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Author Topic: Making soldiers happy  (Read 3985 times)

PijanySmok

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Making soldiers happy
« on: December 17, 2011, 12:42:12 pm »

So my soldiers always have been unhappy and I don't know why. They had barracks with lots of beds, they had where to train, they had ammunition etc. but they still are unhappy. How can I fix it lol?
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Haedrian

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2011, 12:46:16 pm »

Are they getting their supply of dwarf-fuel booze?

What are they complaining about? Give them a break from time to time and let them go inactive.

Also check that they're allowed to sleep in the barracks.
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PijanySmok

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2011, 12:48:11 pm »

Sorry for double post, don't know how it double posted.
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PijanySmok

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #3 on: December 17, 2011, 12:48:46 pm »

I have loads of dwarf-fuel booze, unless they can't leave barracks and go to the dining room?

I don't know how to check what's wrong lol xD

They can sleep in barracks or in their rooms at will.

And, how can I set them to have breaks at months?
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Haedrian

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2011, 12:50:37 pm »

Pick one of your soldiers, z and enter him to see the thoughts and preferences.

See what they're complaining about.

To make them go inactive modify the schedule in the military screen.
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Sutremaine

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2011, 12:51:43 pm »

They're unhappy probably because of long duty (this won't go away until they're highly skilled, which without live training will take a couple of years), and while it's possible to lighten their training schedule so that the bad thoughts don't accumulate so much it's more efficient to keep them training and boost their good thoughts. Individual bedrooms and plenty of sparring opportunities are enough to keep them content.

To check what they're complaining about, 'v' over a dwarf and then press 'z' and then 'Enter'. That'll take you to the thoughts and preferences screen.
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Honestly at the time, I didn't see what could go wrong with crowding 80 military Dwarves into a small room with a necromancer for the purpose of making bacon.

PijanySmok

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2011, 12:57:56 pm »

Thanks. I feel like a newb because after 3 years of playing I didn't know how to check that stuff about dwarfs xD

A little offtop question
Not all my soldiers are training, whai? I mostly see one or two out of 5(current squad) shooting archery targets
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Haedrian

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2011, 01:04:04 pm »

Check the minimum limit for training (in the scheduling). You can try to raise it but it might mean they don't train at all.

Also check that they are assigned to the barracks or archery range you want them to train in.

Also dwarves do that. so don't worry too much.
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Lemunde

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #8 on: December 17, 2011, 02:22:17 pm »

Thanks. I feel like a newb because after 3 years of playing I didn't know how to check that stuff about dwarfs xD

A little offtop question
Not all my soldiers are training, whai? I mostly see one or two out of 5(current squad) shooting archery targets

If their schedule isn't set to active/train then they'll just pop into the barracks every once in a while and screw around. If you set their schedule to active/train then you'll also want to lower the minimum dwarves amount as by default they're all training all the time which doesn't give them enough time off to eat, drink, sleep, socialize, etc..

One thing I noticed with dwarves training is it isn't very effective if they all suck at combat. They'll spend several years just to get beyond novice skill levels. The best way to train these kinds of dwarves is through actual combat.
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PijanySmok

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #9 on: December 17, 2011, 02:25:53 pm »

Thanks.

Was about to make new topic but instead I'll offtop a bit:

Do all dwarves automaticly change their equipment if there is better one available? For example a dwarf wielding bronze pickaxe will automaticly swap it to steel pickaxe if there is one available? If no, how can I do it?

To be sure I'll ask - if my dwarfs have "no scheduled order" in some month, they will be doing their stuff or still sit in barracks or train?

Also, I still see only one dwarf training and the others sitting in barracks. At least their happiness changed xD

Last question, because wiki didn't anwser me

How do I get rid of flies or stop them from spawning in my meeting hall (on food stores)

I guess caging goblins and letting your soldiers train on them (by releasing them from cages or so) will work way better than letting your soldiers train on archery targets? xD
« Last Edit: December 17, 2011, 02:35:29 pm by PijanySmok »
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glinmaleldur

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #10 on: December 17, 2011, 02:51:42 pm »

Do all dwarves automaticly change their equipment if there is better one available? For example a dwarf wielding bronze pickaxe will automaticly swap it to steel pickaxe if there is one available? If no, how can I do it?

To be sure I'll ask - if my dwarfs have "no scheduled order" in some month, they will be doing their stuff or still sit in barracks or train?

