How the hell do you build structures?

[Thagomizer]

Is there some material you ahve to use or something? I put down my wooden walls, but they just inexplainably won't place, or the blocks on top of them just won't be built. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to most of the building and pathfinding in this game.

At this point, it's becoming unplayable for me, since my dwarves just bug out all the time and won't do what they're supposed to do. Or I place a block and like 10 minutes later, the green build icon just turns red for no known reason.

[Thagomizer]

and what is actually required from a structure? I feel like there's a particular way I'm supposed to be doing this, but the game isn't telling me how...

[Thagomizer]

man, I'm getting frustrated with this game. I have no idea why things happen in this... I build 4 walls, place a roof, try to place beds, but every step of the way, the game fights me with unexplainable problems. My dwarves constantly bug out, things don't get built, buildings sometimes are structures, sometimes aren't. I have no idea what's going on most of the time. I've had to restart my world twice because I've gotten attacked by waves of monsters without having defenses built because the game fights me.

[ROB AF]

Start simple. Try building essentially what I'll call a "burrow" underground and see if you can get something stable. The beginning of this game is brutal, but it gets a lot easier once you get a ways down the tech tree. I suspect there is rebalancing coming in the future.

[Lebe Frei]

I'm not entirely sure what the problem is that you're having, but I am guessing that you're missing "back" walls. Dig out the earth and place Wood/Stone/Brick etc walls behind your home, and then put up a ceiling and walls to the side. It needs to be fully enclosed and have a door leading out. Then place your totem on a wall inside, and you have a house. I have never had a problem making one, I hope this works for you.

Other than that, as far as bugs goes, you purchased an early access game. If bugs stress you out a lot, I would highly suggest not buying incomplete games.

[Stromko]

There is a Back layer and a Front layer for walls, and before you can have a front wall you need the back wall.

Essentially you need to place a backdrop (Back layer) in order to place the foreground (Front layer), and the foreground is where the creatures exist, be they a dwarf or a zombie. So you need a solid (including corners) area enclosed by Front walls, plus doors and hatches, in order to make a proper house, but you ALSO need the Back layer filled so that it isn't just a square that's open on both ends (assumedly when you place a back wall, there's also a front wall but for playability it's always shown in cut-away).

The foreground is where everything interactable goes, essentially, the background is just where they can be hung. It's a kind of 2.5D dimensional thing.

As for things not being built, well your dwarves can climb surfaces, they can even climb background tiles, but they can't handle overhangs at all. Their reach is limited to one space above their head. If there isn't a solid block or a background wall, or even an adjacent tall tree for them to climb, then there will be a lot of places in the world (especially once you start digging out caves or building houses) that they simply won't be able to climb.

Early on it's best to follow the Tasks exactly since there's a lot of vital stuff you need to unlock, for example Ladders are essential to letting your dwarves move up and down without falling, as well as providing a place to stand at the top so they can build.

The Tech Tree was only added a few weeks ago and isn't in its final design. Currently you start with literally nothing you can craft, but apparently they're going to have tiers later where hopefully you'll be able unlock all the essential bits. It can be very hard currently because until you go far enough in the tech tree you just don't have the tools to do very much in the world, but on the other hand the tech tree does mean you have a definite progression arc and it's a way to introduce features one at a time.

[ROB AF]

I'm glad to hear the Tech tree is not in final form. The progression, IMO, is not yet 'right'. I wound up getting Silver and Steel gear, more or less, at the same exact time. Most of the time, I wind up racing through the tech tree and building "one of everything". I'm not really sure I like the "build an item and then place it" mechanic of advancing through the tech tree.

[rouher]

Can someone post a screenshot with different houses on different stages ?

Thanks

[Stresen]

a structure consists of 2 walls a back wall a door and a roof

[Thagomizer]

Originally posted by Lebe Frei:

Other than that, as far as bugs goes, you purchased an early access game. If bugs stress you out a lot, I would highly suggest not buying incomplete games.

First, thanks guys for the constructive replies. I was getting frustrated with the game, and it still makes me wonder wtf is going on sometimes, but I'm starting to get the hang of things, not in small part because of the advise in this thread.

But I knew, I KNEW I'd get one of those "it's early access" replies. Thanks Tips, we all know what early access means, and how it works.

Other than that, I really appreciate the help. Hopefully I start to get the hang of things soon!

[Solarpower]

It’s something like this : http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=197595827 :-)

[sugarskull]

Originally posted by OTG Dr Zeus:

At this point, it's becoming unplayable for me, since my dwarves just bug out all the time and won't do what they're supposed to do.

I get this a lot too - even if the area is easily accessible. For example, telling my dwarves to place beds on the floor almost always fails. They get stuck in a loop of picking up the item from storage, going to the delivery area, failing to deliver, and then going back to storage to drop item. Over and over. If I don't notice it it can lead to a lot of lost productivity.

I find the best thing to do on stuff that bugs like beds and other household items is to take manual control and place it myself. Hopefully they will work out the kinks in a future update :)

[ROB AF]

Interestingly, I rarely have an issue with failure to place objects. It only becomes an issue when the delivery area is FAR AWAY from the stockpile.

Really, all activities become an issue the further they are from the stockpile. Yes I know about portals, but that doesn't always solve the problem. Particularly when there is water and/or other difficult terrain involved. Still, every playthrough I gain a little bit more control, and shake my fist at the sky a little less.