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Editing 40d:How to safely start fortress mode
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− | + | =The guide= | |
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+ | All advice in the replies will be summed up here in user friendly bits. | ||
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==Dwarf goods== | ==Dwarf goods== | ||
This section explains the relative importance of various goods in the early and late game. | This section explains the relative importance of various goods in the early and late game. | ||
+ | ===Fortress startup=== | ||
+ | The most important points are [[food]] and [[drink]]. [[Booze]] should be brought in larger quantities than [[food]], since it is easier to produce food (it does not nessecerally need to be stored in barrels), and dwarves drink twice as often as they eat. Approximately 60 drink and 20-30 food is a safe startup supply. Try to have a 1 or a 6 in the ones place when buying up food, as this will give you a cheap, free barrel when the game is created. The [[booze]] you bring is fairly irrelevant, as early on they're all the same. Try to bring either [[turtle]] or some other kind of [[fish]] as your startup food supply. They cost no extra than your basic meat and will produce [[bone]]s when eaten (plus shell, in the case of [[turtle]]s), which is useful for outfitting early [[hunter]]s or militia. Do not bring [[plump helmet]]s. They cost 4 points apiece, and for the same cost you can bring 2 plump helmet spawn and 1 cheap fish. | ||
− | + | It's critical to bring at least some [[seed]]s on embark. The exact number is largely a matter of personal preference. If you want large farms from the get-go, you'll need a lot. If you have no trouble making more and more farms as you go along, you can get away with a lot fewer. Bring a minimum of 5 [[plump helmet spawn]]. 5 [[pig tail seed]]s to start an early pig tail crop is also very good. Pig tails provide cloth early on for rope, and are more brewable fodder so you don't have to brew your chief food crop, too. | |
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− | Bring | + | Bring 1 copper [[pick]] for each miner you have and 1 steel [[battle axe]] for every [[woodcutter]] you have. They're gonna be no good without their tools. |
− | Whether or not to bring an [[anvil]] to start out with is a pretty contentious issue. It's largely up to your playstyle, and the conditions surrounding the site you come up with. Generally, if you are settling an area that is very mountainous with lots of ore around and some [[magma]] to make production easy, you are definitely going to want to bring an anvil. If not, you may end up not using a forge for many seasons, so you can comfortably | + | Whether or not to bring an [[anvil]] to start out with is a pretty contentious issue. It's largely up to your playstyle, and the conditions surrounding the site you come up with. Generally, if you are settling an area that is very mountainous with lots of ore around and some [[magma]] to make production easy, you are definitely going to want to bring an anvil. If not, you may end up not using a forge for many seasons, so you can comfortably appropriate one from the dwarven caravan before it's needed. |
Bringing [[wood]] in your starting wagon is more important the less heavily forested your surroundings are. Even sparsely-wooded areas will provide enough wood to fuel your initial fortress, but woodcutting will take time. Another consideration is that if you make enough room to bring 30 logs or so, you will probably be able to sidestep having a dedicated [[woodcutter]] entirely, which will free up the 300 points you would have spent on a steel [[battle axe]] for other purposes. It is your call. | Bringing [[wood]] in your starting wagon is more important the less heavily forested your surroundings are. Even sparsely-wooded areas will provide enough wood to fuel your initial fortress, but woodcutting will take time. Another consideration is that if you make enough room to bring 30 logs or so, you will probably be able to sidestep having a dedicated [[woodcutter]] entirely, which will free up the 300 points you would have spent on a steel [[battle axe]] for other purposes. It is your call. | ||
− | + | Always make room for 2 [[dog]]s. Always. Dogs are a critical part of any fortress and bringing a breeding pair to start out with will help a lot. | |
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− | Always make room for | ||
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− | + | You should also make room for a wooden [[cage]] if you can. It makes animal control much easier. | |
− | + | Don't bring any beasts of burden. You will start with a breeding pair of them for free and immigrants will routinely bring their own to your fortress. You'll be overrun with them soon enough. | |
