Dwarf Fortress (3): Preparing for Winter
A few clean-up notes before we get started.
New versions of the game are coming out pretty frequently as fixes are made and features are added. Before you install a new version, copy your save game directory to a new location. Then, after you’ve installed the new version, take the copy of the directory you made and paste it over the existing save game directory (underneath the main game directory).
I’m not sure why, but the developer notes that there is occasional save-game corruption (although rare) if you don’t do that. And it goes without saying that with only one save, it’s a good idea to back up that directory regularly anyway.
Also, here are a few notes about menu navigation, because you guy sent in a few questions. The navigation keys are not entirely consistent in all menus, but generally, here’s how they work:
--the space bar exits to the previous menu level (at the main level, space bar pauses or resumes the game).
--the “+” and “-“ keys move up and down selection lists. Cursor keys, in some menus, are used to move up and down selection lists as well.
--the Enter key is used to select items.
Also, when you first start mining, your designated mining area must connect to the outside, or the miners can’t reach the area. They have to be able to dig into the mountain—it’s solid rock.
One more tip: to see what’s in inventory inside a workshop, select “View Items in Buildings” (“t”) from the main command menu, then move the cursor to the workshop.
Okay, moving on to today’s changes.
You can see from the screenshot (which you can click on to enlarge) that the fortress continues to grow. I played until the onset of winter, which I thought was a good time to save the game and take a look at what had changed.
This is going to be a two-part post. Part one (today) is going to look at what’s changed in the fortress in terms of physical layout and the events that have guided my design decisions. Part two (tomorrow) is going to be a “state of the nation” post where I look at how well I prepared for winter, including an examination of supplies as well as a look at the moods of the dwarves as the long winter begins.
Towards the end of your first summer, a trade caravan will arrive. If you’ve made some finished goods (craftsdwarf’s workshop), or have some goods left over from your original supplies, you can move those goods to the trade depot. Press “q” and move the cursor over the trade depot. You should have options to trade (“t”) or move good (“g”). Choose to move goods and you’ll be presented with a list of all goods that can be moved to the trade depot. Select them with the Enter key.
Now these items won’t magically appear in the trade depot. Dwarves will have to move them. Again, the level of detail and thought in this game is light years ahead of just about anything else I’ve ever seen.
When you’re ready to trade (and when the caravan is ready as well—it takes them time to unload their goods), use the “t” option at the trade depot menu. Items from the caravan are on the left, and your items are on the right. You can highlight both what you want to trade for and what you want to trade with.
That notation by the item in the trading screen isn’t value, it’s weight. You’re only going to see value if you have a broker (I believe you can get a broker when you have 30 dwarves, but I’m not sure). So it’s going to be a bit of a guessing game about fair value until you have a broker.
You’ll notice #19 leading from the Trade Depot. That’s a dirt road, and if you follow the road you’ll also see a bridge over the river. Dwarven caravans will arrive regardless, but for everyone else, they need a road at least three squares in width and they need a bridge to cross the river. They’re so particular that the individual stones remaining after you make the road need to be detailed so that they don’t hurt the horses’ feet (which I’ve done—you’ll see them as little “+” marks in the screenshot).
Having a proper road means that more caravans will come to trade with you. Here’s how you build a road: press “b” at the main command menu to get the Building Menu, then choose the road option (“o”). You’ll see a list of available materials (I chose dirt)—select one and press Enter. You’ll see it check-marked. At the bottom of the screen you’ll see a “place” option (“p”). This will give you a green cursor that you can then move to the road’s location.
You can adjust the size of the road section using the “u” and “m” keys (height) as well as the “u” and “k” keys (width). The maximum size for a section of road is 10x10, so you’ll probably need to do this several times. My road is only three squares in height, because I wanted to do the minimum work necessary to attract trade caravans.
When the road is the right size and in the right location, just press Enter to place the section. Note that it’s not a road yet—dwarves still have to come do the work to create it.
There will probably be a few rocks in the road as well, and those need to be detailed. This is a little obtuse, but to do that, choose the Designations menu (“d” from the main command menu), then choose “s” for the Detail Stone option. Move the cursor to the offending rock (or rocks), and select the area in the same way you selected a mining or tree cutting area (which we discussed yesterday).
You’ll also need a bridge for caravans that can’t make it across the river. The method for building a bridge is essentially identical to building a road. Select the bridge option in the Build Menu, choose a material, then place the bridge in the same manner as you’d place a road, even using the same keys to adjust the height and width of the bridge. Dwarves will have to build that, to.
Once the bridge and road are built, and road stones are detailed, you’ll have multiple caravans visiting your fortress each year. Those caravans will take back their impressions to other communities, and dwarves will begin to immigrate to your settlement if impressions are favorable.
Immigration is a double-edged sword. It can bring skilled (and sometimes, highly skilled) labor into your settlement, but it can also overwhelm you. That’s a discussion for another day, though.
