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[schnobs]

I admit that this is a silly title, but I can't think of any better.

Long ago, I tried to spy out the chasm and seach for side branches on the far side by carving fortifications on my side. No luck, though: I had to breach the wall to actually see what the far side looked like.

Just now, I had my first siege. Ever. Ballista shots went far astray; marksdwarves stationed behind fortifications just stood there picking their noses. I came to the conclusion that they might as well go back to their barracks, so I told the soldiers to stand down. I also lowered the bridge and unlocked the doors to permit the goblins into the fortress, hoping that the few traps would suffice to sort things out. Un-paused the game.

Suddenly the marksdwarves started shooting as if the goblins were upon them. Some of them were outdoors, some used the fortifications. It all went rather fast, so I'm not entirely sure. But it may well have been that the shooting started the moment the first dwarf opened the doors.

Can it be that in order to sucessfuly shoot through fortifications, you need another dwarf on the far side to relay target information? If so: does it need to be a dwarf, or will a friendly (=tame) animal do?

[Wang Commander]

ah, chaining cows everywhere has become a recent hobby of mine, too.  I wonder how well it works!

[Heliopios]

I'd be suprised if I ever got a seige to make it to my fortress, because everything on the other side of the outside river is swarming with elephants.

I'd test this if I could.

[Core Xii]

Hmm, that sounds like an interesting observation. I wonder if a restrained war dog behind a glass window could spot enemies for the artillery?  

[schnobs]

Mekin Gyverill has been taken by a mood!
Mekin Gyverill has claimed a craftsdwarf's workshop!

Mekin Gyverill has created Lod Borik, The One of Trenches, a Turtle Shell target designator!

This is a Turtle Shell target designator. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. It is powered by a zinc-coal battery. It is decorated with Tower-cap. It is decorated with steel. The item menaces with a ruby laser.
On the item is an image of Goblins and a Ballista Arrow in Tower-cap. The Goblins are screaming.
On the item is an image of Dwarves in Steel. The dwarves are striking a menacing pose.

(Lod Borik, The One of Trenches, actually exists in my fortress. It's a copper throne, though.)

[RPB]

I had a similar problem a long while back when closing a fortress up for a siege. I think the problem is that dwarves won't use fortifications unless they're adjacent and they're not smart enough to figure out that moving up to fortifications and shooting through them is an option.

So, if you have a dwarf standing next to a wall with fortifications to fire through, and they see an enemy, they'll use the fortifications just fine.

If you have a dwarf standing a couple tiles away from fortifications, and they see an enemy through the fortifications, they will decide they can't shoot through the fortified walls and will try to find a way around. If they can't find a path to the enemy they just stand there picking their noses.

[Core Xii]

quote:Originally posted by RPB:
<STRONG>I had a similar problem a long while back when closing a fortress up for a siege. I think the problem is that dwarves won't use fortifications unless they're adjacent and they're not smart enough to figure out that moving up to fortifications and shooting through them is an option.

So, if you have a dwarf standing next to a wall with fortifications to fire through, and they see an enemy, they'll use the fortifications just fine.

If you have a dwarf standing a couple tiles away from fortifications, and they see an enemy through the fortifications, they will decide they can't shoot through the fortified walls and will try to find a way around. If they can't find a path to the enemy they just stand there picking their noses.</STRONG>

That would mean it's a good idea to make a 1-tile wide corridor behind fortifications as to ensure they're next to them...

[schnobs]

quote:Originally posted by RPB:
<STRONG>I think the problem is that dwarves won't use fortifications unless they're adjacent and they're not smart enough to figure out that moving up to fortifications and shooting through them is an option.</STRONG>

At least some of my marksdwarves stood directly adjacent to the fortifications. The Squad leaders were stationed in that spot, at any rate, their followers may or may not have hugged the walls.

But they didn't start shoothing through the fortifications until after I told them to stand down. Now I refuse to believe that marksdwarves on active duty will not use their xbows. So I looked for something else that might have made a difference. Some dwarves going outdoors was the most obvious, but many things suddenly happened all at once and I'm not sure about which was the actual reason.

I'll keep an eye on it. Now that there was one goblin siege, I guess I can expect a repeat performance sometime soon.

[Tubal_Cain]

I had this happen in my fort.  A goblin siege came and none of my marksdwarves shot at the goblins even though the goblins were right outside and I had them stationed directly behind fortifications. I sent out my entire army and got most slaughtered,  then I loaded backup, chained a wardog outside, and this time even though the war dog was killed in the first volley from the goblin archers my marksdwarves fired through the fortifications killing off the army.   Could be a coincidence though.

[Jaqie Fox]

It sounds to me like the best way to deal with this is to have one-dwarf squads and when a siege comes, station each one at a fortification...