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[Chevaleresse]

Well, not my first. I gave up on my first two after I accidentally had my miners dig themselves into inescapable holes (they refused to make stairways out). This one hasn't experienced a lot of fun yet, since it's only in the second year.

I'll attach the file so you can actually see the fort.
http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8262
Issues that I've noticed:
-There seems to be an issue with the farms. None of them seem to be producing crops; am I just missing them, or are my seeds vanishing?
-I've pretty much got no defensive plan. I sort of tried to make a moat, but that particular project didn't really leave the ground.
-Related to the first issue; I'm out of booze!
-My dining room doesn't seem to be large enough, despite having enough tables/chairs for a good 2/3 of my population, if not more.
-Whenever people go to drink, they get interrupted by sparrow men, even though they don't appear hostile.

[Apticer]

1) When u 'build' a farm u need to set on which season which crop have to be planted.
2) Easiest defense plan - build main entrance, build bridge there, link it to lever. When u notice ambush - pull lever. Then build 1 square backup entrance full of traps.
3) If ur farm industries will work - u will never be out of booze. Just keep in mind, brewing gives u seeds, cooking - don't.
4) Not every dwarf need his own table. 20 tables is good enough for 60-80 dwarves.
5) Make some militia and... kill it.

[Hetairos]

Use blocks for constructions instead of stone boulders. You'll save yourself some digging and train your masons.
Farm more to get more booze, maybe build a well in case of a critical shortage. Dwarves won't be happy about drinking water, but it will keep them alive.
You're lucky to have access to all ingredients of steel.
Build a fishery.
I don't know what's wrong with the farms; everything seems to be in working order.
Dimple cups are only useful for dye production, so they're fairly useless for an early fort.

[Garath]

a moat isn't the best defensive measure. Putting animals in pastures some way from the entrance will 1) prevent most wildlife from getting too close 2) alert you to ambushes before they get to the gates

When an ambush arrives, use a civilian alert to call everyone in and close the gates (before the enemy gets too close). Make sure you have a longer entrance tunnel so if you didn't close the outer gate in time, you can still close an inner gate. Make a side entrance with traps which you can open at that time. Not stonefall traps or upright spikes though. Upright spikes are very effective bu need to be linked to a trigger such as a lever and stonefall traps are too weak and work only once. Large serrated discs and Spiked balls are excellent in weapon traps, regular weapons not so much. Weapon traps have a chance of jamming whenever they kill something, so you need more than a few. Note that goblins will leave after some time if you just keep the gates closed, but that they hang around the spot where their captain died for a long time.

Also train some marksdwarfs. Even fairly low skill marksdwarfs can shoot well enough to drive off most enemies as long as they have a safe place to shoot from. They're also excellent at driving off things like those sparrow men. If you trap stuff with cage traps you can use them for target practise which is very efficiant for training marksdorfs

As to your dining room, it's likely large enough by now, but it takes a few months before a thought is removed, so the negative thoughts you see now are from some time ago.

[Larix]

a moat isn't the best defensive measure.

It's not a useful standalone defensive construction, but ties in very nicely into a more complete defensive architecture. Moats are very useful to deny or regulate pathing, because even a simple one-deep trench prevents all non-fliers from crossing. Walls or other z-level obstacles are pretty much required for archer protection, but trenches are fast to dig and can also serve to channel wildlife and ambushers into traps a fair distance from your sensitive constructions. For early defence, you won't go wrong with a simple moat once around your surface installations, combined with/replaced by a wall later on.

[Chevaleresse]

I also meant to ask a couple more questions.
1. I downloaded Dwarf Therapist, and it worked for a little while, then stopped being able to connect to DF. Any advice?
2. Are there any mods that streamline production at all? I want to make glass, but first I need sand, which needs bags, which need cloth, which needs stuff to make into cloth, at the right workshop . . .

[Gwen]

I also meant to ask a couple more questions.
1. I downloaded Dwarf Therapist, and it worked for a little while, then stopped being able to connect to DF. Any advice?
2. Are there any mods that streamline production at all? I want to make glass, but first I need sand, which needs bags, which need cloth, which needs stuff to make into cloth, at the right workshop . . .

1. Dwarf Therapist disconnects whenever the map isn't loaded. Try pressing the "connect to DF" button (located in the top left).

2. You have to make the stuff. You need to grow the pigtails rope reed to spin the thread to weave the cloth to make the bags. You need a farmer's workshop, a loom, and a clothier's shop. You can appoint a manager and use "j+m" to pull up a work order, then press "q" and type "spin thread", then type in "30". Wait a bit then type in "weave cloth" "30. Then "make cloth bag"

Alternately, you can butcher your animals (z for status screen) (butcher's workshop (auto)) (tanner's workshop (auto)). One command will get you some leather. Then all you need is a leatherworks to order a bag to be made. Trouble is, leather is harder to come by then the rest.

Alternately, you could be lazy like me and trade a mountain of microline flutes in exchange for a smaller mountain of cloth, thread, and leather bins.

[Garath]

dfhack has some workflow managing options, but the one time I tried it I messed up, so I can't explain how to use it and what it may do

[Chevaleresse]

1. Dwarf Therapist disconnects whenever the map isn't loaded. Try pressing the "connect to DF" button (located in the top left).

Doesn't work. The program behaves as if Dwarf Fortress isn't running at all.

[Garath]

have you tried asking in the Therapist thread in the modding forum?

[fractalman]

2. Are there any mods that streamline production at all? I want to make glass, but first I need sand, which needs bags, which need cloth, which needs stuff to make into cloth, at the right workshop . . .

Glass is pretty easy.  purchase a few bags from the traders, or buy the cheap-but-usefull leather and make leather bags.
Then alternate "collect sand" and "make green glass", both on repeat. 

[Garath]

and use the manager, it'll keep adding the jobs untill they're done, not untill they get cancelled