Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Hylas]

I sort of assume that someone else has previously discovered this, but it's one of the more beautiful and useful of my recent experiments in fortess design so I'm going to post it anyway. It's a 5x5 4z level ramp structure that has four independent spiraling ramps. The ramps don't use diagonals and are easily walled off for maximum minecart use.

= : Anything. Wall, floor, stairs, empty space, etc.

These components should be vertically stacked like this

_ : Empty space/downward ramp/channeling designation
^ : Upward ramp
X : Wall
_ : then a ^, X,_,^,X,_ and so on.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

X^_=X                             z = 0
====^
_===_
^====
X=_^X

=X^_=                             z = -1
_===X
^===^
X===_
=_^X=

_=X^_                             z = -2
^====
X===X
====^
_^X=_

^_=X^                             z = -3
X===_
=====
_===X
^X=_^

and then back to the beginning. If you want to get silly (you do), you can also add a double helix ramp structure inside it.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

X^_=X                             z = 0
=_^X^
_===_
^X^_=
X=_^X

=X^_=                             z = -1
_^X=X
^_=_^
X=X^_
=_^X=

_=X^_                             z = -2
^X=_=
X^=^X
=_=X^
_^X=_

^_=X^                             z = -3
X=_^_
=X=X=
_^_=X
^X=_^

...and still have room for an up/down stair in the middle.

The general idea can be scaled up pretty easily. My math is rusty and suspect, but I think in a X by Y figure with N sides, the (p)erimiter in terms of DF tiles is going to be
[2x + (n-2)(y-1) - 2] = p (works with hexagons and squares at least)
and the number of ramps you can fit around the edge in this way is (p/4). Or just x-1 for a square. Yay math is fun!
Anyway, so that means you could surround this with a 7x7 square with 6 ramps, then a 9x9 with 8 ramps and so on.

[eataTREE]

I'm building one. Thanks!

[krenshala]

I made a three wide, double spiral ramp before.  I was even building upward above ground to continue it into a 4 or 5 z-level tower on the top of the hill.   Same basic design, but in an 11x11 footprint (3x3 central open air shaft, +3 tiles in each cardinal direction for the ramps, with 3x3 platforms in each corner).  I also made a 13x13 version where I moved the ramp spiral outward a tile to include a pair of walkways to cut through the center on each level so I could maintain the "only one path between any two locations" pathing optimization.

[candy sunny]

So splendid, i very like them, thank u.

[keyreper]

why don't people just upload a pic D: all you have to do is hit print scrn and go to paint and hit past! the upload on your favorite picture sight and add a link!

[misko27]

why don't people just upload a pic D: all you have to do is hit print scrn and go to paint and hit past! the upload on your favorite picture sight and add a link!

Because it easier to understand schematics this way. Also, Great ramp, this may be the thing that forces me to make use of minecarts.

[melomel]

why don't people just upload a pic D: all you have to do is hit print scrn and go to paint and hit past! the upload on your favorite picture sight and add a link!

Because it easier FOR ME to understand schematics this way. Also, Great ramp, this may be the thing that forces me to make use of minecarts.

Fixed that for you.  All I see is shift-key confetti; a bunch of random characters in Verdana is not something my brain can translate into A Dwarf Fortress Concept.  I have a really hard time parsing tileset screenshots too, FWIW.

I don't expect anyone to change their posting style or anything, yanno, but don't assume everyone's a non-visual grokker.

Also, OP?  Massive love for the Tsutomu Nihei avatar.  <3

[krenshala]

I didn't have time when I posted my description, and my current fortress lacks such a ramp.  Here is the basic floor plan of mine.  Its 15x15, as I misremembered the dimensions.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX    X = wall
XOOOX      ...X    O = wall with walkable floor on the level above
XOOOX      ...X    + = floor
XOOOX      ...X    . = floor on the level below
X^^^XXXXXXXvvvX    _ = open shaft through the center
X+++++++++++++X    ^ = ramp up to the next level up
++++++___++++++    v = ramp down the next level down
++++++___++++++   
++++++___++++++   
X+++++++++++++X   
XvvvXXXXXXX^^^X   
X...      XOOOX   
X...      XOOOX   
X...      XOOOX   
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX   


This gives either N/S or E/W access every other z-level, which may be considered a drawback.  The benefit of this is the intervening layers can be used for plumbing.

[Vodrilus]

This is a bit sad, but I once tried to carve a double-helix dodge-me trap into the rock. I never actually got around to testing it, since the fort succumbed to something I don't recall right now. Here's the plan:

Code: [Select]

#######
#<^^^>#
##...##
##...##
##...##
#>^^^<#
#######
Legend

Code: [Select]

# Wall
< Up stair/ramp up
> Down stair/ramp down
^ Practice weapon trap
. Shaft
For next level, rotate 90 degrees.

I was thinking about luring the goblins first into a container, from where they would have to wander through the spiral, no matter if they were hostile or scared... but this is all academical, since the fort died.

[Sutremaine]

Four minecart tracks, with centre access. Pushing is not recommended.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

There are four separate ramps, and on each level three of them each provide one tile to make up the central ramp. The smoothed colums are the supporting walls for the ramps, but anything else can be dug out for floor space to allow dodging of guided minecarts. The design is infinitely expandable.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A detail of one level, showing the path of each track. This screenshot was taken at the designation stage.