Bay 12 Games Forum

For that, build the cage with the giant (use "x" to expand the list of cages into specific cages), then build a lever somewhere safe, and link the lever to the cage. When the lever is pulled the cage will deconstruct and release the giant.

This is solid advice.  Some critters can escape when being dumped from a cage, stealthy types in particular and the strength of the creature in question may be a factor and a Giant is strong.  Building a cage with b->j and opening it via lever is always safe.  I dig my pit, mount the cage and hook it up, then wall up the entrance used by the mechanic before pulling the lever. 

Yes the giant will scare civvies, make your pit off to one side, if you make a room above the pit that has a 1-tile wide floor round the edges, stick an armour stand in one corner and assign your marksdwarves to the resulting barracks.


Auto-training, theyll even reload better than marksdwarves on a 'station' or 'patrol'

Its all the RNG I think that we see at work here.  My rookie with no def skills and copper armour takes 3 pages of bolts off an elite xbow goblin before bleeding out.  Xbow gob turns triumphantly and sticks a bolt instantly through the brain of a nearby candy axelord.  Some shots from bows/xbows are just massively fatal through just about any armour.  Brain and throat are weak-spots as with all weapons.  But if you dont hit the sensitive bits and you dont manage to chip bone...a crossbow bolt basically does nothing and its not unusual to have an invader crawl off map completely red and carrying half your bolts

This is how I run longterm games in high turnover situations like a FD game.  Candy armour goes to teachers not killers

The messages when issuing a kill order is weird.  It shows offduty dwarves coming onduty to respond to the station/kill order.  If you have the alert set correctly for the squads they should be permenant military unless released to eat/drink/sleep because enough dwarves are training already (as set by your schedule).

Double check you do have the active/training alert toggled for the squads and not 'inactive'

While on the inactive they hang around the barracks when idle but never take military titles (recruit, axedwarf etc), when on the correct fulltime training one they should title up and this is also the alert you want for sparring/demonstrations.

Since youve seen a couple of demos and the odd bit of sparring it seems this is set up right but cant hurt to check.

Also dont expect masses of sparring from recruits, it really starts to pick up around competant/skilled in their weapon.  Likewise demonstrations are basicaly useless unless the teacher actually has some skill in his subject (and preferably teacher/student/concentration skills all round), this is another thing that picks up later on as you start to get skilled squad leaders

I dont believe its possible to ever create a world where goblins do not war with dwarves.

With that said you can create 'friendly' goblins during Re-claims.  When you return to a fort that you have lost, any previously hostile monsters will become passive as you reclaim/embark.

You can also give your dwarves more than one item per body part. For example, you can have Leather Armor, A steel chain shirt, and a steel beastplate, providing cover for the chest, upper arms, upper legs, and neck. This layering is really useful for keeping your soldiers alive, but it usually slows them down quite a bit, decreasing the chance of dodging an attack, or getting a quick strike here or there.

You are right, you can layer and should do.  However leather armour and breastplate are both shaped so you cant wear both.  You can do leather armor and mail or mail and BP.  you could also do double mail and BP.

A quick scan through the raws makes this easier to understand.  You are limited to one [SHAPED] piece per body part.

Theyre in the forest home right now complaining about how you stripped, robbed and humiliated them the dumping of clothes/goods adds their story credence .  Expect a reaction....probably more giant eagles and less pig tail for a few years to teach you a lesson

I do helmet and mail shirt since my marksdorf uniform doesnt include a BP.  Prevents insta-kills whereas addy other pieces prevent limb loss