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[snakesoul]

Hello,

I'm planning on build a cavern-fort, I mean living just on the cavern, having no way to the outside. But I'm thinking on some problems:

How would caravans handle this?
Inmigrants would be able to arrive to my fort?

Thanks!

[Tibous]

I think you've said it all.

There is need to have contact with the outside world, to receive trade or immigrants.

But perhaps someone more experienced know better you explain ...
good luck

[Mishrak]

You just have to decide how much access to the outside world you'd want to have.

Either no access where the only new dwarves you get are children or just don't utilize anything outside a cavern, but still have an open pathway (lockable via bridge) to allow migrants or caravans in.  Make sure it's a 3x3 no-trap pathway for Caravans.

[Jenniretta]

you would have no trade, or (successful) immigrants, but it's entirely possible to populate a fortress just on children from your starting 7 and their children and their childrens children etc.

Though, that means all dwarves will start off with no skills, except the starting 7, and children can't work but they still eat and drink, so for the first couple years (13 or so from birth to working age) of their lives, you need to have the adults make sure they're taken care of.
If you're in the caverns, the biggest issue would be forgotten beasts. Because of the small population, and slow growth, you can't afford to lose a dozen dwarves dealing with a giant fly made of steel.

[Tibous]

you would have no trade, or (successful) immigrants, but it's entirely possible to populate a fortress just on children from your starting 7 and their children and their childrens children etc.

Though, that means all dwarves will start off with no skills, except the starting 7, and children can't work but they still eat and drink, so for the first couple years (13 or so from birth to working age) of their lives, you need to have the adults make sure they're taken care of.
If you're in the caverns, the biggest issue would be forgotten beasts. Because of the small population, and slow growth, you can't afford to lose a dozen dwarves dealing with a giant fly made of steel.

heheheeh nice idea, but looooong long time of gameplay no?! expect children to grow up ....

[Zanzetkuken The Great]

you would have no trade, or (successful) immigrants, but it's entirely possible to populate a fortress just on children from your starting 7 and their children and their childrens children etc.

Though, that means all dwarves will start off with no skills, except the starting 7, and children can't work but they still eat and drink, so for the first couple years (13 or so from birth to working age) of their lives, you need to have the adults make sure they're taken care of.
If you're in the caverns, the biggest issue would be forgotten beasts. Because of the small population, and slow growth, you can't afford to lose a dozen dwarves dealing with a giant fly made of steel.

heheheeh nice idea, but looooong long time of gameplay no?! wait the children's .....

Might be slightly more tolerable with having the first year's migrants as well.

[Catsup]

build a giant stairway of ramps from the surface down to the caverns and channel out ALL of the rest of the soil, aquifier, and rock above the first cavern layer so that your cavern is now the "surface" and voila, cavern fort.

[BoredVirulence]

My interpretation of such an attempt would be to allow access to the outside world in a very long pathway that stretches through the caverns. Simply, make them come to you in the caverns, and make the path long, so they have to experience the cavern as they approach you.

After all, those caravans have to get underground somewhere, and in this instant its close to your fortress.
Just remember to have a 3 wide path with no traps and ramps not stairs to allow caravans.

[Jenniretta]

you would have no trade, or (successful) immigrants, but it's entirely possible to populate a fortress just on children from your starting 7 and their children and their childrens children etc.

Though, that means all dwarves will start off with no skills, except the starting 7, and children can't work but they still eat and drink, so for the first couple years (13 or so from birth to working age) of their lives, you need to have the adults make sure they're taken care of.
If you're in the caverns, the biggest issue would be forgotten beasts. Because of the small population, and slow growth, you can't afford to lose a dozen dwarves dealing with a giant fly made of steel.

heheheeh nice idea, but looooong long time of gameplay no?! expect children to grow up ....

It goes by faster than you'd expect. it takes a bit over a decade of time in-game, but without so many dwarves around your FPS won't tank as quickly.

[CognitiveDissonance]

I think you've said it all.

