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[blue emu]

Sounds like it should work There's still a small problem of how to stop the magma artillery cannon firing to let civilians collect the goods though, I take it mine-carts falling onto a hatch above the impulse ramp would work though?

Simply re-extending the retractable drawbridge will halt the auto-cannon and re-stack the carts (for the next barrage), since the path that the carts cycle through passes through that tile.

[BastiBasti]

Sounds like it should work There's still a small problem of how to stop the magma artillery cannon firing to let civilians collect the goods though, I take it mine-carts falling onto a hatch above the impulse ramp would work though?

Simply re-extending the retractable drawbridge will halt the auto-cannon and re-stack the carts (for the next barrage), since the path that the carts cycle through passes through that tile.

Good. Simple problem no of if cart falling onto the impulse ramp will work- hopefully. If so we've invented dwarven rapid-fire magma artillery.  Tests anyone? I'd also be interested in the maximum fire rate and cart capacity of this machine. Apart from that I think the plans are solid and (possibly) will make a working machine.

[blue emu]

I'm currently working on a Squirt Gun... When I finish that, I'll test the Magma Artillery if no-one beats me to it.

If the idea of stacking the carts in a shaft doesn't work, we can just substitute a downward spiral of ramps with a raising drawbridge (instead of a shaft with a retracting drawbridge) and still get the same effect.

[☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼]

So many ideas.
However, I'm more interested in ammo than in how to load it. My idea?

Code: [Select]

Z-1
++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++-------+++++++++
++++++-X-X-X-+++++++++
++++++--X-X--+++++++++
++++++-X-X-X-+++++++++
++++++-------+++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++X's are archery targets.

Code: [Select]

Z-0
OOOOOOOOOOO
O#|#|#|#|#OOOOOO
O#|============OOOO
O#############|==CO
O#|============OOOO
O#|#|#|#|#OOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO| and = are tracks. # are quantum stockpiles. C is a hatch covering the clip.

Basically, all bolts spent on training would fall here, and a swarm of novice cheesemakers would instantly place them in minecarts. One by one.
Of course, you could use 5000 steel bolts... BUT NO! The less it weights the more of it you can fit in. 999999 featherwood bolts would make puree even of the biggest forgotten beast.

EDIT: Fix'd the schemat

[blue emu]

How long does it take your apprentice cheesemakers to load 999999 featherwood bolts by hand?

The big advantage of water and magma is that they load instantly, without requiring a handling crew.

[☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼]

It's Dwarf Fortress. It's not about functionality, it's about how cool it sounds, looks and makes bloody mass of your foes. Of course, I can have a second clip with weapon as ammo, but that's not nearly as dwarven as 999999 bolts. And CPU-burning.

[fricy]

Assuming that when a cart falls onto an impulse ramp it begins moving.  I'm not entirely sure they do.

Since it's a ramp, the cart should (should!) roll downhill... and on an impulse ramp, there's only one downhill direction that has tracks leading out.

AFAIK dropping carts onto impulse ramps won't work, you need a roller to start them moving.
Excellent thread by the way. I'm impressed.

[BastiBasti]

Assuming that when a cart falls onto an impulse ramp it begins moving.  I'm not entirely sure they do.

Since it's a ramp, the cart should (should!) roll downhill... and on an impulse ramp, there's only one downhill direction that has tracks leading out.

AFAIK dropping carts onto impulse ramps won't work, you need a roller to start them moving.
Excellent thread by the way. I'm impressed.

Or a ramp for momentum, rollers arn't a complete necessity. Personally I think rollers shouldbe the optimal way to go, but yet again it's something more to go wrong

[blue emu]

Drop them onto a downward ramp, which leads through some impulse ramps to an upward ramp.

EDIT: Ninja'd

Or a ramp for momentum, rollers arn't a complete necessity. Personally I think rollers shouldbe the optimal way to go, but yet again it's something more to go wrong

[rhesusmacabre]

Nah, dropping minecarts straight onto an impulse ramp works just fine. (It thinks it's a "downward ramp" even if it isn't.)
The exception is when you want to propel the cart out of magma. Here impulse ramps can't provide the speed to escape, so complicated and unreliable solutions aside, a powered roller is necessary.

Incidentally, I've also tested launching and landing in adventure mode, and it works perfectly. Terrifyingly, but perfectly.

[blue emu]

The exception is when you want to propel the cart out of magma. Here impulse ramps can't provide the speed to escape, so complicated and unreliable solutions aside, a powered roller is necessary.

What if the cart doesn't STOP in the magma?

Suppose you set it up so that the cart zooms along a few impulse ramps to build up a good head of speed, then dips down into a short magma-filled hallway, then back up onto more impulse ramps? Will that set-up obviate the need for rollers?

I would REALLY like to be able to design an unpowered artillery system.

Has anyone tested stacking carts in a chute? I know that the first two will stack... but will the third one stack on top of the second, or will it Quantum Stockpile on top of the first one?

[☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼]

Wait... We were talking about sending dwarves/gobbos to space, not spears or magma, right?

Any informations about track stops negating fall damage? Or we will be forced to use really deep water reservoirs?

[blue emu]

Wait... We were talking about sending dwarves/gobbos to space, not spears or magma, right?

Any informations about track stops negating fall damage? Or we will be forced to use really deep water reservoirs?

The topic started as a Goblin Space Program thread, yes; but the discovery that the Sky is solid... that things will splatter when they hit it instead of leaving the map... takes some of the fun out of it. There are lots of ways to splatter Goblins. The past four pages have been a brain-storming session on creating Dwarven Artillery.

[☼!!Troll Fur Sock!!☼]

...Just wondering... Loading stuff into bins will only increase the weight of bins, or turn them into explode-on-collision flak shells? I'm not sure, but I think there is no way to knock contents of a bin out of it... Damn, Toady, why didn't you think about it!

[sweitx]

I'm trying to imagine what it would look like in real life if 5 minecarts, all loaded with green glass spikes (with sand, infinite spikes), launches the spikes in parabolic arch at you.
Basically, what would 1500+ green glass spikes coming at you look like...
And how much "skewering" would they do to a goblin siege.