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[The Grackle]

How would you build an automated FB defense system with the following requirements?:

1> Open doors.  There has to be a path from the caverns to the (internal) fort.  It can't just raise a drawbridge. Or if it cuts a path, another one has to open up.
2> Dwarf Access.  Dwarves have to be able to enter and exit the caverns for tasks-- like gathering spiderwebs or whatever.
3> No Military.  The problem is the FBs' toxins, otherwise I'd just post a squad of axe dwarves at the door.   
4> Fully Automated. Needs no input to operate/reset/unjam.  Basically, it works if I leave DF running and leave the room.

I was thinking a hall of repeating spike traps. But that makes #2 real tricky. 

[Xenos]

make the hallway of repeating traps shorter than the other hallway but restricted traffic set to weight 100.  the longer path is set to high traffic weight 1.  make sure that it isn't too much longer.  Pets will still die, and so will some dwarves.

[Scruga]

And an FB might chase them down the long tunnel if he sees a dorf entering

[Xenos]

so put spikes in the long tunnel, but dont have them constantly running.  if a FB starts to go down it, have an AI start pulling like mad. (so it would require some observation to be close to foolproof.)

[Namfuak]

Hmm.  You could create two hallways, like you had, and have both have raising bridges that are over grates with pressurized water underneath.  It goes into one, hopefully the short, restricted one so there are no dwarves, and you raise the bridges and drown it.  Pumping in magma would work too, but would obviously be more difficult (unless you don't have a river on your map, in which case you would need to use a pump anyway).

Alternately, if you are feeling cheap, just do the same two-hallway setup, and have both have a wide ceiling supported only by a single support.  I believe that building destroyers will automatically destroy supports, but if you want to be sure then put in a pressure plate or hook it up to a lever.

EDIT:  Just reread and noticed the fully automated part.  I guess the second option wouldn't work then.  If you wanted to make the first automated, hook up two pressure plates and make the bridges create only a 1-tile wide hallway that you'll pump the magma in to ensure that the FB is always moving on top of the pressure plates and keeping them active.  I'm trying to remember if pressure plates turn on or off gear assemblies though.  If you didn't care if it was strictly automated, that could just be hooked up to a lever and the beast could be caged until you came back and killed it.

[Xenos]

they wont trip plates.  put armor stands near it to buy time, then have it linked to a lever.

[Namfuak]

they wont trip plates.  put armor stands near it to buy time, then have it linked to a lever.

Oh yeah, pressure plates are considered traps.  Hmm.  I never fight FBs, so I don't know that much about them.

You could create a labyrinth with lots of civilian activated pressure plates that are constantly changing the path through and hope for the best.  Also, having a constantly firing catapult would help, if you made the labyrinth completely out of fortifications then a line of catapults at the end would only fire at the beast and would be out of range of it for most of the time.  You still might lose dwarves, but on the bright side you will get rid of a lot of stone if you just keep them on firing at will.

[Fanklok]

FB's love to destroy buildings so set up a long one wide hallway with a statue at the end and fill it to the brim with repeating spikes any FB's that come along will be unable to resist knocking down the statues and die a pointy meanacy death.

[Xenos]

FB's love to destroy buildings so set up a long one wide hallway with a statue at the end and fill it to the brim with repeating spikes any FB's that come along will be unable to resist knocking down the statues and die a pointy meanacy death.

Set up several of these.  they only need to be hallways about 5 deep of spikes (a 1 tile wide hallway.)  have a 3x3 room with statues/armor stands or similar on 7 of the walls, and spikes in the center.  this will definately kill a beast.

[Reese]

if you're not worried about losing pets, just repeat this pattern:

Code: [Select]

#|.|.|.|.#
#.|.|.|.|#

set the spikes to restricted traffic, set the bare floor to high traffic- your dorfs should follow the zig-zag pattern (unless they are blindly fleeing for their lives, I guess) and the FB(and beloved pets) should walk straight on through the spikes.

alternately, line the walls with repeating spikes and set those to restricted, and make the path wide enough dwarfs won't be forced into the spikes and long enough the natural tendancy of the AI to hug walls will cause the FB to get perforated.

bear in mind whatever kills a FB or any pets or dorfs will probably end up as schmuck bait for the next dwarf to wander along looking for !!☼«☼pig tail socks☼»☼!! ...

