Print

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

[The Architect]

Do falling objects damage creatures? I'm not aware of anything of the kind at the moment, but if they did then you could have stone placed on a hatch linked to a pressure plate. This could be especially deadly over multiple z-levels once objects accelerate depending on distance.

Note: I think HB wants something a little more graphic and dwarf-interactive than someone stepping on a tile and taking damage. Admittedly automated stonefall traps are much more effective than getting a dwarf to time it right (given the limitations of this game, and the fact that a civilian dwarf aware of an invader's presense is programmed to flee).

[SirHoneyBadger]

I never got any impression that you weren't treating the subject with respect (due or not), Neonivek.

The idea of an improved stonefall trap is an interesting one. If the number of Z-levels an object fell had bearing on the damage the object does, and if it additionally required that the stonefall trap be connected to an existing structure, then the whole idea of stonefall traps might become a lot more real.

[Arrkhal]

Hm, a buildyerown stonefall trap like that would be nice, The Architect.

Also, hm.  If object-falling-on-head damage were implemented, it wouldn't even really be necessary to change much at all.  Just designate a garbage dump at the edge where you want dwarves to throw/drop rocks, and have a stone stockpile next to it.  A vile force of darkness has arrived!  Designate the stones for dumping, and watch heads get smashed.

Once the AI gets upgraded so that civvies don't flee when they aren't in any danger, that would be a great way of bolstering defense without having to draft anyone.

Once rolling is implemented, it could even be automated.  Just have a rock cistern with an angled exit out the bottom and hatches set to a pressure plate.  Someone steps on the plate, and all the rocks dump out!

[The Architect]

This is starting to read like the screenplay for The Swiss Family Robinson.

[Bauglir]

-snip-

[sproingie]

I would like to see stone ammo in order to have slings.  Even if dorfs don't wield them, they seem like something goblins and kobolds would use, and we don't otherwise have any blunt-force missile weapons unless you count catapults.

Titans and collossi should be able to throw full-sized stones, basically as walking catapults.  Damn that'd be fun if you managed to tame one.

[King_of_the_weasels]

Catapults are great and all, but they don't work vertically. This would. So that'd be nice.

Then Toady should implement wall mounted Catapults.

[Dvergar]

Hmmm.... wall mounted catapults, that would be kind of epic now wouldn't it?

I believe I made a similar suggestion in the past.  I proposed that dwarves be made able to instantly craft so many throwing stones or one stone club out of raw stone.  People saw the phrase "instant craft" and shot me down, but i still think it is a good idea.

I was mostly talkiing about improvised weapons, not literally creating a stone club or missile, but using it Cain and Abel style.

[lucusLoC]

what needs to happen is that all falling objects need to do damage based on their weigh and elevation. period. then you would need no additional coding for any of this.

want your dorfs to drop rock down holes? designate a dump or stockpile with appropriate limits on items.

want an elaborate anvil-fall trap? build it.

want to kill orcs with nobles? you can do that too.

this would solve all your drop rocks/murderholes/funny traps needs, without having to code in special cases for all of them.

[Hyndis]

My major problem is the sheer rediculousness of it all.

By all means a large creature should be able to hurl these stones, or they could be hurled over the sides of walls, or something else.

But these are rather sizable stones. Using them as throwing weapons are a bit odd.

My tantruming nobles do it all the time.

Most of them will only get to novice skill in throwing before they meet an Unfortunate Accident(tm).

[Hyndis]

I think it might work better if it were an improved version of the existing stone-fall trap.  Make them work from more than 1 z-level up, and make them loadable from the top.

I second this motion.

Similarly, crossbow traps should fire up more than one Z level (not that it would be useful) as well as be reloadable from the bottom, a Z level lower than where the trap itself is.

Thus, you could have an army of engineers frantically shoving in more stacks of crossbow bolts into the ammo hoppers of the traps in order to try to keep the traps reloaded so that can mow down wave after endless wave of invaders.

 

[SirHoneyBadger]

Crossbow traps (not to get off the subject) would be great if you could place the crossbow(s) at point A, and the target/release mechanism at point B.

That way, you could plot out lines of fire.


Same thing with stone traps, only Z down, instead of X,Y across.

[jfs]

I think it might work better if it were an improved version of the existing stone-fall trap.  Make them work from more than 1 z-level up, and make them loadable from the top.

I second this motion.

Thirding.
Also, stone-fall traps should obviously not take up zero space but require the entire Z-level above where they fall onto.
Build them similar to a well: Channel out the space, build the trap with a mechanism so it hangs in the open space, then load it from the side. Require it to have support from at least one side. Allow it to be released by pressure plates or levers. For extra bonus, allow having an "ammo magazine" above that holds a few additional stones that are automatically loaded into the trap after it fires.

[Sithlordz]

What if we could tell recruits to pick up stones to throw at people as they charge into battle? Like Roman battle lines, throwing javelins before getting into melee.  Except with rocks.  Javelins would be cool too, though.

Edit: Also, has anyone ever played with something called a Marble Run? We should be able to make that, but with stones that fly into enemy lines.  Just because it would be more hilarious than using a catapult.

Editedit: I also thought of a reason for Marble Rock Runs! They could be operated from quite a distance from where the enemies are.  In fact, the further away they are, the more damage you'd do.  So it could actually be almost useful!

[The Architect]

You can kinda do that by training your marksdwarves as hammer users and givin em metal crossbows :-P