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Dwarf Fortress => DF Community Games & Stories => Topic started by: Wastedlabor on January 12, 2013, 06:49:28 pm

Title: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 12, 2013, 06:49:28 pm

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenblood.png)
~ Moltenchannels ~
(Ardentdikes II)

---

Prelude:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The small group of migrants stood on top of the hill, gazing the ominously crackling and sparking air over the ghostly walls of Ardentdikes. A robed figure was strenuously climbing the slope. They waited for him.

"By Ilon, what happened?", the migrant guide asked.

"It had to be done! They were tearing down Urist's confinement! Fools! Fools all of them!"

"Is this the Urist people rumors about? The one whose crimes were so heinous no jail could contain him, and had to be entombed alive --yet he continued being chosen to rule this place?"

"He found a way to trick the dwarves into digging him out of his tomb. Time was running out, and they had to be stopped!"

"But, the fortress..."

"Magma was breached over the blood soaked battle axes, and Armok's power sealed the fortress in a different plane. Nine loyal dwarves will guard Ardentdikes for eternity, as no material walls would hold back Urist McDuck anymore."

"May Armok rest their souls! Knowing too much about it won't do us any good, though... So, what is your name, and what are we supposed to do now? We have travelled for too long, and I fear we won't find a safe place to stay before our supplies run out."

"I'm Armok's Priest and last manager of Ardentdikes. Udib Wastedlabor is the name. I can guide you to blessed land. I only ask that you help me build a new magma fortress, for I fear leaving the old Ardentdikes unguarded. I'm sure Urist will try to return to our world, even if the only way is through Hell itself."

And so began the story of Moltenchannels...

DF Version: 34.11
Tileset: The original save uses IronHand. There's no raw customizations, except for enabling human diplomats with DFHack, so replacing the raws with vanilla or your tileset's default ones should be fine.
Ardentdikes thread: here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=60408.0). TL;DR: here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=60408.msg2804310#msg2804310).

General rules:
1. Each player has one in-game year to run the fortress.
2. Each player has two weeks of real time to finish their turn. This timeframe may be changed if deemed necessary. Take as much time as necessary to complete the turn, but give regular updates, lest we throw you into the bees pit while you sleep.
3. Once the previous' players turn ends, you have 72 hours to begin your turn before we throw you into the bees pit AND then into the eternally-burning-zombie-forgotten-beast-ridden cavern. You won't get free sandwiches there.
4. If you changed the tileset in your save by replacing the raws, specify it when posting the save.
5. Try not to kill the fortress.

Dorfing rules:
1. When a dorfed dwarf (named after a player) dies, redorf them with an incremental roman number. I.e. Urist McAwesome -> Urist McAwesome II.
2. You can freely play with undorfed dwarves' professions, but try to respect changes from previous overseers and to make the names relevant to the dwarf's role/history in the fort.
3. You can dorf yourself during your turn if you aren't dorfed already.
4. You can arbitrarily name undorfed dwarves, up to 5 (besides yourself), unless there's only 10 or less unnamed dwarves available.

The Ardentdikes style:
1. Try to build a nice aboveground fortress.
2. Magma dikes > Magma moats.
3. A device to cleanse the fortress with magma is mandatory. This is how Ardentdikes survived the rotting extract spiral. Twice.
4. Automated traps that kill enemies and innocent bystanders are awesome.

Succesion List:
1. Wastedlabor. 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3948523#msg3948523) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3949549#msg3949549)
2. dhokarena56 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3967928#msg3967928)
3. notquitethere 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3968656#msg3968656) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3969247#msg3969247) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3970142#msg3970142) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3973816#msg3973816) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3973890#msg3973890)
4. UristTheGrey 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3976468#msg3976468) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3981955#msg3981955) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3982046#msg3982046) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3982813#msg3982813) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3990154#msg3990154) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3992610#msg3992610)
5. eharper256 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg3995836#msg3995836) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4006925#msg4006925) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4012534#msg4012534) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4014342#msg4014342)
Udib's interlude (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4015120#msg4015120)
6. ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4040941#msg4040941) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4053739#msg4053739)
7. Triaxx2 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4056883#msg4056883) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4057598#msg4057598) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4059781#msg4059781) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4064253#msg4064253) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4064364#msg4064364)
Udib's interlude II (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4065420#msg4065420)
8. DuckThatQuacks 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4069146#msg4069146) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4071879#msg4071879) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4074188#msg4074188) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4076440#msg4076440)
9. CaptainArchmage 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4082595#msg4082595) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4082841#msg4082841) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4085709#msg4085709) 4,5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4089183#msg4089183) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4092696#msg4092696) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4095706#msg4095706) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4097077#msg4097077) 9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4103221#msg4103221) 10 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4105516#msg4105516) 11 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4106432#msg4106432) 12 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4106895#msg4106895) 13 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4109098#msg4109098) 14 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4111314#msg4111314) 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4112621#msg4112621) 16,17,18,19,20 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4113885#msg4113885)
10. bp920091 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4136406#msg4136406) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4142932#msg4142932) 3,4,5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4143181#msg4143181) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4164231#msg4164231)
11. Urist McKiwi 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4167470#msg4167470) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4167982#msg4167982) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4168559#msg4168559) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4182109#msg4182109) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4184547#msg4184547) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4186858#msg4186858) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4189145#msg4189145) 8,9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4191579#msg4191579) 10 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4196530#msg4196530) 11,12 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4198993#msg4198993) 13 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4200119#msg4200119) 14 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4201500#msg4201500)
12 (alternate turn). Triaxx2 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4214558#msg4214558) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4223902#msg4223902) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4226206#msg4226206) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4234574#msg4234574) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4235399#msg4235399) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4240918#msg4240918) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4247405#msg4247405)
CaptainArchmage's (alternate) report 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4257121#msg4257121) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4254462#msg4254462)
12. CognitiveDissonance 0 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4263824#msg4263824) 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4272870#msg4272870) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4282245#msg4282245)
13. CaptainArchmage 0 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4286346#msg4286346) 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4288421#msg4288421) 2,3,4,5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4289923#msg4289923) 6,7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4293583#msg4293583) 9,10 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4294884#msg4294884) 11 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4295334#msg4295334) 12 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4299200#msg4299200) 13 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4301612#msg4301612) 14 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4303185#msg4303185) 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4303749#msg4303749) 16 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4328761#msg4328761)
Migrant Welcoming Transcript (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4339193#msg4339193)
Udib's Interlude III (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4341082#msg4341082)
-- (continued) 17 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4360939#msg4360939) 18 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4362023#msg4362023) 19 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4369284#msg4369284)
14. notquitethere 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4376267#msg4376267) 2,3,4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4392575#msg4392575) 5,6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4410754#msg4410754)
15. Urist McKiwi 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4437566#msg4437566) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4440562#msg4440562) 3,4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4451016#msg4451016) 5,6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4456305#msg4456305) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4459837#msg4459837) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4462217#msg4462217) 9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4467999#msg4467999) 10 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4484154#msg4484154) 11 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4487194#msg4487194) 12 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4489002#msg4489002) 13 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4493726#msg4493726) 14 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4493913#msg4493913)
16. Triaxx2 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4541641#msg4541641) 2,3,4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4548061#msg4548061) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4556067#msg4556067) 6,7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4571449#msg4571449) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4604954#msg4604954)
17. CaptainArchmage 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4630123#msg4630123) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4633677#msg4633677) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4639624#msg4639624) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4639837#msg4639837) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4641478#msg4641478) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4641799#msg4641799) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4653724#msg4653724) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4656604#msg4656604) 9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4661521#msg4661521) 10 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4664894#msg4664894) 11 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4683195#msg4683195) 12 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4700236#msg4700236) 13 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4710875#msg4710875) 14 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4713888#msg4713888) 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4718835#msg4718835) 16 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4726990#msg4726990) 17 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4746600#msg4746600)
Urist McKiwi's Interlude I (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4747169#msg4747169)
-- (continued) 18 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4752130#msg4752130) 19 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4758786#msg4758786) 20 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4774854#msg4774854) 21 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4780119#msg4780119) 22 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4784367#msg4784367) 23 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4795196#msg4795196) 24 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4801064#msg4801064) 25 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4809147#msg4809147) 26 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4817016#msg4817016) 27 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4820605#msg4820605)
18. Urist McKiwi 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4898068#msg4898068) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4901430#msg4901430) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4901981#msg4901981) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4911272#msg4911272) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4917801#msg4917801) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4920740#msg4920740) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4922980#msg4922980) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4925624#msg4925624) 9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4937752#msg4937752) 10, 11 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4940866#msg4940866) 12 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4948904#msg4948904) 13 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4951818#msg4951818) 14, 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4959211#msg4959211) 16 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5007503#msg5007503) 17 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5027502#msg5027502) 18 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5033975#msg5033975) 19 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5035439#msg5035439) 20 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5042963#msg5042963) 21 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5050611#msg5050611) 22 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5053817#msg5053817)
19. Triaxx2 1,2,3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5112951#msg5112951) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5123492#msg5123492) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5134905#msg5134905) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5148255#msg5148255) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5151621#msg5151621) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5167329#msg5167329) 9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5178257#msg5178257) 10 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5186965#msg5186965) 11 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5188755#msg5188755) 12 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5196095#msg5196095) 13 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5200836#msg5200836) 14 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5202399#msg5202399) 15 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5205672#msg5205672) 16 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5206097#msg5206097) 17 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5227612#msg5227612) 18,19 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5233883#msg5233883)
20. CaptainMcClellan 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5314168#msg5314168) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5315276#msg5315276) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5392189#msg5392189)
21. Wastedlabor 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5418570#msg5418570) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5421015#msg5421015) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5421086#msg5421086) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5422180#msg5422180) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5424848#msg5424848) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5427925#msg5427925) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5434439#msg5434439) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5437590#msg5437590) 9 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5438257#msg5438257) 10 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5451007#msg5451007) 11 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5451145#msg5451145) 12 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5451202#msg5451202) 13 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5451367#msg5451367)
22. notquitethere 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5481861#msg5481861) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5497431#msg5497431) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5497595#msg5497595) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5510152#msg5510152) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5528305#msg5528305)
Urist McKiwi's Interlude II 1 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5534073#msg5534073) 2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5536324#msg5536324)
-- (continued) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5539252#msg5539252) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5539770#msg5539770) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5539997#msg5539997)
23. Urist McKiwi 1,2 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5540191#msg5540191) 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5544125#msg5544125) 4 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5558606#msg5558606) 5 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5573914#msg5573914) 6 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5600119#msg5600119) 7 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5606197#msg5606197) 8 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg5637810#msg5637810)
24. Ghills
25. CaptainArchmage
? bp920091
? Psuedonym
?. KJC3
?. InsanityIncarnate

Initial save: Here. (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7301)

Current save: Just check the last update.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 12, 2013, 06:50:06 pm

Here's the world

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/world.png)

Civilized World Population

   7949 Dwarves
   15330 Humans
   13545 Elves
   46202 Goblins
   2203 Kobolds

   Total: 85229

The Strategic Bodices, our civilization

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Strategic Bodices, Dwarves
 Worship List
  Moldath, deity: wealth, jewels, minerals
  Ilon, deity: fortresses
  Id Silvergolds the Hollow Echo, deity: mountains, caverns, metals
  Kodor Dawnedbury, deity: rebirth, death
  Dimshas, deity: inspiration
  èshgor, deity: deformity
  Enten, deity: games, luck
  Okang Styledpoem, deity: beauty, art, children, youth, longevity
  Litast, deity: light
  Ulthush, deity: lust, depravity
 king List
  [·] Eshtân Razorbanner (b. d. 91, Reign Began: 1), *** Original Line, Married
      7 Children (out-lived 5 of them) -- Ages at death: 78 76
      Worshipped Kodor Dawnedbury (14%)
  [·] Iden Glazequests (b.15, Reign Began: 91), Inherited from father, Married
      11 Children (out-lived 11 of them) -- Ages:
      Worships èshgor (69%)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/embarkmsg.png)

Stonesense pics
1089 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4081115#msg4081115)
1096 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4515045#msg4515045)

Quotes

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 14, 2013, 12:16:21 pm

Hey, guess what other dwarves have just done? NOTHING

Quote from: notquitethere on January 21, 2013, 03:59:04 pm

Later that summer, keas, keas everywhere. Keas down the well, keas in your hair, dead keas in the hospital beds.

Quote from: notquitethere on January 21, 2013, 03:59:04 pm

The Kinhunter, Urist McBadass, had murdered over five hundred animal people in the Swamp of Decency. He had explained that animal people never wore any clothes and their indecency was making a mockery of the swamp.

Quote from: UristTheGrey on January 26, 2013, 01:06:52 pm

Dwarf: "Praise be to Urist Mcbadass, Sealspines the Skewered Basis of Beards!"

Quote from: UristTheGrey on January 26, 2013, 06:16:55 pm

Moltenchannels truly is cursed!

Quote from: UristTheGrey on January 29, 2013, 08:59:24 pm

At this point, the entire goblin army from last season has arisen as undead. Nearly 300 corpses there now.

Quote from: UristTheGrey on January 29, 2013, 08:59:24 pm

For a moment, we were all trapped in web. But one dwarf was able to break free from it. Able to single-handedly slay the beast. A dwarf and his wife, drafted into our gladiator program. A couple with nothing to lose. I dont remember her name, but the girl was the last to fall. I think that was when the tides started to turn. I had looked into his eyes and saw nothing but anger, rage. And what I saw after was something only a lasher master could do. But hes no legendary lasher, just picked up the whip last season. Obok is his name. Unfortuantely, the dwarf went mad after the battle. Still the thing this dwarf accomplished will be talked about for years

Quote from: eharper256 on February 05, 2013, 03:02:08 pm

Over 40 coffins have been filled with the extra bodies outside, so the space was needed.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 07, 2013, 12:11:37 am

What is this "going wrong" you speak of? Things go right, and then they go better. Then they go on fire, if you've really done your job.

Quote from: Wastedlabor on February 08, 2013, 10:39:35 am

This was a good year for lizards, and a bad year for Urists...

Quote from: UristTheGrey on February 15, 2013, 12:30:47 am

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on February 14, 2013, 11:31:49 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on February 14, 2013, 07:39:40 pm

Mmh, from the last turn, we have nice magmaworks, we have glass works, plenty of farms, a big pile of forgotten beast meat, sharp sticks, tons of caged unicorns...

Can you point me in the direction of this party?

Just head north until you see a giant pile of corpses , you cant miss it

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 23, 2013, 11:01:07 am

TrollFurSock went berserkr!

Quote from: Wastedlabor on February 24, 2013, 02:24:59 pm

It may be worth noting that after near 6 years we have 130 dwarves and a wooping total of 7 soldiers, 3 of them guards. 

Quote from: Triaxx2 on February 24, 2013, 02:34:55 pm

When I flood the fortress, I guarantee no room will be safe.

Quote from: DuckThatQuacks on March 01, 2013, 11:27:11 am

This place has so. Many. Cats.

Quote from: DuckThatQuacks on March 04, 2013, 01:38:51 pm

There are now no fewer than five necromancers in the field.

Quote from: Psuedonym on March 05, 2013, 07:42:39 pm

Oh, well, I can help you there. You want to put the thingee in the thingimajig, and the other thing goes on top of the thing on top of it, and I think you should just leave the thingiemabob alone.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 14, 2013, 02:41:10 pm

Complete! We now have a granite armor stand with an image of a zombie being killed by a draltha leather sock. A most fitting piece to glorify our fortress.

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on March 15, 2013, 03:52:51 pm

So, I guess that we will soon have lots of engravings depicting "elf's corpse corpse corpse left arm third finger striking down Urist McHunter"...

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 09:08:38 pm

Extra! Naked mole dog washes down dining hall waterfall! Read all about it!

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on March 16, 2013, 05:35:23 pm

I'm now imagining some poor young dwarf who's just won an election getting chased by a huge wild-eyed mob shouting "ATTEND MEETING!" at him as he runs down the finely carved halls, finally reaching his new office (which his predecessor sure as hell didn't ever use), slams the door and catches his breath before turning around...... to find a row of dusty statues slowly turn their heads and start moving slowly towards him....

"Attend.......meeting....."

Quote from: bp920091 on March 27, 2013, 09:32:16 pm

That's right, MoltenChannels is so hardcore that the cats give explosive birth!

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 16, 2013, 09:12:04 pm

In so far as you can be safe when you're in a damp hole in the ground that has a bad case of the eldritch abominations (and sometimes giant spiders) with 166 filthy alcoholic midgets who are mostly running around in rags ranting about grass.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 18, 2013, 05:35:42 pm

It's now raining pancreas down there.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 22, 2013, 07:37:26 pm

Lots of blood out there. Lots and lots of blood.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 24, 2013, 06:18:04 am

The military continues to complain about being on duty for so long. MAYBE THEY'RE ON DUTY BECAUSE WE HAVE A BLOODY WORM WITH WINGS CRAWLING UP THE DRAIN!!!

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 30, 2013, 09:24:49 pm

I just want to say that I'm really proud to be part of possibly the only fortress that spontaneously combusts to ward off attackers. Even though we don't know how or why this happens, we've done a great job with that.

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on May 30, 2013, 01:06:57 am

Well then, it's time for industry! MINE! FORGE! MINE! FORGE! MAKE BACKPACKS!

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 31, 2013, 03:58:14 pm

Why on earth would that be suspicious? The forest is always on fire.

Quote from: bp920091 on June 03, 2013, 12:57:50 am

Think of it as dinner and a show. "Urist, lets go down and see if someone falls down the hole. The betting pool is up to 250 gold pieces, and ive got a couple people that i know are clumsy and i want to bet on"

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 03, 2013, 04:20:19 am

I think we've had an axedwarf fall up the waterfall

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 06, 2013, 08:54:50 pm

Welcome to moltenchannels! Where food hygiene is our 17th priority!

Quote from: notquitethere on July 16, 2013, 06:32:16 pm

there are a few zombies trapped in magma under layers of obsidian burning for eternity, and I have learned that forgotten beasts can still destroy doors when they're undead...

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 01, 2013, 11:16:59 pm

DuckThatQuacks never considered such luxuries as 'floors' to be essential to snipers

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 01, 2013, 11:16:59 pm

7. Kill. Everything. This is quite easy, because the enemy is by this stage worn down, injured, vomiting and running for their lives.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 03, 2013, 05:12:26 pm

the fortress exterior is currently painted a wonderful shade of vomit mixed with blood mixed with other blood mixed with ash from the fires. And magma from the SHroud

Quote from: Urist McKiwi

Apart from the dark energy, smashed squads, tantrumming soldiers who've just seen their wife and child rot in front of them for a month, the trails of blood across half the plain this fortress sits on from some shot goblin, screaming patients dying in the hospital and the stench of death, things haven't been going half badly.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 12, 2013, 06:19:27 am

corpse-hauling is a good solid profession around here. We've probably got some legendary Teeth Gatherers around the place.

Quote from: Triaxx2 on September 27, 2013, 06:35:09 pm

We have a western bridge? I was unaware. (Editor's note: On year 16 -- 16 years after the bridge's construction.)

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on September 27, 2013, 07:45:45 pm

Isa the forgotten beast is locked in some strange network of what-is-this-I-don't-even, and has contracted forgotten beast syndrome from another forgotten beast.

Quote from: notquitethere on October 02, 2013, 04:20:03 am

Yeah, the Vampire Queen managed to kill everything I set her against except the burning man.

Quote from: Triaxx2 on October 19, 2013, 08:06:41 pm

And what's grander than being able to watch your deceased loved ones slowly decay into rotting sludge? Really.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on January 26, 2014, 12:06:40 am

Nice job! The fortress additions look like they were made by drunken monkeys.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 07, 2014, 10:50:14 pm

Fortunately getting rid of the hive that was there and was actually there there allowed the one that wasn't there but was there as well to become a proper hive that was actually there-there and could be used.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 23, 2014, 03:12:40 am

Apparently he works with siege engines now. Unusual occupation for a priest, but I suppose they have to deliver pamphlets to the unfaithful somehow

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 03, 2014, 05:34:17 am

Well, the worst that can happen is that a lone skeleton wipes out our entire military.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on April 14, 2014, 10:27:09 pm

Everything was constructed here for a reason. Just, sometimes, they weren’t good ones

Quote from: CaptainMcClellan on May 21, 2014, 09:13:08 pm

this might be kinda dumb but dang is there a lot of magma.

Quote from: notquitethere on May 22, 2014, 03:13:55 am

You'll get used to those burning corpse messages. They never end.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 22, 2014, 06:17:05 am

Well it worked out fairly well in the end. We got part of our queen back.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on July 04, 2014, 08:08:23 pm

You just got horribly burned to death then cast into a temporally frozen hell-dimension, BTW.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on July 27, 2014, 05:04:28 pm

Most forts send their soldiers out with dogs. Or tigers. Or bears.

Us? We send a sheep.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on July 30, 2014, 07:32:07 pm

Quote from: Ghills on July 30, 2014, 04:56:52 pm

I've gone down to the caverns and not found the hospital yet. Either of them.

Actually we have three of them. One was shut down during Wastedlabor's last turn, one (on the surface) is full of forgotten beast blood that kills anything it touches and has been sealed for about a decade now...

...and the working one is...um....somewhere. I honestly don't know either.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on July 30, 2014, 07:32:07 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on July 30, 2014, 06:25:06 pm

Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong. Fuller details soon.

This sounds promising.

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 03, 2014, 05:44:54 pm

Any situation during which you are not directly under attack or engulfed in flames is quite calm indeed. Any simple matter such as screaming in pain, or undertaking not to die a slow, pain filled death of dehydration as your body sucks water from it's own organs is insufficient to disrupt the slow measured pace of the average dwarf.

Quote from: notquitethere on July 21, 2014, 03:53:32 pm

It took the better part of Granite, but she finally drew up a list of everyone she intended to kill this year:

"Siga and Spos and Uktang and Bora;
Zomus and Slasto, and Gorhax and Aste;
Ijat and Nunur and Spos the Coastal Deep;
Anam and Smunstu, One and Isa;
and Zolak the Silty Servant Weevil."

"And finally, any bleedin' gobbos still lurking oot there."

Quote from: notquitethere on July 21, 2014, 04:44:53 pm

"Well it sorta kinda had wings and maybe got over the wall in the caverns and is now Sebastian2203 is maybe a little bit unconscious."

Quote from: notquitethere on July 25, 2014, 10:56:30 am

"I have travelled far and I was Amxu Thiefransacks and I would know the name of my killer."

"I am just Stukos, a fisherdwarf from these parts," said Stukos as he sliced the goblin in two.

(http://s30.postimg.org/g7u54bf75/notbadforafisherdwarf2.png)

Quote from: notquitethere on July 25, 2014, 10:56:30 am

Next time on Moltenchannels: a human ambush strikes while everyone is on the surface, elven merchants arrive safely, and Cutey conducts a plan to kill three of the forgotten beasts by flushing a necromancer into the lower caverns using the lever-action cavern-dousing system she set up a decade ago, in order for the necromancer to raise the many corpses to fight. What could go wrong?

Quote from: notquitethere on August 03, 2014, 08:25:30 pm

So confident were we that most of the winter was taken up by an elaborate scheme to pick off three beasts by luring them close by dropping peahen chick over the wall and then shooting them from above.

In the end it was deemed more effective to just send in a dozen dwarves to finish the job

Quote from: notquitethere on August 03, 2014, 08:25:30 pm

Werepanthers really were the least of our worries. No, and here I say this with a heavy heart: our problem was Aste. His corpse, raised a second time by agents unknown, trampled down into the tunnel carved out by the behest of Cutey almost a decade ago. It had been kept tight shut this turn with an artefact floodgate but such beautiful furniture was no match for the might of the twice-raised crab. Before the fort knew what hit it, it emerged inside and there was nowhere left to run.

The remaining might of the fort was sent to destroy him and stem the undead tide long enough for a mason to plug up the hole and save the fort. This might have been possible, for Aste fell once again and though many more dwarves were lost, the undead were momentarily pushed back from the tunnel. And that's when the goblins arrived.

Their ambush was swift and brutal, and many that might have been saved the carnage threw their lives in the name of 'picking up equipment', the deadliest phrase in all dwarfdom. Children ran senselessly into a barrage of bolts as the foul goblins wreaked their revenge for Ngom and Amxu and all their kinsmen slain or still rotting in cages. Nobody was left alive on the surface of the fort, even inside the high walls. The doors inside were locked shut and the remaining 31 dwarves greeted the new year in pain and despondency.

Though over the year they had bested a full eighteen forgotten beasts, it had come at a terrible price. The upper fort was now awash with goblins and over 90 dwarves had died. Udib Wastedlabor had survived, along with Lucky II, Sebastian2203, and Urist McKiwi V. They were still protected by a Royal Mace Lord, but the rest of the survivors were decidedly less useful. There were 13 children, three peasants, three other nobles and three other farmers, at best a leatherworker, furnace operator and a gem cutter. Finally, miserable and in chains and walled in for eternity, the vampire Ustuth still paced. While the others discussed leaving this forsaken place, Ustuth, like the hundreds of dead before him, would never leave.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 09, 2014, 06:32:56 pm

Edit3: Dwarf (Sebastian2203) decides to go looking outside for new clothes on bodies. Decides carrying giant rock while doing so is excellent idea. Notices giant forest fire. Thinks "There must be socks in there!" and goes for it. Realises mistake, drops rock and dodges the flames. Runs ~5-10 metres then decides to have a nap. Gentlepersons, I think we have our Most Stupid Death of the Succession.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 14, 2014, 10:57:38 pm

-Udib has decided that stacking things up is more important than mining through to the volcano. Mining is literally the only labor he has enabled.

Current summary:
1. We are still boned.
2. Udib is a lazy jerk who doesn't like killing everyone.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on September 05, 2014, 10:10:40 pm

it's turned out rather well. Bits of goblin flying everywhere. Udib casually walked up to clean the traps, then shot the hell out of a pre-crippled goblin. Brutal.

We are now down to three goblins. Can't kill them myself, because of obvious reasons. Unfortunately all the traps around them are jammed with bits of their friends. It's going to take a few years to fix them at this rate, so hopefully the gobbos just walk a little down the corridor. This place must seem like the Tomb of Horrors on acid wielding an axe to them.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: AnimaRytak on January 12, 2013, 06:51:58 pm

May I request a dorf?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 12, 2013, 07:04:36 pm

Dorfing is free for all. Here's the first seven and their gender:

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/firstseven.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: AnimaRytak on January 12, 2013, 07:09:05 pm

I'll take the blacksmith!  Name him AnimaRytak

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: StLeibowitz on January 12, 2013, 07:21:04 pm

Name the Butcher of Trees Saint, please!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 13, 2013, 05:41:23 am

Forgive the garbled accents, I use IronHand's tileset on vanilla raws.

Saint Burytowers, Butcher of Trees (aka Carpenter):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/Saint.png)

AnimaRytak Chamberbulb, Blacksmith:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/AnimaRytak.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 13, 2013, 06:39:57 am

Count me in for the succesion list.

Also, can I haz the mechanic?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 13, 2013, 07:05:25 am

Go for the nurse and call it Cutey (for my initials). And can I join the succession? I'm fond of death traps and fonder of pit fights.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 13, 2013, 07:41:08 am

Troll Fur Sock Craftloves, our humble mechanic and architect:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/trollfursock.png)

Cutey the "sweet" nurse (amd chief doctor till we find a better diagnoser):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/cutey.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 13, 2013, 08:10:06 am

How appropriate, I too am fond of mittens and bogeymen for their terrifying antics.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 13, 2013, 11:46:51 am

Spring of 1081
It didn't take long before the migrants started to regret following me, for they barely had time to rest when I had given them already extensive orders about what trees to cut, what rooms to dig, and what walls to build. Fortunately, the land is joyous and the weather tolerable. We work fast and undisturbed, while the emus hunt for insects in the removed sand.

1st Slate
Work progresses well, though one corner of the wall had to be redone as they miscalculated the distance to the stairs. The dirt layer is shallow and we soon hit ore bearing layers. Copper seems to be abundant, and we have found also some hematite and a bit of aluminum.

The levers room is the first one to be useable, followed by the carpentry. Summer arrives when we have barely started to dig some space for the forges. We are still living off the food supplies we brought --hopefully we'll have some accomodations and fresh food before autumn, though I doubt we'll have anything to sell when the caravans pass by.

Summer of 1081
2nd Malachite
Good grief, a herd of unicorns approaches the unfinished walls. These beasts probably are upset we are invading their land.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/unicorns.jpg)

Everybody went to work underground while the guard and the lumberjack watched the entrance --well, everybody but Troll Fur Sock, he decided to take a break. Fortunately they moved on without bothering us.

18th Malachite
Eight migrants and two children arrived following our trail. There's three generations of the same family among them, and they seem to have been bouncing around a bit. We definitelly need more hands, though they'll have to start working on getting some food if they want to stay.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/migrants.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 13, 2013, 12:13:53 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on January 13, 2013, 11:46:51 am

Everybody went to work underground while the guard and the lumberjack watched the entrance --well, everybody but Troll Fur Sock, he decided to take a break.

Long, pointy horns you say? Pathetic, I say. A real dorf doesn't cancel his break because of something like that.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 13, 2013, 02:40:28 pm

Can I be dwarfed as the hunter? Also can I get a turn? The above-ground magma has so much potential

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 13, 2013, 05:51:49 pm

Autumn of 1081
"Your skills are more than welcome, Urist the Grey Boltedstrike. We need someone to start assembling a squad of marksdwarfs, though you can probably keep hunting for another year, before the goblins find us."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/uristthegrey.png)

More migrants arrived. We are 22 now.

We installed some provisional beds in the dinning room. We won't add bedrooms this year, as there's already plenty of rooms to finish.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/dinningroom.png)

I mandated the construction of a magma chute with bridge gates on the first six levels, so magma can be fed to any of them for whatever needs, including the forges.

11th Timber
The first dwarven caravan arrived. The depot wasn't built in time, too many dwarves were busy with the magma bridges. There's nothing to trade anyway, as Troll Fur Sock has been slacking again.

A flock of keas decided to bother the merchants. The caravan guards couldn't fight all of them at once, so Urist the Grey and a ranger were sent to help. They shot down four.

Winter of 1081

I asked the mountainhomes to send us more alcohol and a few raw materials. The farmers installed a few nests for the ducks. I secretly hope they'll protect us from Urist McDuck, somehow.

The reservoir well progressed too slowly, and it will be barely clean of stones and ready to be filled by the end of the year.

We also installed the first forge:

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/forges.jpg)

There's still no magma for the forges. We ran out of alunite mechanisms and we have linked only the two top magma bridges.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/leverroom.png)

The edge of the volcano can't be channeled until the other four are linked too.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/magmagate.png)

The farm area was ready to start producing some food. We butchered a few animals, including some delicious kittens.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/farm.jpg)

The spring arrives. The inner fort is finished, including two bridges that will arch over the future dike. All the planned digging was done just in time. The provisional miners went back to their main professions and the job was passed to new migrants. We also have assembled two squads; The Old Gang has four melee dwarves and The Joyous Piercings have two marksdwarves. They are still unarmored, though, and I've seen our lumberjack walking around with a training axe.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/fortress.jpg)

I hand the pickaxe too and retire finally to my arcane studies. I'm sure these dwarves will work happily and make the fort prosper --for most of them, Urist McDuck is only a tale to scare the children.

Save file: Here. (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7304)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 13, 2013, 06:16:50 pm

Looks like I didn't do anything productive all the year... yeah... We have to change this. Let's add some pumps to generate mist and assign me to operate them 23/7. I'm so cruel~

First update should come in 14 hours, if everything will go as it should. Ya know, it's midnight here in Poland...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 13, 2013, 06:30:49 pm

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 13, 2013, 06:16:50 pm

First update should come in 14 hours, if everything will go as it should. Ya know, it's midnight here in Poland...

Heh, it's midnight here in Spain too. And yeah, I know --my lady friend in Poland went to watch a movie in bed already. :3

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wafflelordling on January 13, 2013, 07:50:46 pm

May I be Dwarfed as Fear Cré-umha a mil dwarf, note does not need the accent and Fear is the 1st name

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 14, 2013, 05:11:43 am

I forgot to post Udib Wastedlabor's profile. As you can see, it really fits him. I like that he worships Kodor, the deity of rebirth and death:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/udibwastedlabor.png)

Also, bonus pic: the last wave of migrants included a hammerdwarf hunter.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/atirthehunter.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on January 14, 2013, 06:22:31 am

I'd like to take the Hammerdwarf Hunter if possible, name him Sauvage, and his job should be 'Tooth Collector'.

Guess I'll also take a turn. I was holding back before because I suck at making magma mechanisms that don't kill everyone, but if they're already set up by year IV, I'd be happy to take a go.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on January 14, 2013, 07:15:12 am

If I take a turn, it will be later on, when the fort is on the verge of death to a massive tantrum spiral. May I request the right to demand a turn at a later point in time?

I'll take a dwarf, too. Preferably a child. Whoever likes the least valuable metal. Call him Cassertheru or her Cassartheru.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 14, 2013, 07:27:06 am

Quote from: eharper256 on January 14, 2013, 06:22:31 am

I was holding back before because I suck at making magma mechanisms that don't kill everyone, but if they're already set up by year IV, I'd be happy to take a go.

No way the magmaworks will be ever "finished", there's always room for more! But it's ok to skip magma for a year. Maybe do something with water... add a pond to the farm. Someone has to think of the ducks.

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on January 14, 2013, 07:15:12 am

May I request the right to demand a turn at a later point in time?

Added to the list, without number.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 14, 2013, 07:57:47 am

Oooh. Cool idea. What's the plan and what dorf is free?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 14, 2013, 08:04:05 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on January 14, 2013, 07:57:47 am

Oooh. Cool idea. What's the plan and what dorf is free?

I think if Moltenchannels is ever intentionally flooded with magma to solve some problem (and drained and repopulated), that would make it a worthy Ardentdikes successor.

For dorfing it's better to say your profession preferences and the seer will pick one that seems notable enough.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 14, 2013, 10:05:45 am

Sign me up for the succession list, please. And dorf me- I don't much care who.

[EDIT: Give me one of the children...and name him Sebastian. Sebastian Flyte...]

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 14, 2013, 12:16:21 pm

Everyone is dorfed.
I have been looking at this fortress for over 15 minutes and I'm only getting even more confused.

Watch out, we are dealing with a pole over here. There will be a lot of spelling mistakes etc. here, so help me fix them or just ignore them. I'm still not sure when to use "didn't" and when "Haven't"... And saying anything in future simple (would etc.) is still a black magic to me...

Spoiler: Story part (click to show/hide)

So there she was, Troll Fur Sock (this sounds so stupid...), sitting on the edge of a small pool, staring into water. Living here was easy. Mine something here, build a bridge there, dodge an unicorn... Untill she saw previous leader's notes. And it turned out she knew nothing about this place. Food production, magma forges, tips about how to seal everything off in case of goblins... That was a little too much for a simple worker to take care at once.
They were voting for a next leader, because old wanted to take a break for caring about everyones' socks, booze and safety. And someone jokingly proposed her, because "She must be smart if everything around here is working only because of her". Okay, but there is a slight difference about making bridges raise and don't letting whole fortress starve. Surprisingly, everyone agreed. Guy who said that was lucky enought to get out of her reach after she realized that she just became Moltenchannel's second leader. He would end as a pretty *Dwarf Bone Floodgate*.
A group of dwarves was talking about booze behind her. One of them said that he would kill for a single drop of ale. Suddenly, she felt they all were looking at her. Another thing to care about... That explained a lot about Udib, previous leader. It was always bugging her, why such a... "normal" Dwarf has become a grumpy loner soon after embarking here. Now it was clear - he had to care about everyone so much he didn't have time to take care of himself...
She stood up, heading to the main... Well, let's call that cave a "hall". She called one of dem useless fishery workers who were acting as communication system there. That was the only thing they were good for.
- You. Go and tell miners to dig more rooms. No matter the shape, we just need more stone. And give our masons this...
On the scrap of paper was a small note. "Stone blocks R".


1st Granite, 1082
Everything went better than expected. They are listening to my orders, well, a little uwillingly, but hey, I'm first female expedition leader since 1054. I can't belive how many days can it take for a miner to FIND HIS GODSDAMN PICK...  It will be a hard job to actually complete something here. And if it takes them three days to at least start doing something... Sweet Amrok, have I been like that last year? Poor udib...

4th Granite
Noone gives a single buck about my orders. Nothing has been completed. Looks like they're still busy with ending jobs from last year... Saint has been acting strangely, he didn't even look at us when we tried to talk to him. He is collecting wood and keeps repeating some words I don't understand. Let's hope everything is okay, he is very important.

!0 Granite
Hey, guess what other dwarves have just done? NOTHING. It looks like I will have to use some... more brutal arguments. Also, Saint has kicked out our carpenter from his workshop. He almost got his finger cut off with flying tools, thrown by Saint. That escalates quickly... I hope he will soon get back to normal, I don't want to order our guards to beat him, but it looks like I will have to...

14 Granite
So yeah... Saint was acting strangely because he wanted to make a barrel. A godsdamn barrel. What in the name of Amrok... Cat population is getting out of controll, but I think I know how to use this as our advantage...

Spoiler: "What have I done" OOC part (click to show/hide)

Nothing. It's 14 days have passed and I have designated lots of stuff, but everyone is busy making... coffins and bins. We don't need that much right now, but I will let them finish it, Wastedlabor didn't order them to do it "because yes".
Mines are awaiting some digging, and I have designated a nice pool/well that should reduce breaks for drinking by many, many days. The first thing I will do after that is completed will be expanding aboveground structures. I don't know about you, but I would like to see something like medieval castle...
(http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/535/beztytuu23542.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 14, 2013, 03:36:06 pm

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 14, 2013, 12:16:21 pm

I have been looking at this fortress for over 15 minutes and I'm only getting even more confused.

Achievement unlocked! It's a new mad record!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 14, 2013, 03:55:30 pm

The problem with succesion games is that - I don't understand a single bit about what you wanted to build, so I have 3 options:
1. Try to guess and possibly destroy everything
2. Ignore what you did and start my own projects, possibly destroying everything.
3. Magma. Destroying everything.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 14, 2013, 04:07:30 pm

Yes.

Edit: No really, the only real project was the magma distribution column, which is just bridges to feed each level for whatever. Then there was the access bridges that were still unlinked, a bunch of storage room to stack over/below workshops, and the 2nd level was left empty in case of plumbing for cascades/flooding projects --I put the lever room in the first level so it isn't accidentally magma-fied. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 14, 2013, 04:08:07 pm

I think the broad project with this fort is to build outside and do interesting things with the magma. Best to pursue your own choice of project roughly in line with these two ideas.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 14, 2013, 05:30:15 pm

Congratulations, Saint, you have been taken by a fey mood!
Don't make any useless wooden mugs or I will throw you in the deepest spot of our magma hole...

Previous post updated.

EDIT2: I want to make something like this... Inner castle with *super secret project* inside (where the wagon stands) > wall > magma filled moat > another wall > houses > another wall with one, giant gate (remember what I said about using kittens? They WILL be weaponized, trust me. I just have to end a huge construction in one year... one year ._.). Everything connected with bridges.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on January 15, 2013, 05:07:06 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on January 14, 2013, 07:27:06 am

Quote from: eharper256 on January 14, 2013, 06:22:31 am

I was holding back before because I suck at making magma mechanisms that don't kill everyone, but if they're already set up by year IV, I'd be happy to take a go.

No way the magmaworks will be ever "finished", there's always room for more! But it's ok to skip magma for a year. Maybe do something with water... add a pond to the farm. Someone has to think of the ducks.

Yeah, one thing I can do well is add waterfalls, so that'll probably be what I do. But we shall see, there might be a cool megaproject that comes to mind later.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 15, 2013, 08:16:12 am

Let's see, been a stone worker, swordsdorf and corpse, so how about a glass worker? Or Funning that, a Mechanic.

And sign me up for a turn whenever there's room.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: KJC3 on January 15, 2013, 03:15:46 pm

Can I be dorfed (name = flord)?  A brewer would be nice if possible.  I may request a turn down the line too, but I haven't played in a while, so we'll see.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 15, 2013, 07:15:37 pm

Mmh, since artifact barrels are a bit silly to have going around in stockpiles, it could be used to make a fancy dyer's shop.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 16, 2013, 04:25:32 am

Naaaah, let's fill it with our best ale. Everyone drinks very often, so they will see it every time going to booze stockpile. This should maximize it's happy though effect.

BTW, suddenly, I have much less time than before starting my turn... Updates will take long.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 16, 2013, 07:11:25 am

No need to make it too detailed. It's only year 2, there's only so much going on.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 16, 2013, 05:38:15 pm

My computer may be not quite as great as I thought, but I've got bucketloads of free time, so TrollFurSock, if you want I can do the turn instead.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 16, 2013, 07:10:39 pm

I will do with the best method - tested by thousands of students.
1. Wait till Sunday
2. OMGOMGOMG
3. Everything went better than expected.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 17, 2013, 07:55:40 pm

Troll Fur, how many dwarves do we have? I hope the first siege comes soon

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 18, 2013, 01:24:11 pm

It was 22 at the end of the first year, but the fortress probably wouldn't stand a single squad of ambushers.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 18, 2013, 02:30:56 pm

WINTER BREAK YESSSSSSSS
(I don't know how it is called in english shools, but I'm assuming it's winter break)
Update incoming today.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on January 18, 2013, 05:59:29 pm

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 18, 2013, 02:30:56 pm

WINTER BREAK YESSSSSSSS
(I don't know how it is called in english shools, but I'm assuming it's winter break)
Update incoming today.

Lol I take it your school closed due to the inch of snow we had today then.

Gotta love Britain, the nation just shuts down and everyone forgets how to drive when any snow appears. Its like one step away from a case of mass hysteria.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 18, 2013, 08:03:04 pm

I built a snow fort in the park today. Snow makes the trees so beautiful that they forget to be trees and instead become monstrances of cosmic wonder.

In other news I'm looking forward to the update and save file TF Sock.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on January 19, 2013, 03:08:49 am

I would have thought Britain would be acclimatised to snow. It's not like it's never happened before. And "the nation just shuts down"!? Sodding hell, it's snow. Here in New Zealand (where it's warmer than the UK) we say "Snow? OK, I'll wear warm clothes", not "OH GOD SNOW EVERYONE IS GOING TO DIE CALL THE FIRE BRIGADE THEY HAVE FIRE RIGHT!?".

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on January 19, 2013, 05:02:25 am

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on January 19, 2013, 03:08:49 am

I would have thought Britain would be acclimatised to snow. It's not like it's never happened before. And "the nation just shuts down"!? Sodding hell, it's snow. Here in New Zealand (where it's warmer than the UK) we say "Snow? OK, I'll wear warm clothes", not "OH GOD SNOW EVERYONE IS GOING TO DIE CALL THE FIRE BRIGADE THEY HAVE FIRE RIGHT!?".

So you'd think; but as a whole the nation is paranoid about the weather and yet, paradoxically, also loves to talk about it. There is truth in the old saying of "When two Englishman meet, their first talk is of the weather.". Its even more important than our peculiar conformity to queing in neat lines for services.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: DuckThatQuacks on January 19, 2013, 12:28:05 pm

Did you really think you could escape McDuck so easily?

Requesting a turn, please.

Spoiler: On Snow (click to show/hide)

You guys should see how Washington, D.C. reacts to snow. Back when I lived there, I witnessed people abandoning their cars in the streets because of perhaps four inches of snow. It would be one thing if snow were a rare occurrence, but it happens pretty much every year, and they are never prepared.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 19, 2013, 01:23:18 pm

Armok's beard be set on fire, the Duck has awoken!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 20, 2013, 09:39:13 am

Mmh, should we skip the turn if it's still in day 14 by monday?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 20, 2013, 10:09:27 am

Actually, it's mid fall. I had some strange FPS issues, but now, everything is working even faster than before. I have my updates writen in a notepad, just didn't want to post them in case of savescum. But FPS is now okay, so I don't have to do it.

How do I magma? I have no idea how to use them bridges ._.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 20, 2013, 03:17:19 pm

Spoiler: Le Spring update (click to show/hide)

It's 25th granite and guess what? After a month, someone finally decided to do something. Looks like finishing a small aqueduct will take years at this rate...

Nothing happened. Done some digging.

21th Slate - My condolences, Urist the Grey...
(http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6681/beztytuu7356.png)
(http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/7518/beztytuu735669.png)

26th Slate - Migrants. Not a lot of dorfs, but... Animals are 2/3 of this wave. We have now goats, goslings, everything... Our butchers will be busy. Also, I saw one pretty strange thing. One goat has just jumped over our wall.

28th Slate - Nevermind. They're still coming. Mostly "Dabbling Threshers"... MAY ARMOK HAVE MERCY! 507 kills!? Great axedwarf, dodger, shield and armor user?
...
Gentelmen.
If he is not a vampire, he is a total badass. (iton Ulvadlurit, if you want to check him in legends)

2nd Falsite - They finally stopped coming. Now we have a population of 51 Dorfs. Oh Armok, why me...

11th Falsite - One of our miners has almost starved to death. Because she didn't want to take a break and eat. That's what I like.

12th Falsite - Elven caravan! Wooden swords for everyone!
Yes, I have stolen everything, even their clothes. Assuming they are wearing any. Who doesn't hate elves?

24th Falsite - I'm sending a cat expedition to the magma sea. Don't ask why. Because I can.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/landing/833/beztytuu735669243.png)
Sebastian Flyte rushes to destroy the last part of stone supporting that "shuttle". I like him.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/landing/849/beztytuu735669243431.png)
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/landing/267/beztytuu735669243431235.png)

Code: [Select]

Sebastian Flyte you will encounter in your turns is not Sebastian Flyte. It's his clone. He has sacrificed himself to let our cats discover adamantine. We won't forget...
We are working hard on aqueducts, wells and aboveground walls. I'll try to build some farms...
It is now summer.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 20, 2013, 03:35:32 pm

Those noble feline magmanauts, if they were named I'd commemorate them with stone slabs, but I assume that you didn't actually use someone's pets.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 20, 2013, 04:28:35 pm

iton Urvadlurit... legends don't say much about her, except she spent a while hunting giant beasts.

Since I was already in Legends, I looked around a bit, and found:

* Camela Sweetnesswildness the elf, born before time and still alive, who killed 98 goblins while scouting.
* Mame Washdunes the Fabulous Tornado of Abatement the elf, queen of The Thunder of Lords, born before time and still alive, who killed 9 unknown creatures, 18 humans and 270 goblins.
* Sarvesh Girderbold the Tenacious Princess the dwarf was abducted twice by goblins and by an unknown creature, killed 6 unknown creatures, 88 goblins and 28 dwarves.
* Osnun Doomedweak the Musical Trail of Sway the female goblin, who killed 8 unknown creatures and 422 other creatures, mostly elves and humans.
* Astri Allyposts the Infinite Patterns of Dust the human, who killed one dusk horror, one vile troll, one dusk creature, one freak mate of the night and 393 wild critters.
* Osman Abyssdead the Crypt of Burying, the freak of the night, who had 84 kills, almost all of them unknown creatures.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on January 20, 2013, 07:13:07 pm

What are these unknown creatures?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 20, 2013, 08:31:37 pm

Oh ffff....
"Dwarf Fortress has stopped responding"
NO. PLEASE NO. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~

Save corrupted... Do you want me to post summer, fall and winter updates too even if I can't give you the save? Sorry guys...
(BTW - Saint has created 7 masterwork barrels. Stephano, you know what to do with him...)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 20, 2013, 08:47:18 pm

I'll take the old save and do your year for you. Then you take my slot.

(Warning: I have just had two bags of [entirely legal] coca tea. In a few minutes, I'm likely to be slightly high, so I don't know how this will turn out.)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 20, 2013, 08:55:07 pm

Note to myself - Do my turn as soon as possible, don't wait for "technical issues"...
Sorry again :C

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 20, 2013, 09:28:23 pm

The Journal of "Sebastian Flyte" Dikegales, 1st Granite, 1082

I had a dream last night.

I dreamed that Troll Fur Sock had been chosen to lead the fortress.

I dreamed of kittens drowning in magma.

I dreamed of aqueducts.

I dreamed we found adamantine...

...and then it all dissolved. I think it was fall when I was woken up, by Udib Wastedlabor himself.

"Hey, Sebastian."

"Nggggrrrrr..."

"It's New Year's Day!"

"Oh, uh...is it?"

"Yeah?"

"We must have been drinking a lot of uh...wine...chaaaampagne..."

"Anyways, you're leading the fortress now. I wrote up a memo. It is hanging in my office. Go read it."

I went back to bed, too hungover to care.

That afternoon, when I woke up again, I walked into Udib's office and read the memo.

Dear Sebastian, it read.

Apologies for appointing you at such short notice, but, blast it, I asked Troll Fur Sock if he would take up my mantle after me, and he agreed to; then, at two hours to midnight, he told me he'd rather not. You were partying at the time and I didn't want to disturb you. I'm sorry you've had greatness thrust upon you in this way, but I really do think it's for the good of the fortress. If you think you can't handle it, you can ask someone else to do it, though I'd prefer you run your choice by me first.

Here is the gist of the matter. Your jobs are threefold. Expand the magmaworks, if possible. Keep the fortress running and expansive. And, above all, for god's sake, man, protect us from the second coming of Urist McDuck. The future of Moltenchannels rests on your shoulder.

-Udib Wastedlabor

I read the memo two, then three times, considering turning over the job to someone else...but...

"No," I said. "I will lead Moltenchannels to a new and glorious future..."

And I'm going to. Right here, and right now.

First on my list: Bedrooms. Also, apparently, we have all of eight drinks. Magma is important, but right now I'm going to work on rectifying the food and housing situation. Moreover, I note that absolutely nobody is keeping the books, and so we have absolutely no real idea what we actually do have.

27th Granite: Mosus, the guard, has been taken by a fey mood. Let's see what he makes...

In the meantime, I've assigned TrollFurSock to mine. We desperately need better food facilities.

4th Slate: Mosus finished today. It was a millstone named Sunkmanor, worth only D$2.400. Whoopedy-do.

20th Slate:

(http://i.imgur.com/ySoVk4a.png)

We have congratulated her on this achievement. She has named the child Logem Booktatooed. May he grow into a strong citizen of the fortress.

12th Felsite: The elven caravan has arrived.

A quick search of the fortress stocks reveals that we have nearly nothing tradeable not made of wood. We will have no choice but to seize their cargo. They may retaliate in a few years, but that won't be my problem.

16th Felsite: I checked with Udib. We seized D$1.675 worth of seeds, booze and fruit. It was regrettable, but necessary. We now have over a hundred booze, enough to last us until the new food quarters are up and running.

24th Felsite: Ingish, the woodcutter, got a few cuts fighting a kobald today. She'll probably be fine, but she was taken to the hospital.

Uh, do we have a hospital?

20th Malachite: Development of lodging and food is going swimmingly. We're swimming in booze. I am now ordering a set of works to ferry magma underneath the forge and smelting room.

21st Malachite: I spoke too soon, having forgotten that we had no well...

(http://i.imgur.com/ammbMdD.png)

I shall order a coffin built in the new lodging quarters and her body lain to rest.

11th Galena: Cutey, the Nurse, has withdrawn from society and claimed a mason's workshop. Let us hope she produces something of value.

This reminds me that I ought to get a power source hooked up somewhere so we can build a millstone; it can be expanded later to meet other needs. I have also ordered one of the miners to dig into the volcano to drain into the lower chamber of the metalworks, barring having spotted a last-minute problem...oh wait, there is one: dacite is not magma-proof. Alunite is, however, and so I've ordered a special set of alunite mechanisms, floodgate and door constructed.

18th Galena: Work on the new magma equipment is underway. Also, Cutey finished her work today: a native copper quern named Griffonspoils the Riddled Sparkles, worth D$8.400.

10th Limestone: I just noticed the humans have completely failed to show up. Oh well. Fingers crossed...

(http://i.imgur.com/hbYaXFx.png)

...

(http://i.imgur.com/ox90Chg.png)

...My wife failed to escape in time.

Alas. I shall never have children.

Alas, alas.

26th Sandstone: We can finally start metalworking. The first task, I think, is to smelt some copper ore, and construct furniture for the newly dug-out dining room. As well, we can make some copper cabinets for the bedrooms.

19th Timber: Smelting of copper is underway. The caravan arrived today; we'll finally have some things to trade them...

5th Moonstone: Damn. Udib became possessed in the middle of negotiating. Now the diplomat has left unhappy...On the bright side, we've bought some bars, booze and anvils.

It is also time to start thinking about my legacy. I have appropriated the aluminum bars that I smelted to be turned into statues for a brand new tomb/dining room/bedroom to forever be a testament to my power and pointless megalomania. We don't have much in the way of good metalworkers, yet, but what we lack in talent can be made up for in ostentatious materials. I have even ordered a gold vein we struck dug out to fund the venture.

10th Opal: Erush, the fishery worker, has given birth to a girl she has christened Ònul Boattome. More importantly, my palatial complex is coming along splendidly.

28th Obsidian: It has been a quiet winter, and my complex is finished; it needs only to be smoothed out and, perhaps, engraved.

Here is the magma level:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/pg5bfYF.png)

Here is my megalomaniac home:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/wm3wJJ8.png)

Here are the lodging quarters, as yet unfilled:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/kiQecRS.png)

Here is the space for the will-be dining room:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/me30EAP.png)

So...I dunno, all in all it was a pretty good year. I didn't get as much done as I should have, I think. I should have expanded lodgings more, actually put in beds, maybe worked with the military a bit.

Next overseer, here's your job.

-Specialize, specialize, specialize. There are dwarves running around with half a dozen skills, none of which really fit them much, and lots of overlap. Go through the dwarves and start sorting them into jobs.

-Clean everything up a bit, there's crap everywhere.

-Expand the metalworks; I bought us some anvils.

-We didn't get any migrants this year, I noticed, so hopefully you will.

-Get the dining room set up (copper furniture was my plan), and some better lodging.

-Maybe wrangle with the military a bit?

-Don't fuck with the shrine to me.

Save is here. (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7330) Have Fun!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 20, 2013, 09:37:35 pm

Do I sense some queue jumping here? Actually I'm just glad things are moving along. Strike the Earth, swiftly, and with regular updates and uncorrupted save files.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 20, 2013, 09:38:41 pm

Quote from: dhokarena56 on January 20, 2013, 09:28:23 pm

I asked Troll Fur Sock if he would take up my mantle after me, and he agreed to; then, at two hours to midnight, he told me he'd rather not.

I see what you did there...
And, actually, "she".

Update right after start of a new turn? Damn, get me some of that coca tea. I didn't have enough enthusiasm to start before... err... third day in a week... mon.. satur... free...
Ffff. You know. The middle one.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 20, 2013, 10:12:42 pm

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 20, 2013, 09:38:41 pm

Quote from: dhokarena56 on January 20, 2013, 09:28:23 pm

I asked Troll Fur Sock if he would take up my mantle after me, and he agreed to; then, at two hours to midnight, he told me he'd rather not.

I see what you did there...
And, actually, "she".

Update right after start of a new turn? Damn, get me some of that coca tea. I didn't have enough enthusiasm to start before... err... third day in a week... mon.. satur... free...
Ffff. You know. The middle one.

It's actually not as potent as I had hoped it might be- slightly stronger than caffeine, maybe. This is a sign, of course, that I just need to brew it stronger.

I'm finished, by the way, next person can take the third year.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 21, 2013, 03:17:58 am

notquitethere next

PS. Udib created The Bulbous Portal (☼3600), a dacite grate. On it there's an image of trillion cut gems in dacite and an image of grime brutes in mule bone.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 21, 2013, 04:21:59 am

On the first of Granite Nurse Cutey peeled herself off the cold dacite floor, wiped the sleep-dribble from her cheek, and prepared to get a good day's idling in before it was booze o'clock again.

"Nae so fast, lassie," slurred this year's overlord, Sebastian Flyte. "We picked yer name oot the hat last night and yer the new overlord."

"Aye, is that so?" replied Cutey, her legs akimbo and one eyebrow raised.

"Aye!" said the twenty or so other dwarves of the fort, stumbling into the corridor where she had collapsed after another hazily-recollected New Year's celebration.

"Och, if tha's the case then I gots some change fer yers!" Cutey retorted, straightening up as much as her portly frame could manage.

"First," she said, enumerating on her finger, "it's Overlass on account of me being a lass, ye ken?"

The other dwarves nodded. Seemed reasonable enough.

"Second," she continued, "we're no going to grovel underground fer much longer! By year's end we'll have a bonnie wee fortress or my name's not Cutey Boltnourish!"

With this inspiring speech, or at least, as inspiring as one can be with still a little sleep-dribble on one's chin, she drafted the lot of them into the hallowed profession of masonry and work got started on the first four towers...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 21, 2013, 12:11:09 pm

Was a month or so later and Cutey stood on half a hastily constructed tower, staring out at the vast opening to the volcano.

"Och, I could do something with that..." she mused. Suddenly something caught her attention from the otherside of the volcano.

"Wazzat?" she said, squinting through the midday ash clouds.

Udib, the priest, appeared at her shoulder. Cutey was very religious, worshipping two gods just to be on the safe side and was always pleased to see the priest.

"Supplicants," he said, licking his lips, his eyes involuntarily flicking to the chasm of the volcano.

"And they've brought cats!" shouted Troll, from behind his shoulder, pure wickedness spread across her face.

Peering closer, Cutey saw that it was a long line of new settlers, migrants from the mountain homes who heard to tell of the great volcano fortress.

"It's a bunch of mannies and wifeys and wee bairns!" she said, rolling up her sleeves with resolute purpose. "Och, then it's time tae build a hospital!"

And so in the newly laid ground floor of the northeast tower, then installed a hospital. They were fortunate that elves arrived at that time: all the dwarves took the cloth straight from their packs as they unloaded.

"What, pray tell, is the meaning of all this?" asked one of the elven merchants.

"It's fer the hospital! Ye wouldnae begrudge a few strips o' cloth fer the poorly babbies?" said Cutey wagging her finger.

"For a hospital, you say?" said the merchant, "Goodness! By all means take the whole stock!" And so they did, without paying, but the elves didn't mind one bit.

(http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/5047/hospitalx.png)

Sebastian sidled up to Cutey as she sat watching the bizarre procession of clothbearers head towards her new hospital.

"Uh, are you actually going do some trading? You're the broker."

"Nae, laddy! I'm the Overlass and I'll dee what I damn well please!" With that she continued to idle, despite the fact that there was clearly legitimate trading to be done.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 21, 2013, 03:43:33 pm

It will have to become a tradition to keep stealing from and/or killing the elf caravans until they send an army.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 21, 2013, 03:48:52 pm

The funny thing is- I didn't seize the goods, and they still traded with me afterwards: there seems to be a bug wherein dwarves will stock a hospital without any regard for who actually owns the cloth...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 21, 2013, 03:59:04 pm

Later that summer, keas, keas everywhere. Keas down the well, keas in your hair, dead keas in the hospital beds.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(A little bit later)(http://imageshack.us/a/img826/7748/keaskatskaos.png)

Cutey was overlassing the construction of her generously appointed bedroom above the hospital ward when seven keas flew in through an extant hole in the ceiling and up through the stairwell where the peasants were trying to install a new gold floor hatch.

"Och! This has tae stop!" she cried in exasperation. "Waily, waily, waily! What could they be after?"

Troll Sock popped her head up the hatch, "Cats!" she shouted before ducking back down.

"Nae, that cannae be it," she said, scratching her head as three more keas flew up from the hospital.

The new mayor, some migrant take-over was sitting on a bed nearby, looking glum.

"Why do I have to share my fabulous room with you?"

It was true: Cutey had set her bed next to the mayor's, to keep an eye on the meddling sod.

Suddenly, four more kea flew by, with The Kinhunter in tow. The Kinhunter, Urist McBadass, had murdered over five hundred animal people in the Swamp of Decency. He had explained that animal people never wore any clothes and their indecency was making a mockery of the swamp.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img29/4035/decency.png)

"Urist! Wae ye doing?" asked Cutey, shaking another kea out of her left peahen leather sock.

He looked hard at Cutey.

"Has anyone ever told you look a bit like a fat hamster?" he asked.

Cutey batted her eyelids. "Och, that's mighty sweet of yer to say!"

"I hate hamsters." he said, his eyes narrowing.

Just then a piece of cloth fluttered down from the beak of another kea. Of course! That's what they were after: the bottomless stockpiles of cloth stolen from the elves!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 21, 2013, 05:24:29 pm

Why can't I write like this... Damn you, school. I want more education in archaic english ;_;

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 21, 2013, 06:56:56 pm

Mmh, did we ever replace our poor dead woodcutter?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 21, 2013, 08:46:45 pm

I just imagine everything in a dodgy Scottish accent, if that's any help Troll. I drafted in some woodcutters from the migrants- with a second wave this year the fort's up to 60 something now.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 21, 2013, 10:31:04 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on January 21, 2013, 08:46:45 pm

I just imagine everything in a dodgy Scottish accent, if that's any help Troll. I drafted in some woodcutters from the migrants- with a second wave this year the fort's up to 60 something now.

Excellent. Done anything with housing? Or just general...declutter?

Also, I just realized that some of the first deaths in both Ardentdikes and Moltenchannels were woodcutters laying in bed with their wounds and dying of thirst. This is, I believe, a good sign.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 21, 2013, 11:10:07 pm

505 other kills? Nuoh my god, McBadass is gonna last for quite awhile

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 22, 2013, 06:41:25 am

Urist McBadass before joining Moltenchannels:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/djF8p3U.jpg)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 22, 2013, 09:40:31 pm

After the incident wherein many keas were slaughtered for the good of the fort, there were wails and crys from where wee Ast was stropping about in a craftworkshop.

"Quit yer whining!" demanded Cutey, putting her furry-down foot firmly down, suffering no fools gladly.

"I NEED BOOOOOOOONES!" the child insisted glumly.

"Bones? Wae yer want bones fer?" asked Cutey, her high eyebrows arched in suspicion.

The child was a skinny little oik, rake thin and wild haired.

"It's a secret." The child insisted in a low whisper.

"Och, well if yer going te be like that, why'd you dinnae fetch bones yerself?"

"I'm not allowed," the child sulked. And it was true enough, to minimise kidnapping, guards had been placed on the bridges and all children confined to set placed underground. This hadn't stopped one of the planter's babies being kidnapped just the month gone.

"Aye, well dinnae tell yer folks," said Cutey conspiratorially, "or the mayor neither but I says ye can go and tha's good enough."

The child immediately darted off and within the month he came back with a vicious spear made from reindeer bone, the sort of spear that one day legends would be written about.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 22, 2013, 10:13:00 pm

Cutey had other matters on her mind. Seeing the constant goblin thieves as a precursor to some greater threat she set in motion a daring scheme that would involve drafting half the fort into being miners, and this was no mean feat as they were already 70 strong.

It was to be a great moat. But not just any moat, oh no no. She knew well enough that some foes can swim through water.

"Wa's the hardest things to swim through?" she asked Udib one fine sunny morning while unicorns frolicked on the lawn.

"Uh- rock?" he replied, cautiously.

"Aye, and wa's the worst kinda rock?"

At this point Troll Sock popped up from nowhere, and with a maniacal laugh shouted, "Magma!"

"Och, tha's right lassie," said Cutey gazing out at the chasm of the volcano.

Soon they had a moat digging well underway, and some human guildsman hanging around, following the mayor everywhere. He'd already broken several bones by insisting on getting in the way when there was mining to be done. He was still there when the dwarven caravans arrived, bringing with them a goblin ambush!

Cutey panicked and had everyone bunker inside, and the drawbridges raised. Unfortunately, for the human guildsman who happened to be on a bridge at the time. He went home later with both legs broken.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://imageshack.us/a/img32/2707/siegeunderway.png

Fortunately, no one died. Well, no one they cared about- the dwarven merchants masterfully dealing with the goblins and leaving a full compliment of goods for plundering afterwards.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://imageshack.us/a/img15/4360/betterthanexpected.png

Summer turned to Autumn and Autumn turned to Winter and at last the moat was dug, the bedroom and dining room laid out and all that needed doing was pulling a switch, and slowly but surely the moat filled with magma.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img834/3196/themoat.png)

"Och, it's been a fine year of overlassing t'be sure," said Cutey as she knocked back a swamp brew in the crowded copper dining hall. She had arranged a meeting with the previous two overseers, Udib and Sebastian, as well as Troll the presumed next overseer and McBadass, the military representative. Everyone else of note was also there, but were more interested in booze, as is proper for dwarves.

"So what does wee Trollie have te look forward to then lads?" asked Cutey of the others.

"The fortress towers grow taller each day," says Udib, hinting that perhaps more above-ground expansion would be fitting.

"There's parakeetmen flying above the volcano where we cannae catch 'em!" says Mcbadass woefully.

A grim look crosses Sebastian's face, "We've just found a miner dead."

"Aye, and what of it?" said Cutey, nonplussed. While every safety precaution was taken, two miners still died in the digging of the moat, and a husband driven insane with grief. No one too important though.

Sebastian gulped and continued, "The miner was drained completely of their blood..."

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 22, 2013, 10:13:17 pm

Dear god. What was it called?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 22, 2013, 10:29:03 pm

The spear is called Quakecats- and the eight year old that carved it saw fit to depict rat weed along its shaft.

Here is the save game: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7333

Advice:
Find out who the vampire is and throw them in the moat
Get ready for a siege- year four is a good time for them to come
Maybe start work on a keep or expand the towers- perhaps put in some wall-top fortifications?
Enjoy!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 22, 2013, 11:18:19 pm

Sweet, siege time. Ill boot up the save tomorrow and start out with improvements on our defenses and military

Also, I got a pretty good idea what I wanna do with Moltenchannels' useless dwarves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 23, 2013, 04:14:58 am

Holy carps, so many empty storage rooms.

The central staircase in Level 3 seems to have downstairs where it should have upstairs.  :-\

Erm...  :-[

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/loveisintheair.png)

Urist McBadass has 10 family members in the fortress. She's the kind that gets upset if she's relieved from duty --I don't want to imagine what will happen if there's a deadly disaster and she loses the people she knows.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 23, 2013, 07:05:51 am

Vampire, eh? Sounds like something to be hung in a cage between the towers.

And elected Mayor.

I wonder if Vampire nobles can mandate blood?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on January 23, 2013, 06:34:34 pm

Actually, that screencap above reminds me something I must ask, what are the deities/gods of the fortress, by and the by?

Anything as awesome as my old favourites, Loli and AC (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/Nerosod-Lakebones%20DF/WTF-ACLoli-worship.jpg)?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 23, 2013, 07:10:41 pm

* Moldath: a male dwarf associated with wealth, jewels, minerals.
* Ilon: a female dwarf associated with fortresses.
* Id Silvergolds the Hollow Echo: a male cave spider associated with mountains, caverns, metals.
* Kodor Dawnedbury: a skeletal female dwarf associated with rebirth, death. She received the worship of two dwarf necromancers.
* Dimshas: a female dwarf associated with inspiration.
* èshgor: a male dwarf associated with deformity.
* Enten: a female dwarf associated with games, luck.
* Litast: a female dwarf associated with light.
* Ulthush: a female dwarf associated with lust, depravity.

And then, there's Okang Styledpoem, a female dwarf associated with beauty, art, children, youth, longevity:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/okang.jpg)

I think she cursed twice a dwarf that was already a vampire on 110.  ???

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 23, 2013, 07:35:37 pm

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/loveisintheair.png)
Oh Armok, why...

Also... I love your style of writing. Seriously, you're a genius. And that scottish accent... It perfectly fits dwarves.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

At this point Troll Sock popped up from nowhere, and with a maniacal laugh shouted, "Magma!"
"And they've brought cats!" shouted Troll, from behind his shoulder, pure wickedness spread across her face.
Troll Sock popped her head up the hatch, "Cats!" she shouted before ducking back down.

Looks like I have became the first not-insane insane dorf of this place... oh, wait, I'm just normal dorf. YOU are too human-like.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 23, 2013, 11:17:59 pm

Journal Entry of UristTheGrey, Overseer of Moltenchannels in the year 1084

1st of Granite

The dead kobold is still rotting in halls, the smell has gotten really strong. Just another day at this awful place, nobody ever bothers to do anything. I just wanna get out of here really, really bad. Ive been thinking alot lately, maybe I should just pack up and go home? Really, the only thing stopping me from leaving now is my poor excuse of a husband and my three ungrateful children. As much as I dislike the family Ive helped to create, daddy always told me to watch out for my own flesh and blood. I guess Im stuck here for the time being. Might as well make the most of it, right? Besides, I kinda like my ranking over the other dwarves in the militia. Though I wouldnt mind a bit more rule over the rest of the dwarves..now that I think about it, I hear the Overseer recently gave up duties...maybe I should throw my hat in the ring and try for next Overseer?

2nd of Granite

Well, its official. Im the new Overseer. The mayor neede a bit of persuasion involving his cat, but in the end, it all worked out for the better. Im looking around at this place right now and, wow, these dwarves have no sense of organization. Stockpiles in every corner and to make it worse, these dwarves arent doing jack. Theyve been ordered to do so many things, they say they dont know where to start. Thats no excuse. I dont like laziness and these dwarves are oozing with it. I think I can get them to work though. Ill let them decide what they wanna do, take a dip in our magma moat or contribute to this fort? I hope theyre smart with their decision.

10th of Granite

Food stocks are dropping fast. These dwarves need to stop eating so damn much. Well we do have a tamed emu. Ill call butcher, I think itll make a pretty good dinner for my family. The other dwarves might have to wait a few days to get some food, but at least they're gonna eat

23rd of Granite

Migrants have arrived. We can sure use some of the amazing skills they have. Just kidding, Ive never seen a more useless bunch in my entire life. This is awful, 22 fishery workers and cheese makers in the wave of migrants. There has to be something they can do..either way, this fort is really rising in population

11th of Slate

I saw Urist McBadass in a spar today. Really impressive. Maybe McBadass can help me with my duties? If I could get that dwarf to listen to me....

-----------------------------

Well thats my update today, really nothing too eventful but I expect to see a siege real soon. No sign of a vampire yet.

Also, are we still brutally murdering the elf merchants?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 24, 2013, 05:41:13 am

I think the consensus was that the mayor is a vampire and I actually successfully traded with the elves even after the bizarre hospital supply incident (the hospital is overstocked in cloth at least to a power of ten)- the humans went off in a huff after I bartered too much and the dwarves turned around when I closed the gates. You're of course free to set your own diplomatic program...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 25, 2013, 07:51:21 am

Quote from: notquitethere on January 24, 2013, 05:41:13 am

I think the consensus was that the mayor is a vampire and I actually successfully traded with the elves even after the bizarre hospital supply incident (the hospital is overstocked in cloth at least to a power of ten)- the humans went off in a huff after I bartered too much and the dwarves turned around when I closed the gates. You're of course free to set your own diplomatic program...

Wait, what makes you think the mayor is a vampire?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 26, 2013, 12:02:42 pm

Sorry about that 2 day hiatus, havent much time for DF but Ill try to finish up my turn soon

---------------------------------------

Journal Entry of UristTheGrey, Overseer of Moltenchannels in the year 1084

11th of Felsite

Food and drinks are at an all-time low. So is food consumption. I tried to get these dwarves to stop eating but nothing is working. Ive forbidden a nice barrel of food for myself later today, Im certainly looking forward to dinner. Ive butchered many of our animals to prevent starvation but if something doesnt happen, I fear theres a chance I might get hungry. Other than that, things have been really uneventful. There isnt much to do so I sent the miners to go dig some more. You can never stop digging some more.

17th of Felsite

The elves have arrived.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/646/elfz.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/208/elfz.png/)

Moltenchannels hasnt been doing so good when it comes to trading, and we are really low on food..plus I really dont want blood on our trade depot. We've got no choice but to trade. I hear they brought a nice assortment of exotic animals, including a giant ocelot. That would look great on our front porch. I want it. Our animal trainer isnt the best so this might be our only chance to get a tamed exotic creature here. Im watching them as they walk towards they fortress, wow these elves are so slow...wait a minute..on the horizon..oh no, dont tell me..

GOBLINS?!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8873/gobbiq.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/15/gobbiq.png/)

What could Moltenchannels possibly have that they want? I-I never thought about the possibility of goblins visiting our fortress..OH ARMOK WHAT SHOULD I DO!?

Urist McGuard: "Sir, goblins! What are your orders?"

UristTheGrey: "..."I knew I should of left when I had the chance. Curse this foul fortress..we dont stand a chance, I need to get out of here before they take my life!

Urist McGuard:"SIR!"

UristTheGrey: "...oh, uh..meet them head on! S-show them we arent afraid!

Urst McGuard: "But sir, we have a magma moat and drawbridge! We dont need to risk confrontation!"

UristTheGrey: "JUST DO IT!"

Urist McGuard: "Y-yes sir!"

Hes gone. Thank Armok..now I must go..

All this yelling and shouting. Im almost free. I wonder how the battle is going? *looks back* I can see the fight from here. I can see dwarves being cut down..Urist McBadass is there too. Looks like he became an Axe Lord, but hes surrounded. I know hes a big part of this fort, and if he is cut down the fort will fall with him..Damn! I need to go help! Oh Armok forgive me for what Ive done! If I die here then so be it, at least give me the strength to bring a few of those bastards with me!

Lets go

Hang in there McBadass..

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/1652/mcbd.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/835/mcbd.png/)

I see a someone! He seems to be running away, his hand..its gone!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/1554/magd.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/255/magd.png/)

And he still bravely fights back! What a tough dwarf, he doesnt deserve to die like that! Im almost in range, I can help him!

----------------------------------

Sorry about the bad quality in pics, Im still a bit new at this

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 26, 2013, 12:40:52 pm

Oh great. Now we'll see if McBadass lives up to her fame. :P

Is she even wearing full armor? In the save she only had a shield and a breastplate.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 26, 2013, 01:06:52 pm

Journal Entry of UristTheGrey, Overseer of Moltenchannels in the year 1084

Theyre gonna get him, Ive only got one shot..Yes! Ive scared them off with a warning shot! It looks like theyre running in the other direction! Where has the dwarf run off to? He needs medical attention! I hope he knows his way back..now I need to help McBadass! She is single-handedly fending off the siege, what little help I can offer I must give. How will others remember me? As the worst overseer Moltenchannels will ever see? Or as the hero who saved Moltenchannels and its only saving grace, McBadass?

Wait, I think he did it! Hes destroyed the army! Now theyve all run off! We've done it! No..Hes done it!

Dwarf: "Praise be to Urist Mcbadass, Sealspines the Skewered Basis of Beards!"

What a fitting title for that dwarf..I must go and meet her..Hm? A scout is heading my way

Urist McLookout: "S-sir! UNDEAD! In the south! No sign of the necromancer, but we have multiple reports of corpses raising back to life! ..Ive seen the dead myself..I saw an undead dwarf murder a defenseless kitten..They're heading towards the fort! What do we do!?"

UristTheGrey: Undead? NOW!?"...Dwarf, head back to the Moltenchannels and call everyone inside."

Urist McLookout: "What about you, sir?"

UristTheGrey: "I need to warn the others! Wait for us to return before raising the drawbridges! Now hurry!"

...

UristTheGrey: "Enough celebration, undead to the south! We need to return back to the fortress! Hurry, they must be near the entrance by now!..

Come quickly!" Wait, I see something..near the drawbridge..what is that!?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/2576/zombi.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/203/zombi.png/)

"Dwarves...we must fight!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/73/badwm.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/145/badwm.png/)

McBadass is hurt! Shes out cold! The beast is slain but McBadass is unresponsive! Another Undead is on its way, stand your ground!
..
Theres too many! We need to retreat! Everyone across the bridge!

Sir, what about McBadass!?

We've got no choice, leave her..maybe they wont see her body..

---------------------------

Sorry to disappoint, but the zombie yak bull did a number on her..Shes wearing a breastplate and shield, but I was in the process of making more steel equipment before the siege came along

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 26, 2013, 01:20:30 pm

Im gonna take a little food break and Ill be back to finish my turn. Still a little bummed out about McBadass

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 26, 2013, 01:43:58 pm

I forsee many engravings of the Skewered Basis of Beards in the near future.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 26, 2013, 05:25:37 pm

What a cunning necromancer, following the goblins and waiting for McBadass to provide the fodder for the undead army. :o

No shame in her death. A life hunting beasts is not the same as facing single handed the combined the forces of evil. At least she died as a Axe Lady hero. :-\

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 26, 2013, 06:16:55 pm

Hope you guys dont think I was eating that whole time, some stuff came up. Anyways...
---------------------------------------

Journal Entry of UristTheGrey, Overseer of Moltenchannels in the year 1084

Summer now. Undead have breached our 1st security level and now the second set of drawbridges has been raised. We're just trying to hold out but I dont think we can because of the food. Food stocks are very low and we wont last very long holed up in here. We must fight.

Urist McBadass is gone. A donkey skeleton found her unconcious body and murdered her on the spot. McBadass WILL be avenged

Our crippled military is preparing for war. I can see it on their faces. Fear. Panic. They know this is our last chance. We cant run now.

..

We've cleared out the 1st level of undead. There are still many undead to the southeast but..

Urist McLookout: "Sir, We caught her! Trying to sneak in through the back!"

Her?...Yes. We did it. We caught the necromancer responsible for all this. Ill send her to a quarantined area where we will decide what to do with her. In the meantime we must clear the area of undead. Now where is that donkey? What? Oh no..Saint has been murdered...by the very same donkey that claimed McBadass' life! Something meaner always seems to come along..

We've caught the bloodthirsty donkey along with its necromancer master. What to do with them?

15th of Hematite

The Undead are all completely disposed of save for our caged prisoners. We lost alot of good dwarves..now I need to repair our military. Only 5 military dwarves survived the attack, 2 in critical condition. And to make it worst, the elves got away and we dont have much food left. Dark days are ahead for Moltenchannels

1st of Malachite

Things are slowly improving. Food stocks are steadily rising but still very low. Migrants arrived. I got my hopes up to high, more useless dwarves. Since our military is in shambles, Ive created another squad of dwarves. A gladiator squad. Migrants with nothing to contribute are assigned to this squad to train 24/7. Since their is so much goblinite laying around, this gladiator squad will use whatever weapon and armor it can pick up. Each dwarf will fight to the death in frequent battles against whatever caged creatures we find. Once a dwarf has gotten 5 notable kills, the dwarf can join the real military and aid in its battle to defend Moltenchannels. The rankings are as follows : gladiator trainee > gladiator pro (once 2 notable kills are reached) > gladiator master (4 kills) > military ranking (5 kills)

This is my attempt at rebuilding the military. Only the strong will survive. A gladiator arena is already being built.

We had one notable dwarf in the migrant bunch. A marksdwarf with over 250 kills in the wild. Reminds me a little of McBadass..

11th of Galena

Still just trying to survive..There'll come a day when this fort will begin to prosper. Today doesnt seem to be the day.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/9026/30658763.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/248/30658763.png/)

Another undead siege, this one dwarfing the size of the last

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/2249/56590321.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/834/56590321.png/)

The time is coming, will Moltenchannels fall? All the ones Moltenchannels taught me to love..my family, my militia..we must stand our ground. Completely surrounded. 100 undead. We wont survive. Not unless we harness the magma, but since security has been breached, we need to get a bit creative..The rest of our time must be spent underground

Wait..OH ARMOK

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/8552/29664539.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/37/29664539.png/)

Moltenchannels truly is cursed!

-----------------------------------------

Sooo  ::), we're in a real mess here. 4 sieges in two seasons. I think we can get out of here, but its gonna take quite a bit of work. Probably into the next overseer. And we have no way to get to the magma so we have to go to it from underground. We cant build any properly placed windmills because of all the undead so should we just try and hold out? Im open to ideas, this is pretty bad

Also all the goblins are riding giant toads so this will be fun to watch

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 26, 2013, 06:41:02 pm

Surely you have a way to flood the countryside with magma? Y'might even think about installing a magma piston; it can't really be reused, but as a one-off method to release vast amounts of the stuff at once, it can't be beat.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 26, 2013, 06:45:13 pm

There isnt a magma flooding device built, so I guess I have to make one nyself. Ive never used pumps or a magma piston. Ever. Well I suppose if there was ever a time to learn, it would be now

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 26, 2013, 07:02:04 pm

Quote from: UristTheGrey on January 26, 2013, 06:45:13 pm

There isnt a magma flooding device built, so I guess I have to make one nyself. Ive never used pumps or a magma piston. Ever. Well I suppose if there was ever a time to learn fail magnificently, it would be now

FTFY

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 26, 2013, 07:24:55 pm

Being more cautious I would have just weathered the seige, diverting more dwarves into agriculture and butchering some of the endless supply of cats. But your way probably makes for a better story!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 26, 2013, 07:45:26 pm

Glass terrarium cage traps. Gotta catch 'em all.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 26, 2013, 08:57:57 pm

Ok, this magma thing has me beat. I think Ima just wait it out and turn the fort into an underground one. Reclaiming the surface is a job for a more competent overseer

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on January 27, 2013, 04:46:57 am

Quote from: UristTheGrey on January 26, 2013, 08:57:57 pm

Ok, this magma thing has me beat. I think Ima just wait it out and turn the fort into an underground one. Reclaiming the surface is a job for a more competent overseer

Looks at this. Looks at turnlist.

Oh Whoopiesnippycabbages.

As an aside, if my turn is next, chances are I won't be able to get much done until next wednesday at the earliest; I've got a full work schedule sadly. But, Urist has a couple days left at the moment, right?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 27, 2013, 08:35:50 am

It's only three more years before McDuck has a go. We can hold out that long, right? Right?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 27, 2013, 09:30:17 am

So, is this the fall of Moltenchannels? Or we only hide underground to train, train the ones that have survived, and finally unlock the gates, unleashing our army of legendary, berserker biters?
I can't wait to see myself beating gobbos to death with bin full of mechanisms.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 27, 2013, 09:37:04 am

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 27, 2013, 09:30:17 am

So, is this the fall of Moltenchannels? Or we only hide underground to train, train the ones that have survived, and finally unlock the gates, unleashing our army of legendary, berserker biters?
I can't wait to see myself beating gobbos to death with bin full of mechanisms.

Oh, it's far from the fall. We can solve indefinitely underground, of course, the question is simply whether or not we can defeat the forces aboveground before we start getting bored with getting stuck under there.

I'd actually recommend flooding the countryside with water, if it can be pulled off, since it will freeze, and although any creatures on the tile will die, their stuff will still be there and can be gathered when chipped out (or when spring comes and the ice thaws.) Since the river refills much faster than the volcano, and once the ice thaws the flooding problem will take care of itself within a month or so as the water flows away, water's probably a much better choice for mass flooding than magma is. And you certainly can build a gigantic water piston that works the same way as a magma piston.

(Dear god, I have just proposed flooding the entire map with water and turning it into an ice cap. There's so very many things that could go wrong with that. But surely, if we must have a megaproject to match Ardentdikes' fire, why not use ice?)

Probably it's too late to install one now, but the next overseer could try.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 27, 2013, 10:07:29 am

I don't think we have ice in winter there.

Actually, we don't have a river either.

This isn't an evil biome, so corpses won't be reanimating all the time. If the invaders don't defeat the undead, they can be taken out from the walls with crossbows.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 27, 2013, 10:23:01 am

Clearly I was thinking of some other fort. Dammit, because that would have been an awesome sight to behold. Carry on, carry on.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 27, 2013, 07:27:37 pm

*knows opening to term as overseer*

And so begins the third attempt to reclaim Moltenchannels.... :D

Actually if the problem hasn't been solved by my turn, I have a cunning plan. I think.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 29, 2013, 05:45:52 am

We can employ the prisoner necromancer at the archery range. Just drop a few duck corpses in their line of sight. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 29, 2013, 02:11:41 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on January 29, 2013, 05:45:52 am

We can employ the prisoner necromancer at the archery range. Just drop a few duck corpses in their line of sight. :P

I think what we should probably do is weaponize the necromancer; put him in an enclosure, but an enclosure where you can let him out during a siege to raise the dead against the fortress enemies, then get him back inside when that's all finished (and to make sure that you just succeed in killing goblins, not turning an alive goblin army into an undead one).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on January 29, 2013, 08:23:47 pm

Ill take an overseers spot if they are still being given out

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 29, 2013, 08:59:24 pm

Journal Entry of UristTheGrey, Overseer of Moltenchannels in the year 1084

Undead. Goblins. Moltenchannels is surrounded by both these creatures.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/8807/toa.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/703/toa.png/)

The two forces clash.

..

The goblins drove off 2 necromancers. If only the necros were killed, they WILL be back. And there is still a third necro hiding out there. Besides that, there is still an enormous amount of undead. I wonder if the goblins can pull it off, though their forces are dropping.

Another pair of necromancers are hiding out there. Theres definantly multiple necromancers hiding out there in the wild. The goblins have w retreated, and there are still a hundred undead. I see no possible solution to this problem...we must hide underground..hm? Great, a dwarf was found drained of his blood. It seems we arent going underground alone.

12th of Sandstone

All attempts at reclaiming the surface have failed. We're attempting to colonize the underground caverns, but its a very slow process. So much to bring down. I dont like it here. Its so cold, and theres fungus growing on every wall. And I see lots of web. And no giant cave spider to go with it. Its all too eerie. Food stocks are still low, but I think we could hold out until the end of the year. The miners have been sent to explore the caverns, various creatures have already been spotted

17th of Sandstone

Things are so uneventful here. There is nothing to do but move around furniture. I hope something happens soon or else I fear I might go mad..And why is this miner in such a rush?

Urist McMiner: We've found something, ya better come and see fer yer self

Finally! Something to do!

..A tribe of swallowmen.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/8920/blowp.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/688/blowp.png/)

 And I see a nice pile of food to go with it. Meat. Its been so long since Ive had a bite of some..my mouth is aching. Ill send in the militia.

17th of Timber

Just trying to pass the time. There hasnt been much to do and with those things walking around up there, I dont think Ill ever get a chance to leave. At this point, the entire goblin army from last season has arisen as undead. Nearly 300 corpses there now. Only, if by some miracle, we received some help from the capital. I doubt anyone knows of our situation..Armok send some reinforcements. Hm, that horn..Can it be!?

Goblins! Thank You Armok, Ill take whatever help we can get! And it looks like the goblins really mean it this time..

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/7708/genn.png)[/URL (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/580/genn.png/)

Their general! A female human! It looks like she doesnt have any weapon on her, but Im sure she must be SOME kind of strategist. They might be able to pull this off! The undead might finally be destroyed!

...

The human general retreated at the first sign of danger. The goblins halved the amount of undead on the surface and it looks like the dead wont be coming back. Maybe the necromancers took off? Either way, this is a big help

9th of Opal

Another dwarf found drained of his blood. This time, our trader. Its gonna take awhile to train a dwarf to be as good as the trader we lost today. The next victim can be anybody in this fortress, that includes me. We need to find this dwarf, and fast

-------------------------------------

Ive already hit mid-winter. Im off to school right now, but Ill try and finish up the term late tonight. If not tonight, the latest will be tomorrow night

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 30, 2013, 12:11:34 pm

Quote from: UristTheGrey on January 29, 2013, 08:59:24 pm

The human general retreated at the first sign of danger.

I guess that's why she was called Heavyterror. Just a little misunderstanding when she was appointed as general.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieges, Undead AND Vampires (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 30, 2013, 12:32:20 pm

I'm sad to learn that the dwarves have moved underground. I'm an above-ground purist (plus I spent ages individually assigning beds).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieges, Undead AND Vampires (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 30, 2013, 12:44:26 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on January 30, 2013, 12:32:20 pm

I'm sad to learn that the dwarves have moved underground. I'm an above-ground purist (plus I spent ages individually assigning beds).

Well, not all the dwarves. The majority of them still sleep upstairs but I pretty much just set up a dining room and bedrooms underground

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieges, Undead AND Vampires (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 30, 2013, 04:09:36 pm

Time to construct some bridge-a-pults and shoot zombies with -mugs-. Or dwarven shotgun filled with bone bolts*.
No, seriously. It's not dorfish to hide underground just because of some sieges. My first thing to do after taking my turn (of course if Moltenchannels will survive...) will be building towers. Many towers. And drafting everyone into military, equipping them with crossbows. With so many corpses outside, they will become legendary in few months...
*And that's how "dart ammo" was invented.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieges, Undead AND Vampires (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 30, 2013, 05:41:44 pm

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on January 30, 2013, 04:09:36 pm

Time to construct some bridge-a-pults and shoot zombies with -mugs-. Or dwarven shotgun filled with bone bolts*.
No, seriously. It's not dorfish to hide underground just because of some sieges. My first thing to do after taking my turn (of course if Moltenchannels will survive...) will be building towers. Many towers. And drafting everyone into military, equipping them with crossbows. With so many corpses outside, they will become legendary in few months...
*And that's how "dart ammo" was invented.

The thing was even though everyone was locked in, the undead would still cancel all the jobs and suspend any construction that I tried above-ground. So the whole above-ground part was full of dwarves running around in fear even though they were completely safe from any attack

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 30, 2013, 05:42:28 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on January 29, 2013, 08:23:47 pm

Ill take an overseers spot if they are still being given out

Added. Also I think I forgot to remove dhokarena56 from the queue when he took the 3rd slot instead.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 30, 2013, 07:40:39 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on January 30, 2013, 05:42:28 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on January 29, 2013, 08:23:47 pm

Ill take an overseers spot if they are still being given out

Added. Also I think I forgot to remove dhokarena56 from the queue when he took the 3rd slot instead.

You've removed me wrongly- I requested after my turn finished to take the next untaken spot in the queue, and you complied- you'd already moved me up when TrollFurSock had to postpone. I'm after DuckThatQuacks.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieges, Undead AND Vampires (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 30, 2013, 10:10:10 pm

Journal Entry of UristTheGrey, Overseer of Moltenchannels in the year 1084

27th of Opal

My term is nearly over. I wish I was able to do more, able to help this place out. But Armok decided to use me differently. I was nothing but a catalyst to Armok. Someone who He could throw countless trials at, someone who would take full blame for Moltenchannels' misfortunes. I guess I should take comfort in the fact that I was the only Overseer Armok saw fit enough to brave these tough times. At least the worst of it is over now, I can spend the rest of my years training up the militia as best I can. My body may be weary, but I would love to continue training with my men. After all this is over, Im glad I can - What now?

Urist McLookout: "S-SIR! S-something in the caverns!"

UristTheGrey: "What is it? Another troll?"

Urist McLookout: "No, I dont know what IT is!"

It?

UristTheGrey: "Show me the way!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/5360/33494883.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/33494883.png/)

..What is that?! Ive never seen such a creature! And its heading straight for us!..Armok, is this my last test? Will this madness finally end? I dont want to go out here. This creature is standing between me and my retirement plan. I WONT fall here.

..

Its coming. Its huge. We're gonna need all the help we can get so Ive ordered the gladiator squad to join us. We've really got no choice but to fight, Its not like we can leave the fort..

Well, here it comes

..

Amazing.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9505/36746214.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/14/36746214.png/)

For a moment, we were all trapped in web. But one dwarf was able to break free from it. Able to single-handedly slay the beast. A dwarf and his wife, drafted into our gladiator program. A couple with nothing to lose. I dont remember her name, but the girl was the last to fall. I think that was when the tides started to turn. I had looked into his eyes and saw nothing but anger, rage. And what I saw after was something only a lasher master could do. But hes no legendary lasher, just picked up the whip last season. Obok is his name. Unfortuantely, the dwarf went mad after the battle. Still the thing this dwarf accomplished will be talked about for years

12th of Opal

Yet another goblin siege. This one more impressive than the last, but no general or giant toads to go with them. Still with these numbers, I think this last siege might be able to wipe out the undead

..

Well its all over. The undead have been wiped out. But now we face another problem, goblins. Nearly 100 goblins litter the surface, now I kinda wish the undead were back

-----------------

Well that marks the end of my term, Ill upload the save in a bit

The place is a mess right now so the next overseer is really gonna have his hands full. Expect multiple attacks every season. They'll be coming.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieges, Undead AND Vampires (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 30, 2013, 10:19:37 pm

I was having trouble with the save but I got it to work

http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7357

There it is, enjoy

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieges, Undead AND Vampires (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 30, 2013, 10:51:14 pm

Oh man this is great stuff; we've really got to find more ways to weaponise the only thing the fort has in abundance: magma.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieges, Undead AND Vampires (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 30, 2013, 11:25:39 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on January 30, 2013, 10:51:14 pm

Oh man this is great stuff; we've really got to find more ways to weaponise the only thing the fort has in abundance: magma.

We also have a necromancer that could provide us with some pretty good target dummies

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Rising from the ashes (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 31, 2013, 04:25:39 am

Quote from: dhokarena56 on January 30, 2013, 07:40:39 pm

You've removed me wrongly

Sorry, bad memory.  :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieges, Undead AND Vampires (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on January 31, 2013, 04:32:27 am

Quote from: UristTheGrey on January 30, 2013, 10:19:37 pm

here it is, enjoy

Ok, I've grabbed it, and it seems to work fine.

Good lord... I see what you mean... nearly 90 gobbos surround the fort and I have 12 fighting dwarves. Yikes.

Chances are I shall start tommorow, as I have 9 hours :'( of work today.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - It's just a few hundred enemies (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 31, 2013, 05:59:24 am

Err, I don't think replacing the raws is a good idea. I'm going to upload a save with the raws from a previous one.

Edit: Save (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7359).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - It's just a few hundred enemies (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 31, 2013, 08:26:05 am

Some background on our caged necromancer.

Aban Lashedlulls was one of the first of her kind, worshipper of Sined the Hideous Mucus, a female dwarf associated with deformity.

On year 1, she became queen of The Seal of Hides. On year 2 she escaped an attack by the dusk crone Egngun Tunnelumbra the Dust of Burials (a large one eyed humanoid with two narrow tails that loped quickly along the ground; her eye glowed spring green and her clear skin was waxy). The year 18 she was taught the secrets of life and death by the dwarf necromancer Zulban Staffgrowled in Breachmansion. That same year she became a master of the dwarf necromancer Vabôk Boltjoins. She went on to write many books for Breachmansion, including "Start Your Day With Dying, My Love", "Victory by Goose Leather", "Could It Be Pine?", "Traditional Storage", "Can Aban Lashedlulls Save The World?" and "The World Without The Dwarves And Other Travesties".

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - It's just a few hundred enemies (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 31, 2013, 09:46:21 am

In our artifacts list, it says we own one of the necro books. Too bad we cant use it

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 31, 2013, 12:41:10 pm

 :o TIL necromancers can bring books to forts.

I like how our unbreachable magma moat has, in fact, four breaches. Who's the dwarf that thought piercing four ponds was a good idea? This is why we need dikes. Dikes > Moats.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on January 31, 2013, 05:19:51 pm

Gah, we have less than 20 prepared meals and only one kitchen? Madness!

Anyway, for tonight I just looked around and set a few plans into motion. Will provide screencaps tommorow.

Can't see an easy way to put an effective waterfall/mist generator into place. Considered the murky pool to the north-east of the fort as the source but such an endevour will require alot of pumping and quite a long winded setup... and placing it in an effective area is also going to be tricky if I try it... the only place I can see would be the central shaft stairs since our dining halls are so far removed.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on January 31, 2013, 06:22:23 pm

Quote from: eharper256 on January 31, 2013, 05:19:51 pm

Gah, we have less than 20 prepared meals and only one kitchen? Madness!

Anyway, for tonight I just looked around and set a few plans into motion. Will provide screencaps tommorow.

Can't see an easy way to put an effective waterfall/mist generator into place. Considered the murky pool to the north-east of the fort as the source but such an endevour will require alot of pumping and quite a long winded setup... and placing it in an effective area is also going to be tricky if I try it... the only place I can see would be the central shaft stairs since our dining halls are so far removed.

And how do you plan on getting rid of the goblins? Theres a bunch of crossbow users on the surface, I doubt they'll let you do much

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 31, 2013, 07:20:28 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on January 31, 2013, 12:41:10 pm

:o TIL necromancers can bring books to forts.

I like how our unbreachable magma moat has, in fact, four breaches. Who's the dwarf that thought piercing four ponds was a good idea? This is why we need dikes. Dikes > Moats.

Uh, on the bright side, we've got a renewable supply of obsidian now!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on January 31, 2013, 09:37:12 pm

I'd recommend using minecarts. We can carve fortifications into the walls, and then build/carve minecart paths right next to them. We have magma, and if we have sand, which I'm fairly sure we do, we can churn out lots and lots of green glass disks and quite safely launch them at the goblins without ever going outside.

I'd even recommend setting up a system to shower the countryside with weaponry at the start of each season, just as a "safety" precaution. The traders will be safely inside, so what could possibly go wrong?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 01, 2013, 03:44:38 am

Quote from: UristTheGrey on January 31, 2013, 06:22:23 pm

Quote from: eharper256 on January 31, 2013, 05:19:51 pm

Gah, we have less than 20 prepared meals and only one kitchen? Madness!

Anyway, for tonight I just looked around and set a few plans into motion. Will provide screencaps tommorow.

Can't see an easy way to put an effective waterfall/mist generator into place. Considered the murky pool to the north-east of the fort as the source but such an endevour will require alot of pumping and quite a long winded setup... and placing it in an effective area is also going to be tricky if I try it... the only place I can see would be the central shaft stairs since our dining halls are so far removed.

And how do you plan on getting rid of the goblins? Theres a bunch of crossbow users on the surface, I doubt they'll let you do much

The Murky Pool within our walls. Pond, whatever. I have no idea if its linked to obsidian generation but I have no idea what levers do what anyway. I really wish you could label switches. I see they have waypoints, silly of me not to check that before. Ok, cool.

Also, the water source issue is solved! Some fortunate exploratory mining from the central stairs discovered that we somehow managed to miss the first cavern layer by a couple of inches and our current hall is in the second cavern layer!!

Anyway, theres a freakin' gigantic lake there that I've used as the source.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 01, 2013, 06:20:41 am

Diary of Sauvage, The Tooth Collector

I'm not a learned dwarf. I kill things and keep their teeth to remind me that I'm responsible for their souls. I uphold the law and discipline of a proper military dwarf. So this diary thing that overseers are supposed to keep is going to be terse and to the point. I'm not gonna give you precise dates cause I don't do dates. Go cry me an underground river if you care.

It seems the Goblins are camped outside convinced that they can starve us out. I guess they did us a favour clearing away the undead; and if it makes them feel better to think they have us pinned down, then let them stay. Honestly, nothing is going to come over those walls; though I have to say I was shown the plans for the lava moat and I immediately spotted some issues with it.

I don't know what our previous overseers were doing. This fort is deep and complicated, but often neglects simple tasks and lacks any sort of military discipline. For example, I saw there was no kitchen rota and barely any meals. No dwarf likes to eat raw plump helmet so I told the cooks to get their act together.

Something that still astonishes me to this day is how our fort courtyard is in such disarray. If we lack even the grounds to march dwarves back and forth, how can we ever expect to truly defend ourselves!? We can't always rely on heroes like Urist McAwesome to carry the day and train 'gladiators'; and such a belief is childish at best.

So I woke up our lazy architects and got them to their tables. I told them to plan the courtyard and get it paved within the year. They looked astonished that I was actually ordering them around, but I think my build and my hundreds of teeth hung on my necklace dissuaded them from resisting. The cooks were the same.

Fortunately, throwing my weight around seems to work, and soon some decent plans were produced:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/1-Roads-Add_zps50148957.jpg)

After I finished my extensive tour of the fort, I spoke to our miners. I swore I heard dripping and hollow echoes about halfway down our central stairs, so I got our miners to work. In the meantime, I found it disgraceful that we still had unburied dwarves who had lost their lives in combat. Seriously; its a disgrace to Armok's Hammer. How are they supposed to find their way to the afterlife!?

So I also ordered an excavation of a masoleum to have rows of coffins placed. We have hundreds of unused coffins in storage, so I really wonder what was going through the head of my predecessors.

A couple days later; my thoughts were proved correct as the miners broke through into an entirely different cavern.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/2-Missed-CavernLayer_zpsfc292361.jpg)

With the massive lake in this place; I was struck by an idea. My prior home had an interesting feat of engineering that drew a waterfall into their main hall. It was loved by dwarves everywhere, so I discussed channelling the water from the eerie blue expanse down to the centre of our hall with our engineers. They seemed to think it was actually very promising.

The fortress has its fair share of babbling, semi-coherent dwarves suffering from post-traumatic stress, and when another one was reported, I barely gave it a notice until the next day when it was followed up that this babbling dwarf had snatched away the Magma Forge from another dwarf.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/4-Possession_zps6ca4e5d2.jpg)

One of those. Perhaps he'll make something worthwhile.

Some days later, the tunneling project to allow the lakewater to flow into the hall was finally finished, and I give credit to our engineers for putting it together so swiftly. One insane miner stayed behind and got walled in the passage. He said he lived for the extreme and wanted to ride the water into the hall. I let him carry on. Amazingly, he survived, though ended up as purple as a plump helmet from bruises. Crazy man. In any case, the mist in the hall ought to soothe our angrier society members.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/5-MistGenActive_zps847b07d9.jpg)

Shortly after the waterfalls completion that babbling dwarf finished his project; a shining copper door:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/6-Dreamweaver_zpse5019507.jpg)

I had it installed with our artifact grate into the main hall.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 01, 2013, 11:36:47 pm

As artifacts go, a door isn't a bad one...

I'd like to request a dorfing when convenient...Urist McKiwi, and some sort of soldier when there actually *are* soldiers in the fort. Marksdwarf or hammerdwarf for preference. Either gender's good, horrific death even better.


This fort is already looking to be as fun as original Ardentdikes to read.... if I wasn't just picking up DF2012 after a year away from the game, I'd have a go at a turn myself.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 02, 2013, 02:09:20 pm

Sorry, no updates today, I spent my only hour of spare time playing Widenyo. Once the weekend is over though I should be work-free for a few days.

I'll dwarf you when I get back to DF, McKiwi.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on February 03, 2013, 11:50:23 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 01, 2013, 11:36:47 pm

As artifacts go, a door isn't a bad one...

I'd like to request a dorfing when convenient...Urist McKiwi, and some sort of soldier when there actually *are* soldiers in the fort. Marksdwarf or hammerdwarf for preference. Either gender's good, horrific death even better.


This fort is already looking to be as fun as original Ardentdikes to read.... if I wasn't just picking up DF2012 after a year away from the game, I'd have a go at a turn myself.

Dont worry, its been awhile since I played DF too. And there was alot of FUN on my turn which in my opinion, makes it successful

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 05, 2013, 05:44:09 am

Wow, this thread has died since I started my turn. Anyway, should have an update today.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on February 05, 2013, 07:38:10 am

Looking forward to it!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 05, 2013, 03:02:08 pm

Diary of Sauvage, Tooth Collector

Ah, at last things are looking up. Much of the rest of springtime progressed without issues; and the waterfall continues its operation successfully. It has helped sooth the populace, and the general happiness level has risen somewhat. This was only aided when the goblins, struck by a hard winter's siege with no results, decided to call it quits and packed up to return to their hovels. Pathetic, truly; but nevertheless it has strengthened my position against several naysayers and made them to look as paranoid fools.

Bizzarely enough, our lookouts spotted the elves caravan arriving barely a half-kilometer away from the leaving goblins. Perhaps they used to some sneaky elvish trick to avoid being spotted:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/7-Elves_zpsef5cf11a.jpg)

Nevertheless, as an overseer, I'm glad for their supplies. For one, I'm sick of Dwarven Wine, so I ensured that we picked up all of the liquors they had, some cloth, clay, and a variety of wooden sundries. I got rid of several boxes of worn out clothing, some of our many anvils, and a stack of copper tools, helms and weapons. They left rather satisfied, and that's fine. I for one have never understood the natural bitter enmity some dwarves hold for the pointy-ears. Certainly they have some peculiar ways, but I'm a practical dwarf and I understand that everyone lives differently.

Naturally, as the bridges were lowered, we started the long process of identifying and picking clean the many corpses outside. A grisly job, but I ensured I attended when I could.

In the meantime, further underground farm plots were set up.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/8-FarmsUnder_zpscbe3f008.jpg)
We are disturbingly lacking in crops other than Plump Helmets to plant there, so seeds of Cave Wheat and Sweet Pods will be my first priority from our dwarven liason. How some people can live without a varied diet baffles me.

Some time later, into early summer I was informed of a militia captain going on a rampage. It turns out it was Urist the Grey, and he had to confirm his mothers, spouses and sisters corpses. Why he'd deluded himself they might be alive before when left outside I don't know, but the shock sent him first into a brutal attack against a helpless Turkey wherein he punched and splattered the creatures brains across the main halls, and then he sunk into gibbering madness...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/9-UristsTantrum_zps867674c2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/9-UristsMadness_zps2de1693a.jpg)

I'd like to say something about weakness; but perhaps I can grant some leniancy to a dwarf that's lost his entire family. Even so, as this puts us down yet another good crossbowdwarf, our military looks more pathetic by the day. I let the remainder come off duty for now in rememberance (and to help identify the remainder of the dead).

Though morbid, I have to say I was glad to hear the expansion to the masouleum level had finally been completed...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/10-Masoleum_zps2fc44a32.jpg)
Over 40 coffins have been filled with the extra bodies outside, so the space was needed. A giant mole and a gremlin caused some minor trouble, but were beaten to death by one of our bakers.

Shortly after that, our courtyard's planned addition of proper paving and roads was completed, so to keep people busy, I set more individuals to smooth stone, and assigned them to work in beautification of our underground areas, many of which still like rather rough.

Summer is turning into autumn soon and things are barely, slowly becoming better. But then...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/11-OHCABBAGES_zps1f490bc7.jpg)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 05, 2013, 04:49:44 pm

Quote

Summer is turning into autumn soon and things are barely, slowly becoming better. But then...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/11-OHCABBAGES_zps1f490bc7.jpg)

Quick, beat it to death with a baby!
Edit: Remembered to actually quote. While I've only ever killed one or two FBs, this one looks pretty killable: weak-as-heck material + no "eyes rot out and your armpits spout blood before you melt" type syndrome.
Edited Edit: Remebered I also need IMG tags
Edited Edit to the Edit: Remembered said tags need to work.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on February 05, 2013, 05:59:18 pm

Well thats great  :( The position of Overseer must have taken its toll on her. At least I brought a turkey down with me

Can you name one of my kids UristTheGrey II?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 05, 2013, 07:11:32 pm

Yeah, I can only assume it was the loss of multiple relatives. You were at 'Fine' before then suddenly 'Miserable' shortly after our wave of about 15 "Urist McExample has been found dead" messages that followed the bridges opening and dwarves wandering out to grab goblinite and stuff. Tried posting you next to the waterfall; that stopped McAwesome from tantruming but it had no effect on you. But yeah I'll check your relatives screen and assign a new dorfing. (McKiwi has been done by the way)

The beast should be ok, but I'm worried it has fire-breathing or something; and I'm also concerned whether I can muster in time since everyones off-duty and its not got far through the cavern to come. We shall see.

Also the Mayor has changed twice since the start of my tenure. Annoying that I have to keep handing over the gold bedroom!!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on February 05, 2013, 07:16:05 pm

Quote from: eharper256 on February 05, 2013, 07:11:32 pm

Yeah, I can only assume it was the loss of multiple relatives. You were at 'Fine' before then suddenly 'Miserable' shortly after our wave of about 15 "Urist McExample has been found dead" messages that followed the bridges opening and dwarves wandering out to grab goblinite and stuff. Tried posting you next to the waterfall; that stopped McAwesome from tantruming but it had no effect on you. But yeah I'll check your relatives screen and assign a new dorfing. (McKiwi has been done by the way)

The beast should be ok, but I'm worried it has fire-breathing or something; and I'm also concerned whether I can muster in time since everyones off-duty and its not got far through the cavern to come. We shall see.

Also the Mayor has changed twice since the start of my tenure. Annoying that I have to keep handing over the gold bedroom!!

Any sign of the vampire?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 05, 2013, 09:28:49 pm

Awesome!

You seem to have the same configuration as me, try resizing the df window before taking a screenshot, that draws all the text without black gaps.

We had a flame beast in Ardentdikes. It loved to vaporize the water from our underground lakes.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 06, 2013, 04:36:26 am

Ah, will that help prevent gappage? It only happens with Ironhand's font, and then only on the messages pages and the like. I'll give it a shot later.

No sign of the vampire, though one of the many corpse reports was indeed one drained of all blood.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 06, 2013, 08:35:01 am

Only for one frame. The alternative is to disable TrueType font, but then you get garbled accents.

This is the related bug: http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=5097

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on February 06, 2013, 11:48:13 am

Can we have a shot of the status page? I'd like to see the stocks and number of dwarves left.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 06, 2013, 05:46:06 pm

Quote from: dhokarena56 on February 06, 2013, 11:48:13 am

Can we have a shot of the status page? I'd like to see the stocks and number of dwarves left.

Sure, here you go:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/Status_zps73d44893.jpg)
Meals are back up to a decent standard now, making up most of the miscellaneous total.

As an aside, the forgotten beast seems content to sit on its ass setting fire to its part of the cavern at the moment. So far as I can tell that fire doesn't have a means to reach the walls of the fort, so lets hope it stays that way.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on February 06, 2013, 05:52:04 pm

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've only ever seen fire spread along one z level, so if it's down in the caves we should be safe.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on February 06, 2013, 08:55:00 pm

It's imperative, in all cases, to do just the absolute minimum required to make sure absolutely nothing could possibly go wrong. There's never any reason to do anything more.

Ever.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 06, 2013, 09:56:28 pm

Blah, forgotten beasts. I'm sure we're safe. Unless they figure out how to open doors (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzIVwpCcgkM).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on February 06, 2013, 10:22:10 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on February 06, 2013, 09:56:28 pm

Blah, forgotten beasts. I'm sure we're safe. Unless they figure out how to open doors (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzIVwpCcgkM).

I wish someone pasted the ASCII dwarf symbol over the kids faces and FB symbol over the dinos

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 07, 2013, 12:11:37 am

Quote from: dhokarena56 on February 06, 2013, 08:55:00 pm

It's imperative, in all cases, to do just the absolute minimum required to make sure absolutely nothing could possibly go wrong. There's never any reason to do anything more.

Ever.

What is this "going wrong" you speak of? Things go right, and then they go better. Then they go on fire, if you've really done your job.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 07, 2013, 01:55:00 pm

Quote from: dhokarena56 on February 06, 2013, 08:55:00 pm

It's imperative, in all cases, to do just the absolute minimum

I would say the opposite. Try hard. The harder you try, the better.

Ardentdikes was megalomaniac and complex enough that fun happened even when trying their best. Each overseer has some good skill at certain play style, and when they try hard that style works fine in a delicate equilibrium until the next overseer comes and stuff gets loose.

So go ahead and build pump stacks and goblin grinders, weaponize necromancers and form an adamantine army. Create a fort capable of stopping the old McDuck or fail trying.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 07, 2013, 03:24:44 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on February 07, 2013, 01:55:00 pm

I would say the opposite. Try hard. The harder you try, the better.

Ardentdikes was megalomaniac and complex enough that fun happened even when trying their best. Each overseer has some good skill at certain play style, and when they try hard that style works fine in a delicate equilibrium until the next overseer comes and stuff gets loose.

Indeed, personally I always try my best to keep stability. Anything less; setting to fort up to fail, seems foolish. Fun is inevitable, but should never be invited.

I like to think of myself as good at greasing the gears of this thing. Much of my time so far has been clearing up old messes whilst improving our dwarves quality of life, which has taken a good upturn. As of autumn, all of the populace is now at least Content, alot of the halls have been smoothed, roads added, many more meals and facilities have been created, and so on.

Of course, if it all crashes in the next guys hands, I can be satisified with the fact I left it in good order!

Anyway, just sorting out the caps for the next segment, will be posting it up shortly.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The cursed bookkeepers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 07, 2013, 03:59:15 pm

Diary of Sauvage, Tooth Collector

We waited in anticipation for what seemed like hours whilst a scout of ours kept an eye on flaming beast that had appeared in the caverns. However, despite it setting fire to an area a few yards across, it seemed content to sit and sleep... and reports indicated that nothing has changed...

Some days have passed since then, and the beast still hasn't stirred. All the ground around it has turned to ash and charcoal, but that is all.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/12-SatOnHisAss_zps7ee41c40.jpg)
As a result, I dismissed our military once more. We should keep an eye on the area, but it seems the thing is passive. It's certainly good that it chose not to fight; though as a warrior I'm a little frustrated that I didn't get to use my hammer.

Whilst we were out in formation though, I did notice a hole that seemed to lead into deeper caverns very close to our walls. Given the scare of this beast, who knows what else lurks in these caves? I ordered our mason to seal the hole off with stone for now. Perhaps in later years we can explore, but for now...

In any case, as the scare of the flaming creature became a mere ember of doubt, some hardy migrants arrived. I spoke to each of them and was rather glad to hear that two were respectable hammerdwarves, and three could use a crossbow. Armok knows we need some capable military dwarves.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/12-NewMigrants_zps42cc5330.jpg)

Some days later, a human caravan finally arrived. Their representative was a little miffed that he couldn't bring his carts over to the fort, and I deigned to look into the issue of the rather shoddy lava moat later, and create a better access route. I traded away a large selection of crafts and cut gems, as well as more broken clothing, for a top up of many exotic meats, dyes and drinks from far away lands. The merchants left seeming quite happy with the proceedings.

Before they started to pack up to leave, I had another report of a strange creature...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/13-AnotherBeast_zpsf262a09a.jpg)

A boy said he saw it appear from the lowest cave and rush from the direction of the now walled up cavern (glad I ordered that done). As it could no longer proceed to attack us, it dashed in the opposite direction and attacked some lizardman tribe resident down in the lower cavern. The fight between them went on for some time...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/13-FightsTheLizards_zpsb2876204.jpg)
But the Lizardmen eventually surrounded it in a pincer attack and thrust a spear through its head. I was suspicious of how the boy was able to describe it in such detail. Apparently there are still some ceiling holes around; but none of them are large enough to do more than watch through, so I suppose that's okay.

After the caravan had left and autumn was in full stride, I heard of yet another strangely-mooded dwarf wanting to claim a workshop...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/14-FeyMood_zps53f3b2ed.jpg)
As soon as I heard he wanted to make some jewellry, I immediately shot over to the stockpile and "encouraged" him that using the new star-sapphires our miners had dug up last season was in his best interest. Since he just seemed to eager to claim any rough gem, he didn't argue. I'm glad I forbid him from using the prase and tourmalines, because the result was a truly beautiful gem...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/14-StarSapphireSHINY_zpsf694e06a.jpg)
Our appraiser whistled upon seeing it, saying it was worth a huge amount. Not that we'd sell such a prize jewel!!

Of course, the value of this and other artifacts reminded once more to review the moat. It has several obsidian bridges that mean our little island could be attacked from many angles. I ordered all of the slopes to be carefully removed, leaving only sheer obsidian faces only accesible by ladder. Much better. I also ordered the construction of a large bridge over the lava complete with mechanisms to secure the island entirely behind the moat. For some reason, the bridgebuilder decided that a rose gold bridge would look fabulous with the underglow of lava. I was concerned such a bridge might melt, but he said that wouldn't be an issue as it had copper parts and alunite bracings, apparently. I did concur that the pink and red looked eerily... well... interesting...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/15-SecuringTheMoat_zpsbfaf2e8d.jpg)
There's also a nice, easy to understand lever mechanism for it in the main courtyard, but I labelled it just in case.

Autumn is starting to come to a close, so prior to the Winter I reorganised our military, adding the new recruits properly and cancelling the extended shore leave I granted in the spring. I assigned a new patrol route and revised garrison schedules to match. Everything is alot more orderly now. It's still not as disciplined as I'd like, but its a start...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on February 07, 2013, 11:04:32 pm

Sorry, I didn't mean in terms of projects. I was referring only to safety precautions.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 08, 2013, 04:50:10 am

As an aside, amazingly, none of the six lizards were even especially injured by the bites they sustained, so their badass is well warranted. The battle went on for 59 pages of attacks (soundscape was spamming battle sounds FOR AGES!) presumably due to them using wooden weapons. The blowgunner got the killing blow and is now called Rudslobu The Amberthrows.

EDIT: Anyway, just preparing my final report as I've just finished playing. Gotta dash out to see a friend though so it might be a few hours.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 08, 2013, 09:31:38 am

Diary of Sauvage, Tooth Collector

Autumn is fading, as as the leaves wash around us, I was informed of another set of migrants, so I once again went to interview them.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/16-AutumnMigrants_zps322c3652.jpg)
Again it seems there's a couple of dwarves with some military skills, which is good.

The dwarven caravan rolled in on schedule, and as they did, a goblin ambush was spotted in the south by a wandering pet cat (!).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/16-Ambush_zps89829958.jpg)
It attacked the caravan but was cut down by the guards. Unfortunately, our cat was riddled with arrows and died, but at least it was the only casualty. At least this time the caravan was able to bring all of its wagons. The bridge held up nicely and the extra choice of supplies available to us as a result was appreciated. I mainly focused on meats, seeds, and cheese to stock up for the Winter. Though we have a fair few meals prepared now, one can never have too many. I also picked up steel bolts aplenty.

A few days later, we had another dwarf with a peculiar mood.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/17-Mysterious_zps96ca2852.jpg)
There's certainly a fair few of them around. Again, I encouraged him to use the best quality materials from our stocks; and the result was a very valuable rat-bone amulet:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/17-RatBoneAmulet_zpsca971dcf.jpg)

In the meantime, further projects to increase the efficiency of the forts runnings have been completed. Our stockpiles are considerably more organised with alot of neatly stacked bins. Considering the vast amount of ingots we had strewn all over the place before, I'd say this is quite an improvement:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/18-Bins_zpsf63ee8c9.jpg)
Similarly, the roads out to the wilderness have been completed, along with an outer curtain wall between the inner courtyard and the new lava moat bridge:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/18-Roads_zpse99f920e.jpg)
And finally, because I'm a stickler for good imposing sculpture, I examined some of the more interesting statues that had been constructed recently. Some were generic, but several stood out, including the following:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/19-StatueTour1_zps9cc9e2bd.jpg)
The founder WastedLabour is a popular muse. Amusingly, though, this induction statue is right next to this one:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/19-StatueTour2_zps7b887ef2.jpg)
And just down the corridor from this:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/19-StatueTour3_zpsd4b192a0.jpg)
I'm not sure whether to be alarmed at this... embrace...

Winter had been mostly uneventful... at least until tragedy struck once more with the appearance of a wholly more threatening and hostile creature from the upper caverns:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/20-AvuzKes_zps2abaa759.jpg)
I had initially thought this one would also be passive as it was unmoving for some time like the still-hibernating fire beast. I regret now that I should have watched it more closely, for all of a sudden a month after its arrival it somehow infiltrated the lower area of the masoleum, chasing a child around...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/20-AvuzChasesKid_zpsdb4e07c3.jpg)
I was caught in a panic; and so was the military, so we engaged it in a haphazard fashion. The result was fairly bad, with the immediate death by decapitation of Bembul Nazomoltar; and Urist McAwesome lost their leg...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/20-Aftermath_zps99b16027.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/20-UristLegLoss_zps79dca6ff.jpg)
Due to its poisonous bites, Urist died feverish and throwing up her guts the next day before she could even be properly diagnosed by our medical dwarves...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/20-UristNowDead_zps5f2b76d8.jpg)
Not exactly a stellar way to end my tenure as overseer, but I guess these things will happen.

---

Dear New Successor

I leave these diaries and this attached city report for my successor.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/simjimm/MoltenChannels/21-FinalStatus_zps23e5e079.jpg)
I hope you will continue to improve upon the efficiency I have steadily beaten into this place, and not be taken with strange fancies.

Yours Faithfully
Sauvage

---

The Save
http://www.mediafire.com/?4bctrctwmsb3fv9

Unfortunately DFFD doesn't seem to want to accept uploads from me so its on mediafire.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 08, 2013, 09:43:14 am

As an aside, I have no idea where all that meat suddenly came from; I only got a few pieces from the caravan.

I'm guessing its either that our lazy butchers finally got around to slaughtering all the caged emu's we have...

...or we're eating one-eyed crocodile from the forgotten beast!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 08, 2013, 10:39:35 am

This was a good year for lizards, and a bad year for Urists...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 08, 2013, 10:44:04 am

Dis gun b gud. Of course, if FBs won't decide to attack at the moment I'll unpause the game...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 08, 2013, 04:23:38 pm

Udib's interlude.

The fortress has made progress ever since politics forced me to leave the lead position. I promised to guide these dwarves to blessed land, and they have been cursing me ever since. I guess they don't enjoy waking up to find their friend Erush was killed by a zombie elf with a llama wool shoe. As a reminder, they placed the memorial right near the door of my office.

On the other hand, this has left me with more free time to research and investigate.

I've been very interested in the war between goblins and necromancers. I walk every other day to the cage of Aban the necromancer and try to pry out some of her secrets, but her lips stay sealed.

During the relative peace of this last winter I weathered the chilly mist and went out to rummage the goblin remains. The invaders belong to a group called "The Walled Fiend", and the symbol on their breastplates is a coffin. Could they be worshippers of Urist McDuck? If that's so, the necromancers clearly aren't happy with the idea of letting them take over Moltenchannels. Maybe they have their own plans for the poor dwarves banished in Ardentdikes.

There's still a vampire on the loose. The dwarf ònul was found drained of all blood before New Year. Yet another cursed mystery to solve.

Our sculptors seem to be specially sensitive to this strange aura. I'm welcome by statues of skeletal Kodor, our deity of death and rebith, laughing maniacally, of dark crones and grime brutes ―among the figures adorning our cemetery's main hall, I keep being drawn to a scorpionfly brute in alunite. I asked Asën Athelisan where she got the inspiration for it, but she has an iffy memory. Could be something imagined by one of her children while playing near the caverns.

I have to make sure the fortress doesn't forget why they are here. Fortunately, next year my lover Troll Fur Sock will be at the helm of it...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 08, 2013, 05:13:29 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on February 08, 2013, 04:23:38 pm

my lover Troll Fur Sock

Let us never speak about this again...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 08, 2013, 05:29:59 pm

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 08, 2013, 05:13:29 pm

Let us never speak about this again...

"She is absolutelly inexhaustible".  :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on February 08, 2013, 06:12:36 pm

On my turn I had necros and goblins. eharper had nothing but FBs. I predict troll fur sock to have a combination of both, get ready for it

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 09, 2013, 06:17:10 am

Yeah this is first time I've ever seen three FB's in one year. They were all really after me, lol. Fortunately though, two were a non-issue. By the way Troll Fur Sock, I forgot to mention that the migrants Limul, Rovod, and Rith from Autumn have not yet been assigned to the military so you'll probably need to do that; or at least re-do the schedule again since I think the deaths will make it so the schedule considers too many dwarves (The Joyous Piercings crossbow team especially; The Old Gang might be alright though).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 11, 2013, 08:41:44 am

 ::)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 11, 2013, 12:02:22 pm

Hm, nearly three days without a sound here; and I thought the topic was dead when I was in charge... ::)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 11, 2013, 12:38:45 pm

I've PMed TFS to see if he had started already the turn. I think if Triaxx2 posts first we can skip.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 11, 2013, 12:48:51 pm

Yeah, I'm in mid summer naow, but I don't have too much time. Maybe 2-3 hours a day. It will be complete before next weekend, for sure.
Anyone needs dorfing?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 11, 2013, 12:54:30 pm

Urist the Grey and Urist McAwesome died, we can redorf them as Urist the Grey II and Urist McAwesome II.

We can redorf named casualties like this, even if someone requests to get another dorf with a different name.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 11, 2013, 03:37:43 pm

So I'll wait?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 11, 2013, 03:53:12 pm

@Triaxx2: Yeah, thanks for replying tho. :D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 11, 2013, 04:51:41 pm

No problem.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 12, 2013, 05:13:08 am

Urist the Grey II was already done a while back, title given to the first son, so he just needs another McAwesome, by the way since she died right near the end.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 12, 2013, 12:10:37 pm

Just one question.
I have somehow survived for few months, but I have to ask... What does what, which levers will burn everything, where are our defences, WHAT IN THE ARMOK IS WRONG WITH DESIGN THIS FORT

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 12, 2013, 01:21:16 pm

Just make sure we have ducks. Everything else will sort itself out.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on February 12, 2013, 01:25:58 pm

In my defense, I labelled all my levers. One of the downsides of collective fortress design...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 12, 2013, 04:47:57 pm

Always check the (N)otes first thing. (n)obles can wait.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 14, 2013, 06:51:42 am

I think four of my six magma levers remain unlinked and unlabeled :< but it should be obvious their purpose.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 14, 2013, 07:17:56 am

If you expect magma, always bring some Petrified Wood. Nothing says magma like a bright red lever.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 14, 2013, 01:37:39 pm

First, strange FPS - it takes 3 seconds for any dwarf (without leg injures, totally drunk, etc etc) to move a single tile.
Second, my internet suddenly decided to stop working.
Third, DF has crashed like 5 times, not letting me to save.

Toady can take my life, but he will never take my turn. I will complete it or I am not Troll Fur Sock.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 14, 2013, 02:36:49 pm

Don't feel too bad. I've been having mysterious game crashes myself.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 14, 2013, 03:44:59 pm

I have few projects that don't have a chance to be completed during my turn, can you try to finish them? I think I can complete barracks-watchtower-gate thing, meatgrinder, tomb for our best heroes and some other things, but pressure tower (idk how it's called in english, it's used to bring water to higher located places without use of pumps) will be only completed in 50-70%.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 14, 2013, 07:16:13 pm

I'll do my best. Depends on how much there is to do, and what I want to build. Perhaps I can improve.

What industries are currently up and running? Or at least functioning?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 14, 2013, 07:39:40 pm

Mmh, from the last turn, we have nice magmaworks, we have glass works, plenty of farms, a big pile of forgotten beast meat, sharp sticks, tons of caged unicorns...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on February 14, 2013, 11:31:49 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on February 14, 2013, 07:39:40 pm

Mmh, from the last turn, we have nice magmaworks, we have glass works, plenty of farms, a big pile of forgotten beast meat, sharp sticks, tons of caged unicorns...

Can you point me in the direction of this party?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on February 15, 2013, 12:30:47 am

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on February 14, 2013, 11:31:49 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on February 14, 2013, 07:39:40 pm

Mmh, from the last turn, we have nice magmaworks, we have glass works, plenty of farms, a big pile of forgotten beast meat, sharp sticks, tons of caged unicorns...

Can you point me in the direction of this party?

Just head north until you see a giant pile of corpses , you cant miss it

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 15, 2013, 06:03:02 am

Quote from: notquitethere on February 12, 2013, 01:25:58 pm

In my defense, I labelled all my levers. One of the downsides of collective fortress design...

Yup, ditto, I also labelled the only lever I added. Its also an obviously tasteless yellow Brimstone Switch on Gold Tiles linking to a Bright Pink Rose Gold bridge as well so you can't miss it. :D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 15, 2013, 08:19:13 am

So project 1: Pull all the levers to make sure the labels are correct. Then reload.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 15, 2013, 09:44:08 am

Save.
Armok damn it, save.
SAVE
DF
WHY U NO SAVE
DF
SAF PLZ

Oh come on... My last backup is in mid autumn ;_;

EDIT: (http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/1445/342152134235.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 15, 2013, 11:10:12 pm

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 15, 2013, 09:44:08 am

(http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/1445/342152134235.png)

It's just a flesh wound!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on February 16, 2013, 07:17:18 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 15, 2013, 11:10:12 pm

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 15, 2013, 09:44:08 am

(http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/1445/342152134235.png)

It's just a flesh wound!

A flesh wound? There's no flesh left!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on February 17, 2013, 05:04:42 am

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on February 16, 2013, 07:17:18 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 15, 2013, 11:10:12 pm

It's just a flesh wound!

A flesh wound? There's no flesh left!

Dude, you missed the Monty Python Reference (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKhEw7nD9C4). Educate yourself immediately or I'll set the Killer Rabbit on you.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 17, 2013, 02:06:06 pm

I'm going to upload my save in 3-4 hours. I think I have figured out why my game was crashing. Everything went better than expected.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 17, 2013, 10:14:28 pm

Be it noted I have to download files like saves after midnight, so if I don't have a chance the first night, it has to wait for the next. But I will take my turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 17, 2013, 10:29:00 pm

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 17, 2013, 02:06:06 pm

Everything went better than expected.

What can possibly go wrong now?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 18, 2013, 05:26:08 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi

What can possibly go wrong now?

Like, internet shortage, another crash, problems with DFFD account activation, several problems with PC...
Looks like Armok really doesn't want me to upload it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 18, 2013, 07:12:23 am

Obviously your tenor saw insufficient sacrifices to Armok.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 18, 2013, 01:49:16 pm

So yeah, what have I done during my turn from beggining to autumn...
- Farms. And farms. And even more farms. We will need food for growing population
- You will propably call me insane, but I didn't murder any elves. Instead made them really happy, by loading their wagons full of gems. Why? We will need their tame animals for one of projects that I will try do to in my next turn... Bought lots of seeds, some bows and arrows (I'm making a bowdwarf squad) and few caged animals.
- Meat grinder/marskdwarf training camp. Corpses are dumped to a retracting bridge next to a necromancer behind fortifications. When dwarves are already legendary, bridge retracts, dropping them on many serrated discs, where they get chopped to small pieces again and again. I didn't have tested it, but the only part that can fail is necromancer's line of sight.
- Almost starved our 2 migrants to death. Somehow, they got stuck in a tunnel near lava moat. They were next to our water reservoir, they had many ways to get out of here but nooo, they instead decided to starve/dehydrate. I have no idea why, but they didn't move out here untill I build a staircase nearby.
- Forgotten beast has come.
- pump stack for our pressure tower is being constructed. I hope I will be able to finish it before winter. Why do we need pressure tower? Lol, don't ask me.
- Watchtower. It's above (I mean... z-level above, not north to it) our west gate. It has some ammo/bow/armor stockpiles, beds and archery targets.
- Some stuff that doesn't really matter.

EDIT: Also. Made a giant tomb with whole history of our fort engraved in it's walls and floors. Just because I can.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 19, 2013, 10:49:26 pm

Any updates on tech problems?

Re: meat grinder...do serrated discs eventually reduce things to a pulp that can't be reanimated, or will anything falling in (and avoiding the grinder) be savaged by an animated soup of blood and nameless pieces of mangled flesh?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on February 20, 2013, 12:17:13 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 19, 2013, 10:49:26 pm

Any updates on tech problems?

Re: meat grinder...do serrated discs eventually reduce things to a pulp that can't be reanimated, or will anything falling in (and avoiding the grinder) be savaged by an animated soup of blood and nameless pieces of mangled flesh?

Serrated disks slash people into ribbons, but necros can still reanimate the ribbons.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 20, 2013, 02:23:52 am

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on February 20, 2013, 12:17:13 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 19, 2013, 10:49:26 pm

Any updates on tech problems?

Re: meat grinder...do serrated discs eventually reduce things to a pulp that can't be reanimated, or will anything falling in (and avoiding the grinder) be savaged by an animated soup of blood and nameless pieces of mangled flesh?

Serrated disks slash people into ribbons, but necros can still reanimate the ribbons.

Hmm.... Surely there must be some way to make a gun that fires blood and slowly-slithering undead intestines on invaders. Getting rid of 'em afterwards might be an issue though....I must try this some time on a practise fort. Kinda ruins the point if you have to flood the battlefield with magma just to clean up after the Gut-ling gun. ...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on February 20, 2013, 02:58:09 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 20, 2013, 02:23:52 am

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on February 20, 2013, 12:17:13 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 19, 2013, 10:49:26 pm

Any updates on tech problems?

