Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[ShadowDragon8685]

Okay, this is a silly question indeed.

I'm setting up a Dwarven Torpedo Bay to send a SHOWER of ballasta bolts across the switchback corridor leading to my trade depot and into my fort - you know, for greeting unwelcome guests; goblins, trolls, semimegabeasts, elves.

It's kind of complicated, but here's a cross-sectional slice.

Code: [Select]

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
###############
+++++++++++++++>
+++++++++++++++>
+++++++++++++++>
###############
+++++++++++++++<
+++++++++++++++<
+++++++++++++++<
###############
_______________
===============
Where:
VVV indicates direction of fire.
<<< and >>> indicates direction that targets must travel.
+++ indicates bridge surface. (Long-range plans include being able to drop anyone on the path to the depot several Z-levels onto hard floor/upright wooden spikes/magma/other Fun.)
### indicates fortifications, both constructed from blocks and carved from smooth stone, when possible.
___ is a Channel.
=== is a Wall.

See, the idea is that the ballasta bolts will fire across the switchback path, and will, upon reaching the other end, drop through the channel to be retrieved for later use from a lower Z-level.

I was wondering, though, since the bolts will all be falling in a predictable path, would it be possible to use a minecart to automate this? Have the minecart traveling along the path, gathering up bolts it runs over, and dropping them all on one square to be retrieved by haulers?

[Sadrice]

Unfortunately no.  Carts driving over items or items falling on carts do not load the item into the cart.  The only way to get items in carts is to have dwarves put them there, which limits firing speed.

Fluids, however, load automatically when a cart passes through a tile of at least 6/7 depth, and are simulated as solid boulders in flight and collision.  Thus, the best automatic minscart cannons fire water.  Magma works, but is much more difficult and doesn't really work any better.

[Bumber]

It's not possible to automate the return, but you could always shoot them back aross with more ballistae on the floor below. Y'know, considering the drawbridges and all.

[Sanctume]

With enough water pressure, you can use water flow to move ammo to some drain area near the ballistas.

[Button]

While you can't completely automate it, you should be able to set up haulers to mass-return the bolts instead of returning them one at a time by setting up a stockpile at the bottom of the channel, setting it to take from links only, and to give to a minecart which can be sent back to the ballista source pile.

[Sadrice]

Huh, just had an idea.  You can totally automate ammunition return, by making it unnecessary.  Build it so that when they fall down the channel at the far side, they land in the loading stockpile for the minecart cannon.  Since it's, you know, a minecart, it should have no difficulty going back down the length of the hall (on the z below) to launch it back through the hall into its own stockpile.  Basically a hauling loop, with an airborne stage that intersects with invaders.  You would still need to manually load the carts, but no hauling is necessary.

EDIT:  Oh wait, you were going to shoot ballista bolts out of actual ballistae...  Don't bother.  Minecarts are better, and also removes the need for civilian siege operators who will inevitably flee or do something stupid as soon as an actual target appears.