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[Nameless Archon]

That really wouldn't work, because an arrow could be fired diagonally down the paths the dwarfs take. However, Di's diagram would work, as there is very little open area.

The trick to using single tile pillars lies in realizing what it is about straight lines that is the real problem: The length of the line. The longer the line of sight, the more shots the archer gets before the melee dwarf closes the distance. Short, constantly changing lines of sight are good, long lines are bad.

So, when you use a large, broad set of pillars, there are long sightlines along the diagonals. The solution is to use a longer, narrower set of corridors, so that an archer standing all the way to one side can only see one or two spaces deep in the maze. Melee dwarves can then approach with minimal shots fired before reaching melee range.

Code: [Select]

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
.
(Entrance here, going -> that way towards fort)
.
X.X.XXXXXX.X.XXX
XX.XXXXXXXX.XXXX
X.X.XXXXXX.X.XXX
XX.XXXXXXXX.XXXX
X.X.XXXXXX.X.XXX
XX.XXXXXXXX.XXXX
X.X.XXXXXX.X.XXX
XX.XXXXXXXX.XXXX

(Barracks/station on this side)


X = Wall
. = Empty floor
Goblins can only line up one or two deep as yoru dwarves approach, and your melee dwarves are basically coming around corners on top of them, where melee dwarves will excel. This does NOT, however, permit wagon passage, so you need to put this construction orthogonally to your entrance hallway, similarly to what's shown. Also, you have to try to avoid having the dwarves charging out into the hallway, as this will remove their cover.

[Shoku]

I rarely end up fighting ranged units in my own halls so instead I would want to construct something above ground.


..O...
.OOO.O
.....OO
.O...O
OO....
.O.OOO
....O.

..O.O...O.O..
.OOO.O.OOO.O.
O....OO....OO
.O...O.O...O.
OO....OO....O
.O.OOO.O.OOO.
..O.O...O.O..

This tiles easy and cuts most distances down to 3 with only a few 5 length paths through it. You can do away with a little bit of the symmetry or just add more walls if you really want to shorten that but with some obvious macros you could make this many tiles without a lot of trouble (even if you were obsessive about using the same type of stone like me.) Really just placing the 3x1 segments gets you most of the way there but with long vertical and horizontal sights between each "square" you tile.

Plus if you want you might be able to adapt some of them for capturing the wildlife.

Edit: On second thought I don't think this is significantly better than
OOO...
...OOO
OOO...
...OOO

[Namfuak]

One strategy I'm using in my current fort is to simply have a door between my entrance and fort (with the barracks behind it).  So, something like this:

Code: [Select]

+ . . . + d
+ . . . . .
+ . . . . .
+ + + + +

The main advantage of this is that the dwarves training behind it won't run out to fight because they can't see the enemy, and you can order them to station outside when the elves are about half-way through.  Retracting bridges work wonders here to keep the fight short ranged as well.

[Artzbacher]

Thank's for the input! I didn't know shields were so effective, and since they'll all have steel shields and steel armor I guess they'll be fine anyway. But just to be sure I''ll try out some of these patters.

When the elves come, tired at last of having their merchants drowned, they'll enter the only corridor leading in to the fortress. As I trap them by retracting the bridge behind them, they'll try to advance but only to face 12 happy soldiers waiting in a strangely designed slaughterhouse, clad in steel and wielding silver warhammers.