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[Spider]

and of course i have some questions. after playing through part of the play-along tutorial and watching some of captainduck's videos i switched straight to the new version.

1. is it possible to look through all the matching embark sites after using the site finder? after i've let it run it's course it just points me to one. but when i watch it run there are usually many spots where all conditions match.

2. can someone elaborate on the "x mesh size" parameters for world generation. the weights are pretty clear. but size is a bit confusing. as making it bigger seems to make the area where the weigts have to fit smaller.

3 is it possible to get waterfalls in the open? the only ones i've found are where two rivers/streams meet. and the elevation of the higher region always overlaps the area where the rivers meet so that the waterfall is in a steep valley.

4. is there a benefit in above ground farming? when i look at the wiki all the plants i can have above ground seem to have a counterpart in the underground.

5. are there any conditions for forgotten beast to show up besides RNG. i had one apear in the first cavern who nearly wiped out a fortress in the second year. i didn't even have a metal production up and running and my militia didn't get far with their wooden training axes. the human caravan guards managed to kill it though.

that's all for now. thanks in advance.

[TheDancinZerg]

1. is it possible to look through all the matching embark sites after using the site finder? after i've let it run it's course it just points me to one. but when i watch it run there are usually many spots where all conditions match.

Personally I would recommend not using the site finder, its too buggy now, or so I hear.  It also can't find special features for you, so you are better off looking for things yourself.  I am assuming you are using v31.

3 is it possible to get waterfalls in the open? the only ones i've found are where two rivers/streams meet. and the elevation of the higher region always overlaps the area where the rivers meet so that the waterfall is in a steep valley.

If I'm reading this right, this sounds like an erosion problem, after 1050 years, the waterfalls move back, making canyons and stuff, try aborting the history process around 100 years or so.

4. is there a benefit in above ground farming? when i look at the wiki all the plants i can have above ground seem to have a counterpart in the underground.

First off, you don't need to muddy ground for above ground farming like you do for underground farming, so you can start it off right away, right after you gather your plants of course... second, your dwarves enjoy a wide variety of booze, so using strawberries and prickle berries is beneficial.  I usually start off with 2 3x3 plots for growing just those.  Helps make ends meet if I have any irrigation mishaps...

5. are there any conditions for forgotten beast to show up besides RNG. i had one apear in the first cavern who nearly wiped out a fortress in the second year. i didn't even have a metal production up and running and my militia didn't get far with their wooden training axes. the human caravan guards managed to kill it though.

Conditions like population size? I don't think so.  However, if you don't breach caverns, then you don't have to worry about forgotten beasts, because they can't get into your fortress!

I honestly have no idea for 2....

 

[Psieye]

Mesh size in worldgen parameters is like paintbrush size. The smaller it is, the more variety you get as the worldgen uses a smaller 'brush' to 'paint' in whichever parameter the mesh is for.

[Spider]

Mesh size in worldgen parameters is like paintbrush size. The smaller it is, the more variety you get as the worldgen uses a smaller 'brush' to 'paint' in whichever parameter the mesh is for.

are you sure about that? because when i use the minimum of 2x2 i get really big regions (with mountain ranges filling up the whole screen). and if i turn it up to the maximum the regions become a lot smaller.

1. is it possible to look through all the matching embark sites after using the site finder? after i've let it run it's course it just points me to one. but when i watch it run there are usually many spots where all conditions match.

Personally I would recommend not using the site finder, its too buggy now, or so I hear.  It also can't find special features for you, so you are better off looking for things yourself.  I am assuming you are using v31.

yes i'm using 31.03 and i've read about the site finder being buggy. i haven't use it too much. but it would have been nice to be able filter for something like "high savagery and no aquifier" and then look though all the matching sites for good stone layers. just as an example.

3 is it possible to get waterfalls in the open? the only ones i've found are where two rivers/streams meet. and the elevation of the higher region always overlaps the area where the rivers meet so that the waterfall is in a steep valley.

If I'm reading this right, this sounds like an erosion problem, after 1050 years, the waterfalls move back, making canyons and stuff, try aborting the history process around 100 years or so.

i can even abort after 2 years (the minimum) and that doesn't change anything. any type of flowing water only changes elevation when it meets another flowing water source. and this is in a standard mid size region with the only change being to abort history after 2 years. no changes to things like erosion cycles count or number of river pre erosion. you can easily check this just generate a normal map and then switch to the elevation view on the embark screen. then move along a river you only see changes in elevation in the riverbed when you meet another river (or brook).
but is this supposed to be that way? was it like that in the older versions?

4. is there a benefit in above ground farming? when i look at the wiki all the plants i can have above ground seem to have a counterpart in the underground.

First off, you don't need to muddy ground for above ground farming like you do for underground farming, so you can start it off right away, right after you gather your plants of course... second, your dwarves enjoy a wide variety of booze, so using strawberries and prickle berries is beneficial.  I usually start off with 2 3x3 plots for growing just those.  Helps make ends meet if I have any irrigation mishaps...

mudding isn't really a problem if you have any water source. and my current embarking plan is to breach the first cavern layer immediately. also you have like 3 or 4 underground crops to produce booze right? or is that not enough in the long run?

