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[Zankaru]

1. The Tower - Been having ambushes alot and was wanting to know, if I built a tower going all the way to the very top z-level then left the top exposed would a dwarf staying up there (im thinking making a barracks zone on top with bed/food to keep a dwarf up there, but dont know if that will work. Or maybe door it off and once he is in forbid the door.) be able to spot everything in my region? Like ambushes, theives, etc.

2. The Wall - Recently have had dwarves scatter after an ambush appeared while they were hauling stuff from the depot. Was wanting to know if I completely wall in my depot and leave a 5tile wide bridge pulled up will, trade caravans not show up at all without a way to get in right away? This way I could lower the bridge, let the caravans in, raise the bridge and have the hall-way there so trade could take place.


                  
                                         ############
       ##################                    #
       #                                         My Fort   #
       #  ################                    #
       #  #                            ############
####    #####
#                  #
#                  #
#        D        #
#                  #
#....BBBBB......#

# - Wall
D - Depot
.  - open space
B  - Bridge

[smjjames]

1. Nope, ambushes and thieves are in sneak mode and thus invisible until they either run into your dwarves or a friendly animal.

2. No idea, I haven't done that kind of thing yet.

[Elvang]

1. Thieves and ambushes can only be spotted when they touch a friendly. Ambushes luckily tend to attack the nearest friendly, so chaining up dogs or something throughout the surface works well, especially if there is a bow/crossbow using enemy.

2. If the wagons can't path to a depot, they ignore your site and only pack animals show up. You could make a second depot and leave it open elsewhere, and when the caravan appears block that second depot and open the first.

[Elvin]

In regards to 1, no it would not. You have to be right next to an stealthy unit in order to reveal it. The usual way to detect them is to put some sacrificial animals on chains at key points ( or war dogs, if you have spare) and let the enemies run into them.

As for 2, if you have a non-accessible depot only the trade animals will arrive on the map, the wagons will not. The animals will wait on the edge of the map until either they are attacked, you have a depot or their timer runs out. And you only need a three tile wide bridge, as that's how wide a wagon is.

[Quietust]

2. The ideal thing to do would be to build your trade depot inside an airlock - make sure there are only 2 ways to get to it, and seal off both of them using bridges or floodgates hooked up to levers (for bonus points, use floodgates on one end and a raising bridge on the other end so you can toggle it with a single lever). Be sure to leave it open to the outdoors by default or human/dwarven caravans won't bring their wagons.

[Zankaru]

1. Thieves and ambushes can only be spotted when they touch a friendly. Ambushes luckily tend to attack the nearest friendly, so chaining up dogs or something throughout the surface works well, especially if there is a bow/crossbow using enemy.

2. If the wagons can't path to a depot, they ignore your site and only pack animals show up. You could make a second depot and leave it open elsewhere, and when the caravan appears block that second depot and open the first.

So if it is un-pathable and they show up I cant just flip the bridge and they will come in?

[Quietust]

So if it is un-pathable and they show up I cant just flip the bridge and they will come in?

If it's unpathable, you'll get the message "Their wagons have bypassed your inaccessible site" and they will not appear at the map edge, while their pack animals (donkeys, mules, camels, horses, cows, muskoxen) will simply wait at the edge of the map.

Also, the orange text is rather annoying.

[Skorpion]

1. Nope, they have to be close by something. Set out traps or chained animals to detect them.

2. If you're worried about ambushers hitting the fort, build the depot in an airlock, so you can shut off access from the depot to the outside AND access from the depot to the inside seperately. Leave the outer door open all the time, and the inner door shut.
When the caravan arrives, it will path in and wait in the depot. Shut the outer door, open the inner one, haul the goods, trade. When that's done with and the goods are hauled, slam the inner door and open the outer one and let the caravan out.

Alternatively, just build up a decent military and keep a squad stationed at the entrance all the time. 3-4 squads should give you a decent rotation of troops, and a nice sizable force to call up in case of a siege.
My current setup is three melee squads of seven dwarves, with mixed axes, hammers, and spears set on rotation just inside the gate, so nobody gets too depressed from not eating in the dining room and being out in the sun and the rain. There's also a squad of seven marksdwarves, consisting of those with spinal injuries that stopped them sparring. They're usually set to station atop the fort, but left off duty to practice.

[forsaken1111]

Also, the orange text is rather annoying.

But it makes him look so cool!

[Zankaru]

So if it is un-pathable and they show up I cant just flip the bridge and they will come in?

If it's unpathable, you'll get the message "Their wagons have bypassed your inaccessible site" and they will not appear at the map edge, while their pack animals (donkeys, mules, camels, horses, cows, muskoxen) will simply wait at the edge of the map.

Also, the orange text is rather annoying.

Is your background white or something? Mine is black so orange looks nice. Or is it that you just dont like the color?

[Vester]

I find it rather pleasing to the eye.

As to ambushes, one decent way to deal with them is to have your main entrance lead directly into your barracks.

The most expedient is chaining up animals to "spot" ambushes though, especially if you have lots of goats in cage traps.

[TKTom]

I find it rather pleasing to the eye.

 Indeed, orange and black has a nice style to it. Morpheus probably wears it.

 I hate ambushes too. The way I deal with it is to grab as much wood as I can soon after embark, then dig down and build a military. When I need more wood I cut in small areas and keep the cutters well guarded.

 I channel/ build columns to make sure that caravans will arrive from the nearest edge but migrants still need to be escorted in.

[Albedo]

1. Thieves and ambushes can only be spotted when they touch a non-enemy.

Fixed.

If a wild animal touches a thief or ambush, they are also revealed.  Uncommon, but it happens.

[forsaken1111]

1. Thieves and ambushes can only be spotted when they touch a non-enemy.

Fixed.

If a wild animal touches a thief or ambush, they are also revealed.  Uncommon, but it happens.

It's been quite common for me actually, but my map is positively crawling with skeletal and zombified creatures.