Worksack - 10 Late Spring by Tom

Map Description:

I've lurked this site for a bit, first try at uploading a map. For most of my games, I've more or less followed the standard model given in the quick start guide, and getting tired of it I made a few adjustments on this one, mostly making the workshops round, playing with curves a bit in the design. It's a few years in, most of the basic layout is finished. No sieges yet, but many raids, as you can see by the refuse heap. I have the potential for loads of steel, but after building too much too soon killed my last fortress, I'm taking it easy on this one. Also, my dwarves are so tough that they slaughter perfectly well with iron.

Details in POIS, if I figure out how to put those together.

Point of Interest: The Crypt

I'm the kind of player that takes some pride in having only one casualty so far in three or four years. Meng Abirzas, macedwarf heroically died fighting off our first goblin raid. Another repeatable design, I engrave the stones to mark which coffins are occupied. Seems respectful, ya know? - Tom

There are 14 comments for this map series, last post 2013-11-17

Add a Comment

Comments

Submitted by: Salmeuk - 2013-08-09 to 10 Late Spring

I really like your workshop area, nice and compact while still looking very clean. How many dwarfs do you have right now?

Submitted by: Tom - 2013-08-09 to 10 Late Spring

It's grown a bit since I posted this, I think I'm approaching 200. Don't really know what to do with them all.

Submitted by: Tom - 2013-08-09 to 10 Late Spring

And thanks for the comment, of course. :)

Submitted by: Tharis - 2013-08-27 to 14 Late Summer

If anyone cares, this is now the author's username.

Submitted by: ClsfdKidd - 2013-08-27 to 14 Late Summer

Courtyard: Check.
Bridges inaccessible when raised: Check.
Invader drop chute: Check.
Double wall protection: Check.
Nice bedrooms and epic dinning room: Check.

At this point, I'd say that your greatest threat lies within... [SPOILER] ...or below.

Submitted by: Tharis - 2013-08-27 to 14 Late Summer

Well, at the moment there's a mysterious necrosis going around, mostly killing off dogs and cats, though I think it's caught a couple children and maybe an adult or two. One is mysteriously missing. The last forgotten beast was a doozy, but I think you're right. At this point it would take either gross negligence on my part or, yes, [SPOILER].

Once I either complete or get sick of trying the stupid dwarf trick, I suspect I'll [SPOILER] because it's the thing to do.

I'm also curious about aesthetics. I've done a fair number of fortresses in the past, and they've all come out more or less like this. Wondering how to make things more interesting next time. Hmm...

Submitted by: ClsfdKidd - 2013-08-28 to 14 Late Summer

Check out the entrance to Oldmetal, one of my forts. It has a massive hole in the ground with circular ramps descending down. The fort failed very early, but I've always been proud of the epicness of the entrance.

I've tried lots of circles and square fort designs. Squares are efficient and boring, while I think Circles look amazing on DFMA.

Submitted by: Tharis - 2013-08-29 to 14 Late Summer

Circles are certainly prettier.

Submitted by: ajr_ - 2013-08-31 to 15 Early Winter

The dining arrangement is exceptional...

Submitted by: Tharis - 2013-09-01 to 15 Early Winter

Thank you!

Submitted by: ClsfdKidd - 2013-09-04 to 15 Early Winter

Great security on the grinder/tenderizer! I love so many things about it.

I also like the idea of sending troops out to make sure that no invaders "change their minds" once they've gone down the hole. I've always been a little disappointed whenever crippled or demoralized goblins somehow manage to escape the sieges.

BTW, nowadays drops hurt more when there are spikes at the bottom. It used to be that a 11 z-drop would turn a goblin into a goresplosion, but not so much anymore.

Submitted by: Tharis - 2013-09-04 to 15 Early Winter

It gives my army something to do. Also the macabre aspect of watching a goblin macelord limping up the stairs to the same catwalk, crippled with compound fractures.

I think he took the fall twice before the troops came in to finish the job.

Submitted by: Salmeuk - 2013-11-14 to 21 Early Winter

ahaha that missile is epic. it's cool to see the fort last so long! I'll definitely check out your next one.

As for possible design inspiration, try building a fort specifically created to serve a small populations, around 30-50. It provides more freedom in designing around terrain and environment.

In fact, that's probably the best advice I could give you since it's what currently inspires me the most. Build your forts around the terrain that has been given you - sculpt your fortress to fit the sheer cliffs and winding rivers. Never have a room closer than three tiles to another (your dwarfs need soundproofing, right?). Build columns in large rooms as if you have to (you used to experience cave-ins if you didn't, a feature I hope is brought back). Make your fortress more poetry than industry.

Submitted by: Tharis - 2013-11-17 to 21 Early Winter

I'm glad someone noticed! Ha!

Yeah, and I'm sure this fortress could go on indefinitely, especially if I bothered to figure out how to put together a dwarven checkerboard, but really? It's all been done. I have another fortress that's looking similar (with two failures between, nobody warned me that tantrum spirals take so long to play out.) Current one is a simple walled-in affair on a desert beside a stream.

Poetry, yeah. That's what I need to learn.

Viewer Controls

g

SHIFT + Key doubles keyboard scroll rate.

Problems?

Do you only see a blank space?

Don't have Flash?
You can download the compressed map file: 2013-08/tom-Worksack-region2-10-8729.fdf-map but you will need the .NET version of SL's DF Map Compressor to convert to the .PNG image format.

Login: