Excerpts from the charred remains of the journal of ‘Cawdor’ Ibruknomal Rirsirnol Berik. The fortress as inherited. 1st Granite No sooner that an hour after taking command of the fortress, one of the civilians, Edem Gerigmelbil (a woodcutter) started muttering about bones, cloth, thread, shells, all kinds of materials, most of which we just don’t have. I wouldn’t have cared – woodcutting is not a high priority since we’re under siege – but she has a baby with her, and I’d surely not hear the end of it if harm came to it. I’ll survey the stocks, see if we can do something before the woman goes nutso.
3rd Granite It’s time to get things done. Unlike my predecessor, I can’t actually sleep at night while goblins lay camped outside. So, taking my battleaxe in hand, I intend to see the leader of the goblin menace dead, preferably chopped into cubes for the easy consumption by the war hounds.
Let battle commence! …and it’s over.
It all happened in an instant. The gobbo leader charged foolishly into the fray, where half a dozen armed dwarves waited, eager to spill blood and end this damnable siege.
With his first stroke, the evil leader (no, not me) batted Rakust against the far wall, killing him instantly. Swinging his mace in another furious arc, he destroys Mistem Melbilmezum with ease. But these were his last acts, as the remaining dwarves dogpile him and brutally take him apart.
This was enough to cause his followers to turn tail and run. Our boys gave chase, but the green-skinned cowards are just too fast.
And with the siege lifted, life is beginning to return to normal.
17th Granite
Our elven allies have arrived. By way of welcome to our home, the goblin ruler’s corpse has been propped up to a sitting position with its arm raised as if it was waving, greeting the dignified merchants as they cross the drawbridge.
Their arrival is good timing, considering the siege has only just passed. We seem to have a bunch of goblin-sized armours lying about, which will make perfect trade fodder.
Insert “Got wood†joke here. OK, this is just taking the piss. This is the THIRD PAGE of cheap wood. Why? A pine spear? Cedar long swords? Apparently, splinter-based injury is why elves win wars.
We offer a few small chainmails for the literal tons of wood and wood-based items, plus some foodstuffs. The elves receive a handsome profit, something like 30%, and we conclude our business.
24th Granite
Oh no. I now realize why the possessed woman can’t get started on her project: no shells to be found anywhere, and little chance of getting any soon. Fuck. Time to lock the doors...
26th Granite
Immigrants have arrived. At the head of their column, the DUNGEON MASTER! Wearing cloak, hood, mittens and nothing else (makes chainmail bikinis seem downright modest,) she brings with her skills in animal handling and smelting. Terriffic.
The DM and her spiky hat of DOOM.
For a while it seemed like the immigrant influx would be limited to the DM and a couple of others, instead it turned into a dwarven tide.
Building a Soylent Green workshop is looking mighty tempting right now. 12th Slate Halle-fucking-lujah! We’ve struck magma!
…and it’s about time too. Now the industrialization of the fortress can commence in earnest. Not that there’s much worth smelting at this point, but at least now fuel is not an issue.
10th Felsite
Well, possessed lady went nuts. Actually, she just got really depressed. I’m not going to let her out of the workshop room, though, because she’s got a baby, and depressed dwarves tend to jump into the river, and babies don’t float, at least they didn’t the last time I threw one into a river.
10th Felsite
Reports have come in that there may be creatures living in the lava. I’ve stationed myself and my squad in the empty area at the top of the magma chamber. It’s mightily hot up here, but we can’t have critters destroying our forges and smelters.
20th Felsite
Damn, it’s hot in here. Is that smoke I smell?
This was the final journal entry by ‘Cawdor’ Ibruknomal.
The charred body of the Captain of the Guard was recovered from the newly discovered magma chamber. Incidentally, a small amount of marshmallow residue was found on his face.
The fortress’s official journal is continued by ‘Of’ Amudurvad, Dungeon Master. 21st Felsite
I’m still trying to wash the smell of burned marshmallow out of my clothes. Dragging that dwarf out of the magma chamber was awful. Anyway, I’ve been appointed as acting fortress leader. Whatever. I hope this year goes quickly. Oh, and I’m paranoid, so I’m locking up the fort until we have a proper army. Sorry, people on the outside – I hear bugs and berries are quite tasty. And there’s plenty of water in the river.
