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[Sjotrik]

how often should my military train?
I have currently set it to 3 months on, 3 months off, and on an on. ( i know someplace it gets 4 months, but you get the idea)

Well, my question is; is that the most efficient way to train my military? or how often SHOULD they train. they are still on "adequate" except one marksdwarf, who is a expert marksdwarf.

EDIT: Also, how do i get my military to spar? i really need help with this.

[krenshala]

Dwarves get unhappy thoughts from being constantly on duty ("... complained of the [long] draft lately."), but they also get unhappy thoughts when they get relieved of duties.  This means its a mixed bag on whether to have then constantly active/training, or give them time off, all depending on their preferences, the barracks/quarters conditions, food/drink available, etc.

Myself, I start out with a single squad and have then train 12/12 until my population gets high enough to support more troops.  Once I have enough dedicated military for multiple squads I split the time they are active, but still try to only give them one month off (just not at the same time).  With a highly decorative barracks, good rooms and food, you could get away with only 1, or no, months off duty and still they stay happy.  Alternately, you could set up lots of squads, and have then active/training only 1 or 2 months of the year, and doing their "normal" jobs the rest of the time, with a more plain barracks, and probably get the same results.

How to get them to train/spar?  If you have six or fewer dwarves in the squad, in my experience, set the "+*-/: N soldiers minimum" to be the number of dwarves in the squad.  Above six, you start wanting to have it one or two lower than the number of dwarves so the rest spar while one or three wander off for long breaks, drinks, naps, etc.  Don't forget to set up one month, then copy that training order and paste it to the other months/squads.

[Sjotrik]

-snip-

Aha! thank you. currently, i have a pretty plain barracks, with one room with alot of beds. i didn`t think about giving them their own room, at the time. :/ no smoothing either. i guess i will have to work some more with it.

They haven`t complained much yet, so i guess i can have them on duty a while longer. but i guess i should get them some good rooms and smooth it out.

and about the food. do they have to have some sort of food storage in the barracks? or how do you do it?

[thegoatgod_pan]

I go twelve months a year 10-dwarf squad, 7/10 on duty.  Always happy enough, unless sad from death pets, friends, babies. Frequent if not constant sparring and generally effective. 

[Necro910]

I have a bunch of reservists, 1-3 months a year with varying capacity. But this time, I'm going to have a supersoldier squad with full adamantine! Hurray for Danger Rooms!
 

[wuphonsreach]

I run 5-dwarf squads, year-round training with 3+.  But my dwarves also get individual 2x2 rooms with 3 cabinets and a bed.  (Sometimes smoothed before I put furniture down.)

[Sjotrik]

aha. i have just given them a room each, marked as a barracks. but it doesent seem to help. :/ There are 8 in my squad, and i have set the orders to 8/10, and 4 months on, 2 months off, and 4 months on again. then it goes around and around. they complain about long patrol periods. what am i doing wrong?

[Sjotrik]

I have a bunch of reservists, 1-3 months a year with varying capacity. But this time, I'm going to have a supersoldier squad with full adamantine! Hurray for Danger Rooms!
 

Danger rooms? please tell me about that. never heard of it.

[Hyndis]

10/10 on duty training all year round. Make the barracks also be the entrance to the fortress so you have a passive defense. They will automatically attack anything hostile, so anything trying to go through the barracks will be destroyed.

They fight and train until they die.

No whining!