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Author Topic: Embark setups?  (Read 1439 times)

Repulsion

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Embark setups?
« on: August 14, 2010, 06:15:06 pm »

  So I got DF2010 working, using the Genesis mod, and embarked, not bothering to 'prepare for the journey carefully', and just going, and it turns out that the 'Just going' option is really bad... two useless dwarves, and no planter! So I'm asking you all to help me out, either it be giving me an automatic custom embark or just giving me pointers on what to bring in this new version, as I'm kinda bad at preparing for the journey, even more so in this new version.
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blue emu

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2010, 06:41:31 pm »

With the new faster immigration rate and the resulting early attacks by Goblins, it's important to get your defenses set up early. Aside from that, survival requires food and booze... everything else is just a bonus.

I like my embark profile to include Grower with maximum skill level (5) and also a high-level... but not necessarily maxed-out... Brewer/Cook. I usually go 3/3 for that dude. That takes care of food and drink. Be aware that in the new version, even underground farms in soil layers will require mud from irrigation, just like bare rock does.

I also like to include a Drill Sargeant to teach my future military. Axedwarf 3/Dodger 3/Teacher 4 is the set-up that I use, but you can suit yourself. Note that he has no civilian skills (since you can only spend ten skill-levels per Dwarf). At the start of the game, he will get his Lumberjack and Carpenter skills turned on, and will quickly learn a civilian trade.

Two skill-1 Miners will be useful... they'll soon level up to Legendary no matter how little skill they start with.

My expedition Leader starts with a lot of Social skills at level-1 (Appraise, Consoler, Organizer, Judge of Intent, Persuader, Negotiator, Pacifier) plus one useful civilian skill : Mechanics, so that he can spend most of his time creating Mechanisms for traps and setting them up to improve our defenses.

That leaves one more Dwarf... a low-level Mason/Engraver/Building Designer would be useful, but so would a high-level Marksdwarf/Teacher for drilling your future Crossbow Dwarves.

It's also worth considering giving one Dwarf four or five levels of Armorsmith, and another Dwarf four or five levels of Weaponsmith. The Miners are obvious candidates, since they've each only spent one skill-point... but Mining is a Moodable skill, and it's worth considering giving the Weaponsmith and Armorsmith levels to your non-Moodable Grower and Cook/Brewer instead... so that if they get affected by a Strange Mood, you'll end up with a Legendary Weaponsmith or Armorsmith instead of a Legendary Miner (which you're going to get anyway, just by digging full-time).

You might also give one of your starting dudes some medical skills, including Diagnosis.

Stuff to buy? Lots of Food and Drink, a bit of Gypsum Plaster (and Sand and/or Bauxite if there's none in your embark area), some plant thread and spider-silk thread... an Anvil, two Picks and an Axe. Maybe some extra wood, if you're not embarking in a well-forested area.
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existent

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2010, 06:43:22 pm »

Here's mine:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
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blue emu

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2010, 06:52:58 pm »

Here's mine:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

You could improve that quite a bit with a little tweaking...

Why so much Meat of the same type? You get one free Barrel for every 10 (or fewer) of the same Meat that you bring... so instead of 81 units of the same Meat (and 9 free Barrels), why not one unit each of 81 different types of meat (and 81 free barrels)?

The same applies to your seeds: every five (or fewer) seeds of the same type gives you a free bag... so instead of 40 of the same type (plus eight free bags), why not six sweet pod seeds, six cave wheat seeds, six pigtail seeds, and twenty-two plump helmet spawn (plus 11 free bags)? It still totals the same cost and the same amount of crops, but you get three extra bags out of the deal.
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gtmattz

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2010, 06:53:29 pm »

And here is mine:

