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[Starver]

I pander to my OCD and micromanagement tendencies.  All (non-temporary) rock constructions made of stone blocks.  And of a particular kind of stone blocks.  And in a predetermined layout.  Beds in a block are all to be made of exactly the same wood (not even 'all woods that look the same', like rock blocks (and rocks) that look the same as the target still don't cut it), and all other furniture be of a specific material as suited to the location.  Noble bedrooms are equipped with (apart from the bed) only top-notch masterwork items matched to only one material, maybe their favourite stone, but usually their favourite metal.  I do not kill my citizens.  I do not (personally) kill or rob traders, and wouldn't rob from them, or let them die from any threat that I can reasonably prevent.  I aim to (eventually) kill all hostiles (although I always tend to have a large number in cages), and if I can prevent any that come onto my map from escaping off of it I consider that mission-accomplished.

Little things like that.


edit: Oh yeah, some more things that I just realised might be not universal:  No atom smashing.  I clear and dump mined stone from all living areas.  I use a minimum number of miners (start with two, only expand when the miner-skilled immigrants are already above a certain level).  I attempt to farm (and graze, where possible) every pre-tamed (and successfully on-map tamed) creature, and butchering the lesser creatures towards the end of improving the breeding stock.  If I set up mechanics, then not only should the bridges/gates/whatever be of identical material (and quality, if relevant/possible), and the levers to activate them (also identical, per purpose, and identified by their position in the control area concerned), but the otherwise invisible linking mechanisms must also be self-consistent by type and quality, across the board.

[Clockwise Onions]

The little rules I choose to impose upon myself vary between forts but here are some persistent ones.

- Never take items from fallen caravans (even if I was the cause of their demise) their goods are smashed
- Be self-sufficient, only order goods that I cannot possibly obtain on my map
- Military must not exceed 9 dorfs, only 4 traps allowed in the fort.
- Goblinite must be atom-smashed. It is contaminated and even the smelters can't remove the goblin stench
- All nobles have small manors, except the baron. She/he gets a palace.
- try not to open up a cavern layer
- Make best effort to meet my end of the trade agreement.
- no danger rooms or steel armor. Candy is always unacceptable
- minimal destruction of environment. (I'm not an elf I swear!)
- Don't make the dorfs too happy.
- atom-smashing is to be used solely for disposal of junk.

Most of these are to add additional challenge to the game since it's pretty easy to build a successful fort that can last as long as you can stand. Usually I end up getting overrun by goblins when they send a siege and manage to get lucky by killing or incapacitating my military. It's all part of the fun.

[Cabbagetroll]

No coffins (exceptions for dead merchant dorfs and noble rooms)
Give nobles want they need, but ignore demands.
If possible, make a waterfall.
Every dorf gets a room with a chest, a cabinet, and a door.
All dorfs get the following jobs turned on upon arrival: Woodworking(all), Masonry, Farming(all), Fishing(all), Furnace operationg, Mechanics(all), and Other jobs(all).
Only draft dorfs with pre-existing martial skills.
The guard is dumb, don't use it.
No volcanos (relatively new rule)
No stealing from anyone, ever.
If it drops outside the fort, it is dead to me (exception: dead merchant dorfs).
Everyone gets a slab.
No bunnies.
Better for a caravan to go berserk inside my halls than face the ravages of a siege.
Labyrinths. Build them.

[ASCIt]

Build roads out of the most expensive stone I have. Right now, this is obsidian. ‼Fun‼ shall ensue shortly, I'm sure.

[NinjaBoot]

I keep the layout of my fort symmetrical, always! 

If I miss some valuable ore because my layout doesn't extent to where the deposit is, oh well!  Although a work-around to this would be to extent my layout further.