===Advanced goods=== | ===Advanced goods=== | ||
This section covers advanced goods for the betterment of one's own fortress. Trade goods are covered below, in Dwarven economics. | This section covers advanced goods for the betterment of one's own fortress. Trade goods are covered below, in Dwarven economics. | ||
− | [[Statue]]s are one of the better ways to easily increase fortress wealth and improve the mood of the dwarves in the area. It's possible to make a metal [[statue]] from the ore of the metal if you turn off economic restrictions on the stone, which not only saves you time in operating the [[smelter]] and the [[fuel]] in the process, but it also allows you to triple the production potential from a single vein. Statues require 3 bars to make from metal, but only 1 stone to make from ore. Plus, it's easier to | + | [[Statue]]s are one of the better ways to easily increase fortress wealth and improve the mood of the dwarves in the area. It's possible to make a metal [[statue]] from the ore of the metal if you turn off economic restrictions on the stone, which not only saves you time in operating the [[smelter]] and the [[fuel]] in the process, but it also allows you to triple the production potential from a single vein. Statues require 3 bars to make from metal, but only 1 stone to make from ore. Plus, it's easier to get a high-skill mason to do the job than a high-skill metal crafter. Turning off restrictions on economic stone will allow you to make a metal ANYTHING from that ore stone, but statues get the highest multiplier, so they are best used there unless you are trying to impress a noble with a small room. |
− | [[Stone]], as a whole, should be used for everything you can possibly use it for. It's plentiful and it's easy to use. | + | [[Stone]], as a whole, should be used for everything you can possibly use it for. It's plentiful and it's easy to use. Use it for everything you can. |
− | [[Metal]] is required for the dwarven [[justice]] system, since cages tend to leave dwarves very unhappy and liable to head right back into jail again, and strong dwarves can tear [[ | + | [[Metal]] is required for the dwarven [[justice]] system, since cages tend to leave dwarves very unhappy and liable to head right back into jail again, and strong dwarves can tear [[rope]] apart. Metal [[chain]]s are the best way to handle Jusice, since the dwarf is active to sleep in an adjacent bed, admire nearby engravings and decorations, and do other things that rehabilitate him from crime. |
[[Cloth]] is better than [[leather]] for making clothing for your dwarves. Cloth can be dyed, which increases its value and impressiveness, and it weighs significantly less, which is an important consideration for soldiers wearing heavy plate mail or haulers that are not strong. | [[Cloth]] is better than [[leather]] for making clothing for your dwarves. Cloth can be dyed, which increases its value and impressiveness, and it weighs significantly less, which is an important consideration for soldiers wearing heavy plate mail or haulers that are not strong. | ||
− | [[Leather]] is fantastic for | + | [[Leather]] is fantastic for accessable armor. It requires nothing but a tanned hide and a leather works. To boot, masterwork leather armor is as strong as iron, letting you compete on level ground with goblins sporting iron equipment if you do not have access to metal, but do have a legendary leatherworker. Excess leather armor can always be sold as a trade good, so there's no excuse not to make a big surplus of it. A full suit of leather armor is a helm, armor (breastplate), leggings, high boots, and shield. |
[[Shell]] can make cheap gauntlets using the [[bone carver]] skill, which can complete a suit of armor for people wearing leather (there are no handguards for leather wearers). It's also commonly requested by [[strange mood]]s and is difficult to make quickly, so it's best to keep a stockpile. If you have a large surplus, it's fantastic for decoration. | [[Shell]] can make cheap gauntlets using the [[bone carver]] skill, which can complete a suit of armor for people wearing leather (there are no handguards for leather wearers). It's also commonly requested by [[strange mood]]s and is difficult to make quickly, so it's best to keep a stockpile. If you have a large surplus, it's fantastic for decoration. | ||
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This section encompasses advice for working your dwarves for the betterment of your personal fortress; the merits of various economic professions like craftsdwarves will be covered later. | This section encompasses advice for working your dwarves for the betterment of your personal fortress; the merits of various economic professions like craftsdwarves will be covered later. | ||
