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[Karpatius]

The first few thousand lines are the environment I've created for my marksdwarfs and a little lower along is the actual problem, so don't feel bad about skipping a little...

I build a nice obsidian wall ( although only one level high ) to protect my fort entrance, and even used set up a drawbridge to stop invaders from getting over my moat, but stil lallowing trade.
Also, I have one drawbridge at the entrance to the mountain as an elaborate door, ready to block the actual fort entrance in case the ( dry ) moat, wall and raised drawbridge fail.

I built floor tiles on the top of the wall for my marksdwarfs, and even extended it to two tiles wide, and have simple up/down stairs at the ends of the wall to allow easy access to fortified positions. Fortifacations are placed on the top of the outer edge of the wall, for the entire length of the wall, aside from the spot where the bridge comes up.

Setting up a partol route on top of the wall, I eagerly set my squad on a test patrol to spot any potential invaders for the fort.

Here's where it got stupid...

Only one member of the squad patrols on top of the wall, and the rest of the squad mill about the wall entrance/drawbridge in a confused matter. They won't get up unto the fortified positions even if the patrol route passes through the "courtyard" and back up to the fortifications.
What am I excactly doing wrong with my patrols?

[muwahahaha]

I'd guess it has something to do with the non-leader members worrying more about staying close on an x-y rather than a z axis scale.

The best solutions I can think of right now are either extend the wall at the top a few more spaces or make all of them into one or two dwarf squads.

[Karpatius]

Was thinking of extending a corridor for the squad to let the slowpokes catch up with the leader.

Well, atleast I now know what to look out for in the future with defensive design. Thanks, pal.

[Deon]

1-man patrols work much better on walls. They won't ALL follow your single leader if he wanted to eat/sleep rending your fortress defenceless.

[Karpatius]

Wait... soldiers follow their leader to lunch?

Isn't being a soldier about discipline and not taking a break with your buddies watching your commanding officer having lunch?

[pushy]

quote:Originally posted by Karpatius:
<STRONG>Wait... soldiers follow their leader to lunch?</STRONG>

Yup, if their leader buggers off to sleep or eat, they'll all go off-duty and sleep/eat/mill around. Pain in the arse when you use a pretty small military of just a couple of small squads of marksdwarves (I rarely have more than a dozen guards, though I try to give everyone a term of service so they won't be pissed if I draft them when they're absolutely needed). If one squad's asleep and the leader of the other squad decides s/he's hungry, I'm pretty screwed.