Bay 12 Games Forum

Dwarf Fortress => DF Gameplay Questions => Topic started by: Arphahat on March 21, 2008, 08:28:00 am

Title: Positioning war dogs
Post by: Arphahat on March 21, 2008, 08:28:00 am
I am pretty new to this game, and very new to the combat portion (I have only needed to fight off Kobold thieves thus far).  What I am noticing, aside from the frightening combat abilities of my kittens, is that my war dogs seem to be nowhere near the entrance to the fortress.  Is there a way I can station the dogs?  I was thinking about recruiting someone into the army and just having the dogs assigned to him.
Title: Re: Positioning war dogs
Post by: Kagus on March 21, 2008, 08:34:00 am
There's that, but you can also build a chain or rope at the place you want them, and then assign them to it.   Someone will come along and tie them up, whereupon they will hang around that general area.  I think that they can break free if something nasty comes along, but that may have been changed.
Title: Re: Positioning war dogs
Post by: Areyar on March 21, 2008, 08:46:00 am
you can set the range of the rope (area) when placing the rope/chain.
Title: Re: Positioning war dogs
Post by: Block_Stacker on March 21, 2008, 08:51:00 am
Yes, put a bunch of them in a cage/chain near the entrance, then lay out some pressure plates in your fortress's kill zone.  Then link the cage to the pressure plates so that when the goblin steps on the plate, the cage opens, unleashing a whirlwind of canine fury upon himself.  Who let the dogs out, indeed!
Title: Re: Positioning war dogs
Post by: Kagus on March 21, 2008, 08:55:00 am
quote:
Originally posted by Areyar:
<STRONG>you can set the range of the rope (area) when placing the rope/chain.</STRONG>

Err...  No you can't.  It's always the one tile of the rope/chain, and the eight tiles surrounding it.  Defining a room from it (which can be resized) will turn it into a zoo.

Title: Re: Positioning war dogs
Post by: Arphahat on March 21, 2008, 08:56:00 am
Ah, thanks.  Those are both better ideas, since assigning them to a dwarf might mean they hang out by his bed while he is asleep.
Title: Re: Positioning war dogs
Post by: JadeFalcon on March 21, 2008, 08:57:00 am
quote:
Originally posted by Areyar:
<STRONG>you can set the range of the rope (area) when placing the rope/chain.</STRONG>

you can????? Damn how'd I miss that?

One of the things i love about DF always something new to learn  :)

Title: Re: Positioning war dogs
Post by: Areyar on March 21, 2008, 09:00:00 am
Another lesson learnt.
Thanks Kagus.  :)

kobolds trigger no traps, I figure that also includes pressureplates, but a dog on a chain will certainly spot him sneaking around.

Are there ways to trap a kobold or gremlin?

Title: Re: Positioning war dogs
Post by: zagibu on March 21, 2008, 11:25:00 am
Yeah, if you have a pit in front of the wardogs, then, when they are discovered, you pull a lever that retracts the bridge the kobold tries to escape over, and let him fall in the pit.
Title: Re: Positioning war dogs
Post by: ZedEh on March 23, 2008, 01:27:00 am
Is it new in 176.38c (I think that's the most current version as of Mar22/08) that wardogs spot kobolds?  Because I *swear* they used to sneak by my dogs all the damned time.  Babysnatchers, too.