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[Hephaestus]

So...

I hesitate to question the wiki (which has been spot-on in every other instance I've used it), but I am beginning to suspect catapults CAN hit your own dorfs. I have a siege operator training area set up as described in the siege engine wiki page.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 
VCCC..................CCCV
VCCC..................CCCV
VCCC..................CCCV
V = channel for stone recycling
C = catapults set to fire at each other
. = long (45 tile ) hallway room

I was merrily training up some legendary operators for a prisoner firing range/arena when I get the announcement that Urist McMyBestEngineer has been found dead! I check the combat report (spinning diorite boulder, yup) and his body is lying in the far catapult's stone recycling channel with his right arm, torso, and neck all... flat. And pulpy.

Has anyone else experienced issues with this design? I wasn't actually watching the range, so do you think he got hit with a boulder or one fell on him from above while he was grabbing stone from the channel?

[gunpowdertea]

Yes. Siege engines kill everything that they hit. Getting them to hit anything you want to be hit is another trick. The setup looks unsafe to me. I usually have them fire at a wall with a channel below. Every now and then I open access to the channel and queue a bzillion rock crafts. Yes, then the operators have to haul stone from far away. I don't care, keeps them busy, gathers all of the rock in one place.

[bloop_bleep]

I was under the impression that only ballistas kill everything in their path, catapults only damage their intended target.

[GenJeFT]

I was under the impression that only ballistas kill everything in their path, catapults only damage their intended target.

Maybe someone did not like Urist McMyBestEngineer.

[bloop_bleep]

Wait a second, I think that catapults only damage stuff AT THE END OF THEIR TRAJECTORY, which might not necessarily be their intended target.

[Hephaestus]

Seems there's some SCIENCE to be done...

Whatever the case, I recommend abandoning any plans for a two-way catapult range, no matter what dwarffortresswiki tells you. I'll see if I can replicate this with any expendable willing volunteers.

[McDwarf]

I think what is happening is the catapulted rock hits the back wall, stops being catapult ammunition and becomes a falling rock. If a dwarf is in the channel under the falling rock. . .

[bloop_bleep]

Yeah, I think that's what happened. Kinda obvious, I should've noticed the fact that he died in the channel. 

[Hephaestus]

I think what is happening is the catapulted rock hits the back wall, stops being catapult ammunition and becomes a falling rock. If a dwarf is in the channel under the falling rock. . .

Replicated and confirmed. You got this one exactly right, thanks for pointing it out! Catapult ammunition = harmless. Falling rocks = friendly-fire stone-fall trap.

Omit the channel or find some way to prevent operators from entering while the range is in operation (I used burrows) and no casualties result.