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[Eater of Vermin]

OK, so you build a trap using, say, serrated disks or swords.   

Let's say you also had the option to set it "high" or "low" or whatever. 

High would cause damage at head-height for dwarves, miss most domestic pets (passing overhead) and knee-cap titans, etc.

Low would take out pets, knee-cap hammerers, etc.

In all honesty I really only want some way to consistently cripple hammerers without killing 'em, so they stay bed-ridden...  but the more I think on it the more I think that this could be a handy feature. 

[Pilsu]

Seems pretty frivolous

Drop the hammerer a few z levels

[SirHoneyBadger]

The initial reasons for it may not be the best (why not just lock the Hammerer in a room?) but if you separate that out of the conversation, the idea itself is very appealing. I'm all for being able to specialize traps, and this seems like a simple, reasonable way to do some of that.

Ofcourse, the big question is: how should it be incorporated into the game?

[Silverionmox]

We'll also have to take into account that the creatures probably won't stay the size of one square. I'd love to see humans and elves take up two squares in height, while dwarves need only one. That would really set them apart, and have interesting tactical  repercussions, and influence design of the fortress.

[SirHoneyBadger]

Well, there are currently what, 7 depth levels per Z level? So if we suppose Z levels can be segmented into a group of 8 (7 liquids, plus the space between each z level, either filled with more water, air, mud, rock, what have you), then maybe it could be possible to dig out spaces that are less than full height?

Dwarfs are size 6, so they could be able to move (stooped) through tunnels that are maybe 4-5 segments high, and walk normally through 6 high tunnels, rather than needing the full 7 that humans and elves need.

Humans and elves could still pass through 5-6 high tunnels, but it would be more difficult for them, probably giving them a slight to significant disadvantage in combat.

I suspect this is an idea that's been brought up before, but the idea of having traps with their business-ends at different positions gives this another strategic application. 

[Silverionmox]

I had a more drastic approach in mind, where dwarves occupy 1 square - almost completely: they are stout. Elves and humans have, on average, 150% of the height of a dwarf - but are more slender. I base this on a frontal drawing Toady did of a dwarf in a tunnel. Posted on the forum somewhere, but I can't find it. It would really set the dwarves apart from the others species and give them a natural advantage in tunneling. Humans would need to do twice as much work to live in it, and have to mine out non-ores or crawl in the tunnels if they want to set up a smithing industry.

As I said, it's drastic, but I think it's worth it to teach the AI to deal with the requirements.

[SirHoneyBadger]

How big is a square, though? Can we define it? Do we have the means to put numbers on it?

[Silverionmox]

A lot depends on that.. Even if it stays abstracted, I'd still prefer it because it adds a tangible height difference, rather than just a numerical difference. The body mass of dwarves and humans may be similar, but their body form ought to be different - or at least the possibility should be in the game.

edit: Picture arrived.
Quick sketch of, in order: dwarf, human, elf, kobold. I imagine goblins as quite mutagenic, and with a lot of variation in size (hence their ability to assimilate anyone).

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Draco18s]

How big is a square, though? Can we define it? Do we have the means to put numbers on it?

Based on water consumption (water being the only thing that exists as both an item and a limited volume) someone estimated the size of a grid square as 2.5 x 2.5 x 6.25 feet, IIRC.

Which, as it turns out, is large enough for most humans to stand in.

[Byakugan01]

(Uh no pic). I think this is also reasonable, simply because I don't see HOW a titan or bronze colossus can just WALTZ into a dwarven underground fortress.

[alfie275]

Maybe able to set height like required fluid depth of plates?

[SirHoneyBadger]

Good idea. Maybe both the scary parts of the trap, and whatever activates them, could be adjustable by both height, and maybe also the option to put pressure plates on each wall, the floor, or even the ceiling (good for when spiders and things start being able to run along them).

There could also be a third option to hook them up to adjacent objects--a door, a window, a statue, whatever.

[eerr]

If toady can cut some other types of micromanagement, this is a shoe-in.

[SirHoneyBadger]

I like the idea of templates that's been suggested for other ideas, lately. Traps could be built and placed from a reusable template.