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[lordofgilneas]

My fort has stable food supply now. But I have no metalsmith, should I train one? I want to increase my numbers and train mages.

[c0mplex]

I'm assuming that this is a dwarf fortress right (and not an orc fortress or whatever)?

Well, really you need a smelter. The main reagent for the magic system is orichalcum, which is produced very rarely from smelting reactions and metal bars are pretty much what is needed, not worked metal (if I remember correctly). Other than that I cannot comment much due to lack of information.

You cannot train mages without a variety of reagents that you may or may not have and increasing the size of your fortress just means waiting for migrants. You can artificially up migration wave sizes (by what degree I am not sure) by raising the amount of your fortress' created wealth and what you make to do that is up to you and the resources available on your map. You can also make a town portal which needs similar rare reagents as the other magic stuff and a lot of gold coins to run reactions so a metalworker to make coins would be needed so long as you have the metals required.

[lordofgilneas]

Thanks, and yes it's a dwarf fortress. So would it be on to make some guy a metalsmith.

[slay_mithos]

It depends on what version you are playing too.

If you are playing on the "old" one, then you can reach steel grade things out of steel wood, that can be grown in farms (needs a full year to grow).

For armours, refining leather to the highest grade, can get you materials that are very good, to use as under armour layer, and refining chitin and shells can also get you really good armours.

It is also possible to make arrows/bullets/bolts out of steel wood, for steel grade ammo.

Of course, a metal smith is always good to have, because masterwork quality weapons and armours are extremely potent, and some of the highest value stuff for your nobles are also made out of metals (like gold or silver).

But truthfully, you don't actually require a metal smith, as it is completely feasible to survive by making good use of other things, like ranged units, traps, poisons...

[lordofgilneas]

I use the latest 34 version. I may get on the newer one eventually. Does it have dwarf mages yet? And also thanks. I kinda want metalsmithing to enable magic though. Can orichalcum spawn when you refine malachite into bars?

[LMeire]

IIRC Meph said that Dwarves weren't getting magic-missile-slinging mages in the .40 version, 'cause it made them OP and bloaty alongside everything else. Instead they're supposed to be doing mainly stuff with runic enchantments, alchemical transmutations, and other such magic stuff along that theme.

--

Also, yes orichalcum has a small chance of spawning with every ore-smelting job, including copper ores like malachite. Just make sure you process it first, processed ores have twice the chance of producing orichalcum.

[lordofgilneas]

How do you process ore? Aaand aawww... No magic. Do we still get turrets? 😊
Edit: Had to abandon fort, we're going strong. Have a legion recruit at beginning, oddly a bunch of merchant goods were lying around. Normal? We looted them, and are proceeding to build on hoarystockades original designs. A barracks will eventually be implemented.

[LMeire]

How do you process ore? ...

The Ore Processor workshop is under the list of "furnaces", I think. It doesn't cost any fuel to operate and grants free stone boulders and blocks in addition to the "pure" ore, you need at least 2 blocks and 2 mechanisms to build one and the "machine operator" skill to use it.

... Do we still get turrets? 😊 ...

Not until DFHack has a "SpawnUnit" script, AFAIK that's the main hold up when it comes to producing creatures without breeding them.

[lordofgilneas]

Heh. Thanks. What pre-reqs for processing?

[LMeire]

Just the build-cost, no research needed. It's on the list for most of the races with the exception of gnomes (who have an automated version) and warlocks (who are better off grinding ore to dust for spell reagents).

[lordofgilneas]

Thanks again 😊. Is gold better or worse then copper?

[Rydel]

Gold is more valuable, but is heavier and bends easily.  Works great for making expensive items to trade, but isn't weapons grade

[c0mplex]

Just remember that gold coins are is used for trade workshops, the embassy, and the town portal. I usually find that dedicating most of my gold bars to being made into coins is better in the long run but that is just me.

If you have a lot of gold, then it doesn't matter, but if you don't have a lot of gold you may want to preserve it in gold coins as the trading workshops are important for getting items and animals you may not have on your map.

Copper is pretty pathetic but you can make weapons and armor out of it if you are desperate. Copper is also used for certain workshops and reactions so it shouldn't be ignored. If anything, copper is a good material you can use to train metal smith skills if you don't want your novice smiths touching your more valuable metals. (After all, not all items give back 100% of the metal used when melted down)

[lordofgilneas]

Thanks. Should I expand my fort above ground?
Edit: Also I have found afew gold veins already. 
Getting our processor setup. Time to churn goods. We already have a research lab. And have options to research three new stuff.

[c0mplex]

That is up to personal preference and play style.

I myself find that having an above ground (or at least open air) section is useful if I am doing a lot above ground. Activities such as tree cutting, hunting, fishing and so on work better if you have an above ground section of your fort as it cuts down on distances for hauling items from the surface to your fort. Obviously, above ground expansion allows for better above ground farming. It also makes it easier to accommodate and protect traders and incoming migration waves.

On the down side, it makes you more vulnerable to snatchers, thieves, ambushes, and sieges as making above ground defenses, choke-points, and other security measures is very time consuming and having dwarves active on the surface makes them more likely to run into hostiles. Don't forget that even if you dig trenches and build walls and set traps there are always enemies that can circumvent those measures.

A smaller above ground presence is overall safer as it is easier to close yourself off from threats but if you plan to do a lot above ground then it makes such activities safer and easier.