I don't know the last time a thread about traps has been made, but why not? We have those who are pretty good with the newer version of DF, and those who still play 40d. Share your experiences in the world of trap making and innovating.
Basically, this thread is to show what kinds of crazy con
TRAPtions or at least ideas anyone has made or come up with.
I figure since I have my own ideas for my new fortress (40d revisit), I'll see what I can at least share.
Simple description (until I build a sample):
A death-cube with multiple paths (or more like a 3-tiered death-stack), depending on what I want to happen to my invaders.
Simply put, it begins with a fork in the road which is decided by a series of levers which control floodgates/drawbridges, and ends with the same 1 exit which leads to the barracks (with it's own airlock which can switch to a drop-bridge pressure plated trap which is JUST too long a distance to make it to the front door (2 10-tile long drop-bridges controlled by a single pressure plate, also linked to a manual control lever); resulting in going through the gallery again, if they survived it the first time (which also allows for me to select a different path for them to take.
Now for the fun part, the trap system itself:
Upper- Boiler/Windmill-powered spike strip (visible from above). 1212 setup. (1=trap-A 2=Trap-B)
Middle- Standard-ish Indiana-Urist style trap gallery which intensifies closer to the entrance it goes.
-(Cages, stones, whips, corkscrews, saw blades, etc.; We tenderize before we slice and dice.)
Lower- Spare security animal pit (war dog breeding program and etc.) as well as a one-on-one against a champion. Primarily to deal with sneaky Kobolds.
In order to clean up the whole mess and narrow the pathfiinding, the walls will be made of 1-tile thick drawbridges that serve as retractable walls. And in case they get destroyed, invaders will still have to go through the course or deal with the course below it.
Of course, cleanup will have to require shutting off the spike strip first, which surprisingly, I may have a trick or 2 up my sleeve regarding the automatic trigger system. Think of it as a boiler that can be shut off when needed. Thanks to Bloodfist for giving me the idea. Think of my boiler concept, but with a hatch installed to store the 7/7 water that gets pumped through. It ought to keep the boiler airtight, but still serve as a pressure plate repeater system.
EDIT:
Tested placing a hatch on top of a slot in a boiler, it works. I think I have the perfect repeater switch now. Now all I need is a drop-pot design (maybe I'll just stick with a hollow 3x3 with a hatch to drop with) for the outdoor boilers so they can serve as a primer/start switch. I can dis-assemble it after the boiler is kick-started. The boiler is inspired by someone else's repeater/boiler design modification of mine, with a slight adjustment of my own. I think I'll make mine out of something instead of copper, thanks to the loads of chalk on site (See: New WaveHandle).
Designs will come up soon enough. I just had to test a concept. Thanks Bloodfist for your participation in my experiment.
EDIT EDIT EDIT:
Considering how the boiler-repeater is setup, and how pressure switches can trigger the pumps, why not install the hatch in the top spot? No need for a drop-pot. It would double as a trigger as well, considering pressure-switching activates per-pump. EX: Z=0 triggers Z-1 pump, Z=1 triggers Z-2 Pump. IF(Hatch=OPEN, Fall; Hatch=CLOSED, Continue process until STOPPED), IF(ON-HATCH=7/7, it works).
Simple, no?
Z-4 (TOP)
++++++
++++O+ - O = Pit/Pond (optional hatch/drawbridge included)
++++++ - + = Floor Tile
Z-3
╔════╗
║ %%#║ - # = Hatch covering top-bottom shaft (triggered from outside source)
╚════╝ -Pump Direction /-> (Right % acts as a wall) (Activated by Z-2 Pressure Switch)
Z-2
╔════╗
║^%% ║ - ^ = Pressure switch activates above pump as well as spikes "2"; ditto below.
╚════╝ -Pump Direction <-\ (Left % acts as a wall) (Activated by Z-1 Pressure Switch)
Z-1 (BOTTOM)
╔═╗
║^║ -Floor Tile that holds the water as well. Pressure switch included, but with spikes "1".
╚═╝
Note: The hatch should act as a trigger that catches any remaining water that triggers the pressure switches as they are pumped through. Reload if necessary.
With the hatch in play, it provides room for modification to the trigger devices just in case. Pretty efficient and effective repeater design huh?
EDIT EDIT:
My Design Idea: (Top and Mid tiers' interior walls are retracted drawbridges which turn into floors for cleanup)
╔═══════════╗
Exit -->║1╦121╦121╦1║ <-- Entrance
║2║2╦2║2╦2║2║
║1║1║1║1║1║1║
║2║2║2║2║2║2║
║1║1║1║1║1║1║
║2║2║2║2║2║2║
║1║1║1║1║1║1║
║2║2║2║2║2║2║
║1╩1║1╩1║1╩1║
║212╩212╩212║
╚═══════════╝
╔═══════════╗
║ B ╦ B ╦ B ║
║I╦O║K╦W║S╦C║ -C= Cage Trap
║I║O║K║W║S║C║ -S= Stone-Fall
║I║O║K║W║S║C║ -W= Whip Trap
║I║O║K║W║S║C║ -K= Corkscrew Trap
║I║O║K║W║S║C║ -O= Circular Saw Trap
║I║O║K║W║S║C║ -I= Sword Trap
║I║O║K║W║S║C║ -B= Crossbow Trap
║I║O╩K║W╩S║C║
Exit -->║ ╩ B ╩ B ╩C║ <-- Entrance
╚═══════════╝
╔╠═════════╣╗ <--------- Only retractable part as to not crush animals, but still gain easy-access. Plus, a view of outside, or dirt wall.
Exit -->║ O O O ║ <-- Entrance
║§║§O§║§O§║§║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║§║§║§║§║§║§║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║§║§║§║§║§║§║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║§║§║§║§║§║§║
║ O ║ O ║ O ║
║§ §O§ §O§ §║ -§=Animal Chains
╚═══════════╝
Note:
I noticed the bottom tier is an Achilles's heel provided a building destroyer invades.
But then again, I wouldn't allow it to path through there, now would I?
Regarding my prisoners, I'll see what I can arrange to have the most fun with them. Why not a prison airlock system? Cage traps are setup nearby, actual releasable cages are at a one-way track to go into the fork in the road, grab a seat and watch.
EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT:
I guess I should mention that this design I am currently using is mostly for 40d, where cage traps are still effective, and other old ideas can still work as they are designed. I haven't put in enough game time into the newer version yet to come up with any ideas relevant to it.