Code: [Select]
[PROFILE]
[TITLE:BASICALLY BASIC]
[SKILL:1:MINING:5]
[SKILL:1:DETAILSTONE:5]
[SKILL:2:MINING:5]
[SKILL:2:DETAILSTONE:5]
[SKILL:3:WOODCUTTING:5]
[SKILL:3:FORGE_WEAPON:5]
[SKILL:4:WOODCUTTING:5]
[SKILL:4:FORGE_ARMOR:5]
[SKILL:5:BREWING:5]
[SKILL:5:PLANT:5]
[SKILL:6:COOK:5]
[SKILL:6:PLANT:5]
[SKILL:7:DESIGNBUILDING:5]
[SKILL:7:JUDGING_INTENT:1]
[SKILL:7:APPRAISAL:3]
[SKILL:7:LEADERSHIP:1]
[ITEM:2:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_PICK:INORGANIC:COPPER]
[ITEM:25:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:SEED]
[ITEM:25:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:BUSH_QUARRY:SEED]
[ITEM:25:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:POD_SWEET:SEED]
[ITEM:25:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:SEED]
[ITEM:50:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:DRINK]
[ITEM:50:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:POD_SWEET:DRINK]
[ITEM:50:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:DRINK]
[ITEM:1:ANVIL:NONE:INORGANIC:IRON]
[PET:3:DOG:FEMALE:STANDARD]
[PET:9:DOG:MALE:STANDARD]
[PET:1:CAT:MALE:STANDARD]


This is a bit of a 'bootstrap' build in that in order to chop wood I have to deconstruct the wagon, build a carpenter shop, then make a couple training axes for my woodcutter/carpenters and I also bring no starting food, choosing to either eat extra dogs, or gather twigs and berries depending on the embark.  Sometimes I will trade some dogs for stone if I am embarking on an area with an aquifer that is 2 or more levels deep.

And yea, I really like dogs XD
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Repulsion

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #5 on: August 14, 2010, 07:41:35 pm »

  Mining is a mood skill now? How does that work? I am pretty sure you can't make an artifact from mining something.

  Anyways, thanks blue emu, I think I am going to go with an embark like yours. Also, getting up defense is no problem for me, since in 40d I played the Dig Dwarfier mod, and the Orcs attacked really early, like in the second year, so I usually got my defense up in the first year.
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cyks

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2010, 09:27:24 pm »

Sometimes I just bring tons of useful items and apply jobs based on individual personalities after embark, but I do give appraiser skill and sometimes a leader is appointed pre-embark.
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JoRo

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2010, 05:25:18 am »

  Mining is a mood skill now? How does that work? I am pretty sure you can't make an artifact from mining something.

Same way tanning is a mood skill; tanners take leatherworking workshops and miners take mason's worksops.
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jester

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2010, 06:38:35 am »

The free barrels trick doesnt work anymore with meat.  The dwarfs chuck 10 meat into the 'meat' barrel, whatever sort of meat it is, so taking 11, 19 or 20 meat will get you 2 barrels, just take that one extra for 1 free barrel, still works with booze though and works really well on genesis because of the amount of differnt types of booze.

  Playing genesis without a good starting setup is probably a short recipe for fun though
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Bognor

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #9 on: August 15, 2010, 09:22:40 am »

Quote
The free barrels trick doesnt work anymore with meat.  The dwarfs chuck 10 meat into the 'meat' barrel, whatever sort of meat it is

I was under the impression that various meats from the same animal get put in one barrel (mule brain, mule lung, mule kidneys...) but that meats from different animals go in different barrels.
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KrazyDocK

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #10 on: August 15, 2010, 09:57:13 am »

Quote
The free barrels trick doesnt work anymore with meat.  The dwarfs chuck 10 meat into the 'meat' barrel, whatever sort of meat it is

I was under the impression that various meats from the same animal get put in one barrel (mule brain, mule lung, mule kidneys...) but that meats from different animals go in different barrels.
Yes this has been my experience as well.  Therefore I will embark with stuff like 11 cat meat, 11 mule meat, etc.
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Bognor

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #11 on: August 15, 2010, 10:05:42 am »

It makes sense - otherwise imagine how much space would be required for stockpiling the returns from butchering several types of animal.
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Gorjo MacGrymm

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #12 on: August 15, 2010, 04:16:08 pm »

