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[I3erent]

Originally posted by Sowelu:
[QB]DFFD fought me tooth and nail, it wouldn't even accept my valid email address!

me too dude, after this frustrating last week i just upped it elswhere, im goin to bed...

[Akroma]

seeing how some people didn't finish all 5 years, maybe a point bonus for every year that wasn't started ?

[GeneralValter]

quote:Originally posted by Kagus:
<STRONG>

GeneralValter, Channeledequaled

Wow, haha.  That's, um...  Spacious?  Pouncing pachyderms that's a crazy layout.

The first couple of layers brought to mind thoughts of rat or kobold warrens (not necessarily a bad thing), the rest are just huge caverns with junk stuffed in them until you reach the stripmining project.  All throughout these stone layers are coffins that are set up when someone happens to snuff it, with seemingly no rhyme or reason as to their placement.  

The place probably could've been turned into something better if there was enough time to iron out the oddities, but as it stands now it's just a chaotic jumbled heap of dwarves, statues, and narrow rhesus macaque leather loincloths.  4/10

[ April 28, 2008: Message edited by: Kagus ]</STRONG>

Well, your descriptions definitely seem close to the mark. While I've been playing DF for a while, my usual build plan is "build something when I need it". My total lack of planning results in predictable inefficiency every time.

I could have done a lot better with stockpile designation and job designation. I wasted a lot of time when my dwarves would run out in droves to pick up logs that my woodcutters were producing.

I was satisfied by my trap system (I caught an entire siege and then picked them off with my champion crossbowmen once they were stuck), and I enjoyed making the microcline memorial and fancy tombs, but I do think I could have done a lot better.

I'll probably be using an actually planned layout next time. I've learned how to fit bedrooms into nice compact spaces, it's about time I did the same with stockpiles and workshops. My main problem is that I designate all my dwarves for jobs. I usually don't end up with any people who only haul, which causes my skilled dwarves to lose production time.

[Kagus]

Little tip with the road:  if you'd shortened the spaces between statues down to just two tiles, you would've forced caravans to spawn on it and follow it to your depot.

Sorry about the way it came out, I did actually like the upper layers a bit just for their "kobold-tunnels" feel.  It's just that excessively open areas don't really sit well with me.

I3erent, "" (can't read the full fortress title)

Okay...   I can definitely see the signs of cramming, such as undesignated bedrooms and some other interesting quirks, but even looking past those there are some wacky basic designs.  For instance, the caravan route that spins itself around the map and the very spacious bedrooms that hold only a bed and a single cabinet, not to mention the ridiculously huge dining room.  Especially when you compare them with the miniscule barracks.

Yet again we have those lovely mass floor engravings...  Ye gods, what is with the mass floor engravings?  I don't see it on the scoreboard, but maybe I just missed it...

Dining room waterfalls are generally nice, but the miniature one-tile falls don't quite sit well with me.  They look more like simple technical happiness boosters rather than actual design elements.  The one in the main (you could play soccer in there, since there aren't any tables) dining room is nice however.  Not as nice as it could be, but that's hardly a valid point.

Those catapults, on the other hand...   I'm guessing there's some reason for to having your roads lined with siege equipment?  If so, you'll have to state what that reason is, because it's not making itself apparent to me.

That big bridge is also a little wonky...  I'm going to assume that the scaffolding underneath was left behind due to the time limit, so I'll ignore it.  However, the bridge itself looks pretty dang bland.  It's an exceptionally wide block of gypsum with one rather befuddling pillar in the middle of it, and another one in mid-construction towards the end (along with two of what I'm assuming are watchtowers).  It's also a little bit lopsided due to the fact that it's got fortifications on one side and walls on the other.  Not sure if that was intended or not.

Then we've got the workshops outdoors, all clumped up in a big friendly get-together; we've got the wall keeping invaders out, in the form of a zig-zagging line of raised drawbridges, and then that peculiar trench around the mountain.  Is that a drainage ditch or something?

Hey, cool, you've still got your wagon.  Anyways, this fort really just hasn't been finished.   That bridge could most likely be improved upon, and the slightly more spacious (vast) rooms could be furnished.  For the moment however, 4/10.

I'm going to take a break for a while before picking up Sowelu's.  I haven't actually done any gaming of my own today...

