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[Exlo]

Just a few questions about Stone-Fall Traps.

1.) Do they work based on the weight of the stone that is loaded into them? (As in, the heavier the stone, the more damage to be dealt.)

2.) Can ores be loaded into them?

3.) Does the loaded rock's/mineral's material effect damage in any way?

[bobhayes]

Just a few questions about Stone-Fall Traps.

1.) Do they work based on the weight of the stone that is loaded into them? (As in, the heavier the stone, the more damage to be dealt.)

2.) Can ores be loaded into them?

3.) Does the loaded rock's/mineral's material effect damage in any way?

I believe so, yes if you mark the ores for economic use in the 'Stones' screen, I don't think so.

[Exlo]

I believe so, yes if you mark the ores for economic use in the 'Stones' screen, I don't think so.

Good! I'll have to remember that weight is effective if we are ever able to use Slade. Good times are sure to come from that.

[agatharchides]

Someone actually tested it here http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=77183.msg1974396#msg1974396


Basically, heavier things are more effective with native platinum being the best. None of them are terribly effective though.

[Uristocrat]

Someone actually tested it here http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=77183.msg1974396#msg1974396


Basically, heavier things are more effective with native platinum being the best. None of them are terribly effective though.

Right now, I suggest using cobaltite.  It's one of the few rocks with a density set.  Technically, it's an ore of cobalt, but it's not like you can smelt it.  I really don't think it's worth using up your platinum, gold or even silver.

If Toady ever decides to adopt my suggestion of adding the actual solid density values to all those stones, then things like pitchblende, cinnabar, and ilmenite will be very useful, too (and things like jet will be useless).  Granted, you'll notice that all of those heavy stones are technically metal ores (uranium, mercury and titanium, if you were wondering), but we can't smelt any of that.  Even though cinnabar has been a source of mercury since ancient times, it's not like dwarves have any actual use for mercury at this time.

Incidentally, my tests showed that density affects weight.  So all you have to do if you want to know which stones do more damage is to see which ones weigh more on the screen.  If you want to see what the densities should be, look here for my long list of them, or just use my mod to make your stones slightly more realistic.

[greycat]

Even though cinnabar has been a source of mercury since ancient times, it's not like dwarves have any actual use for mercury at this time.

My god... can you imagine the Fun?  It's a poisonous liquid.  It flows.  It can be pressurized.  It gets tracked around, smeared on walls and floors and boots....

It's almost as good as magma!

[Hyndis]

Rivers of mercury would be awesome.

Kings and emperors actually used to order lavish landscapes made with artificial lakes of mercury constructed for their own amusement or tombs. IIRC there was a Chinese emperor who did this with his tomb. Even today elevated levels of mercury can be found in the ground near his tomb.

[Cotes]

Seriously, what the hell was it with mercury and ancient people? They had a damn fetish for it. I mean yeah, metal that is liquid in room temperature is kind of cool but that doesn't mean you should drink it. I mean god, this is like the first thing you learn - don't try to eat everything that looks interesting.

[tolkafox]

Do stonefall traps do anything to those with helmets? I haven't used a stonefall trap in ages, I just recently traded weapon traps for archer towers. The last I recall using stonefall traps, it deterred native wildlife and bruised up a few goblins but nothing else.

[Hyndis]

Seriously, what the hell was it with mercury and ancient people? They had a damn fetish for it. I mean yeah, metal that is liquid in room temperature is kind of cool but that doesn't mean you should drink it. I mean god, this is like the first thing you learn - don't try to eat everything that looks interesting.

But its shiny!

[Hyndis]

Do stonefall traps do anything to those with helmets? I haven't used a stonefall trap in ages, I just recently traded weapon traps for archer towers. The last I recall using stonefall traps, it deterred native wildlife and bruised up a few goblins but nothing else.

It works like a weapon trap in that it throws a stone at them, striking a random body part and usually doing not that much damage. Stone traps are dirt cheap and incredibly easy to set up, and require no industrial base. All you need is a pile of rocks.

If you want to kill things go with steel giant serrated discs, 10 per trap. That will kill anything.

[wuphonsreach]

If you're in a biome with a moderately abundance of wood, go with weapon traps instead using simple menacing spikes, giant corkscrews and spiked balls.  (I prefer the latter if it's a trap that will be placed on a raise section of walkway with the goal of knocking the enemy off into a pit to the side.)

The big downside of stonefall traps is that they're one-shot deals.  They toss the stone at whatever is in that tile, then a mechanic has to reset them.  At least with a weapon trap, it runs until it jams.  And the ones that use blunt weapons don't jam that often (but they're not as deadly as edged/piercing, but still far better then stonefall).

Wood-based weapon traps will kill all nuisance critters like the monkeys/wolves, and do a fair bit of damage against the elves too.  But you'll want some copper/silver weapon traps using edged/piercing to tackle more heavily armored opponents.  Mostly, they're useful for getting the enemy to dodge off the path, down into a pit, which makes them path around a few dozen tiles before they can get back to where they fell off.

OTOH, even an armored opponent will have a tough time making it past a line of 8 wooden weapon traps (especially if you use masterwork mechanisms and weapons) without taking at least *some* damage.