[Tiruin]

Weird, I was planning to make a short list. Then all this came spewing out.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

> Metal-only items for the Nobility.
> Above-ground fortresses with underground stockpiles.
> No traps at all, nor siege weaponry, just military.
> Population cap must always be under 100, set in the raws.
> The Nobility must always act in the Military. (Mayor mandates the production of Steel Short Swords!  )
> Every coffin and grave must be lavishly decorated, smoothed and engraved.
> Every hallway must be smoothed.
> Farming must be partly over-ground for variety.
> No Magma. We fight and work by the sweat of our brows and the blood of our hearts.
> No narrow hallways.
> Always engage invaders. Terrain options - High Ground, preferably near cliffs.
> No War Animals, except exotics.
> Keep traders happy, this means all races.
> Military must be stationed near the entrance or Trade Depot with separate dining hall and rooms.
> Every Dwarf must have a bedroom to call their own.
> Symmetry is king. Circular patterns in architecture is boss.
> Main Dining Hall = Drink stockpile with a waterfall cascading through the middle, future plans.
> Perimeter of fortress must have a watchtower and a palisade.
> No opening Cavern layers, if opened: Station a military unit to forever live down there, conducting routine patrols through said layer, open field, no building of constructions to ward off those evils of the depths.
> Must always embark near brooks or rivers, unless attempting a FUN embark.
> There must always be a fisherdwarf's cabin.
> Bone bolts are the staple of the marksdwarf.
> Tree-logging must only be done near the fortress, not including the whole map. For natural terrain difficulty for invaders, and the aesthetic view of colored trees (Using Genesis.)
> The Expedition Leader is the Broker/Mayor and Militia Commander. "Trade me."
> Entrance to fortress will always be doors, not hatches. Said doors will be opulent in design and numerous z-levels above them will be uselessly made into clear glass windows. For design.
> A couple years later in game, the fortress entrance must be connected to the land by a bridge spanning seven squares in width, length is optional. Made of precious stone blocks.
> At least three types of booze must be available.
> There should always be a hospital above-ground.
> No atom-smashing/danger rooms.
> Never embark on a mountainside, prefer forests or plains for strategic reasons. (Less stone.)
> In every primary entrance, there is always a dwarven bathtub.
> Every strange mood shall be fulfilled.
> No deconstructing depots for free loot.
> No mistreatment of diplomats.
> Production of gold, silver and copper/bronze coins is made, then put in the treasury next to the Nobility quarters. Yes, just to know that we have coinage.
> In, or nearing the time of a siege, send out a military escort to caravans.
> In taking prisoners by cage traps (alright, this is the only trap used), pit them armed and armored against the military journeymen, with the recruits using crossbows for training of both militia and doctors.
> No using of external help. Must train organization skills. (Looking at you, DF Therapist)
> Miners/Major Craftsmen (Carpenter/Mason...) must never haul, they deserve their free time.
> Idlers = minimum.
> There must always be a quarry separate from the main fortress.

> When digging deep and acquiring candy for the sweet tooth, use the militia to be sure extraction of candy is 100% safe. Only Military.

[zzedar]

So in my original post I left out a bunch of rules that I'd been playing with so long that I didn't even think of them as rules.

Nobles:

• Always make a good-faith effort to fulfill noble demands and mandates.
• No unfortunate accidents.
• Never replace an elected mayor.
• Always try to get the highest possible level of nobility as soon as possible. Once I've got a duke, go for monarch.

Merchants:

• No stealing, either through bugs or force.
• Always trade something whenever merchants come. If they have nothing I need, offer them something.
• Exceptions to the above: If I want war, I can kill merchants or insult them, but I still can't use their stuff if I gained it through force.

Military:

• No danger rooms.
• No ultra-layered armor; all melee dwarves have a uniform of eight items: helm, chain shirt, breastplate, gauntlets, greaves, boots, shield, weapon.

Rooms:

• Everybody gets a bedroom.
• Bedrooms are stone, not dirt.
• Each bedroom should contain at least one cabinet and at least one chest.
• Once I've worked out the basic running of the fort, all bedrooms should be smoothed; however, no commoner gets engravings, and nobles only get engravings if I'm having trouble getting their room quality high enough (I think smoothed stone looks better than engraved).

Misc:

• Always try to meet strange mood demands.
• When farming aboveground crops, they should always have some genuine light. Just temporarily removing the ceiling and then immediately covering it up again doesn't cut it.

[IamanElfCollaborator]

1.Kill. All. ELVES.

2.Kill. All. HUMANS.

3.Kill. All. ANIMAL PEOPLE.

4.Enforce the one-child policy.

5.All criminals are speared and left to rot in the large pit of spike traps.

6. If the nobles die, their bodies are left to rot in the room they died in.

[Clover Magic]

I have a couple.

