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[Devin]

What determines whether bolts break/disappear?  Does it vary by material or use? 

[Thisfox]

I was told it was whether they missed, combined with whether they fell one  z level after missing. But I don't know for sure. I can't seem to make an archery target anyone ever uses. Ever. So I've never been able to test it.

[Devin]

I hear a common reason for that is not having any quivers for the archers, they need them to hold the rest of the quarrels while they shoot.

[Slogo]

Here's a pretty comprehensive guide to archery targets:
http://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/2k65yc/mechanixms_archery_training_primer/

I do believe arrows are saved if they fall 1 z-level after missing. I think they can be recovered in some other edge cases as well. At the very least sometimes they get stuck in enemies without breaking. I also think if they hit nothing at all they'll eventually just sort of stop and have a chance to be recovered or destroyed, but I only think that because it's not uncommon to find bolts laying around after a battle.

[Magistrum]

Testing on adventure mode shows exactly the results that slogo mentioned. I don't see much problems with archery targets besides wasting my precious bolts.

[Ancalagon_TB]

You have to assign the archery target to a squad, and also you have to make sure you have training bolts assigned (go military then  ammunition).

I have never been able to collect spent training bolts.  I have a hole behind the range for bolts to fall into but nope.

[§k]

If the bolt falls on the same level it is shot, it breaks. Otherwise it remains intact.
If it lodges in the body of a creature, it will remain intact on the spot where the creature dies.

[Chief10]

I was told it was whether they missed, combined with whether they fell one  z level after missing. But I don't know for sure. I can't seem to make an archery target anyone ever uses. Ever. So I've never been able to test it.

Almost 100% sure your problem is the classic "training bolts" problem. If you assign a squad metal bolts for combat and wooden bolts for training, they will fill up their quiver with the metal bolts while off-duty. Then, when they try to go to archery practice, their quivers only have metal bolts in them (which are forbidden for use in training), so the dwarf is unable to train.

So you basically need to make a separate training squad, which is only assigned wooden bolts, or else assign metal bolts to training (this is what I use copper for).

[Col_Jessep]

My archery range works fine but my crossbow squad is friggin lazy! There are usually only 1 or 2 of them training although they have 8 targets, more than enough bolts and no other jobs. I tried to burrow them but they just sit around doing nothing or sleep on the floor. A couple of them are legendary archers by now but that took like 6 or 7 years. Never took that long with my swordsdwarfs, even without danger room.

I only bother with crosbowdwarfs at all in case a forgotten beast secretes poisonous gas or something.

[Ancalagon_TB]

this is why I've modified my arena by adding a wall of fortification.  Next goblins I capture I'm going to (slowly) bolt them to death. 

[Aslandus]

this is why I've modified my arena by adding a wall of fortification.  Next goblins I capture I'm going to (slowly) bolt them to death.

By a squad using exclusively wooden bolts?

[Pancakes]

Make note that a hole after an archery target will not help preserve bolts, as they will hit the target and break. For best bolt-saving, make your archery targets at the end of a long corridor type room which serves as a range, and then channel the floors on the side of the room. This is due to dwarves' bolts straying left or right:

Code: [Select]

WWWWWWWWWW
..........
X________@
..........
WWWWWWWWWW

Where W = Wall   . = Open Space   X = Target   _ = Floor   @ = Dwarf
Your are correct that bolts falling after striking something are preserved.

[Slogo]

Make note that a hole after an archery target will not help preserve bolts, as they will hit the target and break. For best bolt-saving, make your archery targets at the end of a long corridor type room which serves as a range, and then channel the floors on the side of the room. This is due to dwarves' bolts straying left or right:

Code: [Select]

WWWWWWWWWW
..........
X________@
..........
WWWWWWWWWW

Where W = Wall   . = Open Space   X = Target   _ = Floor   @ = Dwarf
Your are correct that bolts falling after striking something are preserved.

You can also do:

Code: [Select]

.X________@
..........
.X________@
..........
.X________@

Where W = Wall   . = Open Space   X = Target   _ = Floor   @ = Dwarf
To take up less space, but still save the majority of bolts. Some may hit the adjacent target head on, but most will either hit the back wall between the targets or hit the target from the diagonal/side and still fall.

[Ancalagon_TB]

this is why I've modified my arena by adding a wall of fortification.  Next goblins I capture I'm going to (slowly) bolt them to death.

By a squad using exclusively wooden bolts?

Possibly.  They kind of suck so it may take too long with wooden bolts...

[Agent_Irons]

this is why I've modified my arena by adding a wall of fortification.  Next goblins I capture I'm going to (slowly) bolt them to death.

By a squad using exclusively wooden bolts?

Possibly.  They kind of suck so it may take too long with wooden bolts...

If the objective is training it should take as long as possible to finish off the goblins, so nearly infinite is good, right?