[MagmaMcFry]

I've created an elaborate setup to lure and kill non-flying FBs with two cave-ins, no risk at all:

Code: [Select]

Side view (not exactly accurate, please imagine as 3D):

#       I       #
# ############# #
#               #
## ____________##
##A     >      ##
###     X    A###
####A   X    ####
#####   X  A#####
######A <  ######
#######_IA#######
Mine a funnel with ramps that creates a spiral road to a floors-only platform with some beds (or lots of other small buildings) on top of it.
In the funnel, be sure to leave an up-down stairway pillar to collapse into the cavern, creating a staircase to connect the pathing zones and to allow non-flying FBs to enter. It should be at least as high as the cavern directly under the pillar. Over this construction, carve out a massive hanging stone slab covering the whole ramp spiral.
Link supports holding up the staircase and the anvil to levers, wall off the connection to the fort and collapse the staircase through the floor of your funnel. When the FBs see some beds to destroy, wait for them to slowly advance up the stairs and funnel walls and collapse the stone slab while they walk. Flying beasts should mill around long enough to get squooshed too.

[thijser]

You could use pressure plate in order to block of the menacing spike road and open up a new one.

The best is if you use a lot menacing spikes. Then link them to a repeater and add a pressure plate system that opens a alternate road by bridges with channels underneath them.

like this

b=bridge with channel under them
B=bridge withut channel
p=presuure plate
s=menacing spike
w=wall
wwwwwww
wssssBsssw
wswwwwsw
wpbbbbbpw

You might want to move the pressure plate a bit away from the rest to reduce accidents and a shorter bridge reduces the chance of a fb moving trough. This system won't work if the road is beeing used to much because 2 dwarfs at the same time will lock the system.

[jei]

How would you build an automated FB defense system with the following requirements?:

1> Open doors.  There has to be a path from the caverns to the (internal) fort.  It can't just raise a drawbridge. Or if it cuts a path, another one has to open up.
2> Dwarf Access.  Dwarves have to be able to enter and exit the caverns for tasks-- like gathering spiderwebs or whatever.
3> No Military.  The problem is the FBs' toxins, otherwise I'd just post a squad of axe dwarves at the door.   
4> Fully Automated. Needs no input to operate/reset/unjam.  Basically, it works if I leave DF running and leave the room.

I was thinking a hall of repeating spike traps. But that makes #2 real tricky.

Build a side corridor in the way to the caves. Put an animal at the end of the corridor, block it with 2 doors 1 apart and dig a pit to the interval from above, Forbid both doors and fill pit (the interval between the 2 doors) with water. Build floor over the pit.  Put pressure plate before doors that activates on water that drops a cave-in on the corridor that blocks access. Meaning dropping one whole undug block to block the corridor with the animal and doors.

This is a bit of work but should automatically enable FBs to be walled in or killed if lucky enough (maybe even caged?), if nothing else attracts them, they will go for destroying the door and killing the animal first, water activates cave-in support. Cave-in might be used to kill them too if it hits, but I've noted that usually they just spit at the door and smash it from some distance. This should work on flying FBs too.

Anyway, this is what I use in lack of better working options.

[jei]

  I believe that building destroyers will automatically destroy supports, but if you want to be sure then put in a pressure plate or hook it up to a lever.

May have done so in 40d, but not in 2010. They do destroy almost all doors and floodgates though, Also pressure plates don't work if the creature flies.
But using doors, water and water-activated pressureplates seems to work.

[jei]

FB's love to destroy buildings so set up a long one wide hallway with a statue at the end and fill it to the brim with repeating spikes any FB's that come along will be unable to resist knocking down the statues and die a pointy meanacy death.

Yeah, a repeater linked to spikes in a room that FB likes to hang around in might work if the weapons are good enough and it doesn't move too fast.

Personally I don't find FBs to be a problem once I get a squad with adamantine axes.
They always seem to do the trick. Problem is the poison dusters...