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[Vayre]

I've ready somewhere that if a military squad is set to train and the set minimum amount of dwarves training is the same as their squad number, then the dwarves will train constantly and not eat or drink, is this true? I would let some of em be off duty but its really bugging me not being able to tell which dwarves are in my military and which aren't when handing out job assignments.

[Granite26]

I run a three months on, three off training schedule, rotating(so someone is always up front, armed)

Occasionally I'll run a 3 train, 3 off, 3 patrol, 3 off schedule.

[anon_outlaw]

well as 1st post was in no way an answer to the question i'll try to answer though i haven't messed with this much.

set a squad of even one dwarf to train with 10 squad members and they will still drink, eat and sleep. though they will never take a break and the longer they are on duty the stronger unhappy thoughts they will get form 'long patrol duty' though training counts as patrol duty. i believe setting less then the total number of units in a squad will let some of them go 'on break' and counter the negative thoughts for 'long patrol duty' though i haven't really tested it.

when trying to level up my squads i put experienced solders in leading recruits so they level up faster, they don't need breaks every second or even third month to avoid really bad thoughts. i know you can get away with every 4th month off and i have even tried every 6th month off.

[tolkafox]

This has actually been greatly clarified by hellmoob here.

Archers can go into squads of 10, just make sure that they have one archery range per archer and that all ranges are set to fire in the correct direction and that the squad is set to equip and train on all of them. Also, don't have the archery targets overlap in designation, keep ammo out of bins, and make sure ammo isn't claimed by hunters or that there is 100 bolts assigned per archer.

Melee is best put in squads of two, preferably one experienced and one novice. This promotes sparring which is the biggest gainer in experience. No need mucking around with teacher/student skills.

I currently have a squad of 5 archers training (actually shooting, all five of them) and 5 squads of 2 melee dwarves each, 6 swordsman and 4 hammerdwarf. They've been training nonstop for over a year now and have balanced between content/happy. My biggest problem is keeping them stocked with bolts, little buggers fire them off faster than I can make them.

As for the thought, it looks as if they get the unhappy thought of long patrol only once per season. This looks to be enough to bring them down to content, but after it goes right back up. Drafting dwarves without novice in at least one military skill is the biggest unhappy thought they can get, as well as letting them go without having at least novice in one civilian skill.

As for the food, they eat and drink as they need. I've had my squad training all year without touching the schedule and they've done just fine. I just put them in a squad (2 dwarves per squad), give em a barracks and uniform, and set them to train.

[Starver]

My biggest problem is keeping [archers in training] stocked with bolts, little buggers fire them off faster than I can make them.

Have you tried the following design of target butts?

Code: [Select]

###################################################################+
#________                                                     ___>#+
#_X++++++...                                              ... ++++++
#________    far enough to get a maximum range, er, Range     ___>#+
#_X++++++...                                              ... ++++++
#________                                                     ___>#+
.   .   .                                                     .   .
.   .   .                                                     .   .
.   .   .                                                     .   .
for as many targets are there is space/need

# = walls (nice to have natural ones smoothed, if you delay the edge channelling)
+ = Floor (yes, I smooth them)
_ = channelling (which it's not necessary to Ramp Remove on Z-1, but I like to do so
X = Archery Targets constructed (if Olivine is available, I always like using blocks of that)
> = Downwards stairway (not necessary if you leave the ramps, but note my above preference)

There's twofold advantages to this.  The channelling naturally restrains the range's width, giving a good packing of each 'run'.  Also I think ammo still survives intact if dropping a Z-level.  Except for direct hits on one's own(/others'?) target, which would be rare with a maximum-length shooting range at least for the more novice marksdwarfs, there are no losses of training ammo.  But feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about this.  (It seemed to work when I last tried it, put it that way.)

I have also tended to undercut the range's walkways somewhere close to the stairwell access to create a nice large ammo stockpile for non-military peons to re-stock from wherever (along the edges after they hit the side, or at the far end) the intact used ammo has fallen, making for short walks to gather more bolts/etc.  At the current state of cave-in physics, it's actually possible to have the entire range 'run' unsupported, except at the entryway end.  Useful when you discover materials that you want under most of the range, and proceed to cut the rest out just for aesthetic purposes.

[anon_outlaw]

i did all year training, most of my milta dorfs got 'enraged by long patrol' so can they really be fine with no breaks?

[Fredd]

Anon training in Active training schedule mean that month, they will give demos, watch them, or spar. All this is good to keep combat skills from getting rusty. On a month will no scheduled orders, on ActiveTraining schedule, they will do individ combat training, which improves combat skills, another bonus.
 For a squad, it is best to set a min, 1 or two less, for a squad, to allow breaks. I have tried to make all attend training sessions. While no one died of thirst or hunger, they did reach a point where they were dehydrated and starving before they quit training, and went to go eat and drink.(Bad thoughts). So why I set a min.

 As for the "bolt using machine" archers can become, if out of bolts, will do indiv combat drills, at a archery target, if out of bolts. If a shield/buckler is assigned, will train in that. Another bonus. When you produce new bolts, they will go to target practice. In this way, you can control you bolt supply. and it never hurts to assign them a training month, to learn new skills, and refresh old ones. If you set a min on this month, you can assign who trains, in preferred, and who will target practice