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Author Topic: Alarm system  (Read 1314 times)

Bob Kelso

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Alarm system
« on: February 19, 2009, 05:13:09 pm »

I thought of a way to eke some usefulness out of Fortress Guards/Royal Guards. If an enterprising mechanic could strategically hook up a pressure plate to a forge-able "alarm bell" with a mechanism, then any interloper to trip the pressure plate would have all guards within the noise radius of the alarm bell(s) to stop what they're doing (EVEN DRINKING?), and come down hard on the intruders.

If guards were more proactive about dealing with threats, then I might feel better about utterly losing control of a dwarf guard when they reach hero-status.

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Warlord255

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2009, 05:44:09 pm »

While I'm not one to berate you for not searching, I mentioned something in this vein in the recent Music thread when bells and gongs were mentioned;

Bells/gongs could be linked to a meeting area or a new designation of "panic zone", and ringing it would cause all dwarves in a category (All/all indoors/all outdoors, subcategory all/civilian/military) to go there. This could be a great way to implement evacuation signals, shelter signals, etc.

Other ways to implement this might be smoke signals (outdoors only), horn instruments, or whistles. Shouting towers might be a bit much, since non-instrumental orders are assumed to be given via shouting.
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http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173907.msg7968772#msg7968772

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Bob Kelso

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2009, 05:50:04 pm »

That's fine.

I'm focusing more on guards leaving the legendary crafters alone for awhile and dealing with the true threats to homeland security.
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Neonivek

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2009, 06:08:27 pm »

I prefer using the ultimate security device... which is already the equivolent of an alarm bell...

Tied up dogs!
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Foa

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2009, 06:19:36 pm »

I prefer using the ultimate security device... which is already the equivolent of an alarm bell...

Tied up dogs!
I encase then in ice when found!
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Mikademus

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2009, 06:30:25 pm »

That's fine.

I'm focusing more on guards leaving the legendary crafters alone for awhile and dealing with the true threats to homeland security.

You have a high resistance against irony. Alarm systems alerting guards, alarm systems connected to mechanisms, and alarms connected to traps of various kinds have been suggested a number of times.
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You are a pirate!

Quote from: Silverionmox
Quote from: bjlong
If I wanted to recreate the world of one of my favorite stories, I should be able to specify that there is a civilization called Groan, ruled by Earls from a castle called Gormanghast.
You won't have trouble supplying the Countess with cats, or producing the annual idols to be offerred to the castle. Every fortress is a pale reflection of Ghormenghast..

Foa

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2009, 06:36:08 pm »

Hell!

I freeze the entrance shut! Until it has become important, I'll cut it open for the Caravans to get through.

And set it up so I can shoot the foe down, while they are fighting the stationed dog turrets in an advanced lock system, like if I open the Fortward doors, the Outward doors locks!
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Twad

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2009, 12:37:24 am »

well.. some random chained animals and wandering cats works very well for alarms, especially against kobolds in my experience.
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Warlord255

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2009, 12:50:03 am »

Hell!

I freeze the entrance shut! Until it has become important, I'll cut it open for the Caravans to get through.

And set it up so I can shoot the foe down, while they are fighting the stationed dog turrets in an advanced lock system, like if I open the Fortward doors, the Outward doors locks!
Bloody hell, I just got inspiration involving floodgates, glacier maps, and 2-wide hall entrances. BRILLIANT.
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http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=173907.msg7968772#msg7968772

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Foa

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2009, 01:01:58 am »

Hell!

I freeze the entrance shut! Until it has become important, I'll cut it open for the Caravans to get through.

And set it up so I can shoot the foe down, while they are fighting the stationed dog turrets in an advanced lock system, like if I open the Fortward doors, the Outward doors locks!
Bloody hell, I just got inspiration involving floodgates, glacier maps, and 2-wide hall entrances. BRILLIANT.
Floodgates? What are those. ( wink )
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Pilsu

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2009, 04:52:02 am »

Not needing to micro the guard should be an asset, not a hindrance. I think this could be accomplished with designated guard posts, patrol routes and battle stations. Alarm would make them ignore patrol routes and guard posts for the time being while they man the positions you designated. Designations should be based on weapon carried for simplicity's sake. You could tick out weapon classes you don't want on that particular stretch of land you're designating, for instance draw a line across the battlements and tick off all the melee weapons. Assigning individuals seems good on paper but gets iffy when you consider the need for replacements etc. The entire idea is to reduce micro beyond the initial designation

Regular troops wouldn't have access to any of this as to make up for the fact you can boss them around on a whim

Would need an option to disable sparring, as is you can't give them any good weapons since they'll kill everyone or waste all the ammo. A mess hall and separate meeting zones for the troops would really help managing morale
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Twad

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2009, 10:29:32 am »

Not needing to micro the guard should be an asset, not a hindrance. I think this could be accomplished with designated guard posts, patrol routes and battle stations. Alarm would make them ignore patrol routes and guard posts for the time being while they man the positions you designated. Designations should be based on weapon carried for simplicity's sake. You could tick out weapon classes you don't want on that particular stretch of land you're designating, for instance draw a line across the battlements and tick off all the melee weapons. Assigning individuals seems good on paper but gets iffy when you consider the need for replacements etc. The entire idea is to reduce micro beyond the initial designation

Regular troops wouldn't have access to any of this as to make up for the fact you can boss them around on a whim

Would need an option to disable sparring, as is you can't give them any good weapons since they'll kill everyone or waste all the ammo. A mess hall and separate meeting zones for the troops would really help managing morale

interesting. Basicaly; guards as automated sentries guided by triggers and such, while we manually control our soldiers. I like.
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LegoLord

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Re: Alarm system
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2009, 04:20:00 pm »

Hell!

I freeze the entrance shut! Until it has become important, I'll cut it open for the Caravans to get through.

And set it up so I can shoot the foe down, while they are fighting the stationed dog turrets in an advanced lock system, like if I open the Fortward doors, the Outward doors locks!
Bloody hell, I just got inspiration involving floodgates, glacier maps, and 2-wide hall entrances. BRILLIANT.
Pff.  It's been done.  I thought about it once, but decided it was too easy.
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"Oh look there is a dragon my clothes might burn let me take them off and only wear steel plate."
And this is how tinned food was invented.
Alternately: The Brick Testament. It's a really fun look at what the bible would look like if interpreted literally. With Legos.
Just so I remember