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[Thelogman]

It seems like water is even more important in the current version than it was in 40d.

I want to embark on a glacier, but I'm not sure how to go about doing that.

I don't really want to deal with pumping magma hundreds of levels to melt the ice, so I think I'm just going to dig down really deep, and use the cavern mud and cavern lake to farm and supply hospital water.

That first cavern can be pretty dangerous though, so I think I might have to make my initial embark mostly masons, mechanics, and soldiers.

That way I can kill anything that gets too close, and then trap and wall off a little settlement.

Bring a lot of wood, and build most my rooms and such above the farming/water caverns.

Has anyone here attempted anything like this? How did it turn out? How can I make this work well?

[SenorPiquante]

It sounds like a cool idea (HA!)

Seriously, Dwarven Arctic Research Station? Awesome.

[Urist McBrannigan]

It sounds like a cool idea (HA!)

Seriously, Dwarven Arctic Research Station? Awesome.

Its doomed to fail unless you name a dwarf Urist McRussel :O

[Thelogman]

Without the ability to cart in shells from the outside, and without any actual water, living on a glacier, I just realized that I will have no hope should I get hit with a mood that requires shells.

I think I'm gonna look into modding in something in that case. Those Dwarven Pigs looked cool, don't they have shells?

[mkavanagh]

It'd be worth examining whether the cave-in method from 40d still works to produce water. As for shells, cave lobsters might appear in the caverns? I think that's independent of the surface biome.

Edit: when you do eventually get magma pumping, a ice trap is mandatory.

[Thelogman]

It'd be worth examining whether the cave-in method from 40d still works to produce water. As for shells, cave lobsters might appear in the caverns? I think that's independent of the surface biome.

Edit: when you do eventually get magma pumping, a ice trap is mandatory.

I've seen the ice traps before, and I'm not sure I'm familiar enough with pumps to do it right.

Shells wise, I would do cave lobsters, but I'm pretty sure that fishing in the caverns is still broken. I keep hearing reports of people not being able to catch anything down there.

[Satarus]

I've gotten turtles in 31.04 from my underground cistern that is still connected to the underground water supply. 

[Urist Imiknorris]

I would recommend modding hair and cartilage as a shell material.

[Black_Legion]

Without the ability to cart in shells from the outside, and without any actual water, living on a glacier, I just realized that I will have no hope should I get hit with a mood that requires shells.

I think I'm gonna look into modding in something in that case. Those Dwarven Pigs looked cool, don't they have shells?

Yes they have shells and are pretty fierce when it comes to protecting your fortress.

On one of my recent fortresses I was besieged by a Sasquatch who managed to mangle one of the two dwarfs I had sent to stall him. He locked every joint in the Axe-dwarf's (My woodcutter) body and that pretty much took him out of the fight. He was going to maul the second dwarf until the two sows I had essentially tore it to pieces. After the fight I noticed one of the sows had a broken shell and the other had a yellow wound on the right leg, so they can definitely handle some of the cavern creatures you might face.
 
Did I mention they are also milk-able so it might help with the food issue on a glacier?

[Thelogman]

Small related question.

It says the glacier I choose contains salt water.

Will the underground lake and melted ice also be salt water, as I have read that if a map is in a "salt water" area, then all water is salt, including small lakes and such?

[Hyndis]

Small related question.

It says the glacier I choose contains salt water.

Will the underground lake and melted ice also be salt water, as I have read that if a map is in a "salt water" area, then all water is salt, including small lakes and such?

The lake should be safe to drink, but even if its not thats not a problem. Just use a pump to purify the water.

[o_O[WTFace]]

Glaciers are easy enough to deal with.  Sometimes the first cavern layer has nasties, sometimes its mostly uninhabited.  Just wall off a space for farming and make a cistern and or water purifier.   

[Thelogman]

Glaciers are easy enough to deal with.  Sometimes the first cavern layer has nasties, sometimes its mostly uninhabited.  Just wall off a space for farming and make a cistern and or water purifier.

Hilariously enough, I had my first attempt well secured and settled, before a flock of Skeletal Elk Birds flew through an unfinished wall and killed everyone.

Hilarious.

[Hyndis]

Glaciers are easy enough to deal with.  Sometimes the first cavern layer has nasties, sometimes its mostly uninhabited.  Just wall off a space for farming and make a cistern and or water purifier.

Hilariously enough, I had my first attempt well secured and settled, before a flock of Skeletal Elk Birds flew through an unfinished wall and killed everyone.

Hilarious.

Terrifying glaciers are terrifying.

Skeletal yeti and skeletal elk will ruin your day. 

[K4el]

The lake should be safe to drink, but even if its not thats not a problem. Just use a pump to purify the water.

Can you confirm this works in 31.xx.xx? I've had no luck with purifying saltwater. Which is sad because i like sea side forts.