Bay 12 Games Forum

Dwarf Fortress => DF Dwarf Mode Discussion => Topic started by: Eniteris on August 26, 2010, 11:16:03 pm

Title: Shaft Fortress
Post by: Eniteris on August 26, 2010, 11:16:03 pm
Do you have a boring central staircase?
Do you have lots of idle workers?
Do you hate it when your dwarves run across the map to get materials?
Do you hate having your refuse stockpiles always full?
Do you hate leaving so much space for your stone and log stockpiles?
Do you want always build an execution tower, but don't know where to put it?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, a SHAFT FORTRESS might be for you!
Replace your central staircase with this state-of-the-art contraption, and all of your dreams will be answered!
Code: [Select]
Top view:
 +O+
+XOX+
OO_OO
+XOX+
 +O+
X = Up/down Staircase
O = Wall
_ = Open Space
+ = Door

The main point of this design is to dump all raw materials and refuse (bodies, bone, stone, logs, gems, furniture) down the central shaft, where it ends up on the lowest level, where the workshops are. All you need to do is reclaim the objects and voila! a stockpile for everything except food, booze and trade goods.

One major benefit of this design is that it's modular, and that if you ever need expansion, you just move the workshops down one level. This gives the fortress an inverted-pyramid shape, which is beneficial for efficiency by minimizing the distance between points. (zlevel+horizontal distance)

If you want to make it even better, you might want to install floor hatches/grates hooked up to levers, so you can control the descent of goods, and you'll have one-way elevator downwards.

Here's how my fortresses usually look:
Code: [Select]
Side view:
___________________________ <-- Zeroth floor (ground level)
___+___+___+X X+___+___+___ <-- First floor (Farming industry, dining, barracks, office, trade depot, etc.)
    ___+___+X X+___+___     <-- Second floor (Bedrooms)
        ___+X_X+___         <-- Nonperishables workshops (Carpentry, mechanics, masons, crafts, etc.)
And I keep adding bedrooms between the second floor and workshops. It's great, easy to use, and efficient.
Here's what my floors usually look like:
Code: [Select]
Lowest z-level:
OOOOO   OOOOO
O   OOOOO   O
O   +   +   O
O   O   O   O
OO+OO+O+OO+OO
 O  +XOX+  O
 O  OO OO  O
 O  +XOX+  O
OO+OO+O+OO+OO
O   O   O   O
O   +   +   O
O   OOOOO   O
OOOOO   OOOOO

Second-lowest z-level:
    OOOOO   OOOOO
    O   OOOOO   O
    O   +   +   O
    O   O   O   O
OOOOOO+OO   OO+OOOOOO
O   O   O   O   O   O
O   +   +   +   +   O
O   O   O   O   O   O
OO+OOO+OO+O+OO+OOO+OO
 O      +XOX+     O
 O      OO_OO     O
 O      +XOX+     O
OO+OOO+OO+O+OO+OOO+OO
O   O   O   O   O   O
O   +   +   +   +   O
O   O   OOOOO   O   O
OOOOOO+OO   OO+OOOOOO
    O   O   O   O
    O   +   +   O
    O   OOOOO   O
    OOOOO   OOOOO
Etc.
As you see, generic 11x11 squares cut into 9 rooms of 3x3 each. 3-tile-wide passages between the blocks.

Any feedback?
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: iceball3 on August 26, 2010, 11:25:46 pm
that's actually a very good idea, though the only problem is that all dwarfs on the map will only use a single garbage dump at any given time, causing them to still path inefficiently.
Another small problem is trade, as dwarves will have to bring goods all the way to the top.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: Thiickshake on August 27, 2010, 03:06:36 am
You could always just make the shaft larger, and you could always just make the traders travel the distance to the bottom of your fortress
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: ungulateman on August 27, 2010, 03:31:07 am
He's a complicated fortress, and no one understands him but his player...
Shaft!

This is actually quite interesting. I'll stick with my spiral ramps, though.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: Encased in burning magma on August 27, 2010, 03:32:43 am
Manually dumping and then reclaiming sounds like a pain :(.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: dragonshardz on August 27, 2010, 03:41:30 am
d-b-d to dump a large area of stuff at once.

d-b-c to reclaim everything at the bottom of the shaft.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: Enguhl on August 27, 2010, 03:54:42 am
For a more fun idea, you could have all related shops on certain levels, and have a bridge/lever system.  So say you are dumping stone, you extend/drop the bridge for the masonry level, dump all the stone, then raise/retract the bridge and now the central shaft for the stone level is covered in stone.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: Eniteris on August 27, 2010, 08:55:34 am
Well, you could have one garbage dump per level, so they path more effectively.
Yeah, trade goods are more of a pain, but you'll probably want a different stockpile with bins anyways, or you're exporting ☼Dwarven Syrup Roasts☼ , which are all produced on the top level.
Mass dumping is easy, especially with mining projects, and you only have to reclaim one square, and you do it whenever you have time.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: MacMahoon on August 27, 2010, 12:16:21 pm
I was thinking about something similar but instead of the whole fortress being a shaft i would make a 10z - 20z level shaft to drop cows, open air so my dwarfs know when dinner in on by the screams.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: Feral23 on August 27, 2010, 12:28:49 pm
i have a shaft down to the magma forges, i use it to dump goblinite and other melt-items, also ore...
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: Quatch on August 27, 2010, 03:14:23 pm
the only problem is that all dwarfs on the map will only use a single garbage dump at any given time

Is that actually a general bug? I thought I was doing them wrong. You should report it if you're sure.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: dragonshardz on August 27, 2010, 04:36:07 pm
It's not a bug, it's just how [d]umping things works.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: Ricky on August 27, 2010, 04:46:38 pm
i had one big dump/quantum stockpile for all my raw materials, and finished goods, in the center of my room full of every workshop available

only things i did not dump was food booze armor weapons ammo and animals
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: Nyxalinth on August 27, 2010, 10:42:27 pm
He's a complicated fortress, and no one understands him but his player...
Shaft!

This is actually quite interesting. I'll stick with my spiral ramps, though.

That Shaft is one bad mother--
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: dragonshardz on August 28, 2010, 01:00:02 am
Y'know, with the way I've designed my spiral ramps, I could potentially have a shaft in the middle of them...food for thought.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: cog disso on August 28, 2010, 03:11:11 am
He's a complicated fortress, and no one understands him but his player...
Shaft!

This is actually quite interesting. I'll stick with my spiral ramps, though.

That Shaft is one bad mother--

SHUT YOUR MOUTH.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: Gnauga on August 28, 2010, 09:47:48 am
He's a complicated fortress, and no one understands him but his player...
Shaft!

This is actually quite interesting. I'll stick with my spiral ramps, though.

That Shaft is one bad mother--

SHUT YOUR MOUTH.
What? He's just talking 'bout Shaft.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: nonobots on August 28, 2010, 09:54:06 am
the only problem is that all dwarfs on the map will only use a single garbage dump at any given time

Is that actually a general bug? I thought I was doing them wrong. You should report it if you're sure.

In my experience if you have many garbage dump zones the dwarves will dump stuff into the closest one.
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: lanceleoghauni on August 28, 2010, 12:08:14 pm
I'll stick with my chaotic stairs-directly-into-rooms idea, it soothes my paranoia, while not looking as cool as a central staircase in a large empty shaft
Title: Re: Shaft Fortress
Post by: Scaraban on August 29, 2010, 02:09:46 am
I'll stick with my chaotic stairs-directly-into-rooms idea, it soothes my paranoia, while not looking as cool as a central staircase in a large empty shaft
??? :-\ :o how?