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[Bromor Neckbeard]

There's been a lot of discussion about what you consider "cheating" or "exploits", and what you don't do because it's not fair.  However, what about the stuff that's NOT in any conceivable way "cheating", but you don't do it anyway, just because it doesn't feel "right" or "dwarvish enough"?

List your points of honor, and comment on other people's.

1.  After the first caravan gets to my fortress, my exported wealth is NEVER allowed to be lower than my imported wealth.  I'm not "losing a bunch of money by making poor trades", I'm "spreading the light of dwarven culture to inferior civilizations".  I'm more than likely to just give 50,000 dwarfbucks' worth of stuff away to the caravans to keep my export/import ratio positive.

(edit)  Also, Penguinofhonor brought up a point that I forgot to mention.  I only trade items that my dwarves produced.  I don't sell five hundred goblin-blood-spattered cave spider silk loincloths to the merchants.  I throw them in the lava and decorate my stone idols with goblin bone and sell those instead.

2.  Other than the axe and pick I embark with, my dwarves would never wield a weapon that wasn't forged in my fortress.  As soon as I get a metal industry up and running, that axe and pick get melted down and replaced.  Any metal item brought to my fort gets melted down and reforged, no exceptions.  That dwarven caravan might bring me a dozen exceptional steel axes, but those axes get turned into steel bars and back into axes before my soldiers touch them.  After the first year, no dwarf of mine ever has an (item) in his inventory.

3.  I only kill nobles for one thing:  killing useful dwarves for not meeting impossible demands.  Incredibly difficult demands that can technically be satisfied, no matter how inconvenient they are, either get satisfied or I deal with the consequences.  If somebody demands ten clear glass items on a map with no sand and no trees, but then they DON'T mutilate my legendary weaponsmith for not meeting a production order, they get to continue enjoying life.

4.  Traps are to alert my military to ambushers, torture child snatchers, and make adventure mode tougher, not to replace my military.  I only ever use a weapon trap if I get an artifact trap component (or maybe in my torture chamber), and I use a grand total of two (2) cage traps in my current fort.  Not to make sieges easier, you understand, but because Armok is a bloodthirsty god and it is necessary to procure captives to sacrifice.

[penguinofhonor]

1. Defense is for dummies. Traps are only to be used at wild animals' spawn points to get a large amount of zombie creatures for my arena. All other defense is constructed entirely of dwarves, metal, shell, wood, and bone. If I get attacked before my military is able to defend us properly, I live with the consequences.

2. No nitpicking about armor. Wooden shields and shell armor work well enough if they're used by a champion. So will basic quality copper spears and elves' wooden weapons.

3. No goblin exports. All goblin armor is to be dumped into magma if it's cloth/leather, or melted into bars if it's metal. Same with the armor and unusable weapons of any other enemies.

I think that's about it.

[Greiger]

-All attempts are made to give nobles proper lodging and give all residents basic personal rooms.

-*mod*If controlling a surface race or a race that lives in shallow caves sunlight will be visible from all recreational and residential areas of the fortress, through either skylights or fortification "windows".

-Traders will not be cheated out of their goods unless a known enemy of the race (If this is happening I'm trying to get them to begin siegeing)

-Traps and crossbows, while reasonable in small amounts, are dishonorable and will only ever be a small part of a defense, never the whole thing.

-*mod* Wilderness animals and megabeasts are often more dangerous.  Everything from giant mantis with scythe arms, to giant crabs in rivers are living in the worlds.

-Fortress will never be locked up tight. That is cowardly.  There will always be some way to path into the fortress.

-All attempts will be made to vary food and booze supplies as much as possible.

-No migrant will be turned away despite their lack of skill they are still a member of the (insert race here) race.  They will never be sent on a suicide mission for little to no gain either.

-*mod* If magma is availible part of the dracon(custom race) burial tradition involves the grave being sealed and flooded with magma after interment.  A burial will not be considered complete until done.

[Archaeologist]

I'm not quite as ambitious, so I try to be more pragmatic.

- Goblin crap is dumped into the Magma/ melted down, exceptions being Shields, Dwarf usable weapons, and Giant Cave Spider Silk goods to keep for emergencies when I need supplies from the Dwarven Caravan.

- Cave Traps are to be used only as an early warning device against snatchers and ambushes, and as a means of creating an arena.  Not your primary form of defense.

- Spike Lever traps are infinitely more preferable to using weapon traps.

- If you're trying to take gross advantage of the limitations in the game, you're doing it wrong. 

[Shzar]

Oooh, neat topic. Mine are similar to much of what's been said already:

- No metal goods are ever dumped away, even after a long, bloody siege. Use, trap, or melt.

- Dump no goods produced in my fortress.

- Provide, at a minimum, a 3x3 bedroom to each dwarf, and see all Nobles' requirements met. Make nice, private tombs for all my legendary dwarves, filled with their favourite knick-knacks and materials.

- Traps are limited. Mostly cage traps, and a few weapon traps for when things go sour, but otherwise sally forth and meet your enemies head-on.

