Strike the Earth! Now with graphics! When you think dwarves you naturally think of small bearded men living in underground cavers. The fact is when you first start off in Dwarf Fortress, you will begin on the surface with some dwarves, animals and a cart of resources. So let’s start digging!
In this guide I will go through how you can actually dig down and start mining underground. It will hopefully get you started in building a nice fortress for your dwarven kingdom.
How to Dig Down in Dwarf Fortress
One of the most important things to learn if you want to start getting into mining is how to dig underground. If there are no mountains near you, you can always go straight down to access stone and other resources in the earth. To do this, you will need to mine a staircase in. This will allow your colonists to move between vertical layers.
To dig down in Dwarf Fortress first select the Set digging orders menu. This is the pickaxe icon found on the left of the center toolbar. Alternatively, you can press the M hotkey to bring up this menu. Now, select the Dig a Stairwell icon which looks like a staircase. Now you will decide where to dig the staircase. Select the tile you would like to create it on the top layer, then use the mouse scroll wheel to go down to the layer you wish to reach. Now, left-click once more and the order will be set!
As you can see in the image above, we have already mined a staircase going up and down. You can scroll down as far as you wish. Your miner dwarves will then start digging underground creating a vertical staircase to travel between the Z levels. You can make as many staircases as you wish.
How to Start Mining Out an Underground Fortress
Now that you’ve managed to dig between the layers of the earth, you will need to switch to a different type of tool in order to dig out some rooms. Your dwarves can be tasked with mining out different hallways, rooms and taverns wherever you choose. To start having your dwarves mine underground, first move your camera to the layer you wish to start digging at. This can be done with the mouse scroll wheel.
Now that you are at the place you want to dig out, once again select the mining menu by pressing M. With this menu open, select the icon on the far left for regular mining. Now, you can select which parts you wish to mine out. Simply click to start marking an area to be mined and then finish the zone where you want to stop mining. This way you can designate entire rooms and hallways to be mined out.
Your colonists will mine out these areas whenever it becomes their top priority.
