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[NTJedi]

Well I've learned most of the game... the only *major* piece I need to finish learning is magma(haven't had time to go find it).  Once that's finished I'll march to the clowns and then play a new game.

Anyways I'm planning to setup some House Rules for my next game which will remove the obvious game exploits and looking towards the other veteran and hardcore players for advice on what House Rules they recommend.  I've listed below what I plan to include, but more advice is welcome. 

1) What's your advice with the exploits listed below?
2) What other game exploits do you know exist not listed and do you recommend a house rule?


Banned Exploits:
A.   No building cages from workshops and no setting of cage traps. 
    *Cages can be purchased for animals and then used as a prisons.

B.   No cave-ins for instantly killing any monsters\enemies.

C.   No danger rooms for superhero soldiers in one season.

D.  No pit traps since all ground units would be helpless.

E.   No using bridges to box enemies inside walls.

F.  No using walls/bridges to seal out the enemy... a path without a bridge to the core fortress must exist at all times.  Not really an exploit, but I'm just trying to provide some better odds for the goblins.

G. No disabling of trade depot while merchants are unpacked/visiting.


UPDATED_APRIL_5th:
Thanks for the responses!  The list has been updated.

H. If breaking into the caverns a path without a bridge to the core fortress must exist at all times.  Not really an exploit, but I'm just trying to provide some better odds for the creatures inside the cavern layers uncovered.  {Suggested by Mr Frog)

I. Try to maintain peace with all merchants, especially elves.  Main reason so an option exists for removing excessive items from the game which slow FPS.  {Suggested by xdarkcodex)

J. Only buy meat or fish from caravans which can be found in the local grocery store and must be something I would eat myself.  Also I cannot request any types of meat or fish from future shipments.  This adds a more personal touch with food consumption at the fortress.  So cow meat(yes), however prepared cow lung(no), prepared cow heart(no), goat meat(no), pond turtle(no), rainbow trout(yes), etc., etc.,.  {Modified Suggestion from thvaz)

K. No using dwarven atom smashers to instantly kill goblins, creatures or enemies which threaten the fort. If the bridges were damaged as a result of smashing or if the goblins could dodge, resist or survive the smashing then I would probably use them, yet since it's an instant kill effect I will ban them from my game.  {Modified Suggestion from Naryar)

L. Dwarven water reactors are an exploit and will not be used. Never heard of this, but I will trust your word.  {Suggested by Naryar)

M. Limiting the number of engravings within a dining room to match only the number of tables to prevent excessive happy thoughts.  {Modified Suggestion from Deathworks)

[Mr Frog]

Well, it's really just a question of what you, yourself find fun or not fun. But since you asked:

H. No chickening out on the caverns. If you break into the caverns, you are not allowed to re-wall. There must be a path from the inside of your fortress to the edges of the cavern layers you've uncovered.

[xdarkcodex]

I. Try not to piss off the elves or hurt them?

Not really a house rule or an exploit of any kind, just a challenge.

[thvaz]

J. Do not buy meat or fish from caravans (they should be spoiled from the long travel)

[Deathworks]

Hello!

As I have mentioned on other occasions, I have a different style of gaming I prefer, so there is little advice I can give you (except maybe turning population cap and baby cap to hilariously high values in order to deactivate them). However, there is a question I wanted to ask you about rule B:

While I have not met anything like that myself, I have read repeatedly that FB and other similar creatures may in some cases be completely unkillable via any normal means and can not be dealt with except for insta-kills because they lack organs that can be damage, do not bleed, etc. . Do those still exist in the current version and what are you then supposed to do if something like that decides to visit your fortress?

Mind you, I am not attacking your style of playing. I am just curious how your rules are to be applied in that hypothetical, specific case.

Anyhow, have lots of fun, and do tell us about what exciting things happen in your fortresses.

Yours,
Deathworks

[caddybear]

War with elves, obviously.

[Naryar]

My opinion...

-Danger rooms over 1-2 spears/tile are overpowered and should not be used.
-Abusing dwarven atom smashers is an exploit. What i mean by "abusing" is that yes, they can be realistically used as a weapon and crush invaders, just not to kill an entire siege. Though maybe they should just damage stuff rather than obliterate stuff.
-Dwarven water reactors are an exploit and should not be used.
-Abuse of infinite resources (sand, fire clay, etc) is an exploit and should not be used.

Feel free to agree with me or disagree.

[xmakina]

At least 2 tiles before and after any ramp. Ideally 3 so the merchant carts can be fully level before descending/rising again. Also, allow at least a 5x5 square for any turns the merchants will have to make

[Deathworks]

Hi!

I have actually remembered something that is kind of an exploit: Engraving huge dining rooms to generate excessive positive thoughts is an exploit. After all, just because you eat in a good restaurant wouldn't make you forget the brutal murder of your husband and kids....

Yours,
Deathworks

[darkflagrance]

Hello!

As I have mentioned on other occasions, I have a different style of gaming I prefer, so there is little advice I can give you (except maybe turning population cap and baby cap to hilariously high values in order to deactivate them). However, there is a question I wanted to ask you about rule B:

While I have not met anything like that myself, I have read repeatedly that FB and other similar creatures may in some cases be completely unkillable via any normal means and can not be dealt with except for insta-kills because they lack organs that can be damage, do not bleed, etc. . Do those still exist in the current version and what are you then supposed to do if something like that decides to visit your fortress?

