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Author Topic: Perpetual Motion Machine Not so Perpetual?  (Read 1286 times)

They Got Leader

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Perpetual Motion Machine Not so Perpetual?
« on: October 18, 2009, 08:36:31 pm »
I recently made myself a perpetual motion machine [http://www.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Water_wheel], but for some reason, it wont stay moving. After a few rotations of the wheel, the water stops. Must the water level be below 7/7 so that its constantly leveling out?
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Quote from: Urist McDwarfFortress
You do not understand the ways of Toady One. He is not a business, he's just a guy trying to make a fun game. He's invited people to come along and experience the journey with him (and help him test it out as he goes along). At the end of the day, I don't think his main goal is to sell Dwarf Fortress, its just to create the best game possible.

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Re: Perpetual Motion Machine Not so Perpetual?
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2009, 08:50:54 pm »
Found the problem. If the water level is equal, it doesnt run. (AKA: remove some access water if all tiles are 7/7)
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Quote from: Urist McDwarfFortress
You do not understand the ways of Toady One. He is not a business, he's just a guy trying to make a fun game. He's invited people to come along and experience the journey with him (and help him test it out as he goes along). At the end of the day, I don't think his main goal is to sell Dwarf Fortress, its just to create the best game possible.

SquirrelWizard

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Re: Perpetual Motion Machine Not so Perpetual?
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2009, 09:28:11 pm »
well its a bit more complicated than that.

7/7 water that isn't connected to a natural water source (that is a river/brook/ or aquifer I think) doesn't have flow. I think it does this for lowering cpu strain. 7/7 water from a river will have flow. I dont know if it has to flow into and out of a river for this to hold true (my last fort has pmms, one that feeds off of the brook, the other has a resevoir)
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Re: Perpetual Motion Machine Not so Perpetual?
« Reply #3 on: October 18, 2009, 09:37:00 pm »
No, unmoving water can flow. I made a dwarf run the screw pump by hand, and some access water spilled out, making the general level about 5/7. Then I had some more water put in while Urist McPumpoperator kept pumping and then the water wheel started running which made Urist stop pumping. Now its working just fine.
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Quote from: Urist McDwarfFortress
You do not understand the ways of Toady One. He is not a business, he's just a guy trying to make a fun game. He's invited people to come along and experience the journey with him (and help him test it out as he goes along). At the end of the day, I don't think his main goal is to sell Dwarf Fortress, its just to create the best game possible.

Magua

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Re: Perpetual Motion Machine Not so Perpetual?
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2009, 01:06:41 am »
Source water connected to a brook or river always has flow.

Aquifers are a little funny, but I have found that once you pump water from an aquifer into an aquifer (even the same one), you get flow that continues forever.

Any other water does not have flow if it is full at 7/7.

To see flow, it's easiest to turn *off* the "show fluid amounts" setting in init.txt.  If you see the tiles flashing and going from single to double tildes, there is flow.
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