This will be long. Lets start at my very beginning.
1. I didn't read the wiki, so my first dozen forts were lots of FUN, that is where I learned most of the basics, by myself, my logic and a whole lot of FUN.
2. "Hey look, a tree! [Cut]. Another tree! [ Cut ], another...tree [...cut...]" and that went on and on for my lumber.
Until I learned that when you press d>t then click, it starts as the
HIGHLIGHTER for what you want to work with. There I was clicking every
SINGLE tree in a forested biome!
3. "A murky Pool, filled with water! Lets farm!" *Thunk* "AHHH WATER!!!"
And I thought getting touched by water would flood every tile it hits [didn't learn the 1/7 rule yet] so then I deconstructed every workshop/thing in the way of the water and then moved to higher ground.
It dried back and I tried to wall it back in, then the rains came...This went on until I abandoned my fort to the horrid view of blue ~'s
4. *Post siege/abandoned fort* "What in Armok's bloody hand, the invaders are friendly? Ahh that is good, very good."
*Orders everyone to move to the entrance, currently filled with goblins and some trolls.
"Hello friends, we would like to occupy our-...is that dwarf bone crafts you're wearing?"
"FOOD!!!"
And then they all proceeded to greet us with a warm welcoming hand.
Addition:
I discovered reading what is on screen helps a lot. I finally discovered the "d" key in trading. That beat finding my carefully crafted lavish meals through ~40 pages or so of stone and other stuff. And I only learned that after a wrong key press, "What just happened?! *looks at keys* Oh..."
~~~
Then to my Advanced stage, I did not yet discover the wiki and have basic ideas on what to do. [Or rather, I did but I didn't read any of it yet. No spoily fun at all]
"Invaders are approaching, get the military out! Then lower the drawbridge, that'll give us time to rush 'em"
Inside
d.d.d.d. where d-Dwarf
ddd.d... b-raised drawbridge 7x7 squared thick made of fine bauxite
bbbbbbb It continues like this for the next 3 or so squares
Outside
"Here they come, PULL the lever!"
Sweaty hands grasped the leather handle, pulling with all their might on the lever. The sound of gears were heard moving. Five, Six, Seven... The bridge would lower soon. Looking at the militia, most of them had a mix of apathy and fear although they were seasoned veterans out of years of training and fighting.
Then Courage and determination flashed across their faces like a wave of emotion seen through the mastercrafted steel helmets. The first rays of light were peeking from the opening in the ceiling, the bridge was coming down. All the heroes and recruits were ready and gathered to face a full goblin army led by a Legendary general, one whose name struck fear in those fighting against them.
The cranking of the gears stopped, the hinges loosened, the drawbridge fell freely to the ground to light the area with pure sunlight and a welcoming view of the outside world.
...
And the good part, the drawbridge was colored
red.
You could fathom a guess on where it fell
That killed one of my best forts...
Blood for the Blood God!