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[Granite26]

Pressure plate mechanism light enough to be set off by an errant cat wouldn't hold back giant axe blades

Regardless, if you let the players just abuse waterwheels again, what did you accomplish? We're right back at where we started

Wait what?  That's not true at all... or rather, it's a gross misrepresentation of what's going on.  At the very simplist, the pressure change cuts a string holding it back.

Also, there's a big difference between an overpowered trap that takes one stone mechanism and some sharp sticks, and something that requires a feat of engineering.

[Pilsu]

the pressure change cuts a string holding it back.

A string that gets cut by pressure applied by a cat gets ripped in two if it tries to hold back giant axe blades. Not to mention cutting mechanism wouldn't auto reset

[Footkerchief]

the pressure change cuts a string holding it back.

A string that gets cut by pressure applied by a cat gets ripped in two if it tries to hold back giant axe blades. Not to mention cutting mechanism wouldn't auto reset

What?  Triggering mechanisms aren't complicated at all, that was just an example to illustrate the principle.  It's just like a release pin on a catapult, or a tripwire for any kind of booby trap.  It's not hard to create a situation that is mechanically stable but only barely so.

Nor is it very hard to create triggered mechanisms that reset themselves -- a single-action semi-automatic pistol uses a trigger to release the stored energy of the hammer, after which the gun resets itself so that the trigger can release the hammer's energy again.

Obviously a Colt 1911 is modern technology, but it would also be straightforward enough to create a powered self-winding catapult that uses a ratchet or something to avoid over-winding and is fired by a spring-loaded release pin (spring-loaded so that it can automatically lock the mechanism again once the catapult has been wound).

[Silverionmox]

Clarification: bottom part of the rope is a loop that will slide off if the pressure plate is moved downwards, allowing the axe to turn on its hinge and swing down. It's more about the trigger than the rest.

[Draco18s]

...and what am I looking at?  That contraption wouldn't work, it'd RAISE the axe blade (and not very well--mmm~ mechanical disadvantage).

[Duke 2.0]

 Would it cause the rope to fray on the corner, eventually tearing and thus releasing the axe blade?

 Even then, it would be a one-shot thing.

[Footkerchief]

Did you guys not play with enough Legos or something?  Wheel rolls slightly to the left, rope loop slips off the end of the arm, left end of the axe is no longer restrained, axe freely pivots, blade cuts off a goblin's arm at the shoulder.

[Foa]

I'd rather have a giant saw blade launcher, press the plate, lets go of said restraints, and you get shredded by a flying spinning saw blade, the system relods by it being caught in the other wall, and it happens again when Dumbledork steps one more step.

[Areyar]

i'd rather just link an animal to a vertical axle to provide 20 power or a dwarf for 10.

[Pilsu]

Did you guys not play with enough Legos or something?  Wheel rolls slightly to the left, rope loop slips off the end of the arm, left end of the axe is no longer restrained, axe freely pivots, blade cuts off a goblin's arm at the shoulder.

The way the rope is strung, it would not loosen if the plate was pressed. It'd pull it if anything. I know my The Incredible Machine good sir

I don't see how that demonstrated autoreloading though

Nor is it very hard to create triggered mechanisms that reset themselves -- a single-action semi-automatic pistol uses a trigger to release the stored energy of the hammer, after which the gun resets itself so that the trigger can release the hammer's energy again.

Obviously a Colt 1911 is modern technology, but it would also be straightforward enough to create a powered self-winding catapult that uses a ratchet or something to avoid over-winding and is fired by a spring-loaded release pin (spring-loaded so that it can automatically lock the mechanism again once the catapult has been wound).

Catapult 1411s didn't exist either. Sure it's simple now but back then it just wasn't happening

[Foa]

Ballistae tiles! In a tile an enlarged ballista is latched to the floor, step on it and the latches release, and you are sent into the air, useful for elevators.

