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[billybobfred]

Yeah, I've had them off for a while because I'm a pansy elf who can't run a proper military; in particular, I can't outfit them.

The thing is, without the occasional invasion, I find that a fort stops being fun after only a few years. (and it never gets properly Fun)

So. Once I turn them back on and start my next fort, what do? I plan to embark on a site with sand, flux, and some kind of water source (river, aquifer, something). I've always found that I spend way too long on the "prepare carefully" screen, so I'm also asking what I should bring to this site.

For reference, this is the profile saved from my last fort's embark gear:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

[SKILL:1:MINING:2]
[SKILL:2:WOODCUTTING:1]
[SKILL:2:DESIGNBUILDING:1]
[SKILL:3:CONSOLE:1]
[SKILL:3:PACIFY:1]
[SKILL:4:DETAILSTONE:1]
[SKILL:4:MASONRY:1]
[SKILL:5:RANGED_COMBAT:1]
[SKILL:5:DODGING:1]
[SKILL:6:BREWING:1]
[SKILL:6:COOK:1]
[SKILL:6:DIAGNOSE:1]
[SKILL:7:PLANT:1]
[SKILL:7:HERBALISM:1]
[ITEM:11:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:SEED]
[ITEM:21:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:SEED]
[ITEM:21:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_WHEAT_CAVE:SEED]
[ITEM:21:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:POD_SWEET:SEED]
[ITEM:46:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:BUSH_QUARRY:SEED]
[ITEM:1:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_CUP_DIMPLE:SEED]
[ITEM:21:PLANT:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:STRUCTURAL]
[ITEM:16:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:DRINK]
[ITEM:16:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_WHEAT_CAVE:DRINK]
[ITEM:16:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:POD_SWEET:DRINK]
[ITEM:1:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:DRINK]
[ITEM:24:FISH:NONE:LOBSTER_CAVE:FEMALE]
[ITEM:1:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_PICK:INORGANIC:COPPER]
[ITEM:1:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_AXE_TRAINING:PLANT_MAT:HIGHWOOD:WOOD]
[ITEM:1:ANVIL:NONE:INORGANIC:IRON]
[ITEM:1:CAGE:NONE:INORGANIC:COPPER]
[ITEM:7:WOOD:NONE:PLANT_MAT:PINE:WOOD]
[ITEM:10:BARREL:NONE:PLANT_MAT:HIGHWOOD:WOOD]
[ITEM:10:BOX:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:SPIDER_CAVE:SILK]
[ITEM:3:CLOTH:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:SPIDER_CAVE:SILK]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:GOAT_MOUNTAIN:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:RAT:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:MARMOT_HOARY:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:RACCOON:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:FOX:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_CROSSBOW:INORGANIC:COPPER]
[ITEM:30:AMMO:ITEM_AMMO_BOLTS:INORGANIC:COPPER]
[PET:1:DOG:FEMALE:STANDARD]
[PET:1:DOG:MALE:STANDARD]
[PET:1:COW:FEMALE:STANDARD]
[PET:1:COW:MALE:STANDARD]

[fervor]

Definitely a good idea to have it turned on.  Otherwise, you lose a lot of the urgency and purpose, which leads to a major loss of Fun.

After you get your basic foundation established (essential rooms, workshops, etc.), you have to shift some focus early to outfitting and training your military.  Proper gear is absolutely essential and that means getting your metal industry up and running.

Hmm....you know, it might be a good idea to check out the quickstart guide on the wiki.  Really indepth guide to starting out.  Once you read/follow through the guide, you'll have a much better idea of what you need to do to get your basics covered.

http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/DF2010:Quickstart_guide

[Hans Lemurson]

I've been doing it "baby steps".  First I make an impregnable fortress, and then I train up some crossbowdwarfs to drive-off invaders that come too close, and then I test out my melee-squads who fight under crossbow-cover.  Crossbows and Melee fighting have a nice synergy.  Crossbow bolts will often wound without killing but can stun their victim for long enough for your melee-dwarfs to get in a killing blow.

