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[Sphalerite]

Could the bottom level of walls be made indestructible, through cheating, and have all walls above survive the "cave-in"?

Cave-ins don't work that way - falling objects fall as separate blocks, not as continuous structures.  Constructed walls and floors deconstruct into the materials they were made from.  If you have lava you could cast an obsidian tower and drop it, but any floors will be destroyed, and walls may split apart and leave gaps.

[BigD145]

So a cast obsidian tower would get this treatment:
(from wiki) Any terrain crashes through multiple floors, and stops only upon reaching solid ground or a constructed wall, where natural terrain piles up and constructions deconstruct.

If it were a solid mass, then it seems reasonable that the bulk of the tower would survive and be quite dig-able. A few tiles worth cracking off the outside would not be much of an issue.

[Phil_Z]

I think that seas act like chasms, with no bottom.  drop somthign in there and no matter how big, it's just gunna keep falling.

[BigD145]

I think that seas act like chasms, with no bottom.  drop somthing in there and no matter how big, it's just gunna keep falling.

I just started playing with an ocean coast and there is a definite sea bottom. It might as well be a mountain map that's half flooded and has waves on the shoreline.

[Schilcote]

If I try to go downwards with magma (though in this case I guess it would be lava instead...)? Would I just end up with a bajillion Obsidian stones at the bottom of the ocean?

I wonder, if I trained my masons to swim, would they be able to swim well enough to build walls on the ocean floor?

[Itnetlolor]

Here's a semi-complicated method to use that might work.

• Worldgen
• Exit game
• Edit temperature so the water freezes (if you're out in the middle of an ocean)
• Have embark anywhere active and embark in the middle of the ocean
• Build your fort/raft/boat while producing all sorts of things you need on top of the ice (process is quicker if you also make superdwarven robots (no eat/sleep/speed:0) including smelting all the necessary materials)
• Save game
• Re-edit init to restore temperature to normal (better idea if all the dwarves are relocated back into a safe zone)
• CAVE_INS:OFF and restore everything back to normal
• Enjoy your 3-hour tour.

[BigD145]

Here's a semi-complicated method to use that might work.

• Worldgen
• Exit game
• Edit temperature so the water freezes (if you're out in the middle of an ocean)
• Have embark anywhere active and embark in the middle of the ocean
• Build your fort/raft/boat while producing all sorts of things you need on top of the ice (process is quicker if you also make superdwarven robots (no eat/sleep/speed:0) including smelting all the necessary materials)
• Save game
• Re-edit init to restore temperature to normal (better idea if all the dwarves are relocated back into a safe zone)
• CAVE_INS:OFF and restore everything back to normal
• Enjoy your 3-hour tour.

Where's the fun in all that? I want to be stuck on the bottom of the ocean and have to build my way out, thank you very much. One dwarf will stand watch on the surface and direct all construction (not floors!) going towards shore. Every once in awhile they'll make a new obsidian pillar to plummet to the bottom and maybe remember that there's a leaky tunnel right underneath. Head talk to feet? Absolutely not. Build that spire and don't tell anyone.

[Schilcote]

I have one last epic idea. We'd find a place with magma and ocean. Then we'd mine UNDER THE SEABED from the magma pipe to the place where we want to start our fortress. We then PUMP MAGMA to the end of the tunnel. Then we somehow make a HOLE in the little magma venty thing under the sea, maybe with a controlled miniature cave in. Then, we'd have an OBSIDIAN tower, which would (I hope) rise to the top of the water (if it didn't, we could just pump all the magma out again, then repeat with the top of the tower until we get the desired results) and then we could BUILD an UNDERWATER FORTRESS!

EMPHASIS

[Shinziril]

The most effective way is to find a seaside map with magma (which is a bit difficult, admittedly) and obsidian-cast a tower above the sea surface, also above a flat piece of the seabed.  Once you're satisfied with the size of the tower, dig away the mold and supports, dropping it onto the seabed.  If it's tall enough to breach the surface of the sea, you're good; if not, cast another tower directly over the first and drop it again.  Once you've got the tower above sea level, build a bridge out to it and start digging in. 

I think there's a way to end up with the tower completely underwater and sealed off afterwards with some clever engineering, but I can't figure it out off the top of my head. 

[The Architect]

There are various ways to achieve underwater isolation for your tower.

It's much better to simply drop single layers of lava into the sea repeatedly until they coalesce into a tower. Then you don't need to move water for casting above it nor destroy your mold. Magma-proof bridges and mechanisms are a must for this casting method.