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[Staalo]

So, a Blind Cave Ogre didn't work either in Discipline training. I suppose it would need something truly hostile to make the dwarves lose their cool; if I only could cage the FB currently lurking at the second cavern...

[wierd]

A zombie should be the real ticket.

Easier to collect and contain than a FB, is garanteed to be hostile, and creates bad thoughts just from seeing it.

The deal is that it somehow needs to be on a chain. It has been my experience that dwarves don't react to something they see through a window or a fortification. They have to actually be near something with no barriers between for them to bug out.  This is curious, because military dwarves will shoot through fortifications, and FBs will emit through fortifications-- but civvies feel perfectly safe inside fortifications, even when there is crazy all just outside them. That's been my experience anyway.

A chain would keep Mr Skullhead contained, but fully ambulatory otherwise. A gap between Mr Skullhead and Urist McTeenybopper would discourage idle pathing, and still allow direct line of sight.

But how to have a zombie on a chain?

Do things that die on a chain, stay on the chain after being raised as zombies? Clever abuse of a necromancer might work if it does.

[Arcvasti]

Would upright bars or grates work better, then, if fortifications and windows don't?

[TheHossofMoss]

The Searingmines Dwarven Boarding School is proud to celebrate its first two graduations!

By graduation I now mean reaching adulthood with Legendary in at least one of the skills in curriculum. That will have to do; the military academy after this will build that Discipline and Armor User nicely.

Without further delay, I present you the graduates:

Spoiler: Sodel Paddlegods (click to show/hide)

Legendary+1 Fighter
Legendary+1 Dodger
Great Armor User

Spoiler: Zas Girdergleamed (click to show/hide)

Legendary+1 Fighter
Legendary+1 Dodger
Master Armor User

Interestingly, they both seem to have somewhat similar personality. Is the personality set permanently in birth or could it be shaped by childhood experiences?

Both Sodel and Zas are now equipped with quality steel/candy gear and are sparring happily in one of the spare barracks. In time, they'll be joined by other graduates, until all nearly hundred students have grown up.

For Zas...

"She doesn't mind a little discord.." haha that's what we like to hear in Dwarf Fortress!

[blue sam3]

A zombie should be the real ticket.

Easier to collect and contain than a FB, is garanteed to be hostile, and creates bad thoughts just from seeing it.

The deal is that it somehow needs to be on a chain. It has been my experience that dwarves don't react to something they see through a window or a fortification. They have to actually be near something with no barriers between for them to bug out.  This is curious, because military dwarves will shoot through fortifications, and FBs will emit through fortifications-- but civvies feel perfectly safe inside fortifications, even when there is crazy all just outside them. That's been my experience anyway.

A chain would keep Mr Skullhead contained, but fully ambulatory otherwise. A gap between Mr Skullhead and Urist McTeenybopper would discourage idle pathing, and still allow direct line of sight.

But how to have a zombie on a chain?

Do things that die on a chain, stay on the chain after being raised as zombies? Clever abuse of a necromancer might work if it does.

I seem to remember it's something to do with pathing. Maybe have a creature-repeater style thing behind a window-wall?

[Staalo]

Well, I released the ogre to run freely among the students and they seem to be the best buddies in the world. No panic at all; the children just clamber all over him.

Very curious.

[Staalo]

For Zas...

"She doesn't mind a little discord.." haha that's what we like to hear in Dwarf Fortress!

Actually, they both got that one; as well as the "complete scatterbrain" and "sloppy with ones living space".

Maybe that's the result of a stressed childhood of getting slapped with wooden sticks for years on end?

[Staalo]

Suddenly the ogre snapped and started flailing madly at the students. It isn't hitting anything because everyone in the room is now Master Dodger or greater, but I decided to call in the militia anyway.

But... for some reason soldiers aren't attacking the ogre; everyone just keeps shouting "I have a part in this. I will have revenge!" and none of the actual revenging is happening.

And despite being in actual combat this time, the students aren't still gaining any Discipline. I don't understand this game anymore.


EDIT: Soon after that everyone, children included, suddenly mobbed the ogre and splattered it all over the classroom. I TRULY don't understand this game anymore...

