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[Arx]

It can't run constantly while linked to the stack, through some issue the power cost becomes too much and the engine shuts down. Something to do with the water flow in the engine or something not being constant enough. As a result, the entire system can afford to run for a few brief irl seconds before shutting down. However, a lever put on a gearbox lets the engine switch between powering itself, which it has no problem with, and powering itself and the stack. With a dwarf constantly pulling the lever back and forth on repeat, the engine can keep a constant water flow to keep the engine at full power and keep the stack running.

I am reminded of "Not Final!" by Asimov.

The whole project is pretty impressive.

[indyofcomo]

fort #8: A weretortoise infection. Unintended. The fort is just over 1 yr old. I think I'll try to keep those infected, I just want them to be productive and insulated.

[Spehss _]

It can't run constantly while linked to the stack, through some issue the power cost becomes too much and the engine shuts down. Something to do with the water flow in the engine or something not being constant enough. As a result, the entire system can afford to run for a few brief irl seconds before shutting down. However, a lever put on a gearbox lets the engine switch between powering itself, which it has no problem with, and powering itself and the stack. With a dwarf constantly pulling the lever back and forth on repeat, the engine can keep a constant water flow to keep the engine at full power and keep the stack running.

I am reminded of "Not Final!" by Asimov.

The whole project is pretty impressive.

Heh. Having read the wikipedia article on the short story just now, yeah, that's fitting. I'm glad the lever trick worked though, otherwise I might have had to do even more extensive adjustments.

In other news, I just found some dorf's pet gander is down in the pump stack area, on the wrong side of the wall, of course. I don't know how long it's been down there, or how it's still alive and not roasted, it's literally sitting on a pump.

[Madman198237]

Today has been...interesting... On a 10-old fort I just had a double goblin ambush. No problem, seal up the walls and gates, open up the trap tunnel. Except for the glitched, nonexistent diorite bridge, everything was fine. Then the first gobbo squad chased the baby alpaca into the trap hall. 4 or 5 were caught in the cages, 1 or 2 were shredded in the weapon traps. I let everyone out, the next squad came up after swimming my defensive river, and I ran everyone back inside and shut the gates this time (After the poor baby alpaca ran headlong inside as soon as the gates were open. Made me feel sad for that alpaca), then realized that my militia commander, a hardened spear/marksdwarf with an infected leg from an old wound was still out there, and had taken an arrow in the left hand, which made her drop her spear. So she pulled a crossbow and shot up the goblin spearman. The goblins then went crazy, running around past the dwarf, into the weapon traps. The results included a final tally of 2 decapitations and 7 caged goblins, which are now chained for dwarven target practice.
Then a giant gets on the map, and I seal up, thinking he'll go bust down the door and get stuck in a cage trap, but he takes a detour towards a glitched caravan guard marksdwarf.
He misses the giant a couple times, then hits....One-shot kill. Headshot. But all I thought was, Ohhh-kaayyyyy then.... That just happened. Too bad I can't butcher giants.
This is what has happened within 2 months (Dwarf time) in Winter the Bane of War. Quite a busy fort, what with goblins, giants, and ignorant medical staffers.

[Urist Imiknorris]

Typically, the first migrant wave I get is used to bolster my workforce, and maybe start a military. Not so this time. The wave consisted of a cheesemaker, his wife (a glazer), and their five children. Worthless.

[FallenAngel]

Hey, my fort's first two migrant waves had irrelevant jobs.
The second one had someone semi-useful (an engineer) who was promptly told to be a furnace operator.
The lye maker is now our second engraver. Trained from scratch and is already Talented. The person who came with us who was at Proficient is now Expert.

[Urist Imiknorris]

I don't particularly care about them having useful jobs, I just want dwarves that will actually work.

[FallenAngel]

Good point; 5 children is very tough to get as a wave.
I never seem to have that problem, although that could be a byproduct of my race being adults once they turn 1.
Try turning a lye maker into an engraver.
It's funny.

[Urist Imiknorris]

Oh hey, this time I got ten dwarves. Again, five of them are children. I hate this game sometimes.

[Madman198237]

Congratulations.
The RNG hates you.
Furthermore, the dwarves in your world clearly have too much leisure time, to raise so many children.
I think you should do something about it.
Slave-labor, anyone? Building useless monuments to petty tyrants?
Making magma fountains while the magma is turned on?
THAT ought to help you deal with excess workers.
Flooding your farm with magma is an EXCELLENT way to discourage children.
(I've noticed that children can sometimes work in a farm, but it might just be something limited they can do as they grow up)

[FallenAngel]

Hey, you still have 5 people who can be useful at least half the time.

[Spehss _]

You could try starting forts earlier in world gen. my fort started in year 6, after the first couple migration waves of families and children it seemed like all migrants were generated from thin air--no relations, only passing acquaintances, very little couples or children came in later waves.

[da_nang]

I watched wave after wave of migrants get slaughtered by goblin ambushers and necromancers. Prior to that there was a tantrum spiral and only a few survivors, including a vampire, are alive and are busy building the ever-expanding necropolis.

[deepfreeze78]

You could always use the children to drop them on top of goblin invaders. Just like send them to do something over a bridge, open the bridge, and let them fall on top of the goblins, smashing the goblins' heads.

[Urist Imiknorris]

Yay, one of the kids grew up. This is a Good Thing. However, the number of kids is the lesser problem at the moment.

My dwarves are all, to a one, lazy bastards. Do you know how annoying it is to have 24 dwarves, but only have five of them working at any given moment, while the rest eat/drink/sleep/take breaks/be children? Because I do. I've been living that feeling for the past hour or so. Luckily, spring's right around the corner, and hopefully I'll get an actual workforce.

EDIT: No, I will not deliberately kill by own dwarves, unless they're actively harming my fortress (in which case there will be a glorious proletariat uprising).
EDIT2: An example: My carpenter/Fearless Leader was called to the depot, went there, and just as the last merchant arrived, fucked off to eat. Then once he was full he washed his cat meat down with some ale, then draped himself over the barrel and took a nap (no beds because he doesn't want to make any). When he wakes up he goes on break, so I use DFHack to put an end to that. FINALLY he goes to trade, then right after that's done, he enters a strange mood and makes the diplomat leave in a huff. I swear, my dwarves are conspiring to hinder my progress at every turn.
EDIT3: Aaaaaaaaand... an artifact barrel.