Re: meat grinder...do serrated discs eventually reduce things to a pulp that can't be reanimated, or will anything falling in (and avoiding the grinder) be savaged by an animated soup of blood and nameless pieces of mangled flesh?

Serrated disks slash people into ribbons, but necros can still reanimate the ribbons.

Hmm.... Surely there must be some way to make a gun that fires blood and slowly-slithering undead intestines on invaders. Getting rid of 'em afterwards might be an issue though....I must try this some time on a practise fort. Kinda ruins the point if you have to flood the battlefield with magma just to clean up after the Gut-ling gun. ...

STEPS:

1.    Make 1x1 tower, as tall as possible.
2.    Build a 10x10 retracting bridge on top of the tower and link it to a lever somewhere
3.    Set up a 10x10 square with 100 10-spike traps, and link them all to a second lever. This square should be underneath the bridge from step 2.
3.    Cover tower with yaks
4.    Wonder why 'yaks' is marked as incorrect by spell-checker
5.    Assemble your cheese makers and fish dissectors on the bridge
6.    Wait for elves to walk onto the spikefield
7.    Pull lever 1, dumping ~100 dwarves and animals upon the unsuspecting treehumpers
8.    Pull lever 2, drenching the countryside in blood.

Insanity's Spikefield©
Providing Blood for the Blood God since 2013

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 20, 2013, 08:07:02 pm

If the save is not posted by Saturday morning we'll have to jump the turn, as it'll be two weeks since the last save.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 22, 2013, 02:04:36 pm

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 18, 2013, 01:49:16 pm

- Forgotten beast has come.
- pump stack for our pressure tower is being constructed. I hope I will be able to finish it before winter. Why do we need pressure tower? Lol, don't ask me.

Pressure tower canceled. I won't finish it in time. Well, I won't even begin it in time.
Another forgotten beast. We have lost half of our military force to it's fireballs... ._.

And... after 9001 crashes, I have finally managed to save it! PRAISE ARMOK! Now I'll just have to play all night to finish before morning...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 22, 2013, 08:09:25 pm

My turn is next, and I can guarantee I won't be able to download the save until Midnight Sunday at the earliest. Quirk of my internet. If you have to quit early, I'll finish the turn for you.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on February 23, 2013, 09:09:06 am

Saturday morning, and nothing...Triaxx2, I suppose you'll have to download the last save.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 23, 2013, 11:01:07 am

Remember what I said about not crashing? Well, fuck. It crashed again. *elf* this *elf*. I'm uploading the save NOW or I'll went stark raving mad.

EDIT: Should DFFD show "Progress:    0% (??? / ??? KBytes)" for over half of a hour...?
EDIT: Wooohooo. Suddenly, 90% out of nowhere.
...
...
PHCDownload Database Error
Could not make a connection to the server

Lost connection to MySQL server at 'reading authorization packet', system error: 0 (MySQL error no; 2013)


TrollFurSock went berserkr!

EDITED EDIT OF EDIT: TrollFurSock has calmed down.
Whatever. Here is the version from late autumn. Meat grinder and watchtower are not complete in this save... Just place some large, serrated disc traps and a retracting brindge in grinder and archery targets in watchtower.
EDIT OF EDIT OF EDIT OF EDIT: Derp. Here is the link: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7419 (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7419)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 23, 2013, 02:51:27 pm

Triaxx shall download the save this very midnight. All shall be well.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 23, 2013, 05:48:12 pm

The curse of the garbled engravings strikes again! Ardentdikes had a weird engravings room too.

Poor Udib has choked on smoke lately. First time I notice that unhappy thought. :u

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 23, 2013, 06:01:42 pm

I tend not to have a lot of fires, so I've never seen it. Interesting. I'll make sure to take a 'start of save' screen shot for comparison to the end of the last one.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 23, 2013, 07:47:37 pm

Almost every single dwarf has beem caught in smoke from FB attack. We have lost 7-9 dwarves... Fortunately, noone "dorfed" has died during my turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 24, 2013, 05:10:49 am

All your save are belong to me. I shall begin playing within the next 24-48 hours, presuming all stars align.

Edit: Wow is this place a MESS. Got an artifact oaken earring, and some skeletons after just a little playing.

Remind me of three things: Why do we need a pressure tower? Should it be magma safe? And how do I build one?

I've started building a bedroom for the captain of the guard, something easily floodable should he become uppity.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 24, 2013, 12:01:00 pm

I have planned to use pressurized water to flood everything in underground fortress with exception of one, small room. In case of magma or other FUN things. You know, we have magma moats, magma channels, magma forges... One warm stone or not magmaproof mechanism and...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 24, 2013, 12:39:42 pm

Water it is then. I will however make it magma-safe, because I do that as a rule. Needs more magma glass smelters though.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 24, 2013, 01:40:26 pm

That's one reason I put the levers room in the sand lever, so it doesn't get flooded too easily. :3

Edit: The captain of the guard was upset there weren't enough cages and chains. This fort manages to find all the ways to upset dwarves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 24, 2013, 02:24:59 pm

It may be worth noting that after near 6 years we have 130 dwarves and a wooping total of 7 soldiers, 3 of them guards.  ???

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Our lizardmen are badass (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 24, 2013, 02:34:55 pm

Moltenchannels: The Chronicles

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll274/Triaxx2/MCStart_zps8e75c712.jpg

So, the Sock couldn't handle it. He cracked under the pressure and no one has seen him in days. Apparently I won the short straw in the election, which I didn't know was being held. So I got to deal with the merchants and the various undead who popped up, or rather back up. Goody. Turned out not hard, though we're down to just one mil dorf in one squad, no one in another, and the fourth squad is... not listening. I'm not sure what the problem is.

After seeing the problems inherent with leaving the bridges open, I've had a back door for caravans to leave carved down to the caverns, and the caverns then walled off. I've also had a bridge built which can be shut from a lever near the depot in case of Uninvited guest down there.

The other thing is to prevent these undead up risings, I'm building a mine cart track which will dump corpses into the volcano. It's running up over the courtyard walls, so if any more building up is done, someone will have to move the track, or build around it.

Built another glass furnace. I'm intent on constructing a pressure tower capable of pumping magma or water, and so I need it to be glass. Which means lots of glass making. To this end I've recruited a couple more glass makers, and I've got a bunch of carpenters who are building whatever I tell them. Removed and replaced a magma pump built with an unsafe granite block. The iron components are acceptable, but I'll just replace the entire thing in glass.

The liaison offered to promote someone, but I suggested keeping our distance for now. We have enough troubles for now with the undead and other problems for now, we don't need nobles bringing their issues. Little happens by the end of the year, except for someone getting in a mood and chasing everyone out of one of the craft shops.

One other thing I did do was trap the top level of the secondary entrance. The main one is currently open for traders, but I've had skeletons getting around over a wall that was meant to stop magma. Each end is a trap with 10 serrated glass discs, while the center has a mix of mauls and hammers. Anything that makes it through the ends will get hammered into dust in the middle. Heh.

---

When I flood the fortress, I guarantee no room will be safe. :D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Military? Who needs a military? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 24, 2013, 05:11:19 pm

A few bits from the legends during the recent fort years:

In autumn of 1084, Snodub Tinmenaced the female troll struck down four zombie dwarves, three zombie cats, six zombie goblins and one zombie giant toad.

Taperedweathered was a peasant mutilated corpse that struck down a goblin with a giant cave spider silk sandal in 1084. It was struck down by the goblin Ngebzo Jackalgleams the Monstrous Freckles of Confederation. Ngebzo killed six zombies in total, and she's still alive (someone should check the cages!).

Snarlchurches the peasant right hand killed two goblins in autumn 1084. Pageddikes the elf left hand struck down a goblin in the early winter of 1084. Throwweathers the elf left hand struck the goblin Stasost Tormenttoad. Lulllife was the left hand from the peasant left lower arm Adorespatter, and it killed two goblins. The rest of the arm killed another goblin.

Whipwater the horse, worshipper of Id Silvergolds, killed a troglodyte in midsummer of 1086.

In 1086 the Patterned Confederations elected a new human diplomat: Kom Tiredchannels.

Facedepth was Ber Sludkutsmob's head animated by unknown forces. In autumn of 1086 it killed our dwarf Mosus Furnacevoices.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Military? Who needs a military? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 24, 2013, 05:54:26 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on February 24, 2013, 05:11:19 pm

Whipwater the horse, worshipper of Id Silvergolds, killed a troglodyte in midsummer of 1086.

Sorry but I was forced to butcher him, almost every bit of his body was red or yellow and he was starving ._.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 24, 2013, 06:23:20 pm

It's ok, that's must have been an epic meal. Our engravers or memorializers will do it justice.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 24, 2013, 06:55:59 pm

15th Obsidian

Bugger. I have spoken too soon. Adamantine has been discovered, and the moody dwarf isn't happy. Seemingly because all the stuff we have and we haven't got any of something he wants. I'm not sure what it is. He's got everything on his list. Trees, gems, glass.

Ah ha. He need a quartz but the Jewelers workshop wasn't functioning. I adjusted the stockpile to give to the other one, and then rebuilt the lead shop. That seemed to fix it, and set the moody dorf to work.

Finally spring arrives, just as I've set all the shrubs around the island to be cleared. Now my year can truly begin. Of course, this means it's now time for something to horribly, dreadfully wrong. As always.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 25, 2013, 02:27:20 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on February 24, 2013, 06:55:59 pm

Of course, this means it's now time for something to horribly, dreadfully wrong. As always.

But at least now you can face Trouble with adamantine buzzsaws. Unless your first foray into the Candy unleashes the Fun.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 25, 2013, 03:05:49 am

Sorry, but it's buried in the north east corner of the magma and I'm not going near it.

In other news, I've completed two huge sections of water lift for the Pressure Tower. Draws all the way from the second cavern layer, and I lost only one miner in the process. Just waiting on some more glass tubes.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on February 25, 2013, 12:37:06 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on February 25, 2013, 03:05:49 am

Sorry, but it's buried in the north east corner of the magma and I'm not going near it.

In other news, I've completed two huge sections of water lift for the Pressure Tower. Draws all the way from the second cavern layer, and I lost only one miner in the process. Just waiting on some more glass tubes.

So...while Ardentdikes was cleansed with fire, we shall cleanse with water?

Sounds kinda pansy.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 25, 2013, 12:55:35 pm

Ngebzo the goblin wasn't among our prisoners at the start of the turn, she must have escaped alive. :o

Also, we have Soundtroubles, the zombie donkey that killed Saint and Urist McBadass. I suggest it's banished to some deep dungeon. >:(

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 25, 2013, 02:17:52 pm

Quote from: FearfulJesuit on February 25, 2013, 12:37:06 pm

So...while Ardentdikes was cleansed with fire, we shall cleanse with water?

Sounds kinda pansy.

Ardentdikes had a water stack too. We spent more time fixing it and digging out frozen dwarves than using it, though.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 25, 2013, 05:03:44 pm

My pressure tower runs hot AND cold. Speaking of:

---

Summer has arrived. The pressure tower feeder is dug and being fitted with pumps to lift the water. Magma is much closer and will have to be monitored carefully that it does not mix with the water. Two levers will need be thrown before the fortress can be cleansed in water or fire.

The Minecart track is complete and soon refuse will be sacrificed to the great volcano. Elves have come but in our weakened state we could not match them. The next overseer must strengthen the armies. I build destruction, but I have not the talent to build the dwarven mind for it. Instead I must work with Armok given materials to do my work. But I SHALL DO MY WORK!

Oh, gods, was that my scribble? I need to get out of here. As soon as my tenure is over, I'll flee this accursed place. The world is not right. Others cannot see the truth, but I do. I watch with childish glee as the first minecart is pushed to the end of the track and the corpses are dumped, never to rise again upon this accursed world. Fittingly, it is a child, coming into it's own responsibilities who takes up the task of the first dumping and another who goes to retrieve it.

Another artifact has come, a beautiful pyrite door. I've ordered it erected deep within the bowels of the fortress where it will not be stolen by thieves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on February 25, 2013, 07:52:55 pm

Two levers? Really? I'll have to fix that on my turn. What, after all, would be the point of a gigantic doom machine if it wasn't possible for it to malfunction?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 25, 2013, 10:02:36 pm

Never said it couldn't malfunction, only that it requires two levers to be pulled to activate it on purpose.

Assuming I can get the pumps to stop randomly deconstructing long enough for it to function. After all, if it doesn't work, it can't work incorrectly.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 27, 2013, 11:28:04 am

Summer: Summer wasn't so bad. Humans came, brought stuff, offered to bring more. I took them up on the offer.

Lost a dwarf or two, had a minor fire while reconnecting the moat. Seemingly there was some water when the moat was originally channeled and it obsidianized.

Upside, all the plant growth to the north is out of the way, and I've ordered trees mowed for clear shooting.

Sadly, it turns out that while the water lift is properly functioning, I've messed up two mildly critical things. One is the design of the pressure towers surface component. I'll leave that to my successor to finish however. The stress of steering this disaster area is making me ill. The sooner I put it behind me the better. However, I will finish my term.

Mid-august rolls around and the reactor to power to primary power system is under way. I also ordered the pressure control room floored to prevent wood growth.

One minor problem is that I've found and convicted two vampires. Whether they are or not, having them convicted seems to mollify the populace.

The dwarves finally arrive, shortly after the initial reactor comes online to power the primary reactor. Magma is going to be powered by surface windmills, though if other overseers have a better idea, I hope they implement it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 27, 2013, 12:48:47 pm

Autumn-Winter: Frustratingly, the Humans left, but not until after the Dwarves had arrived. This lead to a serious issue when they tried to leave and enter at the same time, through the same three wide space. This meant that the two caravans both left, and no one traded. *sigh*

Fortunately, it won't matter to me much longer. The water lift stack is completed, the initial infrastructure is in place. The pressure tower is incomplete and it's lower levels need a sharp redesign. All levers are in place, but most are disconnected. The next overseer will want to test to ensure that it's getting enough power, but first it needs the primary power reactor completed. The area is dug and it's designated for filling. At the moment more buckets are being produced to speed the filling.

Edit: Turn complete, I'll upload the save tonight.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: DuckThatQuacks on February 27, 2013, 02:55:37 pm

Looks like I'm up next. I probably won't be able to start until Friday -- my advisor surprised me today by telling me that I'm teaching his class tomorrow, on a subject I only barely understand. Fun times ahoy!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The left hands of darkness (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 27, 2013, 04:47:00 pm

Your save my good Duck.

http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7427

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on February 27, 2013, 06:09:13 pm

I don't get one thing.
Did you notice that Urist's McDumbMason partial skeleton on our walls? It looks like he has trapped himself building second floor of that... shrine-something?
"Urist, jump! You've been sitting here for 3 months!"
"But I'm afraid of heights..."
"Think about your family!"
"But what if I'll break my finger and get an infection?"
"Your cats are being struck by melanholy, do something about it!"
"I don't want to die with a rotten finger..."

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 27, 2013, 07:15:23 pm

I paid no attention to that it seems. Oops.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 27, 2013, 08:00:35 pm

Udib scratches his beard, stretches his arms and walks out of his office after many months of study. For some reason the jobs queue has gone empty, so he decides to go investigate what are the dwarves doing, and update the inventory on the way.

He wanders around, taking notes while the the dwarves come and go. Works have continued in parts of the fortress Udib rarely visits, and a constant stream of haulers carry water buckets to somewhere else. He can't even start to figure what the dwarves are doing -- they groan something about pump stacks and power plants. Udib wonders if these former peasants can even read their own blueprints.

Walking through the madness, he crosses paths with several ghosts pitifully wandering around. Every season the fortress looks more and more terrifying.

"By Kodor, this fortress is chilly with all the draft coming from the caves. I could use some wine. Now, where did these dwarves hide the cellar this time?"

Udib's search quickly becomes frustrating. Every barrel he peeks into seems to be full of unicorn and emu meals and... plump helmets. Dozens of plump helmets, hundreds of plump helmets, plump helmets everywhere!

He pulls his hair and stops a brewer carrying empty buckets. The brewer stares at him with a very bad case of eye circles.

"Brewer! The wine! It's gone!"

"He's chasing me... my dead son! I can't stop, I have to go!"

"I... the wine... where it is? By Ilon, there's a thousand stones of plump helmets! Where is the wine!"

"The last overseer needed water. We are all hauling water. Water! My son! I must store these buckets..."

The brewer runs away, Udib whimpers, and starts to search hopelessly among the random stockpiles, careful not to have his fingers bitten off by one of the caged zombies. Finally, he finds one last shot of rancid wine inside a gray langur leather waterskin laying around. That's all there is!

And then, of course, he's interrupted by the news of the resignation of the previous overseer. With a vague hope that there may be better wine at the meeting, he drops the waterskin and heads to the hall.

The veterans are quickly gathered to sit down in a council. The candidates walk around the cascade in the center of the hall and are interviewed by the mayor. The mugs are all full of water, but Udib doesn't even notice it. His eyes can't move away from one of the candidates --there's something strangely familiar about him.

Later on, he finds the strange dwarf had been elected for the position of overseer. The prisoner necromancer laughs randomly at him as he drags his thirsty, worried feet back to his tiny office.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on February 27, 2013, 08:49:12 pm

Signing up for a turn please. Name: CaptainArchmage. Profession: Archwiseard. Preferably a metalsmith (weapons or armor).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on February 27, 2013, 10:03:03 pm

Added to the turn list.

I keep skipping KJC3 and InsanityIncarnate as they didn't want to take a turn yet, but said they might at some point.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on February 27, 2013, 11:40:08 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on February 27, 2013, 10:03:03 pm

I keep skipping KJC3 and InsanityIncarnate as they didn't want to take a turn yet, but said they might at some point.

Hrm. I'll take a turn when the fortress is in its death throes. I like the challenge.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: DuckThatQuacks on March 01, 2013, 11:27:11 am

The cloaked figure fled across the fortress, and the guardsdwarf followed.

The fortress was the apotheosis of all fortresses, huge, sprawling across the landscape for what looked like eternity in all directions. It was twisted and random and without order save for the old, well-planned halls of the first overseer which still stood out amongst the chaos. An occasional engraved sign noted points of interest, for once the hulking monument that consumed the valley had been a wonder. Ambitious overseers had flocked to it.

The world had moved on since then.

The guardsdwarf put on a burst of speed. The Last Overseer had charged nine loyal dwarves to stand guard over Ardentdikes, but they had become aware of others lurking in the enormous fortress. This one had been spotted stealing from the beverage stockpiles, and the guardsdwarf meant to catch him.

The figure suddenly turned, a dagger flashing in its hands. The guardsdwarf had no time to dodge, but his =Steel Chain Shirt= stopped the blade. The guardsdwarf struck out with the haft of his spear, knocking the dagger from the figure's hand, then sweeping his feet from under him. The hood fell away, revealing a dwarf's face, covered in sweat and grime.

"What in Armok's name are you doing here?" the guardsdwarf demanded, placing the tip of his spear against the dwarf's chest.

"You can not possibly comprehend what we are doing, guardsdwarf!" the dwarf spat.

The guardsdwarf regarded his captive, who began to rant and rave about "the coming of Them Below." The dwarf was clearly a fanatic, and borderline insane to boot. He'd never tell anything useful, and wouldn't hesitate to attack one of the Watch in a suicidal charge. There was no point in taking him back to the guard post alive.

"You are imperiling the Eternal Watch placed over the prison of Urist McDuck..." the guardsdwarf began.

"Ha!" the dwarf barked. "McDuck! What do we care of an old dwarf locked in a closet? The world has moved on, guardsdwarf. Other powers stir--"

"In the name of Unib Wastedlabor, Last Overseer of Ardentdikes," the guardsdwarf continued, speaking over the other's villainous monologue, "you are sentenced to death."

"We are but the Vanguard, guardsdwarf! THEY are coming, and you will wish for death before the e--" The spear pierced the strange dwarf's heart, silencing him.

The guardsdwarf heaved the dead body over his shoulder and headed back to the guard post. Perhaps the Watch could learn something from the dwarf's belongings.

* * *

Journal of Urist McDonald, Aspiring Chef

Well I'll be. When Triaxx stepped down from his position as overseer and a successor was to be elected, I went ahead and threw my name into the hat. I didn't think much of it -- who would vote for a talentless dwarf with nothing but a head full of dreams?

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/UristMcDonald_zps7d54af6e.png)

But you know how they decided who the next overseer would be? They picked a name out of a hat. My name, as it happened. I don't think anybody was more surprised than I -- except maybe old Unib Wastedlabor. He kept looking at me funny, as if he expected me to go crazy and kill everyone. Why would I do that?

Anyway, now I'm the new overseer. And I've got big plans for this place!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/c33bcc98-3547-438b-8b69-8cd2eb76840f_zpse2989b41.jpg)

The first order of business was to assess the current state of the fortress. I looked through the fortress records and was shocked at what I found:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/CriticalAlcoholShortage_zps3053e9ab.png)

Our Refreshing Beverage levels were critically low! I inquired as to what all our brewers were doing, and it turned out that they (like everybody else) were futilely trying to fill an enormous trench with water, one bucket at a time. I'm afraid that just isn't going to happen -- I've rescinded all orders to fill the "pond", though I've drawn up some plans to dig into murky pools to flood it at a later date. The brewers will be working 'round the clock until we've got a sufficient alcohol reserve.

Much as I'd like to get straight to work on making my dream a reality, there are some other issues that need addressing, first. I can wait a bit longer -- I want to do this right.

First, there are the cats. This place has so. Many. Cats. I normally don't mind cats, but we're tripping over them in the halls. I've ordered them all rounded up and confined to a single cage, before we wind up knee deep in kittens.

Second, there is the militia. We only sort of have one. I've checked our stockpiles, and we've got enough equipment for a marksdwarf squad. I've rebuilt the fortress guard into a 10-dwarf marksdwarf squad, and I've ordered the smiths to work double-time on forging more equipment. I've consulted Urist McTzu's The Craft of War and he says that silver hammers are among the finest weapons a dwarf can have. We've got plenty of silver, so I've ordered up several silver war hammers. In the meantime, I've conscripted a bunch of lightly-armored speardwarves to support the guard in case of an emergency.

Third, there are a couple of ghosts floating around. They seem pretty harmless, but I'm not taking any chances.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Dealwithghosts_zpsb94ac023.png)

Finally, there's Litast's corpse, up on the walls. I've ordered some scaffolding put up there so we can get him down.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Retreivethecorpse_zps82244f3e.png)
Alas, poor Litast. We hardly knew ye.

With those necessities out of the way, I can start working on my own project. I'll start small, but someday, I'll be providing affordable, high-quality food to dwarves the world over!

Edit: Deleted "'t" in the last line.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 01, 2013, 12:44:52 pm

... awesome.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 01, 2013, 01:00:36 pm

Hey! They were doing just fine when I left them. :D Besides, I did the math and I'm not sure that the ponds up there will have the water in them to do more than wet the bottom of the reactor with 1/7. If the lazy little blighters would have gotten to it, or had enough buckets to start with, you'd have a filled reactor system to work with. But no, they couldn't be bothered. No, they have to 'eat' and 'drink' and 'sleep'. Slackards.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on March 02, 2013, 11:14:56 am

At beggining of my turn, we had 200 plants.
Now, 1200. Industrial-scale farming helps, doesn't it?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: DuckThatQuacks on March 02, 2013, 12:03:01 pm

The slain dwarf's effects were laid out on the table.

"He seems to have scavenged these from all over the fortress," the Commander said. "Look -- this is a goblin dagger, and those socks don't match."

"That doesn't really fit with the notion of a cult or similar group," Obok pointed out. "I would think they'd be better organized than this."

"The cloak doesn't look scavenged," Zuglar noted. "Perhaps that's where they've focused their efforts. Can't be a proper cultist without a sinister hooded cloak."

"Regardless, there are clearly more of them, and they must be dealt with," the Commander said. He turned to the guardsdwarf. "Take one of the dogs and see if you can't follow this guy's scent. Maybe it'll lead you to a base of operations or something."


The dog led the guardsdwarf all over Ardentdikes -- to rooms full of old clothing, piles of decaying furniture, empty barrels, and the other detritus of an abandoned fortress. For the most part, the dwarf had stayed away from the guard post -- the morning's raid on the beverage stockpiles was the closest he'd ever come. The guardsdwarf supposed that the cultists had been drinking from one of the innumerable wells in the old fort, but that this one, tired of water, had decided on making a side-trip during a scavenging run.

The dog abruptly stopped, sitting down and wagging its tail. The guardsdwarf hauled on its leash, pulling it forward. It got up and started walking, nose to the ground. It travelled in a tight circle back to the same spot, and sat down again. The guardsdwarf looked around. There were no doors or hatches, just plain stone walls all around. He examined them more closely, for long ago he had been a mason. He remembered enough of the old stone-lore to recognize what was in front of him.

One section of the wall had been built far more recently than the rest.

* * *

Journal of Urist McDonald, Aspiring Chef

15 Granite, 1088:
Things are going pretty well in my first two weeks as overseer. Our alcohol reserves are growing to a more comfortable level, and we've dealt with our troublesome ghost problems.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Ghostsputtorest_zps3d0cbc88.png)

I've had some more time to reflect on what this fort needs. First, I've realized that hardly any dwarves have rooms of their own. I plan to rectify that with a new residential wing.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Diggingnewsleepingquarters_zps25febbd5.png)


Second, I feel that it is important for our finest craftsdwarves to have a place to work that is free of the distractions of the fortress. As such, I'm setting up a Masters' Ward, where only Master-level craftsdwarves may work.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/MastersWard_zps02824d35.png)

In the meantime, I've had some time to perfect my recipes.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Practicingcooking_zps082da9d7.png)

2 Slate, 1088:
It's come to my attention that there are no less than three ways to cross the magma moat. There should be no more than one way to do so. I've ordered the smaller paths walled off -- the drawbridge is now the only way in or out. The fort will be more defensible that way. I've also ordered the construction of two small guard towers overlooking the drawbridge.

16 Slate, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Migrants_zpsed10a141.png)

Excellent! It seems that the rumors of danger in Moltenchannels are fading. That's good, as I want my soon-to-be-built restaurants to be associated with safety and calmness -- a relaxing place to have a bite to eat.

There are three new arrivals -- a miller, a mechanic, and a "trader" -- but the latter is just standing around. Perhaps he is shy.

20 Slate, 1088:
Setting up a system to dump corpses into the volcano was an excellent idea. However, I'm a bit worried about what might happen if corpses waiting to be dumped were to be reanimated. I've walled off that stockpile, so that we can lock it up if any of the dead get restless.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Walledoffcorpsestockpile_zpsf1f5e482.png)

24 Slate, 1088:
I was passing our hospital today, and noticed one of the patients complaining about not being fed. I've assigned two of our doctors to devote all of their time to caring for patients, so that the injured will always have somebody around to help them out.

And while I was looking through the hospital records, I noticed that Ast Migkilmedtob has been in traction for the last four years.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Dateofbeingputintraction_zpsa785f8dc.png)

I've let the poor kid out.

16 Felsite, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/ElvenCaravan_zps5ef2d2f9.png)

I readied the militia, in case of a surprise attack on the caravan, but they made it to the trade depot without incident. The elves gave us alcohol, cloth, bows and arrows, and thread in exchange for the privilege of hauling off our dirty laundry.

24 Felsite, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/BrewerPossessed_zps2ce80cae.png)

Dumat suddenly leapt up from his still and started speaking in tongues today. I chased after him to try to tell him to get back to work, but he was racing all over the fort, grabbing things from various stockpiles and sticking them in a leather works. I got tired of following him and left him to it.

1 Hematite, 1088:
I've formed our first squad of regular troops, The Shins of Oil. They are clad in iron plate and wield silver war hammers. Militia Commander Sauvage, a Skilled Hammerdwarf, has them training three months out of four, because they need to get up to snuff fast.

3 Hematite, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/MysteriousConstruction_zps2eca6d08.png)

What do you know, Dumat finally started working again. Not on what he's supposed to be working on, but I'll take what I can get.

4 Hematite, 1088:
I'd been hearing rumors of a troll in the fortress.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Rumorsofatroll_zps68c97fa5.png)

On further inquiry, I've traced it to the cavern levels.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Trollinthecaverns_zps6aa069dd.png)

I've ordered the militia to take it out.

5 Hematite, 1088:
One of the soldiers was perhaps a little too eager. You'd think he might stop to pick up a weapon, or some armor, but nope! He charged straight after the troll with his bare hands. Unfortunately, the troll has bigger hands than he does.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Trollstranglesrecruit_zps6ea4a1e2.png)


Eventually a more thoughtful soldier (as in, she thought to grab a weapon before attacking the monster) showed up and bashed the troll's head in.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Killedthetroll_zpscc0e0479.png)


It was too late for poor Udil, though.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Recruitsuffocates_zpsc711e256.png)

6 Hematite, 1088:
I drew up some orders to have cage traps placed in front of the doors in the cavern levels, to try to avoid a repeat of the troll incident. Shortly after issuing them, one of the miners came into my office.

"Do you really want us to dig this thing out?" she asked.

I had no idea what she was talking about. "I have no idea what you're talking about," I replied. "Dig what thing out?"

"This," she said, handing me the stone tablet I'd chiseled my orders on and pointing to a part of it.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Duckinplans_zps1f43ddda.png)


"That's… odd," I said. "No, don't dig that out, just put up the cage traps. One of the children must have gotten hold of this and doodled on it."

Kids these days.

8 Hematite, 1088:
Dumat finally emerged from the leather works, bearing the "fruit" of his labors.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Madeashirt_zps7211309a.png)

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice shirt,

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/ArtifactShirt_zps8697c411.png)


I just feel that his time might have been better spent elsewhere, especially since he "can't remember" how he did it and so he can't make any more like it.

20 Hematite, 1088:

RED ALERT!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/ForgottenBeastComes_zps6f657e7c.png)

EVACUATE THE CAVERN LEVELS! ALL DWARVES TO BATTLE STATIONS!

21 Hematite, 1088:
Onu has come straight for us. We've barred the doors, but they will not hold for long. The militia is positioning itself to meet the beast -- speardwarves and hammerdwarves poised to meet the charge, marksdwarves positioned on the staircase overlooking them to provide ranged support. But our militia is thoroughly untested, and not everyone bothered to pick up a weapon…

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Beastassaultsthedoors2_zpsd6e8e481.png)

Edit: "to" -> "two"

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on March 02, 2013, 03:11:41 pm

Oh gawd, a giant tick. Does the militia at least have helms to prevent facepunches?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 02, 2013, 06:40:15 pm

*heh*

Hey, anyone notice that one of the beasties running around (Hiding in the water) is Zolak, same as one at the end of Ardentdikes? Curious...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 03, 2013, 06:01:39 am

I don't suppose my namesake the raw-recruit soldier somehow managed to survive the various bloodbaths of the past couple of years? I'm guessing he/she didn't- given the general pattern of "Every time a militia gets formed it is suddenly wiped out by something."- but I can hope that my bloodied and battered body is resting in peace somewhere...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 03, 2013, 07:00:20 am

No, dead :<

The vampire Deduk Cobaltrushed the Proliferation of Rampaging drank your blood in the spring of 1086.

Edit: Also your husband Onget Channeldusks was killed in autumn 1086 by a zombie goblin. Your sisters Udib Lashconstruct and Sodel Spikeswhip were still alive at the beginning of the turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: DuckThatQuacks on March 03, 2013, 09:33:07 am

The Watch set out in force. The Commander had taken the risky step of leaving McDuck's chamber unguarded so that they could attack these mysterious cultists with everything they had.

The guardsdwarf had finished disassembling the false wall, revealing a roughly carved, downward-sloping passageway.

"Watch out for traps on the way down," the Commander said, before gesturing for the guardsdwarf to take the lead.


The Commander's warning had been unnecessary. There were no traps or other surprises in the narrow passageway. They had brought along the dog in case they encountered mazes or more false walls, but there were none. The cultists had apparently relied solely on the disguised entrance to conceal themselves. The Watch followed the passage deep into the bowels of the earth, until Obok reckoned that they were at most a few yards above the magma sea itself.

Finally, the passage leveled out. Other hallways branched off, leading to crude rooms with roughly-fashioned beds. In one, a clothier's workshop had been constructed, and dozens of cloaks hung on hooks ("I told you," Zulgar whispered). But they found no living thing in any of the rooms.

"Perhaps they fled their hideout," the Commander said, looking around. "Right, let's head back to the guard po--"

He was interrupted by the dog, which had begun growling at a statue in a corner. The guardsdwarf inspected the statue -- which depicted some sort of horrible, be-tentacled monster striking down dwarves -- more closely.

"There's a staircase here," he said. "Come on, help me move this thing."

The statue was enormously heavy, but together, the nine dwarves of the Watch were able to heave it aside, revealing a stairway. The Commander silently gestured for them to head down it. They descended further, until they could feel the heat from the magma sea just inches below. The guardsdwarf, in the lead once again, was the first to the bottom of the stairs, where he found a heavy stone door. Holding up a hand for silence, he pressed his ear against it. Dimly, he heard the voices of many dwarves.

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh HFS Inala wgah'nagl fhtagn."

He shoved the door open and rushed into the room, spear at the ready. Hooded figures stood in a circle around a table, to which a thin and wretched dwarf was chained. The guardsdwarf was just in time to see one of the figures drive a knife into the captive's heart.

"You are too late, guardsdwarf," the figure said without turning towards him. "The way is opened. They come."

The earth began to shake, and the cultists began falling to the ground. Flames leapt up around each of them, consuming them, and they cried out in ecstasy as they burned. Pieces of the floor began crumbling away, and a deep red light emanated from the holes left behind. Horrifying screams echoed up from the depths.

* * *

Onu burst through the doors. The marksdwarves began shooting immediately, but their panicked fire came nowhere near the beast. The time had come for Thob Rakustthusest, Captain of Moltenchannels, to show her quality.

"For the Strategic Bodices!" she cried, and rushed the beast. It swept one of its many legs at her, but she parried the blow and struck back, driving her spear through the limb. The beast let out a horrible roar and lunged at her. She caught the blow on her shield, but the force of it hurled her to the ground. Onu reared up over her, but before it could come down, Datan Astellor clambered up its side and brought his hammer down on its skull. The beast stiffened, then toppled to the ground, dead.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Battlewiththebeast_zps68511136.png)



Journal of Urist McDonald, Restaurateur

22 Hematite, 1088:
Huzzah! We have slain the beast, with no losses on our part! Captain Rakustthusest and Hammerdwarf Astellor will both be given official commendations for their valor.

I've decided to celebrate this joyous occasion by opening my first restaurant. I wasn't sure whether to name it after myself, but in the end I decided that I had to show the world that I was not afraid to have my name associated with the restaurant. So welcome, friends, to the first ever…

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/McUrists1_zps1fa2d95e.png)


…McUrist's! We're serving up fine food for hungry dwarves! Chief Medical Dwarf Cutey complained that our food is unhealthy and "too fattening",

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/McUristsFare_zps83d6f5fb.png)


but I don't think anyone is paying attention to her.

25 Hematite, 1088:
I've been reflecting on our battle with Onu, and I realized that if we'd encountered any of its noxious secretions, I'm not sure how I would have cleaned out the fort. It looks like previous overseers have made some plans for this, but I sure can't figure them out. So I've started building a system of my own. It'll take magma from the caldera and dump it into the courtyard, where it will trickle down into the rest of the fort.

And speaking of building new things, I'm planning a big watchtower in the northeast. It'll take a while to construct, though.

15 Hematite, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Moremigrants_zpsd9f79daa.png)

Great! The newcomers included a carpenter, a siege engineer, and a stoneworker.

5 Galena, 1088:
Terror stalks among us.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Vampireattacks_zps83f0f775.png)

Fortunately, the foul creature was not as careful as it might have been.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Witnesses_zps3fb5eed4.png)


The Fortress Guard caught it and chained it up, but apparently only for 200 days! If we let that thing go, it'll just strike again -- I've ordered it sealed into its cell.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Vampireclose-up_zps415863f6.png)

15 Galena, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Humancaravan_zps1ba17935.png)

I've ordered the militia to prepare for a possible ambush.

18 Galena, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Thief_zps70c1fa7b.png)

The kobold blundered straight into our militia, which was still on guard against an ambush. It did not live long.

19 Galena, 1088:
Another one!

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/VampireAttackII_zps7da2bb72.png)

Several children say it was Ustuch Arzuntir, who has a prior murder conviction.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/AccusationsII_zpsb998bf2d.png)

This one, too, has been sealed in a cell.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/VampiresealedawayII_zpsbd75bed5.png)

20 Galena, 1088:
We traded with the humans today. We gave them old clothes in exchange for alcohol, cloth, leather, thread, and cheese (I've got some good recipe ideas involving cheese).

In other news, we're making good progress on the new residential district.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/ResidentialWardReady_zps61bd5172.png)


Now we've just got to furnish all of those rooms.

2 Limestone, 1088:
After trading with the humans to get some more bows and arrows, I've reconstituted the old bowdwarf squad -- only now it has ten members, instead of three. They call themselves "The Ignited Busts".

11 Limestone, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/11c8e101-76e0-4ec9-9078-fa12f5e76c7e_zps03097e73.jpg)

I've been told that one of our miners has not reported in in some time. I've made some inquiries, and it seems he was last seen being attacked by a magma crab:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/MagmaCrabattacksminer_zpscaec69eb.png)

I can only surmise that it killed him; perhaps he fell into the magma.

13 Limestone, 1088:
While trying to trace the lost miner's movements, I came across the following engraved on one of the stone tablets in the records:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Moreducksinplans_zpscfa76e67.png)


I'm going to have to have a talk with the parents among us -- they need to prevent their children from chiseling on the official records!

14 Sandstone, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/FurnitureHaulerMad_zpsd6270f12.png)

Poor Ézum had lost a foot in an accident some time ago. She'd gone to the hospital, but none of the doctors had helped her because she "wasn't resting." It seems she finally snapped after months of lying in bed unattended. Of course, now that she's crazy, she's gotten out of bed and has no problem crawling around the fort.

18 Sandstone, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Ghostrises_zpsf1683f3d.png)

It looks like Udil Kodvutok, the soldier who went mano a mano with a troll back in early Hematite, is upset at how we remember him (with a snigger at his stupidity, usually). I'll have a proper slab carved out so that he'll leave us alone.

1 Timber, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/EvenMoreMigrants_zpsd82e19ef.png)

There are a lot of them this time: a fish dissector, an herbalist, a jeweler, a leatherworker, a ranger, and an architect, along with another of the curiously shy traders.

2 Timber, 1088:
I heard reports of some sort of dangerous creature wandering the residential district. I realize that our defenses can't be perfect, the Guard can't be everywhere at once, etc., and sometimes things will slip through our perimeter. Nonetheless, I would like somebody to explain to me how a bear got so far into the fort without anyone noticing!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Bearinthehallways_zps87b22ef5.png)


Fortunately, there were plenty of armed soldiers around, and they surrounded the bear and brought it down with their spears without much trouble.

11 Timber, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Anambush_zps4f9673f0.png)

Everybody inside!

12 Timber, 1088:
Everyone made it into the fort except for an unfortunate woodcutter. The militia is assembling in case we need to make a sortie.

15 Timber, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/DwarfCaravanarrives_zps9216140e.png)

I'm not sure that the caravan guards can handle the goblins on their own. I've sent out the militia to help.

17 Timber, 1088:
Our soldiers may not be very skilled, but they sure are numerous! Massive volleys of bolts and arrows ripped across the battlefield, and each one of our enemies was met by a half-dozen iron-clad dwarves. The goblins have been driven off, with no losses on our side (though we have two wounded)! The caravan is safely inside.

The soldiers have some troubling reports, though. There were humans with these goblins -- easily identifiable by the way they towered above the battlefield. But more disturbing still, there was one opponent who was particularly tough. When our soldiers knocked her helm off, they were shocked at what they saw:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Dwarfwiththegoblins_zpse8109068.png)


There was a dwarf fighting alongside these goblins! What is the world coming to?

Edit: Added some missing words.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Psuedonym on March 03, 2013, 02:04:49 pm

Sign me up! I have a very dwarven idea in mind, heheheheheheheheheheheeeeee*distorted-croaking-barely-recognizable-as-laughter*
Also, obviously, dorf me please.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 03, 2013, 03:39:24 pm

Can I be redorfed as 'Urist McKiwi II' some time? I wanna see how often I can die in this fort.....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: DuckThatQuacks on March 03, 2013, 05:50:48 pm

Dwarfing:
- CaptainArchmage is a weapon smith.
- Urist McKiwi II is one of the militia's new recruits.
- Psuedonym is an architect.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on March 03, 2013, 06:20:34 pm

I'm glad to see the fort be taken into bold and exciting new directions. Cutey must have been talking from experience, being very fat herself. Not to curse her good luck, but are many of the original seven dwarves still alive?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on March 03, 2013, 06:42:02 pm

Question: Was I ever dwarfed again?

Im surprised I havent heard any news of my second death yet so Im very curious

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 04, 2013, 04:57:29 am

So last time I got dorfed as a raw recruit I got drained of blood, probably before ever seeing battle.

If I get killed *in my first* battle this time, I'm making some good progress, and by Urist McKiwi V.5.0 I might be heading towards 'almost a decent soldier' before I take a bolt to the face or something....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 04, 2013, 05:35:27 am

Quote from: notquitethere on March 03, 2013, 06:20:34 pm

but are many of the original seven dwarves still alive?

The woodcutter, the woodcrafter and the undorfed guard are dead. At the beginning of the turn Udib, Cutey, AnimaRytak and Troll Fur Sock were alive.

Quote from: UristTheGrey on March 03, 2013, 06:42:02 pm

Question: Was I ever dwarfed again?

I don't think so.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: DuckThatQuacks on March 04, 2013, 07:19:03 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 04, 2013, 05:35:27 am

Quote from: notquitethere on March 03, 2013, 06:20:34 pm

but are many of the original seven dwarves still alive?

The woodcutter, the woodcrafter and the undorfed guard are dead. At the beginning of the turn Udib, Cutey, AnimaRytak and Troll Fur Sock were alive.

They are all still alive. Also, UristTheGrey II is now one of our marksdwarves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns - NEED MORE OVERSEERS (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on March 04, 2013, 11:01:41 am

They didn't die horribly? What a shame. It's not dwarfish to live a long life.
Kill me.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The duck returns (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: DuckThatQuacks on March 04, 2013, 01:38:51 pm

The guardsdwarf stumbled and fell to the ground again. He managed to pull himself into a corner and turn around, spear held out before him. It was clear that he would never escape the demons. He watched their ranks approach, vowing to impale at least one before they took him.


"Go!" the Commander had shouted to him, as demons swarmed up from below. "Take Zulgar and collapse McDuck's chamber, before it's too late! We'll hold them here as long as we can!" Zulgar and the guardsdwarf had raced back up the stairs, leaving the sounds of battle behind them.

But it had not been not long before they began to hear the demon horde surging up the passage behind them. As they had approached the end of the hidden passage that led to the cultists' lair, Zulgar had said that he would hold them there. "You're faster than I am," he had said, when the guardsdwarf protested. "Without me holding you back, you just might make it in time." Readying his crossbow, he had taken a position behind the pile of stone blocks outside the entrance. The last thing the guardsdwarf had heard from him had been laughter, before a massive explosion had shaken the earth itself. The guardsdwarf had been thrown to the ground, suffering bruises and, he thought, a broken foot. The sounds of pursuit had quickly resumed.


As the guardsdwarf steadied his spear and prepared to make his last stand (figuratively speaking), a solitary figure appeared from a side-corridor and strode out in front of the demonic host, carrying an axe. The demons surged forward.

The guardsdwarf watched in fascination as Urist McDuck began cutting down demons left and right, moving like smoke through their ranks. He seemed almost indifferent to the foes before him, only bothering to kill them because it was slightly faster than stepping around them. As McDuck advanced relentlessly through the horde, the guardsdwarf remembered the last words of the leader of the hooded dwarves:

"The way is opened…"

The moronic cultists hadn't just given the legions of Hell a way into the world; they'd also given McDuck a way out of it.

The guardsdwarf heaved himself to his feet, supporting his weight on his spear. His duty had been to prevent McDuck's escape. In that, he had failed. But he could follow in McDuck's wake and leave this dying world, to bring warning to others that Urist McDuck was on the loose in the multiverse.

* * *

Journal of Urist McDonald, Restaurateur

18 Timber, 1088:
On receiving news of our victory over the goblins, Monom Adagbomrek (one of our traders) became peculiarly secretive and stopped talking to anyone. He's piling up various items in one of our craftsdwarf's workshops.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Traderwithdraws_zpsfbec5b09.png)

24 Timber, 1088:
We traded with the dwarven caravan today. We gave them lots of fine bone crafts in exchange for alcohol, cloth and thread, meat, and cheese.

In other news, Monom started working on something today.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Traderbeginsconstruction_zps13765c91.png)


28 Timber, 1088:

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Madeacrown_zpsd347eda1.png)

Monom emerged from his workshop bearing an elaborate wooden crown, "Crabembrace the Bristles of Stopping":

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Crowndescription_zpsff815d57.png)

11 Moonstone, 1088:
I heard some moaning noises as I passed by the hospital this morning, I took look inside, then decided to track down the doctors and find out why they weren't helping the wounded.

"Can't you see I'm drinking?", Vabok shouted at me. "It's my break," Vucar informed me. "Union rules say I get a full two weeks off regardless of the circumstances."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Doctorsidling_zps83c94ed5.png)


Well, pardon me! Armok forbid you interrupt your free time to tend to the dwarf with a sucking chest wound.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Suckingchestwound_zps7d70aa95.png)

27 Moonstone, 1088:
A dwarf called Thikut Oddomrinul decided to hunt the "big game" in the caverns. It was a little too big for him, though.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Earthwormkillshunter_zps42124e2e.png)


I've dispatched the militia to end the earthworm menace,

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/NamedEarthworm_zps2547cfa6.png)

but in the future no dwarves are to roam around the caverns.

28 Moonstone, 1088:
Letterdrummed is an ex-worm.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Earthwormshotdown_zps3b0c47b1.png)


1 Opal, 1088:
It has come to my attention that there are no fewer than four diplomats wandering the fortress, waiting to speak with mayor Morulrigoth. He claims that he's "too busy" to meet with them, so I've had him confined to his chambers until they are all satisfied and go away.

20 Opal, 1088:
Well, it took almost three weeks, but that's one diplomat gone.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Meetingwithhumandiplomat_zpsa8c47e34.png)


Now he can meet with the next one.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Meetingwithdwarfdiplomat_zps3d99a703.png)

23 Opal, 1088:
The liaison has announced that the queen wants to make Moltenchannels a barony!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Abarony_zps6eabd880.png)

Of course, we can't be a barony unless we have a baron, and I know just the dwarf for the job!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/UristforBaron_zps451e64ba.png)


In other negotiations, we requested steel, pig iron, and flux stone from next year's caravan.

26 Opal, 1088:
The northeastern watchtower is complete! During times of war, our marksdwarves can fight from its top level, raining death on our foes.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Toplevelofwatchtower_zps66098427.png)


And during times of peace, they can go down to the second level to relax and grab a bite to eat at a newly-opened McUrist's!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/SecondMcUrists_zps748eec8c.png)


Furthermore, the watchtower can be sealed off from the rest of the fortress in an emergency (though at the moment it is far from self-sustaining, so don't count on being able to live there indefinitely)

15 Obsidian, 1088:
There's a cloud of dust on the horizon, like a lot of people approaching! Customers, perhaps, here to partake of the fine cuisine at McUrist's?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/UndeadSiege_zps2423e19c.png)

I guess not.

18 Obsidian, 1088:
We've the sealed the fortress. We left the drawbridge open as long as we could, but we had to leave two unlucky dwarves outside, and they fell to the undead. A handful of zombies managed to get over the drawbridge before we raised it, but the militia met them with overwhelming force and put them down.

19 Obsidian, 1088:
Scouts report that even more undead have appeared.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Undeadambush_zps1c7a594a.png)

There are now no fewer than five necromancers in the field.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/FIVENecromancers_zpsfceece53.png)


21 Obsidian, 1088:
The zombies are rather futilely assaulting our gates. A couple of them have fallen into the moat, including one elf corpse that shows no signs of giving up, despite being little more than a vaguely elf-shaped pile of ashes.
 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Elfzombieafire_zpsfb3e2a76.png)


Meanwhile, our marksdwarves and bowdwarves are mowing down the zombies out front.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Deadzombies_zps171285e4.png)
(Ñ = undead, Red background = dead dead)

The zombies just sit there and take it. It's good target practice, I suppose.

The necromancers (there are only three now; the other two seem to have wandered off) have set up camp a ways off, and are doing nothing to support the attack.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/NecromancerCamp_zpsf2f1abd8.png)

23 Obsidian, 1088:
I'm out of my depth here. I'm a businessdwarf at heart; I'm not the one to command troops in a battle against the living dead. I'm preparing to step down at the end of the month.

27 Obsidian, 1088:
Just as I was putting the finishing touches on my notes for the next overseer, I got word that one of our jewelers had gone all quiet.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Jewelerwithdraws_zps52304223.png)

He grabbed a single gem and began furiously working at it.

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/JewelerBeginsConstruction_zps7cdc2798.png)

28 Obsidian, 1088:
Today is my last day as overseer. For my successor, here is a summary of the status of the fort:

The undead are still here. At the recommendation of Commander Sauvage, I've begun readying a potential surprise attack on the necromancer camp.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Stagingareaforattackonnecromancers_zps80bfb9a5.png)


If we assemble the militia here and seal the passageway behind them (in case things go wrong and we don't want to let the zombies into the fort), we can dig up into the middle of the necromancers' camp. There are zombies within easy call of the camp, but none in the middle of it, so our militia may be able to overwhelm the necromancers before they can call on their minions for aid.

The magma-cleaner is largely complete. All that remains is to provide power to the pump stack and to finish extending the nozzle so that it dumps magma into the courtyard. Don't forget to include a way to turn it off!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/Magma-CleanserInProgress_zps6319f5ff.png)

Here's the final report on the status of the fort:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/FinalStatus_zps1bf34800.png)

And here are the results of the most recent census:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/DwarflistI_zpsc37980bb.png)
(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/DwarflistII_zps613039c2.png)
(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/DwarflistIII_zps933f1a8d.png)

Oh, and one more thing. While I was going through the tablets detailing the orders for each level, I noticed something odd on one for one of the very lowest levels (beneath the magma sea; it's extraordinarily unlikely that we'll ever reach it):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s564/ThatQuackingDuck/Moltenchannels/McDuckiscoming_zps18c16295.png)

I've no idea what to make of it.

Anyway, best of luck to you, oh Anonymous Successor! And if you ever need to grab some food while you're on the go, stop by McUrist's! We're opening new locations all the time!

---

While I won't go so far as to say that my turn was uneventful, I do seem to have gotten pretty lucky and none of the potential disasters became an actual disaster (the scary forgotten beast was taken down immediately by a lucky shot, the ambushes and sieges came at times when almost everybody was inside, etc.). Of course, that just means that the next turn will have to be twice as much Fun as usual to balance things out. The save can be found here (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7448).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 04, 2013, 02:59:47 pm

I bet you a barrel of sunshine we'll end with yet another unfinished flooding mechanism. :P

That was an awesome turn, and I loved the side story. I'm looking ahead to all the headaches our new baron will give us. ::)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Daetrin on March 04, 2013, 05:17:50 pm

Wow.
I haven't been by here in a long while (changed jobs, moved houses, went broke, went unbroke, wrote a book, all sorts of stuff), and I'm flabbergasted to see Ardentdikes lives! Not through any virtue of my own, of course, all the epicness was due to other people.  But I'm still amazed!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 04, 2013, 06:12:58 pm

I love our new flaming skeleton elf swimming in the moat. I hope we get to keep it :u

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 04, 2013, 06:20:09 pm

Quote from: Daetrin on March 04, 2013, 05:17:50 pm

I haven't been by here in a long while (changed jobs, moved houses, went broke, went unbroke, wrote a book, all sorts of stuff), and I'm flabbergasted to see Ardentdikes lives!

This necromancer plagued fortress brought the Duck back to life, and now Daetrin. :o

Edit: Since Daetrin didn't, I'm requesting the dorfing of Ardentdikes' starter myself.

Edit 2: Duck's save has different raws. Uploading one with the same raws as the initial save.

Edit 3: Here, if you see yellow meals as walls, try this save (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7449).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 04, 2013, 06:53:01 pm

Hey! I did the hard part of the flooding machine. I got the entire lower stack built and it should all run in the right direction. All it needs is some power and a minor correction of the tower. The underground section. The constructed surface section should run without a problem. Run it up another level or two beyond the top of the fortress so it'll pressurize up into the towers.

Can't wait to see what's next.

Oh, might also want to see if McDuck turned off the Glass Furnaces. We might be swimming in glass pump components. I know I never turned them off.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Psuedonym on March 04, 2013, 07:29:59 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on January 12, 2013, 06:49:28 pm

Vanilla + fixdiplomants + fixmerchants + a few changed veins because I forgot to adjust mineral scarcity, d'oh!

Ok, I'm slightly noobily lost. I've got vanilla, now do I have to do anything about the other things, or is that part of the save file?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 04, 2013, 10:10:04 pm

To be honest Idk if the original is running vanilla vanilla or actually IronHand's. The other stuff is modded in the raws, you don't need anything and it doesn't really matter.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 04, 2013, 10:58:32 pm

I've taken a look at the save... a good job has been done here! The only thing is the zombie siege and the low FPS. I'm getting 25 on start. What are other people getting?

I'm not getting any of the totally messed up tiles that seem to come up with graphics pack conversions when you run them on an ASCII setting (which I am using), so that's fine.

Edit: I see there are coins. Does anyone think we should have a run of coins each year if possible, just to see what comes up on the designs?

Edit2: Oh God the Unicorns

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 05, 2013, 02:47:46 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 04, 2013, 10:58:32 pm

Oh God the Unicorns

Have the necromancers gone away? Because I'd just love to see zombie/skeletal unicorns around the place goring people to death and generally subverting the whole "happy land of sunshine" image that Good biomes have going.

...I mean, goring people to death more than usual, obviously.......

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 05, 2013, 12:24:23 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on March 05, 2013, 02:47:46 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 04, 2013, 10:58:32 pm

Oh God the Unicorns

Have the necromancers gone away? Because I'd just love to see zombie/skeletal unicorns around the place goring people to death and generally subverting the whole "happy land of sunshine" image that Good biomes have going.

...I mean, goring people to death more than usual, obviously.......

What? I'm not playing this turn unless something radical has happened. The necromancers were there at the start though.

We could hack it in so unicorns are exotic pets. The only thing is untamed, they don't need to eat.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 05, 2013, 05:35:27 pm

I've PMed FearfulJesuit, but his signature says "On hiatus for a few months to cool down. Be back sometime this summer or fall, likely."

So...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on March 05, 2013, 06:01:01 pm

I say just give the turn to the next guy then

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 05, 2013, 06:07:34 pm

Ok, skipping. Next overseer PMed.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 05, 2013, 07:25:53 pm

I am ready to take on the challenge that is Moltenchannels.

FIRST CHALLENGE!!!

Figuring out how to install/download it...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Psuedonym on March 05, 2013, 07:42:39 pm

Oh, well, I can help you there. You want to put the thingee in the thingimajig, and the other thing goes on top of the thing on top of it, and I think you should just leave the thingiemabob alone.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 05, 2013, 08:15:36 pm

Presumably you already have Dwarf Fortress? Then download from the link Wasted labor provided, then unzip the contents into the data/save folder.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 05, 2013, 08:25:46 pm

I'm torn between wanting to have a go at overseeing the fortress, and actually trying to work out the military system. It's the only "basic" I haven't really worked out yet, and judging by how the fort has gone thus far, I'm at least going to need to find the "kill this thing" button. I've got training more or less worked out, it's just the whole "stop training and go save the stranded migrants being killed by the dozen" thing...

...actually, no. Screw it. If I keep procrastinating I'll never get this done. So sign me up, good sir Udib! If I haven't worked out the military system I'll just roleplay the resulting madness.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 06, 2013, 06:22:01 am

Ok, ive got the save all loaded up and barring a few wierd image changes (like the image for minecarts being used for alunite), its all ready to go

First Thoughts:

DAMN, im under siege....
Wait, im all sealed off
hmm... that's a lot of undead
... why is there a waterfall leading to a sealed off dining hall covered in blood
Are we starting a unicorn concentration camp?
We have a pissed off vampire chained in a sealed room, but everyone else is happy (or at least content)

All in all, not the most confusing fort that ive ever tried before, but it's close.
At least most of the levers are labeled...

Never before have i seen a Dwarf Corpse corpse

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 06, 2013, 07:27:15 am

Quote from: bp920091 on March 06, 2013, 06:22:01 am

Ok, ive got the save all loaded up and barring a few wierd image changes (like the image for minecarts being used for alunite), its all ready to go

For graphic tileset you'd want to use IronHand's, as that's the one the fort was started with (that's my fault) :-\

There's nothing customized in the raws, save for enabling human and elven merchants, so feel free to replace the save raws with (unmodded) ones from a different 34.11 tileset --but specify which raws the save has when you post it.

I've added a clarification to the initial post.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 06, 2013, 07:41:12 am

Stonesense time!

(Warning: Big pics)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1089-01.jpg)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1089-02.jpg)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1089-03.jpg)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1089-04.jpg)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1089-05.jpg)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1089-06.jpg)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1089-07.jpg)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on March 06, 2013, 11:44:14 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 06, 2013, 07:41:12 am

Stonesense time!

Wait, Stonesense works with the current version? I haven't used that since ... many versions ago

*cough* This fortress looks like a blast, even if I know nothing of its origins. Could I have a dwarf and a turn? If possible, I would like the leader of the marksdwarves squad. Name him Cog, and prepare for many bolts and towers on my turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on March 06, 2013, 12:05:51 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on March 06, 2013, 11:44:14 am

Wait, Stonesense works with the current version? I haven't used that since ... many versions ago

Yup, it runs through DFHack these days though.

I spot two streakers on the surface! Heh... also the roads I built look a bit mismatched in stonesense. Ah well...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 06, 2013, 03:57:29 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on March 06, 2013, 11:44:14 am

*cough* This fortress looks like a blast, even if I know nothing of its origins. Could I have a dwarf and a turn?

Added to the turn list.

All you need to know is that Ardentdikes was cursed to the "corrupt save" dimension, that its mayor Urist McDuck had become an enemy of its own civilization and had to be entombed alive (true story), and that Udib Wastedlabor was the last overseer.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 06, 2013, 04:23:02 pm

I do appear to be doublebooked for overseeing at the moment (this fort and CheeseFurnace). If you do not mind waiting for a few days (sunday at the least) for me to start, i can keep my position. Otherwise, could you shunt me one position back?

I did get the call for cheesefurnace first, but i was not able to download the save... that has since been rectified.

On the bright side, ardentdikes should be in good shape for the next overseer (from what i could tell).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 06, 2013, 06:43:38 pm

Let's switch the turns if CaptainArchmage says a good chunk of the turn will be done by Sunday.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 06, 2013, 06:49:42 pm

I'll see what I can do. FPS is running low for me so it may be better to get this done sooner. I estimate it would take 4 hours of continuous playtime to get through the year, based on the estimate of 1 hour for a full year at 100 FPS (I don't have the actual reference in front of me right now).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 06, 2013, 07:05:24 pm

I just now noticed how awkward that second to last picture looks on the save. I'm thinking we might need to correct that, though I'm not sure how without causing a mess of destroyed engravings.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 06, 2013, 07:47:36 pm

Magma is My Life by The Archwiseard
Log entry for Granite 1st of the year 1089

As I was hauling a bin of ammo off to the craftsdwarf shop, the overseer, Urist McDonald walked by and dropped a bunch of books, scrolls, and maps into the crate and told me that, given the state of emergency engulfing Metropolis Stesokcatten Orabkiddirimush, known as "Moltenchannels the Leaky Ardent Dike" in the common tongue, I had been chosen as overseer owing to my great wisdom and experience.

The metropolis has been sealed off from the outside world, and the only way in is across a moat of lava directed from the nearby volcano. I have carried out a preliminary assessment of the state of our fortress from the top down.

The Surroundings

This is the area surrounding the fortress of Ardentdykes. It has been blessed by ancient spirits, and grows a good deal of bubble grass. However, it is currently overrun by a siege of undead. Located in the north-east of the location is a combination tower, greenhouse, and tavern run by Urist McDonald, the former overseer and "restauranter". The tower is not accessible from the outside so it is safe unless it collapses from underneath.

The Island

Surrounded by a lava moat and volcano, this contains the main metropolis of Moltenchannels. There is a good deal of outside area, and the fortress is better fortified than most fortresses in existence, though it does not surpass the fortresses of Headshoots or Ardentdykes in terms of scale at this time.

We have a very serious health and safety issue in the courtyard: We have a large population of caged creatures and prisoners, too many of which are unicorns. We need to deal with this.

There are some insane living arrangements in the north-western tower, with the entire floor of the tower covered in beds.

The north eastern tower is some kind of hospital, but the floor is covered in blood and grime and the well sources stagnant water, which is not good for the patients.

The South-eastern tower contains a combination dining hall and zoo. No comment.

The South-western tower contains the barracks for the Fortress Guard.

Some of the towers contain gold furniture and have gold floor-hatches, and I want to change that if possible in case of large-scale magma flooding.

There is a half-finished keep to the south and a keep to the west. Some of those could use expansion.

The main courtyard contains farming and a minecart track to nowhere. No, really, the minecart track goes to nowhere except the volcano and a sand pit blocked off by a stone wall. There's an emergency brake pad so the minecart isn't going into the volcano, though it might dump into the volcano.

There are no fewer than two pumpstacks onto the surface. One of them appears to be a magma discharge device for triggering a fire on the island, or alternatively flooding the courtyard with magma. The magma device should probably do both jobs selectively when finished.

There is a windmill for providing energy, but that will not provide anywhere near enough power to run the pumpstack. Some additional power generating devices are needed here urgently.

Edit: This is going at 15-20 FPS for me. What are other people getting with it? I think I can make this go but I'm installing a new power system, which could complicate things.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: DuckThatQuacks on March 06, 2013, 08:28:45 pm

I get 25-30 FPS with the siege active.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 06, 2013, 07:47:36 pm

The main courtyard contains farming and a minecart track to nowhere. No, really, the minecart track goes to nowhere except the volcano and a sand pit blocked off by a stone wall. There's an emergency brake pad so the minecart isn't going into the volcano, though it might dump into the volcano.

The minecart track to nowhere is Triaxx's ingenious way of dealing with the problem of reanimated corpses -- it dumps corpses into the volcano. The sand pit is a corpse stockpile, and I put a wall around it so that we can lock the corpses in if need be.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 06, 2013, 08:51:19 pm

Quote from: DuckThatQuacks on March 06, 2013, 08:28:45 pm

I get 25-30 FPS with the siege active.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 06, 2013, 07:47:36 pm

The main courtyard contains farming and a minecart track to nowhere. No, really, the minecart track goes to nowhere except the volcano and a sand pit blocked off by a stone wall. There's an emergency brake pad so the minecart isn't going into the volcano, though it might dump into the volcano.

The minecart track to nowhere is Triaxx's ingenious way of dealing with the problem of reanimated corpses -- it dumps corpses into the volcano. The sand pit is a corpse stockpile, and I put a wall around it so that we can lock the corpses in if need be.

That's OK. I'm getting around the same although I'm on a laptop. This is really where some optimizations or "just skip this shit" in the program would be really helptul

I don't really have much to report besides that the new reactor construction is proceeding as planned. It will generate 700 units of power which will power the dihydrogen monoxide pumpstack. Safety features may not be present on the initial construction.

I'm on 21st Granite. I think it may be about 7 hours per year realtime now or more.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on March 06, 2013, 08:56:01 pm

I'm pleased to see that the essential room functions of the towers have remained consistent these long years. The Mega-Bedroom is the most efficient dwarven living arrangement: dozens of dwarves can all share the same handful of cabinets and everyone is happy. I spit upon the names of all those overseers that forsook the towers and carved rooms underground.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 06, 2013, 09:17:04 pm

Reactor finished. Activation delayed due to dwarves engraving an image of dwarves on a wall instead of engraving a fortification to let water through.

I'm going to do a test but I will savescum if something really bad happens to framerate. It will not be possible to shut down the connection between the reactor and the rest of the power-using equipment.

An incident with cavern wildlife getting into the bedrooms was sorted out by the conscripts. I put a gold hatch cover over the entrance in the first cavern layer. There are a LOT of staircases to nowhere at all around here. Not just staircases going into walled of sections of the fortress, but random flights of stairs going up into open space in the caverns and even on the surface, outside of the fortress.

It is now 5th Slate, mid-spring. It felt like an eternity but the reactor took a comparatively short time to build.

Edit: There seems to be a design thing with this. The surface designs for these infiniflow reactors worked fine, maybe they need fewer wheels. I have done this before (in 0.31.18) but it was on the surface. No aquifer, the entire structure of the reactor including the water reservoir was aboveground. The reason I am using this design is to prevent the kind of flow calculation slowdowns that happen with normal water reactors*.

*I notice we have a dining hall waterfall. Technically the drain from this could be routed through the reactor module and then things may go better.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 07, 2013, 03:48:10 am

Which reactor is it? I know that the big one under the northern section can be disconnected from the water raising mechanism by pulling one of the levers in the control room just to the left of the trade depot. Everything there is labeled with (N)otes. It's the lower pump power control. This disconnects the reactor from the small starter reactor to the south, and if the power is connected correctly it will also bring the pump stack system to a halt, because the gear being disconnected is located above the point the the stack will connect into the reactor power chain.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 07, 2013, 09:57:59 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on March 07, 2013, 03:48:10 am

Which reactor is it? I know that the big one under the northern section can be disconnected from the water raising mechanism by pulling one of the levers in the control room just to the left of the trade depot. Everything there is labeled with (N)otes. It's the lower pump power control. This disconnects the reactor from the small starter reactor to the south, and if the power is connected correctly it will also bring the pump stack system to a halt, because the gear being disconnected is located above the point the the stack will connect into the reactor power chain.

Its a completely new reactor in the second cavern layer. I looked at the old reactor, but I realised it would require a large quantity of water to fill.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 07, 2013, 12:56:20 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 06, 2013, 09:17:04 pm

Edit: There seems to be a design thing with this. The surface designs for these infiniflow reactors worked fine, maybe they need fewer wheels. I have done this before (in 0.31.18) but it was on the surface. No aquifer, the entire structure of the reactor including the water reservoir was aboveground. The reason I am using this design is to prevent the kind of flow calculation slowdowns that happen with normal water reactors*.

*I notice we have a dining hall waterfall. Technically the drain from this could be routed through the reactor module and then things may go better.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/reactors.jpg)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 07, 2013, 04:01:42 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 07, 2013, 12:56:20 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 06, 2013, 09:17:04 pm

Edit: There seems to be a design thing with this. The surface designs for these infiniflow reactors worked fine, maybe they need fewer wheels. I have done this before (in 0.31.18) but it was on the surface. No aquifer, the entire structure of the reactor including the water reservoir was aboveground. The reason I am using this design is to prevent the kind of flow calculation slowdowns that happen with normal water reactors*.

*I notice we have a dining hall waterfall. Technically the drain from this could be routed through the reactor module and then things may go better.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/reactors.jpg)

I've done some experimentation, and it looks like what's needed is a drain point. I can just have the reactor drain back out to the lake, and I get 700 units of power. That's about to run all the machinery and weapons at max settings, I think. This was just physics experimentation mind you. I think I may have a way to create the infiniflow reactor now.

We don't have enough wood to build the windmills, and we would need a lot. The 700 unit reactor fits into an 11x5x2 area and uses 21 units of wood. The only trouble is that the water level in the underground lakes is not particularly high. Also, the watr pumpstack needs proper sealing before use else the water will go everywhere.

I can designate a power distribution system so we can get power to where it is needed.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 07, 2013, 06:54:16 pm

The lift stack is designed to flood. The only place it all drains is, into the two offshoots at the bottom. The inflow is plugged by the two engines down there, so it'll only flow out if the two flood gates down there are opened.

I only actually planned for two windmills, to power the magma flooding mechanism, located under the constructed floor over the lower right hand corner of the volcano.

There should be enough wood if we strip the southern area for wood, but that requires defeating the zombies.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 07, 2013, 07:08:31 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on March 07, 2013, 06:54:16 pm

The lift stack is designed to flood. The only place it all drains is, into the two offshoots at the bottom. The inflow is plugged by the two engines down there, so it'll only flow out if the two flood gates down there are opened.

I only actually planned for two windmills, to power the magma flooding mechanism, located under the constructed floor over the lower right hand corner of the volcano.

There should be enough wood if we strip the southern area for wood, but that requires defeating the zombies.

By flood, I meant some water would end up flooding the access stairwell and end up flowing the wrong way. It would also end up flooding the depot access, which is OK but I'd much prefer some control over the process. Doors are being installed.

The trouble with the underground cavern lakes is they are not refilling properly, or at all. I will need to see how this will impact the design. Are there no aquifers on the map?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 07, 2013, 07:29:34 pm

I didn't intend for the depot to flood. Hmm. The access stairs filling is intended design. The pumps were intended to be powered from above so it wasn't an issue. Hence the somewhat massive reactor. If all else fails, you might get away with cutting the upper reactor down some. I may have over done that. I tend to do that with massive projects. Which is why the pressure tower doesn't work.

In any case firing the water lift should fill it and once it's partially filled it'll remain that way unless the floodgates are opened. You did connect those up, right? Or did I? Hmmm...

I don't think there are aquifers, but you can check by using DFHack to reveal and then using d>d. If there are it'll flash like water.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 07, 2013, 08:03:16 pm

The green glass floodgates were not linked up to levers.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Psuedonym on March 07, 2013, 09:10:22 pm

I sense that fun times are being had.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 07, 2013, 09:21:59 pm

Quote from: Psuedonym on March 07, 2013, 09:10:22 pm

I sense that fun times are being had.

You mean "slow times".

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Psuedonym on March 07, 2013, 10:22:32 pm

Slow is the fun of actual progress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 07, 2013, 10:37:58 pm

Quote from: Psuedonym on March 07, 2013, 10:22:32 pm

Slow is the fun of actual progress.

This. I really like how we have a properly armed group of conscripts who can handle the naked mole dog invasion.

Too many industries were set to repeat without much rationale. I've changed that. Carpentry is going to take a break. Masonry needs to make more doors.

It finally occurs to me why the simulations showed an error with the pumpstack, and why the water level was dropping. The cavern area to the south is not a lake, rather it is a stretch of normal cavern that is used as a drain for the water flowing through the dining hall waterfall. That may need to be corrected now.

We have a book on the site. I believe it is in the cage with one of the necromancers, not one of those sieging us at the moment though.

Update: A green glass floodgate has been installed on the reactor drain. Other than that, some jobs have been optimised so we now have woodcutting and fortification in the caverns.

Update2: Noticed bedrooms not zoned properly. WTF. A proper scrutinization of this clusterfuck has to be carried out.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on March 07, 2013, 11:40:07 pm

Wait, whose turn is it?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Psuedonym on March 08, 2013, 02:12:48 am

CaptainArchmage's turn, I believe. That's what I'm reading on the first post.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 08, 2013, 02:37:50 am

Le read le pages 19 and 20, le please, gentlemen.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on March 08, 2013, 04:20:26 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 07, 2013, 10:37:58 pm

It finally occurs to me why the simulations showed an error with the pumpstack, and why the water level was dropping. The cavern area to the south is not a lake, rather it is a stretch of normal cavern that is used as a drain for the water flowing through the dining hall waterfall. That may need to be corrected now.

Ah yeah, that was me; the south-east section vent was a sudden decision to allow drainage for the waterfall. Good choice too since it flows off the map there having been channelled from the apparently infinite first cavern layer lake. Had I not have done that it was would have caused backflood since the upper area was already mostly 6/7.

As an aside... page 19 and 20? Of what? W-where? There's only 7 pages in this topic...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 08, 2013, 04:33:05 am

Quote from: eharper256 on March 08, 2013, 04:20:26 am

As an aside... page 19 and 20? Of what? W-where? There's only 7 pages in this topic...

Depends on your config for posts per page. The forum's default is 15.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 08, 2013, 10:43:14 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 08, 2013, 04:33:05 am

Quote from: eharper256 on March 08, 2013, 04:20:26 am

As an aside... page 19 and 20? Of what? W-where? There's only 7 pages in this topic...

Depends on your config for posts per page. The forum's default is 15.

If we go by reply count, that's better. No errors as with counting pages.

I'm having the floodgate in the reactor drain linked up to a lever in the control chamber. In the meantime, the reactor chamber has been smoothed up and some walls are being put up in the first cavern layer.

Book of the Archwiseard, entry of 16th Slate 1089:

I've noticed that a lot of our residents are sleeping in beds crammed into towers or in open areas of the fortress. That's going to change now, all those dwarves without a room (including the children) are firstly going to be assigned rooms in the prepared areas, which will have proper doors to keep out the nasties. We will then go about housing the rest of the dwarves.

Question: Is it acceptable to name one of the other unclaimed dwarves?

Edit: We have a forgotten beast, Zolak Omubnguksmunxaz "Zolak the Silty Servant-Weevil", a gigantic humanoid composed of flame. It has a knobby trunk and it has a bloated body. Its in the second cavern layer, but not moving. A region of the cavern has been burned out.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 08, 2013, 01:35:04 pm

Yah, we know about Zolak.

Added more or less reasonable explicit dorfing rules to the first post. TL;DR: feel free to name five undorfed dwarves, and toy with profession names of any undorfed dwarves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on March 09, 2013, 04:56:35 am

Zolak has been around since my turn. He was content to nap in the cavern setting things on fire so I left him there.

Yeah I'd forgot about posts per page. I tend to always set it high (50+ per page) since I like big pages rather than millions of pages.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 09, 2013, 08:46:01 am

Damn lazy dorfs. I KNOW I ordered those gates linked to the lever.

Ah well, I'll just blame it on the duck.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 09, 2013, 10:49:14 am

We also have Isa, a towering skinless eight-legged kangaroo with a bloated body and a poisonous bite, in the first cavern layer lake not far from the where dwarves are cutting down trees. Peaking into the third cavern layer reveals a pool of ichor from a forgotten beast named En, and some reptile men. The fortress guard is now being moved to rain crossbow bolts upon the undead. I am able to continue overground plumbing construction without undead interruptions, however.

The device is intended to empty into the castle grounds, right? Because that's where its going right now.

22nd Slate, 1089: Some of the soldiers stationed in the northeastern tower were starving, so I relieved the squad of duty. I have also ordered the construction of a new lever room for the water pumpstack further underground. We should really have all our levers in an accessible place.

2nd Felsite, 1089: The new lever room for the reactors is finished and the levers will be installed. A power distribution network column has been dug, and the gears and levers are being installed.

I have designated a new entrance on the western side of the fortress, which will be trapped. That way we can be rid of the undead sieging us.

We have a surplus of gold bars and a deficit of stone blocks, so more masons are clearly needed.

6th Felsite, 1089: The Forgotten Beast Oströt Strabo Ebrå has come! An enormous blob composed of vomit. It has a broad shell and it undulates rhytmically. Beware its poisonous vapors!

(Scribbled down in the margin) For this cycle to be complete, we only need an ass-monster.

12th Felsite, 1089: An ambush! Curse them!

The goblins have sent an ambush, but ran into the zombies. As these goblins are armed with ranged weapons, I believe we should withdraw our forces within the fortress walls in case there are more of them out there.

~Alright, it looks like the low FPS is going to slow things down here for a while, at least until the new entrance is complete.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 09, 2013, 09:48:00 pm

Journal Entry, 12th Felsite, 1089

It looks like we have an issue with the refuse stockpile serving the minecart which dumps into the volcano. I've noticed that animal bones are turning up in it, when they should instead be sent to the craftdwarf shops underground. This stockpile is only supposed to take non-processable remains and junk intended for incineration.

This oversight is to be corrected at once. The contents will be sent back to the stockpile and turned into bolts as intended.

My suggestion is to define stockpile to only take from links, and there will be no links. A dumping zone will be designated over the area and activated when items are to be sent to the volcano (such as worn clothing).

Reactor Alpha has a direct connection with the water pumpstack at the moment, and I want to be able to disengage it. Normally I would have linked the pumpstack to the centrally-distributed power network, but this layout is still suitable.

One of the control rooms in the soil layer is a mess of strangely labeled levers, without any corresponding notes written on the map describing which object they operate. I notice two yellow levers, one marked "PT Magma Power" and the other "PT Drain". There are actually many of these levers with strange acronyms, but the ones most understandable are "Flood Outer Door" and "Flood Inner Door", which clearly open a door to a lever named "PT Water Drains", which is not connected up to anything but probably was intended to be connected to the two green glass floodgates underground. I am going to use "PT Drain" for powering the water pump. The lever behind the two locking doors would be better used to fire the magma flooding devices, but one single lever is insufficient for all the intended uses (i.e. firing patterns).

I now understand the staircase I designated as a maintenance staircase was originally intended as a drain. However, this particular design was quite leaky and I will instead designate another drainage point.

We're having an annoying invasion of naked mole dogs, and the conscripts are running around the fortress to get rid of them.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 09, 2013, 09:55:35 pm

I did set up the channel crossings north of the main entrance with traps if you'd like to open those as well. I meant to seal them with flood gates that could be set to repeat to give them a path on and then turn it off. It's got discs to either side and hammers in the middle.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 09, 2013, 10:00:56 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on March 09, 2013, 09:55:35 pm

I did set up the channel crossings north of the main entrance with traps if you'd like to open those as well. I meant to seal them with flood gates that could be set to repeat to give them a path on and then turn it off. It's got discs to either side and hammers in the middle.

We'll need proper entrances, by which I mean over three tiles wide. Preferably this should include a 7-tile-wide path to the depot but we can wait until the siege is over for that. There are battles surrounding the fortress between goblin invaders and the undead, which will add to the numbers of the undead unless the necromancers gtfo or are caged or otherwise removed. I see we have massive numbers of green glass corkscrews, likely for the magma weapons, and I'll designate a weapon stockpile on the surface to take from the existing piles in storage. That way we can quickly build rows of 10x corkscrew and serrated disc traps.

I'm labelling the equipment that I am aware of being connected up to a lever.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 10, 2013, 05:12:04 am

How are those mole dogs getting in the fortress?  ???

A trapped entrance won't be useable for traders. Just make it sealable so the cages can be harvested, and pit a pet in it to lure the baddies while keeping the inside access closed.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 10, 2013, 10:22:16 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 10, 2013, 05:12:04 am

How are those mole dogs getting in the fortress?  ???

A trapped entrance won't be useable for traders. Just make it sealable so the cages can be harvested, and pit a pet in it to lure the baddies while keeping the inside access closed.

There's the open entrance in the first cavern layer. It was open since my turn started, the entrance goes straight into the main stairwell. I fortified the cavern somewhat but I think I need to wall the area off completely.

The mole dogs are getting in despite the wood-cutting going on right outside the entrance.

The trapped entrance is a second entrance on the opposite side of the fortress from the main entrance.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 10, 2013, 03:15:21 pm

I walled off the caravan exit from the rest of the cavern, but I might have missed something. It's been known to happen.

The secondary entrances are ones over the magma moat. If you look around, you'll see spots where it intersected murky pools, and then turned to Obsidian. The bridges formed there are how the dogs are getting in. I thought I'd dealt with all of them. That's what I trapped.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 10, 2013, 06:32:13 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on March 10, 2013, 03:15:21 pm

I walled off the caravan exit from the rest of the cavern, but I might have missed something. It's been known to happen.

The secondary entrances are ones over the magma moat. If you look around, you'll see spots where it intersected murky pools, and then turned to Obsidian. The bridges formed there are how the dogs are getting in. I thought I'd dealt with all of them. That's what I trapped.

Naked mole dogs get in from the caverns, not from the surface. As the surface was crawling with zombies, if there had been entrances over those bridges, we'd have a serious problem.

Further reports:

13th Felsite, 1089: Two more goblin ambushes arrived, lead by humans, one to the east and the other to the west. The eastern ambush was wiped out by the undead, but they brought crossbows and were able to reduce the undead in number, considerably. Two of the necromancers on the battlefield decided to bug out at this point.

18th Felsite, 1089: The remaining necromancer left. The battle between the undead and goblins reduced the ambush to three members, and the fortress guard cleaned them up. The surviving undead are few in number, and we should be able to clear them out now. I'm still going ahead with the trapped western entrance, as it could come in useful sometime.

The drain point for Dihydrogen Monoxide Reactor Alpha is now connected to power, but I want to first disconnect the water pumpstack (designated Pumpstack W-1), which is powered directly from the reactor pump.

The Archwiseard's Scientific Overview

Dihydrogen monoxide reactors are an experimental power source that utilise water flow generated by unconventional means. The mechanism for power generation seems to use undiscovered laws of physics, by using a pump to generate flow in water, and extracting a larger amount of energy from the flow than the pump uses. The source of this extra energy is unknown. Reactor Alpha is an experimental "direct zero-point energy dihydrogen monoxide reactor" (DZPEDMR) that only uses a pump to initiate flow in the water, which travels to a drain. Once the level of water is stabilised, the drain is closed off, but a strange force maintains flow in the water, powering the reactor directly without the need to convert the extracted energy into gravitational potential energy before extraction.

A theory put forth by scientists on the Ardentdikes Project is that the water acts as a neutron moderator, initiating atomic fission of radioactive elements in the underlying rock. This atomic fission thus generates the energy powering the reactor and explains the mysterious source of energy. The House Committee on Un-Dwarven Activities (HUDAC) has proposed that this method of generating atomic fission be weaponised for the defence of dwarfkind against sapient scum such as the elves and goblins, but indicates that the existence of such a weapon be maintained as a secret from the elves as they remain an important, if undesirable trading partners.

Edit: Apologies for the slow progress. I've been doing some research for a grand project, which I shalt be incorporating into my turn for the glory of Moltenchannels the Leaky Ardent Dike.

Edit2: I'm designating stuff to be made. Mass order of mechanisms incoming. Major underground deforestation incoming.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 10, 2013, 07:17:35 pm

just a heads up, i am ready to take ardentdikes as soon as CaptainArchmage finishes his turn (seems like he's doing a good job at writing it, and since i have a working copy, all i need is the same).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on March 11, 2013, 10:22:22 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 10, 2013, 06:32:13 pm

The Archwiseard's Scientific Overview

Dihydrogen monoxide reactors are an experimental power source that utilise water flow generated by unconventional means. The mechanism for power generation seems to use undiscovered laws of physics, by using a pump to generate flow in water, and extracting a larger amount of energy from the flow than the pump uses. The source of this extra energy is unknown. Reactor Alpha is an experimental "direct zero-point energy dihydrogen monoxide reactor" (DZPEDMR) that only uses a pump to initiate flow in the water, which travels to a drain. Once the level of water is stabilised, the drain is closed off, but a strange force maintains flow in the water, powering the reactor directly without the need to convert the extracted energy into gravitational potential energy before extraction.

A theory put forth by scientists on the Ardentdikes Project is that the water acts as a neutron moderator, initiating atomic fission of radioactive elements in the underlying rock. This atomic fission thus generates the energy powering the reactor and explains the mysterious source of energy. The House Committee on Un-Dwarven Activities (HUDAC) has proposed that this method of generating atomic fission be weaponised for the defence of dwarfkind against sapient scum such as the elves and goblins, but indicates that the existence of such a weapon be maintained as a secret from the elves as they remain an important, if undesirable trading partners.

Edit: Apologies for the slow progress. I've been doing some research for a grand project, which I shalt be incorporating into my turn for the glory of Moltenchannels the Leaky Ardent Dike.

Edit2: I'm designating stuff to be made. Mass order of mechanisms incoming. Major underground deforestation incoming.

Oh boy, perpetual motion reactor science. That made me happy :D Have you ever dabbled with Eve Online? Their perpetual motion ideas were fun...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 11, 2013, 10:34:21 am

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on March 11, 2013, 10:22:22 am

Have you ever dabbled with Eve Online? Their perpetual motion ideas were fun...

Ugh. I still don't understand how Eve got so popular and Allegiance is almost forgotten.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on March 11, 2013, 10:47:56 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 11, 2013, 10:34:21 am

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on March 11, 2013, 10:22:22 am

Have you ever dabbled with Eve Online? Their perpetual motion ideas were fun...

Ugh. I still don't understand how Eve got so popular and Allegiance is almost forgotten.

Huh, never heard of Allegiance. Had to google that one.
My guess? Incredible developer involvement, and even more complex mechanics.
Myself and Eve have a very complicated relationship. Very on and off. Been tempted to give 'er another try one of these days...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 11, 2013, 12:03:34 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on March 11, 2013, 10:47:56 am

My guess? Incredible developer involvement, and even more complex mechanics.
Myself and Eve have a very complicated relationship. Very on and off. Been tempted to give 'er another try one of these days...

Heh, imagine trying to command a battle in Eve in which all your ships are piloted by players doing whatever --that's Alleg.

80% of the game is teamplay and stealth tactics, all player-skill based, nothing you could grind. I really had to use my brain every second of it (here's some nsfw audio gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v5wQ8TuY6o)). I'm retired ever since I moved to Linux, I wish someone made a modern version of that game.  :-\

(Sorry for the off-topic interlude, just killing time.)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on March 11, 2013, 12:24:08 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 11, 2013, 12:03:34 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on March 11, 2013, 10:47:56 am

My guess? Incredible developer involvement, and even more complex mechanics.
Myself and Eve have a very complicated relationship. Very on and off. Been tempted to give 'er another try one of these days...

Heh, imagine trying to command a battle in Eve in which all your ships are piloted by players doing whatever --that's Alleg.

80% of the game is teamplay and stealth tactics, all player-skill based, nothing you could grind. I really had to use my brain every second of it (here's some nsfw audio gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v5wQ8TuY6o)). I'm retired ever since I moved to Linux, I wish someone made a modern version of that game.  :-\

(Sorry for the off-topic interlude, just killing time.)

I'll partake in OT if nobody minds :) This sounds like Eve. All ships are player-commanded, the skills are only marginally important, but the economy is a huge part of the game. Yeah, sounds like what you're describing!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 11, 2013, 08:05:38 pm

Sorry for the wait. I took the free time from the last day or two to make some designs on paper for what I want to do.

The Archwiseard's log, 19th Felsite 1089

I've designated a portion of my secret project, but firstly the miners are going to cut out DZPEDMR Reactor Beta in column of rock containing first cavern layer entrance.

The goblin invaders have finally been cleared out from the outside. I'm going to set up some proper alerts and open the western gate so the clean up can begin.

22nd Felsite, 1089

Another ambush! This time skulking vermin ran into the undead and were detected. This is going to complicate the reclamation of the outside.

23rd Felsite

After a massive battle with a dwarven corpse, the kobolds are down to one in number. The only surviving undead is an elf corpse that has been burning in the moat since I took office.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 11, 2013, 10:10:30 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 11, 2013, 12:03:34 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on March 11, 2013, 10:47:56 am

My guess? Incredible developer involvement, and even more complex mechanics.
Myself and Eve have a very complicated relationship. Very on and off. Been tempted to give 'er another try one of these days...

Heh, imagine trying to command a battle in Eve in which all your ships are piloted by players doing whatever --that's Alleg.

80% of the game is teamplay and stealth tactics, all player-skill based, nothing you could grind. I really had to use my brain every second of it (here's some nsfw audio gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v5wQ8TuY6o)). I'm retired ever since I moved to Linux, I wish someone made a modern version of that game.  :-\

(Sorry for the off-topic interlude, just killing time.)

Ive been playing eve since beta, and its awesome. Its rather interesting since i tend to do logistics and small gang stuff. Ive run large fleets before, and its like herding cats. Angry, drunk, moronic cats, with a massive superiority complex.

Awesome log btw CaptainArchmage

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Giver99 on March 12, 2013, 11:08:30 am

Can you dwarf me I don't want a turn just a Dwarf

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 12, 2013, 11:52:42 am

Quote from: Giver99 on March 12, 2013, 11:08:30 am

Can you dwarf me I don't want a turn just a Dwarf

I'll assume this doesn't count towards the five personally-named dwarves. We need more dwarves in this fortress. What kind of dwarf do you want? We've got just about every profession under the sun here besides hunters and soap, cheese, potash, and lye makers.

Official log of the Archwiseard, Felsite

Today I have made some major changes to employment. Dwarven mechanics are not to do any other work besides mechanics. Siege Engineers are also to perform mechanical duties and will not be hauling anything either.

Firstly, we have a lot of dwarves assigned carpentry, those who are woodworkers are going to continue in their profession and will be cutting trees if possible. Carpenters without wood-cutting or bow-making skills will be hauling wood around. Woodworkers who carry military-issued weapons will be hauling wood and not cutting down trees.

Apparently two of our carpenters have decent skills, the rest have a low level of competence. For a fortress such as this one, we will need to get highly skilled craftdwarves.

Secondly, we have a lot of dwarves assigned glassmaking. None of the carpenters are going to be making glass objects, and we will stick to using qualified individuals.

I have also made some important changes to the sector overlay of the fortress. We currently have five zones, the Fortress Interior, Guard Towers, Upper Levels, Mayoral Chambers, and Baronial Chambers, which are in need of updating along with the alerts.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 12, 2013, 12:55:14 pm

Nah dorfings don't count, the five are so you can set up your little squad of swimming blowgunners or whatever. :3

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 12, 2013, 04:24:54 pm

The alert system was a mess, so I added three more alert levels and three new burrows to deal with current needs. I also adjusted existing burrows somewhat, so the fortress interior contains some of the expanded areas.

We have an Underground borrow that covers everything underground, along with the entire volcano, the area inside the magma moat, and some of the murky pools. We then have the Aboveground Fortress Area, which contains everything that is aboveground and behind walls or a magma moat or in the sky above the aforementioned areas, which is less restrictive than the "Upper Levels" burrow, which keeps dwarves within the fortress walls. Finally, we have the Reclaim Zone, which is a special burrow to expand outside the fortress area for siege cleanup.

We have three new alerts which constrain dwarves to anywhere underground or in the aboveground fortress area (7), or anywhere underground and within the fortress walls (6), or anywhere in the underground, in the aboveground fortress area, or reclaim zones (8). Finally, I added the underground burrow to the underground station alert, since that wasn't used for anything.

To carry out the cleanup, we're going to what is currently "Alert State 8" to allow reclaiming the outside.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 14, 2013, 09:10:27 am

Less plans, more action!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We collect diplomats and necromancers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 14, 2013, 02:41:10 pm

I took the fortress up to Alert 8 and opened two holes in the wall, and created a reclaim zone over the fortress entrance. The first hole allows access to a walled off part of the island. The second hole allows access to the retracting bridge, as I did not want to lower the main bridge since it would smash a lot of AnimaRytak's silver bolts. The last surviving kobold fled the map just before we got out for the first time in months, and the constantly burning zombie elf was shot, collapsing into the lava.

After digging out Reactor 2, our miners had no further work to do so I assigned them to a special project in the caverns.

When deconstructing the walls, some strange teleportation accidents happened. All our cages and some of the skeletons were teleported to the place where the dwarves dumped the stone blocks. For some reason they did not find this odd.

I'm forbidding a lot of the scattered ammunition, as our marksdwarves keep trying to grab stuff on the other side of the outside area.


Further journal entry, sometime in summer

I've lowered the main drawbridge for further access and maintenance. The mining project in the caverns is doing pretty well, and I think we could establish some further settlements down there. The glory of this fortress is yet to be realized.

As of today, no active miners are to carry out hauling duties.

I've tasked our now-inactive woodcutters with cleaning the junk off the surface.

One of our masons got possessed and is now making an artefact in the second cavern layer.
Complete! We now have a granite armor stand with an image of a zombie being killed by a draltha leather sock. A most fitting piece to glorify our fortress.

I have removed the mayor from the Fortress Guard as this appears to be causing conflicts with his diplomatic duties. His position on the squad (4) has been taken over by Äs Istrathbomrek the Tanner.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on March 14, 2013, 10:54:44 pm

Only in Moltenchannels would I be sad to learn that the elf corpse burning in our moat for several years finally died

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on March 15, 2013, 12:30:05 am

Only in Dwarf Fortress can a corpse die.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 12:44:02 pm

Quote from: UristTheGrey on March 14, 2013, 10:54:44 pm

Only in Moltenchannels would I be sad to learn that the elf corpse burning in our moat for several years finally died

The elf corpse came with the zombie siege. It was actually the one thing keeping the siege tag up left on the map, after the Necromancers decided to siege another castle instead and a few goblin and then kobold ambushes ran into the undead. In fact, there was only one kobold left alive on the map after all the ambushes, having cleared out all the undead except for the the burning elf in the moat. That kobold decided to bug out just before the bridges were lowered.

The magma channel is being branched, so one end will go into the fortress (as in Ardentdykes) and the other end will be used to flood or burn the rest of the map.

While the map is bisected by a road on one end, as long as the fire starts somewhere on the mainland it will spread across everything there if there's grass. We could probably fill the magma moat more easily this way.

I'm actually disappointed by the moat and the design choices we've made. I believe a proper moat should have spikes at the bottom so in the likely event that something (read: Undead) survives the fall into the magma, they will have to deal with a pointy landing.

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on March 15, 2013, 12:30:05 am

Only in Dwarf Fortress can a corpse die.

OK, deanimate. Collapse. Stop moving. Whatever you want to call it, as long as its not punching our dwarves brains out.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 01:05:53 pm

Fortress Journal,

A giant thrips is under attack by a magma crab deep inside the volcano. Apparently these magma crabs can seriously injure persons in the area about the volcano, so I'm glad we're using a reclaim zone. The main chamber of my tomb is finally hewn out in the caverns. I have decided to expand that settlement area.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on March 15, 2013, 03:52:51 pm

So, I guess that we will soon have lots of engravings depicting "elf's corpse corpse corpse left arm third finger striking down Urist McHunter"...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 15, 2013, 04:04:20 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 12:44:02 pm

I'm actually disappointed by the moat and the design choices we've made. I believe a proper moat should have spikes at the bottom so in the likely event that something (read: Undead) survives the fall into the magma, they will have to deal with a pointy landing.

When I made the raised bridges I thought someone would pick the hint and build a second wall to fill it with magma. :'(

But alas, we ended with magma channels instead of magma dikes. I guess that makes sense.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on March 15, 2013, 04:21:57 pm

Quote from: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on March 15, 2013, 03:52:51 pm

So, I guess that we will soon have lots of engravings depicting "elf's corpse corpse corpse left arm third finger striking down Urist McHunter"...

History must be recorded as it happened, for our children's children to know exactly how things happened.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 06:38:05 pm

We got a bunch of migrants! A metalsmith competent at all kinds of metalcrafting, a talented carpenter, two traders, a fisherdwarf, a miner, and a dyer. I had to DFhack twice because of migrant traders not showing up as citizens... hope this is OK.

I found the mayor hauling around items for storage despite not having any jobs active, so I locked him in the minecart-to-volcano structure with the outpost liason to prompt him to wrap up the meeting. At this point I noticed he was only wearing one sock. Hopefully things are heating up in there so we can carry on with dumping corpses and other items from the outside in there for sorting. He is still ecstatic despite having walked around nearly naked since his discharge from the Fortress Guard.

My tomb is finally dug out in the cavern layer. Now I need to find another mining project to keep the miners busy.

The fortress is now in an emergency situation as the Forgotten Beast Oströt Strabo Ebra, "Oströt the Oceans of Murk" approaches the fortress in the second underground area. The only defences down there are doors, which can be beaten down. Oströt is an enormous blob made out of vomit and with a broad shell, undulating rhythmically. The lore says that it has poisonous vapors, so I prefer to call in soldiers with ranged weapons.

Edit: I'm going to upload a screenshot of this. The mayor has put on some clothes, all pilfered from the corpses in the said minecart-to-volcano room. There's another dwarf in there too.

Oströt only has two parts, a body and a shell. This could be tricky. I might need to wall off the underground section.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 15, 2013, 07:14:00 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 06:38:05 pm

I had to DFhack twice because of migrant traders not showing up as citizens... hope this is OK.

As a DFhack user myself (and having used it to pick the location), I do recommend people to avoid using it on Moltenchannels unless it's force majeure. Try to roleplay the bugs if possible, unless they are game-breaking. :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 07:38:45 pm

Please excuse the wait, I've been trying to compile an impression of the situation. The junk you see here is a portion of the junk dumped on one tile, on which the Armorer happens to be standing. There's rotting corpses in there, the skeleton of a pet rabbit, and an unrotten pig cheese too. I've included information on the mayor's current job, skills, and inventory. The guy was only wearing one sock when he went in there. The other clothing has been taken from within the pile of stuff.

Masterwork Graphic
(http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/1660/moltenchannelsoutpostli.png)

The thing with the traders is if they stay on the edge of the map, they also block any more migrants coming in, which is why I DFhack'd.

There's another bug or feature: Dwarf corpses from the undead also get buried in coffins. I've found a lot of coffins filled with dwarf corpses from the undead invasion. Probably should be reported on Mantis, does anyone know how you do that?

I've placed the foundations for some outside towers, made of brimstone. We might be able to make a proper dyke here! Also the moat intersects with some murky pools, which are a real pain. Some flooring is really needed over here.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 15, 2013, 08:34:42 pm

Ok, someone has to draw that meeting, for real.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 09:08:38 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 15, 2013, 08:34:42 pm

Ok, someone has to draw that meeting, for real.

Much happens in a Fortress with this many dwarves.

(A magical-projection presentation by Äs Jewelwhip the Tanner, made using equipment "borrowed" from the Archwiseard)

Last week in Moltenchannels, we had a gloriooooous plethora of Fun happenings! The Mayor was meeting the Outpost Liason wearing nothing but a sock, in a rather strange location! A forgotten horror from long ago was laying siege to the settlement in the second cavern layer! Let us find out what will happen-

(Tirist Savagerazors the Gladiator Trainee runs past behind him carrying some <<-pamphlets->>)

Extra! Extra! Underequiped squad takes on the terrifying forgotten beast in the mid-cavern layer! Read all about it! Dwarven baby found dehydrated in disk trap room! Extra! Naked mole dog washes down dining hall waterfall! Read all about it! Reactor Beta finished in record time! Extra! Reclaim zone expanded! Read all about it! Production of steel battle axes in full swing! Extra! Extra! The Archwiseard orders expansion down to the depths!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 10:33:18 pm

CaptainArchmage's fortress journal, sometime in summer

The Ignited Busts engaged the Forgotten Beast Oströt Strabo Ebrå in the second cavern layer, outside the walls of the fortress. This was the particular squad assigned bows, however, only one recruit brought any arrows to the battle, while the rest charged in melee using their bows as clubs. Some of the said bows were wooden. The beast was defeated without any losses, however, three members of the squad were hit by the creature's vapor, and developed a fever and full-body blistering. Here is a rendition of the battle aftermath:

(http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/290/ostrotbattleaftermathmo.png)

Just after the battle, the dwarven baby Mistêm Zuglarvucar was found dead, dehydrated in a room beneath the dungeons, a room with a note on the staircase that it was to be filled with disk traps. Just how did things end up that way to begin with?

I expanded the reclaim zone to the south of the road, and unlocked the door of the minecart-to-volcano room so as not to hold up the dumping.

I removed some non-miner dwarves from the mining squads so they could do other things, such as make rock blocks and doors or cook meals.

Now regarding cooking meals, we have a serious situation on our hands. I did an investigation as to what the hell was going on with the background food production, and made a shocking discovery about the ingredients.

(http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/684/foodinmoltenchannels108.png)

From now on none of the meals will use tallow, and we will make better quality meals given the abundance of food in this fortress. We have 1300 plump helmets, with the total number of plants standing at 1356. We have 3236 units of other food, 178 units of meat, and 96 units of fish. We have 1614 units of seeds and 811 units of drinks. In total, food stores are at 7291. That is well over the lever to justify making lavish meals. I have also managed to grow some sun berries, and I think we should start growing more to produce good quality booze.

Reactor Beta has been equipped with waterwheels. I will need to build a pump and drain, but otherwise the majority of the machine has been finished.

(http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/9750/reactorbetamoltenchanne.png)

Finally, I have designated a hall and staircase descending to the depths, and our miners are busy clearing it out.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 15, 2013, 11:07:43 pm

Hmm. I've always wondered (well...since playing DF a lot) how one goes about making a biscuit out of meat....wonder if it's a failed attempt at  meat patties or something.....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on March 16, 2013, 01:02:20 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on March 15, 2013, 11:07:43 pm

Hmm. I've always wondered (well...since playing DF a lot) how one goes about making a biscuit out of meat....wonder if it's a failed attempt at  meat patties or something.....

It probably is, actually, because all the meat has to be finely minced beforehand.

And about the tallow stew... in my fortress Frosthall my dwarves dine on masterwork crundle tallow roasts. The ingredients are usually about 5-6 lumps of masterfully minced crundle tallow.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 16, 2013, 02:25:19 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 10:33:18 pm

CaptainArchmage's fortress journal, sometime in summer

Summer? Didn't you meet with the outpost liaison in the previous update?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: DuckThatQuacks on March 16, 2013, 06:32:13 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 16, 2013, 02:25:19 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 10:33:18 pm

CaptainArchmage's fortress journal, sometime in summer

Summer? Didn't you meet with the outpost liaison in the previous update?

The outpost liaison has been there since my turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 16, 2013, 09:56:15 am

Quote from: DuckThatQuacks on March 16, 2013, 06:32:13 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 16, 2013, 02:25:19 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 15, 2013, 10:33:18 pm

CaptainArchmage's fortress journal, sometime in summer

Summer? Didn't you meet with the outpost liaison in the previous update?

The outpost liaison has been there since my turn.

Let me correct that for you. There are at least two dwarf diplomats. As they mayor was on duty, he never met with them. There are also other diplomats around.

tl;dr: The mayor shouldn't be in the military when there are diplomats around, unless you want to start collecting them.

The reason I don't want to use tallow is tallow is needed for soap. Also, I think our dwarves could do with some lavish meals.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Caldfir on March 16, 2013, 12:33:38 pm

I always thought diplomas went insane if you ignored them for that amount of time. 

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on March 16, 2013, 02:37:06 pm

Quote from: Caldfir on March 16, 2013, 12:33:38 pm

I always thought diplomas went insane if you ignored them for that amount of time. 

They usually just sit on the wall and gather dust, as far as I know.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 16, 2013, 03:46:05 pm

Traders go insane. Diplomats just hang around, but if your mayor changes or gets a strange mood they will leave unhappy. What happens when multiple diplomats from the same civilisation are on the map though?

Question unrelated to succession: has anyone done sufficient decompilation to determine how item count causes such a slowdown?

Confirmed activation in Reactor Alpha! We're generating 700 power and consuming 135. Floodgates have been closed and we have confirmation that the system is active.

In other news, the miners have broken through the cavern wall in the lower caverns, and have located a source of water. Fortunately, the breach was high up, so we can seal it off. I'm going to have to replan the entrance, but at least we know what the layout is like down there. We could, however, have sent a proper exploration team down through the floored-over passage.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 16, 2013, 05:35:23 pm

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on March 16, 2013, 02:37:06 pm

Quote from: Caldfir on March 16, 2013, 12:33:38 pm

I always thought diplomas went insane if you ignored them for that amount of time. 

They usually just sit on the wall and gather dust, as far as I know.

I'm now imagining some poor young dwarf who's just won an election getting chased by a huge wild-eyed mob shouting "ATTEND MEETING!" at him as he runs down the finely carved halls, finally reaching his new office (which his predecessor sure as hell didn't ever use), slams the door and catches his breath before turning around...... to find a row of dusty statues slowly turn their heads and start moving slowly towards him....

"Attend.......meeting....."

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 16, 2013, 08:37:40 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on March 16, 2013, 05:35:23 pm

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on March 16, 2013, 02:37:06 pm

Quote from: Caldfir on March 16, 2013, 12:33:38 pm

I always thought diplomas went insane if you ignored them for that amount of time. 

They usually just sit on the wall and gather dust, as far as I know.

I'm now imagining some poor young dwarf who's just won an election getting chased by a huge wild-eyed mob shouting "ATTEND MEETING!" at him as he runs down the finely carved halls, finally reaching his new office (which his predecessor sure as hell didn't ever use), slams the door and catches his breath before turning around...... to find a row of dusty statues slowly turn their heads and start moving slowly towards him....

"Attend.......meeting....."

For some reason, the guy doesn't seem to be finishing his meeting despite being dressed now.

There was some fantastic action in the depths, which I unfortunately forgot to document, featuring some reptile man blowgunners and a gigantic spider creature.

Fortress Log by CaptainArchmage, Archwiseard, 18th Galena 1089, Late Summer

The human caravan has arrived, bringing with them a guild representative and six wagons. That's right, six wagons. I'm going to be selling at least a large quantity of the prepared food we have to buy their stuff out. After they are all inside, I will try to do some changes to the front gate to make this place safer.

(http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/2873/humantradecaravan1089.png)

While the caravan was arriving, a naked mole dog made of with a massive duck egg roast valued at over 4000 Urists. I sent the gate squad after it but they were too slow. I have since pulled them back closer to the gate.

All members of The Ignited Busts affected by Oströt's Forgotten Beast syndrome have fully recovered now, which is pretty good. I also expanded the reclaim zone outside the fortress again, further to the south.

After forging ten steel battle axes, I created a new squad, The Decent Letters, lead by Avuz Konosshaketh who recently came of age. The ten-strong squad carries the new steel weapons and whatever high-quality armor could be found. We're lagging behind in quality armor, which is mostly from iron or bronze. Fortunately, we can remedy this by digging even deeper; marble has been found in the magma sea and bottom cavern layer.

My tomb was finished, with AnimaRytak forging some gold items! Reactor Beta is also ready to be activated. As with Reactor Alpha, Reactor Beta is also capable of generating 700 Urists of power.

(http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/2847/moltenchannelsuppercave.png)

I had to divert the digging operations to the depths. Unfortunately, the plans got scrambled and a little channel was dug before I fixed the errors. It looks messy but I can find some use for the channels. In the meantime, the forgotten beast Dösta Ungurasm Esnust Ngut, "Dösta Puppetsprincess the Hollows of Hobbling" arrived and totally wiped out the tribe of reptile people down there. It is a great scaly spider with a square shell, and it undulates rhythmically. Its emerald scales are blocky and close-set. According to the lore, it has a poisonous bite. As a spider, it can shoot webs. Fortunately the beast does not have wings so we should be safe for a while up here. I wonder if we can somehow trap it? In the meantime I have ordered the construction of some floor hatches so we can seal off the cavern layers if necessary.

I have designated a completely new settlement around and within the depths. It shall be called

New Townbrush
(http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/8530/depthsofmoltenchannels1.png)

Mining is carrying on as we speak. The entrance to the depths has been mined out right up to the cavern wall, along with a channel magma-based defence system. Screw pumps are also being installed as we speak, thanks to the immense surplus of green glass corkscrews and tubes and gabbro blocks. I want to add in a minecart transportation system too, but one thing at a time.

Watch this space, I might add some more. I think Dösta got the longer title because it killed off a lot of reptile men, but the Archwiseard did not check that before the battle was over. The idea for trapping the beast is to seal it into a room with bridges that would trap it, but allow it to move around. We could use the room as a turret or for harvesting webs. Unique forgotten beast webs that nobody else can get their hands on. The plans for New Townbrush include a weaver's guildhouse, which I could expand on.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 16, 2013, 09:27:32 pm

Aw, man... those reptilemen were badass. One of them was a friend of the fort.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We have reactors and angry diplomats (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 16, 2013, 10:55:04 pm

Next update will likely have to come tomorrow. We're now under siege by goblins, the gate closed just after the last wagon went in, and just before the trolls reached the entrance. The two gold statues at the entrance were knocked away, but not into the moat. Fortunately. We'll be able to trade, and let the wagons out into the cavern exit. I don't know if we'll get by the siege before the dwarven caravan comes though.

The siege consists of trolls and melee goblins. My solution may be lava-based, I'm not happy because I want to recover most things from outside though.

The first outpost liason finally finished his meeting with the mayor. Took long enough.

I'm going to activate Reactor Beta.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Caldfir on March 17, 2013, 09:17:21 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 16, 2013, 03:46:05 pm

Question unrelated to succession: has anyone done sufficient decompilation to determine how item count causes such a slowdown?

I asked Quietust's opinion on this a while back, since I noticed that using DFHack "autodump-destroy" on large numbers of items sped things up significantly in one fort, but did nothing in a test-fort that I ran.  Q's opinion was that what slows the fort down more than anything (except pathfinding and liquid movement) was spatter on items left on the ground.  It seems like temperature checks on these things are frequent and needlessly slow, and propagate temperature thrashing all over the map due to rounding issues. 

Try turning temperature off, and seeing if the FPS jump is abnormally large - that would indicate that this may be to blame for slowness.

The other big FPS killers I'm aware of are magma stack temperature issues (there's a workaround  (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=72296.0)for that), and reclaim bugs (http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=6015).  Dunno if either of those are to blame here. 

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Holy Socks, Urist! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 17, 2013, 10:42:22 am

Quote from: Caldfir on March 17, 2013, 09:17:21 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 16, 2013, 03:46:05 pm

Question unrelated to succession: has anyone done sufficient decompilation to determine how item count causes such a slowdown?

I asked Quietust's opinion on this a while back, since I noticed that using DFHack "autodump-destroy" on large numbers of items sped things up significantly in one fort, but did nothing in a test-fort that I ran.  Q's opinion was that what slows the fort down more than anything (except pathfinding and liquid movement) was spatter on items left on the ground.  It seems like temperature checks on these things are frequent and needlessly slow, and propagate temperature thrashing all over the map due to rounding issues. 

Try turning temperature off, and seeing if the FPS jump is abnormally large - that would indicate that this may be to blame for slowness.

The other big FPS killers I'm aware of are magma stack temperature issues (there's a workaround  (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=72296.0)for that), and reclaim bugs (http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=6015).  Dunno if either of those are to blame here.

Let me correct that: The question was whether understanding of the code had reached the level where it was possible to hack in (i.e. create a binary patch for, as done to stop the "Too deep" countdown and introduce z-levels to the 2-D version) a solution that would speed up FPS or increase efficiency.

As to the succession, I now have to deal with a ridiculous amount of trading and deal with the goblin siege.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We have reactors and angry diplomats (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 17, 2013, 07:57:55 pm

CaptainArchmage cancels Dwarf Fortress: Interrupted by Kerbal Space Program 0.19

After building a skycrane rover (read: Curiosity) and landing it on another planet, I got back to Moltenchannels.

The more time-consuming thing here is editing up the multitude of brilliant pics we're getting of the action, which features flying emu bone bolts, forgotten beasts, and things falling into lava.

CaptainArchmage's Fortress Log, 23rd Galena 1089

This is the entrance of Moltenchannels just after the gates shut. One brave Axeman stayed behind to fight off the hoards.

(http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/6854/moltenchannelssummersie.png)

This is the state of the depths after the forgotten beast Dösta wiped out the tribe of reptile men. The white ichor or extract found is actually from another forgotten beast named En while the bright red is a mixture of reptile man blood and En's forgotten beast extract. I am unsure of its properties until I can find more of the lore.

(http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/9034/moltenchannelsdepths108.png)

To do something with our large gold reserves, I have designated a pyramid to be build over the central part of the fortress, with at least the base made out of gold.

As our fortifications are not actually complete, and the dwarves designated to rip up the roads in the entrance are being scared by the trolls. However, those armed with crossbows were firing them directly at the siege, so I activate the Fortress Guard squad and stationed them at the guard towers. I'm considering arming our entire population with ranged weapons anyways.

I count six squads in total, including the trolls. A few goblins decide to try balancing on a few block pillars in the middle of the moat. These are the same block pillars armed with traps, at least one goblin gets skewered and falls off onto some obsidian.

With the guard piling into the towers, the goblin Spearmaster Snodub âstongem, "Snodub Flinchjackals" comes under fire. He blocks two with his shield and doges the last masterwork donkey bone bolt into the magma moat and is incinerated.

(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/6854/moltenchannelssummersie.png)

Down in the caves, some crundles walk into cage traps. Twice. Without any spare storage, the cages are just being left where they are, so I have designated a large stockpile for cages. Much deeper down, the miners are busy carving out the outpost of New Townbrush, our new bastion and village down in the depths.


That's one update complete. A few typographical errors in the annotation, but 1) there is a toll for the goblins at the gate, show us your magma diving skills! 2) It is not a lake anymore since it is contaminated with forgotten beast extract. Yes, there's forgotten beast extract in one of the lakes in the depths now.

Onward, for the glory of Moltenchannels!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We have reactors and angry diplomats (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 17, 2013, 10:13:48 pm

Moltenchannels Trading Report, Summer 1089 by CaptainArchmage, Archwiseard

Trading with Civilization: The Patterned Confederations, a human civilisation
Caravan Arrival: Caravan arrived Safely
Diplomat With Caravan (Safe Arrival): Yes (Yes)
Human Caravan Casualties on Arrival: 1 Axeman
Property Damage During Caravan Arrival:
•To fortress, caused by siege, two gold statues worth 3000 and 750 suns knocked down by trolls. Otherwise intact and recoverable.
•To caravan, caused by siege, 997 suns worth of equipment lost. May be recovered by our own forces later.
Merchants Commenced Trading: Yes
Banned Export List: Animal traps
Approximate Value of Items Sold: 60,000 Suns
Items Traded for Export: Leather Clothing, Cloth Clothing, Green Glass Pump Components, Totems, Rings, Scepters, Prepared Meals
Approximate Value of Items Purchased: 40,000 Suns
Items Purchased: Metal bars, Small Gems, Glass, Cheese, Fish, Plants, Barrels, Bags, Animals, Cages, Dye, Cloth, Thread, Leather, Anvils, Arrows, Leather, Weapons, Trap Components



With the amount of stuff we're trading, I'm doing it in multiple runs. The value of prepared meals traded off was about 40,000 Urists and those were only the meals contained in green glass pots. Somewhere there's a stack of 325 -horse's milk biscuits- made from well-minced forgotten beast meat and minced horse's milk, with a value of 8125 Suns. I wonder which forgotten beast that was?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We have reactors and angry diplomats (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 18, 2013, 04:00:12 am

The meat is probably from the eight legged giant hedgehog on post #117.

En's ichor is from the forgotten beast the repitle men slayed on post #155.

So the goblins came and installed tolls in our roads. That's pure evil. :'(

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We have reactors and angry diplomats (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 12:10:37 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 18, 2013, 04:00:12 am

The meat is probably from the eight legged giant hedgehog on post #117.

En's ichor is from the forgotten beast the repitle men slayed on post #155.

So the goblins came and installed tolls in our roads. That's pure evil. :'(

Its amazing what we can do with typographical errors. Outside of the sectors where you have to correctly spell things for them to work right it can do brilliant things.

Double damnation! A tree grew near the intake for Reactor Beta, reducing water pressure considerably. This is preventing us from operating the reactor properly. As the intake is too close to the forgotten beast Isa, I'm not going to risk cutting it down. I have removed the grate over the intake and the engravers will cut a new fortification while the pump-operator pumps I'll have to find a way to get them to both stay down there, likely by locking the green glass hatch over the pump access.

(http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/246/moltenchannelsreactorin.png)

As there were more items I wanted to obtain, I sold some of our green glass pump components. We can always make more of those, while we have a shortage of bronze and could do with some more of these imported metal weapons. Magma glass furnaces are to be run again. I have also ordered an expansion of the main entrance area to the north. Hopefully our dwarves will be able to complete it with the siege outside, the area is inaccessible from that side because of the magma moat, and most of the goblins opposite the area are dying from bolt-inflicted injuries.

(One of) The dwarven diplomat(s) finished his meeting with the mayor and left an export agreement. The next diplomat is one of the human guildmasters. Finally, I opened the road exit to the upper caverns for when the human caravan leaves.

(http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/4584/moltenchannelstradeagre.png)

Official Fortress Log by CaptainArchmage, 27th Galena 1089

The outpost liason, who finished his meeting with the mayor, left through the upper caverns.
Stesokcatten Orabkíddirimush and the surrounding lands have been made a barony.
It looks like Urist McDonald is now the Baron. His room requirements are already met. I also have confirmation the trade agreement has been formalised.

1st Limestone, 1089

It is now Autumn. The human diplomat exchanged a few words with the mayor before leaving, probably again through the caverns. The humans likely go underground to another dwarven fortress before leaving over the surface, on a proper paved road, but the Outpost liason went the other way. I don't know, maybe there's a shortcut for those not riding wagons.

In the upper caverns, Reactor Beta activates. Again. The engravers, however, are busy elsewhere. The mayor begins his meeting with a Herbalist, likely another outpost liason. Aboveground, the goblins have retreated to a safer place out of range of our guard towers, but they are still in the nearby area. The tall lava channel has now reached the main fortress area....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We have reactors and angry diplomats (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on March 18, 2013, 12:39:40 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 12:10:37 pm

It is now Autumn. The human diplomat exchanged a few words with the mayor before leaving, probably again through the caverns. The humans likely go underground to another dwarven fortress before leaving over the surface, on a proper paved road, but the Outpost liason went the other way. I don't know, maybe there's a shortcut for those not riding wagons.

Does this mean there is an exit you're not aware of? May be worth checking and trapping/walling it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We have reactors and angry diplomats (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 12:49:53 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on March 18, 2013, 12:39:40 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 12:10:37 pm

It is now Autumn. The human diplomat exchanged a few words with the mayor before leaving, probably again through the caverns. The humans likely go underground to another dwarven fortress before leaving over the surface, on a proper paved road, but the Outpost liason went the other way. I don't know, maybe there's a shortcut for those not riding wagons.

Does this mean there is an exit you're not aware of? May be worth checking and trapping/walling it.

The diplomats are exiting through the caverns, which are not under siege. There are entrances at the edges of the cavern, with the caravan road exit being to the north (the walls go right through to the edge, so it cannot be accessed as an entrance unless something spawns right on it). The caravan will use the road exit since its the only exit through the caverns they can use, but the diplomats can use any edge tile to leave from. This is just the way the game works.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - We have reactors and angry diplomats (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on March 18, 2013, 01:01:38 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 12:49:53 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on March 18, 2013, 12:39:40 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 12:10:37 pm

It is now Autumn. The human diplomat exchanged a few words with the mayor before leaving, probably again through the caverns. The humans likely go underground to another dwarven fortress before leaving over the surface, on a proper paved road, but the Outpost liason went the other way. I don't know, maybe there's a shortcut for those not riding wagons.

Does this mean there is an exit you're not aware of? May be worth checking and trapping/walling it.

Oh... I haven't ever had diplomants or caravan be that deep, so actually did not know that. Did you construct the road, or is this simply a "Deep Road"?
The diplomats are exiting through the caverns, which are not under siege. There are entrances at the edges of the cavern, with the caravan road exit being to the north (the walls go right through to the edge, so it cannot be accessed as an entrance unless something spawns right on it). The caravan will use the road exit since its the only exit through the caverns they can use, but the diplomats can use any edge tile to leave from. This is just the way the game works.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 01:08:12 pm

Its not even a worldgen road. Its just hall way that is at least 3 tiles wide going down from the depot to the upper caverns. The section leaving the cavern isn't a road, it is just dirt and rough stone with a wall to block it off from the rest of the cavern, and should probably be paved up. Caverns will not arrive by the deep road, they will only arrive by the surface. They can leave by the deep road, however.

Its really not the depths until we get to the deep caverns. I could probably designate a big road all the way down there, but our miners are too busy digging out New Townbrush. There is half the year left, however. If I don't manage to finish everything by the deadline (low FPS), I can just submit the save as it is.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 18, 2013, 01:37:14 pm

I'm just imagining a dozen lost diplomats wandering aimlessly through the caverns, passing by the skeletons of all the previous ones.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/cavernplomats.jpg)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 01:37:41 pm

Moltenchannels Fortress Journal by CaptainArchmage
10th Limestone, 1089

The engravers finish their work and cut the new fortifications in the intake. The flow of water down here is still considerably lower, and its taking a while for the reactor chamber to fill up whilst the drain is active.

The expanded fortifications to the north are complete with no interruptions from the siege. This will make the main surface entrance more symmetrical as well as provide more room for expansion.

The Herbalist tells my mayor he is empowered to elevate the land, and then tries to arrange an export arrangement. I saw the one made with the previous outpost liason, and it was absolutely terrible. I put in an order for leather, wood, all types of cloth, thread, most kinds of meat, fish, plants, seeds, barrels, cages, all types of metal, all types of small gems, glass, blocks, miscellaneous products, and all types of stone. Highest emphasis went on fish, plants, seeds, leather, miscellaneous products, metal, wood, gems, blocks, and stone.

Now I do understand that I have gone all-out on the import agreement. However, we are under siege, we have a need for many gems, we need lye and extra wood, we need metal for many things, we need stone for the fortress, we need ore for more metal, we need barrels for storage, and we certainly need a good deal of leather and cloth for our new uniforms.

In other news, I have cut off the magma intake from the volcano to the forges. The rock remains hot inside the reservoir and if we begin extracting the lava from the volcano, its level may drop below the forge level. This lever, the cave exit road lever, and the corresponding floodgate and bridge have now been properly labeled.


Does anyone know what happens when multiple import and export agreements are made?

Edit: What kind of uniform color do you think we should have at Moltenchannels? There are three types of dye we have access to, blue, red, and green. To get access to black dye, I would need to hack the raws to generate some silver barb seeds out of thin air, before reverting them.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 03:25:26 pm

The following entry is found in the Fortress Journal by CaptainArchmage, but it is undated apart from appearing in between entries. It is written in a slightly different hand.

Schisms, they come. They manifest here, just as in the lore. Once again, as dwarves dismantle a wall, where the block falls becomes a vessel. A vessel for transport. As the old north wall of the fortress was moved, the cages materialised where the blocks fell. Then the siege remains materialised where the blocks fell. The schisms are growing in number. It is only a matter of time.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on March 18, 2013, 04:52:41 pm

Correct me if Im wrong, but I think Archmage is a day past the time limit on overseer turns

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 18, 2013, 05:55:05 pm

If the next overseer is ready to take over I can't say no. The point of shuffling turns was to do a quick one. :-\

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 06:41:46 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 18, 2013, 05:55:05 pm

If the next overseer is ready to take over I can't say no. The point of shuffling turns was to do a quick one. :-\

I can post the current save as it is. Shall I go ahead?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 08:08:50 pm

Fortress Log by CaptainArchmage, 16th Limestone 1089

The Baron's first action was to mandate the construction of two breastplates. AnimaRytak is our legendary armorsmith, and as far as I am concerned he will be forging the breastplates. I am going to hold off on using steel until we can obtain more, though.

The human merchants are now packing up, and will be leaving through the now-open cavern road.

Please excuse the wait time, IRL lifted time restrictions (imposed by other commitments) on my availability, and I'm doing my ph.D in Dwarven Physics with these reactors. The "drain reactor to waterfall" was as much of a terrible idea in Dwarf Fortress as in real life, but for different reasons.

The Archwiseard's Official Fortress Journal, 1st Sandstone 1089, Mid-Autumn

I have started assigning citizens rooms in New Townbrush. These are proper rooms, much larger than those elsewhere in the fortress, with provision for the installation of windows. Among the new inhabitants of our new outpost in the depths are Avuz Konosshaketh and her squad The Decent Letters, Monom Vabôkothlest the Carpenter, and ézum Timnärkadol the Miner.

The entrance to New Townbrush has been smoothed up in record time, so I set the engravers to work finishing of the rest.

The pump power levers have now been installed properly, but Reactor Beta is still down for modifications. On the surface, the on-island magma distribution network has reached the fortress walls. Some more work and we could create a magma trap right at the entrance! Dwarves will not focus extension efforts to the"!!Shroud of Armok!!" Wildfire Creation System.

I have ordered the construction of bone bolts, giving our craftsdwarves employment in arming our military.

Official Fortress Log by CaptainArchmage, 17th Sandstone 1089, Mid Autumn

Shortly after the new month, AnimaRytak got possessed by unknown forces and took over a mason's workshop, demanding a bunch of items. I finally figured we were out of bones, likely because of the massive bone-carving operation to make more ammunition for the military. A bunch of cats and a water buffalo bull were slaughtered to obtain the required materials, and he is now working on some project.

I noticed there are magma crabs in the volcano which are acting like artillery. Despite there being protective fences around the volcano, dwarves are being bombarded from above. There must be some way to utilize these magma crabs in a weapon.

Once again, I had to reform the job assignments of the carpenters and settled upon restricting the use of the carpenter's shops.

The second outpost liason left, and we've been elevated to a county. I wonder what happens with the multiple import and export agreements?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 18, 2013, 09:43:47 pm

Heh, I'm the one that dug the 'road' to the caverns, and I intended to pave over that last section, but since most of it is dug through solid stone, it shouldn't need to be paved to prevent growth.

Also: Dwarf Fortress, where radioactivity is the least of our worries.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 10:20:43 pm

Journal Entry by CaptainArchmage, 21st Sanstone, 1089

AnimaRytak has finished his artefact. It is Siknung ûthir, a granite floodgate! That translates to "The Dwelling of Searing" to those humans out there. It is very appropriate given current projects.

In other news, I am working on a method for getting rid of the siege for good which doesn't involve a preliminary test of the !!Shroud of Armok!!.

26th Sandstone, 1089

Somehow, one of the conscripts managed to get washed down the waterfall to the dining hall. I'd better watch out where I station these people! On that note I'm taking their squad off-duty.

Level two of the golden pyramid is under construction. The Shroud of Armok barrel is nearly complete, all I have to do now is find a way to power the thing and put switches on the floodgates.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 18, 2013, 11:04:41 pm

Official Fortress Journal by CaptainArchmage, 3rd Timber 1089, Late Autumn

The trees are starting to lose their leaves as we move towards winter. We may not be able to finish the siege off before the caravan is due, but we may be able to do a good deal of damage.

Note: I should be able to finish Winter tomorrow time. New Townbrush is getting the levers for the magma systems.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 19, 2013, 02:11:34 pm

Trying to finish this ASAP so there may be fewer images (I'll try to compile what I have at the end). I'd give completion time for this some 3-4 hours or so from now. Maybe more, maybe less.

Official Fortress Journal by CaptainArchmage, 11th Moonstone 1089

I executed my plan with the trapped hallway. We lost one granite door but the trolls and other sieging goblins took heavy losses, with another spearmaster dodging our bolts into the magma moat, and a troll dropping in while the bridge was being retracted. I noticed the weapon traps jammed up, and I think we should change the contents.

We carried out some cleanup outside, including the recovery of the gold statues, and I then called the dwarves inside to begin the rennovation of the entrance. The human caravan finally finished packing up and left over the surface, with the diplomat leaving through the caverns. Again. We did not clear the siege out in the for the dwarven caravan, but that means we can properly finish up the entrance. We will need to move the guard towers to do this.

The second level of the golden pyramid has been completed. Under dwarven regulations, walls, floors, ramps, and tracks are reinforced against temperature so while normal golden furniture and workshops would melt under lava, the pyramid will not. The door to the pyramid is made out of Orthoclase, which is certified as magma-safe.

The excavation of New Townbrush is complete, except for the Weaver's guildhouse, which I want to relocate. I have connected the floodgates in the magma distribution network to a control center there, and I expect that we should have a manually-operated network finished by the end of the year.

Fortress Log continuation, 17th Moonstone, 1089

AnimaRytak dismantled the bridge at the entrance, and our mechanics removed the old lever. The gold statues were dumped in the to-volcano room, but I plan to have everything useful recovered from there. I'll also have to sort our burial arrangements since we have an issue with dwarves in the undead siege being confused with our citizens, which will require filling out a lot of paperwork.

I want the new bridge over the lava moat to be made out of a proper material such as steel, which is laval-safe. However, there are not enough steel bars to do this yet. The guard towers are also being deconstructed.

Now there is a problem with the entrance. The road isn't actually symmetrical with the entrance, so rather than being able to have some large, grand towers we have to do a fork in the road. Changing the arrangements would mean realigning the foundations I made just after the zombie siege, but that is not much work.

28th Moonstone 1089, Early Winter

A giant cave spider and a giant cave swallow were spotted in the deep road exit, but I sealed the passage off before they got into the fort.

The new drain for Reactor Beta has been finished, and testing will begin now.

Moltenchannels Migration Record, 1st Opal 1089

We have received seven (7) migrants.
-Zefon Cogudesh, Former Outpost Liason (main skill trapping)
-èrith Ishlumcilob, Hunter (Polymath, has a lot of engineering skills)
-Amost Astkutam, Tanner
-Rigòth Gebrimtar, Milker (married to Amost Astkutam)
-Alåth Kadolbabin, Trader
-Obok Fikodtoêm, Trader
-Erush Tathurkilrud, Herbalist


Official Fortress Log by CaptainArchmage, 6th Opal 1089
I have settled the group of seven migrants in the outpost of New Townbrush in the depths, and I have settled the entirety of The Decent Letters down there as well. The population of New Townbrush is now 23 dwarves, with all rooms full. The quarters should be "Decent Quarters" when occupied, though I haven't yet added the cabinets and chests and satues to all rooms as I want to. There is a shortage of workshop space down there too, and we will need a place to store food. With the miners no longer occupied, I can schedule those expansions.

Reactor Beta failed, once again. I'm not sure whether it is to do with the design or something else.

Note: I have given some of the migrants a profession or title. In the case of the former outpost liason, I have just given him that title.

Nearly there, I am onto Obsidian now.

Official Fortress Log by CaptainArchmage, Obsidian 1089

We're approaching the end of the year. While Reactor Beta continues to have functionality problems, I am installing a branch of power to Lava Pumpstack 1 from the main distribution network. With any luck we will be able to saturate the lava pumpstack with molten rock, but there will be insufficient power to run both the lava pumpstack and the water pumpstack at the same time. To finish off my year, I am designating a plumbing network for water.

One of the kids got a mood. I had to slaughter another ram to produce the bones, which is kind of concerning. How do we have a shortage of bones around here?!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 19, 2013, 06:39:18 pm

I'd like another turn, perhaps down there at 14, unless someone wants to go ahead of me. I enjoyed this more than the last community fort I played.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 19, 2013, 07:20:59 pm

Captain gets the Guiness to the most turn updates. I've given up on linking to every individual post. ;D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 19, 2013, 07:28:19 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 19, 2013, 07:20:59 pm

Captain gets the Guiness to the most turn updates. I've given up on linking to every individual post. ;D

I'm also done now. Pretty much. There was a fight in the mid-cavern layer that destroyed one door and left another mangled. Warranty void in case of forgotten beast attack. One marksdwarf has a broken leg but nothing else.

The power distribution network is nearly done. I may just "oversee" its completion. There's a power switch for the lava pumpstack and there's intended to be one for the power branch. The whole power branch will need to be shut down to power the water pumpstack though.

OK I'm at Granite 1st now. I'm going to write up and post. Someone else will have to finish the pumpstack relay now (in game time), there are about three axels that need to be built and this is just managing the dwarves to move the stone off the locations.

End of Year Report by CaptainArchmage, 1st Granite 1090

The year is at an end! A few days ago, we had an attack by the forgotten beast Figul, who broke down one door and destroyed another in the middle cavern layer, but was shot down after injuring one of the fortress guard. I have run a few axels to distribute power to Lava Pumpstack 1, which will need to be finished. The reactor we have can only power the distribution network and lava pumpstack, or the water pumpstack, but not both. From now on I will be retiring to the role of Champion in the Metropolis of Moltenchannels.

(http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/1286/endof1089statusmoltench.png)

Save: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7491 (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7491)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on March 20, 2013, 01:05:59 am

...

Something really, really bad is going to happen.

...

really soon.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 20, 2013, 04:28:39 am

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on March 20, 2013, 01:05:59 am

...

Something really, really bad is going to happen.

...

really soon.

Come on, I'm not up for another couple of turns yet!

