InDwarf Fortress, every decision matters. Survival is never guaranteed for your often dysfunctional dwarves, so taking the steps to maximize their wellbeing will lower the chances of an unexpected loss. One of the most important factors before starting is choosing a good location to build your fortress. The environment plays a big role in hindering or helping you.
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Settling ina zombie infestedhaunted biome is certainly not ideal. That’s why understanding what goes into making a good starting location will give you more opportunities to survive and thrive. Losing may be fun, but you should at least give yourself a chance.
7Forested Area
Despite their earthen desires, dwarves need trees just as much as minerals. Wood is essential for early industry and beds. Dwarves will be forever unhappy sleeping on the cold floor, and coal is an important fuel source. Wood is also important for creating water wheels and windmills, which are important sources of sustainable power.
Both regular and heavily forested locations are ideal for any prospective fortress. At the very least, you should consider an area that has at least a few forested spots.The elves maynot like you touching their precious trees, but dwarves have never cared much for the opinions of their pointy-eared rivals anyway.
6Ideal Climate
Temperature affects all aspects of dwarven life. Hot or scorching areas will evaporate water, melt fat and pose a threat to living things. Cold or freezing areas cause problems for the opposite reasons. With that in mind, the best starting location is one that has a ‘warm’ climate. Water will never freeze or evaporate, which gives you access to the valuable liquid resource all year-round.
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Additionally, warm climates will ensure that you may avoid temperature related health conditions befalling your dwarves. It’s worth noting that pools of water can still be expended after repeated use, so keeping an inventory of all your water sources is useful.
5Calm Surroundings
If you had to choose between a peaceful forest, a zombieinfested swampor a savage land straight out of King Kong, then your choice would probably be obvious. Starting your fortress in Calm or Serene biomes is the best way to ensure a successful start. These biomes fall under the Neutral and Good classifications, which means that most creatures will be benign, and the environment appealing.
Starting in more dangerous locations should only be attempted once you fully understand the game. Evil biomes will turn into a fight against the undead (or worse), and Savage biomes will feel like survivingJurassic Park. Do your poor dwarves a favor, and settle in more hospitable lands.
4Farmable Soil
Farmingis an essential part of food and alcohol production. As such, the land that you grow on needs to be capable of supporting your agriculture. Growing plants like mushrooms underground is still viable, but having access to both surface and subterranean plants is ideal. Large settlements can’t be sustained on hunting and gathering alone, so achieving a sustainable farm is important.
Settling in a scorching hot desert or frigid tundra will not provide the soil needed for crop sowing. Your best bet would be to settle in the plains, or better yet, a forest. Manage your crops carefully, and you’ll be popping out plants in no time.
3Look For Varied Geology
Dwarves love their minerals, and for good reason. Having access to a large variety of ores and gems will bring you prosperity. You will always want to choose a location that has access to all sorts of metals. Shallow and deep metals, along with flux stones, are all highly useful resources. Flux stone in particular is required for smelting steel, which is one of the most useful alloys in the game.
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With a steady flow of flux, you willhave steel weaponsand armor flowing out of your fortress. Naturally, this will do wonders for turning your military into a real powerhouse. Having a large source of metals will also allow you to make plenty of goods and crafts.
2Avoid Aquifers
Aquifers are a logistical nightmare to deal with. They are large sources of water that lay sealed in the earth, and if you accidentally discover one, then your whole fortress is liable to be flooded. The only way to avoid this, is to meticulously wall off any leaks that form as you attempt to dig around it. New players will want to avoid locations with aquifers like the plague.
Even more experienced players will often choose areas without aquifers to avoid the headache of managing them. Unless you have a specific plan, aquifers are not worth the hassle.
1Has A River
Rivers are incredibly useful for any fortress. Rivers will never run out of water, so you can exploit them for maximum effect. They are also home to fish, which can be caught for food. If those benefits weren’t enough for you, one of the greatest strengths of a river is their ability to provide power.
Placing a water wheel in a flowing stream will use the perpetual motion to power pumps and mills. Mills in particular are essential for grinding up plants to make complex ingredients such as sugar, flour and dye. Sustainable energy is the way of the future.
