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[Monk321654]

Hello, all.
Now, it seems in the most recent update (Either that, or I've been lucky. Really lucky.) That the more Ores a place has, the less Flux.
Obviously, this posses a problem to my embarks.
So, here's the choices:
A. Choose an area with good Ores, and import Flux.
B. Choose an area with good Flux, and import Ores.

What's your opinion?

[jaxy15]

A. Flux isn't that important, really. While steel is good, it's pretty annoying to produce.

[ImBocaire]

Or C. Embark on a flux layer full of awesome ores.

Just because the site feature listing doesn't show flux as being present doesn't mean it's not there. I'm currently in a fortress with limestone and mineral scarcity set to 100, and checking with Prospect on the main map shows chalk, limestone, and dolomite layers all over the place.

[KodKod]

You don't have to use Steel all the time. It's nice for when you want the game to be on easymode, but otherwise why not just stick with iron or bronze?

[slothen]

settled my fort in an area with deep marble and a tiny amount of tetrahedrite.  No other metal ores to speak of whatsoever.  I am now swimming in copper, silver, and have plenty of iron and steel from melting goblinite and importing anvils/bars.  And most of the copper/silver is from goblinite, not tetrahedrite.

The point being you can import metal much easier than you can import flux.  Also, don't import ore, import bars, anvils, and items made of metal that you can melt down.  Plus, marble is nice for buildings and furniture and slabs.

You don't have to use Steel all the time. It's nice for when you want the game to be on easymode, but otherwise why not just stick with iron or bronze?

steel isn't easymode, 2-man squads are easymode.  I defended my fort for about 7 years with just 2 dwarves.  They used copper warhammers, leather shields and armor, and bone helms.  Of course, if you're using non-legendaries, then steel is really nice.

[Loud Whispers]

Flux. Building a marble Parthenon is just awesome, and why should I care if a few Dwarfs die here and there from not having steel, there's plenty more where that came from, and getting them to be skilled warriors is more important anyways :|

[Destructicus]

A. Flux isn't that important, really. While steel is good, it's pretty annoying to produce.

Steel's great.  Just set "Smelt Hematite - Repeat" x 2, "Create Pig Iron - Repeat" x 1, "Create Steel - Repeat" x 1 on all your smelters and revel in your piles of steel.  Very easy and you only have to set up once per smelter. 

As far as which one to choose, if indeed you must choose, it's a toss-up.  If you have some kind of metal, you can at least use that to level up your weapon/armor smiths so that when you do get some steel, you can make good stuff.  But there's no guarantee your civ will have access to flux.  On the other hand, if you choose flux, you can always resort to goblinite and iron items/ore from your civ, but it is more of a pain, IMO.

If you're having trouble genning worlds that have sites with both flux & iron, you might have too many volcanoes and/or too high a mineral concentration.  Certainly don't use 100.  If the finder isn't reporting flux, use prospect to check a couple embarks just to make sure you aren't getting false negatives.

[Rude]

Skilled dwarfs are more important that well equipped dwarfs. Wooden spears are adequate for goblins if your military is good enough.
If iron exists in the world, it will eventually find it's way to your doorstep. Whether friendly or not.
flux is heavy if it's usable; so merchants wont bring much of it.
You can melt metal objects. You can only mine flux.
Making furniture out of flux instead of regular stone will double it's value. Think of the dwarfs tantrum spiral.
2 flux makes 2 steel bars. 2 iron makes 2 steel. Do the math: if you have 1000 iron on the map and 10000 flux, which will run out faster? Which would you rather import? Which can you import in greater quantity? Did anybody mention that you can melt metal objects yet? For free if you get magma. (Are you going to make a steel industry without magma? Hope you also have a thick forest.)

[ImBocaire]

too high a mineral concentration.  Certainly don't use 100.

Once again, the only problem I've ever had with setting mineral scarcity to 100 is that the site feature listing doesn't list flux stone. Use prospect or make some test embarks, but there's no reason you have to choose.

[GhostDwemer]

When Toady said he fixed flux in the finder, I think a lot of people assumed that what he meant was, both the find embark command and the finder layer listing will show all flux. But the finder layer listing only shows the first few layers. Toady said he would make the find command and the layer listing agree. Obviously, what he meant was that the find command will no longer find deep flux. Using dfhack's prospect command to double check, I have found flux in plenty of places where the finder layer listing and the find command say there is none.

[Monk321654]

Alright, Flux it is.
Although this really brings up the question of self imposed difficulty if you chose a Ore fort and had to import Flux...

[Vanaheimer]

I always go for ore. Always.

Steel is nice to have but it's not a necessity.

[Loud Whispers]

Alright, Flux it is.
Although this really brings up the question of self imposed difficulty if you chose a Ore fort and had to import Flux...

I normally choose embarks with no ore or flux, best fun yet ^_^

Seriously, you begin to value your Dwarfs more. Not to mention copper suddenly becomes candy in your eyes.

[KodKod]

Seriously, you begin to value your Dwarfs more.

value your Dwarfs more.

value... Dwarfs...

No.

[Loud Whispers]

No.

Yes. Not even veterans are safe on my forts. Oh, you've lived since the beginning of time and lasted through several wars?

Silver spear in your gut.

Shame. Nice knowing yah.