Although I'd have to agree. Lava-device is almost operational, the population's over 150 and we even have an axedwarf (only one?)....things cannot last.

As a BTW: if Urist McKiwi II gets eaten by a crundle or something, don't redorf just yet. I've got a cunning plan......

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 20, 2013, 04:42:57 am

PSA. The folder inside the save zip is named 1089, but it's year 1090.

One of our prisoner vampires is berserking, and the other one is haunted by a ghostly trader.  :o

Can some charitable soul give Udib proper quarters (tip: check R to see his current ones)? Preferably somewhere he can wall himself from all the fortress' madness. Edit: Also new clothes, he's wearing rags. D:

Captain forgot to mention our last artifact: Clinchyear the Defective Foot, a tower-cap cup. It has pictures of humans fighting elves and of a goblin snatcher dyieing in 1085.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 20, 2013, 05:16:49 am

Current aerial view:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/aerial1090.jpg)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on March 20, 2013, 07:31:43 am

I left the tower stairways as up-down so that the towers could be more easily extended upwards, but they look pretty silly poking up as they do...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 20, 2013, 08:20:44 am

That'll be fixed once an overseer actually bothers to extend them to a proper epic height. If nothing else we can fill them with caged prisoners.

Random fun fact. In 1089, one female troll and two male trolls, all called Dostngosp, died in Moltenchannels.

Another random fun fact. In 1061, an elf, two vampire goblins and one vampire human started the human cult "The Coven of Brains" to worship Talde Sullyvise, a human goddess of death, blight, disease, deformity, order, laws and discipline. :o

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 20, 2013, 09:12:04 am

I was going to free the other vampire and have it go fight the berserk vampire. Then I also wanted to add in water plumbing and a minecart network.

There's a lot of stuff I forgot to mention, such as how I tried to relocate the housing down to New Townbrush, or how New Townbrush doesn't have a store of food or how booze was declining in the fortress.

The count (yes, we got promoted twice by virtue of having so many diplomats) mandates production of breastplates and short swords, which isn't bad. The only problem is there is a deficit of iron, bronze, or steel.

I'd suggest saving iron for making steel with marble from the magma sea.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 20, 2013, 12:15:23 pm

The crazy design plans connected to the power distribution network were for a programmable computer. That's right, a programmable computer. It didn't go anywhere and it would require more mechanisms and reactors.

Fixed for you, no spoilers besides my plans.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Goblins have come. Beware their pricey tolls! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 20, 2013, 03:52:32 pm

Don't spoil it, please. >:(

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 20, 2013, 11:32:03 pm

Downloading the save now

I already have a previous version of it downloaded (long story), so it should just be a matter of overwriting the saves.


Jornal of Bp920091, Overseer of Moltenchannels, 1090

As CaptainArchmage resumes his position as a champion, he ran into me, LITERALLY, and said, "Good, I was looking for an overseer. Congratulations, you have the job!" "
I stammered "But, i dont know anything about running this place!"
"Nonsense", replied Archmage, "Here's Everything you need to know in ten seconds," and proceeded to talk so fast for the next ten seconds that i could not make out a single word. "The fort is in your hands now, random guy, and remember, The champions will be watching..." He then ran down the hall, shouting "Im FREE!"

So, this is a bit of a change from my existing life as a hauler in the fort. I have kept my head down so low that people dont even know my name. From being a nobody to being in charge of everybody.

First thoughts:

Huh... that's a lot of caged unicorns...

second thought:

Who designed this?

I see a whole bunch of levers, many labeled, many NOT labeled (only one mechanism in there, so many arent hooked up to anything). Additionally, there's a magma pump that looks as if all it needs to turn on is a bunch of axels to finish. The design of this axel will spread lava all across the pipe, as there is no SEAL on the top (flowing magma may not overflow, but pumped magma SURE will). Additionally, i dunno if the pump-stack is all made out of magma proof materials, and as a result, the whole thing may melt/catch fire when it's turned on. I also do not see a shutoff switch for the magma deployment system.

If everything goes allright, we have a magma deployment system that can melt things on the north side of us... which isnt particularly useful (as our entrance is on the east).

We also have a completely secondary fort, down MANY levels, because.... i dunno why, the top floors seem habitable (if a bit confusing).

Time to go over the previous few overseers notes, that i found in an abandond office, just to see what's going on.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 21, 2013, 06:06:35 pm

The entrance redesign was done by me. Some things haven't been done yet though. I'd recommend walling off that southern section thing, turn it into a surface pasture and build some watchtowers over it.

I've tried to label the levers that I made, and those that I didn't make but was able to determine the use of. in the soil room with the staircase, regarding the levers not on the edge of the room: the left and right levers deal with the drawbridges to the left and right within the fortress island. The top and bottom levers deal with the retracting bridges.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: QuiteFranklyMyMaN on March 21, 2013, 08:06:22 pm

how would I get stonesense working with this thing? is it included in the save file?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 22, 2013, 01:04:42 am

It's bundled with DFHack, check the thread in the modding forum for more info.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 22, 2013, 03:14:50 am

Still going over the notes, and trying to decipher how everything works here. Ill get an update tomorrow (Technically, later today).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 22, 2013, 03:28:56 am

I think the poll is decided.

Blood counts as red, so red it is. :P ;D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 22, 2013, 07:05:27 pm

The lever room left of the depot is mine. I labeled everything I think. I'm not sure if anything got changed but I know I labeled it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 22, 2013, 11:42:18 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on March 20, 2013, 11:32:03 pm

I also do not see a shutoff switch for the magma deployment system.

Why would you want such a thing? It's magma.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 23, 2013, 10:03:19 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on March 22, 2013, 11:42:18 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on March 20, 2013, 11:32:03 pm

I also do not see a shutoff switch for the magma deployment system.

Why would you want such a thing? It's magma.

The lava control systems are in New Townbrush. Those levers are clearly labeled. The lever to the hatch over the pump intake is still to be connected up, as well as the lever to the gear assembly. There are two floodgates to each branch of the magma channel, and those controls are labeled.

Remember, magma aboveground is lava.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 23, 2013, 08:07:22 pm

Quote

I left the tower stairways as up-down so that the towers could be more easily extended upwards, but they look pretty silly poking up as they do...

I'm no engineer and the military system makes even less sense to me than my current uni assignments, so I'm not going to be able to do much beyond "Push the button, Frank Urist!" in terms of the Deep Fat (Lava) Fryer (I can totally imagine Urist McDonald lining up a bunch of steel bins full of fatty biscuits to take advantage of the first test-run of the system) and/or seiges and/or FBs that aren't smashing through the fortress anyway... so if other people don't get around to it I'll just add to those towers when my turn comes up. Or build some more. You can never have enough towers. Still. Given it's another two years till my turn I'm not counting my towers before the foundations go down.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 23, 2013, 09:24:13 pm

Shouldn't be a problem. As stable as we are now, unless we're lucky enough to have something hilariously catastrophic happen, you should have a fort by the time your turn rolls around again.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 25, 2013, 06:07:10 am

Sorry about the delays, ive been working on the fort, and ill try and get the first season out tomorrow.

Damn game crashed on me about halfway through granite, had to redownload it. Game was getting corrupted.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 26, 2013, 10:59:57 pm

If that becomes a serious issue we're gonna have to call Ardentdykes III  "Damn it Wastedlabour, stop sealing our forts in other dimensions!"

Although it would make sense for Udib to climb over a wall and leg it to safe sealing distance the second McDuck turned up.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 26, 2013, 11:12:20 pm

Whenever you have a repeated crash keep an eye open on what may be interacting with what, particularly stuff being molten by lava. If we identify the cursed object we could try moving it to a magma proof stone case.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 27, 2013, 09:32:16 pm

Game crashed AGAIN, i think i figured out the issue though, and fixed it. Now onto try #3.

Overseer's Log:

Granite 1:

After two very vivid dreams about me being the overseer of this fort, i awoke to realize in fact, that i had NOT been overseer, and that i still had a whole year ahead of me.

After perusing the gargantuan stack of papers that CaptainArchmage gave to me, i have a general idea of how the fort actually works now.

first off, we need to take care of the ghosts that are just hanging around in our forts. We have no less than NINE ghosts around the fort, and a necromancer in a cage...

Food Situation is, actually pretty good. Over 750 units of drink and over 2400 prepared meals (I had the cook stop working on them)

Time to see what the status is on those slabs.

*Many hours later*

After tracking down the mason's workshop, i found that in fact, previous overseer s HAD created the slabs, they just never got around to having them engraved. Time to fix that situation.

After going to the craftsdwarf's shops and getting them to engrave NINE slabs, i have checked on our current tomb situation to find that we are FULL. So full in fact, that i see no vacancies. As a result, i have designated a 9x26 area to be FILLED with coffins (the right third is going to be where the slabs are kept. If we cant give them good tombs, we can at least have our dead sleeping in coffins, rather than on the floor.

4th granite:

In order to boost morale, i have put the military on break, but told them to keep all of their equipment, so they wouldn't have to run and go get it when invaders show up.

5th Granite:

A dwarf's pet cat gave birth to two kittens. That however, is not the scarring part of it. The scarring part of it is that she gave birth so hard that the kittens were BLOWN 25 feet away from her (What a way to enter the world). Made even MORE impressive by the fact that she still had them stay on the tiny ledge that overlooks the main entrance.

That's right, MoltenChannels is so hardcore that the cats give explosive birth!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 27, 2013, 10:25:49 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on March 27, 2013, 09:32:16 pm

Game crashed AGAIN, i think i figured out the issue though, and fixed it. Now onto try #3.

I hate when people does this. Please, say what you think you fixed so other people down the line can try it too if they have the same problem.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bringing a new meaning to "catsplosion" (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 27, 2013, 10:59:25 pm

Strange, since this has never before affected any DF game, and

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 27, 2013, 10:25:49 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on March 27, 2013, 09:32:16 pm

Game crashed AGAIN, i think i figured out the issue though, and fixed it. Now onto try #3.

I hate when people does this. Please, say what you think you fixed so other people down the line can try it too if they have the same problem.

I Didnt say why becase it was completely unrelated to DF.

I run a program called BOINC, used for data crunching for large organizations, and while i had it turned off (No tasks running, they were suspended), BOINC would strangely use the same memory that DF was using and DF would crash as soon as i hit the 14th of Granite.

Since i turned BOINC off (made sure it was NOT even running), i have had no issues.

Odd, because it shouldnt have been using the same data, and BOINC without any tasks running has the footprint of an internet browser with nothing running on it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Vampire Chronicles (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 28, 2013, 04:25:46 am

Quote from: bp920091 on March 27, 2013, 09:32:16 pm

A dwarf's pet cat gave birth to two kittens. That however, is not the scarring part of it. The scarring part of it is that she gave birth so hard that the kittens were BLOWN 25 feet away from her (What a way to enter the world). Made even MORE impressive by the fact that she still had them stay on the tiny ledge that overlooks the main entrance.

Thank Armok there wasn't a spike pit in the wrong place....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bringing a new meaning to "catsplosion" (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: AnimaRytak on March 29, 2013, 06:35:54 pm

Woohoo, still alive!

Which is odd, since I think i was dorfed way early.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bringing a new meaning to "catsplosion" (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 29, 2013, 06:43:19 pm

Considering our underground defenses are basically a couple doors and traps, and a stairwell completely exposed to flyers, it's quite amazing nothing serious has happened. ???

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bringing a new meaning to "catsplosion" (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 30, 2013, 08:22:12 am

We don't seem to encounter a lot of fliers. It's strange. Normally I can't get away from them.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bringing a new meaning to "catsplosion" (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 31, 2013, 12:03:45 am

30th Granite:

This has been a very productive month, as all nine ghosts that were screaming through the fortress have been put to rest, and a good 90 additional coffins have been constructed and are ready to be filled (with pets and dwarves, since we have so many).

This includes the ghost that was screaming at the non-bezerk vampire. As the ghost was laid to a rest, the screaming stopped, and you could hear a whispered "Thank you" from down the hall.

Additionally, a complete rework over the squads seems to be needed. After interviewing all of the millitary, i can see that the squads have.... little to nothing in common within their squads. The squads may seem to have the requisite skills, but in fact, have little to nothing in common, skillwise.

I have rearranged the 5 unskilled and actually pretty well equipped squads into 3 squads

The Gears of Living: Hammerdwarf
Sauvage as the Millitia Commander and 9 other dwarves

The Blockades Arches: Marksdwarfs
UristTheGrey II as the millitia captain, and 9 other dwarves (of note is Led Nirdoren Tangathniral Birir, or Led as he is normally called, who has killed 7 zonbies and 6 goblins/trolls

The helmed Taxes: Axedwarfs
Lef by Erush Lorod, Magmaman as the millitia captain, and 9 other dwarves.

Of second note, we have little to no bedrooms for the average citizen. As such, i have mandated construction of 196 bedrooms, in a windmill villa style (28 1x3 bedrooms per floor, 7 floors). Each dwarf will get a bed, cabinet, and chest.

This part of an arcane design that took many years and better dwarves than I to work out. As i discovered this on a hidden tome (http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Bedroom_design#Modified_Windmill_Villas) sealed away for hundreds of years.

30th Granite:

This has been a very productive month, as all nine ghosts that were screaming through the fortress have been put to rest, and a good 90 additional coffins have been constructed and are ready to be filled (with pets and dwarves, since we have so many).

This includes the ghost that was screaming at the non-bezerk vampire. As the ghost was laid to a rest, the screaming stopped, and you could hear a whispered "Thank you" from down the hall.

Additionally, a complete rework over the squads seems to be needed. After interviewing all of the millitary, i can see that the squads have.... little to nothing in common within their squads. The squads may seem to have the requisite skills, but in fact, have little to nothing in common, skillwise.

I have rearranged the 5 unskilled and actually pretty well equipped squads into 3 squads

The Gears of Living: Hammerdwarf
Sauvage as the Millitia Commander and 9 other dwarves

The Blockades Arches: Marksdwarfs
UristTheGrey II as the millitia captain, and 9 other dwarves (of note is Led Nirdoren Tangathniral Birir, or Led as he is normally called, who has killed 7 zonbies and 6 goblins/trolls

The helmed Taxes: Axedwarfs
Lef by Erush Lorod, Magmaman as the millitia captain, and 9 other dwarves.

Of second note, we have little to no bedrooms for the average citizen. As such, i have mandated construction of 196 bedrooms, in a windmill villa style (28 1x3 bedrooms per floor, 7 floors). Each dwarf will get a bed, cabinet, and chest.



In order to prevent the mass raising of corpses, i have started dumping the corpses of non-dwarves into the magma moat.

26th Slate:

We get some more migrants, 7 of them, and we also have a baby boy being born.


1st Felsite:

another baby boy is being born, someone might have slipped in fertility drugs into the local booze supply. At least this is not birthed over the volcano (but it was birthed over a staircase...)

10th Felsite:

Shockingly, we have filled up all the coffins needed... Sixty were filled, with another fifteen standing ready.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bringing a new meaning to "catsplosion" (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 31, 2013, 03:23:39 am

19th Felsite:

A Necromancer showed up. along with a good 60 undead. Lucky for us, we had the gates up, and had purged all the corpses inside of our base. The military is put on immediate standby, and the archers have orders to report to the walls.

20th Felsite:

Lucky for us, the zombies ran into a kobold ambush. Poor things, we're taking bets on how long it will take until they get slaughtered.

22nd Felsite:

Unlucky for us, its not one necromancer, it's FIVE!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bringing a new meaning to "catsplosion" (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on March 31, 2013, 04:09:08 am

Quote from: bp920091 on March 31, 2013, 12:03:45 am

...90 additional coffins have been constructed...

Additionally, a complete rework over the squads seems to be needed...

I have mandated construction of 196 bedrooms, in a windmill villa style (28 1x3 bedrooms per floor, 7 floors)...

...we have filled up all the coffins needed...

You truly deserve your title, Legendary +5 Organizer :D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bringing a new meaning to "catsplosion" (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 31, 2013, 04:13:29 am

Oooh, the Power Necros team strikes again. Maybe they want to rescue our prisoner.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bringing a new meaning to "catsplosion" (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 31, 2013, 04:32:30 am

19th Hematite:

A boy has grown up to be a fully grown dwarf :)

Glad to see that there is a sense or normalcy in the lives of dwarves here.

Its funny really... there is no way that the zombies can get to our "Island," Yet, the catapult that i have designated has only been started.

4th Malachite:

The first shot out of the catapult is a dud, but a piece of good news arrived at my office.

A wolf has attacked a necromancer, shortly before being killed by a zombie...




im dealing with the siege right now, and you know my initial conclusions?

This is Substantially easier to deal with than a regular siege. Right now, ive killed about 50 zombies (to zero losses), and everyone within a good THIRTY tiles of the island is dead (Zombies).

The biggest concern i have right now is the construction of enough ammo, as 10 marksdwarves burn through it FAST. All i need to do is to keep the gates up, and eventually wait for the catapult to finish construction. After that, i will eventually hit one of the necromancers. Rinse and repeat until they all are dead...

Even if a goblin siege shows up, they will either deal with the necromancers or will be killed by them. Win-Win scenario.

Zombies, The Marksdwarf's Danger Room

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 31, 2013, 04:46:48 am

10th Malachite:

A sad day, Sodel Ilingkesal, a dwarf that got a strange mood awhile back, went bezerk.

Lucky that i planned ahead, and had the ENTIRE Hammerdwarf squad waiting next to him.

A short and bloodless fight, solved by a single blow from a silver war hammer, straight to the head.

11th Malachite:

An Opportunity has presented itself.

While we do have over 75 zombies still on the map, we have only two or three zombies guarding the FIVE necromancers. As long as we go after them with hammerdwarves, and have the axedwarves hold the base, we might be able to end the siege with ZERO casualties (or injuries).

12th Malachite:

Unfortunately, they failed. All of them. I did follow proper quarrantine procedures, and as a result, no zombies have gotten in. A hammerdwarf did shatter the shin of one of the necromancers. I guess these zombies are actually Zoombies (I told them that they shouldnt be able to run, but they didnt listen...)

I guess it is back to lobbing rocks in the direction of the necromancers, until one hits...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 31, 2013, 06:16:31 am

12th Limestone:

In order to speed up the destruction of the zombie horde, i have deployed the magma pumps that were created for this purpose.

However, the magma doesnt go anywhere, and it just starts a fire that is spreading across the map.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 31, 2013, 07:01:20 am

I note we have a road, does fire burn wooden roads?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on March 31, 2013, 07:08:58 am

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on March 31, 2013, 04:09:08 am

You truly deserve your title, Legendary +5 Organizer :D

I do try, putting my business schooling to use (Testing out project management styles and psychological evalutations are MUCH easier in DF than RL

Quote from: Triaxx2 on March 31, 2013, 07:01:20 am

I note we have a road, does fire burn wooden roads?

Nope, it just burnt around it

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on March 31, 2013, 08:04:34 am

We could try to raise our own undead army and see if the undead siege treats them as hostiles. Then keep releasing undead squads until the siege is decimated.  8)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 01, 2013, 06:37:22 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 31, 2013, 08:04:34 am

We could try to raise our own undead army and see if the undead siege treats them as hostiles. Then keep releasing undead squads until the siege is decimated.  8)

That's either the single best or single worst idea I've seen in this thread.

...It's worth a try though. It should work on goblin sieges regardless of how hostile they are to other undead/us/the universe at large, and even though marksgoblins will pick off our shambling minions pretty easily, it leaves them fewer bolts to perforate the dwarves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on April 01, 2013, 07:16:01 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 01, 2013, 06:37:22 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 31, 2013, 08:04:34 am

We could try to raise our own undead army and see if the undead siege treats them as hostiles. Then keep releasing undead squads until the siege is decimated.  8)

That's either the single best or single worst idea I've seen in this thread.

...It's worth a try though. It should work on goblin sieges regardless of how hostile they are to other undead/us/the universe at large, and even though marksgoblins will pick off our shambling minions pretty easily, it leaves them fewer bolts to perforate the dwarves.

The proper design for this would be zombie land mines. Set up 5x5 towers suspended above ground, with a retractable floor. Load 1 necromancer in a smaller cage above with grates for floors to allow vision. Deposit body parts into the main receptacle via minecarts. Set up pressure plates to release the zombies, and attach a lever to reload the trap.

Voila :D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 01, 2013, 09:32:10 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on April 01, 2013, 07:16:01 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 01, 2013, 06:37:22 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on March 31, 2013, 08:04:34 am

We could try to raise our own undead army and see if the undead siege treats them as hostiles. Then keep releasing undead squads until the siege is decimated.  8)

That's either the single best or single worst idea I've seen in this thread.

...It's worth a try though. It should work on goblin sieges regardless of how hostile they are to other undead/us/the universe at large, and even though marksgoblins will pick off our shambling minions pretty easily, it leaves them fewer bolts to perforate the dwarves.

The proper design for this would be zombie land mines. Set up 5x5 towers suspended above ground, with a retractable floor. Load 1 necromancer in a smaller cage above with grates for floors to allow vision. Deposit body parts into the main receptacle via minecarts. Set up pressure plates to release the zombies, and attach a lever to reload the trap.

Voila :D

This does rely on no stupid dwarves/caravans deciding to path through there/run screaming over the plate as a beserking rabbit or something chases them.....having a shutoff might be prudent if there's time. Bridges or something to keep the zeds on the ground floor contained after release if required....

....or just use natural selection, but I'm not sure there's a dwarven "finest" to have survive.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 04, 2013, 01:43:56 am

Also the necro could get killed by bowgoblins from below, not cool.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on April 04, 2013, 04:23:08 am

sorry i havent been more active, i should be able to get the remaining part of my turn up by the middle of the weekend (currently under a REALLY heavy exam load, with a professor who missed the whole point of finals week, and had his final this week).

On the bright side, other than nearly every single dwarf in the new hammerdwarf squad getting wiped out (including Sauvage, but there was one dude who was chilling in the dining "area" who got all sad (now he's better) that all his friends died), we have not lost a single dwarf to... anything

Quick questions though. Are danger rooms allowed? I haven't been using them, but they seem necessary to get the sheer amount of training needed to take on necros and the zombie horde. If we are allowed to use them, i can probably have a few legendary dwarves within a couple of months.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 04, 2013, 04:48:49 am

Ardentdikes had a dangerroom, but we only used it once IIRC.

Edit: I can't reset the poll's timer to reopen it :(

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on April 04, 2013, 05:03:11 am

I guess the forums say no :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 05, 2013, 12:16:13 am

Is Urist McKiwi II still alive?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on April 06, 2013, 06:33:19 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 05, 2013, 12:16:13 am

Is Urist McKiwi II still alive?

Yes, and you were the one that constructed the catapult and operated it. Still havent hit the necromancer yet... you seem to like tossing boulders around him though. You might give him enough to build a house out of, if you keep up the pace :)

in fact, im going to list the currently alive dwarves that have been named and the professions they have. If you dont see a name on this list, the dwarf that had it is dead (we now have 1070 dead/missing creatures :))

Cutek - Nurse
Udub Wastedlabor - Armok's Priest
AnimaRytak - Blacksmith
Troll Fur Sock - Machine Builder
Sebastian Flyte - Former Overseer
CaptainArchmage - Archwiseard
Brofist Starwhack - Expert Brewer
Urist McDonald - Restauranteur
Bp920091 - Overseer
Urist McKiwi II - Siege Engineer
Psuedonym - Architect (Never had just one of them before)
UristTheGrey II - Millitia Captain

Update should go out tomorrow (I actually have some time in RL to do it)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 06, 2013, 08:12:05 am

That'd be Cutey and Udib, actually.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 09, 2013, 02:49:31 am

Two weeks have passed since the start of the turn. ::)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on April 09, 2013, 07:35:25 am

26th Sanstone,

More archery practice, but a marksdwarf gets hit by a chunk of basalt in the heart, killimg him nearly instantly.

Strangely, he seems to have vanished the second the basalt hit him (Seriously, i have no idea where he went)

Two of those goblin corpses outside have caught on fire from the blaze that started earlier, and arent going out...

8th Timber:

Another ghost that has popped up has been memorialized today.

15th Timber:

another dwarf has given birth to a girl.


24th Moonstone:

More ghosts have been memorialized, and the only thing of consequence is that we had 2 rhinos popping up on the edge of the map.

It's strange, they are easily within eyesight of them, but are not attacked...

22nd Opal:

A miner (Non-Legendary) that went insane has finally starved to death. Due to the addtional coffins, this poses no problem, as he is quickly entombed.

14th Obsidian:

A peasant has been posessed, and claims a craftsfdwarf's shop and grabs a bunch of alunite, some bones, logs, a cut gem, some leather, and some black bronze bars.

22nd Obsidian:

That peasant finishes the construction, an alunite septer, and the only thing on it is a picture of an unnamed dwarf (noone knows who this dwarf is).

27th Obsidian:

Another baby boy is born

1st Granite:

The year comes to an end, the siege is still outside, although down to about 16 zombies (from 90). No necromancers on the field, and everyone's happy and has a room. Fresh clothes have been made, 30 sets of them.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/soSaxYr.png)

Really sorry about the delays, but i have had a few REALLY hectic past few days...

SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7553)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 09, 2013, 10:19:02 am

Thanks! Maybe the missing dwarf was shot down by a magma crab and fell into magma? ???

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 09, 2013, 04:22:50 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on April 09, 2013, 07:35:25 am

More archery practice, but a marksdwarf gets hit by a chunk of basalt in the heart, killimg him nearly instantly.

Strangely, he seems to have vanished the second the basalt hit him (Seriously, i have no idea where he went)

Urist McKiwi II cancels Load Catapult: Hiding Body.

Quote

22nd Obsidian:

That peasant finishes the construction, an alunite septer, and the only thing on it is a picture of an unnamed dwarf (noone knows who this dwarf is).

McDuck!

Also: Since it's getting close to my turn, a heads-up that I'm going to be away from internet for a few days later this week while I'm off doing field work, in case my turn comes up. I'll definitely be back for next week, so wait for me. :P

(Since this fort seems to run pretty slowly, I'm not anticipating that my turn's gonna come up before I'm back, but just in case...)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 10, 2013, 02:46:09 am

The next overseer hasn't been active in near a month, so don't count on it.

If CognitiveDissonance or Triaxx2 can 100% assure they can finish turn before monday, and unless Psuedonym comes back from the realm of the dead, we could move them ahead.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 10, 2013, 04:35:03 am

Well,doing the maths...... I'm going to get back one day after the limit for me picking up the save, assuming we allow two 3 day windows in a row. So letting someone else go first is fine by me..... Alternatively I can DL the save, do a "what's going on, with pictures" post (we could do with some nice pictures to show off the fort), then come back to it once I'm back from bussing around the island counting birds and stuff(I may have to rush it a little to fit it in the timeslot for finishing my turn, but eh) . This is a lousy time to have field work, but it's worth quite a lot of marks for my course.


....I knew cutting my finger on my beard was a bad omen. I don't even know how I managed that....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 10, 2013, 05:06:46 am

Take the save right away and see how fast it plays for you, if it feels ok then go ahead and start the turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 10, 2013, 05:39:05 am

Ok, I've downloaded it and I'm having a look. A few things I can see immediately:

-We seem to have the whole fort open to the caverns. I'm not sure why this would be considered a good idea, so I'll see about changing *that*
-The game runs a bit slower than usual but not *extremely* slow. I should be fine.
-1089 dead/missing? We have been busy.

(Also, what's the natural lifespan of dwarves if you don't melt them?)

I'll update tomorrow on the beginning state of affairs.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 10, 2013, 06:06:36 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 10, 2013, 05:39:05 am

- We seem to have the whole fort open to the caverns. I'm not sure why this would be considered a good idea

No no, you got that wrong. The whole caverns are open to our fort. If the Circus is scary, we are the whole Festival.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 10, 2013, 07:21:18 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on April 10, 2013, 06:06:36 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 10, 2013, 05:39:05 am

- We seem to have the whole fort open to the caverns. I'm not sure why this would be considered a good idea

No no, you got that wrong. The whole caverns are open to our fort. If the Circus is scary, we are the whole Festival.

Well......my first go at running the fort actually crashed just now...antivirus+antimalware+DF+moltenchannels does not appear to be a good combination. I was half way through writing an epic piece explaining just how I'd killed off ~20 dwarves, Udib the priest, Trollfursock, our mayor and about a quarter of the military (CaptainArchmage got some quality looting time in though)....and now it's wasted and tomorrow I'll have to redo it all AGAIN (hopefully not killing everyone again) and write it up properly. Good news though! I know what the venom on one of the FB's does now. Doduk (or whatever it's called. Venomous bite, webs, green S symbol) has a poison that either instakills or causes suffocation within a scarily short period of time.

I'll get back on it tomorrow (technically today, it's 00:17) and shut off everything else so the game won't crash. I didn't lose all that much, fortunately...and I know what to turn off so it won't go haywire.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 10, 2013, 05:30:21 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi II, Bombardier
1st Granite
Eurgh. Not sure what I did last night, but it musta been fun as hell judging by this headache. Guess the party I threw when they elected me overseer might have been a bad idea. I'm sure I didn't do anything that'd cause this...

Anyway. I'm the head girl now. Guess I'd better send some people around to take a look at the place and see where we're at. I've no idea what's going on the big engineering projects, I'm just a siege weapon lady....but I'm sure my predecessors will have left something for me to work on.

2nd Granite

The teams are out and about, I've identified a few areas I can work on....and ordered the surveyors to give more detailed reports on them.

1. Sealing the main stairwell so we can control what goes in an out of the caves. Our priest swears we can handle anything that comes out of the depths but I'm not so sure.....he seems oddly insistent that I not assign him to shepherd the novice miners I'm sending down to drill observation posts into the sides of the caves....guess he doesn't want to walk the walk on that.
2. Bedrooms. My predecessor did some excellent work here, but never finished his beloved project before he had to step down. When I learn of where the workshops are, I'll make sure to finish off what I can. I'll also find somewhere nice to build myself some quarters. I own a grand total of 8 damned things, and the best thing is my bed. That's going to change now I'm in charge...
3. I'm not sure who thought it would be funny to fill the guard tower with coffins, but apparently some dwarves have taken to sleeping there. I'll have to investigate this and see if anything can be rearranged or extended so our towers serve a function that can't be done better with a crypt. Addendum 6th Granite Survey team reports that initial mapping was incorrect. The tower is in fact full of beds. This still begs the question of why there's nowhere to shoot at attackers from.
4. I need to investigate the strange headaches and nausea everyone had yesterday. From what I can tell, at least half the forts population was talking about how weird it felt when they woke up...our doctors can't find anything though. Either we need better doctors, or we need to look out for some bad food being served by the kitchen staff.
5. At some stage I should probably deal with the undead army outside our gates, the military and our internal defenses, but that can wait until later. We have over 340 giant copper buzzsaws for some unknown purpose, so I'm sure if all else fails I can just fill the entire fortress with traps. This also ties in with making our towers work properly.

4th Granite.

A survey team found a diary in a fireplace, partially burned. It's my diary. I've got it on my desk now....and it's identical to this one up to the last entry, apart from the fire damage. What the blazes is going on? Did someone copy my diary? How would they know I was going to be elected overseer? Forging a 250 page diary in just 2 days is unthinkable...... they must have done most of it before I was elected....

 I will have to review it this evening and see if this is some forgers joke or whether something strange is afoot. In the meantime, I'm suspending all operations until I get a structural diagram of the parts of the fortress that need securing....I do not want our main staircase collapsing into the caves. The team I sent to find the previous overseers maps should be back later today....then I can get an idea of what is going on here.

---

If this diary is NOT a forgery, then some strange things are going on. It definitely looks identical to my hand....but how could this be here? I'm writing in it!

...According to this, my plans to explore the caverns go wrong. A novice mining crew lead by our priest (who in this case *had* accepted the job of looking after them. Hmmm...suspicious...) broke into the caverns by accident and a beast from the depths invaded the fort after killing them all.

A strange blue glow spread through the fortress after the death of the priest....and the diary cuts off on the 21st of Granite. Huh. Not a particularly good fake, I must say....that's not even slightly believable.

Since whoever made this thing obviously didn't want us poking around down there, I think I may postpone those observation posts until I find out who's responsible. And why they don't want us messing around in the depths. It's probably that priest wanting to get out of looking after the new miners, but I'd better be sure.


----------------------------------

Ok, take 2! I'll get some screenshots up and go a week or two into Granite (as you can tell, I haven't really done anything yet, I'm just planning it and trying to find stuff) before I head off for the weekend (From saturday->early Tuesday I'll be out of action). I decided to take advantage of the fact that I basically wrote this update twice and introduce some more plotholes for future overseers.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 10, 2013, 08:06:30 pm

Sorry, I'm not going to be able to run a turn right now. I've got a power issue that has my main computer down, and my laptop takes too long to run. I'm not actually sure if my main computer even works. Which would be depressing.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 10, 2013, 08:48:38 pm

I've been sending down miners to probe the magma sea from above......The main fort is pretty stable while the "secure the place" work is ongoing, plus I'm finding some nice stuff down there. Marble, Emerald, Gold, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND.........

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Molten3.png)

This spire is looking pretty dang possible to extract on higher Z levels.... I'm sending scouting parties to both of the spires to see what we've got. it's slow going thanks to marble + not very many miners + some of them are actually farmers I've conscripted + baby-spam cancellations + warm stone. No plans to unleash the HFS though. I'll settle for some nice candy swords and armor for future overlords to give to the military.
I've also ordered pretty much continuous steel production.
 Currently half-way through Spring, and things are looking pretty good. I'll do an IC update later today or tomorrow with more details.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on April 10, 2013, 09:44:59 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 10, 2013, 07:21:18 am

Well......my first go at running the fort actually crashed just now...antivirus+antimalware+DF+moltenchannels does not appear to be a good combination.

The Lakebones Curse! (From another community game i played, something would always cause people to be late, or the game to just crash).

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 10, 2013, 05:30:21 pm

2. Bedrooms. My predecessor did some excellent work here, but never finished his beloved project before he had to step down. When I learn of where the workshops are, I'll make sure to finish off what I can. I'll also find somewhere nice to build myself some quarters. I own a grand total of 8 damned things, and the best thing is my bed. That's going to change now I'm in charge...

Yeah, i started on the windmill farms, but they werent needed, past the first floor. There's a massive wing of rooms (terrible waste of space (2x3 rooms), but they work)

Also, workshops are around the main central shaft in the fortress, Forges on the left.

Or, just use the manager to do it (That's what ive been doing in every succession fort, as i have no clue where the workshops are).

Just so you know, there's a still/kitchen on top of one of the spires, just on top of it. Never did work out why it was there.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 10, 2013, 05:30:21 pm

At some stage I should probably deal with the undead army outside our gates, the military and our internal defenses, but that can wait until later. We have over 340 giant copper buzzsaws for some unknown purpose, so I'm sure if all else fails I can just fill the entire fortress with traps. This also ties in with making our towers work properly.

They were there when i started, never did much with them since we were successfully sealed off from the outside.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 11, 2013, 02:40:50 am

Diary of Urist McKiwi II, Bombardier

8th Felsite

Well, it's been a busy month or two...haven't really had the time to keep up with this diary. The fort isn't sealed up from the caves, and frankly I'm not sure that's even possible given how this place is laid out. Still got no idea where anything is.....but I'm getting by. And the trap program is starting to see results: Anything getting in the easy way is gonna get a face full of copper buzzsaws.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p201/JRA_SHRIKE/Molten4.png)[/img]

Unfortunately that was too late for some of our dwarves...a giant cave spider got several of them while the military were running to assist. I think we're going to need some more soldiers stationed permenently down near the caves eventually.....in the meantime, I've ordered yet more traps to be positioned down there.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p201/JRA_SHRIKE/Molten5.png)[/img]

We have struck adamantine, and I have moved myself to a more...suitable abode where I can direct the operations in person. In case of accidents, I've taken the liberty of ordering some supplies to be stored behind my chambers....the miners need somewhere to run to if the lava breaks through the walls, and I'm in no place to turn them away. Besides, *I* need to survive if things go wrong! Some say that mining this stuff is unlucky and that "horrors" will come and kill us. Pah. That stuff's just tales for children.

Our baron has been whinging continuously for several months at the fact that someone apparently got buried in a nice tomb lately. So I commissioned a brand new tomb for him. Then he started whining that he wanted to be buried in his beloved restaurant......so I told them to make it a bit bigger and put some nice pictures on the new walls. He can go make a childrens play-area if he wants to, but I'm not doing it. Still.....guess I'll take that nice fancy tomb he was in line for. He also said that we could inquire about becoming the capital....that'd be nice, but I don't want the royals turning up and getting eaten by undead. Guess we'll have to wait a bit.


16th Felsite

Most exciting times. We've begun to extract adamantine from the first deposit! It'll take some time for us to get it worked into metal, but this is a whole new era for the fortress!

The priest has been acting odd lately. I don't trust him.....I'm certain he was behind that journal. He's got a solid alibi though, so I can't do anything about it....he doesn't seem too happy that we're touching the adamantine though. Guess that would explain why he was trying to stop us from poking around down there.... I asked him what his deal was and he muttered something about a duck and the end of the world as we know it. Guess now I know who was scribbling on the damned records.....what a nutter. We'll have to keep a close eye on him.

Ah well. He can't impede the flow of progress. I can just smell the adamantine ballista bolts........


1st Hematite

We've reached the second deposit and have begun extracting adamantine. I've had some extra workstations set up near my quarters to speed up extraction. We'll dig a pilot hole from the accessway to the #2 deposit to see if we can scout out the magma sea further.


------------------------------------------

McKiwi doesn't believe in ANY of this "magic" or 'end times' nonsense. Not when there's new engines of destruction to make and recalcitrant fast-food moguls to wrangle. I'm not going to breach the HFS though. That's a job for someone more capable (or less willing to forgo instant wealth in favor of worker safety) than I am.

CaptainArchmage, I am very sorry to say that your current incarnation is spending its eternal rest....um...somewhere. I have no idea where the corpses go, to be honest. What skills would you like your next incarnation to have?

The adamantine mining is pretty much my main occupation right now (besides my tomb/home as seen in the second screenshot). I'm into summer, and it's going fairly well. While I won't leave a fancy bit of work behind, I've made the fort a little safer and massively increased our access to weapons-grade material. And gotten us a little bit closer to breaking into hell and releasing McDuck into the world. Both the current candy spires go right through the magma, so they'll be a bit hard to mine....unless we divert water from the caverns into the magma sea, taking great care not to scald everyone to death. That would let us get at a lot more, as well as reducing the annoying warm stone cancellation spam.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: DuckThatQuacks on April 11, 2013, 06:25:05 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 11, 2013, 02:40:50 am

I can just smell the adamantine ballista bolts........

As I learned from Bellwaxed, long ago, adamantine ballista bolts are essentially useless. They bounce harmlessly off even totally unarmored enemies.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II) - WE NEED OVERSEERS
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 11, 2013, 08:45:13 am

We need overseers. I'll step up as last resort but I'd prefer not to.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II) - WE NEED OVERSEERS
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 11, 2013, 11:03:46 am

I'll sign up for another turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II) - WE NEED OVERSEERS
Post by: ☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼ on April 11, 2013, 11:44:33 am

I would sign up too, but I'm not sure if I would be able to complete it in time. Yesterday, I have seen how DF runs on my friend's PC... 3 times faster. Maybe that's why I can't do anything in less than 3 hours...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on April 11, 2013, 01:09:41 pm

Quote from: DuckThatQuacks on April 11, 2013, 06:25:05 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 11, 2013, 02:40:50 am

I can just smell the adamantine ballista bolts........

As I learned from Bellwaxed, long ago, adamantine ballista bolts are essentially useless. They bounce harmlessly off even totally unarmored enemies.

After all, adamantine yes the same rough density of cork, terrible blunt weapon (although its good to give to a hammerer

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II) - WE NEED OVERSEERS
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 11, 2013, 02:00:03 pm

If you want ballista bolts, use blood thorns. Try to get a recycler for the bolts (have them drop a level after hitting a wall) too. No metal is used in that situation.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II) - WE NEED OVERSEERS
Post by: notquitethere on April 11, 2013, 03:10:04 pm

Given that Cutey still appears to be alive, I'd be happy to have another shot at presiding over MOLTENCHANNELS!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II) - WE NEED OVERSEERS
Post by: The Master on April 11, 2013, 03:11:43 pm

Sign me up! I need another fort to go insane in.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Go Go Power Necros! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 11, 2013, 04:10:23 pm

Quote from: DuckThatQuacks on April 11, 2013, 06:25:05 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 11, 2013, 02:40:50 am

I can just smell the adamantine ballista bolts........

As I learned from Bellwaxed, long ago, adamantine ballista bolts are essentially useless. They bounce harmlessly off even totally unarmored enemies.

Guess I'll use the steel for them then. There's nowhere to put a new siege battery at present, but if the undead ever go away we could extend the walls. Or we can use them to fight the clown car later.

I think if we buff our fortress nice and shiney then we can try becoming the capital and let the royal entourage take the undead out for us (or get eaten, in which case we'll have already collapsed our civilisation even BEFORE releasing The Duck).

No update until I get back from my field work and move from uni back to my house on....tuesday! (New Zealand time)....at which point I'll do another season and update on progress.....

The fort basically has 3 problems:

1. The undead outside cause a billion job cancellations, which also obscures actual "Crap, send out the military and forbid body/death items again" announcements.
2. I think it's actually physically impossible to secure this place against incursions from the caverns without ripping out several of the main stairwells and rebuilding them. While the marksdwarves can handle nearly anything that comes through, random dwarves on their way to....do something, somewhere I still haven't found yet.......can't really handle things quite that well.
3. Until recently, we had basically no traps over large areas of the fortress (I noticed some cage traps in the caverns left behind by DuckThatQuacks [I think], but that's about it). I'm still working on this though.....using a lot of goblinite/dead trader debris to load some of the weapons traps so we're not 100% reliant on buzzsaws (for all we still have over 250 of JUST the copper ones). I'm not using cage traps at present but I may introduce some more of them to handle things we could do with keeping rather than smearing across the walls.



(BTW: When/if we fall, our only survivor is looking to be the beserk vampire.)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 11, 2013, 05:44:47 pm

Walling the stairs shouldn't be that hard, just use temporary floors to build the corners.

Fun that we already have our own murderous walled prisoner. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 12, 2013, 09:52:29 am

I've solved my problem, and my computer didn't melt, so slot me in wherever you've got room.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: UristTheGrey on April 12, 2013, 01:10:12 pm

Been awhile, glad to see the fort still alive. Is UristTheGrey still breathing? Itd be pretty damn surprising if he was

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 12, 2013, 01:52:39 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 12, 2013, 09:52:29 am

I've solved my problem, and my computer didn't melt, so slot me in wherever you've got room.

I'll re-slot you in your original position.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on April 13, 2013, 03:29:02 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on April 11, 2013, 05:44:47 pm

Walling the stairs shouldn't be that hard, just use temporary floors to build the corners.

Yeah, i already started on the bottom level, build the 2 floors needed to build the corner walls

Oh, and we also need to close off the roof of that cavern area, as even if the stairwell is taken care of, someone could just fly over the short walls and have a visit with us.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 13, 2013, 06:01:25 am

Wait, you mean walls can't stop everything (http://www.desura.com/groups/slaves-to-alcohol-dwarf-fortress-fanpage/images/great-wall)?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on April 13, 2013, 06:11:04 am

Nice pic, didn't know there was a DF community on desura.

I'll be joining as soon as I can get on an actual computer and not a phone

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 15, 2013, 05:01:20 pm

OK! I'm back from my field-trip/work/thing (had a run-in with actual RL Kea on the way there. Bastards tried to steal bits of our buses). I'll play another season later today. :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on April 15, 2013, 05:04:56 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 15, 2013, 05:01:20 pm

(had a run-in with actual RL Kea on the way there. Bastards tried to steal bits of our buses)

...really? They are like that in real life?

Edit: Giant Kea has stolen +Aluminum Bus+!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 15, 2013, 07:15:05 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on April 15, 2013, 05:04:56 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 15, 2013, 05:01:20 pm

(had a run-in with actual RL Kea on the way there. Bastards tried to steal bits of our buses)

...really? They are like that in real life?

Edit: Giant Kea has stolen +Aluminum Bus+!

Yeah. They're amazing creatures (although they cannot lift an entire anvil....not that this would stop them from trying)....extremely inquisitive....and they'll gladly rip exposed window/door/hatch seals and cables off vehicles. There used to be an extremely funny insurance advert featuring them. There's also been recorded incidents of them repeatedly shoplifting chocolate bars from stores. Incredibly smart, great problem-solving skills and with a beak that's designed for eating anything, including adorable fluffy seabird chicks. Biggest threat to them is the fact that they discovered that the lead on roofing nails tastes sweet.....with predictable results (if lead toxicity gets added to DF, we can try this some day).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on April 16, 2013, 06:57:36 am

I once ate in a cafe called The Wobbly Kea. There was a kea that lived in the area with only one leg.

Anyway, yeah, keas are really, really awful. They're very well-known in NZ, along with that they can and will steal anything not nailed down, and even then... yeah, lead nails sound good.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 16, 2013, 09:12:04 pm

I'm rather fond of them personally.

ANYWAY. Back to Moltenchannels.
Diary of Urist McKiwi II, Bombardier.

17th Hematite

I've been wandering the fortress trying to get a better feel for the place. I've pretty much worked out the important details. For starters, we're a bit low on certain materials. I've ordered some new mining and smelting operations...who knows when they'll actually be done, mind.

I wandered past a stack of cages filled with the most disgusting remnants of some poor souls. I was about to open a cage to remove one of the bodies when it tried to bite me. Why exactly are we keeping these things inside our fortress?

Spoiler: Our 'friendly' local undead pets are looking goooooooood. (click to show/hide)

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p201/JRA_SHRIKE/Molten6WIP.png)

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p201/JRA_SHRIKE/Molten6.png)

We've got quite a few of these. We should probably dump them in the lava sea or something.

Adamantine mining proceeds slowly. I'm considering an attempt to wall the caverns off properly as well. That priest has been going on about how dangerous it is to mine the spires, and a few dwarves are actually starting to agree with the bastard so I'm going to pretend to humor him and shut down mining for now. We need the time to catch up with the refining operations, and it'll get that crazed lunatic off my back long enough to finish my term as overseer. I guess I could always arrange a little accident on the stairs for him, but I'm not really the type to just murder my detractors. Once the adamantine is starting to flow out of the furnaces......they'll see reason.

Still. I think that it's time to consider a retirement plan. A proper one.That priest may be mad, but I'm guessing he's got some friends out there....once I'm out of this job I'm vulnerable......it might be a good idea to lay low somewhere. And if these idiots won't see the benefits of progress, they won't mind if I take some of that progress with me.

Reading through engravings, someone must have made a really great picture of longland grass some time in the past, because there's copies of it everywhere. Not sure what the deal is. I mean, sure, it's the symbol of our government, but our engravings seem to be mostly split between some chap getting their cheek ripped off, grass, and people dying of thirst.Still, I found a hilarious one of that priest getting kicked out of the expedition leaders job. Maybe he's jealous of the people who took his job away....

I asked for an inspection of our hammerdwarves yesterday. How many turned up? ONE! And apparently that's not just direspect for my rule....it's down to the fact that we only have one hammerdwarf. We've got to do better than that....with this fort in the state it is, it's no wonder we're sealed off from the outside world! I've reassigned some more dwarves to start training. Hopefully they don't actually have to fight anything soon....if those diary-forging bastards try anything we're currently unable to beat them down.



--------------

I've also made an Emergency McDuck/Demon Containment Bridge. THere's a lever at the entrance to New What'sit(residental area low in the fortress). It gives a small level of safety given that you have maybe 5-10 seconds for it to be pulled once something goes wrong in the mining area, and there's bugger all to stop things that DO get down there. Apart from the barracks/training area for the new hammerdwarf squad. We've got 14 trainees, and I'll probably mess up the orders. Still, we'll have them equipped at the least.

As things have evolved, McKiwi II has developed some small degree of insane paranoia towards "That Priest". Rest assured however that, short of another nasty getting into the fortress, Udib Wastedlabor is quite safe. In so far as you can be safe when you're in a damp hole in the ground that has a bad case of the eldritch abominations (and sometimes giant spiders) with 166 filthy alcoholic midgets who are mostly running around in rags ranting about grass.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on April 17, 2013, 03:39:53 am

We HAD 10 hammerdwarves.

What you see is the only survivor of a raid to kill the necromancers. They all died, to one zombie, except that dude, who was chilling in the dining hall

On the bright side, the 5 necros went away, so I guess they did their job...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 17, 2013, 05:19:48 am

Quote from: bp920091 on April 17, 2013, 03:39:53 am

We HAD 10 hammerdwarves.

What you see is the only survivor of a raid to kill the necromancers. They all died, to one zombie, except that dude, who was chilling in the dining hall

On the bright side, the 5 necros went away, so I guess they did their job...

I see. So he was out getting hammered on booze while his buddy hammerers were getting hammered hammering hams*.

Still, once I've got the facilities up and running I'll tell them to train. They'll be basically useless but eh, our military is basically a decoy while we desperately try to find the levers that close the doors in this place.

* When's the last time you honestly saw an understated and quiet necromancer? They're all from the Shatner school of Ham and Cheese Acting.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 17, 2013, 10:35:55 pm

And our first adamantine item is.....an artifact raw-candy amulet. Made by one of the newbie soldiers, who was formerly an engraver/milker. It's a fairly boring item, but it's worth 602,400 dwarf bucks.....by far our most valuable artifact. I'm still unable to track down where the longland grass references in everything came from...I suspect it's an engraving somewhere.

We have a total of 4 adamantine wafers after an entire season of supposedly working with the stuff. I've ordered a couple of short-swords anyway.

I'll do a proper update later on. I've started "Operation Rekill the Zombies" to thin out the numbers around our walls some more. Unfortunately, McKiwi is not as good at aiming this catapult as is really needed, and no one seems to be interested in stocking the ammo piles that are supposed to supply the new catapult...so rate of fire is rather slow. I'm planning to install more of them and let more peeps operate them though.

Edit: Scratch that, I've started "Operation 'Crap we're out of booze where the hell are the stills?'"
Edit2: Migrants! More thirsty bastards to keep alive. Now where's the lever for the way in?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 18, 2013, 01:40:02 am

Make sure the medics didn't steal the adamantine threads for their patients.  ::)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on April 18, 2013, 03:34:52 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on April 18, 2013, 01:40:02 am

Make sure the medics didn't steal the adamantine threads for their patients.  ::)

1) Create Adamantine room (large)
2) Create raw adamantine stockpile
3) Create craftsdwarf workshop
4) Channel magma in, create a smithy
5) Place a door at the entrance

All adamantine to be processed will live in this room. Door will only open to let dwarves in and out.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 18, 2013, 05:23:10 am

One change, there should not be a door, but a hallway, with two doors. Any dwarf entering the lock is locked in until it's been verified he's not hauling Adamantine out of the room.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on April 18, 2013, 06:09:41 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 18, 2013, 05:23:10 am

One change, there should not be a door, but a hallway, with two doors. Any dwarf entering the lock is locked in until it's been verified he's not hauling Adamantine out of the room.

In that case, we also need a magma inflow/outflow system to vaporise any dwarves who try doing that.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 18, 2013, 10:53:08 am

I just disable the hospital until all adamantine is processed.

Priorities.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on April 18, 2013, 03:40:39 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 17, 2013, 10:35:55 pm

Now where's the lever for the way in?

It is on the surface, a solo lever, to the immediate left of the double bridge. It was there when i got there...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 18, 2013, 05:35:42 pm

Ok, things to do later today when I've got time for a session:

1. Shut down our healthcare system for a while so the wafers get made.
2. Find that lever and let the migrants in.
3. Save the fortress from dying of thirst
4. Write something where McKiwi II blames Udib for everything.
5. Should probably have some soldiers on hand for when I open the gates and potentially let the undead in again.

Edit: A naked mole dog took a walk towards our fort via the same way the GCS got in earlier. Good job I put a weapons trap there. It's now raining pancreas down there.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 18, 2013, 10:37:49 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi II, Bombardier

21st Malachite

It's been an interesting time. Some giant boars turned up and started attacking the Undead. There's only a few left now. I've had extra siege weapons built around the place, and some more parts and ammunition made. We could do with some ballista bolts, but eh.....not sure I can afford to spend time on that now.

I've heard rumors that the hospital may have taken some adamantine thread for use on wounds. Not sure what they're smoking, but I want some.

Some dwarves died of thirst lately....we're basically out of alcohol. That damned priest is apparently both our manager AND our book-keeper, but didn't see fit to report that we were almost out of the stuff. Bastard. I yelled at him earlier and he said he'd deal with it. Hopefully he actually does, or we're dead. I'm half tempted to shunt him down to the mines and take his jobs myself. I'd get things done a damn sight better.

We spotted some migrants yesterday. Looks like they've been hiding from the undead for a few days. We're letting them in now....the undead have noticed though. I'm sending in the axedwarves to take out what they can. Guess I can't investigate the hospitals thread stocks until afterwards though.


22nd Malachite

One of our axedwarves struck down one of the remaining zombies. I'm sending in most of the military to guard the entrance for now, while the rest of the axedwarves deal with the rest of the problem.. I can pull them back later if necessary....lots of dwarves seem to be taking the opportunity to get some of this "exercise" crap the youngsters keep going on about. Pah. Swinging a pick does the same thing and gets me metals to smelt and rocks to throw at people. Speaking of that.......let's tell the catapult operators to stop firing while the squads are out there. Don't want any accidents.

23rd Malachite

Our fortress is safe. For now. Apart from the odd ghost, we're free from the undead. Time to collect the bodies of our long-lost dead and see what we can scavenge from outside.

I have disbanded the Gears of Living. We don't really need hammerdwarves right now..we have the squad I formed earlier...but we could do with some swordsdwarves. And when we've got a decent dwarf to lead them, we have just the weapon for them...the first of the adamantine swords came off the production line and passed inspection today. It's no artifact.....but it's a damned good sword. Udib's handled the order for some steel swords for the rest of the squad.....seemed rather more cheerful now we can open the gate. Guess I might have been a little harsh on him. I still don't trust him, but maybe it was just a nerves thing 'cause of the siege? He did fix that booze problem pretty quickly after I snapped at him.

11th Galena

The humans have sent a caravan. Just in time for us to be nearly cleaned up as well. Guess I'll take a nap, then have a word with the priest about what we want to trade for.....


---------------

Woooooo! We're not surrounded by undead any more. We have a minor ghost issue, but he's haunting the magma sea and as such, is not a threat. I'm hopeful that if this keeps up, we might actually get a caravan in the winter! At which point I will donate some highly valuable crafts I've been making......and the next person can have us become the capital (Who's our current monarch, and are they a bloodsucker?). I'm also gonna try making some tweaks to the magma moat. Civilian alert is at "No restrictions" for now, which leaves us....somewhat vulnerable. But eh, we can afford some casualties.

We're up to 173 dwarves, and our booze issue has mostly vanished. Still a little low, but I'm working on that. Having the humans turn up is a real boon.

Currently our military is wiping out the local dingo population while our weapons traps slaughter the local naked mole dogs. And when I say slaughter I mean "THese are the traps with steel serrated discs AND heavy blunt weapons, so one combat log has 3/4 limbs AND the lower body AND the pancreas (always the pancreas, for some reason) flying everywhere. I may not get the swordsdwarves up and running in my turn, but I'm starting to get some of the supplies available. We have flux for steelmaking, so in theory we can give everyone really GOOD armor.

EDIT: Oh yeah, we're pretty much out of mechanisms thanks to the trap program. I've ordered another run of them, but I don't know how quickly that'll happen.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on April 18, 2013, 11:33:02 pm

I like how it's normal to have a vampire king in DF.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 19, 2013, 08:21:56 pm

Two squads of kobolds ambushed the fort after the caravan turned up. I've sent the military out. We're taking casualties, but we're winning.....we will lose some soldiers to this battle, however. Quite a few nerve injuries, and one of the bowdwarves fell into the moat......I can't see him, but I'm guessing he's dead.

One of our newbie hammerdwarves has 5 kills now....4 from this one engagement. If he's ever brought to the hospital and fixed up, he might just be useful. I doubt this is going to happen, however...everyone just wants to salvage the debris and bodies.

-------------
We won, but we lost 3 dwarves. Not a bad trade, considering how unskilled (and small) our military is, and the fact that they scattered. We had the help of a local magma man, who sliced the head off one kobold in a single second.

Edit:

If anyone knows how to get a dwarf with an injured foot (looks like nerve damage, he's not bleeding that much) back from outside, please say. Or I could try building a wall around him and building a hospital out in the middle of nowhere....or I could abandon this chap to their death.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 20, 2013, 05:47:18 am

They'll bring the dwarf inside eventually. Don't issue new job tasks until somebody is free to recover the wounded. Deactivating any barracks should free some sparring dwarves too.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 20, 2013, 06:10:30 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on April 20, 2013, 05:47:18 am

They'll bring the dwarf inside eventually. Don't issue new job tasks until somebody is free to recover the wounded. Deactivating any barracks should free some sparring dwarves too.

Hmm. Queuing 20+ work orders does not seem smart at this point. Worst thing is that my plans require most of them (some of them are just ego-boosting, like the "make tons of gold crafts to donate to the mountainhome") I'll free up the soldiers though.

Speaking of that....why does donating stuff to the mountainhome make the king/queen come and make your fortress the capital? Is it just a matter of bribing the right official who decides that stuff, or does it doing something more genre-savvy like pushing the mountainhome over the threshold for FB attacks or making all the nobles trantrum  until the place collapses over all those commoners with nice statues in their rooms?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on April 20, 2013, 06:48:03 am

I think it's supposed to be like saying "Hey, we're so rich, we can give you all of this worthless gold stuff!" and then the monarch gets impressed and comes for a visit and decides to stay.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 20, 2013, 08:40:25 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi II, Bombardier

1st Limestone

Bought a crudload of booze from the humans. And loads of wood. And some charcoal. Mostly traded them a bunch of crap lying off the floors, but spent a little of our gold and some goods I'm honestly not sure how we got. Why exactly did we have several dozen barrels of congealed blood? Guess it must have been one of the vampires who wanted a mid-day snack from time to time....

A kobold ambush struck the fort soon after the caravan arrived. The military fought them off....we took some casualties, but ultimately, they were the ones who bought it. Got a few dwarves with nerve damage. I don't expect we'll need the military for a while, so my successor can deal with them once the hospital has tended to their wounds.

I'm now working to finish off the moat alterations.....an opportunity to extend the fortress somewhat has presented itself, so I'm going to start work on another tower.....if we had a second squad of archers or nmarksdwarves, then a tower on the moat-island would compliment the old watchtower built by Baron McDonald when he was overseer..... I'm including a bridge so it can be sealed off from the rest of the fort....once it's finished, that is.



21st Limestone

Elven diplomat's here. We've agreed to limit our felling to 100 trees. Frankly, we've got plenty of wood already.....and we've got siege engines for if we need to break our promise.


(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p201/JRA_SHRIKE/Molten10.png)
Another migrant arrived today. Looks like a noble of some kind. Has potential as a furnace operator.

That chap's hanging around with one of the earlier Guests in the caverns. Unless they decide to attack the very-poorly designed underground compound, I see no danger at all. If they do decide to attack, they will probably break into the main fort and kill us all.


Here's a map of the surface installations, to sate the curiosity of any historian who may come to read this diary.

Spoiler: (I made this out of screenshots in MS Paint! Also I know the ballista is the wrong way around) (click to show/hide)

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p201/JRA_SHRIKE/Molten11.png)
I'm not especially good at digging moats, so they're not perfect...but they *should* work. The one on the right needs some tweaks to old bits of the moat before it can be filled. Note that our hospital is a sea of blood.

Things have progressed rather well....if we get a caravan in the winter, we'll try bribing our monarch to become the capital.....we could use some elite soldiers, and there's plenty of marble down by the magma sea for a royal court.


----------------

Lots of dead kobolds. And dingoes. And a wolf. I've been putting up walls and fortifications to provide some cover for our marksdwarves to fight from *our* side of the moat. I don't think I'll finish the new tower on my turn: It's a mess. But I can do *something* there. Due to some design flaws the second new bit of moat is going to be tricky to finish.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 21, 2013, 06:55:12 pm

And our new friend down in the caverns has broken through the compound. No idea what its gas does, but we're going to find out soon enough.

The intervention of the military (some axedwarves were having lunch right next to the compound) has prevented it from breaking into the fort. I'm going to set up a lockdown lever that will cut the fort in half, then seal off the lower levels if I have to. The axedwarves are doing nicely...for now.

Edit: They're doing so nicely that one of them  is actually blocking the gas attacks with his axe. Not sure how that works, but I'm glad of it.
Edit2: One of our soldiers is taken by a fey mood. Damn you, fairies....we need more axedwarves!
Edit3: And it's dead. No casualties.....yet.

Edit4: Urist McDonald is a nasty, nasty person. Too bad the only witness to him punching people in the face is a crippled former soldier who's too injured to report the crime. Future overseers will love the polymath for his dedication to reporting his job cancellations once every 4 seconds or so.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The overseer that whispered to keas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 22, 2013, 07:37:26 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi II, Bombardier

16th Sandstone

The new arrival went straight for the compound. The military took it out, but that thing breathed vile fumes over them. No signs of illness yet, but who knows what lies ahead....I will expand the military just in case. Our axedwarves are scarily competent. I saw one of them batting the fumes away with his axe as he laid into the beast. I do not want to get on the wrong side of those chaps. One of them ran away from the battle screaming "I HAVE A FANTASTIC IDEA!", and has been hauling random junk down to the workshops next to the adamantine mines ever since.

I've ordered the creation of two new squads...some new archers to support ouir existing force, and a new swordsdwarf force. Gives a chance to test those adamantine swords that have been coming out of the forges. One of the sword-squad guys decided to make off with an artifact bone spear instead. Ah well, guess we'll see if it's any good.

11th Timber

That imbecile the Baron has been screaming his lungs out all autumn over other peoples dining rooms. I've had a new one built for him down by the magma sea...but today he snapped and punched another dwarf. I know this, because the Polymath told me....but he's not reporting it because apparently he 'Can't make it up the stairs' to find the sheriff. A sad end to a fine soldier....still. Udib doesn't like him either, and while normally I would not take a character assessment from that dwarf at anything near face value....it's kinda impressive that McDonald's managed to piss off the both of us, considering how little we see eye-to-eye on. Some day, that man is going to kill someone, and then what can we do? He's been getting worse for a long time now....muttering to himself, staring into space, yelling at the cooks at his restaurants.....we're going to have to keep an eye on him. That dwarf's an utter quack if ever I saw one.

17 Timber

Our cage traps caught a pair of goblin snatchers. They'll rot away in the stacks of cagbes, next to the zombies. A caravan has just arrived. Since we're giving them a lot of gold.....I think I'll activate the military.

18th Timber

An ambush!

Two squads.....we lost 5 dwarves, but the goblins were wiped out. The second squad didn't even make it to the melee troops before the marksdwarves on the bridge wiped them out. Just one of their soldiers managed to limp up to the first hammerdwarf....then fell into the magma moat. When the next migrant train arrives.....we can replace the fallen and train them. And get some better equipment. Our soldiers are wearing rags and could really use some more armor to go with what they have already.

22nd Timber

The latest battle has left everyone very unhappy indeed. I fear that we will need to solve the high casualty rate in our military before too long....current casualty rates are not acceptable. The caravan has arrived....and we're moving our crafts to the depot. And retrieving equipment from the fallen of both sides.....we can't afford to let good clothes go to waste when we're wearing rags. I've stationed marksdwarves at the gate to defend it while we look after the traders. They helped us out in the field, we can at least return the favour.

The recruit who ran from the battle with the Forgotten Beast has finally started to build whatever it is he's been planning. With the amount of stuff he's grabbed, it might actually be good....

One of our soldiers is in the hospital recuperating. Broken pancreas, among other things. It's always the bloody pancreas around here isn't it?


28th Timber

Gave our stuff for the mountainhome, and bought a bunch of stuff. THink I'll have some more gold crafts made so we can buy all the leather these guys are carrying....make ourselves some new clothes.


-------------------------------

That recruit down by the magma sea has a strange mix of stuff. If it's finished before my turn ends, I'll report what the artifact is....if it isn't, I'd love to know what the heck he's making. And the two snatchers never did get hauled in.

Lots of blood out there. Lots and lots of blood. And our tiny cramped dining areas where dwarves can socialise aren't such a good thing when dwarves are dying. The next overseers will need to be VERY careful to avoid a tantrum spiral. Our military really needs better gear, and MUCH better training. I was throwing newbie soldiers into battle..and the results weren't pretty. If we melt down our iron stuff we can give the melee troops full steel armor, which will do a lot better.

How do you even break a pancreas anyway?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The bane of pancreas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 23, 2013, 02:10:53 pm

How did dwarves die of thrist? do we not have a well and water cistern? How are things going in the depths? It would be a good idea to start securing that last cavern layer.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The bane of pancreas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 23, 2013, 06:52:07 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on April 23, 2013, 02:10:53 pm

How did dwarves die of thrist? do we not have a well and water cistern? How are things going in the depths? It would be a good idea to start securing that last cavern layer.

Initially, we ran out of booze. Like 25 Urists of booze for the entire 174+ population. I fixed that up.....then at least 2-3 of them got stuck in an adamantine mining area somehow. I've since fixed it so their bodies could be recovered and no further miners will be trapped. We now have plenty of booze (and I'm making more), so unless they're in the hospital or jail, they shouldn't have issues with a shortage of water. I'm fairly sure we have a water source though.

I honestly don't know about any wells though. I think there's one attached to a pond outside the fortress (because that's totes safe)....but as for inside the place, I haven't spotted any. I'll check later. Today is the last day on my timeslot, so I'll be finishing the year today and uploading the save sometime this evening.

I've replaced the doors on the cavern-compound with bridges, although I still need to seal them off. There are a pair of levers in the fining room right next to it that will, when finished, seal off the area. It still needs a roof, but I'm not going to have time to do that. I should be able to secure the stairwell though.

The caverns in general are still fairly dangerous. I think a prudent course of action would be to channel magma from the volcano and build a miniaturised doomsday device that lets us drop fiery death from the ceiling (especially for lower layers). That would let us take out FBs and the like before sending dwarves in. Would make the place a LOT safer. Our military is fairly decently sized now (40-50 dwarves), but badly trained and has...mixed quality armor. When they're a bit more competent it should be a breeze to patch any holes in the place.

The area where you got eaten (I still need to redorf you, actually..I'll do that today as well) has been made a lot safer by the addition of insanely overpowered weapons traps, but could do with being properly walled off.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Tonight, we dine in hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 24, 2013, 02:02:41 am

Quote from: UristTheGrey on April 12, 2013, 01:10:12 pm

Been awhile, glad to see the fort still alive. Is UristTheGrey still breathing? Itd be pretty damn surprising if he was

A very long time for me to notice this question, but UristTheGrey II is alive and well and a militia captain. You're a Great Marksdwarf, Accomplished Archer and dabbling in shield use, armor use, fighting, wrestling, striking and carpentry.

As of starting this play session, the surviving custom-named dwarves I can see are:

-Cutey
-Wastedlabour
-AnimaRytak
-TrollFurSock
-Sebastian Flyte
-Brofist Starwhack
-Urist McDonald, Perpetual Whiner (Not touching his ingame profession of restauranteur, but you have no idea how annoying he's being...at this rate the King/Queen is going to show up and be like "Bow before me!" and McDonald will punch them in the face and go scream at everyone about how pathetic his dining room is.)
-BP920091
-Urist McKiwi II
-Pseudonym
-Urist the Grey II

-----------------

Diary of Urist McKiwi II, Bombardier

1st Moonstone

That recruit finally finished his "BRILLIANT IDEA!".... It's a bloody figurine. I've no bloody idea how he planned to beat that monster with a garden gnome, but still....it's kinda pretty. Kodor Dawnedbury....the goddess of death and rebirth. Yeah, that's pretty fitting given the average life expectancy of a non-marksdwarf in our military.

I had an assistant bring me the records.....see who it is we're actually trying to woo over at the mountainhome. Apparently our general is a bloody cheesemaker. That explains our military record, that's for sure...

3rd Moonstone

Traded some more junk and some weapons for a bunch more leather. I hope we've actually GOT a leatherworks, because we really need some pants.


5th Moonstone

We have.....ONE. Guess I'll order some more built immediately. Udib's nowhere to be seen, so the job orders aren't going through anyway. I've rotated the archers away from the gate..the Dead Armors can replace them for now, even though they aren't even trained yet.

The captain of the guard came up to me and rather politely asked if he was getting an office any time soon. It appears the job order was never processed, so I've sent the miners to dig him out a nice new place to work.

I'm also continuing the old trap program. We're rather low on mechanisms though....

A dead goblin thief is filling the farming area with miasma. I'll see about getting it dumped....I am not sure why no one's dealt with this earlier....

19th Moonstone

Crundle damned near got me when I was out loading a cage trap. I'm activating the military. Again. The soldiers are not going to be happy. We need those bridges up....if only our bloody builders would move stuff out of the way rather than just refuse to build crap. I hate those idiots....

An axedwarf pushed it onto a cage trap and then stormed off. Don't blame him, frankly.

I suggested resuming adamantine mining today. Udib Wastedlabour stormed into my office and screamed at me for a full hour or so. Guess we're back to square one on that front. What with the baron screaming at me over my dining room, the military screaming at me over their draft, and that priest screaming at me over...I have no idea what he's on about, actually.....I think I've had enough of this job. I'm gonna get that wheelbarrow out from behind the wall in my office. We've got so much spare leather now...no one will notice a few packs and waterskins vanishing.

Another hideous monstrosity has turned up. It's stuck in the outflow for the dining room waterfall. For now. I'm sure we'll see more of it soon...it's certainly trying to head towards the fortress.


21st Moonstone

More bloody tantrums from the military. I've had it with these idiots. One of our glassmakers has been murdered this time. Dire times.....I'm going to get out of here while I can. I've grabbed one of the more docile (and intact) undead from the cages. I'll paint it a more "alive" color and teach it to mimic dwarven speech. Maybe if I steal one of the necromancers tomes from storage I can order it to not hurt anyone? We'll see. Not much time for it though.....things are heading south here fast, and I'll need to be out of here by the time the next overseer is elected.

That beast in the caverns has me worried. It's trying to get into the waterfall system....if it makes it up there, it'll be right into the dining room! I can't trust the military.....but I'm going to have to activate them yet again. I'll go with 3 out of 5 squads for now.


1st Opal

We're ready for it.....but a planter has just gone completely mad! Screaming "I'll show you all like I showed that bastard!".....I guess he's our murderer. I'm sending in the remaining squads to take care of him.... But I have got to get out of here. I'll check the tomes tonight, see what they'll do for me and that zombie......

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That FB is inbound, and it's a giant poison-spitting featherworm! Fortunately, it seems to be trying to use the waterfall rather than just flying through the caverns....it doesn't seem strong enough to get through the water. But this thing has wings....so we are in serious trouble. I've ordered marskdwarves sent to the dining room, so if it comes through, they'll hopefully shoot out a wing so the melee guys can get it. That and a potential tantrum spiral are something of an issue for me....OR.....I can try to keep things almost stable and dump it all on my successor.

Hmmmmmm......



I'll finish it off later tonight and upload the save.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The bane of pancreas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 24, 2013, 04:50:58 am

A giant poison-spitting featherworm climbing up the drain. Now I'm glad Toady never added a sanitation system.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The bane of pancreas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 24, 2013, 06:18:04 am

Wastedlabor<--Actually, I misread it. It's actually a ribbonworm. With wings. And poison spittle.

Diary of Urist McKiwi II, Bombardier

1st Opal (Evening)

That planter is one of the off-duty hammerdwarves. He's got a silver warhammer with him....and he's armored. One of the archers held him at bay by smashing him with his crossbow repeatedly. When the swordsdwarves finally arrived, one of the recruits stabbed him in the head and killed him. That crisis is over.

The beast is roaring away in the cavern.....people are afraid. We don't know if it'll get in yet....I dare not allow the soldiers to rest. I'm ordering the smiths to produce some steel bolts.

4th Opal

While I'm not going to tell the soldiers to stand down, it appears that the beast has been driven mad by our scent wafting down the waterfall. It keeps trying to enter the fortress, only to be pushed back by the flow of water. I fear the day that the waterfall is stopped..... unless we find a way to kill that monstrosity first. Still, that's not my concern. The tome of the necromancer was most interesting. It seems my initial plan will not work: An individual ghoul will not be able to carry out the complex tasks that would be required to give me time to escape. However, I believe that if I dismantle the zombie and reanimate the individual pieces before sewing them back together.....I might be able to give them orders that would approximate the functions I require. It's all a bit of a gamble, especially since I'm no surgeon, and if this doesn't work I'll need to find some other method to make my decoy.... still. I have but barely glimpsed the wonders of this tome. Once I'm out of this hellhole I'll have the money and skills to go anywhere I want....and the skills to raise a zombie army. That'll look excellent on a job application.

Now I just need to work out how to leave the fortress unseen....there's a small pond interrupting the moat in the southwest corner. I'd planned to deal with it, but the other two moat-extensions took so long I could never work on the other breaches to the moat. If I use a rope....maybe tie it off on one of the ballistae...I can certainly lower myself down. But can I take all my kit as well? Might have to......

....wait, I'm missing the obvious here, aren't I? We have catapult batteries......
Maybe getting my retirement funds out of here is a lot easier than it seemed earlier. All I need to do is pack everything except the wheelbarrow and my backpack in some big metal pots or something with padding for the landing....I'll say I'm testing a new ammunition type. I'm a bombardier, no one's going to question that.....


7th Opal.

I've been 'Testing the new ammunition' in the evenings. No one's caught on yet.....From what I can see from the unfinished towers, they're partly burying themselves in the ground. Since I know where they are....they should be perfectly safe when I go to collect them. I'll just need a shovel.

The military continues to complain about being on duty for so long. Screw 'em. There's a giant poison worm with bloody WINGS down there, and they're complaining about extended duty.

MAYBE THEY'RE ON DUTY BECAUSE WE HAVE A BLOODY WORM WITH WINGS CRAWLING UP THE DRAIN!!!

Idiots. When I get out of here I'm bribing another necromancer to come back and torch the place. That arse of a priest, that spoiled brat of a Count.....ALL OF THEM.

Still. The necromancy is going well. I've finished dismantling the body I'll be using for the decoy, with the aid of "Cutey Alathkatthir's Illustrated Guide to Surgery for Beginners". Frankly I'm disturbed that such a book even exists, but it has proven very useful. The pancreas is missing. Of. Bloody. Course. Still, that's not the important part....I really only need the vocal cords, lungs and limbs to be reanimated separately. I can pack the rest of the body with coloured dye in case someone stabs it. Gotta keep up appearances when I'm killed in my sleep by some lackey of that bastard Wastedlabour.

8th Opal

That damned worm will simply not die. At all. It doesn't even seem to require air.....and it's getting smarter. It no longer tries dashing up the drain (in so far as a worm can dash). It's taking it slow, and securing itself against the wall as it goes along. It's past the point I'd set as the evacuation point. This is not good. I'm activating all squads. I hope this thing fights as badly as it thinks, because if it's actually competent......

9th Opal

It is nearly at the dining hall. Crawling up inch by inch. The soldiers are tired, hungry and thirsty.....and afraid. I'm throwing everything at this thing. I just hope it works.

10th Opal

It's here. The thing fires globs of frozen spit at our troops. They're fighting back, and fighting hard. They'll be rewarded well for this.....if they survive. One of our swordsdwarves is knocked down by the beast, but the other soldiers have slashed its body open. One of the wrestlers actually bit the damned thing.

The marksdwarves have taken one of the damned things wings clean off. Kind of impressive actually, the bolt must have glanced off something and hit the wing sideways. The beast lets out a scream of rage and pummels the soldiers.


11th Opal

The battle continues. One of our former overseers is wielding that old bone spear to good effect....although frankly him biting the damned thing seems more effective.

The beast is dead, finally. We don't know who finally struck it down....but one thing's for sure...

I AM OUT OF HERE AS SOON AS BLOODY POSSIBLE. These military guys are insane! They're complaining constantly now! I've given them all leave. Frankly they deserve it. But I am SICK OF THEIR BLOODY COMPLAINING.

Ah well. The fortress is safe for now. That cavern area is a deathtrap though. Were I staying here, I'd seal the whole damned lot. But I'm not! I've got the first few parts of the decoy up and running. Giving the commands that will make the assembled decoy mimic a dwarven body is going to take some time, so I won't have this thing running just yet....but I think this will actually work. My caches are ready for me to collect, and I've scouted out the pond in the moat. I should be fine if a jump in, as long as I'm not wearing armor. When I leave, I'll lower a set down next to it so I can put it on later.

14th Opal

Apparently peafowl blood is running down the waterfall. I honestly don't know why, and frankly I don't care at this point.

Wastedlabor tried to give me one of his stupid lectures today. Slammed my door in his face. Wish I'd done that earlier...it feels damned good.


16th Opal

While I'm here, I'll at least try improving the lives of the people here who aren't military. Or priests. Or restaurant owners. The cloth and leather workshops have been going full tilt, and some results are forthcoming....some people are actually getting clothes to wear now. I've also given one of the only decent guys in the military, a farmer who's pretty handy with a sword, access to the second adamantine breastplate we've made.

20th Opal

Huh. We have a door in the outer wall, opening out into the magma moat. I'd never even noticed that before. Guess I'll have it removed and patched....someone might get hurt. Hahahaha.

The tome interests me more and more by the day...it's almost hard to tear my eyes away. One part of it seems to be written in blood. I can't read the language...but there's certainly some odd pictures. Why would a necromancer be interested in ducks?

22nd Opal

I've ordered more traps placed around the place. I may be getting out of here before too long, but these poor bastards could sure use some extra firepower when things inevitably come crashing down around them. Those copper buzzsaws are all gone now......


24th Opal


Another day, another bloody monster. This one's humanoid....and made of green zircon. Meaning it's going be damned near impossible to kill this thing without smashing bits off it. And it's giving off fumes as well. Excellent! Just when I thought I'd survived long enough to make it out of this hellhole! It's not heading for the fortress just yet though, so we should be fine. Since we're down a couple of dwarves after the last attack, we could do with a break from attack.

Had a meeting with Udib. He's noticed the missing tome. Wants me to order a search for it. Fine. Everywhere outside my quarters will be searched. Heh heh heh. I can see why he's concerned, I honestly can. And I'll be happy to return that book......once I've finished the decoy. It's almost ready now....soon I'll just need to clean it up and start teaching it commands.

------------------
I may have gone slightly overboard with my means of getting McKiwi II out of Moltenchannels. But what were you expecting? Something sensible?
That said, the interview with the next overseer should go well.

"So I was wondering if you had any maps of the fortress I could-"
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH"
"Ok then. So this giant monster in the caverns. Is there anything I should-?"
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH"
"And the morale in our military seems to be-"
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

I'm very sorry indeed, but I'm going to have to leave the fort overnight and finish it in the morning.It's past 11PM and I'm pretty tired.....and what with the FB and low FPS, this month has taken a lot longer than I had anticipated. I'm also going to need to take the next month slowly towards the end so I don't miss the end of the year (It's not announcing seasons).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The bane of pancreas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 24, 2013, 05:21:17 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 24, 2013, 06:18:04 am

Wastedlabor<--Actually, I misread it. It's actually a ribbonworm. With wings. And poison spittle.

I was having trouble imagining a moving featherworm. Like, it would pop out of the drain and tickle dwarf butts or something. A ribbonworm just makes it worse.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The bane of pancreas (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 24, 2013, 05:37:58 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on April 24, 2013, 05:21:17 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 24, 2013, 06:18:04 am

Wastedlabor<--Actually, I misread it. It's actually a ribbonworm. With wings. And poison spittle.

I was having trouble imagining a moving featherworm. Like, it would pop out of the drain and tickle dwarf butts or something. A ribbonworm just makes it worse.

That's quite a painful mental image.

If you want to make good metal bolts, use copper. Its dense and does a lot of damage. Steel is important to save for other things.

Is my dwarf still alive?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Now you will know why you fear the loo (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 24, 2013, 06:22:30 pm

Archmage<--You were killed by a GCS, I'm redorfing you now. Edit: Done! You're a weaponsmith.

Diary of Urist McKiwi II, Bombardier

2nd Obsidian

It is ready. In 3 days, I will escape from the fortress under the cover of darkness.....the decoy will take my place.....and all will be well. Someone else can deal with the insane priest and the stupid military and the stupid, stupid count. I'll have a full set of adamantine armor and wheelbarrow full of loot and supplies to take with me to start my new life...where ever it may be.

In the meantime, I've ordered the miners to dig a new graveyard and do some exploratory mining. The burial space is sorely needed....one more reason for me to get the hell out of here while I can.

3rd Obsidian

Fired some food and drink over the wall in the evening.

5th Obsidian

Tonight I get out of here. Farewell, Moltenchannels! I've stuffed the necromancers tome into an old production record and installed the decoy in my chambers.

8th Obsidian

Well, it worked. I'm out of the fort. Didn't manage to retrieve all the adamantine I'd fired over the wall, but I've got most of it and the rest has sunk deep enough into the ground that it will never be found. I stumbled across somegoblins the other day. Told him where the fort was in exchange for them letting me go about my way. Seemed a nice bunch of chaps. Told me about a city some way away where I might be able to sell my goods.

Wonder what's going on back at Moltenchannels now? I bet that decoy has them all flummoxed.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

7th Obsidian

Something is gravely wrong with our overseer. For the last few days she's been a shadow of her former self.....unable to even speak! I fear foul sorcery......


8th Obisidian

Or it could be that she decided to abandon us to die and left a crudely-disguised zombie in her place so we wouldn't notice. We probably should have worked that out a bit earlier, to be honest. Still, she appears to have taught it siege engineering so I guess we'll be keeping it for now....not that anyone's able to decide that because no one is in charge here. Poor Udib Wastedlabor is filing orders left behind, and McDonald is preparing to meet the royals (He thinks we've given them enough that they may turn up at any time. No one has the bravery to tell him the caravan with our offerings hasn't actually left the fortress yet).....but we're leaderless now. I'm not really the sort to stand up and take control.

Apparently I've inherited a title from the last overseer as a result of her leaving her post, which is awfully nice. Even if she wasn't a very nice person, "McKiwi" has a decent ring to it that works well for a dashing woman such as myself. Very dashing.

10th Obsidian

One of the engravers has been taken over by a fey. Guess he's out of the running for the elections. Udib's been getting the little boxes and papers ready and all that. Bit of a waste of time, if you ask me....these things are probably rigged years ahead of the vote. Still, we need some leadership around here. I'm a farmer and a swordsdwarf, and a damned good one at that. Heroic too. And dashing. But I need people to tell me what to do. I've taken it upon myself to ensure that the last works on the schedule are completed before the elections.

11th Obsidian

After skipping around the fortress like a madman for a full day, e's claimed a workshop right on the surface. Jolly good. I don't think he'll be making us a nice sword or anything like that, but we could use a nice statue to make the place look nice.

We could really use a new dining room as well.....The old one's covered in blood and spittle and is far too small for everyone. Not to mention that's how that worm thing got in to cause havok before yours truly and her friends put an end to that. That was not a fun fight. But it was dashing in the extreme. Guess the new overseer will have to look into that. I'll give 'em a poke when they're elected. Us soldiers like a dwarf who cares for us, especially when we've been on active duty for most of a year.

12th Obsidian

Some children are ripping down walls so the order to seal the staircase can be finished. About time too.....some dwarves panicked at the sight of a crundle today and barred the doors into the cavern. If we knew where it was we'd arm up and take it out.....but no one's telling us! ARRRGH. How is one supposed to be dashing when there's no one to give orders?

17th Obsidian

The burial grounds are more than half-finished now. Someone suggested a "Community mural project" in the hallway outside it to take our minds off recent events. We've really cleaned the place up, and we've got some nice engravings turning up. Looks a little eclectic, but it's making people happy and that's what's important.


18th Obsidian

An ambush has come, just as we planned to let the caravan out through our walls. The marksdwarves ran off to shoot at one squad while we suited up. Guess I'll have to cut this short in case the commander puts us out there.

20th Obsidian

The bastards are after a turkey. They must have run out of food. We're all stationed at the gate, waiting for the order to move. They've got a squad of lashers and one of speardwarves. I don't think our armor is good enough for this.....still, I am a dashing swordsdwarf. If the order comes, then so be it.

21st

I can hear the count screaming from all the way out here. Something about needing a tin table in his dining room. Guess that's why the old overseer made his room in the shape of someone flipping him a middle finger......McDonald's a nice chap most of the time, but when he gets worked up like this he's just crazy.

22nd

Wait, is that SMOKE? What the hell is going on?!!

*ahem* Dashing......dashing....

There appears to be a fire somewhere outside the fortress. I shall investigate and report to my colleagues.

23rd Obsidian

Something sparked a fire across the volcano. We don't know what, but I guess it'll flush out any more squads that are hiding out there. I also guess it means we're not getting ordered out there just yet. Time to go have a drink. Dashingly, of course. The marksdwarves are staying put, because they don't have to walk through fire to shoot at things. Fine by me!

I walked past that engraver in his workshop today. Whatever he's making, it's going to be interesting....he's got EVERYTHING there....copper and gold nuggets, leather, cloth, wood, emeralds, glass...even one of the adamantine wafers the overseer had the smiths making (heh. She'd be apoplectic if she saw that...).

27th Obsidian

The election is underway! It's rigged, sure as hell, but in a few days we'll have an overseer again. And I'll be able to be properly dashing and such again!

Meanwhile, the landscape outside is a mix of dead corpses, dead undead corpses, ashes, goblins and fire. And bubble-bulb. I like bubble-bulb.

Unfortunately if this fire keeps spreading like it has been the whole place will burn up. That should take care of the ambush (and give those smug marksdwarves something less to brag about), but the landscape will look even more desolate than usual for a time.

28th Obsidian

The election continues. That engraver has finished his work. All those materials for a small copper ring.....it is fantastically pretty, though. Must be worth a pretty penny too. Wonder if I can get him to make me something. I'll save up some loot from the next few battles I fight. A dashing swordsdwarf needs to look the part, you know.

I think I'll take a break now....have a nice rest, come back in a few days and see who's ordering us around. My vote's in, but I don't think it'll really count for anything. I'm too dashing for democracy anyway.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And so it ends for Urist McKiwi II, with a ladder in the night and a wheelbarrow full of stolen adamantine. McKiwi III is the best swordsdwarf we have (not that this says much), and has a candy sword and (hopefully) breastplate. And is very, very dashing. Also: Dashing.

This has been a pretty successful turn from my perspective. I've mined my first adamantine, learned how to use the military, stabilised the fort *twice* when it was looking like morale was plummeting, and built a really nice amulet. So I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.* :)


*On fire, covered in blood and with horrifically inefficient management.

I'm uploading the save and will edit the post with it when it's done.


Edit: Here's the save (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenchannels.zip), and here's some pictures:

Spoiler: Partial Surface Map and Stocks (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Molten12.png)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/MoltenFinal.png)

Important things for the next overseer:

1. Some of the "Seal the caverns!" projects got stopped by stray socks and bins and the like. You NEED to seal the cavern compound and stairs next to the dining room. Also, stop people wandering out into the caverns to reload cage traps next to a pack of crundles. I've forbidden the traps for now and locked some doors.
2. Likewise, our dining room is too small, covered in blood, and open to the caverns via the waterfall drain. The giant worm thing got in that way and we have been really damned lucky that none of these FBs have had deadly dust or something else that's actually dangerous.
3. The military really needs an overhaul. I've expanded it massively, but they've taken quite a lot of casualties and need more training, more dwarves and more equipment if they're to hold off the FB/Goblin/Kobold armada. We had 3 new FBs this year, and only one of them decided not to break in and kill people.
4. You''ll need to let the dwarven caravan out some time, but wait until AFTER the fire has killed the goblins and burnt itself out. They're carrying the offering that'll make us the capital (I think). We really need them safely on the road and out of the fort, but we can't afford to burn them to death by sending them out early.
5. Don't ask me how the fire started, I honestly don't know. I like to think McKiwi II went back and tried to torch the place after stowing her stolen goods somewhere safe.
6. The graveyard isn't quite finished, and you may wish to complete it given our average life expectancy in the military.
7. McDonald wants a tin table. His dining room is right next the adamantine mines and looks (very very roughly) like the room is flipping him the bird. He was being very annoying earlier.
8. It is vitally important that you

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Now you will know why you fear the loo (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 25, 2013, 06:02:14 am

Awesome turn.

Anon Moltenchannels dwarf: "Oh look, the reanimated zombie goblin army is being burnt by a forest fire, again *rolls eyes and chews forgotten beast meat jerky*"

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Now you will know why you fear the loo (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 25, 2013, 09:22:22 am

We have lots of animals waiting to be tamed. :o

And lots of forbidden sand bags.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Now you will know why you fear the loo (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on April 25, 2013, 10:00:10 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on April 25, 2013, 09:22:22 am

And lots of forbidden sand bags.

Yeah... That's probably my bad. Left over from the mass bedroom designation

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Now you will know why you fear the loo (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on April 25, 2013, 10:06:19 am

Eh wha? It's my turn? Aw crap!
I'll get to it tonight or tomorrow!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Now you will know why you fear the loo (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 25, 2013, 03:50:36 pm

The other thing I should mention is that despite my best efforts, we're still quite short on clothes. We have a metric buttload of leather and cloth though, and I made a bunch of leathworks...so making enough shouldn't be an issue. Expect a lot of job cancellations due to "ERMAGOD AN OLD SOCK IN MY WAY!" whenever you build things though.


Actually, gathering up those tattered rags the dwarves have been abandoning and having them thrown into the volcano would do wonders for FPS. (I hope. It's slowed down over the course of the year)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The burnination of trees (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 25, 2013, 04:37:47 pm

I'd actually been selling those instead, using them as trade goods when the merchants arrive. Gets them picked up and out of the way. Of course this requires the merchants getting in alive.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The burnination of trees (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 25, 2013, 08:09:23 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 25, 2013, 04:37:47 pm

I'd actually been selling those instead, using them as trade goods when the merchants arrive. Gets them picked up and out of the way. Of course this requires the merchants getting in alive.

Oh, that's not so hard at the moment, just throw untrained soldiers at the problem until the marksdwarves turn up to kill everyone....that's how I dealt with the kobolds, and the military has grown since then. We've got 3 melee squads, 1 squad of marksdwarves (fewer trained ones than we had previously thanks to deaths [I think we lost our elite guy], but I filled the vacancies), and about half a squad of idiots with crossbows. We had a full squad of idiots, but then the giant ribbonworm happened.

The current problem is getting them out past the forest fire and angry goblins. Soon to be angry burning goblins if we're lucky.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The burnination of trees (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 26, 2013, 08:03:38 am

I saw one High Master xbowdarf with a badass name when I loaded the save. It's something.  :-\

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The burnination of trees (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 28, 2013, 03:38:31 pm

Does the Dwarf still Fortress?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The burnination of trees (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 29, 2013, 03:56:42 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 28, 2013, 03:38:31 pm

Does the Dwarf still Fortress?

Good question. it's been 4 days...technically that's past the endtime for skipping but he did give a possible start time....


Ingame, of course.......no. Mostly they're on break/complaining about the draft/rushing around to Count McDonald's insane demands/trying to avoid having McDonald punch them in the face or send them to prison for not rushing around enough/painting pictures on the walls with all the blood in the hospital and dining room.

McDonald is certainly looking like an excellant candidate for the next embodiment of Urist McDuck. They'll get along pretty well I think. Alternatively McDuck will either beat him to a bloody pulp or McDonald will triumph by giving McDuck a fatal heart attack after a few free meals at his latest McUrists branch. While punching him in the face because he didn't make him a platinum teaspoon or something.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The burnination of trees (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 29, 2013, 03:31:56 pm

Ok, CognitiveDissonance moved one turn down by request. Triaxx2's turn now.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The burnination of trees (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 30, 2013, 06:33:15 am

Then I shall download the save, and begin battling the evil of discarded socks, and other such annoyances.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The burnination of trees (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 30, 2013, 11:28:08 am

Rattle. Rattle. That's the sound of my return. The rattling of my chains, the rattling of the cart. The rattle of the mail armor of the guards. The noise is so ominous that the goblins besieging Moltenchannels stand aside as we pass. I pay them no more mind than anything else. I have returned. And now I have plans. They decried my pit. My great machine and built their small things. Now I shall do as I see fit.

Trees have grown on the island, above the ground and below it. My first words are thus: Bring down the trees.

I have been returned in chains to serve my fortress, because I alone have caused it to prosper. They shall know the power of me. I shall serve and leave, to return only when I am required. Some laze about. Soon the call of my might shall see them whipped into motion. Whether an actual whip can be found or not. The goblins outside scream and die as the marksdwarves fill them with bolts. Others evade that to be slaughtered by a great fire. The cleansing has begun already.


My first action is actually to tap into the power reactor for the magma lifting system. I'll use that to power the primary water stack and pump into the reactor the main power. To facilitate this, and to prevent drowning of the fortress, I've had reactor Alpha's Power connection shut down, but have not drained the reactor. With the reactor shut down, I'll open the flood gates to the primary reactor for the water lift, then use the drain to empty the lift.

While that plan is being enacted, I've also set up the mine cart to dump again. Someone had reversed the flow, causing it to give things to the stockpile, instead of taking from it.

Things go well until the 3rd of Felsite. The king arrives, towing his entourage. It seems we are now the mountain home. Fantastic.

Umm... our queen is a Vampire. Who wants a bunch of Royal stuff. Lovely.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The burnination of trees (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 30, 2013, 06:03:47 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 30, 2013, 11:28:08 am

Whether an actual whip can be found or not.

The goblins had some you could "borrow".

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 30, 2013, 11:28:08 am

Someone had reversed the flow, causing it to give things to the stockpile, instead of taking from it.

So THAT'S why all the body parts were lying around rotting...

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 30, 2013, 11:28:08 am

Things go well until the 3rd of Felsite. The king arrives, towing his entourage. It seems we are now the mountain home. Fantastic.

Umm... our queen is a Vampire. Who wants a bunch of Royal stuff. Lovely.

You're welcome. I suggest putting her down by Urist McZombie's pad by the magma sea, in the marble layer and with a convenient way to kill her if necessary a glorious view of the sea itself.

Edit: Geeze I need to proof-read my posts before clicking the button...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The burnination of trees (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 30, 2013, 06:08:37 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 30, 2013, 06:03:47 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 30, 2013, 11:28:08 am

Someone had reversed the flow, causing it to give things to the stockpile, instead of taking from it.

So THAT'S why all the body parts were lying around rotting...

Urist McJones cancels Store item in stockpile: Interrupted by avalanche of rotting corpses.

Edit: What happened to the forest fire and the goblins?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 30, 2013, 06:16:13 pm

The fire burned all the way around the fortress and incinerated the goblins. Even cooked off the last couple lingering undead. All that are left are corpses, and a few ghosts I need to engrave slabs for.

Also, it seems that the fire burns the road as well. Doesn't damage it, but burns along it as well.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on April 30, 2013, 06:53:56 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 30, 2013, 06:16:13 pm

Also, it seems that the fire burns the road as well. Doesn't damage it, but burns along it as well.

Could this knowledge be weaponised? Could we build an interlocking grid of roads across the land, to be lit from the volcano at a pull of a lever?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 30, 2013, 09:24:49 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on April 30, 2013, 06:53:56 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 30, 2013, 06:16:13 pm

Also, it seems that the fire burns the road as well. Doesn't damage it, but burns along it as well.

Could this knowledge be weaponised? Could we build an interlocking grid of roads across the land, to be lit from the volcano at a pull of a lever?

If we buy a whole bunch of charcoal/lignite/graphite, we could try making a firewall down in the caverns to secure them from the FBs/crundles/giant swallows. The trick would be in stopping random haulers and trap reloaders from incinerating themselves.

Edit: It also won't work against the non-burnable FBs. And the ones that are made of lignite/coke/charcoal would just become terrifying.
Edit2: i just want to say that I'm really proud to be part of possibly the only fortress that spontaneously combusts to ward off attackers. Even though we don't know how or why this happens, we've done a great job with that.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 02, 2013, 02:00:03 pm

Stupid ambushes, stupid levers.

---

So to solve her Royal Highness' problem, I have summarily ejected a farmer from the rooms referred to by the cartographers as the Glorious Testes Suite, and given it to the queen. They aren't quite up to her standards, but I've assured her that they will be brought to spec as fast as dwarvenly possible. I'm doing this by having the magma glass furnaces fired up to produce large numbers of green glass statues. I've had our head glass maker removed from all other duties to produce the chests, and weapon racks her highness wants.

Some of the others have questioned her vampiric condition, but I've assured them we have other things to worry about. I am more right than I know.

It's not long before word reaches me of two horrible events. First the elves have sent a diplomat. He's ticked off at the slaughter of trees. I direct him to the queen. I hope she eats him. Meanwhile two ambushes pop up. One outside the gate. I order one of the military squads to give them a good axing. While they're doing that, another squad moves to shoot across the moat. I also order the drawbridge raised.

Somewhere, this does not happen, so we end up fighting inside the courtyard. As I'm directing more squads into the fight, the elven diplomat arrives informing me of merchants sighted on the horizon. I can see them, they're being attacked by one of the ambush squads. Finally, elves doing something useful. Then he demands we limited chopping down of trees to one hundred. My answer?

Sod off.

Yeah, that won't come back to bite us.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 02, 2013, 05:36:50 pm

Any named injuries/deaths?

Udib: Keep that wine mug away. No! Not the greasy fingers, you animal! I'm trying to update the overseer on the stockpiled wood records! Elves? 100 trees? Who cares about angry elves. If they come to siege, cage them and bring them to me. This fortress must pay more attention to their sacrifices to Armok! I barely get enough quality blood for my enchanted seals!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 02, 2013, 10:52:38 pm

Urist McKiwi III cancels Kill Goblins: Too Dashing.

Yeah, I told the elves we wouldn't cut down more than about 130 trees basically so we could get them as less-lethal test subjects for any lava weapons. Although I was fairly sure we had quite a lot of wood in storage anyway. They didn't even send a caravan to bait the undead away last year, so trolling them into war is totally reasonable in my mind.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 03, 2013, 06:03:35 am

No named deaths, and we eventually got the gate closed. Then we bum-rushed the last few gobbos.

Wait, 'Bp920091' has been found dead, though I can't seem to find his body. I didn't get a message until after we'd finished them off.

---

Well that was... exciting? We lost a few, killed quite a few of theirs, and saw some elves get whacked. After I chased the popcorn eaters away from the viewing platforms, we started tallying the dead. No one of any particular importance got it, though some people have said Bp920091 was quite important, I'm not seeing it. After all, he didn't listen to the burrow alarm, so he must not have been that important.

Her highness wants a chair. Okay, we can... Okay fine, THRONE. We'll make a THRONE. We shall bend the will of this entire fortress to the construction of the Queen's THRONE.

Sheesh. I'd already planned on it, so it's not a big deal, but I'm not going to tell her that. In less horrifyingly violent news, one of the dwarven children has withdrawn from society. This is infinitely worse than when it happens to an adult. Why? Because adult's have friends who only mention things once. I have every single dwarven child in the entire fortress coming in every five minutes to tell me that he's withdrawn from society.

I need something a little stiffer than this dwarven ale. Finally, the spring has ended. I have never been so happy to see summer.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 03, 2013, 07:15:28 am

We have so many artifacts.  :o

(Don't forget to name Bp920091's heir as Bp920091 II.)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 03, 2013, 02:53:37 pm

Sure. What am I supposed to be looking for in a replacement, or just someone not dead?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 03, 2013, 04:37:40 pm

Whatever you want, I think it's more interesting when people can discover what some previous overseer decided to pick for their incarnation.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 03, 2013, 09:18:59 pm

Ah, sweet. I'll play some more in the morning. Perhaps I can coax a little more speed out of my computer.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 04, 2013, 02:38:06 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on May 03, 2013, 09:18:59 pm

Ah, sweet. I'll play some more in the morning. Perhaps I can coax a little more speed out of my computer.

The best bet is probably to spend some time ingame between projects getting rid of extraneous socks, blood and caged/uncaged/dismembered-and-scattered-across-the-landscape critters. We've had some unicorns in cages for over 5 *years* that we can probably sell to someone....and lots of caged zombies we can drop into the volcano. And probably some zombie unicorns we can test out as biological weapons.

Edit: Also, I'd like to sign on for another turn in 5-6 years or so. I had enough fun the first time to make doing it again seem like a good idea.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 04, 2013, 06:13:07 am

Yeah, I noticed that, and now that the minecart  is no longer backed up, we can get a move on dumping things. It's actually not taken too long to clear out the intermediary holding pile at the base of the track.

---

So it seems that the little monster has started construction, which is good because now the little rodents are all busy watching to see what he's making. Of course I'm certain it'll be a while before they stop telling me what he's made. Ah, speak of the devil. It seems it's a Goblin-cap amulet.

I've also changed the garbage cart to leave when it's half-full, since part of the back up is it leaving with only part of it's available load.

I'm debating a design for magma landmines, but they all rely on pump stations outside the moats to lift the magma high enough. I've asked other dwarves for input, but I'm rather skeptical, given the difficulty of FINDING anything in this fortress. It took me fifteen minutes to find where the workshops were even at, and another forty to even find a craftsdwarf work shop. Then they're all busy running adamantine. Finally I found one who could get the slabs engraved.

We'll get these ghosts put down, and start memorializing ahead. I'm going to have a few dozen slabs made up.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 04, 2013, 06:28:07 pm

Nice to see they've actually got on to that strand extraction order a year after I filed it. :P

Edit: One option for magma landmines would be to drop things *into* the magma, rather than dropping the magma onto the target. It's harder to reset (of course, you could just use drawbridges to fling things into the volcano) but might save on pumps/framerate.

Or you could lower the groundlevel.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 04, 2013, 07:49:45 pm

We could just set a couple pumps on the edge of the moat and burn the forest at will. That has worked well so far. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 04, 2013, 10:45:53 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 04, 2013, 07:49:45 pm

We could just set a couple pumps on the edge of the moat and burn the forest at will. That has worked well so far. :P

I think our first priority if we do that is to work out what's causing the fires right now so we can turn it off.

That said, it's probably the quickest solution, for all it has a bit of a recharge time while the landscape recovers from the fire.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 05, 2013, 08:03:26 am

Minor detail. The problem with the pumps is that it would require some form of power or dwarves to get over there and pump manually, which isn't always an option.

---

No one has brought forward a solution yet, but several are working feverishly on... well, something. In better news, humans have arrived, just in time to buy our junk. Also, it seems the elven diplomat was seen stalking off in a huff. It seems the queen didn't like him. I don't blame her.

On the other hand, we have one minor dwarven problem. UristMcDonald has gone stark raving mad, apparently because we couldn't make a tin table, in spite of me trying to find something to melt. Well, that's going to be a problem for someone. Not me. I'm almost done with the reactor. One more water wheel to finish it. Then it's all over but the flooding. I've installed a couple copper doors to stop the water from going too high when I fire up the reactor filling system.

I'll get the humans to take all the garbage off our hands. Oh, and I um... sort of over did the statues. We've got nearly a hundred and they're now being installed in the queen's rooms.

And finally, we had a child possessed. Fantastic. Can't wait to see what fun destruction he causes.

The humans take a bunch of junk off our hands, and in exchange hand over a considerable amount of booze, and a dozen or so anvils. I figure we can melt those down for more iron or steel armor. I also got rid of a bunch of unicorns and rutherers, though only those in wooden cages. I suggest the rest be released in a pitable area, then the cages be reclaimed. Perhaps a pit or two over an arena and have them tossed bodily in to brutally murder one another for our entertainment. I think I'll call it.. Reality Arena.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 05, 2013, 04:07:42 pm

Wait, so McDonald only went insane? Not beserk?

.....That's about the first time he hasn't taken the opportunity to punch people....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 05, 2013, 06:36:13 pm

I admit I was pretty surprised. I half-expected to have to send in the military. I think it was the queen taking over his position that did it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 06, 2013, 04:44:56 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on May 05, 2013, 06:36:13 pm

I admit I was pretty surprised. I half-expected to have to send in the military. I think it was the queen taking over his position that did it.

And he was so eager to meet the royals earlier... I suppose the fact the queen turned out to be a bloodsucker (and thus unwilling to dine at his beloved restaurants) was just too much for his poor strained mind, already weary from the stress of years of making stupid mandates....

Rest in peace, Urist McDonald*. The world will not know another restauranteur like you.


....Which, quite frankly, is probably a good thing. But still.

*When you actually die, that is.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 06, 2013, 06:20:12 am

Well... actually, I think she did dine at his restaurant. I think that might be what did it. That's not ketchup.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 07, 2013, 01:13:34 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on May 06, 2013, 06:20:12 am

Well... actually, I think she did dine at his restaurant. I think that might be what did it. That's not ketchup.

"This food is bloody awful!" "Your majesty?....I...well..what's wrong with it, my lady? How can I fix it?" "BLOOD! AHAHAHAHAHA!"


Also, it's kinda ironic that the dwarf played by Duck is the one that goes quackers.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 07, 2013, 02:43:53 pm

Yeah it is. Sorry for the gap in play, the computer has been acting up.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 08, 2013, 08:11:31 pm

Finally fixed it. Broken wire on a fan.

---

I'm getting reports of a rogue unicorn, which is wreaking havoc, and suspending job orders. I give the military orders to kill it. They're back less than five minutes later. It seems that while they were heading out the gates, it tried to cross through the back door. A giant glass corkscrew gave it a second horn. Honestly guys, I trust you, you didn't have to bring me the head for proof.

I need another drink.

---

On the seventh of Limestone, a Kobold Thief shows up. The sight of two military squads bearing down on it sends it racing away at a speed I've not seen in a long time. I've been informed that all adamantine has been processed. I've never been one for adamantine, and I'm not sure what we need exactly, so I've forbidden anyone from doing anything with it to stop the doctors from doing anything stupid. I've heard the stories. Artifact legs because of the doctors using Adamantine thread. Not happening here.

Another thief shows itself, but once again, the military scares it off. By the end of the month, the fort is back on an even keel, and I'm going to stop for a bit of a break.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 09, 2013, 12:01:40 am

On the few occasions our weapons traps actually work, they tend to work pretty darned well. Death to pancreas!

In terms of the adamantine, I mined it so we could (eventually) equip our best soldiers with armor that'll keep them alive (our casualty rate and training set-up for the military may prevent us from even getting to the stage of HAVING good melee troops) through virtually everything. Currently we have...let's see.... 2-3 short swords and a couple of breastplates made of the stuff, from memory. I may have ordered some leggings as well, but I'm not sure about that and they certainly didn't exist at the end of my turn. All the existing candy items are equipped ATM (McKiwi III has a breastplate and a sword, and the captain of one of the squads when I left off had the other set). It might be worth churning through what strands we've got, turning them into wafers and making 2-3 full sets of decent-quality adamantine plate armor...but it's probably more worthwhile to make sure the melee guys have full steel plate for now until they're trained up to an acceptable standard. Basically do whatever you want: As long as we're careful we can probably get a fair bit more candy before we breach hell, and I'm fairly sure there's more raw adamantine in the stockpiles anyway.

(Although I dare say that using them for yet more weapons traps would be awesome but impractical)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 09, 2013, 05:44:08 am

I've never really gotten to adamantine so I'm not entirely sure how the process works. I'll leave that for the next guy in line.

---

So we've had another child craft an artifact. And it's fairly impressive. A wooden toyboat, called Kudar Igath, "The Immortal of Scraping". A rather appropos name for a dwarven made boat of any size. What's interesting is that it has images of two other artifacts, Steamyhustled the Raw Adamantine Amulet, and The Maroon Skies the native copper ring.

Surprisingly, and rather pleasantly, nothing happens by the end of Sandstone, except a Kobold thief who makes the incredibly fatal decision to run further INTO the fortress. Who doesn't love Greasy, grimy Kobold bits?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 09, 2013, 11:30:29 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on May 09, 2013, 05:44:08 am

What's interesting is that it has images of two other artifacts, Steamyhustled the Raw Adamantine Amulet, and The Maroon Skies the native copper ring.

Hey, those two were made during my turn. Guess they were bummed out at not being able to have actual candy in the artifact ("Muuuuuuum, can I have some insanely valuable wonder-metal to build a toy boat so I can appease the thing screaming at me in my head?" "No, have some godammned planks") and instead put pictures of the two fort artifacts that used it. :P

Edit: I shall proof-read my posts before posting them!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 11, 2013, 02:36:22 pm

Soo... it seems the fortress is actively out to get us. It ignited both the outer area, and the island itself. Fortunately there were no injuries, though I'm unable to tell what started it. I've watched the minecart, and it's far towards the center of the volcano, that it's not that. I was underground, supervising the trading with a dwarven caravan who arrived, so I missed the start of this one. It's almost winter though, and I never finished the reactor. One of the water wheels refuses to be built. No one seems to know who's job it is to build it. It just never gets done.

Fine, the day winter starts, I will order the filling begun.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 11, 2013, 04:44:29 pm

Three! That's three times the fortress has randomly combusted! Ah! Ha! Ha!
..wait, we don't *have* a Count so I can't really do that...\

I suggest walling the edge of the moat/replacing my fortifications with walls. That should provide a little cover from whatever is causing all the fires. Alternatively, just roll with it....the fortress randomly catching fire once a year makes for a good running gag.

For the water wheel, try cancelling the build and then telling them to build a new one. I've had similar problems with walls and the like before.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 12, 2013, 06:27:36 am

Yeah, I'm going to do that tomorrow. Today I have other things to do.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 14, 2013, 03:59:46 pm

Journal entry for 4th Obsidian, found in the office of the overseer the day before the end of the year.

IT. IS. ALIVE. After all these years of preparation, the great reactor is now alive. It produces power enough to raise water from the caverns beneath us all the way to the surface. Though none have been able to complete the pressure tower, this is enough to bring water to just below the surface. I make my preparations to depart now. I will leave the tower to others to finish. This is my legacy. This is my great work.

The reactor provides power enough to drive the great lift, with some to spare. I leave it as a gift to dwarfdom.

I am the darkness. I am the thing that goes bump in the night. I am... Darkwing Dorf!

---

No other trace was found of the Overseer, except a request for 11 gold encrusted dragon tallow roasts.


----

I'll post the save either later tonight or tomorrow, my internet is acting strange. The SAVE. (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7662)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 15, 2013, 05:19:05 pm

Yay. Next one!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 15, 2013, 08:05:38 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 15, 2013, 05:19:05 pm

Yay. Next one!

You should do one of your "Udib's Interludes" again some time. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 16, 2013, 05:03:09 am

I have to go through the whole thread and link any diaries I missed from other characters too.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 16, 2013, 11:36:05 am

Hey all, I'm here! I'll get going on the turn within the next two days :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 17, 2013, 01:38:15 pm

My turn is next (after CognitiveDissonance finishes), if it comes after 12 or so days from now, I'm going to be OK to take it. I'm recovering from a few things, and have stuff to finish in the meantime.

I've taken a look at the save. I'm really glad my last dwarf's body is, like, in the golden sarcophagus it deserves to be in, as opposed to lying in a walled-off disaster zone under a few meters of water. Did you manage to bury the citizens in the garbage dump or did they ride the minecart into the volcano?

I do not know why Reactor Beta is broken, something went wrong with getting the infiniflow to register.

You people built a drawbridge lever to seal of the adamantine mine on the spot a drawbridge or metric fuckton of traps were supposed to be located. New Townbrush was intended as a settlement, but also as a survival shelter in case something went wrong with the [CLASSIFIED_INFORMATION] in the [CLASSIFIED_INFORMATION].

Suitable defence arrangements are being made, I see. However, why is there a pile of gold amulets and an artefact outside?

Edit: Alright, we're officially missing tracks. We need to implement some means of taking food and wood down to the depths by minecart, and then bring back to the surface marble and adamantine. I think some deep forges would help, too.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 17, 2013, 02:06:49 pm

There were citizens in the dump? I just started memorializing everything.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 17, 2013, 02:16:51 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on May 17, 2013, 02:06:49 pm

There were citizens in the dump? I just started memorializing everything.

Yes, there were. They were dead who had been brought in from outside.

I think we need to upgrade the burial chambers. We can do it with a massive hall of sarcophagi, but I think we need some proper dedicated chambers 3x3 in size, at least. When it gets around to my turn, I will be building another massive mausoleum underground. I will also be expanding the settlement of New Townbrush, to house more dwarves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The royal bloodsucker has arrived! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 17, 2013, 04:51:29 pm

Let's face it, if something gets that far into the fortress past the military (there's a barracks down between the adamantine and New Townsbrush), traps are probably a secondary concern after "OH MY GOD SEAL EVERYTHING!". That lever should probably be moved though....I only put it there so that there'd be a higher chance of it getting pulled before the HFS rushed past the drawbridge if things went wrong (At the time there was fairly high traffic between the main fort and New Townbrush (which actually makes it a questionable refuge if we get a syndrome outbreak), so the entrance was a great place to put the emergency lever as a temporary measure).

I believe the amulets and artifacts are left over from when I was bribing the mountainhomes to send our royals over...I made a bunch of them as trade goods. I think one of our artifacts was made at a workshop on the surface at the same time (the native copper ring that's fantastically valuable). No idea what they're doing up there though....we may need better stockpile management and/or new storage areas.


...of course what we'll get is chronic mismanagement and schizophrenic designs, combined with a generous portion of hilarity. And death. Lots of death.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 17, 2013, 07:30:26 pm

Umm... oops?

Point of interest. I used two of the levers in the control room directly north of the trade depot, and forgot to mark them with Notes. They control flood gates in the massive water lift, so you might want to do something about that.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 18, 2013, 07:46:13 pm

Summary of the situation I can see:

So apparently the fortress has one individual in a strange mood, screaming for cut gems and bones. There are unfinished fortifications around the island, and an unfinished tower sitting on its own island, surrounded by lava. Someone has ordered all the trees to be cut down, but the logs are still lying around.

There is an open-air region which should be a greenhouse, but is open to the sky. Meanwhile, the farms around the golden pyramid were never removed

The towers, the foundations of which were laid down a few years ago, were never completed. Someone has, however, set up some siege weapons, but they are exposed.

The gigantic reactor is completely inactive, and there are trees in it. Yes, trees.

The berserk vampire remains berserking in the cells. Another vampire has been chained up in there as well. The most intelligent course of action would be to have the two fight.

The logic array has been dug out. At least that has been done. However, part of the vertical axle has been flooded.

The chambers originally belonging to the Captain of the Guard now belong to the Vampire Queen, who has an interesting taste in furniture. The Vampire Queen is also the Mayor.

Meanwhile, the former mayor still retains his quarters.

The rooms I dug out just below the upper caverns were never inhabited. The rooms I dug out above that, despite being of superior quality, were never even furnished. Instead, dwarves are still living in cabinets. They are larger rooms, which include a chest and another cabinet, but they aren't necessarily desirable, especially not for the Mountainhomes.

The gatehouse in the middle caverns has been suspended in construction. No idea why.

The magma pumps in the depths have still not been connected up to a power supply. In fact, no further development has happened down there.

I've noticed a lot of sarcophagi have been filled with "dwarf corpses". These are actually the un-named undead dwarves brought in by the necromancers.

There's still a metric fuckton of cages in the courtyard.

Finally, the fortress is nearly out of booze.

Edit: I see Avuz Konosshaketh is still the resident militia captain of New Townbrush, and has been so for maybe the past four years. Is that supposed to be a survival record now? I notice her squad's name has changed, though. It used to be The Decent Letters, but is now The Dead Armors.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 18, 2013, 10:26:28 pm

I couldn't keep the stills running. And I chopped those bloody trees in the reactor down twice and then gave up. On the other hand, I did buy up every drop of booze I could.

I'm not sure why they weren't picking up the logs, since I had forty some odd idlers, who flat out refused to do anything.

I'm thinking I miscalculated the number of pumps necessary to run the main reactor. Of course, reactor alpha runs the entire water lift mechanism, so the main one might not even be necessary.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 18, 2013, 11:55:56 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 18, 2013, 07:46:13 pm

Summary of the situation I can see:
There are unfinished fortifications around the island, and an unfinished tower sitting on its own island, surrounded by lava.

That's my work, the fortifications were a temporary thing in case we got seiged at the wrong moment...in the long term they'll have to go bye-bye if we want an actual dike.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 18, 2013, 07:46:13 pm

The towers, the foundations of which were laid down a few years ago, were never completed. Someone has, however, set up some siege weapons, but they are exposed.

Also me. THe seige weapons are primarily anti-undead things and were set up in a hurry. I'd advise their removal.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 18, 2013, 07:46:13 pm

The gigantic reactor is completely inactive, and there are trees in it. Yes, trees.

Trees are awesome.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 18, 2013, 07:46:13 pm

The rooms I dug out just below the upper caverns were never inhabited. The rooms I dug out above that, despite being of superior quality, were never even furnished. Instead, dwarves are still living in cabinets.

VERY dwarfy.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 18, 2013, 07:46:13 pm

Edit: I see Avuz Konosshaketh is still the resident militia captain of New Townbrush, and has been so for maybe the past four years. Is that supposed to be a survival record now? I notice her squad's name has changed, though. It used to be The Decent Letters, but is now The Dead Armors.

It's probably not a survival record for the military, we've had a few people who just won't die.....but she's one of the more successful soldiers. The Dead Armors was one of the squads I set up when I reformed the military. (EDIT: I think)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 21, 2013, 03:11:41 am

Sorry all, time has run away from me. It's funny how a long weekend (in Canada) can make time so scarce.

I'll download the turn, and do it - or at least get a start - tomorrow! I give you my dwarven word!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 21, 2013, 07:36:22 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on May 21, 2013, 03:11:41 am

Sorry all, time has run away from me. It's funny how a long weekend (in Canada) can make time so scarce.

I'll download the turn, and do it - or at least get a start - tomorrow! I give you my dwarven word!

I will be free to play as of Tuesday next week, so you have until then or thereabouts.

So, my fellow dwarves: when the next version comes out and this fortress is done with, shall we start anew on the new version?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on May 21, 2013, 08:07:57 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 21, 2013, 07:36:22 pm

I will be free to play as of Tuesday next week

CaptainArchmage: now F2P, funded by subscriptions and micropayments.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 21, 2013, 08:58:27 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on May 21, 2013, 08:07:57 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 21, 2013, 07:36:22 pm

I will be free to play as of Tuesday next week

CaptainArchmage: now F2P, funded by subscriptions and micropayments.

Moltenchannel's computer isn't that complicated yet.

Not yet.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 22, 2013, 02:40:51 am

Okay! Loaded the fort, and it's more complex than I expected. I really like it! Initial impressions:

- Magma moat!
- I don't understand that tower; it's open to everything, I'll work to isolate it
- WHY IS HALF THE MAP ON FIRE?
- Our stockpiles are up above and exposed to the elements.
- We have way, way too much farming going on. Is it being processed somewhere?
- The military is missing a lot of clothing items.


Preliminary plans are:
- Streamline storage and hauling. Relocate all stockpiles, optimize travel paths
- Increase access security. Cover all open tiles with bars or hatches or floors. Create an isolation chamber for cavern access. Put a convenient decoy to decrease interest in invading our fortress.
- Produce ALL THE CLOTHING
- Increase food/drink complexity. Forgotten Beast Tallow Stews are good enough to sell to elves, but I want wheat and syrup!
- Remove current security threats. Use force if necessary.
- Completely ignore the logic chamber. I have no idea.
- Create an industrial-sized respectful catacombs for all the dead. I don't care where they came from, they are dwarves and deserve proper end. Seal any restless dead, if possible. Slab all ghosts.
- Find myself a suitable dwarf. Provide proper accommodations.

Overall, I'll focus on improving and increasing efficiency. Let me know what I've missed. In the mean time, I'll get started!

The fort is bigger than I anticipated, so I'll take my time. Apparently, I have until the upcoming Tuesday :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 22, 2013, 04:08:59 am

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on May 22, 2013, 02:40:51 am

Okay! Loaded the fort, and it's more complex than I expected. I really like it! Initial impressions:

- I don't understand that tower; it's open to everything, I'll work to isolate it
- WHY IS HALF THE MAP ON FIRE?

1. Towers in general in this place do not get finished. If you're looking at the one on the island in the magma moat, there IS a lever to isolate it....somewhere. I left a note on it but I'm not sure where I put it. Probably just under it, knowing me. If it's a different one...who knows? If you somehow finish a tower you'll join an exclusive club currently occupied solely by DuckThatQuacks.  I think his tower (outside the fort to the Northeast) has an isolation lever as well....
2. We honestly have no idea. It happens about once a year, so you'll get to see it again. It's quite handy if there's a seige at the time it pops up. Not so good if there's a caravan.


You should also take a good hard look at our pathetic excuse for a dining room (and then build something better) if you're trying to reduce threats (since the Ribbonworm of DOOM came through the drain there, and it's waaaay too small anyway), and probably see if the military can get better armor once you've found some clothes for them. The dining room is next to that big compound we have down in one of the caverns.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 22, 2013, 10:30:18 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 22, 2013, 04:08:59 am

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on May 22, 2013, 02:40:51 am

- WHY IS HALF THE MAP ON FIRE?

2. We honestly have no idea. It happens about once a year, so you'll get to see it again. It's quite handy if there's a seige at the time it pops up. Not so good if there's a caravan.

So we have a predictable fire? Now I'm not very good with that stuff, but why has this not been weaponized? You know, prepare a bed of lignite; wait for it to ignite; collapse supports holding it in place so it falls into a minecart; PROFIT!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 22, 2013, 05:04:38 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on May 22, 2013, 10:30:18 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 22, 2013, 04:08:59 am

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on May 22, 2013, 02:40:51 am

- WHY IS HALF THE MAP ON FIRE?

2. We honestly have no idea. It happens about once a year, so you'll get to see it again. It's quite handy if there's a seige at the time it pops up. Not so good if there's a caravan.

So we have a predictable fire? Now I'm not very good with that stuff, but why has this not been weaponized? You know, prepare a bed of lignite; wait for it to ignite; collapse supports holding it in place so it falls into a minecart; PROFIT!

We have weaponised it. Sorta. We shepherd every friendly inside, raise the bridges and let it roast all the undead and goblins. If we could control it further we could probably make something evil (Especially if we can get an infinitely-burning floor [persuade someone to make an artifact lignite grate] or something. Then we can have a trap-entrance to kill off sieges). Also, we could turn it off and avoid migrant/caravan immolation, which hasn't happened yet, but it's only a matter of time.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 23, 2013, 05:20:47 am

I don't know that it's entirely predictable. It happened twice during my last run, not counting it being already on fire when I got there.

I'm suspecting it might be my fault though. During my first turn I tried to even out the moat by chopping open those areas that had obsidianized when they hit water. Might be getting flammable moss or something down there.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 23, 2013, 06:21:31 am

Nah, I think it may be magma crabs trying to snipe living beings passing by. Try chaining a pet near the volcano and see if the fire gets started around it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 24, 2013, 12:21:37 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 23, 2013, 06:21:31 am

Nah, I think it may be magma crabs trying to snipe living beings passing by. Try chaining a pet near the volcano and see if the fire gets started around it.

This....is actually VERY plausible. The fire in my turn started near a goblin squad that had just turned up...I didn't see it at the time because they only came out of ambush later as they were running from the fire. So I guess that's probably it.


Is it actually possible to capture those things? If so....

Step 1: Capture magma crabs (good luck)
Step 2: Release inside fortified area, with bridges and ANOTHER layer of fortifications so it won't be shot and the bridges won't be destroyed by titans/trolls/whatever. Note: DO NOT LEAVE OPEN LINE OF SIGHT TO FORTRESS. Otherwise we'll bombard our own dwarves.
Step 3. Chain kittens outside fortified area (preferably with something to protect them as well).
Step 4: When danger comes, pull lever and set fire to everything via crabs.


Alternatively, use Step 1&2 multiple times to set up turrets across the map.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 25, 2013, 09:55:29 am

I think we should introduce more rules from old times. For example, rulers should make themselves a tomb (for examples Captain Archmage's tomb, first cavern layer, and Urist McDonald's tomb in the dining hall).

We should also set a "win" condition, which will be grounds for fortress retirement on arrival of the new version. My suggestion is:

Fully operational magma fortress mountainhome, with fortified entrances with roads into all cavern layers, HFS colony, fortress, and road, dwarf-computer, and proper fortifications and town outside the main island.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 25, 2013, 10:02:06 pm

Dwarf Computer is kinda OOC in the Ardentdikes series.

I think a good enough win condition would be to explore the depths to find any breach that might allow McDuck to escape from hell, and close it. I'll write an Udib's journal to introduce it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 25, 2013, 10:16:04 pm

Since this is a succession game.... we basically have no control over what *anyone* does short of save-scumming their turn into oblivion, which is serious overkill and basically unwarranted unless they vanish or deliberately kill the fort in an un-epic way. And that's the best thing about this type of game. We can certainly make small rules and the like, but I don't think we should go overkill on rules (I'm fine either way, Urist McZombie has a really nice tomb).

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 25, 2013, 10:02:06 pm

Dwarf Computer is kinda OOC in the Ardentdikes series.

Yeah. If people are going to go for the dwarfputer they should probably try tying it into the whole "McDuck on the loose" thing, or some other reason that the residents would actually build such a thing. Athough hell, a thinking machine to contain McDuck, powered by forsaken children and chained prisoners? That'd make sense with minimal RPing. Udib's already bent space-time (twice), so building a machine to do it after his death is entirely suitable. Our end-state is tied to the story that we make here, and the narrative will very much depend on how things go. EG. Some people want a nice, stable and optimised fort. Personally I want massive brushes with disaster, pancreas spread on the walls, and for McDuck to exact his revenge on the race that sealed him outside of time and space. Or at least try to exact his revenge. Finishing with "they all lived happily ever after and the whole 'McDuck' plotline never went anywhere" doesn't feel as satisfying as a brutal fight to the death as the fortress burns/drowns/collapses into hell. Especially if it can happen multiple times.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 26, 2013, 02:47:11 am

((Will update with proper write up, this is just a follow-along to give you guys an idea of what's happening))

This Fortress is a bit.... overwhelming. I'm getting my bearing, and I'm EXTREMELY thankful for CaptainArchmage's summary.
I will get this done! :D

---

You know sucks? Being in control of everything. That may sound like a nice past time, and the power is appealing, but not of this place! This place is insane!

I have gotten away with doing nothing just fine for the last while, when all of a sudden - a ghost of a dwarf, rattling some chains, walks up to me and tells me to run the damn place.

Magma pumps? Goblins? AAAAAAH I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! I'M JUST A PEASANT ON A SICK LEAVE!

(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/Dissonance119/Dwarf%20Fortress/Moltenchannels/pic2-me.png)

On my way to the office, I saw corpses lying around. I have been trying so hard to ignore that... I guess I no longer can.

Okay, okay, calm down. Let's go over the papers. First, the animals are a mess! Let's train those up.
(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/Dissonance119/Dwarf%20Fortress/Moltenchannels/pic1-training.png)


Next, the military files. There is a literal MOUNTAIN of equipment requisition requests, and I had to dig through those. That was kind of fun, actually.

(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/Dissonance119/Dwarf%20Fortress/Moltenchannels/pic3-gearup.png)

And food production. We need drink and food over here!

With that handled, it would seem that CaptainArchmage helpfully left me some notes. I'll see what I can do.

What date is it, again?

---

This is an administrative disaster. Half the dwarves have no idea what they are doing, so many rooms are mis-designated... I have been going about everything and fixing it. It takes longer than it sounds.

The current date, by the way, is 2nd of Granite. Only the second day! Ahhh so much to do, back to work.

I have designated a new memorial chamber. We have many ghosts, and the dead deserve proper rest.
(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/Dissonance119/Dwarf%20Fortress/Moltenchannels/pic4-remembrance.png)

---

Urist McDonald has, in not very polite terms, reminded me of his requests. Apparently, he DEMANDS a tin table, and some short swords to be made. Well, what the hell. It's not as if we have anything else to do, right?

---

There are crundles in the caverns! The horrors! I sent our military to take care of it, let's see what they are made of.

(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/Dissonance119/Dwarf%20Fortress/Moltenchannels/pic6-crundlesmustdie.png)

---

I have found the cause for all the fires. There are a few unruly imps inside the volcano, who apparently delight at setting the surface on fire. Speaking of which, I feel bad for those goblins. They are cowering in the inferno, trying to escape. Too late, stupid invaders!

(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/Dissonance119/Dwarf%20Fortress/Moltenchannels/pic5-rungoblinsrun.png)

Also, the greenhouse was never completed. I have ordered 96 green glass blocks, and hatches built over the entrance. We need to be more secure than this.

What's this business with the towers? o.O I think I have found the problem. It was built with green glass, but we have run out. It seems that the person who planned that simply gave up then.

Well, I will finish this construction. We cannot waste that space!

---

Things are just chugging along now. Found quite a few wrenches in the glass and metal smithing machines, and fixed those. Animals are getting trained, and the military is equipped. No ground-breaking achievements yet -- but everything is improving.

(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/Dissonance119/Dwarf%20Fortress/Moltenchannels/pic7-wolves.png)

The remembrance room is getting full. We have no more ghosts haunting us -- Moltenchannel remembers.
But there are so many lost, so many to memorialize... one at a time, though. It will be done.

(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/Dissonance119/Dwarf%20Fortress/Moltenchannels/pic6-ghosts.png)

---

I heard today that a lone blacksmith came to visit our fortress, and stumbled into two speargoblins still sitting outside. Why do we have goblins in fortress proper? After some looking, I found the switch to operate the lava moat. Sally forth!

(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/Dissonance119/Dwarf%20Fortress/Moltenchannels/pic10-poorblacksmith.png)

While the troops were gathering, the goblins found a child. Now they definitely must die.

Some axedwarf was unfortunate to receive a lucky spear hit from the goblin - that's his reward for charging in. The rest quickly cleaned up the area, and the goblin threat is now gone. Now the caravan can finally leave, and we can look after the incredibly mess that outside is.

---

There were apparently quite a few weapons remaining in the ashes where the goblins were. Did we have a fight there that I have not heard of? I don't know, but we will reclaim them - after all, it was us who crafted them.

Also, apparently we are out of iron. And have no natural sources of iron. What is this?! Why has nobody taken care of this before?!

Speaking of angry, elves are here. Better go say hi!

---

I'm afraid we had an unfortunate accident. Some miner, when ordered to dig a new shaft for the well, has decided to literally stand on top of the channel he was digging. He fell quite a long distance into the underwater pool, and there he lay wounded while Neca Pelesetholatho feasted on him. I ah... have to be elsewhere.

((No image, sorry. Got lost :())

Why the well? After some complaints, I examined the water in the surface hospital. It tasted AWFUL! The water beneath was ancient and stagnant... so I had to clear it.

Does this mean the new well will now be polluted with the dwarf's blood? Armok damned idiot miner!

---

An ambush! Curse them! A whole 6 crossbowgoblins. Gah, everyone, GET INSIDE! They must have followed those idiot elves. I knew the elves were up to no good!

(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/Dissonance119/Dwarf%20Fortress/Moltenchannels/pic11-invaders1.png)

More goblins joined the fray. One of our marksdwarves tried to take on a swordgoblin, and was cut apart. Who trained those? How does the defense of this fortress work? It seems entirely undefensible, especially against ranged invaders... I must study this further, or we will lose a lot more.

(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/Dissonance119/Dwarf%20Fortress/Moltenchannels/pic12-invaders2.png)

((Seriously, how do you defend this?!))

