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I can't live without them!

18 (41.9%)

I think it's an exploit, but I use them anyway. I hope they replace it with something else.

13 (30.2%)

I think they are important, but I don't use them.

6 (14%)

I think it is tantamount to cheating, I hope they get phased out soon.

2 (4.7%)

What are quantum stockpiles?

4 (9.3%)

Total Members Voted: 42

[Rogue Yun]

I just started playing around with quantum stockpiles as described in the wiki.

http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Exploit#The_Minecart_Stop

I feel quite pleased with my success. I set up a fortress today that ran very smoothly. Awesome little physics breakers these stockpiles are. So I began to wonder what the DF community thought about them. Is there a future for this exploit?

*edit* If you are willing to help satisfy my curiosity, please take the above poll. Though I would appreciate feedback, you don't need to post anything and I don't believe it changes the thread's position on the forum board. Thank you!

[Oaktree]

They led to me having much smaller fortress footprints.  Before I think 1/2 - 2/3 of my industrial area space was essentially nothing but stockpiles for stone, wood, etc.  And then all the space needed for goods and furniture, even when having enough extra wood to build bins.

[wierd]

I have yet to actually, in seriousness, implement minecart tracks. As far as I can tell, they are optional.

The way I quantum stockpile is the old quantum dump method, where you assign a single dump tile, dump all of a single class of item inside it, remove the dump, then put a stockpile on top and flood reclaim.

You can have literally thousands of stone boulders 1 tile away from the masonry workshop, or bins full of metal bars away from the forge, etc.

That's the oldschool way of doing it though, I understand.

[Vid_the_Impaler]

I only quantum stockpile stone, and that's mostly just to get prevent it from cluttering areas I've mined out. I've never quantum stockpiled finished good or anything other than stone, though I can see how it would be useful.

[kingubu]

I like QSP because the current bin hauling behavior irks me to no end.  And without bins stuff would be fricken everywhere without the QSP.

[GrimDark_Majyyks]

I use it very liberally as I have a strong predilection for compact fortresses. I even use DFHack's autodump feature for stone that is in areas I am currently trying to build in; the clutter otherwise makes it impossible for me to even begin thinking about how to arrange things. The minecart method is very convenient when you have time to set it up, but the hauling method is more than sufficient until you start having to manage more dwarfs performing a greater number of tasks.

[Merendel]

I tend to only use them for raw materials such as stone and sometimes wood if that stockpile gets too big.   One advantage of the minecart method vs the old dump method is its automatic and only needs slightly more prep to setup.   Even better you can dynamicly controll how much of your hauling force is devoted to moveing bolders up to the central stockpile by adjusting the number of feeder piles and how many wheelbarrls are assigned.

While I could use them for finished goods I tend to leave those in bins because it would take forever to haul the trade items to the depot one at a time.

[jhharvest]

I don't use quantum stockpiles. I try to play DF with the least amount of gamey elements possible. I find it helps my immersion. The thread about house rules for DF a while back gave me a lot of inspiration.

[Rogue Yun]

Thank you all for your responses. I feel this is very helpful.

I have yet to actually, in seriousness, implement minecart tracks. As far as I can tell, they are optional.

I'm not sure I understand, but yes to both interpretations that I have of this statement.
1.) The use of minecarts is indeed optional.
2.) You can make a QS with or without minecart tracks : )

While I could use them for finished goods I tend to leave those in bins because it would take forever to haul the trade items to the depot one at a time.

I definitely use quantum stockpiles at the depot. The Autotrade Plugin makes it a breeze as well. I have one QS on either side, directly adjacent to the depot, with the garbage goods I know I need to get rid of trade. I don't use bins, but since the proximity of the stockpiles is so close I haven't thus far had any problems with getting the goods to the depot on time, though on one occasion it took the caravan quite a while to load it up.

