A new release of Dwarf Fortress (40.13, a.k.a. 0.40.13, a.k.a. DF2014) is out and is stable enough that it is work mucking around with. I always suggest one of the Lazy Newbie Packs (LNPs) and PeridexisErrant has the best one currently for Windows.

One of the first things I do on a new DF is edit the “init.txt” to change the font size to be something more readable on large screens. The following will use the larger rectangular font that ships with the game and makes the initial window a good bit larger.

[WINDOWEDX:80]
[WINDOWEDY:80]
[FONT:curses_800x600.png]

Note, I often switch between normal and maximized window sizes depending on what I am trying to do. When reading dwarf thoughts working in a narrow, but tall, window is easiest. When looking at the map, a maximized window is easier to deal with.

Suggestions for the “Options” tab in the launcher.

[POPULATION_CAP:25] - Early in a fort’s life, you don’t want a huge wave of migrants, so setting the Population Cap to be something in the 25-50 range will keep things manageable for the first few years. Once the fort has matured a bit, I increment this number upwards by 25-50 per year.

[BABY_CHILD_CAP:50:25] - Limits you to no more then 50 children or 25% of the fort’s population. This option only prevents pregnancies from starting.

I suggest making sure that the following things are set on the “Settings” tab in the launcher.

[FPS_CAP:30] - The FPS setting slow things down at the start so that you have time to react.

Once you have generated a world, you can browse the legends or embark.