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[silversurfer]

So there was this one siege and the goblins brought some hurt on my dwarfs by firing up hill at them...  Now I want to return the favor and the marksdwarfs just stand there not firing?  Can they only return fire on different z levels?  No walls or fortifications in the way...  have ammo and they practice on the targets just fine...

[Reelyanoob]

Normally it's fine. They lose a little range for every z-level difference from the target though.

Do they have the bolts allowed for both 'C' for combat and 'T' for training ? In the m->f screen?

[Xorn]

That also depends. If you build a wall (let's say it is 1-Zlvl high) and station them on it, they will be able to shoot as far as they can see normally, -1 square.
However, they won't be able to shoot at things crammed against the wall, since they are unable to peer over the edge of the wall.

Ammo may be an issue, but sometimes they are unable to see far enough/through an obstacle.

[zarokima]

They lose a little range for every z-level difference from the target though.

That makes sense for firing up, but down? If anything, range should increase in that scenario.

[NecroRebel]

They lose a little range for every z-level difference from the target though.

That makes sense for firing up, but down? If anything, range should increase in that scenario.

It's a game. It doesn't have to make sense.

Or, more specifically, it's a game in an alpha release; it doesn't have anything like a realistic physics engine. It doesn't have to make sense.

Regardless, creatures take the same penalty for shooting from high to low as they do from low to high. That's just the way it works.

[Korva]

I've never really gotten this to work. On the same z-level it works without a hitch, but even if the prospective target is further away from the wall and SHOULD be in line of sight, the marksdwarves just stand there twiddling their thumbs. Occasionally and seemingly at random, one may start shooting but the one right next to him will not. The odds of getting them to shoot increase when they stand right next to the fortifications, but getting them there is a pain (pathfinding grr).

[malvado]

I've never really gotten this to work. On the same z-level it works without a hitch, but even if the prospective target is further away from the wall and SHOULD be in line of sight, the marksdwarves just stand there twiddling their thumbs. Occasionally and seemingly at random, one may start shooting but the one right next to him will not. The odds of getting them to shoot increase when they stand right next to the fortifications, but getting them there is a pain (pathfinding grr).

It might be due to a number of factors such as  :

Skill level of the dwarf and fortifications. Yeah, I thought any marksdorf was able to shoot through but you need elite.
No arrows equiped and the dorf is searching for a melee target.
Forbidden arrows (yeah, it occasionally happens :-( )

Best way to know if your dwarves will shoot is if they ever use the archery range (although its a pretty large waste of ammo in the long term with many archers compared to hunting for the bow skills).

[Triaxx2]

Build an archer wall. Three to four tiles away, with a ramp on the outside, but not on the inside. This will make the gobbos/kobolds/whatever's appear on the same level as the archers.

[Nilik]

They lose a little range for every z-level difference from the target though.

That makes sense for firing up, but down? If anything, range should increase in that scenario.

Should, but doesn't. Think of the marksdwarf's range as a sphere, centered on him.