--Keep all my dwarves as happy and healthy as possible.
--No deliberate Fun or !!SCIENCE!! to kill a fort.  Only genuine surprise Fun allowed.
--Each dwarf gets a smoothed room with at least a bed and cabinet, depending on the bedroom layout I'm using.
--Common dwarves get a coffin in the catacomb hallways.  Dwarves of note (starting seven, military hero, etc.) get a small tomb with two statues and a coffin made of their favorite metal (Must be obtained at all costs unless completely impossible).  Nobles get the extensive tombs.
--If it is not masterwork and made of metal, it must be melted, unless it's something like bolts.
--Only migrants with preexisting fighting skills are allowed into the melee military.  Non-skilled recruits are marksdwarves or fortress guards.
--Have at least one dwarf of every profession, and actively use them.  First migrant soapmaker, congratulations!  Welcome to a life of your soapiest dreams.  Migrant soapmaker #23?  Here's your crossbow.
--In tandem with the above rule, skills such as Fishing and Hunting also must be used.  Fishing only stops when we run out of fish.  Hunting must continue, even against unicorns, for they are tasty.
--No entering the caverns.  Revealing is fine, but they cannot be used for fast-start farms or anything else.  Tree farms must be constructed.  Ergo no silk thread unless cave spiders pop up in the tree farms.  Use your pigtails, dwarves.
--Outdoor farming must be used.
--No killing of animals outside of culling for better breeding or emergencies, such as a leather-needing mood.
--No attacking traders.  They must remain friendly and traded with.  Likewise, no depot deconstructing.  Goods must be obtained legitimately.
--No or minimal dwarven engineering, ex. drowning traps or "unfortunate accidents".
--Lastly, all ambushes, sieges, and uninvited guests must be first faced with the military.  The sealing drawbridge is shut only when both the military and traps fail.  Otherwise the fort must remain open.

I think that's it.

[IamanElfCollaborator]

No dwarven engineering? What are you, an elf? :3

[Clover Magic]

So what if I am?  Overused stereotype is overused.

But more it started in that I can't tell one end of a screw pump from the other, so only Fun ensues if I try.  And they also clash with my rules of keeping all dwarves happy and alive, including nobles, no killing caravans, and facing outside threats with legit military.

I'm one of those rare players that finds genuine fun in seeing my bustling fort and happy dwarves, and knowing I guided the poor stupid buggers into actually functioning.

[Name Lips]

Build roads out of the most expensive stone I have. Right now, this is obsidian. ‼Fun‼ shall ensue shortly, I'm sure.

It's even more !!Fun!! to make them out of coke.

[Name Lips]

I pander to my OCD and micromanagement tendencies.  All (non-temporary) rock constructions made of stone blocks.  And of a particular kind of stone blocks.

I would probably do this too, if only it was easier to make things out of specific materials. I must be less OCD than you, since I can't make myself go through the trouble of setting up custom stockpiles and restricting workers to burrows containing only the correct materials...

[krenshala]

I pander to my OCD and micromanagement tendencies.  All (non-temporary) rock constructions made of stone blocks.  And of a particular kind of stone blocks.

I would probably do this too, if only it was easier to make things out of specific materials. I must be less OCD than you, since I can't make myself go through the trouble of setting up custom stockpiles and restricting workers to burrows containing only the correct materials...

All that is necessary is reading the block type you have selected and not using it if its the wrong type ...

[Ifeno]

there are some rules i always play by and some that vary between fortress:

Varying:

No traps
The World is Flat, no up and down staircases as part of the actual fortress
Dwarves choose their own weapons (individual choice)
No stealing from merchants (they must be killed fair and square...using water....)
Thou shall not turtle.  Stand and fight, to the last breath!
No "zerg rush".
All animals must be put up for adoption.

Constant:

When a mandate demand or strange mood happens all efforts must go towards fulfilling it.
Every creature must be burried or otherwise memorialized
Workshops are divide up into sections (food, wood working, stone working) etc. to create an assembly line type thing
You must have at least 1 working workshop of all types
The fortress guard and milita get seperate barracks
The jail must be as disgusting and unlikable as possible.  Everything must be minimal quality.
Ex-military become farmers.  They've worked hard and deserve the peace and quiet.
The jail graveyard and dump stockpiles must be a reasonable distance from the main fortress.
No dwarf, regardless of how useless, may be left to die.  If urist mc peasant is caught alone in an ambush, all efforts must go into saving him!
No danger rooms.
No exploiting bugs!

There's more but i can't think of em atm.