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Author Topic: Making a military arena?  (Read 811 times)

farecoal

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Making a military arena?
« on: August 16, 2010, 05:52:04 pm »

I've heard a lot about how people have arenas where they release captive enemies and things like that. However, I have no idea how to set one up. The thing I'm most confused about is placing the cages with the enemies in them. How do you make an arena?
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Tis a Dwarven Curse to wish Water upon thy enemies, something like "May all yer Ale Barrels run dry and yer tongue always taste water."

blue emu

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Re: Making a military arena?
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2010, 07:28:58 pm »

How do you make an arena?

I use a rather simple set-up. I dig out a room; sometimes with a lever-controlled channel-and-retracting-bridge down the center, if I'm planning to train Markdwarves there. Then I set up some of my prisoner cages, using 'b' - 'j' - select a spot - 'x' - select a caged prisoner - 'Enter'. I usually set up fifteen caged Goblin prisoners at a time, or correspondingly fewer tough opponents, such as five caged Troll prisoners at a time.

I build a bank of levers outside the room. The cages are hooked up to the levers, with as many opponents as I want to fight simultaneously (eg: three Goblins, or one Troll) all hooked to the same lever... so I might end up (for example) with five levers in the corridor, each lever hooked up to one Troll cage or to three Goblin cages.

I set up a set of air-locks in the passage leading to the arena, with the doors set to keep Pets out... no sense getting my Wardogs killed in training fights. I also set the doors of the arena itself to keep Pets out.

I disarm the Prisoners via the Stocks menu ( 'z' - weapons - 'Tab' - change 'F's to 'D's... but be sure not to mess with your own Dwarves favored weapons, which will appear in the same list) but I let them keep all their Armor, since it makes the fight last longer and therefore yields my Military Dwarves more experience.

Then station a squad in the room, lock the door, open the retracting bridge (if Marksdwarves are involved), and start releasing the prisoners... one strong opponent or one group of weak opponents at a time.
« Last Edit: August 16, 2010, 07:30:33 pm by blue emu »
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farecoal

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Re: Making a military arena?
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2010, 07:46:37 pm »

Alright, thank you. That was extremely helpful.
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Tis a Dwarven Curse to wish Water upon thy enemies, something like "May all yer Ale Barrels run dry and yer tongue always taste water."