Bay 12 Games Forum

Dwarf Fortress => DF Suggestions => Topic started by: Relee on January 14, 2008, 01:49:00 am

Title: Pathfind Before Building
Post by: Relee on January 14, 2008, 01:49:00 am
I'm just on my second fort now, and I'm really enjoying the game. There's something that's been annoying me however...

Several times when I've dug a room I've found gems or valuable ore inside, and dug out more than just the room I wanted, then built a wall construction to return the room to 'proper dimensions'... however several times when I've done this, my masons have bricked themselves up into the wall!

Now I can get around this by building walls one at a time inside the area beyond the wall, but it brings to mind an idea.

If the Dwarves did a pathfind check before they built something, to make sure they'll be able to get out after they build it, it could keep them standing on the right side of constructions without micromanagement. You could still get stuck if you have more than one mason working together, but you wouldn't have the problem of a single mason bricking up the last wall segment from the wrong side...

Title: Re: Pathfind Before Building
Post by: Karlito on January 14, 2008, 02:01:00 am
If you mark the wall and the area around it as restricted and mark the place that you want them to stand as high traffic then they will go to the high traffic spot.
Title: Re: Pathfind Before Building
Post by: Draco18s on January 14, 2008, 02:48:00 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Karlito:
<STRONG>If you mark the wall and the area around it as restricted and mark the place that you want them to stand as high traffic then they will go to the high traffic spot.</STRONG>

Nope, don't work.  Dwarves will ignore restricted areas to build walls from one side over another side (i.e. West over East, East over North, and North over South).

Title: Re: Pathfind Before Building
Post by: TrombonistAndrew on January 18, 2008, 05:29:00 pm
I figure this idea fits into this thread . . . and I agree with the above suggestion. I'd also like to be able to have some system where I'll be able to have an easier time planning my rooms and their exits, so that, for example, I don't end up building a room, put a metalforge in it, then have the dwarf who built it endup trapped in the room because the forge has a block of stone blocking the door because I put the door in the wrong place, without knowing exactly where I'd need to put it to make the metalforge pathways work.
Title: Re: Pathfind Before Building
Post by: Draco18s on January 18, 2008, 09:30:00 pm
quote:
Originally posted by TrombonistAndrew:
<STRONG>I figurewithout knowing exactly where I'd need to put it to make the metalforge pathways work.</STRONG>

http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Forge

Dark green Xs are impassible tiles when you go to build buildings.

Title: Re: Pathfind Before Building
Post by: Relee on January 19, 2008, 07:44:00 am
In regards to trombone's comment and the response...

Yeah when you go to place a workshop or other building, the brightness of the Xs tells you if it'll be passable or not, but it would be great if you could see the floorplans of buildings before you make them, so you don't build a room too small for your workshop and then find out 'oh no, the door is right where the machine goes!' or something.

Currently you can only see the floorplan when you're placing it, and you can't even try to place it if you don't have all the parts.