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 26, 2013, 06:48:21 am

We usually let zombies or forest fires to take care of them invaders. :P I guess that's why the fortress militia grew kinda lazy.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 26, 2013, 03:33:44 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 26, 2013, 06:48:21 am

We usually let zombies or forest fires to take care of them invaders. :P I guess that's why the fortress militia grew kinda lazy.

More "The fortress militia has never been trained". There's about 2 trained squads, the rest are rookies.


Look for the trained archer/marksdwarf squad, and put them up in McDonald's tower north of the fortress so they can snipe from cover. Get the dwarves to stay inside the fortress, preferably below ground. If necessary, use the other marksdwarves on top of something else. If the goblins are south or west of the fort, swap that around so the elite guys can actually shoot at them.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 26, 2013, 03:35:18 pm

First of all, did you even close off the drawbridges? If so and the goblins are outside, the fortress is secure.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 26, 2013, 04:09:47 pm

It's not so much that we ran out of glass blocks, but that I ran out of turn and then there weren't any blocks around the second time. The tower is supposed to be so we can drown the fortress and thus it needs to be higher than the tallest tower of the fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 27, 2013, 09:48:35 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 26, 2013, 06:48:21 am

We usually let zombies or forest fires to take care of them invaders. :P I guess that's why the fortress militia grew kinda lazy.

Ahh... yeah, should have checked their skills better. I TRUSTED YOU GUYS!  >:(

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 26, 2013, 03:33:44 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 26, 2013, 06:48:21 am

We usually let zombies or forest fires to take care of them invaders. :P I guess that's why the fortress militia grew kinda lazy.

More "The fortress militia has never been trained". There's about 2 trained squads, the rest are rookies.


Look for the trained archer/marksdwarf squad, and put them up in McDonald's tower north of the fortress so they can snipe from cover. Get the dwarves to stay inside the fortress, preferably below ground. If necessary, use the other marksdwarves on top of something else. If the goblins are south or west of the fort, swap that around so the elite guys can actually shoot at them.

I'll have a look for that. I currently have lost all faith in the dwarves, but if the area is properly fortified I'll give it a shot (hah)

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 26, 2013, 03:35:18 pm

First of all, did you even close off the drawbridges? If so and the goblins are outside, the fortress is secure.

I only had one down, and yes I did. I even managed to get the elves in!

Well, it looks like I have a goal - increase the defenses of the fortress. As you guys know, the major animal stockpile is aboveground, and the only way to it used to be by going outside of the main wall. Luckily, I JUST finished building copper doors into that location.

Also did you know we have no local iron sources? I didn't. QQ.

At least we have tin for the stupid mandates.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on May 27, 2013, 02:06:53 pm

It's nice to see my follies having repercussions throughout the years: the easily breachable magma moat, the stagnant well in the hospital... I still think the mass bedroom in the northwest tower was a sound policy and I spit upon the names of all overseers that expanded the fortress downwards instead of up.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 27, 2013, 02:11:16 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on May 27, 2013, 02:06:53 pm

It's nice to see my follies having repercussions throughout the years: the bridged and secure easily breachable magma moat, the bloodystagnant well in the hospital... I still think the reorganized mass bedroom in the northwest tower was a sound policy and I spit upon the names of all overseers that expanded the fortress downwards instead of up.

FTFY :P I'm incredibly excited to play this now after work

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 27, 2013, 04:21:47 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on May 27, 2013, 09:48:35 am

Well, it looks like I have a goal - increase the defenses of the fortress. As you guys know, the major animal stockpile is aboveground, and the only way to it used to be by going outside of the main wall. Luckily, I JUST finished building copper doors into that location.

Why are we using copper for doors, anyway? If you have tin or zinc you can make bronze or brass, which is far better.

Also, using metal for bins means they get transported around slowly.

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on May 27, 2013, 09:48:35 am

Also did you know we have no local iron sources? I didn't. QQ.

At least we have tin for the stupid mandates.

I think as there were no local iron sources, some veins were modded into hematite (or were they?). And bam, we have tin for bronze. No excuses with the doors 8)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 27, 2013, 04:26:02 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 27, 2013, 04:21:47 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on May 27, 2013, 09:48:35 am

Well, it looks like I have a goal - increase the defenses of the fortress. As you guys know, the major animal stockpile is aboveground, and the only way to it used to be by going outside of the main wall. Luckily, I JUST finished building copper doors into that location.

Why are we using copper for doors, anyway? If you have tin or zinc you can make bronze or brass, which is far better.

...

I think as there were no local iron sources, some veins were modded into hematite (or were they?). And bam, we have tin for bronze. No excuses with the doors 8)

because someone made a dozen or four ≡Copper Doors≡. I may as well use them now...

Also, modded iron ore? Which one's that?!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 28, 2013, 02:13:34 am

I took the time to explore and prepare the map before the start, there should be some iron ore. ;D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 28, 2013, 10:03:07 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 28, 2013, 02:13:34 am

I took the time to explore and prepare the map before the start, there should be some iron ore. ;D

Well then! DIG YA LAZY BASTARDS!
Update tonight, sorry about delays. Personal crap.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 28, 2013, 12:03:03 pm

If you want to fix the defences, you may want to connect the floor hatch in the magma tower to a lever. That way you can fill the magma weapon.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 28, 2013, 03:33:38 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 28, 2013, 02:13:34 am

I took the time to explore and prepare the map before the start, there should be some iron ore. ;D

I also remember seeing some hematite veins.....somewhere.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 29, 2013, 05:24:12 am

If you guys are okay with that, I need one final day's delay. Today was taken up with a turn at Ghoullights which was........ intense.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 29, 2013, 08:32:50 pm

It's fine.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 30, 2013, 01:06:57 am

(posting as I go, will edit into something more readable afterwards)
(I'm also collecting screenshots, so a lot of those entries are used as triggers for my memory for later)

The goblins are isolated outside. Everyone got inside.

I sent our marksdwarves to man the remote tower. I doubt they would get a shot, but it's better than nothing.

The goblins captured a lone dwarf that was caught outside. He... didn't last long.

I found hematite in a remote shaft! I'm having it all mined out, and I'm searching for more. I"m sure it's there.

God damn Elves took issue with green glass, and decided to leave. Good luck with that.

I hope the goblins leave soon. We are in no condition to fight them, and I would love to add more useful fortifications.

I also found a minecart track and some kind of a pipe... but I'm loathe to use them, as I have no idea what they do :(

..

Agh, I guess I can't do much of what I wanted while the goblins are outside. Well then, it's time for industry! MINE! FORGE! MINE! FORGE! MAKE BACKPACKS!

Well, on the downside I'm getting a LOT of mandates. On the upside, they are for military gear.

I am tempted to dig deeper into that adamantine. Must... refrain... from... temptation!

I let the military get back to resting and training. Goblins are camping out on the far side of the map...

Why is there a weapons stockpile outside? o.O I dare not investigate too much for fear of goblin bolts :(

An elven diplomat stopped by, asking us to limit our wood cutting efforts. For now, I will abide - we are restricted to 125 trees. Why? Because we have no real fortifications, and I fear elves' bows. Next year... we may not be so agreeable.

Another forgotten beast... Very well, maybe it's about time we cleaned the caverns out a bit.
... Glad I checked. The nearest beastie has deadly blood, AND it is sitting right next to the drain for hospital well. Drat.

...

I think I will engage the beasts from a different angle. There are at least two in that water, but we have many well-geared soldiers. I will slay this damn beast, spill its blood, and then isolate the area where it died.

Or, even better! Create a shooting range above it, and needle it to death. Tempting, if not for that deadly blood...

Uh oh, a bunch of migrants decided to arrive literally right next to the goblins. Well, so long immigrants...
By some miracle, a bone doctor was able to make it inside! You are one brave, and lucky, dwarf. Meanwhile, his comrades were able to find the 3rd ambush sitting nearby, that of goblin spearmen.

At least they didn't suffer for long.

The goblins wandered near our tower, chasing some yak bull child. We were able to get a shot on one of theirs, killing it swiftly. The rest are hanging out JUST outside crossbow range.

One of the off-duty marksdwarves finds a perfect sniper spot on the minecart tracks, and takes quite a few shots at the goblins. That is genius! I bring the rest of the squad up, but the goblins have had enough. They are out.

Time for REAL fortifications.

Nope, no break for us. Human merchants arrive, and they are followed by zombies. This means there may also be a necromancer out there, which is extremely bad given the sheer number of corpses. Well, FML.

AAaand another forgotten beast. Great.

...

So that forgotten beast... yeah, it made its way into the fortress somehow, and is chasing a child. Here comes live practice for the militia!
This one has deadly blood as well. I really, really, really hope this doesn't escalate.

...

We have lost a few from that incursion, amongst them Urist McDonald. Farewell, you made for such an excellent baron :(

I also ordered several human weapons - morningstars, flails and more. Those can do quite a bit of damage if they are well-done, we should make use of them.

Some idiot dwarf carried the corpse over to be butchered. I forbade it JUST in time. Also, I found the breach - it seems that my well shaft has claimed another few victims. Sorry all... at least future wounded can be treated with clean water (I checked)

That child is somehow alive, but very wounded. Yeah... good luck to him :-/

But! It seems that at least one necromancer wandered into a trap outside! Idiot necro...

Now it's gotten quite boring. We have killed everything our bolts and catapults could reach, but I don't dare send our militia out. I'm focusing back on production and development.

Aaaand a werepanther o.O

...

Not ones to dissapoint, Goblin Cleaning Services join in the fun! They are currently beating zombies left and right, to my great delight!

With the two sides disposed of, I feel comfortable enough walking out and cleaning up. Winter is almost here, and I open the gates to let the dwarves clean up the land. Could be a mistake... but what the hell.

We also have a glut of gold bars. I am now constructing ALL of our fortifications with gold.

...

Aaand another forgotten beast. Pictures will come.

Surface cleanup is going extremely well. Things are very smooth, and I'm quite pleased with how everything turned out. It is now late winter.
Another FB. This is just annoying now, someone has to exterminate those things.

A secretive mood from a jeweler, and he only grabs one item. Not very exciting...
Have I mentioned the fey mood from that kid ages ago? Yeah, nothing special. I think he made a wooden earring.

Also had a better look at the dwarven necro who caused us that earlier trouble. We really should dispose of all the captives of war sometime soon. Preferrably in a messy and/or fiery manner.

...

Late winter, time to get inside! The exterior is significantly cleaner, and a lot of corpses and items have been collected. We are now building massive golden fortifications for our little island fortress :)

And done! Not much else happened, so I present to you a safer, more secure, and more stable Moltenchannels!

I will update with screenshots and better text tomorrow. No promises for a story, as a LOT happened, but we are done!

(uploading)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 30, 2013, 01:34:59 am

You can probably get a little more safe candy from the left right-spire (Edit: Yeah, should probably get that right the first time). Or dig more sighting holes into the top of the magma sea to try finding another spire.


With luck, that squad will annoy an imp enough to immolate the landscape. Bonus points if you can let the elves out just as the fire sweeps through.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 30, 2013, 05:29:50 am

And save is up! Once more, apologies for just jotted down notes and no images. That will come.

But here it is!

http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7706 (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7706)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 30, 2013, 04:20:27 pm

Excellent. Most excellent. My friends, I am proud to announce that I will be starting on my turn as soon as possible.

(I still have some things to finish, should be done tomorrow. But I am going to take a look, and generate myself a new character.)

My fellow dwarves, it is time for a quick survey. Where, if anywhere, do you draw the line in role-play for these games? Is it socially acceptable to post an !!OW MY EYES!! description of dwarves cutting down goblins in the arena (with blood and gore), or role-play a usurper in their brutal and bloody disposal of the loyal faction?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 30, 2013, 04:31:42 pm

I've just noticed the year on the save is the same as the year on the previous save - we're on 1st Granite 1093. Are you sure you got the right save when you started your turn?

My reaction:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/259/943/694.png)

Edit: Yeah, the reactor in the previous save was complete. This reactor is not finished nor flooded. Oh well. Shall I let you re-play the year or just get on in this alternate version, which shall become official? I am certainly going to make the reactor better.

Edit2: Oh right, you mentioned Urist McDonald dying in THIS fortress too, but we also don't have the vampire queen.

Edit OMG so many edits: Well the lever to open the lava intake works.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 30, 2013, 05:10:12 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 30, 2013, 04:31:42 pm

I've just noticed the year on the save is the same as the year on the previous save - we're on 1st Granite 1093. Are you sure you got the right save when you started your turn?

My reaction:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/259/943/694.png)

Edit: Yeah, the reactor in the previous save was complete. This reactor is not finished nor flooded. Oh well. Shall I let you re-play the year or just get on in this alternate version, which shall become official? I am certainly going to make the reactor better.

Edit2: Oh right, you mentioned Urist McDonald dying in THIS fortress too, but we also don't have the vampire queen.

Ah crap, really? How did I manage that? >.< I'm very happy with how the turn turned out, but I am willing to replay it if need be. Sorry :(

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 30, 2013, 05:37:37 pm

The turn looks alright, besides Urist McDonald coming out dead... AGAIN! If other people think CognitiveDissonance should re-do his/her turn, that's OK though.

It looks like we may be getting the king anyways.

What kind of FPS were you getting?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 30, 2013, 08:08:22 pm

So we've now rewritten time and killed McDonald...again.

Well, the options are "do it again", "ignore it and continue" or "Roleplay it".

I'd favour the latter to save time given Udib Wastedlabour's past mastery of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff. It allows the plot to curdle a bit more....but it's kinda hard on Triaxx2.

My personal limits on roleplaying are:

-I won't describe anything TOO nasty, unless it's hilarious.
-I won't deliberately kill a named dwarf, unless it's the only way through a situation.
-I usually try to keep other named dwarves in character if they've had their narrative expressed in a turn before. Except McDonald, who was a jerk and deserved it.

In terms of graphic depictions of horror and slaughter...eh....describing it in waaay too much detail (or shiny colours/big bold text) detracts from the feel of it, but sometimes you want some more description, or to use an over-the-top depiction for some other purpose.

EG. Urist McKiwi II cared very little for the military, so her reports of conflict would read "The dwarf ended the battle by cutting the goblins head off. About time too.", whereas McKiwi III, being dashing and all that, would probably write battle reports like bad fanfiction (which I can't actually mimic very well), so "The captain strode blodly (sic) towards the evil goblin, whos armor gleamed with rusty blood as he screamed his battle cry to the luminous sun. The dwarf, raising his axe to the heavens, cried out as he brought his axe down onto the fiend and clevered (sic) his neck in twain with his axe." Et Cetera. It's really hard for me to write like that. The former gets to the point quickly and goes through less-than-epic battles so that the rest of the write-up can be done. The latter....was really really hard to write, but provides an opportunity to make fun of how utterly stupid the dashing swordsdwarf actually is (I am reaaaally looking forward to playing her as an overseer. Unless I'm up to McKiwi IV by then).

Your last turn was pretty dang good. And the old Ardentdykes thread got pretty graphic at times as well (and DuckThatQuacks did some really masterful RP, complete with brutalness, in his turn). So yeah, do what seems best at the time and see what it looks like.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 30, 2013, 09:14:59 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 30, 2013, 08:08:22 pm

but it's kinda hard on Triaxx2.

This is what really bothers me to be honest. I feel bad for undoing his work...
Weekend is here, and I really enjoyed Moltenchannels after I got out of my insomnia/anxiety lull. I would be willing to replay it by the end of Saturday if you guys would like that.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 31, 2013, 05:36:55 am

Don't feel bad. Mostly all I did was burn things down and and strip mine the surface of trees.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 31, 2013, 05:45:13 am

It's up to Triaxx2. If this alt line is allowed Triaxx2 can choose a new turn whenever, regardless of the order.

I should have suspected something when I saw the forest was still on fire.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on May 31, 2013, 02:19:08 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 31, 2013, 05:45:13 am

It's up to Triaxx2. If this alt line is allowed Triaxx2 can choose a new turn whenever, regardless of the order.

I should have suspected something when I saw the forest was still on fire.

Very well, I will get to writing a proper journal entry to replace my notes tonight. It's a bit late, but it'll give you something MUCH nicer to read :)

Of note - I have put a LOT of attention to animals, so there are quite a few creatures being trained (and reverting to wild, generating a pausing announcement) and I also queued up 20 assignments for capturing live animals (to get some vermin into cages). If allowed to continue, those vermin will eventually need to be tamed and made available for adoption. The real animals being trained are mostly warfare capable (Jabberers/Rutherers) and would provide a LOT of value to front line defenses. Last I heard, War Jabberers will annihilate anything in their way.

EDIT: I also just checked, and Great Horned Owls/Wolves are NOT elegible for specialized training. If need be, their domestication can be cancelled.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 31, 2013, 02:59:28 pm

I always disable pauses for animals reverting to wild state, I have yet to see any dwarf being harmed by it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 31, 2013, 03:58:14 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 31, 2013, 05:45:13 am

I should have suspected something when I saw the forest was still on fire.

Why on earth would that be suspicious? The forest is always on fire.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 31, 2013, 04:03:35 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 31, 2013, 03:58:14 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 31, 2013, 05:45:13 am

I should have suspected something when I saw the forest was still on fire.

Why on earth would that be suspicious? The forest is always on fire.

Not until the right levers are pulled.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 31, 2013, 06:42:49 pm

Well I finished all the IRL stuff I needed to do for today. Of course, a bunch of things just came back up, but I can't really do anything more about them over the weekend than I've already done.

Where was I? Back to the fortress of Moltenchannels, which is

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

express elevator to hell

for Dwarf Fortress.

Was it the Archwiseard? Chapter II: I'm Back

Fortress Log of Captain Archmage II, Archwiseard, new Overlord of Moltenchannels
1st Granite 1089

I'm back in charge of the metropolis of Moltenchannels. Three years ago, I left a fortress in reasonable shape, and my previous spirit vessel was in good shape. Today, the fortress has grown somewhat, but the Baron is dead, and a few disasters eliminated a good number of dwarves, including my original vessel. Fortunately, my original vessel received the burial it deserved, in the tomb I designed personally.

Despite the complete failure to the lava-based superweapons I constructed, invaders have been wiped off the map by considerable environmental instability. It appears that volcanic activity in the area is increasing, and it has brought along new denizens from the fiery oceans of the depths.

The year of 1092 was subject to a new kind of attempt at fortress development with two competing ideas for fortress development. The fortress went along with CognitiveDissonance's plans, which did not involve the completion of the mega-reactor close to the surface, but produced a slightly more complete tower and retained surplus power for using the lava weapon. For some reason, both ideas pointed to the death of the Urist McDonald, but CognitiveDissonance's plans delayed the arrival of the vampire queen.

Yes, our fortress has met the criteria for becoming the mountainhome, and I'm expecting the arrival of a vampire queen in the fortress.

The settlement of New Townbrush has survived, as has its militia captain (leader of a re-organized militia). Given the size of the fortress, I need to build a new plumbing and transport network. This fortress has gone on far too long without automation playing a part in the lives of the average citizen. We need rails!

I also see we have finally claimed some Adamantine from the depths. There is far more to be mined, though. Based on my earlier divining, I have determined a special object in one of the caverns, and I aim to claim it.

Plans and goals aside, we're going to start this year by pressurizing the weapon!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on May 31, 2013, 07:04:04 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 31, 2013, 03:58:14 pm

Why on earth would that be suspicious? The forest is always on fire.

I'm going to put this line somewhere safe for a little bit.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 31, 2013, 11:44:26 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 31, 2013, 06:42:49 pm

I also see we have finally claimed some Adamantine from the depths. There is far more to be mined, though. Based on my earlier divining, I have determined a special object in one of the caverns, and I aim to claim it.

Ooh, we have one of those? I've never encountered one before and completely failed to notice it. Should make for interesting write-ups....far better than a mere accidental breaching of the Fun. :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 01, 2013, 07:33:37 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 31, 2013, 11:44:26 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 31, 2013, 06:42:49 pm

I also see we have finally claimed some Adamantine from the depths. There is far more to be mined, though. Based on my earlier divining, I have determined a special object in one of the caverns, and I aim to claim it.

Ooh, we have one of those? I've never encountered one before and completely failed to notice it. Should make for interesting write-ups....far better than a mere accidental breaching of the Fun. :)

I knew about it previous and I did mention it. Nobody breached the depths though besides me, and that was just because of a stairwell. Nobody has set foot on the ground of that cavern.

As far as I can see, we have two adamantine spires and there's the [CLASSIFIED_INFORMATION].

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So science. There is always one designated adamantine spire on a fortress map beneath which the demons spawn in a breach, and there is the curious structure. Is the curious structure also a designated adamantine spire or is it the default location? If the spire that is breached is not the one where the demons spawn, it will usually be possible to seal a breach with a floor before the demons get out into the fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 01, 2013, 05:31:13 pm

Current goals are to design a road. I have the downward leg into the bottom cavern layer designated, but I need to find a way to take a road up to the surface. The idea is that Moltenchannels will have road access to all layers. The lever to activate the lava weapon has been marked for pulling, but the job went to someone on the surface. Its a long way down to New Townbrush.

Designing a minecart system is easier in that not much space is needed, but harder in that we may need to connect up power. This is mostly design, and then letting the game run so stuff gets done.

I've made sure the entrance in the middle cavern layer has been built, but I want to strengthen the defences. The bridge has not been connected to a lever, and we may have a forgotten beast busting through the doors soon.

When the section road to the depths is finished, I'm going to fortify it a bit and try to capture the large spider down there, for a renewable source of silk. Afterwards, I'm going to send an expedition to the

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[SUPER_CLASSIFIED_INFORMATION]

. Any questions?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 02, 2013, 04:18:34 am

I got one. How's the military looking these days (Numbers, skills, equipment)?

(And how's Urist McKiwi III going?)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 02, 2013, 05:42:09 am

Go ahead and keep the alternate turn. Looking back, I don't think mine was that good.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 02, 2013, 09:37:53 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 02, 2013, 04:18:34 am

I got one. How's the military looking these days (Numbers, skills, equipment)?

(And how's Urist McKiwi III going?)

When I said capture the spider, I meant for the forgotten beast zoo. Do we have any giant cave spiders in cages? I haven't seen any.

Personal journal, fortress inspection. Still 1st Granite 1093.

We're going to go about capturing that spider in the depths. Its not going to be caged, but we need to get it to a specially designed room to harvest the silk. I'm going to have that room carved out, but firstly, I need to have some roads built. Roads, we do not have enough roads! The standard road width is 2 and 1/3 wagons, but we're going to have some trouble getting a full width exit to the depths.

There are some captive rutherers, and someone's also taming the crundles. They're actually using plump helmet stew and forgotten beast meat for that purpose.

There is a ridiculous amount of traffic regarding taming the crundles. I've noticed people feeding the animals things like forgotten beast meat and plump helmet stew. I think its time to re-assess everyone's employment.

Edit: Why the FUCK has nobody put the boar on a pasture where he can eat? Also we have dwarves dying of old age. That almost never happens in these succession games.

Some buffoons have left a boar in a cage. These things do need to eat. I strongly suspect the yak skeleton I found lying one of the corridors didn't have enough to eat either.

We're also having our citizens die off from old age. In this fortress, that is an achievement. R.I.P. Dodók Ònulallas, Butcher.

You can create fortifications by building normal walls and carving fortifications into them. This is better because they retain a walk-able floor on top.

A few changes to architecture have forced me to do some re-designs. People have been building fortifications instead of walls, which do not have any walk-able space on top. Why? We can just have our engravers carve the fortifications into the walls. We also need to start building our walls with proper blocks, not with these boulders, of all things. Boulders!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 02, 2013, 01:40:37 pm

Journal of the Archwiseard, 8th Granite 1093

We have a serious situation on our hands. After I finalised the plans for the road, we were alerted to a goblin ambush walking into a cage trap to the south east of the fortress. They are lead by some humans. I immediately raised the alert to Level 7 - all civilians remain on the main island or underground.

I opened the drawbridge to the west, which is for some reason operated by the "Right Far Bridge" lever. That's OK, I make that mistake all the time.

The Dead Armours are been stationed on the fortress island just behind the door. They seem to have the best equipment.

Meanwhile, the miller finishes his trek underground and pulls the intake lever, and the Shroud of Armok's barrel loads up with magma. We now have fire on demand, if the operators get to the lever fast enough.

A few goblin marksdwarves walk into the traps, and get skewered. One of the traps jams, but there are many more. These have 10 weapons in each, and there are four rows of them. A few things fall into the moat, and burn up. Finally, the human leader walks into the traps, and gets skewered. He manages to get out right into the middle of the bridge before bleeding out. There are now some goblins with swords waiting around the bridge, and another marksgoblin got skewered. Hopefully we can get rid of them before there is more trouble.

In the mid-caverns, the rough gabbro bridge gets demolished and a new Orthoclase block one is going in. I hope the doors hold back the towering iguana creature, though they haven't taken any damage yet. We also have progress on the road to the depths, I hope we're not going to breach the cavern wall prematurely.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 02, 2013, 02:26:08 pm

I've put together a large .png of the battle so far. I'm going to try to improve post quality significantly by using these. Let me know if the design and colo(u)r format is OK for you.

(http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/3755/moltenchannelsambush8th.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 02, 2013, 03:31:09 pm

Journal of the Archwiseard, 11th Granite 1093, continued

The ambush is over. The goblin problem was serious because we're expecting the queen, so I ordered The Blockaded Arches to the surface to clean up the survivors. Some dwarves tried to clean the traps, but did not do anything stupid. One lead a surviving goblin swordsdwarf into the trapped corridor, who bled out as AnimaRytak walked by to clean up another device. A marksdwarf arrived, and took a few shots at the swordsgoblins, injuring them. However, I had to have UristMcKiwi III go out to finish off the last ones. At least one fled the area. I'm a bit bothered by the excessive use of steel bolts, since steel is essential for other weapons, but we had those bolts and the dwarves used them.

I'm going to have dwarves clean up the corridor to claim some of the items, but I won't take too many risks while we have things like forgotten beasts in the caverns.

I looked at a tabulation of jobs dwarves were doing, and I realised one of our carpenters and some of our woodcutters are doing mining work. That has now changed, they will be doing wood-cutting and the fisherdwarves will be taking over their mining.

I also saw what some of the metalsmiths were doing, and ordered them to stop making things like rose gold sarcophagi and aluminium crutches until a proper inventory was done on them. Its not so much an issue for items made out of rock or wood, but metal is important. I had to check the job order list twice just to get the crutches of the list. We got some very high-quality crutches and they are very light, so I think we have a good supply now.

(http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/5894/moltenchannelsambushcon.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 02, 2013, 05:02:28 pm

Next up: Where do we put those minecarts? Improvements to fortress power generation. Possible migrants. This is going to take a while, but I want to do it well.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 02, 2013, 07:26:26 pm

Pigs aren't in pastures because pigs don't graze.

That big reactor I put up needs a serious redesign. It doesn't produce nearly the power it should. I'm not sure where I mis-calculated it. I think it needs some more pumps, but I don't know where. I typically only use small reactors of two-five wheels.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 02, 2013, 08:01:28 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on June 02, 2013, 07:26:26 pm

Pigs aren't in pastures because pigs don't graze.

That big reactor I put up needs a serious redesign. It doesn't produce nearly the power it should. I'm not sure where I mis-calculated it. I think it needs some more pumps, but I don't know where. I typically only use small reactors of two-five wheels.

Current project: Massive road. The objective is to link all parts of the fortress with a big road, so you could bring a big wagon caravan in from the surface and go pretty much anywhere you wanted, to any cavern layer, through the fortress. That's what a proper Mountainhome should have. Given the number of mining dwarves we have, and the number of other dwarves, the process is fairly rapid after you find a proper path through the whole place. This is a bit more difficult because I want the road system to be stupidity resistant - where possible, at least one full layer of undisturbed stone above all sections. With the plans as they are, I'm also going to expand the archery range into a proper barracks, so The Blockaded Arches will get decent rooms.

I've got a horseshoe reactor design to test (using the infiniflow or zero-point energy trick), but I don't know if I will get around to that. It may be better to build the reactors on the surface because then I know with reasonable certainty that they will work 100% of the time (this is the phenomena that causes streams and rivers to be infinitely-flowing.

We breached the third cavern layer with the larger road bend, but the place is inaccessible except to flying creatures. I've got some floor hatches there so we can block up the wall.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 02, 2013, 09:44:01 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 02, 2013, 08:01:28 pm

We breached the third cavern layer with the larger road bend, but the place is inaccessible except to flying creatures.

In the same way that our dining room was totally inaccessible except to frozen-poison-spit-lump spitting flying ribbonworms. Better to fortify it sooner rather than later.

(Also, is the old dining room (with the waterfall, next to caverns compound) still a deathtrap?)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on June 03, 2013, 12:57:50 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 02, 2013, 09:44:01 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 02, 2013, 08:01:28 pm

We breached the third cavern layer with the larger road bend, but the place is inaccessible except to flying creatures.

In the same way that our dining room was totally inaccessible except to frozen-poison-spit-lump spitting flying ribbonworms. Better to fortify it sooner rather than later.

(Also, is the old dining room (with the waterfall, next to caverns compound) still a deathtrap?)

Think of it as dinner and a show.

"Urist, lets go down and see if someone falls down the hole. The betting pool is up to 250 gold pieces, and ive got a couple people that i know are clumsy and i want to bet on"

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Volcano of Accidental Burials (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 03, 2013, 04:20:19 am

Quote from: bp920091 on June 03, 2013, 12:57:50 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 02, 2013, 09:44:01 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 02, 2013, 08:01:28 pm

We breached the third cavern layer with the larger road bend, but the place is inaccessible except to flying creatures.

In the same way that our dining room was totally inaccessible except to frozen-poison-spit-lump spitting flying ribbonworms. Better to fortify it sooner rather than later.

(Also, is the old dining room (with the waterfall, next to caverns compound) still a deathtrap?)

Think of it as dinner and a show.

"Urist, lets go down and see if someone falls down the hole. The betting pool is up to 250 gold pieces, and ive got a couple people that i know are clumsy and i want to bet on"

I think we've had an axedwarf fall up the waterfall (forgot to put that in my writeup, but I had a "slammed into an obstacle" notification from the waterfall 2 Z-levels above the dining room during the ribbonworm battle)...but we've never had anything fall down it. Yet.

.....Which is kinda good, given the number of bizarre monstrosities on that level. And the whole "drowning" thing.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Weaponized Forest of Burning (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 03, 2013, 08:20:35 pm

New update!

The Archwiseard's Log, 14th Granite 1093

Work has begun on a large-scale road to connect all levels of the fortress. So far it has been designated from the future entrance in the depths, to just above the upper caverns. It will be dug out in sections, starting from the depths. I have designated a proper barracks to incorporate the archery range.

A new bridge made from orthoclase blocks has been designated in the mid-caverns. I hope it gets finished before any more trouble happens down there.

I've observed no less than three cat and kitten corpses in the dining hall in the middle cavern layer. Just what happened down there?

(http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/5502/moltenchannelslog14thgr.png)

The Archwiseard’s Log, 16th Granite 1093

With the fortifications in most of the main structures demolished, I’ve designated solid walls in their places.

Today, I also receive word that the Dwarves of the Crazed Picks (i.e. Moltenchannels) know a few facts about dingo training. I took a look at our dingo population: We have two wild dingos, two semi-wild dingos, and single trained dingo.

I also discovered we have two new forgotten beasts in the upper caverns: One is a huge beakless bunting, and the other is a one-eyed lobster. I’m wondering whether I should just seal those caverns off for now. I have ordered the masons to seal up the tomb of my last vessel, to ensure it does not get disturbed. We will then look to defending the main entrance. The danger is the creature with wings may fly into the underground dining room. It may be safer for me to block up the waterfall, too.

While checking out possible fortifications against the forgotten beasts, I discovered the one-eyed lobster is stuck in a particularly dense patch of fungiwoods and tower-caps, and must leave the immediate area of the fortress in order to get to us. Repeated analysis of forgotten beast behaviour indicates they will not leave the fortress area after arriving. However, the flying creature could still be a threat to us.

Later in the day, two goats grew up.

Next up: On 17th Granite 1093, Moltenchannels becomes the Mountainhome.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Weaponized Forest of Burning (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 03, 2013, 09:32:30 pm

Archwiseard's Journal, 17th Granite 1093

We are now the Mountainhome! The vampire queen arrived, bringing her entourage with her. She was particularly impressed with the trap corridor still littered with goblin remains and covered in blood.

My official page has been excessively detailed with the help and signatures of various individuals present and not-so present at the time. There's a lot of writing, signatures, bad spelling, and a beer stain too. I've inserted a copy in here so future individuals can figure out what was going on at the time.

(http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/7663/allhailmoltenchannels17.png)

I've noticed we have two spare adamantine short swords in the stocks list, one is a masterwork but for some reason lying in the location I had previously divined, some helpful person also wrote down a reminder about that on my official page documenting the event. We're going to be arming Iden and her guard properly. That kills list of about 30,000 goblins can always go higher.

I'm going to put a full record of the royal caravan in when I have the chance.

There, now I need to deal with all these new soldiers and so on.
P.S.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Apologies. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Weaponized Forest of Burning (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 04, 2013, 01:50:54 am

That room is where the worm crawled up through the drain during my turn (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4200119#msg4200119). It's possible that the frozen spit/blood is syndrome-causing, which killed the cats. You may have a problem if any of our dwarves aren't wearing shoes. Even though it's over a year since the battle, it's worth making sure. Keep a close eye on that place.

(Also, unless it's been rectified, the drain for that room is still incredibly dangerous since any FB that can fly *and* doesn't need to breath air can get up it eventually. EDIT: And anything that gets up it that *can't* fly will sit down there sniping dwarves as they come to eat their delicious tallow biscuits.)
Edit2: Wait, wait wait. Thirty-nine THOUSAND kills?
Does she have combat skills? (Edit3: As opposed to being merely really thirsty after a hard days work).....and if she does can we get this lady in the military as a last resort tool for when a rampaging queen powered by the blood of innocents is just what we need to solve a problem?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Weaponized Forest of Burning (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 04, 2013, 10:21:05 am

How many kills..? o.O

Also, I had a tainted blood FB invasion of my own, and built a wall to (mostly) cut off the affected area. Look for it alongside the main staircase.

Just remembered I never wrote a proper entry. My bad, I'll update it sometime.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Weaponized Forest of Burning (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 04, 2013, 11:58:48 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 04, 2013, 01:50:54 am

That room is where the worm crawled up through the drain during my turn (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4200119#msg4200119). It's possible that the frozen spit/blood is syndrome-causing, which killed the cats. You may have a problem if any of our dwarves aren't wearing shoes. Even though it's over a year since the battle, it's worth making sure. Keep a close eye on that place.

(Also, unless it's been rectified, the drain for that room is still incredibly dangerous since any FB that can fly *and* doesn't need to breath air can get up it eventually. EDIT: And anything that gets up it that *can't* fly will sit down there sniping dwarves as they come to eat their delicious tallow biscuits.)
Edit2: Wait, wait wait. Thirty-nine THOUSAND kills?
Does she have combat skills? (Edit3: As opposed to being merely really thirsty after a hard days work).....and if she does can we get this lady in the military as a last resort tool for when a rampaging queen powered by the blood of innocents is just what we need to solve a problem?

She is a "Competent Axedwarf". Over 30,000 of the listed kills are goblins.

18th Granite 1093

I have the full list of individuals in the royal caravan now.

Western Caravan:
Iden Fokidisteh "Glazequests", queen vampire (Queen Vampire)
Adil âbirvabôk "Romanceorbs", Spearmaster/Weaponsmith (Imperial Spearmaster)
Tobul Atzulkikrost "Gladestockades", Axe Lord/Animal Caretaker (Imperial Axe Lord)
Zulban Logemonshen "Paintchanted", Fighter/Peasant (Royal Fighter)
èzum Eseshudil "Spunlantern", Mace Lord/Peasant (Imperial Mace Lord)
Cerol Lenodlogem "Seedpaint", Tanner (Royal Partydwarf)
Likot Dasëlcog, Swordsmaster/Suturer (Imperial Swordmaster)
Kogan Kodorkogan, Fighter/Peasant (Royal Fighter)

Eastern Caravan:

Tekkud Åblelthibam "Busthushed", Animal Caretaker (Royal Dungeonmaster)
Alåth Zanegroder "Relicbaldness", Trader (Aristocrat)
Unib Cerolgasol "Lensbreath", Marksdwarf/Butcher (Royal Marksdwarf)
Iden Tulonmåmgoz "Roaddragons", Marksdwarf/Diagnoser (Royal Doctor)
Reg Zasitoddom "Knifecoister", Trader (Aristocrat)

I've registered the dwarves' titles in parenthesis.

For some reason Iden headed off to check out the dungeons. I don't know why. Assuming no further dwarves arrive, our population is now 176.

With the new arrivals and the complete lack of a Militia Commander, I am going to need to re-organize the military.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Weaponized Forest of Burning (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 04, 2013, 12:28:10 pm

I've noticed some troubles re-naming the monarch. If I name her "Vampire Queen" or "Blood-Sucking Queen" I always get "vampire" added on afterwards, which makes a lot of titles sound ridiculous.

The Archwiseard's Journal, 21st Granite 1093

Everyone is inside now, so I sealed off the fortress from the outside. I'd like to test out the Shroud of Armok, but there are important item scattered around outside that I do not want to lose.

For some reason, the royal guard dropped their military gear on their way inside the fortress, so we had to clean it up before the fortress could be sealed off. I'm a little suspicious of these guys, as they claim to be "Legendary" but don't have a single kill to their names. We desperately need some quality control regulations made before falling standards royally screw us over.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Weaponized Forest of Burning (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on June 04, 2013, 01:06:35 pm

Is that Royal Quack going to replace Cutey as our longstanding head doctor (assuming she's still alive)?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Weaponized Forest of Burning (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 04, 2013, 01:36:33 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on June 04, 2013, 01:06:35 pm

Is that Royal Quack going to replace Cutey as our longstanding head doctor (assuming she's still alive)?

Cutey is still alive, and I may just leave the noble arrangements the way they are.

I'm making a new squad. The preliminary name is The Royal Fists, but I'd appreciate input on that. It will be lead by CaptainArchmage II (i.e. myself), since I can't make the king a leader of a squad, but I can put her into a squad. The rationale of making a weaponsmith or two the leader of a squad or a member of a squad (yes, we have two weaponsmiths in this squad) is they will learn about the effectiveness of their weapons.

Because a lot of military equipment is sub-par, I am going to melt down some of the items we have, starting with boots. We will then re-forge them to better quality. I think we should also halt smelting until we have melted down enough items.

Edit: Does "Armor Level" do anything? If not, it looks like chain leggings are as effective as greaves, and there isn't really any point in making greaves either.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Weaponized Forest of Burning (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 04, 2013, 02:02:24 pm

- Title the queen "Royal Pain in the Vampire"
- Consider adding additional magma smelters. Currently, there are 2 - which is significantly less than glass smelters+kilns. There are also vere few dwarves with smelter operation enabled, or at least there were
- From what I know, armor level affects the ability of armor to deflect weapons. Higher = better, but you can achieve similar effect with stacking non-shaped armors

You probably already are, but look here:
http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Armor#Encumbrance (http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Armor#Encumbrance)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Weaponized Forest of Burning (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 04, 2013, 02:34:08 pm

Alright, more freakish stuff just happened, read the report.

The Archwiseard's Journal, 2nd Slate 1093

Today, Sodel Gusilalis, the Captain of the Guard was found dead. I could not find anything wrong with his body, it did not appear to be drained of blood at all! He was found dead in the barracks on the surface. I'm a bit concerned we might have a freakish poison from a forgotten beast present in our fort. I will now pick a new Captain of the Guard.

The barracks near New Townbrush is half-way complete. I had a bunch of doors installed in the mason's guild, and the drawbridge in the mid-cavern layer is now connected up to a lever.

I changed the employment system somewhat, so our carpenters will now get to work making more barrels and training spears.

Also, my vessel just gave birth.

Yes, CaptainArchmage II gave birth...

If the vampire queen drank the blood of the captain of the guard, would have just given "found dead, completely drained of blood"? The message was just "Sodel Gusilalis has been found dead". I did not see what happened, there were no combat reports though and no kills were added to the queen's list.

Edit: There's a big of forgotten beast meat lying around. Could that have been responsible?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 04, 2013, 04:36:22 pm

If his corpse isn't already looted and buried, check his inventory immediately.

If he's not wearing boots (since you mentioned melting them down), we probably have a fatal extract on the floor somewhere and it's time to plan a quarantine/cleanup.

Edit: Also possibly some new soldiers and a team of medics to see if the current ones can be saved.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 05, 2013, 10:00:21 am

He is currently being carried out. He was wearing shoes or boots. I believe the trouble may be forgotten beast meat or forgotten beast intestines that have become military rations. I think I will make all such meat forbidden, just in case.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 05, 2013, 09:06:18 pm

That's excellent. Toxic food is bad enough but a fatal extract would have been....problematic.


Good thing Urist McDonald was taken out before he took his cooking to the next level.....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 05, 2013, 10:33:53 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 05, 2013, 09:06:18 pm

That's excellent. Toxic food is bad enough but a fatal extract would have been....problematic.


Good thing Urist McDonald was taken out before he took his cooking to the next level.....

The Archwiseard's Journal, 2nd Slate 1093, continued

I determined that Sodel Gusilalis was wearing only one boot and one sock, but there were no traces of forgotten beast extract on his body, only the blood from some other dwarf. I did, however, find some forgotten beast meat in his backpack, and I've had the stuff forbidden in general throughout the fortress. There is forgotten beast meat and there are prepared forgotten beast intestines. At least one of the two may be toxic.

In other news, there is a fire burning on the corner of the island, but it is not going to spread because of the wall. I really need to build more of those.

Moltenchannels Military Review, 2nd Slate 1093,
by CaptainArchmage II, Archwiseard

Following the death of Sodel Gusilalis, the Captain of the Guard, I have reviewed our military and the Fortress Guard.

-Two of our military squads, which are the royal squad and The Blockaded Arches are complete with 10 members.
-The Dead Armors are nearly full, with 9 members.
-The Helmed Taxes have 8 members.
-The Laborious Assemblies have only 7 members.
-The Balanced Furnaces, the Fortress Guard, are leaderless and have only 4 members.

I have noticed a large number of dwarves have very high weapon skills, but are not in any squad. Here are the new additions:

New Additions to The Helmed Taxes:
Position 8: The Fisherdwarf Stukos Gusilathel "Copperringed" will be joining as an Adept Axe Dwarf, and will not be performing any mining work. Please make your way to weapons storage where we will exchange your pick for an axe.

Position 9: Woodcutter Obok Asteshlâven "Cudgelpraries". She has no fighting skills as of yet, but that is going to change.

New additions to the Fortress of the Guard squad, The Balanced Furnaces:

Captain of the Guard: Udil "Bluecloisters" will be the new Captain of the Guard. He is a novice Speardwarf, also had been assigned mining duties but did not have a spare pick. I have assigned him an exceptional quality iron spear, and fixed an oversight with his uniform that said "wear one iron high boot and one sock".

Position 3: Udib Edoszasit "Amazeknives", Glassmaker.

Position 6: Shem Lorbamèzum "Standardhame", Farmer.

Position 7: Momuz Ingishdeleth "Bodicepolish", Shearer.

Position 8: Lorbam Gatizlogem "Fondledpaint", Stoneworker.

Position 10: Mistêm Dumateral "Roughvessels", Mason.

New additions to The Dead Armors

Position 10: Erush Tathurkilrud "Scribebronze", Herbalist. She has some fighting, armor use, and dodging skills, and is a resident of New Townbrush.

New additions to The Laborious Assemblies

Position 4: Monom Adagbomrek "Soakedwhip", Legendary Woodcrafter. She is skilled with both crossbows and normal bows. Dwarves equipped with crossbows do use them for self-defence, so this will also help protect our population when off-duty.

Position 8: Tulon Cattenbuzat "Channeltwigs", a Metalcrafter.

Position 10: Amost Unnosmûthkat "Hoofmansion", a Blacksmith.


CaptainArchmage II's Overview
As a result of these reforms, all squads are now full with 10 members. This should keep the military in good order for now.

Updating finished, time to start playing again. I have a tomb to dig and roads to build. Expect another update with a new twist.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 06, 2013, 12:06:53 am

So that's, what, seven or eight times that the forest has caught fire? I'm losing count.

Edit: Also, I'm trying to work out a zippy 'CSI: Moltenchannels' line, but I think I'm out of bad puns and YEAAAAAAAHs.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 06, 2013, 08:03:40 am

Wuss ;)

I think this fortress has a bad case of... crabs.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Pie Maker on June 06, 2013, 09:50:21 am

Syndromes can be passed through the flesh of a dead beast? Now there's something that warrants further Science...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 06, 2013, 02:15:07 pm

Quote from: Pie Maker on June 06, 2013, 09:50:21 am

Syndromes can be passed through the flesh of a dead beast? Now there's something that warrants further Science...

I thought this was common knowledge?  :o

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 06, 2013, 04:51:07 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on June 06, 2013, 02:15:07 pm

Quote from: Pie Maker on June 06, 2013, 09:50:21 am

Syndromes can be passed through the flesh of a dead beast? Now there's something that warrants further Science...

I thought this was common knowledge?  :o

Apparently not, given we gave the stuff to the military.

Now a few of them are off to meat their maker.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 06, 2013, 04:55:10 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 06, 2013, 04:51:07 pm

Now a few of them are off to meat their maker.

Ha!

Which reminds me, there should be a forgotten beast corpse sitting in the butcher. For ah... decoration purposes.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 06, 2013, 05:25:51 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on June 06, 2013, 04:55:10 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 06, 2013, 04:51:07 pm

Now a few of them are off to meat their maker.

Ha!

Which reminds me, there should be a forgotten beast corpse sitting in the butcher. For ah... decoration purposes.

I just realised the blood of this particular beast is smeared in a nearly walled-off area ten levels below the surface. Nearly. Something might just walk through that area. I'm going either to send a cleanup team down there or fully wall off the area.

Quote from: Triaxx2 on June 06, 2013, 08:03:40 am

Wuss ;)

I think this fortress has a bad case of... crabs.

The trouble is actually fire imps, not crabs. We have a necromancer or five in a cage(s) somewhere, so we can get undead crabs though. Undead crabs got a high rating in player reviews.

Edit: Hang on let me write an article.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 06, 2013, 05:39:50 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 06, 2013, 05:25:51 pm

I just realised the blood of this particular beast is smeared in a nearly walled-off area ten levels below the surface. Nearly. Something might just walk through that area. I'm going either to send a cleanup team down there or fully wall off the area.

That is correct. I left it there just in case somebody needs it, but the area is set as restricted. Nobody but cats should wander there, and well...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 06, 2013, 08:54:50 pm

Quote from: CognitiveDissonance on June 06, 2013, 05:39:50 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 06, 2013, 05:25:51 pm

I just realised the blood of this particular beast is smeared in a nearly walled-off area ten levels below the surface. Nearly. Something might just walk through that area. I'm going either to send a cleanup team down there or fully wall off the area.

That is correct. I left it there just in case somebody needs it, but the area is set as restricted. Nobody but cats should wander there, and well...

So to summarise:

-We had a fatal-extract beast killed.
-It got semi-walled off so that only cats would go in and be killed by the blood.
-Cats promptly died from walking in the blood.
-Therefore, we cut up the beast and fed it to people
-Who started to die.

Welcome to moltenchannels! Where food hygiene is our 17th priority!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 06, 2013, 10:47:13 pm

Actually, the beast wasn't cut up. There's a difference between ingested poisons and contact poisons - the deadly blood beast had a contact poison, so touching it causes you to die. The other beast had an ingested poison in its meat, so the people who ate the food started to die. Those are two separate syndromes.

5th Slate 1093, Journal Entry by CaptainArchmage

I found a large pool of forgotten beast blood that had been partly but not completely walled off. I ordered the walls to be finished, and the only remaining item is a door.

After sorting out our military arrangements, I noticed that New Townbrush had been considerably depopulated. I have moved most of The Dead Armors back into the town, along with the new royal legendary soldiers. Sebastyan Flyte and Urist McKiwi III are both living in good rooms beneath the upper caverns, so they’re not moving.

I will be moving into a room opposite my old vessel’s former room (now occupied by a herbalist), and will use the office space in the Stoneworker’s Guild. Residents within the Stoneworker’s Guild will be a Mechanic and one of the legendary royal soldiers. Sodel Mengmuth will use the office space in the Weaver’s Guild.

The new Captain of the Guard has moved into his rooms.

I also found a magazine lying around in the dining room with the dead kittens and overgrown waterfall, that is. Many of the pages contained images of nude beings of various species, but I found a few interesting articles within. I have made a few notes regarding the content.

Utteredspears Playdwarfs
Issue Slate 1093: Now with 150% more human on elf action!

The latest high-quality research™ by our editors indicates that undead magma crabs have useful applications in fortress defence. In a study sponsored by the Crab Defence Corporation®, while magma crabs are dangerous creatures capable of launching a ball of molten basalt through 2/7th of a road's width of copper, they are susceptible to colder temperatures and can be easily defeated when outside of its natural habitat and in range of dwarven weaponry.

The Crab Defence Corporation experimented with undead magma crabs, which are proven to be are nearly invulnerable to currently-available dwarven weaponry. It is hoped that the dwarves of the new Mountainhome, Moltenchannels the Leaky Ardent Dike, will use their captive necromancers and proximity to a volcano to develop and perfect this new weapon to asser our rightful superiority across the entire world.

Yes, we have magma crabs and fire imps. However, not much research has been done into capturing the things. We have effective weaponry, such as the Shroud of Armok, where the trigger accessible at all times, and the equipment can be maintained.

The Age of Moltenchannels

Our new Mountainhome heralds a new age! Our queen, Iden Glazequests, has departs this month for the new capital. In the coming weeks, our experts will be assessing our king’s first full month in Moltenchannels the Leaky Ardent Dyke. Some question whether Moltenchannels is an appropriate place for the capital. Located away from the mountains, what direction is our great civilization’s development taking? Respectable sources say Moltenchannels is far from safe, and is besieged not only from without by goblin hoards, lunatic environmentalist fiends, undead armies, double-dealing merchant princes, forgotten terrors from the ages of creation, and out of control forest fires, but also from within by rioting, uncontrolled poisons, idiotic planning, and vile political corruption at all levels of government. We will be investigating the validity of these claims in our next few editions. Does the mayor of Moltenchannels have elves in his bedroom? Is the baron of Moltenchannels a dangerous cook and scheming businessman who values his profits over the well-being of the population, and abuses his position to assert a monopolistic and sadistic tyranny over what our citizens eat? Read next months issue to find out!


Well fuck.

Don't miss next month’s edition!

*Playdwarf investigates the effects of underground living on the humans. Does underground habitation make humans more attractive? Can humans survive on a diet of mushrooms and dwarven rum?

*The sexiest heroes of the dwarven empires pose with the bloodiest weapons of all time! Expert citizens and expert military historians come together for the full overview of our glorious heritage.

*Reformed Elves: A tale of elves who are no longer elves. Playdwarf meets the ruthless preservers of nature who turned their backs on their heritage. We will be interviewing former prisoners of war and elven experts for their views on ridding the world of this uncivilized scourge.

*Are your children elf sympathizers? How to pick up the warning signs before it is too late.

*And much, much more.

I'll try to get my hands on a copy. Its a good idea to see what the rest of the world thinks of us here.

9th Slate 1093
Today, the goose Stukos Thosbutastesh was reported missing for a week. I haven't found any remains though, it might have been related to the volcano.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 07, 2013, 04:37:19 am

Well, technically our baron isn't like that. Because he was our Count. And he's kinda dead for now.

I've seen magma crabs in the volcano and magma sea before quite a lot...but short of lining a room with magma-safe cage traps and draining the volcano into it...how can we capture these little buggers*?They didn't seem to leave the magma at all while I was running the place.


*This is not to say that I'm not in favour of trying to drain a volcano through the caverns so we can filter out lava-spitting monsters (Edit: In fact, since I think we've still got about 6 Forgotten Beasts down there, it might actually be a pretty good idea to melt everything down there). It's just that an approach that doesn't cause quite so many fires might be nice.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Caldfir on June 07, 2013, 04:44:18 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 07, 2013, 04:37:19 am

Well, technically our baron isn't like that. Because he was our Count. And he's kinda dead for now.

I've seen magma crabs in the volcano and magma sea before quite a lot...but short of lining a room with magma-safe cage traps and draining the volcano into it...how can we capture these little buggers*?They didn't seem to leave the magma at all while I was running the place.


*This is not to say that I'm not in favour of trying to drain a volcano through the caverns so we can filter out lava-spitting monsters (Edit: In fact, since I think we've still got about 6 Forgotten Beasts down there, it might actually be a pretty good idea to melt everything down there). It's just that an approach that doesn't cause quite so many fires might be nice.

It would be irresponsible not to. 

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 07, 2013, 09:54:49 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 07, 2013, 04:37:19 am

I've seen magma crabs in the volcano and magma sea before quite a lot...but short of lining a room with magma-safe cage traps and draining the volcano into it...how can we capture these little buggers*?They didn't seem to leave the magma at all while I was running the place.

What's wrong with doing just that? Sounds easy, and the little buggers aren't even trap-immune. Just need steel cages, steel draining grates (into water, for efficiency) and obsidian mechanisms.

Also a duck as bait.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 07, 2013, 02:50:38 pm

Well fuck. It looks like Neca Suckerwaste's blood is elsewhere, including in the hospital and outside.

This is what happens when the military only wears one sock and one boot.

Edit: Who am I to complain? This magma cannon has a purge feature that can flood the courtyard.

10th Slate 1093

Today, I discovered that some of Neca Suckerwaste's blood is outside, having been washed off dwarves by the rain. It has also collected around the hospital well, which is no longer in operation. I don't know what it takes for dwarves to clean up these areas, so I declared them restricted to make dwarves less likely to walk through them. The problem is exacerbated by some military dwarves only wearing one boot and nothing on the other foot, even socks. The trouble is mostly to do with the assignment of gear; dwarves need to be assigned two boots and two socks of some kind, not just one. For some reason this does not appear to be the case with gauntlets and gloves. I have now changed this so where equipment is individually assigned, we clearly specify "wear two metal high boots" or "wear two high boots". I think the important thing is to get everyone socks and boots, since once their feet are covered the threat is mostly dealt with.

I have also ordered the upper caverns temporarily walled off.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 07, 2013, 03:42:20 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 07, 2013, 02:50:38 pm

I don't know what it takes for dwarves to clean up these areas, so I declared them restricted to make dwarves less likely to walk through them.

Well, damn. I tried hard to contain the blood, and even have a carpenter with everything but cleaning disabled. (custom profession: Cleaner) Doesn't seem to do anything...

Spoiler: wiki quote (click to show/hide)

Defining a meeting area might get the dwarves to clean that area more often. An effective way to get an area clean is to select a dwarf for the task, remove all their professions except Cleaning, and assign them to a small burrow designated around the area to be cleaned. Burrowing a dwarf with only Cleaning assigned will keep an area much cleaner than it would remain on its own.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 07, 2013, 03:46:31 pm

The trouble is the mess is outside, so it does not get cleaned up, and the rain adds to the problems. The underground is clean. It would be useful to have a DFhack plugin to have dwarves clean up an area under a special designation system.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CognitiveDissonance on June 07, 2013, 04:00:28 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 07, 2013, 03:46:31 pm

The trouble is the mess is outside, so it does not get cleaned up, and the rain adds to the problems. The underground is clean. It would be useful to have a DFhack plugin to have dwarves clean up an area under a special designation system.

If necessary...
- Declare area restricted
- Build walls and roof to make it Inside
- Burrow a cleaning dwarf there

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 07, 2013, 04:57:15 pm

The trouble is no tile outdoors gets cleaned, unless rain falls on it. Rain also causes the contaminant to wash off dwarves. I have not seen it multiplying yet though.

If people want, I can turn on contaminant tracking.  8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 07, 2013, 06:31:01 pm

Eh, probably best just to find a way to keep the dwarves as clean as possible in future....make a crudload of soap, maybe a few 3/7 or 4/7 water-filled dining rooms or main hallways. They'd have interesting problems when/if the magma-purge function is used, but it'd stop the spread of future things.


And fix the boots, obviously.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 07, 2013, 08:20:53 pm

12th Slate, 1093

Today, I’ve ordered an extension of the granite platform over the Volcano. This will allow us some working space and allow us to extend the wall around the fortress. It will also prevent the island from being burned by fire from fire imps. I believe we can fill the moat by building a structure to hold the magma around the volcano. As our volcano is full of fire imps, if any attacks occur I will halt the construction work.

I have put in an order for some high boots at the leather shops. The door to the pool of Neca Suckerwaste’s forgotten beast blood has been installed and the area completely sealed off. I have now sealed off the upper caverns.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3813/moltenchannelscontamina.png)

15th Slate, 1093

Time to reset the “days since last forgotten beast arrival” counter.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/1959/moltenchannelsananugosh.png)

20th Slate, 1093

I’ve found an open chute leading to the upper cavern layers. The chute will be covered with a hatch as soon as possible to prevent any of the creatures in the upper caverns flying into the fortress.

21st Slate, 1093

Today, the Iden imposed a ban on the export of weapon racks.

23rd Slate, 1093

The tomb of Sodel Gusilalis, the former Captain of the Guard, has been completed and a rose gold sarcophagus installed. I’ve ordered the place to be smoothed and engraved, but the engravers are busy elsewhere. Hopefully they will do the job properly.

I have ordered some of the stray grazing animals pastured. I have also observed a cat and a kitten rolling about in the forgotten beast blood outside the surface dormitory.

26th Slate, 1093

Sodel has now been buried, and there is no sign of the engravers, who are busy with the road at the moment.

27th Slate, 1093

One of our stray cats is now covered completely in blisters, probably as a result of walking through some of Neca’s blood. There is a fresh kitten corpse just underground and nearby.

With the completion of the new barracks underground, the miners are going to continue digging the road.

28th Slate, 1093

We're on the eve of late spring, which means dealing with the elven caravan. I've noticed the quota on trees is -118/125 for 1092. Does this mean we broke their quota or what?


This month, we could be seeing elves. So tell me....... did we fixdiplomats and also run the other DFhack fixes?
Is there any DFHack tool to get the history of these forgotten beasts up (i.e. without going into Legends mode, find out what they have been doing)?

Edit: I've spoilered the images to deal with their sizes.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 07, 2013, 09:12:05 pm

I think Wastedlabour ran fixdiplomats and some other hacks when he started....


To deal with the blood, I suggest we just pave over it. It's simple, we can use some trenches with water to clean the pavers off as they return to the fort afterwards, and it seals the muck away for good. Hopefully.

Edit: I just looked at the 'Quotes' section of the OP. It appears that I'm mounting a one-man assault on that section of the thread. I shall endeavor to say fewer quotable things.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 08, 2013, 07:27:09 am

Guys, guys. Remember, you are playing Ardentdikes II.

If Ardentdikes was famous for something, it was for cleansing the fortress of deadly blood by flooding the affected areas with lava. That's why the opening post says:

Quote from: Wastedlabor on January 12, 2013, 06:49:28 pm

The Ardentdikes style:
3. A device to cleanse the fortress with magma is mandatory. This is how Ardentdikes survived the rotting extract spiral. Twice.

 ;D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 09, 2013, 04:36:17 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on June 08, 2013, 07:27:09 am

Guys, guys. Remember, you are playing Ardentdikes II.

If Ardentdikes was famous for something, it was for cleansing the fortress of deadly blood by flooding the affected areas with lava. That's why the opening post says:

Quote from: Wastedlabor on January 12, 2013, 06:49:28 pm

The Ardentdikes style:
3. A device to cleanse the fortress with magma is mandatory. This is how Ardentdikes survived the rotting extract spiral. Twice.

 ;D

You have a point there. That said though, ardentdikes had an out-of-control contaminant that was rapidly rotting dwarves alive with no hope for their recovery. This fortress has splashed blood that turns cats into small fun-filled bags of pus and blisters. Flooding it with magma may be a slight over-reaction.


(Plus we'd need to make sure the courtyard contents (like drawbridge levers and the like) are magma safe, although I guess that's one way to test it.)

Edit: (Note to self: If the word I'm spelling is in the post I'm quoting, I'm not allowed to spell it wrong.)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 09, 2013, 05:54:31 am

Supposedly if you designate a meeting area, idle dwarves will clean it. Could be a quick way to remove the blood once the footwear issue is resolved.

Also, my levers were all magma-safe. And if all else fails, we can install a second control room in the lower settlement to flood the main fortress, and wait out the draining.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 09, 2013, 05:09:06 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on June 09, 2013, 05:54:31 am

Supposedly if you designate a meeting area, idle dwarves will clean it. Could be a quick way to remove the blood once the footwear issue is resolved.

Also, my levers were all magma-safe. And if all else fails, we can install a second control room in the lower settlement to flood the main fortress, and wait out the draining.

What new lower control room? All the controls for the magma weapons are in New Townbrush. We don't really have a way to drain the main courtyard yet, though, but I can always install one.

Given the number of highly skilled or legendary leatherworkers, a large number of military boots were produced in no time at all. Shoes are no problem, unless dwarves simply refuse to put on both of them. That is what happened with the military, because the military equipment said "only wear one boot and one sock".

We have the magma cleansing device installed. That rule says having one is mandatory, but it says nothing about its use being mandatory. Nobody has used the Shroud of Armok or the branch leading into the courtyard. The device has not even been tested during undead and goblin sieges.

We're kind of facing a disaster scenario given the size bug that was recently discovered. After reading about it I didn't manage to make progress, but I will give it a go now.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 09, 2013, 07:38:11 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 09, 2013, 05:09:06 pm

We're kind of facing a disaster scenario given the size bug that was recently discovered.

I don't think there's any need to do anything, and the bug is not a big deal. Please don't touch the raws.

If any dwarf dwarf baby makes it thru 12 years in Moltenchannels into adulthood they are welcome to stay in the madhouse. Give them a xbow if you can or whatever.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 10, 2013, 12:21:52 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on June 09, 2013, 07:38:11 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 09, 2013, 05:09:06 pm

We're kind of facing a disaster scenario given the size bug that was recently discovered.

I don't think there's any need to do anything, and the bug is not a big deal. Please don't touch the raws.

If any dwarf dwarf baby makes it thru 12 years in Moltenchannels into adulthood they are welcome to stay in the madhouse. Give them a xbow if you can or whatever.

.....or we could stop giving them shoes and spread more extracts around the place so we can make up our population via migrant waves. Or just use them as cheap suicidal labour (You there! Engrave the entire lower cavern!) and save the able-bodied folk for more important work..... Surely there is some use for baby-sized dwarves around the place....

Given from memory we have about 60 children in a fortress of ~170, the bug could be problematic. Still, we can see how it goes, and blame it on McDuck.


Edit: Also with regards to that bug, does the size of a baby depend on the size of its parents? Because if so then...well....if by some miracle we last long enough to have 3rd or 4th generation Moltenchannels residents they're going to be small enough to be sold as novelty gaming miniatures.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 10, 2013, 04:48:17 pm

We possibly can create some sort of sorting machine using pressure plates.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 10, 2013, 07:11:00 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on June 10, 2013, 04:48:17 pm

We possibly can create some sort of sorting machine using pressure plates.

This is incredibly dwarfy...who needs a ruler when you have mechanisms?


While we'd possibly still have issues with hauling, seperating out the microdwarves and putting them on tasks that don't require size/strength (strand-extraction sweatshop?) would leave the macrodwarves for important roles like "bashing things".

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 11, 2013, 05:24:45 am

What bug?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Hugo_The_Dwarf on June 11, 2013, 12:29:36 pm

They found a fix for the bug, and Putnam has posted a script that will run and repair the issue

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91166.msg4310810#msg4310810

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 11, 2013, 06:10:26 pm

Quote from: Hugo_The_Dwarf on June 11, 2013, 12:29:36 pm

They found a fix for the bug, and Putnam has posted a script that will run and repair the issue

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91166.msg4310810#msg4310810

FINALLY! Now I can get back to playing the game. This will automagically grow up the screwed-up dwarves, right?

Edit: Thanks, Putnam. I have added the .lua fix to the raw folder, which means all future players will need to use DFhack for the fix to stick. However, the bug will be fixed and no changes have been otherwise made to the raws (I was thinking of making Microcline and Orthoclase as porcelain-making materials, as in real life, but whatever).

I've also noticed a new DFhack mod to allow invaders to dig. I think we can leave that out until 1) it gets further refined and 2) Moltenchannels hasn't been having enough trouble.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 12, 2013, 08:21:39 pm

I've been trying to make the copy of Utterdspear's Playdwarfs for Felsite 1093, but the material is hard to fit in a reasonable volume. I'm stuck at "MOUNTAINHOME'S FILTHY SECRET" at the moment.

If the DFhack script blows up the save, I have a backup which I will revert to. Yes, progress is being made.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 15, 2013, 06:17:54 pm

...is progress still being made? Been a while since an update.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 15, 2013, 10:24:41 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 15, 2013, 06:17:54 pm

...is progress still being made? Been a while since an update.

Working on it. As FPS has dropped to about 20 or so, progress is slow.

COMING UP!
-Elf Caravan
-Stupid job priorities
-More legendary grade vandals
-Reclaiming items from outside
-Pet cats rolling in the toxic blood causes more damage and !!SCIENCE!! Tantrum spiral inbound?
-Falling items
-Stupid accidents with dwarfs standing on hatches over ramps
-Dingos

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 16, 2013, 05:42:34 am

Only one thing to do! Light the PILOT!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 16, 2013, 08:23:35 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on June 16, 2013, 05:42:34 am

Only one thing to do! Light the PILOT!

There's currently a goblin ambush hanging around a trap, and not moving. These are some of the traps lying outside the fortress. I'm wondering whether I should try out the trap corridor, use crossbowdwarves, or light up the map.

We also got a giant eagle from the elves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 16, 2013, 11:58:25 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 16, 2013, 08:23:35 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on June 16, 2013, 05:42:34 am

Only one thing to do! Light the PILOT!

There's currently a goblin ambush hanging around a trap, and not moving. These are some of the traps lying outside the fortress. I'm wondering whether I should try out the trap corridor, use crossbowdwarves, or light up the map.

We also got a giant eagle from the elves.

Light up the map. We need to test that magma weapon, and it might burn some scrap on the surface and improve FPS in the long run.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 17, 2013, 12:56:43 pm

Aw, make my job easier and put up whole season reports. Linking to every update in the opening post is boring.  :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 17, 2013, 07:59:45 pm

Bug report, bug report. Iden was born on 18th Slate of the year 15, according to her unit screen, but it says she is 96 years old. The year is 1093 and we're past 18th Slate, so she is 1,078 years old. Either the vampire code is screwed up or the age counter can't count that high.

I now need to put up the seasonal stuff, along with some special stuff.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 17, 2013, 09:37:39 pm

The Archwiseard’s Report, 5th Slate 1093

The first stretch of the road is done and smoothed, though we haven’t opened it onto the caverns yet.

Seeing as nobody is out and about in the mid caverns, I am going to lock the doors and seal off the area.

I discovered that the lava moat was being used as a dump. I’ve stopped the practice, since we already have an automatic dumping system and I may use dumping orders to deliberately sort items.

I re-did some of the burrows to include new areas of the fortress in the “above ground” area.

I’m going to have the rest of the aboveground animal stockpile moved underground to temporary storage. In order to save time, dwarves will use wheelbarrows. If I have the time, I will build an underground storage depot for this stuff.

Atír Lòrneth has grown to become a Dwarven Child.

The eastern bridge to within the fortress walls is being torn down. It will be replaced with a full width bridge worthy of the Mountainhome.

I also found an interesting item lying on a throne in the dining hall.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/3662/rqj.png)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/691/p7.png)

I've inserted the most important pages into the journal.

The Archwiseard’s Journal, 7th Felsite 1093

I ordered the fortifications around the island to be torn down as they expose the population inside to skilled archers outside, and do not permit dwarves to walk on top of them. The island is to be completely walled off. We can deal with goblins by constructing proper towers and having fortifications carved into the upper levels of walls.

Some of the dwarven children dismantling the walls managed to bring inside items from outside the island by means of the mysterious deconstruction phenomenon. I will have the corpses dumped in a safe place just in case necromancers come along.

I’ve also noticed Sazir Mebnomal, a cat, is now covered in blisters. Given these creatures seem to roll in whatever filth they can locate, it is not surprising. I have tasked Iden Tulonmåmgoz “Roaddragons” with identifying the progression of the condition.

==
Medical Journal of Iden Tulonmåmgoz, 1093
7th Felsite:
I have been informed that Sazir Mebnomal, pet of Zuglar âmalåth, has been exposed to some forgotten beast blood. This has caused blistering on all parts of the body, including the skeleton and all the organs. I will be keeping updates in this journal daily for the progression of the condition.

8th Felsite:
The cat’s condition has progressed to failure of the main organs. As this includes the lungs, breathing has become impeded.

9th Felsite:
Sazir suffocated as a result of the forgotten beast poisoning.

In conclusion, Neca’s blood is extremely toxic and its effects are likely to kill in a few days. There appears to be a delay between the onset of the blistering and the organ failure that leads to death, however.
==


8th Felsite 1093

Today, I ordered the Royal Fist into the entry courtyard, and a hole made in the wall since the bridge has now been demolished. We’re going to salvage some items from the outside, including a weapon bin containing valuable items.

11th Felsite 1093

Today the mayor banned the export of helms.

12th Felsite 1093

To keep the goods outside safe, I’ve stationed the Dead Armors. The Royal Fist remains stationed at the entry courtyard so as not to allow any threats into the fortress. The fact that most dwarves are hauling gloves and oversized clothing doesn’t help things.

Amazingly, the fools do not delineate between clothing and weapons or armor when hauling “items”. However, if we tell them to only haul trash and tell them to dump the important items within the fortress, they will. I have shut down the dump into the magma moat, so hopefully the items will go where they are supposed to go.

Today, Sazir Mebnomal, Cat (Tame) was found dead. Apparently the lazy bastard we have for a Royal Doctor didn’t bother to report the death, despite all the details being noted down in his journal.

To finish off the day one of our novice engravers, Thîkut Udilrinul “Lanternintense” got a fey mood and claimed a craftsdwarf’s workshop.

One of our farmers has given birth.


13th Felsite 1093

An elven caravan from Rabesidaya has arrived.

One of the Turkey hens, èzum ìtdùnurist, has grown up and also laid some eggs.

15th Felsite 1093

The weapon bin has been brought inside.

In order to stop the troops going out across the map, I restricted their movements to the same area as the civilians, and eventually ordered the Dead Armors to stand down.

17th Felsite 1093

Thîkut Udilrinul “Lanternintense” has begun work on his construction. The merchants have finally reached the interior of the fortress.

I’m dropping the outside jobs since the military tried to chase the dingos before I called them off. We don’t have a strong enough military to hold back a goblin ambush, and the construction of the towers outside requires having a more committed construction squad, so I am calling everyone back inside.



The Archwiseard’s Report, 21st Felsite 1093

While I called everyone inside, for some reason dwarves decided to drop their stuff on the drawbridge, including a copper cage and a bin full of armor. In the meantime, an ambush walked into a trap next to the volcano. Fortunately, I managed to pull everyone inside. The Vampire Queen has patrolled the entrance to ensure none of the goblins made it in.

I have no idea why dwarves just drop their items in such a dangerous place. We need a new policy that tells dwarves to leave the armor bins and haul the items inside the fortress individually.

Items recovered from the outside:
-Weapon Bin
-Bronze shield
-Bronze Wheelbarrow
-Armor Bin, thanks to the utter stupidity of one of our jewelers it was left on the drawbridge.
-Copper cage, thanks to the utter stupidity of one of our hunters it was left on the drawbridge.
-Feather wood animal trap, thanks to the utter stupidity of one of our farmers it was left on the drawbridge.
-Bronze vial, thanks to the utter stupidity of one of our military dwarves it was dropped on the drawbridge.

Construction performed outside:
-Single pillar of granite installed in towers.

The fortress has now been sealed off. I’m going to pull the goblins through the usual trap corridor. We’ll see what happens.

Its now time to trade with the elves. We have a large number of finished goods bins in the depot, and they have a giant eagle and a giant armadillos for sale.

Trading Report, Late Spring 1093

Traders: Elves/Humans/Dwarves (Delete as appropriate)
Dwarf representative: Kumil Olonatîs “Gearstake”, Cleaner.
Caravan arrived safely: Yes/No
Value of goods purchased: About 14000
Value of goods traded: About 21000
Profit Margin: 7000

Important goods purchased: Clay, Wood weapons, Female Giant Eagle, Giant Armadillo Boar, Giant Coati.

Incidents: Goblin ambush discovered after traders unloaded at depot. No immediate threat to traders.


23rd Felsite 1093

Today Thîkut Udilrinul “Lanternintense” finished his artefact. It is an alunite drunk with a picture of the queen ascending to the throne 1002 years ago, in the year 91.

I’ve made a minor alteration to the road design, since the previous one was not wide enough. The miners finished digging the section I ordered them to, so we’re going to move on.

We’re also going to launch the first attack wave against the goblin ambush. We will have two crossbow squads and the queen. I will be writing my report once we have finished with the attack.

Spring Report by CaptainArchmage, Archwiseard, 2nd Hematite 1093.

On 25th Felsite, we launched an attack against the goblin ambush, who were trying to get their leader out of one of the cage traps. The charge was lead by Iden Glazequests, supported by the Blockaded Arches. Meanwhile Iden Rigòthdalzat, the leader of the Laborious Assemblies, walked around the island to the other side in search of some equipment, so I called his squad off.

Noteable participants in the battle were Thîkut Udilrinul, the engraver who made Gubelumar the drum right before going out to rock the battle.

The goblin soldiers were pinned down by the Blockaded Arches, and slaughtered by Iden, mostly with an exceptional quality adamantine sword. She now carries the full title Iden Fikodiseth Letmoslårul Evuth, “Iden Glazequests the Cobolt Magicians of Scandal”. She has five “notable” kills on her list. I don’t know why the other 39,686 other kills were not. Only four of those were made with the sword.

With the fall of the goblin squad, I quickly called the troops inside. I pulled Iden Rigòthdalzat through the other entrance, and meanwhile one of our legendary carpenters, Melbil Athelvunom “Ringlung”, recovered a crate of ammunition that had been left outside. Today, we finally pulled everyone inside the fortress and sealed it off.


Moltenchannels: Where the queen gets "Scandal" in her title, the cleaner does the trading, and the squad leader goes on dingo safari when he should be shooting goblins.

Moltenchannels: Where much of the contamination is in the hospital, where military goods are only hauled as garbage, and where testing the lava gun is on indefinite hold because we have too many important items lying around outside.

Edit: Spoiler'd the images. I still have a few to add of the artefact and battle.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 18, 2013, 07:54:38 pm

Hmm. It might actually be a good idea to purge the fortress with magma. Given this stuff causes organ failure it's a lot more serious than it looked earlier...

Alternatively, we could pump water up to the top of the hospital tower then drain it out through the hospital into the caverns, hopefully taking the contamination with it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 18, 2013, 08:38:07 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 18, 2013, 07:54:38 pm

Hmm. It might actually be a good idea to purge the fortress with magma. Given this stuff causes organ failure it's a lot more serious than it looked earlier...

Alternatively, we could pump water up to the top of the hospital tower then drain it out through the hospital into the caverns, hopefully taking the contamination with it.

This will kill everything inside the area. Also, the hospital water supply was eliminated because it was a breeding ground for flies and all manner of disgusting micro-organisms, along with the residue of used bathwater.

UPDATE: Listening to Mozart and orchestrating the rise of this fortress is awesome. Even better when some goblin heads are rolling.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 19, 2013, 05:36:58 am

Disgusting micro-organisms? I thought all the elves had left already?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 19, 2013, 10:46:55 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on June 19, 2013, 05:36:58 am

Disgusting micro-organisms? I thought all the elves had left already?

I think he means the dwarves. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Orange Wizard on June 19, 2013, 11:41:49 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 19, 2013, 10:46:55 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on June 19, 2013, 05:36:58 am

Disgusting micro-organisms? I thought all the elves had left already?

I think he means the dwarves. :P

They're breeding in the hospital? I thought they had at least SOME standards.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Queen of Blood - 39,686 Kills (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 20, 2013, 02:07:38 am

Quote from: InsanityIncarnate on June 19, 2013, 11:41:49 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 19, 2013, 10:46:55 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on June 19, 2013, 05:36:58 am

Disgusting micro-organisms? I thought all the elves had left already?

I think he means the dwarves. :P

They're breeding in the hospital? I thought they had at least SOME standards.

Nice to see you people talking about clean things. Yes, both elves and dwarves could have been walking through a clean space with beds, tables, and soap.

The hospital holds the award for "filthiest place in Moltenchannels". There is a pile of rotted-out goblins in there, which have not been touched because of the toxicity of the fluids in the area. There is vomit, pus, and the blood of many, many creatures, including the blister-inducing blood from Neca Suckerwaste. The place is going to be deactivated, no questions asked. I'd purge the place with magma, but I don't have a long enough hose yet.

@Elves: When framerates are so low, and the traders refuse to buy any bins, and the broker has sold them a metric fuckton of old clothing and other items, its going to take a while before they leave.

Edit: The amount of trash piled up outside is so large it will take multiple forest fires to clear it out. There are a lot of XXbucketsXX out there which haven't been destroyed by the fires. We might as well wall the place off and have the dwarves manually haul the unwanted items to the volcano.

I can also confirm we're being hit by the "large units list means few migrants" bug.

Edit2: The elves were traded some clothing covered in Neca Suckerwaste's forgotten beast blood. Hopefully it won't wash off before they are out of here....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 21, 2013, 10:50:55 pm

Transcript of the presentation of [Name obscured on engraving], Head of Migrant Welcoming Party to the dwarven migrants arriving in Moltenchannels the Leaky Ardent Dike in Spring, 1093.

Welcome to Moltenchannels, migrants! I see there aren't many of you this time. Guess the piles of caged zombies in the living areas puts people off. No matter, welcome to the mountainhome!

Careful as you use the drawbridge, we've got a nice little magma moat going here and the place is piled high with bloody garbage everywhere, so don't trip and fall in. Last time someone did that we could hear the screaming all the way from- What's that? Oh, the smoke. That's the semi-annual forest fire. You'll get used to 'em. Just try not to be outside when one sweeps through or you'll end up in the hospital. You don't want to end up in the hospital.

Here's the courtyard. Over there we have our patented mass-disposal system for corpses! We can dump hundreds of undead corpses into the volcano every day with this thing. Good thing too, because the last time it broke we ended up with mountains of rotting corpses down in the farms! And you know what they say about rotting corpses....they stink. Ahhh.....the smell. You'll get used to that as well. It never really goes away.

Now down here is your local McUrists. Our old Count set up the restaurant chain before he was brutally killed. Mad as a goddamned brush, but he cooked a nice tallow biscuit. See those kids? Up until a week ago they were the size of babies. That wierd chap who's running things these days did a little hocus-pocus and they grew full-sized in about 5 seconds. Nice party trick, actually. Apparently hurts like hell, but at least they can swing an axe now. You're not cheesemakers are you? Our military is always looking for more people to fight the next monstrosity that crawls up the bloody drain. And here's our queen. Don't get too close, or she'll drain of blood in under a minute. She's a vamp. Don't know how the King copes with it, but there's a few rumors you can be executed for spreading about the subject.

Down those stairs we've got our cavern enclaves and the best dining room. They're....a bit unsafe right now, ungodly horrors and all that, but we'll show you around them a little later. Over here is the walled off patch of death. See that blood? It'll...oh dear, you've touched it. Let's get you to the hospital.

...Hang on, where did I leave my waders?

Ah, here we are. The hospital. Mind the rotting bodies and pus rivers. They're ornamental, I swear. Now, let's see if we can get some help here....everything's covered in that same blood from earlier, so it's a little dicey. What's that? Blisters? Yes, that's a common symptom before the organ failure kicks in. Organ failure? I meant sneezing. Really nasty sneezing. Now if you'll excuse me I'll just leave you here and head over to the decontamination shower.....

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Was gonna do this after Archmage's turn, but his description of the hospital is too good to waste. I love the fact that entering our hospital is pretty much a death sentence to anyone not in full protective gear.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 22, 2013, 01:09:02 am

I've realised that:

1) Anything that goes crawling or bends over on a tile with the blood will get blood on every body part.

2) So when dwarves pick items out of a chest covered in blood, they get it over every body part.

3) When you de-activate a hospital zone, dwarves clear all the items out of the chests.

4) This means that shutting down the hospital will itself result in more casualties, unless the items are forbidden and the place gets sealed off permanently.

We also traded some blood-stained items to the elves.

There is another hospital to the Southwest, and that one is used as a barracks. I'm still shutting it down.

tl;dr: Like the walking corpses raised by necromancers, the hospital keeps coming back to infect dwarves with some horrifying syndrome that blisters them all over. It is actually guaranteed to kill off dwarves if it is shut down more than if it is not. The very act of shutting this thing down will induce casualties, and unlike walking corpses it doesn't need a necromancer to keep on going.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 22, 2013, 03:47:36 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 22, 2013, 01:09:02 am

I've realised that:

1) Anything that goes crawling or bends over on a tile with the blood will get blood on every body part.

2) So when dwarves pick items out of a chest covered in blood, they get it over every body part.

3) When you de-activate a hospital zone, dwarves clear all the items out of the chests.

4) This means that shutting down the hospital will itself result in more casualties, unless the items are forbidden and the place gets sealed off permanently.

We also traded some blood-stained items to the elves.

There is another hospital to the Southwest, and that one is used as a barracks. I'm still shutting it down.

tl;dr: Like the walking corpses raised by necromancers, the hospital keeps coming back to infect dwarves with some horrifying syndrome that blisters them all over. It is actually guaranteed to kill off dwarves if it is shut down more than if it is not. The very act of shutting this thing down will induce casualties, and unlike walking corpses it doesn't need a necromancer to keep on going.

Lock the door, wall it off and wait until it can be purged?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 22, 2013, 04:57:35 am

Says something about the fortress when you realize I didn't know we even HAD a hospital until you started mentioning the contamination. Admittedly, I'm not sure WHAT it says, but there you go.

This is one reason I always build my hospitals with a flushing mechanism. In this case, I'd do something like a two z high tank the same size as the hospital, with multiple hatches in the corners, so that everything is flushed to a central drain, and down into a drying room.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 22, 2013, 07:07:55 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on June 22, 2013, 04:57:35 am

Says something about the fortress when you realize I didn't know we even HAD a hospital until you started mentioning the contamination. Admittedly, I'm not sure WHAT it says, but there you go.

This is one reason I always build my hospitals with a flushing mechanism. In this case, I'd do something like a two z high tank the same size as the hospital, with multiple hatches in the corners, so that everything is flushed to a central drain, and down into a drying room.

There is a tank on top of the hospital. It was converted into living accommodation for two legendary or near-legendary dwarves. Decor includes stains of some random dwarf's blood.

Or, it was a room that can be converted into a tank. I don't know. The trouble is there are floor grates and a well which means whether we use water or lava to flush the place, it may cause a large number of casualties.

Because we're affected by the units list totally over 1000, I'm going to use the modified clear-dead-units hack. It should allow us 189 more units. We may be able to adapt the script to get rid of dwarf corpses which came in with the necromancers. The modified hack allows me to restore the unit list. To solve the problem permanently, we'll need a binary patch.

Edit: You don't have to link this as I will be putting it into a report, but there's one final goblin ambush squad where the human leader has walked into a cage trap. Not sure if they'll be leaving now.

Edit2: Yes they are! Goblins with pikes fleeing the area, abandoning their human leader within the confines of a cage. Said human leader will likely remain in the cage until facing down our finest soldiers in glorious battle within the arena.

Sneak preview!

"I found the cleaner hanging around in the armor stockpile, doing absolutely nothing. I told him to help clean up the trash on the surface that I've designated for dumping. You’re a cleaner. You had one job. You aren’t doing any job."

Edit3: Moltenchannels may have just hit #1 in terms of political corruption.

Edit4: Freak minecart accident knocks Meng Rirnöläs off the track. No idea how. Minor injuries sustained. Reactivated non-contaminated hospital. Migrants come in, looks like DFhack has not helped the number of migrants arriving. We're up to 187 dwarves. First attempt at outer wall nearly complete. New gate.

Edit5: Accident happened because cart is set to "ride east". It turned out Meng was on the track and the cart was ridden east, which caused the accident. Medical care seems to be in progress now.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 22, 2013, 05:26:50 pm

Udib overlooked from a distance the arrival of the new migrants. A small ragged group of starved and frightened faces. The Queen walked upon him, with a majestic yet hungry stare of disappointment. All the dwarves tried to stay out of her sight, Udib being one of the few that didn't seem uncomfortable with her.

"What is this, priest? Moltenchannels was meant to become the new Mountainhome, yet these last seasons it barely attracted a few desperate wretches. We demand this to change."

"My Queen... it is my belief, occult forces have concentrated in this place to such a degree that even dull creatures like these dwarves can perceive it and are repelled away. Then, among those that still go ahead, many have to turn around due to the forest fires the underworld has been setting off."

"We know. What do you intend to do about this? For us to seize control of this location while fencing away our enemies, we decidedly need a stronger force."

"Ah... well, we can't afford to send a expedition to bring more dwarves by force, even if we could break through the enemy camps and undead hordes hiding around us. The only choice is... to seal the source of the dark aura."

"We are curious --are Udib's arts proficient enough to manage that feat?"

"*cough* I'm afraid... not quite, my Queen. It can be done, but not without severely weakening these dark forces first, at least for long enough to set up the seal. It's a double edged sword, though, for if we fail to weaken them..."

"... McDuck?"

"A certain death awaits us."

"Death doesn't concern us, as you may know --but, of course, it may end being inflicted on this fortress either way, if it can't satisfy our will."

"I understand."

"Then, go forth with the preparations. Find the source of the dark aura and bring it under control, so we can strengthen the Mountainhomes until it becomes the uncontested power of this world."

"Your wish is my command, my Queen"

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 22, 2013, 05:28:07 pm

PS. You could try to tackle the unit limit issue by a... more direct method, if you wish. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 22, 2013, 07:13:54 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on June 22, 2013, 05:28:07 pm

PS. You could try to tackle the unit limit issue by a... more direct method, if you wish. :P

Didn't Ardentdikes have a trapped entrance with an automated crusher that kept killing people? :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 22, 2013, 10:34:26 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on June 22, 2013, 05:28:07 pm

PS. You could try to tackle the unit limit issue by a... more direct method, if you wish. :P

This would not work. The trouble is after your fortress population goes above 1000 in total units - including the units that have died - the number of migrants is massively reduced to no more than 10. It reduces gradually after that until above 3000 units and you don't get any migrants at all. I had about 8-10 migrants with the latest wave and I want to see whether the remaining ones are the same.

tl;dr: This is a serious game bug and we can't solve it just by throwing kittens and dwarves under the atom smasher. All I can do is DFhack the problem, by a binary patch (I don't really do not know how to do that), or by hoping the scripts to unload the dead units from the list works. If it does, we will be OK.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 23, 2013, 04:21:03 pm

An outer wall has been constructed, though the gate remains open until caravans finish moving in and out of it. I've counted the unicorn population - we have 22 unicorns. The Vampire Queen is beginning to seek dwarves for blood, so I may send her to the arena now.

The minecart track has been set to "Guide back only". Despite being an elevated track leading into the volcano with only way on and off, some dwarves seem to like taking a walk there. When faced with a minecart, they:

1) Dive off the side down the deep drop.

2) Get hit by the minecart and then fall down the deep drop.

Despite having multiple compound fractures and requiring surgery, the doctors have called the injuries minor.

Some dwarves seem to like taking wheelbarrows outside the fortress and then leaving them in ridiculous places. I don't know why.

Edit: Good news! Based on my use of DFhack to check the dwarf unit sizes, we have few morbidly obese dwarves, despite the kind of food made by Urist McDonald. In fact, a lot of dwarves are average in size, and some are "tall and skinny". This also means the chances of surviving vampire feeding are lower. Faster military, greater risk of losing your dwarves to vampires.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 23, 2013, 09:41:14 pm

Who keeps changing that stupid mine cart to anything else anyway? I set it up specifically to be guide there and back to prevent that.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 24, 2013, 03:55:56 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on June 23, 2013, 09:41:14 pm

Who keeps changing that stupid mine cart to anything else anyway? I set it up specifically to be guide there and back to prevent that.

"Hey lets just ride the minecarts back. It saves time and is less work. What could possibly go wrong?"

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 24, 2013, 06:09:12 am

Yeah, that figures.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 26, 2013, 05:28:43 am

As the year draws to a close, its time to get ourselves a flag. Yes, a flag. Need something that can be constructed (i.e. using metal bars or blocks). Any recommendations?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 27, 2013, 01:16:38 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 26, 2013, 05:28:43 am

As the year draws to a close, its time to get ourselves a flag. Yes, a flag. Need something that can be constructed (i.e. using metal bars or blocks). Any recommendations?

Magma. And adamantine.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 27, 2013, 01:03:00 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 27, 2013, 01:16:38 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 26, 2013, 05:28:43 am

As the year draws to a close, its time to get ourselves a flag. Yes, a flag. Need something that can be constructed (i.e. using metal bars or blocks). Any recommendations?

Magma. And adamantine.

Damnit McKiwi. We're out of both adamantine and adamantine substitute until the underground roads are dug.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 27, 2013, 04:10:34 pm

Magma and FB extract.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 27, 2013, 10:28:39 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 27, 2013, 01:03:00 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 27, 2013, 01:16:38 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 26, 2013, 05:28:43 am

As the year draws to a close, its time to get ourselves a flag. Yes, a flag. Need something that can be constructed (i.e. using metal bars or blocks). Any recommendations?

Magma. And adamantine.

Damnit McKiwi. We're out of both adamantine and adamantine substitute until the underground roads are dug.

Guess I'll have to mine some more when it's my turn again, huh?

Do we still have oodles and oodles of spare gold lying around the place? It might look nice and shiney.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 29, 2013, 06:17:57 pm

That moment, when you realise the exit to the greatest dwarven road in history goes through the cage overflow and !!SEALED AREA - TOXIC FORGOTTEN BEAST BLOOD!!

It is pretty much done now. The plumbing is being set down, but there are few places to put wells. Normally, one would have a few well rooms, but the existing architecture makes that difficult. There isn't really the time to build a huge pressure tower, so while more water is going to be pumped it will not be at the pressure level the magma tower is at.

The animals have been transferred outside to a safe pasture. I think there is a bug, one of the cows is starving but there is plenty of grass on the pasture. Curious.

I'm going to put down a suitable flag at the entrance to the fortress.

Apparently, after being run over by six wagons it still takes a month and a half for a dwarf to pick up the injured aristocrat at the gate.

We also have a new chief medical dwarf, who will not be planting the fields while other dwarves need medical attention. Despite being a newcomer, he has more experience medical than the doctors who have been present since the founding of the fortress. WTF.

I also think we need a new hammerer. I'll try to find a suitable dwarf for the post.......

Edit: I forgot to mention the rains washed away some of the forgotten beast blood from the surface, while they did not wash away as much as I hoped, it is safe to use both doors of the northwestern dormitory now. Now back to dealing with this magma toilet.

Edit2: Our great civilization has finally become quite knowledgable regarding the training of certain wild creatures.... crundles!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 29, 2013, 08:31:21 pm

This turn has been running for four weeks already, let's press to finish it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 29, 2013, 08:57:14 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on June 29, 2013, 08:31:21 pm

This turn has been running for four weeks already, let's press to finish it.

Its pretty much winter left now, then its done.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 30, 2013, 02:40:42 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 29, 2013, 06:17:57 pm

That moment, when you realise the exit to the greatest dwarven road in history goes through the cage overflow and !!SEALED AREA - TOXIC FORGOTTEN BEAST BLOOD!!

.....the moment when you think 'Job well done, lads!'

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 29, 2013, 06:17:57 pm

Apparently, after being run over by six wagons it still takes a month and a half for a dwarf to pick up the injured aristocrat at the gate.

A new record! At this rate we'll get it down to a month. ^_^

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on June 29, 2013, 06:17:57 pm

We also have a new chief medical dwarf, who will not be planting the fields while other dwarves need medical attention. Despite being a newcomer, he has more experience medical than the doctors who have been present since the founding of the fortress. WTF.

Given the state of our healthcare system, this is not overly surprising. Especially the whole "Our hospital turns people into dying bundles of blisters" thing.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on June 30, 2013, 04:30:44 am

Actually, I had a hard time routing a 7-tile-wide road through any other section of the fortress in the upper levels. The alternatives meant digging through a space packed with sarcophagi and the like.

Edit: Image regarding the deeper depths of Moltenchannels. This is a Special report, with a lot of [REDACTED].

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/1379/ncgu.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 30, 2013, 09:00:39 pm

Yeah, that's all my handiwork. You're looking at the tomb, living quarters and offices of Urist McKiwi II, now claimed by her "zombie decoy", Urist McZombie (unless McZombie got killed, in which case it's a rather nice set of free rooms you could give to a lesser noble or something). Above that is the old dining room of McDonald.

There's actually quite a lot of those hatches around the place, since I explored the magma sea by drilling holes down into it from above. I used hatches as a temporary seal and forgot to tell anyone about them. You might wanna check the other levels of the mining complex, since there's other hatches that are just as dangerous (one Z-level above that screen should be the passage to the second candy spire. Take a look around it). That said, a swarm of hellspawn erupting from a volcano would be kinda boss.

I'm not sure I connected the drawbridge between McZombie's office/rooms and the narrow passage. I definitely connected the one between the tomb and the store-room though. It was McKiwi II's little hidey-hole in case I breached the HFS by accident.....although without both drawbridges functioning it's more of a deathtrap than anything else.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 01, 2013, 11:12:00 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 30, 2013, 09:00:39 pm

Yeah, that's all my handiwork. You're looking at the tomb, living quarters and offices of Urist McKiwi II, now claimed by her "zombie decoy", Urist McZombie (unless McZombie got killed, in which case it's a rather nice set of free rooms you could give to a lesser noble or something). Above that is the old dining room of McDonald.

There's actually quite a lot of those hatches around the place, since I explored the magma sea by drilling holes down into it from above. I used hatches as a temporary seal and forgot to tell anyone about them. You might wanna check the other levels of the mining complex, since there's other hatches that are just as dangerous (one Z-level above that screen should be the passage to the second candy spire. Take a look around it). That said, a swarm of hellspawn erupting from a volcano would be kinda boss.

I'm not sure I connected the drawbridge between McZombie's office/rooms and the narrow passage. I definitely connected the one between the tomb and the store-room though. It was McKiwi II's little hidey-hole in case I breached the HFS by accident.....although without both drawbridges functioning it's more of a deathtrap than anything else.

All the rooms are owner by Urist McZombie. For whatever reason, the tomb belongs to Urist McZombie too, which suggests McKiwi II was never buried there. I believe two of the drawbridges are connected, so the room can be sealed off. However, the tomb has no defences in case of HFS attack.

We've had a forgotten beast attack from Usu, a gigantic firefly with a trunk and poisonous vapors. I'm going to put this in a full report at the end of my turn, so you can quote it from there. All squads were called to attack the beast, but the new barracks was nearby, and it was eliminated quickly. No dwarves died, but a lot ended up with severe drowsiness and bleeding. Some of the corridors got covered from ceiling to floor in blood.

I've freed the sane vampires and put them in a special burrow to prevent drainings and insanity from lack of clothes. The furnace operator has been there for many years and will work slowly, but walks at about the speed of other dwarves, so I believe it is best to assign them to military ops. Be aware that putting dwarves on an alert burrow will negate the use of the vampire burrow, and allow children to wander around freely. We could do with a DFhack script to "assign all dwarves to burrow" instead.

Mining work is now upgrading New Townbrush. Some new store-rooms will be installed, and we may get a water supply and minecart network. No guarantees though, I'm trying to finish quickly at 15-25 FPS.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 02, 2013, 12:24:53 am

McZombie is a renamed McKiwi II.... since there was no actual ingame way of creating a zombie decoy, I just renamed her and took on a new dorf. Put it down to really good DIY necromancy.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 02, 2013, 05:54:00 pm

I'm done. I will take my time to write up the report. We have a shiny new entrance with all the decorations I could manage. Those entering the fortress will feel as though they are entering a proper mountainhome, rather than an experimental zombie-infested cave with random beds and coffins shoved into the corners. The construction of the gold walls and road has taken up a significant quantity of our resources. Smelting the remaining gold nuggets will give us about 200 more bars to work with. I did not think we would run out, but we ended up with about 50-70 bars left after assigning the gold to the walls and so on.

The fortress is, again, surrounded by the undead. There is a caged necromancer outside too. I think the other necromancers fled. The trouble is using the magma weapon (which was never used) will result in flaming zombies that never die.

I found we had 16 adamantine strands left. These became 15 adamantine wafers, because apparently some strands were removed in the hospital. We now have 16 wafers of adamantine, including reserves existing beforehand.

The bridge that caps the pyramid is made of orthoclase, not gold. This is because gold is not magma safe unless forged into a wall, floor, or fortification.

If you find the entrance artwork too offensive, you can always deconstruct it and put something else there. I wanted to use aluminium and gold, but the contrast was so bad I had to stick with cheaper materials such as black bronze.

All non-berserk vampires are now free and assigned to a burrow, which is the Vampire Burrow. This excludes all living quarters. If you make new bedrooms, be sure to remove them from the burrow. If you set the fortress to an alert, the vampires will be assigned to the same burrows as the dwarves, and you can have drainings.

Vampires can live peacefully with the undead and necromancers, so you can create a special fortress for them.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on July 02, 2013, 12:24:53 am

McZombie is a renamed McKiwi II.... since there was no actual ingame way of creating a zombie decoy, I just renamed her and took on a new dorf. Put it down to really good DIY necromancy.

We do have some necromancers in storage. Probably three or four, including the one caged outside.

Linky: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7802

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 03, 2013, 09:14:25 am

Alright. notquitethere, your turn is up, and you have an expanded fortress to work with.

Edit: I've messaged notquitethere.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 03, 2013, 03:03:44 pm

I will not let the fortress down.*


*[Full disclaimer: I may in fact let the fortress down]

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 03, 2013, 04:52:30 pm

If you want to re-do the entrance art, that's fine. I've made it as though a modern artist took an impression of the cave wheat, which is the symbol of the civilization, and then was so sober they accidentally mirrored the image... or maybe they intended it to be that way.

The road branch that is unfinished is supposed to lead to just above the magma sea, and the barracks was supposed to be extended to include a store-room and some well rooms. I also wanted to fit in a minecart network, but that never materialised.

Apologies for taking so long. Right at the beginning of my turn, I was finishing up my work at university, and then I got very ill - I mean too ill for dwarf fortress ill. I'm doing much better now though. Thanks for your patience.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 04, 2013, 05:21:12 pm

Thank you for the great turn again, and glad to see notquitethere on it already. :D

PSA: I started a new job three days ago and things are a bit hectic as I run in fixing a badly broken workflow. I'll be checking regularly to update the first post, but if I take a couple days to write a reply that's normal. :D I'm still hoping to play another turn myself later on.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 04, 2013, 06:31:36 pm

I think I'll put myself down for another turn. There are many more ways in which we can expand the fortress downward. We really need more 5x5 or 7x7 or 23x23 bedrooms, complete with a zoo.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 04, 2013, 08:52:00 pm

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/967/igvw.png)

Cutey woke on her exceptional featherbed and stared at the gold hatch in the ceiling of her tower bedroom. Her head was still swampy from last night's swamp brew. It was the first day of the new year.

Dwarves were milling about in the hovel caves beneath the fortress, she saw their eyes struggle in the dark. It was time. Time to realise The True Vision for the fort.

"Och, all of ye! Ge' over here, yes you bairns as well. I has an announcement to make. It's been maybe ten years give or take since I ruled the roost. Was before most of yer's time, an I cannae say I talked to many of yer since. Aye, was my own fault mebbe for building a palatial room 'bove the hospital an staying there. No matter. I'm the Overlass this year, and it's about time we got back to The True Vision."

"The True Vision, 'wazzat?!', ye say?" here, she points to a faded engraving in which her original Overseerial declaration was made, the year she oversaw the creation of the four ordinal towers and the magma moat.

"Lessee here... ah, I said 'we're no going to grovel underground fer much longer! By year's end we'll have a bonnie wee fortress or my name's not Cutey Boltnourish!' aye and my name's still Cutey an' I promise by this time next year we'll none of us be grovelling underground no more. For now, WE STRIKE THE SKY!"

The other dwarves shuffle away, pretending not to notice her. They haven't seen the new work orders yet: everyone is now a mason and Cutey has retaken her role as chief medical dwarf.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 05, 2013, 12:21:00 am

Nooooooo! My dashingness! A swordsdwarf of renown and dashingness reduced to a rock-hauler!

....although I very much approve of building up the towers. Currently Duck's the only person who's ever finished one...I think.


EDIT: Wait, how on earth did Cutey survive that much exposure to the hospital? There's even blood in her room!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 10, 2013, 11:44:22 am

Bump!

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on July 05, 2013, 12:21:00 am

Nooooooo! My dashingness! A swordsdwarf of renown and dashingness reduced to a rock-hauler!

....although I very much approve of building up the towers. Currently Duck's the only person who's ever finished one...I think.


EDIT: Wait, how on earth did Cutey survive that much exposure to the hospital? There's even blood in her room!

The blood in that room is not the toxic blood. You can get to the room without stepping in any toxic blood.

So.... any progress on this?  8)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 10, 2013, 01:06:44 pm

(Expect another episode tonight in about seven hours time!)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 10, 2013, 07:37:03 pm

"Waily waily waily!" bemoans Cutey as she beholds the slow dacite block production proceed as the annual fire slowly herds the undead clockwise round the fort and new migrants are rendered limb from limb before being optimistically chalked up as 'missing' by the fort's record keeper, Priest Udib, who through some rather suspicious early fenangling had managed to end up with about half the official titles going.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img844/7168/7kao.png)

"Och, mebbe we should do somethin' aboot that?" ponders Cutey, sweeping a broad hand towards the legions of undead. The endless reports of forgotten monstrosities in the sub-basements had managed to penetrate her swamp brew stupor during these last few years and slowly, as the bismuth bronze gear turns, a plan formed in Cutey's mind..."


A few days later Trollfur had manically dug a tunnel straight to the middle depths where some particularly insalubrious guests milled about, foul weevils and fatal fish newts. The plan was simple: create a pathway directly from the surface, where the undead roamed, and the subterranean depths where great beasts roamed, no longer forgotten. Two unstoppable forces would go head to head, potentially ridding the fort of at least one problem.

The tunnel went ahead just fine-- doors were placed at bottle necks and the tunnel was opened up to the surface, all without fatalities or allowing anything nasty inside the fort. Soon the tunnel was carefully paved over and all doors left unlocked. At first, there was nothing. Would the undead need coaxing? And then, hesitantly, a single right elf hand slowly crawled down below.

"Foul tidings Overseer!" cried a fish cleaner at the wall.

"It's Overlass, and wae is it?" snapped Cutey. She wasn't best pleased after finding a dead child in a new tower bedroom accidentally set in the Queen's burrow.

"The dead have risen, necormancers stalk the land, we are surely undone this time!" said the over-dramatic citizen.

Cutey Boltnourish just rubbed her wrinkled hands together with glee. Soon...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img21/6900/9zmy.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 10, 2013, 09:12:01 pm

Correction: Its a burrow for all vampires. We have at least one other vampire in there.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 12, 2013, 04:59:21 pm

"Overs-- I mean, Overlass, terrible news!" wailed the over-dramatic fish cleaner.

"Aye, and whet would that be?" glowers Cutey as she stalks the battlements, overlassing the installment of dacite and alunite block towers.

"The forgotten beast that dwells beneath..." the fish cleaner begins,

"Aye, which one?"

"The fell newt beast that dwells beneath, that slithers and gimbles amidst subterranean fronds..."

"Och aye, I ken the one ye mean."

"Well it has been felled by the necrotic host that marched through the lower halls carved by honest dwarven hands."

Cutey grins and wobbles enthusiastically.

"Smile not, noble leader! For though the fell beast was felled, now it has risen as a shambling squamous corpse, spreading its fatal ichor across the caves sullying the land for generations to come!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8238/sx99.png)

"Oh bugger."

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 12, 2013, 09:13:40 pm

"Well on the bright side, the other giant lizard monstrosity, the one with the external ribs and poisonous bite, that one seems to be holding its own against the necromantic legions..." says the fish cleaner, "Oh no, wait, that one's undead now as well."

"Och, there's only one way to kill the dead and tha's with fire!"

And such it was the Cutey's Folly arose, a series of intricately mined tunnels to pour magma straight from the volcano into the lower caves to kill off the zombies.

This was a disaster on several unique and horrible levels. First, the magma didn't actually kill the undead, it just set them on fire and encourage the non-flaming ones to spread around the caverns a bit more, creating a more authentic dungeon. The magma flow reduced the moat levels (though not fatally). Further, a scheme to drop an underground lake onto the ever increasing pool of magma in the second cavern layer managed to create a lot of obsidian but failed to staunch the flow.

"Och, it isnae so bad as all that," said Cutey, addressing the fourth wall. "I solved the forgotten beast problem, didnae I?"

Yes, she solved the forgotten beast problem, by turning the forgotten beasts undead and ending them closer to the fort, while marring the cavern layer with magma, water and dangerous blood.

(pictures coming soon)(EDIT 1: it's like half 4 in the morning here and I'm not thinking coherent enough to properly update yet, but in short the upper fortress has a lot of nice flooring, I dropped a second lake into the underground cavern and that solved all the problems and no one important died. Oh, and a giant forgotten mongoose beast managed to get inside the fort by climbing through a hole in a newly dried up lake, but some badass with a crossbow took it down while successfully dodging out of the way of its poisonous breath.)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 12, 2013, 11:02:05 pm

I'm always glad to see the 'interesting' stuff happen to other overseers.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 16, 2013, 06:32:16 pm

[Micro update: it's early winter, only one death by misadventure so far this year (migrants don't count), zombie population is slowly declining while marksmanship is generally increasing, the above ground fort is more like a classic adventure world fort with a lot of pointless upstairs rooms, a leak was made in the volcano but it has now been plugged, there are a few zombies trapped in magma under layers of obsidian burning for eternity, and I have learned that forgotten beasts can still destroy doors when they're undead...]

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 17, 2013, 04:50:41 am

How's my dashing swordsdwarf McKiwi III doing these days?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 18, 2013, 07:14:47 pm

Still dashing. Admired a tastefully arranged trap recently. Doing well. Same can't be said for all the dwarves in the fort, especially after the Queen led a valiant assault out of the gates to drive back the undead horde... full write-up soon, but here's the save for the next person until then. Press F5 on loading the game to see a hint of what I've been up to...

THE SAVE (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7841)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: The Master on July 19, 2013, 02:40:52 pm

I shall begin my turn shortly.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 22, 2013, 01:35:35 am

Sweeeet. Also Dashing.

I think when it's my turn I'll see about exporting a full map of the fortress. Pictures barely did it justice in my last turn, and it's only gotten more convoluted since then.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: The Master on July 25, 2013, 08:01:31 pm

Crap, so much stuff has come up. I've got too much work. Is possible I can have my turn moved down one?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 26, 2013, 06:42:56 am

Quote from: The Master on July 25, 2013, 08:01:31 pm

Crap, so much stuff has come up. I've got too much work. Is possible I can have my turn moved down one?

I can take the turn instead, but it'd be a few days before I could really do anything. There's always a bunch of lecturers who think that they can schedule their assignments sneakily to be handed in before everyone else to cut the student workload, and thus they've all chosen next wednesday as their due dates.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 26, 2013, 07:38:17 pm

Ok, I've downloaded the save myself.....notquitethere, could you get your write-up done some time? It'd help me work out what's going on. I'm expecting !!Fun!! from what you've said already but the devil's in the details....

I'll probably get a short session in later today after I've worked on my essays.

Edit: SWEET MUSHROOMS BELOW! What did you *DO* to this place?!

Spoiler: This is honestly what I see when I first load the save. (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/MoltenWHAT.png)

From what I can see, we still have the worlds filthiest and least secure dining room, there's corpses everywhere filling the caverns with miasma, the caverns are mostly flooded (hah, I have plans to fix THAT), except where they are filled with blood....and...we have a nice new perimeter wall. And yes...... the forest is on fire. Of course.

I'll update this properly later on. Currently exporting a map.

Edit to the edit: Geez the map compressor doesn't like working. I'll have to keep trying. Maybe it's an old version I'm using. I dunno.

Edited edit to the edit: I have embarked on an ambitious program to deal with the flooded everything. It may kill everyone, but that's an acceptable risk at this stage. If it works, we will also be able to steam vegetables up to 800% faster than previously possible.

Edited Edit to the Edit Edit..um...thing: Anyone know where the lever for the western drawbridge over the moat is? I never used it in my last turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: FearfulJesuit on July 26, 2013, 08:48:14 pm

It's probably been months since I last looked at this.


...good lord.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Dark Towers of Blistering (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 27, 2013, 01:38:00 am

Okay, readjusting turns.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 27, 2013, 09:32:47 am

Go ahead and slot me in after CaptainArchmage's next turn. My sanity has recovered from my last turn. :D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 27, 2013, 07:24:17 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

1st Granite

Well, it's been a long time since I last had to make a cheese. A dashing swordsdwarf such as myself is just the sort of dwarf this place has needed. I can't even remember what happened over the last year....things happened so fast. Still, I got to smash one of those zombies the necromancers brought over. In a very dashing manner, if I may say so myself.

Alas, I fear the fun is about to end. Somehow when people were looking around for a new leader after Cutie decided to stand down, they remembered my brief tenure after McKiwi II fled....and I've been appointed overseer. I'm no leader! I'm a dashing swordsdwarf!

Still. Let's see. I've been on station down here in the caverns for a while, and while it's very dashing, it's also very boring. We need some way to deal with the undead that doesn't involve me standing around in the mud all month, and preferably take out the massive pool that's built up against our walls while we're at it. It's probably a good chance to secure the fortress a bit more while we're at it. While this is most undashing, I'll probably have to ask the engineers if there's a way to do this.


5th Granite

I have.....a fantastic idea. It should be possible to channel the volcano to flood the caverns with magma. I've never tried this before, but I think I can do it without destroying the compound. I'm getting the channels and valves sorted out first, so the system can be turned off. With luck, it'll vaporise the water and instantly destroy any undead that are lurking outside the compound. In future, it might also be a good way to fight the forgotten beast.

I should also put some kind of podium in there so I can dashingly fight monsters while surrounded by fire and lava and such.

6th Granite

One of the civilians came running up to me today. "Your dashingness!", he said. "One of the porcupines has gone wild!". It took me a few minutes to work out what he was on about. Apparently our animal trainers have been rather lax. While there are certain creatures that would do well as the companion to one as dashing as myself, porcupines are not among them. I'll see to fixing the training system.....later.

It's also come to my attention that someone has been scribbling profanities on the building plans in the hope of having their vulgar feelings immortalised in the fortress layout. I've ordered etiquette lessons for the entire fortress. How can one be dashing if one is not polite?

The semi-weekly forest fire is heading for the new perimeter wall. Since it was never finished properly, it is likely to burn directly into the outer compound.


8th Granite

Disaster! A squad went off to save a dwarf being strangled by one of the undead, and the civilians walled off their way out! I'm sending the military out to sweep the caverns to pick off individual targets.....at least, I will as soon as those darned walls are gone.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Right, slow updates to start off with, since I'm still doing assignments. I need two bits of information.


1. How do I close that darned drawbridge on the left of the fort? I can't find the lever anywhere. For that matter, how do I open the brand new one on the far right of the fortress?

2. I think our corpse-handling system has reset itself again (that or the recent death rate has exceeded its capacity roughly 8-fold). How do I check it and fix it if it's broken so we dump things in the volcano again?


...plans for this year are 1. Flood part of the caverns with magma. 2. Build  a system that can flood more of the middle/lower caverns with magma, preferably without pressurising the system. 3. Fix the perimeter wall once the fires go out. & 4. Cleaning up the place. Metaphorically. It'll still be covered in blood.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 28, 2013, 05:55:19 am

"Waily waily waily!" wails Cutey, the now ex-Overlass. "I wouldnae flood the caves with magma if I were you. Well, actually I would, because thass what I already did!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/9103/hbgo.png)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8734/hroi.png)

"I did it to burn out the zombos. Especially the forgotten beasties zombies. The ones I let down into the lower caves to fight the other beasties. An then the volcano was leaking forever so I had to plug it with the water!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/4788/7xfq.png)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/5709/b48i.png)

"Och, and what I figured out was that it doesnae kill the bastards. They just burn forever, prolonging the siege. That's why I started throwing puppies and kittens and wee babby goats over the wall to lure the zombies close so the marksdwarfs could shoot 'em all to bits. An it worked an all until I got cocky and sent the Queen out t'kill everything. Aye, and she did until she went up against the wee flame beastie. Och, an we're still cleaning up the ash queen confetti. On the bright-side, we murderised the mongoose beastie with narry a death."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7044/y2q.png)

---

[The lever you see in the last image controls the flood gate that floods the lower caverns with water. After a while, the water will spread off the edge of map. There's not that many zombies left so you could easily continue the policy of shooting them from the wall (look at the marksdwarves  scheduled stations). Outside used to be crawling with them, but by trapping most of them underground I made the surface safe. Unfortunately, we're now stuck in a permanent siege. You might be able to end it by executing the captured necromancers, or else killing most of the rest of the zombies should do it. Magma won't work. Seriously, check out how many zombies are permanently burning under the new layer of obsidian in the lower cave.]

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 28, 2013, 07:46:05 pm

Hmm. Guess I shouldn't have re-organised the military placements already. Ah well. Not as if we need a safe fortress. Since I've never worked out cages and executions, I'll just leave things as they are. I spotted your work earlier while I was digging my own system. I'll put that on hold....

....I will, however, make a device that can flood the caverns with magma. I will thoughtfully include an "off" switch. Probably. Might not have a drain though. I think if I aim it right I can obsidianise one of the FBs.

I'm using lecture time to do all my designations, so no time is actually passing ingame. When time restarts, I'll do more updates. Current new plan is to mine (I've got a nice iron-mining area worked out that should net us a bunch of haematite), get some coke/charcoal, make steel, re-equip the military before the end of the year (I've filled some gaps in the squads with new recruits, appointed McKiwi III as militia commander and tweaked the equipment the Royal Fist uses), and do some construction to fortify the underground areas. Also more traps. Lots more traps. And coffins. We need many more, since our corpse-burning system is broken and I have no idea how minecart systems work. THere's been a few skirmishes with the military, but overall things are fairly peaceful. We're burning through crossbow bolts rather quickly, which is annoying since we're using the steel ones right now, and can't make any more steel until I get some coke sorted out.

I wish we could have an extra squad.....we've got a lot of pikes, spears and whips lying around. I'll chuck the cheaper ones in weapons traps. Might give the expensive awesome ones to one or two of our more interesting soldiers to see what they do.

Unfortunately, the job settings are messed up and I don't use DFHack or Dwarf Therapist, so getting things working  to my whims could take some time (We've got 185 dwarves, and I have no external utilities. This is gonna be a fun 60 years of going through menus). I'm sad to say that certain managerial roles will be reassigned in favour of getting things done, as opposed to continuing the "Udib does everything" tradition. Job orders aren't going through fast enough, so I'll be cutting down his other jobs.

Edit: I see Udib's already lost the job of manager. I think the bottleneck is due to the insane number of hauling jobs.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 29, 2013, 12:06:47 pm

Check the settings on the mine cart. It should be guided back and forth, and make sure the directions are running properly. It wasn't when I took my turn, and I don't know if CaptainArchmage fixed it. When I did it, it was set to push south, which is backwards and useless because it's going up slope.

Also check to ensure it's taking from the refuse stockpile.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 29, 2013, 07:10:28 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on July 28, 2013, 07:46:05 pm

Edit: I see Udib's already lost the job of manager. I think the bottleneck is due to the insane number of hauling jobs.

Ten years of managing the fortress and all I got is a lousy silk sock.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 29, 2013, 08:21:45 pm

Hey! Who dropped that sock where he could get hold of it? Someone get a wrestler to take it away.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 30, 2013, 03:44:07 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on July 29, 2013, 07:10:28 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on July 28, 2013, 07:46:05 pm

Edit: I see Udib's already lost the job of manager. I think the bottleneck is due to the insane number of hauling jobs.

Ten years of managing the fortress and all I got is a lousy silk sock.

I'll make you a fantastic tomb if you don't already have one. Hopefully you won't be needing it any time soon but eh, surprises happen. I downgraded my lodgings to the ones I built for McKiwi II back in my last turn. I'll spruce those up later. Couldn't even find my current ones, although I did find the room that Archmage and Urist the grey II are sharing these days.


Tomorrow I should be finished this wonderful pair of assignments (1500 words left to write, utter mindblank, little hope, due half way through tomorrow. Yay.) and I can get to work actually playing the game, rather than just doing massive designations.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 30, 2013, 03:56:53 am

I hope you are designating more above-ground towers, otherwise you and I are going to need a serious chat about fortress priorities.  ;D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 30, 2013, 04:41:38 am

Quote from: notquitethere on July 30, 2013, 03:56:53 am

I hope you are designating more above-ground towers, otherwise you and I are going to need a serious chat about fortress priorities.  ;D

First I'll designate "PUT SOME CLOTHES ON", with a firm glance in the direction of the Royal Fist. That will stop the current epidemic of mysterious blindness episodes and work-hours lost through sniggering. Then I'll see about putting out the fires and walling off the unstoppable army of death. Then I might look at towers. maybe. Once I've got the mines working and some steel made so our army isn't wearing charity-shop leftovers.....Some of them are wearing copper, one is wearing a really nice dress we had made ages ago, and given the amount of marble we've got in the deeps we have no excuse for anything less than steel. Although the dress can stay, since it's an artifact. I might make the entire army wear dresses at that. We'll be fabulous. Especially if I can work out how to dye stuff.


 Currently everyone's out grabbing loot and corpses from the battles, so things will take some time.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 30, 2013, 11:21:38 am

Just how many dwarves are still alive? Also sign me up for a turn if I'm not down yet.

As FPS drops, I think we should start allowing people to play a half year in a week or so as an alternative.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 30, 2013, 03:23:10 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on July 30, 2013, 11:21:38 am

Just how many dwarves are still alive? Also sign me up for a turn if I'm not down yet.

As FPS drops, I think we should start allowing people to play a half year in a week or so as an alternative.

185. A lot of those are children though.

If I can work out where some of the clutter is, I can probably try destroying some junk to try raising FPS. We do have lava-sea hatches, after all. And a lot of scrap that can be melted down and consolidated. One advantage is that the pathfinding is starting to break in the caverns (the military have trouble there), so if we make things even more convoluted we might be able to stop FBs from getting in.


2.5 hours left on my assignments, then I'll be free to take a few hours break and get to work on getting past the first week of Granite.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 30, 2013, 05:38:10 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on July 30, 2013, 03:23:10 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on July 30, 2013, 11:21:38 am

Just how many dwarves are still alive? Also sign me up for a turn if I'm not down yet.

As FPS drops, I think we should start allowing people to play a half year in a week or so as an alternative.

185. A lot of those are children though.

If I can work out where some of the clutter is, I can probably try destroying some junk to try raising FPS. We do have lava-sea hatches, after all. And a lot of scrap that can be melted down and consolidated. One advantage is that the pathfinding is starting to break in the caverns (the military have trouble there), so if we make things even more convoluted we might be able to stop FBs from getting in.


2.5 hours left on my assignments, then I'll be free to take a few hours break and get to work on getting past the first week of Granite.

Do we still have the monarch surviving? What about the named dwarves?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 31, 2013, 01:31:43 am

I don't know. I'll work that out in a bit.

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

16th Granite

I've been dashing all over the fortress, but not in the way I'd like. There's work to be done everywhere. I've assigned new uniforms for the Royal Fist (which I've taken control of, along with the post of Militia Commander, since apparently it's been vacant for years), put in new mining plans to get the iron we'll need for the next new equipment procurement program. Oh, and I've had a word with the citizens about the corpse disposal system. They tell me it should now be working again, but it will take some time to see if that's true or not. I am exhausted, but a little hard work now should let me be far more dashing later on!

I'm also going to try to revamp our healthcare system, starting by setting up new hospitals for injured and sick dwarves. I've put an interim one in a disused room off the main staircase, but in the long term, I believe a new state-of-the-art hospital in New Townsbrush will be needed. I will task the engineers with coming up with a decontamination system. I think I will also have them look at installing some anti-flooding measures.....the current fortress layout is rather vulnerable to flooding from the caverns, and it's hard to be dashing when you're getting thrown down a hallway by water pressure.

Once all this is sorted out, I think I'll see about getting some nice steel armor for the militia. We've been wearing a crappy mix of iron and copper for far too long, and this fortress has loads to spare. Might see about melting down some of the old stuff so we can save on ores as well....


(OOC: The problem with the minecart? It was forbidden. AND the thing was set to load INTO the stockpile. Hopefully it'll work now.)
Edited Edited stuff: I've got it working, and I'm redoing our levers for the entrances. I'll try to label them. Steel is coming online, and corpses are being fed into the minecart. Should work nicely. I'm tempted to get some builders going so we can run two tracks for dumping corpses, but that will happen later, if it happens at all.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 31, 2013, 06:46:33 am

It'd actually go faster building the second track if it's right beside the second, since it isn't being built one piece at a time like the first one, which took an entire year to get done.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 31, 2013, 06:32:36 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

11th Slate

The corpses are headed into the volcano. Citizen, undead and goblin alike.....we don't have enough coffins for everyone. I'm trying to get that fixed so that we can bury our fallen soldiers properly. Just in case though, I've taken over the tomb McKiwi II had built for her. One so dashing as myself truly deserves a proper burial.

Unfortunately, one of our vampires has been on the loose. I'm going to have them locked away again, because frankly I hate the bloody things. They get their super-dwarven strength and resilience through hocus-pocus. Hardly dashing at all. My prowess comes from years of hard work and training.

Anyway. The steel for the new armor is being made, and I've ordered the first few breastplates. By walking up to the chap in the furnace room and saying "I say, would you mind getting some nice armor for the soldiers?". Fifty times faster than our manager apparently works. I haven't seen that chap since I took office. Nice chap, but he doesn't work very quickly.

We'll have some more steel soon....to speed up the engineering work on the entrances I'm ordering the brand shiney new steel drawbridge demolished. It'll be replaced with an even shinier one that we can actually open. The fire has returned to the trap corridor entrance, delaying work....but soon it should burn itself out. We hope.

Still, for a month full of decay and smoke, it's not been half bad since I took office. I thought it'd be harder, but I guess I'm not actually that bad a leader. Huh. My dashingness has served me rather well, it seems.



-------

Things are happening very slowly in Moltenchannels. Framerate is improving a little now that things are getting dumped, but the fire, reactors, flooding, junk and blood everywhere is causing slowdowns. The upside of this is that managing a fortress is a lot easier (albiet more boring) when things happen at this speed.

I've walled off the middle cavern completely....although it's not immune to flyers. I'll work on that later, if I have time. I finished the stairwell fixes I was working on in my last turn though. The problem with the manager is quite annoying...he's not approving work orders at all. Which means that I'm going to have to do this all by hand. We're out of mechanisms to boot. Still, things are actually looking rather good. if they go really well then I've got a brilliant plan which may or may not work, but will probably result in fun.

I've also been putting coffins where-ever I can, and making sure any others I find are actually being used. This means we now have three fantastic rose-gold sarcophagi in our topside hospital.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 31, 2013, 08:14:17 pm

Dude, the map is large enough to dig out some proper tombs.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 31, 2013, 09:11:13 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on July 31, 2013, 08:14:17 pm

Dude, the map is large enough to dig out some proper tombs.

In theory, yes. In practice, the backlog of jobs means I'm chucking stuff down where I can until the 2-month+ digging backlog is cleared (Edit: THat's not "it's been two months of digging", it's "it takes two months from designation to start digging). I may need to conscript more miners....


Edit: Yay. Ghosts. The fun doesn't stop in moltenchannels! Fortunately I've found the workshops so I can get some slabs engraved.
Edit2: A few deaths from natural causes (ie. Insanity). Nothing serious as of yet....I'm sending out people to collect debris from the battles topside. I think I've worked out how to designate a new minecart track as well.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 01, 2013, 04:48:34 pm

Make them ALL miners! All shall dig for the glory of molten channels!

Which is essentially what I did when I drove the water shaft. Throw enough dwarves behind any project and it doesn't take long. Throw them in front and you tend to end up with Dwarf bits.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 01, 2013, 09:00:33 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf
6th Felsite

As I sit most dashingly here in my office above the magma sea, the state of affairs above me is all rather excellent. Work proceeds slower than originally planned, but it does proceed. A second minecart track for the corpse-disposal system is being assembled out of spare microcline. Fantastic stuff, microcline. The engineers are over-worked though, and a lack of mechanisms is holding up the construction of new bridges and traps. Furthermore, the blacksmiths have outright vanished....not a good sign for my equipment programs, but I feel the CDS is rather more important than steel armor. The smell here has always been appalling, but of late it's been even worse than usual.

12th Felsite

A seige! Five squads of goblins approach the fortress. I have sounded the alarm and ordered the militia to set up positions near the entrances while they are sealed off. Because the bridges were not connected, I fear I will have to abandon the outer compound for now.

13th Felsite

The gates are still not closed. People running around like headless chickens instead of pulling levers. No one even knows where the lever for the Shroud of Armok is. There are elite bowgoblins out there...if they get past the traps and into the fortress, they'll cause serious casualties. And to make matters even better, another godless spawn of the underworld has arrived in the caverns.

The goblins are in the outer compound now....if the bridges don't go up soon, it'll be down to the military to keep them out long enough to cut a path to the levers...

....the goblins cross the bridge, and the marksdwarves open fire. As the goblins charge us, the counterwierght for the bridge shoots down, scattering the goblins into the moat. Half a squad of swordsgoblins made it in, however. Looks like it's time for some dashingness!

15th Felsite

We lost two soldiers in the battle. I didn't make it in time to help out. Pity. Still, we've got 4 more squads and a bunch of trolls to take care of. The marksdwarves are heading up the towers to try sniping a few of them. Only one squad is going to have any cover, but it's worth a try until I can work out how to power up that accursed Shroud. The smoke from the dead goblins wafts through the compound.....even though the goblins have taken the far bank, we still have the upper hand.


.....apart from the fact that two squads are now out of range of the Shroud. Hmmph. I think I'll move the archers a little closer....


21st Felsite

It's now too late to fire the Shroud....the goblins have taken the courtyard. But our archers and marksdwarves are putting a dent in their numbers. McDonald's tower is useless, the floor was never finished. I have ordered its construction once the battle is over, but for now the moat tower will do. Steel bolts do a number on goblins, but the trolls are moving in for the livestock....and we need those animals to bait out the hungry goblins. if only we....

"Sir! Sir!"
"What? What is it?"
" The emu, sir! It's GONE WILD!
"......what...."
"Gone wild, sir! Tried to bite poor Iden! You can see the hate in its-"
"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, YOU FOOL! I'VE GOT A ARMOK-DAMNED ARMY OUT-ahem. Dashing...dashing.... Yes. Yes. I'll deal with it. Later. Now..um...go make some helmets. If you'd be so kind."



------------------------

Righto chaps. Anyone able to point me towards the lever for this magma cannon thingie?


Basically, the plan I've got to deal with these guys has two parts. FIrst, I need the Shroud to work. I'll set fire to the forest (*sigh*.......again), which will either kill them or drive them into the upper part of the outer compound (which we've lost). Meanwhile, the two archer squads will take to McDonald's Tower and the moat-tower I started in my last turn, and snipe them. Because NotQuiteThere used that compound for livestock, they'll be there for quite some time, so I can ambush them fairly effectively.

Edited Edit to the Edit-Edit: Operation Turkey-Shoot is working according to plan. I suggest we use this tactic in future battles as well. Downside is that we now have sheep (and goblins) stuck on top of the walls. But on the plus side, we have sheep and goblins stuck on top of the walls with stationed marksdwarves nearby.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 01, 2013, 09:35:17 pm

The levers are in New Townbrush. I mean seriously? They are even labeled!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 01, 2013, 09:38:58 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 01, 2013, 09:35:17 pm

The levers are in New Townbrush. I mean seriously? They are even labeled!

Ah, that room full of levers. At the other end of the fortress to where the weapon is.

Edit: A few tweaks to the burrows and alerts, and the Shroud has fired. It's not likely to do much, mind...the overgrowth hasn't recovered from the last fire yet, and most of the goblins are climbing over the walls and getting shot to hell by the militia.

Edit2: ooh, this is going to be a fun update. The Shroud was ultimately useless (also there's a serious risk of us setting ourselves on fire with that thing if we don't tweak it some time) because there's no vegetation...our militia, on the other hand, did very well. Our fortress is actually very well set up for dealing with sieges.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 01, 2013, 10:40:56 pm

Magma-based weapons have declined since the zombies-don't-die-in-fire update. Based on the lets plays that I have read, they were also reduced in usefulness by the 3D version. We really need a way to properly flood a map in lava these days.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 01, 2013, 11:16:59 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 01, 2013, 10:40:56 pm

Magma-based weapons have declined since the zombies-don't-die-in-fire update. Based on the lets plays that I have read, they were also reduced in usefulness by the 3D version. We really need a way to properly flood a map in lava these days.

Well we *could* channel away everything except the edge of the map so it pools everywhere. But frankly our militia would still be faster....in this battle, even though we lost maybe 4 dwarves (2 civilians, plus a couple of soldiers who were part of the 5-strong group that had to see off about 8 goblin melee troops in close combat after the bridge closed), we wiped out all bar about 3-5 goblins. For future reference, here's how to wipe out a siege with our current defenses ( I may do a diagram later):


1. Make sure we've got livestock pastured in the top part of the outer compound. This is our "killzone", and we need to draw the hapless invading army into position so we can shoot them. We *could* use cheesemakers, but we're short on those.
2. When danger comes, evacuate civilians to the inside-fortress area and the underground area (our alerts are kinda broken for now, I'll see about fixing some of them later), and close both bridges across the moat once people are inside (there's a handy lever room on the surface for doing this)...leave the bridge in the outer compound wall open though.
3. Station marksdwarves in the two towers (I only used one, because DuckThatQuacks never considered such luxuries as 'floors' to be essential to snipers)
4. Move melee squads to near the gate.
5. The invasion will be drawn to the scent of goats and turkeys and stuff, then get shot to bits by the archers. If you're really lucky, some animals will take to the walls and you can wipe out a squad or two as they clamber around up there.
6. When they try to flee, lower the bridge to the outer compound. Once I've got the darn thing rebuilt and linked up, it will also be possible to use the outer-wall bridge to seal the way out.
7. Kill. Everything. This is quite easy, because the enemy is by this stage worn down, injured, vomiting and running for their lives. So it's a bunch of 1v1 and 3v1-in-our-favour battles.


This tactic works wonders for training soldiers in the gritty art of real combat. We gained another elite marksdwarf this time, and a bunch of named dwarves (Urist the Grey II, Sebastian Flyte, Me) got quite a lot of kills...as well as our royal spearmaster, who is honestly slighty scary. When I get the new armor and weapons out of the forges, they'll be even better.

Edit: Oh yes. While it worked OK for me, using the drawbridges to dump entire squads into the moat is not advised.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 02, 2013, 06:16:32 am

Works better if you drop the enemy squads in. ;)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 02, 2013, 06:11:10 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 02, 2013, 06:16:32 am

Works better if you drop the enemy squads in. ;)

Actually it doesn't. The response time is long enough that you get half a squad of axe-goblins coming across before they get killed. We lost all bar one of our casualties there. That said, I do have an idea to make it possible to actually drop things in lava safely and effectively.

