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[vassock]

How do ambushes happen? Do the goblins spawn in your fortress? Do they actually spawn on the edge of the map and then stealthily move to your fortress until detected? Will they trip traps while stealthy? I want to defend against them somehow.

[fervor]

In my experience, I'm not sure why they are called ambushes.

A small group spawns at the edge of the map and the game pauses to tell you that they appeared.  Nothing stealthy about it.  They can still get destroyed or captured by traps.

I guess the frequency can be a bit random.

[Bikgn]

In my experience, I'm not sure why they are called ambushes.

A small group spawns at the edge of the map and the game pauses to tell you that they appeared.  Nothing stealthy about it.  They can still get destroyed or captured by traps.

I guess the frequency can be a bit random.

Weird. For me, they don't get revealed until an enemy (one of my dwarves or a passing caravan or outpost liaison) walks close enough to them to see them. Maybe you have a loyalty cascade?

[Maklak]

My ambushes sometimes get spotted when on edge of the map, sometimes closer to the entrance of my fortress. They are usually spotted by wandering cats, that shortly afterward get shot.

Sompe people put sentries around the map to give them early warnings. Depending on setup this can be safe or deadly for those sentries.

[assimilateur]

A small group spawns at the edge of the map and the game pauses to tell you that they appeared.  Nothing stealthy about it.  They can still get destroyed or captured by traps.

You're thinking about sieges. Ambushes do indeed happen more or less as you expect them to: hidden creatures wait until they are detected.

[tolkafox]

My ambushes sometimes get spotted when on edge of the map, sometimes closer to the entrance of my fortress. They are usually spotted by wandering cats, that shortly afterward get shot.

Sompe people put sentries around the map to give them early warnings. Depending on setup this can be safe or deadly for those sentries.

And if you use kittens, no one will care. Except the kittens, of course.

They spawn at the edge of the map invisible and move towards your fortress/innocent fishers. From what I've gathered, they remain invisible if they are dodging/blocking a trap but are found if they caught in/hit by a trap. Whether they remain invisible may or may not be trued, but I've had the leader of an ambush trigger the ambush after walking into a cage trap past my 6 other weapon traps.

If I'm not mistaken, if you dig to the edge of the map underground ambushes will spawn there too.

[Urist is dead tome]

Ambushes are spotted depending on the skill of observer nearby things have. If you catch them in cage traps you will be alerted of all squad(s). Weapon traps will kill them but not alert you.

[zephyr_hound]

My ambushes are revealing themselves at map edge because of the quarreling goblin civs bug - maybe that's what's happening to him?

Man I hate this. I get thirteen or fourteen successive "An ambush! Curse them!" messages for four squads of goblins, and by the time my military gets outside the gate the survivors have left the map and all we've got is a handful of bodies to dump. I have the worst goblins ever.

[Oliolli]

My ambushes are revealing themselves at map edge because of the quarreling goblin civs bug - maybe that's what's happening to him?

Man I hate this. I get thirteen or fourteen successive "An ambush! Curse them!" messages for four squads of goblins, and by the time my military gets outside the gate the survivors have left the map and all we've got is a handful of bodies to dump. I have the worst goblins ever.

I have worse goblins. After accumulating 3 000 000 in created wealth and around 100 000 in imported wealth (only 20 000 in exported wealth), creating an army that yearns for action and a set of around thirty traps lining the only way into my fort, I haven't had A SINGLE siege!

What's taking them so long?

(Yes, I have goblins living nearby)

[PainRack]

I have worse goblins. After accumulating 3 000 000 in created wealth and around 100 000 in imported wealth (only 20 000 in exported wealth), creating an army that yearns for action and a set of around thirty traps lining the only way into my fort, I haven't had A SINGLE siege!

What's taking them so long?

(Yes, I have goblins living nearby)

Screwed up goblin civilisation? I went into legends for my current fort. The goblin civilisation assaulting me has been suffering numerous reversals from multiple elf, dwarven and a human civilisation.

[Malibu Stacey]

I have worse goblins. After accumulating 3 000 000 in created wealth and around 100 000 in imported wealth (only 20 000 in exported wealth), creating an army that yearns for action and a set of around thirty traps lining the only way into my fort, I haven't had A SINGLE siege!

What's taking them so long?

(Yes, I have goblins living nearby)

Population over 80? Invaders turned on in d_init.txt? Goblin civ has leaders who are alive & well on the Civ's page & listed as at war with you?

[Oliolli]

I have worse goblins. After accumulating 3 000 000 in created wealth and around 100 000 in imported wealth (only 20 000 in exported wealth), creating an army that yearns for action and a set of around thirty traps lining the only way into my fort, I haven't had A SINGLE siege!

What's taking them so long?

(Yes, I have goblins living nearby)

Population over 80? Invaders turned on in d_init.txt? Goblin civ has leaders who are alive & well on the Civ's page & listed as at war with you?

Population 216. Invaders are on. Goblin civ has a leader, although (after checking in legends, historical maps) I found out they are further away than I originally thought, and there are two elven civs between us that are at war with (and steamrolling) the gobbos. Maybe this has some effect.

[plisskin]

So, if I've got my pop. cap set to 50, no invasions for me?

[Malibu Stacey]

Population 216. Invaders are on. Goblin civ has a leader, although (after checking in legends, historical maps) I found out they are further away than I originally thought, and there are two elven civs between us that are at war with (and steamrolling) the gobbos. Maybe this has some effect.

To double check you could make a copy of your save or use a backup, abandon the fort then attempt to start a new game on that save. Check the area you embarked on previously using the tab menu to list civilizations. If it has Goblins listed with a set of red dashes next to them then you should be getting visits from them there. If not, that's your problem. They either can't get to you or are otherwise occupied.
On the Civ screen do they have a W or a P next to their listing (first page of Civ screen)?

So, if I've got my pop. cap set to 50, no invasions for me?

You won't get sieges but you should still get the occasional ambush as long as your local Goblin population aren't otherwise occupied & you have invaders on in d_init.txt

Bump your created wealth as high as you can as quickly as you can (prepared meals work really well for this but any industry is good if you have high skilled dwarves & stockpile tons of the output) & you should start getting some Goblin Ambushes.

[Oliolli]

Population 216. Invaders are on. Goblin civ has a leader, although (after checking in legends, historical maps) I found out they are further away than I originally thought, and there are two elven civs between us that are at war with (and steamrolling) the gobbos. Maybe this has some effect.

To double check you could make a copy of your save or use a backup, abandon the fort then attempt to start a new game on that save. Check the area you embarked on previously using the tab menu to list civilizations. If it has Goblins listed with a set of red dashes next to them then you should be getting visits from them there. If not, that's your problem. They either can't get to you or are otherwise occupied.
On the Civ screen do they have a W or a P next to their listing (first page of Civ screen)?

It has goblins with the red dashes, but it lacks the goblins in the Civ screen... Odd...
If I remember right, I actually didn't have any except my home civ, an ant man civ and an olm man civ there until I got the first caravans from the humans and those pointy-eared folks.
Wait... Why have I not gotten any caravans from the other elven civ whose area my fort is in? It is located on top of an area, ahich belongs to "The Problematic Volcano" AND "The Labyrinthine Embraces", but I haven't gotten any caravans from "The Embraces". Also, according to legends, my civ is not at war with any elves, so that can't be the answer.
Or is it so that I can only get caravans from one elven civ per year?