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Author Topic: Can a creature fly with one wing?  (Read 945 times)

g2knee

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Can a creature fly with one wing?
« on: March 20, 2017, 09:16:46 am »

If you are shooting down a flying creature and damage a wing, will it crash to the ground, or can it "limp" in the air and retain flight?
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IndigoFenix

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Re: Can a creature fly with one wing?
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2017, 09:42:19 am »

A creature only needs one wing to fly.  Losing a single wing does not inhibit their flying ability at all.

Silly, I know.

Squirrelloid

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Re: Can a creature fly with one wing?
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2017, 10:05:05 am »

Having the wing take a hit does cause them to crash, though.  It's the only way I dealt with a keaman infestation.

No other hits will cause them to drop out of the sky, though (except a lethal one to the head).  You can shoot them through the heart and they'll fly off and pull out the bolt!
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g2knee

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Re: Can a creature fly with one wing?
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2017, 10:31:41 am »

A creature only needs one wing to fly.  Losing a single wing does not inhibit their flying ability at all.

Silly, I know.

Quote
Having the wing take a hit does cause them to crash, though.  It's the only way I dealt with a keaman infestation.

So it sounds like hitting a wing will cause them to crash, but they will be able to get back up and fly again without a problem (assuming the crash doesn't damage their 'good' wing.  Does this sound right?
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Squirrelloid

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Re: Can a creature fly with one wing?
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2017, 12:21:55 pm »

A creature only needs one wing to fly.  Losing a single wing does not inhibit their flying ability at all.

Silly, I know.

Quote
Having the wing take a hit does cause them to crash, though.  It's the only way I dealt with a keaman infestation.

So it sounds like hitting a wing will cause them to crash, but they will be able to get back up and fly again without a problem (assuming the crash doesn't damage their 'good' wing.  Does this sound right?

They didn't get up to fly immediately, so I simply don't know how flight-worthy they are.  (Even if I didn't have an axedwarf squad handy to dispatch the grounded ones, my marksdwarves weren't about to stop shooting at them).

One Keawoman did get dropped outside my walls (and over a dozen z-levels below), and took some time to get to.  She regained consciousness and started moving around a little bit, but never started flying again.  I can't remember if her other wing got damaged in the fall.
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OluapPlayer

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Re: Can a creature fly with one wing?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2017, 01:53:41 pm »

I've just tested this on the testing arena. Hacked a kea man's right wing off and it couldn't fly anymore when I controlled him.

Creatures do need both wings to fly.
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nuget102

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Re: Can a creature fly with one wing?
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2017, 01:05:25 pm »

I've just tested this on the testing arena. Hacked a kea man's right wing off and it couldn't fly anymore when I controlled him.

Creatures do need both wings to fly.

I believe this to be correct. I think what some people mistake a bruised wing as unusable. Actually, if you broke their wing could they still fly? I wish do science on this... Once I have a PC again.
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g2knee

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Re: Can a creature fly with one wing?
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2017, 02:36:16 pm »

I've just tested this on the testing arena. Hacked a kea man's right wing off and it couldn't fly anymore when I controlled him.

Creatures do need both wings to fly.

Excellent to know.

Yes, now we must test if one broken wing still allows flight.
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