Edit:  Hmm. This idea may actually work. May not be a good idea for everything, but if I can just get enough masons and architects set up, it shall become very dangerous indeed to move around the map. Downside being that it may also be a deathtrap for our workers. I'll do some more planning then update later today with what's been going on IC.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 02, 2013, 10:07:12 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

18th Hematite

It's been a long season. The siege went surprisingly well. Sure, we lost dwarves, but then my tactical genius trapped the invaders and routed them. With the goblins and trolls chasing after livestock in the upper compound, I sent the marksdwarves to the towers to pick them off. It was a bloodbath, but the only casualty on our side was on of our marksdwarves taking an arrow to the gut. If our doctors stop drinking, cooking and dabbling in masonry and actually treat him and the other wounded..he may just survive. My colleagues and I in the military were most dashing....when the invaders realised their folly and made to escape, I had the drawbridge thrown down and we waited for them. A few escaped.....with luck they will tell their kin not to trifle with Moltenchannels in future.

Sadly, the calm was not to last, as a forgotten beast erupted from a stairwell north of the fortress and caused several casualties. Apparently this was part of Nurse Cutie's "brilliant plan" of last year which resulted in so much carnage around the fortress. Given we're still alive though, I can't really fault her for her efforts. I do wish she'd left me a note about it though. Anyway...since I cannot seem to get any specific item made in this fortress, I've ordered another bridge built on top of it so we can control what comes out from below. In the meantime, the military will stand guard. I'm off visiting the wounded, assuring them that, eventually, the doctors will stop "chasing the crundle" and get on with actually treating them. Not all that dashing as dashingness goes, but an important part of being a dashing hero such as myself. Besides, I owe them for their aid in battle....even though I've been smiting riff-raff and ruffians left, right and center....it is an important lesson that one learns early in ones career of dashingness that going into battle alone is never a good idea. Unless you're that speardwarf in the Royal Fist...."Adil".....she waited around the corner of the walls as the goblins fled, then impaled them one by one as they passed. I am proud to stand beside such talent when I fight. Preferably well behind such talent as well, well out of range of that spear.

A thought came to me the other day while hacking at the beast.....we destroyed an entire squad of goblins by throwing them into the moat. Admittedly, we also lost 4 dwarves because of the ones we didn't get, with several more injured. But still.....that kind of ability would be useful if we could just control it better. Now how would we do that? I think I'll have a word with some of our engineers about it....once the corpse-hurler is finished, of course.

Equipment procurement proceeds very slowly. I've ordered some novices to take up the forges. I don't care if our armor is built by an idiot with a spade, as long as it can stop an arrow. Or a stinger. How does a crystal humanoid thing have poison anyway?

I had really hoped this fortress would give me some peace when I came to power. It seems though that every time a McKiwi takes charge of this place, all hell breaks loose.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 03, 2013, 05:59:55 am

Heh, I meant as opposed to dropping your own squads. :D

I actually had, during my first turn set up traps along the one wide bridges formed by the interaction of water and lava. You might consider using those to shred the gobbos.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 03, 2013, 05:12:26 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 03, 2013, 05:59:55 am

Heh, I meant as opposed to dropping your own squads. :D

I actually had, during my first turn set up traps along the one wide bridges formed by the interaction of water and lava. You might consider using those to shred the gobbos.

Right now I'm more worried about FBs...that stairwell from the depths has no security at all. The goblins are mincemeat, and that's *before* I started re-equipping the militia with better gear (which...is still painfully slow. May not be able to get that done within the year). Between the latest FB and the goblins though, we've lost a few soldiers and even more of them are sitting in McUrist's General Hospital (Sponsored by McUrists Family Restaurants!) resting their injuries and waiting for our surgeons and doctors to stop screwing around and actually diagnose/treat them.


May I also say I am really darn glad I built McUrist's General earlier in the year, because that was a seriously good move. It's a state-of-the-art-apart-from-not-having-a-decon-system hospital built near the original McUrists (and McDonald's tomb). I'm still hoping to have a second hospital built in New Townbrush before the end of the year, which *will* have a decon system.

My first plan for lava-traps was to set up more lava channels....minimum of ~5 tiles wide. One at the top of the map, one at the bottom. Then I'd use bridges to cross them (or set up dodge-me traps). Pull a lever, drop the enemy squad into the moat. I don't really have the dwarfpower to do that, sadly.

THe second plan was to just use walls to force some of the squads to cross a bridge (again, either retractable or using a dodge-me system) that goes over the volcano itself. I may still do that, but I'm worried about magma crabs/fire imps sniping the builders.


Edit: Oh, and if you thought I had a lot of blood in my last turn, the fortress exterior is currently painted a wonderful shade of vomit mixed with blood mixed with other blood mixed with ash from the fires. And magma from the SHroud that's still not cooled enough to make working around it safe, not that this is stopping the dwarves.


And the third plan I've just had? The Shroud of Armok may be useless unless you fire it at exactly the right time of year (after the regrowth from the previous forest fire is good enough to catch alight again, but before the semi-annual fire we get anyway).....but it's right next to the tunnel to the caverns. This is possibly the worst idea ever, but it's probably possible to modify the terrain under the weapon so that, in addition to setting the world on fire, it also floods the caverns with lava every time it's fired.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 03, 2013, 07:09:40 pm

During the first turn I took, I installed some magma pumps in the depths for a trap. You can probably still use them.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 03, 2013, 08:47:32 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

2nd Malachite

Disaster! Yet another forest fire started by the volcano. This time, it trapped a group of citizens and burned them to death. That makes 15 deaths this year, all up. Not good for my re-election chances, and most undashing! I fear it is time to abandon the outside and focus on securing our outer compound.....no merchants come here any more, neither do migrants. So it's not as if we're missing anything this way.

Meanwhile, a zombie broke into the underground and attacked a child. I don't know how....there must be a gap in our walls. Our hospital is going to be overrun at this rate, even assuming the accursed doctors and that fool of a nurse actually deign to treat their patients for once....

Undead below, fires above. Aint life in Moltenchannels fantastic?



10th Malachite

The fire burned itself out in short order...the landscape is so desolate even the fires are giving up. I'm not going to allow anyone out to retrive the bodies just yet....it's just too dangerous out there. The channel for the Shroud modification has been dug to an extent....I've no idea if it will actually work. Only one way to find out, I suppose. I'll order a short burst.

The equipment orders are finally being taken by the smiths.....now if only I can get our doctors to start working....the fire has caused even more injuries.


14th malachite

At last, Nurse Cutie took a look at my fallen men and burned citizens. It's not looking good. 4 dwarves with nerve damage. They'll probably never walk again. That includes one of the fresh faces in the Royal Fist... At least they're alive, I suppose. Still.... It's hard to be dashing when the young ones are dying for it.

The new minecart track has been a failure. I don't know what's wrong with it, but the dwarves tell me it won't work. They won't tell me why it won't work......just that it won't work. Fantastic. I suppose I'll have to command another fantastically successful battle before they'll deign to let me know what's going on. I'm a dashing swordsdwarf...if I had less class I'd have the option of threatening people. For one of my class (and dashingness) there's far too few options for getting things done around the place.

THat said....preparations have been made for the latest test of the Shroud of Armok. The results will be interesting, regardless of whether my ideas have merit...
Fortunately, some migrants arrived before the firing. Only two of them though. THere's some creepy chap hanging out on the edge of the field though.....we waved at them to come in before the fires start, but they ignored us. The two migrants said they hadn't even talked for the whole trip. Ah well. Their funeral, I guess.

19th Malachite
The test was a failure, but not because of any flaw in my idea. The Shroud has a fatal flaw in its positioning....at present, most of the flow is directed into the magma moat. I think that by creating a wall on the other side, it will be possible to redirect the flow further north. This will make the Shroud a far more effective weapon, as well as reducing the risk of an overflow in the moat. I may not be able to do this before my term in office is over, I fear...but I think it is the only way the Shroud can become an effective weapon.

Some of the invalids are learning to walk on crutches. I've released the poor young recruit from military service. We just need that new bridge built....and we might finally have some peace on the surface.

------

Editing this as I go.

So my new cart track is broken somehow, but I don't know what I've done wrong. Someone in the future will need to take a look at that. Everything's ready for it....but it's not working.

The shroud is actually seriously fatally flawed....it just dumps lava into the moat. But if we do direct the flow to the north, it should become far more useful at starting fires and burning stuff. But I am not sending dwarves up there, because the last 3-4 times I've done that, we've had things go wrong and kill them.

I'll update again later on, need to switch off and revise for my EIA test tomorrow.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 04, 2013, 06:07:51 am

Did you build up/down ramps? And remember to assign a mine cart?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 04, 2013, 03:43:49 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 04, 2013, 06:07:51 am

Did you build up/down ramps? And remember to assign a mine cart?

I had thought so, but it kept telling me the track wasn't connected when I was trying to assign the minecart. I'll dismantle the ramps and rebuild them, see if that does anything. We're in no hurry, I built a massive corpsepile on the other side of the fortress and told it to give to the minecart-stockpile (it's almost invisible from outside the fortress so while i is a problem if we get necromancers, that's easily fixable. And more fun. More importantly, it's getting all the crud out of the fort and away from our dining rooms for the time being. And the other minecart is working at a reasonable rate...the new one is just supposed to increase the dump rate.

Edit:
Things have gone rather interestingly wrong.


Short version of events: AAAAaaAAAAAAAAAaaaaAAAAAAAAAAaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAH!!!!!

Long version:Another seige turned up the second I moved dwarves out for body-recovery.....and the evac didn't work. We lost soldiers and vital civilians who got left behind.......and then our marksdwarves got hammered when only three of them went into the towers to take on a full squad of bowgoblins+some elites. When I ordered them up there the speardwarves decided to go up instead.

Maybe 5-10 deaths or so. I'm not sure yet.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 04, 2013, 08:17:17 pm

Can you provide pictures of what the aboveground looks like? I'm interested.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 04, 2013, 11:40:19 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 04, 2013, 08:17:17 pm

Can you provide pictures of what the aboveground looks like? I'm interested.

Certainly. It's not half bad now the rain's washed the blood off. I'll edit with an annotated screenshot.

Edit: Here you are. It's as it is now, a bit after the "Everything went wrong" phase. The bowgoblins have run off to the north and McKiwi's improvised crusher has wiped out most of the trolls and about a squad or two of goblins. My handwriting is crappy and messy even when I'm not trying to do it in MS paint with a mouse, so unless you really want the annotations I'd just go for the standard view.

Spoiler: The Surface, No annotations. (Large image) (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/MoltenchannelsBattleNormal.png)

Spoiler: The surface, With crudely-written-in-MS-paint annoations. My handwriting sucks even when I'm NOT using a mouse, so it's not very readable. (Large image) (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/MoltenchannelsBattleAnnotated.png)

Points of interest not annotated:
-The big bridge in the outer wall isn't linked up yet and is open. The little bridge next to it is The Crusher.
-That patch of burned ground with little puddles of lava just north of the moat is where the Shroud dumps lava. It's not very effective right now.
-I put a bolt stockpile in each of the watchtowers, as well as a food/drink stockpile. Just in case.
-I'm amazed at how much blood was in that goblin archer who escaped to the north.
-"Dead Everything" can be more accurately described as "Corpse Pile #2". I've set up three of them to empty the fortress of rotting teeth and entrails and stuff.
-The dead FB up the top was made of pink tourmaline and came up the stairs from the caverns. The entrance to said stairs is visible as a blue tile directly north of the northernmost tile of magma from the Shroud.
-Not visible: Giant piles of corpses on top of the outer curtain wall (north of the moat-island). They're 1 Z-level up.
-Also not visible: most of the militia. They're off drinking.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 05, 2013, 03:34:57 am

Glad that everything is going as expected...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 05, 2013, 07:01:50 am

Looks like fun.

The second track is listing as not connected? Is the point at the bottom going north? And the one at the upper end pointing east?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 05, 2013, 07:24:28 am

I think I found your problem, you need a wall directly in front of the new ramp.

Edit: Was the green glass tower in the middle of the island originally supposed to be a magma pumping tower? I think that part of the fortress could use some work.

Edit2: A better option than dumping items into the volcano is to dump them into the moat. This ensures that magma-safe items are not destroyed. You can do that for the second minecart track if you want options.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 05, 2013, 03:17:40 pm

Yeah, that's why the track isn't working. I didn't have the issue since I had to have something to build the ramps on. But yours would have connected to the track beside it.

Yeah, the Green Glass tower was intended to house the pressurizing mechanism to force the water or magma up into the upper levels of the fortress. Sort of fell by the way side.

That's fine, but there's no way to drain the moat then.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 05, 2013, 04:18:20 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 05, 2013, 03:17:40 pm

That's fine, but there's no way to drain the moat then.

Then build a chamber that can be flooded with magma and then drained.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 05, 2013, 05:48:38 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 05, 2013, 07:24:28 am

I think I found your problem, you need a wall directly in front of the new ramp.

Aha! Thank you. I'll see what I can do to fix that....it might require another full teardown (if the game decides to be annoying), but hopefully if that's the case I can get it done by the end of the turn. Sadly, the thing's already designed to dump into the volcano, but if I do tear it all down, it would be a lot quicker to make it dump to the moat.


In terms of drainage and the like, there are levers under the island that supposedly drain the moat, but I don't know if they were ever connected to anything. And since we've got a seige right now there is no way in hell I'm experimenting with levers right now. We have space next to the giant corpse-piles that can be used (along with the green glass tower, or just a pipeline connected to the Shroud) to make a Magma Laundry for collecting  iron junk from corpses. Since I've never worked with pumps though, I will leave that to future overseers. A magma-laundry system would be a lot safer than using minecarts (no pesky undead job cancellations, no getting sniped by goblins....it's a pretty good deal). I'd agree that there's a lot we can do over there, since our siege-weapon batteries are now useless (there's probably a good use for them somewhere though).

In other news, I've been staring at a screen trying to work out how to get this siege destroyed so much I actually managed the old "played DF so much I'm now dreaming in ASCII" thing last night. Hardly a good method of simulating the game though, because things didn't go wrong enough.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 05, 2013, 06:37:28 pm

Obviously no dream can equal the pain and terror incumbent in even the simplest of Dwarf Fortress games, but it should have given you some ideas.

I never had an issue with goblins sniping the cart pushers but if it's an issue, you could wall the tracks in. It wouldn't take too much effort.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 05, 2013, 07:01:32 pm

Well fuck, next up we have The Master. Based on what happened at Sparkgear XIII, I am greatly concerned about what will happen next.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 05, 2013, 07:39:15 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 05, 2013, 07:01:32 pm

Well fuck, next up we have The Master. Based on what happened at Sparkgear XIII, I am greatly concerned about what will happen next.

What could possibly go wrong?



Edit: Also, insanity is fun and interesting. I was originally planning to do a "descent into madness" plot over my turn, but then things went wrong early. I *might* still be able to fit it in if people like it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 05, 2013, 07:48:11 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 05, 2013, 07:39:15 pm

What could possibly go wrong?

Based on what happened at Sparkgear XIII, all constructions on the Surface Z-level will be designated for deconstruction, causing a huge cave-in, massive magma flooding, and exposure to forgotten beast blood. You can defend against this by building supports, since they cannot be deconstructed just by using a designation - they have to be marked for removal individually.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 05, 2013, 11:52:03 pm

Eh, it's more fun to watch things go wrong when and if they do.

In other other news, I've broken the seige. UristTheGreyII is one of ~3 survivors of his squad (which was hammered in the early hours of the siege), which I've taken off duty to regroup (so they're not in this battle). Down to 164 dwarves, but the latest battle was a whitewash....in our favor


First I got all 5 of the combat-ready squads to wait behind the drawbridge....then I turned off the crusher, lowered the bridge and sent all of them in at once. With predictable results (I don't think we had any injuries...serious ones, at least).

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenbattle.png)
McKiwi (dwarf on far right of our little military, center of image) charges (most of)  two squads of lashers and pike-goblins (MOST DASHING), as the marksdwarves pelt everything with bolts.

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenbattle2.png)
McKiwi and her melee comrades wipe out the pikegoblins and lashers in seconds, and the goblins start to flee.

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenbattle3.png)
McKiwi catches another goblin at the edge of the map and kills him instantly. Meanwhile, the marksdwarves sate their bloodlust by emptying their quivers into a wounded goblin lying under a pile of corpses.


----
Our military is actually pretty scary (McKiwi is only a Master Swordsdwarf, but has really good gear, runs fairly quickly, and managed to get in first and kill 3-5 goblins by herself), but our marksdwarves are crunchy and vulnerable as hell.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 06, 2013, 05:03:47 am

That's one of the most photogenic DF battles I've ever seen.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Caverns of Madness - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 06, 2013, 06:09:40 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on August 06, 2013, 05:03:47 am

That's one of the most photogenic DF battles I've ever seen.

It was beautiful to watch in realtime.

Also I notice now that in the middle of the battle a civilian runs up to recover the body of one of the marksdwarves who were killed right at the beginning of the siege. Our undertakers are hardcore.

Edit: I've fixed the orders so we don't claim every damned thing that falls on the map. I've also set some squads to guard the haulers as they get the dead back in.....we're having some tantrum issues. One marksdwarf in particular had his wife killed and his child left out to rot in front of him during the siege, which has made him rather unhappy. Estimated deathtoll for the year so far: 26-30. Ish. On the other hand, we're well on the way to controlling the goblin population. McKiwi alone has killed 6 of them this year, a few other soldiers have had similar results....and the improvised crusher took out 30 or so. In the interests of future fun, I've set up a proper crusher system so we can do this again in future.

Minecart system now completely backed up again, the second track is going to take some time to fix. I've got the bridges set up though, so next time we may not lose the outer compound.
Edit2: Oh, and a strange mood. A child at a craftdwarves bench, so we'll have to see what they make, if they don't go mad. Don't get excited though, it's a possession.
Edit3: I have just remembered that I was going to make that micro-weapon for the caverns. I think I'll seal it off and leave it alone instead. Otherwise it's just another hole for flyers to use to get in.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 07, 2013, 11:21:47 pm

I'm running a little behind on the turn due to poor FPS+having to revise for yet another test. I'll probably be finished with the save by the end of Sunday (New Zealand time).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 09, 2013, 12:21:59 am

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

20th Limestone.

Well, it's been a hard few months. A seige turned up and wiped out the Blockaded Arches. Only 3 or 4 of them survived the scramble to get into the fortress. But we rallied, and I lead the charge to retake the gates......6 of the bastards dead at my hands. Most dashing. Alas, this has thinned our numbers even more. To make matters worse, the loss of one of our surgeons meant that our hospital has gone largely untended, leading to yet more deaths...we're down to 162 souls (well, if you include the vampires).....48 of those are children though. The local vampires keep killing people as well. Unsporting bastards.

Udib says that dwarves won't come to Moltenchannels because of some "dark presence" under the fortress. Some kind of "beacon" or "gateway". We've only had 2 migrants this year, and we've lost maybe 30 dwarves.....assuming a birth rate of maybe 10 per year, we'll be out of people in less than a decade. And the birth rate isn't that high most years. It may not be a job for my rule....but we must stop this "beacon" once and for all or die trying if this fortress isn't to slowly bleed out from these constant sieges. I hear the Archwiseard who lead this fortress previously may have had some ideas as to the precise location of this presence......I will consult the texts.

Apart from the dark energy, smashed squads, tantrumming soldiers who've just seen their wife and child rot in front of them for a month, the trails of blood across half the plain this fortress sits on from some shot goblin, screaming patients dying in the hospital and the stench of death, things haven't been going half badly. The new corpse-disposer is on track to eventually be fixed (maybe), and I've sent miners out to resume work on the alterations to the Shroud of Armok. Unfortunately, that means keeping the militia on duty even longer. I'm not happy, and the rest of the soldiers aren't happy. But what more can I do? Every time we go out, something comes to kill us! Not dashing. Not dashing at all...



------

McKiwi III's estimate on the lifespan of the fortress isn't very accurate, but it's a good point. Either we need to set up a dwarven breeding colony within the next decade (No fanart, please),or we need to make a push for the dark-energy-wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey-ball-thing (demonic fortress) under the fortress, and preferably go out with an almighty bloodbath so we can either reclaim the place or just make Moltenchannels II/Ardentdikes III (reclaiming this place would be one hell of a challenge). Or we can settle for eventually running out of dwarves, in which case our final battle will be somewhat smaller and shorter.

And yes, I'm planning to aim for the fortress in what time I've got left (Most of autumn, all of winter). I probably can't reach it in time (especially since there's a volcano and a flooded cave of horrors in the way), but I might be able to get something started. If we're really lucky I'll break through and undead will wipe out the military just in time for the next siege.

Edit: I've started the tunnel, and stationed part of the military nearby. The only things that can go wrong are breaking into the caverns and getting slaughtered by FBs and undead, or breaking into the caverns and flooding the lower fortress. Or breaking into the demon fort and getting slaughtered by whatever's in there (did I mention I've never done this before? Well I haven't). This should be fun and responsible.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 10, 2013, 11:44:21 pm

As it happens, it's been fun, responsible, and I should really learn by now not to run CPU-intensive stuff while playing DF. I had a couple of crashes shortly after trying to get the new tunnel started. That seems to have cleared up though.


Quick "not an update but an update on the update": The tunnel is being dug. It's a very seriously dangerous bit of digging though and may end in disaster (my apologies to The Master if I kill the fortress by accident before the end of the year)....there's a large lake in a cavern directly over the area I need to dig through. Unfortunately, we do not have a full view of this and so I don't know how large or deep it is. There is also at least one FB over the target area (I don't know the layout of demon fortresses, but if it can do so, it'll path into the fortress as soon as we crack the cavern OR the fort).

As a result, I've put our newest squad of recruits in place to get slaughtered, as well as some hammerdwarves who can actually do some damage. As soon as I can get everyone else off the surface, I'll be evacuating to the main fortress so I can bring all 6 squads into position.

Depending on the actual layout of the cavern over the fort, it may be impossible to enter without going through the caverns....which will mean cutting through a LOT of nasty stuff. Good times!

Edit: Also, I've driven even more dwarves to despair and madness. Don't worry though, they're mostly highly trained soldiers we can't afford to lose. :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 11, 2013, 04:16:10 pm

Has anyone done the science on how the average FB fares in the circus?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 11, 2013, 05:52:01 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 11, 2013, 04:16:10 pm

Has anyone done the science on how the average FB fares in the circus?

If they haven't, then we'll be able to do so fairly soon. Assuming I don't crash the game or flood the lower fortress (I should probably stop work and build some flood doors, but eh.)

Final update will be later today, along with the save.

Edit: Started up the save, realised the military is starving to death...had to stand them down. I'll keep digging but I'll not be able to break into the fort myself. That's a job for someone else to tackle. The adamantine weapon in the fort is a short-sword according to the stocks/buildings screens. Depending on how we go about this (the smart way, or the AHAHAHAHAH ALL DIE way) that could be pretty useful if we give it to one of our better swordsdwarves (We have two candy swords ATM. McKiwi has one, and the head of the Dead Armors has the other.)

It's still autumn, and I've finally after two months managed to get the place locked down with everyone inside. Except a melancholy hunter.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 12, 2013, 03:59:41 am

Ok, I am really seriously sorry (especially after promising I'd be finished today), but it's going to take one more day or so. I've had some stuff come up IRL and while FPS has improved, it's still poor. I know I'm over my timeslot, but I'm darned close now. And things have stopped killing our dwarves (for now)! And I'm getting those steel things made (although equipping them is proving difficult as heck)!

I'm at the end of "early winter", but I've only written the update as far as the beginning of Timber because "sod it, I'm tired". Tomorrow/day after, I'll get this darned thing out of the way and sent on to the next victim madman overseer.

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

2nd Sandstone

As the year goes by, this 'Dark Energy' thing keeps getting worst, according to old Udib. Now, I'm no engineer, but I'm a pretty dashing soldier......and while I can't fathom how this thing works, we can't go wrong if we smash it, right? So I'm having what miners the vampires haven't drained dry start digging a tunnel under where that 'Archwiseard' believed the stuff was coming from. Udib figures it's probably there. So we'll see. Trouble is, there's a dirty great lake in the way, and none of us can swim, let alone while wearing heavy armor. It's not going to be fun. To make matters worse, we've basically run out of living blacksmiths to make the new armor....I'm having to get a crash course in beating out breastplates to make up for lost time. Still, I figure things aren't going to get much better while we're sitting on a place of pure evil (although to be quite frank, I'm not sure how it can be worse than the main fortress). Might as well get my soldiers the equipment they need. In the meantime, I've drafted yet more civilians to replace the dwarves we've lost.....we can't keep this up though.

We've been having morale issues.....what with the death everywhere, rotting corpses and undead everywhere, and now this whole magic business....people are a tad edgy. When we closed the gates to seal off the fortress from the outside, one chap just wouldn't come in. He hasn't talked to anyone in ages, and keeps looking longingly at the lava moat.....it's sad, but if he doesn't want to come back, we're just going to have to leave him.
 

8th Sandstone

And....of course...it turns out some imbeciles decided to stay outside when the evacuation orders came in and now want to be let in. This messes up everything, but we can't afford to lose these people, and they haven't done anything wrong except be stupid. Still, at least no one is going outside now. Even better, from the terrible roars the miners working on the tunnel have been hearing, it sounds like we've got another ungodly horror waiting for the chance to kill us. One of the children took a look through a gap in a wall. Says it's made of mud. At least....we hope it's mud. Wouldn't be unfitting in this place to have us all get killed by a pile of excrement. Still.....I am a dashing swordsdwarf. And now I'm also a blacksmith, apparently. Don't know if any of my stuff is good enough to be called armor.....I haven't seen anything since I made it, and it's not getting to my soldiers. But I'll get through this....fighting four monstrosities at once is hardly sporting, but if it must be done, then I and my dwarves will do it.

19th Sandstone

From outside the walls, a cry rises on the wind...

"I'm very attached to this crossbow!"
"Jolly good! Do ye want to come in?"
"I hate life and everything living!"
"So tha's a nay?"
"Yes!"
"Alright lad! Give us a yell if ye change yer mind, right?"

Strange chap, that hunter.....Ah well. He's got some bolts. And that crossbow that'a apparently the only thing keeping him going in the world... If anything tries to attack us, he'll get to go out fighting. Poor sod doesn't look like he's planning on coming back to the fort alive. I've seen soldiers do this before...

Meanwhile, another of our archers is on the brink of death in the hospital because no one thinks he's worth feeding. Were I not as dashing and noble as I am, I'd have that imbecilic nurse 'Cutey' executed for the horrors she inflicts on her patients......and my soldiers...frankly, such an order would probably raise morale no end as well, given the history of our "healthcare" system. But alas, I am a dashing swordsdwarf, and such conduct is unbecoming....



20th Sandstone

It's started raining. The dried putrefying blood plastered over the whole Armok-blessed fortress starts to run everywhere. You can hardly walk through the main entranceway without falling over. Good thing people don't walk on the sides of the bridges.....

The smell is becoming really rather awful now. I'm not sure I can stand much more of it.


21st Sandstone

At last! We've found some of that equipment that I and the actual trained blacksmiths have been making! Steel breastplates and leggings! Just what we need. We don't have enough of them, and we certainly don't have all that I ordered, but when fermented blood is pouring down the staircase, the undead are screaming at you every time to go to use the 'john, there's ghosts and madmen everywhere and smoke's billowing out of the volcano from the loads of corpses we're dumping in twice a day.....you can't help but take joy in what you can. And there's nothing like a brand spanking new piece of steel armor, all shiny and clean and not covered in filth.

I've also had some aluminium coins made. We'll store a few of them down in the old bunker McKiwi II used for her necromancy. I''ll get them to tweak the stockpiles while we're at it...that old lass was good at siege engines and necromancy, but she had some pretty wierd eating habits! Nothing but barrel after barrel of syrup down there right now. And booze, obviously. Get some nice meat and mushrooms in there, and a squad could be stationed there all fine and dandy for a year or two.

25th Sandstone

We've cancelled the tunnelling project. It's just too dangerous to go that way. We need to take care of those monsters. Maybe come at it from another angle and snipe them from above.....or tap the volcano again and fill the cavern with lava. While that's hardly worked well in the past, it might work if we're careful.

At least the rain's stopped. Now the blood that hasn't washed away will dry and stop smelling quite so much. Unless it decides to get dusty again.....the dust is the worst, when it happens....

That dwarf came running up to me again babbling about another porcupine or rattlesnake or whatever going wild down in the cages. Chap seems a bit over-excited, if you ask me....still, I guess that's one way of coping with this place.

And a child that's apparently been scrabbling away down in the deep reaches of the fort today emerged with a rather nice willow figurine. Not very useful, but if it cheers people up, it's worth having around the place.


1st Timber

I've ordered the construction of upright spear traps in the lower parts of the fortress. That bunker my predecessor in name built is our best hope in a disaster, but it is not well defended.... I need flood doors, traps and remote-access systems installed to make it a truly safe place. With luck, we will never have to use it. At worst, we won't have time to use it. But it's worth the work to have a place to regroup in an emergency, no?

That poor soldier in the hospital died today. That "nurse" will face justice sooner or later for her outrageous dereliction of duty.





-----

Ok. The new corpse-dumper? I have no idea how to fix it. Nothing's worked, and I had to abandon work on it to get everything else sorted.

The armor? Doesn't seem to show up in the equipment tabs after it's made. I can't select the armor individually like I normally do, and have to go for "find *A* steel breastplate" rather than "equip this very nice masterwork one". Still, at least they're getting made. I think there may be a bug somewhere in here.

In terms of tunnelling to the demonic fortress....good luck. Seriously. There's at least 3 FBs in the lake right next to it, and getting to the fort will require either going through the cavern, going over/under it without hitting the lake OR the cavern.....or building some form of teleporter. If ever there was a good way to kill Moltenchannels (or at the very least, require the use of the Magma Cleanser).....this is it. And yes, we've got a mud monster. At least, we really hope it's mud.

I'm going to get some flak for this, given our record with magma weapons (what's that now....four failed/abandoned projects? Something like that.).....but pouring lava onto that lake may be the best way to kill the beasts and let us get to the demonic fortress. I'll take a look, see if there's anything that could be described as a "good" place to tap the volcano. I'm not even going to try it though....at this stage I'm focusing purely on "fix the military" and "get the traps and doors set up".

EDIT: Oh yes. I forgot. While it might appear that unfortunate things may be planned for Cutie for her ability to kill off roughly 50% of all hospital patients, I assure all readers, former overseers and incredibly negligent healthcare professionals that Cutie is not going to be executed. I do have some plans for her but they're strictly non-murdery.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 12, 2013, 06:08:31 am

"Wae ye be saying, yeh wee skallymite? If yeh dinnae like my medicine, then dinnae get hurt!"

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 12, 2013, 06:19:27 am

Quote from: notquitethere on August 12, 2013, 06:08:31 am

"Wae ye be saying, yeh wee skallymite? If yeh dinnae like my medicine, then dinnae get hurt!"

"Quiet, or I'm putting you on corpse-hauling duty and replacing you with our butcher!"

Edit: Actually, corpse-hauling is a good solid profession around here. We've probably got some legendary Teeth Gatherers around the place.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 12, 2013, 07:16:48 am

If the track is finished, then even if it's not my turn, I'll have a look at the save and see what's wrong with the new track.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 12, 2013, 09:28:31 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 12, 2013, 03:59:41 am

In terms of tunnelling to the demonic fortress....good luck. Seriously. There's at least 3 FBs in the lake right next to it, and getting to the fort will require either going through the cavern, going over/under it without hitting the lake OR the cavern.....or building some form of teleporter. If ever there was a good way to kill Moltenchannels (or at the very least, require the use of the Magma Cleanser).....this is it. And yes, we've got a mud monster. At least, we really hope it's mud.

You could just invade hell through the adamantine and then take the fort by surprise from underneath.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 12, 2013, 04:07:00 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 12, 2013, 09:28:31 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 12, 2013, 03:59:41 am

In terms of tunnelling to the demonic fortress....good luck. Seriously. There's at least 3 FBs in the lake right next to it, and getting to the fort will require either going through the cavern, going over/under it without hitting the lake OR the cavern.....or building some form of teleporter. If ever there was a good way to kill Moltenchannels (or at the very least, require the use of the Magma Cleanser).....this is it. And yes, we've got a mud monster. At least, we really hope it's mud.

You could just invade hell through the adamantine and then take the fort by surprise from underneath.

It's sad to say, but this is possibly the safest option. I've never handled the clown car before though, so it'd probably end badly. Plus we still have those hatches in the lower levels that would doom the entire world if the demons escaped. I might try something though....since things are speeding up.

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 12, 2013, 07:16:48 am

If the track is finished, then even if it's not my turn, I'll have a look at the save and see what's wrong with the new track.

That would be excellent. The lower stop, where it's supposed to pick up corpses, works fine. The stop at the far end of the track over the volcano is apparently not connected. Not sure how that works, since if it wasn't connected it would plummet into the volcano, spraying flaming mist over the map and causing our next semi-annual forest fire....there's probably a bad connection/missing ramp/small particle of dust jamming the tracks.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 12, 2013, 04:11:52 pm

Forgotten beasts are no match for zombies, and zombie have hit points which makes them easy to whittle down with crossbows from afar. If I hadn't got overambitious and tried to break the siege early, no one actually needed to die on my turn. As it was, there were no military deaths until mid-winter.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 12, 2013, 06:41:53 pm

Well, after that, things got interesting. I didn't say this last night because I wanted to have some fun (and, you know, narrative tension and all)....but there's what appears to be quite a bad bug in the way the military do things. If an item is outside the fortress (and forbidden) and the military want it, they'll ignore the fact it's forbidden until they get out there. Whereupon they will freeze and await pointy stabby death. Messing with our equipment settings might fix this, but eh, it's broken enough already.

So I decided to save time after about the third idiot (and her baby) got into trouble and just burned everyone to death. As you do.

To continue the update where I left off (I've changed McKiwi's writing color to make it easier to read. Put it down to advances in crappy-ink technology):

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

15th Timber

A caravan from the former mountainhome. Nice to see some friendly faces. Alas, a necromancer has arrived, and several of our dwarves have fallen. I'll order the military to stand guard and get everyone into the fortress.

Spoiler: It Begins (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/MoltenSiege3.png)

20th Timber

Another siege. This time it's the humans. Some chap rode up to the wall and shouted "Begone ye foul demons who blight this fair land!". The watchdwarf tried to explain that we're actually rather friendly, also not demons. Sadly, he didn't hear us. It would appear that our outward appearance is that of some kind of twisted evil monstrosity. And my new soldiers are complete idiots. Every time I order them to arms, they run out of the fortress looking for some piece of scrap or weapon or anything that means they can wander out alone and get killed. We've lost 4 already! All the stuff out there has been off limits for months, if not years. There is no reason at all for them to go out, and I have no compunction at all about using the Shroud with them out there. Poor discipline in the ranks will NOT BE TOLERATED!

Spoiler: It Continues to Begin. They're probably arguing over roleplaying XP and debating whether elves are deciduous (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/MoltenSeige.png)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltensiege2.png)

1st Moonstone

The lever has been pulled. The last of our foolish strays is hiding under the northeast tower. Stuck between the undead to the south....and the humans to the west. If she survives, I'll be happy....but the fortress comes first. And the Shroud is the only way to defeat these two threats at once.

5th Moonstone


The Shroud of Armok grinds its way to life and floods the area with magma. Most of it still goes into our moat, but with the modifications I ordered, the excess should drain into the volcano over time, and the moat is large enough to act as a "sink" for the time being. The forest has caught fire, as always.....and the humans have panicked. WIth luck, the fire will drive them into the undead, and they'll slaughter each other while our archers pick them off from the towers.

Spoiler: All goes according to plan... (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltensiege4.png)

Of course, that woman and her baby are in between them. But even one as dashing as I can't help them now. She chose to run out into danger, and if anything happens it will be on her head, not mine.

7th Moonstone

The land is well ablaze from the firing of the Shroud of Armok. While I am sad we could not make it more effective....it is effective enough for now. The humans are running scared now. Heading south.....with means our archers won't be able to hit them, but on the other hand, they also won't be driven past that trapped mother and her child.....the marksdwarves say they can hear the crying from the towers. We will have to try to keep them alive, if possible.

Spoiler: The Shroud ignites the rejuvenated forest (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltensiege5.png)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltensiege6.png)

I've ordered the Shroud shut down. It has served its purpose well, and now we need to let the drainage system clean up the pressure backlog, and give the fires time to work their own kind of magic.

8th Moonstone

The would-be heroes besieging us ran into one of the undead as they fled the fires of Armok. One of them punched its head clean off, and they kept going. With their animals, they're faster than the flames.....which is good, in a way. Allowing them to leave with their lives might be beneficial....if they can bring more open-minded heroes, perhaps we can strike an alliance against the source of this "Dark energy" which blights us?

Spoiler: Actually I'm kind of surprised how chilled out they were until it got this close to them. Guess they like toasting marshmallows. (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltensiege7.png)

10th Moonstone

Udib informs me that the merchants wish to leave soon, and that he has secured some armor and steel items in exchange for our finished goods. Excellent. I met with them and informed them that as soon as we have cleared the invaders from our gates, they will be free to leave. Alas, this is unlikely to happen particularly soon. Still, once the fires take their toll, we can open the gates and we in the military can go about our dashing business.

12th Moonstone

The fire has burned out. The humans have escaped. We must find another way to take care of them. I am ordering the trap corridor drawbridge opened, and the melee soldiers put on guard. This will be a true battle to be remembered. We charge for the glory of Moltenchannels!

Spoiler: This can only end well (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltensiege8.png)

13th Moonstone

An almighty bloodbath. The fresh recruits didn't last long, for the most part. As I chased their leader into the burned wastes, a fresh fire sparked on the battlefield, killing friend and foe alike. THe order to retreat was eventually given. One of my squad is trapped south of the bridge, under attack by the undead. If we can get past the fire, we will try to help. I myself am trapped between the two fires. Not much I can do now except wait until I can return to the fortress.....then learn how many have been lost.

Spoiler: Well that escalated quickly. (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltensiege9.png)

------


At this stage, the ONE recruit who got past the fire to help the trapped marksdwarf decided 'I SHALL GO AND PICK UP THIS FORBIDDEN THING RIGHT NEXT TO THE ZOMBIE ARMY!" and died. Wow. I honestly cannot say how stupid our conscripts are these days. So I ordered in EVERYONE. And that brings us to the end of where I've played to, the 16th of Moonstone. A third of the fortress has died in the year so far, our military is shattered AND prone to buggy suicides, and we're currently fighting a battle while on fire. I might be able to save the royal marksdwarf though....they're unconscious and being scratched to death by a zombie, but I did just order the entire military to charge that one zombie through the flames.

Stay tuned next time for another exciting episode of "Moltenchannels: What the F**K are we doing here?!"

Edit: Now with goretastic screenshots! BTW: Anyone know why spoiler tags close off existing formatting? Redoing the color codes was really annoying.
Edit2: Ok, the new plan is to use marksdwarves to try to take out that one zombie, then retreat back into the fort. This place already looks uncannily like some of the more unpleasant parts of the First World War without some moustachioed general ordering troops to charge to their deaths to gain half an inch of ground. Besides, I don't have a moustache so I don't think I could pull that off properly. I'll see about getting the marksdwarves on top of the walls once the gate is shut. The surviving ones, anyway. Actual final update tomorrow, along with the save. I've got a good feeling that I might be able to keep total deaths this year to under 60.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 13, 2013, 11:11:09 am

The reason we are not having many migrants is because of the large unit count (total). It is not actually disabled by clearing the units list. We may need to use DFhack to disable the relevant flags, but how?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 13, 2013, 08:36:48 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 13, 2013, 11:11:09 am

The reason we are not having many migrants is because of the large unit count (total). It is not actually disabled by clearing the units list. We may need to use DFhack to disable the relevant flags, but how?

Might be worth DLing a copy of the save when I've finished it (still working on it right now) and screwing around with DFhack while The Master is running the show. With enough trial and error, it might be possible to find something. I suppose it depends on how DF handles units.



Personally, I've never even looked into hacking DF in the past, but anything's worth a shot at this stage....we've lost 50-60 dwarves this year and gained about 10, only 2 of which were adults. We're not going to be able to have massive bloodbaths for much longer (Ardentdikes got down to 3 dwarves at one stage before migrants saved it.....we can't do that unless we want to have the single most inbred population EVER, and spend 40 years breeding our way back to health).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 13, 2013, 08:44:43 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 13, 2013, 08:36:48 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 13, 2013, 11:11:09 am

The reason we are not having many migrants is because of the large unit count (total). It is not actually disabled by clearing the units list. We may need to use DFhack to disable the relevant flags, but how?

Might be worth DLing a copy of the save when I've finished it (still working on it right now) and screwing around with DFhack while The Master is running the show. With enough trial and error, it might be possible to find something. I suppose it depends on how DF handles units.



Personally, I've never even looked into hacking DF in the past, but anything's worth a shot at this stage....we've lost 50-60 dwarves this year and gained about 10, only 2 of which were adults. We're not going to be able to have massive bloodbaths for much longer (Ardentdikes got down to 3 dwarves at one stage before migrants saved it.....we can't do that unless we want to have the single most inbred population EVER, and spend 40 years breeding our way back to health).

I brought it up in the DFhack thread a while ago, but I think we need more focus on the subject. One other thing we need, of course, is a way to make dwarves clean up areas by creating our own designation tool.

The forced migration wave decline needs to be totally shut off. That's not the migration wave decline because too many dwarves were run over by minecarts, or the migration wave decline because half the population was outside cleaning up when a siege hit. This means we need to be getting as many migrants as a fortress in the same situation but with a total unit list of under 1000 would be getting.

The trouble is unless we can switch off this decline, the fort will die off simply because of bugs in the game.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 14, 2013, 12:04:38 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 13, 2013, 08:44:43 pm

The trouble is unless we can switch off this decline, the fort will die off simply because of bugs in the game.

To be fair, this isn't a new thing. It's just that in previous versions this was down to Carp or death-rain-that-melts-your-subdermal-fat...and this is kinda inglorious.


Edit: Why are our soldiers abandoning their posts to store forbidden items in bins?!!! Dear freaking lord it's impossible to keep these fools alive.
Edit2: Now one of our swordsdwarves has decided to take a rest right on the bridge I need to close. ARRRRRRRRRRRGH! AND another marksdwarf is on their way to commit suicide by picking up bolts they've just shot into an undead horde. Anyone have any idea how to stop our military from committing suicide?
Edit3: Ok, got it. Standing down the squads of the idiots makes them obey the civilian alert, bringing them back into the fortress. There does seem to be a bug whereby military dwarves do stupid things because of the way they ignore the burrow-restrictions during alerts.
Edit4:Oh dear bloody freaking lord. That just makes different dwarves rush out to their deaths. I'm on the verge of rage-quitting for the day, sorry. It's just impossible to do anything when punching commands at random does the same apparent thing as telling them to do things I want. I'm abandoning the fools to die.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 14, 2013, 05:43:11 am

Alright! Urist McStupid the hammerdwarf has become notable as the first militadwarf to do something incredibly stupid and survive. I'm actually rather impressed.

Diary of Urist McKiwi, Dashing Swordsdwarf

25th Moonstone

Well, the ones of us who survived are back in the fortress. One angry hammerdwarf charged the undead at the gates. Smashed a couple of them while screaming his head off about a headache, then realised it wasn't such a good idea after all. He's swearing constantly as he heads back to the fortress. While I can't condone such language, I can't really blame him. This battle was an appalling failure...I'm not sure what made me order the charge. It made no sense..... I'm having the fortress sealed. When it is safe to go and recover our dead, we will do so....but for now, we must hide.

A skeleton seems to be chasing that hammerdwarf. We'll get him through the trap corridor and seal it up behind him. We lost seven or eight good soldiers and recruits this time....and no one's in any mood to continue. Am I losing my touch? Or is it this foul energy that taints our fortress?

26th Moonstone

The militia is stood down....the gates are shut. And while the would-be "heroes" who assailed us are gone, the undead remain. The militia is a shattered ruin of its former self, and there aren't enough dwarves to replenish our numbers. Damn this place! How can one be a dashing swordsdwarf in a place this utterly vile?

28th Moonstone

It is late in the year....and it will not be finished before I stand down. But I have started work on a tower to take on the undead hordes at our gates. We lack a good firing gallery for the marksdwarves who still remain. That will change.

I've informed the merchants of the situation. They are not happy, but they seem to understand the reality of the situation. I will admit, I am tempted to use The Crusher. But enough blood has been spilled for now......it is the time to rebuild, not the time to fight.

We interviewed the hammerdwarf today, as well as a few other soldiers who've been acting odd.... Set up a nice room for Udib and I with some desks and slates to take notes. We wanted to know why our military have been so lacking in judgement of late. Seems something's been messing with their heads...some kind of spirit or foul demon trying to possess them. The bad decisions and suicides are acidental...what the idea is seemt o be a full possession. No idea what might be that desperate to get in here, mind. Udib seems to know more than he lets on about this, and I'm thinking it might be worth persuading him to tell more....

On the plus side at least, the moat has been starting to calm as the pressure equalises after the firing of the Shroud. We can't use that thing to take out the undead (or the necromancer with them), but some day we might be able to use it as a weapon again.

28th Moonstone

As if things weren't bad enough....apparently we've got unicorns running wild down in the storage area now. Cages must have broken, unless some poor nutter let them out. I'll take care of that personally.


29th Moonstone

To quote a recent conversation:
"Have at thee, foul equine!" *stab*
"SIR!"
"Oh heavens, it's you again. What's gone wild this time? Crundle? Porcupine? That emu over there, perhaps?" *slash*
"No sir! THAT emu, over there!"

....I will admit, that as I looked at the bird, it did give me a look that I've only seen before in the eyes of a trained foe....a look of hatred. Malice...and glee. Then it was gone, and the bird went back to trying to peck the crundle in the next cage. How strange.....as if something took control for a moment.

Also why does he keep calling me "Sir?"... Admittedly, we're dwarves, and I do wear a full suit of armor at all times (something which makes sleeping rather inconvenient, although it does keep the vampires away), but I have told people that despite my name, I am most definitely female. The chap probably thinks you have to be male to be dashing. Hah!

2nd Opal

Operation "Death to Pointy Death-Horses" (Note to self: Do not allow Urist the Grey to name another operation while I am commander) continues, with a few marksdwarves and the other 5 survivors of the Royal Fist providing an audience for my pest-control demonstration. Apparently some of them were taking bets on whether or not I'd survive. Me! A Dashing Swordsdwarf of no small renown! I've killed more beasts than they could imagine. So I had Adil put a few bets on me, and we split the profits.

Only one unicorn is left now. Alas, it has chosen to hole up in one of the old living areas. While we dwarves have a natural advantage in such tight spaces, the beast is panicked by its confines, and this operation may actually become dangerous now...we'll head up there this evening.

3rd Opal

Alright, I'll admit it. That was not a good place to confront an angry unicorn. On the upside, it only got my leg, and it's just a scratch compared to the usual stuff we get here. Likot the Swordmaster came to my aid, for which I am grateful. Together, we dealt to the beast. Even better, Adil and I managed to make a tidy profit off the whole deal. I may be dashing, but dashing and rich is better any day.

4th Opal

Oh no. Nurse Cutey is headed this way. And she looks like she's planning on doing medicine...

That over-excited citizen turned up to report that all our tamed snakes (Armok knows why we have any of those have started coiling themselves into eldritch symbols. Udib ran for the door and knocked the nurse over on his way. I took the opportunity to escape down to the bunker. She'll never find me there.

8th Opal

I've got it! The way to keep that nurse accountable for her actions and away from me. I'll record it once I've had the conversation....my foot's nice and bandaged anyway, so she can't really do much...


"Ah! Nurse Cutey! I've been looking for you!"
"Like hell ye have! Ah've been up and down the stairs-"
"Good news! You're our new field medic!"
"Eh?"
"Report to the barracks for your complimentary silver warhammer and armor (In used condition, some dents and bloodstains)"
"But...but...ye can' take me away from the hospital! The others dinnae ken what-"
"I assure you, Nurse, that you will be more than able to continue your duties at the hospital in between your duties as a field medic. Report to Captain Udil Enoroddom immediately for your equipment and training."

9th Opal

Thank goodness. I managed to get some random seige operator to take a look at my leg while the surgeons were off being sober on duty (unacceptable, but I'm beyond caring at this point). I also got some passers-by to agree to haul the corpses out of the other beds.
The Royal Fist is now up to strength with new members drawn from the citizens. Still need basic training, but 4 out of our 5 veterans are well able to provide the necessary training. I've rewarded Likot's service by giving him the last of our adamantine swords. A fine weapon for a fine dwarf.

Now if I can just make it out of this hospital alive (given this operator claims to have "no training at all", I'm somewhat hopeful), I might just be able to continue serving this fortress. The other squads are still below strength.....ideally, I'd just merge two of them together into mixed squads. I'm not sure if that will go down well though....the soldiers who've been in these squads since they were formed are rather attached to them. Still, they mostly respect me, especially now I've been wounded in battle (admittedly, against a wild animal in an abandoned bedroom).

Apparently now the crundles are going insane. Whatever is trying to possess its way into the fortress is having a really bad go at it.

11th Opal

I'm told that work on the tower is going extremely well. With luck, we may have a rudimentary firing platform before I stand down. Udib came to me in bed today.

"McKiwi, I have good news, and I have bad news for you."
"Do either of them involve Nurse Cutey?"
"No. Worse than that. Your....shall we say... "dashingness".... seems to give you some level of immunity to the force that is trying to possess the citizens of this fortress. I have to say....I am rather impressed. I had considered your "dashing swordsdwarf" routine to be something of a fraud, but your actions seem to prove that you are trustworthy. So...I will tell you what is happening. Herein lies the bad news; The evil "Seer" Urist McDuck must be on the loose in the multiverse, somehow. I had hoped that his prison would hold..but it evidently has not. He has followed me here, presumably to exact some sort of revenge for his entrapment at Ardentdikes. He must be trying to take over a creature in this fortress to open a gateway to wherever he has gone since leaving Ardentdikes. The beacon down below, the "dark energy"....none of this is the truth. We are simply on top of where McDuck is trying to break through. And if he manages to possess the right being, he can free himself to take his revenge upon us all."
"Um....He doesn't seem to be doing a particularly good job so far. I mean, so far he's made a lot of our citizens go mad, and taken over an emu. Surely the man is no-"
"Urist McKiwi! Whether you or I live or die, he must not be allowed to escape into this world! You have some protection from his malice, but if you continue to lead this fortress, he will continue to try to assail your mind. He has already tried.......your less than rational actions against the human adventurers were partly tainted by his efforts, but you and the hammerdwarf were able to resist! I am sure that you and the other resistant dwarves will be able to stand against him should he return! I'm afraid there is no choice for you....in order to protect this world as a Dashing Swordsdwarf, you must not stand another turn as the leader of this fortress."
"........"
"Very well, Udib. I trust your judgement. I will not seek another term come the end of winter. But I will continue to lead until then"
"That is acceptable. I really am sorry, McKiwi. If I had not failed in my efforts to imprison that fiend for good....this would all never had happened."

Then he left.

So that's it then. Urist McKiwi III. Dashing Swordsdwarf. And now one of only two dwarves known to have not been driven out of their mind fatally by this "McDuck" fellow's possession attempts. I do wonder what would have happened if I'd killed that emu. Might have saved us a fair bit of bother later on. I can't say I completely believe Udib. But the guy's a nice chap. Far saner than my namesake, although he gets a bit cranky at times.

That evening, I felt good enough to check myself out of the hospital. Getting untrained dwarves to run the place was a brilliant idea. Why didn't we think of this before? Half the mortality rate with twice the speed of service! I may fire all the doctors at this rate. Except Nurse Cutey. Even though she's nominally under my command, I don't trust her not to try doing something unfortunate with her warhammer, in which case I'll have to add "Brutally slaughtered an enraged nurse" to my resume, which will not look good.

16th Opal

One of the off-duty marksdwarves asked to try out the firing platform as it was being built. Who was I to say "no"? He's done an excellent job, and I've ordered work to start on a second tower with the same basic layout. It will be a slow construction effort, but things are looking up for this fortress! With luck, we should soon be able to get the marksdwarves to work on whittling down the numbers of the undead horde. The firing angle for targets close to the gates is apparently rather tricky, but with enough marksdwarves up there that should hardly be an issue.

19th Opal

Things are coming together nicely. The marksdwarf has given the design his approval, and work on the secure entrances to both towers is going nicely. They might not be finished in time for the end of my leadership, but they will be close! And most importantly, we will be able to take on the undead without wasting the lives of our finest and bravest. And myself, obviously.

An owl tried to break away from its cage today. I'm not sure whether it's possessed, or just sick of being stuck in a small cage next to a pile of rotting zombies for the last ten years.

20th Opal

Rather embarrassingly, we've discovered we can't actually get in to the southern part of the outer compound. Apparently Cutey never considered such luxuries as "doors" to be essential to common citizens. Or worse, she wanted to trap her patients there. Anyway. I'm sending the marksdwarves in to sweep through and make it safe. Scouting from the towers indicates there's a few dingoes in there. Crikey....we'd better keep those away from the animals.

23rd Opal

Even more embarrassingly, it apparently takes three days for our hardened elite snipers to climb the stairs. Our mayor (who admittedly, is also one of our snipers) managed it in two], and is currently enjoying taking out the stresses of political life on the dingoes.


25th Opal

Just when I'd hoped the troubles were over for this year, another foul beast in the caverns. This one can apparently fly. So all our defenses are useless. Fortunately, it's in the lower cavern...which from memory, is sealed off. If it does get out, we can probably handle it. It aslo apparently has some kind of "flaming fire of death" thing going on, to quote the child who went to take a peek. Jolly good.




-------
TO continue about the 6th running gag I've got going, I may not be able to finish the year today. I'll try, and if I do, I'll edit this post. It's just one more month. That mayfly would have been an utter disaster had it hit any other cavern. As it is, we're sorted! And the middle cavern has drained, I just noticed.

I've set up McKiwi as our "champion against the oddly-named evil" not because she's my character (although I'll admit, that was part of it), but because she is an ungodly killing machine. Five hundred and sixty-six minor kills, ten notables. High master swordsdwarf, and she's the best-armored dwarf in the military. Although her feet and legs need a little better armor, potentially. She killed all the unicorns by herself (ok, except the last one, where she got some help from the other swordmaster before killing it. But it gored her leg after she'd cut all of its legs off).......and ran through the fires unscathed twice during the last siege.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 14, 2013, 06:07:16 am

Urist McKiwi looks like a good successor to Ardentdike's epic Urist Tomesglad. It must be in the name. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Sebastian2203 on August 14, 2013, 06:34:25 am

Can you add me to list ? I just joined to forum. But Im not very sure if I will have time to play if it will be my turn..

EDIT: And can you name some dwarf after me ?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 14, 2013, 06:40:29 am

Ah, at this stage of the fortress I'd rather have more experienced players to oversee it. Also the next DF update could be around the corner, so we can't linger too much waiting for next turns.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 14, 2013, 08:07:07 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on August 14, 2013, 06:07:16 am

Urist McKiwi looks like a good successor to Ardentdike's epic Urist Tomesglad. It must be in the name. :P

And ironically, my username is a shoutout to McDuck in the first place (also the fact that someone needed to do a trans-Tasman equivalent to ThatAussieDwarf. Ardentdikes and Swordthunders were the two forts that convinced me to try the game out seriously after a few brief abortive attempts).

I've had a nice walk around the cold dark campus I live on to wake me up, and so here I go. The final month of 1095! I even got the auto-save function to work so I could do this properly.


Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

26th Opal

The giant bug in the caverns is, indeed, sealed in. Thank goodness. Even though we could definitely kill it, I fear casualties would have been an issue. Now I can concentrate on finishing the towers on the gates, and perhaps finishing that bunker of mine....

28th Opal

Construction has been held up by fear of the undead. There's no danger, but the civilians are frightened. Very well. There's not much room for the militia, but I'm ordering both squads of marksdwarves up there to handle the problem.


2nd Obsidian

It worked! The Laborious Assembly shot down a bunch of the rotting hulks around the gate, and the masons could get on with their work. It seems the field of fire from the tower is less than anticipated, but still adequate for our requirements.

7th Obsidian

Construction proceeds according to plan. I've felt strange lately....I think that this "McDuck" fellow has been trying to get in my head again. Udib seems to have been right about it not working though. A few more weeks, and I'll stand down. Best not get over-exposed to this chaps mind before I'm wiping it off my sword.
Unfortunately, a problem is apparent with the design of the towers....building a roof is going to be night impossible But at this stage, they're unlikely to be finished anyway, so that's not my problem.

AnimaRytak, the blacksmith who taught me a little of his craft, has outdone himself today. A fine adamantine spear for Adil to wield in combat. He's also promised me some adamantine leggings. I asked him about the steel gear I'd ordered earlier, and he told me it was on track for completion soon as well. Good fellow....to rebuild the military we'll need only the best equipment, and he's turned out pretty good at making it.

12th Obsidian

I've found more recruits to get the military almost up to strength. In numbers, anyway. Only need 6 more dwarves and we'll have a full force of 60....most of whom will need massive training before they can see combat.

Unfortunately, some masons are complaining they "can't get down" from the northern gateway tower. Not sure why, they were fine getting up there...but I'll see about some stairs, just to keep them happy.


14th Obsidian

Miasma and stench fill the halls, but progress is being made. The corpse-railway, for all my additions never did work, is clearing the backlog slowly but surely.

Another few hundred undead arrived overnight. Guess we'll be needing those towers. Unless whoever they replace me with orders me out there, I'm not going to bother with them too much. The Balanced Furnaces will camp out in McDonald's tower for a bit and poke away at them for a while, but that's about it.

15th Obsidian

A crundle went wild this time. We whacked it with Udib's blessing to see what would happen. It burst. Apparently this only annoys McDuck, because another crundle did the same thing a few minutes later.

16th Obsidian

Apparently this necromancer (a farmer it seems, of all things. Kept shouting things like 'The world shall taste my bacon!' and 'Crop rotation is essential to ensure adequate nitrogen levels in soils!'.) isn't friends with the previous ones, because the undead we already had attacked him. We think he's still alive though.

17th Obsidian

Once again, our valiant Mayor is first on the scene when I call on the archers. It won't end this seige, but it'll help. And if that necromancer wanders close enough they can shoot him and end this whole thing nice and quickly.

Today I ordered the permanent imprisonment of Ustuth Arzuntir for multiple counts of murder. He's a known vampire, and frankly his anxious blaming of everyone else for recent drainings has been ridiculous. He will be walled in forever (again), and good riddance.

18th Obsidian

A thief was spotted skulking outside the walls, looking for the spoils of battle. Frankly, if that kobold can get past the undead, it's welcome to whatever it can carry.

...Oh will you look at that? The forest caught fire again, all by itself. Right next to that farmer. This is going to be fun. He's busy raising the dead from the last siege. Of all the ways to treat our fallen dead, we're going to have to shoot them until they fall over again. That's not going to be fun. Still. Let's hope this guy burns the way he deserves.

20th Obsidian

Confound it. He noticed it in time. Still, that'll show him. For all his dreams of a death-filled apocalypse, for us this is merely Thursday.


23rd Obsidian

I've ordered the marksdwarves to stand down. No point in wasting bolts just yet. I'm getting ready to stand down myself. Just another soldier, I'll be. Admittedly, just another soldier with my very own safety-bunker and private army, but still.

A child has been possessed. Udib and I rushed the victim to a safe place to see whether it was the work of McDuck. Fortuitously, it appears to be an unrelated party. Close observation is required, but no intervention as of yet.

I've ordered the ballista next to the crater fired at the discretion of the operators. With luck, this will take out some targets. We have plenty of spare ammunition for it, certainly. Unfortunately, the loaders are too afraid of the undead (or the volcano) to work on the engine. it was worth a try, I suppose. We did hit some, at least.

28th Obsidian

I stand down as overseer, content that while this year has been hard, there is still cause for hope. Animals are being butchered, armor made, walls built and maintained. Now we just need to find McDuck and stop him. Easier said than done, mind. Especially since if we actually do find him, he's probably already won. Still....I am a dashing swordsdwarf, and I'm pretty good at what I do. Let the better dwarf win, hmm?


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And so, Urist McKiwi III (Or 'Presentorb the Dabbling Treasure', as she's also known to absolutely no one) stepped down from duty as overseer to continue commanding the militia against the threat of McDuck.
Save is HERE. (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenchannels1096.zip)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/MoltenEnd.png)

Spoiler: McKiwi's Killscreen (Or part thereof) (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/McKiwiKills1.png)

Now, I've got two requests.

First off, please check that this is, in fact, the correct save. I've got three Moltenchannels save files, and I'm damned if I know which is which at 1:03AM. I think I got the right one. The year should be 1096. If it's 1095, I've goofed and will need to upload the correct save later on when I'm not sleep-deprived.

And secondly, could someone be kind enough as to run the save through Stonesense (or whatever visualiser currently works), and also upload a full map? I don't think single screenshots really do this place justice any more, but I can't get any mapping utility to work.

What I've only just noticed now, having finished the year, is that while we have a Royal Fist (the squad. Not a zombie, although I'm not ruling that possibility out either) and several Royal soldiers....we don't have any royals. They apparently all died at some stage and no one noticed. We're an excellent mountainhome aren't we?

Finally, a note on the Shroud of Armok. Currently, the draining system is the moat. It slowly "evaporates" or "drains" or whatevers its way out over a few weeks to a month after a long firing. However, it builds up a lot quicker than it fires, and there's a 1-3 day latency on the lever. So don't fire it for too long unless you really want to test our flood defenses. Since we don't have flood defenses, this would not be prudent.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 14, 2013, 06:18:25 pm

I'll also check the cart track.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 15, 2013, 04:47:29 am

Not sure if it has been noticed before, but there's another book in the fortress: "Surely Nobody Weeps In The End"  :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 15, 2013, 05:21:42 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on August 15, 2013, 04:47:29 am

Not sure if it has been noticed before, but there's another book in the fortress: "Surely Nobody Weeps In The End"  :P

That is probably going to be extremely fitting once we're done with this trainwreck of a fortress.

Edit: Oh yes. In case anyone was wondering, I make it about 4 times the fortress caught fire during the year, all up. I think that's a new record.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 15, 2013, 04:48:01 pm

Will post some stonesense pics soon. Just an overview of surface and first level:

(http://i.imgur.com/1LsJRmr.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/JDcj6RK.jpg)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 15, 2013, 05:02:11 pm

Those towers need to be about five times taller.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 15, 2013, 09:44:45 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on August 15, 2013, 05:02:11 pm

Those towers need to be about five times taller.

Neither of the ones on the gateway has a roof, so those can easily be extended.
Edit: Also we could do with a small tower near the trap corridor/volcano so we can shoot stuff on the other side without using the Shroud of Armok (it doesn't work well over there) (End edit)

 Anyone poked The Master?


One final thing I forgot: I put notes on several things (most notably the door/bridge controls). If it's a red exclamation mark on a purple square, it's one of those.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 16, 2013, 06:05:48 am

Okay, so the prognosis for the minecart track is: A) You only set a leave stop, and not a return one. And B) you forgot to assign a minecart to it. So it's an easy fix for whoever gets it next.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 16, 2013, 04:13:50 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 16, 2013, 06:05:48 am

Okay, so the prognosis for the minecart track is: A) You only set a leave stop, and not a return one. And B) you forgot to assign a minecart to it. So it's an easy fix for whoever gets it next.

I'm reassured by the fact that my first attempt at transport stuff only went slightly wrong...I didn't assign a cart because I couldn't work it out, so the only thing I got wrong in the end is the stop designation (although if there's only a "stop 1" and no "stop 2", that's because I deleted it when it didn't work). Ah well. There's an iron minecart sitting down in storage......somewhere. It'll probably take a week or two for anyone to pick it up, but again, it's an easy fix.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 16, 2013, 04:23:22 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 16, 2013, 04:13:50 pm

There's an iron minecart sitting down in storage......somewhere. It'll probably take a week or two for anyone to pick it up, but again, it's an easy fix.

I think I may have made a number of wood minecarts on my turn, or I could be thinking of the wrong fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Heroic Bridges - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 16, 2013, 06:00:11 pm

It's easy enough, just open the route menu, scroll to the route and press v to assign a cart. There is another -iron minecart- down there, but no wooden ones, so they might be somewhere else.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 18, 2013, 11:57:01 pm

Yeah. In any case, my changes to stockpiling have sped up the rate of corpse-burning approximately three-fold on the functioning minecart, so we should be able to keep on top of things when the new one comes online. All 4 of the large corpse-piles have three wheelbarrows assigned, and they're set to give to Stockpile #50, which feeds the minecart (and will eventually feed the other one as well)...which also has some wheelbarrows assigned. Admittedly, this slows things down when you've got teeth everywhere getting carted around one-at-a-time while someone else tries dragging an entire dead troll back into the fort, but on average it's still a lot faster than it was.

I also set all the stills on the farming level to brew stuff on repeat so we don't run out of booze if anyone gets distracted by Fun in future. Even though we're only at ~140 dwarves, they go through alcohol pretty darn fast. This may cause issues in future if the brewers go through food faster than the other dwarves can grow it, but they'll be drunk enough not to notice at least.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: The Master on August 19, 2013, 11:44:32 am

As you guys might've guessed by now, i'm just too busy. Currently, i'm touring a new collage while also looking for a new house! So yeah. Hope you guys understand.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 19, 2013, 08:17:05 pm

Quote from: The Master on August 19, 2013, 11:44:32 am

As you guys might've guessed by now, i'm just too busy. Currently, i'm touring a new collage while also looking for a new house! So yeah. Hope you guys understand.

The joys of real life. Good luck with everything, and thanks for letting us know. :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 20, 2013, 04:11:32 am

Quote from: The Master on August 19, 2013, 11:44:32 am

Currently, i'm touring a new collage

I always get lost trying to find the way around postmodernism.

And as usual, Capt gets a turn earlier than expected! :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 20, 2013, 05:39:26 am

Lots of pics! From top to bottom, ignoring some less interesting parts:

The golden piramid:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-03a.png)

The warm welcoming party that awaits any travellers coming to the fort:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-03d.png)

The East bridges, scenario of many epic battles:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-03e.png)

The NorthEast tower, at the edge of the last forest fire:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-03f.png)

The North tower and corpse disposal rail:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-03g.png)

The South tower, including a nice memorial grotto and a glass plaza:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-03h.png)

Below the golden piramid, the busy trading depot, farms and old lever room, as well as the rarely used caverns exit path:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-04c.png)

Storage rooms and vampire cells:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-05c.png)

The flaming forges, with AnimaRytak and Psuedonym working hard to provide the fort with new armors:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-06c.png)

Restaurant, dormitories and morge, because, why not:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-07b.png)

The original halls, now turned into mausoleums and brewery. Notice all the thirsty dwarves:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-08b.png)

Stone mines, where a lot of the surface fort's rock comes from:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-09b.png)

The great cemetery, guarded, of course, by an unicorn:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-10b.png)

The north side of the same royal catacombs level:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-10c.png)

All dwarves walk past the lovely prisoner storage on their way to the deepest parts of the fort.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-11b.png)

The infamous Cavern Hall and yards:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-14b.png)

New Townbrush, the underground city, for the dwarves that can't stand the Sun -- obviously they don't deserve many luxuries:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-15b.png)

The forges and tombs above the magma seas:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-17b.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 20, 2013, 06:12:14 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on August 20, 2013, 05:39:26 am

Restaurant, dormitories and morge, because, why not:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/1096-07b.png)

Actually that's McUrist's General Hospital on the left. Site of many an "Urist McPatient has Starved/Died of thirst/succumbed to infection" in the half-year since I built it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 20, 2013, 07:42:45 pm

Cutey is obviously too busy herding goats near the trade depot.  :D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 20, 2013, 09:28:12 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on August 20, 2013, 07:42:45 pm

Cutey is obviously too busy herding goats near the trade depot.  :D

Yeah, unfortunately I couldn't turn that off. But usually she was off drinking/on break/"No Job"ing. Healthcare is still pretty bugged ala "Stop people from dying" jobs getting ignored.

Or getting trained in the art of whacking things with a hammer.

....Why did McKiwi III think that was a good idea, again? :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 21, 2013, 05:54:06 am

"Och, if yer barmy enough tae hurt yerself then yer barmy enough tae die." —Cutey's doctoring philosophy.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 21, 2013, 03:12:13 pm

The secret to dwarven healthcare: Suck it up or die.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 21, 2013, 05:36:04 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 21, 2013, 03:12:13 pm

The secret to dwarven healthcare: Suck it up and die.

Fixed.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 25, 2013, 06:52:50 pm

So.....um.....anyone taking the sve?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 25, 2013, 07:36:28 pm

If no one else is interest/able, I will.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: nonobots on August 26, 2013, 11:21:37 am

Very interesting fort and history here! I really love the location and how unsafe it is.

Not applying for a turn, but I'd like a dwarf please! A mechanic named McNonobots if I may.

Thanks, I hope it gets picked up soon! Who's turn is it now?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 26, 2013, 01:26:09 pm

Quote from: nonobots on August 26, 2013, 11:21:37 am

Very interesting fort and history here! I really love the location and how unsafe it is.

Zombies, forgotten beasts, fire, and zombie forgotten beasts on fire: it's got it all!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 26, 2013, 04:14:53 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on August 26, 2013, 01:26:09 pm

Quote from: nonobots on August 26, 2013, 11:21:37 am

Very interesting fort and history here! I really love the location and how unsafe it is.

Zombies, forgotten beasts, fire, and zombie forgotten beasts on fire: it's got it all!

I'm not sure "unsafe" entirely describes how wonderful this place is to live in.....

It's technically CaptainArchmage's turn, but he hasn't showed up for....about a week. Probably safe to skip.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 26, 2013, 04:40:29 pm

I'm occupied at the moment with Sparkgear XIV (24 hour turn), but I could do about six months (FPS is dropping very low) on Moltenchannels by the end of the week.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 26, 2013, 07:58:37 pm

People that say good biomes are too peaceful should be linked here. :P

Capt has had two turns in the mainline since Triaxx2's last one, so it's fair to skip.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 26, 2013, 08:16:51 pm

Then I'll go ahead with it in the morning.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 27, 2013, 01:53:22 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on August 26, 2013, 07:58:37 pm

People that say good biomes are too peaceful should be linked here. :P

Let's be honest........anywhere in a Dwarf Fortress world is comparatively peaceful until dwarves turn up.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 27, 2013, 10:15:45 am

So, through some cruel twist of fate, I'm overseer again. Since I spent someone else's entire tenure in a fever dream, I suppose it's fitting. My first order of business is to put the new minecart track in action. Of course, they keep getting interrupted by undead who can't get near them.

And someone is apparently watching the forgotten beast composed of flames in the caverns, and it's fighting some elf corpses. I'm not going to question why there are elf corpses down there. Corpses are what elves should be. I do wonder why they're alive or rather undead, since it's more or less impossible for a necromancer to get down there.

I ordered walls put up to block the lines of sight to the undead, but of course they have to go up there to put the walls up and get scared. ARGH. Fortunately, a lucky shot from a magma imp drives them off with a fire. Or at least blocks the line of sight, so they're able to finish the construction.

We've got a bad case of ghosts, so I've dug out a new area off the main workshops and designated a mason's workshop and craftsdwarf's workshop to churn out slabs and engrave them.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 27, 2013, 07:05:33 pm

WOOOOOOOO first forest fire of the year, and you're only a week or so in.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 28, 2013, 08:33:41 pm

I completed the rest of the month and it took about three hours. I didn't realize the FPS was this bad. One thing I didn't mention was I ordered all the trees growing in the fort chopped down. I suspect that's causing some of the pathing issues. Hopefully removing them will alleviate the issue.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 28, 2013, 09:30:03 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 28, 2013, 08:33:41 pm

I completed the rest of the month and it took about three hours. I didn't realize the FPS was this bad. One thing I didn't mention was I ordered all the trees growing in the fort chopped down. I suspect that's causing some of the pathing issues. Hopefully removing them will alleviate the issue.

That sounds like the fort will need to be retired quite soon, and a new one begun. I think we should call it Helldikes.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 28, 2013, 09:38:08 pm

Yeah. This was why I made a push for the demonic fortress.....it's our best hope for a wonderful brutal end to this fort. We've been a little lax on the "McDuck breaks out of hell and takes his revenge on the multiverse" front, although through no fault of our own. All that death and fire and stuff.

Of course, getting to the demonic fort is really darned tricky. At this stage, I suggest the least subtle method possible: dump magma into the cavern over the top of it to kill the FBs, then dump a lake on top of that to create an obsidian layer we can mine through to get there safely. And kill anything else that's down there.

Yes, this will get our FPS down to crazy levels, but frankly at this stage it doesn't matter whether a month takes an extra hour to clunk through*.





* I recently started my own fort after finishing up on my turn....I'd forgotten just how fast the game is when the map isn't covered in liquids and blood and fire and death and socks and stuff.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 29, 2013, 06:19:10 am

No need. I examined the fort and all that's left is a two by two plug over a two by two hole in the adamantine. I suspect that the moment that plug is opened, we'll need the Shroud.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 29, 2013, 04:55:42 pm

I've officially decided to abandon the grand reactor. I've been told it'd be possible to fill it with the power generated by the current reactors, running the water lift, but that the reactor itself is too large to run properly.

Having admitted defeat, I've considered filling it in, but decided that perhaps someone else can make use of it.

On the 18th of Felsite, an ambush arrives in the east, of goblin corpses lead by a dwarf corpse, but as those in the west, they're stymied by our great walls. If we had fortifications, I'd let the military amuse themselves shooting, but we do not. I'd let them stride out and strike, but I still am unable to locate the lever control.

That's all the interesting things until summer is upon us.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 29, 2013, 06:44:38 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 29, 2013, 04:55:42 pm

On the 18th of Felsite, an ambush arrives in the east, of goblin corpses lead by a dwarf corpse, but as those in the west, they're stymied by our great walls. If we had fortifications, I'd let the military amuse themselves shooting, but we do not. I'd let them stride out and strike, but I still am unable to locate the lever control.

I would NOT advise the use of the military against undead. They're not in any shape to do it, and the melee guys will just get slaughtered. Again. Better to conscript some masons and build another tower on the west so we can use archers on that side. On the eastern side, the two towers near the gates will let you shoot down some of them at least, especially if you add another floor or two. There's also McDonald's tower right at the north of the fortress which I used to pick off the eastern undead previously. Sending the main militia force will just result in us losing more dwarves we can't afford to lose.

...The current drawbridge controls are on the surface courtyard. On the notes screen my levers are denoted by a red exclamation mark on a purple square (or possibly vice-versa), and you're looking for a cluster of 4 of them...each one is individually labelled. The eastern entrance has two sets of bridges, both of which need to be open in order to have access. Again, however, I really, really, really wouldn't advise it....we lost a lot of militiadwarves trying to take on undead in melee during my turn, and the average skill of the military has gone down since then.

One solution I'd suggest: Post a marksdwarf squad in each of the two gateway towers (southern one may not be good enough for archers. In that case, put two melee squads in there as backup just in case, and put all marksdwarves in the northern tower). Pull BOTH levers inside the ground floors of said towers to seal them off. Evacuate all civilians to the main fortress and raise the bridge across the moat (part of the same lever cluster). Then set the "crusher" lever to repeat, and open the bridge in the outer wall.

.....If it works, the undead will surge into the fortress to go kill some tables and stuff (might be worth building a couple for them to smash beforehand), and the crusher will smash them while the marksdwarves pick off any stragglers. Remember to turn off the crusher and close the outer gate before allowing any dwarves back in/out of their siege positions.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 29, 2013, 09:43:06 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 29, 2013, 06:44:38 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 29, 2013, 04:55:42 pm

On the 18th of Felsite, an ambush arrives in the east, of goblin corpses lead by a dwarf corpse, but as those in the west, they're stymied by our great walls. If we had fortifications, I'd let the military amuse themselves shooting, but we do not. I'd let them stride out and strike, but I still am unable to locate the lever control.

I would NOT advise the use of the military against undead. They're not in any shape to do it, and the melee guys will just get slaughtered. Again. Better to conscript some masons and build another tower on the west so we can use archers on that side. On the eastern side, the two towers near the gates will let you shoot down some of them at least, especially if you add another floor or two. There's also McDonald's tower right at the north of the fortress which I used to pick off the eastern undead previously. Sending the main militia force will just result in us losing more dwarves we can't afford to lose.

...The current drawbridge controls are on the surface courtyard. On the notes screen my levers are denoted by a red exclamation mark on a purple square (or possibly vice-versa), and you're looking for a cluster of 4 of them...each one is individually labelled. The eastern entrance has two sets of bridges, both of which need to be open in order to have access. Again, however, I really, really, really wouldn't advise it....we lost a lot of militiadwarves trying to take on undead in melee during my turn, and the average skill of the military has gone down since then.

One solution I'd suggest: Post a marksdwarf squad in each of the two gateway towers (southern one may not be good enough for archers. In that case, put two melee squads in there as backup just in case, and put all marksdwarves in the northern tower). Pull BOTH levers inside the ground floors of said towers to seal them off. Evacuate all civilians to the main fortress and raise the bridge across the moat (part of the same lever cluster). Then set the "crusher" lever to repeat, and open the bridge in the outer wall.

.....If it works, the undead will surge into the fortress to go kill some tables and stuff (might be worth building a couple for them to smash beforehand), and the crusher will smash them while the marksdwarves pick off any stragglers. Remember to turn off the crusher and close the outer gate before allowing any dwarves back in/out of their siege positions.

Sending the military charging out to fight the undead or fight goblins is a very bad idea. I don't think we should do it, especially because we can't get any more replacement population due to the migration bug.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 29, 2013, 10:54:24 pm

Neither way will help since these guys are hiding around the southern corner of that expansion wall in the east, so even if I did erect a tower to shoot from, the moment the builders go up on the second floor, they'll run in fear of the undead.

We are, or were at least shooting from OldMcDonald's tower, at the western undead, who are just below the volcano. I'm not sure if it's A) still going on after the smoke obscured them temporarily, and B) if it's doing any good. We're still listed as under siege so...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 30, 2013, 12:23:20 am

Hmm. How's the undergrowth around the fort going? You could fire up the Shroud of Armok (control lever in New Townsbrush) and set the place on fire to try taking out the resident necromancer/s (there was at least one with the bunch of undead that arrived during my turn). Admittedly, that probably won't help, but it can't do much harm either, right? Being attacked by burning zombies isn't that much worse than the regular kind.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 30, 2013, 05:58:44 am

Looks okay except for the area west the imps shot at. Personally I think you just want to see the shroud in action. ;) Don't worry, so do I. I might even remember to screen shot it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 30, 2013, 08:10:24 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 30, 2013, 05:58:44 am

Looks okay except for the area west the imps shot at. Personally I think you just want to see the shroud in action. ;) Don't worry, so do I. I might even remember to screen shot it.

I've seen it in action. Twice. That's why my suggestion is more "it probably won't cause much more harm" rather than "IT WILL KILL EVERYTHING". It's an annoying weapon at best, but it probably can't kill us more than the zombies can (just watch the level of magma in the moat).

Besides, you're behind on your forest fire quota. We have a reputation to maintain here.

Edit: And it's when I'm re-reading this at 11:20PM with no glasses that I notice I've misspelled "quota". I am a literary genius.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 31, 2013, 10:15:28 am

Which is why I wanted to pull from the magma sea, instead of the volcano, but never got dug down that far.

And DF just crashed. I'm not entirely sure what happened though. No matter.

Save's fine, so I'm going to fire the shroud.

---

On third Hematite, I've given orders to pulse the shroud. Lucky turned out to be the volunteer who got the call. By pulsing the Shroud, we start a fire which will hurt the undead, and yet we don't drain the moat. Humorously, I get a report of a Kobold Thief who's shown up. In the midst of the undead to the west...

I some how doubt he will be too much of an issue. Nor will the one who pops up in the same spot on the 7th. Both get shredded by the horde moments. It's fascinating and terrible all at once.

Speaking of Terrible, the Shroud is worthless. Once fired, it proceeded to resist being UN-fired, and then started only small fires (http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll274/Triaxx2/ShroudofSuck_zps50fb9a1f.jpg). I have to say, I am less than impressed with it.

With the month only half-over, I decide to take a rest. I can't take much more at the moment.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 31, 2013, 09:34:25 pm

That image isn't working for me, could you chuck it up in (http://) embedding?

Sometimes the shroud needs a while to find something it can ignite. Generally speaking, you want to run it for at least an ingame week, possibly two. As long as you keep an eye on the level of magma in the moat, it's fairly safe. That said, if the undergrowth isn't thick enough, you'll never get it to light up the landscape.

Really, we need alternative firing points on the west and east of the fort.....and some kind of wall/embankment to channel the northern outfall across the landscape, rather than into the moat. Alas, the first part of that would require the system to be drained during the work, then refilled.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 31, 2013, 09:41:05 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 31, 2013, 10:15:28 am

Which is why I wanted to pull from the magma sea, instead of the volcano, but never got dug down that far.

And DF just crashed. I'm not entirely sure what happened though. No matter.

Save's fine, so I'm going to fire the shroud.

---

On third Hematite, I've given orders to pulse the shroud. Lucky turned out to be the volunteer who got the call. By pulsing the Shroud, we start a fire which will hurt the undead, and yet we don't drain the moat. Humorously, I get a report of a Kobold Thief who's shown up. In the midst of the undead to the west...

I some how doubt he will be too much of an issue. Nor will the one who pops up in the same spot on the 7th. Both get shredded by the horde moments. It's fascinating and terrible all at once.

Speaking of Terrible, the Shroud is worthless. Once fired, it proceeded to resist being UN-fired, and then started only small fires.
(http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll274/Triaxx2/ShroudofSuck_zps50fb9a1f.jpg)
I have to say, I am less than impressed with it.

With the month only half-over, I decide to take a rest. I can't take much more at the moment.

Fixed the formatting for you.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 31, 2013, 09:34:25 pm

That image isn't working for me, could you chuck it up in (http://) embedding?

Sometimes the shroud needs a while to find something it can ignite. Generally speaking, you want to run it for at least an ingame week, possibly two. As long as you keep an eye on the level of magma in the moat, it's fairly safe. That said, if the undergrowth isn't thick enough, you'll never get it to light up the landscape.

Really, we need alternative firing points on the west and east of the fort.....and some kind of wall/embankment to channel the northern outfall across the landscape, rather than into the moat. Alas, the first part of that would require the system to be drained during the work, then refilled.

What you are referring to would be like an orbital magma delivery system. That's going to require a lot of masons and marksdwarves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 31, 2013, 10:21:11 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 31, 2013, 09:41:05 pm

What you are referring to would be like an orbital magma delivery system. That's going to require a lot of masons and marksdwarves.

Yes. Yes it is. However, a lot of dwarves have masonry enabled from NotQuiteThere and I's tower construction efforts. And we've got at least 1.5 archer squads.



Looking at that screenshot, I am sad to say that there's no way in hell that we're going to be able to burn the undead. The undergrowth hasn't recovered from the earlier fires and it'll be....ooh....about 6-12 months until another magma-strike is viable with the current weapon. The current fires *might* do some damage though, if we're lucky. Towers and archers are probably the best short-term solution at this point.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 31, 2013, 10:45:23 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 31, 2013, 10:21:11 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 31, 2013, 09:41:05 pm

What you are referring to would be like an orbital magma delivery system. That's going to require a lot of masons and marksdwarves.

Yes. Yes it is. However, a lot of dwarves have masonry enabled from NotQuiteThere and I's tower construction efforts. And we've got at least 1.5 archer squads.



Looking at that screenshot, I am sad to say that there's no way in hell that we're going to be able to burn the undead. The undergrowth hasn't recovered from the earlier fires and it'll be....ooh....about 6-12 months until another magma-strike is viable with the current weapon. The current fires *might* do some damage though, if we're lucky. Towers and archers are probably the best short-term solution at this point.

You do know undead don't burn to death? You just end up with eternally burning undead. The only advantage is if you manage to kill them whilst they are on fire (usually requires marksdwarves), the remains burn up and don't come back.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 31, 2013, 10:58:35 pm

That was sort of the point,but yeah, that's after all the fires had burned out. They went about twenty tiles then just died. And until the undead go away, we can't build anything high enough for them to be seen, because it causes the dwarves to suspend all construction.

Personally, if we could get up there for more than two steps, I'd designate the top as a pond, and obsidianize the magma in there, then mine it out while the rest of the sections are being constructed.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 01, 2013, 05:55:53 pm

Hmm. It might be possible to get some construction done...I managed to build the gateway tower while the undead were around there.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 03, 2013, 09:32:42 pm

Overseers Log, Supplemental: One month later, still stalemated. We seem to be having a lot of animals going feral on us. I must investigate this to see where our animal trainers have gone. I have a sneaking suspicion that they're now part of the opposition.

I'm going to attempt to create mini-shrouds. They will draw from the moat, which hopefully can be filled more fully using pumps around the volcano and windmills. I'm unsure if there will be sufficient lava in the volcano for the task, but it must be attempted. The Undead cannot be allowed to take this fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 06, 2013, 03:19:47 am

At a pinch, you can boost moat levels by operating the main Shroud. Obviously, it can't run forever and it takes a long time to spread that pressure through the system....but it's an option.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 06, 2013, 06:11:47 am

I noticed that.

---

Construction on the southern cannon moves quickly. The only minor problem is that the workers are having trouble finishing a few spots. It seems that trees do not block line of sight. The priming pump is ready, just have to build up a windmill to power it. That'll have to wait for fall it seems though.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 09, 2013, 08:40:29 am

The southern cannon is now almost complete, all that remains is to construct the pump to lift the magma over the wall, and a power source for it. I'll be using windmills if I can, since they're relatively cheap and fairly reliable.

On the other hand, we have a problem. The ghosts haunting the area are not being satisfied by the slabs memorializing them and are remaining even after they've been carved and erected. I am unsure what to do about this state of affairs, other than leave it for later minds.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 10, 2013, 12:58:51 am

Oh yeah, I forgot about those. Some ghosts just won't go away..I think there's a few with 2-3 slabs already that keep on doodling their way around the fort. Makes for great tourism. So unless we find a way to rekill the dead-things-we-can't-just-shoot, it's just a case of ignoring them and hoping they don't cause much damage.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 12, 2013, 10:23:24 am

So the cannon is three blocks away from being complete. And the undead are preventing it that. Sigh.

Midway through Timber, the brush finally catches into a big fire. It burns and chases the undead, but some manage to escape it, getting behind it. The smoke clears before the final three blocks can be placed, and the cannon remains unfinished. My tenure is coming to a close. I'm glad of this.

One of the children had to be put down. He had entered a strange mood, but we were unable to supply one of his demands. I'm not sure which one, before I was able to find out, he went berserk. An axedwarf split his skull. He'll be buried with honor. Or possibly thrown in the volcano. Must check for empty coffins.

Winter is upon us. The fire still rages. I hope some solution can be found for the undead.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 12, 2013, 06:33:26 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on September 12, 2013, 10:23:24 am

So the cannon is three blocks away from being complete. And the undead are preventing it that. Sigh.

Midway through Timber, the brush finally catches into a big fire. It burns and chases the undead, but some manage to escape it, getting behind it. The smoke clears before the final three blocks can be placed, and the cannon remains unfinished. My tenure is coming to a close. I'm glad of this.

One of the children had to be put down. He had entered a strange mood, but we were unable to supply one of his demands. I'm not sure which one, before I was able to find out, he went berserk. An axedwarf split his skull. He'll be buried with honor. Or possibly thrown in the volcano. Must check for empty coffins.

Winter is upon us. The fire still rages. I hope some solution can be found for the undead.

I'd say silver or copper bolts are the best bet to whittle down their numbers as best we can from our existing towers (you won't kill them all, but you'll get some at least). Or wait for the goblins to attack again. Or a flying FB coming through the passage to the surface that we have in one of the caverns (in which case everyone dies, but hopefully so do the undead). We've got a lot of spare metal to use on that stuff.

Coffins.....yeah......there may be a few coffins that are empty, but not set to be used for burial. But they'll be scattered throughout the entire fortress, so it's probably better to just extend one of the existing graveyards. There's a graveyard I had setup next to McUrist's General Hospital (and next to the original McUrist's restaurant) that might have some space.  Or do what I did at the more desperate times, and just find an empty space and fill it with corpses.

 I also ordered a bunch of coffins made last year, but they might not be finished yet, or I might have used them all.

Edit: Also, at some point I think I'm going to try counting the forest fires this place has had. I *know* it's at least 15-20...although some aren't mentioned in updates, I think it'd be interesting to see just how many we've had over time.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 13, 2013, 07:12:39 am

Well, they've been shooting from the towers they see from, but you're right, they're not doing much good. I'll see if I can find some spare coffins.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on September 13, 2013, 07:55:25 am

A little heads up -- I'm going to be in Poland till ~ Oct 7, so if you don't see the post #1 updating it's just I'm away and busy. ;D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 13, 2013, 04:31:22 pm

Sweet, Poland.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 13, 2013, 05:56:49 pm

Memo to Overseer
From: Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf (and militia commander)

My lord Overseer.


I believe that I have a solution to our problem with regards to the undead, more specifically our inability to field archers in the right places to deal with the issue ballistically.
This is mostly due to the fact that our existing towers are not in convenient places for handling this new threat, and our civilian masons, being rather less dashing than myself, are unwilling or unable to even look upon the undead while undertaking construction work without being struck down by terror.

While I cannot pretend to understand such a lack of dashingness, although the number of deceased citizens among the undead horde is rather disturbing, the following may present a solution:

Take the section of the wall near the trap corridor (diagrams are for a 5X7 platform, but it's just for demonstration).

Code: [Select]

|=Wall R=Ramp

|
|
|
|
|
|
|


We could build extra layers of walls up behind part of it, turning it into a solid "foundation" for a future tower, then put some upward ramps in place to allow my archers to climb on top:

Code: [Select]


|=Wall
R=Ramp
Numbers indicate order in which  horizontal rows of constructions should be built to maximise build speed without leaving gaps (since we can't build floors without undead cancellations)
 
|
|||||||   3
||||||R   2
||||||R   1
||||||R   2
|||||||   3
|

Once the middle section is complete, we can build two rows at once without risking gaps in the structure.


Now, here's the clever bit.....because our masons construct walls from the sides.....they won't see the undead, because the existing wall is in the way!

At this stage, we can just send our archers and marksdwarves up there and wipe out everything nearby! Foolproof. And most dashing, if I may say so myself.

Although.......we might have to be careful building on top of this kind of "foundation", since the whole thing could well collapse if we pull the wrong bit out (I'm no architect, I'm a dashing swordsdwarf). On the other hand, it is easily expandable into a proper tower.....once the undead have been shot up enough that there's no longer line-of-sight issues to stop our builders from doing their jobs. At that stage, we can just build our stairs, walls and floors on top of that base, and we've got a brand new tower for my soldiers to use in future seiges.

Now....we could do this much cheaper by just putting ramps against the 1-thick wall, but the risk then is that soldiers on top of 1-thick walls are insanely vulnerable to ranged attacks, especially since if they dodge into the moat they're definitely going to die. Last year, my dwarves wiped out most of a seige that way over on the outer compound's wall. Most dashing, if I may say so. But since it's not a good idea to have that happen to our soldiers, I'd advise not even trying that, since the slower way is by far safer and superior.

Assuming we have enough masons who are not cavorting around in the caverns or crying about crundles going wild, we can do this form of construction on any wall in the fortress that blocks line-of-sight to the undead. As such, we should be able to patch our defenses very quickly.

Your loyal servant

Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

---------------------

Ok, it's not a perfect idea, but it's the best I can think of to come up with a firing platform for our archers where we need a firing platform for our archers.
Alternatively, we could use the same method (construct walls behind walls) to make our outer wall 3-4 blocks thick, so we can station archers anywhere along it, then build fortifications to protect them (once the current siege is over).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 14, 2013, 07:23:06 am

Memo to: Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf (and militia commander)
From: Overseer

Your plan is indeed sound and the architects inform me that it's sound. I will attempt it, however, know that due to trees failing to block line of sight, this plan may take some time.

Overextended Overseer

---

Not sure what's with that, but it's taken forever to build anything where a tree is in place of the wall.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 14, 2013, 07:58:44 pm

Final report:

As winter draws to a close, I have taken the advice of the chief militia dwarf and expanded a section of wall to have the marksdwarves shoot from. While this has been done and a station order has been issued, I have seen none of them on the wall. I have filed a complaint to be delivered to the chief of the militia, and included it in my final reports, left on the desk for the next overseer. I will see to it that the new overseer has all my expertise. As such, I make this report:

The new south eastern tower base is in place. a ramp leads up to it for access by the militia, should they ever be convinced to use it.

The second disposal minecart is currently functional, but is stuck at the top of the ramp because each civilian that attempts to retrieve it becomes frightened of the undead and fails to complete the task. I am unsure of a solution, but if the undead can be removed by any means, the cart will become immediately functional.

Third, I have had to order a second child put down after he entered a strange mood, then became berserk after we were unable to provide the requisite materials. I am unsure which is the correct material in either case do to being preoccupied by the undead and other fortress maintenance tasks. I suggest watching for morale concerns.

Fourth, I have assigned all remaining trees on the island for cutting, including those currently underground. Too many trees warps time and causes things to slow down as dwarves attempt to circumnavigate them. I suggest that they be watched carefully and be pruned at least once per season to minimize this effect.

Fifth, now that the fire has burned it's course, it is clear that issues are being had with shooting undead due to the vast number of uncut trees outside the fortress. Cutting shooting lanes once the undead have been removed should be a top priority. As well as littering weapon traps outside the fortress. We have an abundance of sand, and magma. I recommend some number of serrated glass discs in each trap. While this will create larger numbers of undead, it will also make the individual pieces weaker.

Sixth, all steel manufacture, has been shut down. I received complaints of in sufficient steel bars, insufficient flux, and insufficient pig iron. Since metallurgy is not my specific field of expertise, I leave this to a future overseer who better understands the needs and ratios of materials necessary to construct further steel equipment.

Seventh, all dwarves save those designated as miners or militia commanders are currently designated as masons. I had not the time to restore normal jobs to those temporarily drafted.

Finally, this tenure has been the least stressful I have endured, in spite of the threat of undead, this was a relatively peaceful time in the fortress. But I forsee a dark time coming ahead.

---

The Save: Moltenchannels 1097 (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=7981)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 15, 2013, 12:24:06 am

The steel manufacturing was so more armor could be made for the militia. If it's kept going this long, which is actually quite amazing, there should be plenty for some nice leggings and greaves and stuff, whenever someone wants to make that kind of equipment. We'll need it, most probably. Good luck actually getting the militia to wear it though...

In terms of trees....well.....there's not much we can do, unless we want to pave over everything. They don't burn, and it takes a long time to cut them down.....at which point a seige will turn up and kill everyone outside the walls.

Stationing orders take a LONG time in this fortress. There's a lot of path-finding to be done, and our pathways are kinda convoluted. Plus the squad may need to resupply or something. They'll get there eventually though, so long as they're alive.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on September 18, 2013, 01:16:19 pm

We are running out of overseers!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on September 18, 2013, 04:08:30 pm

Would you like me to take another turn?

The spontaneous fires started on my turn... Maybe they will stop on my turn as well.

I have improved my DF management skillset since i last acted as overseer of moltenchannels.

Perhaps i can do something about said zombie invasion... Minecart magma railguns anyone?

... i could also solve the tree problem permanently by collapsing all the outside terrain to the stone level. I dont even need to go outside to do it...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 18, 2013, 07:01:05 pm

Well, if you can manage it and catch the undead in the collapse without getting them into the fortress, that'd do the trick. And then we can build some proper defenses.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 18, 2013, 07:18:18 pm

Wait its my turn again? Or what?

The trouble with Moltenchannels is the FPS death. Its going to be running at 10-15 FPS unless I deal with upgrading or building a computer, and that's not going to happen in a matter of hours or days. If I can find a way to run Dwarf Fortress on a powerful computer (maybe), it could go faster.

Some people appear to be capable of running the fort at 40-50 FPS, which is good for something of this size.

If we want to speed up the game, it may be better to have Moltenchannels available on a networked DF Terminal on a very high spec computer.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 19, 2013, 12:28:13 am

The FPS isn't that bad, as long as you've got 3-4 hours spare for each season and can remember what you're actually doing. I think that caving things in might make things worse though.

One solution to the problem of not having enough archers to make a difference might be to turn our hammerdwarves into cross-trained marksdwarves. They'll be able to melee pretty darned well if they've been training enough, and we can shoot things better.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on September 19, 2013, 07:15:39 am

Quote from: bp920091 on September 18, 2013, 04:08:30 pm

Would you like me to take another turn?

Added.

Udib recommends hardening the fortress' defenses and locating the underground evil leak which is attracting the invaders. If the sieging forces overrun Moltenchannels, the dwarves can make a last dash to re-seal the otherworld.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Minecart Mysteries - OVERSEERS NEEDED (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 19, 2013, 07:24:30 am

Yeah, good luck with that. It's not an easy job getting to that demonic fortress, and my attempt failed miserably....the only practical way would be to flood that cave with magma, then obsidianise it so we've got something to dig through without having to cut a path through half a dozen forgotten beasts.
....oooooooor.....we could spend some time trying to work out a "safer" way. We still haven't actually "found" the fortress. We know exactly where it is, but we don't know the terrain. If we can construct a system that will allow us to lower Noted Explorer Urist McKitten down into the caves (or just spam 40 more of his comrades with him and have them splat on the floor. Oooooor construct a drawbridge next to the stairwell that will fling him at ludicrous speeds through the air, mapping out vast swathes of cavern before his sudden and hilarious tragic demise. This might require some !!SCIENCE!! to determine whether live kittens can be flung through fortifications.) without letting flying FBs into the fort....we might find a way to get into that place without having to go through the cavern.

Edit: Or we could do it the boring way and just pipe/bucket water down to the magma sea to cast obsidian around a spire and then dig down through it. That'd work as well.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on September 19, 2013, 01:56:02 pm

We do have a magma vent, right?

If we need to obsidianize the entrance... why not just drill a hole in the side?

All we need to do afterwards is to collapse the connecting pipe, then flood the area with water.

Do we have a river or aquifer?

If we have an aquifer, we could always just collapse a section of it to block the entrance to the circus tent with perpetual water generation.

Or, we could use the kitten explorer theory, locking as many cats into the caverns as we can, and just have them explore everything for us.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 19, 2013, 05:05:52 pm

We have a neither. We only have underground lakes.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 19, 2013, 11:06:30 pm

Ok, let's see. I'm running on memory because no one's made a map of that area....

That area is close to the magma pipe for the volcano. That's excellent. We have a main stairwell (Do NOT let FB's in there) north of the fortress.....heading south from there you only have to dig through 1 tile to get into the cave, where there's a little plain/shelf/mushroomy bit. Then an underground lake with like 4 FBs in and around it....then the rest of the cave continues off towards the fort and we don't know anything beyond that. We haven't sent anyone in there to properly scout it out.

The lake is the main obstacle. it stopped my tunnel because I was afraid of accidentally breaching it (which would destroy the lower fortress. At least)...and it prevents non-aquatic/amphibious/nonbreathing lifeforms from getting across easily. THe forgotten beasts CAN get through that water, so just opening up the stairwell isn't a good idea....the FBs will arrive before we can do anything, and they'll smash us.


So if we're using Urist McKitten, we need to get him to the other side of the lake somehow, whether by dropping him down or flinging him across. obviously I prefer the latter because it's more hilarious, but either would work.

We also don't know how big that lake is. It might be possible to drain it or use it to cast obsidian, but I wouldn't count on it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 20, 2013, 07:15:18 pm

Moltenchannels: Now with CatZooka.

Seriously, we should see if it's possible to get an uncaged cat into a minecart. If not, we could set up for skipping and send some brave dorf-naut along to free the cat.

Now I want to build a fortress where skipping across a moat in a minecart is the only way to access it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 22, 2013, 08:27:43 pm

So...who's turn is it anyway?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on September 22, 2013, 08:46:44 pm

Captainarchmage. If he can't go, I'm next in line

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 22, 2013, 10:19:22 pm

I'll see what I can do. I may end up doing a half-year if it goes too slowly.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 23, 2013, 02:09:40 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on September 22, 2013, 10:19:22 pm

I'll see what I can do. I may end up doing a half-year if it goes too slowly.

Almost certainly no fuss if you need more time. Heck, I delayed like three times on my last turn because of framerate (and before anyone asks, no I'm not taking another turn until my exams are out of the way in October). As long as you update lots (which....hasn't exactly been a problem before) and keep the story going.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 23, 2013, 02:05:39 pm

Owing to the dwindling space on my hard disk, I will not be keeping backups. However, I may upload a backup every two months to DFFD for safety.

Downloading the save file from DFFD tells me not everyone is using super-fast fiber-optic internet yet.

A preliminary look at the fortress tells me that it is a good idea to build tombs for my dwarves, since every time I have returned to the game, I find my previous character interred in one of them.

There are a large number of exploratory tunnels, including one leading don to near where the forgotten beast made of fire once resided. There are a lot of dead dwarves in that area. W.T.F.

The nice platinum bridge I built at the entrance has been replaced by an aluminium bridge, which is not magma safe. What happened to the platinum bridge?!

We now have bridges made out of coal, dacite, and all kinds of material that are either not magma safe, or even highly flammable. I don't know whether I can change this during my reign.

On that note, does anyone mind if I hack in a new King or Duke?

Edit: I just found a script in DFhack to replace the King. Finally. Is there one for the baron, duke, or count?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on September 23, 2013, 02:39:04 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on September 23, 2013, 02:05:39 pm

On that note, does anyone mind if I hack in a new King or Duke?

The nobility system is broken. Call it a coup and hack in a new king. It's not like it's gonna change any actual gameplay (other than removing a hard-working dwarf from their enviornment, and cursing him with nobility).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 23, 2013, 03:59:11 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on September 23, 2013, 02:39:04 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on September 23, 2013, 02:05:39 pm

On that note, does anyone mind if I hack in a new King or Duke?

The nobility system is broken. Call it a coup and hack in a new king. It's not like it's gonna change any actual gameplay (other than removing a hard-working dwarf from their enviornment, and cursing him with nobility).

The nobility do all the jobs normal dwarves do, unless they are on military duty. The vampire queen, for example, did hauling jobs and even some forging jobs while she was around.

I will carve out a palace for the future monarch and the new duke, and hack 'em in.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 23, 2013, 05:23:51 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on September 23, 2013, 02:05:39 pm

The nice platinum bridge I built at the entrance has been replaced by an aluminium bridge, which is not magma safe. What happened to the platinum bridge?!

I dismantled it because you didn't have any marked levers for it (that I could find), and I needed to be able to operate it without having duplicates around (I did ask like 4 times about entrance levers before doing that). And the dwarves have a nasty habit of "oh hey, let's not build this bridge out of *material on the ground* because there's *material on the ground* in the way!" type cancellations when you try a simple destroy-and-replace. I honestly did *try* to get a magma-safe replacement in, but it was cancelled about 8 times in a row through various issues and in the end I just had to find something they'd actually build things with. Check the second row of bridges (The Crusher) and see if those are magma safe...I can't remember what I built them out of.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 24, 2013, 07:15:55 am

Fool! That's not how you do it. You flip all levers until something does what you want. Then deal with the consequences.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 24, 2013, 06:34:48 pm

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 1st Granite 1097

(http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/8812/uysc.png)

Yesterday, the mark of the Archwiseards appeared on my right arm. There was a new year party on, and when the mark appeared the dwarf in charge of the fortress told me that he's quitting and I'm going to be running the fortress for the next period of time. To say that I am qualified for such a role is an overstatement. I am but a humble peasant, 20 years of age, who moved into this fortress with father.

Did I say this fortress isn't exactly a simple fortress? We are the fucking Mountainhome. The Queen, who was also a vampire, apparently moved on to the next world and no remains were ever found. This place is now 16 years old, and a mess of forgotten hallways and abandoned buildings. In the last year or two, the middle caverns got flooded with water, then magma, and finally undead. I can't remember the exact order, but there are some undead roaming the place whilst on fire. I've spotted a floored over stairway going down there, and reports suggest there are some dead dwarves down there. There is even a live unicorn in one of the fucking tombs.

The upper caverns were abandoned after many forgotten beasts arrived. There is another staircase going down there, but it looks like it was walled off at the top. I don't know who designed that. The depths of Moltenchannels have a road exit, but that has not been knocked down. I've heard there is some kind of structure down there not built by dwarves, but it has not been investigated yet. We'll have to deal with the huge spider down there first.

One of the hospitals on the surface got shut down because of some deadly forgotten beast contamination. Yuck. There are still dwarves living above the hospital! It is a is a disgrace.

The surface is a mess of abandoned or unfinished towers, and lava-based weapon systems. Only one lava weapon is currently active, and has two modes: Flood the fortress, burn the outside, or drain the lava into the pasture.

We even have some miserable hammerdwarves. The only dwarves on the verge of going berserk seem to be those armed with dangerous weapons. Something has to be done about those guys before they snap.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 25, 2013, 01:30:05 am

Nearly beserk....armed with dangerous weapons.....

....Cutey's taken over the squad, hasn't she?


Oh, and that stairwell to the depths? Make sure it IS floored over, rather than just "opens into a trench". Because I never floored over it, but I did make it impossible for non-flyers to get through it.



You can also blame me for the unicorn. I accidentally released a bunch (I still don't know how to transport caged animals without the dwarves releasing them..) and Urist McKiwi III missed that one after scratching her leg. It's a fitting tribute to our management of the fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on September 25, 2013, 04:26:25 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on September 25, 2013, 01:30:05 am

Nearly beserk....armed with dangerous weapons.....

....Cutey's taken over the squad, hasn't she?

Och, it's what I call pre-emptive surgery...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 25, 2013, 03:30:34 pm

Cutey is not actually in one of those squads. The real reason the hammerdwarf is so unhappy is because of worn clothing and long patrol duty.

Do you want me to mod unicorns to be exotic pets, and produce milk? It just involves a few minor changes to the raws.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 25, 2013, 05:05:42 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on September 25, 2013, 03:30:34 pm

Cutey is not actually in one of those squads. The real reason the hammerdwarf is so unhappy is because of worn clothing and long patrol duty.

Do you want me to mod unicorns to be exotic pets, and produce milk? It just involves a few minor changes to the raws.

Eh, it's more fun to have them wandering around the place.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 25, 2013, 07:07:24 pm

I checked, and the staircase down to the mid-caverns is floored over. However, there is a channeled-out area of soil that is open to a pit of lava. The lava must have got in there when the shroud of armok was fired. Still, it is open to the sky, and it is possible to fly from the mid-caverns into the outside world.

I've found that the Vampire Queen's last surviving bodypart was buried, which happened to be the thumb from her left hand. That is all that is left. Note to self: check the bodyparts list in the future just in case the remains come in multiple pieces.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on September 25, 2013, 07:18:10 pm

Hehe, it's nice to feel responsible for the flaming undead in the middle caverns. I think it adds to the dungeon-full-of-monsters appeal any good fortress should have.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on September 25, 2013, 03:30:34 pm

Cutey is not actually in one of those squads.

Thankfully, she's probably relaxing in her luxurious room above the hospital...

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on September 24, 2013, 06:34:48 pm

One of the hospitals on the surface got shut down because of some deadly forgotten beast contamination. Yuck. There are still dwarves living above the hospital! It is a is a disgrace.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 25, 2013, 11:29:39 pm

Yeah, I initially intended for the shroud to flood the caverns with magma when it fired. I messed it up though.

And in terms of our dungeon feeling...well...we've already managed to score a TPK on a party of noble adventurers, courtesy of Urist McKiwi III and the malevolent influences of Urist McDuck.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 26, 2013, 09:14:50 pm

Journal of Captain Archmage III, still 1st Granite, 1097

I did a better survey of the fortress, and found the sole surviving piece of the monarch is the thumb from her left hand. I heard something about the Vampire Queen going missing, but it was this bad? What the fuck happened? The fortress looks like a bigger mess from afar. There are workshops all over the place, mostly churning out stone blocks, but there is little transportation for the materials. We are at no immediate threat of attack unless the gates are opened or we open up the caverns again, and the threat from aboveground comes from a few undead. I hope we can eliminate them so we can clean up the aboveground area. If this fortress is the Mountainhome, we need to re-establish our position as the capitol before the situation gets worse.

I've issued the orders to get things going.

Citizens of Moltenchannels, the old "hospital" sited upon the surface is to be sealed from until such day as it is purged of its filthy contents.

I found all squads were ordered to be training and so on throughout the year. I've taken them off-duty at least for this month. I expect to do something about the scheduling, but we need some hard rest time from military duty (which can be better used to get this place running again).

(http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/8139/96yj.png)

I FONDLES A WOOD WALLS OVEUR AN FUCKING LAVA MOAT! In other words, someone clearly doesn't understand the meanings of "flammable", "furnace", "magma", "hot", and "dangerous". Take that shit down. Why the fuck do we need wood floors when we have so much stone anyway?

I've ordered most of the fortifications to be taken down. They don't have any walkable space on top, and expose large areas of the fortress. Before we have siege weapons shooting outwards, I want to have proper placements.

(http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8543/xykp.png)

The dwarven caravan is to be let out through the cavern exit. No really, the fortress was completely sealed off!

For some wretched reason, there are no mining or engraving jobs scheduled. Seriously? I'm ordering mining works starting NOW.

A lot of animals have been left out of pastures, and some of actually starved to death. Those animals are going to be put back in pastures before we lose any more. This is a fucking disgrace.

Finally, we need some more items of clothing. I've ordered some clothe -FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUU WHYARECLOTHIERSSCHEDULEDFORENGRAVINGANDMASONRY?!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 26, 2013, 10:27:04 pm

Dwarven building planks are immune to nuclear weapons, they can handle a little fire and magma. Although if you're going to take them down, I'd advise replacing them with stone walls so that walkway isn't completely exposed to arrowfire during sieges.



Another thing that might be worthwhile when you work on scheduling is to see how much steel armor we've got. I'm sure there's enough to equip our best dwarves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 26, 2013, 10:43:00 pm

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 2nd Granite, 1097

(http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/4373/5ii8.png)

Day two, Day 2, Day II, The Second Day; whatever you want to call it, it is my second day running the Mountainhomes. I assigned a lot of jobs to our dwarves yesterday, and I did not expect all of them to be done. Most dwarves, including the miners and engravers, decided to help get rid of the constructions instead of carving out the new plumbing system, even though only one dwarf would be required to begin the process, but at least the constructions are being dismantled.

(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/4299/b0pe.png)

Our clothiers have finally gotten to work making the clothing we need. The shoes will be handled by our leatherworkers instead, but they are busy "getting provisions".

(http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/4056/n9rf.png)

This is what has been made so far. This shirt is valued at 452, which is pretty good. The cloth itself was purchased from the dwarven caravan, and was not very well done but the work done by our dwarves here at Moltenchannels is far superior.

While I was checking out the jobs list, I found a gem setter hauling a minecart from the volcano dump back to the dump. Normally, the cart should have been guided, but when I enquired, it was because I made some changes to the minecart orders and the system was being re-set. I had also examined the orders for the non-functional track, but I did not find anything wrong there. However, when I climbed up the track to see what was going on, I found out why the second track hit the buffers:

(http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/7872/c67m.png)

The ramp only has tracks running north up the slope, and they do not join the track to the south. This means the track stop at the dump point is disconnected from the stop at the stockpile, which is why nobody would operate the system. Apparently, at least two of the dwarves in charge of the fortress tried to find out what was wrong, but didn't notice the error in the designs. I heard a lot about it over the last year or two. Seriously? The problem is right there, and I have underlined it for your reading pleasure. The track will be deconstructed and rebuilt properly momentarily.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 27, 2013, 03:59:13 am

"I'm a dashing swordsdwarf, not an engineer. Just because you pansy civilians get a good general education doesn't mean we dashing military types do."

-Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Militia Commander

----
Yeah, that was a pretty silly error. In my defense though, that was literally the first minecart track I'd ever built, and I did it without looking at the wiki.

Looking at that units list, holy fruitbats do we have a lot of engravers. Are any of them traditionalists? We could use some historically-detailed murals for future overseers to find and marvel at. Stuff like "This is an engraving of dwarves. The dwarves are on fire. The dwarves are screaming. This relates to the melting of the entire moltenchannels militia by random forest fires in the year...."

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 27, 2013, 07:06:44 am

With all the message spam whining about steel, and about them being frightened off by things that were miles away with no ranged weaponry of any kind, I didn't even think about the track. Though you also need to check on both levels, because N/S ramps still list as being two separate ramps. A north Ramp going up and a south ramp going down. Confused me at first too. That said, I saw the disconnect, but I'd seen it before and it worked, so I didn't notice the problem.

I bootstrapped everyone not mining into masons to complete the construction of the shield walls around the cart track. That's why the Clothiers were doing that. They were already engravers when I took it up.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 27, 2013, 05:11:03 pm

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 4th Granite 1097

(http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/5554/bp7f.png)

It is day IV. The merchants are now leaving the fortress through the underground passage, to trade with the other mountain halls. Despite reports of it taking a long time to get things done in the fortress, the pace of progress seems reasonable when compared to the timescale. I suppose when running a large fortress, things seem to get out of hand faster (READ: FPS is really low, so it takes a lot longer IRL to get things done).

(http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/2567/vdu3.png)

Not only have the wooden walls on the tiny passage across the lava moat been removed, but so have the defective minecart ramps - both of them. I have illustrated the correct setup on the operational line.

(http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/6628/635f.png)

I was asked about the availability of steel armor. Some of it is lying outside! I opened the bridge, but then Urist the Grey II reported undead as he was going out to pick up some of the items. I locked the doors and retracted the bridge, and then sent him to shoot the undead across the moat. They are quickly falling, though really none of them moved even to charge the gate when the place was open. Curious.

(http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/2472/jplj.png)

Because some of the disgusting forgotten beast blood was being spread around the western fortress bridge, I've ordered the thing to be dismantled. I also shut down the surface well. As our miners are going to be carving out proper plumbing, we don't need to worry about this disgusting "Stagnant Water" stuff.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 27, 2013, 06:35:09 pm

We have a western bridge? I was unaware.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 27, 2013, 07:45:45 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on September 27, 2013, 06:35:09 pm

We have a western bridge? I was unaware.

That would be the bridge covered in Neca Suckerwaste's forgotten beast blood.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 5th Granite 1097

Just when I thought I could wait until the end of the month to make a report, something else happens.

(http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/8323/ppg9.png)

The merchants were here so long their pack animals gave birth.

(http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/6868/n5vl.png)

We have an undead forgotten beast living in the waterfall drain.

(http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/6451/lue7.png)

Isa the forgotten beast is locked in some strange network of what-is-this-I-don't-even, and has contracted forgotten beast syndrome from another forgotten beast.

(http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/6799/dkb.png)

The cavern lakes have now been filled with toxic goo. That lake happens to be feeding the waterfall.

(http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/1041/m7dk.png)

The good news is we have a lot of masons expanding the bridge over the lava to the tower, and walling off the places that need to be walled off.

(http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/3410/zp7c.png)

I am now going to store some of my old troll fur gloves in my new residence in New Townbrush.

(http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/5808/8lyo.png)

Hopefully, Moltenchannels can make it to the end of the month without further danger.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 18th Granite, 1097

(http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/382/oegq.png)

Day 18 has come. All hail Moltenchannels the Leaky Ardent Dyke! Urist the Grey II has successfully eliminated all the undead outside, and I will now unlock the doors and gates to recover the items left outside. I hope we can avoid another siege.

(http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/3233/npm3.png)

An incredible number of items have been dropped outside, including this collection of exceptional golden crowns and figurines. Those most be brought back to the fortress and stored within a secure vault!

(http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/6966/anwz.png)

The Royal Swordsdwarf Likot Heavensboots has taken it upon herself to deconstruct the filthy western bridge! At last, we will no longer have to fear dwarves treading upon the wrong places! I have made a drawing to celebrate the event, which also depicts the new passageway in my honor.

(http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/1352/ia82.png)

The mayor finally got around to meeting the unhappy hammerdwarf. For a good portion of the month, the mayor was starving and trying to eat some cheese that had been left in the trade depot. He then went back to his bedroom until I gave him a call to arms, and then ordered him to stand down. I hope he can recover from his bad mood before anything worse happens.

(http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/9531/ef34.png)

Finally, the miners have dug the plumbing network to below the upper caverns now. The engravers will smooth it up, and once the floodgates, levers, and wells are in place, we can finally get some running water around here. "Running water" has been a goal of many leaders of Moltenchannels, but so far none have managed to finish the job. I intend to be the one to finish it. We will not dig or engrave any other works until the plumbing is done!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 27, 2013, 10:48:44 pm

In order of reactions:

1. "Hey the forest is on fire. Again."
2. That FB in the drain has been there since NotQuiteThere's turn. If it can't fly, it's not a threat.
3. That dining room is deadly enough *without* toxic goo. We should probably retire it and build a new one some time. That may require finding a way to turn off the flow, mind.
4. NEVER say "I hope we make it to X without Y", because Y will always happen.
5.Oh yeah, those gold items are probably from my trades to become the mountainhome, only never used...we had some idiots run out to gather twigs in the gold bins and get slaughtered ages ago. And that steel armor "lying around" out there is from what happened to the military during my turn. Ie. They were stabbed a bit by humans, then they caught fire and died and then got reanimated as zombies.
6. I'd love to see a nice new shiny swimming bath/dining room so we can train our dwarves as they munch, clean them as they munch, and infect them with FB syndromes as they munch. I would have tried it, but my past experiences with water have all been negative, and I had my hands full anyway.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on September 30, 2013, 05:48:39 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on September 27, 2013, 10:48:44 pm

6. I'd love to see a nice new shiny swimming bath/dining room so we can train our dwarves as they munch, clean them as they munch, and infect them with FB syndromes as they munch. I would have tried it, but my past experiences with water have all been negative, and I had my hands full anyway.

In my experience, the best way to train a military how to swim is to stick them in a danger room, and fill it 6/7 full of water.

They get really good at swimming, very fast.

Trying to get the average dwarf to swim is going to take a goddamn miracle (or a single level fort with no doors and an exact amount of water).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 01, 2013, 03:35:08 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on September 30, 2013, 05:48:39 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on September 27, 2013, 10:48:44 pm

6. I'd love to see a nice new shiny swimming bath/dining room so we can train our dwarves as they munch, clean them as they munch, and infect them with FB syndromes as they munch. I would have tried it, but my past experiences with water have all been negative, and I had my hands full anyway.

In my experience, the best way to train a military how to swim is to stick them in a danger room, and fill it 6/7 full of water.

They get really good at swimming, very fast.

Trying to get the average dwarf to swim is going to take a goddamn miracle (or a single level fort with no doors and an exact amount of water).

Well, since the only lakes we'd be swimming in are either full of toxic goo, or consist of magma.......efficiency isn't all that important. We could do with cleaning them up though.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on October 01, 2013, 06:34:05 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on October 01, 2013, 03:35:08 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on September 30, 2013, 05:48:39 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on September 27, 2013, 10:48:44 pm

6. I'd love to see a nice new shiny swimming bath/dining room so we can train our dwarves as they munch, clean them as they munch, and infect them with FB syndromes as they munch. I would have tried it, but my past experiences with water have all been negative, and I had my hands full anyway.

In my experience, the best way to train a military how to swim is to stick them in a danger room, and fill it 6/7 full of water.

They get really good at swimming, very fast.

Trying to get the average dwarf to swim is going to take a goddamn miracle (or a single level fort with no doors and an exact amount of water).

Well, since the only lakes we'd be swimming in are either full of toxic goo, or consist of magma.......efficiency isn't all that important. We could do with cleaning them up though.

Well, any water pumped immediately becomes clean.

Additionally, all we need to make sure that the fortress remains clean is a series of cleaning troughs, in front of the connection to any "Dirty" area (such as the sky, caverns, hospital, well, etc. Anywhere that dwarves get dirty).

These troughs are pretty simple, requiring a single channel (one tile carved out from the pathway per tile width), and filled with 2/7 - 3/7 of water (5/7 and 6/7 wont work as animals dont want to go through them (although they do make excellent danger room animal slaughter preventers), and 2/7 occasionally spills a bit, causing the whole system to dry... eventually).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 01, 2013, 08:11:10 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on October 01, 2013, 06:34:05 pm

Well, any water pumped immediately becomes clean.

Additionally, all we need to make sure that the fortress remains clean is a series of cleaning troughs, in front of the connection to any "Dirty" area (such as the sky, caverns, hospital, well, etc. Anywhere that dwarves get dirty).

These troughs are pretty simple, requiring a single channel (one tile carved out from the pathway per tile width), and filled with 2/7 - 3/7 of water (5/7 and 6/7 wont work as animals dont want to go through them (although they do make excellent danger room animal slaughter preventers), and 2/7 occasionally spills a bit, causing the whole system to dry... eventually).

Because the plumbing is going in, we can have farms deeper down in the rock. I should be able to set up a swimming training room by building a 10x10 room on two floors (channel), filling the lower floor with water, and building a bridge over it. By stationing dwarves in the room, locking the door (on the upper level), and dumping the dwarves into the water, I can force the dwarves to train. The road leading down to the deeper depths had a second barracks planned next to it, and the plumbing pipe descends nearby it. I can build the swimming pool right there. Naturally, the pool is likely to fill up with all kinds of disgusting and dangerous substances, so I will need to install a proper sewer.

Besides the game running slow, designing the plumbing system takes a lot of time.

In other news, I think I found the vampire queen's equipment in the area with the burning zombies and forgotten beast made out of fire. There is fire everywhere down there. That's right, we have two adamantine swords located at the edges of the map, one on the surface and one in the upper caverns. Both seem to have been lying around for some time now.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 1st Slate 1097: Mid-Spring Report

Day 29! The first month of the year has passed without any more dwarves having accidents. With the surface clear of zombies, I have ordered the items scattered around the entrance to be stored within the fortress. Unfortunately, nobody has started cleaning the place up yet. That was because one of the doors was left locked.

(http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/3429/hy6n.png)

I located two missing adamantine swords. The first one is lying right outside the western entrance, where anyone could grab it.

(http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3014/069x.png)

This is the second missing sword, which once belonged to the vampire Queen Iden Glazequests. It is lying in the upper caverns nearby a humanoid made out of fire and some zombies, which are also on fire. Most of the surrounding area is also on fire. Before we recover it, we will need to eliminate the humanoid and zombies and allow the fires to burn out. I have no idea how these valuable items ended up there!

I noticed a discrepancy in our records showing a masterwork adamantine blade in an unexplored region of the depths. I wonder how it ended up there? I should send someone to investigate.

(http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5276/lfey.png)

The miners have reached an important branch point on the plumbing. The north branch will lead to New Townbrush, while the south branch will feed the other areas and settlements in the depths. New Townbrush will have a separate drain to the other plumbing on this level.

I've drawn in some preliminary designs for a sewer to clear contaminated water or drainage from irrigation projects. I realised this was necessary since Urist McKiwi and bp920091 were talking about a military swimming pool, and since many military dwarves are covered in blood or other disgusting fluids we would get filth in the drains that could invade the rest of the plumbing. I have a design for a swimming pool, but I need the plumbing dug out and smoothed before we get started.

(http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/2027/qdg.png)

The towers on the surface are rising, thanks to abundant building materials and masons. For some reason, these rooms seem to get stuffed full of beds, but I have better plans. The new rooms should serve as offices, dining rooms, or barracks.

(http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/8506/g99h.png)

This is the state of the entrance. I have outlined the locked door, which has set back cleanup by about 10 days or so.

(http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4263/0hqd.png)

We're seeing improvements in happiness over the miserable and very unhappy dwarves on the verge of rioting. I found Shem Standardhame returning to training today, because it is Slate and I only called off orders for Granite. All orders for Spring have now been cancelled, the only military activities will be stationing and defence of civilians. I have called all the marksdwarves in the Blockaded Arches outside, for protection of the fortress and the civilians.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on October 01, 2013, 09:18:56 pm

We do happen to have a spare vampire, just itching for a chance to go kill things.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on October 02, 2013, 04:20:03 am

Yeah, the Vampire Queen managed to kill everything I set her against except the burning man. I got overconfident in her might. I tried to drown the burning man when I was stoppering the magma flow that I'd opened up in a vain attempt to kill the zombies I'd let into the lower caverns to kill the burning man. That didn't work either.

It's because he hides behinds trees that no one wants to path around, but has the power to shoot fire between the trees. I think someone should drop rocks on him in an elaborate trap that collapses half the fortress in on itself. That should do the trick.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 02, 2013, 07:53:13 pm

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 4th Slate 1097

(http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/4456/0fhy.png)

Day 32 leading Moltenchannels. Yesterday, one of our master farmers, Asmel Bodyshot became very secretive all of a sudden. Today, he occupied a Leatherworks and has begun picking up items. I looked through the records of his skills; he used to be a tanner but has no performed any jobs for a while, being profecient but very rusty. He has dabbling military skills at using a spear and a lot of fighting skills (including wrestling biting, striking, kicking, and dodging), but is not part of any squad. He is a dabbling swimmer, a novice judge of intent, novice flatterer, novice consoler, and is dabbling at lying, intimidation, conversation, comedy, pacification, and negotiation.

I have copied down the events log for reference to the situation. Asmel went secretive yesterday, and probably sought out the leatherworks overnight. In the meantime, some peasants were complaining about being unable to find bodyparts to put in tombs. Most of the bodyparts are lying outside, and some have been forbidden. To stop the trouble, I ordered the coffins removed. We will dig out proper tombs later and give the dead a proper burial.

(http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3031/krwj.png)

This is a drawing of Asmel in his newly-claimed leatherworks. Four days after the orders were given, there are still marksdwarves moving to station.

The plumbing work continues at a slow pace, mostly because I found we were using some dabbling miners. From now on, only skilled miners will be working on the plumbing.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 9th Slate 1097

(http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/205/1wcm.png)

Day 37. After forbidding some lower-quality pig tail fiber cloth and bismuth bronze bars, I managed to get Asmel to pick up some masterwork quality cloth and gold bars. We did not have any masterwork quality cloth with dye on it.

(http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/1021/adfw.png)

The the items Asmel is using are marked with a "TSK".

(http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/7438/xxyc.png)

At last, work is now in progress. I have high expectations that Asmel Bodyshot will produce a great artefact worthy of the Mountainhomes!

Note by CaptainArchmage: This is either going to be a creepy leather thong menacing with spikes of class, or a studded leather biker's jacket, right?

(http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/9158/q5r7.png)

Bim Athelunib has grown up, having become a Adept Grower during her time growing up at Moltenchannels.

(http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/9782/6dx6.png)

This is her biography. Another natural-born citizen of the fortress has reached the age of maturity! She is the youngest of the five children of Doren Greoovedgolds the (Legendary-Level) Planter and Logem Crowtomes the Gem Setter. Her two older brothers are both resident in the fortress, Vabôk Rirasshorast (Vabôb Greaterwire, aged 128) and Zasit Urdimluslem (Zasit Towerpuzzles, aged 123) the Engraver. Her two older sisters never migrated to Moltenchannels. All her siblings appear to be her elders by over a century.

Note by CaptainArchmage: For some reason I actually feel pride that this citizen, born in Moltenchannels, has finally grown up. A lot has happened at Moltenchannels.

(http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/3708/molp.png)

Having gone into much description about Bim Ringrags, I have written a few things about Abel Bodyshot. He has some excellent interests and will go a long way in making our Mountainhomes even greater.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, Slate 13th, 1097

(http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/2628/sjoz.png)

Day 41 has arrived, and Abel Bodyshot has finished his artefact! It is called "Patternlocks", a reindeer leather shirt! He is now a legendary tanner.

(http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/4981/9l8w.png)

The shirt menaces with spikes, and many other decorations. There is an image in rose quartz of a battle between elves and humans, which happened over a thousand years ago. This is a truly wonderful creation.

(http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/7012/j1jc.png)

The shirt is valued at ☼77,040.

(http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/6814/1j63.png)

As expected, Abel is very pleased with himself. I now need to find a dwarf worthy of this shirt.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 04, 2013, 10:18:24 pm

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 21st Slate, 1097

(http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/1639/0fa8.png)

Day 49. Civilization comes to Moltenchannels at last! The large room in New Townbrush to the north of my bedroom will finally have two wells installed.

(http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/5575/0ur5.png)

As we had a shortage of available beds and barrels, I assigned a proper workshop to Melbil Athelvunom the legendary carpenter, right next to the wood stockpile. I think we need a larger stockpile.

(http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/3718/4b9t.png)

I discovered we do not have enough power to run both the Shroud of Armok and the Water Lift at the same time. "Reactor Alpha", which generates power through the silicate-catalyzed zero-point energy modulation of dihydrogen monoxide, generates 700 power, of which 395 units are used, and the water lift requires 478 units. This means we will have a shortfall of at least 173 units, and we will need at least two more water wheels in a new reactor, or maybe over 20 windmills. "Reactor Beta" never worked.

(http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/8250/f7pl.png)

Now that the beehives are finally producing honeycombs, I need to set up a screw press to get the honey.

Monthly Report by CaptainArchmage III, 1st Felsite, 1097

(http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/8558/680r.png)

Day 57. Another month comes to an end at Moltenchannels bringing the promise of- ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? Why would you leave an adamantine breastplate out there? Why would you have an unskilled armorsmith forge a fucking adamantine breastplate? WHY?

I made that crack in the wall because I had to clear out the items from under the drawbridge. I need to get a military squad over there quickly before something goes wrong, too.

I am at a loss of how to further expand the plumbing. This fortress was not designed with plumbing in mind, besides the dining room where you drink water out of a waterfall fed by a toxic lake. This means I can designate new mansions with plumbing, but otherwise installing wells will mean knocking down walls and making a terrible asymmetrical mess of the designs that will induce ocular bleeding.

(http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/1857/vhmr.png)

A ridiculous number of our miners had these hauling assignments. From now on, miners will do mining and not moving stuff around on the surface.

(http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3213/5rlo.png)

It seems the previous leaders of Moltenchannels decided to employ our miners in something, but were not exactly sure what to dig. What is this thing?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on October 04, 2013, 11:49:18 pm

It's not already an ocular bleeding inducing mess? Seriously, how much worse can you make it?

You can run the water lift, if you fix the starter reactor I dug up in the north east. The pump and wheels are in place, but A) there's a tree blocking the output and B) the bloody thing doesn't hold water for some reason. You could also use a wall to cut down the oversize reactor I made and it should be useable. Best to fill it with the Water Lift though.

Also, if we need to fill the moat after the shroud has been fired, on the western edge of the island, I built all the pumps and windmills necessary to fill the magma drowning tower, and I believe the lever for it is right there. If not, it's labeled, in the control room just below the surface. (West side, south of the hall.) Check old records for details. (Turn one). Shouldn't take much to reroute it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 05, 2013, 07:05:19 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on October 04, 2013, 10:18:24 pm

(http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3213/5rlo.png)

It seems the previous leaders of Moltenchannels decided to employ our miners in something, but were not exactly sure what to dig. What is this thing?

It's a mine, obviously. 2-tile-thick "technical-word-for-stuff-left-behind-I-can't-remember"s make everything 100% visible, at the expense of taking a fair while to dig.

Specifically, it's my exploratory mining effort from my last turn, back when we were out of steel and iron. It's a little messy because of bits being cancelled, but it's pretty much exactly what I needed...I wanted one Z level with decent minerals which were 100% known, so I could mine some of them on demand and leave the rest easily visible for anyone in future. So I looked for some iron and then did some branch mining to see how big the deposits were and see if I could get some out to make some steel. Sure, it's ugly and time-consuming as exploratory mining goes, but it worked. I'd also planned to see about cutting lots of gems for an ego-project down in McKiwi III's quarter's, but I ran out of time. Otherwise I'd have mined those gems out of the walls, cut every single gem in the fortress into a window, and made McKiwi III's rooms slightly more reflective than a hall of mirrors.

