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[PatrikLundell]

I've mostly secured the 3:rd cavern with a "pocket" for entering critters for each edge, and I've got drawbridges in place if I want to let them in. A while ago an FB made out of flame entered one of these, and recently when I looked at it, the bridge was completely gone. It was a raising stone bridge with a stone mechanism, 2 tiles long, with the non "swivel" tile towards the outside (i.e. on the FB's side). As far as I've understood and seen, such bridges are safe from damage when raised, but it does not seem to be the case any more? Could it have changed when flame spewing and flame based FBs started melting glass menacing spikes and destroying cage traps they move over?
Another odd thing is that the FB is just sitting there, as if the bridge was still blocking access, despite a clear route up to the fortress as I withdrew all my dorfs with a civilian alert.
I guess I'll see what happens when regular critters next enter that pocket.

[anewaname]

... Another odd thing is that the FB is just sitting there, as if the bridge was still blocking access, despite a clear route up to the fortress as I withdrew all my dorfs with a civilian alert....

This bit makes me think that if the bridge was destroyed by fire while closed, that the code did not adjust the pathing dataset, as it would have if the bridge was lowered, or if a wall had been deconstructed.

[Saiko Kila]

My memory says that if the central tile (upper-most/left-most in case there is more than one central tile) of bridge in deployed state serves as a sensor of temperature, and if doesn't really matter if the bridge is raised or no. I had raised bridges destroyed by dragonfire for 100%, and if I remember correctly by very hot demons too. However, raised bridges seem to be somehow inconsistent - I always assume their destruction can be delayed by something. I suppose it's either a bug or "CPU saving feature".

The issue with pathing seems to be related to the raised state, though. Maybe sending a bait nearby can unlock the bad guy, unless he is stuck in a destruction mode of some building?

[PatrikLundell]

There's supposed to be a central tile issue, which means 3 tile long bridged would be at risk, but I thought 2 tile ones would be safe.
I've had fire escape through bridges in the past, though, so maybe the FB managed to heat the ground under the bridge?
I've got another flame spewer, not made out of fire, at the other side (also locked out), and it hasn't damaged its bridge (nor have any of the ones I've had previously).

The bugger isn't destroying anything, as there's nothing to destroy closer than the entrance to my fortress (there's a bait door there). I won't send a bait critter, but rather wait for migrant critter to enter that section. There's a 1 in 4 chance they'll enter there, and 1 in 4 that they'll visit the other flamer (in which case a new groups will be requested rather quickly).

I suspect it's a pathing issue for the FB, but once it gets moving things ought to change. If they don't, I'll open up the cavern and try to designate building of something on the FB's side of the wall to see if building materials are available from there.

[Fleeting Frames]

Well, 2 tile ones opening south or east can safely hold magma while made of wood, but north and west they'll catch fire. Whenever DF rounds, it floors the number, but if you're forgetting you can also check with d-b-h to see which tile reacts.

Though that doesn't prevent the fire going through whatever is under the bridge, I guess.



Flame fbs are rather fragile, so I imagine it'd die sooner or later (later being cave dragon). It'll get quite interesting if the flame fb doesn't repath after combat, as that means one can have 1-tall obstacle that one cannot go through but maybe can shoot through that also isn't a building or vulnerable to anything, really (unlike the bridge it replaced).

[Saiko Kila]

There's supposed to be a central tile issue, which means 3 tile long bridged would be at risk, but I thought 2 tile ones would be safe.

Central tile for two-tiled bridges is the left one (western) or upper one (northern), so each bridge has it's central tile.
These are some examples of central tiles for even-sized bridges:

Example 1:
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Example 2:
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Example 3:
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Example 4:
#
#
#
#

Example 5:
##
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##
##

I won't send a bait critter, but rather wait for migrant critter to enter that section. There's a 1 in 4 chance they'll enter there, and 1 in 4 that they'll visit the other flamer (in which case a new groups will be requested rather quickly).

Yeah, I also would wait for some by-passer monster. The stucking from lost pathing isn't as firm as from buggy destroying, so it's safer to wait for some third party than send own people.

As for temperature, maybe it's worth checking. Maybe there can be residual temperature left, like happens from magma, but higher?

I suspect it's a pathing issue for the FB, but once it gets moving things ought to change. If they don't, I'll open up the cavern and try to designate building of something on the FB's side of the wall to see if building materials are available from there.

And what gui/pathable from FB's position says? I'm not saying it is always correct (it doesn't account for climbing and flying for example), but IMO worth checking too.

[PatrikLundell]

Hm, I didn't know about gui/pathable, but it seems to indicate you can't reach the FB either from the outside or the walled of sections to either side of it, and it's sitting 1 diagonal tile away from the former bridge location. "probe" shows that the temperature is 10879 degrees, so it's rather warm, which might result in it not being considered pathable.

I did release another FB into the cavern (not the flame spewer), but it decided to chase (and fail to catch) cave floaters, and is currently sulking at the bottom of a cavern lake. The flame is still stuck in place, and was so when the other FB ambled by some 15 tiles away.

In my case the former bridge was "bB", with B the swiveling tile, in which case the "center" would be "b" with the logic presented by Saiko Kila. It looks like it's time to revise bridge design based on orientation...

Edit:
I've made a save scum prepared test resulting in the FB roasting one of my dorfs and leaving its camping location, so it's nether locked in nor path blocked (apart from the heat it's producing). And, of course, I've save scummed...