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[NiknudStunod]

I have been getting migrant waves of more then 40+ dwarves during my second spring almost without fail.  I can deal with big migrant waves but when more then 60% of them are kids I am left with a population were almost 50% of them do nothing but drain my resources.  I really feel that dwarven children are the new cat problem with the only solution being a death chamber. That solution really has problems of its own.

[dragginmaster]

I don't know if it is a side effect of an improperly tuned Dwarf Therapist but I am able to get most of the kids to do some work, and they make semi good loiters in meeting areas in dorms for helping keep vamps away.

[Talvieno]

I don't know if it is a side effect of an improperly tuned Dwarf Therapist but I am able to get most of the kids to do some work, and they make semi good loiters in meeting areas in dorms for helping keep vamps away.

That would be an improperly tuned Dwarf Therapist, and therefore, basically cheating.  No offense meant.

OP: On the plus side, most of your dwarves already have basic combat training, don't they? That saves you from having to dump large numbers of dwarves into constantly-training armies. It balances it out, in a way, if you handle it right.

[Splint]

plus it's not like every single one is a tot.

I've had some that gre up the month after they showed up, and they ended up as pikedwarves.

[Rodge]

I remember Project Spartan. Toss the kids in a oubliette deal, toss in some chicks or something, some food, some booze, and some stuff to cause happy thoughts. Worst case scenario, they die, which they might anyway. Best case scenario, you have some kids grown up ready for the military.

Or just skip the level grinding and ditch them in a lone. It keeps them safe to grow up, even if everything hits the fan your fort for a while like a black box, and when migrants come or if you leave a pick axe for when they grow up, you're golden.

[Splint]

I remember Project Spartan. Toss the kids in a oubliette deal, toss in some chicks or something, some food, some booze, and some stuff to cause happy thoughts. Worst case scenario, they die, which they might anyway. Best case scenario, you have some kids grown up ready for the military.

Or just skip the level grinding and ditch them in a lone. It keeps them safe to grow up, even if everything hits the fan your fort for a while like a black box, and when migrants come or if you leave a pick axe for when they grow up, you're golden.

Pretty sound recommendation.

[Talvieno]

I remember Project Spartan. Toss the kids in a oubliette deal, toss in some chicks or something, some food, some booze, and some stuff to cause happy thoughts. Worst case scenario, they die, which they might anyway. Best case scenario, you have some kids grown up ready for the military.

Or just skip the level grinding and ditch them in a lone. It keeps them safe to grow up, even if everything hits the fan your fort for a while like a black box, and when migrants come or if you leave a pick axe for when they grow up, you're golden.

That never quite worked out, as I recall - though they did eventually get the idea of alternately burning them with magma and cooling them off, to burn off all their fat and make them fireproof...

[Splint]

it almost worked though. That's the thing, the kids just...emo'd to death after awhile. Maybe a month a year to socialize with other conscripts to prevent that would work.

[Rodge]

The stat boosting idea didn't work very well(though I think someone was still trying when the thread died, maybe there is still some shread of hope), but it did keep them out of trouble. Since the kids are more of an irritant here then a resource, I'm basically just saying seal them away.

[Splint]

Who cares about stat raising? if they know how to fight from the get go they can be PE'd quickly by vicious sergeants in boot camp when they get out. I'm just saying I think the no social contact besides animals attacking them is what was the problem. one month a year, one room, ONLY other kids from the program.

[Talvieno]

Splint - it was a genetics idea - Loud Whispers started a fortress for it (that didn't exactly go as planned). The idea was you keep only the strongest alive, have them mate, and then get their kids to marry and such. Unfortunately, with most migrants being already married now, that would be kind of difficult, especially as dwarves only wed once. You'd have to look for good couples.

As to the kids getting a little more social action to keep them going, yeah - I think that would work... Plus, I always did like the image of a dwarf hanging in a cage above an abyss filled with magma while attacked ruthlessly by animals. Sounds awesome by itself, without knowing what's going on.

[Splint]

Splint - it was a genetics idea - Loud Whispers started a fortress for it (that didn't exactly go as planned). The idea was you keep only the strongest alive, have them mate, and then get their kids to marry and such. Unfortunately, with most migrants being already married now, that would be kind of difficult, especially as dwarves only wed once. You'd have to look for good couples.

As to the kids getting a little more social action to keep them going, yeah - I think that would work... Plus, I always did like the image of a dwarf hanging in a cage above an abyss filled with magma while attacked ruthlessly by animals. Sounds awesome by itself, without knowing what's going on.

Genetics wouldn't really change I'd think. If they're strong because of fighting and mining, thier kid wont be strong. Perhaps our grande scheme may involve some of this....

[Talvieno]

No, there was a thread about it... Not sure where it is, but I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find. It was up for debate, but most people seem to think (as I recall) that genetics were taken into account, and kids weren't randomly genned.

Edit: found it. http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=95152.0

[Splint]

Hmm. EIther way, the project still holds promise.... A way to make them into useful dwarves for the army with the key put in place.

[Angel-of-Dusk]

Place them at the front of your fortress. Nothing like some good ol' baby platemail for your soldiers.