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[Marsunpaistii]

I just invented an über leet defense system for my fortress, which is really cheap to make and even cheaper if you happen to have a brook / river / stream at hand. I have a 3 tile wide corridor which then splits into four 1x1 corridors which have a pressure plate with floor hatches on both sides of the plate, which are opened by the plate. When an intruder steps on the pressure plate, the hatches open, forcing the intruder to stand still on the plate, then after that a hatch which is also linked on the pressure plate opens above the intruder, dropping water on the intruder, which then pushes him into either one of the two hatches next to the pressure plate. The pressure plate is then deactivated due to water pushing the intruder off the plate, closing the 3 hatches and while the intruder falls into a 15 z-levels deep pit which has grates at the bottom that let the water drop into a cavern below.

= is empty space [To avoid flooding you can replace the empty spaces with grates]
H is a hatch
P is a pressure plate
W is water
w is a wall
Z level 0

w=w
wHw
wPw
wHw
w=w

Z +1

WWW
WHW
WWW

[Xenos]

...or a ten z level fall with green glass menacing spikes below...hooked to a repeater just in case. 

But seriously that is a really nice design for a trapped entrance...but why the 3 tile entrance?  Just stick with a 1 tile wide entrance that forks twice.  And I would use this as the "back door" to my fort so that my dwarves could run in and out of a five tile wide entrance that seals off the moment an enemy is detected.

[forsaken1111]

OP, no offense but your system is incredibly overcomplicated and likely won't work the way you want it to. Have you actually built this?

Much simpler is to have the single-tile walkway over a large fall and have some weapon traps on it, which force the enemies to dodge and likely to dodge straight off the walkway.

[Marsunpaistii]

It's not complicated. I built it from a scratch and I didnt plan it before and it worked well. Also you could just make a 1 tile wide corridor with serrated blade weapon traps in it and no enemy would get in, but what would be the fun in that? The only thing that the defense requires is 3 hatches, a pressure plate, 1 tile wide corridor and water + anything you want the enemies to fall into, maybe a prison or a torturing room?

[Xenos]

The point of his system is the pure low cost of it.  you only need mechanisms and hatches (and a water source) for it to work.  While weapon traps would be very effective, you need to make a lot of metal or glass components which takes time and resources.  (or use stonefalls.  but will those lead to dodging off the ledge?)

OP, no offense but your system is incredibly overcomplicated and likely won't work the way you want it to. Have you actually built this?

Hmmmm....you seem to be under the impression that overcomplicated is bad...

[forsaken1111]

The point of his system is the pure low cost of it.  you only need mechanisms and hatches (and a water source) for it to work.  While weapon traps would be very effective, you need to make a lot of metal or glass components which takes time and resources.  (or use stonefalls.  but will those lead to dodging off the ledge?)

His system requires a renewable water source directly above the trap points, which requires a lot more time and effort with pumps and power than it does to throw a bunch of wooden training axes into weapon traps.

The point of the traps I mentioned is not to kill the intruder, but to make them dodge and fall off the side. It accomplishes the same thing his system does, making them fall, without water or pumping.

[Marsunpaistii]

If you happen to have a brook at hand, you can just make a channel that moves the water wherever you need it. I have my entrance very close to a brook and i just channeled a few tiles to east and then made a huge pool of water with a roof on it so the water doesnt freeze.

[forsaken1111]

So in that rare case, both systems are equally easy to set up. In one you need a few hatches and mechanisms, in the other you need a few mechanisms and training axes.

Regardless of the effectiveness, it is a neat idea washing them down the drain.

[glopso]

So in that rare case, both systems are equally easy to set up. In one you need a few hatches and mechanisms, in the other you need a few mechanisms and training axes.

Regardless of the effectiveness, it is a neat idea washing them down the drain.

But the water one would still be cheaper.

[Xenos]

I am going to try this...with the fall points being on top of ten adamantine menacing spikes ...eventually.  it will start of with glass or iron or something...

[forsaken1111]

So in that rare case, both systems are equally easy to set up. In one you need a few hatches and mechanisms, in the other you need a few mechanisms and training axes.

Regardless of the effectiveness, it is a neat idea washing them down the drain.

But the water one would still be cheaper.

Cheaper than what? 5 wooden axes and 5 mechanisms? The labor difference is minimal, and the value difference is probably less than you might think.

[Xenos]

Time to test both of these...FOR !!SCIENCE!! (I have decided the pit should be steel spikes, magma safe everything, and flooded with magma. )

[Marsunpaistii]

I am going to try this...with the fall points being on top of ten adamantine menacing spikes ...eventually.  it will start of with glass or iron or something...

Also I noticed that when the creature is pushed down, the hatches close before all the water drops out of the area, to fix this, also channel a tile next to the hatches so that it is like this Grate - Hatch - Pressureplate - Hatch - Grate, that way you dont have ugly water lying around, I dunno about you but atleast I care about that (OCD attacks once again)

[Xenos]

i have channels on both sides of the 1x walkway along its entire length.  I plan on placing the water drop traps and weapon traps to see which works more effectively...and i want to test my terrible terrible elephants...

[forsaken1111]

i have channels on both sides of the 1x walkway along its entire length.  I plan on placing the water drop traps and weapon traps to see which works more effectively...and i want to test my terrible terrible elephants...

I eagerly await your results. Science!