26th Hematite "Hey, I got you a drink, sorry I'm late, but... oh."
That crazy lady who was locked into her workshop finally died. The baby is crawling about, apparently able to look after himself. Good for him.
14th Malachite
Some things never change. The starving dwarves outside the fort have come across a thief – thieves have been stealing battlefield detritus for months now – hopefully they’ll get to smash a kobold.
25th Malachite Yellow Spessartine! Yes!
27th Malachite
Well, they’re back. And still no army. Better shut the gates again. It’s no fun not being able to fight back, or at least lead the horde into a devilish playground of trap-filled death. I blame my predecessors and their lack of foresight. 26th Galena Bonkers!
One of our wounded soldiers has finally flipped his lid. Kept bed-ridden for too long, now he’s crawling around, babbling something about “The horror, the horror!†Poor bastard, you put your life on the line, get wounded in close combat, and don’t even get any psychological help. For some reason, I want to rename the barracks the Walter Reed Medical Center. Don’t know why, though.
And it just gets better and better
Now, the mayor has got it into his head that he can create a masterpiece. Awesome, just awesome.
She’s claimed a clothier’s shop, and is collecting many bolts of cloth…
6th Limestone
Another of the wounded soldiers has gone mad. Bugger.
14th Limestone
Dwarven traders have arrived. I’ve lowered the drawbridge, hope the enemy camped outside doesn’t take this as an opportunity to attack.
Huh. I’ll be damned. For some reason, the goblins are withdrawing. Whether the presence of the merchants has driven them off, or a merchant guard has killed some of them, but for whatever reason, they’re leaving. Good riddance.
16th Limestone The mayor finally delivers. Interesting item, not sure I’d want to wear it. 19th Limestone Oh good, more wood.
After a furious round of negotiations, we end up with a veritable forest worth of wood, and also some meat, seeds, plants, animals and trinkets, all in exchange for some of the clothing and armour captured from dead goblins.
3rd Moonstone
Finally, my masterpiece is complete! Sure, it’s almost useless at the moment, but this sky bridge will one day connect the two peaks that make up our home.
8th Moonstone
The weaver’s possessed! Perhaps we’ll get some artifact trousers to go with the artifact shirt.
He created a coat. Whoop.
More importantly, two separate ambushes have occurred. While one group of goblins dashed for the entrance (only to be captured by my series of cunningly-placed cage traps), another group, led by a human mercenary axe lord, has attacked our flank, killing a blacksmith. I’ll order all dwarves indoors once again, and then raise the drawbridge. And now that the lever controlling the drawbridge has been moved indoors, we can now shut up shop without fear of civilians being too scared to pull the lever during a crisis.
Phew, we had a close call there. The last remaining member of the first wave of goblins was still wandering around and scaring children, so I sent out the fortress guard – only two of which were still awake. They charged out, confronted the polearm-wielding monster and killed it. Unfortunately, one of the soldiers was injured, which slowed his rate of movement. All the while, the other group, led by the human, was closing on the entrance. The poor injured soldier hobbled along, barely conscious, but racing to cross the drawbridge before I had to close it – there was no way we could take on the other team with only one fit soldier. Despite the pain, the dwarf crossed just as the drawbridge rose. Were he a second or two slower, the bridge would have catapulted him across the courtyard, likely killing him.
20th Moonstone
Hah, the goblins not captured in my cage traps are now running for their lives! With any luck, invasion season is over for this year.
Run, ya green slimy bastards! Hahahaha! And then there were none. Thanks for playing. 2nd Obsidian
It’s quiet. Too quiet. Something must be going wrong, because no one has died in weeks. I don’t like it.
1st Granite, 1059
That’s it. I survived. I’m out of here. To whoever follows me… good luck, keep your head down.
