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I use magma.

No magma. I prefer the Way of Axe, Blood and Coal

[tastypaste]

I had the oddest one last game... It was on a plain, but it was 5 levels above so it only had the walls around it sticking up out of nowhere.... Then I was bored and punched a hole on each z level... That was

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

fun

That's one of the peculiar bugs people are reporting in 0.31, some people in the first release were also reporting square shaped volcano tubes.

[LordBucket]

Do you use magma?

Not since 2D.

why you don't use magma?

Biggest reason is that I generally don't embark on maps with it. (Still playing 40d. The current version is too buggy for my tastes.)

Of course, this begs the question: "Why do I embark on maps without magma?"

Because it just doesn't seem that important. I've always found metal industry to be completely optional. I generally trade for my armor. It's most efficient and much easier than training up a smith or hoping for a mood. And siege orcs regularly drop masterwork weapons. So what else is there to build? Barrels? Beds? Wood is fine. Spike traps maybe, but if I need spikes I need them now and not after years of digging for ore, smelting it and setting up a metal industry. Orcs don't wait long.

Metal just isn't that important.


As for traps and moats and things...sure, it would be useful. But I don't really like moats, and I prefer upright spike corridors to "flood the world" solutions. I also don't use weapon traps, or cave-ins. I prefer not to play with insta-kill solutions. It's a self imposed handicap I've used for the majority fo my time playing DF.

Everyone loves Wren

Love the avatar. Phantasy Star IV was a great game.

[ThtblovesDF]

I am guilty of using dfliquids to create 7/7 magma under the ground and 1/7 water a level higher, so i have a cooking pot...

[Alkyon]

I often use magma.  Why?  Because I like to start not only in areas with no/little flux/sedimentary stone for coal, but also because I like to start in low, flat areas where the entire subterranean, including all 3 caverns, are only about 30-50 layers tall.  When the map is that short, it's a small matter to burrow down to the magma sea.

[Psieye]

My first 8 or so forts in 40 were specifically away from magma as I wasn't confident of controlling its dangers properly. That was when I got to know the handicaps of not having magma really well - the sheer number of trees I'd have to cut down to fuel my metal (glass was unthinkable) industry as well as my bin/barrel count... 40d had fewer trees (I didn't embark with underground water either) and far less coal. Melting metal objects needs a loooooooooooot of fuel, as well as training up the 4 smith jobs. I tend to build industry-orientated forts so producing high quality items is high on my priorities - not being able to train up my smiths and glassmakers due to lack of fuel was irritating.

Now DF2010 makes trees, coal and magma all plentiful more or less (if there are no trees on the surface, dig down). Glass is a wonderful alternative to stone as with one job I can output both masonry and stonecrafting products plus build low-damage (good for wildlife) weapon components and train my jewelry industry too. I still need lots of trees - for pearlash (and soap). Thus why I like magma: infinite melting (darn 31.04 bug with melting items...), GLASS and training my smiths.


When I start a DF2010 fortress, the first thing I do is dig a temporary safehouse where 7 beds, 4 chairs & tables and a bunch of stockpiles are set up. Then the farms come once my floodgate is setup so I don't have to drain all of the murky pool - usually both my surface and underground farms start up around the same time. The 3rd thing I do is find all 3 cavern layers and the magma sea. Only afterwards do I think about digging out living quarters, the dining hall and the industry sectors. Caverns immediately get walled off as soon as I discover them, I just need to be aware where they are so I can plan the rest of my fort around them.