[Jamini]

quote:Originally posted by Kagus:
<STRONG>
Jamini, the Sorrow of Fire

Holy carp that's a lot of engravings.   Between the excessive cage/weapon traps; the positively rampant engraving; the catapults in the dining rooms, throne rooms and tombs of some of your dwarves; the slighlty unimaginative stripmining projct; and the vast, empty rooms with a speck or two of furniture in them to cover the most basic of requirements, there's a little tickling at the back of my mind that this isn't going to get many points for style.

However, it's a veritable powerhouse.  Overall, I give it 5/10.  I would've given 4, but the combination of a pet dragon, an arena to put that dragon in, "sculpted ice" walls, the fact that yu're flooding the bottom level with magma, and the symmetric layout of floor -6 pushed it up to 5/10.
</STRONG>

I considered some alternative strip-mining methods (staggered diagonals really caught my eye on the wiki, but I really didn't care so much untill stone started really becoming a nuicence.)

Unsuprisingly, the older rooms of my fort had far more furniture in them than the newer ones. When I made my first two noble suites (my mayor's bedroom on the far left, and the Dungeon Master's on the middle right) I only had one legendary engraver. When I made my philosopher's (lower right) I had... seven or so.

Sadly, I didn't realized the effects that economy would have on my central living arrangements. 90% of my population got evicted when that Irritating Tax Collector came and I was forced to build a lot of new bedrooms from scratch. Since all of my wood was imported, I was forced to remove beds from the old bedrooms and hadn't really done anything with those rooms without beds. Eventually I would have made all of those rooms bedrooms/private dining rooms for my legendaries... but I just hadn't done so yet.

Also, the catapults were not in the main dining areas at all. They were in the study and tomb of my captain of the gaurd since I was clearing out that section at the time of the upload. The main dining rooms were one level up and a bit south. (There were also dining rooms on the lowest level of the spectator's arena.

However, I definatly agree with your assessment. I wasn't really going for style with this one, just points. I figure if I can scare away the less serious with sheer numbers and inspire the competative to take this tournament seriously it'll be more fun all around. Besides, I actually got to use a ballista for the very first time on this fort! (Totally awesome. Although the first shot was a clean miss Y.Y)

My next fortress will be far more interesting. Especially since I intend to get the 3-D sculpture prize.

[ April 28, 2008: Message edited by: Jamini ]

[Kagus]

I like the custom professions you gave your nobles.  "Lord Nearly Worthless" changed the price of some goods when I was looking at the fort, and I briefly wondered what kept him from being entirely useless.

[Jamini]

He meets with the Liason and has meetings with some of the disgruntled memebers of society. Also, his mandates were some of the nicest I've had in a long time (especially since I realized I could make glass... in year four.)

[I3erent]

It is called Fishedwars, the enemies must enter from the other ened of my valley and the fortifications on one side are where I planned to line up my marksdwarves to take enemies out, the underneathe was goimg to be a suspended baracks for the marksdwarves, I didnt finish it.  The thing in the middle was going to be where I attached my steel cable supporting the bridge, too bad I had no flux, an iron cable seemed stupid because it would rust in the elements.  Indeed the bridge is unfinishedas is most everything. Also mass deaths in the early game resulted in limited workers to do all this.

The small waterfall dining room contains all masterpiece furniture, it was to be for my nobles, but fishedwar has no nobles.  The main assembly hall/party room is also unfinished.  My water trap is unfinished, There is a complete water tank above the main entrance but the one above the entrance up before the bridge was never finished. Or started for that matter.  Between the bridge, waterworks and statue, coupled with so many deaths and loss of immigration made this difficult to even get to where i did.

If I make it to the next round,you can keep the statue points, that would have made all the difference.  Did I forget to mention I dropped a huge cliff to give better view from the bridge to aim?  And the fish trap calamity..... God im getting a headache....

[I3erent]

quote:Originally posted by I3erent:
<STRONG>It is called Fishedwars, the enemies must enter from the other ened of my valley and the fortifications on one side are where I planned to line up my marksdwarves to take enemies out, the underneathe was goimg to be a suspended baracks for the marksdwarves, I didnt finish it.  The thing in the middle was going to be where I attached my steel cable supporting the bridge, too bad I had no flux, an iron cable seemed stupid because it would rust in the elements.  Indeed the bridge is unfinishedas is most everything. Also mass deaths in the early game resulted in limited workers to do all this.

