update on my embark:
starting embark:
used tweak to adjust to 10 draconians (my own personal DF race) for 5 breeding couples. embarked with an axe lover, a miner, an anvil lover, and the rest were misc. custom profs: excavator, feller, forger, blower (glass), feaster, furrower, tapestrist, stoner (crafts), huntsman, crystalist (gem)
ive used this location alot, so i know where everything is, quickly uncovered the magma and underground pool to reveal them and then set about making the entrance. the 'furrower' brought a handful of seeds, which included some wild strawberry seeds, so he set up a small farm and then set about gathering plants with the feaster.
the stoner dabbled in mechanics and thus made some mechanisms and set up some stone traps at the entrance after the excavator cleared it and made the tunnel in to the first room. after that first room was made, the entrance to it was channeled and a bridge set up for later. everything was moved in and a tunnel to the sand layer was set up so two underground plots and an above ground plot could be made. the feller chopped all the trees in the area quickly and they were moved inside, except a few used to make a bridge over the channel used to make the one plot above ground, protecting the plot from invaders.
the stone traps delt with the sergals that attacked me after that, and the orcs were delt with by the repeating level attached to the bridge, dropping them 10 levels into a sealed area so i can collect the steel from them.
i finally am getting artifacts now, as the children are getting to a decent age. i have some permanant soldiers that are guarding a side entrance which has doors guarding it, and can be closed off when orcs siege so they have to go across the bridge.
EDIT:
ok, ive got a small military of 4 champs.. 1 hammer, 1 mace, 1 axe, and 1 wrestler (with pick). they are stationed behind a door, with fortifications lining it, so the two xbowers can shoot though when an ambush tries to come through the door. when orcs come i still use the bridge of death.
ive got another problem though... if i get no caravans, and no traders at all... and i have enough food, enough drink... theres nothing for my guys to do but sit and chat... there is HFS on this map and i cracked a vein to lure a 'king' to my site, but im not ready for any long-term HFSing yet... i could do more mining, but i just finished dumping all my excess rocks into a quantum stockpile. any ideas?