5. are there any conditions for forgotten beast to show up besides RNG. i had one apear in the first cavern who nearly wiped out a fortress in the second year. i didn't even have a metal production up and running and my militia didn't get far with their wooden training axes. the human caravan guards managed to kill it though.

Conditions like population size? I don't think so.  However, if you don't breach caverns, then you don't have to worry about forgotten beasts, because they can't get into your fortress!

well the plan is to breach them immediately. but i can reduce the paths into the fortess to a minimum by removing ramps and building a few walls. then i can close the remaining entrances fast if when another one comes.


and another question:
in some regions on the world map the civilizations are shown with "no trade". what are the reasons for this? are they too far away?

[Il Palazzo]

As for the last question - most likely the civ in question is separated from you by an impassable body of water.

[Spider]

those spots are also there on non island worlds. and in those cases the civs aren't listed at all. it looks something like:

Dwarfs    NO TRADE
Elves      NO TRADE
Goblins    ---------
Humans   NO TRADE

well it's not a big problem, but it's kind of anoying to find a great spot climate and layer wise only to realize your not going to get any trade.

[Marconius]

1) I don't think so, no.

2) As written above, it basically means how big a certain zone type will be, how much variance can there be... but as far as I know, it's disabled in all the default world parameters and I myself have never used them; so they're not really that important.

3) It should be possible, just kinda hard to find.

4) Above ground farms don't need irrigation. Also it will provide a wider variety of food and booze produced, which will make some of your dwarves happy.

5) As far as I know, they only show up if your population is above 50 or so and if you've discovered the caverns.

[Deathworks]

Hi!

Being an ardent user of aboveground farming, I can't pass by without pointing out another benefit (which is rather odd, actually): Most underground plants are restricted in the seasons during which they can grow. ALL aboveground plants can be grown all year long, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. So, you don't have to change crops if you want diversity and constant usage of your fields.

Deathworks

[Proteus]

those spots are also there on non island worlds. and in those cases the civs aren't listed at all. it looks something like:

Dwarfs    NO TRADE
Elves      NO TRADE
Goblins    ---------
Humans   NO TRADE

well it's not a big problem, but it's kind of anoying to find a great spot climate and layer wise only to realize your not going to get any trade.

This doesnīt matter (or didnīt in  the last versions of DF 2010...
you get caravans from all civs listed (except usually goblins)
even if it says NO TRADE

[Ivar360]

1. No, as far as i know, the only way to get multiple sites with for instance high savagery and no aquifer would be to change one of the other settings. So search for one with low altitude, medium and high. This will give you 3 different sites but takes a long time.
I would love to see this fixed as I spend waaaay to much time looking for places with no aquifier, a river and trees....

[Psieye]

Hi!

Being an ardent user of aboveground farming, I can't pass by without pointing out another benefit (which is rather odd, actually): Most underground plants are restricted in the seasons during which they can grow. ALL aboveground plants can be grown all year long, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. So, you don't have to change crops if you want diversity and constant usage of your fields.

Deathworks

For further emphasis: Rope Reed grows when Pig Tails cannot. Your cloth industry will be a lot more stable with surface farming mixed in.

[Spider]

2) As written above, it basically means how big a certain zone type will be, how much variance can there be... but as far as I know, it's disabled in all the default world parameters and I myself have never used them; so they're not really that important.

i've exerimented a bit with and i think i will always use this from now on. when you turn it on with the biggest mesh size you get smaller regions. so more biome borders. this is especially great for elevation as it makes the mountain ranges smaller but more plentyfull. and since you can only settle at the edge of the mountains it gives you a lot more embark sites.

This doesnīt matter (or didnīt in  the last versions of DF 2010...
you get caravans from all civs listed (except usually goblins)
even if it says NO TRADE

i just tested this. started a new fortress with dwarfs and humans marked with "no trade" and the dwarfen caravan came in autumn as normal. this is very good to know.

[Dave Mongoose]

1) I don't think so - there wasn't in previous versions. Not sure why though...

2) The mesh size is the 'resolution' applied: 2x2 means each world tile is divided into 4 areas when applying those weights - larger numbers mean more areas per tile and so more diversity.

3) Not sure - try turning off or reducing the erosion settings. I don't know about waterfalls but this does produce more cliffs, and may prevent those steep valleys forming.

If I'm reading this right, this sounds like an erosion problem, after 1050 years, the waterfalls move back, making canyons and stuff, try aborting the history process around 100 years or so.

The terrain is generated and locked before history starts (like Earth forming over billions of years before the first humans emerged), so it won't be any different from year 1 to year 1050.

4) They grow all year, they give your dwarves a variety of food and alcohol (so they don't complain about being tired of 'the same old food/booze'), and they produce the most valuable kinds of booze (whip wine and sunshine).

5) I would think that it has some kind of population requirement and maybe a created wealth requirement (like overground megabeasts), but it's probably best to train a small military before you breach the caverns, or to build walls around the section of the caverns that you are using until you are ready to face the more dangerous residents. The same defences that work on the surface (like moats and drawbridges) should keep things out unless they can fly...