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[nil]

I hope i'm not breaking any rules, but I have a few questions.

I just downloaded the game, and generated a world. I found a place that looks like a nice place to start (warm, next to a river, calm), but I have no idea what would be the best way to prepare the game (specialize the dwarves, supplies to bring, etc), and would thank you if you could give me a list of sugestions.

Also, I tried starting the game, but couldn't do a thing. I have no idea how to make the dwarves build walls, mine, build roofs, or do anything. I tried assigning some simple orders to try to learn how to make them do stuff, but they didn't do any of them. Can anyone help me with that? I checked the stickied begginer's tutorial thread, but it was more like a walkthrough, so, I decided not to use them.

Also, I've heard there's a tileset that makes the game easier to understand. Can anyone give me a safe and relyable download link?

thanks in advance.

There's a prepacked graphics set here: http://mayday.w.staszic.waw.pl/df.php

For embark, you need food, booze, at least one axe and pick, a least one skilled brewer, mason, miner, grower, and cook, seeds and an anvil.  Bringing dogs is a good idea, too, you can train them to fight for you.  More info here: http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Starting_build_design

As far how to actually play...  To mine, hit (d), (d) then use either the mouse or the cursor to designate what to dig out.  Note that you'll need to dig specific structures to change a z-level (up or down).  To build most stuff, you'll need workshops.  For example, to build a mason's workshop you would do (b), (w), (m), then place it.  After your mason has built it, you hit (q) and move the cursor over the workshop; from here you can make statues, tables, doors and other items to be placed later.  To build a wall, do (b), (c), (w); you'll need to have mined some stone to do this.  One more important thing--if something isn't building, you can use (t) or (q) and move the cursor over it to see why.    If it says "construction inactive" in yellow text, it's probably not working because no available dwarves are assigned the necessary labor.  Find a dwarf who isn't doing anything, hit (v), move the cursor over him, hit (p), (l), then use (+) and (-) to select the needed labor (more often than not its masonry, the thing you want built should tell you what's needed with (q) ) and hit enter.  He should start working pretty quick.

Other than that, just use the tutorial.  I know you're probably all about building a totally unique and personalized fortress right now, but there will be plenty of time for that once you know what you're doing.

(I see I have been beaten!  Posting anyway!)

[New Messages]

Welcome New Messages.  Welcome to the learning cliff.  It's so much Fun.

If your dwarves won't do what you order done, make sure you have the corresponding labor turned on for at least one dwarf.  To get to the labor screen, select a dwarf with the [v] key, press [p], then [l] (lower case L).  If you want someone to dig, make sure they have mining turned on (and they have access to a pick!).  The wiki has listings for every profession and the associated labor (not all of them are obvious).

On the wiki you'll also find articles that tell you how to start your first fortress.  Don't worry if they come off as a walkthrough - there's no way to really write a walkthrough for this game.  It's too open.  And trust me, You'll either lose or abandon your first fortress.  Either way, when you start a new one you'll quickly realize how much you learned about fortress design and efficiency when you begin digging your second (and third, fourth, and fifth).

I used this article to get started.  It was just informative enough to avoid feeling like a walkthrough, but it helped me make good initial decisions.

Thank you very much for your answer. I won't have time to test it right away, so, I can't tell if this is going to be enough to solve my problem, but if I test it and it doesn't work, I will post here again.

Oh, and I know I will probably abandon my first fortress... from what I heard, it's impossible to play this game without the mindset that losing is fun.

EDIT: Nil, thank you for your answer as well. It will help a lot.

[Skorpion]

My military keep wandering off on their own!

On duty or off, they seem to have a magnetic attraction to a far-away spot near the magma pipe. There's nothing THERE for them to be picking up, so what could they possibly be doing?
Two have done it, so far. No job listed other than 'soldier'.

[silhouette]

My military keep wandering off on their own!

On duty or off, they seem to have a magnetic attraction to a far-away spot near the magma pipe. There's nothing THERE for them to be picking up, so what could they possibly be doing?
Two have done it, so far. No job listed other than 'soldier'.

Is there any creatures there?
are they set to harras dangerous creatures?
is there hidden items there?
Sometimes dwarves are ncei eough to tell you to chuck them into the lava.

[Skorpion]

No creatures there, set to harass but it's halfway across the damn map, checked for hidden items but nothing there.

[nil]

No creatures there, set to harass but it's halfway across the damn map, checked for hidden items but nothing there.

Maybe you accidentally set a patrol point there (I do this all the time)?  Try (x) while in the squad menu.

[silhouette]

Prehaps its theirs a zone there or the squad is stationed there.

[Yagrum Bagarn]

First, if you don't have a meeting area, they're probably just following their squad leader as he wanders to a spot he likes.  If they do that when they're off duty, instead of sparring, it could be because the squad leader has a nervous injury.  My invalid squad has a habit of doing that.

[CognitiveDissonance]

What happens if you burn wooden weapons/armor from dear elves with magma? Does it become ash, once magma is drained?
That would be quite neat.

[Yagrum Bagarn]

What happens if you burn wooden weapons/armor from dear elves with magma? Does it become ash, once magma is drained?

I'm pretty sure it just disappears.

[Skorpion]

There's no meeting zone there, but there's another elsewhere. The squad is stationed elsewhere, and they've done it off-duty as well.
They only ever seem to do it alone.

[Jake]

Okay, here's a couple:

1. Do pressure plates have to be built on a floor tile,  and would a support underneath them act as one if they do?

2. Do dumped items dropped over a precipice injure anyone standing where they land?

3. I forgot to add a CRITBOOST tag to a custom weapon. Will it screw anything up in my newly generated world if I add it in now?

[qoonpooka]

My military keep wandering off on their own!

On duty or off, they seem to have a magnetic attraction to a far-away spot near the magma pipe. There's nothing THERE for them to be picking up, so what could they possibly be doing?
Two have done it, so far. No job listed other than 'soldier'.

Are they going to a water supply?

Mine seem do that too, but I followed them at it once and it's because they're going for water (though not at the nearest point).

[NecroRebel]

Okay, here's a couple:

1. Do pressure plates have to be built on a floor tile,  and would a support underneath them act as one if they do?

Pressure plates do need to be on a floor tile, but you can build a support, build a floor tile on top of the support, and then build the pressure plate on top of the floor tile on top of the support.

2. Do dumped items dropped over a precipice injure anyone standing where they land?

No.

3. I forgot to add a CRITBOOST tag to a custom weapon. Will it screw anything up in my newly generated world if I add it in now?

It shouldn't.

[Skorpion]

My military keep wandering off on their own!

On duty or off, they seem to have a magnetic attraction to a far-away spot near the magma pipe. There's nothing THERE for them to be picking up, so what could they possibly be doing?
Two have done it, so far. No job listed other than 'soldier'.

Are they going to a water supply?

Mine seem do that too, but I followed them at it once and it's because they're going for water (though not at the nearest point).

No water source there.

Also, is there any way to cure cave spider bites?