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[Megika]

Hi all! Two quick questions for anyone who cares to answer.

First, is there any benefit at all to metal-tipped ballista arrows? The wiki page doesn't indicate that there is, and I'm in short supply of quality metal.

Second, is there any way at all that walls can be destroyed (other than the Remove Construction designation)?

Thanks!

[Jim Groovester]

1. You would think that they would do more damage, but I am not an authority on this. In any case, your metal is better used elsewhere, because it's a bit of a waste to use metal on something that can kill perfectly well without it.

2. They can collapse if all support from the ground is removed. But otherwise, no.

[Megika]

Yeah, I figured that the arrowheads really wouldn't be enough of an improvement for their cost. Good to know, though.

As for walls, that reminds me - walls from a raised drawbridge are identical to a normal wall, aren't they? If so, that would mean that you could use drawbridges like super-doors, immune to trolls and magma men. Of course, there's the inherent disadvantage of the delay... thanks for the answers.

[Jim Groovester]

Bridges aren't necessarily immune to building destroyers, but I can't recall a case where a bridge was actually destroyed by one. Tantruming dwarves falling into magma because of a destroyed bridge, yes, but never a troll or anything like that.

However, unless you're playing with mods, getting attacked by building destroyers is extremely rare. I've only had trolls bust down doors in one of all my forts. It usually isn't a concern when designing things.

[petersohn]

Open drawbridges are not identical to walls. Walls are constructions, while bridges are buildings which can be destroyed by buildingdestroyers, tantruming dwarves or magma poured on them (if not made by magma-safe materials). If you design an entrance gate with a moat and a drawbridge, make sure that the bridge opens inwards, so that they can't be destroyed by trolls.

[Megika]

Open drawbridges are not identical to walls. Walls are constructions, while bridges are buildings which can be destroyed by buildingdestroyers, tantruming dwarves or magma poured on them (if not made by magma-safe materials). If you design an entrance gate with a moat and a drawbridge, make sure that the bridge opens inwards, so that they can't be destroyed by trolls.

Good to know, thanks.

On a (somewhat) related note, I was wondering: if I set it up so that at the entrance to my fort, there's a 3x4 channel covered by a drawbridge which opens inwards, with the drawbridge raised is there any way for anything to get past?

[fizmat]

On a (somewhat) related note, I was wondering: if I set it up so that at the entrance to my fort, there's a 3x4 channel covered by a drawbridge which opens inwards, with the drawbridge raised is there any way for anything to get past?

I think a flying building destroyer can. Not sure though.
Due to a bug in flyer pathfinding he needs to be able to path to the bridge first, so if there is another way into the fortress (for example a maze for killing invaders) he might ignore that path and just break through the bridge.

[darkflagrance]

Open drawbridges are not identical to walls. Walls are constructions, while bridges are buildings which can be destroyed by buildingdestroyers, tantruming dwarves or magma poured on them (if not made by magma-safe materials). If you design an entrance gate with a moat and a drawbridge, make sure that the bridge opens inwards, so that they can't be destroyed by trolls.

Also, bridges made of non-fireproof material (including stones with normal melting points) can be melted by dragon fire.

[Astramancer]

However, in your case, even a melted bridge still wouldn't let the beasty past, because nothing can climb (yet) so a dry moat is impenetrable.  Wet moats, however, can freeze (depending on climate) allowing unfettered access.

I also believe that wet moats and magma moats are subject to penetration by those that can swim/survive in lava.