Mind you, I am not attacking your style of playing. I am just curious how your rules are to be applied in that hypothetical, specific case.

Anyhow, have lots of fun, and do tell us about what exciting things happen in your fortresses.

Yours,
Deathworks

As far as I know, no modern forgotten beasts are invincible; this bug was supposed to have been addressed.

[powell]

I intentionally make bad decisions (mostly in relation to fortress construction) to make the game more fun.  In my current fort, the farms are a couple of tiles away from the entrance and the barracks is the farthest thing from it.  Also everything is on 1 z-level.  Whenever elves come, its a rule to kill them.  Also, no military larger than a couple of dwarves, the rest have to be drafted.

[Adamfostas]

Only Stonefall traps. Everything else can take out an invading force without you needing to build any kind of military at all.

[kulik]

Hi!

I have actually remembered something that is kind of an exploit: Engraving huge dining rooms to generate excessive positive thoughts is an exploit. After all, just because you eat in a good restaurant wouldn't make you forget the brutal murder of your husband and kids....

Yours,
Deathworks

You're applying human logic to dwarfs. From my view, dwarfs admire art, crafts and waterfalls so enormously that i find this is not an exploit.

[MenacesWithSpikes]

Idea for a rule:

If your dwarves execute caged goblins/trolls/whatever in an execution room, you're not allowed to disarm the goblin/troll/whatever first.  Not even if it's a Lasher, an Elite Crossbowman or an Axe Lord.  However, you may bring as many military dwarves into the execution room as you wish.

[NTJedi]

Thanks for all the responses, the list has been updated and I'm excited with the challenges ahead!

To answer specific questions/comments:

Hello!

However, there is a question I wanted to ask you about rule B:

While I have not met anything like that myself, I have read repeatedly that FB and other similar creatures may in some cases be completely unkillable via any normal means and can not be dealt with except for insta-kills because they lack organs that can be damage, do not bleed, etc. . Do those still exist in the current version and what are you then supposed to do if something like that decides to visit your fortress?

Mind you, I am not attacking your style of playing. I am just curious how your rules are to be applied in that hypothetical, specific case.

Anyhow, have lots of fun, and do tell us about what exciting things happen in your fortresses.

Yours,
Deathworks

I definitely expect many of my forts will be dying, but mainly from goblin sieges and their weapon masters or archer types until I can build and survive with a military for protection.  In regards to your question eventually some steel titan with fire breathing and death blood can enter my map threatening everything... if the map I'm playing is young I will probably allow the dwarves to fight to their death.  If I've grown more attached to the map I'm playing I will probably pause the game, take screenshots and seek advice on the forums.  I'm quite skilled solving computer software puzzles every day at work which helps when facing challenging scenarios within a game.  Even with all the dwarf fortress community helping... my fort might still fall from an attack, but this will provide me a method to face my own Kobayashi Maru from a dwarf fortress experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2vYRQlS2aQ  LoTR moment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp0GikZzj6Y  Better LoTR moment
  1:25 } Gimli (dwarf) says, "Certainty of death, small chance of success... what are we waiting for?"   

War with elves, obviously.

The elves are weak mainly because they only use wood for armor and weapons.  I mainly won't declare war on merchants for three reasons:  First I need to remove as much cluttering items as possible naturally(merchants) to prevent problems with FPS.  Second I'm a player who prefers to play the friendly good nation/people, however if the game is designed vise versa such as DungeonKeeper than I don't mind playing as the evil nation/monsters.  Third the elves will be my only source for receiving exotic creatures for training since I won't be using cages as traps.

At least 2 tiles before and after any ramp. Ideally 3 so the merchant carts can be fully level before descending/rising again. Also, allow at least a 5x5 square for any turns the merchants will have to make

What's the game exploit?  I provide this design for forts by clear cutting as many trees and smoothing as many stones as possible.

I intentionally make bad decisions (mostly in relation to fortress construction) to make the game more fun.  In my current fort, the farms are a couple of tiles away from the entrance and the barracks is the farthest thing from it.  Also everything is on 1 z-level.  Whenever elves come, its a rule to kill them.  Also, no military larger than a couple of dwarves, the rest have to be drafted.

Only Stonefall traps. Everything else can take out an invading force without you needing to build any kind of military at all.

I will need elves since they'll be my only source of exotice animals and they're generally weak plus a few other reasons explained earlier so I will maintain peace unless they declare war as a result of a diplomat being killed by goblins.  The small military and only stonefall traps are rules beyond my current skill level... I haven't even used magma yet.  I will definitely keep them on my radar if seeking to increase game difficulty again.

Idea for a rule:

If your dwarves execute caged goblins/trolls/whatever in an execution room, you're not allowed to disarm the goblin/troll/whatever first.  Not even if it's a Lasher, an Elite Crossbowman or an Axe Lord.  However, you may bring as many military dwarves into the execution room as you wish.

Well I won't be using cage traps so I won't have the luxury of an execution room or disarming the goblins/trolls/etc., .  After Toady is able to complete game balance for cage traps I will probably add this to my list, yet as of now... no cage traps for me.