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[ungulateman]

lol pun.

So, I recently worked out a very efficient method of avoiding all your metalworking / furnace operating dwarves from becoming !!metalworking / furnace operating dwarves!! because of Fire Imps, even if you're building on the surface or have dug out more holes than covered by your workshop's solid sections.

Code: [Select]

sme* *
sme * *
sme* *
.7. * *
mag* *
mag * *
mag* *
.7. * *
gla* *
gla * *
gla* *
.7. * *
The magma powering the workshops comes from below, as shown by the spots where the magma pokes through. The channels, (*), mean that your dwarves zigzag while moving back and forth, making it much, much harder for them to get fireballed. Plus, digging out these holes takes less time than flooring over the gaps or stationing military dwarves to kill the imps, and is more reliable than military as well, who use up more time drinking and eating than doing anything useful, like preventing the death of your metalsmiths.

Thoughts?

[Salamander]

Dodging the fireballs is all well and good, but how are you going to stop the imps from rampaging about?

[Deon]

You can just dig the moat underground and not channel it, and then cover the exit with a workshop.

[Blargityblarg]

Alternatively, you can place the 'solid' tiles of your magma furnaces over the hole, thus blocking the imps from even seeing your dwarves. Unless I'm misreading your diagram, all that your plan does is open countless holes in your defenses.

KINDA-EDIT: Damn, ninja'd.

[ungulateman]

Um, placing the solid tiles over the gaps is tedious, and in some case, requires digging out the passageway to be wider for the magma forge. This method is more of a "quick and dirty" surface-of-magma solution. You can do something smart to keep your dwarves alive later.

[Blargityblarg]

You mean for the edge of the magma pipe proper? THat I simply don't consider; it's too unsafe except for ther shortest period of time. Blocking holes with workshops is hardly tedious, though; you simply did the magma channel the shape you want it.

[Kidiri]

The way I do it, is with a double safety. The workshops are always underground, and the magma transporting pipe is always in stone. I smooth every wall and floor of it, just for the hell of it, and then I carve one diagonal fortification tile. The times I didn't do it diagonal, my engraver burned. Also, when the engraver's on it's way, I designate something else in the fort to be smoothed, so he won't waste time. The second measure, is the placing of the impassable tiles over the magma.

[Loyal]

So we're going to make the dwarves safer... by opening more holes in the ground through which the imps can fire?

This can't possibly be any less "tedious," as you say, than simply flooring over the offending tiles. I mean hell, if you dig out the magma passages right, you won't have anything to worry about at all!

...wait, no, don't tell me. Are you creating your magma passages by channeling out the above floor tiles?

[betamax]

I have to say, I have never had a problem with Imps coming along my magma channel into the fortress, and I've always played forts with a magma pipe. As long as the channel from pipe to workshops is long enough, they won't even know your dwarves are around.

I do cover the open tile with the inaccessable tile on the workshop, but I also always leave one tile open as a dumping zone.

[Nether]

... I have a carved fortification with a steel wall grate behind it, never saw anything pass...

[Gelmax]

Digging out those holes isn't any faster than flooring over gaps, nor is it more reliable than keeping military there to ward off fire imps. Nor, for that matter, does it aid safety in any real way. This idea has no redeeming values.

[peterix]

... I have a carved fortification with a steel wall grate behind it, never saw anything pass...

Yep. that's the way to do it. If you want to be 100% sure, put a pump between the source and your pipes.

Edit: it's always a good idea to block off the path. The moment you have enough magma for production, close the intake

[ungulateman]

Hey, those channels aren't over the magma themselves - they're there to make the dwarves zig-zag. They are over solid rock.

[They Got Leader]

Else you can just dig a staircase down one z-level , then mine about, makign your magmaworks all ready (above and below), then place fortifications near the area yu a re going to channel from above.

Code: [Select]

         ~~magma~~
         WWWWWWWWWW
         WFFFFFFFFW
         W........W
         W.......SW
         WWWWWWWWWW
         -Below-

         ~~magma~~
         WWWWWWWWWW
         W|WWWWWW|W
         W........W
         W.......SW
         WWWWWWWWWW
         -Above-F = fortification
W = wall
S = staircase
. = floor

Dig your two levels out like so, then put fortifications where the "F"s are. Then channel out the "W"s between the | |'s and then place floors over the channeled holes. What will happen is that the fortifications will allow magma to flow over, but not let anything* in.

(*anything = non-vermin)

[darkflagrance]

it's always a good idea to block off the path. The moment you have enough magma for production, close the intake

An easy way to do this is build a bridge over a section of the channel connecting the forges to the magma pipe, designate it as a pond from the z-level above so that dwarves fill it like a pond, and then, when you have enough water stored up, open the bridge.

The water will turn the magma into obsidian and seal off the pipe from your fort with a natural wall.

The bonus is that if you didn't tap the pipe any other location, and the pipe is completely isolated from your fort, if you abandon and reclaim, the glitch where you can't build magma buildings will not occur because the pipe will once again be hidden, allowing you to rediscover it.