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[nil]

Your best bet in vanilla is a bronze colossus.  Unfortunately, those can be hard to come by, so a good alternative would be to mod in a high damblock and lack of bleeding to a creature you already have; this shouldn't require a regen.

[Sphalerite]

Is there anything in the game that's fairly large and "bouncy"? I need a ball for a possible pinball machine megaproject.

As far as I can tell all objects are affected in exactly the same way when thrown by bridges, as are all non-megabeast creatures.

[Calibur]

Is there anything in the game that's fairly large and "bouncy"? I need a ball for a possible pinball machine megaproject.

As far as I can tell all objects are affected in exactly the same way when thrown by bridges, as are all non-megabeast creatures.

Hmm. So I guess my bumpers plan may not work as it's just going to smack into them and not ping off them.

Must commission Toady to make some kind of rubber industry..

[Randomone]

I have a question concerning constructed walls versus natural walls. Specifically, which is worth more in value, smoothed/engraved natural walls or rough/block walls?

Off-Topic: First Post!

[Jacob/Lee]

Smoothed and engraved natural walls.

Unless the block ones are adamantine or something.

[Randomone]

Smoothed and engraved natural walls.

Unless the block ones are adamantine or something.

Thanks! I'm assuming natural unsmoothed walls are superior to block walls then.
What are the values of the different types of walls? (unsmoothed,smoothed,engraved,rough,block)
Thanks again!

[NecroRebel]

Thanks! I'm assuming natural unsmoothed walls are superior to block walls then.
What are the values of the different types of walls? (unsmoothed,smoothed,engraved,rough,block)
Thanks again!

Unsmoothed natural walls actually are worse than block walls if both are of ordinary stone, while smoothed natural walls are just as valuable. It's engravings that really push the value up; an engraving is worth 10*the material's modifier*the engraving's quality modifier, which is added to the smoothed wall's value.

From the wiki's article on rooms, which includes a section on room value, a rough normal-stone wall is worth 1, while a smoothed normal-stone wall is worth 5. 2-value stone (like flux and cheap metal ores) are 2 for rough and 18 for smooth, while 3-value stone (obsidian) is 3 and 27. Rough constructed stone walls are worth 3*the stone's material modifier, while block walls are worth 5* the stone's material modifier.

All this taken together means that gold and steel floors and walls are better for value than normal, 1-value stone engravings will ever be. Flux should never be covered by anything less than aluminum and platinum, while obsidian walls and floors are worth more than anything save adamantine. High-value soaps can outdo anything, but soap is of course very difficult to get ahold of in large quantities (even somewhat harder than aluminum), so is usually ignorable.

Since the materials needed to outdo even common-stone engravings are so rare, it's almost always better to keep natural walls and floors than to try constructing rooms.

[spikedball]

When I try to reclaim a fortress which has HFS, a chasm, an underground river and a pool, and a bottomless pit, I get 70+ dwarves. Is there a way to lessen their numbers without digging some sort of messy passage so the marksdwarves can shoot everything?

[Atlar]

When there is obsidian as a layer of the biome can I be sure to find some magma? How about rhyolite and the like?

[The Architect]

When there is obsidian as a layer of the biome can I be sure to find some magma? How about rhyolite and the like?

There should be some in the area, but you won't find it unless your embark zone included it.

When I try to reclaim a fortress which has HFS, a chasm, an underground river and a pool, and a bottomless pit, I get 70+ dwarves. Is there a way to lessen their numbers without digging some sort of messy passage so the marksdwarves can shoot everything?

Lessen whose numbers? I don't really understand the question, sorry. Are you asking for a combat strategy?

[happydog23]

Thanks! I'm assuming natural unsmoothed walls are superior to block walls then.
What are the values of the different types of walls? (unsmoothed,smoothed,engraved,rough,block)
Thanks again!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Unsmoothed natural walls actually are worse than block walls if both are of ordinary stone, while smoothed natural walls are just as valuable. It's engravings that really push the value up; an engraving is worth 10*the material's modifier*the engraving's quality modifier, which is added to the smoothed wall's value.

From the wiki's article on rooms, which includes a section on room value, a rough normal-stone wall is worth 1, while a smoothed normal-stone wall is worth 5. 2-value stone (like flux and cheap metal ores) are 2 for rough and 18 for smooth, while 3-value stone (obsidian) is 3 and 27. Rough constructed stone walls are worth 3*the stone's material modifier, while block walls are worth 5* the stone's material modifier.

All this taken together means that gold and steel floors and walls are better for value than normal, 1-value stone engravings will ever be. Flux should never be covered by anything less than aluminum and platinum, while obsidian walls and floors are worth more than anything save adamantine. High-value soaps can outdo anything, but soap is of course very difficult to get ahold of in large quantities (even somewhat harder than aluminum), so is usually ignorable.

Since the materials needed to outdo even common-stone engravings are so rare, it's almost always better to keep natural walls and floors than to try constructing rooms.

So basically an obsidian megaproject is worth way more of cast obsidian instead of blocked obsidian...

Question though... Say you're making a really stupidly large megaproject.... Like 100,000 blocks would be needed... Does it end up being better for lag (assuming "constant" pathing lag) to have stuff of cast obsidian... IE you don't have it show up in the stocks menu?

[The Architect]

That's a matter of some debate. At the very least, it's easier for the game to track items built into buildings, as it doesn't consider them for jobs or associated pathfinding.

It's definitely easier on the player to cast obsidian than to have 100,000 stone blocks made. Odd shapes being the exception at times, though it's still often easier to simply use subtractive sculpture.

[John Keel]

How large, exactly, is a magma pipe? I know that the aboveground ones are about 20 tiles in diameter in my experience, but what about underground? Also, what's a good way to find them?

[NecroRebel]

How large, exactly, is a magma pipe? I know that the aboveground ones are about 20 tiles in diameter in my experience, but what about underground? Also, what's a good way to find them?

They're roughly between 10 and 30 tiles in diameter, with a random size on each level they occupy. From the top z-level they're on, which is usually within 5 z-levels of the surface, they go straight to the bottom.

Magma pipes invariably occupy the center of the local block they're in. This means that if you count 24 tiles from each corner and dig stairs straight down, then every 48 squares from those 4 staircases, you will find it if present. This method also invariably finds bottomless pits, magma pools, and underground pools, as they, too, occupy the center of their local block (each of which is 48x48 tiles on the game map).

[John Keel]

How large, exactly, is a magma pipe? I know that the aboveground ones are about 20 tiles in diameter in my experience, but what about underground? Also, what's a good way to find them?

They're roughly between 10 and 30 tiles in diameter, with a random size on each level they occupy. From the top z-level they're on, which is usually within 5 z-levels of the surface, they go straight to the bottom.

Magma pipes invariably occupy the center of the local block they're in. This means that if you count 24 tiles from each corner and dig stairs straight down, then every 48 squares from those 4 staircases, you will find it if present. This method also invariably finds bottomless pits, magma pools, and underground pools, as they, too, occupy the center of their local block (each of which is 48x48 tiles on the game map).

Though that's a bit strange, it makes my life a LOT easier. Thanks!