Print

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

[targetdroid]

A non-aquifer version of jcnorris00's kinder, gentler, swim training room:

After reading jcnorris00's thread at http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=116437.0, I decided to try and design a non-aquifer (pumps only) version of his aquifer based safe swimming training room.



Z-1 Level (dwarf bait wall, pump pressure plate and swim training floodable hallway)

XXXXX   X = Wall tiles
X.^XX   ^ = Escape ramp up to Z level
X.XWX   <-----Note the diagonal constriction for water flow from reservoir (W) to ramp (^) for pressure reduction.
X.XWX   . = floodable hallway tiles mined out to allow dwarf access to pressure plate
X.XWX   W = Reservoir and water path to move water to floodable hallway
X.XWX   <-----(add or subtract more rows like this as desired)
X.XWX   <-----(add or subtract more rows like this as desired)
X+XWX   + = pressure plate; pump runs unless dwarf stands on this, then pump turns off.
XCXWX   C = constructed wall (bait). Dwarf must stand on pressure plate to deconstruct.
XXXXX

Z Level (pump and exterior access)

XX.XX   . = mined out tile allowing access to downward ramp from elsewhere in fort.
XXVXX   V = downward ramp for access to Z-1 level
XX%XX   % = passible pump tile (pumping north (ramp) to south (upper buffer reservoir))
XX%XX   % = Impassible pump tile
XUUUX   U = Upper (buffer) reservoir; all water empties to Z-1 reservoir when pump not running
XUUUX   <-----(add or subtract more rows like this as desired)
XUUUX   <-----(add or subtract more rows like this as desired)
XUXXX   <---restriction slowing water flow to grate
XUUGX   G = channeled hole to Z-1 level reservoir; floor-grate optional.
XXXXX   X = Wall tiles

Z+1 Level (power for pump and on/off switch; axle providing power to gear assembly not shown)

XX.XX   X = wall tiles
XX.XX   . = mined out tiles allowing access to gear assembly and on/off lever
XL.XX   L = on/off lever connected to gear assembly
XX*XX   * = Gear assembly built over channeled hole above pump and providing power.
XXXXX
XXXXX   <-----(add or subtract more rows like this as desired)
XXXXX   <-----(add or subtract more rows like this as desired)
XXXXX
XXXXX
XXXXX


This design requires 7 mechanisms (Gear assembly, pressure plate, lever, and 4 mechanisms connecting both the plate and the lever to the mechanism), and a constructed wall (bait).

It can be expanded in length until the path distance between the pressure plate and the escape ramp is up to the 20 tiles or so that dwarves will path through flooded tiles to escape. Longer versions will increase the distance a dwarf needs to swim to reach the escape ramp and will train them faster in swimming.

Construct everything except the pump and gear assembly in any order you like, then build the pump on level Z, then the gear assembly supported by the pump on Z+1, and finally connect the on/off lever and pressure plates to the gear assembly.

After all construction is complete, test the pump to confirm it runs (sufficient connected power) and then throw the on/off lever so the pump is not running. Unreliable power is not a safety issue; if power fails the dwarves will swim out of the 6/7 flooded hallway and then not reenter until the pump once again has power and removes water from the hallway.

Now designate the escape ramp as a pond zone so dwarves will throw buckets of water down into the floodable hallway while standing on the Z level. Keep adding water until the entire Z-1 level is flooded to 6/7 depth. The entire floodable hallway from the access ramp to the pressure switch and the entire water reservoir on the Z-1 level should be filled to 6/7. The depth you fill the Z-1 level to will be the highest water the dwarf will need to swim in.

Once all water has been added, throw the on/off lever again to turn on the pump, which will remove water from the flooded hallway and dump it into the upper buffer reservoir. Now designate the constructed wall to be deconstructed.

While the pump is running, water will flow from the upper buffer reservoir through the grate into the reservoir on Z-1, then pass through the diagonal pressure drop restriction to the ramp where it will be pumped back to the upper reservoir. Water flowing north along the floodable hallway will also be pumped out. When the pump is not running, the water flowing through the diagonal restriction to the escape ramp will flow south and fill the floodable hallway.

When the floodable hallway and pressure plate are dry (enough), a dwarf will path to and stand on the plate, stopping the pump and flooding the hallway. The dwarf will try to swim against the incoming water to reach the escape ramp. The longer the floodable hallway is, the further the dwarf must swim to escape the water. When the dwarf steps off the pressure plate, the pump will kick on again, draining the floodable hallway. With a long enough floodable hallway he might not even make it to the escape ramp before the water level drops enough for him to path back to the pressure plate.

The hapless dwarf will return to the pressure plate to deconstruct the wall again. Wash, rinse, and repeat this process until Your dwarf is sufficiently swim trained, then turn off his deconstructing labor so his buddies get a chance. If a dwarf ever finishes deconstructing the wall, designate a new wall to be constructed to replace it. Building a replacement wall will work just as well as deconstructing a wall to train dwarves, except that you will need to unsuspend the wall build job every time it gets canceled. Or you can just use the DFHack pull lever command to throw the lever and turn on the pump while the dwarf is standing on the pressure plate so he can finish the new wall without getting flooded.

An improvement on this design would include a delay to the "dwarf no longer on pressure plate" signal so the pump will delay turning on and so not remove water until the dwarf has had enough time to swim all the way to the escape ramp. I need to experimentally test to determine the ideal length of the flooded hallway in this design for optimal swim training sans such a delay mechanism; I have not done any dwarf logic circuits yet and wouldn't know how to build one.

Random thoughts:
If wearing heavy armor slows dwarf movement and prevents fast moving water slamming dwarves against walls from as much damage, would wearing armor be better for swim training due to longer time in water while pathing out and fewer injuries, or would the extra weight increase the chance of drowning (like real life)? Are there other effective ways to slow dwarf movement through water that might help swim training? No booze for you! (drinking water rather than booze slows dwarf movement). I guess this implies booze drinking dwarves may swim faster but don't learn as quickly as water drinking ones ;-)

[Fleeting Frames]

Iirc children no longer deconstruct walls, so you may want to use a statue instead.

For adults, now we have the option of sitting in a minecart in water on top of minecart - much more compact and fps-efficient, though conflicts with stockpiling (just make sure they can get out before they get thirsty).

That said, for "good enough swim training", I once read adequate swimmers could get on top of 7/7 water. If that is true, perhaps it'd be possible to make use of smoothed natural stone being unclimbable + putting dwarves into alternating 7/7 and 6/7 water, where only those who can't swim will get locked in for a while.

[taptap]

How does it work in practice targetdroid? It promises to be even safer than jcnorris scheme (I had problems when animals pathed into the area with the meeting zone variant and one drowning with the statue garden variant, well maybe my layout was to blame since there was no space above the statue and when pushed into the statue there was a risk of drowning.).

The problem with minecart assisted swimming (even a scheme working in the background without oversight) is that it works splendidly for those who use it, but even with vehicles enabled on all dwarves, a few dwarves will use it all the time, others rarely and most never.

[Salmeuk]

You might want to put your text diagrams in a code-box,

Code: [Select]

like so,
so they are easier to parse.

[Crashmaster]

I liked having a pump that when operated the output washes the pump operator into the reservoir. He swims out and returns to operating the pump.

[Fleeting Frames]

@taptap: Usage rate can be improved by having more carts available for swimming. With pushing/riding single cart, it tends to be same dwarf who rides it, puts back in place and rides again - even if they moved back to partying in-between due time delay. Hence the need to make it unavailable for them.