Losing is Fun: Kandros Fir Dwarf Fortress [Khazad Spoiler Thread]

[Ichabod]

Turn 2 (again, since I messed up last time and forgot turn 0):

Just exploring with the warriors... What a wasteland...





Oh, wait!! What are those strange animals ahead?!?!?



So we have a nice second city spot! Of course, plains cows + sheep isn't a killer site. But the map maker was an evil mastermind (no wonder he promptly accepted the mapmaking duty, he wanted to laugh at us later ) and I bet it's the better I'll get in a while. But I'd have to add another tech to my queue... Well, let's see how the game plays out.

Notice the gold. It's in a difficult place and it's not second city material, IMO. But it's worth 10 (!) commerce when mined!

And there's a dungeon to explore next turn. Does anybody know if the chance to pop bad results is lower on the first turns?


Demographics:



Interesting to note that Selrahc haven't settled already. Since he's playing the Lanun, he's probably looking for water. Risky, risky play!

[haphazard1]

Interesting...AH resources are not as desirable as they are in BtS due to the tech cost. But they are certainly worth something, especially along the river as they are. Quick trade route with boatmurdered, river commerce, some hills...not awe-inspiring, perhaps, but not bad.

The gold is interesting, and should definitely be checked out. Maybe there is something else useful around it, and not just desert. But even as is, that is a rich target for early commerce.

To the north, both west and east have a deer/game tile. Furs, nice to see another happiness source. And that mana node, which should certainly prove useful later. Still not a single grassland tile in sight, just plains, plains and more plains. And tundra and ice and desert, of course.

Good info from Thoth on the leader's GNP, Ethne being creative and getting the 20% prereq bonus is almost certainly the answer.

Rest of the demos...

Food is tied with all 3 settled having 4. Hammers you have the most with 4 -- hammer from the palace? Need to check exactly what the Khazad get. Anyway, you are ahead of your rivals by 1, always nice to get an early edge and get that first build done sooner.

Soldiers, woohoo, power! Never hurts to start intimidating your rivals with your unstoppable might.

Land shows Ethne, Jkaen, and you all have full land inner rings. Other three not settled yet.

This is certainly a strange start. All the plains, and then that river to the north across the ice. Very odd.

[haphazard1]

Ah, another turn of demos. Hmmmm.

Land: Leader presumably Ethne out to 21, for all land BFC. 9600 rival average gives 48 tiles among 5, or 27 tiles among 3 excluding Ethne and the Lanun. So 9 per and full land inner rings for everyone. Unless a flavored start was given or the mapmaker was kind, the Lanun may have to walk a while to find coast.

Nothing else too exciting, others now matching hammers, food, etc. Still terrifying the world with that extra 1k power, though.

[Mist]

Oh, wait!! What are those strange animals ahead?!?!?

They are not Elephants or Carp so you're still okay

And there's a dungeon to explore next turn. Does anybody know if the chance to pop bad results is lower on the first turns?

Nope. Only thing influencing exploration results is the level of the exploring unit. So you might argue they are actually higher.

[DaveV]

Nope. Only thing influencing exploration results is the level of the exploring unit. So you might argue they are actually higher.

Actually, there is a check in the code for "early" game. If the result is bad guys, the really bad ones are not available early. The early game calculation is based on game speed and difficulty level, and I don't have it in front of me. Unless this is Deity difficulty, you should be relatively safe.

[Maksim]

...you should be relatively safe.

I'm pretty sure this is number one on the list of Famous Last Words.

[Thoth]

Actually, there is a check in the code for "early" game. If the result is bad guys, the really bad ones are not available early. The early game calculation is based on game speed and difficulty level, and I don't have it in front of me. Unless this is Deity difficulty, you should be relatively safe.

At this point in the game any nasties are going to be really bad. Even a couple of fawns could end the game pdq. Early lairs are high risk, high reward propositions. An early GP can be game altering. So is getting your capital sacked on t5 because of a close lair pop that went wrong.

So the question is: Do you feel lucky?

[DaveV]

... you should be relatively safe.

I'm pretty sure this is number one on the list of Famous Last Words.

. Poorly phrased on my part. I meant relative to later in the game, when fun units such as vampires and liches can spawn.

[Ichabod]

Turn 3:

Exploration throguh the East found a lot of resources:



How nice


Down South, my explorer met the dwarven scourge, the nasty ELEPHANTS! Frightened by this terrible sight, they decided to hide themselves in a nearby apparently friendly construction...

Not a good idea, though:



Sandwiched between elephants and a hill giant, there's nothing for our brave explorers to do. Besides resting in peace, that is...

At least the hill giant can't enter my borders... Am I right???


Demographics:




Finally, a note to self: don't feel lucky... The hill giant will probably delay my exploration, but my planned second city site will be only one square from the capital's borders so it won't be delayed that much.

[Ichabod]

Luckily, even non hidden nationality promoted giants won't move when they get inside borders of a city (if the city expand and captures them). So it won't be that bad... But, yeah, I'm stupid