Bay 12 Games Forum

I'd run a channel off the water supply and into a private fishing hole, using a Fortification to block unwanted visitors.

Water pressure can force things through grates, so instead I use a fortification.  Seems to work for me.  I also dig a channel around the fortification, blocked with a floodgate.  This is dual purpose; it gives my dwarves access to both sides of the fortification when the channel is drained, and also allows any fish to swim into the fishing chamber to restock it.

When the floodgate is opened, the fishing holes is banned and I have a military squad standing nearby in case of unwanted guests..  When closed, it's unbanned and the squad moves on to do other things.     

I also like to put my barracks & archery targets near the fishing hole, so there's usually a few military nearby just in case.

~.............
~......._X_...
~......._._...
~_X______F____ -> to fishing hole
~.............
~ = water source
. = wall/rock
_ = channel
X = floodgate
F = Fortification

I can't wait until they're re-implemented.   

I normally stick to under 7x7 - close quarters and cramped tunnels feels more dwarfy to me - but there've been times I've gone oversized.  I'd love to load up some of my older forts and see what fun results...

Hmmm...  which suggests a couple of possible future improvements.

How about a random time delay on oversized sections?  The bigger the amount over size, the quicker the collapse?  Then you may not realise you've made an Oops until a season or three afterwards...

Or, to fix the potential "hole in the ground at z=0 because X z-levels have collapsed" problem, how about introducing a new rock "type" of rubble?  Which takes up 10% more space than a standard wall tile?

Maybe something like this: a 7x7 section collapses, so a 7x7 section of the level above moves down, right?  Let's say that 90% of those tiles become rubble with 10% staying as solid rock.  That means that of the 49 tiles falling down, some 44 (rounded up) become rubble, taking up an extra 4 (4.4 rounded down) tile space.  That means that there's no room on the collapsed level for 4 of these "rubble" tiles, so they stay in the ceiling level, preventing the next z-level above from collapsing.

Let's say that you have a level entirely made of rubble.  That's not as stable as solid tiles, so then the limit should be reduced from 7x7 to, say 3x3.  So, when digging out underneath a collapsed area (ie. it has a rubble ceiling) you'd need to use supports to prevent further disaster.

Perhaps I should move this to the suggestions forum?

Nar...  I doubt it'd be implemented.  So I'll just have another Bourbon instead and see what other fun items I can come up with...   

 

So...  you've got one - and only one - planter looking after 5 farms, 2 of which are above ground?   And only 1 of the above ground farms are planted?

2 questions:

1. Is he suffering cave adaptation?  Has he been spending most of his time vomiting while planting that above ground farm?

2. How big are the farms?  3x3?  10x10?  One planter can only do so much, especially when he's not particularly skilled. 

Me, I set 'em up as 5x5 farms, with a planter for at least every two farms.

I'd try giving him an assistant and see if they get more done...

I base most of my fortresses around a central stairwell, which is built of 5 stairways in a 3x3 grid.  One in the centre & one in each corner. 

To avoid cave adaptation I like to channel out the remaining floor tiles in the stairwell (ie. in the N, E, S & W) and replace them with glass, also putting skylights in the appropriate spots at z=0.

So, the stairways themselves are considered subterranean, but the floors in the stairwell are lightwells and considered above ground.

During normal play, my dwarves will take the shortest path which, as often as not includes crossing one of the glass floors.  When I give the "stay indoors" command they'll avoid these floors... but can still path diagonally between each stairway.

Maybe you could use something like that?

I'd be inclined to go for the magma surrounded room with a combination lock to make it accessible/destroy.

However, if I were your opponent, retaliation would be as simple as making a similar set of rooms, stockpiling with food & water and then herding in all the legendaries after stripping them of picks, axes, etc.

That'd piss you off far more than just using artifacts that were left lying around.   

I started toying with the idea of setting up all my doors with a pressure plate on each side...  which led me to the concept of building a fortress modelled after the U.S.S Enterprise.  Sort of like a certain persons Zeppelin megaproject.      

I'd have to play as a human, but could mod the dwarves as Klingons & the elves as Vulcans.  (They seem to fit the parts.)  Kobolds would be perfect for Ferengi.  I'm undecided how the Goblins would best fit in...  [ponders]

Anyways, I'm thinking of adding in the Dark Elves mod to make Romulans...  does anybody have any other suggestions of existing mods that could/should be added for other races?

But does [h]iding stuff also prevent it from showing up in the menus?  No.  And I don't waste time scrolling over the map looking to see what's available, I go straight to the stocks menu.

[f]orbidding it will block it from some sub-menus, but I'm pretty sure it'll still be visible in the stocks menu.