While the dwarves in Dwarf Fortress will spend much of their time working, it is important that they have a place to gather and socialize. One of the best places for those activities to occur is in a tavern, though some players may be unclear about how to establish one. Fortunately, it is not very difficult to make a tavern in Dwarf Fortress, and this guide is here to walk fans through the process.
Dwarf Fortress: How to Make a Tavern
Preparing the Rooms
The first step toward constructing a tavern is to dig out a room in which it can exist. While there is no specific size requirement for this room, it is important that the tavern be large enough to accommodate a stockpile, several tables and chairs, and a chest, while also leaving some empty space in which the dwarves can congregate. For full clarity, a 15x10 room should be more than adequate for establishing a tavern, though Dwarf Fortress players should feel free to pick a size that meets their needs.
It is also recommended that players dig out a smaller room that is connected to their tavern. This will serve as a dormitory, and it will be a room in which visitors can sleep. Again, there is quite a bit of flexibility with the exact size of the dormitory, though fans of complex video games that are looking for more specific direction should feel comfortable starting with something like a 6x4 room.
Once both of these rooms have been dug out, players are advised to smooth them. This smoothing is performed by clicking on the gray square at the bottom of the screen and highlighting both rooms, and it will improve their quality. Fans of simulation video games should also place two doors: one in the tile that connects the tavern to the rest of the base, and one that connects the dorm to the tavern. For full clarity, doors can be constructed in the Carpenter's Workshop, and they are placed by clicking on the placement icon at the bottom of the screen and then clicking doors/hatches.
Furnishing the Rooms
With the tavern and dormitory prepared, players should start adding furniture to them. More specifically, four to six beds should be put into the dormitory, and those items can be made at the Carpenter's Workshop and can be placed by clicking the placement icon and then furniture. And with respect to the tavern, approximately 10 tables and chairs and one chest should be added, and all of that furniture in Dwarf Fortress can also be made in a Carpenter's Workshop.
To note, while players can get creative with the placement of all of these furnishings, it is recommended that each table in the tavern has just one chair. Indeed, multiple dwarves sitting at a single table can lead to issues, which should be avoided if possible.
Filling the Chest with Goblets
As previously noted, it is important that a chest be placed inside the tavern, as this container will hold vessels from which the dwarves can consume alcohol. While these vessels will be added to a tavern chest automatically, players must make some before that can be done. For those fans that are fairly new to Dwarf Fortress, the best option for this is to set up a Craftdwarfs' Workshop and use it to create rock mugs.
Making a Stockpile
A stockpile is the final element that players should add to their tavern, and one can be created by clicking on the stockpiles icon at the bottom of the screen. Once the stockpile has been made, fans should click on it and select food as its type. Notably, players can select the specific types of food in Dwarf Fortress that they want kept in the tavern stockpile by clicking custom, though doing so is not strictly required.
Setting Zones
The last step in the process of making a tavern is setting the proper zones in Dwarf Fortress, and players should begin by clicking the zone icon at the bottom of the screen. This action will cause the zone menu to appear, and fans should click meeting area, highlight the tavern, and press accept. Players should now see details about the meeting area displayed above the aforementioned zone menu, and they should click the shield with the plus sign that appears in this section and choose new inn/tavern to complete the zone and give the tavern a name.
Fans of city-building video games must now connect their dormitory to the tavern, and they should start by clicking the zone icon, selecting dormitory, highlighting the bed-filled room, and clicking accept. Players should then click the shield with the plus sign and then click the name of the tavern, which will appear below the options for adding new types of zones, to finish the job.
Customize Tavern
One last thing to mention is that indie video game fans can make some changes to their taverns by clicking the zone icon, then clicking the tavern, and then clicking the shield with the magnifying glass that appears above the zone menu. Indeed, this action will open a menu that can be used to set who is allowed to visit the tavern, assign a tavern keeper, and more.
Dwarf Fortress is available on PC.