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Author Topic: need help for a newbie to DF  (Read 2327 times)

Dizzerp

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need help for a newbie to DF
« on: April 30, 2009, 10:55:30 am »

currently i'm following the guide that tinypirate made for playing DF and i've gotten really far. unfortunately im having a few problems that I could use help with such as:

1: caravan came then left when goblins ambushed them, i didnt get to trade with them but I did get lots of free stuff from them :D. unfortunately claiming all the items took a long time and i kept getting announcements from the dwarves with lots of "cancels action: pit item in stockpile. getting food/drink/sleep" is there a way I can set it so they're well fed/hydrated/slept?

2: migrants come which means I need to assign specific jobs to them which causes exhaustion on my part since i dont know which are more important, or what should be evenly spread.

3: so far I've only had one bad [posessed by unseen forces] death due to not having gems. am i able to change their profession so when they get inspirational they wont want to make an item i don't have supplies for?

4: how can I disarm goblins from cages so my recruits can train on it? i also cannot free a few cows I bought from merchants


thanks for the help in advance. im loving this game greatly

edit: also cripes, i barely had time to finish making my last sleeping quarters for my fortress when new ones came. now I need more room/beds/doors. also I'm going to use the old sleeping quarters and change it into a giant dining room. maybe I can post screenshots of my plans later
« Last Edit: April 30, 2009, 11:00:58 am by Dizzerp »
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Puck

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2009, 10:59:47 am »

1: caravan came then left when goblins ambushed them, i didnt get to trade with them but I did get lots of free stuff from them :D. unfortunately claiming all the items took a long time and i kept getting announcements from the dwarves with lots of "cancels action: pit item in stockpile. getting food/drink/sleep" is there a way I can set it so they're well fed/hydrated/slept?
Other than making sure there are enough high quality foodstacks/boozebarrels/beds I dont think you can do a lot...

2: migrants come which means I need to assign specific jobs to them which causes exhaustion on my part since i dont know which are more important, or what should be evenly spread.
For a start, just leave them be. When you feel that any job is going to slow, or isnt completed at all, because you lack the necessary proffessions, just (v) over the idlers in the meeting area and give them a job. Or do it via the (u)nit or (j)ob list.

Isnt the most perfect solution, but the least exhausting one  ;D

Quote
3: so far I've only had one bad [posessed by unseen forces] death due to not having gems. am i able to change their profession so when they get inspirational they wont want to make an item i don't have supplies for?
Short, no. Long: http://dwarf.lendemaindeveille.com/index.php/Moods

4: how can I disarm goblins from cages so my recruits can train on it? i also cannot free a few cows I bought from merchants
I think you have to mark their items for dumping, not sure aboot the cows.
« Last Edit: April 30, 2009, 11:02:59 am by Puck »
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Dizzerp

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2009, 11:10:55 am »

thanks for the input. i suppose I just need to start creating lavish meals instead and hope for the best. is there by chance any good combination of jobs to give dwarves? so far I only know of giving dwarves the cook profession in combination with the brewing one.
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Puck

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2009, 11:12:05 am »

Ida know, I keep specialists for most jobs, so one order doesnt block another...

chaoticag

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2009, 11:55:28 am »

To free cows:
1.Build cage(b►j)
2.Move all cows to cage (using q)
3.Once all cows are moved, unmark them (again q)
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Dizzerp

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2009, 12:56:32 pm »

thanks for all the help. also i would like to hear your opinions on wether I should have my military do mining or pump operating to raise their stats?
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malachi

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2009, 01:01:28 pm »

I personally let my military dwarves wrestle to gain stats, but if you're wanting to raise the stats of your civilians, pump operating is much safer (because if you forget to remove them from the military, your dwarves might become elite and become a permanent part of your military).
Also, if any of your dwarves are sparring with real weapons, drafting untrained and unarmored ones to the military will result in broken spines and death, which is never good.
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Dizzerp

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2009, 02:21:52 pm »

at the moment they are unarmed with leather armors i believe, i havent had much leather to make much. I would make metal armors but i'm deciding wether I should smelt my platinum and gold, or make tools with the steel i currently have
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MarineElite

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2009, 02:42:27 pm »

For moods you could use dwarf companion with 40d, it lets you change the job the mood is for and materials it needs.
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Rysith

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2009, 03:00:00 pm »

unfortunately claiming all the items took a long time and i kept getting announcements from the dwarves with lots of "cancels action: pit item in stockpile. getting food/drink/sleep" is there a way I can set it so they're well fed/hydrated/slept?

