Dwarf Fortress - Succesion Game

[dwarffortresssuccession]

((With a change in my schedule, I’m not sure I can continue on this. At least, not in a reasonable timeframe. My bias is to pass on the torch prematurely, maybe even VERY prematurely. I’ll likely put the zip file on dropbox and put a link here, unless the next person has a bias to how to receive the file. Just let me know over Tumblr somehow.))

[dwarffortresssuccession]

After that, I can scarcely imagine that the rest of the year will be more exciting.

Oh, sure, rub it in. More realistically, though, the rest of the year will be spent managing, waiting, watching the migrants come in, and watching the traders come and go.

WHAT

It’s true, I had the miners dig a path to it, it’s true! The mind boggles, positively boggles! While on the way, one of the miners got so excited she gave birth! This, this, this is madness. I’ve had them begin to dig it out. What else is there to do? I...

I need to lie down.

[dwarffortresssuccession]

Vampire Vs. Social Decency

May it not be said that I shied away from this. Indeed, however this act pans out, may it be said that I took it in my teeth. I believe I know how to get the vampire to the barracks.

The emergency burrow is for civilian safety during sieges, and the courtyard one is the opposite: it will be where to send the people when there’s danger from below.

‘Vampire solitary’ is the room to the right. In theory, if another dwarf must get into the training room, one can force the vampire to report to solitary.

‘Evacuate’ will assign the civilians, or a squad, to the courtyard. ‘Emergency’ will assign them to the Emergency area. The plan is as follows:

1. Raise the internal bridge.

2. Have the civilians do an evacuation drill.

3. Lock the remaining door out.

4. Assign the vampire to training, so that he is equipped and ready to go.

5. Lock the door behind him.

6. Return the fortress to normal.

He cannot get out, and the squads will be together, training. His only choice will be to proceed to the training area. In order to do otherwise, he will have to break the call of the burrow, the call to arms, and the forbidden door. Such is taboo. This plan goes into affect now.

ADDENDUM: Disaster.

in the moment that the plan went into action, the fortress guard took a break from training. The vampire took not one, but three lives, including the captain of the guard. He’s contained now, but the price is too high. Perhaps in later years this will be told as a story of the dangers of pride. Perhaps, in the future, this method may be better perfected.

I will be personally managing the funerals, the recruitment, and declaring a new captain of the guard. May history pity my legacy. If some future overseer wants to try to equip the vampire, let them try.

For now, I can catch up with the other things that have been happening.

[dwarffortresssuccession]

As I go about seeing how well I can run this fortress, I begin to notice one thing...

This man never does any work.

No matter what I tell him to do, I never hear tell of him doing work. Quite incensed, I rile myself up into a good bluster and storm forth to speak to him harshly.

Why is he locked behind a forbidden door?

Going through the previous notes, I find mention that HE IS A VAMPIRE. Oh. That’s a tad important. I admit to have missed that when I was skimming them. The mistake I almost made... what disaster would have befallen these innocent dwarves? I must be sure that no one makes my same mistake.

With that and a note pasted to the door in red ink, I think future overseers will be able to see him for what he really is. The question is, what to do with him?

While a good idea, the details of getting him into the military are difficult. He needs a place to train...

Ahh, perhaps this won’t be as hard as I thought. I’ll need to set something up to keep him from escaping, but the room is already there. I just need to make use of it.

How to get him to go there safely is difficult. I will ponder it.

[dwarffortresssuccession]

Excellent! Everyone, take the crafts to the Trade Depot!

...A single crown!?! What?

Left with only a single crown to barter, my brain spins. What can we foist off on the traders? What’s something the elves might find appealing that we won’t miss?

Copper! Copper bars! Of course, they’re next to useless, and almost tree-colored. I tell everyone to take every copper bar down to the depot!

I’ve only forgotten one problem:

THEY’RE ELVES.

They have literally nothing we want. Nothing.

Six more farmers! I tell the most incompetent among them to pick up the spare picks and help the miners.

That done, I wander around a bit. I hear what the third lever is for by word of mouth, and add a note. Add a door there, why isn’t this dumped yet? Another door there, hm... this is a nice hill.

I designate it for mining. In case the enemy breaches the outer wall, this may be a good place to put ballistas or marksdwarves. It will take a bit of work, and It may be needed to add some wooden fortifications at some places, but two levels of defense are better than one.

Say, this still isn’t dumped! Why isn’t this dumped yet?

In fact, nothing appears to have been dumped. I ask around, and they say there’s a dump, but I can’t locate it. I tell people to get dumping, then! Yes, it is necessary! Look, the main reason we don’t have those rooms downstairs finished? There’s stone in them, stone that needs to be dumped. Why isn’t it dumped yet? Why are people claiming they don’t have anything to do? No, no, don’t give me that! Look,

This troglodyte corpse has been scaring people all week! Why hasn’t anyone moved it?