The digging took way too long because of hauling settings (I'm glad to see you've got those fixed. I got some of them, but I think it kept resetting for some bizzare reason), but it got enough copper and steel for some very nice weapon, armor and trap programs.

And to answer your questions about armor lying around: It's there because the previous owner was an idiot who was killed in battle due to AI issues, then the undead turned up rendering it impossible to recover. You're the first person to have access to it since the previous owner died.
I think that breastplate is from the first production run, before I worked out how workshop profiles worked. Or during the time when our trained blacksmiths were off getting high as a kite behind the siege batteries for a few months instead of working. You might want to take a look at that, by the way....both of my turns have seen the blacksmiths spend months MIA and then turning up and doing their jobs towards the end of the year as if nothing had happened. Possibly some bad labour settings.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 06, 2013, 01:52:14 pm

Anima Rytak is a legendary grade armorsmith, I think? You really just need one skilled dwarf who isn't doing things other than weaponsmith, armoursmith, and blacksmith.

The last two days or so got interrupted due to illness and so on, but I will try to get things going again.

We still have adamantine available. I can melt down the adamantine breastplate, but it will not recover 100% of the material and we are still getting low. A (buggy) workaround is to recover or obtain some mire adamantine is by forging and melting coins. This process will probably be very slow, 10 batches of coins need to be melted for one wafer of adamantine.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 3rd Felsite, 1097

(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9027/ua54.png)

Once again, we narrowly averted an internal cataclysm. After I finished with the monthly report, I heard some dwarves discussing a violent ghost haunting the fortress. Since Moltenchannels is a gigantic place, and we did not have time for the normal engravers to finish their jobs and engrave the slab, I made an emergency assignment burrow over the mason's shop containing a pile of slabs, and the nearby craftdwarf's shop, and then ordered Pseudonym, who was nearby, into it. I assigned the engraving job for Tosid Mozibathel at the craftdwarf's shop, and though Pseudonym did not start engraving until I told him to do stonecrafting, I managed to get him to do the job.

(http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/404/mahr.png)

Once again, while dealing with an out-of-control situation, I found another unrelated error in unrelated employment preferences.

(http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/1796/e9fx.png)

Pseudonym had been handling the construction of my well, and the job went over to ïteb Boatscrewed, another novice building designer. Why are we having poorly skilled dwarves to design my wells?! If I can get Troll Fur Sock to do the jobs instead, we may have better quality wells.

(http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/2528/9h39.png)

The ghost of Tosid began to travel upwards while Pseudonym was hard at work engraving the slab.

(http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/3262/8deq.png)

At last, Pseudonym finished the engraving and placed the slab next to the workshop. The violent apparition then dissipated on the surface. Fortunately, no-one was injured, but this could have been serious. I think we need to deal with the unmemorialised and unburied dead, just in case they return. Meanwhile, Psuedonym needs to get something to eat.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 06, 2013, 05:02:38 pm

Yeah, AnimaRytak is very skilled. It's just that getting him to do anything was annoying as hell. Still, he did some great work in steel when I finally sorted him out. It may have fallen into the category of "fantastic work that doesn't show up in the equipment screen" though, since that was something of an issue during my turn.

It might be worth opening up Dwarf Therapist and checking all the labours. There's some stuff there that dates back to emergency projects 6-8 years previously, and it's just going to keep on slowing things down. I know we've got some untrained surgeons and the like running around just waiting to amputate someone's leg while trying to sew a cut on their cheek shut.

And I'd definitely support trying to sort out the dead. Both Triaxx2 and I had slabbed dwarves still haunting the fortress, and a bunch of unslabbed dead who were forgotten about. Since most fortress deaths happen in really violent and nasty ways, they tend not to be very happy ghosts. I did make a mountain of empty slabs for the purpose of memorialising them though.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 06, 2013, 05:10:30 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on October 06, 2013, 05:02:38 pm

Yeah, AnimaRytak is very skilled. It's just that getting him to do anything was annoying as hell. Still, he did some great work in steel when I finally sorted him out. It may have fallen into the category of "fantastic work that doesn't show up in the equipment screen" though, since that was something of an issue during my turn.

It might be worth opening up Dwarf Therapist and checking all the labours. There's some stuff there that dates back to emergency projects 6-8 years previously, and it's just going to keep on slowing things down. I know we've got some untrained surgeons and the like running around just waiting to amputate someone's leg while trying to sew a cut on their cheek shut.

And I'd definitely support trying to sort out the dead. Both Triaxx2 and I had slabbed dwarves still haunting the fortress, and a bunch of unslabbed dead who were forgotten about. Since most fortress deaths happen in really violent and nasty ways, they tend not to be very happy ghosts. I did make a mountain of empty slabs for the purpose of memorialising them though.

I have made the Emergency Assignments burrow, so all I really need to do is make it over a nearby food and drink stockpile, over a dining hall, and over AnimaRytak's rooms, and over the metal storage. Unless jobs are assigned inside of the burrows, which are small areas, he should focus on his work. I will probably release all dwarves from their burrows at the end of my term, because otherwise we may have dwarves doing ridiculous things.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on October 06, 2013, 10:31:59 pm

Yeah, that's not one of the older ghosts. That's one of the ones I had to have the military put down because he started a strange mood and couldn't get his project going. My last turn had two of those. I could swear I'd ordered some coffins made. I know we didn't have any when I ordered them, and I couldn't find the bloody graveyard to see if any of the placed ones were free.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 07, 2013, 03:18:21 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on October 06, 2013, 10:31:59 pm

Yeah, that's not one of the older ghosts. That's one of the ones I had to have the military put down because he started a strange mood and couldn't get his project going. My last turn had two of those. I could swear I'd ordered some coffins made. I know we didn't have any when I ordered them, and I couldn't find the bloody graveyard to see if any of the placed ones were free.

No worries there, we've got about 6 graveyards all up, none of which are possible to find half the time.

Edit: How are our artifacts going these days? Anything more valuable than that raw-candy amulet I came up with?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 13, 2013, 02:27:25 am

Any progress? it's been a week since the last update.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 13, 2013, 09:03:14 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on October 13, 2013, 02:27:25 am

Any progress? it's been a week since the last update.

Sorry I feel ill for a week, and a lot of work happened.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 4th Felsite 1097

Time is moving slowly around here. To speed things up, I ordered the useless catapult room demolished. We will built a siege training area above it, and recover the used ballista bolts.

(http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/4053/djiu.png)

I also discovered this corpse, which was showing signs that the disembodied spirit was floating around the fortress. I immediately ordered a slab to be engraved, just in case.

Note by CaptainArchmage: When the body of a citizen turns from a smiley face into a "@", it usually means the former spirit has risen and is haunting the fortress. This is useful because the ghost may not show itself before it is too late.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 8th Felsite 1097

(http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/4536/uzm1.png)

Therapy is very good around here. Not too long ago, this guy was about to go berserk.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 9th Felsite 1097

(http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/278/qkaa.png)

Mining work is beginning on a new barracks, which will both help increase defences toward the deeper depths and protect a vault. Unlike the barracks built by one of the previous leaders, this will include a well and a staircase. I was hoping to get all new rooms up to scratch (complete with office, dining room, well, and storage space) but these are just barracks. This will keep the miners occupied so I can spend time on other things.

I have lowered the drawbridges to the entrance for maintenance. Two of the drawbridges do not meet my guidelines, being made out of sterling silver and aluminium, neither of which are magma-safe. They will be both be replaced by platinum bridges if I can find any platinum. Defence arrangements are completely screwed up, but then we're expecting an elf caravan and so there's a good reason to leave the entrance open. I don't want more mess outside.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 11th Felsite 1097

(http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/8557/67cz.png)

I found this copper breastplate while searching through the inventory. It looks like one of the goblin soldiers was beaten to death with his or her own armor.

Why was I searching through the inventory? Because we have no steel. My objective is to melt down all the low-quality steel gear we have which gives at least a 100% return, and replace it with better quality items. To speed up the process, I have to clear all the old melt orders on copper, silver, and iron items, and I've taken my time to look at what we have. We'll start by melting down the superior quality steel discs. Superior quality? Really? We need Exceptional quality and Masterwork quality over here in the Mountainhomes.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 18th Felsite, 1097

(http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/9519/agzn.png)

The Elven caravan is approaching the fortress, somewhat later than I hoped. The good news is we have a finely-crafted green glass statue of one of their explorers, Amane Glossglowing, to trade with them. It depicts one of their heros, and it is green! I will not write my thoughts on an official journal about that. I would prefer to sell the exceptional quality goblets and keep the statue. No, we didn't get any more copies of those statues! Whenever we make one it seems to depict a great event from history and needs to be kept within the fortress. Oh well.

(http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/3966/i0ax.png)

I finally got some bars of pearlash and had a well-crafted clear glass window made. I was hoping for something better, but that is the only clear glass window we have. It will go in one of the towers.

(http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/7403/8fat.png)

BREAKING NEWS: The Mayor has a bed reserved in the lower northwestern wall-to-wall-with-beds-thing, despite having a very well built room in the mayoral mansion underground. Having just had a masterwork bed placed in the room above the upper northwestern wall-to-wall-with-beds-thing, I decided to see who else was in need of a room. There are two individual:

1) Momuz Athelvunom

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/990/0ole.png)

2) Zulban Tobuleral Bâsenshotom Avuz, Ranger

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/160/ektu.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 13, 2013, 07:43:39 pm

Wow. Having your armor ripped off and then getting beaten to death with it......that's a new one.

You should find plenty of low-grade steel crap. I bought a whole bunch from caravans during my turn but never got around to melting it down.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 19, 2013, 05:59:43 pm

Moltenchannels is back!

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 21st Felsite 1097

(http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/1926/ognj.png)

Trading with the Elves is in full swing, with Likot Heavensboots the Royal Swordsmaster doing the trading.

(http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/7450/2j4f.png)

We sold ☼1020 worth of green glass goblets, along with the tubes that did not make the grade. That wiped out the entire trading stock faster than I anticipated, and as I was assigning more tubes for trading, I also found a few stacks of low quality green glass coffins in the furnaces. Who the fuck ordered this stuff to be made? We're supposed to be building grand tombs for our citizens, not these crudely-made coffins that are installed wall-to-wall in rooms, even in the dining rooms and hospitals. Based on the workforce assignments, we have been using anyone available to use the glass furnaces, which is why we have so many low-quality items piled up in there.

I suspect something is afoot in our fortress, because one of the doors in the control room near the depot was wide open when I saw the first round of trading. This door is operated by mechanisms, so what could have opened it? It has not been used for years as far as I know.
=======
At this point, I tried to exercise my options to increase FPS. I tried moving the save to another computer, but the performance was actually worse. I finally tried turning off weather and temperature, neither of which are really needed right now, unless we end up battling the fire beast or using the Shroud of Armok. FPS has doubled, so the game is now playable in a reasonable period of time. Unfortunately, I noticed that we have some carryover problems from Bowelpillars.

The settings for Invaders were turned off, and the settings for dwarf mode contaminant splatter were turned on. This meant we did not get any invaders, but then we did have contaminants spreading through the fortress like the plague. "Well fuck" is all I can say.
=======

Summer Report by CaptainArchmage III, Leader of Moltenchannels: 1st Hematite 1097

(http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/7325/sbxm.png)

Summertime is upon us with not one cloud in sight. The chef is cooking up unicorn eye doughnuts, and the second barracks deep down is taking shape, complete with a well facility. I have high expectations that we can get personal wells for more of our dwarves.

(http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/9294/ej2y.png)
I have not tried these, but they certainly look better than the other things called "food" in Moltenchannels.

(http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/7039/il5t.png)
I completely forgot about this! The miners seemed to be hauling things to the depot, but they actually got some work done.

With the coming of the new season, I have grand plans for the future of the Mountainhome. This fortress and the dwarven kingdom need a better future, but the Vampire Queen, Iden Glazequests the Cobalt Magicians of Scandel, transcended this world three years ago. I am prepared to be king of Arcethingish, "The Strategic Bodices". Let us see what we can do here!

The Journal continues from here....

(http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/6084/28cq.png)
This is an interesting work I found on a mango wood bucket, which will go in the barracks well. Our dwarves must have great imaginations and command spiritual forces from deep within the Mountain, right?

The hole we made in the wall is being patched up now, and the front gate is being re-attached to a lever with magma-proof gears. After we stopped paying attention to the weather and temperatures, work has sped up nicely!

BREAKING NEWS: The Mayor has a bed reserved in the lower northwestern wall-to-wall-with-beds-thing, despite having a very well built room in the mayoral mansion underground. Having just had a masterwork bed placed in the room above the upper northwestern wall-to-wall-with-beds-thing, I decided to see who else was in need of a room. There are two individual:

1) Melbil Athelvunom

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/990/0ole.png)

2) Zulban Tobuleral Bâsenshotom Avuz, Ranger

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/160/ektu.png)

Since Momuz has been doing a lot of carpentry, and the bed is his, I decided to give him the room. His old bed has been moved there as well, so all that is left for him to do is clear out the pile of worn out socks and other clothing. I may be able to build an office and workshop up to the minecart tracks, which can both be purposed to supply a wood for him to work with, and and provide a great sight. As an added bonus, the office windows are be just beneath the Shroud of Armok's muzzle.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 4th Hematite 1097

(http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/5821/f9ib.png)

Another statue came out of the glass furnaces today, depicting the fall of the former Count "Urist McDonald" Mirrorstokes! Once I am king and the formalities are over, I need to pick a new Duke.

Request by CaptainArchmage: Is there any DFHack script to pick a new Count? There is a script to pick a king, but not one for a count.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 9th Hematite 1097

(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6636/a396.png)

Amazingly, we managed to reach the weight limit for the Elven caravan. I traded a green glass drum and window to finish off, obtaining all but one stack of the remaining arrows. There is a box of cloth we might be able to use, but I don't think it is really necessary to purchase it.

(http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/6205/2ftm.png)

This stack of meals is worth over ☼15000!

I bought some of the clay brought by the elves, and found a suitable potter. We now have a stoneware statue of cyclops and an earthenware pot. If we had miners or engravers to spare, I could run a minecart track from the clay soil back to the furnaces.

[Post ongoing]

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on October 19, 2013, 08:04:15 pm

Back from a very happy month on Poland, will update the first post soon.  :D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Zombie - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on October 19, 2013, 08:06:41 pm

Ah, the additional coffins were mine, since I couldn't find a graveyard. And then I sort of forgot about it when the turn ended.

And what's grander than being able to watch your deceased loved ones slowly decay into rotting sludge? Really.

Also, welcome back Wastedlabor!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Man Caverns - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 20, 2013, 12:30:40 am

Great. So now not only do we resemble some of the worse parts of the Napoleonic Wars, soon we'll have the French Revolution as well.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on October 21, 2013, 05:38:11 am

Provisionally signing myself for a turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Man Caverns - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on October 21, 2013, 08:04:03 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on October 20, 2013, 12:30:40 am

Great. So now not only do we resemble some of the worse parts of the Napoleonic Wars, soon we'll have the French Revolution as well.

Well we're already memorialising the deposing of nobility.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Burning Man Caverns - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 21, 2013, 10:09:15 am

Quote from: notquitethere on October 21, 2013, 08:04:03 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on October 20, 2013, 12:30:40 am

Great. So now not only do we resemble some of the worse parts of the Napoleonic Wars, soon we'll have the French Revolution as well.

Well we're already memorialising the deposing of nobility.

The Count died and was relieved of his duties at that moment. The statue therefor likely depicts the spirit of Urist McDonald.

I'm going to be minting a run of coins. The king designs the currency of the nation, so expect to have some sexy horrors on both sides of the coins. If the next release were out, the merchants might be distributing them throughout the world, and after retiring the fort to AI control an adventurer would be using the Moltenchannels designs.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 21, 2013, 06:36:20 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on October 21, 2013, 05:38:11 am

Provisionally signing myself for a turn.

I greatly look forward to Udib's reflections on the past 19 years of ruinous bloodshed and destruction.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on October 21, 2013, 10:09:15 am

I'm going to be minting a run of coins. The king designs the currency of the nation, so expect to have some sexy horrors on both sides of the coins. If the next release were out, the merchants might be distributing them throughout the world, and after retiring the fort to AI control an adventurer would be using the Moltenchannels designs.

I did some coins during my last term, IIRC. Not sure what happened to any of them, or even if they were finished. If you can find any of them it'd be neat to see what they turned out like.

I'm hoping our future currency isn't too NSFW although it would make for some fantastic IC writing.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 21, 2013, 07:00:01 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on October 21, 2013, 06:36:20 pm

I did some coins during my last term, IIRC. Not sure what happened to any of them, or even if they were finished. If you can find any of them it'd be neat to see what they turned out like.

You mean the 15000 aluminium coins?

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on October 21, 2013, 06:36:20 pm

I'm hoping our future currency isn't too NSFW although it would make for some fantastic IC writing.

It probably will be now.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: koter on October 22, 2013, 02:19:18 am

Fun read!
Please dorf me as Koter (male). Preferably an engraver or active military dwarf. Otherwise, your choice. Thanks.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 22, 2013, 03:52:59 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on October 21, 2013, 07:00:01 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on October 21, 2013, 06:36:20 pm

I did some coins during my last term, IIRC. Not sure what happened to any of them, or even if they were finished. If you can find any of them it'd be neat to see what they turned out like.

You mean the 15000 aluminium coins?

Hmm...I think mine were either gold or aluminium. Check the dates on them...if they're in 1091 (I think that was my first turn) or 1095, then yes, they're from my tenure and I never got to look at them properly. They're probably fairly lame.

Edit: Yes, they're mine. Looking back through my updates, I ordered the minting of aluminium coins in the month of Sandstone, 1095....because we had a bunch of aluminium bars and the blacksmiths were actually doing their work at the time. What do they look like?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on October 23, 2013, 11:13:26 am

It's too late I think to mod more engravings (at least they don't use them when I try), so I've prepared Moltenchannels' themed standard shapes file:

http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8062

Just replace the one in the save's raw folder. Some encrusting descriptions end a bit weird, but it's still nicer.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 23, 2013, 07:21:53 pm

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 15th Hematite 1097

I laid down some designs for more big rooms, but I will probably hold off on digging them until the upcoming project is done. In the meantime, Urist McKiwi asked me to check the coin designs for his run of aluminium coins, so I checked all of them to make sure.

(http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/5553/0a6y.png)

First of all, these are the copper coins, with a face value of ☼1. We have two stacks of 500, all from the year 1085. The front of the coin has an exceptionally designed image of a symbol of our civilization, and on the back is an image of the former dwarf vampire queen Iden Glazequests the Cobalt Magicians of Scandal ascending to the throne in the year 91, over 1000 years ago!

(http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/5523/svi.png)

Next, I found a single stack of 500 silver coins from the year 1085, with a fine design of the first King's ascension to the throne in the year 1 on the front and another image of a gem on the back. These have a face value of ☼5.

(http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/3678/h5y9.png)

These are the gold coins we have, and there are three stacks of 500, again from 1085. The front depicts the appointment of our general Shorast Basementcobalt in 1046. On the back is another more exceptional design of the ascension of our first King. Gold coins have a face value of ☼15.

(http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/3817/2zc5.png)

Finally, Urist McKiwi says he ordered a run of these aluminium coins. The obverse depicts longland grass, while the reverse again depicts the rise of our first King, Eshtân Razorbanner. These coins are all from the year 1095 (two years ago), and unlike the other coins they do not carry face value.

Coin inventory:
1500 gold coins (3 stacks of 500)
500 silver coins (1 stack of 500)
1000 copper coins (2 stacks of 500)
15000 aluminium coins (30 stacks of 500)

That's right, over 80% of our coinage consists of commemorative coins without face value, made from a particularly valuable material. This is probably to blame on an order through the job dispatch system, rather than on a job order left on repeat. We'll need to rectify the problem and have some more currency minted, but we are rather lacking in both silver and copper bars at the moment for the lower-denomination currency. Fortunately, dwarves around here seem to be fine without using coins.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 23, 2013, 08:57:58 pm

1. McKiwi III (and II, for that matter) is female. :P
2. Yeah, I ordered 30 "make aluminium coins" jobs for giggles. In my defense, I'd planned to make some gold coins as well but just plain forgot about them, and I didn't know that they wouldn't have face value. Nor did I know these were the first coins to be minted in a decade. I'd originally intended this as an ego project for McKiwi III, so she could have mountains of money in her tomb, but I forgot to actually move them and then I decided it'd be better to go down a different route for the character. We can say they're victory coins commemorating the survival of the fortress over the years 1094-1095, which was a seriously hard time for the fort.


I *did* deliberately leave a few orders on repeat when I ended my turn, partly so we wouldn't starve, partly for laughs. The only ones I can remember are from stills, where I basically told them to keep on brewing forever (since we had shortages in the past caused by forgetful overseers, and we have[well, HAD] mountains of prepared food), but if we've got an excess of something stupid like instruments, mugs, crafts or whatever, I may be to blame. It wouldn't be from a valuable material though, since that'd just be rude.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on October 24, 2013, 05:19:29 am

Some overseers raised towers, some dug moats, some waged holy war against undead legions, and others minted commemorative coins.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 24, 2013, 09:18:35 pm

I'm pretty sure I backed up my save, right? There's no way my reaping of the marble layer for my new mansion is going to cause an FPS or game-breaking disaster requiring a complete re-install. No way at all. No sir.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 15th Hematite 1097

After checking out our currency, I showed the new plans to the head miner, and a vile stench filled the air as the combination of digested Moltenchannel's staples and sunshine emptied out into his clothing. Its not like the plans are that hard! No really!

(http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/720/bdhu.png)

Here's how the conversation went.

"Aren't those rooms at the bottom twice the size of the coffin storage?"

This is what royal accommodation looks like in the Mountainhomes! Each room gets its own well. The middle room is the king's, the one to the east is going to be the queen's, the one to the west is either a statue garden and zoo, or a consort's room, big beds with doors and windows on 'em, and the passageway up north to the throne room is filled with statues and traps. Well, mostly traps.

"Doors and windows on beds? Consort's room? Queen's room? Throne room?"

(http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/1507/ofno.png)

This is the throne room. The place has magma filled channels and the king's throne goes just behind those two pillars. The exit to the north goes to the great hall, which has four wells. It opens up to the Royal Road, which is the final extension of the road carved around here in the last few years. The western room is the Royal Bathhouse. There is a dedicated soap storage room with a minecart feeding it, and a dedicated booze-and-well room to the other side.

(http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3849/ptik.png)

"Minecart?!"

That room with the stairwell in the middle is a storage silo. Ground floor is food, second floor is booze, and we'll have five levels in total.

"What? Oh, and what are those things there?"

(http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/8081/8n3v.png)

Courtier's quarters, you can't have enough of them. They're actually the prototype for the rest of future accommodation, dwarves living in proper houses instead of chambers covered in bedding wall-to-wall.

"How many are you planning?"
I'd planned nineteen to be on the safe side. We'll also need rooms for the support staff, such as a cook, a farmer, two blacksmiths, a jeweller, nine dwarves in the royal squad, probably a mason, a clothier, and a stonecrafter as well. I haven't designated all of those rooms though, because the place should be finished in blocks, and we may need more staircases. If it helps, we might also run into some adaman-

"Fine, we'll do it. This should keep us employed all year! Might as well get some work done."

(http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/2531/1p6t.png)

With that, my palace project is on its way to completion.

Edit: After the miners finish drinking. They are all drinking, all at the same time.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 25, 2013, 03:32:18 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on October 24, 2013, 05:19:29 am

Some overseers raised towers, some dug moats, some waged holy war against undead legions, and others minted commemorative coins.

Actually, I did all four. Although not in the same turn.

Edit: Um...I think you're incredibly close to the magma sea with that work, so be careful.....you might end up with loads of warm stone cancellations. Hopefully you won't actually breach the place. I'd suggest cooking all that marble with some hematite to make yet more steel and FPS. And be careful......there is an isolation system for that level, but it's not designed to stop magma flooding (Edit2: Yes, I'll admit, that might have been a pretty major omission when I started building it). If you breach, we'll lose access to half our candy reserves. And I will end you if you mess with McKiwi III's pad (although I think she actually lives in a basic room about halfway up the fort, so it's mostly for show).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on October 26, 2013, 06:11:37 am

Being unable to stop magma flooding is a feature, not a flaw.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 26, 2013, 07:42:04 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on October 26, 2013, 06:11:37 am

Being unable to stop magma flooding is a feature, not a flaw.

Well....maybe not.

I did actually intend to build a combined magma/HFS containment system. I just forgot to remove and seal the hatches that allow HFS to escape the fort and destroy the world. And to make sure I was building the containment system out of magma-safe materials.

I'm sure it works fine though.

Edit2: Wastedlabor, could you put me down for a turn after you? Assuming the fort lives that long it should be interesting to come back and see how 5 years have changed the place from bad to worse.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 26, 2013, 10:10:20 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on October 26, 2013, 07:42:04 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on October 26, 2013, 06:11:37 am

Being unable to stop magma flooding is a feature, not a flaw.

Well....maybe not.

I did actually intend to build a combined magma/HFS containment system. I just forgot to remove and seal the hatches that allow HFS to escape the fort and destroy the world. And to make sure I was building the containment system out of magma-safe materials.

I'm sure it works fine though.

Edit2: Wastedlabor, could you put me down for a turn after you? Assuming the fort lives that long it should be interesting to come back and see how 5 years have changed the place from bad to worse.

See below, I'm pretty sure the new windows will make the courtyard look better!

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 17th Hematite, 1097

(http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9422/jc25.png)

Today, the elven merchants finally packed up. Also, our legendary mason has now manufactured a magma-safe cabinet for my personal use. To speed the process up, I am ordering some cabinets made out of wood.

(http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9652/ryz9.png)

I commissioned Dumed Lancedroad, one of our gem setters, regarding the installation of windows in the atrium. The Carpenter Melbil Athelvunom really likes green glass windows, so I specified that his extended rooms should incorporate them.

(http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/1944/zxuf.png)

The miners are all drinking or storing items away, and I think we may want some more strategically-placed stairwells in the palace. However, they can always start on the road around Urist McKiwi's arrangement down there once they have finished drinking. I don't know what went on down there, but there are unfinished traps and a drawbridge on that level. There is also a pressure plate that doesn't seem to be connected to anything.

(http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/7610/bld7.png)
I found one of the farmers in the emergency assignment burrow and released him. Planting should get under way now.

(http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/4777/2hto.png)

I don't know how this happened but I came across one of our butchers with a cage. It contains a unicorn corpse that is forbidden, but for some reason the butcher is still working on cutting it up. This might explain the supply of "forbidden" unicorn products that nearly rotted in there a few days ago. I wonder how the unicorn corpse ended up in there in the first place? Did the unicorns just die in cages after being in the fort so long? Curious.

I found the last of the orthoclase fire doors I need for my temporary rooms in New Townbrush! I'll leave some notes that they should be kept shut.

Note by CaptainArchmage: From this point on, you should expect the wheels to come off as never before.

URGENT EDIT: Hey guys, do you know how I can show at least five z-levels on Stonesense? I need to show off the windows when they are done.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on October 27, 2013, 06:09:44 am

I believe just scrolling with the mouse wheel reveals more floors. if not, it's something like Control+mouse wheel.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 27, 2013, 09:11:48 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on October 27, 2013, 06:09:44 am

I believe just scrolling with the mouse wheel reveals more floors. if not, it's something like Control+mouse wheel.

I meant five levels at the same time, because the windows will be spread over at least that many floors.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on October 27, 2013, 10:29:50 pm

I know what you meant. Hold Control, and scroll the mouse wheel down and it will display more active floors. You can only see lower floors if your upper floors are gone I believe.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 28, 2013, 10:37:18 pm

Ah! The pressure plate. yes. I'd intended to make an automatic flood-door that would seal that level if it flooded, or if the rest of the fort flooded, using the existing bridge I'd already placed there. I obviously never finished it. Again, I am sure we will not have any problems with this at all. Go ahead and remove it if you want, you know what you're doing better than I did.


The drawbridge could do with testing. Assuming I finished it, there should be a note-labelled lever in the control room in McKiwi III's chambers, and another one somewhere above that level. Not sure if that's the one in New Townbrush or not, but it's hopefully labelled (my notes are red exclamation marks with a purple background, IIRC).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 29, 2013, 09:06:35 pm

The following notice by CaptainArchmage III was found posted in many locations around Moltenchannels during the summer, after about 19th Hematite.

Notice: Proper Stockpile Settings a.k.a. Dwarves! Read this if you want your stockpiles to function!

(http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/5535/29ea.png)

Today, I found out why the stockpile for metal bars in the forges never actually worked. We need to select which materials to allow from the "Additional Options" section. "Non-Plant/Animal" covers metal bars and the like. The stockpile is now functional, so go load it up from the smelters! Future leaders, please take note of this arcane setting. ~CaptainArchmage III

Furnace operators needed! Taking melting and smelting work: Need three smelters operated, all day, every day, processing gold ore, smelting galena, and melting down of unused and salvaged non-masterwork military equipment with no registered kills.

Dwarves, Masons, and Furniture haulers also needed! Complex array of windows, both made from gems and from glass under construction, over at least five floors in main courtyard. Skilled dwarves and masons, there are plenty of doors, hatch covers, and statues to devote your time to instead!

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 23rd Hematite 1097

Three large-scale projects have just gone underway; the windows project in the courtyard, which involves masons, glassmakers, gem-cutters, and haulers; the forging project, which involves the furnace operators and smiths; and the underground mining and engraving project which features a road and palace, subject to alteration. What is interesting about this? No employment overlap!

(http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/8571/pyfk.png)

The forges are cleaning up nicely as our now-functional bar stockpile is filled up by the dwarves. No longer shall our smelters be a huge mess of bars!

(http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/8472/idz5.png)

We hit the lowest floor I was willing to risk digging on. Not sure what I will put here, but it is practically on the magma flow. My palace will have to be redesigned a little now to take account of the pillars of marble rising from the superheated rock.

(http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5259/j71d.png)

I'm considering adding a well to Urist McZombie's quarters, which will be quite large and look good in the marble. It can be on a separate branch from the palace supply or be on the same branch. Filtration (grates) will be included. This will also expand the width of the hallway somewhat. For some reason that large room is also becoming the new epicenter of drinking activity, so the wider hallway will alleviate congestion.

(http://img541.imageshack.us/img541/9181/1oc.png)

This is an interesting hauling profile, but I think our smiths need to be operating the furnaces instead. I will employ more furnace operators from the peasants and harvesters if necessary.

Question by CaptainArchmage: McKiwi III's pad has that well upgrade planned. Would that count as messing with your pad?

End of month Report by CaptainArchmage III, 28th Hematite 1097

Work has vastly sped up here at Moltenchannels after I set right some stockpile rules. The forges look like they are active right now, with a mass of dwarves moving items to and fro.



I found one of the peasants, Kadol Logemesdor "Paintedsells", who grew up in Moltenchannels, is a legendary woodcrafter as a result of a strange mood a few years ago. She is no longer hauling and is manufacturing masterwork wooden bolts for the army! We happen to have another legendary woodcrafter, unfortunately not as committed or busy with other work. Clearance of the job orders is finally progressing!

(http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1115/mdui.png)

I ordered the outside cleaned up completely now, no corpses lying around. The bodies of the fallen soldiers will be brought within our walls for burial as soon as a proper tomb is built.

(http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3705/5u9y.png)

I saw some dwarves bringing in bins using wheelbarrows, so I ordered another 10 ones made out of wood. Once I get some of the metalcrafters to get back into it and mint some coins, I will also order some lead wheelbarrows and minecarts, since the galena smelting is producing a large amount.

Finally, I'm clearing more military training orders for the rest of the season. With luck, the place outside will be clean and ready to go for the next siege!

Edit: I'm going to wait for further gameplay months or events to update. Cleanup is nearly done and a lot of gold, silver, and lead has appeared. Quality control is trying to keep up with putting low quality productions back through the smelters. We finally have mead and waxwork production underway, which is a first both for me and I think for the succession games I have seen.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on October 30, 2013, 06:45:17 am

How do you even make wax?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 30, 2013, 09:48:22 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on October 30, 2013, 06:45:17 am

How do you even make wax?

Bees.

I seem to recall we also have some soapmaking facilities that have lain empty for a long time, so we could productively start those up so as to improve our healthcare system.

Adding a well to my excellent shelter is fine and excellent, as long as it's an awesome well. It'd also be awesome if you could persuade the idiots to store "food and drink" not "seeds and syrup" down in that food stockpile unless that's sorted itself out(I wasn't very good at stockpile settings during my first turn, and I forgot to fix it during my second one). The whole thing is supposed to survive a disaster with a bunch of people inside (originally McKiwi II+Adamantine miners, later I hoped to adapt it to house an entire squad in extreme circumstances). A well would certainly help. Also another isolation system to seal off the tomb from the main fortress.

...when my turn comes around again, I really must make sure that the drawbridges are actually magma-safe........

I'd also suggest taking a good look at McUrist's General Hospital (I pointed it out when Wastedlabor did screenshots/stonesense after my turn..it's to the bottom-left of the stairwell, near a graveyard)....I only ever intended it as a temporary solution, and it lacks a decontamination system. If you're building a massive palace down there, you might want to make an emergency hospital which gets sealed off until it's needed (so we don't get contamination there until the main hospital is already destroyed and the lower levels sealed-off. Our main hospital should also really have some kind of decon system to keep it clean for as long as possible. Plus I made it in a hurry, so it might not be supplied adequately.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on October 31, 2013, 02:49:15 am

Last time I checked, Cutey's ground floor tower hospital is very well stocked (the Dwarfs stole a lot of cloth straight from the Elves in what must be the most larcenous bug there is).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on October 31, 2013, 03:30:48 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on October 31, 2013, 02:49:15 am

Last time I checked, Cutey's ground floor tower hospital is very well stocked (the Dwarfs stole a lot of cloth straight from the Elves in what must be the most larcenous bug there is).

That's true, but remember that a lot of stuff in there is either forbidden or sealed off. So we may have a shortage of stuff that can be used becuase it's all sealed in there and covered in Death Blood.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on October 31, 2013, 05:58:04 pm

I'm going for it now!

Quote from: Triaxx2 on October 30, 2013, 06:45:17 am

How do you even make wax?

End of Month Report by CaptainArchmage, 28th Malachite 1097

Another month of productivity has come to an end!

(http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/6901/49m.png)

Farming was going slowly because of these ridiculous hauling assignments. Planters will no longer haul items when they should instead be planting cave wheat and pig tails in the farms! Because many of the peasants who just reached adulthood have such high farming skills and little else, and the cleanup has been mostly completed, I am having almost all of them plant crops unless they are doing important things such as learning to forge weapons and armour.

(http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/7080/abip.png)

I found this diorite crown with an exceptional image by our legendary gem setter Dastot Kuletthimshur in green glass on it, depicting the founding of our fortress. The crown itself is well-crafted, but the image sets it aside for an item that should either be sold at a high price, or transferred to one of our vaults for safe-keeping.

(http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3545/xgjk.png)

The elves finally packed up and left with the merchandise we sold them.

(http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/4385/ol0e.png)

Fortunately, they exited the area without incident, otherwise we would have a terrible mess on our hands.

(http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/246/0qb2.png)

After pressing the harvested honeycombs into honey, I finally had some mead brewed.

(http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/7678/gsv.png)

Mead is an interesting drink. It can be brewed just as any other drink, but the main ingredient is honey. Honey requires a long production process and only a small amount of mead can be produced at a time. Because of this, no fortress has manufactured mead in recent history to the best of my knowledge. However, we do have mead now, so we can now enjoy this rare drink. If we can install more hives, we may be able to get a decent level of production up!

The process of pressing the honeycombs into honey has also left a surplus of wax. Wax is another item we can craft, but it does not become available frequently for the same reasons that mead is not produced frequently. I was asked by Triaxx2 about how wax is made - no, not many dwarves know! Wait, who and where is Triaxx2? Am I going insane? It must be the heat from the forges, I don't see the guy on the citizen list anywhere! I was just talking to him about the mead though, and he told me that Cutey's ground floor hospital is well stocked with supplies.

I did the investigation, and could not find any trace of a dwarf named "Triaxx", but I do know that Cutey's ground floor hospital is in permanent quarantine for health and safety reasons.

Earlier in the month, I noticed that there are two adamantine deposits at the northern end of the fortress area, and there is a strange phenomenon occurring due south of the western deposit. I believe there may be another adamantine deposit in the south-eastern region, and I may extend the palace to include certain rooms in there. I know legends say these places are dangerous, so I will try to get the adamantine out first if I can.

(http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/1381/mi0r.png)

I decided to start forging some battle-axes myself. It goes to show how bad our education system is when the person who leads the fortress is a complete novice at this! Fortunately, the low-quality battle-axes will just get melted down and recycled, so there's no ultimate loss.

(http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/8774/ekd4.png)

After that experience, I decided to expand the armorsmith apprenticeship project to other dwarves. We're making some progress here!

(http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/8506/emwp.png)

I found a massive amount of sandbags in the refuse stockpile. This refuse system isn't working any more, so I unforbade them. The carts still get pushed around, but I think until the next zombie siege arrives the equipment around there is redundant.

(http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/5392/4pww.png)

I found out why the brewers weren't brewing the other dwarven plants we have a large quantity of. From now on, unless their alcohol is found in a sufficiently large quantity around here, all plants are fair game for the brewers!

PUBLISHING IN PROCESS, PLEASE STAND BY

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on October 31, 2013, 09:04:13 pm

Yes, yes! My expurgations from the records is working!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Rising Towers - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 01, 2013, 04:54:34 am

How are the towers near the drawbridge/outer-outer-courtyard on the Eastern side looking these days?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on November 06, 2013, 10:14:19 pm

End of Season Report by CaptainArchmage III, 28th Galena 1097

(http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/1816/7aj4.png)

The year is half gone. Deep underground, the new palace is being carved out of marble, criss-crossed by veins of native gold. The miners work tirelessly to dig out this, our greatest achievement yet.

(http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6159/g99b.png)

Meanwhile on the surface, the towers rise inexorably into the skies. If dwarves were not occupied with so many other things, these would have been finished by now.

(http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/4189/yayo.png)

This large room is going to be an office or dining room for the carpenter, Melbil Athelvunom. The mural on the floor is in a shape of a tree, and includes plenty of green glass, which he really likes.

(http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/3092/27wq.png)

I'm sure everyone would love to know what this is. There are rumours flying and nobody has it right. Nobody, except me.

(http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/5447/a42h.png)

On the 16th, a human caravan was sighted by the dwarves cleaning up the outside. They were accompanied by a guild representative. I traded two large stacks of quarry bush roasts for a large amount of items - all the food, cloth, leather, metal, gems, and some of the metal items I determined could be melted down.

(http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/2865/c90v.png)

I then watched the guild representative's jaw drop at our request for next year. Trust me, these items are important.
(http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/4174/9mnt.png)

Now that we have ash, we can finally make some lye and then soap to clean up this shit-hole.

(http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/3728/99u8.png)

Anima Rytak got to one of the battle axe orders before I did, and made this wonderful masterwork. We have a new addition to the permanent weapons list!

(http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/8710/5usm.png)

A blast of trumpets, darn! I forgot to take the military off-duty for the rest of the year, so they're now up and about. Fine, there's work to be done! Important preparations must be made. Moltenchannels is about to witness an event that has not happened for over a thousand years now.

1st Limestone, 1097
On the first of the month, all military dwarves in Moltenchannels are called to the Second Cavern Layer. CaptainArchmage III is seen darting out of the chain room, where a large number of dwarves seem to keep congregating from time to time. A large assembly forms within the caverns, and CaptainArchmage III finally appears at the foot of the great staircase leading up to the surface, from which the two unicorns have been removed.

(http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/4880/pwpu.png)

Friends! Countrymen! Dwarves... wait, why the fuck is that dwarf on fire?! Oh SHI-

(http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/914/pldd.png)

Confusion reigns. Dwarves go running in all directions, while the burning surgeon Vucar Rimtarlisid is ordered into the waterfall dining room. A massive cloud of steam shoots out of the room, and a fog settles in the caverns.

(http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4573/hyei.png)

The situation is resolved as Vucar discards his burning cloak upon the grates. The burning heat causes damage to his clothing, but it also cleans up the surrounding area.

(http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/9906/stzj.png)

Above ground, another situation goes out of control, with another wildfire threatening the outside of the fortress.

(http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/6600/lov4.png)

With the underground crisis averted, CaptainArchmage III orders some further structural work in the towers above ground, and calls the military below to the mining works in the marble. The human guild representative follows the mayor down. Some of the hallways here are very tight for such a large volume of dwarves to get through.

(http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/5133/s6c2.png)

The crowd spills into the rough-hewn open marble chamber, where they assemble. Some gems are being hauled away, miners are measuring up the walls, and there is a lot of stone and gold lying around, but the place is huge even by Moltenchannels standards.

(http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/2013/vxnl.png)

The human guild representative pulls the mayor aside as CaptainArchmage III arrives in the room.

(http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/7484/p400.png)

The time has come for a new coronation. The last happened over a thousand years ago, when the dwarven queen Iden Glazequests took up the throne. She was cursed to prowl the night in search of blood, but lived for most of those thousand years. Today, a new generation of dwarves will take up the throne and the kingdom of The Strategic Bodices! All hail Moltenchannels! The new king is crowned! Can we get our Count back now, please? Oh troops! Stand down! We've got work to be done!

(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1219/8p0j.png)

Wait WAT? Yeah, I feel like trading at the depot.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 07, 2013, 05:10:06 am

Inner Monologue of Urist McKiwi III, Militia Commander & Dashing Swordsdwarf. 1st Limestone, 1097, just before lunchtime.

So we're down here for this "big surprise" Captainarchmage has planned. It's pretty obvious he's claiming the throne. Fair enough.....to put it frankly, no one else thinks that being ruler of this civilisation is anything other than a quick ticket to a shallow grave, but he wants it.....and he's done reasonably well this year, even if he's been rather less dashing than I would have liked in the process. Although I suppose that royalty has to take second-pick of the dashing individuals after dashing swordsdwarfship. Still.....this waiting around staring at each other isn't much fun. Not very dashing, either. Wonder when our new armor's getting made? And if I'll get a nice shiny adamantine breastplate to replace this plain old one. Not that I'm complaining, it does the trick, but a really nice one would be....oh, he's here. Time to look dashing. Or at least mildly interested in being here. I should have filled my flask before coming here. Some good strong liquor would make this a lot more interesting. Hope he doesn't want special treatment in the military now that he's a monarch. Suppose I could manage something, but it'll only last until I can get rid of it. Soldiers are soldiers, and monarchs take second place to dashing heroes such as myself. Ah well, with a bit of luck everything will be fine. Damn I need that drink......looks like he's going to start talking any minute...ah, here we go.

Oh hey, someone's on fire. I wonder when he'll notice that. I'd dash off to help, but kings can execute people who move when they don't want them to, so let's see how long it...ah, there we go. Best. Speech. Ever. Except for the swearing, obviously. That's hardly dashing at all. But the rest? Perfect.

It always seems to surprise the overseers when they realise just how stupid most of our civilians are. I mean, walking into a forest fire is pretty dim....and then running down into the fortress? Even dimmer. Still, guess that chap's alive. For now. Until Cutey gets her hands on him. That's better than my men back in '95 when the fires took out a whole squad or two....but they were trapped. I only survived because I could dash across the coals before they set my clothes on fire and make it onto the burned ground! Ah....the screams.....they all come back. People I couldn't help, dying in front of me.... Ok, time to think about something else.

.....I wonder what's for lunch today? I'll just nip off once this is over.....and fill that damned flask before I get called up for another one of these things...

-------------------------------------------

I can't see how the two towers by the gate are faring in those screenshots....but those were never that important. Another thing you might want to do if you've got time and masons to spare is putting a wall along the rim of the magma moat to direct the flow of magma from the Shroud of Armok north into the forest, rather than letting it go south into the moat/volcano system. It'll double the effectiveness of the system, and also set fire to the caverns whenever we activate it.

One thing I DO see in those screenshots is some blood in Cutey's old room in the tower you're extending. Make sure that's not the organ-failure-inducing stuff or pave it over just in case.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on November 07, 2013, 07:05:58 am

Really, we should fill that bloody room with magma. Because really, what's the point of having a fortress without a random magma reservoir.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Sebastian2203 on November 07, 2013, 12:34:04 pm

I find this thread very enjoyable, thank you for creating his interesting story..

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 08, 2013, 08:14:12 pm

Quote from: Sebastian2203 on November 07, 2013, 12:34:04 pm

I find this thread very enjoyable, thank you for creating his interesting story..

I'm amazed at how well it's gone. Some day, with luck, we will have a suitably epic ending to this tale.

Edit: Even more hopefully, maybe some day we'll take a shot at the Hall of Legends. I don't think we're quite legendary enough, but we're getting there.

Edit2: I notice I'm not on the turn list, so I guess my older post got missed. Could I be put on the list for turn 20?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on November 09, 2013, 09:18:04 pm

You bet stuff has happened at Moltenchannels.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 18th Limestone, 1097

(http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/8996/ee.png)

Many fires burned outside during the coronation. It seems the forces that lit Vucar the surgeon on fire also saw fit to burn the surrounding area. It must be an omen of things to come, and we should be prepared. Even if the fire imps are responsible, it means that we need to take greater care of our safety around the volcano.

(http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/3923/il7h.png)

That familiar "splat" sound was heard from the trapped entrance to the west. It seems a dingo or two tried to get in, but did not go very far.

(http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/8748/xv05.png)

This is the aftermath. Haulers brought this to the stockpile by the butchers. It will be dealt with after the unicorn skeletons are processed.

(http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/2315/qyna.png)

Does this look like a happy smelter to you? I think not. I ordered more gold ore to be smelted. I also ordered another mass-melting of low-quality items.

(http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/5198/klfp.png)

It is time to mint some coins. I am having a preliminary run made right now. These will be the first real coins we've had for a long time.

(http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/3350/79lz.png)

Our copper coins for this year depict the appointment of Sarvesh Enjoyedships as general of our civililization in 372. On the back is a symbol of our civilisation.

(http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/4018/8okh.png)

Our silver coins have a fine image of The Maroon Skies, a native copper ring, on the front. The backs of these coins have a truly masterful image of Led Rockcradled the Crystalline Romance of Excavations rising to the position of Outpost Liason 1085, before Moltenchannels became the Mountainhome. Led Rockcradled moved to Moltenchannels the following year, and is now a Hammerdwarf of considerable renown.

(http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/1739/by1w.png)

Finally, our gold coins have another truly masterful design, this one of the rise Eshtân Razorbanner, our first king, rising to the throne in the Year 1. The coin's back contains an exceptional image of the departure of Kel Lulledboulder, the outpost liason who succeeded Led Rockcradled, from his position in the winter of 1086. Kel Rockcradled was struck down by the troglodyte Weaknessforded in that year, and there is a memorial to him around here somewhere.

I have called off the adamantine coins until we are a little more confident of our supplies.

Diplomatic Journal of CaptainArchmage III, King of The Strategic Bodices, 1097

(http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/7405/o3k0.png)

Today, the mayor finished negotiating a trade export agreement with Rapeanthath, a Human civilisation. It appears the humans are in great need of amulets, bracelets, pearl rings, prepared meals, tools, splints, toys, ash, anvils, and footwear. Obviously, the need for raw metal will cause problems supplying anvils, but we can make many, many prepared meals for them. Our chefs will be cooking away all year.

(http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/1268/s2x9.png)

Why thank you.

End of Month Report by CaptainArchmage III, 28th Limestone 1097

(http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/5524/m9nd.png)

This month, I was crowned king of The Strategic Bodices, so it must have been a good month. However, we've done even better. We have lye, which means we can now make soap. I also found the Mayor was stuck within a burrow containing rooms, so he may do the honours to get us our first batch of soap now. The human merchants are leaving now, so the depot will be clean for the autumn caravan. Besides that, we are now minting our own currency again, which is a good thing.

Up Next: You wanted to know how the towers were doing? They're getting bigger.
They may even get their very own minecart networks to keep the ammunition delivered on time.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 10, 2013, 12:20:15 am

Ok, Candy coinage may be a little extravagant when our military still needs their awesome death weapons/armor. Although not so much 'death' armor as "staying alive" armor. But I wholeheartedly approve of the rest. Now if we can just get some nice gold artifact furniture through a lucky strange mood, we'll have some really fitting stuff for the palace. And to nag a little more, how's the military? Are they training themselves to make up for the losses of my turn, or are they on break so they can go haul things for the other projects?

And, to repeat the thing from above, I'd like turn 20.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on November 12, 2013, 06:11:28 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on November 10, 2013, 12:20:15 am

Ok, Candy coinage may be a little extravagant when our military still needs their awesome death weapons/armor. Although not so much 'death' armor as "staying alive" armor. But I wholeheartedly approve of the rest. Now if we can just get some nice gold artifact furniture through a lucky strange mood, we'll have some really fitting stuff for the palace. And to nag a little more, how's the military? Are they training themselves to make up for the losses of my turn, or are they on break so they can go haul things for the other projects?

And, to repeat the thing from above, I'd like turn 20.

I finally got more time to play.

Royal Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 17th Sandstone 1097

Today, I verified that the throne room parameters are to specification for the procedure of making rooms. A distance of up to 30 squares can be made from the throne, and I think it just squeaks in.

The architect of the above-ground room with the gem windows, Dumed Kûbuktulon, suggested that we use the adamantine I withdrew from the mint to make some pillars to reinforce an entrance. I wonder exactly what she is planning to put in there. I've had some crazy suggestions for gold and aluminium items recently, which I again approved because they could be easily recycled. I still decided to approve the project, sincewe can just remove the pillars and get the wafers back if it becomes needed by the military. We don't have enough adamantine to produce military equipment anyway, and if we re-started excavation work we would probably have more than enough to cover needs.

(http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/1038/tzeb.png)

I ordered more steel production. We have too many iron items and not enough steel items given the amount of flux we have. Our records show we have 174 boulders of marble, and the palace project will only produce more. I hope I can obtain some more flux from the autumn caravan, since we have 66 iron bars in stock, and can manufacture 120 more from current ore supplies. As melt down old iron equipment, our reserves will only get larger. The gold ore is mostly down in the palace right now, so until we set up a supply train or a new smelter, we won't be making much more progress.

(http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/5690/sfz6.png)

The towers at the gate were a mess of ramps and stairways to nowhere. They are now going to be re-designed properly.

Fortress Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 21st Sandstone 1097

(http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/9350/na32.png)

Some dwarves mentioned a funny smell coming from the waterfall.

(http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/3163/rfwx.png)

It seems the forgotten beast Isa has escaped from its watery prison and is now approaching the waterfall. If it gets washed down the waterfall, we're in deep trouble.

(http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3803/qxgp.png)

Welcome to civilization, Moltenchannels!

(http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/5163/7zfz.png)

Some gold finally arrived so we can finish the production at another smelter. We're going to clear out all the iron supplies now to get some more steel. Unfortunately, Momuz Zanegenkos, one of the Furnace Operators decided to leave his lunch at the smelter. If he doesn't eat it or shove it in a bag soon, it is going to stink.

What's this huge pipe of stuff doing outside?

(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/4653/0n6b.png)

I don't even. All the smelters are working, and we have plenty of old and scavenged iron military equipment designated for melting.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 12, 2013, 08:36:14 pm

Hmm. I do not recall any of my losses occurring there, and Triaxx2 never had soldiers outside the fort during his turn IIRC...and the various bits of armor don't suggest that it was multiple deaths on the same tile. Unless it was two semi-equipped soldiers armed with a spare helmet. Not out of the question, but unlikely. Maybe a bin full of armor was dropped by a hauler during an attack at some point, and was then consumed by the fires? I dunno. Doesn't look all that useful anyway given how much iron and copper we've got already.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on November 12, 2013, 08:48:13 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on November 12, 2013, 08:36:14 pm

Hmm. I do not recall any of my losses occurring there, and Triaxx2 never had soldiers outside the fort during his turn IIRC...and the various bits of armor don't suggest that it was multiple deaths on the same tile. Unless it was two semi-equipped soldiers armed with a spare helmet. Not out of the question, but unlikely. Maybe a bin full of armor was dropped by a hauler during an attack at some point, and was then consumed by the fires? I dunno. Doesn't look all that useful anyway given how much iron and copper we've got already.

It might be that a mischievous ghost was slabbed and dropped a lot of items there, or possibly something to do with a goblin burning to death in a cage and having the items teleported somehow. It could also be due to a bin burning away and then dropping its contents.

I quoted 120 bars if I smelt more iron ore. The number of iron shields lying around is over 100, and I ordered a few of those to be melted down. In practice, the material doesn't really matter but the quality does, and I'd like to have steel shields because it looks pretty good. If we melted down 50 iron shields, we'd get 60 bars thanks to the "melting doesn't recover the metal used" bug or feature. I also set some helms to be melted, which return about 60%.

We currently have a masterwork gold throne and a masterwork steel mail shirt, which are both useful. I think I may have Urist McKiwi stack mail shirts.

I've also noticed some curious "missing item" entries on the equipment lists. It may be that something got deleted out of the game and there is just a placeholder item there. What do you think?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 13, 2013, 02:10:33 am

The equipment list is well and truly bugged to hell and back again. With strawberries. So frankly I've no idea.

Stacking mail shirts on McKiwi III gets my approval. Combine that with her candy breastplate (a lowish quality one, but still a candy breastplate) and the new steel armor pieces and she'll be a serious force of nature with just a little more training. Of course, since she's got a family that means she'll be hilarious when if she  goes berserk via loss of entire family in front of her. And truly, truly dashing.

Because the equipment list is so darned buggy, I'd suggest giving each soldier specific items, rather than saying "grab a steel helmet" or whatever. Otherwise they're reasonably likely to choose a random piece of equipment which may or may not fit the description, and may or may not be outside the fortress next to a horde of zombies. Even if they're already wearing a piece of armor which fits the description of what they're supposed to have. This also extends to bolts and weapons. I never worked out exactly what was happening, but it killed a lot of soldiers before I started using specific allocations to get around it during my turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 19, 2013, 06:05:46 pm

Any chance of a new update? It's over a week since the last one and nearly 2 months since this turn started....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on November 19, 2013, 06:30:43 pm

Monthly Report by CaptainArchmage III, 28th Sandstone 1097

(http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/9248/fj59.png)

I believe this sums up the end of the month well. We got a masterwork gold throne and a masterwork steel chain mail vest! Both are very useful items, and the former will be going in my throne room, which is about half-way complete. Moltenchannels continues to be a fortress in which gold is the major metal produced. Digging so far deep beneath the ground, most of the recovered metal-bearing rock is native gold. We did get sphalerite though, and we can probably make some brass.

This month I am expecting our caravan! Hopefully everything will continue to go fine.

Royal Journal, 4th Timber, 1097

(http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4296/o7bc.png)

Rendered Fat and Lye,
At last they shall clean themselves,
Civilization

(http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/9577/pxle.png)

In the soaper's shop,
High time to wash up this fort,
Get your arse moving!

(http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/1451/ylrt.png)

The "melt item" project is in proportion,
about melting down the goblin's junk.
The other portion is about melting down,
all the substandard items hammered, forged, or otherwise produced,
all because someone decided,
to enable all labours,
on unskilled dwarves,
and then mass-order some military equipment.

Fortress Journal and Mid-Month Report by CaptainArchmage III, 14th Timber 1097

(http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/522/iy1j.png)

There is no sign of our caravan, so I decided to write a mid-month report to cover events so far. One of our alpacas gave birth a few days ago. I think we should really get some milk and yarn production going at this rate, if we can transfer the animals to the pasture to the north of the fortress it should keep them out of trouble.

(http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/1184/w7vr.png)

I found Mistem, a legendary mason I'd missed on the list, and told him to stop laying down floors and start making thrones, at least to put some good furniture in New Townbrush. He produced these two masterworks, so I asked him to do some more work.

(http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/7389/4d1w.png)

We now have a statue commemorating the foundation of our great Mountainhomes, two masterwork orthoclase doors for the palace, and plenty of superior and excellent thrones to go in a dining room.

(http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/1065/spbd.png)

This is supposed to be the new siege weapon training area. It will recycle ballista bolts and catapult stones so we will not deplete our war supplies. I also intend to install a mill, but I can do that on the north side of the fortress too.

Fortress Log by CaptainArchmage III, 18th Timber, 1097

(http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/1549/wvyu.png)

They're here! The merchants have brought four wagons and a large supply of goods with them. I am going to trade all the roasts in the kitchen and see how many goods that gets us. The trade dealer will be the Polymath, who is both naked and angry at the moment.

Sneak Peak into the next update:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/1171/mm6z.png)
I found this iron pot with an image of one of our artefacts on it in schist. Someone must be a fan of Moltenchannels, I like this!

Trading Commentary and Journal of Momuz Relictaker
24th Timber 1097

(http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/7339/kxsd.png)

I've been asked to do the trading report, since I took up the job of trading with our caravan this year. What with the crazy activity around cleaning up the outside before the next siege, things were really busy, but we ran out of metal items to melt and with the other smelters already running, I didn't have anything else to do.

(http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/1389/ndmv.png)

We didn't have any outstanding trade agreements from last year, probably because we were sieged at the time. Accordingly, we traded away a large number of roasts, which fetch pretty good money, not that we use money. No, out here we just have a judge of value, and just barter the items over. We traded over about ☼20826 of goods so far in about two goes, which should have netted us at least ☼13884 of items, but in practice we get a little less. I still think the value was over ☼9000. First trade was the really big one - we sold ☼18226 of prepared meals whilst waiting on some more deliveries, and purchased all the caravan's metal, gems, food, thread, cloth, leather, a pot and a minecart and some other items that depicted our artefacts, the iron anvils, some bolts, and a few steel shields and weapons to melt down.

(http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/52/vaf9.png)

I took a good look at the ingredients of the next item we traded over, which was this stack of 20 exceptionally prepared giant wombat brain roasts. This one really blew my mind, apparently the chef put the brains of two creatures into this, and then added donkey cheese and moghoppers. I've heard that a lot of our food supplies are actually sourced from outside now, but this is insane. I saw the kinds of food that we are buying, practically everything man.

(http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/3299/p0hg.png)

The whole roast was worth ☼2600, and was traded for some booze, some empty barrels, some tapir milk, and some more metal items to be melted down in the forges. The caravan had an insane amount of tapir milk and cheese, is this really a thing outside the Mountainhomes? It sure goes to show how the world has gone fucking crazy since I moved over here, and the madness is spreading. You know how we got a massive stockpile of wood a few floors down? Well I heard the surface wood was mass-forbidden, and instead the carpenter was using all the underground wood to make new beds and shit. They're being installed someplace, and I don't know on whose orders. The beds ordered by the king went down to that new barracks that was carved out before work began on the palace. There was also that massive window-installing operation on, and there were requests for red and yellow gems which really emptied out the entire stockpile. Once they were half or a quarter of the way way through this construction, one of the glassmakers started making really high quality windows, and the lower quality stock was ordered to be flogged off. Its still pretty good, there are about ☼400 worth sitting around here now. I wonder what they're trying to do around there?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 20, 2013, 09:14:55 pm

If you'd taken the next turn we could make some jokes about selling the '98 version of Windows.

How much gold do we actually have these days? I know it's a lot, but are we at the stage where we could weaponise it?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on November 20, 2013, 10:52:30 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on November 20, 2013, 09:14:55 pm

If you'd taken the next turn we could make some jokes about selling the '98 version of Windows.

How much gold do we actually have these days? I know it's a lot, but are we at the stage where we could weaponise it?

In total I think we have over 500 bars, most of the bars used to build things like floors and pillars and defensive walls. I believe we have at least another 400 bars on the way thanks to the palace project mining out a ridiculous amount of gold. To weaponise the gold, we'd need to have a minecart accelerator hallway, which is doable with things like impulse ramps.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on November 21, 2013, 03:08:45 am

McKiwi, have you ever played X-Com Interceptor?

I never have been able to get impulse ramps to work correctly.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 21, 2013, 06:42:37 pm

I've regrettably never played any of the X-COM games. I only really started gaming in the early 2000's and never really got into it until '09 or so. So when Interceptor came out I was probably...about to discover SimIsle: Missions in the Title I Can Never Get Quite Right Because it's Too Long, which had me thinking "Actually these game thingies are kinda neat". Or possibly about to discover Mario. Hard to remember back to when I was little.

Whether it's weaponising it or making a gigantic golden tower that serves no functional purpose but to signal passing spacecraft, we should probably work out something cool to do with all that gold. I mean, we could sell it, but where's the fun in that?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on November 21, 2013, 09:09:38 pm

Royal End-of-Season Report by CaptainArchmage III
28th Timber 1097

(http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/1171/mm6z.png)

I found this iron pot with an image of one of our artefacts on it in schist. Someone must be a fan of Moltenchannels, I like this!

Winter is just around the corner here at Moltenchannels. The trees have shed their leaves, and the temperatures have fallen a little. The dwarven caravan brought many items, and is currently making deals for our legendary prepared meals. The word of our fortress has spread throughout the world, and our artefacts are depicted upon the goods manufactured by the outer lands. Our civilisation is well on its way to reign supreme! The Plan is to be put into action before the end of the year. I haven't told anyone about that (the ink becomes a little blotted here)

SURE YOU HAVE

Whoa I don't really know what came over me there! It must be stress from overwork. I should really try to relax a little, now that my personal dining table is in the palace dining hall, and the throne is in my throne room. I'm going to move my bedroom down there too once that is completed, too. I don't know why but there's something a little strange with my bedroom in New Townbrush. I feel like I'm being watched. I know dwarves use the plumbing to get around here because the plumbing doesn't have any water in it yet, and I hear them every now and then climb down the aquatunnel behind my bed, and climb out of the wells. That's not what bothers me, because those are the sounds of life in a great fortress. Something, somewhere, is watching me. It has been watching us for a long time. I don't know what it is, but it seems to be focused nearby. We've had strange things creeping into the stock reports such as items nobody has seen before or nobody remembers cataloguing. Our military manifests have been a little altered. Take a look at this.

(http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/2426/e1l9.png)
This is a rubbing of a military equipment list for the Royal Fist's militia captain, Urist McKiwi III

I found this anomaly when I went to assign two masterwork steel chain mail shirts to Urist McKiwi III. There is this "missing item" there. Its like someone altered the entry, but our memories were also altered with it. We had a full enquiry, but nobody could figure out or remember what the list used to look like, not even the ghosts. It also happened to me, personally.

(http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/1448/fosx.png)

This is another rubbing of a military equipment list for the Royal Fist, this time regarding CaptainArchmage III

This is my equipment list. There's another "missing item" thing there. I was only signed up to the squad a few months ago, and I know I was there checking the list! Its like a blank space in my mind. I'll try to get to the bottom of it; in the meantime the dwarves are fixing up one of the road exits and should put in an entrance to the depths once they are done carving out the throne room. We've also got the next batch of trade goods to go and sell.

(http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/3323/doa9.png)

Brr. I think its going to be a long winter. The outside is almost completely cleaned up now, so we're going to fix the outside roads and close the gates.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 2nd Moonstone, 1097
(http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/6381/8tv2.png)
It has arrived.

Horrified screams come from the readers!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 22, 2013, 02:39:33 am

Wow. Now I can buy entire mountains with my pocket change.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on November 22, 2013, 06:22:43 am

Ah. I just asked because it had several jokes about windows 98.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 22, 2013, 06:35:04 pm

Your magic missing item is almost certainly a helmet. I'm not sure why it would be missing, but apparently it is. It could be that it's a specific-item assignment from my turn where the item itself has since been destroyed/melted/whatever. Thus the game is telling the dwarf "wear this specific....um.....well it doesn't exist, but wear it anyway!"

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on November 23, 2013, 07:20:24 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on November 22, 2013, 06:35:04 pm

Your magic missing item is almost certainly a helmet. I'm not sure why it would be missing, but apparently it is. It could be that it's a specific-item assignment from my turn where the item itself has since been destroyed/melted/whatever. Thus the game is telling the dwarf "wear this specific....um.....well it doesn't exist, but wear it anyway!"

It just keeps getting better.

Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 9th Moonstone 1097

(http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/1536/u4ti.png)

Winter is truly upon us. As the Masons erect the remains of one of our old roads as obelisks lining the path of the new one under construction, many trees need to be cut down. The goblin siege sure is late this year!

(http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9970/tnb2.png)

Do you smell something disgusting? After fixing some stockpile rules that resulted in a prepared meal rotting in one of Urist McDonald's kitchens, I noticed this:

(http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/4491/7a9g.png)

Some of the late count's smelly socks, dirty and tattered underwear, shoes, cloak, and robe were lying around the public eating place in violation of food safety rules. I discovered that the public eating place is also his tomb, so items belonging to him are stored here. Because his tomb has no storage cabinets or chests, this also means "drop anything that belonged to him anywhere on the floor". Holy shit.

(http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/9227/syc0.png)

More animals have been giving birth. Have we been milking them, though?

(http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/2502/33tu.png)

Our craftsdwarves continue to produce masterwork items! In this case, AnimaRytak forged a masterwork golden chain. It was about time.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on November 22, 2013, 06:35:04 pm

Your magic missing item is almost certainly a helmet. I'm not sure why it would be missing, but apparently it is. It could be that it's a specific-item assignment from my turn where the item itself has since been destroyed/melted/whatever. Thus the game is telling the dwarf "wear this specific....um.....well it doesn't exist, but wear it anyway!"

I am taking Urist McKiwi's advice and considering this to be some kind of vile plot to damage our military readiness. Since AnimaRytak is done forging chains, I'm going to have him make some steel helmets instead. Quality control should demand these be Masterworks!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 23, 2013, 11:38:00 pm

Readiness? Our military is always ready to die!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Sebastian2203 on November 24, 2013, 08:12:33 am

Thanks for this story, very interesting.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on November 27, 2013, 07:41:35 pm

... the very next day

Royal Journal by CaptainArchmage III, 11th Moonstone, 1097

(http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/2781/yq51.png)

Yesterday, I was informed that our merchants were going to clear out and trade with the outer lands. I was hoping to have the road done by then, but it looks like it will not be completed on time. It also looks like we had a short episode of rioting, probably because of the miasma in one of the gold-plated rooms belonging to the Count.

(http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/7586/7vcc.png)

Remember the last drawing I made? This room is now full of miasma. I expect the forges to look like that soon, because things aren't being cleaned up.

(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/9246/uuf5.png)

We have a reasonable record for masterwork steel helmets! We have had six made so far, and four are masterwork, so that makes 2/3rds, or at least 2/5ths of the projected batch.

(http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9391/rf93.png)
Urist McKiwi III's inventory, part 1
(http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/5288/6hzf.png)
Urist McKiwi III's inventory, part 2

After learning of the state of helmet production, I hurried down to Urist McKiwi III's quarters to sort out the uniforms. On the way, I heard the engravers working tirelessly to smooth out the marble halls we dug out, so there is life around here even when the miners are drinking a long way up in the mid-caverns. When I found Urist McKiwi, she was storing some junk in a copper bin designated for armor storage, and I discovered another uncomfortable thing about our military uniform. She is currently equipped with an adamantine breastplate, but many of her other articles of clothing are in a dire state of decay. She is wearing a threadbare pig tail fiber cap, odd socks, worn out shoes, and not much else besides her armor, which does not include a pair of boots. Guess what I'm ordering next?

Royal Journal by CaptainArchmage III, 12th Moonstone 1097

AnimaRytak forged steel helmets at a 50:50 ratio masterworks to exceptional quality, and then forged two pairs of steel high boots, again 50:50 ratio masterworks to exceptional quality, but damnation. Damnation. Our steel supplies were really run through, and it takes a long time for the haulers to bring the marble up here. I'll look to the melt operation, hopefully they can get us steel faster.

Mid-Month Report by CaptainArchmage III, 15th Moonstone 1097

(http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/5920/rug5.png)

Trading is over! The merchants are packing up now. We ultimately cut a deal for their steel anvils and a few other items such as steel chain leggings, which will be melted down and re-forged into higher quality armor. Meanwhile, the window installations at the higher levels continue, and we finally have some staircases to increase the fort to its ultimate height. I'm not sure we'll get there by the end of the year though. Our reserves of alunite and orthoclase blocks are running dangerously low.

Fortress Journal by CaptainArchmage III, 18th Moonstone 1097

(http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/6457/2rwu.png)

Normally, one hears about doors being jammed open by stupid little things like dragonflies or monarch butterflies or socks, but this is on a new level of What The Fuck. Momuz Athenvulom the Carpenter took up the job to haul a dead Titan into the "shit lying outside drop zone", went all the way outside and hauled the thing into the fortress before deciding to get drunk and dumping the thing in the doorway. To put this in perspective, his apartment is two floors up. Dwarves live here, you know!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on November 27, 2013, 11:01:36 pm

I did have some boots during my turn. Iron ones. I guess they got melted down. The militia in general will have scrappy clothes because of specific-item assignments, which don't get cancelled when said items wear out. Might want to check things in general (also if one of our dwarves is still assigned that artifact dress, it might be better off appeasing some noble).

I like the fact that McKiwi III has the fang from a poisonous snake stuck through her ear as an ornament.

If corpses aren't being hauled, there's two things that might be causing it:
1. Not enough haulers. Quite probable given the amount of work you're doing.
2. The corpse-dumpers are broken. Check both minecart routes and make sure they're working. If they are, check that the stockpile "take from/give to" orders are set correctly. This system always seems to be breaking down.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on November 30, 2013, 03:31:33 pm

End-of-month report by CaptainArchmage III, 28th Moonstone 1097

After speaking with Urist McKiwi again, I found out a few more facts about why the militia was in such a mess.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on November 27, 2013, 11:01:36 pm

I did have some boots during my turn. Iron ones. I guess they got melted down. The militia in general will have scrappy clothes because of specific-item assignments, which don't get cancelled when said items wear out. Might want to check things in general (also if one of our dwarves is still assigned that artifact dress, it might be better off appeasing some noble).

I like the fact that McKiwi III has the fang from a poisonous snake stuck through her ear as an ornament.

If corpses aren't being hauled, there's two things that might be causing it:
1. Not enough haulers. Quite probable given the amount of work you're doing.
2. The corpse-dumpers are broken. Check both minecart routes and make sure they're working. If they are, check that the stockpile "take from/give to" orders are set correctly. This system always seems to be breaking down.

Urist McKiwi III was actually assigned to wear iron boots, until a swapped them for the masterwork steel ones. However, she never put them on. Regarding the other matter of hauling and dumping, a lot of haulers are engaged in construction work, and this must have screwed things up a bit. The corpse dumpers were shut down because valuable items were being disposed of, which is not a particularly good thing.

(http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/3766/s8tq.png)
I am informed by my architects and engineers that the "bait" is non-toxic, non-corrosive, non-carcinogenic, gluten-free, sustainable, and renewable.

In order to deal with the forgotten beast overload in the depths, I designed a few chambers to trap the beasts inside using a specific err.... bait, and a drawbridge. The spider down there will be especially useful in making webs. The project was initiated following the completion of my throne room around the time of the new moon, and I created some new mining burrows to ensure projects could be worked on in parallel to save time. Mother of Adamantine, it is hard to place these things properly!

(http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6681/6g2g.png)

This is the control room or gatehouse into the depths. I know it should be more expansive, with store rooms and a barracks as well, but this is what we could think up.

(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4426/c8q8.png)

The first cells designed are these turret assembly. The monsters are lured into these cells and the gates are shut. The fine line you can see there is supposed to be filled in with a drawbridge, so if we come under attack the spider should be able to shoot webs out of the cell. Because of restricted space, we were unable to make the cell larger. I may be unable to complete these, and will try to put some bigger cells further down.

(http://[center]http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/6279/onou.png[/center])

Onul and Troll Fur Sock were assigned to a mining zone over the new tombs. About five or six smaller tombs and a massive one will be dug out on this stretch, and I would estimate another 10 days of work is needed. After that we can entomb our warriors in deserving accommodation that reflects their glory.

(http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/9496/eal5.png)

Around the 22nd of the month, I decided to go on break, because, like, who cares? Shit's getting done and it will get done, maybe not by the end of the year but maybe next time.

(http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2390/t8l.png)

Once again, I had to sort out some prioritisation issues. There are mechanical things to work with!

(http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/9521/045y.png)

I've decided to finally do something about the berserk vampire walled up in one of the cells. We set up a cage trap and are preparing to open up the cell, hopefully he end up in a state allowing for proper storage.

Finally, the woodcutter who cleared the trees from the expanded road finished and is now making cheese. I found as a result of the new mining burrows that we have no proper food stored below the mid-caverns, it is all juice, syrup, and alcohol. Something should really be done about that.

Only in Dwarf Fortress can you find "no space" on ten or twenty full z-levels of map.

EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT: So if I get both the web-shooting spider and the fire-shooting thingy in the same turret, do we get !!Webs!!?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 01, 2013, 07:01:08 pm

Re: Edited edit to the edit-edit
Quite possibly. Or they just team up to kill our dwarves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on December 03, 2013, 09:48:56 pm

Fortress Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 4th Opal 1097

(http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/6651/mfly.png)

I'm sure I didn't make this entry because our clothier made a large number of expensive cloaks! Brain, Y U So Sober?

(blobs of ink can be found here)

(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6405/op4x.png)

Between running out of orthoclase blocks and running out of alunite blocks, and finding Troll Fur Sock doing some engraving in the tombs when he should be carving them out, I forgot why I am actually making this entry. See that lime green mark on the drawing? That is a loaded cage trap outside the cell with the berserk vampire. I'm going to have the entrance deconstructed now.

Fortress Journal of CaptainArchmage III, 6th Opal 1097

(http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/7815/uwbw.png)

There is no doubt this could have become a dangerous situation, but it did not. Once the wall was opened, something shot out into the location where Oddom Salvewasp was standing, but he dodged out of the way.

(http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5862/lvla.png)

Where did this stuff come from? There was a clatter of falling objects and a loud click as some machinery sprung into operation. It looks like some high-level teleportation magic to me.

(http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6913/5wxs.png)

The plan worked perfectly! We now have a vampire in a cage.

(http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/1986/undt.png)

In other news, I ordered these coins before the end of the month but forgot to put it in the report. Our metalcrafters are minting them right now.

(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/1014/3q7u.png)

Having finished the control room, Lucky is moving on to digging the lairs. I will attempt to make sure their denizens have all the comforts we pride ourselves in, to the best of our ability.

(http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/2907/m47t.png)

As we have no weavers, I took two of our planters off planting and asked them to do weaving instead. They are actually children who recently grew up - Tobul Kindfortresses and Tulon Drinkgranite. I wanted to move them elsewhere in the fortress, but I found they had nice rooms so I let them stay where they were, adding some masterwork granite doors to their rooms.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 03, 2013, 11:09:25 pm

....What exactly are you going to do with a beserk vampire in a cage? I would have thought the not-insane one next to his cell would be more useful. Still, he's been in there for 10 years or so now, might as well do something with him.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on December 06, 2013, 10:13:45 pm

Mid-Month Report by CaptainArchmage III, 15th Opal 1097

(http://imageshack.com/a/img580/26/64mt.png)

The merchants are leaving for the outer lands. Here, some of the merchants leave through the western gate on their pack animals.

(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5568/xfjg.png)

The wagons leave through the eastern gates. The golden road is as it was when I arrived, but the towers have been improved with gold-plated walls.

(http://imageshack.com/a/img545/3662/59z5.png)

This is what the gatehouse currently looks like. Work has practically stopped on it because we have other projects to do.

(http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/8623/04y6.png)

The road has mostly been completed. Now our countrydwarves shall bring word of our glory throughout the known world!

(for now, image uploads are really slow. I will upload when things are going better.)

(http://imageshack.com/a/img837/2656/dqwo.png)

Meanwhile, while carving the tunnel to the forgotten beast pens, "Lucky" mined out some gold and red zircons. We then came across a vein of tetrahedrite in the first pen, so I suppose it is time to move a smelting operation down there as well.

(http://imageshack.com/a/img594/9196/oi6r.png)

The mayor ordered two helms to be forged, so I had AnimaRytak make one exceptional and one masterwork out of steel.

(http://imageshack.com/a/img9/7835/0ept.png)

Of course, someone had to leave the cheese in the workshops to rot. I have assigned some dedicated food haulers to ensure this doesn't continue.

End of Month Report by CaptainArchmage III, 28th Opal 1097

We are in the very last part of the year, and I don't think I'm going to directly lead the fortress in the new year. With the outside clean, I am sealing off the fortress from both sides before anything worse happens.

(http://imageshack.com/a/img14/7320/d9su.png)

The forgotten beast pens have been built. I have two dug out and in the process of being engraved, and once the drawbridges go up we will be able to seal off the pens individually and also seal off the route to the outside.

(http://imageshack.com/a/img441/842/tlx3.png)

The tombs have been carved out. We have a few for our warriors, and the large one in the south is for me. The large tomb with the channels is for the Vampire Queen Iden Glazequests the Cobalt Magicians of Scandal, which connects on to a dining hall and statuary currently being mined. Beyond the tombs, we will have some more housing, so the dining hall should make the place a bit less gloomy. Right?

Here's to a productive final month!

Mid-Month Report by CaptainArchmage III, 15th Obsidian 1097

(http://imageshack.us/a/img560/569/xz1h.png)

We're officially in the last fortnight of the year, but the work never stops. The new town is being dug out along with the two extra large tombs, which can be used by future leaders for their own burial. Helms and shields are being melted down into bars, and gold and steel are slowly being produced in the metalworks. The new drawbridges are being connected up to levers, and the new forgotten beast pens are being engraved with our glorious history. In the drawing, mechanisms are being made in New Townbrush for our machinery.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img42/980/guja.png)

Iden's old coffin, deconstructed.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img51/3449/uubl.png)

This is the new tomb.

The golden sarcophagus was placed in Iden's tomb, and I had her old coffin in some of the horrible wall-to-wall things removed. Formal burial will be taking place soon, though the room will not be completely engraved and the channels will not be filled with water or magma.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img208/5263/t1yk.png)

Meanwhile, our engravers have produced these wonderful artworks. The first depicts a goblin being shot by Olon Finportals, one of our heroes.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img547/1526/hq5q.png)

What kind of name is that? The corrupt what? It depicts AnimaRytak lifting up one of his masterwork copper cabinets.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img856/8016/6xy1.png)

The Diety of Longevity is shown here, contemplating. This are just a few of many wonderful engravings we now have.

This will be my last mid-month report. The next will be the end-of-year review of the fortress!

19th Obsidian 1097
Second Burial of Iden Glazequests the Cobalt Magicians of Scandal, Vampire Queen

(http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/4561/ft77.png)

The Engraver Rigòth Gebrimtar laid the thumb of Iden Glazequests the Cobalt Magicians of Scandal into the golden sarcophagus. Surrounding the sarcophagus were CaptainArchmage III, King of The Strategic Bodices, Urist McKiwi III the Dashing Swordsdwarf, and a few soldiers, miners, and mechanics. The ceremony had been rushed so as not to upset the spirit of the great queen, who had ruled over dwarven nation for over a thousand years since the first century of recorded history, and the chamber was by no means complete. It had the form of a great tomb in its final form, but not the polish. There were no statues laid out, nor was the stone engraved or even smoothed, nor had the rubble from its construction been cleared out. The great sarcophagus was laid in the center of the room, upon a platform surrounded by channels. The channels were not filled with water or magma, but rather filled with rubble like the rest of the chamber.

With the thumb safely interred, all those present saluted the remains, before placing the massive cover upon the sarcophagus in concert. CaptainArchmage III then rumaged through a crate of dusty books and ancient-looking tablets, until Urist McKiwi III handed him a few pieces of paper. He stared at the pages, orienting them the right way and changing their order until their contents seemed to make sense, but never began to speak. A gust of wind shot through the chamber - blowing out the torches and chilling those present to the bone. A thick layer of frost formed over armor and gloves, firmly gluing even the strongest warriors to the floor. The doors rattled slammed shut, freezing over. Above the sarcophagus, the image of a blue-tinted sword began to form, and a voice intoned:

You have waited far too long. Claim this and conquer for the glory of your people.

End of Year Report by CaptainArchmage III, King of The Strategic Bodices
1st Granite 1098

(http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5166/qff6.png)

The end of the year is here! Before the partying starts to really go, I did the full survey of the fortress as of the evening of 28th Obsidian 1097. I'm going to go start drinking now, and if the situation massively changes before tomorrow, I will post an update. *hic* goodbye 1097! *hic* ehellow 1098! Everybody partay! Partie! Parte! Party!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/3534/s9ct.png)
Oh come on, load the image.

I cheked this plaice out, theyfe got some great gold thrones and tables! Is this where they went? Ih yeah.

(http://)

Nice Arkitecture too. Lots and lots of flashy windows!

The mechanic, Fath whatever, was banging on this door. Man, all he has to do is pull the leversh when we say sew. I think Obok's going to cut open that cavern thingy in the depths, right Obok?

Before I forget can we put a huge gabbro blocky wall up here? West sides a mill, east side of the wall gets huge siege engines shot at it. Thanks.

Let's just put a door on here. Orthoclase. Orthoclases are so yellow, they really make a place look golden! I think this place is OK to eat and party in now.

OK Obok, we've bre-we'vre breched the

Friends and Countrydwarves, I am proud to announce that we have breached the caverns of the depths, and we shall be securing their denizens shortly.

No Obok! Get out of their! Get go mine that wall. yes that wall right over there. And lock the hatch behind you! Good! Now go and mine someplace else OK? This work zone's done!

Wow! That's the forgotten beast "One"! Its heading into the breach! Good thing these hatches are secure. I hope.

Unfortunately, it looks like imageshack has decided to screw up a lot of the images. I don't even. It looks like images from a while ago have been screwed up, but I still have them around. I didn't delete any and none of them seemed to have been deleted. They have been doing some upgrades, but whatever. Download link to follow.

Edit: To follow tomorrow. I'm getting lots of posting errors.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 08, 2013, 01:06:02 am

That "wall to wall thing" isn't horrible at all. It was the first project of Urist McKiwi III/the last project of McKiwi II and solved at least one fifth of our decaying corpse problems at the time. :P

It has truly been an interesting turn. A long one....but you've done damned well. Any chance of a full surface map + a look at the entire palace level?


....now we just need some engravings of McKiwi III kicking goblin posterior.

Edit: And a quotes update back on the OP. It's been over a month since the last quotes got added and I'm sure there's some good ones that have turned up since then.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on December 08, 2013, 01:37:56 pm

Alright, here's how the rest of the new year's festivities went:

End-of-Year Report by CaptainArchmage III
28th Obsidian 1097-1st Granite 1098
Continued

OK! "One" is banging on the hatch! Fath, seal off the passage! Pull the lever! The Mica Lever! There's only one Mica lever in there! Wait no pull the Alunite one! The one on the wall nearest the door!

Wooohoooooo! Its midnight above ground! Spring has arrived! Crack open a case of-wait what? No, Ducim! No! No! Nooooooooo!

And the bunny rabbit too! Fuck!

Attenshion all engraversh: You know those tombs we just *hic* carved out *hic* for our legge-leggendu-lege

fffffuckshhh*huc**hoooork*

legendury warriorsh and craftshdwarfsh? There's a bigish tomb opposite the vampiresh tomb and a nishe sharcoffagush in it. Go put Ducim in it and pimp the plashe out, wud you? Shanksh.

I'm sorry! I can't hear you over the sound of how drunk I am!

Luckily, I managed to get one of the woodcutters in the lever room when Fath dozed off in there. It sounds like there's a huge fight going on in those tunnels! Maybe I should order them sealed them off now. Momuz, pull the lever!

Are you kidding me? We have a dead turkey hen now?! Man, people are partying TOO hard around here!

Whoa, that kitten flew a long way down the hall. OK! We have the Forgotten Beast Nunùr Ruthlessflight in one of the cells now, Pull the lever! Ok, we have one forgotten beast secure!

I think Ducim's stuff shouldn't be forbidden. We have everything set up for the, err, burial arrangements. Looks like he died getting drunk on some fisher berry wine too.

Wow. Lots of stuff happened last night. We trapped two forgotten beasts, but I haven't gotten "One" into its cell yet. The other one is secure, and there are like two more going around outside that did not show up. There were actually some injuries in the fight with the kitten, and a lot of teeth got knocked around. I'd personally be careful around the hallway if you access it.

Above is the final status list for the year. I now pass direct fortress control over to the next leader!

Save: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8200 (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8200)

Alright, its done! Its over! I'm feeling really burned out now, so I will likely not be involved in more Dwarf Fortress for a bit.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on December 08, 2013, 01:06:02 am

That "wall to wall thing" isn't horrible at all. It was the first project of Urist McKiwi III/the last project of McKiwi II and solved at least one fifth of our decaying corpse problems at the time. :P

It has truly been an interesting turn. A long one....but you've done damned well. Any chance of a full surface map + a look at the entire palace level?


....now we just need some engravings of McKiwi III kicking goblin posterior.

Edit: And a quotes update back on the OP. It's been over a month since the last quotes got added and I'm sure there's some good ones that have turned up since then.

Summary of my turn:

-Ran really slowly until I turned temperature, weather, and invasions off. There's a burning dingo outside that will probably cause everything to spontaneously combust outside. Sieges and ambushes will probably annihilate FPS now.

-Did not manage to get any migrants because of the >1000 units bug, which is not really solved by deleting the dead units (I tried). The only way we might be able to get around this is to hope the next version of DF fixes the bug and copes with backwards-compatibility, or if we can use the "force migrants" command to force migrants every season.

-Build a huge palace and got us a new king.

-Buried the vampire queen in a fitting arrangement.

-Saved some valuable items from destruction in the volcano.

-Build Club Zero, a combination dining hall, jail, and zoo, and a large tower with windows. The windows are supposed to flash "SEXY" but we ran out of pink, yellow, and red gems. I couldn't get Stonesense to show more than 3 z-levels, probably because of issues with DFhack on Mac and Linux.

-Trapped some forgotten beasts. Don't unlock the gabbro hatch, it is a Bad Idea™.

-Minted Adamantine Coins

-Made the first mead.

-Made honey and royal jelly.

-Brewed a metric fuckton of drinks. 3399 to go!

-Built a new barracks, new tombs, and new living areas.

-Carved out a plumbing network. You need to seal this off properly, add drains and floodgates, and fill it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 10, 2013, 08:13:41 pm

Since wastedlabour hasn't been around for a while, I've taken the liberty of PMing bp920091

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on December 11, 2013, 09:09:59 pm

Sorry for the delay. Im currently in the middle of finals atm (should be over in 24 hours...).

I can start on the weekend, at the earliest. If you guys are cool with that, im up for another round.

... 400 and 500 level Graduate Business Classes really eat your time up.

Now if I stay up until 4am when I need to get up at 6am, it's going to be my choice, rather than something I need to do to pass a class...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 11, 2013, 09:52:23 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on December 11, 2013, 09:09:59 pm

Sorry for the delay. Im currently in the middle of finals atm (should be over in 24 hours...).

I can start on the weekend, at the earliest. If you guys are cool with that, im up for another round.

... 400 and 500 level Graduate Business Classes really eat your time up.

Now if I stay up until 4am when I need to get up at 6am, it's going to be my choice, rather than something I need to do to pass a class...

By all means take as long as you need. Your turn's likely to take forever anyway given how the framerate's been going this last decade or so.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Mountainhome-Made Mead Mugs - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on December 12, 2013, 05:04:39 am

Yeah, I think we can very much suspend the time rules for now unless we have a long queue of overseers waiting their turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Gigmaster on December 12, 2013, 11:57:52 am

If you would enjoy having some fresh blood in the mix, I'd like to sign up for a term.

HERE ARE MY QUALIFICATIONS:

1. I've read Ardentdikes and Ardentdikes II as my turn-brain-off-sleep-time material for the past month.
2. I'm a DF veteran. IN THE PAST I have done INCREDIBLE THINGS like create minecart-enabled economies, manage to get my soldiers to equip BOTH boots and socks, replicated Aussie's checkerboard of doom, and smote human devil-gods with a 20x20x3 slab of conglomerate. I also lurk around the forums; I don't post much.
3. I work as a home improvement contractor, and I'm currently snowed out of all of my work! Hence, free time.
4. QUACK.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 12, 2013, 05:59:34 pm

Boots and socks you say? What wizardry is this?!!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Sebastian2203 on December 13, 2013, 08:16:47 am

Hello is there chance some MALE dorf can be named after me ? I do not want to take turn in this good story as because I consider myself noob but I would like to atleast annoy your eyes with my name.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on December 13, 2013, 02:51:12 pm

Quote from: Sebastian2203 on December 13, 2013, 08:16:47 am

Hello is there chance some MALE dorf can be named after me ? I do not want to take turn in this good story as because I consider myself noob but I would like to atleast annoy your eyes with my name.

We have plenty of dwarves. Please specify for the next player:

-Job
-Fortress born or migrant?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Sebastian2203 on December 13, 2013, 02:54:00 pm

Thank you.

Job: any farmer or "inferior" job

Migrant

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on December 13, 2013, 04:00:35 pm

Quote from: Sebastian2203 on December 13, 2013, 02:54:00 pm

Thank you.

Job: any farmer or "inferior" job

Migrant

You're in luck, we have a metric fuckton of farmers. Do you have a custom job title?

P.S. I'm not in control of the save. This is just for the next one who gets the save.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Sebastian2203 on December 14, 2013, 08:37:46 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on December 13, 2013, 04:00:35 pm

Quote from: Sebastian2203 on December 13, 2013, 02:54:00 pm

Thank you.

Job: any farmer or "inferior" job

Migrant

You're in luck, we have a metric fuckton of farmers. Do you have a custom job title?

P.S. I'm not in control of the save. This is just for the next one who gets the save.

Yeah peasant farmer.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on December 14, 2013, 05:04:16 pm

Quote from: Gigmaster on December 12, 2013, 11:57:52 am

If you would enjoy having some fresh blood in the mix, I'd like to sign up for a term.

Added. I've skipped back my turn so you get in sooner.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: bp920091 on December 14, 2013, 08:38:49 pm

Save downloaded.

First Reaction:

Well, this place sure has changed.

There's no longer the random forest fires (at the moment) that somehow started on my turn. We appear to have quite a few undead outside the walls, and the jobs/military appear to be a mess.

We're also missing happiness generators!

Im seriously considering just sealing the fortress off, fixing everything from the ground up, and reopening the fort to just build a gigantic wall (5-10 levels tall) with a 3-4 level magma moat around the outside of the fort (think of it as a MASSIVE expansion of hte existing walls, leaving a 4 tile wide stretch around the fort).

Perhaps I can make it out glass.

Do we have any sand...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on December 14, 2013, 08:57:32 pm

Quote from: bp920091 on December 14, 2013, 08:38:49 pm

Save downloaded.

First Reaction:

Well, this place sure has changed.

There's no longer the random forest fires (at the moment) that somehow started on my turn. We appear to have quite a few undead outside the walls, and the jobs/military appear to be a mess.

We're also missing happiness generators!

Im seriously considering just sealing the fortress off, fixing everything from the ground up, and reopening the fort to just build a gigantic wall (5-10 levels tall) with a 3-4 level magma moat around the outside of the fort (think of it as a MASSIVE expansion of hte existing walls, leaving a 4 tile wide stretch around the fort).

Perhaps I can make it out glass.

Do we have any sand...

The fort is sealed off, right? I think you should just seal off and build higher. Be aware that temperature and other things were off for FPS saving reasons.

Yes, we have sand, and clay if you can dig a tunnel to that part of the map and build a minecart track.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 14, 2013, 09:38:50 pm

Our topside stuff could certainly do with an upgrade. If you make the walls 3 or more tiles thick (or have a thing stuck on top of them defying the laws of physics) you could also put a roofed walkway on the top with fortifications and walls providing cover so our marksdwarves and archers can shoot at anything outside (or inside, even) the fortress regardless of where it is. Combine it with revised towers for access and let it be sealed off....and in the worst case scenario we could lose the entire fort except the walls and still keep going for a while. Or vice versa.

(Edit3: Originally I said I might do wacky stuff if upgrades weren't finished. I'm retracting that so I can continue working on my "fantastic new character idea", whom all dwarves should fear.)

Keep in mind that future happiness generators should not, emphasis not, allow forgotten beasts into the fort or create massive pools of forgotten beast blood around the dining room.

And don't worry about the random forest fires. They'll be back, I assure you.

Edit: And in light of Wastedlabor's latest rename of the thread, if you make the gates a giant replica of the ones from Jurassic Park you will win a sock.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on December 17, 2013, 11:07:34 am

There's certainly something to be said for building a new fortress on top of the old fortress, leaving a hidden undercity riddled with forgotten beasts, undead, and undead forgotten beasts, for future adventurers/captured kobolds/surplus vampires to explore.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 17, 2013, 08:44:51 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on December 17, 2013, 11:07:34 am

There's certainly something to be said for building a new fortress on top of the old fortress, leaving a hidden undercity riddled with forgotten beasts, undead, and undead forgotten beasts, for future adventurers/captured kobolds/surplus vampires to explore.

And we'll have a much nicer view of the forest fires.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on December 18, 2013, 02:17:14 am

I'd definitely recommend not to expand the fort horizontally, so enemies have that space for battles outside the fort.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Gigmaster on December 18, 2013, 04:42:50 pm

The problem is that, if we start building vertically, we have a lot of stuff in the depths we're going to need to haul upstairs, or risk having generations of haulers heading down into the depths only to spread about Forgotten Beast Snot Variety #25.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 18, 2013, 07:40:41 pm

Quote from: Gigmaster on December 18, 2013, 04:42:50 pm

The problem is that, if we start building vertically, we have a lot of stuff in the depths we're going to need to haul upstairs, or risk having generations of haulers heading down into the depths only to spread about Forgotten Beast Snot Variety #25.

Ah, we're generally good on that front. The sources of the only known deadly extract are sealed in the old hospital and some little bit with walls around it. It causes the entire body to blister, then every single organ in the body fails at once.....but it's safely controlled for now. The bigger problem would be hauling..... and the fact that our faulty magma weapon is controlled by a lever close to the bottom of the fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on December 19, 2013, 06:47:51 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on December 18, 2013, 07:40:41 pm

Quote from: Gigmaster on December 18, 2013, 04:42:50 pm

The problem is that, if we start building vertically, we have a lot of stuff in the depths we're going to need to haul upstairs, or risk having generations of haulers heading down into the depths only to spread about Forgotten Beast Snot Variety #25.

Ah, we're generally good on that front. The sources of the only known deadly extract are sealed in the old hospital and some little bit with walls around it. It causes the entire body to blister, then every single organ in the body fails at once.....but it's safely controlled for now. The bigger problem would be hauling..... and the fact that our faulty magma weapon is controlled by a lever close to the bottom of the fortress.

I believe the hospital is still accessible from underneath, so you should seal that off too.

The magma weapon is controlled by a lever in New Townbrush precisely so you can control the fortress weapons at a safe distance. The idea was that if we needed to flood the fortress with magma, we could retreat to a safe bunker to do so.

The next person running the fortress should really build some minecart tracks and use those to move the building stone up from the depths. There are a few layers of gabbro if we need magma-safe materials, i.e. for doors and drawbridges.

You can speed up the building process by having the blocks and furniture stockpiled at the bottom of the staircase you are building up from, and then using those blocks (the game should assign the closest blocks first).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 19, 2013, 11:55:01 pm

When I think "Safe place to fill a hole with lava from" I do not generally think "bottom of said hole".

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on December 20, 2013, 08:14:38 am

Yeah, just build minecart tracks up from the bottom. They'll haul huge amounts of stone up. If you're building walls with it, you can have mason's workshops at the 'bottom' and have them cut into blocks there. It takes a bit longer to fill the cart, but then you don't have to wait for the masonry to be done at the surface.

If you build it up from the 'palace' you can then use it to send food back down for the dining rooms, after it's all done. I've done that a few times. Just make sure the carts are set to guide so no one trying to use it as a shortcut gets run over. That's less entertaining.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on December 20, 2013, 10:37:36 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on December 20, 2013, 08:14:38 am

Yeah, just build minecart tracks up from the bottom. They'll haul huge amounts of stone up. If you're building walls with it, you can have mason's workshops at the 'bottom' and have them cut into blocks there. It takes a bit longer to fill the cart, but then you don't have to wait for the masonry to be done at the surface.

If you build it up from the 'palace' you can then use it to send food back down for the dining rooms, after it's all done. I've done that a few times. Just make sure the carts are set to guide so no one trying to use it as a shortcut gets run over. That's less entertaining.

The palace is actually made out of marble, so that stone should really go to the smelters. There is also a five-story storage silo designated in the palace for food and other items, but that needs to have the entrance designated for mining before it is dug (as long as it can be doored off).

You will need to assign the masons to burrows to get them to work making blocks while other dwarves build the walls. I have the "emergency assignments burrow" which can be used for that. Make sure you include a burrow with both food and drinks in it.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on December 19, 2013, 11:55:01 pm

When I think "Safe place to fill a hole with lava from" I do not generally think "bottom of said hole".

For dwarves, when the entire surface world is on fire, and the fortress is filling with lava, it helps to be in a sealed-off chamber. They can always dig themselves out of the mess if they need to return to the surface, and New Townbrush was intended to be self sustaining.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Gigmaster on December 27, 2013, 01:56:31 am

*Sprays for crickets?*

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 28, 2013, 01:25:56 am

Quote from: Gigmaster on December 27, 2013, 01:56:31 am

*Sprays for crickets?*

It has been a bit quiet. Guess everyone's been out trying to drop Santa into a pit of bees.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on December 28, 2013, 07:13:07 am

Zombie bees. Covered in Forgotten Beast Extract.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 28, 2013, 03:15:25 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on December 28, 2013, 07:13:07 am

Zombie bees. Covered in Forgotten Beast Extract.

....Ok, this is drifting off topic but given we're not getting updates right now....can bees be thralled?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on December 28, 2013, 06:50:49 pm

Presumably, since they're large enough to interrupt dwarven tasks.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on December 28, 2013, 07:02:50 pm

Bees are vermin-sized creatures in Dwarf Fortress, so they don't get thralled and they don't get turned into zombies either. They can sting dwarves, which is a bit of a annoyance (for the dwarves) but otherwise I have not seen bee stings interrupt tasks.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on December 29, 2013, 02:31:22 am

I could swear I've seen them interrupt, but only from dwarven hives, not natural ones.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Gigmaster on December 29, 2013, 02:27:20 pm

I don't suppose there are giant bee men in the raws?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on December 31, 2013, 12:57:39 am

Quote from: Gigmaster on December 29, 2013, 02:27:20 pm

I don't suppose there are giant bee men in the raws?

From the wiki, I believe not.

I know we're mostly ignoring the time limit rules these days, but it's been a while since anything happened....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 01, 2014, 12:58:20 am

The question must be asked: Who's turn is it anyway?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: smurfingtonthethird on January 01, 2014, 02:21:21 am

Can I sign up?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Gigmaster on January 01, 2014, 12:55:47 pm

It's bp920091's turn. It's honestly been a while since he's posted... my turn is next after his. I could conceivably pick up the save today and play it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 01, 2014, 04:43:07 pm

Quote from: Gigmaster on January 01, 2014, 12:55:47 pm

It's bp920091's turn. It's honestly been a while since he's posted... my turn is next after his. I could conceivably pick up the save today and play it.

It's been nearly three weeks. Maybe PM him, wait a day, then go for it if there's nothing.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 06, 2014, 05:52:41 pm

It's been another week. If no one's taking the save within the next few days, I'll download it myself and carry on.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 07, 2014, 02:54:32 am

Ok, we skip turn. McKiwi next.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 07, 2014, 05:28:42 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on January 07, 2014, 02:54:32 am

Ok, we skip turn. McKiwi next.

Righto. Bit of work to do in RL (cleaning up ahead of a visit by relatives, having said visit, and then I've got to head back to Uni in 2 weeks), but I'll see what I can do around all of that. I'm thinking I'll work on topside construction.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 07, 2014, 10:44:31 pm

You know, sign me up for another turn at the end of the list. I'm feeling a glutton for punishment. :D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 08, 2014, 06:47:12 pm

 Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf.


1st Granite, 1098

So we have a new overseer. Some peasant I've never heard of..."Meng Rirnolas". Apparently a fairly decent chap in the past, but lately he's had a few scares...and then fell down the stairs and hit his head. Now he's decided he's a master architect, despite having no training at all in that area of expertise. Armok help us all....still, the King has been quite clear that he no longer wishes (for now) to run the daily operations of the fortress. So I'll see what this fellow wants...then see if we can turn them into something that won't kill us all. They're calling him "Mad Meng".....although he doesn't seem that mad just yet, I'll have to keep an eye on him.




-------------

Only just downloaded the save. Our new overseer is "Mad Meng", who has decided to take up architecture. From scratch!

Given I've got no idea whatsoever what half the stuff above ground does*, I figure that by the end of this turn I'll either have made some nice walls and stuff.....or if Meng's mental health continues to decline (or he goes mad ingame. he's had some nasty experiences lately as a result of a certain royal's policies) then I'm going to roleplay it to the very end........ and no one else will ever understand our above-ground workings either.

I also dorfed Sebastian2203 as a farmer. A local, because we don't get migrants these days.


*I think I can see a mostly-finished magma-weapon that will, at best, leak profusely if it's turned on, but frankly I have no intention of pulling levers to test this hypothesis.


We've also got unburied corpses and a room full of rotting dead animals being swarmed by a horde of starving kittens. I'd forgotten how charming this place was. The outside is a mix of forgotten machinery, half finished towers and animal blood. And it just caught fire again, so we're headed back for the "less photogenic parts of Mordor" look.



Continued!



Scribblings of "Mad Meng", Master Architect

1st Slate

It has come well! Well! The walls are going up and the platforms are planned and the bees are almost ready!

I must be quick. There is so much and so little time to build it in. My masterpiece...yes....I must be quack. Truly....my dream shall be an inspiration to all once it is built.

I must be quick..




------------

Please note that Meng is not deranged or madder-than-usual when talking about bees. It's a questionable design choice, but there are indeed bees involved. He's an artist. They do this sort of thing apparently.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 09, 2014, 09:01:00 am

Surprising, the magma weapon is the only thing that actually works the way it's supposed to and does so consistently. Of course it doesn't work WELL, but you can only ask so much.

Also, is that bloody minecart broken AGAIN? If it is, let me know and I'll get the save and analyze it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 09, 2014, 01:09:39 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on January 09, 2014, 09:01:00 am

Surprising, the magma weapon is the only thing that actually works the way it's supposed to and does so consistently. Of course it doesn't work WELL, but you can only ask so much.

Also, is that bloody minecart broken AGAIN? If it is, let me know and I'll get the save and analyze it.

I shut down the minecart line completely. There are some things that should not be disposed of, such as bones. Why? Because we needed bones to make more bolts. Throwing away bones is like throwing away useable stacks of bolts, and Moltenchannels is a dangerous place.

You should be able to tell that from the outside.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 09, 2014, 04:13:21 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on January 09, 2014, 01:09:39 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on January 09, 2014, 09:01:00 am

Surprising, the magma weapon is the only thing that actually works the way it's supposed to and does so consistently. Of course it doesn't work WELL, but you can only ask so much.

Also, is that bloody minecart broken AGAIN? If it is, let me know and I'll get the save and analyze it.

I shut down the minecart line completely. There are some things that should not be disposed of, such as bones. Why? Because we needed bones to make more bolts. Throwing away bones is like throwing away useable stacks of bolts, and Moltenchannels is a dangerous place.

You should be able to tell that from the outside.

I'm getting twenty-seven frames per second. The bones are going in the volcano until framerate improves. We've got rotting corpses everywhere, and it's not hygenic. They should be in the corpse-mountains outside.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 09, 2014, 04:26:23 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 09, 2014, 04:13:21 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on January 09, 2014, 01:09:39 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on January 09, 2014, 09:01:00 am

Surprising, the magma weapon is the only thing that actually works the way it's supposed to and does so consistently. Of course it doesn't work WELL, but you can only ask so much.

Also, is that bloody minecart broken AGAIN? If it is, let me know and I'll get the save and analyze it.

I shut down the minecart line completely. There are some things that should not be disposed of, such as bones. Why? Because we needed bones to make more bolts. Throwing away bones is like throwing away useable stacks of bolts, and Moltenchannels is a dangerous place.

You should be able to tell that from the outside.

I'm getting twenty-seven frames per second. The bones are going in the volcano until framerate improves. We've got rotting corpses everywhere, and it's not hygenic. They should be in the corpse-mountains outside.

You can use the tombs I just dug out. There are plenty of empty ones. For some reason though, people keep shoving more coffins into Wall-To-Wall Burial Chamber #175 rather than using the ample space already available elsewhere. It is the same with the beds.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 09, 2014, 07:39:31 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on January 09, 2014, 04:26:23 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 09, 2014, 04:13:21 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on January 09, 2014, 01:09:39 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on January 09, 2014, 09:01:00 am

Surprising, the magma weapon is the only thing that actually works the way it's supposed to and does so consistently. Of course it doesn't work WELL, but you can only ask so much.

Also, is that bloody minecart broken AGAIN? If it is, let me know and I'll get the save and analyze it.

I shut down the minecart line completely. There are some things that should not be disposed of, such as bones. Why? Because we needed bones to make more bolts. Throwing away bones is like throwing away useable stacks of bolts, and Moltenchannels is a dangerous place.

You should be able to tell that from the outside.

I'm getting twenty-seven frames per second. The bones are going in the volcano until framerate improves. We've got rotting corpses everywhere, and it's not hygenic. They should be in the corpse-mountains outside.

You can use the tombs I just dug out. There are plenty of empty ones. For some reason though, people keep shoving more coffins into Wall-To-Wall Burial Chamber #175 rather than using the ample space already available elsewhere. It is the same with the beds.

So far as I can tell, only 2-3 of them are dwarven. I'll see if I can find your tombs later today. I've been extending the wall-to-wall chambers a bit just in case, mind. Interestingly one of our ghosts has been assigned a tomb in one of said chambers, which doesn't seemed to have helped much. I'll see about some slabs.

The real problem is animal carcasses left over from the geniuses who decided to have an underground pasture with no feed. Either that or the kittens ganged up and slaughtered them (that's not a joke either. Dear lord we've got too many kittens in this place). Speaking of kittens, I'm sending about 5-10 of them to the slaughterhouse, to be followed by as many other ones as I can find soon. If I actually knew how cages and caging worked then I'd put them all in a single cage and use them as a fortress defense system, but I don't.

Also your royal quarters and other rooms are apparently insufficient for a royal of your royalness. I'm adding some gold statues and stuff to bump the value up if that's OK.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 09, 2014, 10:36:10 pm

Sorry for double-posting, but I always give updates their own post.


Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

5th Slate

It's been a while since the last one, but a familiar screaming roar has risen from the depths. Sounds like we've got a new ungodly horror down there*.

Meng seems....odd. At times he's almost sane. Other times....well...not so much. I can see why they call him mad. Still, he called me into his new office, asked me if I wanted anything in the new areas he's designing. Seemed quite happy to build some firing galleries into the new towers and suchlike. His architectural plans are....unusual, to say the least, but while hardly optimal, they certainly would work.......

Then, after a completely normal conversation, he got this weird look in his eyes, shook for a few seconds, then asked me a question that still makes me shudder.


"How do you feel about.....bees?"
"What?"
"Bees! Buzzy! Bizzzzzt!"
"Ehm...I quite like them, actually. In moderation-"
"Moderation YES! I will have BEES! BEEEEEEES!!!"

Then he went back to normal and just kept going like nothing had happened! I told him about the new monster and he agreed that it'd be prudent to see about upgrading the walls in the cavern compound while all the construction work is underway....and then we shook hands and agreed to meet again in a week or so to go over his plans for firing galleries and secured walkways.

I am suddenly struck by an extreme feeling of relief that my quarters are well away from this new building work. I mean, I've got no problems with bees. I like bees! I do beekeeping (a most dashing side-occupation if ever there was!)! But the orders I've seen going to the metalworkers are...well... Who on earth needs ninety beehives? It wouldn't be very dashing to doubt the dwarf who has been entrusted with the revival of our mountainhome's architecture...but still. I think that I might have a word with Udib if these...episodes.....continue.

In other news, Meng asked me to go get the corpse-disposers going again. Our noble King had a policy of delivering massively complex contradictory orders that stopped them from running properly so that bone bolts could be made. While admirable, since our archers are indeed one of our greatest strengths, Meng feels that the workers would be better suited building his dream project. I just want to be able to eat lunch without seeing dead things everywhere, so I'm all for it.


----------------------

*It's a giant one-eyed sauropod. It's got fire, so I'm not touching it. It's in the middle caverns. I don't think it can fly, so we should be good to go with the compound down there.

Basically I'm still getting the fortress going and sorting it out to increase framerate and free-up workers. The carts are now both running and I've already improved to an average of 30FPS. I've got most free labour working on the two small towers I've started to build. THe foundations are.....odd. I changed my building tactic midway through them, so they're gonna stay odd, sadly. But the rest of them should be fairly normal, if a bit slow to build. I'm using stone/wood, not glass....again, to remove items and improve framerate.

I've also started work to set up more traffic designations to try to improve pathfinding. Seems to be working OK so far.

I'm not sure how far I'm gonna go with the bees thing. I'm really not. But having ordered 90+ beehives, I've got to do *something*. If all else fails I'll install them as a kind of low-budget "curse" on CaptainArchmage's tomb. "May you be repeatedly stung by bees as you loot my tomb" is a pretty good curse as they go.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 10, 2014, 08:06:47 am

The carts should only be pulling from the stockpiles which when last I left them were filtering out bones.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 10, 2014, 03:02:24 pm

Quite frankly I'd throw our gold into the volcano if it sped up the framerate. But since there's plenty of corpses and I need the gold for construction+beehives, I'm sticking to corpses.

Edit: Fixed cut-off sentence when I first posted this.

Also, In a nutshell, the construction plan as overseen by Mad Meng is to construct 4-6 new towers around the edges of the map, extend a couple of the existing ones, and possibly add some accommodations and the like in and around/on top of existing structures. Maybe some sculpture gardens as well. And bees. Lots of bees. Exact plans aren't certain, and these aren't going to be the prettiest towers ever, since I'm basing them off the existing constructions that others have done, and I'm going for a "get it built" approach rather than a "make it all out of one material" approach. I'm assigning dwarves as they become idle, and I'm hoping to have a network of platforms linking the perimeter towers, with bridges to seal them off if necessary. Should be quite nice and speed up militia response times...if I can finish it.

Edit2: I'll do an update later today or tomorrow IC as Meng, explaining what I'm doing. I think if I can get this to work it should go rather well.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 10, 2014, 06:07:59 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 10, 2014, 03:02:24 pm

Quite frankly I'd throw our gold into the volcano if it sped up the framerate. But since there's plenty of corpses and I need the gold for construction+beehives, I'm sticking to corpses.

Edit: Fixed cut-off sentence when I first posted this.

Also, In a nutshell, the construction plan as overseen by Mad Meng is to construct 4-6 new towers around the edges of the map, extend a couple of the existing ones, and possibly add some accommodations and the like in and around/on top of existing structures. Maybe some sculpture gardens as well. And bees. Lots of bees. Exact plans aren't certain, and these aren't going to be the prettiest towers ever, since I'm basing them off the existing constructions that others have done, and I'm going for a "get it built" approach rather than a "make it all out of one material" approach. I'm assigning dwarves as they become idle, and I'm hoping to have a network of platforms linking the perimeter towers, with bridges to seal them off if necessary. Should be quite nice and speed up militia response times...if I can finish it.

Edit2: I'll do an update later today or tomorrow IC as Meng, explaining what I'm doing. I think if I can get this to work it should go rather well.

A proposition would be to switch of temperature, weather, and invaders to increase framerate (double it). To keep some invasions going, leave that on during the winter.

What kind of FPS are you getting?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 10, 2014, 08:53:24 pm

I keep seeing comments about FPS, but I've never noticed any.

Anyway, I only meant that the way to control what gets dumped is to adjust what those stockpiles accept.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on January 10, 2014, 08:56:05 pm

Pretty sure you can only have 60 "live" beehives at a time, unfortunately for Meng.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 11, 2014, 07:43:03 pm

Quote from: MDFification on January 10, 2014, 08:56:05 pm

Pretty sure you can only have 60 "live" beehives at a time, unfortunately for Meng.

60 is enough. I'll leave the others lying around "just in case". Or have the beekeepers form a union and rebel against all this extra work.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on January 10, 2014, 06:07:59 pm

What kind of FPS are you getting?

Current FPS is between 29 and 32. It's increasing as I tweak things, use up stone and wood, and burn corpses. Plus the fire's gone out now, which has only helped. With luck I *might* get it up to 40 by the end of the year, if all the extra construction doesn't cause pathfinding issues (I'm using traffic zones to try and minimise this). 30FPS is manageable, and I could quite happily run the year on that.....but every little bit of optimising I do now is a little more time the fortress has before the problems that Ardentdikes had start to creep in. We want to be able to potentially flood the place with lava while fighting demonic hordes as the surface burns without a permanent corruption of the savegame halfway through (unless we want to end this fortress with Udib Wastedlabor happily sealing another fort into an alternate dimension and heading off to find some more schmucks to build him a brand new anti-McDuck fort again, which would have a nice symmetry to it I must say).

I'll get to work on some diagrams now that I've more-or-less decided what "Phase 1" of the construction plan is, and edit them into this post with a spoiler tag. It's the most ambitious building project I've ever done, and it's going to be interesting to see if I can accomplish it. Don't expect something pretty, mind. :P

Oh yeah, one last thing. Why do we have pools of blood hanging in midair? Every time I build something it seems I'm building it through a cloud of gore that's been hanging there for the last decade or so.... ???

EDIT: Done!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Most Dashing Commander McKiwi III

Enclosed is the second-level diagram for the new tower and walkway system that I have designed for the redevelopment. Please provide feedback on the proposed layout based on your experience, as I am by no means a military dwarf and as such have probably made some mistakes. A soldier of your caliber is an immensely valuable resource when trying to design a project as large as this as quackly as I am forced to by current events.

-Meng Rirnolas, Master Architect



Attached to the message is a weathered scroll that looks nothing like the diagram below...

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/MoltenBuilding1.png)
There's a few mistakes and stuff, but that's my actual working diagram, with a few extra labels and stuff so it's slightly understandable.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 11, 2014, 08:52:29 pm

Do you have temperature, invaders, and weather turned off or not?

The redesign looks good. I think you should also build some farm buildings and aboveground houses so dwarves can quickly milk the animals there, not that we have any shortage of food at the moment. I also think Moltenchannels could also use some minecart lines to deliver things to places other than the volcano.

Royal Journal of CaptainArchmage III, King of The Strategic Bodices
5th Granite 1098

We finally decided Meng Rinrolas will be the new leader for this fortress. We used the new entertainment room, "Club Zero", for the last part of the selection. There were many criteria on the lists we used, which were taken from the Ancient Codex on The Ultimate Selection Procedure for the Ultimate Fortress Leader. Some of these criteria could only have been made up by a stark raving mad dwarf tap-dancing sober on top of a diamond-studded platinum ball going down a magmafall. I have high hopes for the coming year.

1st Slate, 1098

I just took a look at Meng Rinrolas' designs for the expanded fortress. They look pretty good, I think my hopes are going to be fulfilled. Hopefully there won't be any invasions when we build the last tower out there, but a good Mountainhome has a fully armed squad of elite soldiers to cope with that!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 11, 2014, 09:35:00 pm

Everything's turned on (Edit: I think). I might turn off weather later, but the rest is staying because I love the smell of forest fires in the morning. I'd turn off the weather now, but I could really use some heavy rain. It'd wash the blood out of the air so I can build walkways without them immediately becoming covered in gore.

Having looked at my own diagrams again, I need to tweak it a bit more to add some extra connections to the main fort. With bridges to seal them off, obviously. At present, that design would have some bottlenecks that would slow down the process of moving troops around the fort.

I'll also see about some civilian areas if I can find/make some clear or crystal glass for some nice "windows" (read: Glass walls).


Other things I haven't shown:

-The Moltenchannels & Fiery Pit Light Railway is getting more walls around it so it can operate year-around, even with invaders around the place.
-I'm installing a nether-cap bridge across the moat to the eastern compound as a temporary measure to speed up construction. I'll wire it in to the other bridge controls and put some defenses on it later.
-Candy mining is back, if the miners ever finish last years assignments
-Did you know we have more gold bars than we have most types of stone blocks? I'd order more blocks, but I think I'll just build with raw stone and then just use the gold for showing off.
-All available kittens and cats have been ordered killed. Why? Because I find it amewsing.
-We're out of mechanisms because of all the traps I've ordered to be installed. More are to be expected whenever our dwarves have a free moment (Probably some time in Timber at this rate). I'm using all the crappy weapons we have lying around because while I could melt them, I'd then have to make more weapons for the traps, and that takes time. Plus I'm making a lot of traps, so the quality of weapons is less important than the quantity.
-Beehive orders have been reduced to ~50 hives.
-New food/drink sotckpiles in McKiwi Tower (I'll move them later and add "bolts" to the list later) [EDIT]

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 11, 2014, 09:48:47 pm

How are we doing for exploring the depths of the caverns? There is a drawbridge on the end of the road now, you just have to break open the cavern wall and make sure nothing gets in. There are a few other forgotten beasts around you could try to trap.

You can also put me down for another turn. Sometime.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 11, 2014, 10:07:57 pm

Building first, exploration and combat later. I've got literally one idle dwarf, and that's a chained vampire in an oubliette. After cancelling most/all repeating orders. Once I seal the caverns (I also missed this off the "in progress" list), or if I get bored and have free soldiers, then I might go for it. If we do get a demonic incursion the walkway/tower network will be invaluable if we can get dwarves into it before the place is overrun.

Which reminds me, i need to replace the original McKiwi II era containment system on McKiwi's Tower....it was designed to secure the construction while it was being built, rather than secure the tower itself. And make sure we've got enough booze for this kind of project. Guess it's gonna be another hour of designations and checklists before I can unpause the game again.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 11, 2014, 10:26:02 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 11, 2014, 10:07:57 pm

Building first, exploration and combat later. I've got literally one idle dwarf, and that's a chained vampire in an oubliette. After cancelling most/all repeating orders. Once I seal the caverns (I also missed this off the "in progress" list), or if I get bored and have free soldiers, then I might go for it. If we do get a demonic incursion the walkway/tower network will be invaluable if we can get dwarves into it before the place is overrun.

Which reminds me, i need to replace the original McKiwi II era containment system on McKiwi's Tower....it was designed to secure the construction while it was being built, rather than secure the tower itself. And make sure we've got enough booze for this kind of project. Guess it's gonna be another hour of designations and checklists before I can unpause the game again.

Best secure the palace, and install a drawbridge right next to the adamantine. Seal the miners in with some food, booze, and beds and unseal to collect the adamantine at intervals. Welcome to Dwarf Fortress!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 12, 2014, 07:48:40 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf.

18th Slate

Meng and I finalised the design today. Our king took a look a while back and approved of it, but it needed some tweaks for security before I could give my personal approval. Udib's been rather quiet of late, but I think he approves of it as well. No news is good news on the McDuck front, and the fortress should be a lot more secure if we can get 'The Project' finished. Meng's.....oddities....seem to be fairly stable. And this new defensive ring should be invaluable if Udib's ideas about McDuck prove valid.

Builders and carpenters are swarming around the fortress, hammering and sawing. Ramps and pillars go up to support the new walkways and provide access for the builders, and the old siege batteries are in the process of being dismantled. I've been doing my own part too with the masonry. Think I'll try my hand at carpentry as well. It can't be too hard, can it? Once I've had a drink, I'll go talk to one of Meng's foredwarves. While it's not as dashing as a good victory in battle, this whole enterprise does have a certain thing to it.

Odd that young Meng would come up with an idea like this out of nowhere though. I wonder what drove him to design it?



---------------------


Writings of "Mad" Meng Rirnolas, 20th Slate, 1098


Commander McKiwi's feedback has resulted in a few changes, but the overall design is sound. I spend all day thinking about the project....it keeps the thing away. The bees will keep it away in time, but for now I have to stay thinking about the project to keep it away. It's angry, but I won't listen to it. I must be quick.




--------------------

I have hinted previously about what exactly is wrong with Meng, but I've decided to get progressively less subtle until it gets obvious, then keep going until I've had some fun with it. I'm looking forward to seeing how I develop this guy. He's only 13 years old, but has somehow survived to adulthood here in Moltenchannels. Given he was born here, aged magically by CaptainArchmage II, and has lived his entire life in this wonderful locale......the possible range of causes for the not-quite-madness is actually rather wide.

In other news, a mason has been possessed, thus robbing me of another worker for no major gain, and I've designated a lot more construction. Now I just have to keep an eye on things and add more designations (and mess with labor settings) as time goes by. I'm currently almost at the end of Slate. I've recruited some more soldiers as well, just to keep the training going effectively.

The hardest bit of the building process is going to be retrieving the bodies from the 1095 sieges from the NW wall of the eastern compound. I'd left them up there after the siege by accident after the goblin army was lured up there by stray goats and shot up by the military. They have to come down for safety reasons...a necromancer arriving at the wrong time could cause interesting (read: "Fun") problems for the builders. Since McKiwi's Tower is right next to it, I'll station marksdwarves there when the time comes.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on January 12, 2014, 09:47:03 pm

If FPS issues makes the fortress utterly unplayable, you might be able to mod the raws to create standardized materials mid-game. Note the might; if you're very lucky, that could be done, but I doubt it. Anyway modding that into the raws gives you a large fps boost, but causes all animal/plant materials to become generic (i.e. elf leather becomes just leather, oak logs become just wood logs, all grasses are now just called grass).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 14, 2014, 02:51:58 am

I think the more mundane solutions (traffic zone optimising, cutting back on stone/wood/whatever piles) should work for now. I've managed to get an extra 3FPS out of things recently and that's with a lot of pathfinding stuff happening with the construction work.

Updates are on hold for a few days: I've got family visiting  and then I've got to pack to head back to University. Updates might be a little sporadic after that (it's a course with fieldwork, and I do not know when I'll be off the grid for that.. Plus the course is a condensed one to get in before the main semester starts.) but they will happen.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 15, 2014, 12:35:41 am

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

13th Felsite

The elves are here, and the gates are open. I've moved the Laborious Assemblies to one of the unfinished gateway towers. It takes 10 dwarves away from the building work, but until the elves are inside and the door is shut we need some guards to make sure nothing comes in with them.

Even better, we've had a bunch of new howls and screams from the caverns. I think at least two more beasts have arrived.


18th Felsite

The caravan's been safely escorted to the depot, and the gates are shut. We don't have that much we want from these guys, but we'll see what we can do for 'em.

23rd Felsite

We've got both new bridges up. They're not connected to any control system yet, but that'll come later. Udib's supposed to meet with the elves soon, but he's off drinking. I don't think he likes them much. In any case, Meng's new constructions are coming along fairly well now that we've got a full (well, nearly) workforce on it. This is going to make defense so much nicer once we're finished. Meng's a little stressed over the lack of mechanics and parts for his trapped areas, but the blacksmiths can only work for so many hours per day.

18th Hematite

Things are going well! Although I haven't seen Meng for days now....we had a dinner to celebrate progress on the building work last week and he hasn't been seen since. That dwarf has real potential for dashingness. Not as dashing as a soldier, but certainly something special enough.

More screams from the caves. I'm worried....we're stretched thin by this construction work, and while it's good training to be lifting all this rock and wood, it's not going to help if something gets past the walls down in the compound.

6th Malachite

Still no sign of Meng. I'm starting to get worried. We're running a rescue mission for a trapped builder who's too scared to climb down a ramp on the scaffolding. Not dashing at all, but it's a chance for a rather more brave chap to pose for the engravers, so it has some use at least.


--------------------


We've got a thingie with fire (another one) and a giant shrimp with webs. I suspect that repreating order to smelt down gold (and our new slate table, courtesy of that possessed mason) has encouraged their arrival. And the cats are dying.

And I bought us a tigerman (tigerwoman?) and a giant bushmaster on the grounds that what this place really needs is more absurdly dangerous critters. :)

Edit: the giant bushmaster is now proudly pastured in our eastern courtyard, and the tiger-woman is just on the fortress side of the trap corridor. Any kobold or goblin who sneaks in when the bridges are down is in for a world of hurt. We've got a few issues with cluttered construction sites slowing the work, but generally it's working well enough. There's a backlog, but I've got it under hand. I hope. I'm not sure everything will be finished by the end of my turn, but that's the magic of succession games, isn't it?

We've had at least 4-5 new FBs arrive in the caverns so far. I am...slightly worried by this. The most recent was a "noxious gas", but it's looking like we are not going to get into hell via that fortress, unless we obsidianise the whole place and mine through it. All up we're talking about 11 forgotten beasts, not including undead ones. I'm not sure how that breaks down on a per-cavern basis.

If we get a flier, we'll be in trouble. Every soldier we have is working on the walls, and it'll take a while to redeploy them to the compound if there's a breach. I've been patching the wall to try to seal the cavern once and for all, but I'm less than a third of the way through and I've run into some issues with the setup I need to build on top of. I'll probably get McKiwi to take a squad down there until the work's done.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 15, 2014, 08:23:58 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 15, 2014, 12:35:41 am

We've had at least 4-5 new FBs arrive in the caverns so far. I am...slightly worried by this. The most recent was a "noxious gas", but it's looking like we are not going to get into hell via that fortress, unless we obsidianise the whole place and mine through it. All up we're talking about 11 forgotten beasts, not including undead ones. I'm not sure how that breaks down on a per-cavern basis.

If we get a flier, we'll be in trouble. Every soldier we have is working on the walls, and it'll take a while to redeploy them to the compound if there's a breach. I've been patching the wall to try to seal the cavern once and for all, but I'm less than a third of the way through and I've run into some issues with the setup I need to build on top of. I'll probably get McKiwi to take a squad down there until the work's done.

The best way to deal with the forgotten beasts is to expand the FB containment area. You can use cats as the bait, so the Forgotten Beasts will get into the cells where you can seal them in.

Can you check up the FB's special attacks? Some of them might be useful.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 15, 2014, 08:43:14 am

I tried to weaponise the forgotten beasts, to mixed result. They were good at killing some of the undead horded, but eventually you always end up with an undead forgotten beast, which is like a regular undead except it can also break down doors.

I think we should look to drawing them all out into chambers near the surface where they can be let loose on invaders at the flick of a switch.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on January 15, 2014, 04:30:17 pm

The FB's will have their corpses completely destroyed if you burn them with magma. Undead don't get killed via magma, but unless the FB is immune to fire or bleeding out, you should be able to kill it with fire.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 15, 2014, 05:52:53 pm

A lot of options. I could also modify the compound into a FB trap with lots and lots of spikes. But I'm not sure I've got enough spare dwarves for any of this....I'm already running too much construction work (they're ignoring the original orders and working on more recent ones, making it less efficient).

I'll see if I can free up some workers and do something about the problem.

Edit: The special attacks of the last 4 were: 2X Fire, 1X Noxious gas 1X webs. I don't know about the other 7. We could probably use the webs, but if I'm going to do any work against the FBs it will involve stabbing, so capturing it is probably a mission for a future overseer.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 15, 2014, 08:21:06 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 15, 2014, 05:52:53 pm

A lot of options. I could also modify the compound into a FB trap with lots and lots of spikes. But I'm not sure I've got enough spare dwarves for any of this....I'm already running too much construction work (they're ignoring the original orders and working on more recent ones, making it less efficient).

I'll see if I can free up some workers and do something about the problem.

Edit: The special attacks of the last 4 were: 2X Fire, 1X Noxious gas 1X webs. I don't know about the other 7. We could probably use the webs, but if I'm going to do any work against the FBs it will involve stabbing, so capturing it is probably a mission for a future overseer.

We definitely want to capture the beast with webs, which if I am right is the giant spider that has been down there for a few years now since my second turn.

The webs should be harvested so we can find a reliable source of silk.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 15, 2014, 11:52:15 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on January 15, 2014, 08:21:06 pm

We definitely want to capture the beast with webs, which if I am right is the giant spider that has been down there for a few years now since my second turn.

It isn't. It's a brand new one. A giant shrimp, to be precise.


I just looked at them properly, and here's the list:

1. Aste - giant crab with poisonous gas (this one has rotten feet from stepping in extract from other FBs)
2. Gorhax - enormous eyeless shrimp with webs
3. On - one-eyed sauropod with fire
4. Ijat - hairy chameleon (lavender coloured, even) with fire.
5. Wami - towering three-eyed mayfly with fire.
6. Nunur Bocashvuthil - giant mud quadruped with poisonous vapours. Should be an easy kill, being mud and all that.
7. Spos Asngeksodor - enormous three-eyed lobster. Has noxious secretions.
8. Anan Ugoshrakust - giant humanoid made of water, has webs. Has wings. Also an easy kill, so it might be the safest of the FBs to capture for web-work if we want to do that.  think this one's in the lower level cavern
9. Stumstu - One-eyed lobster. Has a "hunger for warm blood".
10. One - Gint humanoid made of green zircon (break out the hammers, I guess). Poisonous gas.
11. Isa - Massive skinless 8-legged kangaroo. Poisonous bite (this one has also stepped in rotting extract, so it's got rotten feet as well. We'd do well to work out exactly what extract causes that rot before any combat.
12. Zolak Omugathingiebob (name's too long to bother with) - giant humanoid, made of flame. Nothing special and theoretically an easy kill.
13.Slalsto - giant one-eyed horse. Has wings. Deadly dust. This guy's trapped between a bunch of trees, the edge of the map, and the solid rock around it. So it's not a worry.

On the other hand, we've only got two ghosts right now.

I'm now in mid-late summer. Construction has picked up a little, but I don't think I'll be finished by the end of the year. I might be able to get some of the walkways done, but not roofed. The most important thing is done: I've connected the new bridges to the old control systems so we can seal off the outer compound.

Edit: meanwhile, our marksdwarves are beating a beserk horse to death with their crossbows and something/one has just fallen into the moat. So yeah, the wierdness and stuff is still going strong here.
Edit2: New FB added to list.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on January 16, 2014, 05:42:12 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 15, 2014, 11:52:15 pm

12. Zolak Omugathingiebob (name's too long to bother with) - giant humanoid, made of flame. Nothing special and theoretically an easy kill.

Isn't that the one that killed the old Queen? If so, definitely not an easy kill (at least not in melee combat).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 16, 2014, 07:35:08 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 15, 2014, 11:52:15 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on January 15, 2014, 08:21:06 pm

We definitely want to capture the beast with webs, which if I am right is the giant spider that has been down there for a few years now since my second turn.

It isn't. It's a brand new one. A giant shrimp, to be precise.


I just looked at them properly, and here's the list:

1. Aste - giant crab with poisonous gas (this one has rotten feet from stepping in extract from other FBs)
2. Gorhax - enormous eyeless shrimp with webs
3. On - one-eyed sauropod with fire
4. Ijat - hairy chameleon (lavender coloured, even) with fire.
5. Wami - towering three-eyed mayfly with fire.
6. Nunur Bocashvuthil - giant mud quadruped with poisonous vapours. Should be an easy kill, being mud and all that.
7. Spos Asngeksodor - enormous three-eyed lobster. Has noxious secretions.
8. Anan Ugoshrakust - giant humanoid made of water, has webs. Has wings. Also an easy kill, so it might be the safest of the FBs to capture for web-work if we want to do that.  think this one's in the lower level cavern
9. Stumstu - One-eyed lobster. Has a "hunger for warm blood".
10. One - Gint humanoid made of green zircon (break out the hammers, I guess). Poisonous gas.
11. Isa - Massive skinless 8-legged kangaroo. Poisonous bite (this one has also stepped in rotting extract, so it's got rotten feet as well. We'd do well to work out exactly what extract causes that rot before any combat.
12. Zolak Omugathingiebob (name's too long to bother with) - giant humanoid, made of flame. Nothing special and theoretically an easy kill.
13.Slalsto - giant one-eyed horse. Has wings. Deadly dust. This guy's trapped between a bunch of trees, the edge of the map, and the solid rock around it. So it's not a worry.

