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[Sirbug]

that is a good question. How does one make a retracting bridge? I assumed they were all drawbridges by default.

Bridges are a non-Euclidean contraptions. Have you notice that in upright state they might lose up to 90% of their length? Retractable bridge is supposed to slide into the soil of its foundation, but seeing how no such digging designation exist and that it doesn't interfere with any pit or stairs it should, it clearly retracts into another dimension where it has some wacky otherworldly adventures with other bridges, frolicking in piles of objects sent there by their "atom-smashing" cousins.

[Aslandus]

1. Can dwarves walk on top of a raised bridge (like you can walk on top of a wall)?
2. Does a ramp next to a raised bridge act like a ramp next to a wall (e.g. you can walk up the ramp to the  next z level up)?

1. No, the raised bridge acts like a barrier on the floor it's build on, but it does nothing to the layer above
2. yes, provided you have a place for them to walk to (and I don't think you can build one in the space the bridge would lower into)

[PatrikLundell]

Retracting bridges are good for two things:
1. Covering openings, and 2. Opening up into chasms, either breaking enemy paths or throwing them down.

For 1, the bridge will block the hole when built (and probably from one point in the building process) until you hook up a device that opens it, so blocking your only entrance that way might not be practial, especially since your builders have to be on the top side.

I have assumed sliding bridges are basically immune to damage, provided they're not subjected to magma and not completely magma proof, but thinking about it I'm not sure anymore. Raised bridges act as walls, and are supposed to be immune to everything, but I suspect dragon fire can take out a sliding bridge.

The way I'd deal with your "hole in the ground" depends on how hostile the environment is. If it's benign, I'd probably build a small gate house with a drawbridge covering it (and extend it outwards later on). If it's hostile, I'd brick up the entrance, dig a long corridor with airlocking drawbridges at the ends (to chop up invader waves into managable chunks), test the bridges, and then breach the surface from that tunnel. If you've got trade caravans, you'll have to deal with their access, and also the time available until the next caravan. I might consider both a tunnel and a courtyard, for instance.

[BoredVirulence]

A retracting bridge in its off state would cover a hole, and would be invulnerable from below. They are not invulnerable on the same z-level / top. I assume, but am totally unsure, that they are invulnerable when "on" / retracted.

If you have a few z-levels to work with, I would reroute your entrance. Dig a new tunnel, then make new stairs to the surface. Once there are two routes to the surface, wall up the old path. If you want to use a retracting bridge, then once you have a tunnel, dig down a level, then dig an alternate up staircase to the surface. You can cover that down staircase with a bridge. Or you can just build a raising draw bridge in the tunnel.

Personally, I prefer a multi-tiered defense. I have a long winding corridor for caravans, the corridor has a raising bridge at the front. There is a shortcut with some traps that runs to the barracks. The barracks leads to the trade depot, as does the long corridor. From the depot, I have 2 doors that lead to another raising draw bridge. Behind the last draw bridge I have 2 more doors, a gap, and then my main stairwell. If I know I can't handle a threat, I seal the main corridor. If my military is defeated, or my bridge doesn't close in time, I lock all doors, and close the final draw bridge. That buys the lever-puller time. If both bridges are compromised, the final set of doors buys my masons time to build a wall.

[smeeprocket]

so are walls and floors invulnerable then? Because I've done as you suggested, but it seems like a building destroyer could just bust through my walls.

[Aslandus]

so are walls and floors invulnerable then? Because I've done as you suggested, but it seems like a building destroyer could just bust through my walls.

Walls and floors are constructions, not buildings, so building destroyers can't break them...

Keep in mind that cave ins can still break through floors though...

[schlake]

I never understood the height of bridges.

Instead, I build a bridge.  After it is built I link up a level.  Once the lever is linked up I test it.  Then I remember that bridges are retractable by default, so I have the bridge removed.  Then I build a new bridge.  Most of the time I still remember I want itto  raise.  After I test it, then I think about the fact that things could climb over it.  And so I tell my dwarves to excavate a giant pit under the bridge.  Except they can't.  I have to remove the bridge again, then excavate the pit, then rebuild the bridge.  If I forget to make it a raising bridge and leave it retracting then it allows arrows in, but otherwise still works because of the giant pit.  And a one-high wall doesn't do much to keep arrows out either it seems.  And building higher walls sucks, so I extend my pit around the entire perimeter.  Usually dwarves do things in an odd order, and they die from collapsing the pit on themselves.  Then, when invaders come, they are too busy attending a party that no one bothers to walk over and pull the lever.

