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[Nameless Archon]

Opening the embark screen reveals something interesting.  Whereas I am used to seeing around four dwarven Civs, I see eight.  I have currently selected "The Gear of Whips."

Tell us more about how you went about your embark - it will affect the resources you have to work with.

Was your civilization at war with any other civ? What features does your embark site have? A brook? A river? Only ponds in scorching heat? Only a saltwater ocean? Sand? Flux? Volcano? Savagery? Wood? Other plants? Aquifer? Zombie whales? Elephants? Unicorn?

Have you appointed nobles, like a bookkeeper (n -> r)? Have you set a reserved number of barrels (p -> *)? Have you set your standing orders (o)?

In the case that I proceed far enough to warrant taking screen-shots and posting them for help and comments, what is the preferred method of screen-capture (printscreen?) and uploading?

Pictures you can put wherever you'd like. If you're uploading, you might try DFFD (The Dwarf Fortress File Depot).

This is an excellent question. I haven't had this problem yet, and am obviously under prepared. My I need a more intric--I mean dwarfy design (:

Truth told, I don't know there are swimming building destroyers, but there are building destroyers and there are swimmers, and fortifications protect against both. I would imagine some forgotten beasts or clowns or undead could get in by swimming. It's also why I wall up water pipes I don't need. There's that much less chance of mistakes, and that much more security, and it's less space to pathfind.

I, for one, would like to see a real-life (dwarf-life?) representation of your design. I have a tough time reading your representation with o's etc.

I'm starting a new fort this weekend after the last one died. Once I get the water system in so it can be observed, I'll see about uploading a copy - perhaps on DFFD. No promises that it's a miracle of efficiency or anything.

[Kalphoenix]

I haven't actually embarked yet, sadly, although I have somewhat planned out my dwarf's skills.  For some reason, even using the find location tool and selecting NO aquifers, I will still get an aquifer warning message if I try to launch there.  That's kind of frustrating.  BUT can I just ignore it since I have Lazy Newbie which has a no Aquifer mod?

Because I don't need the extra complication for the time being (I look forward to it later), I usually launch in a medium sort of area insofar as rainfall, trees, plants, critters and stone goes.  I try to always embark on a freshwater source, such as a river or brook.

I have this kind of obsession with setting up a meat industry with cows (I suppose I could set up a Milk industry at some point now too, with that being a new feature).  I've read a lot about what is recommended.  I realize planning for this kind of set-up with your embark group may not be ideal, but it keeps me interested.  My dwarf's proposed "build" looks something like this, please feel free to recommend some changes, because I see a few possible things that should be switched around and might be problematic.  For instance, I kind of have a "main" miner and one who has a lot of side-skills.  I'm not sure if I should have a miner who is also the carpenter, mechanic and building designer.  I have bonecrafting in there, because I imagine I will have bones with a meat industry and it would be nice to do something with them, BUT it is also something I could assign to a dwarf later, since I think I'll eventually have enough bones that they can practice on them with no great loss?  On weaponsmithing and armorsmithing, while I know they are time-consuming to train later, I'm trying to not think that far ahead since that is part of what is getting me hung-up, and I think I would see too much skill degradation by the time I got around to getting forges running (At this point in my learning process).  I'm wondering if instead of having two farmers (Since I want to set up a meat industry anyway), if I could re-purpose one of them for a set of different tasks.

1 - Woodcutting, Herbalism, Axe, Armor

2 - Mason, Judge of Intent, Negotiator, Appraiser, Record Keeper

3 - Mining, Building Designer, Mechanic

4 - Butchering, Tanning, Leather-working

5 - Mining, Bone-crafting, Carpenter

6 - Farming, Cooking

7 - Farming, Brewing

Thanks for your patience!

[mrbaggins]

Mining and carpentry are both full time jobs for my early fort.

the mason won't have much to do for a little while you get established, unless you only have 1 soil layer.

You won't need two farmers.

You dont need a bonecrafter, at least for a while (your cows/bull won't ever be butchered, it's their children, and that's 30+ migrants away.

If you're going heavy meat industry, that butchery/leatherworker will be over tasked, especially if you aim for lots of leather armor instead of metal.

You don't have a manager, which is ok as long ad you have someone who you can have busy for AGES the first time you use them. After that they pick up speed very quick

Just what I'm seeing. Take with salt.

[Kalphoenix]

I generally have two full-time miners when I play.  My question is whether or not I should bother to give them any secondary skills?  Maybe armor-use because they are the most likely (with my outside dwarf) to be relatively strong if I need emergency defenders early on?  Are picks in any weapon category?  Should I give them some sort of attack skill?

Is your suggestion then (because I do plan on having more leather stuff than metal), that I double-up on butchers/leatherworkers at embark?  It's probably doable, but I just figured it would be a little bit before I had much to butcher/leatherwork.  Suggestions?

I 'll try not to be over-anal about my skill picking (The power of positive thinking), because I am told via the wiki that you can technically start with nothing and be ok, but I DO enjoy this aspect of the game too.

Manager.  Check.  But I have NO idea how to make one.  Shouldn't that probably be whomever is MAYBE my expedition leader with all the social/organization abilities?  It doesn't have to be, but I see that dwarf probably being best suited to it.

[mrbaggins]

I also run with two miners. I make one of them my initial mason. That way, when masonry becomes an issue, I still have one full time miner. That full time guy is my cook as well.

You shouldn't have any attacks until the 3rd (which is big) migrant wave.

Don't double up on butchers /leather, but separate them out into two dwarves, or ditch leatherworking an hope for a migrant with something passable.

Tanning is also not worth taking, maybe one point just to speed it up.

You definitely don't want two butchers.

