damn ambushers...
they were discoverd by war dogs (in pastures surrounding the fort) before the walls outside were finished. One group killed one of the soldiers, and this time the last soldier was overwhelmed by three groups. The hunters (who have been awesome for whittling away deadly animals and ambushers) were also killed quickly.
We were eventually saved by a locked door and the outpost caravan (because those warriors are pretty kick-ass). The last two are over-all farmers that really kind've suck otherwise. They have 1000 food and 1000 drink, but when they're hit by another ambush they have no chance.
lessons learned:
- cool method of central ramp circle works well (even if not as efficient as staircases, this allows for good traffic flow and for easy setups).
- In .25, you can apparently farm on underground dirt without muddying it - good if you lack a water source
- doctors without decent skills suck. Your soldiers will likely be permanently injured if they get hurt.
- statue gardens are awesome
- find a way to secure a fort early on - guard dogs in pens are only a partial solution.
- Mass-enabling a farming labor for all "farmers" is very efficient without micromanaging brewers, cooks, threshers, etc.
- cave trolls are huntable - but if you don't hunt them then they can tear through a fort.
- steel bolts are a LOT better than bone bolts
- A new setup for labors that makes decent sense to me:
leader - architect, most noble positions
1. shaman- doctor, bone crafting
2. druid - animal training, woodcutter, carpenter, herbalist
3. guard - soldier stuff + sheriff
4. Storyteller - mason (for statues and covering engravings), engraver, most crafting
5. Farmer - All farming
6. Hunter - Hunting obviously. Low maintenance archer
7. Peon - Hauling crap and mining
And this works up to my max population (~20), adding guards, farmers, hunters, and so forth as required.