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[Puck]

Pressure plates.

Reset too quickly, if used in the simplest most straightforward construction.

You CAN build them non-resettable, but then you have to open and/or drain the whole chamber from the outside, again, or you combine it with the resetter idea from the wiki, which will AGAIN lead to the need of a second lever...
 
If water-triggered pressure plates wouldnt be so unreliable I'd have a few nice designs up my sleeve.
Even one that drains the room and enables access after some time has passed. Fully automated noble disposal.

edit:
I just had an idea, and it SEEMS it's working!

Ok, here's the plan:
when we build a lever we have the problem that the dwarf will actually be standing ON the lever tile, so we cannot utilize a plate to be active while we want to drown somebody. So what can we assign rooms from that creates actually an impassable tile?

that's right! STATUES!

so, we build a 1 tile wide corridor. 3 tiles deep. Last tile gets the statue, 1 tile before that is the pressure plate, civilian activated, before that is a 1 tile raising bridge.

assign the statue to the dwarve(s) to be killed.

Dwarf will sooner or later visit the statue, and stand on the pressure plate. Bridge will raise, dwarf will be imprisoned forever. Now wait until he starves or just incorporate a drownign contraption that is also triggered by that plate. I'd go for drowning, because a starving dwarf might tantrum and destroy the bridge that is blocking his escape, no?

Now the only culprit I can see right now... will the CORPSE of the dwarf still be triggering that plate? because if not, the whole thing resets upon death

AUTOMATICALLY

now excuse me, while I climax over my creativity.

Going to test build that machine right now.

[Puck]

ok, found some more problems with that design, namely, it has the ability to kill everybody sooner or later if you're not careful  (ie, what keeps that chamber from killing the poor sob that is trying to clean up the remains of the dead noble?)

but that can be solved easily by incorporating an "arming switch" which controls the water in or outlet as well as an alternate route to leave the room.

edit: wow... im stumped. built the arming switch, but the floodgate that creates the alternate exit doesnt work properly: the trap is armed, the floodgate is closed and for some reason dwarves are able to actually step on the closed floodgate oO and on the statue too, it seems. Maybe it has something to do with the statue being diagonal away from the closed floodgate. seems buggy, really, dwarves can step on both things.... everytime i try to build soemthing nice, it seems i encounter bugs. I HATE this, alpha or not  Or does anybody actually have an explanation?

Code: [Select]

WWFWWW
WSPB.....
wwwwwwww
P=plate, W=fall, S=statue, .=floor, F=Floodgate.

So why exactly can dwarves step on the Floodgate and the statue, once water enters the room?
not sure, but it seems its only children being able to do that.

I guess I'll have to go with a manual 2-lever design, because this sucks.

[Sutremaine]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the cleanup aspect of a pressure-plate triggered drowning chamber. I guess it would have to be the 'other options' option then.

Code: [Select]

####+####
####+####
####+####
###.^%%.#
###.ó%%.#
#########
The pressure plate attaches to a gear that causes the pump to activate. The noble is swept off to the side and down the hole, and what is in this hole is up to you. The basic idea isn't mine; I found it on the forum somewhere and filed it away for future reference.

It works even on dwarves with [SPEED:0], so nobles aren't going to get away. Stick a door next to the plate as well because even that little bit of water makes a mess.

Code: [Select]

####+|####
####+|####
####+|####
####+|####
####+|####
####^#####
####ó#####
##########
| = raising bridge, shown here with pressure plate active. You would probably need to designate the | tiles as high traffic in order to ensure that the noble is crushed.

[Vicid]

Why not a lever at the end of a hallway with pull set on Repeat.  Only nobles are permitted to use it and oh yeah much of the floor of this hallway is a retractable bridge that is linked to another level set on repeat.

Sure it could be over magma or a pit but I prefer to have it lead to a dungeon

[Sutremaine]

They'll just stand there pulling it until they decide to do something else, and there's a 50/50 chance that their last pull is one that extends the bridge. If it does work and the noble drops down, then you'll have to extend the bridge manually for the next victim. The same lever can be used if you use traffic designations to force the use of the bridge path when it's available, but it's still an extra lever pull.

[Particleman]

I like using spikes. It takes more effort but I find it more satisfying than drowning because you can watch thier injuries progress until they die. In particular I like using wooden spikes, one spike to a tile, because it takes more stabs for them to die.

Stick a ever at the end of a hall and forbid anyone but nobles from using it. DOn't link it to anything, it's just bait. Have them head down the hall to pull the lever. Along the way, set up some spikes and attatch them to levers. Then have some lucky dwarves repeatedly pull the levers linked up to the spikes. I like putting doors at the ends of hall too, so nobles can't escape once they enter, and I can forbid the door next to the bait-lever so they can't just hang out on the tile the it's on.

Yes, it takes more effort, but I find it more enjoyable. I don't execute nobles until they make a stupid or unreasonable demand or mandate, though (which usually takes about five minutes or so.)

[Mungrul]

I reckon there's got to be a nicely complicated magmatic method that auto-drains.
Bugger, I now know the next thing I'll be making. I predict fun.

