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[Uzu Bash]

Enemies get the same random opportunities that you do, and some vicious AI can take advantage of it. But the probability is still lean, and this isn't the place to bitch about the lack of face armor. Suggesting mitigating strategies would do more to help someone play better.

[Random_Dragon]

but definitely get the best metal you can on your head, feet and hands. Head shots can end you quickly

Still, helmets and all other head gear (even masks) didn't even covered the face the last time I checked : http://dwarffortresswiki.org/images/d/d8/Armor_Coverage_Chart.png
You are bound to take a killing arrow in the face until this is fixed.

Well,technically the face isn't covered, but the face isn't the head. It's the face. Sure you can take an arrow to the nose or cheek, (which is incredibly unlikely, less likely than getting hit in the finger, and just think about how many times that's happened to you) but that will only damage the nose or cheek. They're separate from the head, like how fingers are separate from hands. The only danger there is shots this the eye, which along with being incredibly unlikely, are always blocked by the invincible eyelid. Really I've tried d to hit eyes with a legendary adventurer against an unconscious enemy, and it did nothing because it got blocked by an eyelid. Face damage isn't a serious concern.

What's weird is I've aimed blows at the mouth and eyes and sometimes hit the head instead. Or maybe it was only specifically from aiming for the tongue...

[vjmdhzgr]

but definitely get the best metal you can on your head, feet and hands. Head shots can end you quickly

Still, helmets and all other head gear (even masks) didn't even covered the face the last time I checked : http://dwarffortresswiki.org/images/d/d8/Armor_Coverage_Chart.png
You are bound to take a killing arrow in the face until this is fixed.

Well,technically the face isn't covered, but the face isn't the head. It's the face. Sure you can take an arrow to the nose or cheek, (which is incredibly unlikely, less likely than getting hit in the finger, and just think about how many times that's happened to you) but that will only damage the nose or cheek. They're separate from the head, like how fingers are separate from hands. The only danger there is shots this the eye, which along with being incredibly unlikely, are always blocked by the invincible eyelid. Really I've tried d to hit eyes with a legendary adventurer against an unconscious enemy, and it did nothing because it got blocked by an eyelid. Face damage isn't a serious concern.

What's weird is I've aimed blows at the mouth and eyes and sometimes hit the head instead. Or maybe it was only specifically from aiming for the tongue...

That's part of aiming at a small body part attached to a larger one, but not internal to it. You'd probably get the same thing with fingers. This is why, like I just said, they almost never get hit. Even if the AI randomly decides to target your nose, it will probably just hit the head, which is still armored regardless of how it was targeted.

[Uzu Bash]

Ah, you missed my point about random opportunity attacks. Don't you pay attention to the ! indicator next to attacks? The eyes can get those just as randomly as any other body part, and if that's the opportunity the AI wants to take against you, then it'll likely hit.

[Bloax]

*Put skills in dodge/Armor User/Shield User. As these are more risky and harder to grind (and from personal experience, Shield User is an absolute pain) but are important as you are less likely to get destroyed immediately. As for grinding weapon skills/fighter, just find a random animal and beat on it before it gives into pain.

this is actually a bad idea. when you make an adventurer, dump ~ALL~ of your skills into fighter. why? because all your other combat skills are useless if you are a dabbling fighter. put 1 point into a weapon skill to start with said weapon and have reader/swimmer too. you should have enough for master/high master fighter that will dominate mostly everyone.

notice that the "wrestling with animals" makes  you godlike in combat because it raises the fighter skill, this just saves you the tedium

I made a world with vanilla stuff in 42.04 to check it out, ran over and punched a Roc and it fell over unconscious... I wasn't even godlike or anything... forgot how disappointing vanilla megabeasts are.

to be fair, i think the punches are the ones to blame. theyre op as hell. my late adventurers NEVER get killed by weapons, only punches/kicks. even from other weaponmasters

The only overpowered thing here is bones causing mind-crushing pain at the slightest provocation.

Wrestling animals doesn't make you an amazing fighter just because it pumps your fighter skill through the skies, it also skyrockets your dodging/armor/shield user skills which are absolutely essential for not dying.

[Tryble]

(and from personal experience, Shield User is an absolute pain)

The way I pushed Shield to Legendary was some keybinding and a pseudo keyboard walk.

For the two or three enemies I used, {.}{A}{c}{a} would shield block consistently block every attack until the enemy collapsed from exhaustion.  Re-bind {.} and {A} to some more convenient keys, and you can hit those four keys in order pretty rapidly, getting a block each time.  If your macro speed isn't too fast, you can just bind a bunch of blocks and let it go to work.

I did it manually, and jumping from Proficient to Legendary was a snap, though mind-numbing.


Alternatively, if you start with low Dodge, you can use dodge-reducing circumstances to allow you to just spam wait and collect shield blocks.  Climbing/Holding onto terrain works reasonably well; just start with good shield/low no dodging so that you don't end up dodging junk anyway and waste your time.

[peasant cretin]

Then don't let him get a lucky grab. I keep the 1-Tick and 10-Tick under hand, on the keypad, to get precise timing. If you dodge in that one frame between recovery and attack, you won't be in the tile he's about to attack. With any enemy you're uncertain of, you should observe their timing carefully before doing anything other than quick feint attacks.

I can face them around the same mid-range as the other megabeasts, it just takes a whole lot longer. Best to get a good rest ahead of time. It's awesome for training skills, but too easy to get worn out.

Roughly this ^ and the other posts by Uzu Bash, Randon_Dragon and Max™.

A few things to point out though:
- Layering doesn't help versus blows landed. You may be wearing 3 items for your upper body, but the game only chooses one to go through.
- The more you wear, the more there is for unarmed opponents to grab. If I can prepare for a specific fight versus an unarmed opponent, I'll drop to one protective item per bodypart and put all worn items (waterskin, strapped weapons) into the backpack (dropping that to the ground that as well).

[Sprin]

To do amazing feats like the stories of many adventurers of Bay12 requires one important skill

A COPIOUS AMOUNT OF DUM LUCK

I've spawned several adventurers who get riped to shreds by boogymen vampire wercapybaras and a cliff side before I created Rocklobster the Vampire Minotar Drinker. It takes luck to achieve a decent enough skill level to survive most encounters and even then it can end by jumping off a cliff Ezio Auditory style into what looked like a deep river.

So treat every life as expendable and run around like a crazy person and it might turn into a crazy adventure riping out Mega Beasts throats for nutrients.

[Uzu Bash]

To do amazing feats like the stories of many adventurers of Bay12 requires one important skill

A COPIOUS AMOUNT OF DUM LUCK

Every time you lose you should've learned something from it. To claim it's just dumb luck means you have failed to be enlightened, grasshopper. However

So treat every life as expendable and run around like a crazy person and it might turn into a crazy adventure riping out Mega Beasts throats for nutrients.

taking this advise should also result in learning experiences, and at least it's fun.

[Random_Dragon]

boogymen vampire wercapybaras

It is terrifying.

[Broseph Stalin]

Roughly this ^ and the other posts by Uzu Bash, Randon_Dragon and Max™.

A few things to point out though:
- Layering doesn't help versus blows landed. You may be wearing 3 items for your upper body, but the game only chooses one to go through.
- The more you wear, the more there is for unarmed opponents to grab. If I can prepare for a specific fight versus an unarmed opponent, I'll drop to one protective item per bodypart and put all worn items (waterskin, strapped weapons) into the backpack (dropping that to the ground that as well).

This is not true.
If you're wearing an iron breastplate and someone stabs you in the lower body you'll get "bruises your parts through the iron breasplate"

If you're wearing a leather cloak you'll get "tears up all your shit through the leather cloak"

If you're wearing a leather cloak over your iron breastplate you'll get "bruises your parts through leather cloak"

Just because it doesn't mention every layer that absorbs damage doesn't mean they aren't being calculated. Dressing in layers can turn back blades. Also, it's not that bad to have more stuff for them to grab. When a strong enemy grabs your pants and you try to get away, you just lose your pants. If they grab your arm, you are now in a really bad situation.

[Uzu Bash]

Broseph is right, and this is all detailed in http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Armor from extensive testing. But I doubt the OP would've missed that if he's experienced in fortress mode.

Btw, anyone notice that through this whole barrage of advice, the OP hasn't replied once? Did he just relurk, has he been completely turned off to Adventurer Mode, or did he just decide to quit the game completely?

[peasant cretin]

@Broseph: thanks for the reply.

Regarding layering, I recall reading something about layering working separately per item in the modding forum, but as usual, I must have misread it or confused something.

Regarding grabs, grip breaks versus bigger, stronger enemies seem to function along these lines (or this is how I remember doing them in 40.24):

- You are both at neutral, the next tick the opponent features grab attack. You opt for single action dodge away so as to leave one tile of separation inbetween. A successful grab is made on clothing or body part, however, since you're already dodging away, you still end up in your destination tile, and the grab is then broken. It's pretty much the DF version of a judo gi grip break.

- You are both at neutral, the next tick the opponent features grab attack. You choose something other than dodge away (likely you choose to disrupt the attack by attacking). If a successful grab is made against a body part, you'd have to sever the limb or make a killshot (here I also recall even if successful on either count, they too could be successful in tossing or cranking a limb). If a successful grab is made on clothing, you can choose to jump away to break the grip. I think this where you're correct about increasing number of grabbed targets as opposed to my thinking of reducing the number of targets (not sure why I came to that conclusion).

EDIT: An interesting thing to add, though very gamey (in terms of intent), is by wearing as much as possible versus an unarmed opponent, you can hopefully convert them to an oddly armed one. It is terrifying.

[Broseph Stalin]

@Broseph: thanks for the reply.

Regarding layering, I recall reading something about layering working separately per item in the modding forum, but as usual, I must have misread it or confused something.

Regarding grabs, grip breaks versus bigger, stronger enemies seem to function along these lines (or this is how I remember doing them in 40.24):

- You are both at neutral, the next tick the opponent features grab attack. You opt for single action dodge away so as to leave one tile of separation inbetween. A successful grab is made on clothing or body part, however, since you're already dodging away, you still end up in your destination tile, and the grab is then broken. It's pretty much the DF version of a judo gi grip break.

- You are both at neutral, the next tick the opponent features grab attack. You choose something other than dodge away (likely you choose to disrupt the attack by attacking). If a successful grab is made against a body part, you'd have to sever the limb or make a killshot (here I also recall even if successful on either count, they too could be successful in tossing or cranking a limb). If a successful grab is made on clothing, you can choose to jump away to break the grip. I think this where you're correct about increasing number of grabbed targets as opposed to my thinking of reducing the number of targets (not sure why I came to that conclusion).

EDIT: An interesting thing to add, though very gamey (in terms of intent), is by wearing as much as possible versus an unarmed opponent, you can hopefully convert them to an oddly armed one. It is terrifying.

Almost any opponent. If you hobo layer 10 leather cloaks over a leather shirt a steel sword won't be able to cut through it.

[Max™]

Dwarf Fortress: where having an attacker remove your pants could be good thing.