I tried an embark (my post in the 44.02+ worldgen thread), and
failed miserably, regening the world to try again, until I succeeded. I finally made it, by utilizing a few behavior exploits (with a big everything stockpile, items brought in are randomly (evenly) distributed, so I embarked with similar total numbers of everything - drinks, seeds, meat, logs, etc., so that I could have them haul some for a bit, then close off the entrance, leaving a lot outside, but knowing I had
enough). I brought extra livestock, to leave some outside to die and zombify. I dumped my horses, which decided they liked being near my carpenter (why did I have horses, when I had no wagon?) into magma. All was well. Only lost one dwarf to the elements (no matter what I do, some always want to go wander outside between jobs).
But, I had forgotten that I had messed with the worldgen params, and added poles. Then, I accidentally dug out a room against ice, and didn't even think twice about it. Then, in mid summer, a dwarf over 30Z down from the ground level (which is something like 70+Z down from the embark hilltop) of the map canceled a task due to water. The whole top of my fortress, which I had left to its own devices while working on building out useful industry, was flooded, and filling with zombie animals. My cowardly settlers refused to complete tasks like building, much less operating, screw pumps top-side, to hopefully get a wall built somewhere in there, and then the same again for a collapsible wall to cave in. So, now we're rebuilding in the first cavern, with no directly accessible items or food to speak of (except what can be foraged, and a few picks), and more blood and vomit everywhere than I think I can make soap for. Three humans petitioned to join my fort as monster hunters, including two macemen (take that, reanimated bits!). I was sure I was going to lose everyone, at first, but things are looking up, now.