Manager noble (n button for nobles) needs organization skill. However, with 0 skill, the first 5 jobs designated with the manager window will take AGES to start. After that it is much faster.

I don't tend to set anyone with it, and pick either the migrant that shows up with it, or any useless one (hello lyemaker #3!).
Picks are weapons based on mining skill, but you really wantto just hope you dont need it unless you're in a savage or evil area, in which case you'll prob want a true military dwarf.

My advice (and this is all I'm basing previous opinions on, is to try an embark profile (saving it before starting) and playing for 2 years in game. Take note of what parts sucked, took too long orndidnt have enough skill level to be efficient, and restart. Use the previous embark profile, and edit to suit


Also worth remembering: taking dwarf skills uses embark points. By making say, a miner JUST a miner, instead of a miner + 5 in something else, you save 5+6+7+8+9= 35 points. That's 2 dogs, or a third of a cow. Knock an anvil off (youre dealing with leather anyway) and that's the rest of the cow. That's a LOT more meat you just brought along.

Bottom line: try it, screw it up, then try a slight (or major) change.

[Kalphoenix]

Thanks for the advice.  I wasn't sure if that was INDEED the case, where you had a general pool of points to use between skills and embark items.  So that's a good point.  And especially given that skills decay now, it's kind of hard to justify putting points in a a skill that won't see much use for awhile when I could buy things like dogs, supplies or equipment.

And a long time ago I started knocking off the anvil...I just never get a metal industry going that early anyway, or need one so dire that I can't wait until a caravan brings one.

Thanks!

[Nameless Archon]

I generally have two full-time miners when I play.  My question is whether or not I should bother to give them any secondary skills?  Maybe armor-use because they are the most likely (with my outside dwarf) to be relatively strong if I need emergency defenders early on?  Are picks in any weapon category?  Should I give them some sort of attack skill?

Picks are weapons, used with Mining skill. A legendary miner, in armor, is a dangerous thing to anything that can be harmed by puncture wounds (eg, that bleeds). They're not as good as axes, but they're far better than wooden weapons or fists.

Is your suggestion then (because I do plan on having more leather stuff than metal), that I double-up on butchers/leatherworkers at embark?  It's probably doable, but I just figured it would be a little bit before I had much to butcher/leatherwork.  Suggestions?

I normally do not bother with butchers/tanners/etc. at embark. These skills will get plenty of work if you have hunters or butcher livestock.

I 'll try not to be over-anal about my skill picking (The power of positive thinking), because I am told via the wiki that you can technically start with nothing and be ok, but I DO enjoy this aspect of the game too.

So do I. My typical skillset looks like this:

2 Miners (5 mining, 5 mechanic)
1 Woodcutter (Male, 5 woodcutting, 5 glassmaking, 0 herbalism)
1 Carpenter (5 Carpenter, 5 Mason)
1 Farmer (4 Grower, 5 Brewer, 1 Armorsmith, 0 herbalism, 0 woodcutting)
1 "Metal Dwarf" (5 Armorsmith, 3 Weaponsmith, 2 Metalsmith, 0 herbalism, 0 woodcutting)
1 "Social Dwarf" (1 in all "social skills" except Liar, 1 in Appraiser, 0 herbalism, 0 woodcutting).

Reasoning:
1. Miners can be spelled a few times early on, and a skilled mechanic can really rip out the mechanisms for trade and traps. Note that if you go too heavy on mining new areas, you don't get any traps. Mine, then consolidate.

2. Woodcutter will retire to make glass once migrants show up to replace him. I used to take one with Axeman to go along with it, but later woodcutting is in vast underground 'tree farms' and does not require any special weapon skill. Early woodcutting is either safe (in which case you don't need weapon skill) or dangerous (in which case my wood-axe using woodcutter is toast). Woodcutter is male to avoid early issues with women holding babies outdoors. Note that if you have an excess of wood, the glassmaker can be set to burn wood to make charcoal and power a glass furnace, which can produce hugely valuable goods from a bag of sand. Glass Discs are frequent "first caravan" trade goods.

3. Carpenter will specialize in carpentry, but if you don't get a decent mason for stone furniture early, you can spell this guy and crank some out for a noble or dining room. If you get a good carpenter, send him to masonry finishing school. If not, keep him around for beds and barrels.

4. Grower is essential. Brewer is essential. I don't leave home without these. this guy will start out picking herbs and cutting wood, but irrigated farms go up quickly, and he's first on the scene.

5. Metal Dwarf is often an early herbalist/woodcutter, but branches out to metalworking as soon as the forges go up. Useful if you don't get a highly skilled metalworker early, and can shift to weapons/armor as needed if you get one but not the other. Keep in mind: I go straight for the red hot goodness at the bottom of the world, so I ramp up metal production (and glass production) relatively early.

6. Social dwarf is your first pseudo-noble. He'll be your manager, broker, recordkeeper, chief medical dwarf and militia commander. This requires a chair, easily produced by your carpenter/mason, and gives you access to the advanced functionality for controlling the fort. Early on, this guy will cut wood, run smelters, and pick herbs, but he'll spend most of the first one-two years struggling just to keep up with his 'noble' jobs. Be wary of caravans arriving with huge backlogs of jobs to be validated or records to be tallied...

Manager.  Check.  But I have NO idea how to make one.  Shouldn't that probably be whomever is MAYBE my expedition leader with all the social/organization abilities?  It doesn't have to be, but I see that dwarf probably being best suited to it.

Depends on what you choose, actually. Manager is primarily about the organizer skill. I don't take any dwarves with that skill (all 0), but my manager expands quickly to handle the role, if you're setting ALL non-construction, non-designation jobs through the job manager interface.