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[Captain Xenon]

entrances, you need a drawbridge over a pit as thats the only way to stop megabeasts and trolls. put in a lot of traps- have a 'short' path and a 'long path, close the short when you get siege. keep the entrances 3-wide for wagons, but also because a wider path will get more efficient kills from traps than a 1-wide.

important note- channel out the ceiling and floor it over near the entrance, so that when you tell dwarves to stay inside, they will listen more often. usualy they will go a half-dozen paces 'outside' before they turn around. green glass blocks work well for this, but anything will do.

fortress layout, i make the bottom level the tombs. 'blank' level above that, 3 floors for nobility, blank level, 2 floors for housing, and a bunch of empty layers above that. workshops and storage are top-down, putting the finished goods stockpile very near the depot. remember to work verticaly, and stack your storerooms around a stairwell, with workshops around them. this is an efficient way to keep the shops near the stockpiles. put a garbage pile by the mason and craft shops, and keep reclaiming stone there.

near the food stockpile, make a legendary dining room. also make sure to place a party room(statue works well), and leave room for shops.

ALWAYS dig a cistern. this is easiest with a brook or river, but you can drain a lake if neccesary(quickly if its a hot climate). the cistern is your indoor water and fishing, as well as power for a waterwheel and millstones. the cistern is a great place for jails, as they are close to the water. try to have the barracks near the cistern as well.

keep your hallways 3-wide. place high-traffic pathways. put traps near your animal stockpile, something will escape eventually.

plan ahead for nobility. make sure to make small offices for your clerk, organizer, and trader as well. dont worry about deathchambers, all you need is a room with a door and an unconnected lever.

start building a lot of roads early. you will need them for the incoming king. they dont have to go anywhere, they can even be inside.

[TinyPirate]

AFAIK, cave adaptation is only prevented and/or cured by being outside, not just aboveground+light.  But making a roof by flooring over the top makes the stuff below it inside, so dwarves will still suffer cave adaptation.

It's been a while since I tested it though, so there's a chance I might be wrong.

Ouch, so you can leave the ceiling off and get them rained on, or make a ceiling and get them adapted. O well, better micromanage my soldiers a little more...