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[Skelodwarf]

So I'm an on and off DF player, and I've recently decided to become On again. This of course, leads me to the problem of frequently having no idea what's happened since I last played. Such as earthenware. And Honey. And Honey Badgers. And all those good things.

So, since I have a teensy case of being pissed off by imperfections, I usually like to embark on entirely flat sand deserts, made entirely of sand.

Do these no longer exist? I've embarked about 5 or 6 times in areas that would usually just be pure sand on the surface, but now they're all mottled with pebble plants, and succulents. Also, in areas that say they're Plant and Tree free, there are most certainly still plants and trees.

Am I doing something wrong? Am I just unlucky? Any tips to point me in the right direction?

Meanwhile, genning some new worlds, and trying again.

Edit: Found an embark without any plant life, no grasses or such. Still has pebbles. Continuing search for pure sand.
Edit2: I lied, discontinuing search. Going rock climbing. Be back in 3 hours or so

[elf-fondling human]

I actually haven't touched DF in a month, but nothing's actually changed so... let's see if I can remember. I'm pretty sure they exist, but you'll have to search a bit as they're not obnoxiously common.

[thegoatgod_pan]

There are different kinds of deserts you know...try a desert in undead lands.  The annoying shrubs should be dead there.

[Minnakht]

If you used cows and the like before, you're going to thank everything the pebble plants and succulents are there now.

Cows and the like are grazers now - they need to eat grass. Thus, even a sand desert has grass now - or else you wouldn't have a chance of having your veal be born, as the beef would starve long before that.

[Skelodwarf]

Yeah... but... RARGH

Blemish free land is better than cows! Quick! To the raws, how do I get rid of these bastards?

Edit: I mean, if this game is so awesome for it's realism, sure, great, make cows need to Eat. But don't make it so Deserts have plenty of grasses for the cows to nom on. That's why they're Deserts. Y'know, because NOTHING grows there.

I just want my clean slate of sand.

Edit 2: Wait, cows COULD hypothetically graze on underground grasses, right?
Y'know, if I wanted my cows?

[Wirevix]

Yup.  Grazers can eat underground grasses too.  And to edit what grasses are in your world, in the objects folder open up "plant_grasses" text and remove any that appear in biomes you want to be grass-free.  Or you can just remove the biome token, so the grass still exists but doesn't show up in whatever biomes you don't want it to.

[Skelodwarf]

Yeah, I'm pretty familiar with editing the raws. I started out simple, just removing any igneous except for obsidian, (Obsidian mountains? Yes please) But that eventually stopped working. Then I started making lowland fortresses, and modded out aquifers, because I don't like them . So now the only thing that grows in deserts are Saguaros. But that's okay because trees don't bother me.

Edit: Did I say the only thing growing in deserts were saguaros? Hah, that was a lie. Now nondenominational "Grass" is growing in my desert. As well as... Bubble bulbs?

[Wirevix]

It's haunting you.  Judging.  Always watching.

[Skelodwarf]

Okay, so I've figured it out, as long as there is some form of vegitation, there will also be grass. Everywhere. Which is kind of strange, but okay, I just don't have any vegetation.

FFFFUUUU, pebbles. NOW I remember why I spent the first 10 years of my last fortress channeling. Although, building and removing roads does the same thing, right? Gets rid of the pebbles?

Edit: When the hell did Boulders appear?!?

[Wannazzaki]

OP, You Are Doing It Wrong.

That is all

[Skelodwarf]

Who's to say my way of life is any worse than yours?

This is all I want in life.

[Dalkar]

There appears to be rocks/grass/trees in the background, so you already have what you want

[Loud Whispers]

Try scorching deserts with no plant life and trees, bonus points if they're in a savage/terrifying biome intersection. I seem to be able to find them easily enough, and ones without pebbles at all

Mainly yellow and black sand deserts, try those.
And yes, above ground forts in deserts are bouse. I had a desert where it was so hot it actually started damaging any exposed Dwarves :O

[Skelodwarf]

There appears to be rocks/grass/trees in the background, so you already have what you want

Oh, I'm sorry, did I photoshop the dwarves into the background, NO. I PHOTOSHOPPED THEM INTO THE NICE SANDY FOREGROUND.

Embarking on a mountain side. Grass Everywhere.
Also skeletal Mountain goats.

Guess I finally learn how to play this game properly.

[NonconsensualSurgery]

Odd. I embarked on a flat, treeless waste just yesterday that claimed to have "sparse trees."

Tundras may be desolate enough to suit your tastes and are easy to find.