Bay 12 Games Forum

Don't panic... it's part of a larger plan.

1) Remove the Quern
2) Add a new power structure, the 'Capstan'.

A Capstan is 3x3 and requires wood and 4 chains/ropes. It then functions exactly as if it were a cage with space for 4 creatures. For each creature assigned, the capstan generates 15 power.

Additionally, each empty slot on a Capstan generates a 'Power Generation' job that a dwarf can fill, replacing 'Pump Operation' as the manual labor of choice.
(I'd consider removing manual pump operation completely in favor of capstans...)

Benefits:
* Makes the 'manual' version of the millstone a generic power source rather than a strange exception.
* Gives you something productive to do with those stray Musk-Oxen, Horses, Mules and Goblin Master Thieves.
* The power isn't completely free... since it's treated as a cage someone does have to feed/water the creatures powering your capstans.
* Potential for enough power to make 'fun' engineering projects possible without the perpetual motion machine.
* Go watch the early scenes of Conan again, then capture all the Elvish traders and put them to "the wheel".

"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?"

[ February 02, 2008: Message edited by: Yobgod ]

A better (and more "normal") solution would be for the task of sparring to always presume the use of relatively harmless training weapons, no matter what masterwork adamantium death blade happens to be sheathed at your hip.

Having soldiers pick up a sparring weapon (from nearby bin or, in the future, weapon rack), spar, then drop it or put it back down when they stop, would not be a big deal.

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the major problem that always arises with them is just how much liquid-to-environment interaction you can have without the processor being killed in the process.

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True, but you only need to check a sand tile when something changes in one of it's neighbors. Water/magma need to pretty much be constantly checked, especially because of water's movement rules that cause waves to constantly circulate about.

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Don't forget that there will be other liquids other then water and lava in the future; liquids like oil, acid, and possibly even a type of "goo"
How they'll interact with other liquids will be troublesome.

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Adding -any- new liquid raises interaction questions for all previously existing liquids. When you add the new liquid, you need to specify what it does when in the same square as another liquid. It doesn't seem that troublesome to me...

Here's some quick top-of-my head rules for the liquids you mention, plus sand.
1) density. More dense liquids simply settle underneath less dense liquids.
oil < water/acid < goo
2) acid mixed with water turns into plain water (the acid dilutes)
3) sand co-exists with oil/water/acid/goo.
4) magma turns most liquids into vapor and sand into glass

Yes, each new liquid potentially makes things a little more complicated, but not  by much.

Oh, and yeah... I realized that this would put the kibosh on infinite glassmaking.