I have never had a fort that lasts long enough to reach economy since I ussually abandon before i get there, because I am rather a perfectionist when it comes to DF (I know its crazy dwarfy to try and run a "perfect" fort when dwarves are involved)
To give you an Idea:
Example Problem:
I DETEST multi coloured floors/walls
Example Solution:
cheats like reveal and liquid to place convenient obsidian walls where needed for the rest of us who are less rainbow inclined
After many abandoned fortresses due to stuff not being "perfect" I finally found a suitable spot to my liking to embark, built my essential buildings in the soft clay layer which can conveniently be channeled away to leave behind only my final fortress.
So I have this epic entrance way carved out of solid obsidian, smoothed and engraved consisting of an entrance portal with pillars and planned to include floor mosaic of gold and silver. the portal is connected to this huge chasm, about 70 squares long, and about 20 wide. the chasm is 4z levels deep and has 3 5x5 "pillars" in the middle with bridges connecting the front portal to pillar, to pillar, to pillar, to back portal, each 10 squares (max) length. The back portal is also decorated with smaller pillars and statues (Everything, wall, floors etc made of obsidian) then the back portal has the entrance to the "great obsidian staircase" going down in a perfect twisting circle for about 80z levels then twists and gets to my actual entrance, an convenient underground "volcano". so now I have this elegant arched deck built from obsidian at the "obsidian way's" exit and a 20square bridge (a bridge from each side connecting to each other) to the otherside of the "volcano" (yes the deck has pillars and more statues) and a 27z level drop from the bridge before you hit the magma down below. I started planning my very aesthetically pleasing bedroom designs, great dining room with pillars... statues - yes and a "bathing pool", more mosiac art and so forth.
Back to the point:
Now I wanted to read up on the wiki to see what my dwarves will need for the shops and economy so I can plan my marketplace/mall in advance to match the rest of the epicness going around, and realized - DF2010 doesnt have an economy anymore.... .... .... ... .. . and I was really looking forward to FINALLY get an economy going for the first time now that I had a fortress that wouldnt bore me from lack of epicness dwarfishness.
Urist McDFPlayer cancels fort construction: Job interest misplaced due to lack of economy
I can see the elves and humans walking over the great clearglass/steel/gold bridge, over great mosaic floors, past masterwork engravings, statues, going 80z levels down in the everwinding engraved obsidian staircase, reaching the volcano, crossing it, into the great entrance hallway of dwarfish might, and unloading their puny and seemingly less significant tradecrafts while admiring the masterfully crafted obsidian doors leading to the surely even greater fortress below! While behind the doors the dwarves are all crammed together in three barren stone rooms, the last constructions before the lead architect got taken by a fey mood and left the fortress muttering something about waste of time. Atleast they can PRETEND to outsiders-that-arent-allowed-to-pass-into-the-inner-fort that they live in a true dwarven city that songs can be sung of!