Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[PillarsOfSalt]

So in my last few forts I've been getting a handle on quantum stockpiles and I absolutely love them, not sure how I managed before. So in my new fort I have this brilliant idea: my kitchen/farm area is up fairly high but I wanted my dining hall down deep, under the various workshop levels and closer to the bedrooms, so to save on walking and hauling I made a chute to drop food and drinks near the hall.

Fortunately the first casualty was only a useless child, he shall not be missed.

So how do I avoid having dorfs getting their heads crushed by falling wine pots? Is this viable at all?

EDIT: alright, I'm losing dorfs children at an alarming rate... So this might be considered a success after all.

[GavJ]

Yes, you can do so with some tedious setup of pressure plates and locked doors and so forth, but it's not worth it.

Why? Because you can also get a quantum stockpile using a minecart route -- just one 1 tile long (both start and stopping point of the "route") that draws from a matching small 2x2 or so stockpile for them to haul stuff into, then dumps contents into a single tile. It will dump infinitely many there. This is a pain to set up, but way less of a pain than some crazy floor drop pressure plate thing. And it's completely safe. And quicker in game time too, not just overseer time. And much more compact.

Honestly, he should just let us make quantum stockpiles directly, at this point. I shall make a suggestion thread.

[PillarsOfSalt]

I'm using the minecart method but having it dump directly into a chute of about 10 z levels and children like to stand under it and get their little, curious heads crushed.

[SixOfSpades]

In the game of Baldur's Gate, the Nashkel cemetery includes a tombstone with this inscription:

Here lies John W:

Looked up the mine shaft
to see if the cart was on the way down.
It was.

Or you could simply install a door blocking access at the bottom. When you start dumping, just lock it, and unlock it again when you're done. Easy-peasy.

[Thisfox]

I've never seen the point of quantum stockpiles myself. I just dig out lovely big areas for the stockpiles to spread a bit. It's nice hitting "k" once in a while to look at all the different types of prepared food pots, or finished goods. Interesting and educational.

Only thing I really wish is that bones, teeth and skulls could fit in bins. That would be really damn useful. That and I could use installed coffers in my piles, for things that currently use bags, such as seeds, sand and milled plant powder.

Otherwise, everything is golden.

[Aslandus]

Well, dropping stuff down a chute is dangerous in itself, you could try making all your containers featherwood barrels to reduce their impact, but I understand that is annoying advice when I don't even know what resources you have...

You could also make the impact site low traffic or use minecarts to move food and drink down the levels instead, saving the tantrum spiral that will likely ensue from dwarves realizing their children are being killed by beer... oh and whatever you do, start doing it fast before someone important gets killed

[Max™]

Wait, I'm confused, you're condensing stockpiles and making kids useful by turning them--well, their skulls to be more accurate--into shock absorbers... what is the problem here?

[wierd]

WIth the new thought system, mommy and daddy urist get upset when baby urist dies, and they never get over the loss?

As for methodology, just have the dropchute inside a lockable alcove.

Lock the door, THEN drop stuff. 

[Col_Jessep]

Make sure the noble demanding a rose gold bed is in the chute, lock the door, THEN drop stuff.

Fixed.

[wierd]

Bonus points if the item dropped is said bed.

[Illogical_Blox]

I've never seen the point of quantum stockpiles myself. I just dig out lovely big areas for the stockpiles to spread a bit. It's nice hitting "k" once in a while to look at all the different types of prepared food pots, or finished goods. Interesting and educational.

Only thing I really wish is that bones, teeth and skulls could fit in bins. That would be really damn useful. That and I could use installed coffers in my piles, for things that currently use bags, such as seeds, sand and milled plant powder.

Otherwise, everything is golden.

How true. Me too. Simply because I tend to have a thriving and constantly working masonry department (with a few stone crafters) and never can get enough doors, tables or thrones.

[PillarsOfSalt]

Wait, I'm confused, you're condensing stockpiles and making kids useful by turning them--well, their skulls to be more accurate--into shock absorbers... what is the problem here?

I guess I should have anticipated this response...

[pixl97]

> just dig out lovely big areas for the stockpiles to spread a bit

Less large areas reduce lag. Quantum stockpiles are generally very pathing efficient.

[Tarasque]

Put a hatch cover (attached to a lever) one z level above the stockpile. Only open the hatch when there is no-one underneath.

[Button]

Instead of having a stationary minecart dropping down 10 stories, make a minecart route that drops down 10 stories, dumps everything out on the bottom level, and then returns to the loading-place.