Not let’s look at the changes in workshops. Since yesterday, I’ve added a butcher’s workshop (#16), a smelter (#17), and a mechanic’s workshop (#18). Also, I’ve made some changes to the craftsman’s workshop (#9) and adjoining storage area. I created a new storage area for finished goods below the craftsman’s workshops, and divided the adjoining storage area (which had previously been dedicated to finished goods) into an area for gems as well (you can see some gems in the top two rows).
I’m also assuming that you know how to build workshops now. To get to the workshop menu, press “b” at the main command menu, then “w” for a list of workshops.
Here were the rationales behind the workshop additions:
Butcher’s workshop (#16)—I wanted a source of meat besides what the trading caravans had to offer, and as far as I could see, mules serve no real purpose once the wagons have reached the foot of the mountains safely. Also, if I want to add a hunter at some point, I’ll need a way to process those animals as well.
Here’s how you designate an animal you don’t have to trap or hunt (like a mule) for butchering. Press “z” at the main menu to get to the status listing. In the upper left, you’ll see that “animals” is highlighted (if it’s not, highlight it now by using the cursor keys). Press Enter. That gives you a list of all animals in the settlement. Move the highlight down to one of the mules. Then press “b” and you’ll see the animal’s status change.
Return to the main menu and press “q” for to enter the job assignment mode. Move the cursor to the butcher’s workshop and then press “a” to add an activity. Press “b” to add the ‘butcher an animal” task.
If you’ve farmed well (more on that shortly), or your fisherdwarves have done their jobs well, you may have plenty of food already, and if so, this isn’t necessary. But I had very little meat near the end of summer, and the mules can’t reproduce, so their meat seemed to be their primary value.
Also, please note that if someone has adopted an animal as a pet, and you butcher that animal, they’re going to be very upset.
#17 is a smelter. Two dwarves showed up at some point (I didn’t notice for a few days, apparently), and one was a metalsmith who brought an anvil with him. Eventually, I’d like to have a smelter to make all kinds of items using ore, and to do that, I first need a smelter.
I didn’t actually get very far, because the smelter still needs fuel. I haven’t discovered any coke via mining, and while I could burn wood for charcoal, I have a low supply of wood already and want to save it to make beds, buckets, etc. So right now, that smelter isn’t doing anything.
#18 is a Mechanic’s Workshop. With a Mechanic’s Workshop, you can build “rock mechanisms” that can be used to produce levers to control floodgates (and traps).
Why floodgates (#20) and levers? Most importantly, for farming, which we’re going to discuss next. Also, if you’re more clever than I am, you can do things like create moats.
Farming is going to be important to your success in the game. It’s relatively efficient compared to other methods of food gathering, because it’s not as resource intensive. And it’s reliable—to the best of my knowledge, crops don’t fail.
You can also fertilize farmland, another mind-blowing detail in this game, but let’s concentrate on basic farming first (mostly because I haven’t made fertilizer yet!).
And actually, now that I start to write this up, I realize that I really, really suck at farming, and I should wait a couple of days to successfully complete a few seasons of crop-growing before I give you specific procedures, because right now, I probably wouldn’t be much help. All I've done so far is use the very simple "Nile farming" procedure, and while I have floodgates hooked up, I haven't verified that I have a working system yet. So let’s table that for now and I’ll keep working on documentation—hopefully I can discuss it tomorrow or the day after.
Lastly, you can see some changes in the dining hall (#12), where I’ve added tables, chairs, and a second well, and #21 shows the living quarters.
Making tables and chairs is simple. Press “q” at the main menu and move the yellow X to your Mason’s Workshop, then press “a” to add a task. Select “t” (for table) and choose a type of stone to make it from (you’re given a list of all types available). To build a chair, select “throne” (“c“) from the build menu (you could use wood and build a regular chair at the carpenter’s workshop, but you’ve got 20X the stone supply that you have wood).
To place items after they’re built, go to the build menu (“b” from the main command menu), find the item type, and select it. You’ll be given a list of available inventory, and when you select a specific item, the cursor will start flashing. Move it to the desired spot and press Enter. In most cases, a dwarf will need to haul the item from storage.
Man, I love that.
I also added a second well to the dining area.
For the bedrooms (#21), you can create that 3X3 space with the one-square entryway (which will soon be a door) by designating them as mining areas. Each bedroom will need a bed (built at the carpenter’s workshop), and I believe the dwarves will also be happier if you add a bucket (for drinking, and again, built at the carpenter’s workshop). Right now, I only have the beds in place—no buckets yet.
If you have some experience with the game, you’ve noticed that I’ve definitely made some mistakes and could have done things more efficiently. Like I’ve said previously, though, that’s what this game is all about—adaptation and problem solving. So I’m trying to learn from my mistakes as I go.
Tomorrow: a look at the settlement’s level of preparedness for what could be a long, harsh winter. And farming, hopefully.
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