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[HungryHobo]

once they're all in full armor with a few cloaks high quality spears don't make too big a difference.
I have 2 rooms right now.
the first is for new squads, made up of 3 spear traps with 1 low level spear in each.
the second has 3 spear traps with 10 higher quality spears in each.

once they've trained in the first for a while they go into the second to train faster.

then only problem is how many babies get killed by the spears.... so so many dead babies.

the loss of cats I don't mind, in fact that's a bonus to me.

I keep the rooms small because there's nothing dwarves like more than to be in a big pile with many other dwarves which avoids tantrums from dead pets and children.

[Bigf00t]

These are nice ideas but...
   we can still push the boundaries of !!SCIENCE!! 

I use the following plan regularly (aka. all the time) and it has never failed yet.
After making my first large scale, large time, mega engraved danger-room I thought there has to be a better way.
This is what I thought up of. (And yes, i confirm quality spears cause problems)

#######           #####
#L #|DW# -OR-  L#|DW#
##D####           D####

 - # = Wall
 - L = Lever
 - D = Door
 - W = Weapon Rack/Armor stand/etc
 -  | = Upright Spikes

Its super efficient and super cheap. The lever is connected to the spikes (10 tower-cap spears), the outer door is no-pets (to avoid cat-splotion! Or not...), the inner door is internal, no-pets and forbidden. Finally the barracks is made. Because only the tile w/ the spikes is accessible, dwarfs will never dodge to "safe" squares, 'cause there are none! I will also not that this does NOT stop dwarfs training dodge, if anything it is faster because they are always "under attack". Also this is super cheap w/ only,

2x doors
10x no-quality wood spears
3x mechanisms
1x armorstand (what I use)

PS - I like to import 10 tower-cap spears because A: Its dwarfy B: No issues with no-quality carpenters!
PPS - This is my first post w00t! 
   I've been lurking since the 40d days but with the resent dev-log, I couldn't wait any longer!

[Larry421]

Just the one trap? How do you fit more than one dwarf in there?

[eue]

Just the one trap? How do you fit more than one dwarf in there?

Well, I guess you can make more than one of these "individual" danger rooms. The lever should be reused between them, though.

[Bigf00t]

Just the one trap? How do you fit more than one dwarf in there?

Easy! I have had two squads (3 in one, 10 in other) simultaneously sparing, doing a dodging demonstration (no joke) and individual drill in the past. I like to think that these dwarfs are SOOOOO ridiculously legendary, the whole 10 dwarf spear-squad can lead a dodging demo, swing their spears around and still not interrupt squad #1's sparring! WHILE only in 1m²!

Yea, I guess it IS ridiculously bizarre, but this IS Dwarf Fortress. 

I've no idea where the quote is (something about stalactite-based-vacuum) but it went like...

... This is the game where you can have 8000 dragons on the same tile, as long as 7999 dragons are laying down ...

[Larry421]

So I just built this design next to my big room, and it seems to work.

Until I lock the internal door, and no one starts any new drills. I have to unlock the door, wait til a few people are on their way, then lock it before they get in.
Is this how yours works?

[Oxinabox]

A design I want to try out is:

looking from the side:
#W   |D
##|^## This Layer is filled with water

 - # = Wall
 - L = Lever
 - D = Door
 - W = Weapon Rack/Armor stand/etc
 -  | = Upright Spikes
 - ^ =upaward ramp

So when they dodge they end up in water (training their swim=endurance)
The ramp is the only safe tile

I beleive a whole sqard can fit on one square, which saves effort (it takes dwarf years to get a 5x5 room full trapped up,)

I'm no expert and have only tried a plan 5x5, (which kill off my 2 best warriors' dozen odd cats...)

[shadowform]

If you want a good no-hassle danger room with a minimum of injuries, build 1 training spear per trap and set them to a pressure plate (or multiple pressure plates) located in a well-used hallway.  Don't worry about the kids - other dwarves will have the babies eventually, and as long as you have really nice weapon racks, dining rooms, and a nice statue garden or two, it'll just make your dwarves used to tragedy that much faster.

[Bigf00t]

So I just built this design next to my big room, and it seems to work.

Until I lock the internal door, and no one starts any new drills. I have to unlock the door, wait til a few people are on their way, then lock it before they get in.
Is this how yours works?

Hmm, thats weird, mine works perfectly fine.

If you want a good no-hassle danger room with a minimum of injuries, build 1 training spear per trap and set them to a pressure plate (or multiple pressure plates) located in a well-used hallway.  Don't worry about the kids - other dwarves will have the babies eventually, and as long as you have really nice weapon racks, dining rooms, and a nice statue garden or two, it'll just make your dwarves used to tragedy that much faster.

Yea, I've never had any trouble with 10 spears per trap, just trains them 10x faster! But each to his own or somewhat.
I guess its just a matter of how quickly you want kittens to explode. One hit does it for me. 

[oso]

While thinking about danger rooms with dull wooden poles shooting up from the ground.

Also, females in the military is a bad idea with danger rooms

ಠ_ಠ

unless you're trying to cut down on the number of babies.

ಠ_ಠ  !!

...

OOOH! Cause they'll carry the babies in with them... RIGHT!

[Pagan]

My entrances always lead down to level 1, danger rooms/barracks/armoury, and there are always two danger rooms. One is advanced, one is for training, one has 10 spears per trap and the other just 1. Both sets are linked to the same lever though.

The basic design is something like this:

XXXXXXXX
+^^W^^X
XXXXXXXX

Gives space to jump around and space for 4 dwarf squads. Also, the reason why I have a beginner room and and advanced room is from losing my fav AxeDwarf to an overzealous danger room. And I like using the lever cause its a nice way to punish dwarfs too, and an easy way to occupy a dwarf thats doing nothing.

[mrbobbyg]

You don't need a big danger room, I do 3x3 and it works fine.

As for the repeater, I just set up a lever in the dining hall and have someone useless go to town on it.

Also, for my first room, I used wooden spikes, not spears.

That was a bad idea.