LOL

I have quit giving any skills to my dwarves at embark except someone with appraise for the trader.  I let them just work it off.  I bring 2 picks, 2 axes, an anvil, 2 dogs (m/f), 2 cows (m/f), 20 of each drink, seeds, buckets, bags, plenty of meat/fish(especially turtles) some sand since it only costs 1 and gets me a bag, 1 iron bar just in case, some glass and thats mostly it.  I set everyone but diggers to all skills (using Dwarf Therapist).  By the beginning of year two, my miners are halfway to legendary, as are my tree-cutters.  By the time the thieves and gobs start showing up, i have usually gotten about 30-50 immigrants and plenty of well skilled up dwarves.  Sometimes the new arrivals have useless skills and become haulers or soldiers.  T
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sambojin

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #13 on: August 15, 2010, 08:50:46 pm »

Here's a really easy one. It's designed for cold/freezing/treeless biomes and can survive fairly easily in terrifying/sinister terrains. It brings along 26 wood, 6 weapons(3 picks, 2 copper hammers, 1 crossbow), about 70 booze(45 more brewable), 3 ropes (for a well and two chained dogs), heaps of seeds, sand bags, starting fuel, 5 dogs, a cat and enough food to last until next spring. Change food/sand bags depending on civ/biome. If you don't need the wood, just bring 3 and stock up on dogs/plump helmets/whatever.

You begin with 2 growers, brewer, cook, mason, mechanic, carpenter, weapons/armour/smelting, engraver and a broker/weapons trainer. Change him to the weapon skill of your choice (hammer might be a better choice than axe at the start). The skills are semi-set to make useful progression of work for the fortress and to make mood-able skills handy.

To begin with, put your 2 growers and broker into mining. Have everyone do architecture, dig out the starting area, and make your carpenter's/mason's workshops. Make a training axe if you have trees. Set up farms as quickly as you can, make furniture, engrave the dining room and get your stone-crafter churning out crafts.

With 3 picks and 2 hammers you can just draft most of your workforce in case of early attack. Picks really are the main skilled weapon at the start. Make 5 wooden shields (cheapest armour in the game). The crossbow is hopeless, but helps to train up new marksdwarf immigrants quickly. The dogs should breed quickly enough to give you a little surplus food/leather/bones for emergencies and training bolts/armour.

In freezing/waterless biomes you may have trouble farming. Go for the cavern, put everyone on mason duty (for walling off the area) and hope you find some water. Or militarise everyone, bring the doggies and clear the cavern. You have weapon/armoursmiths ready to help you militarise when you need them. Just remember to bring flasks/backpacks (although they're not truly necessary)  and set the squad's scheduled orders to be less than the amount of dwarves in it.

Its safe. Its reliable. In anything less than a treeless terrifying/sinister/haunted terrain you should make THEM have Fun. Picks and hammers do very bad things to skeletons/zombies as well.

edited: changed the broker/weapons trainer to HAMMER to help the early recruits get going with cheap weapons. And added a bit about freezing/waterless biomes.

edited 2: 'cough' Put the right profile in where the carpenter is an engraver and furnace operator. Slower leveling for the furnace, but faster legendary dining hall.


