile instead of the refuse pile, use {{K|q}} on the general stockpile and check it's {{K|s}}ettings to make sure refuse has been disabled.

==Woodcutting==
Create another stock{{K|p}}ile for {{K|w}}ood outside your entrance. As it will only be temporary, don't make it too big (maybe 5x3, or 15 tiles total). Later you will move this closer to your carpenter's workshop once you build one.

Press {{K|q}}, place the cursor on your wagon, and hit {{K|x}} to deconstruct it. This will flag the wagon for disassembly. Eventually a carpenter will come along and turn the useless wagon into a few units of wood. Removing other buildings is done the same way.

Also near the entry, designate at least 10 trees to be chopped down with {{K|d}}-{{K|t}}. Don't designate too many trees at the beginning, or your dwarves will spend all of their time chopping them down and hauling them rather than doing other work.

==Pasture==
If you have any grazing animals with you, such as the draft animals used to pull your wagon, they will die if they are kept away from grass for too long. Use {{K|i}} to create a Pe{{K|n}}/{{L|Pasture}} zone over a grassy area outside and assign your grazing animals to it using {{K|N}}. This area needs to be about 10x10 or so to ensure they have enough grass and don't trample it all.

==Sustenance by Plow==
Dig out an area in a soil layer, accessible from inside your fort but not reachable from the outside. You must pick an ''underground'' area with mud or soil. Hopefully you have chosen a site with a soil layer as this will make farming much easier, but if not then you will need to {{L|Irrigation|irrigate}} to create the required mud on stone floors.

Now use {{K|b}} to build a 3x3 {{L|Farming|farm {{K|p}}lot}}. Notice that some things like buildings and constructions are not designated corner-to-corner like digging designations, stockpiles, or activity zones. Instead, you define the width and height of the "building" using {{K|u}}{{K|m}}{{K|k}}{{K|h}} then position it with the directional keys. So hit {{K|u}}{{K|u}}{{K|k}}{{K|k}} to make the plot 3x3 and position it in the room you just excavated.

Remember you must enable the "Farming (Fields)" labour for at least one dwarf or the farm plot won't get built and farming will not take place. (If you selected "Play Now" earlier then you will start with a dwarf with farming enabled.)

{{K|Esc}} out of the build menu and wait for the farmer dwarf to create the plot. Once the plot is built, use {{K|q}} to set the plot to grow {{L|plump helmet}}s during all seasons. You will need to press {{K|a}}, {{K|b}}, {{K|c}}, {{K|d}} and select Plump Helmets for each season, otherwise you'll end up with an idle field for 3/4ths of the year.

==Designing Your First Fortress==
While this guide recommends a vertical fortress design around a central stairwell with each z-level being used for a particular purpose, it is really not that important to use this design for your first fortress. Therefore, feel free to put any of the areas described in the rest of this guide on your main level or wherever you want as long as dwarves can get to them without going outside the fort. In other words, you can think of the "levels" described in the guide more as areas that can really all be on the same level if you have space. Later you can ponder over what makes things most efficient, but for now just do whatever you find easiest.

To get stone though you may need to dig down a bit if you have more than one z-level of sand/clay/soil on the surface.

==Workshops==
[[File:Quickstart-level-1-workshops.png|right|thumb|Level -1: Mason's, carpenter's, mechanic's, and jeweler's workshops surrounded by appropriate stockpiles.]]
Dig your stairwell down one level (with {{K|d}}-{{K|i}}), if you haven't already, and create four 5x5 rooms off of the stairwell. These will hold your {{L|Mechanic's_workshop|mechanic's}}, {{L|Mason's_workshop|mason's}}, {{L|Carpenter's_workshop|carpenter's}}, and {{L|Jeweler's_workshop|jeweler's}} {{L|workshop}}s.

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}} to build the workshops, and select some sort of junk stone for the material. If you are still digging in soil and don't have stone yet, just use wood. (The material really doesn't matter in this case.) Put each workshop in the center of each room, and use the remaining space for the appropriate type of stockpile (wood for your carpenter, stone for your mason and mechanic, and gems for your jeweler.) If the construction of any building gets "suspended" just use {{K|q}} to unsuspend it. (This can happen if stone is blocking the way. See "Garbage" Dumping below if you find you need to remove some stone.)

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Too Good for Menial Peon Work|Certain labors are crucial in setting up a fort. At some point you may want to disable less important labors such as hauling for dwarves with the crucial skills of masonry, architecture, carpentry, mechanics, and maybe others. You want these dwarves working on creating beds, doors, and trap components before hauling stone and cleaning.}}
Remove the temporary wood stockpile you created outside (using {{K|p}}-{{K|x}}) and dwarves will move the wood to the new wood storage area.

Go to your mason's shop with {{K|q}} and use {{K|a}} to queue up one {{L|table}} and one {{L|throne}}/chair. You will find out why you need these in a second, but now is a good time to start building them. If you still don't have any stone at this point just use wood at the carpenter's workshop.

=="Garbage" Dumping==
'''Note that garbage is not the same thing as refuse.''' {{L|Stockpile#Refuse|Refuse}} is {{L|Miasma|rotting stuff}}. Garbage is anything you designate to be hauled to a {{L|Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump}}, even important things that aren't really garbage. Think of your garbage dump zone as a way to specify that objects you select will be brought to a specific area.

Use {{K|i}} to create a 1x1 activity zone somewhere near your mason's and mechanic's workshops and set it to be a {{K|g}}arbage Dump. Unlike stockpile areas where you are limited to storing one object per tile, any number of items may be piled in a garbage area. That means you will only need one tile to hold as much garbage as you like. Although many of the room sizes in this guide are suggestions, think of the 1x1 garbage dump size as mandatory. At some point you will probably want to retrieve an important item from your garbage dump, and the larger your dump is, the harder it will be to find anything in it.

Press {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} to get to the mass dump/forbid screen and select the {{k|d}}ump option. With "dump" selected, designate a rectangle over all of the loose stones cluttering up your living area. This will designate this stone to be transported to the closest garbage dump zone.

Once the stone from your living area has been moved there, it will be set as {{L|Forbid|forbidden}}. Before it can be used you will need to unforbid it using the same {{k|d}}-{{k|b}} screen, hitting {{k|c}} to claim it.

Congratulations! Knowing how to use garbage zones and dump commands puts you head and shoulders above most newbs. It takes some people weeks to figure this out.

==Trade Depot==
Build a {{L|trade depot}} using {{K|b}}-{{K|D}} in the 5x5 room you created near your entrance. This is where caravans will park their stuff and where {{L|trading}} will take place when one arrives.

==Bedrooms==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Communal Living|When a fort is first getting started, a common {{L|dormitory}} type {{L|bedroom}} will suffice for a while, but dwarves will eventually want their own rooms. So feel free to create a {{L|dormitory}} now if you want and come back later to create individual rooms. You will want an office now though.}}
[[File:Quickstart-level-7-bedrooms.png|left|thumb|Level -7: Meager bedrooms and office. All rooms have doors; the bedrooms have a bed, cabinet, and coffer; and the office has a table and chair.]]
Continue digging your stairwell down about seven more levels. Just create the stairwells for now.

On the lowest level, dig some halls leading to rooms for sleeping quarters. Dwarves don't need much space for living quarters; in fact, you can turn a 1x3 room into decent quarters by smoothing the stone and filling it with some decent quality furniture.

{{L|Bedroom design|Designing living quarters}} is a matter of personal preference and aesthetic sense. Actual design will be left as an exercise for the player. Just try to keep the bedrooms close to the stairs, and ideally make your access hallways at least two tiles wide so your dwarves don't have to crawl over and under each other to get where they are going.

You will want to create at least eight rooms: seven for your {{L|bedroom}}s, and one as an {{L|office}} for your manager/bookkeeper, which, rather than a chest, bed and cabinet, will contain the chair and table you queued up earlier.

==Nobles==
Hit the {{k|n}} key to open up the {{L|Noble|nobles and administrators}} screen.

The most important positions to assign are '''{{L|broker}}''', '''{{L|bookkeeper}}''' and '''{{L|manager}}'''. Your {{L|expedition leader}} is a good choice for all three when starting out. Don't worry that it's just one dwarf doing all this; none of these jobs take very long.

[[File:Quickstart-noble-selection.png|right|thumb|Nobles screen. The red stuff turns white once an office is assigned.]]
Don't worry about the {{L|chief medical dwarf}} yet. He will be needed when you set up your {{L|Healthcare|hospital}} which won't be covered in this guide. Feel free to go check out the {{L|Healthcare}} guide once you're done.

Lastly, while you are on this screen, highlight the bookkeeper and {{K|s}}et him to work for maximum precision. This will help train bookkeeping faster and ensure that you aren't dealing with vague inventory counts.

===Offices===
Some of your administrative positions (manager and bookkeeper) require an {{L|office}}. Earlier you should have queued up a table and throne in your mason's shop, and they should be done by now. Place them in the office (room you created down in the sleeping area) using the {{K|b}}uild command. Once dwarves has installed the furniture, use {{K|q}} to select the chair, make the room into an office, and assign the office to your expedition leader (who should be your bookkeeper and manager). Hit {{K|n}} to verify that these positions now have the office they need. If so then you shouldn't see any red.

==Furniture==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Different Names, Same Thing|As you've noticed, some things have different names based on what they're made of (like chairs vs. thrones) even if they're functionally the same. So, if it seems like you can't make something of a particular material, do some poking around and check the wiki.}}
Now would be a good time to start building some {{L|furniture}}. You could queue up all these items directly from your workshops, but why not give your new manager a little practice?

Using the manager screen {{k|j}}-{{k|m}}, hit {{k|q}} to queue up a new job, and type "bed", and then select "construct bed." Set the quantity to seven. Next, queue up seven wooden {{L|chest}}s or stone coffers, eight {{L|door}}s, seven {{L|cabinet}}s, at least two {{L|table}}s and two {{L|throne}}s/chairs. The tables and chairs will go in your {{L|dining room}}, speaking of which...

==Dining and Food Prep Area==
Above the living quarters, and right off the main stairwell, create another four rooms. One will be for general food storage, one a {{L|dining room|dining hall}}, one a {{L|kitchen}}, and one a {{L|still}}. The still will allow you to make alcohol. The Kitchen will allow you to make {{L|Cook#Recipes|Prepared food}}.

Make the rooms for the kitchen and still 5x5 each. The storage area and dining hall should be larger. Ideally make the dining hall so that it can be further expanded later.

Use {{K|b}}-{{K|w}} to build the still and kitchen in the middle of the 5x5 rooms. Create {{K|f}}ood stockpiles in the remaining space around each workshop, as well as the entire food storage room.

[[File:Quickstart-level-6-dining.png|right|thumb|Level -6: Dining level with dining hall, kitchen, still, and storage area.]]

Go back to your general purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings to {{K|d}}isable Food. This will cause any food in your general purpose stockpile to get moved to your new food-only stockpiles.

Hit {{K|z}} and select ''{{L|Kitchen}}'' from the top of the screen, then disable all cooking for plants and enable brewing for them so that they will only be used for brewing. Also disable alcoholic beverages for cooking, otherwise your cooks will waste perfectly good hooch in their cooking. The only time you might want to use alcohol in cooking is when you have lots of booze but are running out of food.

If you plan to do any fishing, dig out another area and create a {{L|Fishery}} on this level so the uncleaned fish your fisherdwarf just caught can be cleaned (gutted) for consumption or cooking. If you plan to do any hunting or {{L|Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter}} any animals, create a {{L|Butcher's shop}} on this level so animal corpses can be butchered. The fishery/butcher's shop can be placed behind the kitchen or the general food stockpile, for example. A door is recommended for the butcher's shop in order to contain {{L|Miasma}} should something rot, and to otherwise avoid offending squeamish dwarves.