That's normal, in that dwarves will naturally become hungry, thirsty, and sleepy. However, normally those messages are filtered out. Check the (o)rders menu (I think...) and make sure you are using "show some job cancellations" rather than "show all job cancellations" or "show no job cancellations". That will leave in the important ones ("Woodcutter cancels fell tree: interrupted by giant jaguar"), but hide the unimportant ones ("Peasant cancels haul stuff: going to eat").
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Dizzerp

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #10 on: April 30, 2009, 03:11:54 pm »

apparently i overlooked something, one of my dwarves were actually hurt when those gobs attacked. left upper leg is in yellow text on one of my recruits which according to wiki is broken and that sucks. another thing i could have sworn was seeing a dwarf walk back and continue living with head in gray text? creepy. well aside from that right now i'm reorganizing occupations for all my little babies right now
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Albedo

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2009, 03:13:56 pm »

There's light grey (minor) and dark grey - that's the bad one.

I should smelt my platinum and gold, or make tools with the steel i currently have

Infrastructure for more growth.

If you're debating whether to increase your wealth for more immigrants, or more tools to find more steel, then just go for the steel.  Steel plate, chain and greaves are worth more per unit consumed than any statue (except Aluminum, Platinum or Adamantine).

Do wide-area exploratory mining (every 12-15 tiles) down through your sedimentary layers, hoping to find a cluster of magnetite - once you do that, your iron worries are over for a while (enough to make a couple iron anvils, and not even blink).
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Dizzerp

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2009, 03:35:16 pm »

There's light grey (minor) and dark grey - that's the bad one.

I should smelt my platinum and gold, or make tools with the steel i currently have

Infrastructure for more growth.

If you're debating whether to increase your wealth for more immigrants, or more tools to find more steel, then just go for the steel.  Steel plate, chain and greaves are worth more per unit consumed than any statue (except Aluminum, Platinum or Adamantine).

Do wide-area exploratory mining (every 12-15 tiles) down through your sedimentary layers, hoping to find a cluster of magnetite - once you do that, your iron worries are over for a while (enough to make a couple iron anvils, and not even blink).

good point. I need more mining done anyways, and I can use more steel for my army

edit: man deciding who does what is kinda annoying. still changing professions
« Last Edit: April 30, 2009, 05:03:34 pm by Dizzerp »
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Emmanovi

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2009, 05:45:03 pm »

unfortunately claiming all the items took a long time

Are you referring to marking all the items for claiming? Because there is a shortcut for that, I think it's designations then... actually, I'm not sure. *wikis* b then c, apparently. Handy tool, you can mark out a whole area and everything will be designated with whatever thing - reclaim, forbid, melt...

Apologies if I've misunderstood you and you already know this.
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Albedo

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Re: need help for a newbie to DF
« Reply #14 on: April 30, 2009, 06:28:38 pm »

<d, b...> and then several choices, yes.  <f> for forbid, <c> for claim, <d> for dump, <D> for "un-dump", and so on.

Gets to be second nature after a while.

edit: man deciding who does what is kinda annoying. still changing professions

Well, stop it.  One dwarf, one serious profession.  Don't be tempted to use "whoever is idle" for the task that needs to be done, unless it's a non-skill task.

"Non-critical" professions are fine, but even then specialize - it becomes a time saver later when your Master furnace operator knocks out those bars in a fraction of the time.

You need 3 miners? Okay, pick 3 dwarfs - they will be your miners, and no one else.  Turn off all hauling tasks - no quitting the mines to go move a dead rat from the dining hall.   If one is a Novice Leather Worker, decide whether you want them to quit mining whenever some leather needs to be worked, or you want to spend the 17 hides to get a new Novice LW'r and never look back.

Concentrate on one Miner to become Legendary asap.  When you hit a vein of something valuable, that ONE dwarf will do the mining, and get 99% of it.  Weak skill levels can get maybe 75% or less - not acceptable when you're talking aluminum or your map is iron poor.

I use doors/hatches on my shafts, and send lesser miners to do other chores while my legendary does the important work, locked in safe and alone.
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