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[Pantsmansoy]

Hi guys,

So for the first time, I'm trying to start up a magma economy, partially due to the lack of the ability to make coke so far (can't find the damn coal anywhere!).

Anyways, I've been digging down for what seems like forever. I've discovered two separate caverns (each were about 7z levels deep) and I've pushed past them without actually opening.

I'm not about ~10-20 z levels from the bottom and I'm starting to encounter warm stone a lot, making it difficult to go further down. I assume that the warm stone indicates the magma that I seek?

But how do I get down to it? Do I just keep trying to find places where I can dig down and hope it opens up onto a magma sea?

Also - magma forges allow you to make items without the additional coke, does it help you make bars from ore without charcoal in smelters?

Thanks!

[quarague]

warm stone means that one of the neighboring tiles contains magma, if you redesignate such a tile for digging you will breach into the magma. Be very careful if you don't want to kill the miner in the process. A magma forge can transform ore directly into bars without the need of charcoal. With magma forges you only need charcoal to make steel (and pig iron), everything else works without.

[Laurin]

Warm stone indicates magma above, below, or next to your digging space.

If you encounter warm on your side stone while digging down, you have a magma pool. Just dig sideways above the first warm stone, if you encounter warm stone again, go up one level and dig sideways again - and so on. This will help to locate the magma bubble and see it's shape until you can break it from above.

You can also carve fortifications and let it flow in a canal fro the side - magma flows slow enough for your miner/mason to escape.

[Quietust]

You can also carve fortifications and let it flow in a canal fro the side - magma flows slow enough for your miner/mason to escape.

Only if he immediately has another job to perform - otherwise he'll sit around for a few moments, contemplating what to do next, and promptly burst into flames...

[Laurin]

Yeah, I prefer to dig or channel into magma from above. It's easier and less dangerous.

[Garath]

magma flow has been speeded up in the latest few versions

[thiosk]

Once I breach the magma, I assume it won't rise up the hole I dug on its own power, so... Pump stack?

[Quietust]

magma flow has been speeded up in the latest few versions

No it hasn't - it's just your imagination. Magma flows at the same speed as water, and I'm fairly certain that said speed hasn't changed since 40d.

[Sutremaine]

Once I breach the magma, I assume it won't rise up the hole I dug on its own power, so... Pump stack?

It will under certain circumstances. I have a magma pool on my embark, and when I tapped into the magma sea just above the level of the magma there it kept bubbling up. I didn't test how far it would bubble up, but assuming it goes all the way to the top of the magma pool that's still not very far.

Yes, you can use a pump stack. Or you could build the forges down there and either transport items by minecart or put the rest of the fortress down near the magma. Or you could use minecarts to move the magma -- one cart will only move 2/7 magma at a time, but you only need two trips per desired magma building. A pump stack is probably the least complicated option, as the basic design is widely-known and easy to troubleshoot.

[Triaxx2]

Meaning it's no longer any FUN.

[thiosk]

Well I hate my fortress, so maybe it is about time I depart from the surface for the warmer bode below!

TAKE THE CAVERSNZ

[Pyro627]

Once I breach the magma, I assume it won't rise up the hole I dug on its own power, so... Pump stack?

It will under certain circumstances. I have a magma pool on my embark, and when I tapped into the magma sea just above the level of the magma there it kept bubbling up. I didn't test how far it would bubble up, but assuming it goes all the way to the top of the magma pool that's still not very far.

Yes, you can use a pump stack. Or you could build the forges down there and either transport items by minecart or put the rest of the fortress down near the magma. Or you could use minecarts to move the magma -- one cart will only move 2/7 magma at a time, but you only need two trips per desired magma building. A pump stack is probably the least complicated option, as the basic design is widely-known and easy to troubleshoot.

You can also just have dwarves haul stuff to and from the forges. Burrows work particularly well for a deep-level forge.