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[Nightwind]

I wanted to cover a few things, while at the same time getting the phase where I show the same excitement as anybody before me ever did out of the way with likely the same questions asked over and over...

While still hoping to do it in a polite enough way to be answered.

I'll now move on to introduction.  Back in the 2d days, one of my friends got hooked, completely.  To the point of spending hours describing the functions of his cave of dwarfs.  I was amused, and interested, mostly because she's cute.  Mind you, not enough to play this, yet.

I'm going to skip some time of stories from different friends who got into it, and some who escaped into other things, I'll say what grabbed me.  A written chronology of a round robin story.  Such a thing got me into nethack in the day, and I stayed for the depth of play, even though I've shown a complete lack of skill.  YASD should be my character name by now.

I did not regret the spoiler of nethack in my day, and with my limited (read nonexistent) skill at such games I spoiler-dove until my mistakes where simply mistakes, and not stupidity.  That is to say gross negligence not able to be blamed on not knowing better.

With that in mind, I read the wiki.

Then I read the talk pages behind the more detailed and discussed pages in the wiki.

I went on to read Stories as unlikely as a working dwarf city 15 z levels under the ocean.

Thus my first question:

Where's the best discussion on the clockwork/computer city built as a clock?


And further:

If I wanted a discussion on stupid dwarf tricks in general:  Indoor waterfall that pumped itself back into a reserve pool, the same using magma, or in truth anything with magma more dangerous then the forge. 

Where are good discussions, implementations, and/or examples of these stupid dwarf tricks?

I admit to being partly entranced by the thought of a lava waterfall protecting the front wall of my fort.  Of a spillway closing, then a bridge going out, and then a safe trip outside.

I also have a basic theory on how to make it slightly safer then my first idea...  though when my first idea had the side effect of burning the entire world, that isn't hard.  In the end I think I'll not get enough power to pump the lava back up.



If it's an exploit to use a screw pump to lift water to power a waterwheel, and gain some power from it.  A worse one to use them in massive stacks and rows and piles to generate enough power for everything...  Would doing it with lava be like having a nuclear power plant, and just as dangerous?



Shifting my thoughts elsewhere, I do see a large section of reading, an entire forum, of the story form that drew me at the last into this game, but for my last question, would any of you be willing to explain the why and how of some of those actions?

[Aqizzar]

The answer to all your questions is this forum.  The Fortress Mode and Gameplay Questions sections are precisely discussions on weird events and tricks, and tips on what is possible and how to implement them.

The Community Games and Stories is where all the round-robin games live.  Just ask to jump into one or read through an active thread to see how it's done.  At least I think that's what you're asking.

And hey, welcome to the forum.

[Jim Groovester]

I'll try and answer your questions with some specificity. Welcome to the forum.

Thus my first question:

Where's the best discussion on the clockwork/computer city built as a clock?

I don't think anyone's quite attempted construction of a fully automated city run by fluid or foot logic, due to the sheer size and scope of it all. But for a basic primer on computing, there's the article on the wiki about mechanical logic. Also, look on the forums for posts by Kanddak and AncientEnemy regarding their various mechanical creations, as well as their submissions to the Dwarf Fortress Map Archive. They've done some clever things.

And further:

If I wanted a discussion on stupid dwarf tricks in general:  Indoor waterfall that pumped itself back into a reserve pool, the same using magma, or in truth anything with magma more dangerous then the forge. 

Where are good discussions, implementations, and/or examples of these stupid dwarf tricks?

I admit to being partly entranced by the thought of a lava waterfall protecting the front wall of my fort.  Of a spillway closing, then a bridge going out, and then a safe trip outside.

I also have a basic theory on how to make it slightly safer then my first idea...  though when my first idea had the side effect of burning the entire world, that isn't hard.  In the end I think I'll not get enough power to pump the lava back up.

Discussions about these sorts of thing come up all the time. Screwpumps, waterfalls, magmafalls, and death traps, are all popular topics. Typically, the discussions tend to revolve around lethality, aesthetics, or just general coolness.

If it's an exploit to use a screw pump to lift water to power a waterwheel, and gain some power from it.  A worse one to use them in massive stacks and rows and piles to generate enough power for everything...  Would doing it with lava be like having a nuclear power plant, and just as dangerous?

Waterwheels don't work in magma. Steel magmawheels, though, would be awesome, but aren't in the game.

Shifting my thoughts elsewhere, I do see a large section of reading, an entire forum, of the story form that drew me at the last into this game, but for my last question, would any of you be willing to explain the why and how of some of those actions?

The why and how of a community fortress or a succession game? Mostly to entertain and tell a story. Is there anything in particular?

[Tormy]

Welcome to the forums! 
[Advice: If you would like to make a suggestion in the appropriate subforum, always do a search before you post!  ]

[ToonyMan]

Come here and give me a hug!   *hug*

[lemonpieman]

If it's an exploit to use a screw pump to lift water to power a waterwheel, and gain some power from it.  A worse one to use them in massive stacks and rows and piles to generate enough power for everything...  Would doing it with lava be like having a nuclear power plant, and just as dangerous?

Oh dear.

[Nightwind]

I'll try and answer your questions with some specificity. Welcome to the forum.

