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[Angry Pierre]

After reading TinyPirate's tutorial (and following about 3/4 of them in game) I decided to scrap my tutorial fort and try one on my own. I'm wondering when it's going to start difficult.

I know I picked easymode by picking a nice location, and that I can add difficulty by selecting something less hospitable, but I'm wondering if this map will ever start to give me problems. I'm in summer 203 and have yet to see any sign of a intruder, but I'm ready; I've prepared 2 choke points loaded with traps, and their only entrance is long and exposed to my cbowmen one floor above. Even if my military isn't capable (which is not the case), I can pull up the drawbridge. My fort is pretty self sufficient, save for wood, leather, and glassmaking (but I've already got a huge surplus of furnished rooms, barrels, and bins, I don't really worry about leatherworking much, and as soon as my masons finish constructing the entrance, I'll wall in the sand collection area and provide an underground route).

I've had to reduce my farmers to two plots temporarily because I had more food than my dwarves could eat in three years, and I don't see the point in purely economic industries because Ryu, Stonecrafter singlehandedly produces more masterpieces than I could shake a stick at (and I dual wield sticks) -- but I've started developing these industries to keep my dwarves busy.

My only two noteworthy catastrophes were a forest fire started by an imp (I don't know what my peasants were doing way out there >:[, but it was restricted to one z level (the imps are all dead now except for one, because he's too smart to poke his head outside the magma pipe). The other event was a fire started in my stockpiles when I accidentally butchered an imp, but it burned slowly so I walled it off.

The only real difficulties I've run into are arbitrary (the terrible UI, miners channeling themselves onto islands, being unable to create a stockpile of only limestone blocks for more efficient construction, etc), but I can forgive these shortcomings because of the incredible game underneath.

Are things going to continue being smooth if I stay on this map?

[Cheddarius]

There are going to be goblin ambushes, ever increasing. I don't find the actual goblins a challenge; however, they often come out and slaughter my woodcutters or whatnot roaming outside. So you'll need to have decent military guarding them.
Also, there are a lot of mods that you can find - for example, orc mods that will swarm your fortress with horrific death.
And always remember - losing is fun! If it's too easy for you, add a challenge!

[Skorpion]

Try playing on dwarf heaven. GCS on the surface, forest fires, wolves, big cats, GCS in holes, HFS, chasm and pit, exposed magma pipe, and the goblins on my map brought archers initially.

[Shaostoul]

Well for starters, knowing if goblins and kobold are around would be the biggest of the deals... If they were killed off in world gen, then you won't have any of that. Also if you have invaders turned off in the INI file, that'd make things boring as well.

A hard terrain is always a good start. Like a desert next to an ocean so you have only salt water unless you desalinate it.

Mods are definitely the way to go. I'm using Relentless Assault at the moment and I'm pretty happy with it. Also, don't give yourself a way to make it so enemies just CAN'T get in, like don't wall off the entire edge of the map or have your only entrance be a draw bridge over a moat of magma.

I suggest mods. Orc mod will give you the most troubles. Relentless Assault is still tough, but orcs aren't super uber in it.

[Elvang]

I'd recommend Orcs initially if your just looking for a better invader, you can even keep the vanilla goblins around. Once you can handle an Orc siege with 2 champions, I'd recommend either one of the metal rebalancing mods, or The Better Goblin Mod. Intimidating Goblins are harder than vanilla goblins, and Terrifying Goblin ambushes alone will wipe the first 2 or 3 fortresses you play with them. There are also fire-breathing and Ender varieties for an even bigger challenge.

Another possibility is a mod that adds more/stronger megabeasts, and changing the world gen settings so there are larger populations of them.

... being unable to create a stockpile of only limestone blocks for more efficient construction...

Never noticed before that you can only select specific metal/misc blocks for stockpiling...

EDIT: If mods aren't your thing, then megaprojects + self imposed restrictions are the way to go. Like building an all glass aboveground fort/tower without using traps or crossbows.

[Angry Pierre]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Btw, I believe there were hostile goblins near my location after the world gen, they are just slow to come. As for kobolds, one of the first things I did was set up a war dog at my entrance (after about 5 successful thieves and 4 sucessful baby snatchers breached my tutorial fort before I got to war dogs) so I don't think I'm going to see any if all they do is steal.

