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[ThaMuzz]

I've decided to record the evolution of my fortress as I complete it.
'Cause dang it, Rendermax makes screenies awesome.
Can't wait until I get the artificial lake dug and the lavastacks ready.

Spoiler: "Forgeworks" (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: "Libraries" (click to show/hide)

[oldark]

PTW.   How badly is it affecting your fps? I love the idea behind rendermax but I've always been afraid to try activating it. Also does the lighting do anything for your dwarves at all or is it purely cosmetic?

[Meph]

Only cosmetic and shouldnt affect fps much, but is unstable when you zoom/window the game.

[ThaMuzz]

Only cosmetic and shouldnt affect fps much, but is unstable when you zoom/window the game.

This. 
I usually play with Rendermax off, then switch it on for screenshots.  This is mainly because I you have to play it with standard Print Mode instead of 2d, so you can't use truetype fonts.

[ThaMuzz]

So, I decided to create some comparison images:

Here is my hospital and entrance to the cavern layers:

Spoiler: "Vanilla" (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: "Incomplete" (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: "Brazier-Torchbearer-Candelbras" (click to show/hide)

This is the bottom of the Fortresses main shaft.  The central shaft is normally illuminated by natural light, but I took the image during the night.

[ThaMuzz]

A few more comparisons:  Completed bedroom annex vs incomplete bedroom annex

Spoiler: "West, Complete" (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: "North, Incomplete" (click to show/hide)

[Urist McTeellox]

That is fractal-tastic!

How big is your fort's population?

~ T

[ThaMuzz]

That is fractal-tastic!

How big is your fort's population?

~ T

295, 35 children.
~70 of those were summoned with town portal, and 11 are slaves.
There are two more living spaces on that floor, but all they have are a bed and a fireplace.
Layout is based on Hactar1_3 from the magmawiki.  In previous iterations, I've used Raynard1 as inspiration.  However, I wanted a cleaner line of sight down the central shaft so that natural light could come down through the clear glass paved soil layers of the fortress.
http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Bedroom_design

[ThaMuzz]

So, transporting coal and ores from higher z levels down to the forgeworks takes time. To reduce this I've sunk 4 shafts.  Ore is dumped down the shaft using minecarts and trackstops.

Spoiler: "Ore Storage/Transport" (click to show/hide)

Also, the lava channels that power my forgeworks

Spoiler: "Magma Channels" (click to show/hide)

[Repseki]

Pretty cool fort. I almost used that same housing layout in my current fort, but my population is a bit smaller so I went with something different.

Rendermax definitely changes the mood a little, seems pretty cool.

[Meph]

How are your FPS if you enable/disable it? This is by far the biggest fort that I have seen that uses it, with countless lightsources everywhere. Does it affect FPS much?

[ThaMuzz]

There is a hit.  Will get solid numbers later.  There are significant differences depending on how many light sources are on screen.

Few other things:
1) So far, I've found candle/torch production to be the biggest bottleneck, thus my preference for braziers and fireplaces.
2) Water and lightsources have an interesting relationship.  Underwater trees still produce light, but drowning a brazier removed the light.  Have not yet tested with gems.
2a) Underwater trees look really cool.  I'm hoping that future versions of rendermax will allow lightsources to illuminate a multi-z-level sphere.  Would make the underwater seas look awesome.

[ThaMuzz]

With Rendermax: 4 fps
Without: 6 fps

[Meph]

...
...
 

You play with single digit FPS?

[ThaMuzz]

Play in background.  Now, when you are talking about decimal fps, things get irritating.
That only really happens when I start up the magma pumps.  I think that I will use magmalings and waterlings to fill the moat this time.  Lots of magmalings and waterlings.