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[ToastGoats]

I also made a few channels to the surface surrounded by walls over my corpse stockpile.

If you do this, remember to surround the channels' surface with a wall. Doing this prevents the miasma from affecting dwarves on the same Z level as the surface.

[SpoCk0nd0pe]

Yes, ramps > stairs erry time. I must've lost literally hundreds of dwarves to that deadly fall down the central stairwell. It's a lazy design that must be stopped!

I never saw this happen. Could you elaborate?

FWIW, here's my layout (warning: longread).

Thank you very much for your input!

I'm trying to do a non repeated design (except for quarters later on), to hopefully get a more organic aesthetic.

Why so much plumbing? Diagonal pressure negators are o.k. in my book, there are kind of logical (as far as DF water logic goes) and it wouldn't take much effort to design u shaped pressure dropping. It is just more convenient. Baiting that messes up with opponent's path finding on the other hand...

I will definitely build a second refuse stockpile underground in case I have to close the lower gate.

I'm not sure if this has been suggested yet, but I think you should designate a large meeting area as a tavern and try to put a mist generator or a small water-filled channel between the tavern and the rest of the fort that cleans everyone who walks by, the ultimate mood increaser ^{I know that's not a word so don't judge.}

Don't mist generators affect your FPS? This also sounds a little overpowered, but maybe I will go for it later. At the current stage, I'm still more concerned with the base layout.

I'm really not happy with the farming area for example. It should contain 4 3x5 plots with easy access to a pothash stockpile and the seed stockpile. There also needs to be room for 2 stocks of poultry.

[khearn]

I figure that unskilled hauling labor is cheap (once you get a population above 30 or so). But the time of my skilled workers is more precious. So I build workshops with stockpiles surrounding them:

Code: [Select]

Top view:
#######
#=====#
#=WWW=#
#=WWW=#
#=WWW=#
#=====#
#.#####
# - Wall
= - stockpile
W - workshop

This way my skilled worker never has to take more than two steps to grab a new item. This is closer than a pile on a level above or below.

I usually have the pile set to give to the workshop. This is because the worker will grab the nearest applicable item to him at the moment he decides to take the job and haul it to the workshop. So if your mason is halfway across the fort when he decides to build a table, he'll grab the chunk of pitchblende next to him and slowly drag it across the fort, then build a pitchblende table, when you really wanted him to use the marble in the pile surrounding his workshop. If the pile gives to the workshop, he'll only use stone from that pile, so he'l walk briskly across the fort to the pile, grab a marble stone like I intended, and only have to drag it 2 tiles to start work.

If I want him to possibly use different materials, I'll build a secondary pile or two nearby and just change which one gives to the shop.

Code: [Select]

top view
#.###########
#11111222222#
#1WWW1222222#
#1WWW1222222#
#1WWW1222222#
#11111222222#
#33333#######
#33333#######
#33333#######
#33333#######
#33333#######
#############
# - Wall
1 - Marble stockpile
2 - magma-safe stone stockpile
3 - non-magma-safe stone stockpile
W - workshop

He mostly makes marble furniture, so that's the one that surrounds the shop. But when I need stuff got magma plumbing, I can have pile #2 give to the shop, and when he's working on other stuff, I switch to pile #3. The layout I use preserves the grid of 5x5 rooms I use in my workshop level.

If the worker works faster than the haulers can bring materials, like a skilled mason working with marble that has to get hauled up dozens of levels from the quarry level, I'll sometimes set up medium sized feeder stockpiles nearby, so the haulers can keep the workshop pile full during rush periods, and then refill the feeder pile when things slow down.

The wall around with only one tile entrance is in case of a mood that I can't satisfy, I can install a door and lock the dwarf in, just in case he goes berzerk.

It's also really quick to lay out the piles. You just designate the workshop and then designate a 5x5 pile over it. The game is smart enough to not make the tiles under the workshop be part of the stockpile.

[PopTart]

I use digfort to churn out a few levels like so:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The level shown is for "hard goods": rocks, wood, and bone. Another level for "soft goods": leather, loom, clothier, dyer, etc. Another level for furnaces. Another level for food.

The central rampway spirals around a 3x3 square. The tiny room in the center of the room shown is the manager's office. On other levels it functions as a "closet" or maybe tomb.

The shape of the rooms is similar to a "Manhattan circle," so they have a constant radius if you count orthogonal paths and diagonals (as sqrt(2)).

Mine out the central shops to make a big empty circle for your other rooms: silk farm, refuse pile, danger room, etc.

