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[krenshala]

I do something similar. I didn't do the  target ranges in the length I normally use, 15 or 20 tile long, in the picture. Since on-target bolts are lost the closer the target the sooner they start hitting it accurately.  Put them far away and they can gain a few levels before they start consistently hitting a stationary target.  Oh, and don't forget walls around the target range.  Complete noobs can fire up to about 45 degrees off target!

     Z-level 0                    Z-level -1
###################          ###################         
#..............v++#          #++++++++++++++^###          # wall
#.A+++++++++++++M+#          #+O++++++++++++####          O wall/pillar
#..............v++#          #++++++++++++++^###          + floor
#.A+++++++++++++M+#          #+O++++++++++++####          ^ ramp up
#..............v++#          #++++++++++++++^###          v ramp down
#.A+++++++++++++M+#          #+O++++++++++++####          . open space
#..............v++#          #++++++++++++++^###          A archery target
#.A+++++++++++++M+#          #+O++++++++++++####            - set for "from the E" shooting
#..............v++#          #++++++++++++++^###          M marksdwarf firing position
###################          ###################

My floor to the target can be walked under. This prevents shots from hitting the "wall" of the walkway one level down, though thinking about it now, having it hit the wall may help save on bolts (I can't remember what happened with I did this before).  I'm thinking of making the last three rows of tiles on the target end into a bolt stockile (no bins) to prevent unnecessary hauling jobs for individual bolts.


(Note: Use TT tags for fixed width font display in the forums if you don't want the CODE tag box around it. )

[Joben]

I was thinking of doing this...sorta.

But with warhammers because effective ones can be made with copper and silver, and you don't need a bolt industry or ranges. Just need 1 hammer per adult and a month or two of a training a year.

Heck I think you can get them to even carry them off duty with uniform settings right? If a dwarf is carrying a weapon and shield can they still do work like hauling?

[SharkForce]

seems like the advantage of not starting off within killing range for every enemy (and not having to charge up through killing range for every ranged enemy) would be somewhat of an advantage on largely unarmored, poorly-trained recruits.

[Panando]

seems like the advantage of not starting off within killing range for every enemy (and not having to charge up through killing range for every ranged enemy) would be somewhat of an advantage on largely unarmored, poorly-trained recruits.

Indeed. All dwarves untrained in defensive skills (parrying, blocking, dodging) are almost completely ineffective at protecting themselves from injury. But marksdwarves have an inherit advantage in being able to kill at range, and (excluding danger rooms or convenient flesh balls) they are also MUCH faster to train.

Having tried arming everyone with axes or whatever, it just doesn't really work. Because invaders go through the poorly trained dwarves like a hot knife through butter. You are basically exchanging dwarvern lives for invader lives, and the exchange rate is not very favourable. With marksdwarves there will usually be no dwarvern deaths at all, and only a few injuries.

[Loud Whispers]

Heck I think you can get them to even carry them off duty with uniform settings right? If a dwarf is carrying a weapon and shield can they still do work like hauling?

Yep. Though give a civilian a crossbow, and another a hammer, find both caught outside during a siege - I'd give the survival edge to the crossbowdwarf.

[Jake]

I've been doing something similar for a while; any migrant who arrives with prior military training gets assigned to an appropriate squad, and civilians get issued a musket* and a breastplate, helmet and gauntlets and orders for one month of training a year followed by one month of sentry duty.

I recommend enabling the "inactive = civ clothes" setting though; tantrum spirals with weapons are all fun and games until your best weaponsmith gets beheaded.

* see my sig.

[Bertinator]

Well. Here's the thing. Bows and crossbows are very, very OP against armor and very, very UP against well-trained dodge/shield user/weapon users. Any bolt should be able to pierce through virtually any armor like it was shot through a railgun. Wooden bolts can even maim or kill Dwarves in adamantine. On the downside, well-trained enemies will be able to dodge/block/parry ridiculous numbers of bolts. But that can be solved with more dakka... By giving every civilian a crossbow and some low-grade bolts.

