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[Mimodo]

Hey guys, i'm having problems getting a good embark site.

I'm relatively new to the game, and i just lost my first fortress (cave in which killed 10 dwarves... things went downhill from there). However, I'm finding it almost impossible to find a good site for me to start on.

I am basically looking for the most simple place I can... I didn't get to the stage of experimenting with water, so I don't want an aquifer. I'm looking for multiple of deep and shallow metals (all i ever got to making was steel, but i dont want to risk missing out on iron), and at least a little soil.

I HAVE tried the find tool, but still cannot find a suitable place, after 3 different worlds. Am I doing something wrong? Am I unlucky?

I've also drawn up a floor plan for my fortress, which is designed for starting on plains, or at least a 20*20 area

Any help? Thanks guys

[miauw62]

Set mineral scarcity to everywhere on world gen.
Dont embark near volcanoes
Make sure shallow and deep metalS
Mayby lower number of civs if youre not going to do adventure mode.
And thats all advice i have.

EDIT:

Also, dont use large up/down stairways, something much more fps friendly includes ramps.
If you know the stairways up in adventure mode keep towers, then use that, just two wide instead of one.

[schismatise]

EDIT:

Also, dont use large up/down stairways, something much more fps friendly includes ramps.
If you know the stairways up in adventure mode keep towers, then use that, just two wide instead of one.

Could you provide any !!SCIENCE!! to back this up? 'Tis the 3rd time i've heard it said, but i can't figure out exactly what the problem is, and therefore how to get around it. What if the centre of a 3x3 up/down staircase was a wall, for example? Or do you need to make every alternating floor up OR down stairs on one side, and vise versa on the other side?

Every fort i've ever made has included one main 3x3 (or varied size) up/down staircase, all the way from ground level to the magma sea. Not sure if it's effecting my FPS, which starts at 100 and goes steadily down to 50 by the time i have ~100 dwarves, but i'd like to know if it is!

On topic: In the embark screen, press tab until the left-hand (local) map is displaying coloured numbers - these represent height fluctuation. Look for areas with lots of 0's or 1's and you'll have found a flat embark. Most of the rest is down to luck, tbh.

[Mimodo]

YAY -.- luck :p

my main problem is finding the minerals... everything else i can deal with...
i guess it's back to searching...

[schismatise]

Don't be too picky. Copper armor is perfectly fine in many situations. Hell, i usually repel my first few ambushes in leather armor. You can always trade for iron/pigiron/flux/steel later.

[miauw62]

EDIT:

Also, dont use large up/down stairways, something much more fps friendly includes ramps.
If you know the stairways up in adventure mode keep towers, then use that, just two wide instead of one.

Could you provide any !!SCIENCE!! to back this up? 'Tis the 3rd time i've heard it said, but i can't figure out exactly what the problem is, and therefore how to get around it. What if the centre of a 3x3 up/down staircase was a wall, for example? Or do you need to make every alternating floor up OR down stairs on one side, and vise versa on the other side?

Every fort i've ever made has included one main 3x3 (or varied size) up/down staircase, all the way from ground level to the magma sea. Not sure if it's effecting my FPS, which starts at 100 and goes steadily down to 50 by the time i have ~100 dwarves, but i'd like to know if it is!

On topic: In the embark screen, press tab until the left-hand (local) map is displaying coloured numbers - these represent height fluctuation. Look for areas with lots of 0's or 1's and you'll have found a flat embark. Most of the rest is down to luck, tbh.

I just heard it saying too.
Its some funny pathing stuff, but i dont know why its better.

[Mimodo]

Don't be too picky. Copper armor is perfectly fine in many situations. Hell, i usually repel my first few ambushes in leather armor. You can always trade for iron/pigiron/flux/steel later.

well, i haven't even managed to find copper in my old one :p It was all iron and gold... and a bit of silver

So, narrowing things down, what would be a minimal materials that a newbie could use?

[miauw62]

Don't be too picky. Copper armor is perfectly fine in many situations. Hell, i usually repel my first few ambushes in leather armor. You can always trade for iron/pigiron/flux/steel later.

well, i haven't even managed to find copper in my old one :p It was all iron and gold... and a bit of silver

So, narrowing things down, what would be a minimal materials that a newbie could use?

Silver is fine for warhammers and bolts, in the adventure mode forums silver is reffered to as 'depleted uranium'

[Jingles]

I just heard it saying too.
Its some funny pathing stuff, but i dont know why its better.

That's because an up/down stair surrounded by up/down stairs allows for at least 18 different pathing options (I'm not sure they can move diagonally to different z levels but think they can which would be like 8 more).  Ramps provide the same or even less as a regular flat tile I believe, which has 8 direction options.

A 3X3 stair case definitely has an effect if its very tall, but probably not a bad one.  It could be greatly improved simply by removing the middle of the stair however.

To the OP: A 20*20 map is super gigantic.  Why would you need something that large?  Doesn't it kill your computer?   EDIT: Or am I misreading that and you only need 20*20 tiles?

[Mimodo]

Tiles lol... sorry about that...

My computer just lost 4GB of ram to get it to start! soo, i dont think i'll be doing 20*20... i'll get the stuff i want though

I'm not doing adventure mode just yet either...

[Mimodo]

Just my luck... find a great embark point, then it crashes!

[miauw62]

Tiles lol... sorry about that...

My computer just lost 4GB of ram to get it to start! soo, i dont think i'll be doing 20*20... i'll get the stuff i want though

I'm not doing adventure mode just yet either...

Its more CPU then RAM when its not generating worlds, but having a bit of both is nice.
I recommend about a 4*4 embark. (rectangles are good for covering multiple biomes)

[schismatise]

well, i haven't even managed to find copper in my old one :p It was all iron and gold... and a bit of silver

So, narrowing things down, what would be a minimal materials that a newbie could use?

Anything metal and you're doing well. Iron or bronze (copper + tin) will make very decent armor and weapons. Steel is just a bonus, really, as dwarves are the only ones who have it.

That's because an up/down stair surrounded by up/down stairs allows for at least 18 different pathing options (I'm not sure they can move diagonally to different z levels but think they can which would be like 8 more).  Ramps provide the same or even less as a regular flat tile I believe, which has 8 direction options.

A 3X3 stair case definitely has an effect if its very tall, but probably not a bad one.  It could be greatly improved simply by removing the middle of the stair however.

Ah. Makes sense. Also, i believe dwarves can't move diagonally from an up/down staircase, but can move diagonally up/down a ramp. I think i read that on the wiki.

Having to designate 150 levels of 3x3 ramps though... ye gods. I think i'll just remove the middle of the 3x3 up/down stairs. In fact, why not engrave it - everywhere your dwarves go, they are surrounded by masterwork engravings. Of cheese.

[Mimodo]

Well, I seem to have found my perfect embark point.

Soil (one layer), shallow and deep metals, flux stone, and most importantly, no aquifer.

It is fairly flat for the most part of the 4*4 embark zone, although to the right, it has some hills (a large section one higher than the rest). Even better, as if they knew my fear of dealing with water from my very first attempt (let's not go there), it's in a place that freezes in winter, so all of those stupid murky pools can get destroyed with minimal effort. Although I did almost screw up and leave an exposed ice wall. Luckily I looked up the properties of ice before spring came round, so had it walled in.

My base is well on its way, so I guess that it all just comes down to luck and perseverance with your embark locations.

[robertheinrich]

You know youŽll need water when you get your dwarves injured? Destroying the pools without having access to underground water might have been a bad idea.