Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Davichococat]

While embarking I pressed tab and saw that elves and goblins are currently in War with the dwarven civ that I choose. Do that means I will get ambushes in the early year/months? I never got ambushed before(quite a newbie).

If yes, can someone be specific and tell me how much time I have to make the basics and prepare for ambush? I'm newbie with military(I'm always avoiding digging more than 8 levels deep, and only breached a cave(first layer) 1 time. Also as I said, I never got ambushed. Homewever I killed a cyclops with the military thingy(by putting 40 civilians on squads, lol)), and I'm a few lazy with metalsmithing but oh well.

[Dutchling]

You have no more than a year before the elves ''can'' attack.
and of course no elven caravans I assume. Also, you won't die from an ambush, even if you do nothing your miners and woodcutter will kill a few ambushers and they will run away (after killing 10 of your dwarves but they were probably useless anyways)

[Davichococat]

You have no more than a year before the elves ''can'' attack.
and of course no elven caravans I assume. Also, you won't die from an ambush, even if you do nothing your miners and woodcutter will kill a few ambushers and they will run away (after killing 10 of your dwarves but they were probably useless anyways)

No elven caravans? Damned I am.
At least I have what people are try to get- elven war. And right who dont wants haves it. Owww.

No ways I can stop the war?

EDIT: Also how much time I have until goblins?

[Davichococat]

Help? 

I've already started the game and dont want 2 ambushes to kill the fortress early. 

[GotIt_00]

I'm new to DF too, and I am challenged by the need to ramp up food production, trade goods, military, and a metal industry. So that I don't get wiped out, I always build a drawbridge early and then start placing stone fall traps through the main corridor. At the very least, they can't get in to kill you. Chain up an animal or two at the gate as well to alert you to enemy forces.

[Davichococat]

I'm new to DF too, and I am challenged by the need to ramp up food production, trade goods, military, and a metal industry. So that I don't get wiped out, I always build a drawbridge early and then start placing stone fall traps through the main corridor. At the very least, they can't get in to kill you. Chain up an animal or two at the gate as well to alert you to enemy forces.

Well... Thanks for helping. I will try to use this but I'm a few elven to stay away from the wolrd above...

[Levi]

Watch out for flying mounts.  This bit me once when I was at war with the gobbos.

[Dutchling]

the easiest way to survive it is this

X=wall/stone
||=drawbridge
t=trap

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
||ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt||  (wider/longer if you want)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

connect the two drawbridges to two different levers in a busy area (dinner hall/meeting zone) and have them both closed at all times, (cut a lot of wood early on)
open the one closest to the surface when the enemy has arrived, if it is a large group try to split them in smaller groups and than close the gates again. rearm the traps if needed and do it again.

EDIT: one thing to remember: NEVER have dwarves outside, cause you won;t see the ambush before they will see you (though ambushers and thieves can spot each other. If you want wood you should probably open up your gates (make sure dwarves have no reason to go outside (forbid wood lying outside)) and hope all the ambushers will go to your fort and get kill or captured by all your traps, than cut wood and gather it, preferably with potash makers and fish dissectors so you won;t lose any useful dwarves

[proxn_punkd]

Wall in your fortress, with only a single entrance three tiles wide for caravan access, and remove any ramps from the enclosure. Fill the entrance with traps or with a lever-rigged bridge, raising towards the outside, that you can get popped up at a moment's notice.

I make mine like this, the best of both worlds:

        |
        |
_____|_____
^^^^^^^[                ]
d~ ^^^^^[ <-Bridge<- ]
^^^^^^^[                ]                                               o/
------|-----
        |
        |

The tethered dog (a stray, so its death doesn't cause problems) warns about ambushes, the traps snare a bunch of enemies, and if the attacking party is too big, I just have someone pull the lever so the bridge raises and shuts 'em out.

[Di]

1 Draft every migrant you can't find a job for. (leave 5-10 haulers) When creating a new squad, select metal armor.
2 Build armor stand and press 'T' against every squad name.
3 Set them all to active/training ('m-a-down-right-enter-down-enter-down...')
4 Trade for armor and weapons with dwarves. (You'll need a crapload of stone crafts)
5 When enemy comes, station ALL squads near them.
6 ?
7 Profit! (Don't forget to scavenge goblin armor)