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[Phen]

I've seen some talk in other topics, but couldn't find one for it, so...

What should a Vault look like? I'm planning to make one (or a couple), so I thought we could bounce ideas back and forth.

As Fallout 3 is in most recent memory, I was going to make the same basic shape. A hallway with 2 z-levels of rooms, with an overseers office looking out over it and a hatch with an emergency exit in that office. As a vault, it needs a farm (or hydroponics, I guess), and a kitchen to process it. Considering a farmers workshop, too, but it really only needs to sustain itself.

I also want to stick in a small power plant, although I havn't thought up much use for the power, besides maybe a millstone and a pump for the entrance - Blocking it with Magma might be the best solution to isolate the vault, so powering the pumps are a plus.
Maybe it could be used to control a plumbing system, but I've never implemented one before so I don't see the use.

How many people should be in such a vault and how much extra room should be allocated in preparation for the kids that will inevitably come? How large a security force should be kept?

These are important questions. It would be fun to experiment with the vaults, too, like the original purpose in Fallout. Making a vault without beer, for example, or with wild animals.

[TheCatfish]

There's already a fallout mod so you can use that to get a more authentic experience. Also this guy's doing a playthrough at the moment vault style. Check it out for some inspiration.

[Hyndis]

I use a vault within my fortress because I was having too much trouble with reliable repeaters.

The dwarves are sealed within the vault. They have only water from a well to drink and strawberries to eat. Their entire purpose in life is to pull the mysterious levers when the voice in the sky orders them to do so.

They are kept sane by talking with each other about the joys of pulling levers, and from admiring the fine craftsdwarfship of the levers.

There is absolutely no way for them to contact the outside world. It is completely sealed off, and they are buried under many layers of solid stone. Even if the entire fortress is doomed from HFS, orcs, goblins, tantrum spirals, and elves all at the same time, the fortress will continue on. New migrants will show up eventually and they can reinhabit the fortress. The vault will continue on.

[Captain Xenon]

an interesting plan... and sounds like a good idea to prevent the full loss of a fort. hmm, would be even funnier when they order beatings for a sealed-in dwarf they can never reach

[dwarfguy2]

i too wonder what use plumbing has. besides operation FTFWMFB.

[Zaranthan]

There is absolutely no way for them to contact the outside world. It is completely sealed off, and they are buried under many layers of solid stone. Even if the entire fortress is doomed from HFS, orcs, goblins, tantrum spirals, and elves all at the same time, the fortress will continue on. New migrants will show up eventually and they can reinhabit the fortress. The vault will continue on.

This is pretty awesome. I never thought of including a panic room in my forts, let alone populating it with lever pullers so it's actually purposeful.

Question is, how "completely sealed" is it if it has a water supply? HFS are amphibious building destroyers, aren't they? They could crawl in through the pipes, knocking down grates in their path.

[Hyndis]

The water flows through fortifications, so nothing can pass through that. Even a SoF, while it could in theory burn away the water and eventually the dwarves would die of dehydration, it would not actually be able to reach them.

I just select some "volunteers", otherwise useless dwarves, draft them, station them there, and then seal it up behind them. Undraft them and let them farm their tiny farm plot for food and drink from their well. I like having 5-10, depending on levers and reliability required. Then I make a meeting zone right next to the levers inside the vault, and they keep happy by chatting with friends and admiring the levers made with masterwork mechanisms.

If any levers need pulling, usually for traps, there is always a lever puller available.

The side effect is that it is impossible for your fortress to crumble to its end. You're immune to sieges, tantrum spirals, invasions, or even flooding.

[Phen]

It's what I planned, too. Have it sealed up behind doors and magma. I wanted to make a proper Vault door, but I think magma is the best option. I'm still not sure how many to put down there, however, keeping in mind that they breed.

I still think it'd be fun to come up with ideas to experiment. As the "1 gender/99 other gender" vaults, except that it doesn't get very exciting in DF.

[Hyndis]

I modded my dwarves so that they will not die of old age, which means if I put 10 dwarves into the vault I will forever have 10 dwarves in the vault until the end of time.

Unless there is a hammerer within the vault, in which case there will then be only 1 dwarf in the vault.

[Dakk]

Once dwarven psychology and sociology gets worked on, and things like cheating wives/husbands are possible along with all related shenaningas are implemented, 1 to 99 gender divisions on forts should be very very Fun to watch.

[zwei]

Remeber to add water-purifying pump and loads of spare mechanism.

[Scruga]

now i need a panic room in my fortress

[Hyndis]

Remeber to add water-purifying pump and loads of spare mechanism.

Hmm...wouldn't you need access to path from the lever to the bridge/trap to link it up?

Or it is enough to have a mechanic inside and outside the vault, with mechanisms that both have access to?

Hmm....


Science!   

[dwarfguy2]

doesn't anyone wonder what FTFWMFB means?

[Spectre]

ok I bite. Tell me!