Also, I still see only one dwarf training and the others sitting in barracks. At least their happiness changed xD

Last question, because wiki didn't anwser me

How do I get rid of flies or stop them from spawning in my meeting hall (on food stores)

I guess caging goblins and letting your soldiers train on them (by releasing them from cages or so) will work way better than letting your soldiers train on archery targets? xD

In the (m)ilitary screen, under (e)quip, there is an option to set the (P)riorities for squad equipment. Generally fortress guard, then militia commander's squad, then the other squads in descending order pick their equipment. You can change that - for example, if you guard squad are all marksdwarves because beating criminals with wooden crossbows hurts less, they will pick the best armour, and you don't need your marksdwarves to have all the best steel boots and gauntlets. It seems to me that all dwarves are constantly trying to pick up the best equipment they are allowed, so if you are working on steel stuff for them, the squad with the best priority will pick up the new pieces as they are made, the next member of the squad picking up what they dropped, so on down the list of squads so your last recruit in your last squad is wearing a copper mail shirt, a silk thong and nothing else until goblin christmas comes along. For miners it doesn't matter what their pick is made of, and I have never noticed them switching.

Dwarves with no scheduled order will train sometimes and do their civilian labors sometimes. I remember seeing somewhere that when they are skilled enough dwarves will stop doing civilian labors and just train all the time, but I have nothing to back that up.

If only one dwarf is training, check the (s)chedule screen, (e)dit orders, and use -/+ to adjust the number of squad members training at any one time. Active dwarves will also walk around filling their backpacks, filling waterskins, picking up equipment and sleeping, so you may have to check on each one individually to see what their up to. If you are (v)iewing a dwarf and it says 'Soldier (cannot follow orders)' where it usually says a dwarf's current labor, there is an issue with alerts, schedules, orders or barracks. Often happens with marksdwarf squads if they don't have an armor stand, weapon rack or cabinet designated as a barracks.

No idea how to get rid of flies. I have noticed that having lots of cats tend to reduce the amount of flies I have indoors, so it may be that flies are attracted by vermin. You can't see vermin but they do have an effect which is why risking a catsplosion  is usually a good idea.

Marksdwarves train way faster shooting live targets than archery targets. It can be difficult to manage their ammunition, and if half of the squad is out of ammo and you order them to kill a target, the ammo-less squad members will try to path to the goblins to bash them with the butts of the xbows. You can build a pit with no way out surrounded by fortifications and pit the gobs into it.
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Lemunde

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #11 on: December 17, 2011, 03:01:18 pm »

If you want your marksdwarves to reach very high levels in a short amount of time, here's what you do. First capture a forgotten beast using a retractable bridge over a room with fortifications carved into the wall. Here's an example: http://mkv25.net/dfma/poi-25473-bloodforthebloodgod

Then make a bunch of wooden bolts and station your marksdwarves by the fortifications. If you're lucky the FB will be made out of rock or iron or something equally hard.
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PijanySmok

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #12 on: December 17, 2011, 03:28:43 pm »

If you want your marksdwarves to reach very high levels in a short amount of time, here's what you do. First capture a forgotten beast using a retractable bridge over a room with fortifications carved into the wall. Here's an example: http://mkv25.net/dfma/poi-25473-bloodforthebloodgod

Then make a bunch of wooden bolts and station your marksdwarves by the fortifications. If you're lucky the FB will be made out of rock or iron or something equally hard.

Thanks was a bit of spoiler but when I think I'm ready to explore caverns I will do that.

By the way, I just captured a grizzly bear and tamed it, how can I use it in my army? Can it be assigned to soldiers? xD If I leave it in zone with other animals, will they eat each other? xD
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Lemunde

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #13 on: December 17, 2011, 03:48:48 pm »

If you want your marksdwarves to reach very high levels in a short amount of time, here's what you do. First capture a forgotten beast using a retractable bridge over a room with fortifications carved into the wall. Here's an example: http://mkv25.net/dfma/poi-25473-bloodforthebloodgod

Then make a bunch of wooden bolts and station your marksdwarves by the fortifications. If you're lucky the FB will be made out of rock or iron or something equally hard.

Thanks was a bit of spoiler but when I think I'm ready to explore caverns I will do that.

By the way, I just captured a grizzly bear and tamed it, how can I use it in my army? Can it be assigned to soldiers? xD If I leave it in zone with other animals, will they eat each other? xD

Sorry, didn't realize FBs were spoilers. They tend to show up whether you've explored caverns or not, they just can't get into your fortress if you seal the caverns off.

Grizzly bears can be trained into war bears at the same place you tamed them. After that you can assign them to soldiers. Tamed animals don't eat eachother but they may start fighting if it starts getting crowded. I never had this problem with predatory animals but horses tend to get a bit rowdy. My guess is they're fighting over grass. Currently tamed predatory animals like grizzlies don't require food.
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Ivir_Baggins

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Re: Making soldiers happy
« Reply #14 on: December 17, 2011, 03:54:19 pm »

Why do you want your soldiers to be happy? Better to see them grow so they are unable to be unhappy. Alternatively, make it so their unhappiness overwhelms them and they bring down the fortress in their suffering...
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