I've played both the original Dwarf Fortress and the Pony Fortress mods (Losing is Magic and In Utter Darkness II) before, but that was quite a while and my skills have most likely rusted to the point of me being a born-again noob (for lack of a better term).

Right now the advice I need is: What's a good world gen, embark profile and embark location for a beginner Pony Fortress player, and how do I best get started?

I use the origanial mad, for 0.31.25, and usually use the default profile. Gudging from threads on the DF Forums, I'd have to say it's best to avoid evil regions, what with the weather and zombies/skeletons, but anywere else is likley good. Full map aquifers are to be avoided, along with maps with no metals or sources of fresh water. If you want glass or ceramics, look for a site with sand and clay respectivley. Flux is a must for steel, and trees are vital for beds if nothing else. Other then that, pick away! (Just look out for waterfalls. The AI is stupid sometimes.)