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[reechee3]

So I have 2 melee squads set to train all year. All were hand picked due to already having shield/dodge/melee skills. After around 4 years of training I finally checked to see if their skill was getting any better only to see all of their shield skills have a rusty tag attached to it. I've checked their gear and they all have iron or better shields in their offhand and the report log shows that they are sparring, any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

[Snaake]

Can you watch their sparring combat reports to verify they're using their shields?

[misko27]

So I have 2 melee squads set to train all year.

Oy, if you set thm to do that, they become full of rage. They will tantrum easily. Tantruming well-trained dwarves is the exact opposite of what you want. Seriously, I am constantly seeing "enraged by patrol duty".

[Loud Whispers]

So I have 2 melee squads set to train all year.

Oy, if you set thm to do that, they become full of rage. They will tantrum easily. Tantruming well-trained dwarves is the exact opposite of what you want. Seriously, I am constantly seeing "enraged by patrol duty".

Unless they're elite soldiers.

I'm guessing these aren't elite soldiers.

Are you sure they're blocking with their shields? They probably just have a preference for weapon/armour/dodging skills.

[reechee3]

In the logs I see a few "the shot is blocked" but most are parried. Maybe they just use the shields to keep their arms warm. If they can parry away bolts then I suppose I don't care all that much... Dragon fire could be fun

[reechee3]

So I have 2 melee squads set to train all year.

Oy, if you set thm to do that, they become full of rage. They will tantrum easily. Tantruming well-trained dwarves is the exact opposite of what you want. Seriously, I am constantly seeing "enraged by patrol duty".

I was worried about that at first but according to dwarf therapist they seem to be happy. Good food and drink along with a bedroom seems to be working. I will keep an eye on the rage filled little guys though!

[misko27]

So I have 2 melee squads set to train all year.

Oy, if you set thm to do that, they become full of rage. They will tantrum easily. Tantruming well-trained dwarves is the exact opposite of what you want. Seriously, I am constantly seeing "enraged by patrol duty".

I was worried about that at first but according to dwarf therapist they seem to be happy. Good food and drink along with a bedroom seems to be working. I will keep an eye on the rage filled little guys though!

Yeah, it works NOW. But one about when times are tough? When turtling from a siege? When a sock shortage is afoot? They need to be DEPENDABLY happy. So, Give them a break every four months. Good for morale.

[Lich180]

I only give my military a break when I notice a squad is getting particularly mad about duty. They get to go take a break for a season, then its right back to active duty. Train and train until they become masters, then its full time military service for them.. And that's only before I get my hands on masterwork roasts and other legendary thoughts, then it's full-time training for all. I just let them sleep in their legendary bedroom when they get tired, eat legendary meals in a legendary dining room, and have good sparring sessions.

As to the rusty skill, they should have been using their shields if they were sparring occasionally, unless they didn't spar much. As long as they use their shield (and attend shield demonstrations?) they shouldn't be going rusty

[Fredd]

How many you have in each squad, and the min you set could be a contributing factor. As a temporary fix, send them out on kill orders against easy targets

[weenog]

They need to be DEPENDABLY happy. So, Give them a break every four months. Good for morale.

Not really, or at least not as good for morale as it should be.  For some buggy reason, perceived duty length is cumulative.  A dwarf that goes one month on, one month off, one month on, one month off, for two years, will be exactly as pissed off by it as if he had spent one solid year on active duty.  All a break actually does is give you some time to catch up with the bad thoughts and overwhelm them with good ones, before you resume pouring on the bad thoughts.  Not much different doing deliberate public killings gradually instead of all at once, to harden your dwarves instead of driving them insane.

[misko27]

How many you have in each squad, and the min you set could be a contributing factor. As a temporary fix, send them out on kill orders against easy targets

How you define easy is important, I was had a fledgling military curb-stomped by a enraged yak.

They need to be DEPENDABLY happy. So, Give them a break every four months. Good for morale.

Not really, or at least not as good for morale as it should be.  For some buggy reason, perceived duty length is cumulative.  A dwarf that goes one month on, one month off, one month on, one month off, for two years, will be exactly as pissed off by it as if he had spent one solid year on active duty.  All a break actually does is give you some time to catch up with the bad thoughts and overwhelm them with good ones, before you resume pouring on the bad thoughts.  Not much different doing deliberate public killings gradually instead of all at once, to harden your dwarves instead of driving them insane.

Hmm, well, i dont know about that, someone should do some !!SCIENCE!! on the subject. I know that the vast majority of my soldiers are content in a realm of the mostly ecstatic.

[weenog]

A trick I tried in my last fortress that I think I'll keep on using is putting the barracks in between the statues (as nice as I can make and fully encrusted, of course) that block traffic under this.

[Panando]

How many you have in each squad, and the min you set could be a contributing factor. As a temporary fix, send them out on kill orders against easy targets

How you define easy is important, I was had a fledgling military curb-stomped by a enraged yak.

They need to be DEPENDABLY happy. So, Give them a break every four months. Good for morale.

Not really, or at least not as good for morale as it should be.  For some buggy reason, perceived duty length is cumulative.  A dwarf that goes one month on, one month off, one month on, one month off, for two years, will be exactly as pissed off by it as if he had spent one solid year on active duty.  All a break actually does is give you some time to catch up with the bad thoughts and overwhelm them with good ones, before you resume pouring on the bad thoughts.  Not much different doing deliberate public killings gradually instead of all at once, to harden your dwarves instead of driving them insane.

Hmm, well, i dont know about that, someone should do some !!SCIENCE!! on the subject. I know that the vast majority of my soldiers are content in a realm of the mostly ecstatic.

Military dwarves still get most or even all of the usual happy thoughts. Ones about having a good meal, a good drink, sleeping in a good bedroom, comforted by a waterfall, admired fine furniture, made a friend etc. Mainly they're just busier than normal dwarves and get less opportunity to gain those happy thoughts. But depending on how you design your fortress and manage your squads, it's certainly possible for military dwarves to get lots of happy thoughts, especially when you furthermore include happy thoughts for sparring and slaughtering.