Code: [Select]
[PROFILE]
[TITLE:ICY, SCARY, BYO EVERYTHING]
[SKILL:1:PLANT:5]
[SKILL:1:FORGE_WEAPON:5]
[SKILL:2:PLANT:5]
[SKILL:2:CUTGEM:5]
[SKILL:3:HAMMER:2]
[SKILL:3:SHIELD:1]
[SKILL:3:ARMOR:1]
[SKILL:3:SNEAK:1]
[SKILL:3:JUDGING_INTENT:1]
[SKILL:3:APPRAISAL:1]
[SKILL:3:TEACHING:2]
[SKILL:3:DODGING:1]
[SKILL:4:BREWING:5]
[SKILL:4:STONECRAFT:5]
[SKILL:5:COOK:5]
[SKILL:5:FORGE_ARMOR:5]
[SKILL:6:CARPENTRY:5]
[SKILL:6:DETAILSTONE:3]
[SKILL:6:SMELT:2]
[SKILL:7:MASONRY:5]
[SKILL:7:MECHANICS:5]
[ITEM:1:ANVIL:NONE:INORGANIC:IRON]
[ITEM:3:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_PICK:INORGANIC:COPPER]
[ITEM:2:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_HAMMER_WAR:INORGANIC:COPPER]
[ITEM:26:WOOD:NONE:PLANT_MAT:TOWER_CAP:WOOD]
[ITEM:16:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:SEED]
[ITEM:16:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:POD_SWEET:SEED]
[ITEM:16:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_WHEAT_CAVE:SEED]
[ITEM:16:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:SEED]
[ITEM:6:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_CUP_DIMPLE:SEED]
[ITEM:6:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:BUSH_QUARRY:SEED]
[ITEM:9:PLANT:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:STRUCTURAL]
[ITEM:11:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:DRINK]
[ITEM:21:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:POD_SWEET:DRINK]
[ITEM:21:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_WHEAT_CAVE:DRINK]
[ITEM:21:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:DRINK]
[ITEM:3:CHAIN:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:SPIDER_CAVE:SILK]
[ITEM:1:BAR:NONE:COAL:CHARCOAL]
[ITEM:1:BOULDER:NONE:INORGANIC:COAL_BITUMINOUS]
[ITEM:1:POWDER_MISC:NONE:INORGANIC:SAND_RED]
[ITEM:1:POWDER_MISC:NONE:INORGANIC:SAND_WHITE]
[ITEM:1:POWDER_MISC:NONE:INORGANIC:SAND_YELLOW]
[ITEM:1:POWDER_MISC:NONE:INORGANIC:SAND_TAN]
[ITEM:1:POWDER_MISC:NONE:INORGANIC:SAND_BLACK]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:COW:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:HORSE:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:DONKEY:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:MULE:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:CAT:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:DOG:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:MOLE_DOG_NAKED:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:RAT_LARGE:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:OLM:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:CAP_HOPPER:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:RAT:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:FISH_GAR_LONGNOSE:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:FISH_PIKE:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:FISH_CARP:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:GOAT_MOUNTAIN:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:MARMOT_HOARY:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:POND_GRABBER:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:SQUIRREL_GRAY:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:DEER:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:GROUNDHOG:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:HEDGEHOG:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:FOX:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:RACCOON:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:BIRD_BUZZARD:MUSCLE]
[ITEM:1:FISH:NONE:LOBSTER_CAVE:MALE]
[ITEM:1:FISH:NONE:LOBSTER_CAVE:FEMALE]
[ITEM:1:FISH:NONE:FISH_CAVE:MALE]
[ITEM:1:FISH:NONE:FISH_CAVE:FEMALE]
[PET:3:DOG:FEMALE:STANDARD]
[PET:2:DOG:MALE:STANDARD]
[PET:1:CAT:MALE:STANDARD]
« Last Edit: August 16, 2010, 02:01:08 am by sambojin »
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Shurhaian

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Re: Embark setups?
« Reply #14 on: August 15, 2010, 09:08:01 pm »

It makes sense - otherwise imagine how much space would be required for stockpiling the returns from butchering several types of animal.

None of that is relevant for butchering that takes place after embark, unless you've set the dwarves to not mix in containers. Normally, they will happily stuff disparate types of meat into the meat barrel, although they won't put prepared cat intestines in the same barrel as plump helmets, say(meat + plant)(unless they're cooked together and stuffed into a prepared food barrel)  .

You can make use of this to free up some barrels in the early life of your fortress. Make sure you have a garbage dump designated - a single channeled tile(with the resulting ramp) that has the zone marked around it will do - and then find all your singleton barrels, and dump their contents. Once they've been dumped, reclaim them. If you have n singleton containers, you will free up n-1 doing this, -1 more every time you fill the container - that is, if you have 15 single-item meat barrels, you will be using 2 barrels afterward(10 per barrel), and thus free up 13. Not sure how well this works with seed bags - if they mix those, odds are you can stuff all your singleton seeds in the same bag unless you have mods that give a LOT more seed options at embark.

For obvious reasons, this doesn't work for booze or other liquids.
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