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[Normandy]

Is there any way to 'force' a creature to move to a certain spot? I put a few goblins into an arena, but now I want some hostile animals to enter the arena through a hallway, somewhat like a gladiator entering the Colosseum. Like this:

code:

   XXXXXXX  
  X  !  X
  X     X
  XX#XXXX
   X X
-------More hallways, cells, etc...---------
   X X
XXXX#XXXXXXXXXX
X             X
X  (Arena)    X
X             X
X = Wall
! = Cage
# = Grate/Bars 

Just letting them walk randomly into the arena takes too long. These hallways are pretty long since they link all of my cells together. I don't want to just build cages in the arena, however, since some creatures I use in my arena won't go in cages (I made a retracting bridge trap to catch various intelligent creatures), and it's more realistic to have these cells.

Another question, I want to have an 'herb' garden inside my fortress. However, I'm not exactly sure how plants (the ones that you pick off the ground, not the ones on the farm plots) grow. Do I need to make the floor muddy (it's on soil) in order to grow them? How often do plants grow? Can I put a glass roof over it, and grass/plants will still grow?

[Metalax]

To get interior shrubs growing you have to find and breach an underground water feature, either a pond or cave river. This releases the spores for underground plants and tower-caps. They will only grow on muddied subterranean tiles.

[Sevrun]

Well Normandy, you're ambitious, I'll give ya that... about the arena I mean.  Can't think of any way to force a critter along a given path though.  I would say drop food in the arena and they'd find their own way, but since only your dwarves need to eat or drink... :S  I'll have to poke around with the idea, but I dun think it can be done.

[Solara]

Make the hallway into a drawbridge and sort of gently fling them in that direction.    :p

e: seriously though, if the cage was built one floor above the arena instead of a long hallway away, a retractable bridge might work, or you could simply designate a pit and have the animal tossed down into the arena.

[ May 11, 2008: Message edited by: Solara ]

[toast]

if your hallway is short enough the creature may well be lured into the arena, provided another animal is already there. otherwise, you might try dropping animals into the hallway periodically, to bait it along. i dont know what animals you are using, but certainly a megabest would chase a gobbo down the hall, and would only pause about 2 seconds to kill it. added bonus: it would likely throw the gobbo 6-8 squares forward, and then chase after it. i dont know why they chase them, but all creatures seem to chase the animal that they just threw, regardless of whether or not it is dead.

[Normandy]

Hrm, I like the drawbridge flinging idea. I'll call it 'dwarven automated sidewalks'...

Perhaps I shall try the idea of baiting animals towards the arena. I'll just use a recruit instead. Heal is a very useful utility   .

For the Herb Garden idea however, I'm talking about an herb garden for above-ground plants. Do they work on the same mechanisms as underground plants (grow on muddied floor, and appear at the start of every spring)?

[ May 11, 2008: Message edited by: Normandy ]

[Grek]

code:


           
           
_aAbBcCdDeEfFgG           
           
&&&&&&&           
       
                           


 = wall
_ = where the thing is dropped in
a = do-once pressure pad that opens door A
b = do-once pressure pad that opens door B and locks A
C = do-once pressure pad that opens door C and locks B
and so forth
& is a lever hooked up to the door 2 up and one right from it

[Metalax]

I know that for soil levels that have been exposed to the outside in an appropriate biome(any that already grows vegetation on the surface) grass, shrubs and trees will grow over time, even when the area has been roofed over. Never tried this with just muddied rock exposed to the outside but at least in theory it should work.

[RickiusMaximus]

To make a creature enter the arena simply give it an exit!

Monsters and gobbos will always try to get back into your fort- so make a drawbridge that leads there. (don't forget that most big creatures can destroy grates and bars so be careful!!! Raised drawbridges are indestructible) When you open it, the creature will move towards it, and then when you close it the creature will stop.

Make sure and close it before the creature manages to get through it though!
I would recommend using a pressure switch some distance from the door in the creatures path...

 XXXXXXX  
 X  !  X
 X     X
 XX#XXXX
  X X
  X#X
XXXX>XXXXXXXXXX
X             X
X  (Arena)    X
X             X
X             X
X             X
XXXX[]XXXXXXXXX
  X[]X
  X  X

> = Pressure plate

[] = Drawbridge

So, the creature moves towards the exit, but triggers the pressure plate when it leaves the entrance tunnel, as there is a delay before the bridge raises the creature should be right about the middle of the arena before it closes the door...