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[Mechanoid]

How long are chains? It'd be rather interesting to create longer lengths of chain, which when an animal is hooked onto it, it would allow that animal to wander in an area which is larger then one tile.

This way you could have a (or more then one) chained war dog at the entrance to your fortress, or next to your trade depot, to protect it from theives and kidnappers -- within the distance of the chain's length, of course.

Also, if a criminal was attached to a chain, it could let that criminal serve time while allowing himself to get water or food. A 5x5 room could have 8 chains in it which have a length of 3 tiles, and in the middle of the 5x5 room would be a well. This means that those 8 prisoners can go to the well and get themselves a drink, without someone having to do a water haul job to quench their thirst.
Certain crimes could also warrant certain lenths of chain; if someone's killed X dwarves, then their chain length would be reduced, compared to someone who kicked over a table and could have many more lengths of chain (and thus, freedom)

[Toady One]

The default chains were originally going to be longer, but it takes some technical infrastructure to have them drag across the floor properly, especially if you want the dragging to behave somewhat sensibly.  Ideally you'd be able to lay down lengths of thread to follow back out of a cave and so on, not that it's hard to get out when you have the whole map sitting right there, but maybe it'll become easier to get lost sometimes.

[Draco18s]

A "quick fix" for it is to use the "bunge cord" analogy.  I.E. it's always a strait line no longer than X.

[Toady One]

Does it just pass through walls and supports when the creature would be wrapping it around them?

[Rondol]

Three words: they're magic chains.  

[Draco18s]

For a first incarnation Toady, that'd probably be acceptable.
Remember that when it wraps around things, you'll need to have good pathfinding or those poor souls will end up wraped around a tree whining like a RL dog.

[Toady One]

I know the issues, which is why I haven't put it in.  I'd rather do it correctly once than in multiple forms.

[Angela Christine]

Wouldn't a jail full of long chains result in brawls?  A dwarf who is in prison and unhappy about it attacks his neighbour (or his neighbour's pet).  Being attacked makes her unhappy so she throws a tantrum too.  Each time a dwarf attacks he gets slapped with another disorderly conduct charge and his sentence is lengthened.  Eventually all the dwarves in jail are angry, injured and serving nearly infinite sentences.

I don't know if that is possible, but as it is I always keep my chains three spaces apart to minimize contact between the prisoners.  

Will prisoners even use a well?  I tried putting wells and beds in my prison to keep them happier, but I never saw them being used.