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Difference between revisions of "Importing and exporting worlds"
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== Seeds == | == Seeds == | ||
| + | {{main|Advanced_world_generation#Seed_values|Advanced_world_generation#Seed_notes|l1=Seed values|l2=Seed notes}} | ||
"Seeds" refers to the 4 specific random strings used to seed the pseudo-random number generator. These values are not sufficient to duplicate a world without the rest of the [[world token|world generation parameters]]. Unfortunately, the historical events during world generation don't currently always happen the same way, and this method is incapable of replicating any events that happened after world generation ended, including any fortresses or adventures. Mods and even parameters can greatly change how a world generates, causing the game to use more or fewer pseudo-random numbers for each step, meaning later steps get a different series of numbers. | "Seeds" refers to the 4 specific random strings used to seed the pseudo-random number generator. These values are not sufficient to duplicate a world without the rest of the [[world token|world generation parameters]]. Unfortunately, the historical events during world generation don't currently always happen the same way, and this method is incapable of replicating any events that happened after world generation ended, including any fortresses or adventures. Mods and even parameters can greatly change how a world generates, causing the game to use more or fewer pseudo-random numbers for each step, meaning later steps get a different series of numbers. | ||
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==Save== | ==Save== | ||
| + | {{main|Saved game folder}} | ||
The [[Saved game folder|save folder]] contains all the information on your world, and all the things you have done to it since you started playing. Use this if you want to share your actual fortress or adventure rather than just the pristine unplayed world, or if the world has already been played in and the previous fortresses or adventures are important for the purpose. Moving save folders around is also a useful way to back up your games while keeping clutter to a minimum in the Continue Game menu, and is a more complete way of sharing a world than using seeds. | The [[Saved game folder|save folder]] contains all the information on your world, and all the things you have done to it since you started playing. Use this if you want to share your actual fortress or adventure rather than just the pristine unplayed world, or if the world has already been played in and the previous fortresses or adventures are important for the purpose. Moving save folders around is also a useful way to back up your games while keeping clutter to a minimum in the Continue Game menu, and is a more complete way of sharing a world than using seeds. | ||
Latest revision as of 01:20, 24 September 2025
v52.04 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF.Note that some content may still need to be updated. |
Although Dwarf Fortress is a single-player game, it is still common to incorporate a social aspect into the game. For example, you may have found a great site that you want to share with others, you want to play a save or embark that someone else posted, you're reporting a crash during world generation, or maybe you simply want to back up your world or game. There are two primary methods for importing and exporting worlds in Dwarf Fortress: exchanging the seed, and exchanging the save.
Seeds[edit]
"Seeds" refers to the 4 specific random strings used to seed the pseudo-random number generator. These values are not sufficient to duplicate a world without the rest of the world generation parameters. Unfortunately, the historical events during world generation don't currently always happen the same way, and this method is incapable of replicating any events that happened after world generation ended, including any fortresses or adventures. Mods and even parameters can greatly change how a world generates, causing the game to use more or fewer pseudo-random numbers for each step, meaning later steps get a different series of numbers.
Export[edit]
When the game generates a world, it writes the seeds it used for that world in the gamelog.txt file in the main Dwarf Fortress folder. Unfortunately, the game doesn't currently provide a full output of the world generation parameters.
Import[edit]
If the world was generated using advanced world generation and the parameters were saved, or can otherwise be remembered, then the seeds can be copied into prefs/world_gen.txt, using the proper tokens. They cannot currently be pasted into the game directly, but can be entered manually.
Save[edit]
The save folder contains all the information on your world, and all the things you have done to it since you started playing. Use this if you want to share your actual fortress or adventure rather than just the pristine unplayed world, or if the world has already been played in and the previous fortresses or adventures are important for the purpose. Moving save folders around is also a useful way to back up your games while keeping clutter to a minimum in the Continue Game menu, and is a more complete way of sharing a world than using seeds.
Additionally, mods are not included in saves, thus, when sharing a save of a modded game you should also include the installed_mods folder.
Location[edit]
Your saved game is located in a folder in the save folder, the location of which depends on the portable mode setting. The save folder will contain one or more sub-folders, each one holding one of your worlds, and a current folder. The current folder is used to track the changes to the active world while Dwarf Fortress is running; it is not important unless Dwarf Fortress is open, and can safely be deleted otherwise.
Export[edit]
Upload the entire save folder (preferably compressed), and the installed_mods folder if applicable, to your favorite file host, or, better yet, to the Dwarf Fortress File Depot.
Import[edit]
Copy the other person's save folder to the save folder, and the contents of the installed_mods folder, if included, to your data\installed_mods, then the game can be played.