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[Glutton]

Hi,

I would like to ask, if Toady can also plan and in some future perform some mechanisms arc? Because most of the fun for me now is making automated mechanisms for waterfalls etc...
But the possibilities are really reduced now. Two power sources and can be used mostly just for water pumps :-/

But I would like to see more possibilities to use the Dwarwen Machinery...
What about new power sources:
1) "Hot air wheel" - functionality as the water wheel. But inserted vertically into the channeled hole above the magma. Hot air raising throught this hole will move it.
2) Something that can be moved by the animals to generate the power. (something rotated by 4 long sticks.. with animals attached to them and moving around - amout of generated power dependend on the number of animals and their power)
3) Maybe some device as the second one - build in the prison and powered by prisoners?  (can require presence of some slavemaster with big whip)
4) The wood furnace can produce some energy when the wood is burned? To make burning forests down even more reasonable :-)

The power transfer via horizontal/vertical axles + gear assembly is sufficent I suppose.

Ok... now we are able to produce lot of power. What with it?
1) Generaly almost all warkshops could be attached to power source? Making them producing faster. (maybe jsut connecting the workshop should not be anough. Maybe it can require even upgrading to powered workshop, by installing few mechanisms into it.)
2) Already suggested in other thread - the block that are oble to move there and back (on some their axle) and pushing things before them. Should be also able to push the pressure plate under them.
3) Elevators? Probably with no advantages compared with stairs... but they would be nice because of the feeling. Mabye the elevator floor can be bigger with buildings on them? So I can move the workshops or storage area up and down?
4) Belt carriers? Designatin stocpicle or dumpin area on one one... letting it to move it automatically somewhere else?

Maybe some other people will make the list of usage longer...

I was also thinking about other things - but Im not sure if it is good idea and how it will affect general atmosphere of the game (I dont want sci-fi from DF :-))
But what is on my mind... are self-moving machines... (you know... like these yellow bastards from Morrowind Dwarws ruins...). Maybe just really skilled dwarf should be able to build them? Or they could be build only just like artefacts?
They should be able to store soem power inside them (no batteries... lets say some mechanical way) and perform some easy tasks like any other dwarf. If they run out of the energy, they will need to be bring to some power source by dwarf to recharge.
The jobs, they souhld be suitable to?
1) Hauling
2) Maybe digging??? (even underwater?)
3) Defence when some weapons are attached to them.
The ones from fire resistance material can be sent to dig inside magma? - but make sure they will not run out of energy there... otherewise nobody will be able to bring them back.

At least that would give dwarfs more time for party and workshops. And also gime me some feelink that my dwarfes are creating really nice machines.

[Osmosis Jones]

While these are good ideas, pretty much every single one has been done to death in dozens of threads previously. Also, it's already in the dev-notes, though low priority.

Bloat350, MORE MECHANISMS, (Future): Animal power for turning wheels etc., other pumps like tympanum wheels, various other things

[Glutton]

Damn it... :-) There is so much suggested and planned improvements... almost imposible to read them also and even harder to suggest something new :-)

But if it is already in the future bloats... Im looking forward for it.

[Skizelo]

Can somebody throw a link to a thread about automatons?
Robots are hard to build, I'd like to see people arguing how to implement them.

[JujuBubu]

I would not want such a thing as steampunk robots in df ...
steam power on the other hand would be nice .. charcoal is abundant, and with magma on hand there would be enough energy to power a fully automated defense
steam powered ballistas ..
and actual power needed to raise and lower a drawbridge .. that would be nice and would make defense a little harder ..

I also liked the idea of powered workshops

[Untelligent]

While many people dislike the idea of robots, it probably would be possible to allow creatures in smelter reactions and products, which would satisfy the people that DO want robots...

[BurnedToast]

4) The wood furnace can produce some energy when the wood is burned? To make burning forests down even more reasonable :-)

I like the way you think.

Anyway I agree with all the ideas you posted, mechanical workshops is a very good idea and I would love to see some robots especially if they could work in the water/magma. belt carriers and elevators and all that would be great too!

[Makrond]

Or allowing the smoke from throwing coke into magma be harnessable somehow... maybe some kind of magma-coal power plant.

[Drunken]

While many people dislike the idea of robots, it probably would be possible to allow creatures in smelter reactions and products, which would satisfy the people that DO want robots...

This would be great, then people who wanted them could simply mod it in. There are also a lot of other things you could do with creatures in workshop reactions. I remember a thread a while back where someone was making a 'fremen sietch' fortress in the desert based on the Dune sci fi books. The reaction he wanted was to be able to put a creature into a workshop to be able to claim its water.

On the subject of alternatives to batteries above - springs... although basic chemical batteries are actually much older technology than steel smelting irl.

Another way of looking at robots is golems, these are already in the game and are crafted from stone or metal or just about anything, and then animated by magic

[Draco18s]

On the subject of alternatives to batteries above - springs... although basic chemical batteries are actually much older technology than steel smelting irl.

While, yes, people figured out how to make a small electric current (hell, the Romans knew how to harness even more than that) no one could figure out what to DO with it.

Electricity has been studied since antiquity, though scientific advances were not forthcoming until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It would not be until the late nineteenth century, however, that engineers were able to put electricity to industrial and residential use.

[Glutton]

Well, electricity is part of real old history. But Im not sure how it fits into fantasy worlds... It was known during times of knights, swords and archers. But I still cannot imagaine elves using x-mas light belts to decorate their trees :-) It is just wrong :-)
For this reason, I suppose that DF robots (if ever considered as good idea and implemented) should not use it also. Springs and magic feels much better.

[Mephansteras]

Yeah, I'd rather have golems then robots.

More mechanisms will be fun, though. It's one of the ways I impress people with the game, talking about the elaborate trap systems I set up in some of my forts.

[IndonesiaWarMinister]

How about DwarfPower-powered Golems?
The magic is generated by a machine (that's what Dwarves will use, wouldn't they?) that require massive power....

[qwertyuiopas]

I remember coming across a book in morrowind or oblivion that was a story of how some people bout a mechanical golem from the dwarfes... blah blah blah... decided to attack the dwarves, golem turns on them then it turns out to be a dwarf in REALLY heavy armor in a time where heavy armor was virtually unknown.

Therefore, dwarf powered robot.

Edit: it was morrowind, and may have even been the elves.

[Fishersalwaysdie]

So the golem dwarves were slaves?