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[Claidheamh Mor]

So I'm going to start my first serious fortress, after screwing around with a couple first tries and getting the hang of the learning curve. I'll get some screenies for ya once I start out, then you guys can give me some definite tips.

I'm using v.0.31.03.

Screenies below:
Should I make my stockpile room just one huge room then dig out each layer when I need space, using custom stockpiles including everything?

[Claidheamh Mor]

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[CognitiveDissonance]

There isn't a defined screenshot system.

As such, you want to have the DF window open, and press alt+PrtScn to capture the screen.
Then, put it into a graphic program. There is MS Paint. If you want something free, get something like gIMP or Paint.net; of course, if you have photoshop it's easier

Once you paste the screenshot, just make sure it's a reasonable size, and save. I assume you know the rest.

As for tips... which version are you playing?

[Claidheamh Mor]

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[Xzalander]

Another hint: If compression bugs you don't host your images using Photobucket. It shrinks all images to 1024x768 by default, and then reduces the colour formatting a little.

[CognitiveDissonance]

As far as stockpiles go, my personal favorite is to use the wagon for as long as I can stay close to it. A huge stockpile can be quite unwieldy, as you need the space, and it makes all travel longer.

What I like to do is, given friendly environment, surround the wagon with a wall, and connect that wall (on any level - above, below or over ground) to connect it to my fortress. Or, if it's convenient, just directly to the entrance.

Stockpiles save a lot of effort over time, so as you start designating areas, make appropriate stockpiles - until then, you don't really need resource separation.

Have you started already? Otherwise I can suggest some things about starting dwarves.

Also, food is important, and difficult in 31.03! I like to bring along a herbalist and collect everything around. Then brew it, and plant an above-ground farm. Above-ground requires SOIL, not MUD (ignore the yellow warning message, it does not apply) - that way, you have more time to develop your underground farm properly.

Labour separation is also important. Specialize dwarves as much as possible.

Trade goods are easier than ever with the multiple resources - try and make good use of the gems and metals everywhere.

Defense is imperative - sooner than later you'll get enemies. Sooner if you have hostile environment. Multiple channels can create moats (and you can remove the remaining ramps from below), and walls are unbreachable. Military is very arcane and mostly buggy right now. You may want to read up on getting dwarves to train individually, and equip them in armor. Armor can be layered if you have the patience. Otherwise, weapon traps can be spectacular - they require a lot of work, but they mince goblins quickly.

Cooking food is a great way to optimize stockpiles.

Given that dwarves now eat and sleep and drink later than earlier (work themselves until they are really tired), make sure that they have easily accessible food, drink and rest to minimize downtime.

Masons are important! You will have plenty of rocks, so make good use of them.

All I got off the top of my head.

[Marconius]

I usually dig out a large rectangular room and just tell my dwarves to store everything (apart from stone) there. Later on this stockpile becomes either abandoned or my "furniture, clothes, weapons, toy hammers and other shit" stockpile, while food, wood and such each get their own stockpiles, located near the appropriate workshops.

[soup_alex]

Masons are important! You will have plenty of rocks, so make good use of them.

One of my standard tactics is to set up two (or more) mason's workshops, one with a stockpile nearby (or more usually surrounding it) that accepts only the most plentiful non-economic stone type on the map, and configured to permit only masons of lesser ability. This churns out blocks and anything else where I don't really care about quality modifiers, and its main purposes are to turn the excess stone into more attractive/valuable building material (plus blocks can be binned), and to improve the skill of my masons to the point where they can make snazzier tables for the grand dining hall etc.

Thanks for the tip on the wagon: I normally deconstruct my wagon fairly shortly after arriving at the site, and amn't really sure why. Maybe I'm concerned that the dwarves will be silly about taking items directly from the wagon, maybe I'm slightly suspicious that if the woodworker doesn't immediately take his axe to it, it might rise up on its rear wheels and go on a rampage.