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[Lost Requiem]

With the botched Fortress I had last time, I decided to embark on an 8x16 sized region, most of the region covered by a freshwater lake in the center. This time around, I'm going to build the fortress on the water. To make this even more challenging, I'm making the floors out of only Marble and the walls out of only Orthoclase. And everything is made from blocks, not rough stone. Bonus points will come if I can, when the lake freezes each winter, build lower floors going into the lake, and megabonus points if I can reach the bottom of the lake. This is a difficult project, not to mention huge, which means that most of my labor force is composed of Masons. I'll take images in Visual Fortress tomorrow of how everything looks so far.

[Martin]

Bonus points if at the end you can pump out the water and replace it with magma.

[Dwarf]

With the botched Fortress I had last time, I decided to embark on an 8x16 sized region, most of the region covered by a freshwater lake in the center. This time around, I'm going to build the fortress on the water. To make this even more challenging, I'm making the floors out of only Marble and the walls out of only Orthoclase. And everything is made from blocks, not rough stone. Bonus points will come if I can, when the lake freezes each winter, build lower floors going into the lake, and megabonus points if I can reach the bottom of the lake. This is a difficult project, not to mention huge, which means that most of my labor force is composed of Masons. I'll take images in Visual Fortress tomorrow of how everything looks so far.

So when it freezes, you dig down, and you cover the ice walls with constructed walls to get a permament shaft?
Awesome.

[wagawaga]

If it freezes. Else, you could just use pumps in an attempt to keep the area dry for enough for your masons to build. Or MAGMA of course.

[Lost Requiem]

If it freezes. Else, you could just use pumps in an attempt to keep the area dry for enough for your masons to build. Or MAGMA of course.

It DOES freeze, just not for very long. a month to a month and a half, to be more precise. Right now, though, I'm contemplating how I will use this very small window of opportunity to be most effective. I'll have to move the block designation closer to the build site and immediately start building downwards, first walling off the region in one season, then putting in the floors the next season.

Finally, I MAY put in Magma into the lake.... if there's even magma in this area. My first concern is to erect the fortress.

Here's a high view of what I have so far. The main path will connect to the northern section, and will function as a path for the trade caravans. it is 7 tiles in width. The smaller paths are 5 tiles wide and are major walkways for the dorfs, but still wide enough for wagons to travel *not that they would need to*

The unwalled region will be the main structure, where all the workshops and storage designations are located. The walkway to the west will lead to the residential areas (for normal dorfs), a tower for all the nobles, and a barracks for the military. Once the King arrives, I'm going to build a separate castle for them.

[expwnent]

Looks neat. Have fun.

[Martin]

I think you should take a very modular approach to this, with such a small window. I'd set up a grid to build on - maybe 20x20 or so. For each section, stage all of your blocks very close to the building site. I'd then dig down into the ice, dig out the room, and then put in the walls. I'd make sure I had 2x as many masons as I needed and 2x as many miners, each dedicated to only this and quite possibly locked in to the work site. You'll also need enough blocks for a floor or else the room will flood and you'll just need to dig it out again, though that might be okay so long as you aren't going too far down.

But no magma? You're going to need an assload of blocks to do this. An obsidian farm would have been damn handy.

[Lost Requiem]

That's exactly what I was planning to do. I was first going to build the 'basement' underneath the main structure with miners at the ready once the lake freezes, then afterwards, I send in the masons with the blocks situated very close by on the first floor. I build a makeshift staircase in the ice and set in the walls, then the floors, then hide in the outpost until the ice thaws (So no one ends up drowning), then wait around next year to finish it up. By then, I should have all my masons at Legendary+5 status.

[Safe-Keeper]

I tried this once, building a wooden sea fortress on an ocean embark site, but gave up when people starting dying of thirst . Will possibly try again later, now that I'm not as much of a newbie anymore such problems should be preventable.

[ungulateman]

  Impressive pic there. I guess you're going to build both up and down?

[Lost Requiem]

Of course. Building up is a given. building down is a challenge.

Speaking of which, I've been having strange collapsing caverns in the now submerged half-basement underneath the main fortress, but nothing has been lost. Everything is connected to the main fortress, what the hell is going on?

[Danjen]

I've always had a fondness for forts that bridge two pieces of land like that. Good luck!

[CobaltKobold]

So when it freezes, you dig down, and you cover the ice walls with constructed walls to get a permament shaft?
Awesome.

Funnily, you may construct them of that very ice. The issue will be the hydrostatic pressure, though- leave the bottom open and water'll come in.

[Mapleleaf]

You know what would be awesome, an underwater tunnel made of glass and steel that goes from your fort into the mainland, and then to the surface.

[Danjen]

But don't make it a lame 1 square passageway. Make a massive steel grated walkway, 3 tiles wide, supported by still pillars, in the middle of a huge glass tube!