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[Stormfeather]

Okay, just out of total curiosity and wanting to see how other people play (and maybe even change my own style)... what do you look for in an embark? (Fortress mode, obviously.)

What do you NEED to have to consider an embark site? What do you really prefer? What's something you look for IF you can find it with the other stuff but it's not really necessary?

For me, I pretty much need to have dwarfs, elves, humans, and goblins all near my embark zone. Not sure why, but my game does not feel in any way complete unless I have all the possible traders, and the excitement of possible conflict. (Considering trying a tower instead of/in addition to goblins at some point, but honestly not all that sure how those work.)

I did until recently need the LACK of an aquifer. I still find it kind of hard to wrap my head around actually getting through those things, and they're a pain in the neck, but I've at least started occasionally trying them out. I figure I'll get more practiced with them in time. I still really prefer to not have them, though. I'd rather not deal with them unless it's the only way I can get a pretty much ideal embark site.

I very seldom embark in a place that isn't a temperate zone, although that's not as necessary. I like the middling challenge - it's not so absolutely challenging as extreme temperatures, and it still freezes up at times, so I pretty much need to create a cistern/water system and well for use in the hospital and such.

I really prefer soil, the deeper the better, so that I have some layers to play around with for underground pastures, possibly tree farms if I feel the need for them, etc. It's fun to sometimes challenge myself with less soil though and figure out other options (like just trying to enclose a surface pasture).

Metals... I don't think I ever have embarked in a zone without at least ONE metal to play with, and the more the better obviously, but as long as I have at least one type of metal I'll usually then prioritize some other things over a bunch of additional types.

I also really prefer clay (and sand, but I don't think there's any way to see if a zone has that before embarking), and would like to have flux stone if I can get it, but both of those can go to the wall if that's the only way to get my other preferences.

I also try to avoid "calm" zones if at all possible, since I love playing with a meat/animal industry, and enjoy capturing the wild creatures to try to tame them and breed them. (Yes, my forts tend to die of FPS death, why do you ask?)

I try to have a river or brook if I can, so I can more easily create my water system/cistern/eventually (hopefully) mist generator for my meeting area. (See above about FPS death)

I managed to embark in a good-aligned area a couple times and liked it for the extra creatures/plants, not sure if I ever tried an evil zone, but honestly it's tough to find an ideal embark spot that's also aligned in some way, so very seldom get to play with those.

I think I'm probably way too exacting/picky for my embark options. >_<  So while we're at it, any suggestions for fun (or !FUN!) alternatives to try?

[Coffeespoons]

standard lazy newb install has a sand indicator on as default, I think.

[Purdurabo]

The ony thing I look for on embark is a zone that it has at most a single tile of flat land where trees can grow. Just even a scarce tree zone will turn to the amazon over a few years and choke your fps.

[Button]

I look for a cliff, canyon or lone hill that I can base my fortress design around.

If possible I like to start off at war with any nearby elves, too, but this is really down to worldgen luck.

[Stormfeather]

I.. didn't even realize you could start off at war with nearby elves o_O

[Shonai_Dweller]

I.. didn't even realize you could start off at war with nearby elves o_O

You can start off at war with anyone. That's what history is doing while you're waiting for it to generate. Seems to be a lot more common in the latest version (or perhaps that's just my rng).

[jecowa]

Even though your fortress hasn't been built yet, your dwarves are part of a Dwarven nation that has been around for a few years before you started playing. This Dwarven nation has had plenty of time to start wars.

I like to have dirt in my embarks. Flooding stone levels seems like a pain. I also like 1x1 embarks because they load faster on my old laptop.

[Shonai_Dweller]

I like untamed wilds with hostile neighbours. Tend to avoid aquifers and usually settle for any kind of metals listed (deep, shallow, singular, plural, whatever, just not blank). Prefer to have some trees and some elevation to dig into.

[George_Chickens]

At least a river or some mountains. Mountains are good for defending, and a river is good because you never have to worry about death from thirst unless you have very bad fort design. Sometimes I like to gen a highly savage and dangerous world engineered for the golden embark -- flux stone, multiple metals, mountains, rivers and a volcano.

[Xyon]

I like having tree's and a lot of ground-level vegetation for a variety of foods to gather and then start above-ground farms from the seeds. I used to like bringing turkeys, but now I have rediscovered the joys and horrors of animal modding, lets just say I have dogs that fill many purposes now.

[Stormfeather]

Huh, I mean, I knew that there were wars and such due to History happening, but guess I didn't consider that carrying over from the parent civ to my new fortress. If I'd thought about it, I should have, just never thought about it.

[Iamblichos]

I generally look for either Savage Wilds or some flavor of evil location, the more challenging the better.  I require some metal, but I'm trying to work on my dependence on metal so as long as something is present I make my peace with what I find.

I strongly prefer low elevations, so there aren't 160 levels between the surface and the magma sea/deep forges. 

Having proven to myself that I can pierce an aquifer, I prefer not to, so I avoid them.  I tend to leave them turned on, though, so as to make finding a good site more of a challenge.

I avoid locations which have no contact with goblins, unless they are irresistible in terms of resources and I have reason to suspect (Legends Viewer) that there are a lot of titans/megabeasts/FBs in the area who will take exception to my settlement.

[Bumber]

I mostly just need a river, and most of the map should not support trees.

Tried an evil embark recently, and the entire map is constantly coated in yellow dizziness-inducing rotten ooze. Will be avoiding evil rain in the future.

[Shonai_Dweller]

Found a nice embark which I'm working on right now. Has all I mentioned above but it also rains abhorrent filth. Doesn't seem to have any physical effects so I'm fine with it. It does cause the woodcutter to quit work and despair every so often but I guess he'll handle it. Lots of artifact hunters hanging out in the filth too. They were pretty happy when I built a tavern.

[Bumber]

Found a nice embark which I'm working on right now. Has all I mentioned above but it also rains abhorrent filth. Doesn't seem to have any physical effects so I'm fine with it. It does cause the woodcutter to quit work and despair every so often but I guess he'll handle it. Lots of artifact hunters hanging out in the filth too. They were pretty happy when I built a tavern.

It can cause caravans to freak out, too. This causes them to drop their junk on the ground and refuse to take yours.