Tried a couple challenging embark profiles today.
1. Peasant Cult - No skills picked for any of them, but I did bring 7 axes, and 7 picks. The idea was to start everybody as Peasants,, and share the work. I was lucky to get 1 male and 6 female. Figured it was a Religious Fanatic and his cult waiting for the Mother Ship. Even with all labors turned on, they did nothing but fish. If I turned off fishing, they sat around idling. No one would pick up a tool or perform any assigned tasks. Experiment Failed, Site Abandoned
2. Dorf Fops - 6 courtiers made the King mad, and are told to go away on a long trip. Of course they comply, and go on an exciting adventure to visit a lost Fortress! The courtiers had all of their points in socials skills, and would do no labor except fishing. 1 poor smuck gets sent along with them, and has points in useful skills. 1 pick, 1 axe, a lot of booze, and assortment of exotic food. Worker dwarf actually gets things done. He digs rooms, set up stockpiles, makes furniture, clean the fish, plants the farm, runs the still, cooks, cleans and everything else. He gets some help from each migration wave. No one has the appraisal skill, so trading is by guesswork. Chased off goblins and a were-badger with a fledgling militia. After 2 years, I was actually starting to think this was a viable fortress, with some interesting limitations. I didn't know about the nearby Tower, and the three Necromancers, and their army of undead goblin, dwarfs, humans, and elfs. Experiment Succeeded, Site Abandoned.