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[Terisuke]

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/8908/blahs.png

I stitched together a dirty stonesense pic of the mechanism so far.  Somehow I think it looks more impressive in ascii.  The oval in the center is my raised statue garden, for sun acclimation.  It stands on a pillar 3x3xlots up from the center of my entrance. 

What you're seeing on top is the work scaffold/wind farm that tops off the tunnels.  Everything except for the extreme edges is full of magma.

You seem to be having some problems with twitter.

Whoops, looks like there was some screenshot left in there.  Nothing major. 

You know, I'm reevaluating the idea about walls - close-in to the drop zones, that could be really interesting.  However, one major problem is that of magma flow.  Since the flow can't spread fast enough as it is, walling it in would simply lead to overflow issues.  I think a more useful implementation of walls would just be funneling enemies in so they have to walk through as many drop points as possible to reach the entrance. 

[happydog23]

You could do the animal trap plan that worked well in 40d (haven't tried it in .31 yet).


Build a giant cross/X shape but leave the center out.  As the enemies path, generally to get aorund it they will divert to through the center of the walls.  That is where you place your cage traps, or in this case a pressure plate linked to the magma bridge... just make sure you have magma save mechanisms....

[Terisuke]

You could do the animal trap plan that worked well in 40d (haven't tried it in .31 yet).


Build a giant cross/X shape but leave the center out.  As the enemies path, generally to get aorund it they will divert to through the center of the walls.  That is where you place your cage traps, or in this case a pressure plate linked to the magma bridge... just make sure you have magma save mechanisms....

Well, I normally prefer to activate the drops manually, since the magma takes quite a while to fall all the way to the bottom.  If I had pressure plates, it'd be much harder to make the magma hit on target.  Still, that sort of channeling sounds like it could be quite effective. 

[Tuxman]

double rainbow!

[Terisuke]

Got five more stations mostly built, but only filled one of them with lava due to a shortage of skilled engineers - making the pumps and linking the gates is becoming a bottleneck. Fortunately, five stations at once is pretty much a maximum, that's likely to drop as I move farther out.  Notably, I'm halfway done constructing the first terminus on the line, which is kinda cool.  Distance from source to end on that line is six pipes. 

I also explored the suggestion about magma channeling structures on the surface.  I have an inclination to create "ovens" below the drop points, so that when a group of baddies gets hit with magma, I can slam several large bridges down over top of them and let them cook for a bit.  Setting pressure plates to trigger once magma has spread to the edge of the oven should work out pretty well, I think. 

[happydog23]

Got five more stations mostly built, but only filled one of them with lava due to a shortage of skilled engineers - making the pumps and linking the gates is becoming a bottleneck. Fortunately, five stations at once is pretty much a maximum, that's likely to drop as I move farther out.  Notably, I'm halfway done constructing the first terminus on the line, which is kinda cool.  Distance from source to end on that line is six pipes. 

I also explored the suggestion about magma channeling structures on the surface.  I have an inclination to create "ovens" below the drop points, so that when a group of baddies gets hit with magma, I can slam several large bridges down over top of them and let them cook for a bit.  Setting pressure plates to trigger once magma has spread to the edge of the oven should work out pretty well, I think.

Another thing you could do to help your flow problems is build a giant "magma tower" reservoir.   Build it in such a way that it tapers at the bottom with the result being a more constant feed to the pumps that feed the system, while you have pumps sucking magma from below the surface to fill the tower.  Ideally your tower will lag on filling, but be able to supply the demand to keep your system mostly full.

[Terisuke]

Oh, no, you misunderstand - i'm having CONSTRUCTION bottlenecks, mostly because I'm ensuring I don't have magma flow bottlenecks.  Since every reservoir has its own pumping, floodgate, bridge and power-generation components, the magma moves along very well - a new reservoir is full about 20 seconds after I link it up, and has magma in the bottom within 10 frames of floodgate opening.  All of this efficient magma flow makes for very redundant, inefficient construction, but it's something I'm going to have to put up with if I want the finished product to be a smooth and responsive tactical resource rather than a creaky airborne death lottery. 

Incidentally, I did sort of implement your idea on flow when I first started building - I used the VOLCANO as my tall, cylindrical magma reserve.  Tapping into it well below the top of the tube means I always have plenty of well-pressurized magma at my disposal. 

[nuker w]

Watching due to this projects awsomeness.

[breadbocks]

I also explored the suggestion about magma channeling structures on the surface.  I have an inclination to create "ovens" below the drop points, so that when a group of baddies gets hit with magma, I can slam several large bridges down over top of them and let them cook for a bit.  Setting pressure plates to trigger once magma has spread to the edge of the oven should work out pretty well, I think.

How about linking up four drawbridges to make a box. I think what you described would destroy the magma along with the baddies. Just connect the drawbridges to the same lever that drops the magma.

[Terisuke]

I also explored the suggestion about magma channeling structures on the surface.  I have an inclination to create "ovens" below the drop points, so that when a group of baddies gets hit with magma, I can slam several large bridges down over top of them and let them cook for a bit.  Setting pressure plates to trigger once magma has spread to the edge of the oven should work out pretty well, I think.

How about linking up four drawbridges to make a box. I think what you described would destroy the magma along with the baddies. Just connect the drawbridges to the same lever that drops the magma.

I was thinking more like:   \_______/

With a drawbridge on top that retracts.  Lava and enemies on the lower Z level should be fine.  That way, I can keep it flat and unproblematic for normal pathing, but when a siege hits I can turn the terrain into a mess of death potholes.  I prefer it over boxing them in because a troll or other building destroyer could take out a raised bridge from the side, but they can't destroy blockades from below.  Also, if enemies turn out to be particularly resilient I can just leave the bridge down, and the magma trap will function normally for later guests. 

[breadbocks]

Ah. Is it wrong that I rind that idea mildly kinky?

[Scaraban]

I was thinking more like:   \_______/

With a drawbridge on top that retracts.  Lava and enemies on the lower Z level should be fine.  That way, I can keep it flat and unproblematic for normal pathing, but when a siege hits I can turn the terrain into a mess of death potholes.  I prefer it over boxing them in because a troll or other building destroyer could take out a raised bridge from the side, but they can't destroy blockades from below.  Also, if enemies turn out to be particularly resilient I can just leave the bridge down, and the magma trap will function normally for later guests.

tfaicyd (that's fucking awesome, i commend your dwarfiness)

[Urist Imiknorris]

I would pave the ground with floor tiles. Perhaps making the borders of each drop zone cinnabar and numbering each one.

"SIR! Goblins approaching Drop Zone #27!"
"Dump Reservoir 27."
"Affirmative. Make peace with your gods."

[Urist McTaverish]

I would pave the ground with floor tiles. Perhaps making the borders of each drop zone cinnabar and numbering each one.

"SIR! Goblins approaching Drop Zone #27!"
"Dump Reservoir 27."
"Affirmative. Make peace with your gods."

Armok: I approve of this! *Watches like a school child at a parade*

[Scaraban]

wat would b evn better is if this was the space elevator map, hollow the whole thing out that's ur reservoir