The small waterfall dining room contains all masterpiece furniture, it was to be for my nobles, but fishedwar has no nobles.  The main assembly hall/party room is also unfinished.  My water trap is unfinished, There is a complete water tank above the main entrance but the one above the entrance up before the bridge was never finished. Or started for that matter.  Between the bridge, waterworks and statue, coupled with so many deaths and loss of immigration made this difficult to even get to where i did.

If I make it to the next round,you can keep the statue points, that would have made all the difference.  Did I forget to mention I dropped a huge cliff to give better view from the bridge to aim?  And the fish trap calamity..... God im getting a headache....</STRONG>

The catapults were just put there to move em from my party room Oh yeah my tombs were not finished above the party room either...  The Cat death pit works wonders though I only managed to get the scaffolding built for the giant kittin statue, when I realized WTF am I doing 2 statues!!!!   And then all the ambushes
took my attebtion from that anyway....

[Jamini]

Interestingly enough, I found where my entire population had relocated while adventuring. Including the dragon.

Apparently my entire population decided to move to the nearest human capital, taking it over from the local inhabitants. From there they proceeded to let out Ozo (my dragon) who promply began eating and killing people.

When I arrived I was able to witness twenty or so dwarves fighting a dragon in a very cold human city. It was strangly awesome.

Sadly, my adventurer's luck ran out after that. He fell prey to a pack of ice wolves who tore out his throat and brain in the first round of combat.

My legends page looks pretty cool though.

[Torak]

quote:Originally posted by Kagus:
<STRONG>
That one tomb is about the only place I've ever seen floor detailing actually look alright.  I would like to notifiy you, however, that the cave-in trap won't actually work.  The wall-chunk sitting above the pillars is connected to the layer above, and thus won't fall.
</STRONG>

Im aware, but I couldnt get my Miner to go over there and do something in a reasonable time limit.

I swear to god, the laziest Legendary I've ever had.

"Boss needs me ta mine out some iron? Gon' got get a snack first."

One hour later.

"Damn it all, I need to wash down that Plump helmet roast."

Three hours later.

"Boy, that eating and drinking made me tired."

Sixteen hours later.

"Boss needs me ta mine out some iron? Gon' got get a snack first."

Now this is when I start to get pissed off.

Also, I have a Long-dead recruit who's last name was Goldenfinger.I Renamed him Dr. and gave him the title Villain. He died of thirst from a bruised wrist or something stupid.

I just realized this fort was one of the least imaginative ones I've done in a while. I didn't feel very inspired to do much of anything. Next fort will be much better, since I wont be throwing something together a few days before.

[ April 28, 2008: Message edited by: Torak ]

[Kagus]

Sowelu, Copperthrows

I've never seen so many statues.  Crikey that's a lot of sculptured stone.

Other than that, not really a whole lot going on here.  There are some bed/crypt pillars, some stretches of engraved floor, and a diagonal stripmine, which does indeed look slightly better than the more common style.  Must be a pain to designate though.

There are also a couple figure-eights sug into the rock, but I'm only assuming those were for mining purposes. From the looks of things, he's been remarkably unlucky in regards to finding metal veins.  This place is, first and foremost, a point fort.  Style rating 3/10, with kudos for the statue walls and the diagonal stripmine (and the masonry pockets within, very well done on those in particular).

Phoo...  I don't know if I'm up for three rounds of this.  Looking back at th original post, I have a flicker of doubt as to whether or not any of this was actually in my job description...  Whoops.

[Sowelu]

Thanks for checking it over anyway!  Yeah, style suffered badly due to having way too big of an area to deal with.  Ideally, the ENTIRE AREA between those four bedroom pillars sunk way into the ground--and a radius around it--was going to be completely channeled out, leaving them as the legs of a standing table.  However, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and this wasn't even close.  If the Table had been 1/4 its volume, it might have worked.  I just might try this again on the next map.

It's true though--The only metals I found in the entire map were a little bit of galena, some nickel ore I don't remember the name of, and about six tiles of platinum.

Note:  Bowgoblins have no qualms about shooting twenty tiles diagonal and three tiles down, through two rows of statues.  (Hence the wall that got started, outside the rows of statues.)

Final note:  It's really fun when an armorer gets moody and claims your only forge, like a month after you build it.  Next time I'll get a second anvil.

[GeneralValter]

I really should have embarked in a location with better metal options. By choosing a flat spot with no mountains, I crippled myself in that regard, even though I had magma. I reached galena and sphalerite in the third year, but I never did anything with it.

[Lemnx]

I seem to be unable to load the DFFD... Maybe in a few hours I can start.