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[Dwarfu]

I've decided to watch this.

[Dwarvinator]

I've had one of these 'flamethrower turret' malarkies. The design was almost identical to yours. I found the most reliable way to activate and deactivate was to dispense with the forward-facing bridge altogether...
WWWWW
F    B    Wc W
F C W   W   W
F    W T    SW
WWWWWWW

So 'C' is a dragon-containing cage linked to a lever, 'B' is a retracting bridge, 'T' is a cage trap, 'S' is an animal stockpile accepting only dragons and 'c' is a kitten. Aw. The bridge is retracted. When guests arrive, release the dragon. When the party is over, open the bridge (B) and your scaly friend will race round the corner to frazzle the kitten, becoming captured in the cage trap.
I've had mixed results with it. I found dragons pretty unreliable in terms of rate-of-fire. Perhaps it's worth testing a dragon's reactions with various victims willing subjects. I mean, if it transpired that they had a particular dislike for kittens, say, you could fling one of them into the mix whenever the dragon gets 'flame-out'.
Of course, magma is more practical for such an application, but it just doesn't have the 'Wow' factor.
Edit: Maybe it's worth having the 'turret' backwards-facing. That way the dragon would always get the drop on the gobbos, or what-have-yous, as they wouldn't even clock the dragon until it was way, way too late

[CaptainLambcake]

my dragon is tame, and pastured.  he doesn't leave his position.

[MrSparky]

this is valuable science.

Very valuable. I hope you are successful.

[Big Bear]

I've never caught a dragon, so never had a chance to experiment with this.. I'll have to catch one some time!

For those of you who have weaponized dragons, I was wondering what would happen if there was a waterfall in front of the dragon's fortification. When the dragon breathes fire, would it become a spray of boiling water or steam? Would that cause any harm to enemies?

And now that I think of it, although it's a bit off-topic, if I shoot magma through a waterfall, will I get blocks of obsidian shooting outwards towards the enemy like an enormous shotgun?

[ScegfOd]

No one seems to have mentioned this yet, so I will.
there was a bit of science a while back that showed that even a granite mechanism inside a nether cap... floodgate i think? would function normally no matter how much magma it was subjected to.
apparently nether cap can protect the mechanisms inside.

[CaptainLambcake]

sorry guys.  not even artifact mechanisms work.  the dragon burned right through it.

edit:  i have nether caps.  they're just.... in a cavern guarded by like 30 fb's.  idk how to get to it?

[Garath]

even with nether caps... you can't make mechanisms out of them

[Tirion]

sorry guys.  not even artifact mechanisms work.  the dragon burned right through it.

edit:  i have nether caps.  they're just.... in a cavern guarded by like 30 fb's.  idk how to get to it?

Try making a tree farm anywhere underground, either on soil or muddy rock. If the cavern layer was ever breeched, it's plants will grow there.

[hanni79]

Yup, what Tirion said. Just search for a safe spot far away enough (from the FBs), breach the cavern and then immediately seal it off again. It helps to use a single (or appropriate to the size of your breach) Stockpile tile for stoneblocks besides the breach, so your mason doesn't spend too much time there. Dwarves need less time when using blocks for construction.
After that, they will start to grow on any underground soil. Stone needs to be muddied though.

You then go on to process them into blocks which you can then use for the bridge. Linked with an Artifact mechanism it should be completely Dragonfire-safe. Just my theory though, did not test this, since I never captured one myself.

[Calathar]

It seems like way too much effort, the dragon's fire seems to spare some of the goblins, without singing them even a bit.  I may just use it for executions or to fight Forgotten Beasts.

EDIT:  Artifacts cannot be destroyed, right? I have an artifact mechanism.  Perhaps if that was used with the bridge?

The goblins are probably blocking the fire with their shields - check your combat reports.  In my design, I had the goblins fall, get stunned from the fall, and then the dragon sets them on fire.  They can't block the fire if they're stunned.

[CaptainLambcake]

I dunno what it was, but 2 or 3 sprays of fire would set 'em up for roasting real good.  I had a tree farm, but it overgrew, so I abandoned it.  I'll chop them all down, and let some Nether Caps grow.

[Tirion]

I dunno what it was, but 2 or 3 sprays of fire would set 'em up for roasting real good.  I had a tree farm, but it overgrew, so I abandoned it.  I'll chop them all down, and let some Nether Caps grow.

First World Dwarf Problems: there are too many trees in my safe underground tree farm 

[Garath]

and don't even make a wood stockpile, just leave them where they are the elf diplomat will love you for it. The elf caravan will stop bringing wood too (humans and dwarf as well) opening aluable cargo space/weight for important stuff