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[Randos]

I've been playing DF a lot the past week and feel like writing some things, and also some random questions which perhaps someone can help me with.

Firstly I have to say that just this week I decided that DF is probably the greatest game I've ever played. There are few other games which I can go back to time-and-time again and still appreciate. DF has endless replay value, and even with almost 5 years of playing, as time allows, I still find new things to learn and new surprises. It's not often that I have time to play, but when I do I'm lost in it! The other day I couldn't stop playing, and I slowly watched a full 8 hours go by and still couldn't stop. "I'll just suit up this last military squad and then get back to work" I would say, or "Oh, they'll be done carving out those rooms in a minute and I'll just lay the beds and go do something productive." Nope. It's too addictive.

That being said. There are also times when I haven't played for a long time and I actually felt apprehensive to get back into it. It took a long time for the menu's and keys to become second nature, and I actually felt "stressed out" at times trying to manage everything. It can be overwhelming!

But that's why I feel so good this week, I feel like I overcame all of that. Just a few days ago I beat off my first siege with military and, for the first time, I didn't lose a single dwarf! I also made the most polished, secured, and self-contained fortress to date without having to refer to the wiki - but only to look up a mineral name or two. I even saved a flooding fortress using pumps! And now I am learning minecarts and hoping to play with magma.

Considering I have a webcomic based on DF too (link in signature below), I guess I am a total fanboy at this point. I'll need a hat and a t-shirt please.

Random Things in List Form:

1 - I love how the game uses all of these real natural rocks and minerals, whereas you would expect another game to simplify it into "rock, gold, diamond". I can't help wondering if Toady or Threetoe have a passion for that stuff or did the game just evolve like that?

2 - Why does the list order change for materials every time I go to build something? So if I want to build 10 Silver Statues in a row I have to search through to find Silver every time, and in a new - random - order. What cruelty be this? Is there a better way about it?

3 - After moving my Trade Depot, some bins got left behind and I can't seem to move them. I tried claiming, dumping, everything. They won't budge. The same goes for some dead animal remains laying outside. They won't put it into refuse and I can't move it by dump.

4 - I want to overcome my fear of embarking in places with aquifers, no trees, freezing biomes, etc. How hard can it be? Tips appreciated.

5 - Probably my only actual complaint with DF is "the lists". If every list was alphabetized, or if every list was searchable, that would be so awesome. Is there a way to mod that? Or is there a tip for finding things in all of these long lists? Annoyances are: Find my selected military, the material selection mentioned above, all menu and action lists.

Thanks for reading.

[Madrigal]

For #2 - I think it's based on distance; materials closer to your current build site are listed first. I think so, anyway; if I'm wrong I'm sure someone will weigh in

[MorsDux]

for #2 there is a planning mode function I always use instead of hand picking. shift+P to activate instead of selecting, then shift + M to set material to silver, for example. Its so much less time to do things like that.

[Bumber]

for #2 there is a planning mode function I always use instead of hand picking. shift+P to activate instead of selecting, then shift + M to set material to silver, for example. Its so much less time to do things like that.

Requires DFHack.

[GhostDwemer]

If you can use DFHack, it has options to sort most lists, and to remember the last material used when building constructions. Not for furniture, though, just walls and floors and things.

You can't dump things that are "outside" unless you change the option under refuse from "Dwarves ignore refuse outside" to "Dwarves collect refuse from outside."

General "hard biome" tip: start throwaway fortresses and just work on overcoming the difficulties.
Aquifers: check out the wiki page here: http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Aquifer
No Trees: dig down to the first cavern level, there will be underground trees.
Freezing: More wiki: http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Freezing

[silhouette]

1 - I love how the game uses all of these real natural rocks and minerals, whereas you would expect another game to simplify it into "rock, gold, diamond". I can't help wondering if Toady or Threetoe have a passion for that stuff or did the game just evolve like that?

2 - Why does the list order change for materials every time I go to build something? So if I want to build 10 Silver Statues in a row I have to search through to find Silver every time, and in a new - random - order. What cruelty be this? Is there a better way about it?

3 - After moving my Trade Depot, some bins got left behind and I can't seem to move them. I tried claiming, dumping, everything. They won't budge. The same goes for some dead animal remains laying outside. They won't put it into refuse and I can't move it by dump.

4 - I want to overcome my fear of embarking in places with aquifers, no trees, freezing biomes, etc. How hard can it be? Tips appreciated.

5 - Probably my only actual complaint with DF is "the lists". If every list was alphabetized, or if every list was searchable, that would be so awesome. Is there a way to mod that? Or is there a tip for finding things in all of these long lists? Annoyances are: Find my selected military, the material selection mentioned above, all menu and action lists.

Thanks for reading.

Glad to see you're enjoying DF and on your recent no dwarf lost siege defense.
Am somewhat in the same boat since i decided to start playin again.

Anyway.
1.)I am fairly sure that the game evolved that way, i remember Tarn talking about this with other stuff and i would assume it would be the same with the geology. I think the line of thinking was that theyre dwarfs, and all the different types of rocks would naturally be important to them.
(also helps with the map generation n all)

2.)It goes from distance, i highly suggest installing DF Hack though, because it "fixes" this (changes it to the last material built for that specific thing), along with allowing other cheaty to somewhat cheaty options (it is a LIFESAVER for gaining a few FPS back from some commands here and there)

3.)Have you got enough room in stockpiles? Also for refuse and stuff MAKE SURE  to turn "dwarves collect refuse from outside" on
   (o-r-o)

4.)I recently have done my first succesful multi-layer aquifier piercing embark, and its not as hard as it seems, you just have to keep goin at it. Though i do recommend bringing wood and stuff. But i do recommend looking at the wiki for the methods of getting through aquifiers.

For no tree biomes, you need to bring along wood with your embark, atleast a little bit to just build beds, if not to turn into charcoal to provide your smelters/metalsmiths to equip your army fast.

For ice biomes, honestly not too hard, i forget if dwarfs suffering from frostbite/affected by the cold is a thing in this version, but it helps train your medical dwarfs up which is a bonus, heh. (i think they suffere a bit of damage the longer theyre outside in the cold, instead of inside the comfy rock)
Again, probably want to bring along some wood if there isnt any already there.