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[EveryZig]

So you are running out of cola to make steel?
Just mod the goblins to wear only steel, then you will have plenty of steel 

(For forge operating, I am usually too lazy to complete a pump stack, so I tend to build the entire fort down at the mamga sea level.)

[assimilateur]

Just mod the goblins to wear only steel, then you will have plenty of steel

How do you do that?

[Mickey Blue]

As others have said...

1) Start with more trees

2) Start somewhere that has lignite or biutimus coal

3) Conserve, conserve, conserve (honestly the fact that, depending on where you are, you don't have an infinite forge resource makes using coal over magma much more fun for me, though to each their own).

My problem with magma in DF right now is that it manages to both be frustrating and 'easy mode' at the same time (a rare gift..).  It's often a pain to dig down to and to set up forges for (particularly due to the whole "warm stone warning" when its on a different z-level) and even worse to pump up to the surface.  Then, after you build the forges, they require a long walk (And extra pathing) to get to. 

That said, all the 'difficulty' of it is more of a hassle than actually hard.  Getting to the magma is pathetically easy (if frustrating) and once you do you have infinite fuel for zero difficulty and not a heck of a lot of effort on the part of your dwarves (though a lot of effort in the part of frustration for you sometimes).

By using coal to fuel your forges you not only have more of a challenge but it also means that your various equipment often (depending on your start of course) seems more precious.

[Urist Imiknorris]

Just mod the goblins to wear only steel, then you will have plenty of steel

How do you do that?

Give them the furnace operator labor and access to the steel reaction, then remove all other reactions from their entity raws. You might need to remove mining from them if they have it (I have no idea what jobs goblins can have).

[assimilateur]

Give them the furnace operator labor and access to the steel reaction, then remove all other reactions from their entity raws. You might need to remove mining from them if they have it (I have no idea what jobs goblins can have).

Whether they had furnace operators in their raws was the first thing I checked, but I didn't remember about reactions. The reasoning for your mining suggestion is that without it they will only "magically" create steel and hence forgo usage of other metals, I presume.

[Urist Imiknorris]

Yeah, I think mining lets them use pure metals (copper, iron, silver).

[Iton Ibrukrithzam]

Hello DF forum!

I keep running into a problem with my fortresses, especially if I make a lot of steel: I run out of coal!

I only ever seem to find it in the first 10 or so layers, and that doesn't really last me super-long.  How do you guys deal with this problem? do you cut down a ton of trees for charcoal? do you dig down to magma? if so, what's the best way to do it safely?

Dig to magma, first off.  I'm not sure what you want to know exactly when you ask about digging down safely, what exact problem are you having?  Anyway, magma shops will stretch your coal a long way.  Second, make charcoal.  It's generally worth it, and if you have soil layers you can set up an underground tree farm and not even have to go outside.  Third, request it from the caravan each year, and buy up all they've got.  You can request wood, charcoal, coke, coal and lignite, so they'll bring a good bit if you ask for all of those. 

[nenjin]

My problem with magma in DF right now is that it manages to both be frustrating and 'easy mode' at the same time (a rare gift..).  It's often a pain to dig down to and to set up forges for (particularly due to the whole "warm stone warning" when its on a different z-level) and even worse to pump up to the surface.  Then, after you build the forges, they require a long walk (And extra pathing) to get to.

This is my issue with it. It comes down to play style I guess. I don't like having to race down to magma to set up my smithing industries. There's about 4 dozen other things I need to be doing first, and getting down there means getting through the cavern layers, and all that entails and the sheer logistics of it. Feeding, housing, protecting those guys...you're basically splitting your fortress in two, unless you're planning on making your first gate at z-60 or something.

Meanwhile, the fuel problem actually creates shortage and supply problems which becomes an interesting challenge all its own. It gives you stuff you ACTUALLY need to trade for, forces you to make production decisions about what's important versus what's frivolous crap and blatant hording and fuel requirements support several industries.

It's not that I don't like magma forging, it just feels like a meta-gaming thing the way it's suggested on the forums. To me, it's a late game industry that you set up for when you're planning on delving for trouble, when your fortress is so big you can conceivably support a second population down there, and have plenty of haulers to keep things flowing. The only exception is when you embark near an active hot spot and magma is literally sitting near the surface layer begging to have forge put over it. But that's pretty rare.

So yeah.

1. Forested Regions
2. Start conserving EARLY
3. Use pathing restrictions to maximize regrowth
4. Consider tree farms (not that you really need them with the bounty of wood in the Cavern layer)
5. Set up regular shipments of extra fuel, and wood if necessary
6. Do not use your Smithing industries for profit, because it becomes a bottomless pit of fuel cost
7. Do not use fuel to support other high-needs industries. Making soap or potash for your fields in the end requires fuel, for example. And potash at least isn't necessary, because you can always compensate by having more, less productive fields.

[O11O1]

The only exception is when you embark near an active hot spot and magma is literally sitting near the surface layer begging to have forge put over it. But that's pretty rare.

Personally, in pretty much every world I gen there is at least one volcano i go for with a fort. 'Cept that one time the humans had settled it first.        >:|

Magma forges are fun because you can pump out tons of metal items, and charcoal industry is fun because it takes more work and attention to pull off.

[Murphy]

So you are running out of cola to make steel?

I like typos, they make superb puns. Cola sounds like an elvish drink tho.

[Reudh]

The dwarves have not yet encountered cola and rum though.

[The13thRonin]

Can't you just burn wood?

Necro is apparently still muted.

Excuse me if this is off topic but what is with this? I have seen it everywhere on the forums. Is it some kind of dwarf fortress specific meme? Please someone enlighten an old fool !

[Dsarker]

Necro does the MAGMAAAAAAAAA! meme.

[nenjin]

Personally, in pretty much every world I gen there is at least one volcano i go for with a fort. 'Cept that one time the humans had settled it first.        >:|

Some people use the site finder to end up on hot spots. I generally never look for them.

Can't you just burn wood?

It's not so much of an issue now, but prior to the Cavern layer update, you could deforest an entire map in just a few years. And the logistics of harvesting an entire map can get nightmarish too, when you're sending wood cutters 125 tiles+ away from your fort and they get jumped by an entire squad of ambushers.

Plus wood involves an extra industry versus coal, so it's a little more micro-intensive.

[The13thRonin]

You could always trade for more coal? Trade caravans bring loads of whatever you ask for.

I still don't get what this meme has to do with Necron getting banned? Is it not allowed?