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[xcorps]

Can I start an embark with a low pop cap and then change it on loading a new game, or is it fixed?

Seems like it would be a great way to manage migration and wealth creation, avoiding issues I don't want to deal with until I feel like I'm ready instead of when the game tells me I'm ready...

[Cobbler89]

I'm reasonably certain pop cap takes effect the next time you start Dwarf Fortress, regardless of pop cap on prior plays of the game in question.

Note that it is enforced at the point that immigrant waves start their journey from the mountainhomes, according to the population last witnessed by the diplomat, so even abusing saves and the pop cap setting can't stop everything if game conditions are wrong.

Also note that, as no diplomat has ventured to your fort in the first couple seasons, those migrant waves are more or less automatic and will not respect the population cap at all.

All those things said, you can use a pop cap to help prevent your fortress rising to a population that will trigger attacks -- or promotions within your civ -- that you don't want. But you have to be careful because it's not actually a hard limit on the number of dwarves in your fort, it's more of a guideline on how many get sent to it.

[xcorps]

Thanks very much for the info, that's immensely helpful.

[Garath]

dfhack has a command to immediately notify your mountainhomes of your population/popcap, most useful if migrants keep turning up and the diplomat never manages to escape all the nastiness outside, but you can use it for other purposes if you wish.