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[scale_e]

Was thinking the other day, about the desert in DF. Its pretty easy to live there atm.
Water is simply not enough of an issue. The only time you really need it is when a Dwarf gets injured and for some reason ceases to be an alcoholic.

The ability to have you dwarves survive solely on booze and plump helmet biscuits will be fixed when water is required for farming... but then the desert will be totally inhospitable. From one extreme to the other. (unless of course, you have an aquifer or an oasis or something, but let's assume you don't)

There is a solution, and I'm ripping it (shamelessly) straight from Dune.
DEATHSTILLS.

See, in Dune, the Fremen (the desert people from the story) survived by reclaiming the water from living creatures. I personally think that this is awesome. The Fremen even went on raiding parties killing Harkkonen (the bad guys from the story) and reclaiming their water. I could see dwarves doing this to goblin encampments. I could see this being totally awesome.

[profit]

Not within the sacred pre-1400 time frame...

But other than that a good idea.

[tsen]

Once milking large critters is in, possible to subsist on milk from cows/goats/camels. Well, horses too if you're feeling Mongoloid. Of course, that brings up the question of what to do once animals start requiring water.

[FoboslC]

If this will be implemented, elves will finally have other use than a free cloth carriers.

[scale_e]

Not within the sacred pre-1400 time frame...

eh? is that in the pre butlerian novels written by herberts kid or something? I've only read the first 4 books, and the three Prelude to Dunes

Once milking large critters is in, possible to subsist on milk from cows/goats/camels. Well, horses too if you're feeling Mongoloid. Of course, that brings up the question of what to do once animals start requiring water.

What self respecting dwarf would stoop to raising horses? Bah! Also, the water required to keep animals alive in the desert, would out way the milk you get from it.

And more ideas (ripped from Dune, yes, but still god ideas)
Windtraps to collect moisture from the air.
Sealing the fortress with door seals to prevent moisture loss.

[profit]

Not within the sacred pre-1400 time frame...

eh? is that in the pre butlerian novels written by herberts kid or something? I've only read the first 4 books, and the three Prelude to Dunes

No, I am referring to dwarf fortress, only things that existed prior to 1400 ad are allowed in it.  Suggesting things that were created after that usually results in harsh criticism around here.

Since dune technology if memory serves me correct is roughly 3600AD tech (after a war with computer controlled machines caused humans to reject all computers) I doubt it will fly.

[Aspgren]

In australia there is a certain frog that burrows down near some trees.. they absorb water from the roots (i assume) and anyway they function as a live water bottle. The natives have learned how to extract the water from the frog without injuring it.

It's just a mouthful but it keeps them alive so .. well there could be another creature that does things like that? Also cactuses should be able to be harvested for water.

[scale_e]

In australia there is a certain frog that burrows down near some trees.. they absorb water from the roots (i assume) and anyway they function as a live water bottle. The natives have learned how to extract the water from the frog without injuring it.

It's just a mouthful but it keeps them alive so .. well there could be another creature that does things like that? Also cactuses should be able to be harvested for water.

Cyclorana platycephala or Water-holding Frog. Believe it.

[Pilsu]

Chances are, you shouldn't live in a desert with no water source 

Could just rework underground rivers and create oases to make the areas not a total waste

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

surely getting water from corpses is a simple matter of putting them in a very hot oven then condensing the steam on a big cold-ish plate.
At the very least, you'd get gravy.

[Neonivek]

I have some solutions ALL of which are pre-1400

A) The ability to collect water from an out of map area
B) Irrigation: The ability to use gravity to get water to where your fortress is from out of map area
C) The ability to collect rainfall
D) Digging wells
E) Buy water

[Heron TSG]

you can already do C. just build a huge tower around a murky pool, and station a bridge on top. open the bridge when it rains, and close it when it doesn't, so your water doesn't evaporate.

[Neonivek]

you can already do C. just build a huge tower around a murky pool, and station a bridge on top. open the bridge when it rains, and close it when it doesn't, so your water doesn't evaporate.

Ehh needs to be a better solution then that. Though that is interesting.

[Granite26]

you can already do C. just build a huge tower around a murky pool, and station a bridge on top. open the bridge when it rains, and close it when it doesn't, so your water doesn't evaporate.

Ehh needs to be a better solution then that. Though that is interesting.

Why?  People Live in the desert today because we've basically redug rivers (pipes) to flow into them and controlled access to the rivers.

They SHOULD be a wasteland, void of dwarven life.  Not every spot has to be a place to plop down a fort.  Especially with the army arc (places to fight, or terrain to avoid/cross) coming.  (IMO, of course...)

[Silverionmox]

I have some solutions ALL of which are pre-1400

A) The ability to collect water from an out of map area
B) Irrigation: The ability to use gravity to get water to where your fortress is from out of map area
C) The ability to collect rainfall
D) Digging wells
E) Buy water

A, B: Aquaducts should be possible (emergently), but require maintenance and be vulnerable to raiding parties, thus requiring patrols by soldiers and mechanics.
E: Do you have an example where a settlement sustained itself on bought water pre-1400? Apart from ships. Water trade should be possible of course, but it's quite heavy, and heavy things tend to need rivers and coasts to be transported cheaply.