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[Sphalerite]

I keep getting randomly spaced out "A part of the cavern has collapsed" messages from the same place. I have never been to that area, so I am wondering if there is a forgotten beast down there destroying stuff and causing small cave-ins. Is that possible?

Forgotten beasts don't cause cave-ins.  What you may have is an underground sea flowing into a hole in the magma sea.  This causes obsidian to form, which immediately collapses and generates a cave-in message.  If this is the case I recommend abandoning and starting over, it's nearly impossible to stop the constant caveins from ruining your embark.  It's also possible that you have mud floating in mid-air and trees are growing and then collapsing when they reach full size, but those tend to produce cave-in messages less often, every season or so.

[Sting_Auer]

I don't think I am going to abandon this save. This save as the most stone I have ever gotten before, as well as gems, but it does have an aquifer I think.

I am sure that I can stop the cave-ins. Also, it isn't too much of an issue. It's a decent distance from my base. I could probably tunnel down there and pump water into the river. It would just flow away, so it shouldn't be an issue.

[Sting_Auer]

Oh good God I have so much Talc and Dolomite! And more to mine out as well!


What can I do with it all? I am having then all made into blocks and stored in bins, but it is taking a while. Should I make a second masons workshop to speed up the process?

Also, what should I make with the Talc? I am thinking about making walls around my outside areas that have my farms

The Dolomite I know can be used to make steel.



Also, with my farm, how exactly do I irrigate it? I haven't made any part of it yet, just made a small area to put it in next to a river with a thin wall in between the farm and the river. Should I just add a floodgate and flood the area slightly to make it suitable to plant on? After I plant it, do I need water within a certain distance of the crops for them to grow, does there need to be shallow water on the farm plot, or do I never need to water it again after irrigating the area?

[Mushroo]

Also, with my farm, how exactly do I irrigate it? I haven't made any part of it yet, just made a small area to put it in next to a river with a thin wall in between the farm and the river. Should I just add a floodgate and flood the area slightly to make it suitable to plant on? After I plant it, do I need water within a certain distance of the crops for them to grow, does there need to be shallow water on the farm plot, or do I never need to water it again after irrigating the area?

Floodgate is a good plan. You only need to irrigate once; then the tiles will stay "muddy" forever and ever, suitable for crops. Be very careful; a flooded fortress is no fun!

However if there is any clay, sand, or soil on your map, you can use that for farms as-is with no irrigation (in recent versions of the game).

[Sting_Auer]

Also, with my farm, how exactly do I irrigate it? I haven't made any part of it yet, just made a small area to put it in next to a river with a thin wall in between the farm and the river. Should I just add a floodgate and flood the area slightly to make it suitable to plant on? After I plant it, do I need water within a certain distance of the crops for them to grow, does there need to be shallow water on the farm plot, or do I never need to water it again after irrigating the area?

Floodgate is a good plan. You only need to irrigate once; then the tiles will stay "muddy" forever and ever, suitable for crops. Be very careful; a flooded fortress is no fun!

However if there is any clay, sand, or soil on your map, you can use that for farms as-is with no irrigation (in recent versions of the game).

I thought that flooding your base was very FUN.

Also, the reason that I am trying to flood this area is because I am sort of an organization freak when it comes to games like this. I am trying to put all the farms lined up in a specific area to keep everything organized. The mills are also going to be right next to that.

[Mushroo]

The Wiki has some helpful tips for irrigation:

http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/Irrigation

[Sting_Auer]

I think that I figured out how to do my above-ground farm.

Any tips on what I should grow? I am thinking that I am going to make 3 lots of equal size, and have 1 of them grow quarry bushes, and the other 2 grow stuff to make alcohol. Is that a good idea?


EDIT: Okay, I just checked my game again, and found one of my dwarves dead at the bottom of the river that she was fishing at with the top half of her body gone. I removed the designation setting that river for fishing and water, and set a large murky pool for fishing and water. Apparently a Sea Lamprey got her. how do I keep sea lampreys out and let safe and edible fish in? Is that even possible?

[Mushroo]

I think that I figured out how to do my above-ground farm.

Any tips on what I should grow? I am thinking that I am going to make 3 lots of equal size, and have 1 of them grow quarry bushes, and the other 2 grow stuff to make alcohol. Is that a good idea?

You can't grow underground crops like quarry bushes above ground (and vice-versa).

Gather some above-ground plants and brew them to get seeds (or trade with the elves). Personally I like longland grass (the milled flour is valuable), rope reeds (for fiber), and/or blade weed (dye). But if you need food and/or booze in a hurry, berries are a good choice. Available crops may depend on your location.

Underground crops, quarry bushes are an excellent choice, though somewhat labor intensive. When processed to bags at a farmer's workshop, they yield a valuable leaf that can be cooked into high-value meals. And of course, you can never go wrong with plump helmets; they grow quickly and can be used for either food or booze. Unlike other underground crops, plump helmets can be eaten straight from the ground with no labor.

All of this is detailed in the wiki: http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/Crops

[Sting_Auer]

I think that I figured out how to do my above-ground farm.

Any tips on what I should grow? I am thinking that I am going to make 3 lots of equal size, and have 1 of them grow quarry bushes, and the other 2 grow stuff to make alcohol. Is that a good idea?

You can't grow underground crops like quarry bushes above ground (and vice-versa).

Gather some above-ground plants and brew them to get seeds (or trade with the elves). Personally I like longland grass (the milled flour is valuable), rope reeds (for fiber), and/or blade weed (dye). But if you need food and/or booze in a hurry, berries are a good choice. Available crops may depend on your location.

Underground crops, quarry bushes are an excellent choice, though somewhat labor intensive. When processed to bags at a farmer's workshop, they yield a valuable leaf that can be cooked into high-value meals. And of course, you can never go wrong with plump helmets; they grow quickly and can be used for either food or booze. Unlike other underground crops, plump helmets can be eaten straight from the ground with no labor.

All of this is detailed in the wiki: http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/Crops

I must have misread the wiki about Quarry bushes. I thought they were above ground. Oh well, It's easy enough to make underground farms.

[Sting_Auer]

Ever since the one dwarf died, most of my dwarves are upset. They aren't throwing tantrums, but they have red arrows. What is the easiest way to cheer them up? Should I just put decorations around?


If I retrieve the body and do a proper burial will the people be more happy?

[wuphonsreach]

Since you probably can't retrieve the body:

- Make a slab (alt-S at a mason shop)
- Take the slab to a craft workshop and have an engraver engrave it
- Build the now engraved slab somewhere

Coffins are easier (place them, "q-b" them to turn them on, then they get automatically used) but require that you're able to retrieve the body.

[obeliab]

Friends, spouses, and children of dead dwarves get a bad thought for awhile after someone they love dies.  They get a worse thought if you allow the body of the person to rot without being placed in a coffin.  Both go away, eventually.

There are lots of ways to keep them happy.  Put nice stuff like statues and quality doors up around your forts, give them each their own rooms with some high-value items in them, have a roomy and decorated dining hall/meeting area, brew and cook them nice drinks and meals, have soap so they can bathe, or even have a waterfall or mist-generator in some high-traffic area.