I'm still kicking back pina coladas until Monday. Hopefully I can avoid the royal messangers so I don't have to report to duty early. It sounds like I'm going to need all the rest I can get now...
All I can say is, prepare for the Dwarvish Inquesition!!
I found the magma by finishing the mineral probe corridors you laid out. One of them just happened to have warm stone at the end. Lucky.
The captured goblins haven't moved. They are waiting patiently for Andrew to torture and kill them at his earliest convenience.
Ah! I see now yes, the magma was below that square, nice indeed. So actually I've found magma. (j/k)
And what were your ideas by connecting the two hills? The flooring of the second story of the wall and the path that runs behind Deyd's house? Flank path? Or to be filled with cagetraps and be opened during a siege?
All I can say is, prepare for the Dwarvish Inquesition!!
Ah! I see now yes, the magma was below that square, nice indeed. So actually I've found magma. (j/k)
Well, if you'd actually followed through with your idea, I'd have given you the credit. :P
And what were your ideas by connecting the two hills?
Seemed like a visionary kind of thing to do. That, and I like bridges in the sky.
The flooring of the second story of the wall and the path that runs behind Deyd's house? Flank path? Or to be filled with cagetraps and be opened during a siege?
It had more to do with making the ground underneath become classified as Inside, so that dwarves could move around in that area while I ordered them to not go outside. Also, during sieges, the entrance can be fired upon from the cliffs to the south, so I needed to cover it and make it safe for civvies.
As for that path, it was a last-minute idea. I thought it could be used for a few things - have fortifications at the end of it so marksmendwarves can fire on an attacking enemies, have floodgates/levers that can open up to draw the enemy toward it and away from the main gate, and have a multitude of traps all along the corridor to cut them to shreds. But it's entirely up to the next players to decide how to approach it.
Well, if you'd actually followed through with your idea, I'd have given you the credit. :P
Ah I see, it was one of the probes behind the stairwell.
As for the bridge, should it perhaps get a ceiling to keep flying critters out? Great work though, looks neat.
Lol at the Demarcation and Tyrannicide year names.
EDIT: Also, it might be easier to use the year numbers as safe names instead of 'yearx'. I had named the zipfile Nine-1057.zip for I had forgotten what number I was. Though it doesn't seem to be up on Scott's hosting, or renamed to something unexpected.
In my own private game: Had my first goblin snatcher. Walked strait into one of the cage traps I have set up on the surface. I have also found out, from the wiki, that a you need to be constantly increasing your fornications as once the goblins attack, they will keep doing so with greater and greater numbers.
In my own private game: Had my first goblin snatcher. Walked strait into one of the cage traps I have set up on the surface. I have also found out, from the wiki, that a you need to be constantly increasing your fornications as once the goblins attack, they will keep doing so with greater and greater numbers.
They will indeed. Larger attacks and more attacks. In other words, we need to get magma-proof stone and metal and make a few magma pumping screw pumps. Goblins walking on a retracting bridge above magma anyone?
for·ni·ca·tion /ˌfɔrnɪˈkeɪʃən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fawr-ni-key-shuhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun 1. voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other. I think you meant "Fortifications".
I have also found out, from the wiki, that a you need to be constantly increasing your fornications as once the goblins attack, they will keep doing so with greater and greater numbers.
1. voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other. I think you meant "Fortifications".
Well of course, you need a bigger army as time goes on. Fornications could also refer to the engraved walls and, as you may have guessed, I meant fortifications. My mind was on.. something else.
I want to try making a hall full of spike traps all hooked up to the same lever and it set to repeat pull. Should kill just about anything on a budget.
Magma shall flow with the full force of Odin's anger! My rule shall be marked by a treacherous theocratic regime which will increase our military might one hundred fold! Soon all the land will fear the religious ferocity of the dwarves as the mighty thunder of Thor will drive their dwarvish plauge across the land.
As Scott doesn't seem to be interested in hosting our saves any more, I've uploaded the save file to Rapidshite.
I want to try making a hall full of spike traps all hooked up to the same lever and it set to repeat pull. Should kill just about anything on a budget.
