Hi all,
I read Urist Da Vinci's excellent design for a magmaless, pumpless freezing trap (
link here), and I think I have a tweak to enhance it. The post is fairly old so I'm making a new topic on it.
Here is the original design:
z+2 z+1 z0 z-1
_ . . . _ w . . . w w _ _ _ w
_ . . . _ w . . . w w _ _ _ w w w w w w
_ . _ f _ w . w . w w _ G _ w w H D _ w
_ . . . _ w . . . w w _ _ _ w w w w _ w
_ . . . _ w . . . w w _ _ _ w w w w _ w
_ . _ f _ w . w . w w _ G _ w w H D _ w w w w
_ . . . _ w . . . w w _ _ _ w w w w _ _ _ _ _
_ . . . _ w . . . w w _ _ _ w w w w _ w w w w
_ . _ f _ w . w . w w _ G _ w w H D _ w
_ . . . _ w . . . w w _ _ _ w w w w _ w
_ . . . _ w . . . w w _ _ _ w w w w _ w
_ . _ f _ w . w . w w _ G _ w w H D _ w
_ . . . _ w . . . w w _ _ _ w w w w w w
_ . . . _ w . . . w w _ _ _ w
w natural rock wall
f constructed floor
. open space
_ natural floor
G grate
H floor hatch (hooked up to drain lever)
D door (hooked up to flood lever)
Explained briefly, a water supply is stored above level z0 and is allowed to enter z-1. When the doors open, water rushes up and through the grate. As the surrounding squares are exposed outside, they will freeze. The hatches are used to stop the trap and allow resetting through mining the ice away.
Urist Da Vinci notes that enemies standing on the grate will not be frozen because the natural rock ceiling above prevents freezing, which is fashioned that way to allow the water to spill out in adjacent squares.
This is my proposal to overcome that shortcoming:
z+2 z+1 z0 z-1
_ . . . . . _ w . . . . . w w _ _ _ _ _ w
_ . _ _ _ . _ w . w w w . w w _ F F F _ w w w w w w
_ . _ _ _ f _ w . w w w . w w _ F G F _ w w H D _ w
_ . _ _ _ . _ w . w w w . w w _ F F F _ w w w w _ w
_ . . . . . _ w . . . . . w w _ _ _ _ _ w w w w _ w
_ . . . . . _ w . . . . . w w _ _ _ _ _ w w w w _ w
_ . _ _ _ . _ w . w w w . w w _ F F F _ w w w w _ w
_ . _ _ _ f _ w . w w w . w w _ F G F _ w w H D _ w w w w
_ . _ _ _ . _ w . w w w . w w _ F F F _ w w w w _ _ _ _ _
_ . . . . . _ w . . . . . w w _ _ _ _ _ w w w w _ w
_ . . . . . _ w . . . . . w w _ _ _ _ _ w w w w _ w
_ . _ _ _ . _ w . w w w . w w _ F F F _ w w w w _ w w w w
_ . _ _ _ f _ w . w w w . w w _ F G F _ w w H D _ w
_ . _ _ _ . _ w . w w w . w w _ F F F _ w w w w _ w
_ . . . . . _ w . . . . . w w _ _ _ _ _ w w w w _ w
_ . . . . . _ w . . . . . w w _ _ _ _ _ w w w w _ w
_ . _ _ _ . _ w . w w w . w w _ F F F _ w w w w _ w
_ . _ _ _ f _ w . w w w . w w _ F G F _ w w H D _ w
_ . _ _ _ . _ w . w w w . w w _ F F F _ w w w w w w
_ . . . . . _ w . . . . . w w _ _ _ _ _ w
w natural rock wall
f constructed floor
. open space
_ natural floor
G grate
H floor hatch (hooked up to drain lever)
D door (hooked up to flood lever)
F fortification
The main difference is the placement of fortifications in the squares adjacent to the grates on z0, with supporting natural rock above. This should allow the water to flow out of the grate and onto the squares occupied by the enemy, while at the same time preventing them from stepping under natural rock (which would prevent freezing and death). z-1 is largely the same.
I have not tested this yet because I am hopelessly occupied with trying to get the perfect embark for this: 1x1 glacier/tundra with aquifer, sand, clay, plentiful minerals, nearby tower, etc. Which ridiculous when I type it all out.
I would like to know if this trap will work before I sink more time into a major aquifer breaching operation. I am not entirely sure the fortifications will not freeze. Maybe someone else with a more generous allowance for embarks will try it out?