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[Joishi]

I want to have an aqueduct running through my fortress just because, and for added flavor, I want there to be glass walls for my dwarves to look at the (probably) fishies swimming through it.  Any advice on how to best go about it so that I can make it in sections?  Or will I have to carve it ALL out and build all of the glass walls in advance before I flood it with water?

Any advice/suggestions/screenshots for ideas are welcome!

[Cotes]

First of all, use windows if you want it really see through. As far as the game is concerned, all constructed walls are the same thing with different name and color. Also, what fun would this project be without the risk of a building destroyers finding their way into your fort or a tantrum dwarf drowning themself?

As for how to make it by sections; Just use floodgates and levelers.

[Aspgren]

You have to carve it ALL out before building it ... unless, of course you use floodgates that you link up to a lever. Then you can make it section-by-section ..

 The problem with building it all at once is that there's a bigger chance of you making an oversight and you flood the fortress.
 The problem with building it in sections is that the water has nowhere to go once it reaches the floodgate, this can result in flooding depending on the construction.
 There's also the problem of mushroom growth inside of it, which will clog it and cause flooding. (avoid this by constructing the floor and not carving it out of the mountain.. i'm unsure if anything can grow on smoothed stone)
 and of course there's the problem with windows. Like Cotes said you want to use windows to be certain they can see through. I'm .. not sure they can see through glass walls... but to be on the safe side; use windows. The PROBLEM with them is they're breakable. Enemies or pissed off dwarves will be more than happy to tear it down and flood the fortress... they refuse to build or work on flooded areas so be warned: one mistake and your fortress WILL flood! .. unless you get it from a pump then you can just stop pumping.

 Also the dwarves don't give two beards about fish.. but they -love- waterfalls.

[Joishi]

First of all, use windows if you want it really see through. As far as the game is concerned, all constructed walls are the same thing with different name and color. Also, what fun would this project be without the risk of a building destroyers finding their way into your fort or a tantrum dwarf drowning themself?

As for how to make it by sections; Just use floodgates and levelers.

When I said Glass Wall, I meant window..  I have 0 experience with floodgates at the moment, unfortunately.  But I can see how they'd help..

If I can figure out how to put an image on the forums, I'll put up one of what I am intending.

[Joishi]

You have to carve it ALL out before building it ... unless, of course you use floodgates that you link up to a lever. Then you can make it section-by-section ..

 The problem with building it all at once is that there's a bigger chance of you making an oversight and you flood the fortress.
 The problem with building it in sections is that the water has nowhere to go once it reaches the floodgate, this can result in flooding depending on the construction.
 There's also the problem of mushroom growth inside of it, which will clog it and cause flooding. (avoid this by constructing the floor and not carving it out of the mountain.. i'm unsure if anything can grow on smoothed stone)
 and of course there's the problem with windows. Like Cotes said you want to use windows to be certain they can see through. I'm .. not sure they can see through glass walls... but to be on the safe side; use windows. The PROBLEM with them is they're breakable. Enemies or pissed off dwarves will be more than happy to tear it down and flood the fortress... they refuse to build or work on flooded areas so be warned: one mistake and your fortress WILL flood! .. unless you get it from a pump then you can just stop pumping.

 Also the dwarves don't give two beards about fish.. but they -love- waterfalls.

Sound like Fun!  ^.^  My dwarves can CHOKE on the fish that they don't care about.  Mhaurahahahahaaaa

[Cotes]

Like Cotes said you want to use windows to be certain they can see through. I'm .. not sure they can see through glass walls... but to be on the safe side; use windows. The PROBLEM with them is they're breakable. Enemies or pissed off dwarves will be more than happy to tear it down and flood the fortress... they refuse to build or work on flooded areas so be warned: one mistake and your fortress WILL flood! .. unless you get it from a pump then you can just stop pumping.

Walls are just walls, no matter what you make them from. Not that it makes a huge difference whether they are see-through or not, but it's just really boring to use walls of glass when it's practically the same as using granite blocks.

And the whole point of using windows is that they can break. Where's the fun otherwise? And if you go with the floodgate system, it's still entirely possible to save your fort even if one section floods.

The whole possibility of flooding just gives you so much failsafe and drainage considerations that the fort is bound to be much more interesting than an entirely secure one.

[Aspgren]

stuff

I agree fully. On the part of dangerous fortresses being interesting ..

 As such I make penetrable defences, collapsable archery platforms, unreliable traps, unsafe water systems and jail-breakable jails. (an imprisoned dwarf can still tantrum and destroy another dwarf's chain if he can reach it - or shiv the dwarf if he reaches him. hehehe CAGES SUCK)

[Khift]

This topic makes me want to add glass magma tubes into my workshops for illumination. Magma has to shed some light, yes? It would brighten up those dwarves' days, I'm sure!

[Quietust]

There's also the problem of mushroom growth inside of it, which will clog it and cause flooding. (avoid this by constructing the floor and not carving it out of the mountain.. i'm unsure if anything can grow on smoothed stone)

I know for a fact that smoothing stone will not prevent subterranean plant growth in 0.31 or 40d (though it did back in the old 2D versions, oddly enough). I'm not sure about constructed floors, though (mainly because some people claim that both constructed and smoothed natural floors work) - I personally prefer to pave roads since they use fewer materials.

[Psieye]

There's also the problem of mushroom growth inside of it, which will clog it and cause flooding. (avoid this by constructing the floor and not carving it out of the mountain.. i'm unsure if anything can grow on smoothed stone)

I know for a fact that smoothing stone will not prevent subterranean plant growth in 0.31 or 40d (though it did back in the old 2D versions, oddly enough). I'm not sure about constructed floors, though (mainly because some people claim that both constructed and smoothed natural floors work) - I personally prefer to pave roads since they use fewer materials.

This. The main purpose of roads is to stop vegetation growing underneath. Pave 'roads' inside your aqueduct. Also, flooding is not guaranteed if you cautiously pump tiny amounts of water to test for leaks at each section. Mind you, that wouldn't be dwarfy would it?

[Leonidas]

If you want an impressive water feature, consider a waterfall.  It's fairly easy to build, especially now that atom-smashers destroy water, and it has a substantial effect on dwarf happiness.

[Khift]

There's also the problem of mushroom growth inside of it, which will clog it and cause flooding. (avoid this by constructing the floor and not carving it out of the mountain.. i'm unsure if anything can grow on smoothed stone)

I know for a fact that smoothing stone will not prevent subterranean plant growth in 0.31 or 40d (though it did back in the old 2D versions, oddly enough). I'm not sure about constructed floors, though (mainly because some people claim that both constructed and smoothed natural floors work) - I personally prefer to pave roads since they use fewer materials.

I can confirm that constructed floors prevent mushroom growth. Additionally, if you're willing to put a bit of micro into it you can cover entire aqueducts and reservoirs with constructed floors significantly faster than with paved roads if you enable masonry on all your haulers for a little bit. It will take more materials, but since when was junk stone a limited resource?

[jogar2]

Smoothing and *detailing* your mushroom garden prior to flooding is worth it for two reasons: 1) Tons of XP for your engravers and 2) For the next several years, you get to be amused by the occasional alert "The impertinent vegetation has defaced a Urist McEngraver!"