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[Ploder]

So if stone-fall traps don't seriously injure intruders, and do not alert you of their entrance, what is their function? Are they even worth building in early game?

[Sutremaine]

Not really, although if you have plenty of mechanisms they're better than nothing. Stonefall traps were pretty good in 40d and earlier, but the material rewrite in .31 made falling stone do much less damage unless you used the ones that were really heavy, like gold or platinum ore, and even then they weren't brilliant.

[Ploder]

Thanks!

Additionally, I'm becoming curious about magma, and am, at last, competent enough with the game to try powering a forge with it. Do I just keep digging until I find it? Also, in general, at what z-level does magma typically begin to appear?

[Nil Eyeglazed]

Thanks!

Additionally, I'm becoming curious about magma, and am, at last, competent enough with the game to try powering a forge with it. Do I just keep digging until I find it? Also, in general, at what z-level does magma typically begin to appear?

Can't say that there even is a "typical" z-level for magma, but if you just dig down far enough, you'll either hit magma, or the semi-molten rock that forms a bed for the magma.

Along the way, you'll hit some caverns.  Hopefully you know what to do about those.

When I hit semi-molten rock before I hit magma, I just dig a straight path on the next higher z-level until I hit either warm rock or more semi-molten rock.  I repeat, digging toward the same spot on progressively higher z-levels, until I reach an area that's above warm rock, then I dig down from that spot (carefully-- don't want to flood your staircase, don't want to drop your miner).

[Ploder]

In all honesty, I'm not terribly certain what to do about caverns. My fortresses typically don't take me very far down yet. I've encountered a few and have so far let them be.

Is there a general "cavern help" thread someone could bump?

[nickbii]

Thanks!

Additionally, I'm becoming curious about magma, and am, at last, competent enough with the game to try powering a forge with it. Do I just keep digging until I find it? Also, in general, at what z-level does magma typically begin to appear?

There is not typical magma level. It can be at -10 or -50. On my current map the magma forges are at -47.

And yes, just dig down. Straight down. You'll probably have to change directions and wall off some openings to the caverns, or you'll get invaded by flying Forgotten Beasts and other nasties. You may get lucky and find a vent in the caverns, but it also possible you'll have to go past all three caverns to get to it.

Nick

[monk12]

The easiest way to deal with the caverns is just to ignore them- there are plenty of places to dig down through the walls to bypass them, and you can wall/floor off any accidental breaches.

When you feel up to it, the caverns are basically the Surface, but less siegey and more megabeasty, especially the further you dig. I normally don't bother with the caverns too much unless I desperately need wood/water/fields, or just feel like the added challenge. In either case, it's basically the same strategy as securing a spot aboveground- walls/channels/traps.

[nickbii]

In all honesty, I'm not terribly certain what to do about caverns. My fortresses typically don't take me very far down yet. I've encountered a few and have so far let them be.

Is there a general "cavern help" thread someone could bump?

I generally don't deal with them. I make 10 z-levels of up/down stairs in a 3*3 formation. If I get a cavern I cancel digging on the z-level under that, and look at the terrain. Most of the time there'll be a pillar I can continue the dig-straight-down strategy in, so I wall off any cavern entrance my guys dug and sink my next 3*3 up/down stairs shaft there.

It's actually pretty simple. Just dig straight down, then when you break a hole into the caverns pretend your guys did the same thing above ground, and wall it up the same way you would if you were worried about parrots invading instead of flying Hungry Heads. Then plan a shaft just like you would if you were digging stairs to the top of a mountain.

I usually do this as soon as I arrive, so I don't have to deal with Forgotten Beasts, and I almost always build a staircase right through the middle of the cavern. It's risky while they're building it because any f;lyer can fly up the stairs into your safe area, and when you get to the cavern's ground level anybody can walk up (I once had a troll do this, before I had any weapons, it took all seven guys to take him out and he killed two), but it really saves on dwarf walking. Otherwise they have to go 30 squares out of their way to get around cavern 1, 30 more to get around cavern 2, etc.

But if you've waited you probably have some flying FBs waiting for you (they start appearing at 20 dwarves), and if you've never dealt with caverns before you should avoid that.

Losing is Fun, but why start now?

Nick

[Farmerbob]

Ugh.. I have a million questions... the interface is so unwelcoming

I just designated my dwarves to clean up my food storage area, so I chose DUMP ITEMS.  Instead of dumping only stone, they're dumping all of the food into my garbage dump.  I can't figure out how to make them STOP THAT!  Help please?

Undump the items, the dwarves will either not move them or return them if they can.

I cannot remember the designation screen commands off the top of my head, sorry

[Flying Dice]

Ugh.. I have a million questions... the interface is so unwelcoming

I just designated my dwarves to clean up my food storage area, so I chose DUMP ITEMS.  Instead of dumping only stone, they're dumping all of the food into my garbage dump.  I can't figure out how to make them STOP THAT!  Help please?

Undump the items, the dwarves will either not move them or return them if they can.

I cannot remember the designation screen commands off the top of my head, sorry

(D) to undump the stuff still in the depot, (c) to reclaim the already dumped stuff.

[MoloMowChow]

I've been digging down this fortress of mine for quite a long while now.

When I embarked I set the options to ensure flux stone. The first layer I hit was Metamorphic layer (marble) and then finally Igneous intrusive, and since then has been alternating in between. Now I've been hitting constant diorite for 60+ floors now and I'm down to floor 22. I've started hitting warm walls which means lava is starting to show up.

Is it possible for a map to not have either sedimentary AND neither igneous extrusive (which means no natural iron)? Or is igneous extrusive just really that deep, since I think it's safe to say that there's no sedimentary on my current embark. I don't want to dig too deep futility and accidentally get Hidden Fun Stuff to happen.

[Nil Eyeglazed]

I don't want to dig too deep futility and accidentally get Hidden Fun Stuff to happen.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

There will be a warning before you hit hidden fun stuff in the form of a strange ore.

[Ploder]

So, I made the mistake of assuming wood barrels and rock pots were used identically. In an effort to conserve wood, I just made a bunch of rock pots. The result--all my food has just been laying out, and now I've got flies galore.

If I rush production of barrels, will dwarves automatically start sticking the food in them, or do I have to designate this labor somehow?

[MoloMowChow]

Just an update. I hit some strange rock. It looks like this fortress doesn't have any natural iron, which kind of sucks.

But at least it's rich in gems, so I suppose I can trade for all my metal.

[tawawawa]

I've been searching for embark sites with unicorns. What would give me the best odds of finding a herd of them?

Do the sites have to be completely Good areas, or can I have a small portion be neutral ( or Evil if I'm lucky )? Is low Savagery better because most of the time on high Savagery I'm finding about half a dozen different birdmen and nothing to hunt. Not sure if the birdmen flocks thing is normal or not...