Don't get me wrong, I love this game. After finally getting over the learning curve I refuse to abandon this game. But I keep getting frustrated, removing the region save and starting over.
Because of migrants.
I start off with my specialized seven dwarves and hack away at the mountain that stands before me. A season passes and I get my first batch of migrants with the most useless skills you could ever imagine. But I continue on, carving the new bedrooms for my latest inhabitants. I assign them new jobs and those who are deemed truly crap, I assign them to the military for 24/7 training. My dwarf count is about 14.
Small enough to keep organized and assign new jobs.
Autumn arrives, with the first Dwarf caravan. I sell off all my stone crafts in exchange for extra barrels, bags, booze and some bronze weapons and armour.
Winter arrives! And here is about the time I give up. I get another migrant wave;
of twenty dwarves. My fortress is in chaos, I'm desperately trying to carve out additional bedrooms and assigning jobs to these heaps of Grand Master milkers, animal caretakers or pump operators.
After finally giving everyone new nicknames through Dwarf Therapist, I look at the list in disarray. I can't keep control of all these dwarves, they are too many. What started as a group of settlers has turned into madness.
*Sniff*
I wipe the tear off my cheek and start over.