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[KodKod]

Historically, minecarts were pushed or pulled around by people (yay for child labor!) and ponies (bigger horses wouldn't fit in the mines).

I'd love to see Pit Ponies in the game, they're part of my North-East English heritage. =3

[ThatAussieGuy]

... There are powered "rollers" placed in strips that increase the speed of minecarts in a given direction, up to a point (more than enough to get them up a ramp, anyway). I don't have an engineering sense at all, so you can imagine the rollers to be... whatever you like. Perhaps they even make sense. ...

The only real-life use of drive wheels/rollers that I can find is in roller coaster systems. Note that old roller coasters pulled the cart to the highest point using a chain, and then let gravity take over. Drive wheels are a newer technology, and more modern roller coasters use electric linear motors and such. Historically, minecarts were pushed or pulled around by people (yay for child labor!) and ponies (bigger horses wouldn't fit in the mines).

Considering this and what I read in the rest of Toady's update, I think I'm going to have quite a bit of fun with minecarts.  Oh my, yes.

[Girlinhat]

I'm most excited about the weight issues.  Cart sorting sounds amazing.  And of course, the potential for mid-air collisions is astronomical.

Also, rollers are probably very fun.

[tahujdt]

Depending on how crashs work, we may have the next DAS. New slogan: Minecarts: The biggest thing since multiple z-levels.

[ThatAussieGuy]

I'm most excited about the weight issues.  Cart sorting sounds amazing.  And of course, the potential for mid-air collisions is astronomical.

Also, rollers are probably very fun.

That's pretty much as I pictured it.  Also, you just KNOW someone will have a fully-automated hauling railway set up within a month of the release.

[Girlinhat]

I'm already laying the gridwork in my head for the newest iteration of hauling tunnels.  That sand is going STRAIGHT to the magma forges!

[MrWiggles]

It'll be pretty awkward for us to stack minecarts. Toady gets to cheat and debug them into play.

We'll have to make cargo cart chutes, and drop them, with maybe some scaffolding on the side to help maintain their shape.

Not really.

(where "u" is a minecart. Side view.)

If you do this:

Code: [Select]

    ___________ <---u
    ___________ <---u
    ___________ <---u
    ___________ <---u
    ___________ <---u
    ___________ <---u
    ___________ <---u
_______________ <---uYou can get them (hopefully) to all stack, and they'd have a forwards momentum as well.

I think my idea would have less infrastructure then that one.

[KodKod]

Whilst I'll admit that there will be plenty of fun things we ought to be able to do with rollers, I can't help but think that most people here are ignoring their latent potential.

[Nelia Hawk]

hmm i wonder if rollers would/should require mechanical power to speed up a cart?
so rollers would be a more "high tech" thing as you have to build wind/water-wheels and gears all over first, where the "low tech" would be pulling dwarves/animals to get carts up ramps...
also would give another "use" for mechanical power exept pumps... but might be too much hassle? dunno... but i think toady has in mind to get more mechanical power uses into df with reseting weapon traps and lifts/moveing fortress sections... or maybe more workshops that require power to work quicker.

[Girlinhat]

Whilst I'll admit that there will be plenty of fun things we ought to be able to do with rollers, I can't help but think that most people here are ignoring their latent potential.

Not with rollers you're not.  Toady already said they'll accelerate "up to a point".  However, downhill momentum...

hmm i wonder if rollers would/should require mechanical power to speed up a cart?

I am 98% certain that they will.  It makes too much sense.

[KodKod]

Not with rollers you're not.  Toady already said they'll accelerate "up to a point".  However, downhill momentum...

I don't care if it's powered by the blood of legendary weaponsmiths, so long as it leaves burning trails on the ground.

[ThatAussieGuy]

Not with rollers you're not.  Toady already said they'll accelerate "up to a point".  However, downhill momentum...

I don't care if it's powered by the blood of legendary weaponsmiths, so long as it leaves burning trails on the ground.

"When this minecart hits 88 UristMilesPerHour, we're gonna see some serious Clowns!!"

[Ubiq]

Mid-air collisions suggests a marvelous new execution method.

Build a tower of supports with a single floor on the top that has access to a staircase via bridge, build a cage with the prisoner on top, link it to a lever, raise the bridge, and open the cage. Then release two minecarts down a slope at the same time so that they launch into the air and crash into each other at the top of the tower.

[Urist Da Vinci]

Whilst I'll admit that there will be plenty of fun things we ought to be able to do with rollers, I can't help but think that most people here are ignoring their latent potential.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCEc_043-Fc

They even had magma pits! Now imagine that with crossbows.

[MoonLightBird]

I am happy I am not the only one who has plans to weaponize minecarts. I wonder if a full minecart will hurt more than an empty one?