Print

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

[Urist the CaveBear]

So the Dwarfs of Udirurdim have pacified Cave2, and my Cave-Beast trap-maze is now fully functional (the new model includes in a "Magma Flush" feature, allowing me to scour FBs from the passages with fiery death).  Unfortunately, many Dwarfs were lost during various stages of the cave pacification; most of them weren't even proper, instant deaths.  A Dwarf was lightly injured, then hauled up to the hospital where he thirsted to death.  Which brings me around to my question.   Cave2 is an ideal level for my Dwarfs, excepting that it has only one pool of water, which is apparently tepid, because the Dwarfs won't take water from it. 

Now, there are a couple of things I could probably do to make that water more appealing (or potable, for that matter), but I've got it into my head that instead I want to tap Cave1, a flooded cavern roughly 15 Z-levels above Cave2, and bring that water down for waterscaping and controlled flooding (we're going to terraaqua-form the whole cavern).  Problem being - I'd like to have continuous flow from Cave1 to Cave2, this poses specific concerns related to waterborne pests such as Giant Toads and Cave Crocodiles - those are easily dealt with by a simple wall of grates, but more robust aquatic interlopers (FBs, for instance) post a building-destroying problem that renders grates ineffective. 

Simply put, any suggestions about a way I could build a continuous flow channel that carried water down about 10/15 Z's (it doesn't have to go only down, U-bends might factor into the build somehow) and blocked the movement of all possible invaders from the upper cavern layer?  As an aside, I have unlimited access to well-controlled magma.

[Demicus]

I've read/been told that building destroyers can't break floor grates from below, provided the buildingdestroyer does not have a valid path to the top of the grate. If the bd can find a path to the top of the grate, it will bust through the bottom of it. So a downward pointing U-bend with a grate on each side of the bend should prevent critters from swimming through your pipes. Like this from the side:
_________
|   ____    |
|G|       |G|

[Fleeting Frames]

That applies to any buildings, actually. This will also work, for instance (at least it didn't let any magma sea creatures into fort for me in decades, at least):
  Ω
▲▒▲

U-bends also clean water, though. I bet n-bends do too, though, given every n-bend must have a previous u-bend to get water on top of n.

However, as far as fishing goes, I'm not sure you can fish cave fish out of any old pool on cavern level, or if it has to be the pool that was there on embark. From other instances, rivers are a case of no, while oceans are a case of yes.

Btw, I suggest having a diagonal-only part somewhere as pressure limiter. Would limit how fast the upper cave lake drained out in particular (water only pressures orthogonally and up/down).