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[Grumman]

Having tried out the new version for a bit, I have a few requests.

First, it would be good if cave networks made better use of the vertical space. While it's nice to see some caverns that are big, open spaces, I feel that any one cell wide tunnels should also only be one level deep, like in 40d, with tunnels on different z-levels joining by ramps. This would give you the same web of tunnels in less space, meaning you could have cells with no tunnels at all.

The reason I would like this change to be made is that contiguous stone now seems like the exception rather than the rule. It shouldn't be that hard to find a nice block of stone to dig out for my fortress without discovering it's honeycombed with empty space that makes it more annoying than it's worth.

Second, it would be nice if it was easier to find magma vents where either the vent or its obsidian cap breached the surface. Perhaps if there were two sorts of vents (differentiated only in worldgen, using identical gameplay mechanics): the regular "deep" vents, and "shallow" vents that come close to the surface and are visible on the world map and in the Site Finder.

In summary: accidentally digging into micro-intensive tunnels should be for heavy excavation, not for putting in a basement, and if I want to play on a surface vent, I should be able to do so.

[Silverionmox]

I'm actually quite pleased that there are deep caverns rather than just flat ones, and I'd like to see them even more verticalized, with vegetation clinging to the walls and such. Maybe you're just (un)lucky, I didn't see any caverns before 25 levels down, and had plenty of space there to put in a 50 tile diameter meeting hall, and there was still space left to double its size. But no doubt there are many different tastes in caverns, and the options to tune worldgen ought to be available.

[Draco18s]

My one fort ran into a cave at about -8 (though it was present on -6) and intersected a "very deep pit"* which intersected another underground cave system.

Anyway, on the 1 tile passages: I have no problems with some of them spanning several Z high (think about what that might look like)

But yes, some more 1 tile (wide and tall) windy passages would be cool.

[Grumman]

Maybe you're just (un)lucky, I didn't see any caverns before 25 levels down, and had plenty of space there to put in a 50 tile diameter meeting hall, and there was still space left to double its size. But no doubt there are many different tastes in caverns, and the options to tune worldgen ought to be available.

Looking at another thread, it appears this was precisely my problem. I was using the default custom worldgen options rather than the Create New World Now option to avoid a different issue, and didn't realise they also change the number of z-levels, thereby bringing everything too close to the surface.

[Sowelu]

Searched before making a topic on this--

I HATE the mazes of 1-tile-wide caverns that stretch four or five Z-levels up.  That whole space is worthless for building, and if I want to try and clear it out through mining, it's an enormous ordeal.  They would at least be cooler if, say, the cavern was 1-tile-wide mazes for two z-levels, and then empty space for two z-levels above that--it would be a cool, different look.

I mean, I could understand if they were a NARROW (10-20 tiles wide) border between larger caverns...but on my 3x3 embark regions, I frequently descend into a cavern that is nothing but 1-tile-wide mazes taking up about 75% of the entire area, with the rest just stone.

I utterly adore the big wide open caverns, and I would like to see more variety in those...and the ability to tone down the fractured types.  Maybe a worldgen option?

[Footkerchief]

I utterly adore the big wide open caverns, and I would like to see more variety in those...and the ability to tone down the fractured types.  Maybe a worldgen option?

There are many new world gen params that control this kind of thing.  I had the same complaints as you, and reducing the maximum passage density while increasing the minimum openness worked great for me.

[nenjin]

I think it's kind of cool, personally. You end up doing so much terraforming already, it's nice to have environmental obstacles you have to build around (other than magma and water.)

I dunno, the idea of having your nice secure little fortress...except for this ooonnneee corridor that crosses through a cavern, makes for cool design. Then again, I try to use as much natural stone as possible in my fortresses.

For example, I started a doomed fortress that just dug an 8x8 shaft straight down. When I broke into the underground, I had to station squads around the builders so they could get walls up and continue extending the shaft down.

[DoctorZuber]

He does have a point. think of it this way... it's a twisting maze of hallways 10 feet wide and fifty feet tall. How realistic is that? I mean really?

I could see 1x1 or 1x2, but 1x5 is pretty silly IMHO.

Otherwise, I really do love the new underground features, it will also be interesting to see how all the new options in world gen, I see we have a number of new lines there to adjust the behavior of underground features among other things.

[Valdemar]

The worldgen option you are looking for is "Cavern Passage Density". Set both the minimum and maximum to zero, and you'll get none of the tiny corridors. You can turn up the "Cavern Openness" while you're at it in order to make the large open caverns larger.

I also like to turn down the maximum water level so I don't get totally flooded caverns, and set the cavern number to 1 so as to not have to dig so far to reach the other features below, but that's more personal preference.

Edit: Skimmed the thread and didn't notice Footkerchief's response, just noticed the last post was still asking about how the worldgen parameters worked

[Draco18s]

He does have a point. think of it this way... it's a twisting maze of hallways 10 feet wide and fifty feet tall. How realistic is that? I mean really?

I could see 1x1 or 1x2, but 1x5 is pretty silly IMHO.

See pictures I posted earlier.  But I would like to see fewer of them and more 1x1s and 1x2s.

[DoctorZuber]

- height of tunnels, 1x1 1x2 would be good, 1x5 is a bit silly.
- height of larger open space doesn't bother me as is at 5 z levels or so.

World gen parameters to control the height either or both formations would be pretty nifty though.