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Author Topic: My First Masterwork Fortress  (Read 2512 times)

GhostDwemer

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My First Masterwork Fortress
« on: January 10, 2014, 05:26:44 pm »

I am giving Masterwork a try for the first time, wow! Very impressive. Lots of new things to learn. I'm pretty experienced with vanilla DF, so I've got harder smithing and farming turned on for more fun. I get that caste is important, so I am using the blank template to prepare carefully. My starting seven include an icemage and a crafter's guild member, any advice on starting build? Embarking to some joyous wilds temperate shrubland and grassland. Any other suggestions for a first time Masterwork player?

EDIT Yes, I am paused on the embark screen, waiting to see if I get any starting build advice :)
« Last Edit: January 10, 2014, 05:35:30 pm by GhostDwemer »
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Meph

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2014, 05:38:15 pm »

Just go for it. :)

And keep the icemage in a one-man squad, to avoid friendly fire.

Harder farming means you need more food at the start, or to make larger farms. And read the manual, at least a bit before you start. Take some moleweasels and boozebelly goats at embark, they have a good  value.
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::: ☼Meph Tileset☼☼Map Tileset☼- 32x graphic sets with TWBT :::
::: ☼MASTERWORK DF☼ - A comprehensive mod pack now on Patreon - 250.000+ downloads and counting :::
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thistleknot

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2014, 05:45:33 pm »

i recommend building an apothecary, potash, and a slag pit early

GhostDwemer

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2014, 06:18:08 pm »

The manuals for Masterwork are certainly much better than those for vanilla DF, but just as certainly, lacking in details and general advice. I'm not complaining, though, it's just that I've really no idea what skills to give an ice mage starting out, and I understand they are kinda rare on embark, so I don't want to waste this guy.

Apothecary, potash, slag pit early. Bring moleweasels and boozebelly goats. Got it, thanks! And special thanks to Meph for making this mod, it is amazing!
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Urist McTeellox

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2014, 06:41:33 pm »

I'd recommend playing Orcs, because they're awesome! Also you can edit their manual if you think it needs improvement, and that automatically updates the HTML manual that gets distributed with Masterwork-SWP.  Check my sig for the new release. :)

Also, this is a vanilla DFHack thing, but the workflow manager is *amazing*. I tend to play Stockpile Fortress, and it's absolutely essential.  ;)

~ T
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thistleknot

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2014, 07:18:52 pm »

researchers study glue paper from screw press are important. ink from craftdwarfs shop.

stonecrafters shop saves wood. so do wood blocks into coal and ash. stonecrafters shop can make rock anvils
« Last Edit: January 10, 2014, 07:20:38 pm by thistleknot »
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kamikazi1231

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2014, 08:01:39 pm »

A good Mason churning out stone blocks.  Use the blocks at the stone cutters to make all kinds of things. I'd bring some shaggy badger dogs to war train. Mole weasels breed fast so I'd bring one female and several males. They are fast vermin hunters. Have fun experimenting with the tons of new systems like religion, magic, and trade.
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GhostDwemer

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2014, 09:11:40 pm »

I made Sisal Uzolushrir, the ice mage, the expedition leader by giving her a point each in appraiser, negotiator, judge of intent, bookkeeper, and manager. Filled things out with a point each in dodger, fighter, shield user, armor user and archer:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I like Sisal, she has a very good personality for a leader, and she is a level 3 water mage, making her the obvious choice in any case. The craftsman's guild member I made a leatherworker/brewer. I've also got a mason/architect, a farmer/cook, a weapon/armor smith, a mechanic/engineer/toolmaker, and a carpenter/doctor.  The dwarves have brought four picks, a chopping axe, an anvil, 40 meat, 20 plump helmets, 17 each of dwarven wine, rum, beer and ale, and breeding pairs of moleweasels, boozebelly goats, and shaggy badger dogs, plus 12 seeds each for the basic dwarven crops as well as strawberry to see us through until underground production gets into swing.
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GhostDwemer

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2014, 09:14:16 pm »

Hmm, my smith started out blind. Will this be a big disadvantage for a smith?
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kamikazi1231

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2014, 01:59:20 am »

Hmm, my smith started out blind. Will this be a big disadvantage for a smith?

My blind dwarfs do just fine.  I think the main issue would be if they were put in the military.
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DoomOnion

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2014, 02:00:57 am »

Wiki says that blind dwarves suffer a penalty in creating high quality items, so I would say that being blind is very,very bad for a smith.
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thistleknot

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #11 on: January 11, 2014, 02:18:57 am »

you need a scriptorium as well :)

ibluminatus

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #12 on: January 11, 2014, 10:17:01 pm »

Hmm, my smith started out blind. Will this be a big disadvantage for a smith?

My blind dwarfs do just fine.  I think the main issue would be if they were put in the military.


I have a blind dwarf sergeant at one of my fortresses, her steel warhammer reigns death and destruction upon all invaders.
 lol
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kamikazi1231

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #13 on: January 12, 2014, 11:12:07 pm »

Haha then I have no idea what blindness actually effects.  I've also had legendary dwarves of all castes blind and do just fine.  But then I've also had ones that never path correctly or migrate and sit at the edge of my land and starve to death.  They aren't the broken trader caste that likes to get stuck when they immigrate either.. just sit out there.  Only issue is they are blind.

I may on my next fort make every blind dwarf into a legion.  A terrifying candy wearing legion with blindfolds over their eyes.

Also has anyone ever seen a blind dwarf get the negative thought "has witnesses death recently"?  You'd think they would be impervious to this negative thought.  But then again you want your military to see so much death that they revel in it and then eventually don't care about anything anymore.
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oldark

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Re: My First Masterwork Fortress
« Reply #14 on: January 13, 2014, 01:23:30 am »

Let them be siege operators, then they won't run at the first sight of an enemy.
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