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[Hotty gremlin]

Steam release has predictably gotten me back in the dwarfhole, and if there's one thing I've noticed is that dwarves just don't survive water higher than their toenails.

This suggestion entails dwarves reaching out to grab drowning dwarves if they're in arms reach, and otherwise running off to grab a rope or chain to throw to them in order to haul them on to dry land. As much as throwing someone a turquoise-studded lead chain to save them from drowning sounds unfeasible, I think differentiating between rope and chain in this corner case would be more work than it's worth.

Personal life preservers have been seen in such primitive forms such as inflated animal skins or air-filled and sealed gourds, but that's a heavy [citation needed] right there if the wikipedia article is to be believed. A "pool floaty" for the little guys would be both humiliating and another weird little item to forget about until its too late, but every default embark seems to go out with a handy dandy rope or two.

I think this suggestion is relatively well balanced because it adds no new items and requires another dwarf to witness the drowning in progress and to act upon it. Dwarves drowning during a hauling job with others will probably make it, but those who take in water during warfare or out alone on a fishing trip are much more liable to end up on the side of a dwarven milk carton.

[SixOfSpades]

Personally, I think implementing buoyancy is both simpler (no 2nd dwarf required) and more urgent (if the game's supposed to be replicating physics & all) than dwarves playing lifeguard, but that doesn't mean this suggestion isn't also good. The "pool floaties" are actually in-game already, they're just called waterskins. Logs and barrels (especially empty ones) should also float, buckets could be used in a pinch, this buoyancy would be largely cancelled out by metal armor, etc., etc.

Dwarves throwing a line to save their drowning comrades also leads to the concept of life-lines during things like de-construction and certain mining tasks. Suppose the player had the ability to designate a certain area as a "risk" zone--then, dwarves would have to tie a rope around themselves, & secure the other end to something solid, before digging or deconstructing in that area. Designating this "risk" zone might also trigger unoccupied dwarves to bring unused ropes to the scene--thus making them more likely to see, and toss a rope to, anyone who might be drowning there.

[A_Curious_Cat]

You’re forgetting the properties of adamantium…

[Hotty gremlin]

Personally, I think implementing buoyancy is both simpler (no 2nd dwarf required) and more urgent (if the game's supposed to be replicating physics & all) than dwarves playing lifeguard, but that doesn't mean this suggestion isn't also good. The "pool floaties" are actually in-game already, they're just called waterskins. Logs and barrels (especially empty ones) should also float, buckets could be used in a pinch, this buoyancy would be largely cancelled out by metal armor, etc., etc.

Dwarves throwing a line to save their drowning comrades also leads to the concept of life-lines during things like de-construction and certain mining tasks. Suppose the player had the ability to designate a certain area as a "risk" zone--then, dwarves would have to tie a rope around themselves, & secure the other end to something solid, before digging or deconstructing in that area. Designating this "risk" zone might also trigger unoccupied dwarves to bring unused ropes to the scene--thus making them more likely to see, and toss a rope to, anyone who might be drowning there.

I'm not particularly sure if this game models bouyancy in any metric, but if it currently doesn't and Dwarven Anti Drowning Flasks are what bring it about I'd welcome that solution.

I love your outline of a risk zone and lifeline stations, and would make a great basis for features that branch out from that. Like, marking a risk zone as a drowning area could have dwarves store rope, marking a risk as a fire zone could have stashed buckets of water, and tumble risk zones (largely woodcutting) could have stepladders.

[delphonso]

These are fascinating ideas!

I love the mental image of Ducim shouting 'Hang on, Urist!' and throwing a 70kg lead chain to a dwarf in full steel gear at the bottom of a pond. Somehow, that solves things and everyone's okay.

Bouyancy is probably on the docket somewhere. Risk zones are interesting, but I think this could also just be tied to the 'rescue' behavior dwarves have around injured dwarves. It would just take them noticing drowning as a condition that needs rescuing and a solution that isn't...just jump in the water as well.

[Hotty gremlin]

These are fascinating ideas!

I love the mental image of Ducim shouting 'Hang on, Urist!' and throwing a 70kg lead chain to a dwarf in full steel gear at the bottom of a pond. Somehow, that solves things and everyone's okay.

Bouyancy is probably on the docket somewhere. Risk zones are interesting, but I think this could also just be tied to the 'rescue' behavior dwarves have around injured dwarves. It would just take them noticing drowning as a condition that needs rescuing and a solution that isn't...just jump in the water as well.

I think that hopping in to the water and hauling a dwarf to shore could be a behavior gated behind swimming skill. This also means that like, the amphibian man bard that petitions for residency could use his raws-given innate swimming skills to make a decent lifeguard if he decides to peel his ass off the tavern dance floor.

[FantasticDorf]

A lifeline in action could be the start of a few things if the logic for it is expanded.

Buckets already animate themselves lowering, which physically transports the bucket to the tile to collect the water even if the rope being used isn't exactly realistically able to be snapped or interacted with any sort of way. Having to provide a suitable amount of rope, and standardizing the reach of rope for wells being the most basic example, then trying other things in the place of a bucket then you have a entirely new way of working.

Imagine some dwarf sitting at a little mechanical console (or spending a lot of energy on a screwpump like mechanism) as the claw goes down, grabs a rock/bin/barrel or maybe crushing a unfortunate dwarf by pinching their head,  to the length of rope equipped to the machine for the task then returns and throws it in a neat little QSP.

[Salmeuk]

Imagine some dwarf sitting at a little mechanical console (or spending a lot of energy on a screwpump like mechanism) as the claw goes down, grabs a rock/bin/barrel or maybe crushing a unfortunate dwarf by pinching their head,  to the length of rope equipped to the machine for the task then returns and throws it in a neat little QSP.

don't mind me, salivating over here in the corner. . so many good ideas in this thread. buoyancy would make canal transportation feasible. sending logs down a water-chute to arrive in the cavern carpenter's shop is great fantasy