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[Shooree]

A newb problem again. I need advice on how to properly start, architecture-wise. What I'm trying to do is rush across the cave river, have it flood the 2 space-wide corridor that leads to it, so that I can farm it for starters, and then build the temporary quarters behind the river. Afterwards I would build proper farms east of the river.

Now, I've retried this so many times that it hurts, and each time something goes wrong: either one of my miners drowns, or I forget to lock the doors or I reach the river unexpectedly soon - flooding my warehouses.

What I wanted to ask is:
1) is there a way to save and reuse the "prepare for journey" settings, so that I don't have to do it all over again - it's really demoralizing.
2) how wide do you guys dig the entrance hallway? I went with 1-space-wide for the first few games, but that means I have to dig out rooms for warehouses and stuff, and it's generally a very newb thing to do, I reckon.
2-wide seems ok, but I've seen screenies of people having much much wider hallways. How do you secure them? I've tried placing multiple doors next to each other, and it didn't work. Do you leave rock in between them or what?

I'm really trying to progress my game, and make a decent effort. Any help would be welcome. Cheers!

[Greiger]

I donno bout the first part but a 2 tile wide hallway will get bogged down very quickly once migrants start arriving.  I personally use a 3 or 4 wide hallway and even that starts to get congested at a population of about 50 or 60.

It isn't really too hard to secure either, just have a mechanic set to make stone mechanisms on repeat for a year and forget about him, you'll have more than enough mechanisms to make traps with.  

I also like to make a wall(w/fortifications) right before the meeting hall that splits north and south and then feeds into the meeting hall.  Marksdwarves have an easy time shooting through it into the entryway, civilians have to pass through the meeting hall to get to the corpses (at which point they see the goblins through the fortifications and cancel) and enemies from range have a hard time shooting back through(apperantly).

Worked fairly well because I don't have civilians wandering into the fray since they all have to pass through a central hub that lets them see the gobbos to cancel, and can have melees in a fairly cramped pair of hallways to take care of anything that gets past the hallway of bolts.  Not the best defense but it worked quite well. (Until my military decided to take a nap during a siege...that kinda sucked...)

EDIT: Oh yea make a door by the wall, lock it then place another.  The locked door acts like a wall while you're placing the door.

[ August 23, 2007: Message edited by: Greiger ]

[ktrey]

You could always save the game right after the "Strike The Earth" and force quit if things don't work out, but that might summon the dreaded InflateError. As far as I know there's no way currently to save the "prepare for a journey" settings.

I do three wide hallways at a bare minimum. Start with two long corridors, one tile apart. With two miners, they both have a spot to dig. As soon as stone is created build a Mason's Shop. Outdoors is fine as long as your not on a Freezing map. I then queue/crank out the following:

Armor Stand (to create a barracks, so my dwarves don't decide to nap next to the river)
4 Doors
2 Tables
2 Chairs
Rock Blocks on Repeat (in anticipation of a smooth road)

The advantage of digging three wide is that the moment you get about half a screen deep, you can unselect the corridors and have your miners clean up the middle whilst furniture haulers install some doors. The doors are key to preventing the flood from creeping into your hallway and creating muddy tile woes later on.

After the doors are installed, I typically dig the corridors about seven squares at a time, building a new door at the furthest point, and demolishing the old one, until I hit the river.

Three wide is the minimum required for an indoor Trade Depot if you want to attract wagons, it's fairly simple to secure with traps as well. I widen deeper in the fortress to improve traffic flow. Five wide works until you hit a population higher than one hundred.

You can build doors to span any distance, and three wide is easy. Don't bother with the statue trick though, it's a waste of time and could get your dwarves stuck. Build a door, lock the door, then ta-dah, you can build another next to it. Just remember to unlock the door.

[ August 23, 2007: Message edited by: ktrey ]

[Shooree]

YES! Thank you so much, guys. I know that it was something like that. Gah. Let's give it another shot, then.

EDIT: my first inflate, yay. I knew I shouldn't be so positive. Happened when I accidentally opted for the Play Now option, and then immediately abandoned the fortress. not unheard of, it seems. Ah well...

[ August 23, 2007: Message edited by: Shooree ]

[JadeFalcon]

I usually start with a single tile dig straight to the river.Outside meanwhile I pop a mason shop,carp shop and mechanics shop.Barrels, floodgates/doors,and mechanisms are all cued up for those.when they get to the river i cross my fingers and hope hes a fast runner   If not at least only one died since my 2nd miner is outside making a trade depot spot or what ever else I needed done at the moment.

Now that I have a general idea where the rivers running I back up a few paces and dig down for my farming room,plan out where my two flood gates are gonna hit the river and my lever room.

By now the masons done and I switch him to blocks on repeat for bridges/road,I block the river with a door for the spring flood get the mechanic to install the floodgate lever as soon as that hallway is hollowed out,then just install the floodgates as it opens up.Drop doors sealing my farm area in so I don't flood the  place.

I can usually get all this done and running by summer,and with the two maxed out farmers I bring and maxed brewer have no worries for food or booze by winter.

I'm stealing that armour stand idea from above tho,especially after my latest game where he took a nap on the bridge on the way to the still and proceeded to get washed away   That was a harsh and dry winter