On the other hand, we've only got two ghosts right now.

I'm now in mid-late summer. Construction has picked up a little, but I don't think I'll be finished by the end of the year. I might be able to get some of the walkways done, but not roofed. The most important thing is done: I've connected the new bridges to the old control systems so we can seal off the outer compound.

Edit: meanwhile, our marksdwarves are beating a beserk horse to death with their crossbows and something/one has just fallen into the moat. So yeah, the wierdness and stuff is still going strong here.
Edit2: New FB added to list.

I think one of the forgotten beasts is already in containment. Can you confirm?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 16, 2014, 12:33:32 pm

OP updated.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 16, 2014, 05:07:06 pm

We should make an attempt to kill these ones with fire, if only to stop the log spam.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 16, 2014, 07:42:15 pm

28th Galena (Late Morning). Upper Courtyard. Conversation between Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf, and Udib Wastedlabor, Priest of Armok.

'Ah! Udib! There you are! I don't suppose you've seen the architect around? I need to talk to him about these beehives.....people are getting stung a lot and they're complaining to me about it.'
I'm afraid not, McKiwi. I've been looking for him myself over some other matters. Nurse Cutey apparently saw him yesterday in the old dining room. Perhaps we should go and look together?
'I really hope he hasn't fallen down the waterfall. No one else understands those diagrams he's drawn up of everything, and the last thing we need is one of those horrible things in the caves learning that edible things come from the drains. Also the whole "we're building too many beehives in areas with too many people" issue.'
'Why don't you just not install hives if they're somewhere you think would be a problem?'
'Disobey a lawful order? That would hardly be dashing at all.'
'I suppose you have a point, McKiwi. Let's go find our 'Master Architect'....'



Scribblings of "Mad Meng" Rirnolas. Date Unknown.

I have to keep it out. I have to keep it out. I can't even sleep these days without it trying to get in. The bees keep it away, but if I sleep that won't work.....

I am so tired.....



-------------------------

We've got one of the beasties contained, but I don't know exactly which one. The log spam/combat/burning undead is causing a bit of lag, I think. I'll not be touching it though since construction is literally taking every single dwarf we have and then some.

And the complaints McKiwi's been getting aren't too far off the mark. We've been getting a lot of bee stings.

EDIT: Also, these updates are kinda weird because besides killing 3 kobolds and a berserk horse, there's nothing to report except "I built walls!". So I'm inventing plot to fill in the gaps. The upside of this is that I have finally come up with a logical (for a dwarf) reason for the bee thing, having ditched about 3 previous ideas.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 17, 2014, 06:32:32 pm

We're now into Autumn. I won't finish the construction during my turn, but it will be advanced enough that others can finish it easily if they wish to do so.

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

1st Sandstone

A fine mess we're in! Getting this work done by the end of the year was supposed to be our priority, but Meng's up and vanished! Haven't seen him for over a month now. He's still alive, because other people are seeing him. Apparently he's been mutering even more than usual. Bad business. I'll send a squad to comb the fortress. We're way behind schedule, and that's not really dashing. Still, at least the orders for more beehives have stopped coming in.

My own attempt with Udib failed miserably. The old priest ran off after some ghost that floated by. Some speardwarf I didn't recognise. Rather annoying, if you ask me. We've got enough restless dead of our own here without importing the damned things.

That chap who kept running up to me a few years back says we've been having a run of mad animals of late. Looks like old McDuck's trying to slip in again. Or the bees are getting to them. I'll tell Udib once we've finished work for the day...





-------------------------

So here's what the fortress looks like at the Z level shown in the plans in one of my older updates (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121621.msg4908003#msg4908003) as of 2nd Sandstone (Warning: Large image):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenbuilding2.png)

There's also stuff on the Z levels above and below this, but this is the most important level.
One problem I'm facing is a massive bottleneck that's cutting off my supply of mechanisms. Thus a lot of bridges aren't attached to levers, and several levers aren't attached to bridges. I may be able to fix this, otherwise I'll leave notes as to what isn't doing anything. The most important things (the moat connections at ground level) are all sorted.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 18, 2014, 12:15:55 am

The large tower in the south of the island looks like it could be turned into an arena. It also looks like you have been using some wood.

If the stone runs low, you can designate some rooms in the upper layers of rock, either for storage or for workshops. That should produce enough stone for blocks.

Have we had any migrants? Tried using forcemigrants in DFHack?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Welcome to Forgotten Park - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 18, 2014, 02:41:52 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on January 18, 2014, 12:15:55 am

The large tower in the south of the island looks like it could be turned into an arena. It also looks like you have been using some wood.

If the stone runs low, you can designate some rooms in the upper layers of rock, either for storage or for workshops. That should produce enough stone for blocks.

Have we had any migrants? Tried using forcemigrants in DFHack?

In order:

I don't have any plans for that area, but it could probably be turned into a water tank, arena, or whatever. Just make sure the walkways are sealed off.

I've used everything for this build. Wood, blocks, raw stone, aluminium, bismuth, gold, soap.......in fact we're almost entirely out of rock blocks and I'm switching entirely to raw stone and metal for the later bits because it's faster. I've felled every tree in our underground compound twice and everything on the surface 5 times. When building a wall, our metal stockpiles are now closer to the surface than our available stone stocks (in future this won't be the case, as I've designated some big stone stockpiles on the surface that should fill up once construction ends).

We've had no migrants, and I don't use/know how to use DFhack. If people think it's worth it, I'll set it up and force a migrant wave....they can come in through the trap corridor.

I'm heading back to uni tomorrow, but I've got a week before coursework starts up. So I've plenty of time to sort out DFhack and the like before continuing the project.

Edit: Also, in preparation for potentially being able to kit out our new towers (assuming they ever get built. THe ground floors of several ones don't actually exist) I've watched the entirety of Protect and Survive. I'm really looking forward to this.... :D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 18, 2014, 04:30:34 pm

I would wait for something bad to actually happen and population to drop (how many dwarfs are there currently?) before trying some arcane DFHack magic.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 18, 2014, 04:47:45 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on January 18, 2014, 04:30:34 pm

I would wait for something bad to actually happen and population to drop (how many dwarfs are there currently?) before trying some arcane DFHack magic.

The population has, actually, dropped since a few years ago. It used to be 180 or so, but it went down to about 120. Getting a full sized migration wave would help bump the population up so we can truly call ourselves the Mountainhome.

I'd suggest making a backup of the save and then trying the forcemigrants command.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 18, 2014, 07:34:27 pm

Yes, you've got me to thank for that. Our population went from 185 to 145 in a year during my last turn, courtesy of about 4 sieges and 2-3 FBs. It was a far more eventful year than this one, certainly. Our population has increased by one during this year so far, up to 138 or so. Basically, we're still feeling the impacts of those sieges. If we didn't have problems with bugs, we'd be getting huge migrant waves from all the prosperity of the last few turns.

I'm not touching the save today: got to settle in here at uni (horrible prepaid internet. Eurgh). But I can do a backup and DFhack later. IC it can be the king sending out some resettlement orders.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 18, 2014, 09:29:22 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 18, 2014, 07:34:27 pm

Yes, you've got me to thank for that. Our population went from 185 to 145 in a year during my last turn, courtesy of about 4 sieges and 2-3 FBs. It was a far more eventful year than this one, certainly. Our population has increased by one during this year so far, up to 138 or so. Basically, we're still feeling the impacts of those sieges. If we didn't have problems with bugs, we'd be getting huge migrant waves from all the prosperity of the last few turns.

I'm not touching the save today: got to settle in here at uni (horrible prepaid internet. Eurgh). But I can do a backup and DFhack later. IC it can be the king sending out some resettlement orders.

If you can get DFhack to work, we could also increase the population cap to something like 250-400. A real Mountainhome should be quite large. Its not like the FPS is going to become really worse than it already is.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 19, 2014, 12:31:22 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on January 18, 2014, 09:29:22 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 18, 2014, 07:34:27 pm

Yes, you've got me to thank for that. Our population went from 185 to 145 in a year during my last turn, courtesy of about 4 sieges and 2-3 FBs. It was a far more eventful year than this one, certainly. Our population has increased by one during this year so far, up to 138 or so. Basically, we're still feeling the impacts of those sieges. If we didn't have problems with bugs, we'd be getting huge migrant waves from all the prosperity of the last few turns.

I'm not touching the save today: got to settle in here at uni (horrible prepaid internet. Eurgh). But I can do a backup and DFhack later. IC it can be the king sending out some resettlement orders.

If you can get DFhack to work, we could also increase the population cap to something like 250-400. A real Mountainhome should be quite large. Its not like the FPS is going to become really worse than it already is.

I agree. It's too hot today to run DF without my laptop melting, but when I was running it full bore a few days ago it was managing 25FPS rock steady during construction....which considering how much pathfinding and stuff is going in is actually pretty good. For major construction projects (New Townbrush, Meng's Masterpiece, the Palace, etc) we really need more dwarves so we can have some peeps devoted to support jobs and let everyone else toil away non-stop.

Once the temperature drops to something that'll let me run the game again, I'll investigate DFhack. No assurances, since I've never used it before.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 21, 2014, 03:39:17 am

Conversation between "Mad Meng" Rirnolas and King CaptainArchmage III (I). 2nd Sandstone, 1098.

"The bees will keep it away....the bees will, oh! My liege!"
'Meng Rirnolas! I hear that things are behind schedule! Is there anything more you need?
'Ahhh...yes, your highness. More dwarves. I don't think I can be finished by the time my mandate ends with the current workforce, and we really don't have enough children to-"
"And so you'd like me to call in our fellow citizens from a lesser fortress?"
"Well....yes!"
".......Alright then. I'll write you some letters and send them out to the world. Let's see about getting you some more dwarfpower. Oh, and drop by McKiwi some time. She's been looking for you to check some construction details..


Meng yawns as he leaves the chamber. He looks visibly tired and his eyes are bloodshot.
------
DFhack is up and running. I ran the command for forcing migrants, nothing happened, so I did it again. I'll see if anything happens. If not, then I'm not going to bother trying to troubleshoot it.

Edit: Fixed the date. It doesn't seem to have worked. Either I messed it up (first time using DFhack, so it's quite probable) or the bugs are stopping it....or it'll work later or something. I'll update properly tomorrow. Things are sloooooooooow. And not for FPS reasons either. Although we're getting some mechanisms now so I can do basic bridge setups for a few of the lockdown bits. It's not going to be very neat though.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 21, 2014, 12:52:08 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 19, 2014, 12:31:22 am

I agree. It's too hot today to run DF without my laptop melting, but when I was running it full bore a few days ago it was managing 25FPS rock steady during construction....which considering how much pathfinding and stuff is going in is actually pretty good. For major construction projects (New Townbrush, Meng's Masterpiece, the Palace, etc) we really need more dwarves so we can have some peeps devoted to support jobs and let everyone else toil away non-stop.

Once the temperature drops to something that'll let me run the game again, I'll investigate DFhack. No assurances, since I've never used it before.

Your estimated location: Australia during an

☼Epic Level☼ !!Heat Wave!!

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 21, 2014, 03:39:17 am

Conversation between "Mad Meng" Rirnolas and King CaptainArchmage III (I). 2nd Sandstone, 1098.

"The bees will keep it away....the bees will, oh! My liege!"
'Meng Rirnolas! I hear that things are behind schedule! Is there anything more you need?
'Ahhh...yes, your highness. More dwarves. I don't think I can be finished by the time my mandate ends with the current workforce, and we really don't have enough children to-"
"And so you'd like me to call in our fellow citizens from a lesser fortress?"
"Well....yes!"
".......Alright then. I'll write you some letters and send them out to the world. Let's see about getting you some more dwarfpower. Oh, and drop by McKiwi some time. She's been looking for you to check some construction details..


Meng yawns as he leaves the chamber. He looks visibly tired and his eyes are bloodshot.
------
DFhack is up and running. I ran the command for forcing migrants, nothing happened, so I did it again. I'll see if anything happens. If not, then I'm not going to bother trying to troubleshoot it.

Edit: Fixed the date. It doesn't seem to have worked. Either I messed it up (first time using DFhack, so it's quite probable) or the bugs are stopping it....or it'll work later or something. I'll update properly tomorrow. Things are sloooooooooow. And not for FPS reasons either. Although we're getting some mechanisms now so I can do basic bridge setups for a few of the lockdown bits. It's not going to be very neat though.

Try forcing a caravan and see whether that works. If it does, we may be unable to sort this out at until the next version of Dwarf Fortress comes out.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 21, 2014, 02:53:00 pm

Actually New Zealand after the remains of their heatwave cools down a lot and crosses the Tasman. If I'd been in Australia during the heat wave I wouldn't even have got the computer started. My computer just doesn't have a very good cooling system.:P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on January 21, 2014, 05:45:00 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 21, 2014, 02:53:00 pm

Actually New Zealand after the remains of their heatwave cools down a lot and crosses the Tasman. If I'd been in Australia during the heat wave I wouldn't even have got the computer started. My computer just doesn't have a very good cooling system.:P

If you were in Australia you'd probably be actively on fire at this point  :P my uncle's there and it's enough to make him miss northern Canada.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 21, 2014, 09:52:09 pm

Quote from: MDFification on January 21, 2014, 05:45:00 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 21, 2014, 02:53:00 pm

Actually New Zealand after the remains of their heatwave cools down a lot and crosses the Tasman. If I'd been in Australia during the heat wave I wouldn't even have got the computer started. My computer just doesn't have a very good cooling system.:P

If you were in Australia you'd probably be actively on fire at this point  :P my uncle's there and it's enough to make him miss northern Canada.

General situation: the rest of the world ended up in a heat wave (hotter than normal temperatures) while a significant part of North America got a cold wave.

This is like having a dwarf fortress world where a certain area a distance from the poles the temperatures is very much below freezing, but a number of other areas are sufficiently hot to set things on fire, and in in general things are a lot hotter than normal with "temperate" regions where the weather does not get cold enough to freeze water.

Nightmare scenario: too hot to go outside, too hot to start computer.

We might be able to call up the DFhack people on creating a script to properly summon dwarves to the fortress, as in the Town Portal Masterwork system I am seeing on the manual (disclaimer that I don't play Masterwork thanks to the new version not being out for Mac or Linux).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 21, 2014, 10:58:43 pm

You are aware of the old Boiling Cookbook challenge? Some of the test worlds that got generated as part of it came very close to that description....pity the game won't let you generate worlds where dogs explode and anvil melt on embark any more. At least, not consistantly. Now that was a fun way to play DF.

Well, it's worth a shot trying to get a custom thingie done. But that'll be for a later turn I guess. For now I'm just gonna continue the save and finish what I can. I've improvised a few different plots and I'm going with the "in case of nothing happening" one.

(Do you mind if I write a scene with King CaptainArchmageTheThirdTheFirstGeezThisNameIsGettingLong finding out he's been universally ignored by the rest of the civilisation? Alternatively you can do it. I'm not that good at writing "angry"...)

Basically, this construction has no hope in hell of being finished in time. The order the dwarves build in is weird and inefficient, and there's the odd cancellation/suspension to deal with. However, I've almost finished the lockdown controls that will secure the fortress as it is currently designed.....basically, cutting off everything east/northeast/southeast of the main fort across the moat. Given we now have four ways across said moat (2 of them unfinished, and a 5th that hasn't been started), this is actually rather important.

Worst of all, I have no beehives left!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 21, 2014, 11:28:03 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 21, 2014, 10:58:43 pm

You are aware of the old Boiling Cookbook challenge? Some of the test worlds that got generated as part of it came very close to that description....pity the game won't let you generate worlds where dogs explode and anvil melt on embark any more. At least, not consistantly. Now that was a fun way to play DF.

Well, it's worth a shot trying to get a custom thingie done. But that'll be for a later turn I guess. For now I'm just gonna continue the save and finish what I can. I've improvised a few different plots and I'm going with the "in case of nothing happening" one.

(Do you mind if I write a scene with King CaptainArchmageTheThirdTheFirstGeezThisNameIsGettingLong finding out he's been universally ignored by the rest of the civilisation? Alternatively you can do it. I'm not that good at writing "angry"...)

Basically, this construction has no hope in hell of being finished in time. The order the dwarves build in is weird and inefficient, and there's the odd cancellation/suspension to deal with. However, I've almost finished the lockdown controls that will secure the fortress as it is currently designed.....basically, cutting off everything east/northeast/southeast of the main fort across the moat. Given we now have four ways across said moat (2 of them unfinished, and a 5th that hasn't been started), this is actually rather important.

Worst of all, I have no beehives left!

I can write it.

How is mining going on? You might want to assign miners to carve out areas higher up. I think we need more food storage, and we could use the stone.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 22, 2014, 12:45:36 am

Quote

How is mining going on?

It isn't. Everyone's on "build crap" mode. :P

Edit:

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/MoltenOW.png)

"OW! Not dashing! NOT dashing at ALL. MENG!!!!"

Also visible: Newly possessed leathermaker sits down to make something, and our other decent leathermaker continues churning out stuff I've ordered. We have a minor "clothes are falling off dwarves" issue that I'm trying to work on in between screaming 'BUILD WALLS RAMPS FLOORS HIVES RAAAAAR' at random dwarves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 22, 2014, 04:35:37 pm

Well, I've no idea what our leatherworker is making, but it's shiny. Giant lion tamarin leather (of course), three different types of gems, some raw green glass, a whole bunch of unicorn bones, and some copper nuggets. Hopefully it's something wearable, since we're out of leather for making clothes and shoes now.

And McKiwi has been stung by another bee. Maybe beekeeping requires clothing other than heavy plate mail? :P

Edit: It's....a rather spectacular turban, of all things. I've given it to one of the militia for the hell of it.

Edit2: New side effect of the bees. We currently have a planter running around carrying a swarm of bees to put in a hive, unable to find a hive to put them in. Lots of announcement spam. :)

Edit3: Actually it's even better. He's been trapped in a corner surrounded by beehives. Apparently when you're carrying a bunch of bees you can't move diagonally, so CaptainArchmage's hives (not my ones, ironically) have made a perfect trap for errant beekeepers. I'll knock a hole in the wall behind him and get him out that way.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on January 23, 2014, 08:53:48 pm

(http://i.imgur.com/7uM5U3V.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 24, 2014, 03:52:15 am

They're not getting bigger as such....there's just more of them.

That said, the fact that our beehives have started grouping together to ambush lone dwarves is probably a bad omen. I'll build some more and see if it fixes things. :)

I'm heading away for a fieldwork/course stuff on Tuesday. This will take me out of action for approximately 1.5 weeks. As such, I will do my absolute best to finish the year before then....but I can't make promises, sadly. I've got a plan for the rest of the year that should serve well enough assuming things go according to plan (hah).....but this year's been rather peaceful (not even one siege. I'm slightly disappointed), so there's a 50% chance things will work.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 24, 2014, 08:39:59 am

Can bee's sting undead?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 24, 2014, 05:34:54 pm

6th Timber. Eastern Courtyard of Central Compound

"Come on, lad! Just walk calmly and they won't sting you!"
"I can't!"
"Look it's perfectly safe, see?"
Bzzt!
"OW! Ok, maybe not. Stay still, and we'll knock a hole through the wall and get you out."
"THEY'LL STING MEEEEE!!"
'Look, just don't panic. You're stuck behind 5 hives full of angry bees, the last thing you want to do now is panic!'

McKiwi sighed. This was getting nowhere fast, although this fiasco wasn't Meng's fault.....for once. These hives were installed by the King, and she'd be damned if she knew how this planter (a new recruit to the beekeeping team) had gotten trapped behind them.\

"Alright folks, you know the drill. You need to get through that wall so we can pull him out of there. And do not drop stones on the beehives, or you'll find out what it's like having an angry swarm of bees stuck in your beard."
"Commander McKiwi!"


McKiwi turned towards the voice to see the self-appointed king of their nation, CaptainArchmage (the third, the first). Hurrying towards her.
Oh what now? Dashing's all very well, but today is just getting ridiculous! Don't we have an overseer to do all this stuff?
"Your highness? What can I do for you?"
"Where are all the new workers?
"What new workers?"
"The new ones from the other fortresses. I gave letters to Meng to be sent out to them, asking for new workers........have they not arrived?"
"Apparently not.....maybe Meng forgot to send your letters out?"
"Forgot?!! I appoint him to rebuild our mountainhome into a suitable capitol for our nation, and he forgets to send the letters he asks me to give him? Don't be absurd.
"Look. We need to find Meng. I've been trying to find him for months now, but he's never around when I'm looking. Let me send out the militia, we'll find him, and make sure everything's going fine. In the meantime, I've got a dwarf to rescue, so if you'll excuse me..."
"Very well. Find my Master Architect and sort out this mess. The last thing we need is another abandoned monstrosity around the place......"

Onomatopoeia of extreme buzzing/stinging action!

"AAAAAAIEEEEE!!!"
"Hang in there! We'll get you out!......erm....how did he get back there anyway?"
McKiwi turns to a hammerdwarf who has been standing guard in the Square
"Vaulted over the hives after smoking them, sir, just like you did last week. Think he had a bet going with someone. Then he grabbed a few frames for one of the new hives and realised he couldn't vault back. Quite a look on his face when he noticed that, sir. Then he dropped a frame and well......you know the rest. I don't think he'll be wanting to keep on beekeeping after this."
"I'll bet. I'll have to hold some proper classes if people are going to keep trying to copy that....also I'm a "commander" or a "Ma'am", not a "Sir", soldier.
"Sorry commander."
"Eh, everyone does it, and you're fairly new to the squads. Just don't do it again. Now then, let's see how this rescue goes.....it's not usually the dashing thing to do, but I don't suppose anyone's opened a book......."
----------------------------
Three! That's three times McKiwi's been stung by bees! Ah ha ha.

I do have another part to this bit of plot planned, which I'll do later today...either by editing this post, or by writing a new post if anyone replies before then. At this stage we'll catch up with Meng. I'm sure he's doing just fine.

Edit: Fixed stuff!
Edit2: Changed the color of the hammerdwarves' lines. Sorry if it's less readable, but I'm avoiding putting it too close to the colors I use for named dwarves if I can avoid it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 25, 2014, 05:49:41 pm

Bit of a delay due to some issues IRL, but here we go.
Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

8th Timber

So everyone's out looking for Meng now. The king isn't happy, and when royalty isn't happy, they do tend to get things done. Nurse Cutey appeared the instant we got that poor planter out from behind the hives and dragged him off screaming. I don't blame him, frankly. We have got to sort out this mess with the bees!

I ran an inspection of the militia before sending them out. Not good. Most of them haven't seen a battle, and aren't being trained enough. So I've set up some training runs. We're not going to finish this massive rebuild this year anyway....might as well make sure we're trained well enough to survive a siege. Squads will train at 3 month intervals, then spend a month on duty doing patrols......then have a month of leave. The exception to this will be the Royal Fist....as my own elite squad, we will train at 2 month intervals to maintain our skills at the highest possible level.

I suppose that's the good thing about Meng being away....I can get my own work done again. I'm not in charge, but since the person who should be giving the orders isn't, I can just keep things running. But still....we have so few dwarves these days to work with. We've got to find him.....




--------------------------------------------------


10th Timber, Late morning.

"Udib? Udib!"
"McKiwi? What is it?"
"Got a tipoff from UristTheGrey. Meng's fast asleep down in the old living complex. Want to head down and see what's up with him?"
'Hmmm.....yes. That would be wise. I have noticed a strange focus of McDuck's energies of late, since that last wave of animal posessions. Meng Rirnolas' disappearance worries me."
"And we need the whole beehive thing sorted out. That poor planter had Nurse Cutey looking after him for days..."

McKiwi shudders as she and the Priest start their descent into the fortress. Udib Wastedlabor scratches his beard, thinking for a moment.

'The bees interest me. Rirnolas has placed hives quite deliberately at focal points for the main hauling routes....almost as if arranging for citizens to be stung is the point of the hives....'
"That's not very dashing."
"Maybe. But I think there's a reason why he's doing it, and I would rather like to find out what that reason is....

---------------------------------------

Screenshot and stats time!

Our great fortress of Moltenchannels has a population of 138 dwarves, up by 1 from last year (yaaaaaay). 33 of these are children. The adult population breaks down by skill as follows:

5 engineers
27 farmers
2 fishery workers (these guys probably need some training in other jobs, since we don't have any fish)
5 peasants (this includes Meng, who is technically a Master Architect but doesn't actually have architecture skills)
10 nobles
11 craftsdwarves
3 jewellers
8 metalsmiths
4 rangers
18 stoneworkers (skewed a bit by my construction work)
7 woodworkers (also skewed a bit)
5 miners

This does not take military skills into account, since the militia is on leave. We currently have a full military of 50 dwarves. Some squads (mostly the marksdwarves) are well trained, but others are just cannon-fodder. To alter this, I've changed the schedule so that we have regular training for most squads, with extra training for the Dead Armors, as they are really inexperienced. I have never used the schedule system before, so I've no idea if this will work.


Anyway! Screenshots! These are both large images, so be warned.

Spoiler: Groundlevel (click to show/hide)

Circled in red is the area where the planter got trapped. I'll probably leave those walls deconstructed just to be safe

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenchannels%20the%20L-66-Moltenchannels%201st%20Granite%201097-1098-28048.png)

Spoiler: Walkways (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenchannels%20the%20L-67-Moltenchannels%201st%20Granite%201097-1098-28048.png)

As you can see, construction is rather stalled. Ah well, such is life. And some of it is useable at least. The tower in the top-left of the central island is going to be "interesting" to finish, as both the magma weapon and the corpse-disposer go right through it. However, I am optimistic that it can be safely build around the existing structures, although ramp/stair design is a little convoluted. Ideally, I would have built walls and ramps for ground-level parts of the towers as well, to give them their own farms and breweries in case they get sealed off for long periods of time. That went out the window with the slowdown.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on January 25, 2014, 09:41:54 pm

You could probably safely re-route the disposer around the outerwall of the tower if you have to, just don't leave anything unsupported. It'd probably be easier. Since the magma weapon runs higher than the cart track, you could probably cast the track around the outside then carve it that way.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 25, 2014, 10:18:17 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on January 25, 2014, 09:41:54 pm

You could probably safely re-route the disposer around the outerwall of the tower if you have to, just don't leave anything unsupported. It'd probably be easier. Since the magma weapon runs higher than the cart track, you could probably cast the track around the outside then carve it that way.

That would actually take even longer, since I'd need to dismantle stuff. Plus I'd need to shut it down while I worked and....well, yeah. Basically it's easier to just build around it and accept a slightly convoluted layout. I won't finish this by the end of the year, of course....but I can designate the beginnings of it. I've only got 3.5 months left to do everything, and believe me when I say that you do not want me learning to cast obsidian in a succession fort.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 26, 2014, 12:06:40 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 25, 2014, 10:18:17 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on January 25, 2014, 09:41:54 pm

You could probably safely re-route the disposer around the outerwall of the tower if you have to, just don't leave anything unsupported. It'd probably be easier. Since the magma weapon runs higher than the cart track, you could probably cast the track around the outside then carve it that way.

That would actually take even longer, since I'd need to dismantle stuff. Plus I'd need to shut it down while I worked and....well, yeah. Basically it's easier to just build around it and accept a slightly convoluted layout. I won't finish this by the end of the year, of course....but I can designate the beginnings of it. I've only got 3.5 months left to do everything, and believe me when I say that you do not want me learning to cast obsidian in a succession fort.

Nice job! The fortress additions look like they were made by drunken monkeys.

I think you can route some of the minecart tracks to being supply tracks for the rest of the fortress. You may be able to use minecart tracks to supply the building materials more easily.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 26, 2014, 02:58:47 am

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on January 26, 2014, 12:06:40 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 25, 2014, 10:18:17 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on January 25, 2014, 09:41:54 pm

You could probably safely re-route the disposer around the outerwall of the tower if you have to, just don't leave anything unsupported. It'd probably be easier. Since the magma weapon runs higher than the cart track, you could probably cast the track around the outside then carve it that way.

That would actually take even longer, since I'd need to dismantle stuff. Plus I'd need to shut it down while I worked and....well, yeah. Basically it's easier to just build around it and accept a slightly convoluted layout. I won't finish this by the end of the year, of course....but I can designate the beginnings of it. I've only got 3.5 months left to do everything, and believe me when I say that you do not want me learning to cast obsidian in a succession fort.

Nice job! The fortress additions look like they were made by drunken monkeys.

Well we are talking about dwarves here.

The bad bits are where I ran out of coherent building materials. The slate/wood parts actually look quite respectable. And the gateway towers, were they to be finished, would look rather spiffy as well. Although perhaps the aluminium fortifications are a tad showy. It's the stuff like random pewter/bismuth/soap walls and the like that completes the 'the architect hasn't been seen for 6 months and we have no idea what we are doing' look.

The only bits that genuinely don't make sense are the foundations to two towers I changed the design of midway through (and then the dwarves decided to stop working on them altogether), and the aforementioned "tower that has everything going through it".

If I can find our various minecart tracks, I'll investigate setting up a transfer system. I do have stone stockpiles on the surface.....it's just that I'm allocating building materials long before they can be hauled up to those same stocks. Also more beehives, because you can never have too many solid gold beehives.

No further update today, because the power went out for a while. Tomorrow I have classes, but I'll squeeze something into the evening. With luck I can still finish this before going off on field work....if not, there'll be a 1.5 week hiatus while I go hunt bugs and stuff.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on January 26, 2014, 11:02:15 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 26, 2014, 02:58:47 am

The bad bits are where I ran out of coherent building materials. The slate/wood parts actually look quite respectable. And the gateway towers, were they to be finished, would look rather spiffy as well. Although perhaps the aluminium fortifications are a tad showy. It's the stuff like random pewter/bismuth/soap walls and the like that completes the 'the architect hasn't been seen for 6 months and we have no idea what we are doing' look.

Having gateway towers and proper walls would be great. Aluminium fortifications are fine if you build an aluminium wall and then engrave fortifications, because this ensures there is a walkable tile on top.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on January 26, 2014, 02:58:47 am

If I can find our various minecart tracks, I'll investigate setting up a transfer system. I do have stone stockpiles on the surface.....it's just that I'm allocating building materials long before they can be hauled up to those same stocks. Also more beehives, because you can never have too many solid gold beehives.

No further update today, because the power went out for a while. Tomorrow I have classes, but I'll squeeze something into the evening. With luck I can still finish this before going off on field work....if not, there'll be a 1.5 week hiatus while I go hunt bugs and stuff.

Minecarts would be great for hauling gold to build areas, since it takes a rather long time given how heavy the bars are and the distance the metalsmiths need to walk.

How many gold beehives do we have?

Do we have a run of coins for this year? It might help to mint a copper/silver/gold series just to see what we have.

Real life bug hunt sounds fun.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 26, 2014, 04:24:59 pm

The fortifications were constructed as-is, which was a mistake...but one that can be fixed just by putting some ramps and stuff in place. The walkway between the two towers is supposed to be open to the air (to let the bees out and allow shooting at flying targets) so that's not a concern. The upper tower is mostly built, except the roof and part of the upper level. The lower tower is stalled because of a lack of builders. If I had 25 more masons I'd be done by now. <_<

We've got maybe 10-15 gold hives, all up. Possibly more, I lost count a while back. All of them are either installed or en route for installation.

I'll order a run of coins. I also ordered a candy spear a while back for one of our better militia members, but I don't know if it got built. I'll cancel the hive construction for now (actually, I'll swap it over to glass to free up the metalsmiths) and get that stuff done.


Edit:I did a test run on a brand new fort of my own, and I think the ignored constructions are due to a bug that kicks in when too much construction is ordered at once....so they may need new designations entirely. I woulda done more, but a vampire turned up, drained the most popular guy in the fort and the whole test devolved into people ripping each other apart while monkeys stole the wheelbarrows. Good fun, but not that helpful. I'll continue with the save later tonight.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on January 28, 2014, 01:10:43 am

12th Timber, Mid afternoon.

A dark, dusty room in an isolated corner of the fortress. Piles of parchment lie haphazardly, along with the detritus of someone living rough. A clattering of armor comes from the hallway as the Militia Commander and Priest enter what has until recently been the refuge of Meng Rirnolas. McKiwi, tired of the monotony of searching, takes a swig from her flask.

"You know....some day we have got to make stairways that don't take several days to climb up and down."
"I don't think there is space for them...you know as well as I do how intricate this fortress is. In any case, we are where UristTheGrey reported our missing architect.....
"And he isn't here. Brilliant."
"And yet....he has evidently been doing a lot of writing. I wonder...?

The priest of Armok picks up a wad of papers. The words "The bees will keep it out" are scrawled messily and repeatedly on the top page. Flicking through the bundle, all the pages are similar.

 "'The bees will keep it away'.....'the bees will keep it out'.......more of the same here as well...hmmm. You know what this means, McKiwi?"
"That our architect has gone completely mad?"
 "I know you tend towards what I can only hope is sarcasm when your "dashing" side slips, but think! The bees will keep it out! Rirnolas starts to act odd. He comes up with a plan for an immense defensive structure, then puts beehives everywhere that people go. He's planning a defense against something, and I'm certain it's McDuck!"
"While I'm all in favor of massive defenses, being dashing and all, what good would bees do against a malevolent psychic maddwarf from a parallel world? All they do is sting people and make them angry!"
"I'll admit I'm not that sure about....ah! Of course! Anger! Distraction! It takes your mind off things!"
'Which helps us...how?"
'Do you have any idea how hard it is to reliably possess someone? The amount of concentration....McDuck can reach through, but the slightest jolt can knock him away.'
"Like....the sting of a bee?"
"Precisely!"
"Speaking as a dashing swordsdwarf of some renown who will readily admit that she doesn't always care for newfangled tricks....that is the single least practical tactic I have ever heard of!"
"Can you think of a better one?"
'Ehm.....ah......wait, how do you know how difficult it is to possess someone?"
"We don't need to talk about that right now. Anyway, let's see if we can find our architect....he cannot be far from here."

Udib takes a final look around the room, making sure that the architect has not simply died under a pile of paperwork and been forgotten. McKiwi raises an eyebrow as the priest walks out into the hallway....


Not right now, perhaps...but we are going to have words about this later, she thought.



---------------------

Ok if anyone saw that excuse for filling the place with bees comign, go buy yourself an icecream now. Basic logic:

-Ok, what can I do for this turn so it is definitely going to be weird?
-Well, I can fill it with bees!
-Why?
-Because I can!
-No, I need an excuse. I also need to stop thinking loudly at myself and having conversations in my head, but that can wait until later.
- Been a while since we moved the old "McDuck" plot along......
-Hmmm. How can bees help against demons without referencing the horrible Wicker Man remake?
-Stinging makes a distraction that makes McDuck lose his grip on minds?? Maybe? Eh, good enough. Time to fill the place with bees.


Although the current beehive total is only 7 new gold ones, with possibly some other ones from other materials so it's not that bad. And wall construction is picking up wooooooooo.


I'm currently up to 23rd Timber, with updates lagging. I may update again today (there's a bit planned which would work well as a not all that good cliffhanger). I will be away from tomorrow (wednesday) until next friday, doing ecological field work. There's no net access, but I'll definitely not be vanishing for good.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 07, 2014, 06:15:36 pm

I'm back! Quite a nifty trip all up. A few distant kea, some cool parasitic wasps and a bunch of rather nice sciencey things. And I got to hear one of the rarest birds in the country (probably), so it was worth the lack of magma. No time during the trip to play DF, so I'll continue playing today.

Interestingly my first thoughts on reloading the save after 12 days or so was "what the heck was I doing here anyway?".

Edit: Booyah, new candy spear with no one to use it. Random aristocrat in the militia, it's your lucky day! Also more bee-stings and craAAAAAAzy building capers. And peeps getting stuck behind hives...which I've tracked down to a fold in space time which seems to have resulted in a hive being built and not being built. When I had it deconstructed it was officially 'observed' and reconstructed itself properly. I must congratulate CaptainArchmage for somehow managing to create Schrödinger's Beehive.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

12th Timber, Evening

Urist McKiwi sighed. Even though wandering around the tunnels down here was rather relaxing after a while, she was still annoyed at Udib for how stupid things were getting. Still, there weren't many more places Meng could be.

"Urist? You hear that?"

McKiwi stood still, and listened. From a room down the hallway, the faint sound of someone snoring drifted out into the empty chambers....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on February 07, 2014, 09:41:08 pm

Welcome back!

Since it is Timber, we should be getting a caravan soon?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 07, 2014, 10:50:14 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on February 07, 2014, 09:41:08 pm

Welcome back!

Since it is Timber, we should be getting a caravan soon?

In Update Land, it's still waiting to arrive. In actual 'this is where I've played up to', it's arrived, I bought a bunch of stuff (not all that much, since carting stuff to the depot is hard when all your dwarves are either militia peeps on duty or are hauling a stone for 2 months to build one tile of wall) and it's getting ready to leave. And we very nearly had a beserk hammerdwarf until I adjusted scheduling to give them some extra leave to get over a serious arm injury (My guess? Hit by a minecart).

To expand upon the wacko hive problem....I think the game tried building two hives on one tile. Or rather, the same hive, twice. WITH the same hive. However it did it slightly out of synch, so only one of them got built. But the other still existed, only it didn't. So when it was time to load bees into the hive, the phantom hive that wasn't there but was got in the way of the hive that was there AND was, so there was a pathfinding problem caused by the hive obstructing itself (only it wasn't. But it was).

Fortunately getting rid of the hive that was there and was actually there there allowed the one that wasn't there but was there as well to become a proper hive that was actually there-there and could be used. Unless it's done it again, in which case I'm going to need the name of the mason who carved it so we can get them making nested weapons traps that aren't there but are. Or that are there but aren't. I'm not entirely sure, but it's stupid enough to be worth trying.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on February 12, 2014, 10:11:06 am

Might be old news, but on the offchance nobody's posted this in the thread yet, I figured out why you're not getting any new migrants.
The fort's reached the local population cap. After you get 3000 units (of any type; the even includes deceased units listed) no more migrants come. There is a DFhack script to get around this by clearing the Dead units list (the data is stored so it can be restored later) available here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91166.msg4336893#msg4336893) if you decide to run it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on February 12, 2014, 12:25:29 pm

Quote from: MDFification on February 12, 2014, 10:11:06 am

Might be old news, but on the offchance nobody's posted this in the thread yet, I figured out why you're not getting any new migrants.
The fort's reached the local population cap. After you get 3000 units (of any type; the even includes deceased units listed) no more migrants come. There is a DFhack script to get around this by clearing the Dead units list (the data is stored so it can be restored later) available here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91166.msg4336893#msg4336893) if you decide to run it.

Wait - is there a way to change the local population cap in worldgen using the advanced settings?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on February 12, 2014, 01:16:09 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on February 12, 2014, 12:25:29 pm

Quote from: MDFification on February 12, 2014, 10:11:06 am

Might be old news, but on the offchance nobody's posted this in the thread yet, I figured out why you're not getting any new migrants.
The fort's reached the local population cap. After you get 3000 units (of any type; the even includes deceased units listed) no more migrants come. There is a DFhack script to get around this by clearing the Dead units list (the data is stored so it can be restored later) available here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91166.msg4336893#msg4336893) if you decide to run it.

Wait - is there a way to change the local population cap in worldgen using the advanced settings?

I don't know. There might. If there is it would require regenning though.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on February 12, 2014, 02:41:14 pm

OK. We tried running the script to delete the dead units, but it did not change things. We still have no migration.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 12, 2014, 05:45:21 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on February 12, 2014, 02:41:14 pm

OK. We tried running the script to delete the dead units, but it did not change things. We still have no migration.

But we did have two babies this year and a few kids growing up as well. We could probably build a dwarven breeding colony if required. I'll try running the script again anyway, just to clean things up.

Increasing the limit is definitely a thing to look out for on Ardentdikes 3 or whatever, though.

I'll do an update later today or tomorrow. I've been really busy with my ecology work but I've played through to midwinter and can write it all up in an hour or so when I've got the time. We're on the home stretch!*





*to a lot of unfinished construction muahahahahah

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 13, 2014, 10:06:54 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

15th Timber

Well, we found him. Fast asleep in a bare room deep in the fortress. Couldn't wake him up no mater what we tried.Poor chap kept twitching as well. Probably a fever or something. We had to take him up to the hospital.....if Nurse Cutey doesn't kill him herself, he might just be OK in time.

Udib's refused to talk about the whole possession business any further. But he has ordered all the beehive orders we were ignoring to be filled as quickly as possible and placed in the positions that Meng had wanted them. Not dashing in the slightest, but I figure if a stupid bee-sting can disrupt a possession attempt, getting whacked or stabbed ought to work fine as well. Not that it would be dashing to investigate this idea practically until it was strictly necessary for our survival.

I've done some equipment transfer orders for my troops....diversified our weapons a little, and started work to try getting a second speardwarf up to a decent skill level, since we've a spare adamantine spear now. Having two of those will make for quite a nice bonus on the battlefield. I've also found a spare steel shortsword to compliment my regular weapon. You never know when you'll need a spare sword on the battlefield.

I've had some complaints about the new patrols I've had ordered. The newer recruits are tired of long patrols and getting stung by bees.

Stupid bees. If it weren't for them and one of the more "distractable" recruits getting hit by a minecart, I could keep them on duty for months. I mean, I like bees...I really do. I'm a beekeeper, for armok's sake. But this is just silly.

A caravan has arrived....along with a lone kobold thief who tried sneaking across the bridge when we opened it. Turns out that wasn't such a good idea for him, since the caravan guards aren't too bad with their weapons. One of them pushed him into one of our older weapons traps, and that was it. Had a nice chat with the guards, talked about tactics and suchlike. It's always nice to talk to another soldier and see if you can share bits of experience. We sold some of our more flashy gold stuff and bought some basic supplies. Nothing special....but it'll do us fine.



---------------------------------------
Updatey time!

The kobold died rather incredibly quickly. The guard was quite skilled...I'm not sure if the kobold fell into the trap and died or died en-route to the trap while in midair, but either way, not a worry. There's probably 1-2 more thieves around somewhere, but I haven't detected them and given I've got a tigerman on that entrance standing guard.......yeah, probably not a worry.


Also by this point in time the corpse piles are rapidly filling up with carefully cataloged dead bees left over from stinging incidents. I'm not sure if they're being thrown in the volcano or not either. This may cause issues.....


Edit: Why does a [/b] tag close the [color] tag? Arrrrrrrrrrg.
Edit2: may be some time before I end the year....I've got a report to hand in by the middle of next week for 50% of my course marks and I still don't have all the statistics I need in order to write it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 16, 2014, 03:20:14 pm

Sorry guys, RL has leaped up and wrapped me in annoying statistics to work through. Update on Friday once this assignment's out of the way, probably.


Say what you like about our fortress population's quality of life....being surrounded by death and constantly stung by bees is a lot nicer than having to do statistics all day.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 20, 2014, 05:29:57 pm

Eurgh. If I can get away with it that's the last time I work with Shannon Diversity for a long, long time. On the plus side the new-found hatred for all living things means I'm ideally suited to DF sucession games now. Anyway! Update!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

McUrist's Family Restaurant & General Hospital, 1st Opal

"WAKE UP Y'DAFTIE!"

*WHAM*

"Come on ye wee sack o' laziness !

*WHAM*

Urist McKiwi turned to the surgeon beside her as Nurse Cutey continued to treat the unconscious architect with very own patented form of intensive care.

"Does anyone actually.....survive this?"
"You'd be surprised actually. At least a third of patients."
"Really? That is surprising. And you've been doing this how long?"
"About a week, since the standard treatment wasn't doing anything for him."
"What's the standard treatment?"
"Poke them every hour or so until they die or wake up. Or both, on one occasion back at the old Mountainhome. Doesn't seem to be working this time though so I let Nurse Cutey take matters into her most capable hands.


McKiwi shuddered.

"That's one way of putting it. Still, if it gets us our architect back....."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Diary of Urist McKiwi, Dashing Swordsdwarf.

7th Opal

Well, apart from losing our architect, things have gone rather well. Another birth, another dwarf reaching adulthood. The traders have left, happy with the deals they made.....and we found a cache of diagrams Meng had stashed away in some corner. Plans for the tower by the volcano. They're....unorthodox, certainly. But not unworkable. I've taken the opportunity to have the Shroud of Armok fully enclosed, so that if we end up fighting up there we won't fall in. That would be a most undashing way to end my career.

11th Opal

A few tweaks to construction.....not much to talk about though. A few redesigns of areas the builders can't work with.
One problem we've got as a result of Udib and Meng's folly is that our refuse dumps are becoming a sea of dead bees. And the minecart operators are refusing to put them in the disposal system because they "creep them out". Pah! Whoever got creeped out by a few hundred dead bees?



-------------------------------------------------

Annnnnd we're up to date! The bee problem is actually getting quite troubling...although I can only count 20 or so of them (So that's about 15 annoyed dwarves and animals + Urist McKiwi III. I'm sure they'll bee fine with all this). Can vermin/bee remains be transported/dumped via minecart or will we eventually need to build a multi-storey tower just to house dead bees?*


Strangely, there hasn't been another forest fire OR an invasion. Either we've done enough damage to invaders for them to leave us alone for a while, or the game's broken. Apart from the new FBs it's been all quiet. Speaking of FBs, I noticed a forbidden FB corpse in a forbidden butchers shop near the top of the fortress. Since I am assuming it is forbidden for a reason, I'm walling it off.

I'll be continuing this over the weekend and finishing off fairly soon with screenshots and stocks and stuff. So if anyone hasn't died of old age during this long and rather uneventful turn, it's almost time to come out of the woodwork.


*It should be noted that I have no problem at all with having our fortress have a tower filled with nothing but dead bees.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on February 21, 2014, 03:30:40 am

Do you know exactly what happened to Meng?

I don't know why there are no further sieges, either it is a lucky year or we depleted the goblin population enough.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 21, 2014, 07:38:38 am

You might want to set up a refuse pile hanging off the end of the Minecart tracks, so they'll drop the bee's there instead.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 21, 2014, 04:12:59 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on February 21, 2014, 03:30:40 am

Do you know exactly what happened to Meng?

I don't know why there are no further sieges, either it is a lucky year or we depleted the goblin population enough.

Meng is in reality absolutely fine and off in some corner hauling rocks around. In fiction land he's possessed by McDuck and in a coma. I started this bit of plot off when he actually did disappear for a couple of months, since it was a decent way to have something actually happen other than "15th Moonstone. Another full day hauling rocks and bees"....but then he turned up and I was in the middle of doing random stuff to him in the updates. Wouldn't be much fun if I did a "and then he was fine!" update. I'm going to have to have him wake up before the end of the turn to keep things slightly based in reality......but keeping the head architect in a coma is as good an IC way as any to explain how stupid this building project has turned out. And believe me....this project just keeps getting better and better in the "what the hell am I thinking?!!" department.

Of course I could have just arranged an accident (our minecarts have killed at least one dwarf in the past) to keep him missing/unconscious, but that would go against my goal of keeping everyone alive this year.

Looking at what the minecarts are dumping, it is highly likely that we've wiped out the goblins to such an extent that they're somehow doing worse than we are. Well done everyone!

I'll investigate a bee dumping ground.I am not putting it up with the minecarts though.....we're getting enough injuries from those things anyway. Would it be (bee, heheh) possible to set up an overhead dumping ground over the cart stop? That way the bees would either get dumped into the cart, or onto the tracks where they can be picked up and dumped over and over again until it works.....I've never made that sort of thing though, so I might leave it for another overseer.

Edit: What do you know? We had a random piece of flooring perfectly placed for a "dump it in the minecart/on the stop/on other dwarves" zone. Now to see if it works!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on February 22, 2014, 07:55:46 am

I suspect that random flooring is the remnants of construction scaffolding.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on February 22, 2014, 09:05:56 am

To deal with the bee problem, the King would suggest you switch of putting vermin remains in corpse stockpiles, and have free dwarves dump the bees into a garbage dump if you do have to clean them up. However, since the 3D version of Dwarf Fortress, vermin do not produce miasma when their remains rot.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 22, 2014, 11:13:53 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on February 22, 2014, 09:05:56 am

To deal with the bee problem, the King would suggest you switch of putting vermin remains in corpse stockpiles....

Done! I also told the dwarves to stop ignoring felled wood, so our stockpiles will work a bit better.

Update later on today. I've played a bit more but I have to power down for a thunderstorm.

Edit: Oh, and just in time for almost-the-end-of-my-turn, I've fixed the labors so construction goes at full speed. Yaaaaay!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 23, 2014, 03:12:40 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on February 22, 2014, 07:55:46 am

I suspect that random flooring is the remnants of construction scaffolding.

Hmm. Scaffolding......yes. That certainly might have helped with my own project.

Anyway! Update (sorry about double-posting, but that's my policy: no editing a non-update post into an update post)!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


McUrist's Family Restaurant & General Hospital, 20th Opal

"I don't know....it may be time to admit that a more....subtle...approach may be needed.
"More subtle than Nurse Cutey shouting at him for an entire month?
'Exactly. We need a specialist! Someone who knows how it works, how it can be removed and, more importantly, how we can free up this bed so I can go join the other medical staff at our annual party.
"So in short, we need to scour the land on the tiny chance that there's someone who-.......wait a second. UDIB!!!!"

--------------------------------

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

22nd Opal

Not dashing at all! When we dropped Meng off at the hospital Udib must have decided that his "saving the world" business was more important than telling the doctor what was wrong with the poor fellow! Or fixing him up, apparently. I've sent a sternly worded letter to him about prioritisation. We can save the world later.

I also received word that the merchants did not in fact leave. By which I mean: a bedraggled merchant came up to me and begged for me to let them out. This is hardly the way to treat our honored guests. Opening the door only to slam it in their faces as they try to leave!

25th Opal

Udib wandered into the hospital muttering about something, ordered everyone out (even Nurse Cutey, although I'll bet she was listening in through the door), and did some....priesty stuffy. Or whatever. Meng's apparently just in a "normal" coma now, rather than "possessed by a transdimensional being of pure.....stuff". I'll admit, for all I'm getting concerned about him, Udib is rather effective at times. What does that dwarf even do around here anyway?

26th Opal

Apparently he works with siege engines now. Unusual occupation for a priest, but I suppose they have to deliver pamphlets to the unfaithful somehow. I've asked him to rejoin the mining crews. He retired from mining some years ago but he's one of the best we've got, and I think with our current stone stockpiles we'll need all the miners we can get soon.

I've fixed some problems with the corpse disposal system today.....apparently the mountains of bees are too much to handle, so we're leaving them to rot. Should make nice fertiliser, according to some of the farmers. I've also ordered the removal of some of the older weapons traps that defend an old breach in the magma moat. That breach was fixed years ago, and we have the outer compound there anyway, so this will net us a collection of older weapons and mechanisms to reuse elsewhere. We'll have to breach an older perimeter wall, but that shouldn't be too difficult.

The merchants thanked me as they left. I've had stern words with the dwarves I think might have shut them in...we can't be having this nonsense. Anyway! It's Opal! And that means it's a training month! I can't wait to get down to the training grounds and get myself some practice! I think I'll have a nice rest first though....

27th Opal

I'm looking forward to training so much that I've upped the training routine for the Royal Fist! We shall train 7 at a time!

Apparently the breach in the moat is insecure, so the masons are putting up a wall to block it off on the other side of the moat. More labor diverted from the major build project, but at this stage it's not like it'll be finished anyway by the time Meng's term is up. If you can even call it that; I've done all the work this year....most dashing!

Now, where did I leave my swords?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In other news, McKiwi's been doing so much apiary work she's now an "adequate" beekeeper. Let it never be said that I do not train dwarves in the important skills in life. Wastedlabor, I am sorry but you're out of retirement as a miner. I need a channel dug for one of the emergency farms I'm putting in the new towers. Said tower isn't actually built, but it'll have a farm at least.

One more month! It's looking like we will, finally, have a year with no deaths and a net population growth! I'll probably be throwing Gigmaster under a bus in terms of unfinished construction, but I *have* halted all new designations after doing that one last wall. The only thing I might do is throw in some mechanics jobs to hook up one last very-important lever.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on February 23, 2014, 11:58:07 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 23, 2014, 03:12:40 am

In other news, McKiwi's been doing so much apiary work she's now an "adequate" beekeeper. Let it never be said that I do not train dwarves in the important skills in life. Wastedlabor, I am sorry but you're out of retirement as a miner. I need a channel dug for one of the emergency farms I'm putting in the new towers. Said tower isn't actually built, but it'll have a farm at least.

One more month! It's looking like we will, finally, have a year with no deaths and a net population growth! I'll probably be throwing Gigmaster under a bus in terms of unfinished construction, but I *have* halted all new designations after doing that one last wall. The only thing I might do is throw in some mechanics jobs to hook up one last very-important lever.

Can we get some screenshots of what the outside looks like? It sounds like a lot of work has been done.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 23, 2014, 08:13:54 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on February 23, 2014, 11:58:07 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on February 23, 2014, 03:12:40 am

In other news, McKiwi's been doing so much apiary work she's now an "adequate" beekeeper. Let it never be said that I do not train dwarves in the important skills in life. Wastedlabor, I am sorry but you're out of retirement as a miner. I need a channel dug for one of the emergency farms I'm putting in the new towers. Said tower isn't actually built, but it'll have a farm at least.

One more month! It's looking like we will, finally, have a year with no deaths and a net population growth! I'll probably be throwing Gigmaster under a bus in terms of unfinished construction, but I *have* halted all new designations after doing that one last wall. The only thing I might do is throw in some mechanics jobs to hook up one last very-important lever.

Can we get some screenshots of what the outside looks like? It sounds like a lot of work has been done.

A lot has been done, and even more has not been done. Here you go:



Ground level. Note tigerman(edit: Not visible in this screenshot) and giant bushmaster "guards" on duty at the two gates.

Spoiler: large image (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/SurfaceLevelWinter.png)

Here's the walkway level. As you can see, progress has stalled completely in some areas, and is generally fairly slow.

Spoiler: large Image (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/WalkwaysWinter.png)

Going up one more Z level, you can see I've made a few additions to some towers, although not as much as I would have liked. Paving over the walkways is also a bust.

Spoiler: large image (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/WiderAreaHigh.png)

From here on these shots are focusing on one of the more....interestingly designed areas, the volcano tower, housing the Shroud of Armok and the corpse disposal railways. The ramp system was botched early on (I have trouble getting constructed staircases to work, so I use ramps for everything) and never fixed due to slow workers, so some day it'll need a fix. Anyway. Going up another Z level from where we were before, here's what we see:

Spoiler: not so large image (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/TowerHigh.png)

And finally one Z level higher, we see the current top level of that tower, with the planned paving over the Shroud (currently stalled due to idiot workers):

Spoiler: not so large image (click to show/hide)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/TowerTop.png)

So as you can see, the lack of efficiency in stone hauling has cost a massive amount of time, and there's probably another years worth of construction work left in those designations (at least). I do not expect people to do anyhting other than cancel them, but I'm leaving them in case someone does want to finish it.

edit: Oh, and the current beehive count is ~31 hives.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on February 25, 2014, 03:43:35 pm

You should probably put up some walls around the entrance bridge too, so dwarves don't dodge into the lava. Otherwise it looks pretty good.

Have there been any changes underground?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 25, 2014, 05:22:04 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on February 25, 2014, 03:43:35 pm

You should probably put up some walls around the entrance bridge too, so dwarves don't dodge into the lava. Otherwise it looks pretty good.

Have there been any changes underground?

A few...I started work to seal the caverns properly, but abandoned it when things started to bog down. A future overseer could easily expand on my work though.

Besides that....not much, really.

The edges of the entrance bridge are restricted areas, but I'll wall them off if I have time. The dwarves prioritise new construction designations over old ones (thus causing more massive backlogs) so I could probably get that done fairly quickly.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on February 26, 2014, 07:43:31 pm

McUrist's Family Restaurant & General Hospital, 2nd Obsidian

"Eurrrrrrrrrrrgh............what happened?"
"I have no idea. Sod off and be healthy so I can have a drink."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Diary of Meng Rirnolas, Master Architect

8th Obsidian

This is a disaster! I apparently descend into madness and coma for a few months, and everything falls apart without me! The new work is a mess, and it's nowhere near finished. Commander McKiwi has been filling in for me, and while she's doing well enough considering her lack of architectural training.....I have so much to do, and less than a month left!

I've taken to building mechanical components for the bridges myself. I'm not all that good at it, but they must be working before my term ends, or they'll never be finished! I've also reprioritised a few tasks so that one of the more crucial walkway segments is completed as soon as possible. This has paid off to some degree...McKiwi Tower will soon be able to be sealed off, and the master lever that controls the bridges will soon be able to completely seal off the outer compound if it is breached.

But there is so much I won't get finished....my masterpiece is a cluttered mess of abandoned stones, trap parts and body parts. And who on earth decided to put all these beehives around the place? That must have taken weeks to do at best.

10th Obsidian

We lost a worker today. One of these "strange moods". I'd complain, but I did spend the last few months in a coma. I asked Commander McKiwi about the beehives, since she's apparently become a beekeeper since I last saw her. Dashing she may be, but her response was not. I'm no closer to understanding what happened there.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course things start moving at an acceptable speed in the last month. Ah well. I've got to do some stuff today that blocks me from continuing the turn until later. I'll either edit this post with the rest of the final update once I've played the month, or put up a new post. Strange Mood Guy is a carpenter, so we can expect a really nice crutch or something.

Edit: I fail at BBcode
Edit2: Also, I can't wall the sides of the main moat bridge. There's a building already there....I am guessing it's a permanently retracted drawbridge.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 01, 2014, 10:53:00 pm

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

10th Obsidian

He doesn't remember the beehives. He doesn't remember them at all. All that damned buzzing and stinging could have been avoided if I'd just kept my mouth shut around the damned priest. Damnit....I should....ahem. Dashing. Things could have gone rather smoother today.

Still. Meng's alive, and trying to fix the mess we've made of his "masterpiece". I don't think it's going to do much though.


I couldn't find my gear in time for sparring. I'm tempted to put my squad onto constant training, just to make sure I get some practice...in fact, why not? We're the Royal Fist, the elite force of our mountainhome.....we should be ready for anything.

Although I am definitely not ready for more beekeeping.


12th Obsidian

While Meng runs around shouting orders at people, I've put in some paperwork to get myself some nice socks. One of the perks of the job, I suppose. I've had the emergency farm in the North Tower started up. Wild strawberries. I may be old, but I can still enjoy them.

Speaking of age.....I feel it is time to start work on finding a successor to the McKiwi name. I won't be here forever, and unlike my predecessors, I feel I owe the future owner of this name some training in the art of dashingness.

--------------------------------------------------------

And so it continues to end. Urist McKiwi III is 158 years old. That means that while she's still damned tough, she may well die of old age before she can die in battle. I think I'll give one of the more promising militiadwarves the "McKiwi IV" label before the end of my turn, just in case. I've had to slow things waaaaaay down because of some tweaks to the military I've been doing that have taken a bunch of time, but I should be done by tomorrow.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on March 01, 2014, 10:57:24 pm

I'll play, but I can't start right away most likely.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 03, 2014, 12:15:02 am

Quote from: CaptainMcClellan on March 01, 2014, 10:57:24 pm

I'll play, but I can't start right away most likely.

Even assuming people skip, turns in moltenchannels are slow enough you probably won't have to play very soon.

Right. Final update.

-----------------------------------
Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

15th Obsidian

I've begun reviewing the military for a successor. I'll clue them in on Udib's affairs.....maybe it's age, but I'm not trusting that dwarf as much as I used to. All these secrets and dark magics and the like are hardly a thing for someone as upstanding as myself to get involved in....and I'll be damned if I let it ensnare my soldiers either....

17th Obsidian

The Royal Fist's lasher wanted to step down. His replacement seems oddly.....familiar. Strange. Female.... 98 years of age...enough to know of the world. And while she's never picked up a weapon before, she seems willing enough to learn. There's definitely some potential here. And she seems to care enough about the McKiwi name as well. A most suitable candidate. Or at least, the most suitable I've got. I'll see about getting her a more.....suitable....weapon.

20th Obsidian

Apparently one of Meng's workers has occupied a leatherworking station and is drawing pictures of what he wants. I can't really do much about this, of course. Meng's successor will have to take care of things.

21st

That strange fellow ran into my office again to scream about an owl going wild. Been a while since I last saw him.....it seems McDuck has not given up on things. Hmm. Dashing I may be, but what needs to be done is less dashing....and more practical....

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Letter from Urist McKiwi III, Militia Commander of Moltenchannels the Leaky Ardent Dike, to CaptainArchmage III (I), King of The Strategic Bodices. Dated 22nd Obsidian, 1098.

My Liege

I beg leave to inform you that our fortress security may be compromised. Latest failed development project not intended to contain outside threats but internal dangers. While I do not pretend to understand the full of it, I believe our fortress was established to keep something in, not out. The priest knows more, but is unlikely to share it. Or something like that. In the event of my death I have left my full account for my successor as the McKiwi, and you will also receive a full account of my experiences with the more unusual events of the last decade. This subterfuge is hardly dashing on my part, so I would prefer it if you kept this in strict confidence for as long as you can. I suspect that greater knowledge of Udib's plans may be essential for our survival.

In other news, I'm well aware that you need renovations on your chambers to bring them up to standard. You should have taken that up with our architect before he went insane. Please stop sending me memos on the subject.


-McKiwi





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Diary of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf

28th Obsidian

It is done. Papers have been left, the King has been informed of the more relevant parts of Udib's scheme......all is prepared. I comforted Meng this evening....he was rather upset over how things turned out. Well....he's young. There's a lot more time left for him to carry on. And one day I think he will be a truly fearsome architect. As long as he avoids the beehives, of course.

I think I'll rest now. It's been a busy year.



(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/MoltenEnd2.png)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let's give it up for Urist McKiwi III and UristTheGrey II: The two soldiers so badass that they managed to die of old age in Moltenchannels.



Also technically since they died on the New Year, I had no deaths at all this year....but with those two gone, we're at 136 dwarves.


Interestingly, "Urist McKiwi IV" is a renamed "Urist McZombie" who is in turn a renamed "Urist McKiwi II". I did plan to give her a candy spear and the like. Then McKiwi III died. So now she's taking III's place at the head of the Royal Fist. Rather an abrupt training program is in order, I think.

I have redorfed UristTheGrey as one of our other marksdwarves, who is also the mayor. The strange-mood guy may be an issue. I've no idea what he wants.

Save is Here! (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenchannels1099.zip)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 03, 2014, 05:35:47 pm

That sounds great! I'll take a look at the save and see what has changed.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 03, 2014, 07:42:24 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 03, 2014, 05:35:47 pm

That sounds great! I'll take a look at the save and see what has changed.

More peasants, bees, unfinished construction, pointless levers mixed with real levers.

Less coherence, people, highly trained soldiers and dashingness.

 I believe it's Gigmaster's turn now. Anyone flicked a PM over?

Edit: There is a lever designated for construction with a note marked "Don't pull this". This is because it doesn't do anything. I was planning something fun, but ran out of time. Since the note is technically accurate, I figured I'd just leave it there.
Edit2: It occurs to me now that we probably have other levers with "don't pull this" notes, which really shouldn't be pulled. Ah well. A little confusion never hurt anyone.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 09, 2014, 08:17:56 am

Since Gigmaster is MIA, I'll go ahead and take the turn barring objections.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 09, 2014, 05:03:57 pm

Sorry I didn't PM Gigmaster. Has anyone done so?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 09, 2014, 05:43:49 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on March 09, 2014, 05:03:57 pm

Sorry I didn't PM Gigmaster. Has anyone done so?

I have now. His last activity was in late January.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 09, 2014, 07:15:16 pm

My recommendation is to wait another 24-48 hours and if not, Gigmaster can start his/her turn and we add 24-48 hours to his/her deadline, not that the deadlines are that strict anymore with the state of FPS now.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 10, 2014, 01:13:52 am

Fine by me.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on March 10, 2014, 10:45:38 am

Ach, I should have some free time in about half a year's time, so put me on the play list again. Hopefully, get to play before Cutey dies of old age.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 10, 2014, 10:13:19 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on March 10, 2014, 10:45:38 am

Ach, I should have some free time in about half a year's time, so put me on the play list again. Hopefully, get to play before Cutey dies of old age.

I can't remember how old she is...I should have checked the other named dwarves at the end of the turn, really. She was doing pretty well hauling bricks/rocks/wood/insert-random-construction-material-here and whacking things with a hammer during the last year.

The old age thing is going to be an issue....unless we can get enough births to replenish the population then we're going to have dwindling numbers even without sieges and the like. There's still a chance that some DFhack magic might get us more migrants (if someone wants to play with the save and see what works, now's an excellent time to do so), but otherwise......we have a potential problem here.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on March 13, 2014, 05:12:50 am

Well, a dwindling population until everyone dies of old age would give a definite ending to the game...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on March 13, 2014, 08:11:50 am

 

Quote from: notquitethere on March 13, 2014, 05:12:50 am

Well, a dwindling population until everyone dies of old age would give a definite ending to the game...

Yea, on the one hand that sounds terribly boring, on the other it's so rare that it would be sort of awesome in and of itself.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on March 13, 2014, 11:50:12 am

Quote from: CaptainMcClellan on March 13, 2014, 08:11:50 am

Quote from: notquitethere on March 13, 2014, 05:12:50 am

Well, a dwindling population until everyone dies of old age would give a definite ending to the game...

Yea, on the one hand that sounds terribly boring, on the other it's so rare that it would be sort of awesome in and of itself.

The only one I remember was a thread called Children of Dwarves. It was actually really impressive and really sad. It was the first time I actually felt bad for the dwarfs. I had to quit the game for about a week until the normal bay12 sociopathy returned.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 13, 2014, 12:52:48 pm

Quote from: MDFification on March 13, 2014, 11:50:12 am

Quote from: CaptainMcClellan on March 13, 2014, 08:11:50 am

Quote from: notquitethere on March 13, 2014, 05:12:50 am

Well, a dwindling population until everyone dies of old age would give a definite ending to the game...

Yea, on the one hand that sounds terribly boring, on the other it's so rare that it would be sort of awesome in and of itself.

The only one I remember was a thread called Children of Dwarves. It was actually really impressive and really sad. It was the first time I actually felt bad for the dwarfs. I had to quit the game for about a week until the normal bay12 sociopathy returned.

It would certainly have some novelty value. On the downside, since we have a few dwarves like Meng who only just reached adulthood, this particular method of killing the fort would take about 140-155 years to work, at minimum. Barring accidents, which will almost certainly happen.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 14, 2014, 05:55:16 am

So, no reply from Gigmaster?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 16, 2014, 01:06:27 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on March 14, 2014, 05:55:16 am

So, no reply from Gigmaster?

Nothing. Guess you can go ahead on the turn whenever you want. :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 18, 2014, 08:51:00 pm

I have the save, but I'm right in the middle of a research paper, so I'll start playing tomorrow. Shouldn't take too long to get reacquainted with the weirdness.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on March 19, 2014, 08:09:24 am

Allo. I'd like to request a turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on March 19, 2014, 09:04:05 am

McClellan can go ahead of me in the roster. Ideally, I'd like at least a decade in-game between each turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 19, 2014, 03:13:31 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on March 18, 2014, 08:51:00 pm

I have the save, but I'm right in the middle of a research paper, so I'll start playing tomorrow. Shouldn't take too long to get reacquainted with the weirdness.

You have no idea.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 22, 2014, 01:34:10 pm

Yeah, I see what you mean.

---

It's been fifteen days since I took control of the fortress. The intended candidate went missing and so far the search parties have turned up nothing. I'm sure he'll be located eventually. In that time, I've mostly been going over the plans for the new construction, but I've finally solved the problem with the newer minecart track. It seems that the dumping mechanism was constructed incorrectly. It was stopping the cart, but not dumping into the volcano. I had it removed and replaced. Now it seems to work just fine. If only all our problems are that easy, I'll be done in no time.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 22, 2014, 09:51:38 pm

Huh. It seemed to be fine earlier. Still, that's one problem out of the way....after I-honestly-don't-know-how-many years of rebuilds, rethinks, and tweaks to try and get that darned thing working.

As you've no doubt also noticed, Meng's Masterpiece is going to be a slooooooow build if you continue it. If you need workers for something else, I'd advise taking 30 or so workers and setting them to only do masonry, then get all the others to ignore masonry. That'll compartmentalise things a little and increase speed. I didn't bother because I had more or less everyone on masonry.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 23, 2014, 04:09:10 am

The minecart was the only thing that caught my attention because the courtyard is covered in refuse stockpiles for some reason, and so fixing the minecart was the only way to deal with the issue. I'll look at the other stuff.

Massed labor is the dwarven way to build things, but if I could, I'd mass undesignate the entire project and convert all the stone to blocks because they build so much faster with those. As it is, I'm going to build an entire block making facility underground and a minecart system to send them up stairs for the next set of construction. If I do it right, you should have about a thousand blocks to build with to continue the project when your turn comes up again.

I will have to compartmentalize though, to keep the project and the other tasks flowing.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 23, 2014, 11:52:46 am

My mining senses are tingling. No, wait, that's my nose burning. It seems that Urist McKiwi III died. Rather undashingly on the main stair case. Annoyingly, this means that the smell is both rising and falling up the middle of everything. And we have precisely zero coffins, anywhere. I've ordered some made, though I'm not sure exactly who the manager is.

Cog is the name. He came by to complain about the coffins on top of a bunch of other randomly useless things. I took an axe to his list. After his surprise ended, I sent him along a slightly happier dwarf. With the coffins constructed I inquired as to the fate of McKiwi's body. I was informed no one was able to do anything about it. Upon close inspection, I determined the problem. At some point, someone had applied a piece of paper to McKiwi's chest plate with the words: Do Not Disturb, scrawled on it.

After taking two deep breaths, and assuring those around I was not intent on smashing the now slightly runny corpse of McKiwi into larger puddles of goo, I removed the paper and used a calm voice to instruct them to bury the body. The speed at which they complied leads me to believe that I was not as calm as I thought.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 23, 2014, 02:02:50 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on March 23, 2014, 11:52:46 am

My mining senses are tingling. No, wait, that's my nose burning. It seems that Urist McKiwi III died. Rather undashingly on the main stair case. Annoyingly, this means that the smell is both rising and falling up the middle of everything. And we have precisely zero coffins, anywhere. I've ordered some made, though I'm not sure exactly who the manager is.

I have a very nice tomb down by the magma sea. So I'll end up down there once you unforbid everything.

Edit: Find UristTheGreyII as well. He died of old age the same time I did.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 23, 2014, 07:11:13 pm

Ah, so that's where you ended up. UristTheGreyII was already buried when I started the fortress. Annoyingly, I can locate neither your tomb nor your corpse. I'll see if I can find them. Fortunately, there were other bodies lying around so the coffins aren't wasted.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 23, 2014, 09:33:52 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on March 23, 2014, 07:11:13 pm

Ah, so that's where you ended up. UristTheGreyII was already buried when I started the fortress. Annoyingly, I can locate neither your tomb nor your corpse. I'll see if I can find them. Fortunately, there were other bodies lying around so the coffins aren't wasted.

My quarters and tomb are next to the adamantine mining areas on literally the lowest level of the fortress, waaaaaay down just above the magma sea. Next to a bunch of workshops for strand extraction. Also next to archmage's massive unfinished palace. If you'd mind reassigning the quarters next to said tomb to Urist McKiwi IV when/if you find it, I'd be much obliged. Or you can take it over and use it as a refuge or something....it's McKiwi II's bolt-hole, and has an emergency lock-down system that will seal it (and only it) away from the rest of the fort.

Edit: Also, how are the bees going? I honestly never checked if we were getting honey from the 20-30 hives I ordered. Really should have thought of that earlier....

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 25, 2014, 07:02:15 pm

Okay, so you did indeed end up in your tomb proper. Any idea where the levers are to open the bridges? We had an elf caravan arrive, but I can't find the lever to open the bridge.

---

So, I'm getting annoyed with the constant complaints about Hematite. I've hunted down and ordered several veins mined out completely. In addition, I ordered all the trees in the surface compound, as well as all those which have grown underground and are blocking some passages. It seems to work, since we've found someone dead now that trees are being removed. Figures.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 25, 2014, 11:17:53 pm

They're exactly where they've been for the last 15 years or so. Hang on....

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenlevers.png)

That's on the surface, BTW.

Snipped out of an old screenshot, so there may be a few more there now. They are ALL labelled in the notes screen, so if you look over those you should be able to work them pretty well.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 27, 2014, 05:39:00 am

Ah. Thank you. Also, I've been unable to locate them for 15 years, so I'm glad to finally have a screen shot.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 29, 2014, 06:37:59 pm

So, finally to summer, with nothing worse to report than one of our dwarves being possessed. I'm not sure where they've gone, though honestly, finding anything in this place is a decidedly epic quest. Fortunately, aside from some minor administrative paper shuffling, and a few sharp thumps, I've not had to do much to keep the fortress going. Not counting the fix to the minecart, which very rapidly solved the refuse problem. The pace on the construction of the new areas of the fortress is still slow going because we're hauling entire boulders. I considered, momentarily redesignating them to use blocks, I decided against it, since I'm not currently able to decipher the plans for expansion.

As of the first of summer though, I'm ordering all the stone we have be cut into blocks. Of course we need more mason's workshops for that. Once we've managed to dig out all that hematite, I'm going to install a large number of mason's workshops down there. The design of the fortress makes it unfeasable to run minecarts all the way to the surface, but I'm going to plan out as close of a route as possible. That might be up to the next overseer to finish, because I'm pretty sure it can't be done in my time.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 30, 2014, 04:20:45 am

My expansion plans are.....um....somewhere in the thread. Not sure where, really. I'll finish stuff when/if I take another turn, or it can just be improvised on top of my work.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 30, 2014, 07:33:05 pm

That's mainly an excuse to ignore it and do other things.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on March 31, 2014, 04:01:30 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on March 30, 2014, 07:33:05 pm

That's mainly an excuse to ignore it and do other things.

Pretty much. Has the forest caught fire again yet?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on March 31, 2014, 08:20:24 pm

Surprisingly no. Though historically summer has been the season for it. So time will tell.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on March 31, 2014, 10:48:08 pm

Alright, I'm back, and it looks like my turn is up next! Nice. I've been away sorting out some computer issues that suddenly developed (frequent freezing, regardless of OS used), which have yet to be resolved. This may necessitate obtaining a new computer, actually. I'll still try to play the game on the other older systems I have available when my turn comes around.

I think Urist McKiwi III has a tomb on the palace level, and should be buried in there. It is the one right at the base of the staircase. You need to play around with labour assignments in order to get a dwarf to do that.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on April 01, 2014, 08:31:20 am

Overseers still needed?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 01, 2014, 11:03:41 am

Always needed. And yes, McKiwi has been properly stuffed into her box.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on April 01, 2014, 11:27:44 am

M'k. Put me on the list somewhere. Just not too close to the top I might or might not be busy in the next week or two.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 01, 2014, 08:26:21 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 01, 2014, 11:03:41 am

And yes, McKiwi has been properly stuffed into her box.

Truly, a most dignified end to my dashingness.

Edit: One problem we do have is that Wastedlabor seems to be MIA.....so we may not be able to update the turns list without starting a new one.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 02, 2014, 06:24:51 am

Don't worry, he'll be around.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 03, 2014, 05:04:02 am

So it's been a month and a half and... well, we had a minor issue. See after opening the bridge to let out the merchants, no one bothered to CLOSE the bridge. And so, some of the dwarves went outside. And now they're fighting an animated skeleton from some monster. CogDiss was just killed by it. I could hide inside the fortress, but I've decided that it's not worth it for just one enemy. I've organized the military, and ordered them to go out and make with the redeath of the beastie. Until I find a replacement, I've had Wastedlabor pick up the Managerial duties. Also, our Aristocratic compatriot has claimed a Clothier's workshop and is busily working on his mysterious construction. I've also begun repairing some holes in the wall to the south. Which started by chopping down the trees. I've also got several Mason's workshops now under construction in the depths of the fortress. Once those are complete, I'll have them set to blocks. Lots, and lots, and lots of blocks.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 03, 2014, 05:34:17 am

Well, the worst that can happen is that a lone skeleton wipes out our entire military.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on April 03, 2014, 08:20:15 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 03, 2014, 05:34:17 am

Well, the worst that can happen is that a lone skeleton wipes out our entire military.

So you thought it was a good idea to just say that out loud?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 03, 2014, 11:22:12 am

If you need dwarves to pull a lever, make a burrow over the lever, assign a dwarf to it, ensure it gets pulled, and then remove the dwarf from the burrow.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 03, 2014, 09:25:56 pm

I mean, that I didn't tell them to pull it again. I was busy making sure the Aristocrat with the strange mood didn't go berserk and kill everyone, and didn't realize the problem until I got death messages.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 04, 2014, 09:10:49 am

Bloody power outages. Middle of saving, the power flickers out just long enough to kill the computer and corrupt the save. Fortunately, I was able to recover the auto-save. It was before the issue with the skeletons though.

That said, we lost an artifact rope reed shirt and several military members who approached the skeleton one at a time.

This time I opened the west bridge, with all the traps for the elves to leave from. We'll see if that works out any better.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on April 04, 2014, 09:20:45 am

That doesn't seem too bad. You could end up with a better artifact this way. Not just that, you could save a bunch of lives possibly.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 04, 2014, 10:31:50 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 04, 2014, 09:10:49 am

Bloody power outages. Middle of saving, the power flickers out just long enough to kill the computer and corrupt the save. Fortunately, I was able to recover the auto-save. It was before the issue with the skeletons though.

That said, we lost an artifact rope reed shirt and several military members who approached the skeleton one at a time.

This time I opened the west bridge, with all the traps for the elves to leave from. We'll see if that works out any better.

Just stop everyone going outside using the alerts. Take your time to get them set up properly! Let the elves out, but pull the lever.

Probably some necromancers sneaked in and started animating the few corpses actually left outside.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 04, 2014, 09:13:37 pm

Where's the fun in that? Besides, I stationed a squad just inside the gate area, so they'll be hitting it just after it's been through the traps. And it's actually the only undead out there. I looked.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 04, 2014, 11:57:38 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 04, 2014, 09:13:37 pm

Where's the fun in that? Besides, I stationed a squad just inside the gate area, so they'll be hitting it just after it's been through the traps. And it's actually the only undead out there. I looked.

There are probably a few necromancers out there too. I’d recommend getting some cages ready and dumping the skeleton when de-animated in a strategic location to attract the necromancers. Usually they bring books or slabs that have fun content.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Bees? BEES! - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 04, 2014, 11:58:14 pm

Quote from: CaptainMcClellan on April 03, 2014, 08:20:15 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 03, 2014, 05:34:17 am

Well, the worst that can happen is that a lone skeleton wipes out our entire military.

So you thought it was a good idea to just say that out loud?

I want to see how many McKiwi's I can have killed off in this fort. So far we're at 2, technically 3 if you count the RP'd "fled the fort with a bunch of treasure" end of McKiwi II.


The way to handle milita attacks is to close the bridges, station 2-3 squads (have marksdwarves around, since they're useful backup), then open the bridges when you've got 15-20 soldiers ready to go. Works a treat.

That said, you should really use my nice half-finished tower/walkway network to snipe the damned thing instead. Undead are nearly impossible to kill in melee without taking casualties.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 09, 2014, 03:01:28 am

OP updated. Sorry for the absence, been distracted by Zomboid multiplayer. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 09, 2014, 03:45:20 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on April 09, 2014, 03:01:28 am

OP updated. Sorry for the absence, been distracted by Zomboid multiplayer. :P

Ooh, nice. I really need to spend a few hours getting the hang of Project Zomboid again....been a year or so since I played around with it. I've personally just discovered the joys of Deus Ex and System Shock 2. Have they fixed the construction system to let you build multistory stuff yet?

Edit: In addition to being 13-15 years late to the good first-person-RPG-shooter-sci-fi-game-thingies bandwagon...I'd like to sign on for another turn after Notquitethere. If there's any skips in the turn list then I'll cancel until after some more people have played....the fortress needs a break from my unique style of management.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on April 09, 2014, 12:13:43 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 09, 2014, 03:45:20 am

the fortress needs a break from my unique style of management.

And the quotes section from your wit.  ;)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 09, 2014, 12:40:01 pm

New Log: By the twenty-sixth of Hematite, it's become clear that the merchants aren't intent on leaving very quickly. The gate is open, but the skeleton outside seems to have no interest in the tasty dwarf meat inside. With the Helmed Taxes, our crack hammer dwarf squad waiting just inside the gates, I've ordered the Laborious Assemblies, our ranged warriors, upon to the defensive Bulwark south of the gate. While I'm unsure how effective bolts and arrows will be, I'm hoping that the attack might provoke action and lure the undead beast into our traps. Or cause it to lay upon the elves, either one being a beneficial outcome for the fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 09, 2014, 04:38:55 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 09, 2014, 12:40:01 pm

New Log: By the twenty-sixth of Hematite, it's become clear that the merchants aren't intent on leaving very quickly. The gate is open, but the skeleton outside seems to have no interest in the tasty dwarf meat inside. With the Helmed Taxes, our crack hammer dwarf squad waiting just inside the gates, I've ordered the Laborious Assemblies, our ranged warriors, upon to the defensive Bulwark south of the gate. While I'm unsure how effective bolts and arrows will be, I'm hoping that the attack might provoke action and lure the undead beast into our traps. Or cause it to lay upon the elves, either one being a beneficial outcome for the fortress.

As long as dwarves use the crossbows as ranged weapons and not as hammers, and as long as the lone skeleton isn’t backed up by numerous necromancers, it should be fine.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege - Overseers needed (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 09, 2014, 07:32:49 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 09, 2014, 12:40:01 pm

New Log: By the twenty-sixth of Hematite, it's become clear that the merchants aren't intent on leaving very quickly. The gate is open, but the skeleton outside seems to have no interest in the tasty dwarf meat inside. With the Helmed Taxes, our crack hammer dwarf squad waiting just inside the gates, I've ordered the Laborious Assemblies, our ranged warriors, upon to the defensive Bulwark south of the gate. While I'm unsure how effective bolts and arrows will be, I'm hoping that the attack might provoke action and lure the undead beast into our traps. Or cause it to lay upon the elves, either one being a beneficial outcome for the fortress.

You could also investigate the Volcano Tower, above the waste-disposal railways. If you can get the other ranged-weapons squad up there (assuming that the firing galleries ever got built) you might be able to hit more of the area.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 10, 2014, 06:01:38 am

The skeleton is just south of the west bridge, so the only place to have them stand on the wall just south the of the tower.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on April 10, 2014, 08:44:58 am

Why don't you guys have fortifications built? And ballistae? It's not too late maybe...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 10, 2014, 08:43:34 pm

There are fortifications, they just aren't in the right place. Besides, it's actually a Dingo Skeleton, and those aren't known for shooting back.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 11, 2014, 01:47:00 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 10, 2014, 06:01:38 am

The skeleton is just south of the west bridge, so the only place to have them stand on the wall just south the of the tower.

Yeah, I never got much done on the towers I'd planned to build in that area. Ah well. Shoot the heck out of it and it should fall over. If it gets back up, we have necromancers running around and we'll need to shoot them as well.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 11, 2014, 10:55:36 pm

*deep breath* There are NO necromancers on the map.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 12, 2014, 04:26:13 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 11, 2014, 10:55:36 pm

*deep breath* There are NO necromancers on the map.

Yet.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 12, 2014, 06:44:35 pm

So, as of the eighteenth of Malachite, both of the threatening skeletons are rather thoroughly deceased. To prevent any further resurrections, I've ordered the dead beasts claimed and thrown into the volcano. Meanwhile, our aristocrat friend is currently busy with a mysterious construction. I hope it's less mysterious than the construction of our fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 13, 2014, 03:30:03 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 12, 2014, 06:44:35 pm

So, as of the eighteenth of Malachite, both of the threatening skeletons are rather thoroughly deceased. To prevent any further resurrections, I've ordered the dead beasts claimed and thrown into the volcano. Meanwhile, our aristocrat friend is currently busy with a mysterious construction. I hope it's less mysterious than the construction of our fortress.

The construction of our fortress is entirely sane and logical.


.....for a certain, very specific definition of those two words.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 14, 2014, 02:03:48 am

I hate to double post, but some time in the next year or so (ingame. Obviously, although with the length of turns recently it might synchronise anyway) we really need some stonesense renders to show off the fort. Given construction has continued a bit since I left the fort it's likely to be even more interesting than it was then.....and even then, the screenshots didn't truly do it justice. Pity stonesense can't do multi-level renders anymore....I'd love to see what the entire fort looks like from the surface. EDIT: I stand corrected. We can do multi-level renders with it. :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on April 14, 2014, 08:07:48 am

We should add multi-layer water constructs and mechanisms for no reason.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 14, 2014, 07:59:11 pm

Quote from: CaptainMcClellan on April 14, 2014, 08:07:48 am

We should add multi-layer water constructs and mechanisms for no reason.

You haven't seen this fort yet, have you? We've already got at least one abandoned non-functional reactor, a device that floods the fort with magma, a device that floods the outside of the fort with magma (just not very well), and something down to the south/south-east of the fort that does something with magma, but no one knows what (and it's unfinished). And that's just the stuff I can remember off the top of my head. :P


So yeah, we probably should add more....if the game can take it. FPS is already pretty low.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Grim Reaper's Siege (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 14, 2014, 10:27:09 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 13, 2014, 03:30:03 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 12, 2014, 06:44:35 pm

So, as of the eighteenth of Malachite, both of the threatening skeletons are rather thoroughly deceased. To prevent any further resurrections, I've ordered the dead beasts claimed and thrown into the volcano. Meanwhile, our aristocrat friend is currently busy with a mysterious construction. I hope it's less mysterious than the construction of our fortress.

The construction of our fortress is entirely sane and logical.


.....for a certain, very specific definition of those two words.

Everything was constructed here for a reason. Just, sometimes, they weren’t good ones, or the designs were so bad they were abandoned.

For example, the lava cannon was designed to flood the outside with lava, flood the area on the fortress island but outside the main keep with lava, and flood the keep (and main fortress) with lava.

New Townbrush (named after Townbrush, another legendary fort from DF2010) was intended to be a survival shelter in case the rest of the fortress was overrun.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on April 14, 2014, 07:59:11 pm

Quote from: CaptainMcClellan on April 14, 2014, 08:07:48 am

We should add multi-layer water constructs and mechanisms for no reason.

You haven't seen this fort yet, have you? We've already got at least one abandoned non-functional reactor, a device that floods the fort with magma, a device that floods the outside of the fort with magma (just not very well), and something down to the south/south-east of the fort that does something with magma, but no one knows what (and it's unfinished). And that's just the stuff I can remember off the top of my head. :P


So yeah, we probably should add more....if the game can take it. FPS is already pretty low.

We actually have two non-functional reactors. One was never properly finished, the other was completed but didn’t work properly.

There’s a partially constructed green glass tower thing that seems to be a magma pumpstack. The hallways down there were probably intended for transporting magma too, but that was never finished and they are now used for getting from A to B and storing excess materials.

There’s also a large number of stacked drawbridges I believe were intended to either fling lava upwards or punch it out of existence.

The water pumpstack was never switched on and I think we need more reactors to get it working.

I believe the best course of action would be to install some powered minecart networks, with reactors in acceptable positions. I wanted to extend the water pumpstack aboveground, but circumstances did not allow it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on April 15, 2014, 03:59:10 am

There's definitely a lever somewhere that'll flood the lower caverns with lava. Unfortunately, it lowers the volcano level so much that it drains the moat. Also it's completely pointless.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 15, 2014, 05:54:40 am

No, the water pumpstack works perfectly fine. I ran it once during the alternate turn I had, and used it to try and start the larger non-functional reactor. It filled the reactor just fine. The reactor just doesn't work because it was designed poorly.

I'll see about some Stonesense screenshots.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 15, 2014, 04:41:34 pm

Captain's Log, experimental: Why did I write that? Whatever. It seems that our aristocrat friend has completed his artifact:

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll274/Triaxx2/Artifact_zps8e7097cb.png

I've also commissioned an artist to do a rendition of the fortress. For this task, we erected a twelve hundred foot fishing pole and dangled him from it. He was less than amused, and even more so once he was informed he wouldn't come down until he finished. The following is his result. He begs forgiveness for blurred drawing, and from those dwarves who experienced a sudden, unscheduled rain shower. The finished product is included here:

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll274/Triaxx2/MoltenchannelsSurface_zps4bc0b87f.jpg

All other things seem to be going without a hitch, which is nice for a change. A large number of mason's workshops have been set up and designated to continually produce blocks of stone for the further construction of the fortress. Some of them are not complete, but others are still in progress. The others will be turned on in due course, but for now, project Block-it is a go.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 15, 2014, 07:15:39 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 15, 2014, 05:54:40 am

No, the water pumpstack works perfectly fine. I ran it once during the alternate turn I had, and used it to try and start the larger non-functional reactor. It filled the reactor just fine. The reactor just doesn't work because it was designed poorly.

I'll see about some Stonesense screenshots.

The water pumpstack works perfectly fine, but you need to shut down the magma weapon else there isn’t enough power in the system to run both.

The reactor close to the surface is poorly designed. The one that doesn’t work because the infiniflow got screwed up during the initial filling process is in the first cavern layer.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 15, 2014, 11:27:03 pm

We should probably establish how to shut down the magma pumps. Just in case.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 16, 2014, 06:16:50 am

I seem to recall there being a lever to do that. Might even be labelled. I'll look around.

Okay, so there IS a lever to transfer power from reactor Alpha to the pumpstack.  There is a set of floodgates to restart the reactor, but it's running just fine. There is a problem with Reactor Beta on level 137, but it's not because of the infiniflow. It's because the reactor requires 108 power to run and is for some reason, providing 100 power. If anyone knows where the lever to close the floodgate and shut down the water into reactor beta is, I might be able to reconfigure it to function properly.

There is also a lever in New Townbrush to disconnect power to the shroud. It's on the far left hand side of the lever cross.

The construction to the south east of the fortress was intended originally to be a pressure tower so we could use magma landmines to defend the town. That said, if someone had the knowledge and time to do it, we could convert the Shroud into a pressure tower. That would give us the option of deploying the Shroud, or leaving it in a closed state and unleashing torrents of magma upon our foes.

I will admit curiosity as to WHY, aside from science, anyone thought having the lava drain lever set the island on fire was a good idea.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 16, 2014, 10:39:06 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 16, 2014, 06:16:50 am

I seem to recall there being a lever to do that. Might even be labelled. I'll look around.

Okay, so there IS a lever to transfer power from reactor Alpha to the pumpstack.  There is a set of floodgates to restart the reactor, but it's running just fine. There is a problem with Reactor Beta on level 137, but it's not because of the infiniflow. It's because the reactor requires 108 power to run and is for some reason, providing 100 power. If anyone knows where the lever to close the floodgate and shut down the water into reactor beta is, I might be able to reconfigure it to function properly.

There is also a lever in New Townbrush to disconnect power to the shroud. It's on the far left hand side of the lever cross.

The construction to the south east of the fortress was intended originally to be a pressure tower so we could use magma landmines to defend the town. That said, if someone had the knowledge and time to do it, we could convert the Shroud into a pressure tower. That would give us the option of deploying the Shroud, or leaving it in a closed state and unleashing torrents of magma upon our foes.

I will admit curiosity as to WHY, aside from science, anyone thought having the lava drain lever set the island on fire was a good idea.

All the controls for the lava weapon are in New Townbrush. I set the lava drain to the island because that floodgate was already installed. It would be useful if the fortress island fell to the enemy, because that way it would be possible to trap goblins inside of a burning island but outside of the main keep.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 16, 2014, 11:23:44 am

Makes sense. I'll see if I can find the lever for Reactor Beta and fix it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on April 16, 2014, 12:04:32 pm

Are lever-pulling gremlins still a thing in DF?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on April 16, 2014, 12:50:19 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on April 16, 2014, 12:04:32 pm

Are lever-pulling gremlins still a thing in DF?

Yes, but they're not very common.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 16, 2014, 06:34:23 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 16, 2014, 11:23:44 am

Makes sense. I'll see if I can find the lever for Reactor Beta and fix it.

You’ll probably need to set the infiniflow flags for the reactor tiles to do that, and have water inside the reactor. It doesn’t need to be draining out, see reactor alpha for the setup.

The levers for the reactors are on the level with the forges. There’s a little room filled with levers and maybe a statue. The levers are labeled, and some are there waiting to be connected i.e. to more reactors.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 16, 2014, 08:52:55 pm

I think all it needs is to be stopped and restarted, but I can't get the flow to rest while the floodgate is open. I'll poke around with it tomorrow or Friday.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 16, 2014, 10:57:32 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on April 16, 2014, 10:39:06 am

I set the lava drain to the island because that floodgate was already installed. It would be useful if the fortress island fell to the enemy, because that way it would be possible to trap goblins inside of a burning island but outside of the main keep.

Speaking of which, it might be a good idea to patch all those holes/doorways in the walls and link up the bridges properly so we *can* close off the Keep.

Edit: Also, I love the fact that after ~20 years of construction, we have to effectively take an entire year working out exactly what the heck we've actually got in this fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 16, 2014, 11:12:02 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 16, 2014, 08:52:55 pm

I think all it needs is to be stopped and restarted, but I can't get the flow to rest while the floodgate is open. I'll poke around with it tomorrow or Friday.

I tried that many times. The solution requires using DFHack to reset the state of the tiles to the original one with the system completely empty, and then filling the reactor.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 17, 2014, 07:39:31 am

If that worked, it'd be fine. But since it's still broken, something else has to be wrong. The pump is pointing NORTH for some reason.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 18, 2014, 12:01:57 pm

Right. So, I'm draining reactor Beta, and once I have that done, I'm going to modify the pump setup and see if that fixes the issue.

The Humans have been around, trading for a while, but between the fact that we're still moving things to the depot, and the fact that our trader is busy doing other things, including making Rock Blocks, I'm unsure if we'll be able to make any profits. I've orded him to stop doing any masonry, along with the rest of our miners. Hopefully that'll get some of this mining done. On the other hand, it is now Autumn, so we're edging closer to the end of the year.
 

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on April 18, 2014, 12:11:04 pm

Hmmm.... "Drain the reactor" Not a phrase well-known for meaning anything good.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 18, 2014, 09:59:35 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 18, 2014, 12:01:57 pm

Right. So, I'm draining reactor Beta, and once I have that done, I'm going to modify the pump setup and see if that fixes the issue.

The Humans have been around, trading for a while, but between the fact that we're still moving things to the depot, and the fact that our trader is busy doing other things, including making Rock Blocks, I'm unsure if we'll be able to make any profits. I've orded him to stop doing any masonry, along with the rest of our miners. Hopefully that'll get some of this mining done. On the other hand, it is now Autumn, so we're edging closer to the end of the year.

Set the depot up so anyone can trade, that should help! There’s plenty of items in the trade depot. Usually I get gems and bars. Native platinum blocks or boulders are things we could really use more of too (for smelting platinum bars or minecart-inserted warheads).

EDIT: While you’re at it could you please take a look at what is in our prepared meals and post the screenshot? I’m just curious as to whether there have been any improvements over “Masterfully minced cat tallow, masterfully minced forgotten beast tripe, masterfully minced dwarven syrup, and masterfully minced dwarven syrup”.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 19, 2014, 01:26:00 am

What's wrong with cat tallow? It's healthy and keeps our kitten population down.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 19, 2014, 09:22:01 pm

It seems that there was never an opportunity to trade. The merchants left before our trader got there. Oh well.

Reactor Beta has been stabilized at 400 units of power. This was accomplished by placing a pump to the side, drawing water from the drain area. In order to accomplish this, the fortification was sealed using DFHack to fill it with Obsidian, and one block was placed to stop a leak. The reactor could produce more power,but it would require further redesign. Shutting down the reactor is now a matter of closing the drain lever, which will cut off income to the pump. Causing the reactor to power down on it's own. Opening the gate should cause sufficient flow to re-engage the pump. I recommend not trying to fill the reactor any further with the pump lest it stabilize at 7/7 and stop working. I did have to use DFHack to reduce the amount of water to make it work.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 20, 2014, 12:24:53 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 19, 2014, 09:22:01 pm

It seems that there was never an opportunity to trade. The merchants left before our trader got there. Oh well.

Reactor Beta has been stabilized at 400 units of power. This was accomplished by placing a pump to the side, drawing water from the drain area. In order to accomplish this, the fortification was sealed using DFHack to fill it with Obsidian, and one block was placed to stop a leak. The reactor could produce more power,but it would require further redesign. Shutting down the reactor is now a matter of closing the drain lever, which will cut off income to the pump. Causing the reactor to power down on it's own. Opening the gate should cause sufficient flow to re-engage the pump. I recommend not trying to fill the reactor any further with the pump lest it stabilize at 7/7 and stop working. I did have to use DFHack to reduce the amount of water to make it work.

1. What difference does this make to how much of the fortress machinery we can power?

&

2. Can you try to work out what the machinery/channel thing is in the Southeast corner of the fort? Just beside the bismuth bridge across the moat. It was unfinished when I took the fort (and never got finished), but I believe it's some form of weapon. If it is (or if it's something worth using), it might be worth seeing if it's operational or not. EDIT: I mean, besides possibly having several holes in it. It'd also be good to check for those.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 20, 2014, 08:48:10 am

1) It means we that the system could be adjusted to provide more power, and we can tap another 300 or so power units and potentially run the water lift at the same time as the magma cannon. I'm not sure how far away the two systems are, though, so I'm not sure how much additional power it contributes. I'll look at it more closely.

2) That's another one of mine. It was the original barrel for a magma cannon. I wanted to power that and pump magma up out of the moat to defend the southern side of the fortress. There were enemies hiding down there that none of the military could hit, so I wanted to burn them or chase them out of the area. Only one leak as far as I can tell. Just needs to have power provided, and a pump on the upper level to dump magma over the side. Does not seem to be terribly necessary though. The Shroud does the same job and provides better coverage.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 20, 2014, 11:02:20 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 19, 2014, 09:22:01 pm

It seems that there was never an opportunity to trade. The merchants left before our trader got there. Oh well.

Reactor Beta has been stabilized at 400 units of power. This was accomplished by placing a pump to the side, drawing water from the drain area. In order to accomplish this, the fortification was sealed using DFHack to fill it with Obsidian, and one block was placed to stop a leak. The reactor could produce more power,but it would require further redesign. Shutting down the reactor is now a matter of closing the drain lever, which will cut off income to the pump. Causing the reactor to power down on it's own. Opening the gate should cause sufficient flow to re-engage the pump. I recommend not trying to fill the reactor any further with the pump lest it stabilize at 7/7 and stop working. I did have to use DFHack to reduce the amount of water to make it work.

The idea was to let the water stabilise at 7/7 and then seal the chamber. This is an infiniflow reactor, not a standard dwarven water reactor, which provides massive FPS savings. The principle is that once there is a source of water and a drain (to a lower z-level), the water connected between those two points is considered to be flowing even at 7/7. This is how river flow works. This continues even when the drain is actually cut off.

The fortification had a floodgate to close it off, actually.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 21, 2014, 06:51:06 am

That... would be fine, if this was a river. Since it's not, it obviously wasn't working. So now it's a basic reactor instead. As for the floodgate, it will still shut down the reactor, but with the tiny design of the water tub, there was no room to use the normal method, so the pump draws out of the drain area. Since the drain wasn't doing any good I just sealed it.

Edit: It would take 90 power to connect reactor beta to the same connection as reactor alpha. Interestingly, the power from the reactor is not stable. It fluctuates from 400-700. So it could provide enough power to run both the water and magma at the same time. I don't have enough year left to do the necessary sealing because it'd breach a cavern to connect.

The rest of the world is progressing nicely. One of our wood workers has been possessed, though I've not seen him since I received the report. He hasn't claimed a workshop yet, though he might by trying to find one. I can't find them, so it's not a surprise. I just hope we get something better as an artifact.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 21, 2014, 08:51:25 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 21, 2014, 06:51:06 am

That... would be fine, if this was a river. Since it's not, it obviously wasn't working. So now it's a basic reactor instead. As for the floodgate, it will still shut down the reactor, but with the tiny design of the water tub, there was no room to use the normal method, so the pump draws out of the drain area. Since the drain wasn't doing any good I just sealed it.

Edit: It would take 90 power to connect reactor beta to the same connection as reactor alpha. Interestingly, the power from the reactor is not stable. It fluctuates from 400-700. So it could provide enough power to run both the water and magma at the same time. I don't have enough year left to do the necessary sealing because it'd breach a cavern to connect.

The rest of the world is progressing nicely. One of our wood workers has been possessed, though I've not seen him since I received the report. He hasn't claimed a workshop yet, though he might by trying to find one. I can't find them, so it's not a surprise. I just hope we get something better as an artifact.

If you take a look at reactor Alpha in the lower caverns, you will see it is currently in an infiniflow state. It doesn’t actually need to be a river to work.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 21, 2014, 10:42:39 am

Either way, Beta is now working.
Here's the screen shot of the meals: http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll274/Triaxx2/MoltenChannelsPreparedMeals_zps3f0fc683.jpg

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on April 21, 2014, 11:38:12 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on April 21, 2014, 10:42:39 am

Either way, Beta is now working.
Here's the screen shot of the meals: http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll274/Triaxx2/MoltenChannelsPreparedMeals_zps3f0fc683.jpg

*puts on monocle*
Looks like the quality has improved significantly since I was overseer!

Maybe we should see the full ingredients list though.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 21, 2014, 04:06:15 pm

I'll have a look. We're a little low on meat, so I've ordered some more butchering.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 27, 2014, 07:21:52 pm

So, first of all, we have a new artifact. WatchRecluse, an Alder Chair (http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll274/Triaxx2/WatchRecluse_zps8d94b832.jpg)

I've managed to trade for a fair amount of meat, and some fish, as well as plants, and some steel bars and a few weapons. I also snapped up some thread, and a few toys to be melted down. Besides that, nothing of interest turns up before winter begins. Reports to follow.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on April 27, 2014, 09:35:42 pm

Alas, Photobucket doesn't work with my blend of browser plugins...but I'll guess it's a nice chair. Can probably be used to keep peeps happy by putting it near a chokepoint.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on April 29, 2014, 05:56:18 pm

Nearly two months have passed with nothing interesting happening. The upper floors, it seems are mostly completed now. There are still a few places which have yet to have any attention paid to them. It's a little frustrating that I won't be in charge long enough to see the place completed, but I've left behind enough blocks for the next administrator to continue the project. A little over one month to go. Ah, almost done.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 01, 2014, 04:45:45 pm

Nothing much has occurred as my term draws to an end. I've assembled my notes for the new overseer and they are as follows:

Minecart based Volcano Corpse dump system status: Repaired, needed nothing more than a new stop installed.
Reactor Beta status: Patched. Does not function as designed, so alternate plan was implemented. Further repairs may be necessary.
Block Project status: Drowning. A massive set of 26 Masonry workshops are set on level 133. They are busily churning out blocks for the furthering of the indecipherable construction plans laid out by my predecessor. Not all workshops are functional for various reasons. Some additional maintenance might be required.

Strange moods: One Rope Reed Rope, one Alder Chair, and as of the end of the year, an artifact is under construction. It's based on Adamantine, though, so it should be valuable. I'll leave a note for the new administrator to repost descriptions of the artifacts.

So, the pealing of the bells tells me that my term is over. It's been a long year, and I must admit that I'm glad to see this place pass on to a new overseer. I feel that we're doing well, and I hope it continues. Then again, that's no FUN, so...

---

Fortress Save Forthcoming tonight:The Save (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8547)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 02, 2014, 01:14:28 am

Nice job. How's the population looking? Are we gaining or losing peeps?

Quote from: Triaxx2 on May 01, 2014, 04:45:45 pm

A massive set of 26 Masonry workshops are set on level 133. They are busily churning out blocks for the furthering of the indecipherable construction plans laid out by my predecessor.

My plans are entirely decipherable. They just don't correlate with what I actually built.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 02, 2014, 08:01:17 am

Population seemed to be entirely stable.

Hence indecipherability.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 02, 2014, 07:04:19 pm

Praise be to God! Captain Archmage III is still alive!

He is also making blocks in that masonry shop. I think this design could use some minecarts.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 02, 2014, 01:14:28 am

Nice job. How's the population looking? Are we gaining or losing peeps?

Quote from: Triaxx2 on May 01, 2014, 04:45:45 pm

A massive set of 26 Masonry workshops are set on level 133. They are busily churning out blocks for the furthering of the indecipherable construction plans laid out by my predecessor.

My plans are entirely decipherable. They just don't correlate with what I actually built.

As I was saying, minecarts would be useful here.

Quote from: Triaxx2 on May 02, 2014, 08:01:17 am

Population seemed to be entirely stable.

Hence indecipherability.

You know those forgotten beasts I trapped at the end of my last turn? They’re still there. There’s only one locked hatched preventing a humanoid made of green zircon rampaging through the fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 03, 2014, 12:29:12 am

Of course they're still there. It's not like I could get them to help with making more beehives or anything...

Your old "make mead" system will probably need a rework if you want to restart it, since we've gained ~30 hives (BEEEEEEEEEES), and the hive you built that was there but wasn't but kinda was until it wasn't (ish) got replaced with one that didn't need an in-depth understanding of quantum mechanics to use.

I support more minecarts, although keep in mind the longest this fort has gone with every minecart system working without glitches, bugs, resets, bad construction blocking stuff or serious injuries was about....ooh.....3-6 months? Sounds about right. And sometimes construction failures only appear after 3-5 years of operation having been there the whole time only....not*. Leave some instructions for what the settings should be because they'll sure as heck get broken at some point.


And unless Triaxx2 built more mechanisms you may need to span those as well.



*Actually, that's rather suspicious. Is Udib messing around with spacetime again? BTW: For IC stuff remember that Archmage III (the first) got a letter with McKiwi III's experiences after she died, and so knows about McDuck/possession/BEEEEEEEEEEES now if he hasn't forgotten/written it off as the rantings of a dying old fart.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 03, 2014, 06:12:42 am

I don't recall building mechanisms, though at the same time, I only used two.

Minecarts are fantastic, the only reason I didn't, is because it's going to take some planning to feed them up through the rest of the fortress, and I didn't have the patience to do that. Plus I've noticed that carving ramps doesn't work well. I always end up having to dig them out, and then build them instead.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on May 03, 2014, 07:46:28 pm

I nominated y'all for the hall of legends. Just... bravo, Moltenchannels. Bravo.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 04, 2014, 11:06:47 pm

Quote from: MDFification on May 03, 2014, 07:46:28 pm

I nominated y'all for the hall of legends. Just... bravo, Moltenchannels. Bravo.

It has been quite a journey. Fortunately, we have no idea how it's gonna end.

Once Archmage starts and finishes Turn 20, I think I'll write a summary/recap post of our first 20 years.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 10, 2014, 12:56:55 am

I really, really need to stop tempting fate with that kind of line, don't I?

What's our current timelimit/whatever on turn starting?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 10, 2014, 06:25:57 am

Until the turn taker says they can't or someone else volunteers I presume.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on May 10, 2014, 08:22:24 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on May 10, 2014, 06:25:57 am

Until the turn taker says they can't or someone else volunteers I presume.

I volunteer as tribute!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 10, 2014, 10:18:31 pm

Quote from: CaptainMcClellan on May 10, 2014, 08:22:24 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on May 10, 2014, 06:25:57 am

Until the turn taker says they can't or someone else volunteers I presume.

I volunteer as tribute!

Cue "NOT THE BEES!" moment on loading the save.


Edit: Usually I'd say "Give captainarchmage a PM or something to make sure he's not around", especially since Archmage is second only to me (EDIT: Whoops, no he's still in he lead. I'll have to try harder next time)for "most update posts over a long period of time" (and might have me beaten for "longest turn ever") and might just be slow on updates..... but he's had enough turns before that you can probably just ninja in if you feel like it. Plus he didn't do a full start-of-turn update yet anyway.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 11, 2014, 02:25:34 pm

I got the save but have not started because of Demongate. I think I will skip, I will also have a lot more time about two weeks from now, which is how long the turns will start. That just means I will be taking Turn 21.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 11, 2014, 03:52:34 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 11, 2014, 02:25:34 pm

I got the save but have not started because of Demongate. I think I will skip, I will also have a lot more time about two weeks from now, which is how long the turns will start. That just means I will be taking Turn 21.

Sounds good. Good luck with Demongate.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on May 12, 2014, 05:51:13 am

Switched the captains in the turn list. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The Escher Fortress (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 12, 2014, 09:03:37 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on May 12, 2014, 05:51:13 am

Switched the captains in the turn list. :P

Now you've got me wanting to kill off another McKiwi so I can be a pirate next time I play.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on May 19, 2014, 12:35:10 am

Fetching save.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on May 21, 2014, 09:13:08 pm

(( I love how when I search "Moltenchannels" the first thing that pops up is not this thread, but rather my roll to dodge, where I mentioned MoltenChannels exactly once in an OOC comment. It's probably changed now that I've said "Moltenchannels" so many times in one post.))

Anyway... Just opened the Moltenchannels save, and this might be kinda dumb but dang is there a lot of magma.

1st Granite: I arrive at this place Moltenchannels and check the logs. I note that several corpses have recently got caught in a cloud of fire. I'm not sure yet whether this is good or bad. There is a healthy 133 dwarf population. This is the most dwarves I've ever been in charge of at once. I sincerely hope all goes well for me.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on May 22, 2014, 03:13:55 am

You'll get used to those burning corpse messages. They never end.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 22, 2014, 06:01:57 am

Quote from: notquitethere on May 22, 2014, 03:13:55 am

You'll get used to those burning corpse messages. They never end.

Yeah, basic rules of moltenchannels:

1. Burning corpses & undead FB are normal. Someone tried getting an undead siege to fight our FBs, and it worked a little too well, so notquitethere sealed them in lava and then sealed that off with obsidian. No, this wasn't planned in advance but apart from the log spam and mild lag it's not that bad. Keep an eye on the caverns though because I never finished sealing them off (see also: Giant Winged Worm flies up our dining room waterfall during my first turn).

2. The forest will catch fire at some point. We don't know why, it just does.

2a. Forest fires are awesome for clearing out trouble, unless it's undead trouble.
2b. Don't send the militia out during forest fires. Trust me, it doesn't end well.

3. A certain handsome, charming, modest and highly sensible player (cough) has filled most of our upper areas with nonsensically designed additions that weren't exactly "finished". These additions were added to the additions to the add-on extensions to the additions to the original design for the fort that was never actually built. Thus, the place looks like the blueprints were drawn up by a committee of angry bears on pogo sticks. However.....it's quite functional. Edit: Well, not really. But you can do a lot once you find things. The important bits are the corpse-disposal railway, the bridges, and the towers.

3A. Also: Our fortress is full of bees. Beware of minor singularities and causality violations around some of the beehives.

4. Try not to kill anyone because we get literally no migrants because we've broken the game to the point where normal workarounds for the migrants bug don't actually work. Either that or there are no other dwarves left in our civ except in our fort (actually, can we check that?)

5. if in doubt, the drawbridge levers are in the middle of the courtyard (ish), and the levers for the magma weapon are waaaaaaaay underground in a hard to find room. They're labelled though.

6. Oh, yes. I forgot. Do not unseal the topside hospital. (Edit2: or the walled-off bits of blood. They cause the afflicted to turn into a happy ball of blisters and suffering.....and then all their organs stop working)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on May 22, 2014, 06:10:41 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 22, 2014, 06:01:57 am

Someone tried getting an undead siege to fight our FBs, and it worked a little too well,

That was also me. My time as overseer was marked by a series of increasingly drastic gambits to solve the problems caused by earlier gambits.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 22, 2014, 06:17:05 am

Quote from: notquitethere on May 22, 2014, 06:10:41 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 22, 2014, 06:01:57 am

Someone tried getting an undead siege to fight our FBs, and it worked a little too well,

That was also me. My time as overseer was marked by a series of increasingly drastic gambits to solve the problems caused by earlier gambits.

Well it worked out fairly well in the end. We got part of our queen back.

Edit: And I can't really talk, seeing as I did send our militia into a forest fire, although in my defense it was accidental.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 22, 2014, 01:57:28 pm

I would point and laugh if I hadn't left the door open.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on May 22, 2014, 06:55:48 pm

Hahah. You guys.Well, I'll take all that into consideration. Sorry about not being very responsive, I went to a b-day party and slept a lot today besides.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on May 22, 2014, 10:44:46 pm

The forest fires start from fire imps throwing fireballs out of the volcano, if you want to know.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 22, 2014, 10:53:51 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on May 22, 2014, 10:44:46 pm

The forest fires start from fire imps throwing fireballs out of the volcano, if you want to know.

That's one cause of them. I've counted about 5 different causes so far:

1.Magma crabs

2.Fire imps

3.Peeps falling in during fights

4. Lava weapons

5. !!Magic!!


The latter is when it just happens when nothing that can logically cause a fire is around the place.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on May 26, 2014, 06:37:54 pm

Ok.... So due to terrible frame rates, I might not be able to finish my turn. I've been playing for a few hours each day and still am only in Late Spring. I'll try to finish up until Mid-Summer tonight. May I have another week?

Also. We have an elven caravan. Do we have anything that's safe to trade with them or should I just kill them and take their stuff like I do in every other fort?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 26, 2014, 06:53:33 pm

Quote from: CaptainMcClellan on May 26, 2014, 06:37:54 pm

Ok.... So due to terrible frame rates, I might not be able to finish my turn. I've been playing for a few hours each day and still am only in Late Spring. I'll try to finish up until Mid-Summer tonight. May I have another week?

Also. We have an elven caravan. Do we have anything that's safe to trade with them or should I just kill them and take their stuff like I do in every other fort?

The two-week limit went out the window ages ago. Take as long as you need.


I'd advise keeping them alive, as we sometimes need their booze and stuff. We've got mountains of crappy clothes and the like that can be traded to buy them out probably.


.....Or you can steal all their stuff and attract an army for us to kill, but be aware that it may rise from the dead and literally come back to haunt you.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on May 26, 2014, 07:36:34 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 26, 2014, 06:53:33 pm

Quote from: CaptainMcClellan on May 26, 2014, 06:37:54 pm

Ok.... So due to terrible frame rates, I might not be able to finish my turn. I've been playing for a few hours each day and still am only in Late Spring. I'll try to finish up until Mid-Summer tonight. May I have another week?

Also. We have an elven caravan. Do we have anything that's safe to trade with them or should I just kill them and take their stuff like I do in every other fort?

The two-week limit went out the window ages ago. Take as long as you need.


I'd advise keeping them alive, as we sometimes need their booze and stuff. We've got mountains of crappy clothes and the like that can be traded to buy them out probably.


.....Or you can steal all their stuff and attract an army for us to kill, but be aware that it may rise from the dead and literally come back to haunt you.

And the clothes, are they in wooden bins? I have yet to not accidentally trade wood to elves. That's why I kill them every time. It's not because I particularly like to kill elves.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on May 27, 2014, 04:53:54 am

Just go through the items traded and remove the bins if necessary. Or sell them gems and rock toys/instruments/mugs, I'm sure there's plenty of junk in the fortress we don't need.

I empathise with the low frame rate. I suspect that it will be the death of this fortress like so many before it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 27, 2014, 05:04:49 am

Oh yeah, I may have set some repeating "make rock whatever" orders on out-of-the-way workshops some years ago in an attempt to flood the fort with random crap. I'm fairly sure I did, anyway. Backfired a bit when I needed a lot of rock for building...but if those orders weren't cancelled or ignored there might be instruments or toys or sommat.

And death by bad framerate was good enough for Ardentdikes, so it's good enough for us!.....although if you feel like breaching hell by all means go ahead and do it. We've had about 6 attempts to get through to our little demonic fort and none of them have even come close.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on May 27, 2014, 05:10:26 am

Digging too deep is the traditional way to kill a dwarven fort. That or be taken over by a dragon.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on May 27, 2014, 05:24:42 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 27, 2014, 05:04:49 am

Oh yeah, I may have set some repeating "make rock whatever" orders on out-of-the-way workshops some years ago in an attempt to flood the fort with random crap. I'm fairly sure I did, anyway. Backfired a bit when I needed a lot of rock for building...but if those orders weren't cancelled or ignored there might be instruments or toys or sommat.

And death by bad framerate was good enough for Ardentdikes, so it's good enough for us!.....although if you feel like breaching hell by all means go ahead and do it. We've had about 6 attempts to get through to our little demonic fort and none of them have even come close.

Nein danke. My current stupid goal is to build a device that floods the entire surface from above in a "the skies burst forth with rain for forty days" fashion. We'll see if that ever comes to fruition or not.

Also your "make rock crap"  is still on. I mostly have done absolutely nothing original, letting the dwarves fend for themselves. Perhaps later after I re-wake I'll post what I have so far as an update.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on May 27, 2014, 02:58:37 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 27, 2014, 05:04:49 am

We've had about 6 attempts to get through to our little demonic fort and none of them have even come close.

Curious. Is the cavern layer featuring the fort so full of undead/forgotten beasts that it's completely inaccessible? I feel like it should be possible to dig a safe path right up to an entrance to the demonic fortress, although clearing it out and sealing all other entrances would probably cause some pretty massive fatalities, which I think you can't support due to low population growth?
You could try clearing it room by room via constructed fortifications/doors, marksdwarves and possibly magma to burn all the syndromes from forgotten beasts out. That should save some casualties, even if it takes a lot longer.
... I'm going to download the save and check this out.

EDIT: After checking out the save, it should be fairly easy to get to the fort if you want to try a breach. I recommend exploring your caverns first though.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on May 27, 2014, 10:13:38 pm

Quote from: MDFification on May 27, 2014, 02:58:37 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on May 27, 2014, 05:04:49 am

We've had about 6 attempts to get through to our little demonic fort and none of them have even come close.

Curious. Is the cavern layer featuring the fort so full of undead/forgotten beasts that it's completely inaccessible? I feel like it should be possible to dig a safe path right up to an entrance to the demonic fortress, although clearing it out and sealing all other entrances would probably cause some pretty massive fatalities, which I think you can't support due to low population growth?
You could try clearing it room by room via constructed fortifications/doors, marksdwarves and possibly magma to burn all the syndromes from forgotten beasts out. That should save some casualties, even if it takes a lot longer.
... I'm going to download the save and check this out.

EDIT: After checking out the save, it should be fairly easy to get to the fort if you want to try a breach. I recommend exploring your caverns first though.

Yeah. It's right next to our stairwell, taunting us. The problem is FBs and lakes...the former makes just running up to it hard, while the latter makes tunnelling hard. But fortifications might just let us clear it..... it looks easy, but we've never quite got there. If it hasn't been done by my next turn, I'll spend the year attempting a breach.

Quote

My current stupid goal is to build a device that floods the entire surface from above in a "the skies burst forth with rain for forty days" fashion. We'll see if that ever comes to fruition or not.

It might be safer (I cannot believe I'm saying this) to replace water with magma. Or just wall-off the moat from the outside to create a dike. You may have problems with getting enough power though....we gained a second semi-working reactor last year, but we're still short on it. The problem with water is while it's easier to work with, we don't have any systems for pumping it up there (unlike magma). It'll also obsidianise our moat and volcano, which shuts down most of our more useful defenses. And without the moat we probably won't survive very long.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Who's the Captain of this ship? (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on May 28, 2014, 07:10:36 pm

As long as it only dumps inside the fortress, which is where all the problems are, it should be okay to pump water inside. If you can figure out how to run minecarts through water without them being lost completely, that'd be a more efficient way to bring water up.

That said, reactor alpha, if disconnected from the Shroud, is capable of powering the water pump stack to the height of the failed reactor just below the surface. Filling that should give you enough water for whatever other project you have in mind.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 02, 2014, 10:45:19 am

Bumpity bump.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on June 02, 2014, 02:43:40 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on June 02, 2014, 10:45:19 am

Bumpity bump.

Yeah, is there anyone who wants to play badly? It doesn't seem like I'm going to finish the year any time soon/ever. You can take the rest of my turn, if you like.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 03, 2014, 09:51:52 am

Just post a save when you feel you won't make it much further.  :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on June 03, 2014, 09:53:05 am

K.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on June 07, 2014, 09:56:24 am

Ok, so I know it's been four days, but I decided to make it to the end of the year, especially as I should have plenty of spare time today. Dwarves are moving stuff to market and a new Forgotten Beast. Details and fan-art to follow.

Plus, because hitting Z is annoying to get dates for stuff like Forgotten Beasts and such, I asked Falconne to add functionality to his Happiness Meter to show the date and weather as part of the HUD. And he did! :D So I'm downloading the newest versions of his plugs, and so should you all. ( I'm assuming everyone here using Lazy Newb Pack or at very least DFHack. )

See:
: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=123279.msg5349425#msg5349425
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=123279.0

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 07, 2014, 01:32:21 pm

Nope. I only use DF Hack for Stonesense.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 13, 2014, 11:40:28 am

Re-Bump.   :o

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on June 13, 2014, 05:47:30 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on June 13, 2014, 11:40:28 am

Re-Bump.   :o

Good thing you did! I forgot I had this thing! Yea, I can pretty much honestly say I'm not gonna work on it any more than I have... So let me just post my update and the save. It's only early summer... so whoever plays, please keep that in mind.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 19, 2014, 07:08:01 pm

It's been another week. Revert to previous save?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on June 19, 2014, 09:35:24 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on June 19, 2014, 07:08:01 pm

It's been another week. Revert to previous save?

No. In 6-8 hours I'll link it. I thought I had it already. I uploaded it to DFFD. So if you're impatient you can go get it now. ( I don't have access to a computer at the moment and a 3ds on some stranger's wifi simply doesn't do. In 6-8 hours I'll have access to a computer. )

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on June 20, 2014, 01:53:19 am

:D BOOP. http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8547

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 23, 2014, 03:04:28 am

Righto then. CaptainArchmage or Wastedlabor, if either of you are around would you pick up the save?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 23, 2014, 06:36:18 am

Not before Thursday.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 24, 2014, 06:52:10 am

The above link is wrong btw, it's: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8653

I'm toying with it in adventure mode both to refresh my DFing and finally find out what adventure mode is like. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 24, 2014, 06:36:58 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on June 24, 2014, 06:52:10 am

The above link is wrong btw, it's: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8653

I'm toying with it in adventure mode both to refresh my DFing and finally find out what adventure mode is like. :P

Given this is moltenchannels, I would imagine 'Painful, on fire and covered in bees' to pretty much cover it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 24, 2014, 07:25:17 pm

Sums up where I left it, except for the 'On fire' bit. For some reason.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 28, 2014, 04:16:23 am

I will take the next turn then if it's ok. Udib is not really familiar with the current fort layout, having been busy studying in his room, so hopefully he wouldn't pull the wrong levers.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 28, 2014, 10:19:42 am

Udib strolled back to the fortress, after a brief excursion outside to gather some blood and herbs from the battlefield. The mirthful trees had been sprouting and regrowing in odd shapes from the charred and mutilated trunks -- all looking a bit off, like wondering what could have happened to them.

Udib wasn't the kind to go for a nature-appreciating trek, but the fortress had become obnoxious to him, with all the work and going back and forth unrelated to the threat that brought them there in the first place. What was up with all the children, even. Were the dwarves having just too much free time?

That was probably going to end sooner than later, he thought, as he walked back across the haphazard arches. Few were paying attention to the curse intensifying under their feet, keeping wanderers away from the land and threatening to slowly weaken their numbers. The time to act was now or never. Perhaps having a look at what was lurking in the deep shadows would bring them back to their senses.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 28, 2014, 03:42:46 pm

Frankly, I'm not sure at this point there are wrong levers. Or if there are, that it's possible to find them.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 28, 2014, 06:14:25 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on June 28, 2014, 03:42:46 pm

Frankly, I'm not sure at this point there are wrong levers. Or if there are, that it's possible to find them.

Avoid the Shroud of Armok for now....I think it's been modified and old controls may not work.

The main drawbridge levers are all on the surface, in a room in the center of the original courtyard. There's also the controls for the crusher-bridges. They should still be labelled with notes.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 29, 2014, 05:33:52 am

Udib found the fortress in a bit of a disarray. It was mid summer and nobody seemed to be working seriously on anything in particular -- mostly carrying on slowly with decade-old projects, out of habit, and otherwise laying around in rags boozed and stuffed. That was practically the only standing order: brew more stuff!

He made his way to the old meetings hall to have a few words with the overseer -- carefully checking first the opening in the ceiling and the drain for any other extraneous cascade dwellers. Lo and behold, the overseer was completely passed out on his chair, drooling in front of a pile of half eaten dishes.

"What's going on?", asked Udib.

"Nothing", replied Zuglar Speechbolts the Engraver, passing by covered in stone dust. "He's been like this for the last month. You won't get more than a few words out of him."

"Where is the mayor?"

"Last I saw him we was entertaining himself with some stoneworking."

Urist the Grey III was indeed busy ecstatically carving stones and handing them to Urist McKiwi IV.

"This fortress can't fall into anarchy. We must elect a new administrator."

"We have a mayor and a king, everything will be alright."

"Our soldiers think an axe is a fancy kitchen knife!"

"Well, talk to the king. That's what we have a king for now, anyway."

Young King CaptainArchmage III was running through the corridors, grumbling and stomping his feet. At his 23 years of age, he was clumsy, weak and had little skills, as one would expect of such high nobility rank, yet he had seen himself having to do a lot of work on his own. His clothes were unroyally falling apart, he had dinner on some filthy table, his room was rather substandard and he was extremely tired and thirsty.

"Majesty, wait! I have to talk with you!"

"Leave me alone, monk weirdo! I hate you! I hate this place!"

"We need you to appoint a new administrator! Our current one is... unfit for the position."

"You are the bookkeeper. You can keep an eye on those things. Can you make them do more stuff for me?"

"I... certainly I could, my majesty."

"Great! You are appointed to that whatever position! Now go and do it! I command you as your king!"

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 29, 2014, 06:55:45 am

Udib knew that when the time came, like in Ardentdikes, he only would be able to trust on a few dwarves. So before anything else, he gathered some of the folks he knew better in a remote room.

"You all understand the purpose of Moltenchannels", said Udib, pointing to the book of Ardentdikes. "I'm not asking you to be in the front line of the fortress when it faces its fate, nor to wear heavy armoring, which may raise suspicion, but I need you to be prepared to defend our knowledge."

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/thecultists.png)

In case they didn't make it, Udib ordered Moltenchannels' art to be reworked so anyone venturing there, even from a strange race and in a distant future, would understand it wasn't an ordinary abandoned fortress.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/engraving.jpg)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/engraving2.jpg)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/engraving3.jpg)

Udib knew he couldn't ask much regarding construction work, and he still remembered how Ardentdikes' ambitious temple was never finished before the seal was broken, so he distributed a few simple orders in hope the dwarves would be able to fulfill them, namely:

* Setting up an iron wall seal for the extensive -- and largely unfinished -- royal chambers, and store some food there.
* Build a tiny Armok temple near the surface.   
* Make lots of mechanisms, and put some of the spare weapons to use.
* And, finally, a small staircase rising up from the depths of the fortress to peek at the mistery lizardmen lake:

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/misterylake.jpg)

For good measure, he also asked for extra coffins to be carved. Not only some corpses were still laying around, but he knew well there would never be enough of them.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 29, 2014, 02:42:40 pm

Unsightly beasts kept congregating and crawling in the depths of the fortress:

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/bora.png)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/uktang.png)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/one.png)

The squads rushed to the yard in front of the old cascade hall, just in case they found a hole in the defenses, but they were nowhere to be seen near the narrow slits the soldiers used to peek into the caverns.

The fierce battle between the fire beast and an a shrieking elf zombie kept going on, often making the dwarves forget what they were doing just a little earlier. And Wami the towering three eyed mayfly crashed onto the ancient lizardmen camp shore, right where Udib planned to look at the mistery lake. No trace of what made it fall was found. Maybe it was a bad omen.

Udib's Cultists started to pull some strings. Lucky, Urist McBadass' husband, was still chained in the aboveground fortress for an unlisted murder -- the captain of the guard had been replaced since, and the cultists quickly organized Lucky's release. Next, it was time to do something about the rise of superstitions and random cults and beliefs that had cropped up while Udib was busy.

"Why are all these items thrown around?", asked Udib. "Can't someone pick them up?"

"They are forbidden. Nobody wants to touch them", replied Lucky, still sore from his imprisonment.

"Forbidden? Why?"

"Nobody knows. Some dwarf thought there was something wrong with them, then it snowballed from there... everybody is scared, even if they pretend not to be. There's also corpses scattered everywhere, even on their beds... They don't want to take them away in case the curse transfers to them."

"Well, we are picking them all up. No beliefs other than Armok and the fear of McDuck shall be practiced."

It didn't take long before the king started throw a tantrum -- apparently not even the mayor was paying him any attention anymore.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/kingtantrum.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on June 30, 2014, 12:10:20 am

So our king is slowly going insane, and we've gained a cult. Fantastic!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 30, 2014, 02:41:57 am

And we have 16 forgotten beasts and a number of flaming undead living la vida loca in the caverns.

As a side note, here's a picture of our mayor, Urist "the Grey" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey_de_grey#mediaviewer/File:Aubrey_de_Grey.jpg). He finally decided to meet with one of the two human diplomats that were still wandering the fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on June 30, 2014, 06:02:02 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on June 30, 2014, 02:41:57 am

And we have 16 forgotten beasts and a number of flaming undead living la vida loca in the caverns.

We should put all of our fortress efforts into arming, armouring and training a single dwarf to fight off every single one of these beasts.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on June 30, 2014, 06:04:27 am

Alternatively, we could unleash the denizens of the deeper deep to cleanse the lower caverns of forgotten beasts.

I've yet to find a problem that an even worse problem couldn't fix.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on June 30, 2014, 06:16:48 am

Indeed, we need our own Dermonster.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on June 30, 2014, 09:18:42 am

Soon, Moltenchannels' nobles seemed to be creeped by Udib's activity into doing some of their job. Urist the Grey started to dispatch the long queue of human diplomats waiting to meet, and CogDiss (reluctantly) went back to manage the job orders.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/meetings.png)

After some inspection, Udib's cultists found an ancient staircase going all the way from the surface to the corner where Zolak the fire beast and the zombies were fighting. It was currently blocked only by a few trees under the surface, and guarded by a child's ghost.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/pathoffire.png)

"Zolak may get in the way of our work down in the caverns", complained Udib, "not to speak of all the noise. Let's build an enclosure on the surface, in case it ever decides to come up, and open the way to the staircase. And get that ghost out of there, we already have enough desecration going on here."

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/enclosure.png)

Limul Gearedcontrols and Cerol Seedpaint the Royal Partydwarf got secret moods. Some animals were sacrificed to Armok in the hopes that he would not take away another two dwarves. The animals were really getting out of control, as the dwarves had to push through the alpacasplosion to cross the depot area, and anyone idle spent their time bringing animals back to their pens.

The construction of the tiny Armok temple advanced, and Mortalholy the 765000 dwarfbucks adamantine chain was put in the temple's well.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/mortalholy.png)

Then, another human caravan arrived:

"Merchants, pah! Oh, let them in, who cares. Someone go and operate the levers", said Udib.

The cultists looked at each other.

"Does anyone of you know how to open the gates? Well then, figure it out!"

Eventually the right sequence of levers was pulled and the merchants rode into the depot.

Meanwhile, Limul finished a red tourmaline ring: Spikeproblems the Autonomy of Freezing.

