I'm relatively new to Dwarf Fortress. I like to think I scaled the learning curve cliff, but I'm a long, long, LONG way from being adequate at this game. My problems arise from micromanagement and naive planning and such, but I'm typically a pretty careful guy for a dwarf (some would say rather un-dwarfy), and most of my deaths arise from outside forces and such, haven't yet managed to flood a fortress with water or otherwise.
However, last month I had quite a lot of fun. The Mirrored Picknavel was striking the earth at Doomdoomed the Doom of Dooms. Everything was going... mediocre, as per my style. Farming and brewing were up and running. I had a small 5-dwarf military protecting my 25 civilian dwarves. I was busy getting some furniture into bedrooms, pleased with the dining room I had just finished. It wasn't that big or fancy, but at the time it was the nicest I had ever made. Unfortunately, half of it was sandy loam, so I could only engrave a portion. But it had statues! And microcladamantine tables! My dwarves liked it too, they were always throwing parties instead of working, the devilish little scamps. Ah well, let them have their fun. Their existence up until now has been crouching in the damp darkness, chewing on cold, wet plump helmets, and falling asleep in the mud (except for the lucky... 4 that managed to snag a bed in the dorm).
What's this...? Urist McSociopath has randomly gone berserk?
Urist, please stop. There is absolutely no reason you should have just gone berserk. Your only unhappy thought was smelling a bit of miasma. And that was a week ago.
Oh god please put down that statue of a gazelle
Oh god he threw it at the party
so much blood
But hey, the party seems rather unaffected. Everyone ran out of the dining hall, then returned and resumed the party once Urist McSociopath was out of sight. Marvelous.
Now he's beating my farmers to death with his bare fists while they run in terror.
Oh look. My military is nowhere to be seen. That's... that's just awesome, guys. What the hell are you doing?
Oh, a goblin ambush.
OH GOD THEY KILLED MY MILITARY AND SUFFERED NO CASUALTIES
Now the goblins are running into my base. Obviously with all the dead bodies from Urist McSociopath's sociopathic urges, and the miasma from said dead bodies, a tantrum spiral is picking up. Now 4 dwarves are berserk, roughly 12 are dead, two are running for their lives from the berserk dwarves (and goblins), and the rest are at that goddamn party, living it up.
Perhaps the berserk dwarves and the goblins will kill each other off!
Or maybe they'll just launch a joint strike on the party.
The strength of your fortress has been broken!
*facepalm*