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[Gilferedir]

New to the forums, and to the game.  I've been playing for about 2 or 3 days now, and I'm just starting to get the hang of at least providing my dwarfs with the bare essentials.  I started with downloading the Lazy Noob Pack, but recently deleted everything and now trying out Ironhand v.0.31 and I like how it looks so far.   

Anyways, I was just wondering if I should be focusing on building my fort above ground or below?  So far I've just been building below ground, but I've seen some pictures of people using the fort visualization mods and it seems like the only way to get your fort exactly how you want it is to build it above ground. 

[smjjames]

It really depends on your playstyle, some people like aboveground forts, others like below ground, some do a mix.

[clc02]

If your ocd-ish like me you might prefer above ground, since you can deconstruct built walls/floors and rebuild them without any difference showing.  I find a area with sand, make my huge fortress above ground and start explatory mining for all the metals.

But like he said, different play styles.  Plus you can't engrave constructions.

[darkflagrance]

The other thing with digging now is that if you have the underground, you can't plan out a massive structure that goes very deep, or the caverns will interfere.

[Gilferedir]

I think I will try one with a mix, I haven't gotten use to building above ground yet though.  But I'll just add that to the long list of things I have to still learn.

[Urist McDepravity]

Since built floor/walls cannot be engraved, below is way to go.
Besides, building rooms instead of digging is wrist-hurting.

[Teiwaz]

Currently, I'm working on option 3: building an aboveground fort underground. As in, it's an aboveground-styled fortress with walls, buildings and towers, built in massive, carved-out chambers underground. Best of both worlds ...Except for the amount of extra stone you end up with. More than a third of my population are legendary miners, and I'm pretty close to converting them all into stonecrafters...

[AtomicPaperclip]

The other thing with digging now is that if you have the underground, you can't plan out a massive structure that goes very deep, or the caverns will interfere.

Turn them off.

[breadbocks]

Uhh... Teiwaz, that's the worst of both worlds, not best. What would be good is a belowground fort aboveground. Carved walls and floors ftw.

[Teiwaz]

Uhh... Teiwaz, that's the worst of both worlds, not best. What would be good is a belowground fort aboveground. Carved walls and floors ftw.

All my buildings are natural rock left alone when I carved out the cavern, and are fully smoothable/engraveable.

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

I prefer to have a special system set up. It's a lot easier now with burrows.
First, I set up the Belly. This eventually becomes a hideous organic mess, full of peasants, soldiers and workshops. Rarely makes any sense, normally in a soil layer. I often have experiments with water or magma here.
Secondly, I set up a much nicer, more organized area for legendaries and nobles. This is always carved from stone, and sometimes I decorate it with windows or even water features.
Finally, I make a showcase area for megaprojects, both above and below ground. I occasionally move garrisons or a few nobles up here to impress primitive humans and savage elves.

[Rowanas]

In older versions
There were no underground caves
So that was the best

But now we have caves
The underground is scary
keep away from it.

[abculatter_2]

Make the above ground underground, and make your fort there. How, you may ask? You should know the answer to that.

Spoiler: Hint (click to show/hide)

Magma

[Noble Digger]

The surface should consist of a moat (+magma), wall, trade area, barracks, watchtowers, a large road, maybe some barrel\bag\bin stockpiles. I like to do all the actual dwarvenly stuff down underground and let the surface-dwellers think we sleep under rocks whenever they aren't visiting.

[Jake]

I tend not to build many above-ground constructions apart from walls, but I've been known to roof over valleys or build outdoor sculpture parks, and anything that needs wood and metal quite often ends up in the open air so as to be handy for my outdoor stockpiles of all the flammable stuff.