[Sutremaine]

Proper gear is absolutely essential and that means getting your metal industry up and running.

You can send dwarves in bone and leather out to fight ranged squads if their shield and dodging skills are good enough (and you're feeling lucky). Perhaps you could achieve this by laying low for the time it takes to skill up, but it's kind of hard to keep your wealth down that much.

Military training also relies on a lot of skills, and that eats into the amount left over for civilian jobs. Proficient Teacher and Dodger on one dwarf isn't too onerous, but other dwarves need to have points in Student and maybe Observer to take advantage of the high teaching skill. Last time I tried it with just a Teacher / Dodger and everybody training (mature fort, no invaders) the difference was noticeable in DT, but I'm not convinced it worked well enough to justify the points spent.

[Namfuak]

I usually start with two military dwarves, one hammerdwarf and one swordsdwarf, who each have a bronze/silver weapon (bronze sword, silver hammer), and a bronze breastplate.  I grab some cheap food and drinks, and a pick and wooden training axe.  Then I strike the earth, and as soon as I have basic stuff dug out make a small barracks and set my militia on training.  Crossbowdwarves are nice, but require supplies, which can make them hard to use before you have produced metal armor for all your melee dwarves.

[shlorf]

I always bring a hunter (needs ambusher as highest non military skill), who gets a free crossbow and quiver with 25 bolts on embark. Unless you embark in a undead biome he'll bring in enough food so you don't have to worry about anything but water/booze for a while. The bones from butchering are turned into bone bolts, and by the end of year 2 he'll be legendary or really close. Since he can't really use up all bone bolts once he's getting a bit better, 2 or 3 migrants from the first wave get drafted into an archer squad and spend the excess bolts on the archery range.
I never tried bringing teachers/students but I've been reading good things about it so I'll try it on my next fort.

[billybobfred]

I always bring a hunter (needs ambusher as highest non military skill), who gets a free crossbow and quiver with 25 bolts on embark.

See, I didn't even know that was a thing. I am all about getting the free stuff, as you can see if you check my embark profile. Booze numbers ending in 6, seed numbers ending in 1, sand instead of empty bags... But I completely didn't know about the hunter thing.

[The Dog Delusion]

After about 6 ambushes in a row, I decided to turn off invasions for a few seasons so that I could safely collect all of the loot...But for some reason, I'm still getting ambushes. I've lost about half a dozen dwarves, and about 70% of the fortress is getting really depressed. Is there some sort of issue with switching between invasions on and off?

[Girlinhat]

I had a hard time preparing for ambushes, definitely my biggest issue.  The thing I do, is to build up walls fast.  I usually pick a flat map, and my entrance to my fort is a stairwell.  So, I Shift+Direction and build walls, so that I have a 21x21 area walled off (19x19 since walls are 1 thick), and then channel outside my gate.  Remove the ramps from the side of your wall, and drawbridge it.  This makes it so that no titans or trolls can actually reach your gate once it's up.  Then, usually a good line of cage traps, so that the gate can be lowered and catches made, or if a caravan arrives and you want to trade without being totally defenseless.

Then, get wood stockpiles.  A LOT of wood.  Wood, for me, is charcoal for my steel furnaces, so I have 3-4 stockpiles, each 7x7 area each (total ~200 wood) and to support this stockpile, I usually order my woodcutter to simply raze the entire map, and once he finishes he's legendary and you've got wood for years.  After that, if you've got a good underground farm running, you can simply forge steel equipment and take as long as you want training your soldiers.

For steel, I usually embark to a Dolomite area.  It's got flux, malachite, and various forms of coal or lignite.  Everything needed for a good steel industry.

[billybobfred]

So, I turned invasions back on like, half a dwarf-year ago (I forgot to do it before I embarked herp derp), and still nothing. Not even a thief.

The civs screen shows that I'm basically completely isolated here; only the Mountainhomes themselves have contact with my little outpost. Did I, completely by accident, embark to a location that just won't get attacked?