===Fortress startup=== | ===Fortress startup=== | ||
− | The critical jobs in a fortress are [[ | + | The critical jobs in a fortress are [[Miner]], [[Grower]], [[Mason]], and [[Carpenter]]. Your first 7 dwarves should always include someone who is proficient at these 4 jobs. The other skills you assign can be whatever you prefer or is most appropriate for your situation, though don't be afraid to double up on these base skills. 2 miners and 2 growers can make the early game much easier. Military skills can be critical in harsh starting locations. [[Cook]] and [[Brewer]] are only mildly less critical, as good food and drink gives essentially free happy thoughts, and trained kitchen/still staff produce much faster. [[Mechanic]] is useful if you intend to use mechanisms as trade goods. Taking a Proficient [[armorsmith]], [[weaponsmith]], or [[siege engineer]] from the start can save a lot of material and time, and could be worthwhile. [[Woodcutter]] is also a common, popular choice, especially since it can be cut with [[Axedwarf]] for some extra security early on. [[Herbalist]] can help you get away with bringing less food so you can instead get more durable commodities like picks, armor, or even dogs. [[Herbalist]] will also help you harvest the local seeds so you can get above-ground crops going quickly. Once the earth is struck, you should build a mason's and carpenter's workshop and have them start churning out things like doors, tables, chairs, and beds as quickly as they possibly can; your fledgling fortress will need lots and lots of basic commodities. |
===Advanced jobs=== | ===Advanced jobs=== | ||
These are jobs that are important building blocks to your finished civilization, but are better handled by immigrants. | These are jobs that are important building blocks to your finished civilization, but are better handled by immigrants. | ||
− | [[Fishing]] is one of the better industries to found with your first wave of immigrants. The most useful 'fish' to capture is the [[turtle]], which spawns as vermin in any still pool of water, including flooded cisterns inside your fortress. Turtle production provides [[bone]]s and [[shell]], which are common requests in [[strange mood]]s, and also provide an alternate food source for your dwarves in case your farms fail for whatever reason. To boot, fisherdwarves require no special equipment and can just jump right to work. | + | [[Fishing]] is one of the better industries to found with your first wave of immigrants. The most useful 'fish' to capture is the [[turtle]], which spawns as vermin in any still pool of water, including flooded cisterns inside your fortress. Turtle production provides [[bone]]s and [[shell]], which are common requests in [[strange mood]]s, and also provide an alternate food source for your dwarves in case your farms fail for whatever reason. To boot, fisherdwarves require no special equipment and can just jump right to work. |
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− | Hunters will require weapons to be most effective. Build a [[Bowyer's | + | [[Hunting]] is good for many of the same reasons. Animal kills produce fat, which can be rendered into tallow at the [[kitchen]] and makes fantastic fodder for prepared meals. Leather also comes from the hunting industry, which is outstandingly useful as cheap armor for your military and bags. Animal [[skull]]s are also useful for making the [[totem]] trade good, but that is a separate consideration. Hunters will require weapons to be most effective. Build a [[Bowyer's Workshop]] to construct a bone or wood crossbow (this requires the [[Bowyer]] skill, but the quality of a crossbow only affects its damage as a melee weapon, so having an untrained dwarf fill in is not harmful), and a [[Craftdwarf's Workshop]] to stamp out bolts. This will require either [[bone carving]] or [[woodcrafting]], depending on if you use bone or wood bolts. Bone carvers tend to be fairly common in immigrant waves, but a hunter can handle most animals even with normal-quality bolts. Also be sure to have a [[tanner]] designated so you can process the hides, and a [[leatherworker]] designated who can construct some leather armor for your hunter as you get some hides to use. |
− | [[Siege | + | [[Siege operators]] are important for the long-term survival of your fortress. Siege engines the only safe way to deal with the biggest threats you will face, like [[megabeasts]] and goblins riding [[beak dogs]] as cavalry. They take a long time to train, so you need to plan well ahead. Designate some early and have them start training on throwaway catapults as soon as you can spare the labor. |