Eventually go check out the subpage on [[/Stockpiles]] for more information on fine-tuning these stockpiles for maximum efficiency. For now you can safely procrastinate on this and move on to the next section.

==Placing Furniture==
Once your furnishings are complete, you need to place them in rooms using the {{K|b}}uild command. Make sure each bedroom gets a door, chest, bed and cabinet. Put a door on the office (which should already have a chair and table). Put the new chairs and tables in the dining room. Make more doors and put them on other rooms if you want.

Once dwarves have hauled beds to the bedrooms, use {{K|q}} on the installed beds to make the bedrooms into bedrooms. Don't worry about assigning the bedrooms to specific dwarves; they will eventually pick their own as long as they have been defined as unowned bedrooms.

==Meeting Hall==
Use {{K|q}} on one of the tables you just placed in the dining room, define the area as a room, and configure it to be a meeting hall. This will cause idle dwarves to hang around in the dining hall. You want idlers in a central location, close to where you will be placing your emergency drawbridge levers. You may want to go remove the temporary meeting area and any other meeting areas that you created earlier (with {{K|i}}).

==Checking Supplies==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Hostile Wilds|Before turning on either hunting or fishing, examine the {{K|u}}nits screen to see if there are any dangerous critters your hunters/fishers need worry about. With hunting especially, you may need to check this screen frequently.}}
Use the {{K|z}} ({{L|status}}) screen to check your stock levels. How much food and booze do you have left? You only have unprepared food at this point, and the booze you brought with you, but soon you will be making more. If you are running low on food, you can designate gathering some {{L|shrub|outdoor plants}}, {{L|Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter}} some animals, turn on {{L|fishing}}, or turn on {{L|hunting}} to tide you over for a bit. Hunting and slaughtering animals both require a butcher's shop.

==Brewing and Cooking==
Once your first crop of plump helmets starts to come in, you will want to start {{L|brewing}} as a {{L|repeat}}ing task. Also, now would be a good time to start {{L|cooking}} actual meals rather than forcing your dwarves to eat raw food. Cooking {{L|Cooking#Recipes|easy meals}} will train dwarves faster, but they may be happier with {{L|Cooking#Recipes|lavish meals}}. So, you might want to cook easy ones until your cook or cooks skill up to a certain point then have them start making lavish meals. Prepared food is cooked from two (easy), three (fine), or four (lavish) raw food/alcohol ingredients. Each prepared food item will be called a something "biscuit", "stew", or "roast" depending on the lavishness of the meal.

{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Conserving Resources|Some things absolutely require wood (like beds and charcoal), but others can be made out of more common materials like stone. For this reason it's best, especially in the beginning, to make everything that you can out of stone. For example, you could make wood chests and barrels, but stone coffers and rock pots would let you save wood for things that require it and help you rid yourself of all that stone. And if you decide you want solid gold chests or something later when you have more resources, you can always throw out the rock coffers.}}
Speaking of booze, in order to keep the booze flowing, you will need to create some {{L|barrel}}s, or some stone {{L|pot}}s. Your dwarves should have emptied a few barrels by now to get you started, but you will definitely need more. A ''lot'' more. If you have an abundance of trees, then you can designate some more for cutting, and have your carpenter make a bunch of wooden barrels, but it may be more prudent to make a {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}}, make sure someone has the {{L|Stonecrafting}} labor enabled, and build a bunch of rock pots. (Rock pots are essentially barrels made of rock.) And don't worry that you've made too many; you almost can't get enough of them.

Keep checking your food and drink stock levels on the {{K|z}} screen periodically. While cooked food (properly stockpiled) and alcohol don't spoil, there is really no need to stock 2,000 units of dwarven wine at this point. Ten times the number of drinks and meals as you have dwarves is more than enough. If you start running out of food or drinks, designate some wild plants for harvesting, {{L|Status#Animal_Status_Screen|slaughter}} some of your animals, start hunting or fishing, or start more farms.

Actually, now would be a fine time to make another three by three farm. Set it to produce {{L|sweet pod}}s in the spring and summer, {{L|cave wheat}} or {{L|pig tail}}s (your choice) in the fall, and {{L|plump helmet}}s in the winter. Having multiple types of plants will give your dwarves more variety in their food and drink, keeping them from {{L|Thought|grumbling}}.

==Storage Space==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#0a0|float=right|Advanced Stockpiling|Check out the [[/Stockpiles]] sub page for more information on fine-tuning your stockpiles, especially in the food production area. This is somewhat complicated and it can safely be skipped if you don't feel like tinkering with stockpiles right now.}}
You should probably start making some wooden '''{{L|Bin|bins}}''' to help you store more stuff in less space. You might not need them yet, but you certainly will later. Bins are somewhat like barrels/pots, but they can store things other than just food and drink. Bins will also reduce the amount of labor needed to {{L|haul}} things to your trade depot or other stockpiles. So designate some more trees to be chopped down and queue up some bins. As with barrels and pots, you almost can't have enough bins.

=Beyond a Minimal Fortress=

By now you should have your main entrance created, along with a farm, general purpose stockpile, refuse pile (for trash), and {{L|trade depot}}. Somewhere you should have a mason's shop, a mechanic's shop, a carpenter's shop, and a jeweler's shop, surrounded by appropriate storage piles with garbage zone (for excess stone). You should also have a furnished dining area with kitchen, still, and food storage, and a residential area with furnished bedrooms and an office. You should have selected your administrators, and might even have an optional fishery, butcher's shop, craftsdwarf's workshop, or other stuff.

At this point, you have all the components of a minimal but functional fortress! Your next steps will be to make it safer and better protected, to set up your {{L|metal industry}}, and later to prepare your {{L|military|militia}}.

==Preparing for Immigrants==
Soon you should get some {{L|Immigration|immigrants}} if you haven't already. When you do get a group of {{L|Immigration|immigrants}}, take a headcount and queue up enough beds, doors, cabinets and chests to make bedrooms for them all. Examine their skills. (This is where {{L|Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist}} can come in handy again.) Be sure to enable any labors that they have skills in, but aren't active. Turn any useless dwarves into furnace operators.

==Traps==
Start producing '''{{L|mechanism}}s''' at your {{L|mechanic's workshop}}. Queue up ten. After they are built, use them to create {{L|Trap#Stone-fall_Trap|stone fall traps}} near the start of your entry hall. Queue up some {{L|cage}}s, and more mechanisms, and use these to create some {{L|Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps}} right after your stone traps. Cage traps are incredibly effective at stopping ambushers, but traps in general will not protect you from {{L|thief|thieves and kidnappers}} who will almost always bypass them.

Continue to fill up your entry hall with alternating rows of stone and cage traps as the parts become available.

==Guard Animals==
Create two 1x1 {{L|pasture}}s near the beginning of your entryway, one on either side, using {{K|i}}. Using the {{K|N}} key inside the zone interface, assign a {{L|dog}} or other non-grazing animal to each of them. These animals will spot thieves and raiders before they gain entrance to your fortress. Try to pick disposable animals, as they ''will'' be slaughtered by the first ambush raiders. Ideally, don't assign female animals; you want them safe for {{L|Meat industry#Breeding|breeding}}.

==Drawbridge==
Build a {{L|Bridge|drawbridge}} ({{K|b}}-{{K|g}}) to seal off your entryway. Make sure to use {{K|w}}, {{K|a}}, {{K|d}}, or {{K|x}} to make it raise up in the right direction; otherwise it will just retract (disappear) instead of raising up to form a barrier.

Put the drawbridge between the trade depot and the hall-o-traps so you can lock things out of the trade depot and the rest of the fort. Build a lever ({{K|b}}-{{K|T}}-{{K|l}}) near your meeting area and connect it to the drawbridge by using {{K|q}} on the lever.

In case of an {{L|ambush}} or {{L|siege}}, you will want to close up your fort, keeping the goblins out until your {{L|squad}}s have formed up and are in position. Ideally you want to have enough cage traps to take out most of the goblins so your military will only have to mop up.

==Metal Industry==
[[File:Quickstart-level-2-forge.png|thumb|right|Level -2: Forge and smelters with ore stockpile in the middle.]]
Now, below your first workshop level, dig out four more 5x5 rooms around the stairwell. Three of these will be {{L|smelter}}s, and one a {{L|metalsmith's forge}}. Designate stockpiles for {{K|b}}ars around the smelters and forge. The bar stockpiles will hold {{L|Fuel|coke and charcoal}} and metal {{L|bar}}s. You will probably need larger bar stockpiles, but you can dig out more space and expand them later.

Also dig out some space and create a stockpile for {{L|ore}} somewhere nearby. To make an ore stockpile, designate a {{K|s}}tone stockpile, then use {{K|q}} to change the {{K|s}}ettings on it to forbid all types of stone other than ore.

Finally, go to your general purpose stockpile on the top level and use {{K|q}} to disable Bars. Stone should already be disabled on this stockpile, and if so then ore is already disabled for it.

===Wood Burning===
Somewhere near your carpenter's shop, near your wood stockpile, dig out an area and build a {{L|wood furnace}}. Hopefully, you will find enough '''lignite''' or '''bituminous coal''' that you will only need to use the wood furnace to create enough charcoal to jump-start the '''coke''' (refined coal) production. Without {{L|magma}}, you need to refine raw coal to make coke, or burn wood to make charcoal. Unprocessed coal is not a usable fuel; only refined coke and charcoal are.

If you don't find coal on your map, you'll need to either dig down to {{L|magma}} or make charcoal out of wood to run your forges and smelters, but don't worry about this yet. You need to do some digging around.

===Mining===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|"I have struck what?"|New players who don't have a degree in geology usually find themselves confused as to what all these mineral names mean. In DF you'll never strike "iron ore" but you will strike {{L|magnetite}} or {{L|limonite}} which are {{L|ore}}s of {{L|iron}}. If you don't know that these things are ores of iron then it obviously won't occur to you to try to smelt iron. Note that ores usually look like {{Raw Tile|£|6:7:1}} before they are mined and {{Raw Tile|*|6:1}} after, though the colors will differ. See '''''{{L|The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock}}''''' to help you figure out exactly what you've found.}}
At this point you want to start looking for metal ore. You may have already found some while digging out rooms, in which case you can just mine into the walls of the rooms to get more ore. If you haven't found ore yet or you want to see what else you can find, you will need to dig {{L|Exploratory mining|exploratory tunnels}} looking for ores, minerals, and {{L|gem}}s. For now just start digging tunnels out from your stairwell or rooms in all directions and see what you run into. Note that digging into '''damp stone''' or '''warm stone''' is not recommended as those areas may be holding back water or lava which can flood your fort.

===Fuel===
Whether you find coal or not, you will need to burn wood into at least one unit of charcoal. If you find some coal (lignite or bituminous coal), start your smelters out processing it into coke using your charcoal to get things started. From then out you can burn coke to make more coal into more coke and so on.

Put these coke-making jobs on repeat. Only use one smelter to begin with, but you should be getting a group of {{L|Immigration|immigrants}} fairly soon, if you haven't already, and you can put them to work in the other smelters.

Don't give up on finding coal right away. Dig around for a while and if you're starting to get impatient then burn some more wood into charcoal, smelt some ore, and make some {{L|weapon}}s. If you rely on charcoal for fuel then you'll be needing a ''lot'' of wood, so in that case dig out another room near the furnace and create a wood stockpile. You might also want to just remove a smelter, replace it with a wood furnace, and create the new wood stockpile down in the smelting area. Finally, go designate more trees for chopping.

