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[Yagrum Bagarn]

It's not a design you can take much from in the way of specifics, but maybe it will give you inspiration.  This is the entrance to my 100 dwarf fortress, Heavenslabor the Blister of Onslaught.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The caravan entrance is 3 wide and the drawbridges force them to come from a particular place.  The secondary entrances on each side of the caravan entrance allow sieges to path into my fortress, so I can trap/kill them.

The small towers are aesthetic.  When I want to place marksdwarves, they g on the low platforms.

The trade depot lives under the central marksdwarf platform.

The caravan path is 3 wide; the goblin paths are 2 wide and full of cage traps.

[Andir]

I can't see your picture here at work... stupid proxy :p

But you reminded me with your description...  The depot can go above or below the main entrance (in an odd width entrance) to retain symmetry.

Code: [Select]

#####...#####
#####D#D#####
#...#...#...#
#.A.D...D.B.#
#...#...#...#
#####D#D#####
#<<<#...#<<<#
#...........#
#...........#

######O######
####.....####
####.....####
#...........#
#...........#
#...........#
#>>>#####>>>#
#############
#############

Spot A/B could go up to a barracks area and have fortifications that overlook the wide part of the entrance.  O is an optional door again.

[Urist Imiknorris]

I tend to embark on roads that cross brooks, so I usually have a dorfload of building materials to work with. I build a Trade Depot in the bridge, make the bridge the base of a tower, put my barracks on level 2, and goods stockpiles on levels 3 through infinity-1.

The top level has a single staircase down to my actual fort. This is my only entrance. My patented Drowning Depot^TM design prevents invaders from being alive.  The lucky ones fall back and don't die of water poisoning

[DgnBiscuit]

I tend to use an ambush tower: An archer nest at least two stories tall, with bolt storage underneath the floor, that faces the depot (three squares away) and has it's back to the entrance that the invaders would be using.

Code: [Select]

z0                z1                z2

O=====O++++++++   +++++++                         
|T...TO+++O===O   +     +   O===O             O===O
|.....++++|+++|   +         |+++|             #+++|
D..T..++++|+X+|             |+X+|             #+>+|
|.....++++|+++|   +         |+++|             #+++|
|T...TO+++O===O   +     +   O===O             O===O
O=====O++++++++   +++++++                         


It forces invaders into a fishbowl (of sorts). Archers stationed on z2 are protected from ranged attacks by marksgoblins as they come in, allowing the marksdwarves to get off critical first shots before coming under fire. The two z-level difference between the attackers and defenders gives the archers in the towers a good level of protection through the fortifications (in fact I've never seen a dwarf hit at that range) but is so close that it's virtually impossible for a marksdwarf, even a relatively inexperienced one, to miss. Unless they bring trolls or you're facing a megabeast your door is safe, and any goblins retreating from the depot have to pass closer to the archers to get away. Generally this design breaks sieges as soon as the siege leader passes into the firing arc of the tower, and it only requires about four marksdwarves (two squads of two, alternating duty) to man it (though three squads of three works better).

-DB

[Rakonas]

What is up with everyone always using horizontal entrances? Does nobody else ever just have their grand staircase sticking out into the open? Though when I have an entrance that both exists (trade is overrated) and is horizontal, I always have it 2 tiles wide, along with having doors built for a couple z levels above it. I also engrave the entire outside wall, building way too much scaffolding. As such the entrance of my fortress would be a golden door standing as tall as the cliff/mountain it's built on, with engraving stretching both ways beside it.

[Vanguard Warden]

What is up with everyone always using horizontal entrances? Does nobody else ever just have their grand staircase sticking out into the open? Though when I have an entrance that both exists (trade is overrated) and is horizontal, I always have it 2 tiles wide, along with having doors built for a couple z levels above it. I also engrave the entire outside wall, building way too much scaffolding. As such the entrance of my fortress would be a golden door standing as tall as the cliff/mountain it's built on, with engraving stretching both ways beside it.

Horizontal entrances are very difficult to keep secure. You also need a very big spiral ramp-way for wagon access if your trade depot isn't near the surface.

[Thingmabob]

This is what I plan for my fortress.

[moki]

My entrance designs are usually more pretty than useful or dwarfy. Just one loooong straight road from the edge of the map, through a gate in the outer wall, inner wall and finally a central tower with the main staircase or spiral ramp. The last few tiles before the inner wall usually have some cage traps, but the are alsmost never needed, because the barracks are close to the entrance.
I like the image of traders walking down a seemingly endless road, lined with statues and guarded gates. Way more impressive than some hole in the ground.

[Thingmabob]

Or for extra defence:

Apropos: Of course your entry to the trade depot should be guarded by a lever-linked floodgate system.