There is need to have contact with the outside world, to receive trade or immigrants.

There is no need for the outside world. It is full of humans, elves and inferior Dwarves. You have arrived at this location to get away from them. So let them starve on the surface, wallowing in their own filth and corruption. You have a society to build from the ground-up. Just make sure to accept the first two immigration waves of the Faithful, as they will be your breeding stock. Then dig deeper, and seal yourself away. With your children's children the Dwarven salvation will come.

(if this actually excites you, you can also set pop:0 in d_init.txt file to prevent migration)

[snakesoul]

Thank you all!

I think you've said it all.

There is need to have contact with the outside world, to receive trade or immigrants.

There is no need for the outside world. It is full of humans, elves and inferior Dwarves. You have arrived at this location to get away from them. So let them starve on the surface, wallowing in their own filth and corruption. You have a society to build from the ground-up. Just make sure to accept the first two immigration waves of the Faithful, as they will be your breeding stock. Then dig deeper, and seal yourself away. With your children's children the Dwarven salvation will come.

(if this actually excites you, you can also set pop:0 in d_init.txt file to prevent migration)

Ohhh!! You just encouraged me to do this. This is my plan:

- Make a temporary fort while waiting for some migrants.
- Once second wave arrives, dig to first cavern and close connections between first and second cavern (if exists).
- Close exterior connections

At this point I have some questions... Imagine I get to the first cavern and I wall a perimeter... Will creatures be able to spawn inside of it?

[CognitiveDissonance]

Thank you all!

I think you've said it all.

There is need to have contact with the outside world, to receive trade or immigrants.

There is no need for the outside world. It is full of humans, elves and inferior Dwarves. You have arrived at this location to get away from them. So let them starve on the surface, wallowing in their own filth and corruption. You have a society to build from the ground-up. Just make sure to accept the first two immigration waves of the Faithful, as they will be your breeding stock. Then dig deeper, and seal yourself away. With your children's children the Dwarven salvation will come.

(if this actually excites you, you can also set pop:0 in d_init.txt file to prevent migration)

Ohhh!! You just encouraged me to do this. This is my plan:

- Make a temporary fort while waiting for some migrants.
- Once second wave arrives, digging to first cavern, closing connections between first and second cavern (if exists).
- Close exterior connections

At this point I have some questions... Imagine I get to the first cavern and I wall a perimeter... Will creatures be able to spawn inside of it?

Not inside the perimeter. Creatures spawn only at the edge of the map, and if you wall that off, apparently flying creatures will spawn instead.

Here is a very useful link to enhance your underground fortress:
http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Animal_trainer

If you can see it, chances are you can tame it. And breed it.

Also, consider describing your experience in the Community Games and Stories!

[Mushroo]

I love cavern forts!

What I like to do is train a whole bunch of Hunters. Then I get a meat/bone/leather industry going on autopilot with zero micromanagement, with the side benefit of keeping the caves safe.

FB's can be a problem with small population, but there are non-military methods to deal with them. (Repeating spike traps, cave ins, etc.)

[Catsup]

I think you've said it all.

There is need to have contact with the outside world, to receive trade or immigrants.

There is no need for the outside world. It is full of humans, elves and inferior Dwarves. You have arrived at this location to get away from them. So let them starve on the surface, wallowing in their own filth and corruption. You have a society to build from the ground-up. Just make sure to accept the first two immigration waves of the Faithful, as they will be your breeding stock. Then dig deeper, and seal yourself away. With your children's children the Dwarven salvation will come.

(if this actually excites you, you can also set pop:0 in d_init.txt file to prevent migration)

theres a unique problem with a  home-grown population though: children tend to make friends in their childhood, and these bonds last all their lives, if the majority of your population's adults were formerly native-born children that had 12 years to make friends, then that is a tantrum-spiral minefield waiting for a spark to set it alight in a blaze of fun.

[CognitiveDissonance]

*snip*

Aw man, SPOILERS! SPOILERS! Where is the fun?