Is it possible to live underground like a dwarf?

[Lindfors]

As a new player, I would like to know if it is possible to live underground? If so, is it less beneficial than living above the ground? Any pros and cons?

[NOOBY93]

It's by FAR the most optimal way living above ground. 90% of the content of the game is above ground. However, it's perfectly viable to do anything - you can live underground, you can live in a knarr and pillage noob fenced out palisades, you can be a fisherman and eat only fish, everything is possible, it's a sandbox game, but don't expect to be competitive doing anything but the optimal.

[Sevenless]

Assuming you'd like to do normally dwarfy activities, not really solo. Caves don't generate many curios, caves only generate intelligence food regularly and all/nearly all wound healing medecine is from above ground. You also need wood, which unless those giant mushrooms give logs you'd need to source from the upperworld as well. Many villages have specialized miners who spend nearly all their time underground. They need food, medecine, and high quality wood from aboveground and provide high quality rock and ore in return. Some villages build underground, but you still need to surface to farm crops and trees as well as forage.

The underground isn't fully fleshed out the way you're hoping, although there have been steps to add more complexity to caves in the past couple years. But if you get into a village as a dedicated miner, many characters rarely leave the caves.

[azrid]

It is possible to survive underground by not going above ground at all.
You need a little setup first though.

[Sevenless]

It is possible to survive underground by not going above ground at all.
You need a little setup first though.

Define "survive". I mean you could sit down there in one spot with a batcape and never do anything. But I figured in the haven sense of the word survive you'd want to grow your character meaningfully while you're down there. Which means most likely strength food is needed since mining is the primary underground activity.

What am I missing? Do tell, always curious to learn what others have figured out.

[tigerlrg245]

I think the biggest problem is not being able to claim land both above and below ground with one character, and you'll have to claim some above for farms.. unless you wanna give up farming crops (silk should still work). You could have an alt character and claim one side with it I suppose.
other than that I think you would probably need some strength and maybe a pickaxe before so there would actually be a point to this, although you might be able to find a cave already shaped in a way you like.

I think it would be cool to make the whole "underground city" kinda deal but I don't see it working very well with one person, and with low stats.
Still if it's something you think you'd enjoy just go around the world until you find a cave that you like and settle in it. but make sure to be able to kill bats easily before you start that base.

You would definitely need to make a lot of trips to the overground, but most of your base could function below it I think

[Sevenless]

You can have as many claims as you want now. Managing 2 is pretty easy. If you get too many it hurts your LP gain or requires bond of blood and soil juggling which is annoying though.

Worth noting you can live underground in a fashion similar to dwarf fortress right now: viewtopic.php?f=40&t=52709&start=1150#p734675

Live underground, but go up for resources and the like.

[bamump2k9]

huh, so there is a tedious setup to become a dwarf- but you need to have not only all the mining skills but also all the gardening skills too. The point is that you need to find the resources to make an underground forest of the tall mushroom trees(towercaps), poppy caps, and witherstand seeds. You can eat withercorn, poppy caps are a curio and from the wiki it says the towercaps should produce wood like the witherstands do. It's not a good place to live in, but if you want a freakin awesome natural underground wonder garden you are on the road to success!

[azrid]

The goal to live underground would be to do the one thing you can do there. Mining.

The setup is:
Eat str foods on surface until enough to mine on the level you plan to stay on.
Gather materials for mine holes.
Get flax for herbalist table.
Bring boughs with.

Then you go on your mine level and destroy mineholes behind you so you dont get any temptations to leave your new home.
Can grow towercaps in bat meat soil and eat bats for energy to keep mining. Gotta find a shallow lake too for clay and water.

[FictionRyu]

I think the biggest problem is not being able to claim land both above and below ground with one character, and you'll have to claim some above for farms.. unless you wanna give up farming crops (silk should still work). You could have an alt character and claim one side with it I suppose.

Village claims can be extended underground.

Villages can only be expanded downwards across levels in mines from the level the Village Idol is on. Build the Idol on the highest level you want village access on and then expand downward.