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[gerkinzola]

I have been having trouble finding the magma on the chicken seed map http://www.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Pregenerated_worlds
and i have been reading about a magma river, if anyone can tell me how to find a magma river or if anyone has any personal experience with that particular map can tell me at what depth the magma is at it would be greatly appreciated.

[kaypy]

I believe one of the utilities is supposed to be able to tell you stuff like that, but last time I was in that sort of situation I made another copy of the world, started a new fort in the smallest area I could around the magma, and sent in 7 miners to sink shafts until they found the thing. Then I just noted the surface features and used them to take appropriate steps on my original map.

[gerkinzola]

yeah i guess i could do that but i would much prefer for someone to tell me the usual depth that magma is at...

[Thallone]

Ok, several things here. First, since 3d, there is no magma river - period. That's a 2d map feature. Second, there us no 'usual' depth for magma. Sometimes the vent is in the surface, sometimes it's 5 or more levels deep, sometimes it's a pool 0-5 levels tall, sometimes it's a pipe extending to the bottom of the map.
And yes, sometimes the magma pool starts out empty, I have just such a map saved at home it took forever to find where the magma was supposed to be.

Finally, to help in finding magma, you'll want 3 tools. Regional Prospector, Latitudes(helps in map sharing), and Reveal. Use RP to find a map with the features you want, Latitudes to record the location in case you need to regen the workd, and Reveal to find the pools in question, and to see if the map has any decent ores.

[Red Jackard]

i could give you my magma river if you wanted, i have a copy saved from the first day

[ January 18, 2008: Message edited by: Red Jackard ]

[gerkinzola]

Ah O.K thank you for that info, ill try out reveal tomorrow morning.

[0x517A5D]

quote:Originally posted by gerkinzola:
<STRONG>yeah i guess i could do that but i would much prefer for someone to tell me the usual depth that magma is at...</STRONG>

Within three levels of the surface, you should break through to the empty space on top of the magma.  I've never seen it deeper.

[gerkinzola]

erm isnt that a lil danerous? since i know generally where it is would it be safer to go to -3 and go horizontal.

[gerkinzola]

i know what ill do, ill make a new world and because its seeded it'll be identicle then as my fort ill have all miners just sink shafts down where i think it is and use thelakes as reference points for my real fort!

[gerkinzola]

thanks everyone for the info, i hit it just a minute ago (from the side so thats good) it runs from -3 all the way to the bottom its a magma pipe... does that mean anything? oh and if someone could explain or direct me to a thread that i've missed that explains how floodgates work it would be greatly appreciated

[ January 18, 2008: Message edited by: gerkinzola ]

[gerkinzola]

Does anyone have a way to get magma 3 levels up and about 15 squares north?
Im a real newbie with magma.

[ColonelTEE3]

quote:Originally posted by Thallone:
<STRONG>Finally, to help in finding magma, you'll want[...] Reveal</STRONG>

This is blasphemy...This is MADNESS...

Real DF players excavate the mother f* out of their landscape to find magma. Reveal is for pansies and elves.

Ask your self; do you really want to be an elf?...

[Troas]

There are several threads dealing with how to handle magma safely - you should use search to read them.  But if you want specific directions:

1) create one or two bars of magma-proof metal.  I used steel, but I believe there is a thread that says iron will work.  
2) decide where you want your magma workshops.  I'd recommend placing them 1 Z level above the bottom of the magma lake, or at least 2 Z levels down from the surface of the magma if the magma extends to the depths.  Plan for extras - I also used 6x5 rooms so that I could double up if required.
3) dig a tunnel directly underneath the workshops.  If you have 2 lines of shops then link the two tunnels together and then proceed to dig towards the magma.  Get near the magma but don't breach it yet.
4) dump or stockpile any stone you might want to use in the tunnel - it will just liquefy when magma hits it.  Mine out any veins and rewall.
5) pre-position your bars so that they can be built quickly.  If you are paranoid go ahead and build them and use a lever to raise them.  Vertical bars will stop lava critters from swimming up the tunnel to your workshops.
6) about 15 squares away from the pipe - place a up staircase.  Dig parallel tunnels to the magma pipe but don't breach it.  You want to select an area where the magma extends farther out on the lower level than the upper so that it is safe to dig the upper tunnel 1 farther than the lower.
7) Have an agile miner go to the upper tunnel and dig a channel on the warm stone at the end.  This will remove the stone below, and magma will start flowing.  But since you picked a spot where the magma protruded out on the lower level, the miner is safe for the moment.  Have him dash back down the stairs and the tunnel to safety
construct the vertical bars before the magma reaches them.  You did dig a long tunnel right?  If you used a lever use it to raise the bars then deconstruct the lever - you won't be needing to use it again.
9) channel 1 square holes over the magma tunnel and build your workshops over them.  Build a floor over the down stair you used to create the magma tunnel.
10) wait.  Magma takes a long time to flow down a 1 wide corridor, and you need steady 4/4 depth to begin production.  You selected the bottom Z level so that even if you dug an excessively long tunnel you will still have enough magma to fill it.