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[dennislp3]

My big issue is that I keep getting stuck on how to design my fort...it always ends up in a bad way...I try to keep things that are relevant together...anyone have any layouts they could share? (preferably the whole fort and not just a small area)

[Jualin]

I've got plenty of designs. Would you prefer pictures or .csv files for quickfort?

[dennislp3]

Just pictures....I don't use quickfort...mostly want to get a good idea of what someone else does so maybe I can see where I go wrong (or maybe if I just think im going wrong)

Thanks in advance

[SkyRender]

I use a layout that's utterly modular in design and that takes advantage of Z-levels to the maximum.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The only area that doesn't conform to this layout is the forges, and that's only because they have to deal with the space limitations imposed by where magma is available.

[Alogism]

Any chance you could upload the CSV for that? I've never used quickfort, But that design is amazing, And I'd like to try it without designating for 3 hours

[Sowelu]

If I'm going to span a lot of Z-levels, I try to build in substantially different regions of the map.

Code: [Select]

########          ########
#      #          #      #
# Z-10 #>>>>>>>>>># Z-35 #
#      #          #      #
########          ########
                      V
                      V
                      V
                      V
########          ########
#      #          #      #
# Z-85 #<<<<<<<<<<# Z-60 #
#      #          #      #
########          ########

This way, the dwarves aren't dumbasses about where they try to get their food and stone from.

[Shoku]

Man that image is getting around.

But got anything I can throw on the side of a hallway that's already there?

[Jualin]

I realize that hosting the images themselves is going to be rather time consuming and likely not very helpful.

I make designs so large, convoluted, and unwieldy in quickfort it borders on the fetishistic. So much so that I've never actually used them, even though I keep making them.

Instead I'll share a few general pointers that I think will be rather helpful. Not quite what the OP asked for, but it's as much as I'm easily able to give.

Spoiler: Much text here (click to show/hide)

When designing an area, using straight 3-tile wide lanes is ideal for pathing in most cases. Also, never make large rooms (5x5+) with only one entrance/exit in an area central to your fortress, or dwarves will waste time pathing inside the large room, eating up precious frames per second. If you really need to have that large room with only one entrance somewhere important in your fortress, designate it a low traffic area. Also, abuse the Z-axis. Your dwarves don't recognize the difference between moving one tile on the z-axis and moving one tile on the X or Y-axes, why should you?

Dwarf Fortress was designed with squares in mind. When you want to make the most out of the space you have, go for squares arranged along the X and Y-axes. If not, then be prepared to have little gaps here and there.

Using quarry bushes is much more efficient that plump helmets. Assuming each farm square always produces only one of any particular crop, quarry bushes cost 640 actions a year versus 1600 for plump helmets to feed an entire 200 dwarf fortress. This includes the refining of quarry bushes into quarry bush leaves.

You can every type of underground alcohol if you grow sweet pods in the spring, plump helmets in the spring, and pig tails and cave wheat in summer and autumn.

Forcing water through diagonals depressurizes it. Much simpler than setting up pumps.

If you want to put workshops in groups based on similar or related functions, here's a list I came up with:

Basic - Mason' Workshop, Mechanic's Wokshop, Carpenter's Workshop
Farming(P) - Farmer's Workshop, Millstone/Quern, Still
Butchery - Butcher's Shop, Tanner's Shop, Leather Works
Tertiary Organics - Kitchen, Fishery, Soap Maker's Workshop
Clothes - Dyer's Shop, Loom, Clothier's Shop
Ashes(M) - Wood Furnace, Ashery, Kiln, Glass Furnace
Metal(M) - Smelter, Forge
Misc. - Bowyer's Workshop, Craftsdwarf's Workshop, Jeweler's Workshop, Siege Workshop
(M and P designates groups of workshops that have at least one workshop that can function better with Magma or Power)

[Gnauga]

I typically place goods for export on a z-level above the depot, and place a hole through the floor for export goods to be dumped straight into the depot. Helps save a bit of time with traders.

[Immacolata]

Alogism, I got CSVs for SkyRenders designs you can use with Quickfort. Mine a slightly modified with stockpile size and I decided to create my dining rooms less cramped than he did.

[dennislp3]

Thanks a bunch you are all being very helpful!

I use  very similar design as you skyrender...my failing point was that it was not a clear cut design...rather something that i was changing every time...Ill see how your does for me!

[Pagan]

I dig down, not out.

Main stairway is basically straight down, hatches ever few levels(just in case). Coming off each stairwell is a workshop, and a storage area relevant to whatever workshop it is.  The first level down from the entrance is usually Military quarters and rooms and offices for nobles.

With everything in a line straight up and down, there is very little distance dwarfs have to travel to get places.

Then usually quite a bit under them I'll start the living quarters and dining rooms and what not.

[dennislp3]

I use a layout that's utterly modular in design and that takes advantage of Z-levels to the maximum.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The only area that doesn't conform to this layout is the forges, and that's only because they have to deal with the space limitations imposed by where magma is available.

Ill go ahead and take the quickfort CVS of this if you have it...any chance you have it in macro form though? I prefer that over using a separate program

[Johnfalcon99977]

When making a fort, i almost always do this:

I make a single long hall 2 squares wide. How long it is depends on the size of the mountain and surrounding land scape. At the end of the hall, i make a very large room for dinning, and I connect a room to the side and make it a stockpile for all foods, exculding seeds (Seed stockpile comes later). The I create a small hallway cutting off of the main hall and line that with rooms, I dont care how you make the rooms, but this is how I do it:

Spoiler: Room code (click to show/hide)

####
#B _ D
####
# = Wall
B = Bed
_ = floor
D = Door

At the end of the small hallway, I make a turn in the hall, go seven squares, and make another small hallway going in the other derection of the first small hall. Line that with rooms, go to the top of that hall, lather, rise, repeat until your certain that you have enought rooms. After that, i make a small cut off area near the main door and build a down stairway there, then (after building a up stair way below it.) I go to the soil area (or near enough) and make gaint rooms to be stockpiles, somewhere in there I also make a farm, and wall off the place i got the water. From the hallway to the farm I make yet another cut off to get a seed stockpile. Out side I make some walls in the general area to put the trade depo, barreks (I know i spelt that wrong you grammer nazis!) and other things.

In a nutshell, it should look like this:

Spoiler: Top floor (click to show/hide)

Spoiler:  Bottom Floor (click to show/hide)

(P.S. The housing area in the top floor looks diffrent from what I described because these pictures were taken before I had finnalized the system)

Thats how I always make my forts :3

[Hyndis]

Here' my standard layout:

http://mkv25.net/dfma/map-9123-roadsaviors

Vertical shaft towards the middle of the map leading down to the great hall, which is my meeting zone. On the left and right are the workshops, storage, and farms. Towards the top of the map are the bedrooms and other residential.

I use the same basic design on all my fortresses lately, the only thing that varies would be the size of the meeting hall. I try to make the meeting hall as huge as possible while still leaving space for other rooms off the sides of the main hall.