Thank you, good to be here.

Thus my first question:

Where's the best discussion on the clockwork/computer city built as a clock?

I don't think anyone's quite attempted construction of a fully automated city run by fluid or foot logic, due to the sheer size and scope of it all. But for a basic primer on computing, there's the article on the wiki about mechanical logic. Also, look on the forums for posts by Kanddak and AncientEnemy regarding their various mechanical creations, as well as their submissions to the Dwarf Fortress Map Archive. They've done some clever things.

I read through that.  The first step would be to build the main clock mechanism itself.  The first step of that is to find you "Tick".  We have nothing as accurate as quartz crystal, so I'm thinking bridge on a pressure plate.  The amount of time it takes a bridge to move is a known time.  If that does not work, then it has to be an elephant (male) walking a loop.  But this means the clock will only run for as long as the elephant lives. 

And further:

If I wanted a discussion on stupid dwarf tricks in general:  Indoor waterfall that pumped itself back into a reserve pool, the same using magma, or in truth anything with magma more dangerous then the forge. 

Where are good discussions, implementations, and/or examples of these stupid dwarf tricks?

I admit to being partly entranced by the thought of a lava waterfall protecting the front wall of my fort.  Of a spillway closing, then a bridge going out, and then a safe trip outside.

I also have a basic theory on how to make it slightly safer then my first idea...  though when my first idea had the side effect of burning the entire world, that isn't hard.  In the end I think I'll not get enough power to pump the lava back up.

Discussions about these sorts of thing come up all the time. Screwpumps, waterfalls, magmafalls, and death traps, are all popular topics. Typically, the discussions tend to revolve around lethality, aesthetics, or just general coolness.

So either ask there with something more specific, or start on the front page and work back through the posts until I'm satisfied?

If it's an exploit to use a screw pump to lift water to power a waterwheel, and gain some power from it.  A worse one to use them in massive stacks and rows and piles to generate enough power for everything...  Would doing it with lava be like having a nuclear power plant, and just as dangerous?

Waterwheels don't work in magma. Steel magmawheels, though, would be awesome, but aren't in the game.

Drat.   I'd thought through making them from one of the fireproof matierals... this means diverting an entire magma river to the front of the fort, and somewhere there being a door of pure doom... (beware of troll, breaking door and flooding world)

The why and how of a community fortress or a succession game? Mostly to entertain and tell a story. Is there anything in particular?

More like "why did you build that" in a given chapter.


Edit: Started my first city, it suggested the middle of a vast, lifeless, dry salt lakebed...  and the quickstart, had no inside growing seeds...  can I grow in rock salt?

[ToonyMan]

You just got to make the rock salt wet, that's all.



Maybe with MAGMA!!  Or water.

[Nightwind]

You just got to make the rock salt wet, that's all.



Maybe with MAGMA!!  Or water.

it would have to be, as I don't see any rivers...
though the fisherdwarf did run off towards one it was ... far.

I'm going to ask for a new site and try again

[azazel]

When you are on the "find site" screen (embark screen? could be named that, not sure - whatever): hit f and tell the game what you want. For a first fortress, I recommend flux, river and magma (of some kind - pool or pipe). No aquifer is almost required.

Or you could try TinyPirate's guide/tutorial, or just use the site that comes with it (it's a very nice one). http://afteractionreporter.com/2009/02/09/the-complete-and-utter-newby-tutorial-for-dwarf-fortress-part-1-wtf/

[Nightwind]

When you are on the "find site" screen (embark screen? could be named that, not sure - whatever): hit f and tell the game what you want. For a first fortress, I recommend flux, river and magma (of some kind - pool or pipe). No aquifer is almost required

Heh, so the default starting point is almost always that bad?  It looked ok, until i tried to use it...

[azazel]

the "default" point is just randomized - it changes every time you hit "Start Playing"; there can't really be a default starting point in a game where the world is random for each player. This is why I recommend the guide I linked earlier - it gives you a world and starting point so you can follow the guide step by step (most of the time - I got torched by a dragon before I reached the end of the guide :/).

[Nightwind]

My first fortress.

Ok, setting the starting position as kind as i can think to make it...

flux stone, no aquifer, underground river, magmapie, and NO chasm...

Taking the default starting set too, I'll reclaim it with other things if this fails out.

I remember, loosing is fun (dying isn't bad either).


Ok, intersting embark location.

It's the furthest most outcrop...  I'm going to use this outthrust to turn all the walls into fortifications and baliste, an outpost, if it lives long enough... Guess I'm building in from the left...

On the other hand, I could put the nobles in there, as bait.  They just get repalced when they die, right?

[azazel]

Default starting set is, unfortunately, not very well designed. http://www.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Starting_builds is your friend (go for the basic one - I usually switch out stuff for a 3rd miner though; depends on area as well, I s'pose). But hey, it's more fun when there's a challenge  Good luck, and yes - fun is fun.

[Nightwind]

I figure I can die a few times, and reclaim a few times, as I'm going to die ANYWAY.

It is a nice spot, there's lakes near the start...

And the land is "silty clay loam" so I've got  land I don't have to water.

Your sure a wall made of this, is as solid as anything else?

It just makes me nervous