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[Aquillion]

It would be neat if the player could load up an area they're considering embarking to from the embark menu, and get a detailed view of what it would look like, paused, in the instant they embark -- scrolling their cursor over it, through layers, etc.

Often I embark, and immediately look at it and think "geez, I wish I'd made my area a bit bigger" or "I really didn't need that part, I could have made it smaller."  Right now the only way to take a peek like that is to back up your save, embark, then abandon and restore your save.

[snelg]

Would make picking sites less of a gamble, which would definitely be both nice and neat. 

[PhilbertFlange]

It should only show the physical land. No seeing what animals are there, or what minerals lie beneath the surface. Almost like a dwarven survey team made a detailed map of the area.

[lucusLoC]

. . . or like your dorfs are passing through and deciding if they want to stay there. . . .

it should basically be like an embark, but without the commitment. you hit "embark" and it shows your dorfs on site, and the wildlife and such, but gives you the option to leave (like a final commit after you unpause for the first time, "are you sure you would like to settle here, or would you like to move on?"). in game terms it just does not save a site (since nothing was changed) so you can either re-size the plot or look elsewhere. of course interface wise you may have to mix things up a bit, like setting up dorf skills and supplies before looking for a site, which might be a problem is embark profiles don't work for whatever reason. . .

how about giving the player the option to look at the map *or* set up the embark team, with the team set up saved for that world or something?

[Aquillion]

It should only show the physical land. No seeing what animals are there, or what minerals lie beneath the surface. Almost like a dwarven survey team made a detailed map of the area.

That would probably actually be harder to implement, though.  And it's silly -- why wouldn't a survey team list local animals, or any clearly-visible minerals?

It shouldn't show stuff that you wouldn't see as soon as you embark, of course (no reveal.exe or anything like that.)  But a basic look of the land as you'd get from having an adventurer wander through on the surface, sure.

[zwei]

. . . or like your dorfs are passing through and deciding if they want to stay there. . . .

it should basically be like an embark, but without the commitment. you hit "embark" and it shows your dorfs on site, and the wildlife and such, but gives you the option to leave (like a final commit after you unpause for the first time, "are you sure you would like to settle here, or would you like to move on?"). in game terms it just does not save a site (since nothing was changed) so you can either re-size the plot or look elsewhere. of course interface wise you may have to mix things up a bit, like setting up dorf skills and supplies before looking for a site, which might be a problem is embark profiles don't work for whatever reason. . .

how about giving the player the option to look at the map *or* set up the embark team, with the team set up saved for that world or something?

If we expand this, traveling from mountainhome to your location could be part of the game. Use adventure-mode like map travel to get to your spot. maybe get ambushed on trip. Suvery location, maybe move on, maybe settle.

[Silverionmox]

Blending adventure mode and fortress mode will make this possible in a pleasant way. Until then, could we spend embark points for sneak previews?

[LegoLord]

Blending adventure mode and fortress mode will make this possible in a pleasant way. Until then, could we spend embark points for sneak previews?

Why?

[Silverionmox]

Because it's a kind of preparation. You might spend eg. money on a scout or an extra axe.

[lucusLoC]

i like my idea of "stay or move on" for the first unpause. it makes more sense to me.

silver, you idea seems more appropriate if the mountain home is sending you to a prearranged spot. like a fortress mode quest: hold this crossroads; settle here and produce trinkets for the mountainhome; establish a military outpost here. that kind of stuff. of course if you did that it would only make sense if you could see the embark before you pick supplies. . . .

[Arrkhal]

Sounds like something that should be an init option.  Some players would probably think it's unrealistic/cheating to be able to view embark sites like that.  Really depends on whether, in your game-fiction, your party chose that site themselves, or if they were sent there by the king/queen.  Dwarven cartographers, being nauseated by the evil dayorb, are unlikely to be all that thorough.

[Faces of Mu]

I'd like to be able to see the summary screen of the area after embarking. I often get in and set about digging and then realise I've completely forgotten the approx. location of the features I wanted. I also like to see some of the facts again, like which civs are accessible and what stone I'll find.

[Zalminen]

I'd like to be able to see the summary screen of the area after embarking.

This.

I hate having to dig long unnecessary tunnels just because I've already forgotten which corner was supposed to have the magma.

[Pineapple Skitter]

Possibly a little off topic, but if something like this was implemented I’d love to be able to choose EXACTLY where my wagon starts. I’ve started building up/down from my wagon so I don’t have to drag the stuff anywhere, building a multi Z-level tower above the wagon and moat/fortress beneath it.

This worked fine until I lost the sight and tried to reclaim. My military force + wagon started off in the same X/Y position as my original wagon, but rather than being on the surface they were on top of an inaccessible roof

Combining this with adventure mode sounds fun, but for the moment I *just* want the ability to view the embark site and access the world map from one of the menus.

[Arrkhal]

The above two are definitely must-haves.  I'm tired of spending 10 minutes picking all my embark junk, then going "wait, where was the magma pipe again?" then quitting and re-finding the site so I can draw a map.  Plus, it's impossible to see features when you're reclaiming.

And wagon moving, definitely necessary.  It'd be really great in vanilla, and probably a necessity in difficulty-enhancing mods that give you sieges your first summer.