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[Axetibe]

Hi guys

So I've been doing a lot of outside forts lately, and what I really enjoyed doing was to have a fabulous idea of my forts by seeing them with tool such as Armok Vision/Stonesense.

But now, I'm going back to a more "dwarfy" point of view, and I'd like to build a gigantic and glorious fort inside the mountains.

So far, it hasn't been so difficult to do something acceptable with architecture, and maybe even something beautiful.

But my problem is that, no matter which type of architecture I'm using (a giant hole, z-levels separated by stairs, z-levels separated by channels/ramps...) I can't have satisfaction by seeing the result with Armok Vision/Stonesense.

I'd like to have your tips. Have you guys ever tried to build something viable and pretty inside? Inside's megaprojects?

Thank you.

[miauw62]

Did you try big natural rock pillars?
Idk, I just feel like making most rooms 3Z tall might help.

[Axetibe]

Did you try big natural rock pillars?
Idk, I just feel like making most rooms 3Z tall might help.

Man, that's a very nice idea you just had!

Do you mean having rooms with a roof 3zlvls above the rest, all of this supported by some natural pillars carved in the rock?

[Flying Dice]

Remember the chase through that really big hall in Moria during LOTR? The one with pillars everywhere? Like that. It's the method I use for my dining halls, but you could theoretically do it for an entire fortress.

Pause. Start by selecting your top level, make it one tile wider in all dimensions than your lowest-level floorplan. Plot out a dig around the perimeter, a one tile wide tunnel all the way around the edge, keeping in mind the size of column you want to use (I normally use 3x3, but for this sort of project I'd recommend 5x5, I'll get to why in a bit) and the distance you want between columns, such that you end up with a total floorplan which divides neatly. Follow by designating one-tile digs around every column. Connect the columns with each other and with the rim using whatever pattern of tunnels you want--I prefer one-tile wide from the center of every column ring to every adjacent column and wall.

Once you've got that entire plan mapped out, copy the dig down through every z-level you want the fortress to occupy. After that, unpause and designate an access tunnel for the top level. Once it's all mined out, smooth everything. After everything is smoothed, designate every tile of black space within the floor plan (which isn't a column) for channelling, not including the one-tile tunnels you've smoothed. Once that entire channel is done and the dwarfs have dug out the pattern of one-tile paths and columns, smooth the same one-tile paths, outer walls, and columns as on the top level. After that's done, channel out the same spaces which you channeled before.

Repeat that for every z-level that you want to be open.

Once you're done, you've got a large, many-z-level open hall full of beefy columns, with fucking everything connected by precarious one-tile wide walkways, and everything is smoothed. If you built your columns 5x5 as I suggested, you can hollow them all out. Use a couple as stairways, while the rest are perfectly sized for workshops, bedrooms, and offices.

Bonus Dwarf: If you have an aquifer, tap it from below and have it fall the entire height of the fortress as a pattern of waterfalls, falling into holes on the bottom level to flow away to the edge of the map.

Extra Bonus Dwarf: Build a large hydropower system using the waterfall outflow.

Super Extra Bonus Dwarf: Pump magma up to the bottom level of the fort and into small ponds. Build your smelters and forges on little islands over these ponds.

[puke]

I've been building most of my fortresses by digging out massive columned chambers, with little windowed / arrow-slit'd rooms overlooking it -- so that housing and workshops surround and look down on your main hall.

Look at classic wide-open designs like Copperblazes and Orbinches, and extend them into 3d.

I'm not familiar with Armok Vision, but the older visualizers used to have a feature that filtered out un-discovered rock and let you look at the interior of a fortress sort of floating in space.  underground fortresses looked awesome, even if they didnt have huge 3d rooms. 

Is that not a thing anymore?

[Immortal-D]

I recommend firing up Minecraft.  Set to Creative Mode, then find yourself a suitable mountain.  You can quickly sketch out a basic room using pillars, bridges, railings, and windows.  This will help give you some ideas for your Fortress.

[Dunamisdeos]

I always carve multi-level halls. I start at one level, and then (if I can) I add another level down every year. There are always natural rock pillars that are carved further down and engraved each year. It's like a history room of the fort.

[Baffler]

I can confirm that this works. Balconies, bridges, and other 3D works are the way to go. And they're a pain to get right sometimes, but if you're using stonesense ramps are your friend.

[Dunamisdeos]

I can confirm that this works. Balconies, bridges, and other 3D works are the way to go. And they're a pain to get right sometimes, but if you're using stonesense ramps are your friend.

Ramps are also your friend if you ever intend to visit your fort in adv. mode.

[Max™]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Zuglarkun]

+1 for architecture requiring use of more than 1 z-level for 3D designs.

Other things you can attempt to do are "pop up" engravings, like digging grooves into the wall and stuff (digging, not engraving), so that the grooves pop up and form a image. A good reference is the konark sun temple irl. You can even carve out small indentations to place masterwork statues in.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I've done the same but in reverse for door archways, here's an example, my design for a magma catacombs entrance hall. The pillars will get statues placed on them eventually. Same deal for the platforms suspended in the magma.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Dunamisdeos]

Fun fact: I've decided to take my carving a step further, and have each year's worth of carving done by one lucky dwarf as a reward for achievement.

Year one was simply the highest-ranking engraver. He began by filling an entire pillar with a repeating scene all the way around: an elf being crushed by a bronze colossus.

::EDIT::
he has begun to branch out now, and has included carvings of a second elf being destroyed by a tundra titan.

[Hetairos]

Towersoared has some nice examples of what can be done with the inside.