Bay 12 Games Forum

I'm a DF newb but this seems like a very interesting (and useful) project. I think I understand most of it but I'm not clear on how the obsidian caster should work with more then 1 z level. Specifically would a setup like this, for a 3z level piston work:

(Side view perspective)

RAAAAR
EEEEEUU
BPPPPB
BPPPPBUU   -> leading to cistern for magma
BPPPPB
EPPPPE
EPPPPE

P- piston
E- empty space
B- retractable bridges that are on the bottom of the level shown
UU- Locations of pumps
R - rock on the sides of the water... I don't want to dump water on top of the lava that's at the retractable bridges
A- water on top of a retractable bridge (not shown)


So the idea is, I have 3 sets of retractable bridges, I extend the bottom one only when I first collapse the piston. This leads to multiple levels of lava in the holder which get vacuumed out (down to 2/7 level) by the bottom pump which pumps it into another cistern (maybe I should use a 2 pump stack here actually). Then I dump water on the top which gives me the new bottom layer of my piston and some left over magma on top of the bridges. Then I extend the second set of bridges and pump 2/7 levels of magma from the top pump on top of them and the obsidian that formed the bottom layer and cast water again. Then I extend the third set of bridges, pump and cast again.

Then I can open the 2 top bridges leading and collect the last bit of lava from the bottom layer with my pump and be ready to start again.

Other then some details about how to get lava from my cistern to the top pump (probably with an extra pump or two somewhere), would this work, or is there a better way to do this?

It can be done much easier. Mine is like this (shortened to 3-level cistern. My actual one has 5)

WWAAAWW
WOOOOOXUU
WOPPPOWUU
WOPPPOWUU
WBPPPBOOW
WOPPPOWWW
WOPPPOW
W = Wall
O = Open space
P = Piston
U = Pumps, a stack of 3 that pump magma up 3 levels into a reservoir.
X = Floodgate, seals off the reservoir.
B = Bridge (on the floor. Not even linked, since it's always extended)
A = Water on a retractable bridge

The procedure is like this:

1. Collapse piston
2. Pump out all magma to reservoir until only 2/7 remains. Stop the pump.
3. Dump water. Level one of piston is casted. Refill water of the dumper.
4. Open floodgate. Let magma flow out until there is 2/7 on the casted piston. Close gate.
5. Dump water. Level two casted. Refill water of the dumper.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to cast the final level.
7. Pump out all the residual magma. Everything should now be reset to the original state.
8. Repeat process as needed.

As said I use a 5-level cistern and 8x8 piston, which brings up 320 tiles of 7/7 magma in one go. Losing roughly 30% in the casting process, net yield is about 225-230 tiles. That's a 15x15 area of red goodness.

Dug in good in the glacier. There's already pretty red/white carpet of goblin blood and snow at the gate. Now I can turn to interior design.

Quote from: Zaik on October 14, 2010, 09:41:38 pm

I may be crazy but I thought that dwarves cleaned mud off of smoothed/engraved floors?

They will... eventually.  The task is low low low priority, so it is not something you can really rely on though.

Unless... You set a meeting zone right on top of it. That'll bump up the task's priority a few notches.

If this was only possible.. I'd have so many uses for it. From making a hydro-powered elevator to a REAL piston pump to make magma come up. Instead of, y'know, the one that abuses cave-ins.

I've breached many aquifiers using that technique. Easier than a collapse or pump and drain--- particularly on frozen ocean/beach embarkations, as they won't have wood anywhere to make pumps from.

Yes, as long as you keep a close eye on your miners to avoid dwarven popsicles.

And the difference really is in the biomes. The aquifer I mentioned is in the tundra biome. The ocean doesn't have an aquifer even on the shore, despite the worldmap saying so.

Which is a-ok by me, since I can just tunnel down there and around the tundra aquifer altogether.

If by these you mean these then yes, it should contribute
Also, it will be considerably more then 3k, because masterwork comes with a X12 multiplier and cotton candy has like a 120X multiplier or something

Indeed. That is the color I was looking for.

And also, yes. I checked again and the thing is NOT worth 3,000..

It's fucking 130,000!!

So yeah.. I'm uh.. just gonna go cancel everything else and set up some weapon traps, m'kay?

He's a closet psychiatrist. By showing your dwarves their worst fears, he's trying to cure them of their phobias.