[smeeprocket]

I had to work my butt off to make my fort depot accessible for some reason. I eventually deforested most of the area and built wooden paved roads. I can't set up cage traps on the road either. In fact, it seems they block depot access.

So I have a bridge now, I've got it set. I wanted to build a retractable bridge over top of my entrance, but then the dwarves get locked in and can't link up the lever.

I think I'm just going to kick up the pace of steel weapon and armor production.

[PatrikLundell]

Traps do indeed block caravans. The recommended caravan defense route strategy is:

V = Wall
X = Road, might be sealed to avoid trees
T = Traps

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
VVVVXXXXXXXVXXXXXXX
VVVVXXXXXXXVXXXXXXX
VVVVXXXXXXXVXXXXXXX
XXXTXXXTXXXTXXXTXXX
XXXTXXXTXXXTXXXTXXX
XXXTXXXTXXXTXXXTXXX
XXXXXXXVXXXXXXXV
XXXXXXXVXXXXXXXV
XXXXXXXVXXXXXXXV
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Enemies are normally taking the straight path through the traps, while caravans wind their way through. I've made the 7 tile long side lanes into bridges that raise towards the road, so when enemies approach I convert the path to a 3 tile wide corridor, which can be protected by ballistae if desired.
The 3*3 tile segments of the road can be made as bridges as well, either raising or retracting. I try to have a raising one at the end (the fortress access entrance), with a trench in front of it to let ballistae bolts fall into, the 3*3 segments in the middle are retracting to catch enemies into shallow pits, and also allows me to stop the enemies by pits before they come into shooting range, and then a raising bridge at the near end to block enemy missile users, if needed. Having said this, if I see enemies approach I close this entrance completely to let them approach through a much longer and nastier single tile tunnel, but caravans leave immediately if there is no depot path, i.e. they don't ring the door bell to allow you to lower the bridge to let them in. At least that's what happened to me.

[smeeprocket]

mmm that sounds interesting.

I am still awaiting the first, weaker siege, right now I have a nice road to my fortress.

I might do that after the goblins touch base. I just fear being skipped by the traders' caravans.

[Aslandus]

In the newer versions, I think wagons were updated, so I don't think you can just have three tile wide turning corridors for them anymore... you could probably make it work if you gave them 4 tiles at the turns though, enough for the entire wagon and the animals pulling the wagon... similarly, you can't make the wagon pull some bizzare bending trick by forcing them through diagonals...

[StagnantSoul]

My wagons have just 3 tile turning points no problem.

[PatrikLundell]

The construction above still works in 0.40.15, but there have been warnings on the forum that wagons can get stuck on cornern. It might matter what these corners are, because I think the animals drawing the wagons have no problems with the traps (just walks over them), and the elven caravan just goes straight ahead, as do the non elven non wagon parts of caravans. Just a speculation, though.

[smeeprocket]

Well I used D to make sure everything was accessible and I successfully got a caravan through. Then a titan showed up and make pulp out of most of my people.

I'm a little concerned about the upcoming goblin siege. I don't generally use danger rooms but I'm tempted now.

I don't quite understand traps or I would make some spear traps. Do you need a pressure plate to get them to trigger or will they trigger from things wandering over them anyway?

Right now I've got cage traps. However, that was meaningless with the titan.

This one was particularly bad and I am not entirely sure why.

[Larix]

Upright spears/spikes don't do anything by themselves, you must hook them up to mechanisms to activate them or place them at the bottom of a pit for victims to fall onto (the latter had the "shaft of enlightenment" bug, dunno if that one still exists).

Titans don't care about traps of any kind, they have a special tag that makes sure they can't be foiled so easily. There are a bunch of other high-profile threats that will also walk right through your traps without activating them. Traps are great to hold off goblins, trolls and various beasts, but they're not a solution for everything (unlike magma).