Your standing [[military]] should also be a consideration from your first immigrant wave. Consider starting a [[cross-training]] program to get the flabby, untrained Peasants that immigrate into shape for military service. | Your standing [[military]] should also be a consideration from your first immigrant wave. Consider starting a [[cross-training]] program to get the flabby, untrained Peasants that immigrate into shape for military service. | ||
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The [[cloth]] industry is also a good one to establish if you get things like weavers and clothiers with your first immigrant wave. The cloth industry lets you create ropes (critical for building [[well]]s) and bags in the short term, and good finished clothing in the longer term to keep your dwarves happier. [[Pig tail]]s will provide an easy early cloth supply if you bring some seeds along when you embark. | The [[cloth]] industry is also a good one to establish if you get things like weavers and clothiers with your first immigrant wave. The cloth industry lets you create ropes (critical for building [[well]]s) and bags in the short term, and good finished clothing in the longer term to keep your dwarves happier. [[Pig tail]]s will provide an easy early cloth supply if you bring some seeds along when you embark. | ||
− | Using the cloth industry, it is worth it to mass | + | Using the cloth industry, it is worth it to mass produce some ropes and honeycomb a large (5x5 or larger) room with them, then assign many beasts of burden to them. This works as a corral, keeping the animals contained and not clogging up traffic while at the same time allowing them to breed to become an emergency supply of food. For performance considerations, it's highly suggested you cage newborn animals in any cage you have available, to keep them from eating up CPU by wandering aimlessly around the fortress. This goes double for [[cat]]s, who randomly adopt dwarves and become unkillable. |
==Dwarf happiness and domestics== | ==Dwarf happiness and domestics== | ||
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===Advanced domestics=== | ===Advanced domestics=== | ||
− | Happiness becomes one of your primary considerations when lots of dwarves are around and the economy has activated. The economy brings about a whole new truckload of possible unhappy thoughts in addition to the ones you've already been dealing with, so you need to use everything in your power to combat them. A [[cross-training]] program becomes a serious benefit here, since legendary dwarves are exempt from the economy and continue living large without any | + | Happiness becomes one of your primary considerations when lots of dwarves are around and the economy has activated. The economy brings about a whole new truckload of possible unhappy thoughts in addition to the ones you've already been dealing with, so you need to use everything in your power to combat them. A [[cross-training]] program becomes a serious benefit here, since legendary dwarves are exempt from the economy and continue living large without any interferance from the nobles. |
Private bedrooms are key. In addition to the happy thought that dwarves get from sleeping in a place that's theirs, having their own place with their own chest and cabinet will stave off unhappy thoughts they get from not having a place to store their acquisitions. You may also consider installing a table and chair in each bedroom; happy thoughts on par with or better than 'legendary dining room' are gained from eating at a high-quality table that the dwarf owns. Be sure that you have a lot of affordable housing; 300☼ is all the more most joe-dwarves with steady work can afford before they are evicted. | Private bedrooms are key. In addition to the happy thought that dwarves get from sleeping in a place that's theirs, having their own place with their own chest and cabinet will stave off unhappy thoughts they get from not having a place to store their acquisitions. You may also consider installing a table and chair in each bedroom; happy thoughts on par with or better than 'legendary dining room' are gained from eating at a high-quality table that the dwarf owns. Be sure that you have a lot of affordable housing; 300☼ is all the more most joe-dwarves with steady work can afford before they are evicted. | ||
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Another thing you may consider is getting your dwarves pets. Assigning trained war [[dog]]s to peasants makes the peasant adopt them as a pet, which not only makes them more safe from goblin attacks while they are milling about outside, it also gives them an instant happy thought if they ever become unhappy ('comforted by a beloved pet recently'). The downside, of course, is that if the war dog ever has to lay down its life for its master, the dwarf will become very upset, and doubly upset if you don't have the tombs to lay the pet to rest. | Another thing you may consider is getting your dwarves pets. Assigning trained war [[dog]]s to peasants makes the peasant adopt them as a pet, which not only makes them more safe from goblin attacks while they are milling about outside, it also gives them an instant happy thought if they ever become unhappy ('comforted by a beloved pet recently'). The downside, of course, is that if the war dog ever has to lay down its life for its master, the dwarf will become very upset, and doubly upset if you don't have the tombs to lay the pet to rest. | ||
