Print

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

[Genkora]

I was thinking of making the main entrance to a new fortress directly through a waterfall.  I was thinking I could dam up the source of the waterfall, then mine into the side of the cliff where the water falls, channel 3 or 4 squares into it to compensate for splashing, and then build a ton of floor grates through where the water falls.  If it is the only entrance into my fortress, will the dwarves walk through the waterfall after I unplug the dam?  I'll probably just go for it if no one knows the answer.

[UmbrageOfSnow]

Never done that, but I'd bet they will.  I have a fort on some ocean cliffs right now, and the waves generate a lot of mist (the same as falling water I think?).  It doesn't get in the way of their pathing, or even building in it, but it does make it tough on me as a player, to see what is going on.

Since you'll have the water dammed up, until you are done building, you should be absolutely fine I'd think.  And hey, Losing is Fun, right?

Also, since you're damming up the river anyway, install some floodgates so you can turn it off remotely if for some reason you ever do need/want to re-dam it.

[Retro]

Mist isn't the same, no. Falling water does generate mist, but is not mist itself - even as it falls, it still exists as blocks of water in its full amount. So if a 4/7 block of water (or more) falls across your doorway, even for a second before passing into the grate, any dwarves that were heading that way will lose it and cancel whatever they were doing, insisting it's dangerous. It'll work if the waterfall never pours more than 3/7 blocks of water down, so you'll have to be careful.

[UmbrageOfSnow]

My bad.

Maybe expand the width of the waterfall at the top then?  Like if the waterfall is 5 wide, make it 15 wide from the same source or something?

[Halo]

What if you had a draw bridge a zlvl or two above the entrance? You could lower it, and it would block the water, allowing safe passage underneath it. Raise it and the entrance could be covered by the water falling down.

[Genkora]

Well, I just found the perfect waterfall, it is 3 Z levels between the top river and the bottom one.  I will attempt to widen the river up top, and will post results when it is finished.  Also, I won't do the drawbridge idea, I want the dwarves to walk through the waterfall.

[Genkora]

Alright, it's finished.  AND IT WORKS, MWA HA HA HA!!!!!  My dwarves will be comforted by a lovely waterfall and mist every time they venture outside.  I built some floodgates connected to a lever, so if for some reason I ever wanted to halt the waterfall again, I can do so.

here is the entrance, notice the mist as it hits the grates

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

here is my miner, who just went through the waterfall to mine some stuff.  Also I struck limonite right behind the waterfall.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It is my hope that this leads to more people making waterfalls their front doors.

[darkflagrance]

You should consider building railings in case a dwarf dodges off the edge into the water below.

Also, what is your fps when the river is stable but the waterfall is in operation?

[Genkora]

It jumps around quite a bit anywhere from 50-85 fps.  I'm on 40d19, and I have a 1.83ghz dual core.

[darkflagrance]

I see.

I think waterfall entrances are amazingly cool, but I feel that their fps cost is a bit too high.

[Doppel]

If it isn't magma it probably won't kill you.

[Old-one-eye]

If it isn't magma it probably won't kill you.

1) init file
2) Temperature:NO
3) Mordor fort entrance
4) ?
5) PROFIT!!

[K4el]

I was thinking of making the main entrance to a new fortress directly through a waterfall.  I was thinking I could dam up the source of the waterfall, then mine into the side of the cliff where the water falls, channel 3 or 4 squares into it to compensate for splashing, and then build a ton of floor grates through where the water falls.  If it is the only entrance into my fortress, will the dwarves walk through the waterfall after I unplug the dam?  I'll probably just go for it if no one knows the answer.

Having completed a similar project in a previous fortress i feel i must offer one important point of advice.

Design puppy safe drains sir. Puppy safe drains.

Oh, and yes, they will walk through the water as long as the flow isn't strong enough to drag them away. They walked through mine in 40d just fine.

[beorn080]

Note that if this was the 2010 version, that would make a very good way to save your military when the death dust comes knocking.

[Hyndis]

When I did my water curtain wall I did a layer of grates 1 Z level below the walkway, with an escape route from the grates. The escape route was also loaded with traps to ensure nothing nasty could escape into the fortress. A 1 Z level fall will not hurt anything.

Conversely, if you want to hurt things, put the grates at about 20 Z levels below the walkway.