- I once tried to execute a noble for making ridiculous demands. I screwed up the flooding chamber and roasted my fortress with magma. Since then, I do not deliberately kill my nobles, even those that make impossible demands.

[Draco18s]

Shorthanding anything already mentioned

- Goblin Crap
- Spike Traps (ok, so it (and it's 52 brethren) are linked to a pressure plate, hehe)
- (Items)
- Noble Killing
- Basic rooms
- Immigrants

However, my military generally consists of two dozen crossbow dwarves because I've never ever had success with anything else.  I also frequently use weapon traps, though they aren't impenetrable.

[martinuzz]

- I always make my philosopher a nice big maze, with a personal statue garden in the middle.

- kittens should be butchered at birth.

- dwarves WILL be punished for whatever ridiculous crime they comitted. That is.. When I decide it is safe to release the hammerer from his room. (most dwarves survive 1 or two hammerstrikes, if clad in full plate armor and allowed to spar a bit before releasing the hammerer.

- my forts should have a temple to Armok, floors and walls made of bauxite (or another dark red stone), statues also. If I am in a nasty mood I will install some spikes and a dwarf-triggered pressure plate in it. BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!!

- goblin siege junk is for the Ulfs and Humies. No insulting of the mountainhomes in my forts!

- My military only gets the best: armor below *quality* is melted and reforged.

[Glacies]

Personalize the room of every. single. dwarf. Not just champions or legendaries. Even the soap makers. Everyone gets stuff to fit their personality. You like rose gold? You'll get a rose gold thingy at some point when I can.

Dump all the clothing that isn't Holycresent approved 100% cave spider silk tunics (in plain, reb, blue or emerald!) into the magma pit. Unless I made a bit of clothing especially for the dwarf wearing it.

Don't randomly kill dwarves. Always accept migrants. Try to be as carefull as possible with them, too. Seal off fortress if it's dangerous. Send out soldiers backed up by wardogs and crossbow dwarves. Give all hunters leather armour and crossbows. Make sure Dwarves don't get cave adapted.

[McDoomhammer]

Nobles get appropriate lodgings.  (That's what I consider appropriate, not what the game does- I make sure their requirements are all met but don't care if they think someone else's arrangements are too good.)  Where possible, the sheriff is near the jail; when the dungeon master shows up, I move the jail to a larger dungeon also incorporating animal storage and training, abutting the DM's apartments and preferably dug out off the forging or furnace areas.  The admins have a small office block, the mayor is installed near the nicer bedroom area, and so forth.  I generally let the philosopher own nothing, but I might borrow the statue-garden idea.

I try to make sure every dwarf has a proper coffin, usually stone, but will only place these in small, decorated catacombs off public areas.  Legendary and titled dwarves get small tombs within or connected to these.

Underground furnaces are given chimneys topped with grates, to prevent them covering everything with smoke.

Never kill any dwarf deliberately.

Maintain the full complement of guards.  Where possible, ensure they have actual combat experience and are armed appropriately.

Dwarves all get 2 x 3 bedrooms.

[QuantumSawdust]

- Never engage in exploratory mining.
The mountain is holy. It gives us everything we need to survive, and I won't have my dwarves defacing it with endless and ugly tunnels simply to find a bit of iron.
- Only build with constructed blocks
No exceptions, ever.
- No traps or bridges, or other automatic/controlled enemy defenses
Shutting my dwarves inside the mountain is cowardly. Let the enemy come, if they enter my glorious fortress, we will fight them in the tunnels, the dining rooms, the workshops. If my dwarves can't defend themselves in their own environment, they aren't worthy to live in it.
- No meeting areas
I'm not forcing my dwarves to hang around one spot. They are their own masters. If they want to go wander around by the creek, so be it. Sure, some may die in the goblin siege, but that's their risk to make.
- Never trade with elves, and their demands are to be refused every time
- No room or floor can be used until it has been walled in and covered in constructed blocks/bars. The same type of block must be used for any one project, unless an intentional pattern of colors/types is intended.
- Any construction must be far more grand than what is necessary to survive or to be functional. No way in hell my dwarves are getting 1x3 bedrooms. They must live in 5x5 rooms with only the finest in every furniture. Workshops should be spacey enough to allow my dwarves to work in peace and quiet to encourage focus. Pump systems must be impressive. Hallways must be large and multi-story.
- All migrants will be given jobs according to their names. They'll have to deal with it. Grown children that were birthed in the fortress are allowed to work in any and all professions (unless they have a warrior's name)

[Tormy]

- No traps
- No defense mechanisms
- No moats
- Never kill any immigrants

[I tend to kill some nobles because of the annoying mandates, and my hammerers are "disabled" usually.  I am not handicapping myself in trading at all... the game is much more fun this way, imho at least]

[McDoomhammer]

