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Author Topic: Ok so im new, trying to understand what to do.....  (Read 1483 times)

mc858

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Ok so im new, trying to understand what to do.....
« on: July 27, 2015, 08:29:15 pm »

Like i stated im about 2 weeks into this game. Im working on my 10th fort ( i restart a lot)

So far i have 70 dwarves- all the workshops built - plenty of food and drinks. I have 2 squads of soldiers always training

My question is what do i do now? I started digging down and found some caverns - i lost some dwarves to giant rats but thats about it. I dont know what else to do?

Also for some reason traders will not accept my trades anymore- even though i have a good broker and i make sure that the trader makes a huge profit- they always decline to trade with me and eventually leave. Why is that?

I really dont even know what to do lol. All i have been doing for the past hour is queuing up lavish meals and ale and barrels........am i missing something???? i heard about digging deep enough for the end game- but is that what my goal should be? to kill of my dwarves at this point? seems kinda counter productive haha

also im on my 3rd year....should i play longer ? will something happen? i havent had any invasions or anything (im playing on a new world with little history)- i had a couple thieves i killed but nothing too exciting. Im thinking of restarting again but my fort is the best one i have built and i dont have the energy to go through the beginning tbh hahah
« Last Edit: July 27, 2015, 08:32:36 pm by mc858 »
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Funkmaster Rick

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Re: Ok so im new, trying to understand what to do.....
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2015, 08:43:48 pm »

"What do I do in this game?" Things. The answer is things.

Personally, I would abandon a fortress that doesn't have enough interesting neighbours for a good war or three. If you find one without much action, it might be a good candidate for a megaproject of some kind. If you're getting terribly bored, dig down. Then dig some more. Then keep digging till you find stuff. Or just slaughter Elves till they send a greenpeace party.

The beauty of rogue-likes is that you simply face whatever challenges come your way. Look for a good story. I don't think I can overstate how important the story aspect is to games like this; it's not about achieving goals or winning, it's about having a good time and leaving with something you can tell people about later on. In that sense, community is a big part of the Dwarf Fortress vibe.

If you're not being sent enough challenges, go make some.
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mc858

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Re: Ok so im new, trying to understand what to do.....
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2015, 08:51:12 pm »

"What do I do in this game?" Things. The answer is things.

Personally, I would abandon a fortress that doesn't have enough interesting neighbours for a good war or three. If you find one without much action, it might be a good candidate for a megaproject of some kind. If you're getting terribly bored, dig down. Then dig some more. Then keep digging till you find stuff. Or just slaughter Elves till they send a greenpeace party.

The beauty of rogue-likes is that you simply face whatever challenges come your way. Look for a good story. I don't think I can overstate how important the story aspect is to games like this; it's not about achieving goals or winning, it's about having a good time and leaving with something you can tell people about later on. In that sense, community is a big part of the Dwarf Fortress vibe.

If you're not being sent enough challenges, go make some.

ok i guess ill restart in a tough spot.....i play games like this (like gnomoria, etc) and in those games i get invaded and have to rebuild my army and stuff like that so there is something to do but in this game im just stacking up and queing food and ale all day lol =(

i guess ill start on my 11th fort- its so draining getting everything running though, might need to give it a break for a day lol
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Bearskie

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Re: Ok so im new, trying to understand what to do.....
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2015, 02:23:09 am »

Well if you're looking for invasions in the more recent versions, tough luck, it's going to be really difficult to find any.

What you can do now that your fortress doesnt self-implode by winter is to create megaprojects and engineering stuff.  Just about anything is possible in DF up to a certain extent.  Sky fort?  Terraforming caverns?  Megafalls?  Just think about the things you want to do.

mc858

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Re: Ok so im new, trying to understand what to do.....
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2015, 12:09:04 pm »

Well if you're looking for invasions in the more recent versions, tough luck, it's going to be really difficult to find any.

What you can do now that your fortress doesnt self-implode by winter is to create megaprojects and engineering stuff.  Just about anything is possible in DF up to a certain extent.  Sky fort?  Terraforming caverns?  Megafalls?  Just think about the things you want to do.

what happened to invasions??? i never played older versions anyway lol

but i guess i can do mega projects (i just looked them up) - i was just hoping to get challenged by the game instead of creating my own if that makes sense
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MobRules

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Re: Ok so im new, trying to understand what to do.....
« Reply #5 on: July 28, 2015, 12:30:35 pm »

what happened to invasions??? i never played older versions anyway lol

but i guess i can do mega projects (i just looked them up) - i was just hoping to get challenged by the game instead of creating my own if that makes sense

DF2014 changed things so that world history outside your embark area continues to be simulated after your embark (which in itself, is wicked cool). Thus, sieges now require an outside civilization to decide to attack, and to attack you instead of another target. The unfortunate side effect is that sieges have become much less common than they were back when the world outside the embark was frozen, and armies were automagically generated at the edge of your embark when the game decided it was time for a siege.

Remember, the game is early-alpha. Every new update brings "undocumented features" that need to be worked out.


The degree to which the game challenges you depends on where you embark: if you embark in a mostly peaceful area with plentiful resources, you'll need to create your own challenges. Embark in an evil glacier biome with an aquifer in shouting distance from a necromancer's tower, then simply "staying alive" will be a challenge in itself.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2015, 12:32:13 pm by MobRules »
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Is this biome reanimating? I really don't want to know what happens when "absurd numbers of megabeasts" is combined with "reanimating biomes".

neblime

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Re: Ok so im new, trying to understand what to do.....
« Reply #6 on: July 28, 2015, 06:32:10 pm »

about the merchants, are you sure you're giving them ENOUGH profit?  it has to be quite large usually.  Their reply will always elucidate why they will not trade with you:
"with your trade goods such as they are I can't fathom you taking so much of ours" = not enough profit for the traders
"I will not trade at a loss" = you're offering a deal that's a loss for them
"Once a beautiful tree but now just a rude bauble suited only for your stunted kind" = they are elves, elves will not take anything with wood, if you attempt to trade something with wood that caravan will not trade with you, better luck next year.  Avoid things in wooden barrels/bins, and things made with ash.  Metal goods made with charcoal are fine however
"<~Something about animals I forget what the line is>" = they can only carry so much and you are offering too much weight of goods so they cannot take it, sometimes buying useless rocks they bought with them to sell you can free up some space
« Last Edit: July 28, 2015, 06:34:47 pm by neblime »
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mc858

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Re: Ok so im new, trying to understand what to do.....
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2015, 11:47:41 pm »

about the merchants, are you sure you're giving them ENOUGH profit?  it has to be quite large usually.  Their reply will always elucidate why they will not trade with you:
"with your trade goods such as they are I can't fathom you taking so much of ours" = not enough profit for the traders
"I will not trade at a loss" = you're offering a deal that's a loss for them
"Once a beautiful tree but now just a rude bauble suited only for your stunted kind" = they are elves, elves will not take anything with wood, if you attempt to trade something with wood that caravan will not trade with you, better luck next year.  Avoid things in wooden barrels/bins, and things made with ash.  Metal goods made with charcoal are fine however
"<~Something about animals I forget what the line is>" = they can only carry so much and you are offering too much weight of goods so they cannot take it, sometimes buying useless rocks they bought with them to sell you can free up some space

yea thanks....its wierd because the first one that came by was OK with making 70 profit....i had to give this last one like 1500 profit lol. anyways, thanks again for the help
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miauw62

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Re: Ok so im new, trying to understand what to do.....
« Reply #8 on: July 29, 2015, 02:53:21 am »

The required amount of profit is some percent of the value of their goods, I always go with 50%.
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