===Forging===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Alternative Energy|If you don't find coal then you will have to continue to burn wood into charcoal, or dig down to the bottom of the map and find the magma sea so you can power {{L|magma smelter}}s and {{L|magma forge}}s. Getting to magma can be difficult for various reasons that you will discover, so make sure you are ready for some trouble before you go that direction. Burning charcoal should work out ok in the short term.}}
Once you have smelted some ore to get metal bars, and have additional bars of either coal or charcoal, you can start forging metal items. Here are some suggestions on what to make first:
#'''{{L|Pick}}s''' - You may have only started out with one pick which limits the number of miners you have to one. By this point you are probably wishing you had more miners. Make a few picks and give some dwarves the mining labor once you get some immigrants. It doesn't matter what metal you use to make picks, at least when it comes to mining, so even copper is perfectly good.
#'''{{L|Weapon}}s''' - Picks actually make pretty good weapons, but there can be some issues equipping them because they're tied to the mining labor. You may want to make a few axes. They make good weapons, at least against most lightly armored opponents you're likely to encounter first, and can be used to chop trees. Start with 5 or so.
#'''{{L|Armor}}''' - You're going to want some armor. Start with shields, breastplates or mail shirts, helmets, leggings, then gauntlets and boots. Start with 5 or so of each in the order listed.
{{L|Steel}} is the best normal metal to make armor and most weapons out of, but you're likely find that you want some arms before you can make steel. {{L|Iron}} is good, {{L|bronze}} is also good. {{L|Copper}} is not ideal, but it still works and is better than no metal weapons/armor at all.

==Gemcutting and Trinkets==
You should have uncovered some {{L|gem}}s by now, so put your {{L|jeweler}} to work {{L|Gem cutter|cutting}} them. These will be the only thing you {{L|Trading|trade}} in the first year, and only for things you absolutely need and can't produce enough of yourself.

Actually, {{L|Finished goods|stone crafts}} produced by a craftsdwarf can make good trading goods as well. The only problem with this is that you'll need to make a lot of them (50+) because each one isn't too valuable individually. If you go this route you will probably need to dedicate a craftsdwarf's workshop and craftsdwarf to this task almost full-time, but you're very unlikely to ever run out of stone.

==Sticking to the Plan==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Getting Distracted|Say one of your new immigrants turns out to be a legendary weaver. Should you plant some pig tails and create a loom for him? '''No!''' Put his legendary ass to work smelting metal or something that's part of your current industry even though he has no skill at it. Do not split your efforts yet. You can make use of his unique talents later when you can afford to diversify your industry.}}
Metalsmithing will be your primary economic activity, with cutting gems (and possibly making stone crafts) being used to give you some short-term {{L|wealth}} until the {{L|metal industry}} gets going. This means you will need miners, haulers, smiths and furnace operators. Unless a dwarf is doing something else vital to the proper functioning of your fort, such as training in the militia, making traps, cooking food, and so forth, they should be doing one of those four things.

==Wealth and Invasion==
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#a00|Crafting Invitations for Trouble|Creating too much wealth initially is a sure fire method of pulling down a goblin ambush that you are ill-equipped to deal with. Titans will also start attacking you should your wealth go over a certain amount. For this reason, spend no time smelting gold, smoothing, or engraving anything yet. Most of the wealth you create in the beginning should be the sharp pointy kind.}}
You may have struck {{L|gold}} or some other valuable metal, and you may be tempted to put your furnaces and smiths to work creating valuable metal crafts. Don't do it! Until you have your militia formed and fully equipped with armor and weaponry, your smelters and forge should be doing nothing else but smelting cheaper materials like coal, iron, making pig iron and steel if possible, and making weapons and armor. Making {{L|steel}} will actually increase your wealth quite a bit, but at least you can stab and beat things to death with steel; you can't make weapons from gold.

=Military=

Your '''military''' is an important part of fortress defense. Unless you have totally cut yourself off from the outside world then you will want at least some sort of military.

Once you reach this point you should hopefully have enough dwarves to start a small military training program. You will need at least 5 dwarves who aren't otherwise doing anything important.

If you don't have any spare dwarves yet, or just don't want to mess with it yet, just skip to the next section and come back to this later. Don't wait too long to set up your military though; you especially will want soldiers before you reach a population of 80 dwarves. (You will find out why.)

When you're ready to start up your military, see the {{L|Military quickstart}} guide.

= What Next =

Congratulations! If you've made it this far then you have a self-sustaining fort going and can now start to branch out into whatever you are interested in exploring. Expect some goblin invasions, forgotten beasts, titans, dragons, giants, and other creatures to interrupt your activities at various points. This is part of the {{L|fun}}.

Here are some things that people almost always do eventually though not necessarily in any particular order (these are somewhat essential):
*Build {{L|coffin}}s and a graveyard or {{L|tomb}}s for dead dwarves and pets
*Set up a {{L|Healthcare|hospital}}
*Build a {{L|well}}
*Build a {{L|jail}} for unruly dwarves
*Set up {{L|Scheduling#Alert_Levels|civilian alerts}} to get civilians to a safe area during ambushes and sieges

Here are some things that players often do as their population grows:
*Smooth and {{L|engraving|engrave}} walls and floors
*Produce {{L|Dwarf_fortress_mode#Livestock|Meat, eggs, milk, and honey}}
*Continue to expand the {{L|military}}
*Explore new {{L|Industry|industries}}
*Dig down to the {{L|caverns}} and create a defended lower entrance with traps to defend the fort against the {{L|creatures|denizens}} below
*Build a {{L|kennel}} and train some war animals
*Build a {{L|Mass pitting}} system to dispose of caged enemies
*Build above-ground {{L|construction}}s such as an archery tower or garden
*Create a {{L|statue|statue garden}} or {{L|zoo}}
*Farm in an {{L|Farm#Above_Ground_Farming|above-ground farm plot}}
*Dig down to {{L|magma}} and set up {{L|magma forge}}s and {{L|magma smelter}}s to avoid the need for fuel
*Build {{L|machine component}}s to pump magma and water
*Create more {{L|Trap design|elaborate traps}} such as magma and drowning chambers
*Try some {{L|stupid dwarf trick}}s

You may also want to just read over the {{L|Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress Mode Reference Guide}} and the many other very useful documents on the wiki to give you other ideas of what to do.

Keep in mind that how you play is not set in stone. Some people never defend, some start a {{L|Megaprojects|megaproject}} right after settling, some never dig and just build an above ground castle or town using logs. Some never smelt ore, some start smelting as soon as they arrive. Some make their home in the dangerous natural caverns. Some deal with invaders by flooding the map or isolating themselves completely. And that's not even considering the {{L|List of mods|mods}} and some of the crazier {{L|challenges}} that people have come up with. There's really no one "right" way to play DF.

= Feedback =

If you have any feedback on this guide, please leave a message on the [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}|talk page]] for this article or in [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=83452.0 this thread] on the forums.

{{Getting Started}}
{{Category|Guides}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}

v0.31:Activity zone

2011-05-16T11:33:42Z

Ral: /* Pit/Pond */

{{quality|Fine|08:37, 14 September 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

'''Activity zones''' are areas in which {{l|dwarf|dwarves}} are instructed to perform specific tasks, such as {{l|fishing}}, dumping objects, or collecting {{l|water}}. While activity zones are optional for the performance of certain tasks (fishing, collecting water) and obligatory for certain others (dumping), they can also be used to help keep dwarves out of {{l|fun|danger}}.

Activity zones can be placed in any {{l|revealed tile}}, including in {{l|open space}} or over a {{l|river}} or on top of a {{l|building}} or {{l|stockpile}}. They are placed in one of three ways: rectangular, flow, or floor flow. From within the Zones {{l|menu}}, ({{K|i}})Pressing {{K|e}} in the Zones menu cycles through each method, and pressing {{K|Enter}} begins designation. Rectangular zones are placed in the same manner as stockpiles, specifying two corners of the rectangle. Flow and floor flow are placed similarly to designating rooms from pieces of furniture using {{K|+}}/{{K|-}} to adjust the size (floor flow excludes walls). After that the zone has to be assigned to one of the listed tasks to become functional, by pressing the proper key. In some cases ({{l|healthcare|hospital}}, pit/pond) additional orders can then be set from the same menu.

The location of a zone is only visible while in the Zones menu, and any object lying on the ground will hide the presence of a zone tile.

== Water Source ==
:Shortcut {{k|w}}
Dwarves will draw water from this zone to satisfy their thirst, to tend to another thirsty dwarf, or to fill a Pond zone.

Only tiles '''adjacent''' to water qualify as usable water sources - thus, if you want to place a single-tile zone, place the zone onto a ground tile next to the water, not over the water itself.

== Fishing ==
:Shortcut {{k|f}}
The same above advice for '''water source''' zones is applicable to fishing zones. You cannot fish through a {{L|grate}} or {{L|well}} {{verify}}, it must be an open source of water.

== Garbage Dump ==
:Shortcut {{k|g}}

Garbage dump zones are areas in which dwarves will throw items specifically designated by using {{k|k}} then {{k|d}} for single items at a time, or {{key|d}}, {{key|b}}, {{key|d}} to designate a larger area to be dumped (or use the mouse to point and click). Garbage dumps are not the same as {{l|Refuse#Refuse|refuse}} stockpiles, which can be designated to accept any specific type(s) of refuse-type item, such as animal {{l|corpse}}s or {{l|bones}}, and then are randomly filled by haulers as the items become available on the map.

Garbage dumps:
:* Only accept items that have been marked for dumping.
:* Require dwarfs to have {{L|refuse hauling}} {{L|labor}} enabled.
::* Are subject to refuse orders (''{{k|o}}: Set Orders and Options -> {{k|r}}: Refuse Orders''). Most notably, dwarves will not dump items that are outside unless you allow them to ({{k|o}}->{{k|r}}->{{k|o}}).

To place a garbage dump, trace a zone on either a relatively empty plot of land or adjacent to a cliff face or hole. If a garbage zone is designated beside a {{L|cliff}} or hole (both natural or dwarf made) garbage will be thrown off/in the z-space. Each ground tile within that zone is considered a garbage dump tile; thus, if you want to place a single-tile zone, place the zone onto a ground tile (optionally adjacent to a cliff or {{L|pit}}), not onto an {{L|open space}}.
Items dumped into {{L|magma}} (provided they are not {{L|magma safe}}) will disappear permanently. Otherwise a single tile (either a dump zone, or the ground below the open space) will hold any number of dumped objects.

Once items are dumped they are automatically marked as "{{l|forbid}}den" however they will not dump items that are also forbidden. If you wish to use dumped items, you need to reclaim them. Press {{k|k}} to view the item and {{k|f}} to toggle forbid status. You may also use the reclaim {{L|designation}} to reclaim simultaneously all of the items dumped by using {{key|d}}, {{key|b}}, {{key|c}} and tracing the designation over top of the objects.

If a garbage dump is located next to open space, dwarves will always stand on a garbage dump square when throwing ''into that open space'', even if it could potentially be done more efficiently. If a garbage dump is located next to multiple tiles of open space, they seem to prefer the one farthest to the northwest. If a tile to the north and a tile to the west are the only tiles available, they will throw to the west. Since falling objects do not hurt dwarves, such garbage dumps can be a very efficient method of moving materials to the lower levels of your fortress.

Dwarves seem to throw dumped items in the nearest available garbage dump, although this is probably not reliable given that they don't always use the nearest available item to make things at workshops. If a nearer zone becomes available as they are traveling to a zone they will ignore it. Also, they seem to prefer dumps that allow them to throw things in to open space regardless of how far away they are.

