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[cog disso]

I have followed the instructions on Magmawiki and I can't seem to get my pits to work. What am I doing wrong?

[NecroRebel]

It may perhaps help to know what you're doing wrong if we know what you're doing...

Anyway, what you need for a pit is to:
1. Make a pit. This usually involves using the channel designation, but could also involve using the ramp designation on the level below, followed by having your miners come by and dig it out.
2. Using the (i)zones menu, make a zone over the channel itself, not on the edges. It may overlap the edges, but it must cross into the open space.
3. Without leaving the zones menu, designate the zone as a (p)it/pond.
4. Again without leaving the zones menu, go into the (P)it/pond submenu
5. Using +-*/, scroll the selected creature to the creature(s) you want thrown into the pit, then hit ENTER
6. Hit ESC/whatever else you might have your "leave menu" key bound to twice to leave the zones menu
7. Wait for your dwarves to drag the creature(s) to and throw them into the pit

[cog disso]

Alright, so I've got a room with a channeled out pit, I've removed all the up-ramps except the one closest to the door. I need to run the zone indicator not on the base of the pit but up the one flight at the TOP of the ramp rather than in the pit itself?

[NecroRebel]

I need to run the zone indicator not on the base of the pit but up the one flight at the TOP of the ramp rather than in the pit itself?

Yes.

[Reese]

Alright, so I've got a room with a channeled out pit, I've removed all the up-ramps except the one closest to the door. I need to run the zone indicator not on the base of the pit but up the one flight at the TOP of the ramp rather than in the pit itself?

pretty much, yeah.

The zone you designate is where the dwarfs will go to interact with the pit when putting animals in or filling it with water. (or dumping garbage into it or drinking from it or fishing in it... you get the idea.)

[brucemo]

There are only a few things I've never even remotely done in this game, and one of them is making a pit that wasn't a pond.

Can I get this straight?  If you make a pit that is like 10 z-levels deep, you can drop dangerous non-flying creatures into it, such as goblins and assorted wildlife, they will not escape when you send them there, and in this case they'll probably die?

If I pit a goblin that has a crossbow, he'll probably shoot the guy who pitted him the fall doesn't kill the goblin?

So if I want to make a "shoot the goblins in the pit" attraction, I can make a shallow pit and pit melee goblins, who will mill around in the pit until I shoot them all to death?

Sorry to ask a lot of dumb questions (there are no stupid questions, only stupid questioners), but if this is all a pretty core area of DF, since it relates to mining goblinite and trying to figure out how to get rid of a stupid deer in a cage, both of which are common tasks.

A fortress is to some extent an experience factory, and experience killing things is kind of risky to get, since things tend to try to kill back, or tend to escape into a horde of ambushers.  So I'd like to be able to capture things safely then shoot them in the face for free experience.  I've made firing squad rooms in the past, but it's a pain in the butt to link cage to levers, and this sounds like an easier way -- just make a room like this:

Code: [Select]

Z+1
WWWWWWW
W++.++W  <- Pit designated here.
W+++++W  + = floor
W+++++W  . = empty space
W+++++W  W = wall or some such (doors as appropriate)
W+++++W
WWWWWWW

Z
WWWWWWW
W+++++W  <- Goblin drops onto this floor
W+++++W
W.....W  <- Goblin can't fly across here.
W.....W
W+++++W  <- Dwarves with crossbows stand here.
WWWWWWW

Z-1
WWWWWWW
WWWWWWW
WWWWWWW
W+++++W
W+++++W
WWWWWWW
WWWWWWW

This seems like a simpler execution chamber than one that involves levers and cages.

[cog disso]

I did this SPECIFICALLY to do a goblin ecology tank for my animal zoo. I built the giant tank out of glass blocks and windows, and now I'm capable of dumping them in. Thank you for the advice and my plan is now working PERFECTLY.

The side effect here is that I made the mistake of installing it adjacent to the dining hall, because I thought it would be absurdly elegant and crazy to do so. Unfortunately, this is one of the few instances where windows actually work, because the dwarves can see the goblins and APPARENTLY they are too terrified to eat. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about this now, but it is mildly hilarious.

All I've got is goblin lashers at the moment, so I'm not worried about the depth of the tank. I'd rather they were alive. I'm interested to see how this experiment works out.

[Dorf3000]

I think goblins from seiges and ambushes are pretty tame and you can have them thrown in a pit usually without incident.  Thieves and snatchers always seem to escape the moment you try to take them from the cage.  I find it helps to have the pit inside or behind the military barracks, so there's someone nearby to start fighting in case of escapees.

[CapnUrist]

Windows allow sight through them. Glass constructions do not.

I've had viewing rooms for my dwarves next to my giant siege traps, but nobody ever stays to watch.

[The Worst Gamer]

Windows allow sight through them. Glass constructions do not.

I've had viewing rooms for my dwarves next to my giant siege traps, but nobody ever stays to watch.

Build statue gardens in the viewing rooms.