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Dwarf Fortress => DF Modding => Masterwork DF => Topic started by: jimboo on November 07, 2016, 11:24:33 am

Title: Magma Wells – how are they *supposed* to work?
Post by: jimboo on November 07, 2016, 11:24:33 am

Came across several bloody gems (Ye Olde Masterwork) and decided to use them instead of bringing magma up the 60+ levels with pump stacks. 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)


!? – it works, but magma seeped right through walls of sand and stone.  This was on “small” setting task.  This embark is hard ore-poor, the idea was to have a magma smelter pretty much under the Depot to melt items as they come in, scavenged arrows and the like.  The wall divot on top is an up staircase to reach the well and run the reaction.  The opening on the left side is through an iron floodgate, channeling down a couple of levels so there can also be magma smelters and such in the metalworks.  That part worked just fine – black tiles showing on sand floors because evidently sand smokes as magma passes over it or maybe because the original well blocks weren’t magma-proof  – but it was still surprising to see the 1/7 tiles of magma leeching through walls.  The drain pipe is 20 tiles long and filled to 2/7 which won’t evaporate and can be made deeper with the other gems.  This is my first attempt at a magma well but – through walls?  How are they supposed to work?   
Title: Re: Magma Wells – how are they *supposed* to work?
Post by: Boltgun on November 08, 2016, 04:33:22 am
In old masterwork, it add magma to any empty space around, even if there is a wall in the way. You must use them far away from your fort.

Do not worry about bits of magma on the wall themselves, they just stay there.
Title: Re: Magma Wells – how are they *supposed* to work?
Post by: Amostubal on November 08, 2016, 06:43:41 am
edit . . . too early didn't drink my coffee... yet... didn't see ye olde masterwork and didn't even see boltguns reply.
Title: Re: Magma Wells – how are they *supposed* to work?
Post by: jimboo on November 11, 2016, 10:40:29 am
Hey, thanks.  I’d never used magma wells before, it’s odd to see 1/7 magma inside the stone walls.  Low levels of magma do evaporate so,trying again with Task Spawn Magma (Big) and

Oops.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Ha!  That was certainly unexpected.  The Manual is great but it is sometimes sketchy on details.  Was cleaning things up when FPS took a dive, looked around and the magma appeared 4z down in open areas and the entire surface was on fire.  If it blew up into a red geyser 4z, that’d be worth looking at with a graphics program.  Unfortunately, the game crashed before I grabbed screen shots of the carnage.  Lost about a dozen dwarves and a bunch of animals and stockpiles.  The latest save took me back to beginning of the season so, trying that again but first building a secure area down deep, at least a dozen tiles away from anything.  Checking for the downward appearance with stairs several steps off to the left of the well. 

Before and after:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)


Hmm.  Didn’t explode downward, did go the 1z directly down adjacent to the well on the u/d stair but only one of two tiles, might have been flow faster than my thumb on the space bar to pause.  Used DFHack to remove it.  It was contained on the right side but note the magma “in” the walls, top side.  Well, that was certainly interesting.  DFHack won’t remove the 1/7 within those top walls, either.  Just experimenting so next up: spawn magma trap (big).

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Somewhat disappointing, that.   This time, it did go up 1z lvl into the walls:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Lessons learned: small is really small, useful for maybe a couple of smelters/forges.  Big is really big, needs to be placed away from pretty much everything but can be channeled for an entire industry.  One bloody gem = one reaction.  We had seven from lucky exploratory mine shafts w/o cheating but they can be purchased also from Teduk’s Fine Goods.  Overall, I still prefer pump stacks and the time-honored DF tradition of lifting up from the red sea but this was interesting to see.  For now, building another magma well under the mass pit, should also be interesting to watch.