- Never engage in exploratory mining.
The mountain is holy. It gives us everything we need to survive, and I won't have my dwarves defacing it with endless and ugly tunnels simply to find a bit of iron.
- Only build with constructed blocks
No exceptions, ever.
- No traps or bridges, or other automatic/controlled enemy defenses
Shutting my dwarves inside the mountain is cowardly. Let the enemy come, if they enter my glorious fortress, we will fight them in the tunnels, the dining rooms, the workshops. If my dwarves can't defend themselves in their own environment, they aren't worthy to live in it.
- No meeting areas
I'm not forcing my dwarves to hang around one spot. They are their own masters. If they want to go wander around by the creek, so be it. Sure, some may die in the goblin siege, but that's their risk to make.
- Never trade with elves, and their demands are to be refused every time
- No room or floor can be used until it has been walled in and covered in constructed blocks/bars. The same type of block must be used for any one project, unless an intentional pattern of colors/types is intended.
- Any construction must be far more grand than what is necessary to survive or to be functional. No way in hell my dwarves are getting 1x3 bedrooms. They must live in 5x5 rooms with only the finest in every furniture. Workshops should be spacey enough to allow my dwarves to work in peace and quiet to encourage focus. Pump systems must be impressive. Hallways must be large and multi-story.
- All migrants will be given jobs according to their names. They'll have to deal with it. Grown children that were birthed in the fortress are allowed to work in any and all professions (unless they have a warrior's name)

Several interesting ones in there.
I never thought of meeting areas as mandatory.  It would be nice if some dorfs with loner personalities went their own way sometimes.
Also, yay nominative determinism!  I confess I tend to give my squads leaders based on the coolest name.  Okay, Urist McAxedwarf might be relatively inexperienced as a leader, but it's worth it to have a squad called The Abyssal Fortifications.

[Jake]

- There is always a reasonable number of spare beds in the barracks in case someone gets evicted.

- There is always a year-round source of potable water for the wounded and anyone thrown in jail.

- All prison cells cells are tolerably comfortable, with a bed and an engraving on the wall so the prisoners at least have something to look at. Also, anyone sentenced to eight hammer strikes for any crime less than murder gets a full set of plate mail.

- Dwarves are buried with honour, their mortal remains conveyed to a secure location safe from scavengers until such time as a coffin can be provided.

- When my dwarves are struck by strange moods, regardless of their usefulness, every effort is made to accommodate them. My miners will be ordered to tear the mountain apart looking for gems, and if the merchants won't barter an anvil for all the goods in the warehouse then I'll pay them in not kneecapping them with a crossbow.

- The above situation or when the fortress is facing a serious, immediate threat of starvation are the only times at which I will even consider robbing merchants.

- No civilian is ever left to the mercy of a goblin invasion. If they're between him and all the side entrances, the lever to drop the main gate is not pulled until he's inside of it or has been cut down.

- Traps are kept to a minimum, and cage traps never used at all; goblin warriors are permitted the honourable deaths in battle that they so crave... inasmuch as them all charging along my signature marksdwarf gauntlet towards a last-ditch line of weapon traps and getting mown down counts as a proper battle.

- Kobold thieves disturbed by a civilian before they grab fortress property are left to run for it. Fortress property does not include any bits of goblin armour and other battlefield debris the dwarves haven't got around to doing anything about yet.

[Dareon Clearwater]

-Cats are never butchered.  Embark settings start with 4 cats and 1 cage, the females are caged and sold to the first caravan.  Any migrating female is allowed to breed, but her kittens are popped into a cage immediately and sold.

...That's about it, really.

[Novocain]

Avoid death as much as possible: No suicide-missions, throw-away dwarves, or mass-butcherings. Any "extra" dwarves just farm to make up for their expenses. Each dwarf and pet gets their own grave; dwarves get a fullly decorated room, which is usually assigned after death, due to not having the resources to maintain that many graves. Nobles get spared, because I'm not terribly convicted against cheating to make up for impossible mandates. I've temporarily modified hammer damage before, or created reactions in which I can convert an equally-valuable or more expensive metal into the needed material. However, I've had dwarves run consecutive sentences in jail for years before, which is never very healthy for them. I've only had to manually save one from jailing consequences, though, since they usually get just enough of a break to grab a drink and a nap.

I use traps initially, since my forts tend to be very economical at first, but once I have a standing army, I reduce it to the bare minimum. No impossible-to-access areas, though I am not against restricting access. My current fort has a magma moat with five bridge entrances. All bridges except for the main road access bridge may be lifted, and really only exist to give quick paths around the moat for my dwarves.

All dwarves get full-sized rooms. Not noble sized, but a regular 3x3 block. Depending on the number of masons available, they may or may not be fully furnished.

Anything that isn't specifically trying to kill me is spared if possible, except for game animals when needed. Any captured goblins are released once a siege is over, and I attempt to do the same with any other entity I manage to catch. Unfortunately, this usually doesn't work with megabeasts, who then attack and get one-hit-KO'd by my legendary swordsdwarf/wrestler/armor user/shield user Captain of the Guard, whose name is longer than the aforementioned chain of descriptions.