[Impaler[WrG]]

Lots of good ideas on this thread, to summarize what seems to be agreed upon

1. Traps should have a higher chance to miss
2. Weapon per trap should be lower and size dependent, one or two 'large' trap weapons at most
3. Mechanism quality should be important, improving things like speed, accuracy or jamming probability
4. Some volume either above, bellow or adjacent to the 'kill zone' should be occupied by the trap
5. Traps can be powered or underpowered, only powered traps can reset and fire indefinitely

I'd also be in favor of making traps function like all other lever-linkable devices, levers or pressure plates are the only means to trigger the trap.  This adds a lot of freedom to separate the trigger and the trap or to fire the trap purposefully for fiendish amusement.  It also requires us to use more mechanism further balancing things out.  As for ocupied trap volume I'd go with an adjacent impassible wall for weapon traps with the player selecting a trap direction much like a screw-pump.  Stone falls would be built over empty space like a well and actually drop the stone to the lower level.  The cage and Spike traps would occupy the space below the target and would require the floor above to have been removed and the trap comes with a 'floor' on top of it filling the hole.  The spike trap obviously perforates what ever is above it but the cage trap allows its victum to fall into the trap and down a level ware the now occupied cage will sit and can be removed, this seems to me to be the only sensible way to catch things in traps.

[Draco18s]

I'd also be in favor of making traps function like all other lever-linkable devices, levers or pressure plates are the only means to trigger the trap.  This adds a lot of freedom to separate the trigger and the trap or to fire the trap purposefully for fiendish amusement.

You can already do that for the most part with Upright Spikes.  I planted 53 squares worth (4 iron or 3 steel) all linked to the same pressure plate.  First gobo to step off it killed the rest of his squad.

Was damn funny.

[Fensfield]

Not a bad idea, but I have one concern - why 3x1?  Initially it seems to make sense, but what if some poor sod wants to make an entrance that isn't a multiple of three wide - like me?  Yes, my basic corridors are 3 tiles wide.. but my 'grand' entry tiles are either 5 or 7 wide, with pillars and secondary corridors along the sides.

3x1 Severely limits design decisions of those who wish to use them - yes, Weapon Traps may well need a rebalance, and you may well have good ideas how to do it, here, but Forcing 3x1 size would lower the freedom of players.. which is a strong point for DF.  Why not just make Weapon Traps in some way linkable, to form a single, larger trap of variable size, with all the properties you describe?

[sweitx]

Triggering mechanism should use practically no energy (spring pressure plate, the weight of whatever on it triggers it, and when they move off, the spring reset it).  Now, due to simplicity, the pressure plate controls a metal wire/rope that controls the trigger mechanism of the actual trap, which uses energy.

And a small pressure can trigger a massive trap (think hair-trigger for guns).

Another thing to note is that some traps (swinging blade, serrated circular saw, etc) can be powered similar to a clock mechanism with just counter weight and oscillating.  Therefore they can store a certain amount of energy to be fire repeatedly.  The weapon can self reset, just think of the escapement inside a mechanical clock, as long as there's energy in the gear, the pendulum will swing another way.

As for powering the trap, I got 2 ideas.
1. Dwarf Reset - different trap have different amount of charges it can use before requiring a reload (and even reload before all charge is depleted).  Perhaps with a job named "Winding up Trap".
2. Reset by Power Source - Again, use a mechanism gear connected to a power source to continuous re-arm traps.  However, instead of every trap needing its own gearing mechanism, the trap themselves should be allowed to transfer energy themselves to other traps nearby (but not to non-trap).

Now a new trap ideas.
Projectile traps triggered by pressure plate.
Example, a crossbow + mechanism trap.  When the pressure plate triggers, the crossbow will fire a shot in the direction its pointing at (determine during construction).  I have always wanted to build a corridor of flying bolts.
Or maybe a launcher that can launch generic items...
A corridor of flying kitty chunks.