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[JarinArenos]

Is there a way (hack, utility, etc) to locate specific minerals in the world without embarking, dfprospect.exe, then reloading if failure? I'm finding lignite and coal to be disturbingly rare with this new mineral placement system, even with mineral frequency relatively high. I'd like to confirm that I'll be able to fuel my forges without having to fight down to Magma early on.

Secondary question, while I'm worldgenning here... any clue what makes my worldgen bog down horribly while doing histories? It always seems to speed through the first 80 years or so, but by the time it hits 150, it's at a second or two per year, which can get really annoying, even at half the default history length (500).

[FuzzyZergling]

Is there a way (hack, utility, etc) to locate specific minerals in the world without embarking, dfprospect.exe, then reloading if failure? I'm finding lignite and coal to be disturbingly rare with this new mineral placement system, even with mineral frequency relatively high. I'd like to confirm that I'll be able to fuel my forges without having to fight down to Magma early on.

Secondary question, while I'm worldgenning here... any clue what makes my worldgen bog down horribly while doing histories? It always seems to speed through the first 80 years or so, but by the time it hits 150, it's at a second or two per year, which can get really annoying, even at half the default history length (500).

I assume that the worldgen slowdown has something to do with tracking an ever-increasing number of individials and tracking their interactions with each other.

[JarinArenos]

That's what I assumed too, but it didn't happen pre-.18, and it only seems to occur if I use advanced worldgen, not regular. =/

[Nil Eyeglazed]

Another Question,
I got 11 dwarves free, and it's nagging me. What can occupy a dwarf for a long period of time? I already have my miners digging a ridiculous underwater waterfall/well.

As an alternative to the previous good answers, make a military squad, and start them training.  Even if you never use them, they'll develop attributes that will help with any tasks they perform in the future.

[JarinArenos]

So... any input on the coal/lignite issue? I'm not actually sure I've seen any since the mineral change.

[rangent]

Hey everyone.  I'm extremely new to Dwarf Fortress, so maybe I'm doing something terribly wrong.  I've been following the Bentgrinder tutorial, and a raccoon is pestering me.  How do I kill it?

[Proteus]

Make a military squad, put some dwarves in it
and then order the squad to kill the raccoon

[ed boy]

So... any input on the coal/lignite issue? I'm not actually sure I've seen any since the mineral change.

You don't need coal/lignite. Chop down some trees, build a wood furnace, and make some charcoal.

[Niccolo]

Hey everyone.  I'm extremely new to Dwarf Fortress, so maybe I'm doing something terribly wrong.  I've been following the Bentgrinder tutorial, and a raccoon is pestering me.  How do I kill it?

Make a militia. ([m] for military screen)

Alternatively, build cage traps around your stockpiles. (Mechanic's workshop for mechanism, carpenter's shop for cage)

Catch it, then tame it (Kennel plus food plus animal trainer)

and butcher it. (Butcher's shop)

[Sutremaine]

So... any input on the coal/lignite issue? I'm not actually sure I've seen any since the mineral change.

With mineral scarcity at 500, I've seen coal on a few sites. Not so much lignite. I think I saw it once on a throwaway test fort.

[cancel.man]

Upright spear/spike trap: How do spears perform compared to menacing spikes (assuming same material & quality)? Any benefit to one or the other?

[cancel.man]

Upright spear/spike trap: How do spears perform compared to menacing spikes (assuming same material & quality)? Any benefit to one or the other?

Think I found my own answer:
Spear - 20 contact area, 10000 depth
Spike - 10 contact area, 6000 depth

Seem pretty similar, but spears are more likely to be deflected and spikes don't penetrate as deep?

[tiresius]

I have a woodcutter possessed, in a strange mood.  He's taken up a Carpentry shop.  Hitting Q only shows the label that he has taken it.  How do I find out what he wants?  Usually it is listed as something he is saying... right?

[EDIT] Nevermind he started doing what he was supposed to do.  Weird.

[BraveDwarf]

On a fairly standard embarkment I'm quite a ways down and have found zero lignite or bituminous coal.  Is this common?  Should I keep looking in hopes of finding it or give up and tunnel to the magma?

How do I get dwarves to release hostiles from cages without levers?  Unassigning the enemy from the cage seems to result in a dwarf carting the cage back off to the stockpile and replacing it with a fresh empty one.

[Jhoosier]

I have a woodcutter possessed, in a strange mood.  He's taken up a Carpentry shop.  Hitting Q only shows the label that he has taken it.  How do I find out what he wants?  Usually it is listed as something he is saying... right?

[EDIT] Nevermind he started doing what he was supposed to do.  Weird.

The workshop only shows the needed materials if the dwarf can't get them.  Since you had everything, he just grabbed it and started working.

One way to find out what's needed (and to manipulate what he can get) is to forbid everything in the fort of the first type.  For example, if a dwarf takes a craft shop and grabs bone first, forbid all bone in the z-stocks menu.  He'll then stand in the workshop and scream/mutter/whatever what is needed.  You can then unforbid only the dragon bones and he'll grab those, or forbid all but the sapphires if he wants gems, etc.  That's how people end up with artifact axes with hanging bands of platinum and pictures engraved in diamond.

On a fairly standard embarkment I'm quite a ways down and have found zero lignite or bituminous coal.  Is this common?  Should I keep looking in hopes of finding it or give up and tunnel to the magma?

How do I get dwarves to release hostiles from cages without levers?  Unassigning the enemy from the cage seems to result in a dwarf carting the cage back off to the stockpile and replacing it with a fresh empty one.

I've had embarkments with tons of magnetite and no coal/lignite.  My current fortress is short on iron ore (yay for goblinite), but waaaaaayyyyy long on bituminous coal.  You shouldn't need coal anyway, besides for steel.  Just tunnel down, go around the caverns, until you hit magma. 　Set up your smelters and forges down there and get cracking.

As for hostiles, you could try pitting the hostiles.  I think you need to have at least a 1 z-level drop to do so (maybe not, haven't pitted anything in a while), but they'll just toss whatever down there.  You can leave your military up top, or have your dwarfs pit captured goblins down into the barracks.  That's always fun.