Print

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

[Kay12]

Yet another of those stupid cool dwarven megaconstructions with little or no use.

I'm having my dwarves channel a tunnel system that will be flooded with water. This water travels through narrow tunnels with as high pressure as possible, slowing at a few large halls or "stations" so the dwarves can exit/enter the flow. The water pressure will move the dwarves a lot faster, so traffic congestation can be avoided at critical points. Every eco-friendly dwarf should use the Water Subway!

[Nexii Malthus]

Unless something has changed in the several versions before, but pressurised water just simply teleports around and ergo does not move creatures. Only 'expanding' water does.

[ILikePie]

The dwarves could also get killed trying to use the water subway.

[Kay12]

Unless something has changed in the several versions before, but pressurised water just simply teleports around and ergo does not move creatures. Only 'expanding' water does.

I could be wrong but I recall flow washing things away, including creatures (even through otherwise blocking items like fortifications).

EDIT: Potential fatalities aren't really surprising, dwarven megaconstructions aren't really megaconstructions unless someone dies in the process.

[ILikePie]

I mean all your dwarves, they can't just breath underwater y'know. This also prevents them from using the subway in the first place, if I remember correctly, a dwarf won't just go marching into water just because you told it to do so.

[Kay12]

The water hasn't got to be deep, another forum told me that even 1/7 water with flow to the right direction can speed up movement. However, that particular forum is notorious for troll infestation, so I can't know for sure.

EDIT: Of course, if only deep water works, I can make a system for goblins instead... **grin**.

[cephalo]

Hahaha. It will end in tears... and... anger and.... rage!

Water and dwarves do not mix well. I once made a river with ramp sides, and the result was that dwarves would try to path through it. If the water level fluctuated enough to cause swimming, mothers would drop their babies in the water. About half of the babies drowned, but the ones that didn't just collected in the water until they reached childhood and could walk out. At that point they were already expert swimmers.

[Kay12]

Well if dwarves don't like water, I'll fill it with booze then.

[ThtblovesDF]

Dear Dwarfs.

I would like you to consider there vastly supiror methode: Place your dwarfs in a starting room. Now work them into small pieces, either using 10xserrated disc traps and a small cave in, or boil them with water+magma. Then now that they are both small and without the need to breath, simply flush them to your desired location and reasembel.

Alternativly use it as butchery and don't reasemble the horses/gobos/whatever you throw in there.

[Daetrin]

Actually you could use this for item transport. Quantum dump them into an area from above, either with a continuous low flow or just let stuff pile up and wash it away all it once. It would require it's own z-level for plumbing of course, but it would be an awesome way to do multiple sealed-off forts.

I can't imagine it would help your fps any though.

[Lord Urist]

Actually, I think this could be used for dorf transportation - first, train all your dwarves to at least adequate swimmer (so they'll survive the water), then , build your system like so: (side view)

Code: [Select]

[][][]      <-solid rock
            <-air space, so they can breath
WWWDWW      <-water with dwarf in

I've seen remarks on these forums that water does seem to push stuff now - so it could be viable. Of course, to get the dwarves into the water, you'll need to dump them in somehow - probably get them to stand on a hatch over the water.

You must test this... FOR SCIENCE!

[alway]

The problem with flow based transportation is that it has somewhat strict upper and lower limits. Any pressure in the system (pretty much gaurrenteed when water height = 7) will both drown dwarves and stop flow since the water will then teleport. And I'm not certain, but I think to move a dwarf you need some pretty high water, something like 4 or 5 would be my guess. So if you were able to modulate the water released into the tunnels between those 2 levels while maintaining a flow in the direction you want at all times, it may work. It goes wtihout saying that would be a pretty major challenge, since merely shutting off the intake when it reaches a certain level would make the flow more random. Alternatively, you may be able to repurpose a river to do all the hard work for you.
The best system I can figure would be something like so, from a top down view:

Code: [Select]

WDWWWWWWWDW
I______PG_W
WPWWWWWWWWW
WDWWWWWWWWW
where W = wall, I = water in, G=grate for water out _ = empty floor D = door P = pressure plate
When the dwarf, walking from south to north triggers the pressure plate, the two doors on the left side close, and water is rapidly let in through I. This would push the dwarf down the hall, over the second pressure plate and to the grate. The second pressure plate would stop the water from coming in as well as opening the door on the right. Your traumatized dwarf is now free to leave the system. Or not, depending on whether you built it right. Another pressure plate could be used to reset the system, as could a lever or other device. It negates most of the problem of maintaining flow, since the system starts and ends fast enough that water height wouldn't be too much of a problem. It will also cooperate moderately with pathfinding if you make a path parallel to the water path, as a dwarf wanting to go to the place to which the water takes them will try to wall through the two leftmost doors.

[monk12]

This could be a truly excellent megaproject.

First, you need to have several places for the water to enter the transit system. This will keep portions of the subway from being fully flooded while others are not deep enough. You can regulate the water depth with pressure plates set to keep the water in every area at 4/7.

One end of the system needs to have water constantly entering in measured amounts, while the other end drains it. A dwarf enters the system via bridge drop, where he is swept downstream by the flow. When he reaches the disembark area, a large bridge in the floor opens, sweeping him down a zlvl into the destination station along with whatever water he was riding in. Closing the bridge opens a drain in the floor, rescuing the dwarf before he drowns. This water-intensive method of disembarking is why the chunnel needs places that masses of water can be replaced upon use, to prevent the interruption of flow.

And of course, repeat for travel in the opposite direction.

[Lord Urist]

I think the real problem with all of this would be to get dwarves to use it automatically, instead of you having to regulate their movements - perhaps you could have some kind of system set up just for emergencies, to get dwarves to their places quickly, say perhaps have one leading from the barracks to the defences.

[goffrie]

You could use traffic designations to make the dwarves go into the tunnel, then use a pressure plate to start the water. Maybe a one-way ramp at each end to stop dwarves from trying to run against the current.