For anyone wanting to get into this game, realise that version 31.19 to 25 are very incomplete, and as thus I'd reccomend you at least get your feet wet in 31.18 before moving on to the newer versions.
When I say it's incomplete, I'm mostly talking about bugs that were added, as well as unfinished changes. Some of the problems here are - lack of mineral variance: finidng minerals is no problem, but you'll likely be stuck with one or two types. If this is lead and nickel, you're pretty screwed. - lack of coal: in this version, coal is classified as a mineral for world generation, which means due to the point above, finding coal is very unlikely, finding coal and iron even less so, and coal, iron and flux stone pretty much just an utopian dream - intersecting biomes being wonky: stone layers in embark spots where biomes cross tend to only have stone layers from one of the biomes, rather than from all (as in 31.18)
These three generally makes finding decent fort spots a nightmare, especially with the change in the world screen from 31.19, where seeing stone layers is a lot more generalised and as thus less informative.
Of course, the newest version holds the newest features such as beekeeping, mead brewing and pottery, so it's up to your priorities I suppose.
The re-animating stuff sounds sweet. Not enough to draw me back quite yet, but getting close. Really I'm trying to hold out until there's so much new stuff the game feels completely fresh (and it's getting there).
Also on a side note, I really still enjoy the 2d DF game still and it can be worth a download and play. I kinda wish it was open sourced or somehow still in development because it's an interesting different challenge to the 3d DF we have now. You really have to be much more deliberate and planned in your design and there's a lot higher potential for FUN STUFF to happen. Well with the underground upgrade maybe that's not as true anymore, but the 3d DF before was pretty easy to manage provided you were willing to pause frequently.
And about aquifers... are they more plentiful now? I remember before it was fairly easy to find a map with a good mineral distribution and no aquifers, but last time I loaded DF it seemed like my choices were either aquifer + sand and/or flux or no flux, no sand, no aquifer.
On May 13 2011 05:14 Gooseheaded wrote: I've always found myself compelled to play this game, but the learning curve is so damn steep.
I've tried one and again, and then again and afterwards and again. I've not reached a point where I could say, "I'm proud of my fortress."
But I just can't give up, it looks like it's got so much potential. *sighs* So addicting.
How long did it take YOU guys to learn how to play the game 'properly' ?
I think I had 3 failed starts where I learned a bit then got distracted and gave up. After that I finally started to get it and made 3-4 forts of poor quality and limited success. Past that it was all good though.
After a certain point you kinda know enough where you can just use the wiki to learn what you don't know easily. Like you may not know how to make clothing from scratch, but if you understand stockpiles, workshops, farming, job assignment and how to order items to be created then it's easy enough to read the wiki and find out the process.
On May 15 2011 04:44 ArcticVanguard wrote: I fail my first winter every time :I The learning curve is amazing in this game. It's fun, just really hard.
I feel your pain. Took me three forts before I figured out how to brew properly.
On May 15 2011 04:44 ArcticVanguard wrote: I fail my first winter every time :I The learning curve is amazing in this game. It's fun, just really hard.
I feel your pain. Took me three forts before I figured out how to brew properly.
I am during my first Winter. Blue down arrow means they're thirsty? If so,I am totally dead. DF wasn't so cool when I was looking at it at first,but then I installed it and man,it is AMAZING,I love how this game works and accept how hard it is.
On May 15 2011 04:44 ArcticVanguard wrote: I fail my first winter every time :I The learning curve is amazing in this game. It's fun, just really hard.
I feel your pain. Took me three forts before I figured out how to brew properly.
I am during my first Winter. Blue down arrow means they're thirsty? If so,I am totally dead. DF wasn't so cool when I was looking at it at first,but then I installed it and man,it is AMAZING,I love how this game works and accept how hard it is.
Yea, blue down arrow is thirst. If you've only arrived with the 60 embarked drinks and not made any new, around midwinter when the water freezes will be when your stumpy little pals start dying off.
