Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[madjoe5]

Is there any benefit to making wood blocks over raw wood?

All my carpenters are legendary, sitting in the statue garden, getting fat as my stockpiles are full of extra bins, barrels and beds. Is it worth having them convert them all into blocks? Aside from the experience, better constructed buildings and the ability to stack them in bins, is there any other benefit.

Note: I don't create crafts from wood, nor do I need any more wooden furniture. I use most of the wood in burning to spur my potash industry. Will the blocks still be burned like that?

[Elvang]

Blocks are only good for compactability and construction, I don't think there is anything else they can be used for.

[Danarca]

If you got spare barrels and bins you're not doing it right.

[petersohn]

If you have too much wood, just burn even more. If you want the carpenters some job, then assign them some other labour, like potash making or hauling or whatever.

As for blocks, the only use of them is construction. You can't burn wooden blocks in the wood furnace, as well as you can't smelt blocks made of ore.

If you just want to have fun with your carpenters, build a tower from wooden blocks. Then, fill it with magma just to show how stupid the game is.

[Chewykittens]

If you just want to have fun with your carpenters, build a tower from wooden blocks. Then, fill it with magma just to show how stupid awesome the game is.

Fixed.

Go ahead with your potash industry and have your carpenters do something else for a while.

[silhouette]

Blocks increase the value of the item.
E.g.

normal wooden logs = 1 point
wooden blocks = 3 points.

something like that.

Basically it increases the asthetic value of it all.

[Grendus]

I can only think of a few good reasons to make wooden blocks:

1. You're a masochist who's designing a long term above ground fort using no stone. Wood blocks would allow you to increase the architectural value of your fortress.

2. You're a masochist who's using wood for a megaproject (probably to piss off the elves) and you want an easier way to move the logs around.

3. You're trying to build a road that will piss the elves off hardcore. Nothing like making them walk across the dessicated remains of their precious trees.

Otherwise, either save it or use it to make potash (if you have sand, make clear glass. Turns a value 3 log and free sand into a value 10 gemstone or building material).

[Astramancer]

In case it's unclear, blocks can ONLY be used in constructions.

In my first fort, I made the mistake of turning my logs into blocks to save space, then I found I couldn't make beds out of them, and I was sad.  I had 30 useless wooden blocks.  I sold them to the humans.

[Reese]

In case it's unclear, blocks can ONLY be used in constructions.

In my first fort, I made the mistake of turning my logs into blocks to save space, then I found I couldn't make beds out of them, and I was sad.  I had 30 useless wooden blocks.  I sold them to the humans.

You should have decorated them "These blocks have a masterfully carved image of an 'T' in turtle shell, a masterfully carved imaged of a 'D' in dog bone" most dwarfy toddler toys ever!

--edit--

and child safe, too: "it menaces with spikes of lead"

[silhouette]

it meanaces with spikes of dwarf bones.
Train your dwarf children to have fell moods at an early age!

[Doomshifter]

IIRC, wood logs have a value of 3 db and wood blocks have a value of 5 db.

[petersohn]

Every raw material has a base value of 3 and blocks have 5. Since wood has a material value of 1, it is true that wood logs worth 3 and wooden blocks 5. The same from obsidian would be 9 and 15. Clear glass blocks worth 25. So if you want to make really valuable building material, make clear glass blocks instead. Even if you use charcoal for fuel, you can make a clear glass block out of 3 wood logs (1 for potash, 1 to fuel the kiln, and 1 to fuel the glass furnace).

[assimilateur]

The dilemma probably consists of wanting one's carpenters to gain experience while not having enough work for them, save for useless busy-work like making wood blocks. It's one of the reasons for why I only use one dwarf for each kind of artisan, i.e. one carpenter, one mason, one mechanic.

But you know? If you want your carpenters to be legendary and you don't want to make surplus furniture, then by all means make those blocks if you can spare the wood. Then, you can periodically get rid of them, because building stuff out of them doesn't make much sense economically.

As to other uses for wood (if you're less interested in having legendary carpenters and more in just producing stuff), what others have said about burning it for clear glass sounds like a good idea. Also, you could make soap. If you have a couple of cows or whatever livestock, then tallow for soap should be readily available.

[madjoe5]

The dilemma probably consists of wanting one's carpenters to gain experience while not having enough work for them, save for useless busy-work like making wood blocks. It's one of the reasons for why I only use one dwarf for each kind of artisan, i.e. one carpenter, one mason, one mechanic.

But you know? If you want your carpenters to be legendary and you don't want to make surplus furniture, then by all means make those blocks if you can spare the wood. Then, you can periodically get rid of them, because building stuff out of them doesn't make much sense economically.

As to other uses for wood (if you're less interested in having legendary carpenters and more in just producing stuff), what others have said about burning it for clear glass sounds like a good idea. Also, you could make soap. If you have a couple of cows or whatever livestock, then tallow for soap should be readily available.

Its no that I want to get them to legenedary (because they both are already there), its that since they work so fast that I have no need for them really. I have plenty of haulers etc, so they basically sit in my zoo throwing parties, complaining about lack of work etc. I have been producing some more bins since i posted cause I ran out.

I decided to make them hybrid wood cutters, both to keep 'em busy and get more wood for the things mentioned (clear glass, charcoal, potash).