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[Bomepie]

I was thinking it would be interesting to start a fortress where every migration wave founds a new minifort. Every one would have a unique size depending on the wave that started it, they would all have different projects, and in general it would be a cool simulation of some sort of simplified dwarven nation.

There are a few hitches though. The first is supplies, while the initial wave would have the necessary tools and some food and seeds the immigrants could show up with no tools. I would like to solve this with some sort of interfort trading system, but I'm not sure how to do it. I was thinking I could make a burrow linking two forts and activating dump sites in the target fort, then I mark the items I want traded for dumping, and then removing the burrow and reclaiming the items. FUN could be increased by only allowing trading after the initial setup to happen through the caverns.

The next issue is the real trading. If I build a depot at each minifort would the traders visit the same one every time or at random? Perhaps I could use interfort trading to move crafts to the capital then return some of what I purchase to each minifort. It might be enjoyable to make every minifort specialize in something, one is a source of metal, another crafts it, another breeds animals...

Finally there is the question of military, I like the idea of every minifort defending itself as best it can, but that could be pretty hard when big sieges start showing up. Perhaps in the event of a major incursion all miniforts will send out their soldiers in a coordinated group.

So does this all sound feasible and enjoyable? Any other ideas and suggestions would be welcome.

[Namfuak]

That would be interesting.  You could solve the starting out problem by making small forts with inactive farms, a dining hall, and a dormitory already set up using the starting seven before the first migrant wave arrives.  Making picks would be more of an issue, but really its just setting up the industry, not acquiring the materials.

[the great fool]

sounds like a load of fun to me!
and you could make one dwarf the leader of every minifortress and have all the leaders share one "temple" full of fine food and drink.

[Johnny Madhouse]

I have done this!

My method for transferring supplies between forts was airlocks at first. I would make a room with doors on either side, then place a stockpile of export goods from one mini-fort in the center chamber, then lock the doors from that fort and unlock the doors from the other fort. The next step was just undesignating the stockpile and letting the new dwarfs grab their newly gained supplies.

Later on, some of the forts were developed enough to construct above-ground towers with raising drawbridges arranged in such a manner that the dwarves could drop items onto the drawbridges from above and then pull a lever to fling items to the next tower. This was fairly inefficient: many items didn't arrive. At that point, however, each minifort was established enough that item trade was more about sharing cultures than about being efficient. Kobolds loved this arrangement, and the local wildlife spotted kobold ambushes with great frequency.

Another possibility might be to let each immigrant wave survive on its own merits: If they have no miner or woodcutter to construct shelter, or if their hurriedly drafted plant gatherer doesn't find enough seeds to start farming, they die (and leave their meager efforts in place for the next wave!). The original seven would have to spend a lot of time memorializing dwarves they'd never met if you didn't want the surface to become a teeming mass of ghosts killing all incoming immigrants, though. I mean, if you really don't want that.

[Bomepie]

Letting them rough might be fun, especially if I dedicate my first 7 to nothing but building a die hard necropolis.

[Johnny Madhouse]

Re: Trading

I think a good method as you said would be to set up a depot in the caverns. Each minifort could have a food and craft drop hole into a 'trade minifort' where the dwarves specialize in trade and defense. Those dwarves could have their own farmer, or if you wanted to be hardcore they could be fed entirely by the output of other forts. Or you could possibly stack the miniforts with a designated farm on top, and drop food through the z-levels to all other miniforts  to be absurdly specialized and micromanaging.

[glopso]

Who's for a hydraulic chute-based delivery trading system?

[duckInferno]

You could either have a single trading minifort that is airlock linked to the other forts, so you could rotate between them, or simply seal off the trading depots in your various forts via bridge (or w/e) whenever a caravan comes.

[Interus]

I really need to start playing with burrows so I know how to use them.  Anyway, you could choose not to completely isolate the forts.  From what I understand, if you make each mini-fort a burrow, the dwarves should stay in it, and perhaps you could have a "merchant class" that only functions as burrowless haulers.  Then you can use stockpiles to requisition items, and a merchant will go get it from wherever it is.

I really hope burrows can be used like that, because that was how I was planning my next fort, although I like the idea of this challenge.

[glopso]

Who's for a hydraulic chute-based delivery trading system?

Does water push items?

[Namfuak]

Who's for a hydraulic chute-based delivery trading system?

Does water push items?

It depends on the force of the water.  Pushing along a roast would take water being forced into a small corridor, while rocks don't move without z-levels of flow.

[Bomepie]

I've gotten to the first migrant wave, and as expected they showed up with no axes or picks. I don't have a metal industry up yet, so it comes down to whether I allow them to mooch till I can craft them some tools or let them sit around and starve till I craft them some tools.

[Ryan1711]

For the initial start up, how about just digging out a supply room with a small farm plot- closing it from the rest of the world with a wall, and having the wave of migrants de construct the wall when they arrive. Do this at the site of where their fortress will be, and have this minuscule room evolve into a full size functioning fortress over time.

Trading is only allowed to occur in the caverns, with walled off roads and guardhouses cut out from the rock. Each fort could have it's own defence force, which either forms or exists alongside a national force- moving fort to fort through the cavernous highway system.

One thing though, won't attacks always inevitably focus on the same sub-fort; being the AI will always pathfind to the same place?

[Bomepie]

I don't have much experience with sieges, but if they always hit the same minifort it will either die or be dubbed Gondor and wind up dedicated to military and traps.

[Brandstone]

You could assign one or two of your starting dwarves to each migrant wave, and bring enough picks and axes to outfit the starters with one each.