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[Ancalagon_TB]

Hello

So I've been capturing goblins by the dozens and moving the cages to an arena, where I open the cages (via linking to a lever).  Linking takes two mechanisms per cage - one for the cage one for the lever.  Fair enough. 

So I summon the military dwarves, pull the lever, goblins and mechanisms comes out of the cages, massive carnage etc etc.   So far so good.

I bring down the next batches of cages - same number.  I should have enough  mechanisms right?  Nope - only the mechanisms in the cage popped out, not the ones in the lever - but I still need 2 mechanisms per link!

After a few times, I grew curious and deconstructed the lever for fun.  As predicted, dozens of mechanisms came flying out.

So is this a bug? 

[smjjames]

Nope, it's a feature that you can pack many mechanisms into one lever. After all, how else would you get a spike hallway to be synchronized.

Also, to save on mechanisms, you can just put one cage in and then transfer all of the goblins to that cage. Or do it beforehand, it'll take a long time to move the cage though.

[Ancalagon_TB]

Oh it's great that one mechanism can control many cages!  The problem is that it retains the mechanisms after the cage is used, but then requires 2 more mechanisms per new link.  The one that is retained doesn't count anymore.

[Max™]

Quantum dorfanics wibbly-wobbly or something requires two mechanisms for each linkage.

[Larix]

The presumed issue is that if the linked _building_ is deconstructed, the connecting mechanism isn't magically ejected from the _trigger_.

If you want all your mechanisms back, deconstruct the lever.

[utunnels]

Yeah, the basic rule is you can't remove mechanisms without destroying the whole building.

I recall I link a raising bridge which worked like a floodgate, but I accidentally removed the level.
So the mechanism in the bridge could never be retrieved...

[Urist Da Vinci]

Hello

So I've been capturing goblins by the dozens and moving the cages to an arena, where I open the cages (via linking to a lever).  Linking takes two mechanisms per cage - one for the cage one for the lever.  Fair enough. 
...

FYI if you put the cage in a minecart and slam it fast into a wall, the cage will pop out and up a z-level (if there is room) and fly in the cart's original direction (minecart shotgun effect). If the cage then hits a wall fast enough, the goblin will pop out and up and fly along. This "double shotgun" can be used for leverless prisoner disposal, or for deploying war dogs to the far side of the map. Just shoot the goblins into a pit/arena.

I thought you might find lever-linking to be tedious/boring after a while.

[Naryar]

http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Mass_pitting

just leaving this here