The cultists coaxed everybody to walk away from the mass manufacture of blocks and devote themselves to other, more meaningful tasks. Some heavy gold wheelbarrows and tattered clothes were sold to the human traders, and the construction of a few lighter wooden wheelbarrows was ordered.

Autumn arrived with terribly bad news. The vengeful guard had chained Lucky back, and he was left unattended until he died of thirst. Certainly the relationship between the cult and the law wasn't going the right way.

Eventually the aboveground prison room should be dismantled, as there's already dungeons with water pits underground, and they just need some food stored in the cells.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/deadlucky.png)

The temple's water reservoir started to be filled, with only a minor trader-flushing incident. The path to the mistery lake was dug up, although the overworked mechanics were too busy to install some spiky defenses, and the beasts Tise and Spos arrived to the fortress.

And then, before the work outdoors could be finished, a new vile force of darkness arrived...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 01, 2014, 02:46:34 am

...do you mean arrived "to" or arrived "in"?

because "In" would be very bad news.


Still. At least you've got some towers and stuff to fight the siege with.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 01, 2014, 04:49:44 am

A bit of both, actually.

Fortunately, Udib had ordered to let the animals to roam outside the pens until they had the time to enclose them properly, and the ones that were wandering outside the fort bought some time. As a happy coincidence, all dwarves happened to be indoors. Pulling the bridge levers took too long, though, and a squad of trolls made it into the eastern yard.

The Giant Bushmaster nursing some eggs at the entrance valiantly held them, but there weren't enough soldiers ready to rush to its help. They had to wait and watch it get cornered by three enemies.

Outside the fort, one of the many human diplomats got murdered by the goblins. Another one decided to hang around the front line, where the militia was assembling to fight the trolls.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/humanspy.png)

"Why do we have to stand these humans snooping around when we are about to fight, and possibly face death or some variety of mangling and dismembering", complained Urist McKiwi IV.

King CaptainArchmage III, a recruit under McKiwi's command, was still adjusting his armor.

"Now that you say that, what's up with all these diplomats? Shouldn't they be gone already? Mayor!"

"I think they may be spies", whispered Urist the Grey I, expertly priming his crossbow.

"I'll get the mayor...", started CaptainArchmage, but Urist McKiwi boldly crossed the sword on his path.

"There's no time for that. The trolls are rampaging the fort and the bridge just closed. Let's go!"

The dwarves rushed out, Tun the impetuous recruit running ahead and promptly earning a broken shoulder as a result. The king got a few hacks in, but Urist the Grey's bolts, and Likot Heavensboots the Late Rot, the Royal Swordsmaster, did most of the dirty work. At the opposite side of the fort, the goblins failed to overwhelm the trap defenses and decided to retreat.

The dwarves celebrated the quick victory, but the happiest one was probably Cerol the Royal Partydwarf, who ran to grab some bones from a murdered goat for his masterwork artifact.

Finally, the surface opening to the caverns was dug up, and the enclosure was sealed before anything could escape. The fire beast seemed to be too busy to care, though.

And so, winter arrived, with a promise of war...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 01, 2014, 06:27:32 am

BTW, any lurkers want to get dorfed?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 01, 2014, 11:11:03 pm

HAH! I knew that giant bushmaster was an excellent purchase. Did it kill any of them, or just weaken them?

...too bad we couldn't save it though. Guess we'll just need to buy some more from the elves. There's a tigerman pastured at the West Gate near the trap corridor that you can also bring in as a reinforcement if you need it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 02, 2014, 03:36:49 am

It knocked down one of the trolls and made a few bruises, but the mean trolls grabbed him by the tail.  >:(

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 03, 2014, 03:35:06 am

The last (I hope) two human diplomats in the fortress had noticed their presence had risen suspicions in the fortress. Seeing the fate of the diplomat that attempted to flee, and before they any formal accusation was raised against them, they decided to escalate things.

"We felt it's time to actually sign a treaty with you dwarves, so our fellow citizens know that human presence is welcome here. Our civilizations would be willing to forgive you for this... activity that you are embarked into, if we were allowed to keep a number of inspectors around, and set some... boundaries."

"What kind of nonsense is that? It has yet to be heard of dwarves following orders from humans", replied the mayor.

Udib was listening nearby,

"They probably have never heard of Ardentdikes. And why is that? The same reason I think they were nowhere to be seen when we fought McDuck's dragon. I'd trust a goblin more than them."

"These words may not be well received on our land. This is a fair warning."

"And this is a fair warning from us", replied the young king, stepping forward, "whoever forgets who's the king of our land will be received with a rain of molten rock!"

The human diplomats sighed and looked at each other.

"So be it. Shall you excuse us, we'll depart now to deliver these unfortunate news to our leaders."

"You have been here already too long!", yelled the king.

The fortress resumed their work after the diplomats were finally gone.

To add to the list of curses afflicting the fortress, a couple of the pets that had been let to roam around fell stiff dead after suffocating for no clear reason. No dwarf gave it much thought, though.

Down in the depths, the construction of a spike corridor ordered by Udib continued. Most dwarves didn't quite understand why would they build it there of all places.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/spiketrap.png) (http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/hellsbalcony.png)

The poor recruit that broke his shoulder against the trolls had been left at the bridge, dying of thirst and hunger due to being too much of a pansy to just walk back into the fortress. Since Cutey the nurse was busy doing whatever Cutey did, the dwarves just moved some drink and food near him.

After what felt as an eternity, Cerol the Royal Partydwarf finished his elaborate artifact: Notchedruins the Rasp of Compassion, a goat leather thong. No doubt Cerol would feature it himself on the next party...

New Year passed by practically unnoticed. A new hospital was dug up to replace the two provisional ones, which lacked access to water -- and plumbing some in there was a certain nightmare. Udib spent a couple months inside the temple, making sure it was comfortable, and some guardian pets were added nearby.

The fire beast hadn't moved, so just to piss it off, a plan to pour some water on it was drafted. Meanwhile, Operation "Starve the Stray Alpacas" was a great success, a giant titmouse decided to visit the caverns, a clay mine was dug up, and the magma crabs were spotted sniping the dingoes with molten rock; fortunately the forest didn't catch fire this time.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/titmouse.png)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/claymine.png)

On the 15th of Felsite, a new siege arrived...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 03, 2014, 06:04:11 pm

So you're going to spike-trap the FB's? Nice. Will that involve exploiting the pathfinding with pressure-plates and bridges, or just spamming spikes and hoping they all die quickly?


And you spelled "Unfortunately" wrong. Forest fires are literally our best defensive weapon.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 04, 2014, 02:39:05 am

I'm not gonna open the circus --year would end too soon, and I would leave a mess to the next overseer. Just leaving things there.

The dwarves are already having some beast fun on late summer anyway.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 04, 2014, 04:20:30 am

Glad to see our forgotten beast collection is growing. The reason they call them that here is because there's so many of them it's easy to forget any given one of them.

Also, the Hall of Legends (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=89305.msg5432133#msg5432133) vote is still up for Molten Channels.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 04, 2014, 05:02:37 am

This time everybody was a bit quicker rushing in for the siege. The mayor CaptainArchmage III himself pulled the bridge lever, and the west glass gate was immediately locked down. The goblin squads decided to just set camp around the fort. After exchanging insults and expletives through the first days, soon the only noise heard was the magma crabs sputtering blobs of magma. They even killed an unfortunate dingo that peeked into the volcano.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/snipercrab.png)

The crossbow squad was sent to the rather chaotic and unfortified walls to pelt the goblins with bolts. The Cultists ran out too, to get some practice, though in the end only CogDiss and Udib himself turned up -- the latter absolutely convinced he was carrying already a crossbow, even though he only had a dagger. I guess that's what you get when you send a bookworm to war...

Summer arrived and, eventually, enough goblins were shot down, tricked into traps, or forced to dodge into the magma moat.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/wilhelmgoblin.png)

Tobul Gladestockades the Pure Spurn, the Royal Axe Lord, was taken by a fey mood and ran to a leatherworks workshop. He didn't seem to know well what he wanted, and mass butchering had to be ordered.

"Hopefully that idiot won't go mad", complained Urist the Grey, "he's one of the few decent soldiers we have!"

The new hospital was functional enough to replace the old ones, although the water for the well hadn't been poured in yet. Some of the glass furniture was taking too long and regular pieces were used instead.

Operation "Douse the beast" got greenlighted, while mechanics finally finished linking the year 1 flood bridges on the side of the volcano to their original lever row, for whatever is worth.

Unfortunately (here's that word again!), the water sent down to flush the beast and the burning zombies just flowed down a slope, leaving the beast dry. Water may still reach them, eventually, but it'll take several rain seasons.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/waterfail.png)

"We can be glad our greatest worry is having some trouble to give a beast a bath", said Cutey, enjoying both her new room and the lack of hospital work. "We haven't had to get close to any of them, and certainly we don't want more wounded dwarves."

It wasn't long after that, though, when a long animal shriek was heard down one of the ancient, unused staircases. Everybody stopped on their tracks and listened.

Then, a roaring sound, and a thick, roasted-Sow smelling cloud of smoke blasted through the fortress.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/uhohwami.png)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/roastedsow.png)

"Zolak?", muttered the king.

"Zolak is still fighting the zombies", replied Urist the Grey.

"Do we have any other fire beasts down there?"

"We have everything down there..."

It was not clear how the not-Zolak beast had got in. Under the stairs, there was a diagonal crack it could have snuck through:

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/diagonal.png)

And this misterious bridge that may or may not be open, and may or may not have been opened during some lever shenanigans:

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/isthisopen.png)

"This happened before", gloomily said Udib. "McDuck has sent again a fire beast to free him... we must be close to the seal that keeps him trapped in hell!"

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The inexpugnable circus - Happy 20 years! (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 04, 2014, 11:33:38 am

Quickly! Release the water beast! What do you mean we don't have a water beast?!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The banished king (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 04, 2014, 12:10:50 pm

Udib turned out to be prescient, for it was Wami, who had crashed on the mistery lake's shore not long ago, the one that had found the way into the fortress.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/wami.png)

"Where's the king!?", yelled Urist McKiwi IV, in the middle of the chaos.

If further proof was needed about the fact Wami had been sent by McDuck himself, king CaptainArchmage III's reply came from the upper side of the staircase.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/lonelyking.png)

"Stay back! He's coming after me!"

The staircase was terribly dark and cramped. All squads were called in, but it took them the longest time to even find the way around the fortress. CaptainArchmage couldn't wait... plunging from the top of the stairs, he jumped onto the beast.

"In the name of The Strategic Bodices -- king CaptainArchmage III, leader of the Crazed Picks and ruler of Moltenchannels, shall slay you!"

CaptainArchmage slashed Wami's legs and wings left and right, struggling against the tangle of oozing chitinous limbs.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/thekingfight.png)

Balls of fire hit the king multiple times, until his chest was a charred, burning mess. For all his might, the king's body was too small to counter the firebreath, and he fell down the stairs completely enveloped in flames.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/kingsfate.png)

"Majesty! Majesty!", yelled Urist McKiwi IV and Ringo, the first ones to arrive to his help. They couldn't see where the king had fallen, for Wami was right between them and the bottom of the staircase.

They both started to fight, hitting the beast again and again, but never reaching the head. One of their pet Black Mambas jumped also on Wami and injected its venom into it, but Wami seemed to be immune.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/blackmamba.png)

"We need to get through, Ringo!", gasped Urist, having trouble to find the air to breathe.

Ringo was a smoking mess lying on a corner. Wami was still crawling up the stairs, now with every part of its body except its head broken and bleeding ichor.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/wamihead.png)
(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/wamiwounds2.png)

"I don't think we are gonna make it", whispered Ringo. Those were his last words.

Mighty CogDiss followed by several recruits joined in. Another blast of fire lethally caught the reluctant manager while reloading the crossbow. The recruits Doren and Morul were turned into crisps too.

Finally, the bone carver Ast Leopardblockades', Urist the Grey I's son, used his anatomic expertise to hammer Wami repeatedly until he skillfully crushed its head.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/hammertime.png)

As Wami exhaled its last breath, the rest of the dwarves rushed in to help the wounded.

Ringo was found still breathing, but shortly after he bled to death. So did Urist McKiwi IV -- and in his honor, Ast the Wami Slayer decided to take his name.

"Where's the king? Can anyone see the king?"

"King CaptainArchmage!? Majesty!?"

The dwarves ran down the stairs, but found absolutely nothing at all, apart from the burning ashes from the battle.

"Where's the king!?", asked Cutey, ready to tend his wounds.

Udib walked down the stairs, calmer, but equally stunned.

"The king... is not."

"Did he burn to ashes? There's no trace of him!"

"I don't think so. This is McDuck's work... CaptainArchmage has probably been dragged down into hell... back to Ardentdikes."

If there was something the dwarves could be certain about, it was that there would be more horrors awaiting ahead...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The banished king (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 04, 2014, 12:13:00 pm

Note: The king's body did indeed vanish. I don't know if it was completely burnt, or just glitched into non-existence. There was no death message, neither it showed up in the bookkeeping records.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The banished king (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 04, 2014, 12:57:48 pm

The second monarch to be burned alive by a forgotten beast! If it happens again, we'll have cemented another Moltenchannels tradition.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The banished king (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 04, 2014, 02:15:57 pm

Worth noting also that Urist McKiwi managed to die four times in 20 years.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The banished king (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 04, 2014, 03:45:33 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on July 04, 2014, 02:15:57 pm

Worth noting also that Urist McKiwi managed to die four times in 20 years.

Three times actually. The second one legged it (actually renamed to McZombie, then renamed back to McKiwi IV) with a wheelbarrow of stolen treasure. Possibly the most sensible of our overseers. Can you make sure my fancy armor/sword gets passed on to McKiwi V as well? They've been used by 3 of the McKiwi's so far, and I'd love to set this up as a tradition (unless V isn't a swordsdwarf, in which case the sword can go to someone dashing enough to use it properly).

Edit: Pocket guide to McKiwi's:


McKiwi 1: Drained by a vampire before I ever took a turn.

McKiwi II: Not very dashing siege weapon operator. Learned necromancy from a book stolen from Udib, left fortress with stolen candy leaving behind "Undead decoy" to seek a life of prosperity and not getting killed by horrible abominations.

McKiwi III Dashing swordsdwarf. Originally naive, but eventually became an actually competent leader. Somewhat immune to the possessive effects of McDuck. Tried to expose Udib's scheming to the King and her protege shortly before her death. Completely co-incidentally, unless McKiwi IV decided to keep the letter, everyone she told is now conveniently dead. Died of old age at the same time as UristTheGreyII. Quite dashing indeed.

McKiwi IV: Promising new recruit in the militia (actually a re-renamed McKiwi II) picked out by III as a successor before her death. A fairly normal soldier, with some leadership abilities. Died horribly and painfully in battle just now. Not especially dashing, but probably managed a moderate sprint at least.

Mad Meng: Honorary McKiwi for services to bees.
 

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The banished king (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 04, 2014, 05:24:57 pm

Oh hey is this still running? I got an email a while ago but circumstances prevented me from taking up the fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The banished king (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 04, 2014, 08:08:23 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on July 04, 2014, 05:24:57 pm

Oh hey is this still running? I got an email a while ago but circumstances prevented me from taking up the fortress.

Indeed it is. Wastedlabor's finishing up the current year, but I think it's your turn after that if you're free.

You just got horribly burned to death then cast into a temporally frozen hell-dimension, BTW.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The banished king (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 08, 2014, 09:17:51 am

Last post of the year once the forums stop being hammered.  ;)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The banished king (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 08, 2014, 03:45:08 pm

It was times of sorrow for the dwarves. Even Udib had been haunted by the dead. The order to fill the hospital's water reservoir had been given, but then they realized they had no patients to treat -- all the injured soldiers had died.

The Royal Axe Lord completed an alpaca leather shield named Failedsmash the Defective Burdens. He took the name CaptainArchmage IV in honor of the fallen king, even though some dwarves were a bit resentful that he spent all the time in the workshop during the fight.

The dead weren't all buried yet, and the search for the lost king was still ongoing, when a horn was heard at the walls.

"Looks like the smoke from Wami's fires has attracted some distinguished guests!", joked Psuedonym.

Two squads of humans on horses had arrived at opposite sides of the fortress. Dark storm clouds were looming behind them, and the animals were tired and covered in mud.

"That's not much, considering what we've seen", said the old blacksmith AnimaRytak.

"I say we call them to the gates and show them some dwarven hospitality!", said Brofist Starwhack Shotgrasped, impatient to learn some marksdwarf skills.

"There is something wrong here...", said veteran (and Udib's lover) Troll Fur Sock Craftloves. She was one of the original seven, and had seen plenty of sieges already. "It's like not all of the human squads made it to the fortress. They must have met some disgrace on the way here... and it may still be on their heels."

Rain started to fall heavily, and, as if it was a signal, the stormy winds brought wafts of rotten stench.

"I think those humans will soon regret to be here for war rather than to seek refuge", said Udib. "Human pride shall learn a lesson tonight."

Soon the fortress was surrounded by the undead, led by two dwarf necromancers: Lokum Axeowls and Id Typhoonboards. The gates were kept bolted shut, while the humans and their horses were recruited into the dead horde.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/humansvszombies.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The banished king (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 08, 2014, 04:19:52 pm

The fortress was quiet while the zombies stalked around. Mad Meng climbed to the walls and cunningly waited for Lokum Axeowls to walk past to shoot a few lucky bolts.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/madmengvsnecro.png)

Badly wounded, Lokum had to run for the hills, while Mad Meng, Sebastian2203 and AnimaRytak had some fun shooting zombies with the cultist crossbows. Udib felt tempted to join, but he forgot again to pick up some ranged weapon. Mad Meng grew quite fond of his, after scoring seventeen kills.

Autumn arrived.

A magma crab escaped the volcano, where some of the work on the ancient dike had been restarted, and chased Lucky II around the inner walls.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/magmacrabchase.png)

Before anyone could rush to help, Lucky II stomped it, taking only some bruises and a broken finger. She was indeed lucky it wasn't anything worse, because Cutey the nurse had decided that was a good time to organize the first party of the year.

Akusm the gigantic theropod arrived to the caverns, and Stongun Nightmarecurse the titmouse was heard fighting a zombie in the plumbing of the old hall. Although nobody was really keeping track of all the beasts anymore.

"We still have work to do in the depths of the fortress", said Udib. "It's time to open some slits on that underground lake playa and find out what's on the other side."

Still a bit drunk from the party, Cutey finally fixed Lucky II's finger. A ghost of a soldier that nobody remembered was floating over his bed, haunting her.

The work on the temple was almost complete. Someone found the other vampire of the fortress lost among the many, many cages. Litast Letmosrul was in a complete state of berserk, threatening anyone who came any close to him.

"I better keep an eye on him", said Udib. "Put him close to the caged necromancer, and just in case we ever need to use him, link the cage to a lever in the temple."

And then, suddenly, screams and altercation was heard downstairs. Everybody rushed down to the deep royal chambers, where the stairs to the mistery playa started.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/circus.png)

"It's walls... there's a fortress on the other side..."

"It's a demonic fortess!"

"It's the doors of hell. What are we going to do!"

"I'm 108 years old, I'm too young to die!"

"Be quiet! Everybody be quiet!", yelled the mayor Urist the Grey III.

"This is not it yet!", said Udib. "The seal is still in place! But, yes... sooner or later, we'll have to ensure there are no breaches in it! Now you finally understand why we need to be prepared!"

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The banished king (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 08, 2014, 04:36:52 pm

Winter arrived. Goblin ambushers started to fight the zombies, followed by herds of gigantic tortoises (clearly sent by the elves, which were too coward to show up themselves). Everybody was warring out there to take over Moltenchannels and its secrets.

Olith the peasant zombie went on a tortoise murdering rampage, until one of them became enraged after it broke her shell. Olith was promptly chomped in half.

The demonic fortress had remained completely quiet. The cultists reassured everybody the seal hadn't been completely broken yet, but few dwarves could sleep at night.

With the new threat looming over everybody, the old works started to get completed. The upper walls of Moltenchannels appeared to be mostly finished, the bridges in the ancient magma dike had been linked to their rusty levers, and magma tunnels had been carved to allow flooding the fortress from inside, if the aboveground mechanisms failed. And finally, the hospital was ready to get them through whatever new horrors they had to survive.

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/upperfort.png)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/temple.png)

(http://alleg.franontanaya.com/df/moltenchannels/hospital.png)

The siege seemed to come to an end as new year approached. The volcano dike was open finally, after some failed tries, and ten of the spike traps in the corridor to the demonic lake were linked to another lever in the temple.

Udib's rule wasn't ideal in the military department, and everybody started running around trying to figure out what to wear. He felt his work there was done, and it was time to retire into the temple and let someone else take charge of the gritty aspects of war.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 08, 2014, 05:17:42 pm

Save file: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=8765

Notice descriptor_shape_standard.txt is modified, and the inorganic_ raws are for IronHand's tileset.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on July 08, 2014, 05:50:19 pm

Is this save for me? Well I’ll try to get around to it.

Do old saves work on 0.40.01?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 08, 2014, 06:42:12 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on July 08, 2014, 05:50:19 pm

Is this save for me? Well I’ll try to get around to it.

Yes it is.

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on July 08, 2014, 05:50:19 pm

Do old saves work on 0.40.01?

Almost certainly not, but you could try a test if you like....getting new migrants would be pretty awesome. Plus since 0.40.01 is brand new, it's likely to have the usual fun set of bugs. Probably best to stay on the old version until we breach hell and kill the fort emerge victorious, then do a new fort in the new version once it's working reasonably well.

Edit: At some point, I'll do a retrospective on 20 years of Moltenchannels....since we've now reached that milestone.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 09, 2014, 06:20:08 am

First order of business, make sure the minecarts are still running.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 10, 2014, 05:09:51 am

I have to confess, I didn't look at the minecarts even once.  :-[

They didn't mangle anyone, so I assume they were just temporarily out of order.

PS. Note that I left Udib and Cutey burrowed. They have access to water and food though.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 10, 2014, 05:13:54 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on July 10, 2014, 05:09:51 am

PS. Note that I left Udib and Cutey burrowed. They have access to water and food though.

I've been enjoying your latest updates, and it pleases me to know that Cutey may yet survive until the bitter end...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 10, 2014, 06:27:05 am

*sigh* Well, I'll snag a copy of the save and check them. Usually, we don't notice anything has gone wrong until they're not working, and then it's because the garbage is starting to pile up enough to cause problems.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 11, 2014, 02:39:32 am

Since we've never actually gotten the cart system working perfectly for more than about half a year before a new break, we'll definitely have to keep looking at it.

.....I wonder how my glorious tower over the track ended up looking?

May I also point out to all lurkers and followers that we are nominated for the Hall of Legends, and need only a few more votes to secure this fort a place beside its predecessor?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 11, 2014, 11:03:01 am

Quote from: notquitethere on July 10, 2014, 05:13:54 am

I've been enjoying your latest updates, and it pleases me to know that Cutey may yet survive until the bitter end...

The hospital area won't be safe as a panic room, but the tiny temple can be sealed and it has a little farm. I added a bridge too to the royal chambers, and looked for holes, but those are very large and still pretty much barren.

Right on top of the hospital and temple there are two drains for manually pumping in rainwater. There's no anti-flooding mechanism tho.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 11, 2014, 08:10:04 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on July 11, 2014, 11:03:01 am

Right on top of the hospital and temple there are two drains for manually pumping in rainwater. There's no anti-flooding mechanism tho.

Why wouldn't we want to flood the hospital?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 11, 2014, 08:25:57 pm

More importantly, why is there no mechanism to flood it with Lava?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 11, 2014, 08:45:35 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on July 11, 2014, 08:25:57 pm

More importantly, why is there no mechanism to flood it with Lava?

Ooh, and an extra water-dump system so we can put patients in Suspended Animation once we've BURNED ALL THE LITTLE PEOPLE cauterised their wounds.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 11, 2014, 10:35:56 pm

Okay, so I checked and so long as nothing changes, the Minecarts should continue to run with no further intervention necessary.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 12, 2014, 02:12:56 pm

The dwarves spent a lot of time working on the upper walls, can someone post updated, not-foggy stonesense pics?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 14, 2014, 07:33:35 am

I think CaptainArchmage is busy with The Plane of the World's succession game. We could skip turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 14, 2014, 09:56:55 am

Glad it's not my turn again.

Also, General is mis-spelled on the intro post.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 14, 2014, 10:10:19 am

I was having issues getting DF to work on Linux (Ubuntu 12.something), but I'll try again this evening and should be good to take a turn.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 14, 2014, 04:36:32 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on July 14, 2014, 10:10:19 am

I was having issues getting DF to work on Linux (Ubuntu 12.something), but I'll try again this evening and should be good to take a turn.

I believe Cutey will appreciate the glory of Meng's architectural triumph+Triaxx2/Wastedlabor's continuation of my perfectly not-insane designs.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 16, 2014, 05:05:27 pm

Bumpity bump.

DF works fine on Ubuntu 13.10.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 16, 2014, 05:21:47 pm

I've just figured it out (NQT's Linux-fu raises to Lv3). Just downloading the save now!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 16, 2014, 07:02:03 pm

Cutey awoke to another year with a classic sewer brew headache. She rolled out of bed and tried not to think about the fact her clothes had all rotted away. At least her new room in the temple compound was tolerable. She was thinking idly about how the compound level was shaped like a giant dwarf face when there came a knock at her bedroom door...

(http://s9.postimg.org/vhu6rxpe3/templeface.png) (http://postimg.org/image/vhu6rxpe3/)


"What d'you want?" she said with a groan, clutching her pounding head.

"It is time, Cutey," said the voice of Udib, her fellow cultist.

"Already?"

"Yes. It is time for you to become overseer in this grave time of darkness."

"Och, if you need me to Overlass, I guess I cannae say no..."

---

Meanwhile, outside the fortress walls five embattled goblins were cutting their way through the dense forest. Amxu stepped on another bubble bulb a wearily scanned the gaps through the trees. Moltenchannels is in good lands, they said. Moltenchannels is rich and ripe for the plunder, they said. Already the five of them had cut a swathe through a dozen undead, mostly elf corpses at least one near-skeletal horse. Their bolts wouldn't last forever, and they were still no closer to finding the fortress in the interminable woodlands...

(http://s9.postimg.org/5894953gr/supposedtobeeasy.png) (http://postimg.org/image/5894953gr/)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 16, 2014, 11:08:29 pm

I think the human adventurers who thought we were all demons and wanted to kill us had the better idea. Still, it's fewer undead for us to get killed by.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 17, 2014, 06:57:44 am

Dwarf Elections: Last one to recover from the hangover 'wins'.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Ghills on July 17, 2014, 07:46:09 pm

If you're still taking overseers I'd like a turn.  I had a hand in Ardentdikes, so I want to be in on the sucessor. :D

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 18, 2014, 06:44:47 am

Quote from: Ghills on July 17, 2014, 07:46:09 pm

If you're still taking overseers I'd like a turn.  I had a hand in Ardentdikes, so I want to be in on the sucessor. :D

Added!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 21, 2014, 03:53:32 pm

"Time tae tally up the shite list," says Cutey pacing the corridor. "As overlass I only want tae dee two things: build the towers bigger and knobble every wee blighter in order o'gribbliness."

It took the better part of Granite, but she finally drew up a list of everyone she intended to kill this year:

"Siga and Spos and Uktang and Bora;
Zomus and Slasto, and Gorhax and Aste;
Ijat and Nunur and Spos the Coastal Deep;
Anam and Smunstu, One and Isa;
and Zolak the Silty Servant Weevil."

"And finally, any bleedin' gobbos still lurking oot there."

A peasant ran up to Cutey bearing ill tidings.

"A great three-eyed viper has been scryed in the lower caverns!"

Cutey just narrowed her eyes. Another name to add to the list...

(http://s2.postimg.org/sy7m8ack9/mosul.png)

---

Meanwhile, in the B-Plot, Amxu and his comrades broke through into a clearing. Mosquitos buzzed around the splattered blood and dismembered bodies and discarded weapons.

"That's Amxu Stolenbeetle in pieces there," said Amxu.

"Isn't your name Amxu, Amxu?" asked one of the crossbowmen.

"Indeed. It's a grim omen."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://s24.postimg.org/va5bjjmnp/gobbos.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 21, 2014, 04:44:53 pm

Cutey was just designating a complex series of tunnels and choke points to draw out the not so beasts that previous overseers had forgotten to deal with when the screams started echoing from the lower caverns.

"You know, Uktang," began the peasant.

"Aye," said Cutey, pointedly.

"Well it sorta kinda had wings and maybe got over the wall in the caverns and is now Sebastian2203 is maybe a little bit unconscious."

"A wee bit unconscious?"

"Well, about as unconscious as you can get. We've got a stray dog on the case though!"

"Send all the mannies and wifeys down there and kick 'em in the heed."

And that's what they did.

Adil piled in. She hadn't got a chance to best such a foe since putting down Phlegmfilth in 1095. Joy overwhelmed her as she deftly blocked globs of frozen poison. Soon the writhing beast was torn and bloody on the ground. She spotted her opportunity... and kicked it in the head.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://s29.postimg.org/6biru0a7b/kickhiminthebrain.png)
(http://s28.postimg.org/xgh2u9lst/adil.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 21, 2014, 07:56:57 pm

Only one phrase is proper: Boom, Headshot.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 22, 2014, 12:16:19 am

I like how our main healthcare professional is completely and utterly indifferent to the unconscious patient waiting for medical care. Deal with the unholy monster [Edit] Get someone else to deal with the unholy monster [/edit], have a drink, do some architecture, have another drink, then maybe see if the patient is still alive. Repeat until medical emergency is over, one way or another.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 22, 2014, 10:19:05 am

That's unfair. Last year she fixed one broken finger after being banned from leaving the hospital.

What if it had triggered a tantrum spiral? She's the real hero of Moltenchannels.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 22, 2014, 06:23:23 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on July 22, 2014, 10:19:05 am

That's unfair. Last year she fixed one broken finger after being banned from leaving the hospital.

What if it had triggered a tantrum spiral? She's the real hero of Moltenchannels.

Really? During my turns I only managed to get any healthcare done when I banned her from entering the hospital. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 25, 2014, 02:18:41 am

Bumpitybump.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 25, 2014, 02:26:39 am

(Big update is upcoming, already got the images, just trying to find the time-- hopefully later today)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 25, 2014, 10:56:30 am

Cutey's first plan was to encourage the forgotten beasts to meet and kill one another. Unfortunately they had solidarity in their monsterdom and co-existed peacefully in the lower caverns.

(http://s30.postimg.org/6xmmeitv5/three_way_forgotten_beast_off.png)

Noting that there were yet still goblins outside the walls, Cutey oversaw a plan to funnel the forgotten beasts up to the surface so the two foes could fight. This plan, needless to say, did not go smoothly. While the passage from below to above was complete, the Forgotten Beasts rudely smashed through the doors put in place to prevent the dwarves swarming out to places that they ought not swarm, and soon a hapless miner was caught in the newly dug passages by three beasts all at once: Anan, Spos, and Isa. In order to prevent them from strolling upstairs and butchering everyone, the entire military (half the fort) were sent down to deal with them.

(http://s30.postimg.org/ik6qfnh69/corridor_of_death.png)

While most of the dwarves flailed about in the aura of miasma, frozen poison and flame jets that the triad of terror merrily spread, one fisherdwarf, Stukos, was determined that they should not pass. With his impenetrable steel armour and his exceptional steel battle axe he cleaved and hewed and single-handedly felled every last beast while everyone else was content to bruise tails and lightly massage wings and flail about and die.

(http://s30.postimg.org/ojuhjb1yp/notbadforafisherdwarf.png)

During the final fight a crossbow goblin wandered down from outside, possibly getting some kills in before being ran through by Stukos. With that threat finished and the number of beasts brought down to 13, before they could be told otherwise or a door placed in the way, despite re-forbidding everything on the surface, half the dwarves streamed outside to grab loot long left beyond the walls. Where they met Amxu and his team, strolling around the eastern wall...

(http://s30.postimg.org/ou202ngkx/battleisjoined.png)

Finally Amxu has found the wall. So this is the fabled Moltenchannels. The roar of fell beasts and the sound of battle greeted his ears.

"Come, fine companions, let us to battle!" said he, as the ran through the bubble bulbs north.

They were greeted by the sight of a handful of miners and peasants streaming out of a hole in the ground. They let loose their bolts and Amxu charged in.

"I am Adil, slayer of Phlegmfilth," began one of them, before her leg was shattered and she lay helplessly on the ground. Amxu raised his sword to strike her down when the stench ichor and rotten fish assaulted his senses.

"Have you heard of Isa, or Anan the Hollow Tombs? Have you heard of Spos Cavernsoak the Coastal Deep, so called for he waited a decade in the lake beneath Moltenchannels? No? Perhaps you have of Ngom Tradecruel, for it was of your kin. What is your name?" asks a steely dwarf as he slices off Amxu's right hand in a single fell sweep of his axe.

As the blood spurted out, Amxu caught sight of the broken towers of Moltenchannels rising up above them and the smoke rising from the magma dyke.

"I have travelled far and I was Amxu Thiefransacks and I would know the name of my killer."

"I am just Stukos, a fisherdwarf from these parts," said Stukos as he sliced the goblin in two.

(http://s30.postimg.org/g7u54bf75/notbadforafisherdwarf2.png)

Meanwhile, the lower-caverns were still open and unhindered a beast had slaughtered its way up, murdering beloved pet sheep and the latest Captain Archmage as it went.

(http://s30.postimg.org/429j7npv5/trailofdestruction.png)

The beast was eventually located, hanging around the middle levels, chowing down on all and sundry.

(http://s30.postimg.org/kjiqtbm41/youdontbelonghere.png)

It was brutally put down, but not without some more loss of life, and Cutey was pleased to see the hospital now had a more lived in feel to it.

(http://s30.postimg.org/9zdeoh701/trailofdestruction2.png)

Well, more 'died in' than 'lived in'. With the latest round of deaths over and done with, Cutey half-heartedly tried to encourage the wounded to be recovered, but no one seemed to want to do it, so she resigned herself to the fact that the heroic Asil would probably die of starvation lying immobile on the surface with a fractured lower-leg. CogDiss started acting strangely...

(http://s30.postimg.org/mzkk7646p/feymood.png)

...but around here, strangeness is the norm.

---

Next time on Moltenchannels: a human ambush strikes while everyone is on the surface, elven merchants arrive safely, and Cutey conducts a plan to kill three of the forgotten beasts by flushing a necromancer into the lower caverns using the lever-action cavern-dousing system she set up a decade ago, in order for the necromancer to raise the many corpses to fight. What could go wrong?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 25, 2014, 10:09:33 pm

The better question is what can't go wrong and how can it be made to do so?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The gates of hell (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 26, 2014, 05:08:38 am

My, how many dwarves are left? We started the year with 125 I think.

Also, in the top left corner of the north yard there's two levers that open the underground to the surface too, via the small crundle pen.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 27, 2014, 04:01:41 am

More importantly than all this: Have I died again?


Edit: Also my towers are not "broken". They are stunning and elegant and totally as I intended them to be. How dare you belittle them, dying goblin!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 27, 2014, 04:06:47 am

I don't think so. I'll check in approximately seven hours time. We only lost maybe 20 dwarves. More importantly, we lost someone's beloved pet sheep and that's threatening a tantrum spiral...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 27, 2014, 05:04:28 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on July 27, 2014, 04:06:47 am

I don't think so. I'll check in approximately seven hours time. We only lost maybe 20 dwarves. More importantly, we lost someone's beloved pet sheep and that's threatening a tantrum spiral...

Most forts send their soldiers out with dogs. Or tigers. Or bears.


Us? We send a sheep.



If the fort ends up dying to tantrums we can always either reclaim it (assuming it isn't corrupted) or move on to the new versions (if they're stable enough for a long-term succession). Unfortunately if it ends up killing too many people we'll have no choice but to end the fort...since migrants won't be turning up to help us.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Ghills on July 28, 2014, 12:26:16 pm

I don't think the new version is stable. Toady just fixed several serious issues (including HULK!trees) and there are more remaining. 

Reclaim would be interesting.  Hopefully not needed, though.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 28, 2014, 02:31:51 pm

I think it's fine if eventually only a few dwarves remain bunkering wherever they can while trying to purge the "curse"/reseal the hellish caverns with magma.

Old Ardentdikes survived the fb extract curse by holding in a small side fort while the magma flooding mechanisms were activated.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 28, 2014, 05:51:13 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on July 28, 2014, 02:31:51 pm

I think it's fine if eventually only a few dwarves remain bunkering wherever they can while trying to purge the "curse"/reseal the hellish caverns with magma.

Old Ardentdikes survived the fb extract curse by holding in a small side fort while the magma flooding mechanisms were activated.

The problem is that old Ardentdikes had migrants. Eventually. We have no means of re-establishing the population except to create a dwarven breeding colony and switch to 10-year turns for a few generations. But if we do end up with only a few people, we can go for a suitable death for them.

.....on a completely unrelated note: is the magma purge system currently hooked up properly?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 28, 2014, 08:18:01 pm

Probably not. We could theoretically divert power to the water lift and flood the fortress with that, but to my knowledge the magma system was never finished.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 29, 2014, 02:40:11 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on July 28, 2014, 08:18:01 pm

Probably not. We could theoretically divert power to the water lift and flood the fortress with that, but to my knowledge the magma system was never finished.

Well if all else fails we can heroically sacrifice a miner to tunnel into the volcano. It'll be hell to clear out again, but not *completely* impossible. Still, let's put that down as a good reason not to need to do it. :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 29, 2014, 06:04:41 am

The tunnel that ends in a fortification in front of the door of the little temple is linked to the left column of levers in the chamber north of the depot. Good ol' bridge floodgate method, in case pumping fails.

You may want to dig tunnels to all the other alunite bridge floodgates, except the bottom one (ran out of levers there :P)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 29, 2014, 09:46:59 am

... I went on to try a reclaim (with 60 animals as cannonfodder) to see if that fixes the population bug. But this may be slightly complicated by the fact the dwarves arrive surrounded by goblins, undead, necromancers and dozens of sniping flying forgotten beasts of doom setting every corner of the map on fire.

Basically everybody is dead before they can walk 50 tiles.

Edit: Oh, everything is rather peaceful on re-reclaim.

Edit 2: Oh, apart from the FBs setting the inside of the fortress on fire.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 29, 2014, 05:18:56 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on July 29, 2014, 09:46:59 am

Oh, apart from the FBs setting the inside of the fortress on fire.

So it's reverse of the usual condition. Nothing to worry about, really.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 29, 2014, 05:32:51 pm

I managed to burrow a few dwarves in the temple while the many FBs deal with 300 bunnies and cavy boars. If I can restart the little farm before sealing them I may be able to check if we get migrants. :o

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 29, 2014, 05:49:19 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on July 29, 2014, 05:32:51 pm

I managed to burrow a few dwarves in the temple while the many FBs deal with 300 bunnies and cavy boars. If I can restart the little farm before sealing them I may be able to check if we get migrants. :o

This will be exceptionally useful if we do.

Also, if you *don't* get more than the hardcoded migrant waves, it might be worth seeing in Legends if dwarves have gone extinct.

Edit: And if they have, are we responsible?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 30, 2014, 08:27:20 am

Ok, so I made it to the next spring, despite all the gore and haunting, and a new migrant wave (third one) arrived.

On a side note, the temple's magma mechanism gets only so far -- there's a copper and an alunite door downstairs holding the flow from reaching further down.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Ghills on July 30, 2014, 04:56:52 pm

Wow. Just downloaded the Moltenchannels save.

I think it's worse than Ardentdikes?   I've gone down to the caverns and not found the hospital yet. Either of them.

Maybe I'm just missing it in the chaos.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 30, 2014, 05:55:01 pm

Moltenchannels is definitely way more extensive and has a lot more nasties, although Ardentdikes upper levels were a bit more cramped and messed up by a river flooding, not to speak of having an automatic crusher of doom.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 30, 2014, 06:25:06 pm

Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong. Fuller details soon.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 30, 2014, 07:32:07 pm

Quote from: Ghills on July 30, 2014, 04:56:52 pm

Wow. Just downloaded the Moltenchannels save.

I think it's worse than Ardentdikes?   I've gone down to the caverns and not found the hospital yet. Either of them.

Maybe I'm just missing it in the chaos.

Actually we have three of them. One was shut down during Wastedlabor's last turn, one (on the surface) is full of forgotten beast blood that kills anything it touches and has been sealed for about a decade now...

...and the working one is...um....somewhere. I honestly don't know either.

Quote from: Wastedlabor on July 30, 2014, 05:55:01 pm

not to speak of having an automatic crusher of doom.

We have a manual crusher of doom though. We could link it up to a basic repeater unit and make the East Gate permanently unusable if we want to. :P

Quote from: notquitethere on July 30, 2014, 06:25:06 pm

Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong. Fuller details soon.

This sounds promising.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 30, 2014, 08:27:00 pm

East gate... no, shouldn't do that. That's the Caravan gate. Unless the repeater is interruptable. Perhaps with a floodgate?

As of 1099, our parent civs don't seem to be extinct, though we might be the only remaining outpost. Curiously, the first two generals for the Strategic Bodices were Necromancers.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 31, 2014, 04:45:55 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on July 30, 2014, 07:32:07 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on July 30, 2014, 06:25:06 pm

Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong. Fuller details soon.

This sounds promising.

Hall of Legends, here we go!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Sieged by Forgotten Beasts (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 31, 2014, 04:51:46 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on July 31, 2014, 04:45:55 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on July 30, 2014, 07:32:07 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on July 30, 2014, 06:25:06 pm

Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong. Fuller details soon.

This sounds promising.

Hall of Legends, here we go!

We only need a few more votes to get in, actually. But that'll be so much easier if we can have some good old fun in the story.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 31, 2014, 05:13:52 am

Where we last left off, there were ambushes. I thought they were humans, but it turned out it was just goblins with a few human side-kicks. A lured them towards the front gate by unforbidding the door, and most were eviscerated on the giant green glass corkscrews. That was about the last good thing to happen.

(http://s28.postimg.org/smc8ff7ml/invaders.png)

Well, the other good thing was CogDiss made a rope depicting the important parts of the history of Moltenchannels: drunken ancestry and disgraced monarchy:

(http://s28.postimg.org/ietp30lel/thecurrentpoliticalsituation.png)

A second ambush appeared to the north, where the goblins (and another human) started beating on Adil, who if you recall was a Forgotten Beast slayer that no one was nice enough to rescue from field after she fractured her leg. She was unconscious and starving but managed to hold all of them off until reinforcements came.

(http://s28.postimg.org/qyhoeij4t/adil_keeps_them_busy.png)


There was some significant loss of life, Adil included, and it was at this time that I drafted all non-cultists in to the military and sent them into the crypts to kill One the poison breathing stone beast. Eventually the Royal Swordsman took him out, after a dozen more deaths. There was another beast I let out at the same time, but I don't know where that one got to. Hopefully, someone killed it.

It was around about this time when everyone in the hospital started dying. They'd go there to sleep or recover, and turn up dead. The epic Stukos, hero of late, died without warning. But worse, Cutey Boultnourishes was the second to die. She disappeared for two weeks then they found her body festering in the hospital. It was then that something snapped in me, and I take it by all the tantruming, all the dwarves too. I don't know whether it was vampires or syndromes or poor hygiene that was killing people in the hospital, but I knew that we had to complete Cutey's mission and destroy all the forgotten beasts.

(http://s28.postimg.org/3ucm86qfx/greatesttragedy.png)

Looking beyond the gates, Efé, a mound of vomit, had squirmed up the passage from the lower crypts all the way to the surface. By this stage I'd managed to get practically everyone inside (only a few dwarves were left out to die), if only by sending them all to fight One the stone beast. By the time Efé arrived, I saw we had other problems to deal with...

(http://s28.postimg.org/jl2afjz31/outsidethegaterightnow.png)

Hoping the threats beyond the wall would finish one another off (and indeed, the zombies soon took care of Efé), I turned my attention to the convoluted plot to raise the dead in the flooded caverns to kill three beasts there...

(http://s28.postimg.org/srkl2u4bh/necrothreatplan.png)

With that an almost complete failure (well, we did kill a previously-caged necromancer) and the dwarf death count for this year running around 50+ so far, plans had to be escalated...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 31, 2014, 05:57:09 am

Ummm... oops?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 31, 2014, 09:26:52 am

Don't forget to redwarf the named fallen. :)

Cutey and Troll Fur Sock were two of the original seven.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 31, 2014, 09:44:25 am

Yeah, I'm upset about Trollfursock as well. I did try to keep them out of danger... in the hospital which is now a cause of instadeath.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 31, 2014, 11:08:32 am

Kinda fun that I closed two hospitals due to infection and poor sanitary conditions, only for the new one to become even more lethal right away. :D

I didn't check much the new engravings, there may be some typos there.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 31, 2014, 02:25:19 pm

Perhaps number three can be connected to a proper magma cleaning system?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on July 31, 2014, 03:27:56 pm

#3 has a ceiling opening and a canal that was used to fill the pond, it could be repurposed by pumping magma from the moat into it.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on July 31, 2014, 04:44:11 pm

I hate to say it, but we could reactivate McUrist's General Hospital as a temporary measure. If the new place is infected with FB syndrome (which is what that sounds like) then it's probably the safest place for the wounded (that's not a good thing, though). Dwarven breeding colony is also looking like a good idea now as well.....if anyone's alive when I take power I'll see if I can find a good IC way to get one built.


And I'm guessing I'm dead again, so roll up Urist McKiwi VI if that's the case. And stop killing them off so quickly! That's my job!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on July 31, 2014, 04:49:37 pm

Actually I think Urist McKiwi and Wastedlabor are still okay. For now.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on July 31, 2014, 07:21:51 pm

I meant to say #4, but if three can be 'cleansed' that would be acceptable. Presuming the doors are magma safe...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 01, 2014, 09:24:42 pm

Moltenchannels in a nutshell, Part 1: A recap of our first 10 years*:

(Note: This is entirely in my own words, and does not reflect the intentions of people during their turns necessarily.)

Year 1: "What a nice peaceful place. Let's turn it into the hellish bloodstained seal keeping in an interdimensionally-imprisoned dwarf from Ardentdikes. This can hardly go wrong at all." (Massively paraphrased). Walls set up, beginning of magmaworks..um....begun.
Year 2: The new overseer expands the fledgling fortress, accidentally incinerates his wife, and robs our first caravan.
Year 3: A terrifying figure of death, AKA our head nurse, takes over, builds a hospital (later to become the first of our many Hospitals of Death). Magma moat is dug, first diplomat hideously maimed.
Year 4: Siege repelled by Urist Mcbadass, Sealspines the Skewered Basis of Beards (Best. Name. Ever.). Undead arrive. Undead kill Urist Mcbadass, Sealspines the Skewered Basis of Beards. Undead repelled. More undead arrive. Massive siege arrives. Goblins and undead fight. Undead win. Goblin army rises from the dead as more undead. Another siege arrives, massively reduces undead and drives away necromancers. First FB. Final goblin seige arrives, wipes out undead, surrounds fortress.
Year 5: Military formed and organised. First mass grave dug. Totally Safe and Not at All Dangerous waterfall system established for our tiny main dining hall. I get dorfed for the first time. More FBs arrive. Food stockpiles re-established after being devastated by the previous few years. Moat fixed so that it actually stopped enemies. Main storage areas set up and organised.
Year 6: Tower, giant tomb, massive farms set up. Overseer goes insane due to technical problems.
Year 7: Corpse disposal railway built in pragmatic attempt to clear the mountains of dead things. Adamantine discovered. Moat modified, first reactor built, first of many, many, many forest fires.
Year 8: DuckThatQuacks (original creator of our Big Bad, Urist McDuck) takes over. Builds sniper tower with no floors. Allows McDuck to escape Ardentdikes and start heading for us (very slowly, apparently). Sets up (via his dorf, McDonald) McUrist's Family Restaurants, appoints himself Baron. Forgotten beast smashes through our wonderfully insecure cavern compound and wipes out recruits. I discover I got myself killed by a vampire a while back.
Year 9: First massive set of updates by CaptainArchmage. Reactor finished and activated. Our infamous physics oddities mean the standard designs don't work and need modifications. Lots of cleaning up. More stuff probably happened, but it'd take all day for me to read this stuff (I'll edit it in later). Shroud of Armok (our main magma weapon) constructed. Probably causes a forest fire as well.
Year 10: More mass graves. At this point we're apparently surrounded by zombies. Again. Military is revamped again into new squads, some of which last a full 10 years. 5 necromancers turn up. Siege weapons set up. First *deliberate* forest fire.
 The first decade ends with most zombies dead, the necromancers gone, and everyone more or less happy. Suffice to say, this did not last.




*I was going to do all 20.5 years, but It was taking For. Freaking. Ever. I'll do the rest later.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: eharper256 on August 02, 2014, 03:50:05 am

Hilarious that this is still alive 15+ turns after mine!! Its been a good read guys, thanks!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 02, 2014, 05:25:05 pm

Moltenchannels in a nutshell, Part 2: Years 11-15

Year 11: I take on the fort having never handled more than 50 dwarves at once before, and decide to work out the intuitive and user-friendly experience that is the military system. After a crash means I have to retcon part of my turn I end up mining candy, building siege weapons, and building 30-50 new weapons traps because BUZZSAWS. Operation "Wall up the caverns" started (Note: This still isn't finished, as of a decade later). My second incarnation ends her term as overseer by legging it with a load of stolen candy and running off to become a necromancer. From memory, about 2-3 forest fires this year. Giant worm with wings crawls up the drain of the Totally Safe Waterfall. Operation "You know what we need? More Useless Nobles. Let's spam gold and become the capital!" begins. Creation of Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf. She's very dashing. I also fix the magma moat so it doesn't have massive gaps in it.

Year 12: Cognitive Dissonance comes in to find half the map on fire. This later becomes a recurring theme. Tower construction continued. Urist McDonald dies and is not redorfed (we should probably do that some time, eh?). Turns out he accidentally got the wrong save and retconned Triaxx2's turn (which also murdered McDonald). Apart from this and all the deaths and stuff, things go fairly well.

Year 13: CaptainArchmage takes forever, but has a rather excellent turn. Goblin ambush gets chopped up. Our royals finally arrive! The queen is a vampire with nearly 40,000 kills. Demonic fortress detected through minor cheating magic. Poisonous FB meat ends up in the rations (we should really get rid of that stuff some day). Forest catches fire. Again. More walling off of FB blood to stop other deaths. Toxic blood discovered in the main hospital, which explains all the random dying over the last few years. Turns out our hospital is waist-deep in vomit and blood. Who woulda thought? Hospital permanently sealed.

Year 14: Nurse Cutey once again terrorises the fortress with !!Medicine!!, and continues work on the towers. Sporadic updates make this turn hard to recap but when I took over the next year the caverns were full of corpses, we had undead, FBs and undead FBs fighting each other under a layer of obsidian in the caverns while permanently burning, and all that was left of our queen was one of her toes. And our king had vanished into thin air, without even a death notice. Make of that what you will.

Year 15: Most Dashing soldier Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf, becomes overseer and sets about reforming the military. Fortress population peaks at ~185-188 dwarves. Numerous sieges, forest fires, FBs and other fun incidents drop population down to 165 by the end of the year, with births. Somewhere at about this point (plus or minus a few years) migrants stop coming to Moltenchannels because of the game crumbling under the weight of the fort. Floors added to McDonald's tower in the northeast. Urist McDuck starts possessing emus. Second hospital established as an extension of a McUrist's. Fortress is nearly overrun by enemies ~4-5 times, but despite high casualties we hold out. Most dashingly.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 02, 2014, 06:03:21 pm

Our former vampire queen really doesn't get the credit she deserves. 40,000 kills, and still she got chewed by Moltenchannels (and at least we got some leftover, unlike the next king).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 02, 2014, 07:40:25 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on August 02, 2014, 06:03:21 pm

Our former vampire queen really doesn't get the credit she deserves. 40,000 kills, and still she got chewed by Moltenchannels (and at least we got some leftover, unlike the next king).

Oh, I forgot about that. Edited the recap to add our king vanishing. For the first time.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 02, 2014, 10:42:02 pm

I've finished my year and made a lot of images. Full update coming soon, when it's not half 4 in the morning. Things were looking up until about three days before the end of the year. I'll tell you all why there's only 30 dwarves left out of the 125 I started with...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 02, 2014, 11:48:49 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on August 02, 2014, 10:42:02 pm

I've finished my year and made a lot of images. Full update coming soon, when it's not half 4 in the morning. Things were looking up until about three days before the end of the year. I'll tell you all why there's only 30 dwarves left out of the 125 I started with...

Um......at our previous demographics, that means I've got maybe 5, maybe 10 functional adults to work with for my turn....

With no migrants. Ever.

Hmm. Quick poll of everyone: Depending on how dire it is, how do people feel about my turning my turn into a reclaim? I can either do that, or I can roleplay us into a failure mode (IE. McDuck escapes and we move on to Ardentdikes III). I'd prefer the former, as I've never done a reclaim before and DF2014 is unstable enough that I'm a bit wary about moving on to it. I can write up either of them (Already got plans for Urist McKiwi VI/VII on a reclaim, and a failure mode will be fun enough to write up).

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 03, 2014, 04:46:07 am

My vote is to take as a challenge to burrow and seal any named dwarves left into the little temple, activate the levers at hand, then abandon.

Then once a successful reclaim is made, a bunch of migrants can be the temple survivors, which dug their way out of their shelter, and they get redorfed.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 03, 2014, 05:42:07 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on August 03, 2014, 04:46:07 am

My vote is to take as a challenge to burrow and seal any named dwarves left into the little temple, activate the levers at hand, then abandon.

Then once a successful reclaim is made, a bunch of migrants can be the temple survivors, which dug their way out of their shelter, and they get redorfed.

Hmm. That might be possible. Failing that they'll seal themselves in a tower, wait until the coast is clear, then "rope down the walls and leg it until the fortress is reclaimed". I reserve the right to do my own characterisation of the Restarting Seven though, at least for the first few months.

And, since I am curious....before abandoning the fort I will designate each and every lever in the fortress to be pulled.


Edit: Also, fair warning: I've got some issues going on right now that may cause me to have a delay before my first update once the save is posted. Annoying crappy IRL stuff, but I should get the critical stuff out of the way reasonably quickly and be able to resume playing. I wouldn't miss this next turn for the world, although it may well end in disaster.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 03, 2014, 04:14:35 pm

Yet another flying beast flew over the wall into the fort and started terrorising the peahens. This one was called Stongun, and was not exactly the smartest of creatures.

(http://s29.postimg.org/j3lajak9j/stongun.png)

Also, after further research, it turns out that I didn't know a titmouse isn't the same thing as a doormouse:

(http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/PHOTO/LARGE/tufted_titmouse_4.jpg)

I let it fly around a bit, injuring itself with its own breath attack, before sending the military down to put it out of its misery.

(http://s29.postimg.org/6memw4p3r/end_of_stongum.png)

Meanwhile, on the wall Urist The Grey III had started taking potshots at the human invaders. Unfortunately, the shot back. He took an arrow to the hand and was never the same again.

(http://s29.postimg.org/mgy4jr387/rope.png)

Incensed at another needless loss of life (any kind of injury that means you have to rely on others for a while is a death sentence in Molten Channels), the dwarves tried to lure the invaders to their deaths using the traps.

(http://s29.postimg.org/wafbwk5cn/deathtrap.png)

They peered out the green glass door at the human horsemen who were milling around the entranceway unmolested by traps. All the levers that, according to labels, should have opened the leftmost moat failed to do so and eventually the men wandered off again.

Meanwhile back in the cavern, Mad Meng was frantically trying to stop a gap in the wall as two more foul beasts ran towards him. (Admittedly after the miners opened up a new tunnel to let them in.)

(http://s29.postimg.org/w90spee53/madmengvsbeasts.png)

Mad Meng was a dab hand at masonry and he managed to complete the wall while standing so he couldn't see the oncoming beasts. For once, in the entire history of the fort, a plan went completely smoothly.

(http://s29.postimg.org/o677rtixj/mengwins.png)

Upstairs a bed-bound Urist the Grey III had a meeting with someone on the other side of the wall. One assumes he was asking for food and water, but unsurprisingly nobody heard.

(http://s29.postimg.org/yhjkkhamv/uristhasameeting.png)

Indeed, this was perhaps the last moment of calm before utter catastrophe fell.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 03, 2014, 04:37:50 pm

Quote from: notquitethere on August 03, 2014, 04:14:35 pm

Indeed, this was perhaps the last moment of calm before utter catastrophe fell.

I'm aware it's relative to everything else in the turn, but I'm not entirely sure that "our crippled mayor screams for help through a crack in the wall, begging for food and medical care, only to see his only hope of not dying slowly and painfully walk away to go have a drink" constitutes "Calm".

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 03, 2014, 05:44:54 pm

Clearly you sir are unaware of the dwarven societal norm as it pertains to calm. Any situation during which you are not directly under attack or engulfed in flames is quite calm indeed. Any simple matter such as screaming in pain, or undertaking not to die a slow, pain filled death of dehydration as your body sucks water from it's own organs is insufficient to disrupt the slow measured pace of the average dwarf.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 03, 2014, 07:05:11 pm

Sometime around Autumn, Aste the giant crab came up from the caverns below. Everything started out so auspiciously: the plan to connect the cavern where Zabrok danced his perpetual dance with the surface had succeeded. While it hadn't drawn out the regicidal pyromaniac, a bunch of other beasts had come up. This Aste was to prove our downfall.

(http://s29.postimg.org/s6ed429ef/astefight.png)

At first it seemed promising: he emerged to duke it out with what I believed to be the dismembered hand of a prior beast. He emerged at the same time as a necromancer decided that now was the time to strike. He was siftly peppered with bolts, given that necromancers are just soapmakers with pretensions of grandeur and not gods.

(http://s29.postimg.org/uc8nykcuv/justasoapmakernotagod.png)

While the humans were distracted by the speaker-with-the-dead, Aste (having apparently been murdered by the hand and then raised as a zombie) crabrushed the men!

(http://s29.postimg.org/tvsi98vfb/asteversusthemen.png)

A report from the men that survived that day:

"We had expected a army to meet us when we left to crush the dwarves of Moltenchannels who had defied us for so long. The zombies too were not too great a surprise, though the land is awash with bubblebulb and the trees are full of cheeping keas, you know, the kind that get in your hair. Necromancers, well, where there are zombies they aren't too far behind. Hamstermen? Well, you get them everywhere nowadays. But a monstrous undead horned crab with little wings?!

(http://s29.postimg.org/8sdj4dhxz/humanswin.png)

When Aste fell for the second time the fortress rejoiced. But their joy was all too shortlived.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 03, 2014, 08:13:49 pm

Impossible!

...Kea don't cheep.

I think for the rebuild effort I will have to seal off that passage to the caverns. Also: Why didn't you Shroud of Armok them?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 03, 2014, 08:25:30 pm

While all the dwarves vs humans vs zombies vs forgotten beasts vs necromancers action was happening on the surface, there was immense flooding in the lower caverns. The trouble happened to be that a floodgate had been smashed apart and now there was another eldritch horror stuck in the plumbing.

(http://s29.postimg.org/h9d1fammv/bythedrownednecromancer.png)

This capacity for floodgate destruction should have set off alarm bells, and failure to act when we still had the chance cost many lives. Unfortunately, at the time we we were distracted by a giant forgotten spider beast webbing everything from here until next week.

(http://s29.postimg.org/hbwx24qaf/dostadustup.png)

While dwarves were sent to their pointless deaths eventually beat the spider menace through attrition, Urist the Grey finally succumbed to the healthcare in the fortress, despite it having improved somewhat since Cutey's demise (he was, after all, taken to his bed rather than left to die on the battlements, which was more than Adil got).

(http://s29.postimg.org/734fwb28n/healthcare.png)

The fort had, by this stage, moved into full beast-killing mode, and an attempt was made to defeat them, though there were still many left, and more arriving all the time, each more absurd that the last.

(http://s29.postimg.org/y3nahzwuv/notanotherbleedingone.png)

Some beasts spit poison, others shroud themselves in smoke and flames, and yet more lurk beneath the water and wait and wait and wait.

(http://s29.postimg.org/xoc0ozaxj/moreburningbeasts.png)

The fight within the fort nearly put out the more famous of the dwarves still living. But it was always essentially under control, bar a dozen or so expected fatalities. Mad Meng himself had a second brush with death, but his sharp-shooting won out.

(http://s29.postimg.org/gg5hjsmxj/menglives.png)

So confident were we that most of the winter was taken up by an elaborate scheme to pick off three beasts by luring them close by dropping peahen chick over the wall and then shooting them from above.

(http://s29.postimg.org/mweg9vvh3/pitting_animals_plan.png)

In the end it was deemed more effective to just send in a dozen dwarves to finish the job with proper weaponry. While all this was happening, the humans had gotten fed up with the undead, the eternal siege breakers, and had gone home. As soon as they left another threat appeared on the horizon.

(http://s30.postimg.org/vz5bh69v5/werepanthertoo.png)

Werepanthers really were the least of our worries. No, and here I say this with a heavy heart: our problem was Aste. His corpse, raised a second time by agents unknown, trampled down into the tunnel carved out by the behest of Cutey almost a decade ago. It had been kept tight shut this turn with an artefact floodgate but such beautiful furniture was no match for the might of the twice-raised crab. Before the fort knew what hit it, it emerged inside and there was nowhere left to run.

(http://s29.postimg.org/67d0dyyvr/astesundeadcorpseinourbase.png)

The remaining might of the fort was sent to destroy him and stem the undead tide long enough for a mason to plug up the hole and save the fort. This might have been possible, for Aste fell once again and though many more dwarves were lost, the undead were momentarily pushed back from the tunnel. And that's when the goblins arrived.

(http://s30.postimg.org/klis5yzch/damneddirtygoblins.png)

Their ambush was swift and brutal, and many that might have been saved the carnage threw their lives in the name of 'picking up equipment', the deadliest phrase in all dwarfdom. Children ran senselessly into a barrage of bolts as the foul goblins wreaked their revenge for Ngom and Amxu and all their kinsmen slain or still rotting in cages. Nobody was left alive on the surface of the fort, even inside the high walls. The doors inside were locked shut and the remaining 31 dwarves greeted the new year in pain and despondency.

(http://s30.postimg.org/996n7k7ld/31alive.png)

Though over the year they had bested a full eighteen forgotten beasts, it had come at a terrible price. The upper fort was now awash with goblins and over 90 dwarves had died. Udib Wastedlabor had survived, along with Lucky II, Sebastian2203, and Urist McKiwi V. They were still protected by a Royal Mace Lord, but the rest of the survivors were decidedly less useful. There were 13 children, three peasants, three other nobles and three other farmers, at best a leatherworker, furnace operator and a gem cutter. Finally, miserable and in chains and walled in for eternity, the vampire Ustuth still paced. While the others discussed leaving this forsaken place, Ustuth, like the hundreds of dead before him, would never leave.

Spoiler: The Survivors of Cutey's Folly (click to show/hide)

(http://s30.postimg.org/5qunb66pd/whoisleft.png)

The save game is here. (http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=9271)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 03, 2014, 08:27:29 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 03, 2014, 08:13:49 pm

Also: Why didn't you Shroud of Armok them?

Copious amounts of magma would probably have solved many of the problems that beset me. I— I forgot it was even an option.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 03, 2014, 09:19:56 pm

Ah well. I'll do what I can. I've replaced the raws because I'm not using a texturepack. I'm going to engage the goblins and undead with long range weapons and magma artillery to kill as many as I can, then I will abandon and reclaim, then play one year (or until my reclaim team die). Already lost another soldier: bled to death while under attack by a zombie.

1st Granite

Urist McKiwi V sat in the ruins of McUrist's, near the tomb of the old Count. Around him, blood and decaying remains were smeared over the remains of a once opulent mountainhome. On his knee, there was a book. And that book was making him angry.

McKiwi read of the purpose of Moltenchannels as discovered by his predecessor, Urist McKiwi III. He read of the dwarf McDuck, imprisoned behind the very fabric of the universe itself. He read of the mission of Udib the Priest, and of the dark energies that had twisted this fortress over time. And then he realised what all that "cultist" business of the last few years had really been about. What a mess.

"McKiwi? Is that you?"

McKiwi shut the book with a loud thud. Before him, a frightened and sad looking axedwarf stood. "Zasit. Glad you made it. Anyone else left?"

"A few. The priest, a few cultists, and a handful of other soldiers. Some children, too."

"Children? How many?"

"A dozen, maybe"

McKiwi stood silently, for a moment.

"We can't stay here. It's suicide. We have to get them out of the fortress. Make for the old mountainhome, see if we can find somewhere new to settle."
"Agreed"

"No! We must stay!"

McKiwi turned to the figure who had appeared from the stairwell. "Udib Wastedlabor. Nice of you to join us. We were just leaving."

"But McDuck! We must-"

"With a handful of scared soldiers and a bunch of children? We have lost, Udib."

"No. We have not lost yet. Give me a week, and I will have a way. The old magmaworks will let us clear the outside, and then you can take the children away. I will seal this place as I sealed Ardentdikes....it will be weaker, but it should hold long enough. I will NOT LET HIM OUT!"
"Then why do the whole cult thing? Why the secrecy? I don't trust you, priest."

"I do not ask for trust. I ask for time."

A pause.
"Alright, Priest. One week for the plan, then we're burning the goblins and getting the hell out of here."


'They've broken through!'

"Ok, scratch that Priest. You've got maybe an hour. I'm heading for the levers, everyone else will hold them off long enough for your mumbo-jumbo."


Edit: THis place may be too much of a mess. We're fighting off the goblins and humans, but I can't get anyone down to the levers.
Edit2: Invaders all dead or captured. But I still can't reach the levers. It's been more than half a month. I hope to get things reasonably under control soon though. Quick poll: Should I trigger the magma flood? I've ordered the device primed, so once I can get someone to the levers it should take long to activate it. The question is more about the reclaim than anything.
Edit3: on the plus side, I'm up to nearly 60FPS.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 03, 2014, 10:14:38 pm

17th Granite

Things had, surprisingly, quietened down. The few goblins that had made it into the fortress had been fought off by the handful of defenders, and the breach in the fortress walls made by the nurse had been sealed. But everyone in the fort knew it was only a matter of time before the place fell. Udib pored over tomes in his office, having ignored the "one hour" deadline anyway, and McKiwi barked orders for the priming of the magma weapons having realised just how complex the operation to activate any of them would be. Soon, Moltenchannels would fall. But on their terms.




---------------

Alright folks. So what are those terms? Shall I flood the fort with magma, killing everyone but burning away everything that was killing our FPS? Shall I leave everything ready to go? Or shall I build supports everywhere and collapse us into the caverns? Personally, I am tempted by the magma purge. I've always wanted to do it, but never had the excuse.

Edit: That being said, it has taken me nearly a month to get people to stop picking up equipment and build one wall tile. Pulling a lever may take the entire year.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 04, 2014, 05:58:43 am

I vote to PULL THE LEVER!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 04, 2014, 02:54:32 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 03, 2014, 09:19:56 pm

Ah well. I'll do what I can. I've replaced the raws because I'm not using a texturepack.

Aw, you could keep the descriptor_shape_standard file, it has all the nice themed engraving texts.

Edit: I vote for a generous amount of lever pulling too.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 04, 2014, 08:24:41 pm

I just overwrote the old raws, so some stuff may be lingering. There's still some...oddities...showing up. Still, the FPS is reasonable.


So I'll get everything stable, then pull the levers and kill the fort. Should I then reclaim, or will we go on to Ardentdikes III?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Ghills on August 04, 2014, 08:42:04 pm

The glorious magma-flooding legacy of Ardentdikes lives on!

I say new fort.  Maybe even in DF2014. By the time we're ready to move on, the worst !!BUGS!! might be fixed.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 04, 2014, 09:22:35 pm

I suggest that we declare the activation of the flooding mechanism as the 'official' end of the fortress, but that we go ahead and try to reclaim until we have a chance to move on to 2014.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Ghills on August 04, 2014, 09:45:59 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 04, 2014, 09:22:35 pm

I suggest that we declare the activation of the flooding mechanism as the 'official' end of the fortress, but that we go ahead and try to reclaim until we have a chance to move on to 2014.

The thought of trying to clean up the fort after a reclaim makes me go cross-eyed.   It's bad enough now.  Post-reclaim item scattering wouldn't be fun at all.

Unless we allow DFHack for the cleanup. Still tons of work, but potentially manageable.  We could write it up like friendly ghosts. If we have violent, non- corporeal Urist McDuck, we can definitely swing friendly, non-corporeal Urist McHack.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainMcClellan on August 04, 2014, 10:42:15 pm

Oh. :| See what happens when you mess with Terry while I'm on vacation!

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 05, 2014, 01:09:20 am

23rd Granite, 1103
McKiwi V stood at Udib's desk, his backpack filled with supplies for the trip away from the fort.

"So. Got a solution yet?"

"I believe so, yes. We'll need to manually open the magma purge system to prevent the breach under this fortress from being exploited. That, plus some simple work on my part, should be enough to establish a seal.After that it is a simple matter of getting ourselves out and finding somewhere safe to live."

"Sounds good. I'll get everyone ready and-"

"Ah.....there you are....My old friend Udib."

The two dwarves turned to the door to see one of the children, standing with an intense stare, shaking slightly. Udib's face drained of colour and his voice trembled slightly.

"McDuck!"

"Yes, yes. It's me. By proxy, at least. But I can see a way through here, priest. I'm looking forward to having some legroom again. The bloodshed here has broken the minds of many of your survivors. Perhaps you two are among them? Perhaps not. But either way....there is no way out. I have a hold on them now. And I will find a way to break through, take control, and free myself. But just in case....allow me to make up for lost time!"

"NO!" screamed Udib, as the posessed child produced a dagger and lunged at him. McKiwi intercepted with his warhammer, smashing the weapon out of the child's hand. McDuck hissed at him, and ran from the room.

"Urist.....I am so terribly sorry. But we cannot escape from our fate now. If McDuck is truly this strong, this close to breaking through....there is no way out for us that will not doom this world to McDuck's presence. I can seal him, but as long as we live he has a crack, a means to push through and take control. And if he does.....all is lost."

"So we must die?"

"We must."

McKiwi stood for a moment.

"Very well."

McKiwi turned to look around the ruined fortress that had been his home. Honestly, he thought, being burned to death wouldn't be that bad after all this. He made for the stairs. It was time to pull the lever.

----------------------------------------------------

Edit: Well. Here we go. It's almost the end. Next update will be when I can get the little blighters to actually pull the damned thing.

(Also, we did have a child go mad. Not actually possessed, but eh close enough. Did we ever work out why McDuck is such a threat, BTW?)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 05, 2014, 05:07:17 am

On Ardentdikes, McDuck murdered enough dwarves during rages that he became an enemy of our civ, even though he kept being voted as mayor. Even our one-dwarf blazing-fast death-storm Urist Tomesglades ran away scared from him. We had to confine him inside a small section of the fortress because he would have murdered the whole fort otherwise.

Quote from: melkorp on December 02, 2011, 11:26:23 am

You know what, migrant?  Why don't you hold on to this warrant and, you know, maybe slide it under the Mayor's door when you get a second.  Thanks, man.    Never open the door though, no matter what he says.  Hmm?  Well, because he's actually more of a mass-murdering, psycho enemy of our civilization than a mayor.  But his mandates are quite reasonable.  Politicians, am I right?  Ha ha ha!  Seriously, don't open that fucking door, migrant.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 05, 2014, 06:25:05 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on August 05, 2014, 05:07:17 am

On Ardentdikes, McDuck murdered enough dwarves during rages that he became an enemy of our civ, even though he kept being voted as mayor. Even our one-dwarf blazing-fast death-storm Urist Tomesglades ran away scared from him. We had to confine him inside a small section of the fortress because he would have murdered the whole fort otherwise.

Quote from: melkorp on December 02, 2011, 11:26:23 am

You know what, migrant?  Why don't you hold on to this warrant and, you know, maybe slide it under the Mayor's door when you get a second.  Thanks, man.    Never open the door though, no matter what he says.  Hmm?  Well, because he's actually more of a mass-murdering, psycho enemy of our civilization than a mayor.  But his mandates are quite reasonable.  Politicians, am I right?  Ha ha ha!  Seriously, don't open that fucking door, migrant.

Yeah, I know that, but still. Sealing him in another dimension seems a little harsh. I mean, what's a little murdering between friends?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 07, 2014, 11:53:04 pm

Update's a little delayed: Had a bad week and got behind on coursework. Should be able to resume playing in a day or two. Then it's on to the game of "how long before the lever gets pulled".

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 09, 2014, 06:32:56 pm

We just had a forgotten beast get in. A lone bowdwarf killed it with a sword on the first hit. Not a bad fight.

It's been nearly two months since I gave the orders for the levers to be pulled. One out of three have actually been pulled. The next one will either set the outside on fire, or flood the fortress. Our main dining room is a cloud of miasma. The caverns have mysteriously flooded, and threaten to flood the lower fortress (this isn't a good thing: the magma levers are down there). A peasant has been stuck on "Attend meeting" for no apparent reason all year. I keep finding more an more tunnels under the walls from the last turn. No wonder we died out: This place is about as insecure as it's possible to be.

I'll give it another month. After that I'll cancel all labors and order them to dismantle the housing for the Shroud of Armok. It won't be as effective as the full purge function....but it should work well enough.


Edit: Also, they're still pushing the corpse-minecart. Apparently it actually killed off poor Meng.
Edit2: More madness. Second lever pulled. Exterior of fortress now on fire. Moving a squad up to the towers so they can watch.
Edit3: Dwarf (Sebastian2203) decides to go looking outside for new clothes on bodies. Decides carrying giant rock while doing so is excellent idea. Notices giant forest fire. Thinks "There must be socks in there!" and goes for it. Realises mistake, drops rock and dodges the flames. Runs ~5-10 metres then decides to have a nap. Gentlepersons, I think we have our Most Stupid Death of the Succession.
Edit4: Apparently all our dwarves are pathing through the caverns because someone opened up multiple routes through them without having a way to shut them off. I'm going to have to break the Shroud, I think.
Edit5: On the other hand, a child grew up, so that's one more chance to pull the damned lever. Come on, guys! Pull it!
Edit6: I'll update again later today. I think I broke the Shroud.
Edit7: I did...in the least lethal way possible. Update postponed for a bit because of coursework. It'll be a few days. Fire has gone out because of rain.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 10, 2014, 05:38:17 am

I know I built a bridge to stop those Shenanigans. Not my fault if no one remembered to link it. Of course any other holes aren't my problem.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 10, 2014, 09:38:02 pm

Bridges wouldn't help anyway: it takes months to get a lever pulled.

Also it's worth noting that things have gotten so bad that even incinerating the fortress is looking increasingly impossible. And we're still open to the outside, somehow. So the next siege will kill us, or the next titan, or the next FB, or just insanity. In the meantime, Udib has decided to become a brewer. Good thing to, because we're almost out of drinks.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 10, 2014, 09:43:14 pm

You could assign one dwarf to a burrow containing only the lever you know.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 11, 2014, 01:03:44 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on August 10, 2014, 09:43:14 pm

You could assign one dwarf to a burrow containing only the lever you know.

I did attempt that. It didn't work. The game is really bugging out. might try it again though just to see if I can get it running properly.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 11, 2014, 04:40:20 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 10, 2014, 09:38:02 pm

In the meantime, Udib has decided to become a brewer. Good thing to, because we're almost out of drinks.

Least they can do is not to go through the fortress collapse while sober. :P

Did Udib pull any of the levers in the little temple?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 11, 2014, 04:22:06 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on August 11, 2014, 04:40:20 am

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on August 10, 2014, 09:38:02 pm

In the meantime, Udib has decided to become a brewer. Good thing to, because we're almost out of drinks.

Least they can do is not to go through the fortress collapse while sober. :P

Did Udib pull any of the levers in the little temple?

Nope. Storing dead bodies and their crap in neat piles instead of doing priesty things like killing everyone. I'm going to have to reset labors I think.....by hand, since I don't have Therapist. Writing this up is going to require some.....departure from reality. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 14, 2014, 10:57:38 pm

Alright then. Update time. I've been a bit blindsided by crappiness and depression IRL so I haven't played as much as I'd like. Fortunately it looks like things are getting better, so I've been able to get back into playing the save. I won't do this one IC (I'll save that for the final final update when everyone's dead).

Date is currently 15th Felsite.

-I broke the shroud, and I think the magma reservoir is empty for now.Attempts to dig into the volcano have failed.
-I have since repaired the shroud
-Udib has decided that stacking things up is more important than mining through to the volcano. Mining is literally the only labor he has enabled.
-A small group of soldiers have holed up in McDonald's old tower and are trying to get a basic farm going. They will be our "survivors". Urist McKiwi V is (I hope) making for the levers once he realises that he's burrowed there. I'd hoped to get him up to the tower, but he didn't make it before the lockdown. So on his death his previously appointed successor will take up the mantle of Urist McKiwi VI.
-Massive goblin seige arrived a few days ago. No chance of mounting a defense. Unfortunately (for them) they chose to come in through the trap corridor. Much screaming and maiming and burning in magma and death was had by all.


Current summary:

1. We are still boned.
2. Udib is a lazy jerk who doesn't like killing everyone.
3. Our trap corridor is keeping the fortress secure for now, which is a good thing because I can't get the drawbridge closed.
4. Assuming I can get a basic farm going in the tower, we will have "survivors" to name and take into the next fort. One will be McKiwi VI, but I think there's 3 others and a ghost as well.
5. We've also got an insane vampire walled into a cell, but he's not going anywhere.
6. With luck, I will get the Shroud operational again and able to destroy the fortress by the end of the year. Otherwise...well...it's going to be a bit anticlimactic.


EDIT: Nevermind. The goblins have broken in through another tunnel I didn't know about (dammit NotQuiteThere, how many of those did you dig? I've lost count of how many breaches I've sealed so far). This may end sooner than I thought.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 15, 2014, 05:09:11 am

Well, those forgotten beasts weren't going to kill themselves. Well, maybe Mr-fly-into-my-own-boiling-spit-Stongum might have. Compromising the entire security of the fort to defeat some monsters that weren't posing any real threat was what Cutey believed in.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Everything has gone terribly terribly wrong (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 15, 2014, 05:25:31 am

Quote from: notquitethere on August 15, 2014, 05:09:11 am

Well, those forgotten beasts weren't going to kill themselves. Well, maybe Mr-fly-into-my-own-boiling-spit-Stongum might have. Compromising the entire security of the fort to defeat some monsters that weren't posing any real threat was what Cutey believed in.

Yes, we haven't really had the cream of the crop when it comes to FBs....most of them have been pretty lame. But yeah. I'll try to throw the levers, and roleplay the results.

Edit: And if I can't throw the levers.....well.....I'll also roleplay the results. It'll be interesting to see what happens. I genuinely don't know, and with my current framerate it'll take a while to find out.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on August 19, 2014, 05:21:29 am

I think 0.40 may be stable enough by the end of the turn, so Ardentdikes III may be started while Moltenchannels' reclaims are played out -- if there's a circus leak on Moltenchannels, then it's Ardentdikes III' job to dig down and defeat the clowns. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 20, 2014, 02:17:32 am

Quote from: Wastedlabor on August 19, 2014, 05:21:29 am

I think 0.40 may be stable enough by the end of the turn, so Ardentdikes III may be started while Moltenchannels' reclaims are played out -- if there's a circus leak on Moltenchannels, then it's Ardentdikes III' job to dig down and defeat the clowns. :P

Sounds good to me. I've been a bit delayed with this turn: final coursework for the term has come up and bogged me down a bit. However from this weekend I've got two lovely weeks free, so I should be able to get this finally over and done with then. I have three possible options for ending this:

1. Levers are pulled, the 4 survivors in Count McDonald's tower escape the fortress and flee. McDuck is deemed "slightly more sealed, for now".
2. Levers are not pulled, 4 survivors in Count McDonald's tower escape and flee. McDuck is on verge of breakthrough, and reclaim is designed to allow for that.
3. Levers are not pulled. 4 survivors go down and pull them. NONE SURVIVE.

Edit: Whichever ending works, it should be possible to access the fortress through the trap corridor....and through the last unsealed breach. So the reclaim will not involve breaching our own walls.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 20, 2014, 06:20:04 am

I'm in favor of 3.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 20, 2014, 01:26:26 pm

Wait, so Moltenchannels has reached its’ end? I might be able to run up a new world on 0.40. I’ve skipped enough turns to start pulling more weight I guess.

Just remember there are no HFS forts in 0.40, and it isn’t clear whether they will be added back in or when, so you’ll have to stick with digging through adamantine pillars.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 20, 2014, 04:14:55 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 20, 2014, 01:26:26 pm

Wait, so Moltenchannels has reached its’ end? I might be able to run up a new world on 0.40. I’ve skipped enough turns to start pulling more weight I guess.

Just remember there are no HFS forts in 0.40, and it isn’t clear whether they will be added back in or when, so you’ll have to stick with digging through adamantine pillars.

We're almost ended....but we can reclaim this one in theory. Unless I can pull the levers in which case it's not really going to be an option.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on August 20, 2014, 04:39:16 pm

I say pull all the levers. It's like leaving a gun on the mantelpiece, the magma superweapon has to be deployed by the final act.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on August 20, 2014, 06:14:17 pm

Personally we can just wrap this one up here. The trouble with reclaim is the fortress has been pretty much lost to FPS drain.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 20, 2014, 07:59:01 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on August 20, 2014, 06:14:17 pm

Personally we can just wrap this one up here. The trouble with reclaim is the fortress has been pretty much lost to FPS drain.

I actually had it up to just over 50FPS at once point unpaused this year. Killing everyone has been surprisingly beneficial. But for the purposes of the main plotline....yes, it's probably best that we call it on this fort once this year is over.

Quote

It's like leaving a gun on the mantelpiece, the magma superweapon has to be deployed by the final act.

All I can promise is that I'll do my best. I can't really control which of the three possible outcomes comes to pass. I don't know how long it'll take to get the Self Destruct system running, or even if it will start running again. I need to shut down one valve (bypassing the Shroud of Armok), and activate another (allowing magma flow directly to the Self Destruct. That *should* divert flow to the Self Destruct, although it may need one extra lever pull. Assuming nothing has broken. I've repaired the breach in the side of the main device...but the upper level has emptied and isn't refilling. Which means either 1. Damage to the pumpstack (which I can't fix) or 2. The reservoir is empty. The latter is likely: The Shroud has been running for two months continuously, and it was never intended to do so. This means I may need to seal New Townsbrush with a dwarf there to shut down the pumps until it refills, then repressurise the system. Or I can just leave it turned on and wait and see. Also keep in mind that we've obviously never run the Self Destruct before (except in other people's saves for lulz) so we don't know how well it will work.

Did I mention that there are goblins and trolls smashing stuff on the surface? Yeah. They're quite close to the stack. Hopefully they don't actually break it.

Update should come tomorrow or the day after.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 24, 2014, 02:32:55 am

Diary of Urist McKiwi V, Date Unknown

I went through the papers left by McKiwi III. Interesting enough reading, but nothing I didn't suspect already. A good refresher though.

I was directing the preparations for our evacuation when I saw that child McDuck's driving around heading for the Shroud. Got up there just in time to see him start smashing the wall. "Try stopping me once I've destroyed your precious little device!" he screamed at me as the wall finally collapsed.....to reveal a gap in the floor underneath it, leading onto the magma track. McDuck ran past me, but I caught up to him a floor down, where he was staring at the magma flow from the breached part of the Shroud. Contrary to his (and indeed my own) expectations, it was resolutely refusing to flow any further than the track.

"I......um.....what?.....WHAT?!!"
"To be honest, I don't know either."
"But I saw...I...well........um.....I guess I lose this round. Have a child. I don't need him anymore."

Then the kid collapsed and a few minutes later was back to normal. We're patching the shroud now...but the important thing from this incident is what I've learned. As opposed to what Udib, McKiwi III, McDuck, and most of the others in the know might believe, McDuck is not entirely all-knowing. His ability to see possibilities and potential outcomes (and then interfere to change what actually happens) is what makes him so powerful (and so dangerous), but that ability relies on being able to assign probabilities to outcomes and so is interfered with by chaotic outcomes that bump "wildcards" into play when he doesn't expect them. As there are an infinite number of possible outcomes, but only a finite number can be examined......things that defy normal explanations may slip past him. In this case, the strange and frankly impossible behaviour of physics around our fortress managed to thwart what should have taken the Shroud out of action for good. I can only hope we can cycle it soon though....McDuck may well try again, and the reservoir is running dangerously low. Soon it's going to shut down, and at that point we won't be able to seal the gateway under the fortress.

However, this new knowledge suggests a possibility. If we can seal the gateway under this fortress, it might be possible to destroy McDuck entirely through another installation. Enough chaotic events around the installation should shroud the activity from McDuck's sight long enough to breach hell, and deal with him once and for all. Given how unpredictable this hellhole has been, this bodes well for the next stage. Assuming we survive this one, that is.


-------------------

Right, we're almost up to speed. Will continue playing soon....I've got a dwarf headed for the levers right now.....but I have to close the game for a while to get other stuff done. Let's just hope that the Shroud hasn't been actively damaged.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on August 24, 2014, 05:57:18 am

I believe I left a connection between the Reactor Alpha and the water pump stack, if you can't run the shroud, you might be able to engage that and flood the place with water.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 26, 2014, 04:21:21 am

Central Courtyard. Date unknown

"Udib, we can't get the Shroud powered down, and the reservoir is going to be out of action for a while....but hopefully not too long. Is your mumbo-jumbo ready?"
"I do wish you wouldn't call it that.."
"Is. It. Ready?"
"Yes. All is set up. Even if I die, all it will take is the fires of the earth touching my inscriptions and tablets to seal this fortress forever."
"Good. Alright folks! We are leaving soon! I want you four into the McUrists in the Northeast tower, get the place secured, and be ready to help haul food up there. That will be our escape route. We'll all move in once we've collected the supplies, and rope down the walls once the self destruct is active."

Four of the surviving soldiers dutifully packed up their hammers and bows and trudged through to the old tower.

---------

That evening

"Any food up there?!" McKiwi VI yelled up at the tower. "Nay, sir. We'll need tae restock the whole place 'afore gettin' the wee ones in!" came the response from the walls. "Alright. Hold position, I'm on my way up there with some stuff to keep you going!"

McKiwi almost ran into the priest as he turned a corner. "McKiwi! Something is wrong. Terribly wrong.....I've always felt McDuck here, but now!....I think he might-

Then a chant came from beyond the walls that froze Udib where he stood.

"Hello priest! I brought friends!"

The pair dashed to the top of the bridges overlooking the old main entrance. "Goblins. A whole seige of them!" said McKiwi. "Not anymore, I fear.", replied Udib with a sad look in his eyes. "I believe my old friend McDuck has just learned how to possess multiple targets at once."

".....that breach in the walls made by that fool of a nurse is still there, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Well.....I guess it was always a long shot. OK EVERYONE! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! LOCK DOWN MCURIST'S TOWER AND PREPARE FOR BATTLE! WE FIGHT TO THE LAST DWARF!"

The few remaining archers grabbed their gear for the last time as the drawbridge to the tower slammed shut. McKiwi turned to Udib. "We have to get the Shroud running again. To the levers!"
------------------------------------------

Right! We're up to speed. I'll edit the date into this later (I've forgotten it). Tomorrow I'll play the next section. I *expect* that that will end the fort. But I'm not 100% sure.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on August 26, 2014, 06:02:52 pm

As an aside: I think we're now on our 3rd -possibly 5th- fight to the last dwarf at this point. We've been rather lucky with them, in an unlucky sort of way.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on September 01, 2014, 08:24:27 am

I think Urist McKiwi pulled the wrong lever...

(http://i.imgur.com/7klwKDx.png)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 01, 2014, 05:21:54 pm

Ah, so THAT's where all the Magma went...

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 01, 2014, 07:18:50 pm

I deny all knowledge of any devices that may or may not be responsible. Please continue enjoying the so-called security of your "peaceful" surface world.


Muahahahaha!.


In all seriousness, I haven't had time to continue the turn just yet. However since I've come down with a nasty cold it's not likely I'll be doing much in the next few days besides research and packing. :)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on September 02, 2014, 12:18:29 pm

Man, when you guys finish I want in the next fort.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 05, 2014, 10:10:40 pm

Self Destruct activated. I'm now trying to re-route magma to the device so it can actually operated. The goblins are killing everything they can find, but...well...

....you know how on my first three turns I covered this place in weapons traps to get rid of spare weapons, waste crap, and as a "just in case"?

Well, it's turned out rather well. Bits of goblin flying everywhere, and we've just got a few of the more elite ones left now (except the crippled ones, but those don't matter). Udib casually walked up to clean the traps, then shot the hell out of a pre-crippled goblin. Brutal.

We are now down to three goblins. Can't kill them myself, because of obvious reasons. Unfortunately all the traps around them are jammed with bits of their friends. It's going to take a few years to fix them at this rate, so hopefully the gobbos just walk a little down the corridor. This place must seem like the Tomb of Horrors on acid wielding an axe to them.

However we seem to have a bit of a problem overall in terms of ending the fort: the goblins can't kill us because I've filled the place with traps (and I've got several dwarves hidden away where they can't be killed). We can't kill the goblins, because there are almost no dwarves left and no immigrants. And we can't kill ourselves, because I still haven't gotten the dwarves to pull more than one lever at a time. Seriously. Even assigning burrows is broken now.


The ingame date is 18th Felsite. Let's see how this goes.

--------------------------------------------

Edit: 3 days later, the last surviving goblin, a macelord, escapes the fortress, leaving behind one crippled speargoblin, many piles of bodies, and multiple clouds of red mist that are now jamming our traps. Looks like we made it through this one, and I don't think we ever actually encountered the enemy.

Edit2: Restocking the McUrists' in the old tower is going reasonably well as well. A few plants were left in the tower and are being harvested. They've got a couple of barrels, a still and a kitchen as well. So I've got some safety margins in case of another siege. Knowing our luck, we'll be getting plenty.

Also: I've found why the Self Destruct is offline. The self-destruct seems to have been added onto the Shroud design later, and as a result the lever marked "cut off magma flow to the shroud" (or something like that) also shuts off the flow to the Self Destruct.

......if I can get the right lever pulled (why no, I don't know exactly which one it is), it should be a fairly quick job to get the system back online.

Edit3: Nope. I now suspect that in the commotion something has been damaged. I don't know if the pump-stack is still functional. I'll attempt the run the top pump manually and see what happens. If that fails, then I'll have someone sacrifice themselves and dig into the volcano.

Edit4: Yup. That whole section of machinery is offline. As is pretty much everything by the look of it. Looks like a troll managed to reach something important during the battle. It's probably relatively minor damage, but I've never touched this sort of stuff before. Still, I'll take a look at it and see if anything really obvious stands out. Worst comes to the worst, we have an extra turn while the next person figures it out. Right now I can't even work out where the power for this thing is coming from. Every piece of machinery is inactive, and I don't know where the reactor is to try and trace where levers are to shut things off.

......or I can dig into the volcano. Hmmmm. I think I'll try to fix it first.


Diagnostics are not aided by the fact that the surface around the pump stack looks like this:

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenblood.png)

That's not a small number of corpses on each tile either. Soon we'll be attracting mountaineers wanting to get first-ascents on them.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on September 06, 2014, 09:24:23 am

OP updated.

Technically the fort can't be conquered, unless either a murderous ghost got the walled-in berserk vampire, or a tantruming dwarf tore down the wall. :o

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 06, 2014, 12:18:01 pm

There should be a flooding mechanism directly under those bodies. I believe it was designed to fill the moat, but it should work to fill the fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 06, 2014, 08:11:54 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on September 06, 2014, 12:18:01 pm

There should be a flooding mechanism directly under those bodies. I believe it was designed to fill the moat, but it should work to fill the fortress.

I looked at it before doing that update. The pumps are there, but I can't find a way to power them (or anything around that area). So it'd need to be manually pumped..without incinerating the guy doing the pumping. Possible, but difficult. Probably easier just to breach the volcano....but I'd like to try fixing it.

Can anyone explain how the Shroud gets its power? And more importantly, where I should look in order to find it. I did trace a set of axles down into the depths, but they didn't seem to attach to anything that would create power...if I can find the power source, then I can work back from that and work out what's broken and (hopefully) fix it. I'm in early summer now, so with luck it *might* be possible to either repair the damage or seal the fortress breaches before the end of the year. In the former case, we end the fort under the terms of the rules (must have a device to flood the fortress). In the latter, it's someone else's problem. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 07, 2014, 08:35:36 am

The power for the shroud is listed as reactor Alpha, which is buried deep down, near the lower settlement. I believe it's at or around the same level as the base of the tall pumpstack I built to bring water from the cavern depths.

The pumps near the moat should have a connection to a windmill on the surface, unless it got destroyed. Which is likely, though I thought I'd removed the ramps. If the doors that separate it are removed, the big water stack will flood the fortress. The only issue is that I don't believe that stack is connected to the Alpha reactor, though I recall it not being too much of an issue.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 07, 2014, 06:56:29 pm

Ok. I've traced the locations of reactors Alpha, Beta and Gamma. Reactor Alpha is still running at full power, so that rules that out as a cause.

From what I can tell, it originally sent power to the surface via a shaft full of gears next to a starcase. Given the dead FB nearby and lack of gears in most of said shaft, I suspect this is the cause of the lost power.....two destroyed parts caused the section between them to fall down and be destroyed. I'll attempt a repair, although who knows how long it'd take. I'll also shut down the Self-Destruct in the meantime.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 07, 2014, 06:59:56 pm

Wow. To activate the reactor all you need to do is disconnect the water pumpstack and there should be enough to run the magma pumpstack. Once that’s done, all you need to do is open the right floodgates to flood the interior of the fortress. In future, I will try to add in more automation in such designs, so this can be done with two lever pulls.

If this turn is going to be over, I may take my turn (the one I keep skipping) to set up the new fortress. Have we got the name yet? Something like Terrordykes or The Dyke of Tentacles? Are the parameters the same (build on a volcano)? What kind of world size do you desire?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 07, 2014, 08:43:56 pm

From what I can tell (and yeah, I suck at this), the only things that are powered are the reactors themselves (I think Beta is also generating some power), and the surface windmill. Everything's either turned off, or has lost connections. Damage has been sustained on multiple levels: the surface connections were damaged during the last siege, and the lower connections were damaged at some point before that. I'm not sure what actually triggered the Shroud failure.....I think the damage to Alpha occurred earlier, which *should* have cut it off immediately. Unless that FB wasn't quite dead, and took out the machinery a bit later. In future designs, we should physically seal off the machinery passages so that FBs can't get into them.

In terms of Ardentdikes 3 (it has an "i", not a "y"), I'd go for another volcano embark. Relatively flat if you can get it, with decent mineral abundance. Fewer undead this time would be nice. World size doesn't really matter to me. While this will be hated by the "I like more than 5FPS" crowd, I'd love a decent-sized river as well. As for the name...eh, anything that sounds cool.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 07, 2014, 08:54:39 pm

Got it. What about mods? Are any mods acceptable? Anything (like extra vocabulary) you’d like to see?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 07, 2014, 09:08:10 pm

My vote's for "unmodded". Anyone can pick it up that way, plus we've got enough fun new things in 0.4 without adding mods into the mix. Climbing in particular will force a change to defenses.

I *think* I can repair Reactor Alpha's connection to the Shroud. When that happens, the pump stack should start up again and repressurise the Shroud. Or I may need to reconnect some levers. If I shut off the Self Destruct it'll allow me to test it. If it works, I can reactivate the Self-Destruct and end the fort. If it doesn't, I can tunnel into the volcano and end the fort.

...Unless I run out of time. In which case...I'll probably end the fort with an abandon.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Taupe on September 07, 2014, 09:33:10 pm

Quote

I say pull all the levers. It's like leaving a gun on the mantelpiece, the magma superweapon has to be deployed by the final act.

Commonly known by Dorfs as Chekov's Murderflood.

I know this is about over, but i'd really like to be part of the undoublty glorious and well designed civilisation that will replace this current succession.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 07, 2014, 09:40:31 pm

Quote from: Taupe on September 07, 2014, 09:33:10 pm

Quote

I say pull all the levers. It's like leaving a gun on the mantelpiece, the magma superweapon has to be deployed by the final act.

Commonly known by Dorfs as Chekov's Murderflood.

I know this is about over, but i'd really like to be part of the undoublty glorious and well designed civilisation that will replace this current succession.

Welcome aboard! Please leave your sanity in the locker-room and collect your equipment from the armoury.

A lot of the series seem to have gotten a “standard mod”. For Syrupleaf, the successor to Headshoots, which was in turn the successor to Boatmurdered, it was Civilisation Forge with the Spawn of Holistic added. The Spawn of Holistic also made an entrance to the Battlefailed series. Maybe we should pick a mod set to use? We can go light and just add some useful vocabulary, or go a bit more serious.

Oh yeah! Murderflood the Dyke of Terror? Sounds like a name, what could possibly go wrong?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Taupe on September 07, 2014, 11:50:32 pm

Murderflood, huh.... sounds very appropriate. Like, if you honestly know your baking is gonna result in nothing but flour mixed with chocolate anyway, migh as well accept it and call em chocolate cookies in the first place.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on September 08, 2014, 10:00:56 am

Quote from: Taupe on September 07, 2014, 11:50:32 pm

if you honestly know your baking is gonna result in nothing but flour mixed with chocolate anyway, migh as well accept it and call em chocolate cookies in the first place.

That would be Murderfood then.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on September 08, 2014, 10:58:30 am

Might I suggest a modding idea? If you make all subterranean creatures appear in the 1st cavern level, you can eliminate the other two, substantially boosting FPS without really altering the game in any meaningful way - except the dangers from caverns 2 and 3 are accessed sooner. This way you can keep it vanilla and hopefully keep FPS from getting ridiculously low.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on September 08, 2014, 11:13:04 am

I'd really want to push the focus on being an above ground fortress next time, I feel this gave the fort a lot of character but was sacrificed along the way. I'm definitely in for next round.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 08, 2014, 04:08:04 pm

Never mind that it made it bloody hard to actually find anything, or room to dig in. Perhaps a desert of some kind?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 08, 2014, 06:07:54 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on September 08, 2014, 04:08:04 pm

Never mind that it made it bloody hard to actually find anything, or room to dig in. Perhaps a desert of some kind?

Sounds reasonable. I think I’ll gen a world using civilisation forge, but without necessarily adding in more untoward vocabulary, see how it turns out. If it really looks out of whack, I will produce another world on DF (adding untoward vocabulary back in).

If we are building a surface fort, maybe I should set the invasion thresholds higher? I’d give it a good few years to set up a surface fort, even with chopping down trees.

Edit: Error logs show errors for Civilisation Forge. The worldgen also appears to be bugged, trying out with no mods.

Edit2: No problems with standard worldgen. I’ll pack back in the untoward language if I can.

Edit3: I found a copy of the LOLMOD and added in the extra vocabulary....... and a few more things, which should not change gameplay too much, but could add in roleplay items.

Edit4: New World generated. I see calls for deserts, rivers, and an aboveground fort. I have generated this one small to keep FPS up.

Edit5: In the Dimensions of Portent, on the Sunken Continent, there’s a nice red desert to the west of the Hamlet of Spoonedshark. No volcano though, but there’s a waterfall and plenty Dolomite. How does that sound?  Oh, and there are no spoilerforts in this version of DF.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 09, 2014, 02:53:46 am

Hmm. We could dam the falls and generate power that way without a reactor.....and have a proper superweapon using water to flush undead off the map. I like it!

Speaking of which....

...I just got DFhack's "Force Migrants" to work! Or at least, tell me that we're not attracting migrants. This is more than my previous attempts in prior turns managed.

.....We can't attract new peeps because of the mass slaughter, and the old bug is probably still gonna block stuff....... But I'll continue trying it as I get the machinery back online (IF I can get it online). I'm constructing a new vertical axle that should channel power correctly. Frankly, I could use some more dwarves to get things running again. I've got fewer than 10 able-bodied and unglitched adults, and they're not doing very much.

Edit: I also traced the cause of the Shroud failure. A forgotten beast destroyed the gear assembly at the base of the shaft. This caused a failure of the vertical axel above it, and a loss of power. I don't think the surface part of the Shroud has been damaged...but we'll find out soon, hopefully.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on September 09, 2014, 03:06:06 am

I think it's quite rational that no one would want to move to Moltenchannels, though it didn't stop so many people trying to invade the damn place.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 09, 2014, 03:14:42 am

Quote from: notquitethere on September 09, 2014, 03:06:06 am

I think it's quite rational that no one would want to move to Moltenchannels, though it didn't stop so many people trying to invade the damn place.

Oh come on, we have a fantastic dining room, once you ignore all the blood and corpses and vomit and bones and stuff!


I've shut down the Self Destruct so I can build the new axle without killing the crew. I've also reactivated the second hospital. This takes out two dwarves who needed bedrest...but I'm hopeful that it'll pay off in a month or three.

Edit: Also I made myself chief medical dwarf, because Cutey's kinda dead for now.

Edit2: Diagnosing patients like a boss. Also, I just got the last breach patched I think. We're secure.....for now. The machinery isn't getting fixed though.

Edit3: We have 20 dwarves overall. 7 are children. One is a chained vampire. One is stuck on an "attend meeting" job and is useless as a result. And two are resting, with one attending to them. The remaining 8 are picking up random crap.

Edit4: Performing surgery. I have no idea if my patient will survive. I'd ask the nurse for a hammer, but we don't have any nurses. Ah well. What could possibly go wrong?

Edit5: Anyone know a DFhack command that forces a dwarf to cancel their current job? We could use that meeting attender.
....and the injured dwarves are very injured. Might get some function out of them, but eh....not a given.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Taupe on September 09, 2014, 03:40:34 am

Turns out self-immolation is a great defense mechanism and a terrible long term defense mechanism. Who knew.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 09, 2014, 03:41:44 am

Quote from: Taupe on September 09, 2014, 03:40:34 am

Turns out self-immolation is a great defense mechanism and a terrible long term defense mechanism. Who knew.

The self-immolation worked fine, thank you. It was the "let's dig lots of holes around our fort to let the goblins/FBs in for lunch" that went badly.

Edit: Ok! I've got a set of magma pumps working (NOT the shroud). Can't find the lever for them though, so yeah.

Edit2: I think the meeting-attender has gone insane. Guess we're down another dwarf.

Edit3: To clear the backlog of hauling jobs, I've used DFhack to temporarily speed things up. Since they prioritise hauling crap over building stuff, it's not really a problem.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 09, 2014, 05:50:16 pm

Alright folks. I have repaired the Shroud of Armok and primed the Self Destruct device! One pull of the right lever, and this fortress is going bye-bye.


I intend to continue using DFhack to clean things up a bit (make it possible to reclaim if anyone wants to, and let me move dwarves out before flooding it), then in mid autumn I will activate the self destruct and end the fort with an in-character update or two. It's been a fun turn, especially once I started using DFhack to clean up some outstanding bugs that were accumulating. Also: I've now learned how to do mechanics in DF, which was always something I wanted to try.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 09, 2014, 06:29:57 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on September 09, 2014, 05:50:16 pm

Alright folks. I have repaired the Shroud of Armok and primed the Self Destruct device! One pull of the right lever, and this fortress is going bye-bye.


I intend to continue using DFhack to clean things up a bit (make it possible to reclaim if anyone wants to, and let me move dwarves out before flooding it), then in mid autumn I will activate the self destruct and end the fort with an in-character update or two. It's been a fun turn, especially once I started using DFhack to clean up some outstanding bugs that were accumulating. Also: I've now learned how to do mechanics in DF, which was always something I wanted to try.

Well, it was about time someone learned how to do Dwarf Fortress mechanics.

In other news, I’ll be setting up Murderflood and paying my debt to the people who took the turns I didn’t take....... after I check how FPS is doing on the various sites.

Do you have the full fortress and group name from Moltenchannels?

Does anyone have suggestions for a group name?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 09, 2014, 07:29:45 pm

Fortress is "Moltenchannels the leaky Ardent Dike"

Civilisation was "The Strategic Bodices", group is....uh..."The Crazed Picks", I believe.

Something to do with avenging would be nice for the new group.

Oh and what d'ya know? Another siege. Guess we'll find out if I sealed the place up properly after all. It's humans, so they probably can be waited out.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 09, 2014, 07:48:11 pm

How flat do people want the new site? The random number generator has a good site with a waterfall. No volcano, but plenty of dolomite. Near the Hamlet of Spoonedshark, the stream of Bowlhowls flows into the river Chamberfills. There is no clay (unless I edit the raws) but there is plenty of Kaolinite. I can’t help but feel the RNG is telling us something.

On an older Macbook, I get 100FPS with a 3x5 (15 tiles) or a 4x4 (16 tiles) map. Unfortunately, the site is not very flat, so building an aboveground fortress will be tricky. However, the lay of the land allows a functional dam to be built.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - Last one alive, pull down the levers (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 09, 2014, 08:14:00 pm

The humans have found a way in....yet another breach. I've locked the doors, but I don't know how well that will work. Access to the power conduit has been compromised.....I'm preparing to fire the Self Destruct just in case.

Edit: 1 stray peasant killed. Outside the fort, somehow. I've successfully contained the breach, but yeah....this isn't a good situation. Preparing for final purge.
Edit2: Nevermind, they've broken through. Activating Self Destruct. Take that, human bastards! Our traps are slowing them down a little....but THIS should deal with them rather more effectively! AHAHAHAHA!
Edit3: Moltenchannels burns. I'll write up something nice in the next day or so, with screenshots. Udib chose to stay behind (I'm not kidding, he went down to the hospital to be with the crippled dude).
Edit4: 5FPS. Hoooboy. Reclaim might not be an option. :P
Edit5: And we have an ending. I'll write it up...later.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 10, 2014, 02:58:17 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on September 09, 2014, 08:14:00 pm

The humans have found a way in....yet another breach. I've locked the doors, but I don't know how well that will work. Access to the power conduit has been compromised.....I'm preparing to fire the Self Destruct just in case.

Edit: 1 stray peasant killed. Outside the fort, somehow. I've successfully contained the breach, but yeah....this isn't a good situation. Preparing for final purge.
Edit2: Nevermind, they've broken through. Activating Self Destruct. Take that, human bastards! Our traps are slowing them down a little....but THIS should deal with them rather more effectively! AHAHAHAHA!
Edit3: Moltenchannels burns. I'll write up something nice in the next day or so, with screenshots. Udib chose to stay behind (I'm not kidding, he went down to the hospital to be with the crippled dude).
Edit4: 5FPS. Hoooboy. Reclaim might not be an option. :P
Edit5: And we have an ending. I'll write it up...later.

BRAVO! BRAVO! ENCORE!
 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Sounds like we’d better build a new fort, eh?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 10, 2014, 04:39:30 pm

Not just yet. I've still got to write stuff. :P
-------------------------------------------------

Diary of Urist McKiwi V: Early Summer, 1103

I don't even know what date it is now, things have been so hectic.

McDuck's army tore through the upper fortress, killing a few extra dwarves before getting cut up by our traps. Udib grabbed a crossbow and helped out, while I ran down to the levers.....to find an almost-dead forgotten beast tearing out the axle between the reactor and the Shroud. That siege was a diversion. Once the device was cut off, he dropped his control of the goblins, and they tried to flee. Only one of them made it out though. We've been working to repair the damage now....but all our engineers are dead. I think I've got this worked out though. We just need to replace a gearbox and the axle. Unfortunately, we also lost the containment drawbridge on the Northeast tower. We can't lock it down any more.

---------------

We're almost done now. We've been burying all the corpses we can. Everyone's working as fast as they can. The jogging is doing wonders for my health. I've taken to looking after our wounded. I've fixed up one out of two, but the other will need months of bedrest. Not such a good thing, but with luck we can hold out until he's good to go.


Late Summer

The repair is done, and we've repressurised the Shroud of Armok. I've also learned to perform complex surgery. Cutey was right, it is easy! We're getting everything ready to go now as soon as everyone's able to walk out. I think it will

Drums from outside. McDuck's got himself another army.

------------------------------------------End entry

One last update after this (I'm writing this one during a lecture, so have to keep it brief). That one will have screenshots. Not many though, since the game ended in a way that wasn't conducive to taking lots of them. Then an epilogue.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 11, 2014, 01:03:00 am

A week later, and the situation was getting grim. A horde of human adventurers, questing to "cleanse the evils of this vile hellhole", had been no match for McDuck's ability to control minds. McKiwi ordered a ranged attack on one of the squads, but McDuck's men just pulled out of range and waited. Eventually, they saw their chance, and two of the squads vanished during the night....

Early Autumn, 1103


In New Townbrush, Ber the furnace operator was fetching more bolts for the planned retreat when he saw the child's body fall down the stairs. As he ran to help, a spray of arrows landed all around him. The humans had cut through the caverns via the passages made by the Nurse, and were moving to release McDuck! Drawing his crossbow, he ran for the one thing he knew would stop them from killing the last of his friends....

...
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenburning2.png)

*CLUNK*

"What the-"

Urist McKiwi V looked up as the mechanisms of the pump stack and floodgate system started to move. "Oh bother.....EVERYONE! RETREAT! RETREAT! GET TO THE TOWER!"

As he grabbed the nearest dwarf and ran for the safety of the refuge, he saw the priest walk calmly down the stairs as the lava started to fill the fortress....


(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenburning3.png)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Udib Wastedlabor was tired. As he walked down the stairs through the fire and heat of the purge, his face was lined with the fatigue of the last few years. This was not what he'd wanted. Still, it would work. Moltenchannels would be excised from this world even more completely than Ardentdikes. And McDuck would not have a way through. But there was one last thing he needed to do.

In the hospital, the crippled dwarf lying in bed looked up as the priest entered. "Udib? What's going on? I heard shouting and-"

"McDuck has come."

"You mean the magma will..."

"I'm sorry."

The dwarf sighed. "Well....I suppose that's that then. What happens now?"

"I don't know"

Udib turned to the door as a bright blue glow pierced the room through the keyhole.

"But I suppose we will find out soon enough."

-----------------------------------------

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4915761/Moltenburning4.png)


"Where the hell is that Priest?" shouted McKiwi V. 'We don't have much more time!'

As if to underline this point, the fortress shook as a massive fireball tore through one of the central towers as the alcohol stockpiles deep below it ignited. But mixed with the red glow of the lava and fire were pinpoint beams of blue. McKiwi knew what that meant. "Shit. Alright folks! We are LEAVING! Grab what you can and RUN!"

As the dwarves ran across the plateau, the ground shook, and a deafening shriek filled the air.

"RUN!!"

A blue flash lit up the mid-day with blinding intensity for a second. Then there was silence.

DWARFFORTRESS.EXE HAS STOPPED RESPONDING


----------------------------------

After a moment, the tranquility of the newly regenerated plateau was broken:

"What....the....HELL was that?!!"

Urist McKiwi V and the other refuges blinked away the afterimage from the flash, then turned to look at what they had left.

Moltenchannels was gone, as if it had never existed.

"And..what do we do now?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ber did not make it. Neither did Udib, the vampire, all bar one of the children, a peasant, or the cripple. And possibly some others who didn't get the memo about lava and fire and stuff being a Bad Thing to Walk Through. So maybe 8-11 dwarves made it, all in all. Not bad considering. I'll post an epilogue later.....I want to have a little fun with this, for all it's a bit clunky. Through pure luck, I am the only named dwarf to survive.

I didn't expect Udib to walk back into the flames, but that's what he did. Just walked in and went to sleep next to the guy in the hospital. I actually think that's rather fitting. If he was going to die, that's the way to go.

Edits: Fixed stuff up, added extra image. That's it until the epilogue.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on September 11, 2014, 02:30:57 am

The Ardentdikes style:

☑ Try to build a nice aboveground fortress (nevermind the maze of underground areas)
☑ Magma dikes > Magma moats (we'll count the Shroud as a dike)
☑ A device to cleanse the fortress with magma is mandatory.
☑ Automated traps that kill enemies and innocent bystanders are awesome (crab-powered forest fires, Shroud and the corpse disposal)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 11, 2014, 04:58:26 am

Epilogue

The dwarves spent an hour or so looking for traces of the fort they'd just left. Apart from an arrow here, a helmet there, there was nothing to indicate that a mountainhome had stood here. Until....


'Whaaa! *thud*'

"Hey, are you alright there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine.....hey, look at this!"

Urist McKiwi V duly walked over to the prone dwarf, and the thing he'd tripped on.

"A metal pot?"

'Yup. But it's full of something, see? And it's got an engraved label...ahem "Property of Urist McKiwi II, Bombardier. Do Not Open"'

"....you wanna open it?"

'Sure!'

----------------

Five minutes later, the survivors gazed in awe at the treasure they'd uncovered. The forgotten loot of McKiwi's predecessor was worth a pretty penny......were it not for the fact that they'd hardly survive to spend it at this rate. McKiwi picked up a golden crown and looked at it forlornly.

"Well....I suppose this stuff's a bit heavy to carry. Might as well-"

"HALLOOOOO!"

"What?..."

From the edge of the plateau, a strange dwarf waved at them. McKiwi ran up to him.

"Who the devil are you?!"

"The name's Rith! We got a letter from the king asking for new settlers, so me and a bunch of the lads were trying to find the place. You seen a king around here, perchance?"

McKiwi stared for a moment. Then a thought crossed his mind, and he put on the muddy little crown from the trove.

"Why....that would be me, of course!"

He smiled. Perhaps things would go well for the survivors of Moltenchannels after all.

And THIS time, we're making damned sure our descendents know about McDuck. Make him part of our fairy tales or something. Then one day they can deal with him properly. He thought, as the survivors trekked down to join the convoy of wagons below the plateau.



-The End

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 11, 2014, 05:25:32 am

OOC Summary (IC Epilogue in the post above this one)

This turn was a nightmare. FPS was higher than usual, but bugs and hauling jobs slowed stuff to a crawl. Even with blatant cheating, it took a while to get this done. After all I put the dwarves through, I figured they deserved a happy ending. My writing's a bit rushed and messy on this turn compared to what I did for McKiwi III, but eh. It works well enough. Plus it's really hard to write "we are boned" IC over and over again.

I'm amazed to have been able to end this fort, and it's a little sad that the way it ended (game crash, lost data) meant I couldn't put up a final save. This fort taught me how to use the manager screen, adamantine mining, military and scheduling stuff, and finally mechanics. It's ironic that while most people try to avoid flooding the fortress with lava while building their first machinery, my first go at it was a patch-up job on a machine built specifically to do just that..  I'm gonna miss this fort, definitely. That being said, watching it die was fantastic, especially after the pain of 6 months of watching "Store item in bin" jobs while trying to get stuff fixed. I couldn't do the final flooding justice with screenshots, but believe me, this place burns really well. We should probably fix that for the next fort, BTW.


From an IC standpoint, Moltenchannels is gone. Removed from the world it was in. Like Ardentdikes, only more so. However the fact we have survivors means there's two ways to do the third fort that I can think of:

1. Descendents of McKiwi and the other survivors

OR

2. Other universe that encounters McDuck (he can do that, after all since he's a duck Magic Seer Person)



....and I wish to make it clear that I didn't write McKiwi II's escape with lost containers of treasure back in my first turn just in case I ended up writing the ending so I could crown myself king. It was a happy accident that it ended up that way. :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on September 11, 2014, 11:38:05 am

There's really something funky going on when magmaflooding forts with lots of items. Ardentdikes collapsed the same way.

Definitely needs a third experiment to confirm it.  :P

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 11, 2014, 06:01:31 pm

Quote from: Wastedlabor on September 11, 2014, 11:38:05 am

Definitely needs a third experiment to confirm it.  :P

Alas, since we'll be changing version we'll only be pseudoreplicating the experiment. But I think we can call it "confirmed" anyway.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 11, 2014, 06:51:12 pm

Alternately, we'll be confirming that the bug was fixed! Which of course requires we lose the fortress.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 11, 2014, 09:35:55 pm

Alright, I think I’ve determined the good place in the new (0.40.11) world (ported over to 0.40.12). Do people have a serious desire for clay (fire or otherwise) or is the lack of it perfectly OK? What about lay of the land, do people desperately want a flat plain, or are dunes acceptable? Anyplace with a river or waterfall (like the one I’ve located) is going to be a bit hilly.

I’ve got the name at Murderflood the Hell-Dyke of Terror. I can add two adjectives.......

The dwarven language, even with the extra vocabulary, lacks words for vengeance. I can get “Justice” in the group name though.

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on September 11, 2014, 05:25:32 am

I couldn't do the final flooding justice with screenshots, but believe me, this place burns really well. We should probably fix that for the next fort, BTW.


From an IC standpoint, Moltenchannels is gone. Removed from the world it was in. Like Ardentdikes, only more so. However the fact we have survivors means there's two ways to do the third fort that I can think of:

1. Descendents of McKiwi and the other survivors

OR

2. Other universe that encounters McDuck (he can do that, after all since he's a duck Magic Seer Person)



....and I wish to make it clear that I didn't write McKiwi II's escape with lost containers of treasure back in my first turn just in case I ended up writing the ending so I could crown myself king. It was a happy accident that it ended up that way. :P

With trees in 0.40.12, fires are going to be even better.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Taupe on September 11, 2014, 10:42:55 pm

Personally, I think elevations, and the idea of panning and building with them in mind, usually lead to way more interesting constructions than simply settling on a flat plain. Constrains lead to creativity.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 12, 2014, 12:09:19 am

Hmm. Dunes are fine, but it'd be nice if we can level the land a bit so that the exterior is friendly for screenshots. It also makes walling the place easier, especially given that climbing is now a Thing that Happens. Both our forts have had nice big courtyards and it'd be cool to have that again.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Taupe on September 12, 2014, 01:40:52 am

Yes, it would probably be a good idea to level some parts of the hills so that we have flat inner courtyards.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 12, 2014, 06:02:22 am

Well have to have real walls, with the top lips being one or so tiles wider than the actual wall. That should stop anyone from getting over, unless they can climb upside down surfaces.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 12, 2014, 10:24:14 am

Quote from: Triaxx2 on September 12, 2014, 06:02:22 am

Well have to have real walls, with the top lips being one or so tiles wider than the actual wall. That should stop anyone from getting over, unless they can climb upside down surfaces.

Because of the waterfall we can build an actual dyke (technically a dam) for water. There’s no volcano but there should be enough power from the river to extract lava from the depths of the world.

For a real water dyke, we’d need to embark on a lake or river.

Edit: Who are we dwarfing for the starting seven? What supplies are we bringing along? Pick your own supplies, or expert-determined supplies?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on September 12, 2014, 10:47:38 am

Dwarf me as 'Gnott QT', a stonemason. Don't mind about the equipment.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 12, 2014, 02:40:48 pm

I'd like to be Triaxx the Miner. I was never a physical dorf in this one.

And I was thinking the walls should be a capital T shape. Or possibly an upside down L.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 12, 2014, 05:00:46 pm

Urist McKiwi VI please (yes, I'm keeping the numbers going). Any military skills (swords or crossbows preferred), either gender's fine. Let's see how many dwarves I can go through this time.

(Edit: Also, it's worth noting now that we've finished this fort that we're still up for voting in the Hall of Legends. Anyone who hasn't already thought about it, please consider whether you think the fort deserves a place there.)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 12, 2014, 06:35:33 pm

Alright, I have down:

Urist KcKiwi as Urist McKiwi VI, Military
Triaxx2 as Triax, Miner
notquitethere as Gnott QT, stonemason

What kind of embark size? 4x4 works but 5x5 would give us some more room.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 12, 2014, 07:02:40 pm

5X5 is more fun. Who needs FPS anyway?*




*I hate to say it, but I'm actually completely used to playing at between 60 and 5 FPS thanks to Moltenchannels. I feel rushed at normal speed.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 12, 2014, 07:09:30 pm

Quote from: Urist McKiwi on September 12, 2014, 07:02:40 pm

5X5 is more fun. Who needs FPS anyway?*




*I hate to say it, but I'm actually completely used to playing at between 60 and 5 FPS thanks to Moltenchannels. I feel rushed at normal speed.

Very well. I’ll see what orientation has the nicest map - I can have more desert with the waterfall at the eastern edge (less aquifer but with more desert) or have more of other biomes (more aquifer, less desert, potentially immediate access to trees).

Dare I push it up to 6x6?

Edit: Running some “play now” tests to check FPS. Because, like, that’s important. I expect 70FPS on embark 5x5 with temperature on with a shaft dug down in the ground. 6x6 drops to 42 before any digging.

I can turn off temperature and see what happens. I expect most people will see more FPS.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Ghills on September 12, 2014, 07:14:28 pm

I'd liked to be dorfed as Ghills, profession either a crafter, cook or brewer.

I'm fine with flat or hilly. I think a smaller map is better, that way more people can take turns. The new version seems to have lots of performance problems still.

How much of the map with trees is covered with the aquifer?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 12, 2014, 07:23:52 pm

Quote from: Ghills on September 12, 2014, 07:14:28 pm

I'd liked to be dorfed as Ghills, profession either a crafter, cook or brewer.

I'm fine with flat or hilly. I think a smaller map is better, that way more people can take turns. The new version seems to have lots of performance problems still.

How much of the map with trees is covered with the aquifer?

I will check 5x5 with temperature off. Technically we shouldn’t need temperature on unless we have a fire-breathing creature attack or we start drilling magma.

The desert has saguaro ribs, while the grassland has other trees, but also has an aquifer. All of the grassland has this aquifer. There’s also no clay. The situation is “calm”. One way to place the 5x5 block has 18 tiles desert and 7 tiles grassland.

There is another location nearby which is “wilderness” and has clay, retaining waterfalls, but is entirely a tropical moist broadleaf forest (no deserts), and has aquifers everywhere.

Edit: The map is 140 z-levels deep. Uh....... maybe I should regen and hope there isn’t going to be as deep a map?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Taupe on September 12, 2014, 10:13:35 pm

Forest fire shouldnt be a problem. we just need a device that drops the entire forest into the aquafier if shit goes wrong.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on September 13, 2014, 03:05:02 am

The fort itself can going to grow upwards, so the embark doesn't have to be that big. So long as all the water features fit in.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: MDFification on September 13, 2014, 06:21:24 am

Temperature shouldn't be too much of a problem these days. Toady fixed a lot of FPS draining bugs.
So, you guys playing on 40.12? The FPS is a lot better in that version. Also, take my advice about the caverns?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 13, 2014, 11:27:02 am

Quote from: notquitethere on September 13, 2014, 03:05:02 am

The fort itself can going to grow upwards, so the embark doesn't have to be that big. So long as all the water features fit in.

The thing with that is, upward growth = lots of air tiles. I believe I set it to the standard 15. There are 140 levels below the ground or so - it’s a deep map, even though I didn’t ask for that many tiles. Do we want to have a gigantic skyscraper and acrology, or a town sprawling across the desert dunes?

Quote from: Taupe on September 12, 2014, 10:13:35 pm

Forest fire shouldnt be a problem. we just need a device that drops the entire forest into the aquafier if shit goes wrong.

A proper dam might flood the forest. That’s a dam, not a dike, but not that it matters. A dike would be better built reclaiming land from an ocean or lake. However, a well-built dam could see more !!FUN!! options.

Edit: I’ll gen a world on 0.40.12. See how that goes. If I don’t think it’s any better I will embark on the current site.

Edit2: The world was even deeper despite the gen asking for fewer levels between layers. Guess we’re back to the older world. Do people want more desert and surface flux or more trees and aquifer?

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 13, 2014, 07:30:58 pm

I'm okay with trees and aquifer, as long as someone else knows how to breach one. I've only gotten through one once.

However, I would really like some sand. Glass is too useful not to use for weapon traps and magma-safe pumps.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 13, 2014, 07:39:08 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on September 13, 2014, 07:30:58 pm

I'm okay with trees and aquifer, as long as someone else knows how to breach one. I've only gotten through one once.

However, I would really like some sand. Glass is too useful not to use for weapon traps and magma-safe pumps.

We won’t need to breach the aquifer, because the desert hasn’t got one. I can get us a 5x5 with 7 tiles grassland with aquifer (may be a two-layer aquifer) and 18 tiles of desert, or I can do 13 tiles of desert and 12 tiles of tropical grassland.

Here’s an image of the location so you can better decide:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/KnvzeG3.png)

If people want they can provide a suggested location by MSpainting the area they’d like there and showing it.......

Also that grassland area to the north has clay too. The southern area has none. Then, clay isn’t necessarily going to justify us losing a massive amount of power, or the ability to unleash a murderflood of water with a proper dam.

The river’s direction of flow is to the South by the way.

By the way, there’s another civilisation named The Submerged Arrow. We can play as them or we can play as the Decisive Net as I have set out here. The only difference is the Decisive Net is more established, while The Submerged Arrow has a more fitting name.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 13, 2014, 09:34:37 pm

Do both Civ's have iron? Just in case we don't?

If there's clay, I'd prefer more grassland. Sand doesn't run out, but clay might.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 13, 2014, 09:38:06 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on September 13, 2014, 09:34:37 pm

Do they both have iron?

I believe so. When I was doing the FPS-scouting it looks like there’s limonite with the mudstone under the aquifer in the grassland. My fall-back option (so I can get the fort started today) is to have the waterfall right in the middle of the map.

Minerals are abundant. You’ll probably have any metals except for native aluminium and maybe native platinum. Just, no volcano (but plenty of wood).

Edit: You meant Civs? No idea. The Decisive Net had Iron Anvils on embark, so they probably have it. Haven’t seen the Submerged Arrow but I guess so.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 13, 2014, 09:42:11 pm

No volcano? No problem, we'll just build our own.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 13, 2014, 09:45:53 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on September 13, 2014, 09:34:37 pm

Do both Civ's have iron? Just in case we don't?

If there's clay, I'd prefer more grassland. Sand doesn't run out, but clay might.

The clay is in the grassland to the far north, but not the grassland around the river. The north grassland would need a huge ass-embark, a 3x8 or 5x8 which would be rather bizarre. Clay in soil doesn’t run out, but the Kaolinite for porcelain will. Oh yeah, this is where the stream bowlhowl pours into the river chamberfill, guess we can build a porcelain dam here.

The plan is to make our own volcano I guess.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 14, 2014, 12:50:00 pm

Alright, I’m going for the 5x5 in the location on the map indicated. I can start over (because I have the worldgen copy) if people think this is horribly bad.

Information for the roleplay:

It is the year 100. The Decisive Net is one of the dwarven civilisations in the southern hemisphere of the world, and their mountainhome is the fortress of Swampoil. The current queen, Deler Towerquested, has reigned since the year 72.

An expedition has been commissioned to a location to the east of the human hamlet of Spoonedshark, at the border between The Uncommon Desert and The Ordered Hills. There lies a great waterfall, where the stream of Bowlhowls pours into the stream Chamberfill. It is close by another dwarven civilisation known as The Curled Ropes, and will therefor serve as a link between the different dwarven civilisations. As of the expedition’s commissioning, the location is not near the necromancer towers that lie just to the north and west of the equator. The surroundings are reported as calm, which should allow civilisation to develop nicely.

Now, the person in charge of this thread should probably make a new one for Murderflood, Ardentdikes III. Preferably with a poll.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Wastedlabor on September 14, 2014, 01:01:01 pm

I'd rather skip maintaining the new thread. :P

21 months on Moltenchannels was enough.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 14, 2014, 01:17:59 pm

He who maketh the world, maketh the thread.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 14, 2014, 02:09:31 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on September 14, 2014, 01:17:59 pm

He who maketh the world, maketh the thread.

Alright, I’ll make a thread when this show gets on the road. Any idea of what we should bring along? Also are we dwarfing a McDuck or not? There are still one or two dwarves left unnamed.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: notquitethere on September 14, 2014, 02:10:38 pm

Quote from: CaptainArchmage on September 14, 2014, 02:09:31 pm

Quote from: Triaxx2 on September 14, 2014, 01:17:59 pm

He who maketh the world, maketh the thread.

Alright, I’ll make a thread when this show gets on the road. Any idea of what we should bring along? Also are we dwarfing a McDuck or not? There are still one or two dwarves left unnamed.

Might as well, though could be anticlimactic when he dies from a tree landing on him or from an infected kea bite or what-have-you.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: CaptainArchmage on September 14, 2014, 03:16:23 pm

I’ve added in Urist McDuck as our farmer and weaver, and bp920091 as another miner.

Here’s our starting loadout, not including animals:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/fugD0WQ.png)

We’ve embarked. May God (or Arm_OK, or The RNG) have mercy upon our souls (of the dwarves).

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(http://i.imgur.com/hBxlWwD.png)

I have the DF soundtrack running at the moment, because appropriateness.

New thread: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=143716.0 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=143716.0)

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Urist McKiwi on September 14, 2014, 07:52:28 pm

Moltenchannels in a Nutshell, Part 3: Years 16-22[/u]

Year 16: Triaxx2 once again takes control of the fortress. Major reactor program abandoned because it wouldn't work properly. Undead siege turns up. Southern magma-weapon mostly built (but is never completed before the fall of the fortress). Wall sections expanded to create more shooting platforms for our militia against the undead. These are later used in the final days of the fortress. Corpse disposal railway "fixed" (Nope).

Year 17: CaptainArchmage takes over, and declares himself King (this does not end well in the long term). Coronation interrupted by random !!Dwarf!!. Minor redecorating on McKiwi's Tower. Corpse railway "fixed" (No it isn't). Lake that feeds the dining hall waterfall becomes a sea of toxic goo. Beehives set up. Lots of other stuff I can't bothered going through either (Twenty-seven update posts woooo). Year ends fairly well.

Year 18: "Mad Meng" takes over, aided by Urist McKiwi III, Dashing Swordsdwarf. Plans made for massive topside expansion. All weapons, mechanisms and rocks in fort funnelled into very very slow construction. At first, things proceed very sanely. Then a thought goes through my head: 'You know what this fort needs? Beehives. LOTS of beehives." Fortress then filled with bees. Massive slowdown. Some of Archmage's beehives brutally ambush a dwarf in a quantum..um...thingie. Basically we had Schrodinger's Beehive. As Meng vanishes and things get strange, McKiwi gets suspicious as hell of the Priest and sets up documents for the King and her successor. The year ends with construction about half done (where it'll remain until the end of the fort), and McKiwi III dies of old age and is buried in a grand tomb in the lower levels.

Year 19: Triaxx2 takes over again. Corpse disposal minecarts "fixed" again (no they weren't). Reactor Beta altered some more. Blocks made that would have been rather handy a year earlier.

Year 20: After an aborted start by CaptainMClellan, Wastedlabor takes over again. Udib starts a cult, annoys the military. Massive battle kill a large part of the population. King CaptainArchmage is killed and vanishes into thin air. Fortress stabilised towards the end of the turn, but it didn't last.

Year 21: NotQuiteThere takes over again. Nurse Cutey decides to take on the undead sieges and the forgotten beasts all at once. Multiple security breaches. All bar ~25 dwarves killed. Fortress security compromised completely. The fortress is left mortally wounded.

Year 22: Urist McKiwi V takes over. All burns. McDuck starts a final push to break through. After fighting off multiple waves, the priest and several others die to activate a magma purge and prevent McDuck escaping.Fortress removed from existance via magic CTDing. McKiwi V leads a team of ~10 survivors into the wilderness to start a new life away from Moltenchannels.

Title: Re: Moltenchannels - The magma flows - FINAL TURN (Ardentdikes II)
Post by: Triaxx2 on September 15, 2014, 08:29:27 am

I seriously don't know what was up with those bloody minecarts. I fixed the route itself the first time, then the actual stop at the end of the track. I know it was working when I passed off the save, but the next person had them broken. I'd almost suspect it's the change in the raws, but not everyone did that.