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[lukstra]

Now that there is an option for invaders to dig and destroy walls, I'm not sure how to design my fortress. Does anyone have experience with these digging invaders? What is their behavior? Do they dig multiple z-levels? Please help!

EDIT: So far my fortress has a wide moat, with a double layer of natural dirt and wall inside. I'm not sure if this will work.

[somebears]

I have never seen them, but afaik their logic works like this:

• IF there is a direct path into the fortress - > don't dig at all
• find a way into the fortress, which requires the least digging (or decontructing buildingd/bridges)
• dig!

They do build stairs, so yes to the multi-z-level part

[SabbyKat]

Simple. FIGHT LIKE A MAN(DWARF)!

More seriously, there's so few races that even do this (not met a FB/titan/etc that does it yet) it's really negligible. But! The simplest way to counter them out right (albeit really lame and cheesy), is to do a simple moat design.

At the edge of your map - build a wall as close to the edge as you can (should be 5 blocks away for the limit). Then, dig out ALL the blocks between the edge, and your wall leaving a 1x1 ledge for enemies to stand on. They can't dig into that edge (as it's the edge of the map, undiggable) - nor can they break down your walls. Add a bridge you can retract for entry, with the moat under it so they can't reach and dig up your bridge.

?

profit!

If you wish for a picture example, just ask and I'll do a quick example to show you. It does kind of cheese everything though, bar flying monsters.

[lukstra]

I just thought of a design to possibly prevent invaders digging. Have two entrances - each with a domesticated animal out front (surrounded by a fortification and windows) - so when invaders walk towards the entrance the animal attempts to get as far away as possible, triggering a pressure plate that powers some rollers. The rollers are on a mine-cart track going between two pressure plates that are connected to the two entrance bridges. Thus when the animal triggers the roller, it propels the minecart to the other entrance's pressure plate, opening it - and vice versa. If the entrances are far enough apart the invaders will be preoccupied by the changing paths, and never dig into the fort.

A bit rough and complicated, but I think the concept is sound (I'm not sure if the animal pathing would work though). My embark has highly variable elevation, so I don't think the moat idea would work.

[thistleknot]

Simple. FIGHT LIKE A MAN(DWARF)!

More seriously, there's so few races that even do this (not met a FB/titan/etc that does it yet) it's really negligible. But! The simplest way to counter them out right (albeit really lame and cheesy), is to do a simple moat design.

At the edge of your map - build a wall as close to the edge as you can (should be 5 blocks away for the limit). Then, dig out ALL the blocks between the edge, and your wall leaving a 1x1 ledge for enemies to stand on. They can't dig into that edge (as it's the edge of the map, undiggable) - nor can they break down your walls. Add a bridge you can retract for entry, with the moat under it so they can't reach and dig up your bridge.

?

profit!

If you wish for a picture example, just ask and I'll do a quick example to show you. It does kind of cheese everything though, bar flying monsters.

couldn't they just dig up?

Of course, maybe you could support your fortress on just one artifact floodgate and deconstruct the lever.  Then maybe they can never dig through this (but digging invaders is a dfhack thing, does it even respect artifacts?)

[somebears]

you could disable digginginvaders in the settings or  disable the dfhack plugin

[Isngrim]

my design involved digging a ditch, filling it with magma,building a walkway over it held up by supports.the walkway gives them a path into the fort,then all you need to do is throw a switch (or pressure plate) when they are on the walkway,dropping them into the magma.then send the marksdwarves in to mop up the rest.

[kamikazi1231]

my design involved digging a ditch, filling it with magma,building a walkway over it held up by supports.the walkway gives them a path into the fort,the all you need to do is throw a switch (or pressure plate) when they are on the walkway,dropping them into the magma.then send the marksdwarves in to mop up the rest.

Magma is fun but I prefer sweeping them into my archer shooting range with water.  A very long path with a wall of floodgates holding back vast amounts of water on one side, and a huge drop on the other.  Maybe ten z levels so that some invaders survive.  The water will naturally drain out of the side of the map from the pit.  I also usually have suspended magma above the pit with floor hatches that can be opened when needed to clean out the pit.  Bonus points if you rig up a detector animal to trigger a pressure plate to release the water so invisible ambushes can't get by.

As of the OP.  Digging invaders should choose the least amount of digging to get into your fort.  It's designed to be extremely extremely slow.  If your outer walls are at least a few tiles thick you should have plenty of time to muster a military or build more walls behind those to slow them down.  I've heard some people will dig a very deep one tile moat around their entire fortress then fill it with magma. That way anything that tried to dig in anywhere besides the surface will get a face full of magma when they break through.  Bonus points if you connect it to the magma sea using cave ins and suspend your entire fort on blue candy.

[Isngrim]

Magma is fun but I prefer sweeping them into my archer shooting range with water.  A very long path with a wall of floodgates holding back vast amounts of water on one side, and a huge drop on the other.  Maybe ten z levels so that some invaders survive.  The water will naturally drain out of the side of the map from the pit.

never thought of that,i could divert my well water into a dam,or use magma instead of water.i like my dwarven-made magma lakes to much to give them up.

[Meph]

I will defeat the evil digging invaders by breaking their AI: I will simply leave a path open for them to walk into my fort, therefore never triggering their want for a tunnel. Then, I kill all of them in glorious combat.

[Isngrim]

for the glory of the sontaran empire?

[BigD145]

Why bother using the digging invaders if you're going to cheese it anyway?

[Repseki]

Do the invaders have any awareness of warm stones, or where they are digging other than straight line to the nearest meeting area?

[Meph]

If I remember correctly that do know arm/damp stones and wont dig through them.

[Deon]

The idea with fake entrances is fun. It reminds me of my Evil Genius playthrough.