Wow. That's a lot of questions. I'll answer what I can and leave the rest to those better-equipped to come up with answers.
Also,
the wiki can answer a few of these questions. Make it your first port of call
.
1 ) They're LEGENDARY at one of their skills.
2 ) No. Unless you draft them into the military, make them wear their uniform (i.e. armour) when they are not on duty, and never ask them to train or patrol.
3 ) Nope. Unless you use the above military trick. Even then, I don't think you can assign different picks.
4 ) I don't think so.
5 ) I don't think walls can be destroyed. Doors, yes. But walls, even constructed walls, I think are okay. You can wall-in Forgotten Beasts and such.
6 ) Specialise your broker. Either that, or disable all of his labours when the caravan arrives (he will probably go eat, drink, sleep, and then go on break immediately, but that's just bad luck/timing).
7 ) I don't know about digging, but construction jobs are done in reverse order. So, the
last job you order will get done
first. For digging, I think the dwarves choose what to do first. And something about digging from the east.
8 ) I don't think so - so far as I know, the better quality just increases their worth and makes them better as
weapons.
9 ) You might not have enough barrels, pots, and/or bins, or your dwarves just haven't gotten around to putting barrels and bins in those stockpiles.
10) I think you can by (q)uerying the stockpile, but I haven't done this in a while. Using notes is helpful here.
11) I don't know what the question is.
12) You can clear ramps (d > z) or make your channel at least three blocks wide. Bear in mind your ramp-clearing miners will need a way
out of the channel unless you want to drown/starve/melt them on purpose.
13) As far as I know, refuse corpses are from butchered animals. The corpses stockpile is an open-air graveyard - not very nice. Some people use them for pets I guess.
14)
The wiki knows all. You will get your seeds when you mill and/or process plants. Also see
this useful and elegant chart.
15) I don't think there is any way of tracking the encrusting of gems (yet). You can put a stockpile right next to the jeweller's workshop and fill it with the items you want decorating - jewellers and craftsdwarves will typically decorate the
closest items. Not always, but most of the time.
16) I think the button is (t) to view items in a room. It also lets you view the details of things like statues after they are built.
17) For lever-pulling, there are stories of people keeping a noble trapped in his/her own suite where everything is provided for him/her, but he/she can never leave. The suite is full of levers. This means that the noble never has anything to do and will never attend any parties. If he/she is a vampire then they'll never have to eat or drink either. That means they are more likely going to be free to pull levers as soon as you request it. Other than that, there is no way to prioritise these jobs.
18) I am not sure on this one. I think you can check each coffin or sarcophagus individually. If you can change it "for burial" "not for burial" or whatever, then it's free, otherwise it's part of the mayor's tomb.
Bloody hell. I bet I click
Post and someone else has already posted before me.
Edit: Or two people... FFFFFUUUUUUU-