I'm still having fun with my easymode fort, and I've got a lot to learn. Once I'm done learning (getting a large population and royal nobles, holding off sieges, developing my military, exploring the more obscure professions and constructions, etc), I'll definitely start looking at this stuff. I like that live like a human challenge, and dealing with sieges would definitely be a lot more interesting by opening more than one front and not building drawbridges.

...But maybe I'll take that draw bridge in the front out

[Angry Pierre]

While I've got everyone's attention... can a dwarf outrun water after digging fortifications to tap a river? I know I can use a grate, but I'm not sure what enemies can deconstruct grates.

And will gathering sand have any effect on the tile gathered from? Could I set up my collection zone as a 1x1 square and never run out?

Thanks all!
d=(^_~)z

[Cheddarius]

You could always get a dwarf to higher swimming so he can swim for his life, if you like.

Also, I'm pretty sure sand is infinite, yes, but you need lots of bags.

[Elvang]

A dwarf should be able to outrun it, and unless the water source is multiple z-levels he shouldn't have any trouble if the leading wave catches him. Creatures can be pushed through fortifications/grates by flow btw, even if you make them several layers thick.

[Nadaka]

A dwarf can outrun water/magma if he has enough agility. You either want you most advanced miner, so he can escape. Or your weakest miner, so it doesn't matter if he dies.

[Ze Spy]

elven sieges : they appear sealthed when they arrive , killing your dogs with "arrows coming out of nowhere" and if their diplomats happen to see traps(on a crossbow range) , the elves will will not trigger it when they walk across it , and their invisible status will mean you won't be able to close the draw bridge on time to stop them , i am not saying that they are powerful , but since you only have crossbowdwarfs and traps , its possible to lose a fortress on that(plus they are at peace with wildlife , so no elephants or what to defend civilans(i might be wrong)) 

or if you want a real challenge(note : MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

your map might contain the HFS(read : Will) , which , when broken into , will sent powerful demons from inside your fortress , and they avoid traps , so no spamming of traps , and some demons will set your dwarfs on fire , while the others call you an assclown kill him , which might be the fireball launcher himself and its has been known to decapiate or destroy even godly defended fortresses(unless your whole fortress is on duty and are ledendary marksdwarfs , it will turn your entire fortress into dust

[Nadaka]

yes. war with the elves is brutally fun. I had one site where I started at war with the elves. First few forts were butchered in the first spring as a dozen elves with bow and spear decloaked on my unwary dwarves and butchered them without mercy.

[Ze Spy]

in that situation ,i prefer this : reclaim , its there for a reason

[o_O[WTFace]]

1) You can build a stockpile for only 1 type of stone.  Place your stockpile, look at it (q), go into settings (s), scroll down to stone, push (b) to block all catagories of stone, then hit right arrow a few times and look for limestone or whatever, then push (enter) on it.  All sorts of stone are dissalowed except the one you want.  You can even make it automatically fill itself by ordering the stockpile to take stuff (only what you have selected) from another stockpile. 

2) If after 3 years you havent seen a single thief or ambush you probly generated a world where the goblins or kobalds died out, since I assume you have enough wealth generated to trigger something. 


3) Automatic invader proof fortress (mostly) happens if you use: bridges, traps, moats (filled or unfilled), building destroyer proof floor hatches, hallways with ballistas at one end, drowning traps, any tamed combat animal stronger then a dog or marksdorfs behind fortifications.  The enemy AI can't deal with those things at all so its basically an unintentional exploit.  Use of any of those things for combat purposes basically == sandbox mode, assuming your defenses are correctly designed. 

4) Easy mode is activated by: massed crossbows, selling goblin clothes, selling anything made from stone, using magma furnaces or magma in general, using water for combat, 1 tile large meeting zones, farming indoors, abusing the free embark barrels thing, farming tower caps if your map already has trees, cooking food out of alcohol, failing to start a war with the elves and playing on any map with less then high savagery.

5) easy mode is deactivated by relentless assault, or the orc mod, or things like that. 

[gtmattz]

The game gets difficult when you start trying to deal with funhouses and clowns, especially the firey clowns, they are quite mean.  And also ZOMBIE CARP O NOES!!