Oh, and here's my tavern/bedrooms level, I'm quite proud of it:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sometimes I'll dig all the way to magma and set up the metal room at the bottom, all magma forges and furnaces. Eventually, the entire fortress operates around the third cavern layer, with wood from the caverns. Even the caravans can enter through a cavern. These mature forts end up being about 15 levels high, once you include marble quarries and tombs and so on.

[Wilm0chimp]

Personally I dislike all of the Z-level hyper efficient central staircase forts. They are incredibly boring to look at visually, and skipping between Z levels is a bit irritating.

I like to have a grand central hall, dug out so its at least 5 Z levels high,  with stairs to the left and right leading up 1 or two levels, each having rows of bedrooms (some of which can look down onto the hall if you install a window).

Food production area is from a set of stairs left of the hall leading down, all other production is to the right of the main hall leading down. All major stockpiles are quantum stockpiles with minecarts to save on FPS.

A design around a central great hall makes for a very visually appealing and easy to follow fortress. Bonus points for viewing in a 3d engine, then you really get the pay off for your efforts.

Downsides are the minor loss of efficiency from not stacking on Z levels, but honestly its not been an issue for me.

Gemclod was kind of the basis for my main design, only with a bigger great hall (and less insane additions).

[Dustin]

http://imgur.com/nhaZSXP
This is my dorm design not yet dug out, the design is on one z-level, depending on the size, it can make around 25-100 meager bedrooms in the smalles space possible, you can add on and make hallways bigger or smaller, most of the rooms are a 2x2 square with a 1 tile doorway

[Bumber]

http://imgur.com/nhaZSXP
This is my dorm design not yet dug out, the design is on one z-level, depending on the size, it can make around 25-100 meager bedrooms in the smalles space possible, you can add on and make hallways bigger or smaller, most of the rooms are a 2x2 square with a 1 tile doorway

That looks terrible for pathing/FPS. Just saying.

[SpoCk0nd0pe]

http://imgur.com/nhaZSXP
This is my dorm design not yet dug out, the design is on one z-level, depending on the size, it can make around 25-100 meager bedrooms in the smalles space possible, you can add on and make hallways bigger or smaller, most of the rooms are a 2x2 square with a 1 tile doorway

That looks terrible for pathing/FPS. Just saying.

I don't really get why. Is it the loops? I'm really curious because I tend to build a lot more loops then that (considering loops in 3d).

[Bumber]

http://imgur.com/nhaZSXP
This is my dorm design not yet dug out, the design is on one z-level, depending on the size, it can make around 25-100 meager bedrooms in the smalles space possible, you can add on and make hallways bigger or smaller, most of the rooms are a 2x2 square with a 1 tile doorway

That looks terrible for pathing/FPS. Just saying.

I don't really get why. Is it the loops? I'm really curious because I tend to build a lot more loops then that (considering loops in 3d).

I guess you could put it that way? Take the case of trying to get from one of the entrances of the designated area to one of the rooms in the inner center. Imagine a straight line between the two points. Try making your way to the destination while staying as close to that line as possible, not knowing that any of those rooms you encounter are dead ends. You end up checking pretty much every single one of those outer rooms.

Even just walking there using the hallways takes long enough.

[Atarlost]

I've been experimenting with vertical entrance shafts.  A diameter 11 spiral ramp around a diameter 5 open shaft seems to be viable, though I'm not quite sure how I'll get it through the caverns.  It will probably involve magma. 

Each layer should look like this:

Code: [Select]

█████╔══╦══╗█████
███╔═╝.▼╬..╚═╗███
██╔╝...▼╬....╚╗██
█╔╝....▼╬.....╚╗█
█║.....▼╬╬╬.<..║█
╔╝.....▓▓▓╬╬...╚╗
║.....▓▓▓▓▓╬╬...║
║....▓▓▓▓▓▓▓╬...║
║....▓▓▓▓▓▓▓╬...║
║▲▲▲▲▓▓▓▓▓▓▓╬...║
╚╦═══╬▓▓▓▓▓╬╬...║
█║...╬╬▓▓▓╬╬...╔╝
█║..>.╬╬╬╬╬.X..║█
█╚╗...........╔╝█
██╚╗.........╔╝██
███╚═╗.....╔═╝███
█████╚═════╝█████

Visitors would be forced to go all the way to the bottom of the fort to gain access, while naturally pathing tightly around the open shaft and, if they're not welcome, being shot at. 

