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[Xenos]

Oh. Well you can just demolish a buiilding and reclaim the wood, right?

The problem is that without a water source or trees it is impossible without butchering one of the caravans that comes through.  I tried it on a tundra once, no trees, and no plants.  the latter doomed the fort.  if you possess any trees at all, it becomes significantly easier to survive.

[Trouserman]

Oh. Well you can just demolish a buiilding and reclaim the wood, right?

Sure, but that doesn't help if you have to make a barrel for booze or die of thirst before the first caravan arrives.  This goes back to, "for it to be possible you need an infinite surface water source."  If you have drinkable water, you don't have to make that barrel early on just to survive until autumn.

[celem]

its not easy by any means but ive done a few in rocky wastelands and the like.  Scorching one was a bit hardcore so i took a river:p  If theres any kind of surface vegetation you can bootstrap the entire thing up off surface seeds all the way to distilling (if you got the wood).  I use the starting 7 to mug and wrestle game to death to take the weight off plants as food, and you can have em drinking booze real fast with 6 herbalists and a brewer

With no wood and a scorching/freezing surface its pretty much screwed.  they wont live to the first migrants wave, never mind the caravan unless you actively brew with your limited wood

[Xenos]

its not easy by any means but ive done a few in rocky wastelands and the like.  Scorching one was a bit hardcore so i took a river:p  If theres any kind of surface vegetation you can bootstrap the entire thing up off surface seeds all the way to distilling (if you got the wood).  I use the starting 7 to mug and wrestle game to death to take the weight off plants as food, and you can have em drinking booze real fast with 6 herbalists and a brewer

With no wood and a scorching/freezing surface its pretty much screwed.  they wont live to the first migrants wave, never mind the caravan unless you actively brew with your limited wood

the best way that I know is to make a bone crossbow from your draft animal, hunt animals that wander in for food, actively brew using 1-2 of your precious wood for barrels, and wait until the spring caravan.  when the unlucky elves arrive, outfit all your dwarves with bone crossbows and bolts, maybe some leather armor if you tanned and used hides.  Slaughter the elves.  Make sure to target their animals first so that you are able to get the goods.  Profit as you now can build a depot to get picks from the humans.

[shadowform]

I was lucky enough to have a river, although it is saltwater. I'm managing to sustain myself on saguaro rib cacti for barrel needs. I'll survive yet! 0 point embarks are fun!

set up a tank with constructed walls and floor, then use pumps to desalinate the water.

Salt is determined by Z-level now.  You can use natural stone floors/walls, just make sure it's on a non-salted level of the ground.

[Trouserman]

Salt is determined by Z-level now.  You can use natural stone floors/walls, just make sure it's on a non-salted level of the ground.

Good to know, but which levels are salted, or how do you figure it out other than trial and error on a given embark?  It would be much less annoying to simply build a cistern than to dig several before finding a suitable level.

[NewSheoth]

Salt is determined by Z-level now.  You can use natural stone floors/walls, just make sure it's on a non-salted level of the ground.

Good to know, but which levels are salted, or how do you figure it out other than trial and error on a given embark?  It would be much less annoying to simply build a cistern than to dig several before finding a suitable level.

Above sea level, I gather. Can put it one more level higher to be sure.

[qoonpooka]

wooden axes cutting trees make 0 point embarks relatively simple in the right biome (trees and pickable food).  Coming down in a desert or something is a bit harder, otherwise its just a wait for pick thing

I play 40d right now. So no wooden axes to use.  But yeah it's surviving the wild animals and whatnot until you can entice caravans to visit, then it's a race indoors since caravans = ambushes.

[Sutremaine]

Wait wait wait, you can apply kill orders to merchants?

Edit: Hey, look who just showed up knocking on my depot doors...

[carnage ensues]

...I never realised picks were so good at severing limbs.

[qoonpooka]

I was lucky enough to have a river, although it is saltwater. I'm managing to sustain myself on saguaro rib cacti for barrel needs. I'll survive yet! 0 point embarks are fun!

I was mainly talking about on zero tree embarks.    for those you need to embark with one extra wood if you are trading with dwarves.  if not, go hunting to prep for the springtime slaughter.

The thing is, elves only come if you have a certain amount of created wealth to entice the caravan to show up.  Any way you slice it you're gonna need to be building stuff.  In 40d you can fish for bones for crafts and crossbows + ammo.

I've also had success drafting all seven dwarves and overwhelming hoary marmots and waves of macaques.  (The macaques are great for suddenly growing a leather industry too).

Rope reed is vital for 0-point embarks, IMO.  The cloth industry is one of the fastest ways to get the requisite wealth for caravans to visit.