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[Tamren]

Who needs rockets!? Just wait till Toady implements natural gas pockets.

It brings the canary or it cracks the mountain in half, again.

[Sir Edmund]

quote:Originally posted by Ryke Masters:
<STRONG>My idea is pretty complicated, maybe too much, but I'm thinking a steam-powered hauling/chasming mechanism.

It would consist of a workshop-like building, maybe a bit larger than good old workshops, and before building may begin, a few things would have to be designed along with it. What I can think of for now is the chasming/hauling pipe leading from the furnace-to-be to either the chasm or a stockpile, and the second would be a second conduit leading outside or maybe to a "cooling room" filled with water, though that's probably more hassle than digging to the outside. Both of those would have to be built before the actual workshop, as both exits would behave as walls for so long as steam isn't going through.

Once the 'shop is built, any dwarf with th appropriate labor would feed coal and water into a furnace (part of the worksho) and the steam would be stored. If unused it would periodically and automatically be purged in a safe room (or outside, whicherver you planned) by steamdwarves, otherwise it would explode after some time (preferably quite a bit) and a mechanic and/or steamdwarf would have to repair the workshop, not to mention the steam released, though that shouldn't be much of a problem if the workshop is in a closed room. The proper use for it would be to bring several objects to be hauled or chasmed to the workshop, where they would then be shot by pressured steam to wherever they would go.

Several conduits per workshop would be possible to make centralized hauling stations, where all dwarves in an area would bring what they have to haul to the proper conduit entrance, and given enough steam, it would all get to its proper pile almost instantly. Useful in large fortresses.

[ October 19, 2007: Message edited by: Ryke Masters ]</STRONG>

if you plan on having something like that why not just make it a conveyor belt?, i know my great grandfather used to do that because funnily enough he was a steam engine mechanic, and i know they used to rig up the steam engines too mills and things like that to help grind the crops, so i'm sure a long conveyor belt of leather or something similar would hopefully be feasible.

P.S. i think the explosion should be fairly massive if you leave it too long, just look at what happens with one of those old pressure cooker things when you leave them too long, soup and steam EVERYWHERE.

edit mkII: oh your could even have mining carts pulled along tracks by a steam powered crank (toady did say summit about mining carts being implemeted did he not?)
[ October 21, 2007: Message edited by: Sir Edmund ]

[ October 21, 2007: Message edited by: Sir Edmund ]

[ChrisSketch]

I'd love to be able to build a fortress train station. I know dwarves aren't really tinkerers, but if they can manage crossbows, trains could be within reason. I'd love to see them build some giant, monstrous trains. Just think how bad it could piss off the elves. Just run the tracks right through an elven city/grove.  

[Sukasa]

Hm, with the new axles/gears/pumps in, I think that boilers shoudl be able to create mechanical energy.

There's a fitting use for steampunk in DF!

(Now watch as someone makes a self-feeding power plant via the river and magma flows XD)

[darknight]

A lot of people think steam engines = steam locos for trains = huge heavy monsters. But many steam engines were very small. At one time most farm tractors were steam powered. And they certainly did not sink into the ground. And one of the first uses for steam engines fits right in with DF; they were used to pump water out of mines. They didnt move, but they were still very useful.

I thought of something sort of in this line, but downplayed so it could work with DF. How about a wind up "tank". It would need mechs and a hung steal spring, that would then need to be wound up. Then put 3 small catapults or ballistas on top of the chassis, and finally a bit of armor on top. Set them up in or near your gate, and then launch them toward attackers. They would go out a short distance, and then all 3 weapons would fire at one time, typically north, south, and west (Since east would shoot into the gate.). They would only be able to fire one time, but if you have several waiting to be launched, it could do some nice damage to the invaders. And any that survive the battle, could be brought back and made ready for the next invasion.

They would be 3x3 objects, and would have the usual path finding issues. But they would be doable, and would fit in with DF.

[Lightman]

I think I'd prefer not to see any "steampunk" in DF. In fact, I'd probably prefer not to see "punk"-anything in DF. Seems like something that could be left to the mod community.