What would the denizens of Bay 12 recommend? Before telling me how I should risk the lives of my short bearded lunatics, I will say:
No items not happening: I read reports of the wagon not being present with no stuff. Plus I like to dig.
No HFS: That's a mess I'll take on when I feel I must.
Let elves live: Screw them. I need wood for beds, soap, and charcoal.
Megaprojects: I can barely keep a fortress from collapsing under the wieght of dwarves flipping shit when armydwarves die in battle(I'm not fond of traps or ranged combat; Just not as satisfying as watching goblin limbs and teeth fly from a morningstar to the face or battleaxe to the arm.) Another I will do only when I am ready.
Evil Embarks: I gen worlds with no curses or evil rain. I like to live longer than five minutes. So if you suggest that bear in mind I will have no husks or bloodvomit inducing rain to deal with.
I know the above makes me sound undorfy, but damn it that's stuff I'm not ready to tackle at my skill level: See above trouble keeping everyone happy due to ludacris numbers of casualties and deaths due to people not being seen to in a timely fashion. Or lack of soap.
But there are still other challenges, of which I don't know what to pick from. I do have a few personal mods made, and some little habits I've grown accustomed to, so these might be an influence on choices:
Chainswords: Nothing short of candy coating will stop even the copper ones. And only dwarves have access to them, as a show of technological superiority.
Gladius: Felt like adding it in for flavor. If I should add the rest of a Roman soldier's (namely the Lorica segmentata and square scutum) gear, say so.
Stonehammers: Where there is stone, there is weaponry.
Anvil casting: I've taken to just casting anvils and tools on-site.
Various weapons rescaled to dwarf size, or otherwise made usable by them.
Elven babysnatchers: I got sick of thier pack animals hurting my soldiers.
Mountain barbarians: Slavers who like to smash things with maces or thier bare hands
Homemade Spawn of Holistic: My own brand of !!FUN!! creation, credited to Mr Frog for the raws. Can make dwarves into spawn via zombie apocalypse biting rules. 1 in 4 chance, so every fourth bit of torn skin on 4 different dorfs will probably result in a screeching monster.
Wether or not I should PROJECT SPARTAN any childeren.
Capturing megabeasts for a fighting pit: A little habit I like to indulge in. Pitch a goblin down four z-levels to a waiting Ettin or Minotaur. Always satisfying as they knock greenskin teeth out.
So let's see what you propose Bay12! And for !!SCIENCE!! be sure to tell me what I should do for it. Never done any proper stuff outside of Arena combat testing.
Will it be a glacier?
Scortching desert?
Above ground fortress?
Trying to figure out a way to lobotomize crundles?
Let's see what you got.