Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Immortal-D]

Hey all.  My current Fortress has a depth greater than anything I have played before; ~90 zeds from surface to top of the first cavern.  I am actually using minecarts for mining (I know, weird).  I have been given to understand that when a Dwarf has claimed an individual bedroom, they will not use a dormitory that is closer when need to sleep triggers, opting instead to trudge back to the bedroom, unhappy thoughts all the way.  They seem to be ok with using a satellite dining hall for provisions, but the time spent traveling for sleep makes this only a minor efficiency boost.  Is there anything I can do to encourage (force) use of a satellite bedroom, short of condemning them to permanently live in the depths 30-80 zeds below the main Fortress?

[Mobbstar]

The wiki suggests it is possible to assign multiple bedrooms to individual dwarves.^[1]  Though a manual process, this might mean the dwarves use the nearest bedroom.  Alternatively, owning several might cause them to ignore all but one room.

[HMD Majesty]

It is Our Understanding that Dwarfs will, by Preference, sleep in the highest-Quality Bedroom they own.  We are uncertain what they do when there is a tie between two or more Bedrooms, it is possible that in such cases they decide based on Proximity.  However, We have made Our Policy to allow Dwarfs to claim their own Bedrooms so We are unable to confirm any of this.

[Immortal-D]

Manually assigning the satellite bedroom is worth a try.  Otherwise, I'm considering just building a full mini-Fortress down there and using a Burrow, though I'd hate to lose the Dwarf-power for other projects.

[FantasticDorf]

The wiki suggests it is possible to assign multiple bedrooms to individual dwarves.^[1]  Though a manual process, this might mean the dwarves use the nearest bedroom.  Alternatively, owning several might cause them to ignore all but one room.

Keeping in mind this is without clarifying with testing and is theoretical, but out of the rooms they own couldn't this be affirmed or least cause them to reroute by using levers to hard-lock doors? When one is open, the other alternates shut by staggering the installation of the mechanisms after the first lever use.

[Maloy]

Love this idea for a fort! If you get some cool stories out of it you should share!

I can't imagine a fort actually deep enough to demand the use of minecarts and having to think about where people live and resources are

[delphonso]

I've never tried, but would single-bed dormitories benefit their mood greater than traipsing up the stairs for a month?

Going off FantasticDorf's testing idea - couldn't you make a single corridor of miner bedrooms (with one door at the end of the hall) both at the top and the bottom, and unlock/lock them accordingly?

[Immortal-D]

I've never tried, but would single-bed dormitories benefit their mood greater than traipsing up the stairs for a month?

Going off FantasticDorf's testing idea - couldn't you make a single corridor of miner bedrooms (with one door at the end of the hall) both at the top and the bottom, and unlock/lock them accordingly?

The wiki suggests it is possible to assign multiple bedrooms to individual dwarves.^[1]  Though a manual process, this might mean the dwarves use the nearest bedroom.  Alternatively, owning several might cause them to ignore all but one room.

Keeping in mind this is without clarifying with testing and is theoretical, but out of the rooms they own couldn't this be affirmed or least cause them to reroute by using levers to hard-lock doors? When one is open, the other alternates shut by staggering the installation of the mechanisms after the first lever use.

Some manner of contraption with a pressure plate or lever is definitely worth considering.  Right now I'm actually balanced on miners vs. Dwarf power (Fort is still young).  Hauling ores / gems / stones I want for bricks, to the minecart network is not yet a full time job.  That's another reason I want to avoid a burrow; even when the mining is at full power, there will be lapses, and I want my Dwarves free to visit the tavern or do stuff in the main Fortress.  I suppose I could assign the satellite bedrooms as their primary, then going back to the main Fortress for anything becomes the time sink, instead of operating the minecart network.

Love this idea for a fort! If you get some cool stories out of it you should share!

I can't imagine a fort actually deep enough to demand the use of minecarts and having to think about where people live and resources are

Completely unintentional.  I embarked at the ocean, near the edge of a plateu, and this is just how that part of the world turned out.  As for story; http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=15096.msg8324544#msg8324544

[Thisfox]

Some time ago, I experimented with giving everyone a tomb, with the appropriate clothing storage facilities, etc, and no bed or bedroom. Instead, there were beds installed all over the fort in little 2x2 rooms with doors into the central staircase. Dorfs who felt sleepy slept in any bed they could find, they didn't need to be designated as dormitories or anything. They really didn't stress about this, as much as I expected. One or two insisted on private bedrooms, most were fine. Perhaps you can just scrap the "bedroom" plan and let them store everything they care about in their 5x5 tomb next to their private coffin, and let them sleep in the nearest bed?

[Immortal-D]

Now there is an interesting idea.  I know Dwarves will use a bed that is built but not designated.  Do they still get happy thoughts from sleeping in a good bedroom?  If so, the only happy thought missing would be 'admired own fine bed', since they could still admire the cabinet inside their own tomb.

[Garfunkel]

Wait, do you mean that i don't need to manually designate a bedroom for each dwarf? I know they sleep in a random bed if they don't have a bedroom, or in dormitory, but is it possible for them to claim a bedroom by themselves at some point? Would be nice to avoid having to assign 100+ bedrooms.

[delphonso]

If you assign a room, a dwarf will claim it eventually. No need to do so manually unless it's like...your queen or something.

[Immortal-D]

Right.  If you designate the room as a bedroom, it will be automatically claimed by a random Dwarf.  Right now I'm trying to determine if a cabinet & chest within an assigned tomb will actually be used, per Thisfox's suggestion.

[Thisfox]

The beds were manufactured, and set up, but not designated as a sleeping area, hospital, dormitory, or bedroom. They just sat there, and the dorfs who did not have assigned bedrooms did use them as beds. I think if I'd made them into rooms, they wouldn't have worked that way. I originally did this not due to bedroom issues as such, but to talk the dorfs into storing their possessions in their tombs for a roleplaying reason.

[Urist9876]

Sometimes mine cart riding with the track blocked on both sides by a statue to only allow the mine cart passage can help splitting up a fortress in two areas.

Burrows do not need to be defined adjacent and do not need to cover the way there. So you could make a deep burrow and add your inns, libraries and temples.