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[MadBoat]

I'm sure someone has tried this by now. I know that if you drop a block of solid cast obsidian (say, into the ocean), it will retain it's shape (provided it's dropped somewhere flat), but if there are any hollowed out areas in the block the upper levels will collapse onto them and crush them. Anything that is constructed in that block will deconstruct. But what if there are non-constructed (i.e. dug) stairs or ramps in the block? are those also crushed?

[Cotes]

I'm quite sure they won't remain as stairs/ramps at least. Whether they turn into solid blocks of rock/soil or just get crushed, I do not know.

I'm not sure what use the former would be, either.

[Girlinhat]

Actually, I believe they keep their shape.  The wiki mentions that a down-stairs dug into a floor, which is then collapsed, will land intact and actually reveal the floor under the stairs, since it drops and becomes a functional stairway.  Still, the easiest way for dwarf-lantis is to drain the ocean, either with a flaming artifact (which is FPS death) or to drain the ocean off into the caverns, off the map using fortifications, or into an aquifer.  Once it's dry, you build all you want, then simply close the hatch and let it fill back up.  Freezing oceans are fair game as well.

[Di]

Freezing oceans are small FPS death on season change. Best way is to wait it freeze, turn temperature off, build what you want, turn temperature on, wait till it thaws and disable temp again. Still such oceans are lifeless (no fish, almost).

On topic, even if they keep their shape you need to get your dwarves inside somehow, due to dust they won't survive drop within your fortress. Thus it'll have to be connected to either surface or bottom, in both cases you can carve fort after drop.

Off main topic again, There are other than mentioned by Girlinhat ways to get underwater fortresses such as creating your own ocean (with fishing and mermaids), or (the way I'm currently working on) carving a fort beneath ocean bottom and dropping said bottom once finished.

[Urist Da Vinci]

You can also drop an obsidian wall square into the ocean, drain the inside of the square, build a city, and then drop the wall into the ocean floor. You don't need to keep the entire ocean drained, which is a real FPS killer.

[MadBoat]

Still, the easiest way for dwarf-lantis is to drain the ocean, either with a flaming artifact (which is FPS death) or to drain the ocean off into the caverns, off the map using fortifications, or into an aquifer. Freezing oceans are fair game as well.

I would consider that cheating :-j