My design looks something like this:

Code: [Select]

D=Depot
F=Feeder Stockpile
Q=Quantum Stockpile
S=Minecart Stop
#=Wall
.=Floor

        The rest of my fort
# # # # # # # # # . # # # # # # # # #
# F F F F F # D D D D D # F F F F F #
# F F F F F # D D D D D # F F F F F #
# F F F F S Q D D D D D Q S F F F F #
# F F F F F # D D D D D # F F F F F #
# F F F F F # D D D D D # F F F F F #
# # # # # # # # . . . # # # # # # # #
          Barreks/Defenses

My refuse stockpile became quantum as well...and I must say it works exceedingly well. It looks something like this:

A=Dwarven Atom Smasher
G=Garbage Zone/Atom Smashing Zone

    # # #
    # A #
    # G #
    # Q #
# # # S # # #
# F F # F F #
# # # . # # #
The rest of my fort.
Okay.. I think I'm done tooting my own horn. Ya'll have any cool QS designs? I'd love to see them. Since I've started using them I've been having trouble figuring out how to design my fort to better accommodate things. Thanks in advance!

I don't use quantum stockpiles. I try to play DF with the least amount of gamey elements possible. I find it helps my immersion. The thread about house rules for DF a while back gave me a lot of inspiration.

This one, I take it? I'll look into this when I get a chance... sad thing is I tend to cheat like a bawse in my plight save FPS.

[WanderingKid]

I use quantum stockpiles to keep rock organized in my main construction areas for random noble requests and the like, and in case I'm trying to make particular items.  So I'll setup 3x2 pickup areas with 3 wheel barrows, a hookup to a cart, a track stop, and a single dump stockpile.  I'm also a little OCD about them.

When I need to build things, I can 'give' from that stockpile to wherever I need, and let 'em rip.

If I'm feeling really 'happy' towards a particular dwarf, I'll do the same with wood stockpiles.

Up near the depot, if I'm annoyed enough, I'll prep a QS for the depot goods, but usually most of that fits better in bins for quick carry.  I've had enough of down, enter, down, enter, down, enter... to last a lifetime.

Once booze storage gets high enough I'll setup a quantum there, too.

Basically, I abuse the ever loving CRAP out of Quantum Storage for efficiency and FPS.  I've had multiple forts die to FPS as I can't stand it under 20 or so, and at 10 I just fry the save file.  So, it's one of many ways I try to keep FPS down.  Traders get a crapload of random stuff, and I atom-smash anything that's not actually in use, usually, including non masterwork tables/thrones/beds/doors/grates/... you get the idea.

[GrimDark_Majyyks]

I atom-smash anything that's not actually in use, usually, including non masterwork tables/thrones/beds/doors/grates/... you get the idea.

I can't believe I didn't think to do that instead of taking the time to build decent/secure magma dump sites.

[Rogue Yun]

Up near the depot, if I'm annoyed enough, I'll prep a QS for the depot goods, but usually most of that fits better in bins for quick carry.  I've had enough of down, enter, down, enter, down, enter... to last a lifetime.

I don't know if you use dfhack, but not too long ago I noticed in the dfhack.init file this nifty bit of code.  I've been abusing using it ever since.

Code: [Select]

# support Shift-Enter in Trade and Move Goods to Depot screens for faster
# selection; it selects the current item or stack and scrolls down one line
tweak fast-trade
So what happens is while holding down the shift key and hitting enter it scrolls down automatically. I found this much more effective than the ol' down enter, down enter... If I could mod things I would clump similar items into groups (like on the stock screen).  It would make it easier to find what I want and to trade what I don't want : )

*edit* But I guess bins do a lot of that for you... It seems I just have a prejudice against bins... especially early game when wood is precious and metal is scarce.

[Itnetlolor]

Say what you will about QS-ing, but I like the feature.

I find it interesting that my avatar (posted anyway just in case) is basically what's seen in different parts of the fortress.

Spoiler: There's enough to build Noah's Ark here in this cubic meter of space (Not to scale mentioned). (click to show/hide)

Quantum Stockpiling at its finest

[WanderingKid]

My first reaction to that was 'A critter ball made of wood!'

[Itnetlolor]

My first reaction to that was 'A critter ball made of wood!'

No, that would be the result of a wooden cage "packed to the brim" with an entire eco-system's worth of animals.