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[Izual6764]

Well, the subject is the fact that in 51 dwarves fort, around 28-31 are always idle because I don't really know WHAT they should do. I took 3 dorfs and assigned them to the Fortress Guard. I just began expanding my tower into something castle like, and probably moving it one tile south so it's even with the entrance. So what are your suggestions, what should I do with this situation?

[gtmattz]

Build a bunch of pumps (they dont have to actually pump anything) and have them all run pumps until they are legendary pumpsters, then recruit them into the military and let them spar until they are all champion wrestlers.  Station them at the entrance of your fort with no armor/weapons and let the next seige sort them out    Replace casualties with further excess idlers.

[Jetsquirrel]

swimming lessons..... Hammer arena fight at the top of a tower with lava moats around it.......Let them make bids about how long they can hug a elf

[LoneJedi7]

you could make them usefull by forging a bunch of picks and having them hollow out the planet.......then caving it in on top of them when they're done.

[SkyRender]

My solution to the problem that the average fort can be run by about 1/10th of its total population is to make megaconstructions.  Lots and lots of megaconstructions.

[Izual6764]

Thanks for all the help, but please don't suggest anything magma related. I don't have this flamy, deadly goodness on this site.

[Retro]

Build up / dig out a simple, wall-less tower with a square of open space on all sides. Each floor of the tower will look like this:

Code: [Select]

+++
DS+
+++

D is a dwarf, S is a support, unconnected to anything but supporting the above floors. Your access staircase should be separate from the tower by a square or so and on the right side. As you build each floor, use a stair tile to connect the staircase to the tower. Then order that tile deconstructed - it should leave a dwarf on that level. Just leave a dwarf on every level and try and see how high you can get before someone inevitably tantrums, and... JENGA!

[Tally]

Forge a couple picks, have some of them mine. Enlist some of them into pre-military training (pumping, record keeping, swimming, etc.).

Change dwarves' labor prefs around so that they do more narrow work, where the original dwarves do finishing products/end-of-the-chain labor, and your immigrants do menial labor such as spinning thread, processing plants, smelting/charcoal burning, etc.

Bring one or two of the strong/agile dwarves out of your cross-training so they can be dedicated haulers.

If you still struggle for ways to eliminate idlers, go for megaproject. Or optionally, set up a ballista/catapult on one end of your river and make the carp population extinct. Alternatively, drain the river for a moment into a room full of cage traps so you have prisoners of (d)war(f).

[Pafferguy]

Dig out vast areas underground, and then smelt any metals you find on a massive scale just to have more metal.  Or, just have 20 craftsdwarves churning out junk goods to trade.

[smjjames]

Like the others said, go for a megaproject.

Do something for fun that you would like to make, perhaps experiment around with construction methods. Part of making a megaproject is making the raw materials (blocks, windows, statues, elf cages, whatever), which will definetly keep your dwarves busy.

You may want to get more dwarves than you have now, but up to you.

[The Mad Engineer]

Whenever I have idle dwarves, I find that it is time to expand on an industry.

Have a budding green glass industry?  Make clear glass blocks by the cartload and build an above ground city out of it.

Was forced to create a loom in order to fufil an artifact requirement?  Create a textile mill and garb your dwarves in a variety of multicoloured clothes of various materials and sewn on images.

Food solely depedent on plump helmet farms?  Methinks its time for dwarven syrup roasts and every single type of alcohol that you can get your grubby hands on.

Finally, make soap.  Pave the sky with it.

Then, if you still have any dwarves left standing idle, you will need them when the Mordor-sized goblin sieges come sniffing for the ridiculous amounts of wealth you just foolishly created

[LoneJedi7]

Build up / dig out a simple, wall-less tower with a square of open space on all sides. Each floor of the tower will look like this:

Code: [Select]

+++
DS+
+++

D is a dwarf, S is a support, unconnected to anything but supporting the above floors. Your access staircase should be separate from the tower by a square or so and on the right side. As you build each floor, use a stair tile to connect the staircase to the tower. Then order that tile deconstructed - it should leave a dwarf on that level. Just leave a dwarf on every level and try and s!!!ee how high you can get before someone inevitably tantrums, and... JENGA!

DUDE, your a genious

[Izual6764]

I think I will go for a megaproject. I already have a small 15 z-level tower for dumping annoying nobles when they appear, But I thought about expanding it so it would be castle-like. The carp extinction project sounds good, bonus is that river will be red for some time. Hell, I think I will do most of this stuff at the same time! And stripmining will begin. For fame and death of my FPS! Also, I suppose I could get another miner.

[Scruga]

Build up / dig out a simple, wall-less tower with a square of open space on all sides. Each floor of the tower will look like this:

Code: [Select]

+++
DS+
+++

D is a dwarf, S is a support, unconnected to anything but supporting the above floors. Your access staircase should be separate from the tower by a square or so and on the right side. As you build each floor, use a stair tile to connect the staircase to the tower. Then order that tile deconstructed - it should leave a dwarf on that level. Just leave a dwarf on every level and try and see how high you can get before someone inevitably tantrums, and... JENGA!

Much text no fit in tiny eeteepeetee signature!