− | Making catacombs is another good way to provide some stability to your fortress. Unlike bedrooms, dwarves do not have to pay for | + | Making catacombs is another good way to provide some stability to your fortress. Unlike bedrooms, dwarves do not have to pay for thier own tombs, and get a yearly happy thought from them that lasts almost a whole season. Catacombs are also fairly easy to furnish, requiring little more than coffins and engravings. Some [[statues]] can also be good if you are going that route. Be sure to allot some coffins for pet burial, too; dwarves are just as upset about their pets dying as they are about their friends. It's best not to compound the problem by letting pets rot. |
[[Cave adaptation]] creates some powerful unhappy feelings (as powerful as the thought from a legendary dining room). Unfortunately, making a greenhouse that is indoors and lighted will NOT fight cave adaptation. Your only bet is to make a walled-in meeting hall on the surface, preferably above the ground z level so attacking goblins have no chance of getting in. Decorate it lavishly so your dwarves have something to counteract the unhappy thoughts in a controlled manner. Do NOT, under any circumstances, make your main meeting hall indoor/lighted/aboveground by making its roof a bunch of Floor constructions. This will make that area forbidden when "Dwarves stay indoors" is on and make controlling your civilians during a siege much harder. | [[Cave adaptation]] creates some powerful unhappy feelings (as powerful as the thought from a legendary dining room). Unfortunately, making a greenhouse that is indoors and lighted will NOT fight cave adaptation. Your only bet is to make a walled-in meeting hall on the surface, preferably above the ground z level so attacking goblins have no chance of getting in. Decorate it lavishly so your dwarves have something to counteract the unhappy thoughts in a controlled manner. Do NOT, under any circumstances, make your main meeting hall indoor/lighted/aboveground by making its roof a bunch of Floor constructions. This will make that area forbidden when "Dwarves stay indoors" is on and make controlling your civilians during a siege much harder. | ||
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===Fortress startup=== | ===Fortress startup=== | ||
− | Your first year in the fortress is likely to be really sparse on trading. You won't have much to trade, and the dwarven caravan doesn't know your requests, so it's unlikely to be terribly helpful, anyway. | + | Your first year in the fortress is likely to be really sparse on trading. You won't have much to trade, and the dwarven caravan doesn't know your requests, so it's unlikely to be terribly helpful, anyway. Cooking prepared meals is a good way to get some fodder for trade, but be careful not to sell too much of your larder. After your first immigrant wave arrives, you can concentrate on some specific trade goods. Stonecrafters are best for this, as they can produce crafts, mugs, and toys very quickly with the spare stone lying around. |
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− | After your first immigrant wave arrives, you can concentrate on some specific trade goods. Stonecrafters are best for this, as they can produce crafts, mugs, and toys very quickly with the spare stone lying around. | ||
There are a few things you should almost always be maxing out your requests for: | There are a few things you should almost always be maxing out your requests for: | ||
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Past that, you may want to consider some conditional buying: | Past that, you may want to consider some conditional buying: | ||
* [[Flux]] stone from the dwarven caravan. This will be critical to making steel if you don't have flux on your map. Unrefined stone is very cheap, but because of the weight of the rock you won't get too much of it. | * [[Flux]] stone from the dwarven caravan. This will be critical to making steel if you don't have flux on your map. Unrefined stone is very cheap, but because of the weight of the rock you won't get too much of it. | ||