If you've already got a lot of blue arrows, chances are it's too late for you to save your guys. What you can do though, is to give a lot of them plant gathering, use d > p to mark a lot of shrubs on the top world to gather, and try brewing them in a still. Might let you hold out untill the water thaws at least, which will also let you set up an underground farm which I'm assuming you haven't already done.
Well basically, you need to get water on cave floor to make a layer of dirt. To do that, I generally make two idential rooms, 5x5 size, one on top of the other. Once both rooms are mined out, channel (d > h) through the 3x3 center tiles in the top room, so that there's a hole through the floor in the top room, but still a walkable path around the hole.
Then, use 'i' to create a zone in the now-channelled hole in the top floor. With the zone created, click 'p' to assign it to "pit/pond", then capital 'P' to enter the "pit/pond" submenu. Here, click 'f', which assigns the pit you've just made to be filled with water.
What your dwarves now will do, is grab a bucket and toss water from a nearby water source (river, lake, whatever's available) down the hole from the walkways in the top floor, down into the bottom floor. When water hits a stone tile, it will leave water as well as a layer of dirt. Once a nice enough area of the bottom floor is covered either with water or just dirt from evaporated water tiles (use 'k' to see what a tile consists out of), go up to the top floor again, click 'i' to go to the zone selection screen and remove the pit zone, so that the dwarves stop tossing water down.
Now that you've got underground dirt, you need to build farming zones. To do this, click b > p, and build the dirt tiles. After you've clicked b > p but before you've selected what tile to build, you can use 'u' and 'h' to enlarge the building zone (and 'k' and 'm' to shrink, if you want that) - what this does is that the entire field will act as one zone, meaning the entire area will follow the same planting order.
Once a planter has prepared the tiles, you can assign what type of plant you can grow. Plump Helmet is the all-round plant you want to start with, as it can be eaten raw, be cooked and also be brewed into dwarven wine. I usually assign at least 5 tiles to grow nothing but Plump Helmets all four seasons.
Oh, by the way - you need a dwarf with Plant Growing task assigned. It should be under the Farming menu in the task preference screen.
So, as a summary:
1. Carve two identical 5x5 rooms, one above the other. 2. Channel 3x3 through the center of the top room. 3. Assign a pit zone with 'i', 'p' > 'P' > 'f' 4. Remove pit zone designation when enough of the bottom floor is covered in dirt 5. Use b > p to assign farm area 6. Assign plant growth for a. spring, b. summer, c. autumn and d. winter in each farming tile.
On May 15 2011 04:44 ArcticVanguard wrote: I fail my first winter every time :I The learning curve is amazing in this game. It's fun, just really hard.
I feel your pain. Took me three forts before I figured out how to brew properly.
I am during my first Winter. Blue down arrow means they're thirsty? If so,I am totally dead. DF wasn't so cool when I was looking at it at first,but then I installed it and man,it is AMAZING,I love how this game works and accept how hard it is.
Pro tip: only water exposed to outside will freeze.
Make an underground well/reservoir and redirect water from a nearby river.
On May 15 2011 04:44 ArcticVanguard wrote: I fail my first winter every time :I The learning curve is amazing in this game. It's fun, just really hard.
I feel your pain. Took me three forts before I figured out how to brew properly.
I am during my first Winter. Blue down arrow means they're thirsty? If so,I am totally dead. DF wasn't so cool when I was looking at it at first,but then I installed it and man,it is AMAZING,I love how this game works and accept how hard it is.
Pro tip: only water exposed to outside will freeze.
Make an underground well/reservoir and redirect water from a nearby river.
If you've seen Captnduck's video tutorials, you'd know he's awesome at this game (and has a soothing voice). He's done a VERY thorough video tutorial covering the basics for the 2011 version of DF. It is 2.5 hours long, so check it out if you've got the time and eagerness to learn. His old videos aren't bad to watch either.
EPT
