Making a library my main source of exports, what I learned

[Crona]

So my band of Dwarves left their mountainhome to start a town with the main goal of accumulating knowledge and stockpiling it in a grand library that other races can come and have a gander. I started by preparing carefully with the barest of essentials, leaving probably 500+ points to spend free after making sure I bring the following: Pig Tail seeds, Cave Wheat seeds, a sheep and a ram so I could get to work on getting enough sheep so that I had a constant supply of thread (since the pig tails would mostly be used to make myself the goop for the sheets).

I know that you're meant to, you know, dig a hole first thing and make sure your stockpile is safe underground or at least tunneled into the earth somewhere, but I wanted to do something different this time around. I decided I wanted to make the whole library, my Dwarf apartment blocks and such all above ground. I've tried and failed this method before because of a lack of dwarfpower, but with the knowledge of how stairs work I have an easier time getting everyone into shelter.

I didn't start really making the sheets until about a year and a season into the life of the settlement and this was mainly because I had no hands to spare for meanial tasks. The scholar had been set early and to only perform their task, the scribe was assigned also but there was nothing to write on, so I allowed her to go about her business hauling and other things like that.

So after setting up some windmills and having enough rotational power generated to house 8 millstones, I had 4 running almost around the clock milling cave wheat and making goop that then goes into the cobbled together screw press I created. Finally, I had some sheets. Finally, I had a process to make some quires.

I had no migrants the first year, the ones that did come came when we were starving, or when we didn't have the infrastructure for beds ready to go. Last thing I need is a riot in the reading rooms, after all. Once the stars aligned and we could take on some extra hands, the scribe was reassigned to writing duty. In this time, with a blank quire I made, the scholar had authored their first book on bloody phrenology of all subjects.

I set up another crafting station in the library (upstairs) to make book bindings out of a brown wood. We're in a fairy forest, there's enough lumber for us to make the entire set of buildings out of feather wood. I like the shade, contrasts nice with the dark brown furniture. Anyway, I set up the crafting station and bind the first copy of my written quire book and run into something that makes me exhale deeply. Turns out a bug from 7 or so years ago[www.bay12games.com] still exists.

My quires, valued around 100*- When bound with book binders of a masterful quality valued around 200*, now cost 30*. So obviously, pretty gutted. But not deterred, we just wont bind the books we make. I had to adjust the settings in my zone to make 5 copies of each book as more and more skilled individuals (smart people) came to the town.

So my take-away from this is... It's not incredibly with the time and resource investment to try and make your money off of a library. However- Having an quality library makes your dwarves very happy and it's cool to see them picking up new knowledge of how the earth revolves around the sun and how the wind is made by giants cheering for dwarvenkind beyond the mountainhomes.

In summary, it's a fun thing to try. Bring 1 miner, 1 woodcutter, 1 farmer and a bunch of bookish nerds. See how you go and let's compare libraries!

Take a little look.[imgur.com]

[['w']]

Are Dragons eating double baked dwarves wrapped in scorched feather wood library?

Thank you for your story, a shame regarding the bug.

[Crona]

Originally posted by wilb 🐈🍷♫💤:

Are Dragons eating double baked dwarves wrapped in scorched feather wood library?

Thank you for your story, a shame regarding the bug.

Strangely enough, the only thing that came into the settlement was a sloth bear which tried to steal crackers from the tavern next door. It must've spooked the brewer, who promptly punched all it's teeth out instantly killing the sloth bear, so I never really had a need for an organized defensive force. I bet that'll change in time, but for now I get to enjoy serenity. I used to always make walls but decided that in my nerd hamlet they'd be oblivious to the dangers of the world outside of bad writing.

[OpticBoom]

Originally posted by Lila:

Originally posted by wilb 🐈🍷♫💤:

Are Dragons eating double baked dwarves wrapped in scorched feather wood library?

Thank you for your story, a shame regarding the bug.

Strangely enough, the only thing that came into the settlement was a sloth bear which tried to steal crackers from the tavern next door. It must've spooked the brewer, who promptly punched all it's teeth out instantly killing the sloth bear, so I never really had a need for an organized defensive force. I bet that'll change in time, but for now I get to enjoy serenity. I used to always make walls but decided that in my nerd hamlet they'd be oblivious to the dangers of the world outside of bad writing.

Drunken boxing is the best boxing!

[['w']]

*Starts reading the reply:*

"Strangely enough, the only thing that came into the settlement was a sloth bear which tried to steal crackers from the tavern next door. It must've spooked the brewer"

* OH HOW cute, what a cutey <3*

*continues to read:*
"who promptly punched all it's teeth out.

*puke*

[Crona]

Originally posted by wilb 🐈🍷♫💤:

*Starts reading the reply:*

"Strangely enough, the only thing that came into the settlement was a sloth bear which tried to steal crackers from the tavern next door. It must've spooked the brewer"

* OH HOW cute, what a cutey <3*

*continues to read:*
"who promptly punched all it's teeth out.

*puke*

Real Dwarf Fortress hours right here. I think I might try out making some scrolls instead of bound quires, I don't see anything about them being bugged on the wiki. I'll reply when I give it a try.