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[Sutremaine]

Just make sure you give the squad very little ammo (dial down the amount under Ammunition in the military screen to about 50-80, that will make them stock maybe 5 rounds each) so they fire a few bolts and run for their lives early.

Yeah, I know about the 'invisible uniform' thing.

Why not assign them a load of bolts? Even if they'll only ever fire off a couple at each enemy, they might meet more on the way to the ammo stockpile.

[Naryar]

Well if you really want to catch a GCS, you have

-the very slow method, so slow it's not worth it. Open a way to the caverns and line it with cage traps.

-the slow method: build a statue/WOODEN door/archery target and surround it so that the door is surrounded DOUBLE layer of cage traps, like this

C0===0C
C C D C C
C0===0C

0===0 being 3x1 walls, D being a wooden door, C being cage traps.

It also works for attracting cave crocodiles and giant desert scorpions outside.

-the fast method: Wall off ALL the cavern exits (where the cavern touches the extremities of the map, where subterranean creatures appear), but for a small passage in each wall spammed with cage traps. Wait for the next GCS to enter your map, that probably will get caught. Enjoy the huge amount of other useless creatures caught, including hordes of crundles, troglodytes, bugbats, hungry heads, and other elk birds. That your best bet is to kill for food and bones/military training really.

[agatharchides]

I have a similar setup, the problem is that I didn't when I saw my first one and it has been 5 years or so since one was on the map to catch. It doesn't really matter what sort of setup you have unless you have something to catch.

On a related note, is there an easy way to throw unwanted animals into the wild? The trap lines I have been setting up against the giant jaugar's return are already clogging my stockpile with rabbits and groundhogs. I tried pitting them but the idiot dorfs run away from them and they cause havoc all over the fort until my military deals with them. Remotely releasing them from cages works but it is slow and annoying. I'm rather afraid to try pitting camels or horses, a wild horse running loose could potentially kill a useful dwarf.

[CapnUrist]

I have a glassmaker in a secretive mood. He requests glass, stacked leather, rough gems, stacked cloth, and cut gems. However, now that he has his glass, he won't look at the tanner's shop full of eight different varieties of leather. The shop is 31 steps away, with no obstructions.

Is he being picky about his leather? Is it time to station the military around him?

EDIT: Checking his preferences, I notice that he likes "seahorse leather". And he is part of the military, decked out in the same iron armor and spear as the other four...

[agatharchides]

I have never seen a dwarf picky about leather. I'd check the other things. It might be possible if he likes a certain kind of leather though. I have seen them that way about metals, so it isn't impossible. If you are sure everything else is around that might be something to check.

EDIT IN REPLY: That might be it. I'd wall if off or, if a human/dwarven caravan is coming soon you can see if they have some. As I am sure you have noticed they often have exotic leathers for a pittance. If you don't mind exploiting, if you forbid one of the things he has already claimed it resets his timer.

[CapnUrist]

Yeah, it's probably the seahorse leather. I have plenty of gems, including rock crystals I've left uncut for moods, and the weaver's has rope reed, llama wool, and silk cloth.

The human caravan is a season away, and I know they always bring jellyfish, so seahorse leather may not be that far off.

[Urist Imiknorris]

Humans tend to bring a lot of sea creature leather.

[agatharchides]

Is it safe to try to tame a GDS if you mod it so you can? My dorfs have been running from rabbits I told them to pit and I am not overly keen on the notion of having a GDS running around my fort, or having to kill my specimen.

[Urist Imiknorris]

Has it killed any of your dwarves? The answer to that is the answer as to whether it's dangerous.

[veok]

Yeah, it's probably the seahorse leather. I have plenty of gems, including rock crystals I've left uncut for moods, and the weaver's has rope reed, llama wool, and silk cloth.

The human caravan is a season away, and I know they always bring jellyfish, so seahorse leather may not be that far off.

Perhaps a silly question, but are you sure he doesn't want more glass?

[CapnUrist]

You know, that might have been possible. A bit of a moot point now as he went melancholy, and will probably throw himself into the river (I hope so. Usually melancholy dwarves in my forts just mope about depressing everyone until they starve).

[Langdon]

Just make sure you give the squad very little ammo (dial down the amount under Ammunition in the military screen to about 50-80, that will make them stock maybe 5 rounds each) so they fire a few bolts and run for their lives early.

Yeah, I know about the 'invisible uniform' thing.

Why not assign them a load of bolts? Even if they'll only ever fire off a couple at each enemy, they might meet more on the way to the ammo stockpile.

You want them to retreat as early as possible. The crossbow+few bolts is so hopefully they maim the enemy and slow pursuit enough to get to the burrow.

If you give them twenty or so bolts, they'll keep firing until the goblin squad swarms them.

If they're up against a single gob, then five bolts should be enough to cripple it long enough for your real military to arrive.

On a related note, is there an easy way to throw unwanted animals into the wild? The trap lines I have been setting up against the giant jaugar's return are already clogging my stockpile with rabbits and groundhogs. I tried pitting them but the idiot dorfs run away from them and they cause havoc all over the fort until my military deals with them. Remotely releasing them from cages works but it is slow and annoying. I'm rather afraid to try pitting camels or horses, a wild horse running loose could potentially kill a useful dwarf.

If you want the meat/bones, build a 10-z-level high tower and toss 'em off. If you want to release, use a pit zone 1-z level high that drops them on the other side of your fortress walls. Use hatches if you want to reduce the chance of escape due to panicking dwarves.

Station your military next to the pit zone, or if you're lazy like me, just ring it with weapon traps. Any rabbits that get away become stew.

[monk12]

The elves brought me a stray tigerman administrator(!) I know they need meat to survive, but will they eat fish?

[agatharchides]

Has it killed any of your dwarves? The answer to that is the answer as to whether it's dangerous.

lol I meant attack things around if they go train it as they will when they pit it. It turns out the answer is no.

[Shiv]

Ran into a bit of a problem recently.  My marksdwarves refuse to pick up any metal bolts for combat.  Every now and then they'll train with the wooden bolts as per their instructions in the ammunition screen in the military section, but when I put them on station or patrol, they won't pick up any metal bolts to use.  What am I missing?

They have quivers, they have crossbows, they've been told explicitly what bolt type to use, they've been told to use a crossbow.  Not sure what I'm missing but when I 'v' them and examine their inventories, the quivers are empty. 

And I have over 200 iron bolts ready to be shot, but alas...