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[CapnUrist]

Sounds easy, right? Not as much as I'd thought.

See, on my latest fort (creatively named "Blockearth" by the RNG gods), my giant construction plan has been interrupted by the second (and third) sieges, and unlike the first the attackers aren't looking to get themselves caught in cage traps or leave anytime soon, it seems. Being the kind of person who isn't big on waiting for a militia to be viable, I remember the dragon I have caged up.

Flame-broiled gobbos, anyone?

So I start a few experiments to develop a flamethrower hall to welcome the goblin menace to my humble fortress. (I tried just sending the dragon out after them, but it turns out a dragon isn't that effective by itself against two dozen goblins armed with spears and swords.) After some testing, I've discovered a few annoying things:

• Dragons will not spew flame through fortifications, despite having a target waiting right there.
• Dragons on a chain will not spew flame at targets they can't reach. (They will, however, kill any dwarves that try dragging it more than 10 tiles)
• Dragons WILL spew flame at something it has engaged in combat, such as stray fortress pets, quite often.

So my current plan is this:

Code: [Select]

      xxxxxxxxxx     
xxxxxxx        xxxxxxx
   X    ####XX       
 X   X  #cDR B        -> TO FORT
   X    ####XX       
xxxxxxx        xxxxxxx
      xxxxxxxxxx      where
X - wall
# - fortification
D - dragon
R - chain (dragon on it
B - bridge, raising toward dragon
c - Animal drop point, used as a "trigger" for the trap.

However, I'm not sure how well it will work. Anyone have experience with utilizing dragons for this sort of thing and can see if there's something I'm overlooking?

[rephikul]

first, remove _EXOTIC

[CapnUrist]

You mean the [PET_EXOTIC] tag? I'd rather work with it untamed, if possible. It'll help keep the cat population down (no need to butcher, as I have elephants for that).

[slothen]

It'll help keep the cat population down.

While I understand your desire to keep it untamed, how do you figure this?

[Hans Lemurson]

Dragon sees kitten. 
Dragon has idea! 
Kittens = Poptarts
Not work out so well in practise. 
Try on next kitten.

[Fredd]

Somewhere on the wiki was a setup for a GCS silk production plant. It seems it could be adapted to a flamethrower hallway of death. Webbing being a secondary attack, similar to fire breathing

[CapnUrist]

Somewhere on the wiki was a setup for a GCS silk production plant. It seems it could be adapted to a flamethrower hallway of death. Webbing being a secondary attack, similar to fire breathing

This is actually where I got the idea for this project, however there are a couple key differences that make this harder. First, dragons are serious building destroyers; I'm surprised the dragon hasn't ripped the chain it's attached to out of the ground yet. Secondly, the dragon appears uninterested in using its flame breath on anything it hasn't already started attacking in melee combat.

It'll help keep the cat population down.

While I understand your desire to keep it untamed, how do you figure this?

I've decided to use the numerous stray cats and kittens around the fort as flamethrower triggers of a sort, by pitting them from above into the dragon's cage (onto the c in the above diagram), where it will provoke the dragon to breathe flame at least once before dying. I figure it'll keep the cats caged up and with a purpose, and I can use them whenever I'm bored. I may see about affixing a chain for prisoners in the line of fire for planned executions.

EDIT: It works, for the most part. Didn't get to enjoy any proper burning gobbos this time as the weapon traps I put in for insurance kept all but a swordmaster out, and the swordmaster blocked the fire with his shield. But at least I know I can catch something with it in a reasonable amount of time.

[EddyP]

Is the dragon tamed? If so,

Code: [Select]

I###I
 I###I
 I###I
I#####I
I#vvv#I
I#vDv#I
I#vvv#I
I#####I
 I###I
Where I = wall, #=floor and v=channel (ramps removed)

Have the gobbos run through that.
If it's untamed, change the hall around a bit and use raised bridges to block off the dragon when your dwarves need to use the hall.

[dragoncurse]

Is the dragon tamed? If so,

Code: [Select]

I###I
 I###I
 I###I
I#####I
I#vvv#I
I#vDv#I
I#vvv#I
I#####I
 I###I
Where I = wall, #=floor and v=channel (ramps removed)

Have the gobbos run through that.
If it's untamed, change the hall around a bit and use raised bridges to block off the dragon when your dwarves need to use the hall.

I'm pretty sure that you never met a dragon before.

Dragons can FLY.

[Sarudak]

You're on your third siege and still don't have a viable militia???

[Flaede]

There was a good thread where someone wanted to weaponize a captured FB. They got a viable solution involving kittens like you did.
The trick, I think, is to have flammable things in the hall. Even if the fire is blocked, the stuff on the ground can still catch fire and smoke out the gobboes.

[Plank of Wood]

You're on your third siege and still don't have a viable militia???

Why would you need to have a militia when you have DRAGON TURRETS?

[EddyP]

Is the dragon tamed? If so,

Code: [Select]

I###I
 I###I
 I###I
I#####I
I#vvv#I
I#vDv#I
I#vvv#I
I#####I
 I###I
Where I = wall, #=floor and v=channel (ramps removed)

Have the gobbos run through that.
If it's untamed, change the hall around a bit and use raised bridges to block off the dragon when your dwarves need to use the hall.

I'm pretty sure that you never met a dragon before.

Dragons can FLY.

I know they're supposed to, but can they? I thought they couldn't. The wiki says they can't.

[Ubiq]

if there's something I'm overlooking?

Giving dogs the ability to breathe fire?

On a more serious note, one option might be to modify the GCS farm, but to substitute upward ramps and hatches for the doors so the dragon would have to path up a level and then down a ramp to the target. Unless it was recently fixed, hatches cannot be destroyed from below.

[sir_laser]

Dragons can't fly. No offense, but please don't bring real life or other fantastical worlds' experience into DF. This is, after all, !!DWARF FORTRESS!!