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[anonydwarf]

Two questions about my recently installed moat.

First, during my inaugural siege, I managed to drop about a half dozen trolls into the moat (one deep, 7/7 water).  But the trolls aren't drowning.  Are they considered to be too tall for that (i.e. I should make it 2 deep), or can they swim?

Second, in addition to the trolls, I have about 15-20 dead goblins in the moat with their precious, precious iron.  But I'm in a freezing biome, and winter came on fast.  The end result is that the moat froze and everything under the water seems to be gone.  I just want to confirm if that is the case.  If objects are lying in water and that water freezes, will they still be there when the ice thaws in the spring?

Thanks!

[Mister Always]

I think trolls may have [SWIMS_INNATE]. Check their raws. If they have that, they won't drown (though I seem to remember a troll drowning once...well, winter'll take care of your problem either way).

If you want those items, you'll have to dig out the ice when winter comes. Otherwise they'll be gone come-a spring.

No iron ores on your map, I take it?

[zwei]

If you want those items, you'll have to dig out the ice when winter comes. Otherwise they'll be gone come-a spring.

They will be gone, but when water re-freezes next winter they will still be there waiting to be dug out.

It is kind of bugged...

[Grumbledwarfskin]

Usually, the items are still there, but have magically disappeared. You can verify this by locating them on your stocks screen. You'll be able to zoom to their location in the moat, but you won't be able to see them.

While you can't see them, and can't use k to look at them, if you drain your moat and unforbid them via the stocks screen, your dwarves will eventually track them down and bring them inside, provided you have a stockpile that takes them and isn't full. Or at least that's what bug reports suggest.

The bug reports also suggest claiming them and designating them to be dumped via the stocks screen as a good way to get them back (make sure the garbage zone is a safe place for your stuff first), might be quicker than just claiming them and waiting for them to stockpiled, but hauling has a pretty high priority, so I'm not sure.

One bug reporter said in their case, the items disappeared from the stocks screen as well, if that happens, then they're gone.

On the topic of trolls: if they're swimming in your moat and they can't crawl out, don't think of them as enemies that won't drown, think of them as marksdwarf training targets.