Very cheap, bordering on an exploit. Real dwarves create an elaborate set of cage, weapon and pit spike traps, with bonus points for weapon traps that include giant rotating screws.
Magma shall flow with the full force of Odin's anger! My rule shall be marked by a treacherous theocratic regime which will increase our military might one hundred fold! Soon all the land will fear the religious ferocity of the dwarves as the mighty thunder of Thor will drive their dwarvish plauge across the land.
And about time, too. I voted Blissful Secularist in the last election, and where did that get us? Up to our necks in green-skinned monsters, that's where.
As I said a few posts ago: I am still a newby at this game but I thought I'd help with some spare ftp space. address and username: ftp://dwarf_fortress@ftp.omgmag.net password: mrperiodisanecessaryevil Just copy that into the explorer address bar of windows explorer, nautilus, etc.. Make a new folder with the syntax yyyymmdd - username and put your files in there. Don't delete old ones, it will be nice to see how things develop over time. Screen shots of interesting things also good. If you want to link to something you can find them here: http://omgmag.net/dwarf_fortress/
I think Thane used the default 6x6. I too personally prefer something smaller, 4x4 or 5x5, but it doesn't matter much.
I think that's right, 6x6. I guess we're eventually going to come to a point in the game where there are too many dorfs and the majority of players can't run the game at a reasonable speed. At that point, I say we erect the soylent workshop. Or have a meeting on top of a very precarious cliff. Or a magma party.
The only real issue with size is trying to get all the required geographical features (river, magma, etc..) in a small zone. My current area is ok except I can't find any aquifers or magma.
The only real issue with size is trying to get all the required geographical features (river, magma, etc..) in a small zone. My current area is ok except I can't find any aquifers or magma.
Not every location has an aquifer or magma. You can see if there are aquifers in the area you selected by going through the biomes during the location pick screen. It even warns you for them. Also, THEY SUCK! And there's a bug with them I guess if you have aquifers in different biomes at different heights.
Thane, how can I put a map on that map archive thing?
Comments
The fortress as inherited.
1st Granite
No sooner that an hour after taking command of the fortress, one of the civilians, Edem Gerigmelbil (a woodcutter) started muttering about bones, cloth, thread, shells, all kinds of materials, most of which we just don’t have. I wouldn’t have cared – woodcutting is not a high priority since we’re under siege – but she has a baby with her, and I’d surely not hear the end of it if harm came to it. I’ll survey the stocks, see if we can do something before the woman goes nutso.
3rd Granite
It’s time to get things done. Unlike my predecessor, I can’t actually sleep at night while goblins lay camped outside. So, taking my battleaxe in hand, I intend to see the leader of the goblin menace dead, preferably chopped into cubes for the easy consumption by the war hounds.
Let battle commence!
…and it’s over.
It all happened in an instant. The gobbo leader charged foolishly into the fray, where half a dozen armed dwarves waited, eager to spill blood and end this damnable siege.
With his first stroke, the evil leader (no, not me) batted Rakust against the far wall, killing him instantly. Swinging his mace in another furious arc, he destroys Mistem Melbilmezum with ease. But these were his last acts, as the remaining dwarves dogpile him and brutally take him apart.
This was enough to cause his followers to turn tail and run. Our boys gave chase, but the green-skinned cowards are just too fast.
And with the siege lifted, life is beginning to return to normal.
17th Granite
Our elven allies have arrived. By way of welcome to our home, the goblin ruler’s corpse has been propped up to a sitting position with its arm raised as if it was waving, greeting the dignified merchants as they cross the drawbridge.
Their arrival is good timing, considering the siege has only just passed. We seem to have a bunch of goblin-sized armours lying about, which will make perfect trade fodder.
Insert “Got wood†joke here.
OK, this is just taking the piss. This is the THIRD PAGE of cheap wood. Why?
A pine spear? Cedar long swords? Apparently, splinter-based injury is why elves win wars.
We offer a few small chainmails for the literal tons of wood and wood-based items, plus some foodstuffs. The elves receive a handsome profit, something like 30%, and we conclude our business.