− | * [[Silk]] cloth. This is commonly requested by [[strange mood]]s and your chances of being able to produce it yourself are almost nil. Buy only [[cave spider]] silk cloth early on. The giant cave spider variety is almost 10 times more expensive, which is great if you want massive value artifacts, but you've got bigger fish to fry this early on | + | * [[Silk]] cloth. This is commonly requested by [[strange mood]]s and your chances of being able to produce it yourself are almost nil. Buy only [[cave spider]] silk cloth early on. The giant cave spider variety is almost 10 times more expensive, which is great if you want massive value artifacts, but you've got bigger fish to fry this early on. |
* [[Bauxite]] from the dwarven caravan, if you're needing magma-safe stone components. | * [[Bauxite]] from the dwarven caravan, if you're needing magma-safe stone components. | ||
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===Advanced trading=== | ===Advanced trading=== | ||
+ | As your fortress expands, the basic stonecrafting method of making trade goods may fall out of favor. It is still a great way produce economic goods, but the advent of the dwarven economy, more highly skilled dwarves, and goblin attacks will give you a lot of ways to be an economic powerhouse without making a pile of otherwise useless goods. | ||
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A larger fort has a few new ways to make money on the menu: | A larger fort has a few new ways to make money on the menu: | ||
− | * | + | * Mechanisms. Masterwork mechanisms made from obsidian or a [[flux]] stone sell for a mint. The sheer volume of stuff that you will now be trading makes their heavier weight a non-issue, as well. Mechanisms are easy to produce and are already needed in your fortress, but without a legendary mechanic and high-value stone, it's not too feasible. |
− | + | * Clothing. [[Dimple cup]]s provide a dye when milled, which can be used to drastically increase the finished value of finished cloth goods. You can also sew images (whether leather, or more cloth) into the clothing to increase it further. Merchants will love it, and your dwarves will want new clothes as the economy kicks in, too. The downside is that this approach is labor intensive, requiring a thresher, weaver, miller, dyer, clothier, and maybe a leatherworker or another clothier to pull off. Still, in larger fortresses, there's usually plenty of labor to spare. You can also cut the thresher and weaver out of the equation by simply importing the raw cloth you want to use. | |
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* Captured equipment. [[Goblin]] attacks will usually leave your store rooms awash in captured goblin equipment. Goblins often wear [[giant cave spider]] clothing, which sells very well. You can sew images into the cloth, and stud the metal equipment with bone or shell, to increase their trading value and 'naturalize' them, making them acceptable to offer to caravans for good will. | * Captured equipment. [[Goblin]] attacks will usually leave your store rooms awash in captured goblin equipment. Goblins often wear [[giant cave spider]] clothing, which sells very well. You can sew images into the cloth, and stud the metal equipment with bone or shell, to increase their trading value and 'naturalize' them, making them acceptable to offer to caravans for good will. | ||
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As your fortress grows, you will have a large enough economic engine to eliminate the unproductive parts of your products' life cycles. Leather and cloth, especially, are very cheap to buy en-masse. 10 units of leather, plus the bin they came in, sells for 150-200☼ on caravans. 10 units of plant fiber cloth, plus the bin they came in, sells for 400☼. The best part is that humans and dwarves will usually bring 50 to 80 units of both cloth and leather per trip without you requesting it, letting you get cut rates on the merchandise. Note, however, that the plant fiber cloth tends to be of relatively low quality, which puts a legendary weaver to waste. However, the fact that you get so much cloth, plus a durable, always-useful [[bin]], probably overrides this. | As your fortress grows, you will have a large enough economic engine to eliminate the unproductive parts of your products' life cycles. Leather and cloth, especially, are very cheap to buy en-masse. 10 units of leather, plus the bin they came in, sells for 150-200☼ on caravans. 10 units of plant fiber cloth, plus the bin they came in, sells for 400☼. The best part is that humans and dwarves will usually bring 50 to 80 units of both cloth and leather per trip without you requesting it, letting you get cut rates on the merchandise. Note, however, that the plant fiber cloth tends to be of relatively low quality, which puts a legendary weaver to waste. However, the fact that you get so much cloth, plus a durable, always-useful [[bin]], probably overrides this. | ||
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{{Starting FAQ}} | {{Starting FAQ}} | ||
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