I particularly liked a site I'd found (no slopes whatsoever, all sand, brook, magma pipe extending to the surface). I kept it for glass fortress challenges.
Now, though, I've decided on something different.
Using a system of pumps and dwarven labor, I am creating a 100x100 tower of obsidian, as tall as I can make it go. Once complete, I will dig a beautiful above-ground fortress into the obsidian. This will then be smoothed and engraved. Later, if I still need more room, I may expand the forms and make the entire tower even wider, or I may decide to create an underground complex.
Of course, once it's finished, there will have to be two automated pumping systems set up, alternating waterfalls and magmafalls across the entire outer surface. There will, of course, be a drowning system for the trade depot, as well as a controllable magmafall directly over the entrance (those orcs won't know what hit them).
I'm currently setting up the temporary fortress-hut and generating the glass blocks I'll need for the forms. Tedious, but this will be worth it.
Oh, and an extra challenge - no trees on the map at all, I have to get all wood from merchants, as well as metal and other such things normally acquired with forestry and mining. There are only a few shrubs and such, so it'll take some luck to get any farming running.
As in my last several fortresses, I will not dig down below the surface of the map, with one exception - I will set magma pumping up to start from a few z-levels down, for that extra bit of speed (and to fight off magma evaporation).
EDIT: Also, except right next to the magma pipe, the entire map is subject to a surface-level aquifer.
EDIT #2: I accidentally forgot to include any fire-safe materials on embark, so EXTRA CHALLENGE.
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Topic: My first true Megaproject (Read 665 times)