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[wuphonsreach]

How tall can a tower be and still have dwarves with crossbows shoot down from it?

Every Z-level above the ground reduces their range by 1 (dwarven physics).  Since dwarves shoot 10-15 tiles (20?), a 5-Z tall tower cuts that to 5-10 tiles.  Most pillbox / fortification designs are 1Z above the surrounding terrain.

...

Side question - do windmills work "Inside" (constructed floor above them) but "Above Ground"?

[Sphalerite]

Side question - do windmills work "Inside" (constructed floor above them) but "Above Ground"?

No.  The center tile of a windmill has to be Outside for it to generate power.

[Reelyanoob]

Side question - do windmills work "Inside" (constructed floor above them) but "Above Ground"?

No.  The center tile of a windmill has to be Outside for it to generate power.

Works if you build them underground, then channel out the middle square above them, though. I did this on a nano-fortress so I could have my windmills closer to the edge of the map than normally allowed (everywhere else on the map was inside the fortress). Was worried about building destroyers but ogres didn't seem to bother with the windmills (i did take underground precautions by walling off the windwmill area). Seems they cannot attack at an angle into a level below. I was lucky and had no flying FBs on that map.

[DrKillPatient]

If I drop a goblin bowman in a box and chain him there, then put fortifications on one side, can I get him to act as a sort of sentry? Will he pick up bolts I drop to him?

(Yes, I know I can use archers on walls. That's undwarvenly)

[Life Swordsman]

Sorry, but I've just noticed something odd that going on in my fort. Its nothing life threatening, but my Dorfs keep leaving their clothes all over the place and they're not picking them up. Its odd too, the clothing for the most part is perfectly fine. I even just got some migrants just now, and I noticed that one of them dropped some cloths on its way to my fort. Any ideas?

[RiderofDark]

Sorry, but I've just noticed something odd that going on in my fort. Its nothing life threatening, but my Dorfs keep leaving their clothes all over the place and they're not picking them up. Its odd too, the clothing for the most part is perfectly fine. I even just got some migrants just now, and I noticed that one of them dropped some cloths on its way to my fort. Any ideas?

Magma.

Or build bedrooms with a cabinet and container for each of them.

[Life Swordsman]

Sorry, but I've just noticed something odd that going on in my fort. Its nothing life threatening, but my Dorfs keep leaving their clothes all over the place and they're not picking them up. Its odd too, the clothing for the most part is perfectly fine. I even just got some migrants just now, and I noticed that one of them dropped some cloths on its way to my fort. Any ideas?

Magma.

Or build bedrooms with a cabinet and container for each of them.

I have, and yet they still leave cloths around. All my rooms are 2x3 and all have a bed, a coffer, and a cabinet.

[wuphonsreach]

Try multiple cabinets - at least 2, and military dwarves will need 3+.

(Coffers are only wanted by nobles/hospitals/etc and don't serve much of a purpose in the current version.)

[Darkweave]

I've never needed more than one cabinet even for military dwarves but I leave them uniformed while off duty. Storing clothing seems to be the lowest possible priority - dwarves will rather do anything but store their clothes in cabinets. It sometimes takes years but it does eventually get done.

[blackmagechill]

How do I make crossbows actually work?

[Stormfeather]

How do I make crossbows actually work?

Well, more details about the problem might help...

For starters, make sure the hunters/whatever have not only the crossbow, but ammo and a quiver as well. (And make sure they have unforbidden ammo - by default ammo they shoot and that doesn't break is forbidden, so you have to re-claim it before someone can use it again.)

[Reelyanoob]

... and then either give dwarves the hunting labour and leave them to it, or create a squad of dwarves with archer uniform or custom uniform with "ranged weapon" choice, then sick them on some enemies or train them up.

[rutsber]

Is copper any good for military use? Is it better than iron? because I have found no iron but I have plenty of tetrahedrite which im smelting into copper/silver. Also is lead good for anythign? Because i also have plenty of galena.

[Reelyanoob]

Is copper any good for military use? Is it better than iron? because I have found no iron but I have plenty of tetrahedrite which im smelting into copper/silver. Also is lead good for anythign? Because i also have plenty of galena.

Silver makes GREAT hammers , and crossbows too

Use the copper for armor, but try and convert it to bronze (with tin), or Bismuth Bronze (with tin+bismuth). Iron and Steel are best, other than "blue candy"

Get as much iron as possible from any goblins who attack you (prepare defences though - they sometimes send HUGE armies you have no chance against with copper armor - have a cage trap corridor just in case), and the dwarves have Iron + Steel to sell. They sell good armour/weapons, so you can gradual give this to your frontline hammerers.

EDIT : Lead barrels like Passive Fist says below, I prefer lead bins, because that saves wood, and there's stone pots for booze now, so barrels are less critical, and I always need more bins.

[Passive Fist]

Is copper any good for military use? Is it better than iron? because I have found no iron but I have plenty of tetrahedrite which im smelting into copper/silver. Also is lead good for anythign? Because i also have plenty of galena.

Spiked copper balls worked reliably well in my weapon traps.  You can make anything out of lead and it'll work fine, even barrels. It's just not worth very much so lead crafts are a bad idea.