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[HunterZ]

I did a search on this but didn't see much recent discussion on it. I also have a bunch of thoughts, so I thought I should start a more general thread on the subject.

Possible improvements to the interface for linking Levers/Pressure-plates with other objects:

1. Flashing game field highlight of object link candidates: The (now properly-working) feature that highlights on the game field the currently selected object from the list of possible candidates for linkage could be improved by flashing the cursor and/or object on the game field for the currently selected list item. I ran into an issue the other day in which a floodgate candidate was being highlighted as a yellow X, but I could not tell for sure if I was looking at the right spot because I had some nearby up/down staircases that also showed up as a yellow X.

2. Viewing currently linked object(s): It would be immensely useful if there were a "view currently linked object(s)" option on the (q)uery menu for levers (and plates?). It could work just like the link options, only instead of showing a list of linkage candidates, it would show a list of currently linked objects and highlight the currently-selected one of those on the game field.

3. Highlight all objects linked to current lever: It might also be nice to be able to highlight on the game field *all* objects linked to the queried lever, and possibly blink the currently selected object (per #2) to differentiate it from the rest. This would make it easier to see things like whether you have linked up all of your cages or whatever.

4. Highlight all objects linked to *any* lever: Another iteration of #3 might be to additionally highlight objects linked to *other* levers in another color, and/or warn the user when they attempt to link something that is already linked to the current or another lever. This would make it easier to see at a glance whether you have linked up all your new floodgates to various different levers, for example.

5. Highlight linked lever when querying object: Yet another thing that might be useful is showing on the query menu and/or game field for a linked object (e.g. a bridge, cage, floodgate etc.) what it is linked to. This would make it much easier to figure out which lever (and where) controls a given floodgate or whatever.

6. Un-linking: Finally, and this has been brought up before, it would be useful to be able to remove linkages. This would allow you to more easily undo linkage of an object to the wrong lever or vice-versa, or allow you to reorganize your linkages or repurpose your levers.

7. Lever+note integration (Uristocrat & aepurniet): http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=70712.msg1728960#msg1728960 and http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=70712.msg1732919#msg1732919

[Rowanas]

I strongly support number 2/3 in specific. As it is now, my danger rooms have to be carefully recorded to ensure that I don't assign the same spike twice in a given batch.

[Malorn]

Same here, love 2/3.  Though honestly I use the note system to do this already, since without that the fortress would become even more of a deathtrap.  I have levers in the emergency control room that flood the entire fortress with water, and another for when I would prefer magma, other levers in that same room seal said room and can also remotely unseal several other safe rooms should they require cleansing (my food stores, my emergency bunk area, and the statue garden).  Pulling those levers in the wrong order, let alone by accident, results in bad scary things.

[Uristocrat]

I'd add one more thing:

If there's a note on the same square as the lever you're looking at, it should show you the name of the note under where it tells you what lever you're looking at.  In other words, if there was a note there called "Flood Entrance With Magma" and you were using 'q' to look at the obsidian lever, you'd see something like:

Obsidian Lever
Flood Entrance With Magma

Pull the Lever                A
Scream Horribly
Flaming Death
Start New Fortress

a:  add new task

And, of course, if you wanted to read the actual note, you'd look at it normally, because there's only one free line beneath the building name and it couldn't really put the full text down there, but the name of the note should be good enough even without the note text and it (probably) wouldn't be all that difficult to add.

[HunterZ]

I'd add one more thing:

Added an item to my list that links to your post.

I haven't experimented with notes yet, but that sounds like a good idea to me since it sounds like that's how people are labeling levers anyways.

[aepurniet]

i think every built item (levers, doors, floodgates, chairs, tables, statues) should be allowed to have a note on it.  also the 'k', 't', and 'q' modes of inspecting an object should be combined.  there is no reason the UI should be split like this.  the 'v' mode does it really well where a lot of information is visible from the same interface.

if your not gonna combine the interfaces, at least save the cursor position, this makes the game a pita to play sometimes.

[Crashmaster]

I like the above suggestions.

My idea was to add the option to link a message to a lever that would come up on the screen the same as discovered caverns/ adamantine/ forgotten beast messages that prompt 'Press enter to close window.'

The usage would be for fortresses designed with adventurers in mind. An adventurer that triggers a pressure plate or pulls a lever could then be given messages such as, "You feel a rush of super-hot air coming from the North." The wise adventurer could then (correctly) interpret this as 'a wall of pressurized magma is coming towards you from the North,' and plan their next moves accordingly.

Other things might include; "You hear the crash of rock falling behind you. The way back is no longer passable." "You here the grinding of mechanisms to the East." "You suddenly here the sound of hundreds of cats meowing at once."

[Uristocrat]

I like the above suggestions.

My idea was to add the option to link a message to a lever that would come up on the screen the same as discovered caverns/ adamantine/ forgotten beast messages that prompt 'Press enter to close window.'

The usage would be for fortresses designed with adventurers in mind. An adventurer that triggers a pressure plate or pulls a lever could then be given messages such as, "You feel a rush of super-hot air coming from the North." The wise adventurer could then (correctly) interpret this as 'a wall of pressurized magma is coming towards you from the North,' and plan their next moves accordingly.

Other things might include; "You hear the crash of rock falling behind you. The way back is no longer passable." "You here the grinding of mechanisms to the East." "You suddenly here the sound of hundreds of cats meowing at once."

As cool as that would be, I fear that my fortresses would end up with messages like "Farm floodgate #2" which aren't quite as cool :-)

[Crashmaster]

As cool as that would be, I fear that my fortresses would end up with messages like "Farm floodgate #2" which aren't quite as cool :-)

To clarify myself; I didn't intend the message to be a announcement of a (N)ote at the lever's (ect) position but an additional option in the (q)uery menu to 'link lever to a message' that did not require mechanisms or labour.