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[AzureAngelic]

Ok, so, I'm kinda sorta new to DF. I went through the tutorial, learned how to get everything set up, and I've managed to get a pretty respectable fortress up (even though I have yet to get very far).

The question I have is this: What should take priority over other tasks? I don't mean the basics like getting wood and food going, I mean like militaries and metal industries and wealth.

The last fortress I had fell to the first goblin ambush because of my total lack of military, despite having a wonderfully productive wood, food and iron going. Even with platinum, though, I never managed to boost wealth enough to ensure a good immigration wave, and my 16 dwarves didn't stand a chance.

So yeah. What do you guys do first once you have all the vital basics?

[backflip]

Cage traps.  Line the entrance with cage traps.

[AzureAngelic]

Cage traps.  Line the entrance with cage traps.

I had literally 46 weapon traps, each with an iron serrated disc, in a 5-tile wide hallway.

I'll try cages though, hopefully they're more effective.

[Darkmere]

Security through traps/chained war dogs near the front entrance. Stonefall or cages first, then as soon as the metal industry is up, they start making serrated discs for sawblade traps just behind my drawbridge. Then the above-ground citadel begins, complete with sealed-in above ground barracks, and fortifications for my marksdwarves. I like to leave enough room for a catapult pit to the side, pointed at the entrance, which is closed off from the outside. Once I have topside secured to my satisfaction and a training squad of troops, it's time to claim some caves.

[Mckee]

If you want wealth, and thus plenty of immigrants, a great way is to just sell rock crafts. Get a dwarf, let him do nothing but make rock crafts at a workshop and offload them on caravans for a decent ammount of supplies. Increase the number of stonecrafters for even more profit. The material is abundant and not often useful, it produces a good ammount of income and is easy to maintain.

[Nil Eyeglazed]

Prioritize whichever one you want.  You'll find that they're kind of inter-related, anyways.  Your military will drive your metal industry, your metal will drive up your value, your value will driv up the rte of goblin sieges-- and you're back at the beginning

Lots of people play this game lots of different ways, and there's no real right answer.

[martinuzz]

Once my food / booze production is stable, I tend to start torturing dwarves, both physically and psychologically.