Probably due to a bug, dwarves periodically ignore items that are meant to be dumped. Viewing the item by pressing {{k|k}} then toggling forbid and dump status on, then off again {{k|f}}->{{k|f}}->{{k|d}}->{{k|d}} seems to correct this problem.

Previously dumped items are regarded as 'refuse' and will not be recognized (or re-dumped) unless 'gather refuse from outside' is enabled in your orders.

:Notes
* Garbage dumps are great space savers, becuase can hold infinite items on one title. If the dump is designated inside a workshop, it does not even cluttered because of this.
* It may be a good idea, to set a garbage dump in a stone workshop, than fill it with nearby stones. Reclaim them {{k|d}}{{k|b}}{{k|c}}, but make sure, that your dwarfs will not haul them into a far stone stockpile.
* However, if you put a garbage dump inside a magma workshop with the intent of dumping ores there, make sure the zone does not overlap any open pits of magma you may have carelessly left around, or as per the intended behavior, items will be dumped into the magma.
* If you designate an area {{k|d}}{{k|b}}{{k|d}} to dump, please notice, everything in that area will be dumped, starting from the deepest item. This means, if you have a food stockpile, with a barrel, inside some bags with dwarven flour, than both the barrel, bag, and flour will be designated for dump, and the order will be: flour (you will lose any milled plant / liquid if hauled from the container), bag, barrel.
* if you want to quick sort out a stockpile (make several plant specific ones instead of one plant stockpile), dump your barrels (one by one {{k|k}}{{k|d}}), and all your barrels are inside the garbage dump, you can area dump it {{k|d}}{{k|b}}{{k|d}} making your dwarfs to run much less. (Technicall they should just stay still, and unload the contents). After you finished (and redesignated your new plant specific stockpiles), claim your plants and barrels {{k|d}}{{k|b}}{{k|c}}.

== Pen/{{L|Pasture}} ==
:shortcut {{k|n}}

A pen or a pasture is used to contain tame animals. Once one is created, animals must be assigned to it individually by pressing {{k|N}} from the zone information screen. Dwarves will drag the assigned animals to the pen or pasture automatically. As of version .31.19, many domestic animals will become hungry and starve if not assigned to a pasture with [[grass]] or fungus (note that the assigned creatures can eat all of the grass in a pen/pasture and then starve). Any tame creature with the "grazer" token in the raws should be assigned to a pasture. This includes pigs, mules, cows, goats, horses, yaks, unicorns etc. Animals will not typically wander out of their assigned pasture even if it is not walled in, however an exposed pasture may lead to premature slaughter at the hands of invaders. Since pets can be assigned to pen/pastures and a zone can be created under a [[dwarven atom smasher]], this is one of the easiest ways to prevent [[Catsplosion|catsplosions]].

== Pit/Pond ==
:Shortcut {{k|p}}

A Pit/Pond requires a {{L|ramp}} or hole with adjacent flooring on which a dwarf can stand. Designate the zone from the top of the ramp or hole, such that the zone designation is floating in the open space above the floor of the pit/pond. By default, the zone will be a pit. To change it to a pond, press {{k|P}} then {{k|f}}. It can be changed back to a pit the same way.

Creatures can be assigned to a pit/pond through the {{k|P}} menu. A dwarf will lead the beast to the ramp or hole and throw it in. If the pit is a ramp rather than a hole, the creature will then wander back out, as it will if the pit has some other exit path (which would include straight back up the hole for flying creatures).

Note that not all hostile creatures can safely be dragged to a pit opening. Large creatures and thieves/snatchers will escape on being released from their cage. See {{L|Mass pitting}} for more information on pit design involving hostile creatures.

The only real difference between a pit and a pond is that dwarves will attempt to fill a pond with {{L|water}}, carried by {{L|bucket}} from a water source. They will stand on the floor adjacent to the top of the ramp or hole, and toss the water onto the ramp or into the hole. Each bucketful increases the depth of the water in the tile below by 1/7. Once the water is dumped from the bucket, the dwarf will either drop the bucket and perform a different task, or choose to fill a pond zone tile again using the bucket (s)he currently holds.

Dwarves will stop scheduling the Fill Pond job when the water depth reaches 6/7.

Specifying a pond zone is one technique used for {{L|irrigation}}, in order to make {{L|mud}} for {{L|farming}} on areas without soil.

Currently, no matter how large the designated pond area, only one dwarf at a time will try to fill the pond. In order to fill a large area quickly, it is necessary to designate multiple smaller pond zones (or several zones overlapping the same area).

If you have more than one pond designated as a water source, your dwarves may endlessly try to fill each pond with the other pond's water, making a loop of useless duty.

== Sand Collection ==
:Shortcut {{k|s}}

Sand collection zones are important in the {{L|glass industry}}. They may be placed anywhere, but are only useful when actually placed on {{L|sand}}.

== Clay Collection ==
:shortcut {{k|c}}

Clay collection zones are important in the [[ceramic industry|ceramics industry]].

== Meeting Area ==
:Shortcut {{k|m}}

Meeting area zones are zones in which idle dwarves and animals will congregate, similar to meeting halls. Additionally, immigrants will collect at a meeting area until their "migrant" status wears off.

Note that the {{l|wagon (embark)|wagon}} you {{l|embark|arrive with}} constitutes a meeting area until you designate the first meeting area of your own. If you start in hostile surroundings it is important to get your dwarves and animals out of danger quickly.

It is a good idea to have at least one meeting area, of one form or another: it allows you to make off-duty dwarves and animals gather in an area where they are not vulnerable, such as within the fortress.

There are several ways to designate a meeting hall. The preferred method is to use an Activity zone; type {{k|i}}, set up a zone, and mark it both "active" and "meeting". {{L|Sculpture garden|Statue gardens}} and {{L|zoo}}s are intrinsically meeting halls, as are {{L|room}}s defined from a {{L|well}}. However, you can also create a Meeting Hall.

A meeting area filled with dwarves increases the social skills of idlers. It makes idle dwarves a little less idle, and makes selecting a replacement broker easier. Because almost every dwarf visits a meeting hall at least occasionally, it's an ideal place to site valuable objects and buildings. A meeting hall exposed to sunlight will prevent dwarves from becoming {{L|cave adaptation|cave-adapted}}.

Be warned that having dwarves socialize will often result in them becoming {{L|friend}}s (or forming a {{L|grudge}}).

== Hospital ==
:Shortcut {{k|h}}

A Hospital zone is an area designated for the {{L|Healthcare|care and treatment}} of sick and {{L|Wound|wounded}} dwarves.

===Setting up a Hospital===

While there are no particular restrictions on the areas that can be set as hospital zones, a hospital requires certain {{l|furniture}} and supplies to function properly:

{| class="wikitable" cellspacing="0" border="1" cellpadding="5"
|-
! Furniture
! Function
|-
| {{L|Bed|Beds}}
| Allow sick dwarves to {{L|Rest|rest}}
|-
| {{L|Table|Tables}}
| Used in surgery{{Verify}}
|-
| {{L|Traction bench|Traction benches}}
| Immobilize dwarves who need to stay still to heal
|-
| {{L|Container|Boxes/Bags}}
| Storage for medical supplies
|}

{| class="wikitable" cellspacing="0" border="1" cellpadding="5"
|-
! Medical equipment
! Function
! Unit quantity*
|-
| {{L|Thread}}
| Required for suturing wounds
| 15000
|-
| {{L|Cloth}}
| Required for bandages
| 10000
|-
| {{L|Splint|Splints}}
| Used to bind broken bones{{verify}}
| 1
|-
| {{L|Crutch|Crutches}}
| Walking aid for dwarves with leg injuries
| 1
|-
| {{L|Gypsum plaster|Powder for casts}}
| Used to make plaster casts for setting bones{{Verify}}
| 150{{Verify}}
|-
| {{L|Bucket|Buckets }}
|
*Used by doctors to carry water for cleaning patients
*Used by dwarves with the Feed Patients/Prisoners labor to water patients
| 1
|-
| {{L|Soap }}
| Used to reduce infections when washing patients
| 150
|}

''*The unit quantity is the quantity of each item that appears in the Hospital Information screen when one object of that type is stored. For example, if one bolt of cloth is stored in the hospital zone, the hospital will report that it contains 10000 cloth.''

In addition to furniture and medical supplies, a {{L|Water|source of water}} is more or less mandatory, as sick dwarves need it for drinking as well as cleaning. The water source need not be in the hospital zone, although the shorter the distance between the two the better.

When the Zones menu ({{k|i}}) is open and the cursor is in a hospital zone, {{k|H}} will bring up the Hospital Information screen. This screen shows the quantity of each type of furniture piece and medical equipment present in the Hospital, and allows you to set the desired quantity of each type of equipment. Note that you must have boxes or bags constructed in the hospital zone for supplies to be stored for medical use; items in a stockpile do not count for the hospital, even if the stockpile is in the hospital zone.

===Hospital Beds===

When a dwarf becomes sick or {{l|wound}}ed, he will be carried to a {{l|bed}} in a hospital zone by a dwarf with the Recovering Wounded labor set, assuming such a bed is available; otherwise, he may be carried to a bed in a {{L|barracks}} or {{L|dormitory}}, or to an unassigned bed. If an injured dwarf is resting in a bed outside a hospital zone, he will remain there even if hospital beds become available. Deconstructing the sick dwarf's bed may cause him to be move to a hospital bed, however, and it may be possible for doctors to treat patients who are resting outside of a hospital zone, so long as adequate supplies are available.{{verify}}

v0.31:Stupid dwarf trick

2011-05-16T11:32:31Z

Ral: /* Mass Cage Recycling System */

{{quality|Fine|13:08, 22 June 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

{{D for Dwarf}}

A '''stupid dwarf trick''' is any project that requires a large amount time and effort - often for little or no practical benefit. They exist only as a challenge for experienced players.

==Adventure Mode Fortress==

Build a fortress specifically for exploring in {{L|adventure mode}}. You can either make a nasty monster-filled challenge, or a Smörgåsbord of masterpiece adamantine weapons and armor. Possibly both. A {{L|chasm}}, underground {{L|river}}, or {{L|hidden fun stuff}} can ensure the fortress is occupied.

'''Difficulty:''' The sky's the limit.

'''Usefulness:''' Not applicable.

==Alarm Clock==
Are your soldiers all sound asleep while blood soaks the walls? No need to deconstruct their beds one by one, ''if'' you bought the Dwarf Wakey 3000! Simply a solitary floor tile balanced on a support, one or more can be toppled with the pull of a lever to produce an earth-shaking racket that'll have them leaping for their axes!

'''Difficulty:''' Low.

'''Usefulness:''' Zero. They will sleep through '''anything'''.

==Alphabet Cages==
[[Image:Cage.gif|right]]
Use captured monsters in cages to spell messages.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Vowels are hard to come by.

'''Usefulness:''' Absolutely none whatsoever. (easy reminders in case you're too lazy to use notes?)

==Aqueduct Power==
If your river's a long way away from your fortress, building a trans-map axle may be less efficient than building an aqueduct and pump stack driven by waterwheels in the river. The pump stack raises it to the height of your fort, where it flows through the long, long aqueduct and drives waterwheels on the other end. Getting the water pressure <em>just right</em> so it powers your waterwheel without flooding the fort can be {{L|Fun}}. Diagonal channels make good pressure reducers.

'''Difficulty:''' High. Lots of stone, lots of engineering, lots of dangerous outdoor work, lots of trial-and-error for the receiving waterwheels.

'''Usefulness:''' High. As much water and power as you want, wherever you want, whenever you want.

==Aquifer Power==
Aquifers can be a resource of immense power. If you have two levels of aquifer, you can generate a continuous flow by draining one level of aquifer into another and plant waterwheels above it. One stream can power a lot of wheel.