[Mr.Dwarf]

I love how dwarfy everyone is. The "simple" methods involve mechanisms, levers, pressure plates, etc
The Simplest Way To Kill Nobles
by Mr. Dwarf
Step 1. Dig out Noble Quarters
Step 2. Build Door at entrance
Step 3(optional). Build Tomb for Noble
Step 4. Lock Door
Step 5. Wait
Step 6. ?
Step 7. Profit ( or bury noble and prepare for the next noble to inherit the room. Then return to Step 3)

Not Dissing you guys, I love the Dwarf spirit in you all, where the "simplest" way involves magma,water,pressure plates, and collapsing supports

[NRN_R_Sumo1]

Simple and efficient, are not always the same thing

My personal favourite is launching the nobles over the landscape using bridges.
I've done it enough times, my aims getting pretty good, I try to hit the archery targets in the field.

[Thanshin]

My lifelong quest is finding an automated trap that lets all workers in and pits nobles and invaders in an arena.

If the noble crosses the main entrance, something already went wrong.

[tp12]

I prefer the following.

Code: [Select]

|\
C===
 |/



C = Super special noble rose gold throne of mandate elimination fulfilment
"| = / \" = badly drawn ballista.

[Mungrul]

Hrrmph.
So I made a deathbox, but it's not as automatic as I'd like. I'm quite proud of my power supply for what is essentially the perpetual waterfall device, except with magma.

Top layer: Control windmill

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Second layer: Control gears & other power-supplying windmills

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Third layer: Perpetual magmafall pump arrangement

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Final layer: Customer Processing & control levers

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So Disgruntled Customer is told to pull the bauxite lever in Customer Processing to have his issue addressed, at which point the door locks him in, keeping him on top of the lever.
Then is the annoying micro-management part as Urist McBureaucrat is told to pull the blue lever outside Customer Processing. This activates the inactive control gear on the second layer, connecting the power from the Control windmill on the top layer to the inactive screw pump on the third layer. Sounds complicated, but this hanging gear assembly arrangement allows the whole thing to be turned on and off at will without disassembling the control windmill.
After Disgruntled Customer's complaints have been heard for long enough ("Well, you see, Urist McPleb has a better dining room thaaaaAAAaaaAAAaargH IT BUUUURRRRRNS!!!!"), the blue lever is pulled again, stopping the magmafall safely, at which point the grey lever is pulled, opening the door and allowing for final processing of Disgruntled Customer (who should just be a neat pile of bones by now).

While I like my power switch that doesn't destroy my windmills, I think the operation is far too fiddly. Any suggestions for automation?

[Puck]

I love how dwarfy everyone is. The "simple" methods involve mechanisms, levers, pressure plates, etc
The Simplest Way To Kill Nobles
by Mr. Dwarf
Step 1. Dig out Noble Quarters
Step 2. Build Door at entrance
Step 3(optional). Build Tomb for Noble
Step 4. Lock Door
Step 5. Wait
Step 6. ?
Step 7. Profit ( or bury noble and prepare for the next noble to inherit the room. Then return to Step 3)

Not Dissing you guys, I love the Dwarf spirit in you all, where the "simplest" way involves magma,water,pressure plates, and collapsing supports

To be fair, my idea didnt work, because the dwarves suddenly were able to step on non pathable tiles when water is added. If you build it like I suggested, with a lockable door as alternate entrance, you got a pretty convenient dwarven starver. Works a treat.

I just thought letting them starve or die of thirst wasnt reliable enough, since they MIGHT tantrum and tear down the door. But wth, could build the barracks right in front of the starving chamber 

It's convenient because you just assign the statue and then can do something else, without waiting for the noble. You just have to be careful to unlock the alternate exit once the cleanup gets going, else the next dwarf MIGHT just die (altough if he's quick the delay might just save him...)

Personally I would prefer that method _just_ because I like the "assign room" interface more than the "workshop profile" interface or the waiting over a nobles room thing.

Maybe I'll give my setup another try, without the water, that's bugging it out. (But what good is a machine that doesnt have the option to drown everybody? well, at least it has the ability to starve everybody if you dont clear the statue garden or unlock the alternate entrance)

edit: and yes, if it doesnt have at least 2 mechanisms, it isnt simple enough!

[HmH]

Puck, your idea with statue is great. A simple and easy automation.
I foolproofed it a bit and got rid of flowing water:

OOOOO
OS#^D
OOOOO

O - wall
S - statue
# - floor grate with a fall below
^ - pressure plate linked to a grate
D - door

Dwarf opens a door and passes through a pressure plate onto a grate. Pressure plate activates, grate opens, dwarf falls to whatever doom you prepared for him, pressure plate resets, grate closes. You may want to replace a grate with a retractable bridge if you need to hide something below from a dwarf's eyes.

UPD:
Tested both grate and bridge with recruits, it works. Don't know about parties, but if it worked in your trap, it will work in mine as well.

UPD2: The same construction may be used with atom smashers.

[Mungrul]

Hmm, if you placed a bauxite hatch above and linked the pressure plate to that, while keeping a non-moving bauxite grate in the tile in front of the statue, you could have it be a magma shower.