Good points.
How about some ideas that can be applied to most forts then? I'm talking about narrowly defined goals that can be applied to most forts.
I.) Posting requirements.
II.) Fort features/megaprojects.
III.) Other?
I'm not sure on the posting requirements, but fort features are something I can do.
a.) Working military (somewhat difficult in the newer versions).
b.) Hospital
c.) Warehouses
d.) Central Hall (Moria)
e.) Residential rooms with Windows, arranged into houses.
f.) plumping connected to every residence (sewer)
g.) Magma connected to every residence (heating system).
h.) Power connected to every residence
i.) Artificial cavern (in soil layers)
j.) Cavern Homes (secured)
k.) Drowning entrance chamber (segmented, pumps and drains)
l.) Separated, smaller forts, where a couple migrants, or one large family is made to live, specializing in one labor.
m.) An artificial cave river, complete with waterfall (can be turned off to avoid flooding and fps crash).
n.) Balconies overlooking multistory carved out courtyards.
o.) Guilds specializing in various trades with direct access to and station around an underground trade depot.
p.) Danger rooms made as safe as possible
q.) civilian skill training programs (formerly gyms with screw pumps)
r.) Theaters,Libraries (engravings) and civic buildings
s.) Large community lockers where each dwarf is assigned his or her own chest(s)
t.) Temples to multiple gods and individual ones
u.) Arenas
v.) Royal and noble manors isolated from the rest of the fort
w.) Obscenely overdecorated statutes and other admirable goods to produce happiness.
x.) Dwarf washes/showers/swimming pools
y.) Penal colonies (both actual jails and isolated areas you force "repeat criminals" into via burrows)
z.) Zoos (even aquatic!)
Just some thoughts.