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[dei]

In regards to mechanisms, I'm wondering about the following things...

• Do tame animals, pets, and such count as citizens in regards to pressure plates?
• How does one make an efficient spike trap? Does one put the spikes on the pressure plate, or right in front of them?
• How would one make a "door" that would open and close as a dwarf comes in or out of a certain place, automatically? Is it even possible with the current programming in the A.I.?

As for my other questions, I'll check the wiki on how to make an atom smasher and such.

[Shadowics]

1. Probably, never tested myself.
2. You can't put the spikes on the same tile as the pressure plate. Either have one gobbo kill all his buddies, or hook the spikes up to a level set to repeat.
3. Pressure Plate + Door? Note that when a door is shut, it won't be a valid path, so the AI won't even walk up to it. What are you trying to do?

[Albedo]

(dammit, too slow)

1) "Your side" doesn't activate any traps, and that includes pp's. (unless they are asleep/unconscious)

More info on the wiki - "computing"?  And you'll get more expansive answers by those more knowledgeable than me.

Atom smasher is easy - it's just any drawbridge.

[Jim Groovester]

1. I believe they do. I remember talk of players using animals for repeaters using a pressure plate in a pit.

2. I imagine an effective spike trap would be a pressure plate followed by a large area of spike traps, so the goblins would trigger the plate, and then they would be impaled after the delay kicks in, regardless of their speed. An efficient spike trap would probably require precise timing that I don't think pressure plates deliver.

3. It would be possible to create doors that would automatically open and close for a dwarf using fluid logic and timers, but dwarves would never path through it because the way is blocked by the closed door. Might be a fun thing to try, though.

[Martin]

2. I imagine an effective spike trap would be a pressure plate followed by a large area of spike traps, so the goblins would trigger the plate, and then they would be impaled after the delay kicks in, regardless of their speed. An efficient spike trap would probably require precise timing that I don't think pressure plates deliver.

Well, the pressure plates deliver the precise timing, but the gobbos don't. But yes, pressure plate followed by field of traps would be the design. It often gets tripped up by large numbers of gobbos trigging the plate, however. I find spike traps work best when you connect a pressure plate at the end of the spike trap field closest to your fortress to a bridge back at the other end of the field, trapping everyone inside and having the spikes hooked to a lever.

[Cogsmith]

Pressure plates are so useful because you can alter their triggers, including whether or not pets and civilians activate them.

And an efficient spike trap is a long corridor of spike traps FOLLOWED by 2 pressure plates(ideally with a bit of space between them). First gobby gets by fine, trips the first plate, allow a wee bit of delay due to mechanisms being delay-y(hence the space between the 2 plates). The spikes spring up, getting MOST if not all of the gobbies buddies behind him and he wanders over the 2nd plate to reset the whole trap for the next group. Escapees from it probably won't number more than 3 or so. (especially since invariably the 2nd or third are far enough back to trigger the whole thing a second time

[Albedo]

1. I believe they do. I remember talk of players using animals for repeaters using a pressure plate in a pit.

Animals and gobbos and such, yes - but not tame animals. (That's how I remember it, anyway.)

[Cogsmith]

I don't know about pets or tame animals but I KNOW there's an option for civilians which I presume basically means "your side"

[dei]

Thank you for the information.