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[Penumbra15]

Hi there! I'm just getting back into Dwarf Fortress. And I have a few questions that I can't seem to google to find the answers for. So instead of creating multiple topics, I thought I'd have this one topic for a while to have pressing questions answered. Just until I can wrap my head around Dwarf Fortress again.

So, two questions to start with:


1) How do I get rid of the "Unusable upward slope"? I know it doesn't function anymore, but I don't want it for appearances.
2) I'm working on a project of constructing walls in an area. So, I thought I would setup a stone stockpile nearby to have things wheeled over in a wheelbarrow, and in theory, have my construction people use the nearby resource to save time. Instead, my masons are walking clear to the other side of the fortress, lugging rocks with their bare hands over. So my question: how can I make them use the neighboring stockpile in construction of the wall? The wall and stockpile are the same rock.

Thanks!

[Moonshadow101]

For your first question, there's a designation to get rid of ramps. I think it's d -> z. Or maybe d -> x?

I see a stockpile with seven rocks in it and several dozen chunks of wall that need to be built. You need to understand that when you initially designate a wall to be built, the materials you select aren't generalized. You're actually selecting specific stones, and those stones are immediately marked as being part of the construction. Once they're marked, they won't be moved except by the mason, and won't be used for anything else.

This means that if you have a stockpile of 7 rocks and try to construct a wall of 10 spaces nearby, all seven rocks will be immediately designated for use, as will 3 distant rocks. Those three distant rocks won't be moved to the stockpile because they're marked for use by someone else. If you then designate another 10-space wall, 10 more distant rocks will be marked for use, because the 7 in the stockpile are already taken. So on and so forth.

Dwarves always work on the most recently designated construction project, so the first one you set up (the one actually using the stockpiled rocks) will wait until the end, while the Dwarves busy themselves with the most recent one (which necessarily uses the most distant rocks.)

Once you understand these mechanics, the obvious solution is to make sure that the stockpile is full before you actually set up the projects. That way, all of the marked stones will be the stockpile ones.

You should also strongly consider putting a mason shop next to the stockpile and having a mason turn the rocks into blocks. Rocks become blocks at a 1:4 ratio, greatly multiplying the available materials. Blocks are also much lighter to carry, which speeds up the construction process.

[Penumbra15]

Oh, no... I have completely missed out on that information, then. Whenever before I had mammoth projects, I'd assigned tons of dwarves to construct whatever it was I was working on, and hope for the best. But actually creating a neighboring stockpile, workshop and constructing blocks... Oh, I'm so depressed I have wasted so much time, lol. Thank you, though.

Next question! Once I've started a game, how do I view neighboring civilizations? I pushed c, but it only shows one civilization. Does this mean there are no other civilizations like goblins nearby? Or is it just I haven't discovered them?

[greycat]

Next question! Once I've started a game, how do I view neighboring civilizations? I pushed c, but it only shows one civilization. Does this mean there are no other civilizations like goblins nearby? Or is it just I haven't discovered them?

You just haven't discovered them.  The c screen only populates when members of each civ enter your map.

[Penumbra15]

Okay, phew. Because when I looked as my civilization list, and didn't see anyone... I started to worry. I thought I had other civilizations around me, but when I didn't see them on that list, well - there was confusion. Thanks for clearing that up.

Next question!



How do I move Gypsum plaster inside? I have plenty of stockpiles to accept it, and it's not forbidden. But it's not getting moved inside, and I'm not sure why. I've also designated a hospital, activated it and have a stockpile to accept the powder. No luck, it seems.

[Blue_Dwarf]

How do I move Gypsum plaster inside? I have plenty of stockpiles to accept it, and it's not forbidden. But it's not getting moved inside, and I'm not sure why. I've also designated a hospital, activated it and have a stockpile to accept the powder. No luck, it seems.

Gypsum plaster goes into "Boxes and Bags" stockpiles, are you sure you have that? Although it's possible to have some control over it.

[Penumbra15]

I'll try your idea, butttttttt - I've never really played with the farmer's workshop. I seem to be missing something here. I processed plants, but I can't seem to make bags?

[Blue_Dwarf]

I'll try your idea, butttttttt - I've never really played with the farmer's workshop. I seem to be missing something here. I processed plants, but I can't seem to make bags?

Bags are made from cloth, cloth is made from thread, thread is made from processing plants.

You are probably missing a Weaver to make cloth.

[greycat]

Bags are made from cloth, cloth is made from thread, thread is made from processing plants.

You are probably missing a Weaver to make cloth.

Bags can be made from cloth, or leather.  The leather route is much simpler (just ask for a bag in the leather shop), but leather is harder to acquire in bulk, except via caravans.

To make a cloth bag, there are more steps involved.  First you need some appropriate plants (rope reed, pig tails, possibly some new 0.40 plants like cotton, hemp, etc.).  These plants are processed (the p option) in a farmer's workshop to make thread.  The thread is woven into cloth at a loom.  The cloth can be made into a bag at a clothier's shop.

The "process plants into bag" reaction (the b option) is for quarry bushes.  This reaction takes quarry bush plants and an empty bag, and produces a bag of quarry bush leaves.  (And seeds, except in versions where that's broken.)

[Penumbra15]

Blue_Dwarf, in your idea in your provided link, you state: "If you get gypsum from trading with caravans, this will be more difficult (simply Dump unsuitable bags of plaster, and unforbid if the situation requires more than you have in the stockpile)."

Do I designate the bag to be dumped, or do you mean that there is a way to dump the powder from the bag? If there is a way to dump the powder from the bag, how do I do that?

Thanks!

[GavJ]

Other options are silk thread from spiderwebs (found in caverns usually, the loom has an auto-job to collect them into threads)
And yarn from shearing animals at a farmer's workshop (yaks, llamas, etc. Alpacas and sheep are the most efficient)
Both can also make cloth and thus bags.

[Blue_Dwarf]

Blue_Dwarf, in your idea in your provided link, you state: "If you get gypsum from trading with caravans, this will be more difficult (simply Dump unsuitable bags of plaster, and unforbid if the situation requires more than you have in the stockpile)."

Do I designate the bag to be dumped, or do you mean that there is a way to dump the powder from the bag? If there is a way to dump the powder from the bag, how do I do that?

Thanks!

You need to dump the bag.

I don't think you can remove powder from a bag, although I think I've seen some dye laying around somehow. Maybe if someone throws a bag in a tantrum, or the bag burns in a fire?

[Penumbra15]

Looks like what you suggested worked, Blue. Thank you. That crises is dealt with.

Next question! I've been trying to setup a simple patrol route at my entrance. But I get the message, "no reachable point on route". I'm doing something wrong, but I've read the wiki and I can't seem to figure things out.

Could someone walk me through how to make a patrol route that I can schedule my military to attend to at specific times of the year?

Thanks.

EDIT: Also, how do I view what a dwarf is carrying with them? Item wise.

[i2amroy]

You have to view them in the units viewer (v I think) and then go to the list of items and look through what they are wearing to see what they are carrying in their hands.