With a lack of any action, I elect to trawl through some guides to proper procedure and dwarven psychology. The... refuse problem is one I run into quite a bit. I do not recall how I fixed it last time.

[dwarffortresssuccession]

(note from an old overseer regarding the unlabelled lever, if it's the one in the statue garden that raises the drawbridge on the wall)

[dwarffortresssuccession]

What’s all this, then? Some fortress this is...

Hmm! On second thought, this IS some fortress. Very nice palisades.

Looks rather well developed. This place practically runs itself, from the look of it.

Sakes Alive! The stairwell goes down to not one, but two cavern layers! That’s a bit of a risk, I dare say. I think a redundant point or two may be needed.

Oh, good, the overseer notes include which levers are for which bridge. There’s a third lever, unlabeled. I wonder what its original intent was?

Well, with 80-odd dwarves around, I doubt there will be a lack of anything.

...Armok’s bloodstained boots, this is going to be a nightmare, isn’t it?

[dwarffortresssuccession]

Here is the save. Sorry if my turn seemed uneventful, these blasted dwarves refuse to listen to reason.

[dwarffortresssuccession]

Armok be praised, Spring has come sooner than I thought! I feel I've been here so long, and so little has been accomplished. How long have I been here? Ah, blast it all away. I may not have built any crazy devices, but this fortress is sure better off for having me. And we have had another strange mood, this time producing a quite useless piece of jewelry. It’s pretty at least. Alas, I believe it's time to stand down and let another poor sap take the seat. The fort will be open again soon.

[dwarffortresssuccession]

A fortress so large weighs heavily on my mind. Who can hope to contain, to maneuver such a crowd? I have ousted that worthless wretch we called a Mayor. For such an important individual he sure did enjoy locking himself in his room. Our mountainhome advisor was terribly upset at the news, and has left, no doubt to speak ill of us further. No matter, next season we shall have another chance to impress. Work goes slowly on the improvements. These damn lazy bastards care not for the orders I have laid down, choosing their routines over our glorious expansion! I am devising a plan to force their hands though...

[dwarffortresssuccession]

Expansion work begins. I have noticed an increase of layabouts sleeping in the barrels. When pressed on the issue, all have claimed that there weren't enough rooms to go around. After having them thrashed for their lack of decorum, I took the time to be horrified at the lack of free beds, and have begun mining new rooms out. Production of useless trinkets has been increased, hopefully by exporting them we can attract the attention of the mountain homes. Ah, to be declared the seat of the kingdom...

[dwarffortresssuccession]

The day I arrive to replace that fool, the fortress is immediately locked down by those vile goblin forces. Thankfully, our forces were on their guard and mobilized immediately against them, minimizing casualties. 3 soldiers and one baby. Who let a baby out on the field? Anyway, I must away to tend to the wounded.

[dwarffortresssuccession]

Damn.

An emergency has called me away from the outpost. I’ve sent a summons for a replacement overseer.

[dwarffortresssuccession]

Memo from the desk of the overseer:

Can someone out there please explain why we’ve only gone and bloody elected the vampire as Mayor? Don’t give me any of that guff about him “having a good economic plan” or “knowing what the people want”! He’s a bloody vampire! We’ve locked him in that tiny room for a reason!

Ye gods, it’s true what they say about politicians being blood suckers...

I need a drink.

[dwarffortresssuccession]

(Orders dwarves to gather plants.

Five of them stand outside in a conga line and don’t move.

Yes. 

That is precisely what I wanted you to do, yoU DENSE MOTHERFUCKERS)

[dwarffortresssuccession]

(Completely forgot to mention the fact we had a strange mood. Possibly because the artifact wasn’t very useful, just a bracelet)

[dwarffortresssuccession]

From the desk of the overseer to the Mountainhome, seasonal update:

Since my arrival at Spring, we have made good progress with this settlement, most noticeable, a wall constructed around the fort. Some work might yet be needed to make it fully secure but it is sound and sturdy. 

We have added some outdoors gardens to capitalize on the wide variety of plant life and to diversify the inhabitants diets, as well as adding more inside gardens for good measure. The dining hall has been enlarged and decorated and a statue garden has been added, along with a rudimentary dungeon.

We have added some rooms for nobles, and enlarged the cemetery.

The Forgotten beast you were so concerned about is dead, slain by a large bat in late spring, and the beginnings of a massacre were averted when an examination of the fort located a vampire. He is being held pending your word on his fate.

It is now Summer. The humans are due to arrive for trading soon, and we have goods prepared for them.

Overall, I am hopeful this fort will survive, this is good land and these are good dwarves.

Will write again at the end of summer.