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[Micro102]

I'm finding myself building a fortress the same way every time. Make 3 wide door/hallway, place stairs at good locations, add square rooms to fit the amount of workshops I want in them. And it's getting boring.

How do you guys start your fortresses? I need inspiration. Or maybe Toady could add some feature(s) that would make building certain types of fortresses better.

[origamiscienceguy]

I like to make three-dimentional rooms. For exmple, my last fort, I made a large spiral staircase going around a circular pillar which housed all the rooms. On each floor, I would make it dedicated to one thing. At the bottom of the staircase, was the dining hall, which had a 5 z-tile high ceiling and pillars and whatnot. If you haven't made 3-d rooms yet, give it a try!

[Micro102]

I like to make three-dimentional rooms. For exmple, my last fort, I made a large spiral staircase going around a circular pillar which housed all the rooms. On each floor, I would make it dedicated to one thing. At the bottom of the staircase, was the dining hall, which had a 5 z-tile high ceiling and pillars and whatnot. If you haven't made 3-d rooms yet, give it a try!

The only thing stopping me from doing this is the absolute uselessness of doing so. I don't even get to look at it and say "this looks nice" (without stonesense)

[Dunamisdeos]

I like to make three-dimentional rooms. For exmple, my last fort, I made a large spiral staircase going around a circular pillar which housed all the rooms. On each floor, I would make it dedicated to one thing. At the bottom of the staircase, was the dining hall, which had a 5 z-tile high ceiling and pillars and whatnot. If you haven't made 3-d rooms yet, give it a try!

The only thing stopping me from doing this is the absolute uselessness of doing so. I don't even get to look at it and say "this looks nice" (without stonesense)

That's what I do. Last fort I mandated that everything must be at least 2 z-levels high.

Also I dug a record-room that featured pillars that were engraved. Each year I'd dig one more z-level down and carve at the end of the year. That was fun.

[Halnoth]

I like to make three-dimentional rooms. For exmple, my last fort, I made a large spiral staircase going around a circular pillar which housed all the rooms. On each floor, I would make it dedicated to one thing. At the bottom of the staircase, was the dining hall, which had a 5 z-tile high ceiling and pillars and whatnot. If you haven't made 3-d rooms yet, give it a try!

The only thing stopping me from doing this is the absolute uselessness of doing so. I don't even get to look at it and say "this looks nice" (without stonesense)

Try making a fort where you use absolutely no stairs. You can get some neat designs by only using ramps.

[Sanctume]

Build above ground. 

[Haymaker]

A giant ivory tower! Bonus points if it's literally made out of ivory

[Fleeting Frames]

I'd suggest looking at the Dwarf Fortress Map Archive and succession fortresses to see the designs others have used. I've been previously surprised, reevaluated and changed my designs based on Logo's Smallabbey, for instance (though not copying it, using ramps instead).

Not sure why you lock workshops inside of rooms, though. Don't want to build a mooding complex?

Try making a fort where you use absolutely no stairs. You can get some neat designs by only using ramps.

Nice thing about ramps is that they can be accessible right underneath the workshops, if you use and remove constructed floors (bringing stones even closer to masonry, for instance).

[mirrizin]

One thing I've been thinking about is giving dwarves personalized living spaces instead of making them all share common cafeterias and workshops.

That said, I feel your pain.

[mirrizin]

Also, consider the lowly hexagon.

[mek42]

Build up from a volcano using all magma touched blocks.

[origamiscienceguy]

Build up from a volcano using all magma touched blocks.

Drain the volcano, then build an entirely-glass fortress inside the volcano (with a few extrusions to farm areas) Then fill the volcano again.

[Dainz]

Take a look at the community blueprints from quickfortress, find something which appeals to you, and integrate it in your owns Fort design.
Try vertical Designs with lots of Stairs, so for example the first z are bedrooms, second z workshops and 3z stockpiles.
Or build a small temporary fortress, keep your dwarves low and let them build a second giant fortress. When the second fortress is completed, crank up the maximum dwarf number, and let them move in the new fortress.
You can also build your Fortress in one of the caverns, or make one of the caverns a 5z High giant hall, or build a prisoner colony in the Caverns, where you let the useless dwarves automine the ore or get killed by hungry heads.
Build aboveground structures, archer towers, barracks with a glass ceiling to fight cave adaption, or a outsider Tavern as meatshield for sieges.
Take a look araund at the Wiki for Megaprojekt ideas, ever covered the hole map in magma? Or get rid of those pesky trees by flooring all surface tiles.

[Slogo]

I'd suggest looking at the Dwarf Fortress Map Archive and succession fortresses to see the designs others have used. I've been previously surprised, reevaluated and changed my designs based on Logo's Smallabbey, for instance (though not copying it, using ramps instead).

Not sure why you lock workshops inside of rooms, though. Don't want to build a mooding complex?

Try making a fort where you use absolutely no stairs. You can get some neat designs by only using ramps.

Nice thing about ramps is that they can be accessible right underneath the workshops, if you use and remove constructed floors (bringing stones even closer to masonry, for instance).

I didn't know anyone actually paid attention when I made that!

I need to remake that fort on a newer version sometime, I lost some motivation for it because of how broken necromancer sieges are/were and I was spending like 80% of the time hunkered down avoiding 80+ unit undead sieges.

[Salmeuk]

I'd suggest looking at the Dwarf Fortress Map Archive and succession fortresses to see the designs others have used. I've been previously surprised, reevaluated and changed my designs based on Logo's Smallabbey, for instance (though not copying it, using ramps instead).

Not sure why you lock workshops inside of rooms, though. Don't want to build a mooding complex?

Try making a fort where you use absolutely no stairs. You can get some neat designs by only using ramps.

Nice thing about ramps is that they can be accessible right underneath the workshops, if you use and remove constructed floors (bringing stones even closer to masonry, for instance).

I didn't know anyone actually paid attention when I made that!

I need to remake that fort on a newer version sometime, I lost some motivation for it because of how broken necromancer sieges are/were and I was spending like 80% of the time hunkered down avoiding 80+ unit undead sieges.

Smallabbey is awesome! I love compact designs and yours is kind of the penultimate.

As for OP, I suggest imagining the rooms from one of your favorite movies, or books, or anything like that. Then try to recreate it.

Entrances that stretch 5 z-levels and bleed magma from retractable ports are pretty fun, at least the first time.

And, yes, most of these cool things are pointless from the game's perspective, but DF is not really about winning and you shouldn't let your inner utilitarian control your imagination. The moment that multi z-level rooms are added is the moment I die of happiness (yet again).