24th Granite
Oh no. I now realize why the possessed woman can’t get started on her project: no shells to be found anywhere, and little chance of getting any soon. Fuck. Time to lock the doors...
26th Granite
Immigrants have arrived. At the head of their column, the DUNGEON MASTER! Wearing cloak, hood, mittens and nothing else (makes chainmail bikinis seem downright modest,) she brings with her skills in animal handling and smelting. Terriffic.
The DM and her spiky hat of DOOM.
For a while it seemed like the immigrant influx would be limited to the DM and a couple of others, instead it turned into a dwarven tide.
Building a Soylent Green workshop is looking mighty tempting right now.
12th Slate
Halle-fucking-lujah! We’ve struck magma!
…and it’s about time too. Now the industrialization of the fortress can commence in earnest. Not that there’s much worth smelting at this point, but at least now fuel is not an issue.
10th Felsite
Well, possessed lady went nuts. Actually, she just got really depressed. I’m not going to let her out of the workshop room, though, because she’s got a baby, and depressed dwarves tend to jump into the river, and babies don’t float, at least they didn’t the last time I threw one into a river.
10th Felsite
Reports have come in that there may be creatures living in the lava. I’ve stationed myself and my squad in the empty area at the top of the magma chamber. It’s mightily hot up here, but we can’t have critters destroying our forges and smelters.
20th Felsite
Damn, it’s hot in here. Is that smoke I smell?
This was the final journal entry by ‘Cawdor’ Ibruknomal.
The charred body of the Captain of the Guard was recovered from the newly discovered magma chamber. Incidentally, a small amount of marshmallow residue was found on his face.
21st Felsite
I’m still trying to wash the smell of burned marshmallow out of my clothes. Dragging that dwarf out of the magma chamber was awful. Anyway, I’ve been appointed as acting fortress leader. Whatever. I hope this year goes quickly. Oh, and I’m paranoid, so I’m locking up the fort until we have a proper army. Sorry, people on the outside – I hear bugs and berries are quite tasty. And there’s plenty of water in the river.
26th Hematite
"Hey, I got you a drink, sorry I'm late, but... oh."
That crazy lady who was locked into her workshop finally died. The baby is crawling about, apparently able to look after himself. Good for him.
14th Malachite
Some things never change. The starving dwarves outside the fort have come across a thief – thieves have been stealing battlefield detritus for months now – hopefully they’ll get to smash a kobold.
25th Malachite
Yellow Spessartine! Yes!
27th Malachite
Well, they’re back. And still no army. Better shut the gates again. It’s no fun not being able to fight back, or at least lead the horde into a devilish playground of trap-filled death. I blame my predecessors and their lack of foresight.
26th Galena
Bonkers!
One of our wounded soldiers has finally flipped his lid. Kept bed-ridden for too long, now he’s crawling around, babbling something about “The horror, the horror!†Poor bastard, you put your life on the line, get wounded in close combat, and don’t even get any psychological help. For some reason, I want to rename the barracks the Walter Reed Medical Center. Don’t know why, though.
And it just gets better and better
Now, the mayor has got it into his head that he can create a masterpiece. Awesome, just awesome.
She’s claimed a clothier’s shop, and is collecting many bolts of cloth…
6th Limestone
Another of the wounded soldiers has gone mad. Bugger.
14th Limestone
Dwarven traders have arrived. I’ve lowered the drawbridge, hope the enemy camped outside doesn’t take this as an opportunity to attack.
Huh. I’ll be damned. For some reason, the goblins are withdrawing. Whether the presence of the merchants has driven them off, or a merchant guard has killed some of them, but for whatever reason, they’re leaving. Good riddance.
16th Limestone
The mayor finally delivers. Interesting item, not sure I’d want to wear it.
19th Limestone
Oh good, more wood.
After a furious round of negotiations, we end up with a veritable forest worth of wood, and also some meat, seeds, plants, animals and trinkets, all in exchange for some of the clothing and armour captured from dead goblins.
