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Author Topic: Recently returned, need advice  (Read 1369 times)

smeeprocket

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Recently returned, need advice
« on: November 05, 2014, 02:30:34 pm »

Hey guys, I used to play a year or two ago, but I quit because I wanted to play games with other people.

I just quit an MMO I was playing and have had fun picking this up again.

A few things, what are stepladders for and how do the tracks work? what is the advantage of them?

What's a good way to get relatively few dwarves combat training while still having a functional fort on the domestic end?

I remember talk about an atomizer last time I played, but never really looked into it. What is the use and can it still be done? how is it done?

Can someone explain the different plants to me? My first fort this time around, I ran out of booze, and despite growing and gathering plants, I never had anything I could do at my still.

Is there a thread that explains modding world creation? I want to steer clear of necromancers, because they tend to be prolific and really hard to handle. I just lost my fort to an army of elven zombies, though they might have just been on there own, I noticed no actual necromancer (also is that actually possible?)

What are the exact tasks a child is willing to do? As in, if I have a lot of children (my fort had way too many before its fall,) what can I disable on the other dwarves that the children will automatically just take over?

Anyway, thanks on advance. I am having a lot of fun. This is my third time picking the game up again, and I actually remembered some of the commands fairly quickly.
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pisskop

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Re: Recently returned, need advice
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2014, 02:32:46 pm »

Set your fort up first, while turtled in with a bridge.  Start training when you feel comfortable with your food and spatial accommodations.

I You could dig out and set up a full fort with 3 dwarves . . .  Just take your time and get used to the mechanics again.

---

children dont do anything but harvesting any longer, afaik

--

An 'atom smasher' is a bridge.  Anything normal sized will be crushed and destroyed when its lowered and they are under it.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2014, 02:34:51 pm by pisskop »
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smeeprocket

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Re: Recently returned, need advice
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2014, 02:36:02 pm »

Instead of a bridge, is there a way to use hatches? I made hatches but the zombie elves waltzed right through them.

They seem easier to manage. I used to use drawbridges, so I guess I could, but the problem comes with getting water, trees, plants, etc.

Would I use burrows to keep my dwarves indoors or what are those used for if not?
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Transpersons and intersex persons mod for Fortress mode of DF: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=10204

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"I can't wait to throw your corpse on to a jump pad and watch it take to the air like a child's imagination."

pisskop

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Re: Recently returned, need advice
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2014, 02:45:31 pm »

Hatches have their own use, which doesn't include atom smashing items out of existence.
  Hatches are useful for keeping out building destroyers.  By forbidding them (in the (q) menu) you can keep any non-lockpicker from using it until something [mischievous] comes along to pick the lock.  That includes fliers and such.  You can extend that to any path by digging down one level, advancing a step, and then returning to path level:

            _
----\\    //----
       ---

The odd line is the hatch that is forbidden to prevent travel and BDs.

Just hook up a bridge to a lever, dump some junk stone or body parts, and crush them away.

---

Food is easy to get by farming (nothing changed much there, aside from more seeds), or foraging (effective before, super-effective now.  though somewhat less dangerous).
Butcher the animals in a pinch.

---

Burrows determine where dwarves can accept jobs, iirc.  Using a forbidden door will keep military inside, which burrows wont do.  But don't worry too much about that, sieges no longer progress with time, rather if the goblins feel like it they will send an army of xx size along.  Siege size is more natural now, although Toady nerfed the early sieges some Ive heard.
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drealmerz7 - pk was supreme pick for traitor too I think, and because of how it all is and pk is he is just feeding into the trollfucking so well.
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smeeprocket

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Re: Recently returned, need advice
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2014, 02:55:51 pm »

okay I was slightly confused about what part of that related to the atomizer and what related to just using a brdige to block the fort. Or was everything about the atomizer. :?.

so the visual you gave is for the best way to use a hatch to keep out building destroyers? Hatch has to be stone right?

For the atomizer, if I make a bridge but no drop beneath it, that will atomize things when the bridge is lowered? I always dug a pit for the bridge to span so that makes sense.

Will that annihilate enemies and/or dwarven children?
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Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/princessslaughter/

"I can't wait to throw your corpse on to a jump pad and watch it take to the air like a child's imagination."

pisskop

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Re: Recently returned, need advice
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2014, 02:59:13 pm »

okay I was slightly confused about what part of that related to the atomizer and what related to just using a brdige to block the fort. Or was everything about the atomizer. :?.

so the visual you gave is for the best way to use a hatch to keep out building destroyers? Hatch has to be stone right?

For the atomizer, if I make a bridge but no drop beneath it, that will atomize things when the bridge is lowered? I always dug a pit for the bridge to span so that makes sense.

Will that annihilate enemies and/or dwarven children?
:/

Stone will always be superior to wood.

If you channel out the area beneath the bridge it cant crush anything because gravity will pull everything down . . . .

Atom smasher.  Magma.  Dropping them.  The best thing to do is to experiment.
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drealmerz7 - pk was supreme pick for traitor too I think, and because of how it all is and pk is he is just feeding into the trollfucking so well.
PKs DF Mod!

Dirst

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Re: Recently returned, need advice
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2014, 03:05:23 pm »

Just to clarify, an atom smasher is a drawbridge that opens onto flat ground at the same level as the bridge.  Things up to a certain size will be obliterated when the bridge is lowered onto them.  Each individual creature is checked against that size: one dragon will survive, but thousands of humans could be crushed by the same bridge even though together they are bigger.

When a drawbridge is up, it forms a nigh-impenetrable wall one tile high.  It doesn't matter how long the bridge is, it makes a one-tile high wall.  It's best to have your drawbridge recessed a tad into the entrance to make sure there are no odd diagonal entries.  Dragonfire will eventually destroy such a wall, but it can keep out typical sieges.
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smeeprocket

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Re: Recently returned, need advice
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2014, 10:22:01 am »

quick question, because I've forgotten.

How do I train hunting and war dogs? My kennels don't give me the option...
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"I can't wait to throw your corpse on to a jump pad and watch it take to the air like a child's imagination."

Deon

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Re: Recently returned, need advice
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2014, 11:03:11 am »

Now you need to setup a training area/zone (I), and then assign training on the animal list.
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pisskop

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Re: Recently returned, need advice
« Reply #9 on: November 06, 2014, 11:04:51 am »

Now you need to setup a training area/zone (I), and then assign training on the animal list.
Yea, I was a little surprised when that happened.  Kennels are (almost) useless now.  They only serve for vermin animals, and you have to build the animal trap first.  Its now a designated area instead of the kennels.  Which is cool, because I haven't had a cued animal revert in this newest version (yet).  In the older version I would occasionally have a chained animal go wild on the chain and then maul my diplomat.

Speaking of, chains dont prevent attacking (non-fort) animals or BD.  Ive had a chained Blind Cave Ogre assault my chained up trolls and then destroy my statues.  He cant destroy the chain due to only be 1 tile away, but . . .
« Last Edit: November 06, 2014, 11:08:50 am by pisskop »
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Pisskop's Reblancing Mod - A C:DDA Mod to make life a little (lot) more brutal!
drealmerz7 - pk was supreme pick for traitor too I think, and because of how it all is and pk is he is just feeding into the trollfucking so well.
PKs DF Mod!