'''Difficulty:''' High. Anything to do with draining aquifers is very {{L|Fun}}.

'''Usefulness:''' High. The lowly windmill pales in utility compared to a waterwheel.

==Artificial Waterfall==
To keep the waterfall going, you need a {{L|pump}} stack, preferably powered by a {{L|windmill}} or {{L|water wheel}}.

'''Difficulty:''' Moderate.

'''Usefulness:''' Dwarves love {{L|waterfall}}s. Putting a waterfall in your {{L|meeting hall}} will give your dwarves good {{L|thought}}s, although it can significantly lower frame rate

*Bonus: Build it in a "Warm" or hotter {{L|climate}} so it does not freeze.

*MegaDwarf Bonus: Use {{L|magma}}. It does not freeze, even in a freezing climate!

=={{L|Ballista}} Battery==
Overlap a few ballistas to completely cover a narrow corridor. There is an unavoidable risk of your operators wandering into the line of fire.

'''Difficulty:''' Low. If you insist on highly-trained operators with high-quality ballistas, it gets harder.

'''Usefulness:''' A complicated and dangerous way to defend a single corridor. Ultimately extremely effective. Sometimes.

==Bolt Recovery Operation==
One curious property of Dwarven Physics is that a bar of metal makes 25 bolts, but if each of those 25 bolts is melted separately, they will become 2.5 bars, generating metal from nothing. The trick is in separating the stacks of bolts into individual bolts without destroying them, for which EliDupree found this trick:

∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
∙++++@∙+++++++++
∙+∙∙∙┼∙+++++++++++++++
∙+∙g∙┼∙++++++++++++++@
∙+∙∙∙┼∙+++++++++++++++
∙+++++∙+++++++++
∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙

The @ at the right is a stack of marksdwarves (all in different squads so that they'll stand on the same tile) with "cotton candy" bolts. The @ at the left is a single Perfectly Agile soldier with orders to patrol up and down, with little delays at the top and bottom. The "g" at the left is a goblin standing on a pillar (I pitted it from the z-level above.)

When the dwarf at the left runs up or down the line of doors, it opens all of them, and some of the marksdwarves shoot their bolts. By the time the bolts get there, the doors have closed, so they hit the doors and fall into the channel, where they can be collected and melted separately. (That distance is exact, by the way. Any less and they sometimes get shots through the doors, which kills your goblin. Also, with less-skilled marksdwarves, some of the bolts will stray and land on the floors, but that isn't enough to worry about even with mere dabblers.) Naturally, this is also an excellent way to train marksdwarves.

'''Difficulty:''' Moderate. The hardest part is getting the marksdwarves to shoot from exactly the right spot.

'''Usefulness:''' High. Even in .18 or worlds generated with high mineral availability, you can do this to generate "cotton candy."

==Break the Dam==
Dam a river (or brook) using something non-permanent (floodgates, drawbridges) and build your fortress entrance in the now dry river bed, make sure you can seal it off nicely (floodgates anyone?) then wait till the first Goblin siege, let them get to your entrance floodgates, seal them, open the dam and laugh manically

'''Difficulty:''' Low

'''Usefulness:''' Instantaneous death to all sieges

==Bridge-a-pult==
A bridge that opens outwards, to fling enemies away. Ideally, they land in a very nasty place.

'''Difficulty:''' The hard part is the nasty place they get flung to.

'''Usefulness:''' There are far more effective ways to defend a fortress, but few are as entertaining.

'''Downside:''' Before you had goblins at the gates. Now you have goblins on the roof.

==Dam==
Build a wall across a riverbed to stop the flow of water. Floodgates optional.

'''Difficulty:''' On a map that freezes in the winter, or an aquifer located below the river, this is easy. Otherwise, very difficult. (See {{L|dam}}, or Moses effect, below. But with the bonuses it gets a bit harder.

'''Usefulness:''' Depends on how many bonuses you fulfill. The power station is obvious, and with the control room you could build up a nice defense system.

*Bonus: Excavate a reservoir and a lower river valley. <br />
*Bonus: Build a control center to control the water flow. <br />
*Bonus: Draw your entire energy from a power station within. <br />
*MegaDwarfBonus: Use screw pumps and another dam to replace the water with magma.

=={{l|Danger room|Danger Room}}==
A room full of upright spear traps linked to a lever or pressure plate. Teach your dwarves to dodge the pointy sticks!

'''Difficulty''': Low to Medium, depending on how you activate the traps.

'''Usefulness''': High. Trains combat skills very quickly, assuming you don't kill anyone.

'''Downside''': Civilians and pets that wander into the danger room will inevitably get killed, even if you use low quality training spears.

*MegaDwarfBonus: Menacing spikes greatly increase the danger, and may help train your medical team (and/or your coffin construction crew).
*MegaDwarfBonus: Use adamantine spikes! On the plus side, you have a thriving coffin industry going now.

==Day Care==
A room where you put all your dwarf children so they cannot be kidnapped by snatchers. Make a suicide booth setup that drops the child into a room with beds and tables and stuff. Remember to include a food chute to quantum stockpile a huge amount of food and alcohol on a 1x1 stockpile (so it doesn't rot) in the room. High quality food, furniture, and socializing should keep them happy. Note that the children will no longer be able to perform certain useful tasks like crop harvesting and deconstruction, and will not level up their skill in various professions like an otherwise vulnerable child, but this is a small trade-off if they usually get kidnapped before maturing anyway.

'''Difficulty:''' Low <s>but annoying</s>, burrows make this a snap now. You may have to micromanage to get every child into the room, and it'll be a hassle to get the grown ones out without releasing all of them.

'''Usefulness:''' Low. Protecting the children may be more trouble than it's worth.

==Doberman Bomb==
Whenever a dog or cat gives birth, stuff all the kittens and puppies in one cage in your entryway. Link this cage to a pressure plate beside it. Should your last lines of defense be breached, goblins will step on it and in the next instant be torn apart by dozens of goblin-seeking hostiles and distracted by dozens of surplus targets. The trap actually going off will probably be very bad for your frame rate.

'''Difficulty:''' Low.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium, potentially fortress-saving

*Bonus: Train all dogs inside as war dogs when they mature.

*MegaDwarfBonus: Make it a Bear Trap.
*MegaDwarfBonus: Combine with a drowning chamber and carp trap.
*MegaDwarfBonus: Make it a Rhino Trap.
*SadisticDwarfBonus: Make it a Panda Trap.
*YouHorribleEvilDwarfBonus: Make it a Badger Trap

==Drowning Chamber==

'''Difficulty:''' Moderate.

'''Usefulness:''' You can kill prisoners, useless peasants, irate nobles, hammerers, untamable animals, or anything else.

*Bonus: Utilize lava.

*Bonus: Utilize trained fish.

*MegaDwarfBonus: Edit the raw and do both!

=={{L|Computing|Dwarfputer}} Complex==
A big mess of fluid and/or machine logic full of hatches, floodgates, gears, pumps, etc. and powered by waterwheels, windmills, or useless idle dwarves. Hook it up to doors, bridges, and traps.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium to high, depending on what you want to build. You'll want to build for very high water flow if you have more than a few fluid gates.

'''Usefulness:''' Your mechanics and architects will level up very fast. Manual pumps give something for your haulers to do and makes them stronger. Try and make a clock to trigger different mechanisms in different seasons. See if enemies actually blunder into your intricate traps. Watch all hell break loose as water freezes.

==Dwarven Apartment Complex==
Essentially, one of the many possible {{L|megaprojects}} dedicated to providing dwarves with rooms so high above the ground they get vertigo. Every floor must have plenty of rooms of at least 2x3 squares, with walls and a door surrounding this. Oh, and it has to go up as many Z-levels as possible. For extra credit, decide on what the top story will be (i.e. as many levels up as you deem possible, minus one so you can build a roof) and turn this into a Royal bedroom for a {{L|noble}}, complete with gem windows, artifact/masterwork components, and untold numbers of armour stands and weapon racks. And then build some shorter but wider apartment buildings nearby to turn your fortress into essentially a giant fist with extended middle finger. Extra points for adding extra useless things for luxury, such as a magma-based heating system, fireplaces in rooms, and a lock-down lever in case of goblin attack. (or a self-destruct lever connected to the main supports, in case your dwarfish tenants are unsatisfied with your 5-star service.

'''Difficulty:''' Low, although the walls around the rooms can be a bit fiddly due to the impossibility of building walls on constructed floors (yes, an extra credit challenge is to do this without using Remove Construction).

'''Usefulness:''' Limited, because you could just dig the things underground and save yourself the hassle. However it is much harder to flood a tower than a cave, in case you're prone to fun by water. Additionally, if you have the time and resources to train a sizable force of marksdwarves, placing a few "security rooms" (with barracks, ammunition store, ration cache, armory, etc) at appropriate floors, complete with fortified balconies, will allow you to take advantage of the higher vantage point.

==Dwarven Disco Ball==
Why waste all those cut gems on things that only some selfish noble will enjoy? Create as large a wall-less sphere as you can, then cover it in Gem Windows of 3 different-colored gems to make it shine! The bigger, and more valuable gems involved (e.g., {{L|ruby|rubies}}, {{L|sapphire}}s, and {{L|emerald}}s, or colored diamonds if you're really masochistic), the dwarfier.

'''Difficulty:''' Constructing a sphere is very hard, especially the larger you make one. Gathering enough differently colored gems can also be very hard, depending on stone layers. Trading helps a lot.

'''Usefulness:''' Negative. More value can be created by encrusting furniture, and Gem Windows lack quality.

*Bonus: Alternating {{L|alunite}} and {{L|obsidian}} tiles to make a 'dance floor'.

*MegaDwarfBonus: Use lava contained in glass for illumination.

*Megadwarf Bonus: Caged "Dancers".

==Dwarven Labor Camp (aka Dwarkuta)==
Create an aboveground walled fortress in a freezing climate with guard towers, barracks, housing, and armories. Dig a long ramp downward and add a large mining network below the surface. Make some small military squads to guard the camp. Designate the lower levels as workshops, and when migrants arrive, assign them to the mines. Give the workers minimal food and only water (no booze, booze is for the hypocritical decadence of Dwarkuta's leaders). Have them haul the stone and metal they mine back to the surface and ship the raw materials off to the Motherland. Import only food, booze, weapons, fuel, and other necessities.

*Bonus: Build the giant digging machines. They don't actually have to dig anything.

*MegaBonus: Escape. Wait for a goblin siege, then get everyone underground and block the entrance. Let the goblins in. Wait a few months. The goblins are now the guards you must kill.

Step 1. Secure the keys: Make improvised weapons. If you have obsidian at your disposal, make rock short swords.

Step 2. Ascend from darkness: Get your dwarves out of the mines and into the camp.

Step 3. Rain fire: Use your imagination. Try using magma, if possible.

Step 4. Unleash the horde: Attack!

Step 5. Skewer the winged beast: If the goblins brought a giant bat or other flying creature, kill it.

*Bonus: Use a ballista.

Step 6. Wield a fist of iron: Break open the armory and equip your rebels with armor and weapons.

Step 7. Raise hell: Exactly what it says on the tin.

Step 8. Freedom!

*MegaDwarfBonus: In Adventure mode, create a character named Mason or Reznov and lead the prisoners to freedom.

==Dwarven Refrigerator==
Dig down to the 3rd cavern layer and harvest as many {{L|nether-cap}}s as you can. Make them all into barrels! Nether caps have the unique property of being 10000° Urist, which is 32°F or 0°C. Now your dwarves can enjoy their favorite alcohol, cheese, and plump helmets chilled to perfection! If you've set your population cap very low in the INIT files, caverns aren't extremely dangerous, but you should still be on the lookout for nasties down there. Remember to wall off your entrance to the cavern once you're finished.

