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Author Topic: Stairs: What am I missing?  (Read 499 times)

Martholomule

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Stairs: What am I missing?
« on: October 01, 2011, 08:59:03 pm »
I have no problem carving out a down stair, and an up or up/down below it and tunneling forever.  But when I've dug out the room below, I can't construct an up stair underneath because I can't path to it.  Drives me crazy, what's the solution? 
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Sphalerite

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Re: Stairs: What am I missing?
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2011, 09:12:10 pm »
Build a Down stair in the room, by using the (b)uild menu, then selecting the (c)onstruction menu, and then selecting a (d)own stair.  Then you can designate an up stair to be carved out below the constructed down stair.
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Martholomule

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Re: Stairs: What am I missing?
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2011, 09:22:00 pm »
My issue is really when I've already cleared the area below.  Do I need to be on the same Z-level to construct an up stair?  I'd think I could construct it from the down stair.
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CapnUrist

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Re: Stairs: What am I missing?
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2011, 09:38:29 pm »
I've had similar issues, and I believe that sadly an up stair cannot be constructed from an above down or up/down stair. If this isn't the case, make certain that the material you're selecting for the up stair isn't one in the room below, as any masons/carpenters won't be able to reach it.
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SpiralDimentia

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Re: Stairs: What am I missing?
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2011, 10:23:25 pm »
I had this issue when trying to build a staircase down ona  glacier.. it went down for a while just fine, then at one point they cleared a spot but did not put stairs there, so it was like they mined it instead. I was like whatever and moved a block over, but it happened again. I couldn't even build stairs there to continue down because they kept saying the building material was inaccessible. Sadly, I spent so much time trying to figure this out that a skeletal yeti showed up and killed everyone before I could fix it.
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Ethnar

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Re: Stairs: What am I missing?
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2011, 11:54:30 pm »
The solution: As you designate lower level for digging, cancel designation on the tiles you want to have upstairs and order to dig upstairs there. If you don't like the color, you can build constructed upstairs right on top of existing, dug out stairs.

I must admit I don't remember if it's possible at all to build stairs from above, but if there is - there's a good chance you're ordering your dwarves to build stairs using stone laying right next to the tile, while your masons are up there, without access to those stones. Try forbidding 5x5 area around staircase tile and then order it built. Or order building it using rock blocks (that are most likely not present on freshly dug out level, while at the same time your masons can reach these blocks).
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