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[Garfunkel]

I'm planning a challenge fort with the main aim of accomplishing whale/shark/serpent/sea monster hunting, something that I've never done before. I know about biomes and surroundings, but what I would like to know is how to maximize the chances of such massive aquatic creatures spawning in my corner of the map. Is it better to have 1 tile of land and rest ocean or will that just kill my FPS? Is 1 tile of ocean enough to spawn every type of creature allowed by that biome?

Are there any other hints & tips you'd like to share?

[Leonidas]

In DFHack, use "region-pops list" to know what wildlife to expect.

[clockwork]

you're probably going to want more than one ocean biome if you can manage to find a spot. one tile should be acceptable per ocean biome. try setting up some underwater cage traps using pumps so you can capture and breed some whales in captivity!

[callisto8413]

A whale can supply you with enough meat and bone for years.  In one posting a person was talking about a whale that beached itself and he found the easiest way to deal with it was set up a butcher's stop right next to it.  That worked best.  Not sure how big sharks and the other sea animals are but maybe put a few butcher's shops on the beaches and a make sure you have more than one Dwarf who can butcher animals.

[Leonidas]

Don't invest a lot of time building on an ocean embark until you know what wildlife you're dealing with. If cool aquatic animals aren't on your wildlife list, then they'll never show up.

[Garfunkel]

Yup, first attempt failed as the one ocean tile was only about twenty squares wide and had no animals at all in the first year. Time to try again.

[Garfunkel]

Don't invest a lot of time building on an ocean embark until you know what wildlife you're dealing with. If cool aquatic animals aren't on your wildlife list, then they'll never show up.

Thanks for this tip. However, I have a little problem with understanding DFHack output.

When I used the script command: "region-pops list" I didn't get anything cool. When I used "region-pops list-all" I got all sharks and 316 sperm whales. Which is correct? The fort has been pretty miserable anyway as I've been re-learning the game so I don't mind retiring it.

[Kametec_Housen]

iirc region-pops list shows what you've got spawned right now and region-pops list-all shows pool of all possible spawns in your area.

[Garfunkel]

Oh sweet, thanks! With 316 sperm whales in the region, the dream is alive

[Garfunkel]

Are whales one-tile creatures?

Do I need to have a big opening between my drowning chamber and the ocean or will sharks and whales path through just one tile path?

I built my fisheries right next to the drowning chamber and used wooden doors to close them off - is that enough or will fish/whales/water get through them?

[Leonidas]

Every creature is one tile.

To make your trap work, you'll need to experiment with the wildlife AI. In general, the fewer options you leave them for movement, the more likely they'll go where you want them to. Flyers have a separate AI that frequently gets stuck. I'm not sure if aquatic creatures have their own AI.

People have done this before. Search around the forums for design ideas.

[PatrikLundell]

Leonidas is basically correct. There is only one "creature" that isn't single tile, and that's the wagon (and wagons are technically a kind of creature).

[Garfunkel]

Thanks guys!

I have a fairly small patch of ocean on my embark-map, on the SW corner. I'll start experimenting - the whole fort has been nothing but experimental FUN so far anyway. 

[gchristopher]

I'm fond of dropping lava from minecarts into ocean tiles to create obsidian walls that then fall to the ocean floor. That would let you build up walls to funnel whales into trap setups. It has none of the FPS hazards of trying to drain sections of ocean, too.

[Bumber]

Leonidas is basically correct. There is only one "creature" that isn't single tile, and that's the wagon (and wagons are technically a kind of creature).

Technically, not even those are truly multi-tile. The outer tiles can pass through walls in adventure mode. It's just visual.