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Often: The fortress isn't meant to protect them. It's meant to entertain me.

On Occassion: We all need a bit of dark laughter now and then.

When necessary: As a means to an end, I'll kill a dwarf to save a dozen.

Never: The world is dangerous enough.

[Sutremaine]

Hells, about the only 'unkind' thing I do to my dwarves is not having individual bedrooms.  I dislike their tendency to create clutter.

If your dwarves are wearing nothing but armour, I believe they won't clutter their rooms so much. In theory they'll claim a set of civvies, but since they're not wearing them they won't have any old xsocksx to hoard.

[WillowLuman]

How do you get them to do that? Arrange them all into squads? That sounds tedious...

[wierd]

Even then, migrants will arrive wearing socks, shoes, gloves, dresses, pants, and misc other sundry things that will decompose and form clutter.

The only way to have a clutter free fortress is to shut out all new migrants, and then institute stringent Sparta-like militarism, and refuse to create civilian clothing.

Iron underwear indeed. (I bet it's right cold in the winter.)

[WoobMonkey]

Iron underwear indeed. (I bet it's right cold in the winter.)

Every winter is cold, in Utah.  XD

[Ianflow]

I'd say I'm apathetic towards my dwarves' quality of life.. I rarely give them new clothes until much, much later in my forts lifespan (And only if it's the cheapest crap available). I kill elves without justification and make a note to put any particularly useless dwarves under a drawbridge. All the regular rooms in the fortress have a bed and about two-feet worth of space. The food stinks too, nothing but plump-helmets and kea meat. Only people that get anything of value are soldiers, and those poor sods have rotten luck.
So, does anyone do the opposite here? In the sense that you're constantly manufacturing fine clothes for your dwarves, varying up the food stock, etc? You got any tips on making my dwarves lives seem less grim-dark? Maybe how I can come to love Urist McMissingfoot and not sacrifice him to the Blood God because he moves to fucking slow.

I usually smooth the rooms, engrave the rooms. I try to give the, ample supplies of varied food and drink.
I rarely ever give them new clothing (except for soldiers).
I decorate often.
I do the danger room, but no babies in pits. I also don't slam the bridge down on useless dorfs (everyone has a place in my forts).
I usually try to keep the trading on good terms.

[Ravendarksky]

I found dwarf fortress more enjoyable if I try and imagine that I am one of the dwarfs. I have a few fortresses which take this approach.

Decisions become less about what is easiest and most convenient and more about what my dwarfs would like, regardless of the stress/risk/cost.

For example if we strike gold, we immediately stop all other activities and mine/smelt ALL of it and make cool stuff. My dwarfs wear the finest forgotten beast silks and eat the best foods. I individually check dwarf preferences and decorate their rooms accordingly.

You become a lot more interested in your dwarfs, their day to day activities and it means so much more when something happens to them.

[☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼]

I have to fight myself to not savescum after every death. Even if it was a dabbling thresher.

So I guess that's a "Yes"

[Urist McVoyager]

I play nice. Early on I hate idlers and try to find something for everyone to do. Later . . . I turn the dining hall into the control center and welcome idlers as possible lever operators. I train my soldiers six months of the year, and lock us up underground so we can be safe.

I'd really love it if Adventurer and Fortress mode were cross-compatible to the point where you could start a true fortress as an adventurer and lead as the mayor. Do everything an Overseer can, but you'd have to do it through conversation menus and special map screens.

[blazing glory]

Ummm excuse me but what is a good,moral overlord?

[Urist McVoyager]

It's an Overlord who cares for its Dwarves and doesn't put them through unnecessary risks.

[blazing glory]

It's an Overlord who cares for its Dwarves and doesn't put them through unnecessary risks.

I know what the words mean but together they just don't seem to make sense...

[blazing glory]

It's an Overlord who cares for its Dwarves and doesn't put them through unnecessary risks.

I know what the words mean but together they don't seem to make any sense...

[Urist McVoyager]

Then be a pragmatic one. Happy dwarves don't fuss nearly as much and work a lot harder than miserable ones. Winning over hearts and minds and all that, you know?

[misko27]

It's an Overlord who cares for its Dwarves and doesn't put them through unnecessary risks.

Good? Yes. Moral? Hmm. I don't think throwing soldiers at a endless fight between birdmen and a giant sponge to see what happens classifies as a necessary risk, so no.

[CreamyDoughnut]

It's an Overlord who cares for its Dwarves and doesn't put them through unnecessary risks.

I know what the words mean but together they just don't seem to make sense...

'good': meaning a competent overlord who cares about ensuring the safety of the the dwarves instead of just the survival of the fortress. It might appear they are one and the same but I often use groups of useless dwarves as bait.

'moral': as in not chaotic evil. You don't magma elves the first time you encounter them nor do you employ morally questionable experiments like 'Dwarven Child Care'. You have a set of rules that are common in Western moral standards.


Therefore a good, moral overlord is one who not only cares about each individual dwarf but also has lines he's not willing to cross to dominate. I figured I was clear enough when I added the comma, but no problem.

edit: also please reframe from arguing about Western morals. I'd be the first to do it but I feel such would be off-topic for this board and I feel off-topic for the question. You know what they are, do you use any of them while governing your fort is what matters.