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[Jumpp]

On their way from whatever hell they come from and my base, would-be attackers have to pass over a large number of traps.

What happens, then, is that the instant their leading edge strikes the first trap, civilians spring into action, rushing toward the traps to reload them, clear jams, recover cages, and so forth.

How do I keep them from doing this?

At first, when the siege began, I forbade passage through all the doors leading to the betrapped antechamber, but this apparently had the further effect of causing the enemy to stop their approach.  It seemed that once my doors were locked, offering them no passage into my keep, they weren't interested in taking a single further step in my direction.  Can't blame them, really.   So.  How can I place traps in the path of attackers without these traps singing a siren song that lures my civilians to their deaths?

Anyone got any ideas?

[Untelligent]

Mass-forbid the traps, your civilians won't touch them.

Then after the invasion you can unforbid them and let the dwarves do their thing.

[Smew]

o>i

This will make all dwarves aside from soldiers stay inside.
Unless of course you built your traps inside.
Then you're just silly.

[Jumpp]

Mass-forbid the traps, your civilians won't touch them.

Then after the invasion you can unforbid them and let the dwarves do their thing.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I can't figure out how to forbid my traps, or in any other way cause my people to cease their efforts to reload or otherwise service them.

Could you perhaps explain in more detail?

[Smew]

d>b
It should automatically be on forbid when you get to that page, if not, just hit f.

[Chasted]

You could also channel down from the roof of the cave where the traps are to set them to being outside instead of inside.

[AncientEnemy]

d>b
It should automatically be on forbid when you get to that page, if not, just hit f.

it starts out on reclaim by default. so hit d-b-f and then select all the traps as if you were designating mining. you can also use k and then go over each individual trap and forbid them with f. this will prevent civs from reloading them until you use d-b to reclaim them.

It seemed that once my doors were locked, offering them no passage into my keep, they weren't interested in taking a single further step in my direction.  Can't blame them, really.

yeah, forbidding the doors cuts off the path to your dwarves, which is what the enemies attempt to path to.

[RAM]

I built a one-way door for this. Water source -> screw pump -> 1st door linked to lever -> 2nd door linked to pressure plates -> pressure plate(water at 0/7 - 2/7) linked to one-way door -> fast water drain. I timed mine to 95 steps once, so if you have pressure plates 20 tiles deep then it should trigger for even the fastest of dwarves. But it may get confused and stuck open/closed, but pulling the lever a couple of times will reset it...

[Eris]

I built a one-way door for this. Water source -> screw pump -> 1st door linked to lever -> 2nd door linked to pressure plates -> pressure plate(water at 0/7 - 2/7) linked to one-way door -> fast water drain. I timed mine to 95 steps once, so if you have pressure plates 20 tiles deep then it should trigger for even the fastest of dwarves. But it may get confused and stuck open/closed, but pulling the lever a couple of times will reset it...

a) You realize that you are suggesting he make one-way doors into but not out of his fortress?
b) I've seen this one-way door thing before and it boggles me. I'm pretty sure one-way portals predate screw pumps by at least 2000 years. I could make about 12 of them in my house in about 2 hours by removing the knobs from one side. Depends on how gentle I want to be with the doors.
Also, like my dwarves, I gotta make sure I don't lock myself in someplace by standing on the wrong side while I do the work.

[RAM]

Hmmmm
The control mechanism:
water source: screw pump:door0:door1:pressure plate2 triggered by low water: drain.
~%++^_

The door:
on/off lever connected to door 0:19-deep sea of pressure plates connected to door1:door connected to by pressure plate2.
/^^...^^+
     012
~%++^_

/^+

lever is off, door0 is closed and dry, plate2 is dry, door is open regardless of door1, dwarves can come and go freely.

lever is on, door0 is open and counts as a water source, if a dwarf steps on a pressure plate then door1 will open letting water onto plate2 which will be turned off, closing the door. The dwarf will be unable to escape and will leave the area in dismay, door1 will close, plate2 will dry, opening the door and letting outside dwarves into the fortress.