[Skullsploder]

To all you guys talking about putting stuff on chains: unless the system has changed significantly since 34.xx, chained creatures are never hostile and will not attack or be attacked by your dwarves. Evidence includes the 4 voracious cave vrawler mounts I chained up in my dining room in 34.11

[Staalo]

Still going! There are now over thirty Legendary students attending, ready to enter military academy upon reaching adulthood.

The harder secondary school facility (with Swimming) for advanced students is still under construction; carpenter shops ran into supply problems when producing the huge amount of training spears needed. Otherwise there's not much to tell; the only two graduates are still sparring and the forges are running out masterwork gear as fast as they can. Couple new candy canes were found near the magma sea so I'm able to dress some of the Searingmine's finest in dashing blue instead of boring old steel.

I actually gave up on early Discipline training since it takes only few weeks of sparring in squad to reach at least Competent level. Everyone will go through military training before full citizenship anyway so it's not really an issue. If the Swimming training works as planned, I'll be happy with that.

[Staalo]

The new school facility is open! Twenty-eight of the boarding school's Legendary students are now attending advanced courses in combat skills and Swimming.

Basically I just added more sticks and a swimming pool with dodge trap bridges crossing over it in the middle. Getting a roast from stockpile to dinner table is now a test of resolve when students can be knocked down to the water several times on the way. It seems to be working; I got Adequate Swimmers in no time at all, and the lagging Armor User skill is also beefing up nicely. I just hope no one's going to starve during this.

[Mimodo]

Alright guys, I have another potential addition to this school.

I've noticed children hanging around the barracks. Now specifically, the children of my two champions. They stick to their fathers like flies to shit (which is extremely annoying when I'm trying to kill a forgotten beast!)

In their time hanging around, they've become a legendary observer. If somehow, children could be taught observer in the schools whilst being "educated", then it would make it much quicker for them to learn things such as weapon skills (under the supervision of a qualified teacher), after graduation.

Just another suggestion for potential implementation in the school. After all, it is to be the finest school in the history of fortresses

[MDFification]

A potential innovation:

Create a long shaft (20+ z-levels) that opens up into your Daycare center. Make sure an elevated platform of spikes (alternatively, a masterwork adamantine statue you can imagine represents Armok - you'll see why in a minute) is between your children and the 'blast zone'.
Now, dump all your captured, hostile sentients - elves, kobolds, goblins etc - down the shaft. They should all impact the spikes (alternatively, a statue of Armok now eternally bathing in blood) and explode.

This hardens children against death, trains dodging (avoid the chunks!) and hopefully will terrify the little beardlings out of their minds as hostiles pass within a few tiles of them very, very briefly.

[Mimodo]

A potential innovation:

Create a long shaft (20+ z-levels) that opens up into your Daycare center. Make sure an elevated platform of spikes (alternatively, a masterwork adamantine statue you can imagine represents Armok - you'll see why in a minute) is between your children and the 'blast zone'.
Now, dump all your captured, hostile sentients - elves, kobolds, goblins etc - down the shaft. They should all impact the spikes (alternatively, a statue of Armok now eternally bathing in blood) and explode.

This hardens children against death, trains dodging (avoid the chunks!) and hopefully will terrify the little beardlings out of their minds as hostiles pass within a few tiles of them very, very briefly.

With the climber skill, would there be potential for the enemy to catch the walls during their fall? If so, the shaft would need to be 3*3, and have them dropped down the centre tile

[MDFification]

A potential innovation:

Create a long shaft (20+ z-levels) that opens up into your Daycare center. Make sure an elevated platform of spikes (alternatively, a masterwork adamantine statue you can imagine represents Armok - you'll see why in a minute) is between your children and the 'blast zone'.
Now, dump all your captured, hostile sentients - elves, kobolds, goblins etc - down the shaft. They should all impact the spikes (alternatively, a statue of Armok now eternally bathing in blood) and explode.

This hardens children against death, trains dodging (avoid the chunks!) and hopefully will terrify the little beardlings out of their minds as hostiles pass within a few tiles of them very, very briefly.

With the climber skill, would there be potential for the enemy to catch the walls during their fall? If so, the shaft would need to be 3*3, and have them dropped down the centre tile

According to the wiki... nothing is stopping the confetti from hanging onto the  party-decorations if their climbing skills are high enough. Climbing just gives a chance to suspend the in-flight status by grabbing onto an adjacent tile.  So yeah, the shaft should be 3x3.