Also, sorry if I /put this into the \wrong forum...
Not true
What I've found that newbies really need (I remember playing a long time before any of you all, and your new fashioned patches..):
> No Aquifer layers, unless you either wish to play it with soil, or have a waterfall which stretches several z-levels.
> Dig into the earth or not, the choice is yours. Remember that Winter brings enemies, and to combat enemies you need a trained squad of militia. OR, wall yourself in with a drawbridge.
> Focus on farming plots early, stick to permanent farmers in the summer. 4x4/3x3 underground soil-type plots are good for the starter.
> Designate stockpiles. Helps organization and placement of your items.
> Get a dwarf with appraising talent. You'll need him/her to act as your broker to sense the values of items for trade. Trade is also your lifeblood, but this delves deeper into the game.
> Hold off mods for later. I find it better for you to learn the vanilla game until you know the basics.
> Build basic workshops: Mason and Carpenter. Designate two dwarves to specialize in masonry and carpentry, respectively. These two jobs will form the backbone of your fortress as they focus on works made from stone and wood.
> Newbies: focus on forested terrain. WARM, forested terrain, preferably near a brook or river. Your starting biome should not be in any purple-ish area for that designates the theoretical evil of the land. Warm biomes do not have snow in the winter, thus making it easier for your dwarves--temperate or colder have snow.
> Abundance orders: Forests = wood. Mountains = stone. I'd prioritize wood as you need that to make barrels, bins and beds. 3 b's of survival. Though, you can make stone pots which replace wood barrels (or..bins, unsure here.).
> Designate and create personal bedrooms in stone layers. Designate a Community Dining room in the best stone layer you can find (check the wiki--stone has a value, and it's value affects those whose room is in that type of stone.)
> Personally, I find bringing an abundance of seeds of at least 2 different types for farming. That, and a pair of female/male cats--set these to your food stockpiles to ward off vermin.
> Floor off an area with wood/stone=food stockpile. This creates an artificial background which vermin cannot spawn on.