3rd Moonstone
Finally, my masterpiece is complete! Sure, it’s almost useless at the moment, but this sky bridge will one day connect the two peaks that make up our home.
8th Moonstone
The weaver’s possessed! Perhaps we’ll get some artifact trousers to go with the artifact shirt.
He created a coat. Whoop.
More importantly, two separate ambushes have occurred. While one group of goblins dashed for the entrance (only to be captured by my series of cunningly-placed cage traps), another group, led by a human mercenary axe lord, has attacked our flank, killing a blacksmith. I’ll order all dwarves indoors once again, and then raise the drawbridge. And now that the lever controlling the drawbridge has been moved indoors, we can now shut up shop without fear of civilians being too scared to pull the lever during a crisis.
Phew, we had a close call there. The last remaining member of the first wave of goblins was still wandering around and scaring children, so I sent out the fortress guard – only two of which were still awake. They charged out, confronted the polearm-wielding monster and killed it. Unfortunately, one of the soldiers was injured, which slowed his rate of movement. All the while, the other group, led by the human, was closing on the entrance. The poor injured soldier hobbled along, barely conscious, but racing to cross the drawbridge before I had to close it – there was no way we could take on the other team with only one fit soldier. Despite the pain, the dwarf crossed just as the drawbridge rose. Were he a second or two slower, the bridge would have catapulted him across the courtyard, likely killing him.
20th Moonstone
Hah, the goblins not captured in my cage traps are now running for their lives! With any luck, invasion season is over for this year.
Run, ya green slimy bastards! Hahahaha!
And then there were none. Thanks for playing.
2nd Obsidian
It’s quiet. Too quiet. Something must be going wrong, because no one has died in weeks. I don’t like it.
1st Granite, 1059
That’s it. I survived. I’m out of here. To whoever follows me… good luck, keep your head down.
How did you find that magma? And what have you been doing with the captured goblins? Arena fights to train the dwarves? Taming to be pets?
The captured goblins haven't moved. They are waiting patiently for Andrew to torture and kill them at his earliest convenience.
All I can say is, prepare for the Dwarvish Inquesition!!
And what were your ideas by connecting the two hills? The flooring of the second story of the wall and the path that runs behind Deyd's house? Flank path? Or to be filled with cagetraps and be opened during a siege? Oh noes!
As for that path, it was a last-minute idea. I thought it could be used for a few things - have fortifications at the end of it so marksmendwarves can fire on an attacking enemies, have floodgates/levers that can open up to draw the enemy toward it and away from the main gate, and have a multitude of traps all along the corridor to cut them to shreds. But it's entirely up to the next players to decide how to approach it.
As for the bridge, should it perhaps get a ceiling to keep flying critters out? Great work though, looks neat.
Lol at the Demarcation and Tyrannicide year names.
EDIT: Also, it might be easier to use the year numbers as safe names instead of 'yearx'. I had named the zipfile Nine-1057.zip for I had forgotten what number I was. Though it doesn't seem to be up on Scott's hosting, or renamed to something unexpected.
I have also found out, from the wiki, that a you need to be constantly increasing your fornications as once the goblins attack, they will keep doing so with greater and greater numbers.
–noun
1. voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other.
I think you meant "Fortifications".
Fornications could also refer to the engraved walls and, as you may have guessed, I meant fortifications. My mind was on.. something else.
I want to try making a hall full of spike traps all hooked up to the same lever and it set to repeat pull. Should kill just about anything on a budget.
I am still a newby at this game but I thought I'd help with some spare ftp space.
address and username: ftp://dwarf_fortress@ftp.omgmag.net
password: mrperiodisanecessaryevil
Just copy that into the explorer address bar of windows explorer, nautilus, etc..
Make a new folder with the syntax yyyymmdd - username and put your files in there. Don't delete old ones, it will be nice to see how things develop over time. Screen shots of interesting things also good.
If you want to link to something you can find them here: http://omgmag.net/dwarf_fortress/
Year 6
Year 7
Thane, how can I put a map on that map archive thing?