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[Derekristow]

I've seen a lot about the wiki being untrustworthy, and while it mostly seems fine to me a filter wouldn't hurt.  So, this thread should be a place to post new findings to be put on the wiki and debunk myths before they get there.

[Keldor]

Yes, there are certainly a few inaccuracies around.

Hence, in proper Mythbuster style, I think we should take on the myth of the exploding booze barrel.

The myth is that, when set on fire, booze barrels will explode in a big fireball.  This is believed to be caused by the flammable booze contained within catching on fire and undergoing rapid combustion, which to the layman looks an aweful lot like a fireball or an explosion.

Another explanation is that the apparent explosion is actually merely booze vapor, caused by the booze evaporating when subjected to the heat caused by the fire.

In order to test this myth, we should set up a booze stockpile and set it on fire.  After observing what happens in that case, we should mod the raws to set the boiling point of booze much higher and see if we can observe a difference.  Another question is whether booze, once vaporized, can catch on fire.  The best test I can think of for this would be to start a fire near to, but not touching a booze stockpile, with a barrier such as a channel in the middle, then change the raws so that the booze immediately evaporates.  If the booze vapor really can catch fire, then it is likely that the fire will spread over to the other side once the booze cloud touches the fire.  If the booze actually evaporates when the barrels are set on fire, and then the vapor ignites, we can still call it a fireball of sorts.

[Tyrius]

Wouldn't another way to test it would be in adventure mode?

With the new knapping skill and custom reactions, plus the ability to set things on fire, it'd be much easier to fine-tune experiments in regards to quantities of alcohol, type of alcohol, etc etc.

I've done a quick test and it's definitely possible to create a barrel, and to create alcohol in said barrel, and it will "ignite" (or according to the description of the brown cloud, become "Boiling Dwarven Wine"). As to whether this is damaging vapour, or can set off chain reactions etc, more scientific study is definitely needed.

[Agamemnon]

we should set up a booze stockpile and set it on fire.

Dwarven science! We do what we must, because we can.
For the good of all of us, except the ones who are dead...

[druid91]

Yes, there are certainly a few inaccuracies around.

Hence, in proper Mythbuster style, I think we should take on the myth of the exploding booze barrel.

The myth is that, when set on fire, booze barrels will explode in a big fireball.  This is believed to be caused by the flammable booze contained within catching on fire and undergoing rapid combustion, which to the layman looks an aweful lot like a fireball or an explosion.

Another explanation is that the apparent explosion is actually merely booze vapor, caused by the booze evaporating when subjected to the heat caused by the fire.

In order to test this myth, we should set up a booze stockpile and set it on fire.  After observing what happens in that case, we should mod the raws to set the boiling point of booze much higher and see if we can observe a difference.  Another question is whether booze, once vaporized, can catch on fire.  The best test I can think of for this would be to start a fire near to, but not touching a booze stockpile, with a barrier such as a channel in the middle, then change the raws so that the booze immediately evaporates.  If the booze vapor really can catch fire, then it is likely that the fire will spread over to the other side once the booze cloud touches the fire.  If the booze actually evaporates when the barrels are set on fire, and then the vapor ignites, we can still call it a fireball of sorts.

Well.. I can say that boiling booze is one of the most awesome weapons for town killing in adventure mode, Nobody tries to kill you afterwards, besides the image of people melted all over the inn is hilarious.

[breadbocks]

Wouldn't another way to test it would be in adventure mode?

With the new knapping skill and custom reactions, plus the ability to set things on fire, it'd be much easier to fine-tune experiments in regards to quantities of alcohol, type of alcohol, etc etc.

I've done a quick test and it's definitely possible to create a barrel, and to create alcohol in said barrel, and it will "ignite" (or according to the description of the brown cloud, become "Boiling Dwarven Wine"). As to whether this is damaging vapour, or can set off chain reactions etc, more scientific study is definitely needed.

But the question is: WILL IT BLEND?

[Medicine Man]

we should set up a booze stockpile and set it on fire.

Dwarven science! We do what we must, because we can.
For the good of all of us, except the ones who are dead...

But there's no use crying over every Funstake
You just keep on trying 'till you run out of booze.

[Sphalerite]

Questions like this make me really wish that Arena mode had a feature to let you place arbitrary items like it lets you place creatures.  There are several experiments I'd like to test without having to build a fortress to support them first.

[Medicine Man]

I was once playing as an adventurer,I found a giant with family issues who resorted to booze.There was booze all around his cave and that was the only thing (no shit it was)
I killed the giant and decided to throw his body in a fire near the booze and sleep.I woke up burning,there was flaming booze clouds everywhere.

[Quietust]

In 40d and earlier, alcohol's ignition point is significantly higher than its boiling point*, and since Dwarf Fortress only allows actual objects to burn (once it boils, it becomes a "flow" just like miasma or cave-in dust) it isn't actually possible for alcohol to burn. It's possible this was changed in 0.31, but I doubt it.

* don't have the exact numbers at the moment, but it'll be simple enough to locate them again - they're initialized right after the game reads the MATGLOSS_PLANT:xxx token

[edit] Just found the stats: booze has an ignite point of 10800 (832°F) and a boiling point of only 10150 (182°F). Booze also freezes at 9850 (-118°F), for those curious.

[Untelligent]

I think we should take a look at the Carp.

I've been hearing people say that carp got nerfed in the recent versions because the bite attack strength was reduced. But I seem to recall that carp never were that powerful to begin with (size 3 in the old versions, which wasn't very strong) and the reason they ended up in a lot of dead dwarves was because the dwarves would go to the river for a drink, see the fish, go "Oh shit, pointy teeth" and dodge into the water.


HOWEVER, a few versions ago I seem to recall the way civilians reacted to wild animals changed slightly, so they would be a BIT less nervous around them. Anyone want to check if fish are, as of the latest release, still deadly?

[charl]

I think we should take a look at the Carp.

I've been hearing people say that carp got nerfed in the recent versions because the bite attack strength was reduced. But I seem to recall that carp never were that powerful to begin with (size 3 in the old versions, which wasn't very strong) and the reason they ended up in a lot of dead dwarves was because the dwarves would go to the river for a drink, see the fish, go "Oh shit, pointy teeth" and dodge into the water.


HOWEVER, a few versions ago I seem to recall the way civilians reacted to wild animals changed slightly, so they would be a BIT less nervous around them. Anyone want to check if fish are, as of the latest release, still deadly?

Empirically the carp don't seem to be too dangerous anymore. In my current fortress there's a river full of carp and I have yet to lose a single fisherman to them, despite my fishing zone being right on top of what seems to be the carps' breeding grounds.

[Hugehead]

we should set up a booze stockpile and set it on fire.

Dwarven science! We do what we must, because we can.
For the good of all of us, except the ones who are dead...

But there's no use crying over every Funstake
You just keep on trying 'till you run out of booze.

And the science gets done
And you make a neat fort

[Medicine Man]

we should set up a booze stockpile and set it on fire.

Dwarven science! We do what we must, because we can.
For the good of all of us, except the ones who are dead...

But there's no use crying over every Funstake
You just keep on trying 'till you run out of booze.

And the science gets done
And you make a neat fort

For the dwarven who are still ALLiIIIiiiVE!

[Aldaris]

we should set up a booze stockpile and set it on fire.

Dwarven science! We do what we must, because we can.
For the good of all of us, except the ones who are dead...

But there's no use crying over every Funstake
You just keep on trying 'till you run out of booze.

And the science gets done
And you make a neat fort

For the dwarven who are still !!ALLiIIIiiiVE!!

Fixed that for you.