Practically speaking, if Goblins are rampaging through your fortress, they won't be charging down long, narrow hallways with all your civilians lined up to fire at them all at once. They'll be coming down stairways, through troll-smashed doors, and around corners. They'll also come in force so shooting one or two won't slow them down much. Some of your militia will get good opportunities, but many might only get one or two shots off before they get mobbed, and the odds are those will miss. But if you have 100 militia Dwarves, and each gets just a shot off, you could easily end up wounding or killing 20 Goblins. They'll probably get more shots off by shooting Goblins while they murder friends and pets.

If you intentionally design your fortress with a lot of open space and long hallways, they'll do better. If you give them all breastplates and a helm made out of iron or bronze or copper, they'll do much better. And if you make sure to train all of your militia a bit, up to at least Proficient, before turning them back into civilians, you could do some serious damage.

Basically, while it might not stop an invasion by itself, it will definitely give civilians a defensive edge in emergencies and will make taking your fortress more costly for the enemy. Unless you go the full mile and give every single Dwarf some rudimentary equipment and some training. Then you have 100 semi-armored Dwarves with railguns of death and the skill to use them patrolling your fortress at every moment, looking badass and popping bolts in any Goblins that dare show their faces. That's a god damn Dwarf Fortress.

[krenshala]

Considering the 15 to 20 tile range (-1 per z-level difference between marksdwarf and target) a group of noob militia on a wall overlooking the siege milling around outside should be able to skill up relatively safely.  Assuming no counterfire from the gobbos, that is.  Firing at ground level works well because misses against the close one might be a hit against someone behind him.  You'd need fortifications and a moat for that, of course.


That reminds me, I need to make sure to add the fortifications on my fortress.

[slothen]

you have 3 routes here.

Untrained - this is the easiest route.  Make a bunch of metal bolts and without telling any squads to train, they'll all be fairly effective and your bolt use won't be too insane.

trained - need massive butchering or tree farming.  I've found with some animals you can keep up with a rather insane rate of bolt use.

trained, with metal. - Make all metal bolts, and train them using metal bolts, and melt everything.  Grants infinite metal, trains weaponsmiths, and every dwarf is a deadly threat to any foe.  Labor intensive, although maybe the hauling changes will make stray bolt collection less labor intensive.

[Ashsaber]

I play with the mod Fort Defense.

Fort Defense has enemies that are considered nonsentient that comes in droves.

As a result, ammo is usually not a problem. In terms of organization, I usually have:

Captain of the Guard, as a training team (for the lulz, really)
4 squads of heavy infantry (swordsdwarf)
4 squads of light infantry (speardwarf)
2 squads of active marksmen (called for every engagement)
everybody else (marksmen, called during emergencies)

(Organization-wise, this means: first slot in the army tab is the training team, slots 2-5 are heavy infantry, and so on)

...unfortunately I've never truly gotten the whole 100 dwarf military thing, but having the plan makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

[krenshala]

Do you already have the squads created?  Thats something I was seriously considering doing with my current fortress.

[Ashsaber]

After Captain of the guard opens up, I disband the entire military and create eleven squads, starting with the captain of the guard.

So most of the time I have eleven squads with squad 1, 2, and 11 partially filled. 

[NRDL]

Um, assigned all starting seven one crossbow each ( except militia commander ) and they're not active.  I didn't use any uniform, just assigned them a specific crossbow.  I allocated a few hundred wooden bolts in the squad screen, only for Combat.  But they're not picking their weapons up.  Is there something I'm doing wrong? 

[wuphonsreach]

You're probably missing quivers?

Note that: Miners, Woodcutters and Hunters should never be assigned to a militia unit as there are weird uniform conflicts.

[Sprin]

usaly i give my mele dwarves a crossbow,
they almost never use it but when they do it effective.