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[Lielac]

So. My latest fortress, Orbeagles, has had two mechanics moods in its 8 years and change. Both times I've set up the resulting artifact mechanisms to trigger on civilians of any weight and put them in my dining hall right next to my central ramps, and they've seen a lot of use.

But! They are connected to absolutely nothing. It's a waste, really, having such a wonderful pair of repeaters and nothing to do with them. So, I am soliciting the Bay 12 community's help in brainstorming ideas as to how to cause maximum amusement as my dwarves go about their mindless business.

[ImagoDeo]

Waterfalls! Everywhere throughout the fortress where you can pipe water and connect a floodgate to the output! Just make sure the drains are ample.

Of course, that's rather mundane compared to my first brainwave. (Kitten/Puppy dispensers on repeat, dropping fleshbags all over the fort to condition your dwarves against tragedy.)

[Lielac]

Waterfalls! Everywhere throughout the fortress where you can pipe water and connect a floodgate to the output! Just make sure the drains are ample.

Of course, that's rather mundane compared to my first brainwave. (Kitten/Puppy dispensers on repeat, dropping fleshbags all over the fort to condition your dwarves against tragedy.)

Ooooh, puppy dispensers! I do have a breeding pair of dogs that are pets and so unbutcherable. Also cats, but the breeding queen of those is kept in a secluded corner where the feeble-minded can't see her and I've got DFHack's autobutcher killing all but her single female successor to keep the population managable.

Hmmmmm, puppy waterfalls in the middle of my meeting hall... how many z-levels does it take for unarmored creatures to insta-gib? I have a good 20 z-levels to work with between the bottom of my fort proper and when the caverns get inconvenient, so I can add a Happy Fun Puppy Death Pit to a newly dug, say, statue garden.

And then of course I'd need a waterfall to cancel out the tragedy thoughts...

[EBannion]

Some sort of counting device, so you can see exactly how often those little dwarves run back and forth.

[Lielac]

Some sort of counting device, so you can see exactly how often those little dwarves run back and forth.

Sounds obnoxiously fiddly and difficult with absolutely no useful value. Got any tips?

[TruePikachu]

What about making a maze underground with one way out and a scattering of floodgates inside? Also put a pressure plate at the exit so you get a notification if your captives manage to escape

[Lielac]

What about making a maze underground with one way out and a scattering of floodgates inside? Also put a pressure plate at the exit so you get a notification if your captives manage to escape

Gehehehehehehehehehehe. I have so many goblin buddies to play with, this would totally work. Ooooh, or maybe the pressure plate attaches to a scattering of hatches, and any buddy who's on one when the hatches open is dropped into a tunnel that leads right back to the start. Hehehehehehehehehehe.

On another note, dwarves can see through gem windows, right?

[TruePikachu]

i think, but they are suceptible to building destroyers

[Lielac]

i think, but they are suceptible to building destroyers

Well I haven't given dogs any building destroyer tags so that doesn't matter. One sec, gonna pasture some puppies on the HFDP2's bridge and check.

Update: Well, the puppies got death messages instead of missing ones, so they're definitely being noticed. I can't find any "witnessed death" thoughts, though.

Also, pitting commands don't work properly if the bottom of the pit is technically accessible even though it's not because windows block movement.

Update 2: GODDAMMIT WITNESSED DEATH IS ONLY IF THEY SEE ANOTHER DORF DIE.

[KingBacon]

I guess with desensitization you can't just use dorfs or beagles : P


But seriously, you should start impaling some of your citizens/ causing them to randomly fall. A repeater which opens a floor hatches in a meeting area randomly and drops dorfs 2-5 z levels will break bones. Major injury can desensitize dorfs, just as killing lots of sentients.

[Lielac]

I guess with desensitization you can't just use dorfs or beagles : P


But seriously, you should start impaling some of your citizens/ causing them to randomly fall. A repeater which opens a floor hatches in a meeting area randomly and drops dorfs 2-5 z levels will break bones. Major injury can desensitize dorfs, just as killing lots of sentients.

AAAAAAAAAAGH

Noooooooo, then they won't be useful while they're lounging around in the hospitaaaaaaal...

-- Hang on. I am 99% certain the "witnessed death" thought, as you said, does apply to sentients and not just dwarves. Read: GUESS WHO HAS A COUPLE DOZEN GOBLINS IN HFDP1?

Now I just need a way to automate dropping them, and I should really carpet the inside of HFDP2 with weapon traps to shred anyone who falls in so any trolls can't smash their way out.

Hmm. Must double check to make sure glass windows are magma-safe, because I'm thinking I'll flush the HFDP2 with magma periodically and I really don't want to accidentally magma-flood the statue garden.

Edit: Ehehehe. I can apply the random repeater to the path towards HFDP2!

[jcochran]

Some sort of counting device, so you can see exactly how often those little dwarves run back and forth.

Sounds obnoxiously fiddly and difficult with absolutely no useful value. Got any tips?

Well, I could see a series of newton cradle memory cells split into two paths (so as to separately detect leading and falling edges) acting as a binary counter.

[Lielac]

Some sort of counting device, so you can see exactly how often those little dwarves run back and forth.

Sounds obnoxiously fiddly and difficult with absolutely no useful value. Got any tips?

Well, I could see a series of newton cradle memory cells split into two paths (so as to separately detect leading and falling edges) acting as a binary counter.

-blink- -blink-

I'm a total n00b at this thing; the most complicated mechanical logic thing I've made is "Goblin step on pressure plate. Goblin move to bridge. Goblin fall 20 z-level into pit because bridge retract under feet." Simple words and clearly labeled diagrams would be much appreciated.