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[Callista]

I'm a new-ish DF player. Two months of practice under my belt. I can start a fortress in a friendly environment, get it up and running, and generally keep it sustainable. However, I'm given to understand that this is the equivalent of knowing how all the chess pieces move. And I want a challenge.

I've been browsing through the challenge recommendations on the wiki. Some of them are overly complex, some seem impossible, others childishly easy.

Since I only have so much time to waste playing DF (on pain of having to deal with disappointed professors who think I am wonderful because I actually study), I'm asking for recommendations.

What challenges have you tried? How did you like them? I'm looking for a moderately challenging sort of thing, with not too many rules, and lots of ways to solve the challenge.

[Broseph Stalin]

I find above ground forts are a decent challenge that don't leave you feeling too constrained.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=97176.0
My challenge adds a certain suicidal quality to the above ground scene.

[Loud Whispers]

Erm...

Really?



How do you currently play?

[Callista]

Erm...

Really?



How do you currently play?

Well--I'm used to roguelikes, and that means that every single action counts or it's game-over. I tend to micromanage obsessively, watch everything very closely. My current play-style is very, very cautious and conservative.

[Loud Whispers]

Well--I'm used to roguelikes, and that means that every single action counts or it's game-over. I tend to micromanage obsessively, watch everything very closely. My current play-style is very, very cautious and conservative.

Ok, the all or nothing attitude will kill you quickly, and the caution and conservatism will stop you attaining ‼FUN‼HOOD

Otherwise, hooman fortress. No digging beyond massive holes in the ground (seriously all Dorf Fortresses should have them).
Only build above ground.

Ta da!

[NecroRebel]

Architectural challenges are good for learning how to do stuff that you might otherwise not learn. Human-style fortresses, built entirely above ground from constructions, are an example of this, and the skills necessary to make one are useful underground, too, especially in the caverns. Making large structures cast from obsidian on the surface is even better; it requires a number of skills, including fluid management, pump stacks, and constructing.

Your parameters are unfortunately very, very open-ended here, so unless you can narrow down what sort of challenge you want further, it's difficult for us to suggest anything.

[Vharuck]

I'd say the best challenge for you would be thus: no sealing off entrances (enemies must always be able to path to your base), and no cage traps.  Extra difficulty for keeping openings into the caverns.  Now survive for years.

[Loud Whispers]

I'd say the best challenge for you would be thus: no sealing off entrances (enemies must always be able to path to your base), and no cage traps.  Extra difficulty for keeping openings into the caverns.  Now survive for years.

With the corridor going to your fort being at least 5 tiles wide.

EXCESSIVE GRANDEUR

[Clockwise Onions]

Mine all the candy in your area!  That should be challenging.

[Elf Lover]

1. Raise the magma sea to ground level, and cage it inside a giant box, with he bottom layer of said box made of magma-safe floodgates, linked to a lever.

2. Place a noble inside a box with said lever, with no food or alcohol, so he will eventually go insane.

3. Wait for the randomised moment when the insane noble finally pulls the lever.

4.

5. PROFIT!

[rephikul]

You can try a no trap challenge, which'd teach you the intricate enemy manipulation techniques. When your army is mature, see if you can survive HFS.

[MagmaSolutionsInc]

Convince Toady to rewrite the code base for multithreading 

I kid, I kid. Why not simply move up in the savagery / evilness stakes? The more hostile the environ, the more challenging. Add cold/freezing biomes to the mix for extra fun ... :-)

Sadly, DF does not have an "Enter an ass kicking contest with a porcupine", although I suppose arena mode could kind of count in this respect.

[krisslanza]

I personally do aboveground settlements, but try to "realistically" develop it.

That is to say, I make something like an inn for "dorms", and it might have the "tavern" on the ground floor with a cellar. Or I build individual houses sometimes. I also try to not build a wall around this settlement to start, going off some playing of Medieval Total War, the walls come later - once the settlement is more established. However, this can depend on the biome - in an evil, dangerous one, I'd rate the wall as more important.

Also I try to not build a "impenetrable" defense. So I'll make the wall, for example, but maybe no drawbridge and instead an open gate that I keep something by to watch.

Really, though it's up to you. It's pretty easy to make the game kind of 'boring' if you play too cautiously or safe. It's far more fun (in my opinion) if you don't play this way, after all where's the !!FUN!! if you try to prevent it happening?

[Mitchewawa]

Why has no one mentioned Fortress Defence? That will wreck your shit first playthrough.

[Splint]

I second the upped savagery/evil one for a slow climb up the crazy ladder. Giant badgers are cruel saddistic balls of fur and hate. Did anyone know they could paint a wall with a single dwarven baby?.... You know what, I made the Giant badgers sound like sane DF players.

Also: Guinea pig/cavy strangling moose people.