Year one survived.
Re-embarked on a new site (actually with a new world, since I couldn't find another good site). No nice writeup this time because I spent my creativity on the last one.
The fortress Rerithakam, "Chaosfortunes" has survived its first year. The food industry is established, though still requires micromanagement, particularly on the quarry bush side, since I haven't made bags yet. Two pack animals (water buffalo again) were quarantined before they could starve and reanimate. They're zombies now, but they're trapped and not dangerous. Maybe we can use them for target practice later.
I've asked the dwarven caravan to bring wood and booze (since booze comes with free barrels). I didn't have enough trading power to get us an anvil yet, but we won't need one for a while.
The save file is well above the 4MB limit for forum attachments. Where should I put it so that it can be picked up?
Operating tips:
-The main entrance is hotkeyed to F1.
-The bottom farm is for Plump Helmets, the middle is for Cave Wheat and Sweet Pods, and the top is for Quarry Bushes.
-The fortress follows a vertical layout: Farms make up the top two layers, then workshops and warehouses. Housing is many floors down to reduce noise. This vertical layout results in the shortest travel times.
-There is an aquifer somewhere on the western portion of the map. Be wary of digging in that direction.
-Leave room for a pump stack to bring magma in from the deeps.
-The massive room at z-level 125 is to be a dining hall.
Necrohazards and their disposal:
-A Necrohazard is anything which is likely to become undead. A standing army is not a viable solution to Necrohazards, as they will simply stand up again after being killed.
-The lever just inside the main entrance controls the drawbridge over the room just south of the trade depot's current location. This drawbridge serves as our Necrohazard Disposal System (NDS). Once the hazardous material is placed in the disposal system, pull the lever once to crush it. Pull the lever again after it has been crushed and inspect the remains. If any of the resulting paste looks like it might reanimate, repeat.
-Corpses are the iconic Necrohazard. If anything dies on site, designate the body for dumping immediately. It will be placed in the NDS for disposal.
-The more common necrohazard is un-adopted animals, whether brought by migrants or born on site.. Pets will be fed by their owners, but an animal with no owner will starve. Assign them to the Pasture activity zone under the NDS and dispose of them appropriately.
Recommended tasks for the near future:
-FOOD: Get some bags so the kitchens can start throwing out quarry bush roast. It's an amazing food source and an even better trade good. Any of the farms can be temporarily repurposed to produce cloth, but since cloth isn't in constant demand, I didn't see a reason to build cloth into the farm complex.
-SECURITY: Move the trade depot a bit farther out. I've laid down designations for a room slightly farther out, and a channel just inside. Build a drawbridge over that channel and pull it up. Except for the trade depot, the fortress should be sealed off to the outside at all times except to let migrants in and to trade.
-SECURITY: Establish a fortress guard. Do NOT do this before completing the above. Currently, our lack of army only chases off thieves rather than killing them. If we kill a thief, it will reanimate as something much worse.
-ECONOMY: Buy an anvil.
-ECONOMY: Construct more workshops. I've built the masons shops and clothier's shops as a model. It is most efficient to have the workshops one z-level off from the warehouse. When building room for furnaces, make sure to carve out a magma chamber as well. We'll get pumps running eventually.
-ECONOMY: Carve out large warehouses for finished goods and furniture.
-ADMINISTRATION: Appoint a bookkeeper
-ADMINISTRATION: Appoint a manager
-QUALITY OF LIFE: Carve out living quarters for our dwarves. I've never cared enough to make individual living arrangements, myself, but our dwarves would be happier if someone did.
-QUALITY OF LIFE: Carve out more areas for the hallcarvers to train Engraving skill on. Once they hit legendary, engrave the walls and floor of the grand dining room, then fill it with tables and chairs. A legendary dining room will offset the inevitable bad thoughts that come with living in such a hellish place.
-!!FUN!!: Continue the exploratory shaft to find the first Cavern layer.