'''Difficulty:''' Low to Medium

'''Usefulness:''' None except pretty colored barrels

==Emergency Destruct Stairs==
A tall column of stairs plunging all the way down into the underdark, with a one-tile wide area of thin destructible floor all around it. In case of subterranean invasion, a thrown switch drops a stone O straight down, ringing the staircase and neatly severing all inter-level connections at a blow. Does with one lever and one support what would take dozens of bridges or hundreds of retracting grates.

'''Difficulty:''' Harder than it sounds.

'''Usefulness:''' Sometimes... sometimes they fly.

==Execution Tower==
Just a tall tower to chuck your captives to their deaths.

'''Difficulty:''' Easy.

'''Usefulness:''' Lets you dispose of prisoners, and claim expensive silk, meltable iron, and (eventually) useful bones. Also highly amusing.

==Flood the World==
'''Difficulty:''' High danger. Will kill your frame rate.

'''Usefulness:''' Will prevent any sieges, at least. Or anything else, save for the occasional invasion of sociopathic {{L|Carp}}.

*Bonus: Use magma.

*MegaDwarfBonus: Use trained fish to kill off all creatures not of your colony.

==Gladiator Arena==
Station some soldiers at the bottom of a shallow {{L|Activity_zone#Pit/Pond|pit}} and dump your captives in. You can also use dangerous animals instead of soldiers. For extra points, put the prisoners in cages connected to ramps underneath the arena floor. One lever will open both the cage and a hatch above the ramp. Variant: build prisoner cages inside the arena, link to a lever outside the arena, lock the soldiers in, and then open the cages.

'''Difficulty:''' Low, but time consuming. Some danger depending on the relative skill of your soldiers and the danger of the captive. (If the prisoners have weapons, you can remove them by using {{k|d}}-{{k|b}}-{{k|h}} to hide the cage and its contents, then going to {{k|z}}-Stocks-Weapons, finding the '''H'''idden weapon and marking it for '''D'''umping (and unforbidding it), then using {{k|d}}-{{k|b}}-{{k|H}} to un-hide everything.)

'''Usefulness:''' Low to High, depending on how long your soldiers can draw out the execution. Equipping your soldiers with wooden training weapons can greatly increase the fun (and/or {{l|Fun}} if their armor isn't as good as you thought).

==Glass Ceiling==
Sick of having your dwarfs vomit all the time when they go out to retrieve loot or lumber? Despair no more! Build an almost-infinitely tall tower, and then put a glass floor on the highest level, spanning the entire map. For extra kicks, make a mechanism that will crash the entire thing upon the heads of the one goblin horde that manages to get through all your other deathtraps.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Very grueling.

'''Usefulness:''' Low, but potentially fortress-saving. (see above)

==Greenhouse==
A {{L|farming|greenhouse}} is just a farm with the the ceiling channeled out from above. This lets you grow outdoor plants without venturing above ground. For maximum style, build the greenhouse above ground and cover it with a glass roof to keep your farmers safe.

'''Difficulty:''' Low.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium. Surface plants can be grown at any time of the year, and some are more useful than those available underground - for example, {{L|sun berry|sun berries}} can be brewed into valuable {{L|Sunshine}}, and {{L|whip vine}}s can be milled into superior quality flour. Having greater food and booze diversity can also keep your dwarves happier.

*Bonus: Give it a glass floor to allow surface plants even lower down.

==Hammer of {{L|Armok}}==
A gigantic hammer made out of pure steel and/or valuables looming over your fortress entrance ready to smite those foolish enough to lay a siege on you. Also, gives you a psychological advantage over the traders who unload their goods under it. Attach to a lever-linked support for quick-smiting, or any other single-tile collapse mechanism.

'''Difficulty:''' Low. Depends on size, materials and magma's existence, though. Make it a gold hammer menacing with adamantine spikes, if you're going for high quality.

'''Usefulness:''' Low-medium. 10x10 size is minimum for practical effectiveness. 30x30 hammer extending handles length from your entrance actually works against sieges.

*Bonus: Cover it with blood.

*Bonus: Fill it with booze and add a detonator.

==Ice tower==

Building a huge tower is easy. To make things more {{L|fun}}, make one out of some exotic material, like {{L|glass}}, {{L|ice}}, {{L|gold}}, or {{L|soap}}.

'''Difficulty:''' Low. You need to be on a freezing map to pull off an ice tower.

'''Usefulness:''' Depends entirely on you.

=="I dinna say we wurren't crazy!"==

Build a huge room with nothing in it except rock pillars, then dig channels on the levels above and below it until you have a ridiculously huge room ten Z-levels in height. Inspired by [http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/1455.html Irregular Webcomic].

'''Difficulty:''' Mainly in putting up with the incessant channelling, and avoiding dropping large chunks of ceiling onto the floor from five levels up.

'''Usefulness:''' Negative, due to the insane amounts of space it takes up.

==It's A TRAP!==
It seems that {{L|trap}}s are buildable outside. This provides for numerous opportunities. The first that comes to mind is to trap the entire outside world of your embarkation point. This will make your sieges very amusing, as a hundred high-level goblins rush onto the field and are immediately shredded into ribbons by invisible traps before even seeing one dwarf.

'''Difficulty:''' High. Depending on the size of your embarkation point, this may involve placing thousands of traps. Depending on the type of trap, that may involve making tens of thousands of trap components.

'''Usefulness:''' High. Sieges will be instantaneous, and if you use cage traps, your {{L|arena}} will never want for combatants, including all those pesky wild animals you no longer need to hunt for.

==Journey to the Center of the Earth==

Construct a sturdy vessel hanging over the top of a magma pipe or volcano, outfitted with everything your intrepid crew might need for their journey of exploration - food, booze, sleeping quarters and a bridge a must, but depending on the amount of effort it can include other items such as a recreation deck, water reservoir and trade depot for dealing with the natives. When all is ready, lock the explorers inside and send them on their way. Bonus points if you can detach it from inside so you can use it in Adventure mode later.

'''Difficulty:''' Moderate to High, depending on the size of the ship. For bonus points, carve the entire thing out of existing rock overhanging a magma pipe and engrave it with messages. The main problem is getting the whole crew inside at the same time - separate sleeping quarters help here.

'''Usefulness:''' Negative. For some reason, no explorers have returned. Of course, if you select only the {{L|Nobles |Best and Brightest}} for the ship's crew...

*MegaDwarfBonus: Design it so that it can return OR send all of your nobility on the voyage.

==Maze==

A maze of twisty little passages, all alike. {{L|Trap}}s and dangerous animals are essential. You can have a retracting bridge drop invaders in, or just have a labyrinth as a back door.

'''Difficulty:''' It's a lot of mining. Having a bridge drop invaders inside is more difficult, but more useful.

'''Usefulness:''' It makes a nice element of fortress defense, and you can dump your prisoners inside it. Also makes a great place to explore in {{L|adventure mode}}.

*Bonus: Generate a world with large mountain {{L|cave}}s. Instead of using the labyrinth as your backdoor, use it as your fortress.

==Magma Chamber==
'''Difficulty:''' Dangerous as any magma project.

'''Usefulness:''' It's like a drowning chamber, but any non-iron items carried by the victim will be destroyed. Depending on your style of play, this may be a good thing.

==Magma Cannon==
[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=33837.0 It can be done!] It uses a row of pumps to pressurize the magma in a chamber with only one exit. When the floodgate opens, the magma flies out a short distance.

'''Difficulty:''' Very high. You need {{L|metal}} (or {{L|glass}}) {{L|screw pump}}s to make it work, {{L|magma-safe}} floodgates and mechanisms, plus a big above-ground construction.

'''Usefulness:''' Marginal. But very cool.

==Magma Highway==
Magma moves across the map annoyingly slowly, due to its thickness and lack of pressure. But a tunnel several Z-levels high, with magma entering at the top, will flow much faster because the magma's '''falling''' in, not flowing in, and can expand on either Z-level before falling down.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Not hard to make, but cutting open a multi-Z magmafall is Fun.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium.

==Magma Mausoleum==
This trick involves dripping water on to the middle of a magma pool until you have a column of obsidian, then channeling down into the obsidian ''more than'' one Z level, and putting a burial receptacle there. This probably won't work in magma tubes or Volcanos since the created obsidian would fall into the bottomless pit. The trick is getting the water to fall onto the magma in a controlled manner.

'''Difficulty:''' High. Requires certain resources from the start, plus lots of setup. And your dwarves tend to erupt into dwarf steam occasionally.

'''Usefulness:''' None, since an obsidian lined room with the exact same furniture somewhere else will please your nobles just as much.

*Bonus:Put the coffin at least 20 floors down.
*Megabonus:Build it in a volcano if possible, and put the coffin at the very bottom of the map

==Magma Pumping==
It's a lot like pumping water, only more dangerous, and requires the {{L|screw pump|pumps}} to use {{L|magma-safe}} pipes and screws in their construction.

'''Difficulty:''' The difficult part is making all those {{L|iron}} or {{L|steel}} pumps and {{L|bauxite}} {{L|floodgate}}s. Very high risk.

'''Usefulness:''' Magma is fun, but also {{L|Fun}}.

==Mass Cage Recycling System==

Build a '''{{L|Mass pitting}}''' system to recycle your cage trap cages quickly.

'''Difficulty:''' Very easy. Requires basic digging and very little time.

'''Usefulness:''' Very. Keeps you from having to build cages before releasing monsters from them. With six hatches you can safely empty out 48 cages very quickly. You can build lots of cage traps without having to worry about emptying each cage individually.

*Bonus: Cover the floor of your pit with cage traps, creating a neverending cycle and giving your dwarves something to do during the long harsh summer when going outside is overly taxing on their stomachs.

==Mega/Water Drowning Trap-Thing==
This is basically a channel above some pressurized water with a short tunnel leading to a door. The door needs to be connected to a lever somewhere in a safe part of the fortress. Position the door facing the main stairs into your fortress (for multiple stairs use multiple traps). When enemies come down the stairs, pull the lever and make them drown. (It helps to seal off the rooms).

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Needs flowing water under pressure and levers.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium. Depends on the size of your fortress/defences/amount of attackers. Works well with fire creatures to create a sauna.

==Monumental Statue==

'''Difficulty:''' Depends on how big you want the statue to be. If you are feeling really masochistic, cast it out of obsidian using magma and water.

'''Usefulness:''' None.

*Bonus: Make the statue hollow and have dwarves live inside it.

==Moses Effect==
With enough pumps, you can pull water out of a square faster than it flows in. This can create a reverse waterfall, or a dry spot in the middle of a flowing river. The effect is like Moses parting the Red Sea.

'''Difficulty:''' Surprisingly easy.

'''Usefulness:''' You can use this trick to create a waterfall or drowning chamber. It is also important if you want to pass through an {{L|Aquifer}}, although that is far more difficult. The same trick can be used in lieu of a drawbridge, although its practicality as compared to the drawbridge is highly questionable.

=={{L|Obsidian}} factory==
You need one reservoir of water, and one of magma. Mix, cool, mine, and repeat as necessary.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium.

'''Usefulness:''' Obsidian is 50% more valuable than {{L|flux}} and 3 times as valuable as ordinary stone, making it ideal for your {{L|mason}}s and {{L|stone crafter}}s. Done properly, it can also serve as a magma chamber ''and'' a drowning chamber.

==Pit o' Doom==
Combine with an Execution Tower for maximum z-level executions! Traps which menace with spikes are a must.

'''Difficulty:''' Low. You want it nice and deep though.

'''Usefulness:''' Dispose of prisoners, execute nobles, gruesome fatal injuries, laugh maniacally.

==Pressure Washer==
A huge tower with floodgates at the bottom on one side. When opened, the pressurized water fires out and pushes anything in the way of the flow away. Depending on size, can be surprisingly powerful. You can see an example tower [http://mkv25.net/dfma/map-7485-griffonwind here.]

'''Difficulty:''' Medium, construction technique takes some consideration.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium-High. Tested in version .40d with 50 recruits standing in front of it when the floodgates opened, killed 46 of them, including ones not pushed into the pit.

*Bonus: Fill it with Magma instead (though Magma doesn't pressurize).

==Rehabilitation Centre==
Had any problems with dwarves charging brainlessly towards the enemy, getting slaughtered, and then starting a tantrum spiral that will destroy your fortress? Turn your prison into a luxurious room full of things that make dwarves happy. Add artifact furniture, beds, a booze stockpile, chains made of gold (or anything valuable,) a waterfall, creatures in cages, etc. Hopefully they will return to society as a happy, productive dwarf.

'''Difficulty:''' Low-Medium. Acquiring valuable items and setting up the waterfall can be annoying sometimes. Also you need guards to actually put them in jail. And it can be a real pain when those ungrateful sobs destroy the nice furniture you give them.

'''Usefulness:''' High. A tantrum spiral can quickly turn a productive fort of 200+ dwarves into a rioting fortress inhabited by a bunch of insane, miserable dwarves who spend their time punching people and breaking furniture. Don't let it happen to you.

MegaDwarfBonus: Points for making every other dwarf drink water and sleep on cheap beds.

==Road of the Damned==
Create a giant channel filled with spike traps, 10 tiles wide and going all the way from your fort to the map edge. Pave it over with crystal glass so traders can get that foreboding feeling that'll make them seal the deal without bargaining too hard!

'''Difficulty:''' Low-mid, depending on the rarity of crystal glass.

'''Usefulness:'''Low. The same as a normal road.

*Bonus: Spike a goblin on every trap!

==Sectorized World==
Divide the world edges into multiple sectors and then gate access to each one separately. This allows you to protect your fortress from seiges whilst keeping access to most of the outside world and allowing most traders into and out of the fortress (those unfortunate enough to enter the world from the same direction as the seigers may be screwed, of course). For bonus points, build separate gateable access routes for each sector. For further bonus points, design your fortress so that you can simultaneously allow access to traders ''at the same time'' as seigers are exposed to your defensive mechanisms.

'''Difficulty:''' Low, unless you allow separate access routes for each sector in which case high.

'''Usefulness:''' Moderate, increasing with each bonus you fill. Mostly for those who want to build the best possible defenses. Can also double as a means of easily trapping wild animals.

==Self Destruct Lever==
A mechanism that, for example, could flood your fort with magma, or release a trapped megabeast. For bonus points, build the whole fort on a single {{L|support}}.

'''Difficulty:''' Very high. Extremely fun.

'''Usefulness:''' Could serve as kind of a last revenge on a goblin siege, but also highly amusing. If done properly it can make reclaim easier.

=={{L|Swimming}} pool==
It's a reservoir that fills to 4/7 exactly. Station soldiers inside, lock them in, and fill. This way they gain {{L|swimming}} skill.

'''Difficulty:''' Low. It's just a pair of reservoirs.

'''Usefulness:''' The swimming skill is only slightly useful. This is most useful if the entrance to your fort has narrow walkways/moats surrounded by water, and you station your soldiers there. It does help gain attributes though. Though if you utilize a '''H'''ydraulic '''E'''levation and '''L'''owering '''P'''latform, this is a priceless necessity.

==Town Destroyer==
Start your fortress in an area with an existing settlement{{verify}}. Create a channel all the way around it, then dig out everything on the Z-level below and watch it obliterate itself (and probably your frame rate).

'''Difficulty:''' Low to medium. It's not hard, just very time-consuming.

'''Usefulness:''' Very low. Unless of course this is a goblin settlement and you want to get rid of them/want revenge for a previous fortress.

==Underground Forest==
Break into an underground cavern, make some muddy floors over a big area and wait.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium - need to dig out a suitably large area, then find a way of introducing water to the area and subsequently draining or evaporating it.

'''Usefulness:''' Depends on size (bigger is better) as well as proximity to wood stockpiles. A tree farm outside the caverns can grow trees from all 3 layers, and you'll never have to worry about hostile creatures threatening your wood cutters.

==Underground Perpetual Motion Power Plant==
Combine with a use for the power and you either have an awesome setup, or a ticking time bomb.

'''Difficulty:''' High. Maintaining the correct water level is annoying difficult at times. Note: Incredibly easy with an aquifer.

'''Usefulness:''' Depends on size of plant and what it's connected to. Also useful as a puzzle for adventurers.

==Underwater Statue room==
A simple room filled with statues that just also happens to be flooded. Simply dig a room near to a water source smooth and engrave the walls and floors than fill with statues. Dig a tunnel to the water source and a separate escape route. seal both off with floodgates pull the levers in the right order and bam! underwater statue room. For added effect make the meeting room a room directly above with a glass floor.

'''Difficulty:''' Low.

'''Usefulness:''' Absolutely positively none.

*Bonus: Build it on area with trees and shrubs; make walls from ice or use windows; fill it with fish and merfolk; now you'll get a big aquarium

*Note: It doesn't count if you accidentally flood your fortress and wind up with one of these. It does count if one of your nobles has an unfortunate accident in their sculpture garden.

==U.R.I.S.T. Artificial Intelligence==
Basically, a dwarf in a bunker that controls your fortress. Being that there are no supercomputers in DF at the moment, we'll have to use the closest substitute, a dwarf. Seal your dwarf in a room full of levers that activate various floodgates, bridges, doors, hatch covers, traps, etc. Make sure this room has no exits or entrances, but it needs a luxurious bedroom and dining area, and you must include a chute for dropping in <s>food</s> biomass and <s>alcohol</s> coolant fluid. Profile the levers so that they can only be used by the A.I. dwarf.

It would be a good idea to make the system into two rooms. The food/drink/bed room and the lever room. Should you need to add more levers, you can lock the A.I. dwarf outside the lever room and have your mechanics set up more levers without interacting with or releasing the A.I.

You can make the lodging room suited for the particular dwarf by adding furniture made from their favorite materials, and smoothing and engraving everything. Use quantum stockpiling to give them 10+ years of food and drink. Make sure the A.I. is unable to communicate with other dwarves. His/her mood must not be affected by the deaths of the walking meat-bags who tried to befriended him/her.

You must also make a snazzy/lame acronym name for your AI, here are some examples:
<ul>
<li>U.R.I.S.T. - '''U'''nderground '''R'''easonably '''I'''ntelligent '''S'''ettlement '''T'''echnologist</li>
<li>H.A.L. - '''H'''airy '''A'''lternate '''L'''ifeform</li>
<li>D.O.S. - '''D'''warf '''O'''perating '''S'''ystem
<li>N.O.B.L.E. - '''N'''arcissistic '''O'''bnoxious '''B'''oastful '''L'''aughable '''E'''xcrement </li>
<li>M.A.G.M.A. - '''M'''assively '''A'''lcoholic '''G'''ear-'''M'''achine '''A'''ssembly</li>
<li>A.R.M.O.K. - '''A'''ll-'''R'''eaching '''M'''achine '''O'''f '''K'''illing</li>
<li>A.S.S. - '''A'''lmost-autonomous '''S'''ystems '''S'''elector</li>
<li>D.I.E.D. - '''D'''edicated '''I'''rrigation and '''E'''verything else '''D'''warf(s)</li>
<li>D.O.R.F. - '''D'''oes '''O'''rders '''R'''ather '''F'''ast</li>

</ul>

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Setting up all the levers and lodgings can be a micromanagement hassle. Further research is required as to how well the A.I. will fit into a dwarven economy.

'''Usefulness:''' High. Having a dwarf dedicated to pulling levers will ensure that they are pulled on time. Additionally, you will have a constantly-ecstatic dwarf who is virtually invulnerable to all threats. Should your fortress be slaughtered by invaders or drowned by flooding or tantrum spiraled, your fortress will be preserved until more migrants arrive, or the AI runs out of food.

==Vomitorium==
Prevents {{L|cave adaptation}}. It's like the greenhouse, only instead of a farm, it's a {{L|meeting hall}} or {{L|barracks}}. Since you can't build {{L|table}}s or {{L|bed}}s outside, build the room and {{L|channel}} down to it. Variant: above-ground statue garden or zoo.

'''Difficulty:''' Low.

'''Usefulness:''' Low. Make sure to wall the pit in or it will become very {{L|Fun}} once {{L|goblin}} archers become involved.

==Watervator==
By creating a vertical "'''H'''ydraulic '''E'''levation and '''L'''owering '''P'''latform" chamber, or HELP (so named for the cries of the passenger dwarf) with lever controlled water levels, you can move a dwarf up several z-levels without any stairs. All it takes is the dwarf's ability to swim up to the surface of the water to breathe.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Moderate possibility of Fun by way of flooding your fortress. Any dwarves that can't swim will instead experience Fun when using the Watervator. The actual construction time and resource usage is very low. Using the Watervator often leads to unhappy thoughts about drowning

'''Usefulness:''' Low to Medium. The Watervator requires manual micromanaging, while stairs do not. On the other hand, it can be used to create a pathway that most <s>Dwarves</s> enemies will simply be unable to use. Those that can would still be doing so at great risk of drowning or falling to their death. It is recommend that with the exception of the entrance you use stairs.

*MegaDwarfBonus:Utilize trained fish.

==Wildlife Overpass==
A bridge from one side of the river to the other so that the endless hordes of camels aren't battering at your doors trying to reach the other side via the underworld instead.

'''Difficulty:''' Extremely Low.

'''Usefulness:''' Low.
*Bonus: Trap it to provide a regular supply of meat, bone, and goblinite.

v0.31:Mass pitting

2011-05-16T11:30:07Z

Ral:

{{quality|Fine|18:11, 28 April 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}

'''Mass pitting''' refers to {{L|Activity_zone#Pit.2FPond|pitting}} many {{L|cage}}d creatures at one time without having to build each cage and link it to a lever. This allows you to recycle many cages quickly, freeing them up for reuse in {{L|Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps}} in minimal time.

=Mass Pitting System=
:Also called the '''Mass Cage Recycling System'''.
Here's a simple design that keeps you from having to build cages before releasing hostile creatures from them. This is safe for most hostiles, but see warnings below.

==Building==

#Dig out a room and another room of at least the same size directly below it.
#In the upper room channel out 6 openings into the lower room which are spaced exactly 2 tiles away from each other.
#Build floor hatches and place them over all of the openings.
#Place one big animal stockpile over the room such that every tile in the stockpile is adjacent (orthogonally and diagonally) to one of the hatches. Disable empty cages on the stockpile.
#Create '''one''' large {{L|Activity_zone#Pit.2FPond|pit zone}} that covers '''all''' of the openings such that all of them are part of the same pit zone.
#Disable all other animal stockpiles except for one empty-cage-only stockpile somewhere.
#Close the lower room off, fill it with traps, your military, turn it into a flood chamber, an arena, a 50 z-level pit, put a live dragon in it, or whatever sadistic sort of thing you want. This lower room is where the creatures will end up, so you get the idea.

