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Author Topic: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?  (Read 1362 times)

VABritto

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How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« on: September 12, 2021, 07:47:23 pm »
Hey there, I am having a problem with initial settlers. I modded in an antman civilization that pretty much necessitates that the settlement have an initial queen antwoman present for it to work. But the problem is I only seem to be able to get worker ants in my initial settlers. I am restarting the embark some times now to see if I can get lucky and get a queen, but so far to no avail. Do you have any advice on what I can do?
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Thisfox

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2021, 11:42:34 pm »
You might get more help in the modding forum.
In a standard game you get a mix of dwarf genders, but I'm guessing your mod is affecting that outcome. Do the queens have specific professions? Perhaps you could try to pay for those professions in your starter 7 dwarfs settlers? 
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Mobbstar

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2021, 12:31:40 am »
You could try making a macro to automate the keystrokes necessary.  Consistently selecting the desired embark location would be a bit annoying, though.
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PatrikLundell

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2021, 02:28:27 am »
Asking in the modding forum is probably the way forward. My guess is that you've created castes, which dorfs don't have, and that this is where your modded critters crash with DF's current functionality.
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Quietust

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2021, 08:17:54 am »
Quote from: PatrikLundell on September 13, 2021, 02:28:27 am
Asking in the modding forum is probably the way forward. My guess is that you've created castes, which dorfs don't have, and that this is where your modded critters crash with DF's current functionality.
But dwarves do have castes: MALE and FEMALE, just like almost every other creature in the game. Also, nothing was ever said about the game crashing, just a lack of caste diversity during embark.

Edit: looking at the OP's other thread, the problem is most likely that the game is just choosing castes at random, and since Queens/Drones/Majors/Workers were defined to spawn at a ratio of 1:5:1000:10000, a single embark only has a 0.0636% chance of getting a queen, and the likelihood of getting a queen across one thousand embarks is only 47%.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2021, 08:33:38 am by Quietust »
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Mobbstar

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2021, 09:04:47 am »
Oh yeah, a macro is not a sufficient solution with these population ratios.

Joking idea:  Buy a queen.

Actually serious ideas (best discussed in the mod forum):  Can a syndrome transform its victim into a specific caste permamently?  Relatedly, can an interaction summon permament civilised creatures?
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VABritto

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2021, 07:40:45 pm »
Yeah, I think those ratios are certainly the main culprits lol I do not want queens to be ubiquitous, but I also need them to be there in a way that I can more or less get at least one at start. Hum... Maybe if I make it a 10:10:30:50? That would be 10 Queen, 10 Drones, 30 Majors and 50 Workers. Given that the Queen ant makes a brew of 100 to 200 eggs, that would mean that I would at most have to expel a few queens here and there but have mostly workers. Given that there are 7 settlers, and each has a 10% chance of being a Queen, I think that increases my odds a fair bit, while still maintaining Queen population relatively low. What do you guys think?

Current creature file:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: September 13, 2021, 07:52:35 pm by VABritto »
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delphonso

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2021, 07:51:18 pm »
I'm not sure about this, but does anyone know if you could alter the Myrmidon raws after the embark and have those ratios take effect? If so, you could adjust the number back down after you've gotten a queen.

I know this can work for animals, so I don't see why not.
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VABritto

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2021, 07:54:17 pm »
If they start getting too common I think I'll try your solution Delphonso! But first I am going to see if this actually makes it a better ratio (because stopping to think about it, Dwarf fortress worlds are tiny population-wise compared to the real world, so maybe the population ratio was actually quite off given the proportions)
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VABritto

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #9 on: September 13, 2021, 09:11:12 pm »
Just to update you guys, it worked! I got 2 Queens and a Drone in my first try! Now my only problem is that the game crashes as soon as I leave the embark message screen lol Will ask in the Modding forum why is that.
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PatrikLundell

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #10 on: September 14, 2021, 01:09:43 am »
The first check would be to see that TwbT isn't enabled, as it tends to crash DF on embark.
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VABritto

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #11 on: September 14, 2021, 06:04:58 pm »
Quote from: PatrikLundell on September 14, 2021, 01:09:43 am
The first check would be to see that TwbT isn't enabled, as it tends to crash DF on embark.

This worked!! Thank you very much!
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VABritto

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #12 on: September 14, 2021, 09:54:40 pm »
Just updating the experiment: As of now the antmen are reacting in a way that I expected. The Queen almost immediately fell in love with a Drone and they are now lovers. I placed them without work in the meeting hall with food a plenty to see if they get married. I also placed a nest box in the room. Will see if the Queen actually lays eggs. If she does, and if these eggs bare the amount of brew that I imagine, then that would mean the colony is actually sustainable. A lot of the antmen will start dying soon, because most live only from 2 to 4 years. The burial logistics may be a nightmare lol
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PatrikLundell

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #13 on: September 14, 2021, 11:45:36 pm »
Remember to forbid the eggs: "dorfs" collect and eat eggs from sapients..
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VABritto

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Re: How to get new 7 initial settlers quickly?
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2021, 07:53:19 am »
That's something VERY good to keep in mind! Thank you. This was going to become a cannibalistic slaughterfest xD
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