[Caz]

I tend to work on three z-levels for each fort. Many more than that and it just gets complicated, so it's usually the living/main floor with all the workshops, dining room, trade depot, taverns and whatever else. One level below this will be the stockpiles directly underneath whatever area they're supplying - can also include farms depending on soil layers etc. The z-level above is for 'quiet tasks' like bedrooms and offices. I try to group similar industries together but there's always a trade-off between efficiency and aesthetics. Of course, the fort has got to look good.

[SpoCk0nd0pe]

I made some progress with my fortress and also took screenshot of my Dwarf Mockup drafts.

Above ground structures are in planning atm, so I will start with the underground entrance:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It is a 2 z-level design. Here is the upper layer (the yellow stuff is fortification):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Those two should be stone. I like the idea of a farming area accessible from inside the stone fortress, not on the way inside. I kind of dislike the current layout though:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Back down, below the entrance hall is the first stockpile layer. It is meant for stockpiles of stuff coming from above ground or meant to go above ground:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Below that is the workshop area, excluding stone/metal industries:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

And lastly a rough draft of the stockpiles for finished goods.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Next will be some missing workshop stuff, a 2 z layer dining hall, housing and lastly metal/stone industry. I hope you like it! Please post any pathfinding issues and improvements you have. Especially input for a better farming area design would be greatly appreciated.

[PopTart]

Looks all right, and you'll realize through experimentation what doesn't work and how it can be tweaked.

For instance...

Does that wood pile need to be that big?

Is your depot accessible?

[khearn]

I usually separate my fort by levels, around a central stairway. I don't think I've ever lost more than a half a dozen dwarves due to falling down stairways in the 5+ years I've been playing DF. I find spiral ramps to be a pain in the backside to lay out. I guess need to use macros more.

- Depot is usually just below ground, with nearby stockpiles for stuff to be traded. Finished goods, low quality mechanisms, statues and furniture.
- In the lowest dirt level are my farms/pastures, plus farmers' workshops.
- Immediately below the farms is the kitchen/still with food stockpiles. Butcher, tanner and fishery are also here.
- Below the kitchens is the main dining hall with its food and booze stockpiles that take from the ones buy the kitchens/stills.. Hospital, library, and temples typically go here as well. Tavern may be here or may be up near the depot.
- The next two levels are for bedrooms. Trying to put them all on one level makes for some long walks to get to the central stairs.
- Next is a level for stockpiles of stuff that will be used inside the fort. Good quality Furniture, mechanisms and statues, plus a big wood stockpile to provide more than enough to get me through a siege.
- Then is my general non-forge workshop level. Each shop is surrounded by its input stockpile.
- Next is my forges. Here are wood burners, smelters, forges, glass furnaces and kilns, along with the appropriate stockpiles to keep them fed. The wood furnaces have a medium stockpile that takes from the one above the workshops.
- Right below the forges is reserved for magma plumbing.
- Somewhere below the forges is where I put my tombs,usually two levels below, but sometimes deeper if there is a marble layer close.

I'm not claiming this is optimal, but it works out pretty well. I assume that hauling labor is cheap after the fort reaches 30 or so dwarves, so I don't mind having shop output have to get hauled a ways, but I always want the inputs to be very close to the shop so the skilled labor doesn't waste time carrying stuff very far.

I use hotkeys to move around:

F1 - Surface
F2 - Depot
F3 - Kitchens
F4 - Dining
F5 - Bedrooms (top floor)
F6 - Workshops
F7 - Forges
Shift-F1 - Marble Quarry
Shift-FN - Other points, such as particular ore mining areas, or the level where I'm tapping into the magma sea.

Even if I don't use the same layout as described above, I always use the same hotkeys for F1-F7, since I've got it in muscle memory to use those keys to get to those areas. One fort I'm playing right now has the kitchens and dining room on the same floor, but I still have F3 and F4 both set to go to the appropriate places on that floor.

One problem I find is that this layout works so well for me that I have a hard time getting myself to do something else, which tends to make one fort much like another and leads to boredom. So I'm working on trying different plans to keep things interesting.

[SpoCk0nd0pe]

Thanks again for all the great input!

If anyone happens to have ideas on an expandable stylish crypt design, please share it.
My farming area is still fairly ugly imho. If someone has a good idea on how to arrange 2 3x5 farms, a seed stockpile and possibly a potash stockpile and 2 expandable poultry breeding rooms around a 2x2 staircase, please let me know