The top room should end up looking like this:

:{| style="border-spacing: 0; margin: 0.1em"
|-
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
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|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
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|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|-
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|¢|0:6:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|¢|0:6:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|¢|0:6:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|-
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
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|-
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|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|-
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|¢|0:6:0}}
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|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|¢|0:6:0}}
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|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|¢|0:6:0}}
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|-
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|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|}

:{| style="margin: 0.1em"
|-
|{{Tile|=|7:0:0}} is the stockpile
|-
|{{Tile|¢|0:6:0}} is a hatch cover
|}

The bottom room can look like whatever you want as long as all of the openings you channeled out lead into it from the ceiling.

Obviously you can scale up the top part with more or fewer hatch openings to get larger or smaller stockpile areas, but with six hatches you can empty out 48 cages very quickly, without spooking dwarves, which is enough for many people.

==Using==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#c00|textbg=#ffd|Warning!|"Thief" type creatures, flyers, or large creatures like titans will escape using this system. If in doubt, build the cage manually or have sufficient military hanging around the top stockpile area.}}

Before pitting your captives, you may wish to {{L|Cage#How_to_disarm_hostiles_in_cages|disarm them}} -- depending on what you've built for them to fall into.

Now, wait for the stockpile above to fill and assign creatures to the pit all in one shot. Being pitted through the hatches will keep dwarves from being spooked by hostile creatures below and with all cages directly adjacent to pits creatures can be dumped in instantly without having to be lead around.

A mass of dwarves will pile into the room, pit the creatures at the about same time, and haul the empty cages off to your empty cage stockpile. The poor pathetic creatures they pitted will then be left to the mercy of whatever is at the bottom of the pits.

{{Category|Buildings}}

User:Ral

2011-05-16T11:28:06Z

Ral:

{{TipBox2
|float=right
|width=50%
|titlebg=#a00
|textbg=#fee
|Tip Boxes!
|I've also created a template that people can use to embed "tips" in documentation that might otherwise interrupt the flow of things. They're most appropriate for tutorial-type documents that have a sort of step-to-step nature, similar to the "Whatever for Dummies" books. See [[DF2010:Quickstart guide]] for example usage. Also see [[Template:TipBox2]].

This tip box style can be created with:

<pre>{{TipBox2
|float=right (defaults to no float)
|width=50% (defaults to 35% for floating)
|titlebg=#a00 (defaults to green #0a0)
|textbg=#fee (defaults to white)
|Tip Boxes!
|I've also created...}}</pre>
}}

Greetings, I am Ral.

I've been doing or have done major work on:
* [[Adventurer mode]]
* [[Adventure mode quick start]]
* [[Dwarf fortress mode]]
* [[Quickstart guide]]
* [[Advanced world generation]]
* [[Mass pitting]]

Contact [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=35653 Ral on the forum]

Main page sandbox:
* [[User:Ral/Testmain]]

{{TipBox2
|titlebg=#0a0
|textbg=#efe
|Tip Boxes! No Float (inline)
|If you omit the float parameter then you'll get something like this that's inline with the text. This can be used to emphasize warnings, etc. Width defaults to 80% for the inline type box and 35% for the floating box, so you can usually leave out the width also.

<pre>{{TipBox2
|titlebg=#0a0
|textbg=#efe
|Tip Boxes! No Float (inline)
|If you omit...</pre>
}}

v0.31:Mass pitting

2011-05-16T11:01:55Z

Ral: moved DF2010:Mass Pitting to DF2010:Mass pitting: title naming standards. will fix links and request redirect delete later

{{quality|Fine|18:11, 28 April 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}

'''Mass Pitting''' refers to {{L|Activity_zone#Pit.2FPond|pitting}} many {{L|cage}}d creatures at one time without having to build each cage and link it to a lever. This allows you to recycle many cages quickly, freeing them up for reuse in {{L|Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps}} in minimal time.

=Mass Pitting System=
:Also called the '''Mass Cage Recycling System'''.
Here's a simple design that keeps you from having to build cages before releasing hostile creatures from them. This is safe for most hostiles, but see warnings below.

==Building==

#Dig out a room and another room of at least the same size directly below it.
#In the upper room channel out 6 openings into the lower room which are spaced exactly 2 tiles away from each other.
#Build floor hatches and place them over all of the openings.
#Place one big animal stockpile over the room such that every tile in the stockpile is adjacent (orthogonally and diagonally) to one of the hatches. Disable empty cages on the stockpile.
#Create '''one''' large {{L|Activity_zone#Pit.2FPond|pit zone}} that covers '''all''' of the openings such that all of them are part of the same pit zone.
#Disable all other animal stockpiles except for one empty-cage-only stockpile somewhere.
#Close the lower room off, fill it with traps, your military, turn it into a flood chamber, an arena, a 50 z-level pit, put a live dragon in it, or whatever sadistic sort of thing you want. This lower room is where the creatures will end up, so you get the idea.

The top room should end up looking like this:

:{| style="border-spacing: 0; margin: 0.1em"
|-
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
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|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|-
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|¢|0:6:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|¢|0:6:0}}
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|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|¢|0:6:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|-
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
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|-
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|-
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|¢|0:6:0}}
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|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|¢|0:6:0}}
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|-
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
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|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|style="padding: 0"|{{Raw Tile|=|7:0:0}}
|}

:{| style="margin: 0.1em"
|-
|{{Tile|=|7:0:0}} is the stockpile
|-
|{{Tile|¢|0:6:0}} is a hatch cover
|}

The bottom room can look like whatever you want as long as all of the openings you channeled out lead into it from the ceiling.

Obviously you can scale up the top part with more or fewer hatch openings to get larger or smaller stockpile areas, but with six hatches you can empty out 48 cages very quickly, without spooking dwarves, which is enough for many people.

==Using==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#c00|textbg=#ffd|Warning!|"Thief" type creatures, flyers, or large creatures like titans will escape using this system. If in doubt, build the cage manually or have sufficient military hanging around the top stockpile area.}}

Before pitting your captives, you may wish to {{L|Cage#How_to_disarm_hostiles_in_cages|disarm them}} -- depending on what you've built for them to fall into.

Now, wait for the stockpile above to fill and assign creatures to the pit all in one shot. Being pitted through the hatches will keep dwarves from being spooked by hostile creatures below and with all cages directly adjacent to pits creatures can be dumped in instantly without having to be lead around.

A mass of dwarves will pile into the room, pit the creatures at the about same time, and haul the empty cages off to your empty cage stockpile. The poor hostile creatures they pitted will then be left to the mercy of whatever is at the bottom of the pits.

{{Category|Buildings}}

v0.31:Mass pitting

Ral: create page by request

Created --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 03:02, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

2011-05-09T22:24:38Z

Ral:

== My first demon encounter==

Surprisingly, my first demon in the new version was a three eyed slavering humanoid pig. Apparently it couldn't fly - as it ran off a cliff and died. Soon thereafter I met a three eyed female humanoid lizard demon lawgiver (and though I was decked out in full steel and a legendary fighter/swordsdwarf with a good weapon and over 100 notable kills, it punched me in the foot and killed me). I am going to update the page to reflect that some demons cannot fly.

[[User:TheTrueMikeBrown|TheTrueMikeBrown]] 14:04, 8 April 2010 (UTC)

I just pierced the cavern today. Didn't really intend to, it appears that the adamantine vein had a hollow pillar going through it. So, that spawned all of the flying demons in mid air right below the opening. Tried desperately to knock a hole in a wall that led into a cavern hoping to drown the SOBs. Sadly, my entire fortress was slaughtered in minutes.--[[User:Kuroneko|Kuroneko]] 14:17, 9 April 2010 (UTC)
:Went back and pierced that cavern again, this time with a plan. I set up a flood gate that was infront of a higher level cavern's water supply. I pierced into the adamantine tunnel, and pulled the lever. It would seem that while demons are rather hot (caused steam on a regular basis) they have no problems with water. Several of them were swimming around in 7/7 blocks with no issues.--[[User:Kuroneko|Kuroneko]] 00:59, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

I haven't actually encountered any demons yet, but my sites and pops lists "Unnumbered ass demons." I'm afraid to look.
Edit: Used reveal2 to find one in fortress mode - yep. [http://greenmoth2.com/demon1.png] [[User:Shotgunmaniac|Shotgunmaniac]] 21:21, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

I wanted to look at those demons, so I made a embark for the sole purprose to dig into hell. Everyone has been killed, no demon died. Then I reembarked with a miner and a stone worker and 5 axedwarfes. I encountered three demons with names, but they didn't stand ANY chance against my dwarfes. They died on sight. I was able to make a staircase to hell, but it was already empty except to that horde of cow demon things, which slaughtered my dwarfes pretty fast. A staircase to hell is funny. And I am sure I found a slade in there!--[[User:Niggy|Niggy]] 10:11, 5 May 2010 (UTC)

Note to self: demons can pass fortifications. --Ray

I can confirm the above. I spent ages building a demon-obsidianizer, only to watch them walk into the magma sea through a fortification.

:Magma/Lava and water can push creatures through fortifications. I was planning on make the demons a target for my siege operators.--[[User:BrakArg|BrakArg]] 06:21, 19 September 2010 (UTC)

I wanted to kill all of them. I set up a nasty reusable cave-in-trap and carefully carved fortifications till I discovered the pit's ceiling. I used a controlled cave-in to punch a hole in there to grant access to my trap that is between them and my fortress. But they don't seem to be interested to move in seeking for dwarfen blood.

==More FUN for your arena==
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/1397/steambrutecage.png

I caged some demons.
Yes.
Demons.
Fuck yes.
When a creature is webbed, the game ignores its [TRAPAVOID].
So make a way like me, and position some GCS on a side behind fortifications like me.
Should work with FBs, and titans too.--[[User:Niggy|Niggy]] 11:45, 23 August 2010 (UTC)

== Add a "Hunting" section? ==

I've encountered Demons that were clearly hunting my character, particularly after I pledged myself to a diety. In fact, I've had entire quests that appeared to be ruses to get me into a cave (I've been twice tasked to hunt a minotaur, searched for a dozen or so minutes until I noticed the quest was "done" then encountered a demon near the entrance.)

Considering just how rare demons are to encounter in a 257x257 world, and in the same area no less, there has to be some sort of hunting mechanic Toady has in for Demons. --[[User:Canuhearmenow|Canuhearmenow]] 16:54, 16 March 2011 (UTC)
:Demons constantly roam the Underworld in significant quantities, and glitches have been observed which transport subterranean creatures to the surface when in proximity to certain underground features. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 17:05, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

== "functionally infinite" means what? ==

In the article, it is stated that there are functionally infinite demons. How many demons does that really mean? Does this mean a tens of thousands, or 2^128, or something in between?--[[User:Cam94509|Cam94509]] 19:25, 8 May 2011 (UTC)

Quick edit: I mean (2^128) -1, of course :P --[[User:Cam94509|Cam94509]] 19:25, 8 May 2011 (UTC)

:It means that they'll spawn without limit. If you go into {{L|Legends}} mode and export (save name)-world_sites_and_pops.txt then you'll see "unlimited" listed for demons, whereas other species will have specific numbers at which no more of that species will spawn if that many have been killed. I don't believe there are any (powers of 2)-1 involved. I believe the population just isn't checked when deciding whether or not to spawn a demon, but I can't say I've actually seen the code. --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 22:44, 8 May 2011 (UTC)

::Alright. So why not just use the phrase 'infinite' in the article? If they are, in fact, infinite, why state they are 'functionally infinite'? Functionally infinite implies that, while their is a limit, you will simply never reach it. --[[User:Cam94509|Cam94509]] 21:10, 9 May 2011 (UTC)

:::It probably should just say "infinite". I didn't write that so I don't know if whoever wrote it was getting at something or or just inserting an extra word to get finger exercise. --[[User:Ral|Ral]] 22:24, 9 May 2011 (UTC)