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Author Topic: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture  (Read 1732 times)

Saiko Kila

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Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« on: May 18, 2011, 04:04:31 am »

I wonder how to stop that behavior? v.0.31.25. When I assign a piglet or a lamb to a restraint dwarfs will bring it there and tie up. But after some time they will take it to their previous pasture, with Pen/Pasture Large Animal. And then repeat. Endlessly. Problem is I cannot manually unassign these piglet (or other animals), because I have too many, in too many places. And I cannot see which one is that particular animal on the list. Sometimes it happens with other animals, but eventually it stops. I think these other animals are previously caged. Anyone experienced something like this? I think the game should unassign the animal from pasture if it is assigned to a restraint, shouldn't it?

One day I simply take all grazers, pack them into zinc cage and drop into magma.
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evileeyore

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2011, 08:09:40 am »

I wonder how to stop that behavior?
Cage them all, unassign them all, then reassign them one by one where you want them.  Maintain smaller herd sizes through judicious use of butchering.

Once your herds are smaller, seperate your "for butchering animals" into pens close to the butcher's shop and individualy designate them with (v) and (s).

Rename your herd animals in the raws with male and female names for the handful that aren't so named (makes seperating jacks and jennys (donkeys) and mares and stallions (horses) easier for instance).


Personally the only animals I chain anymore are Watchdogs, and the only dogs I pen (cage) are my breeding bitches.
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Sphalerite

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2011, 09:34:28 am »

I think the game should unassign the animal from pasture if it is assigned to a restraint, shouldn't it?

It should, but it doesn't.  When you assign an animal to a restraint, it's not automatically unassigned from the pasture.  You need to go to the pasture zone and remove the animal from the list of animals assigned to the pasture.
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Saiko Kila

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2011, 10:03:30 am »

Thanks guys. I thought it to be random at first. But yes, game unassigns animals from cages, but not from pastures. Also I will change raws for easier processing.

First I was using dogs. Then I was using ducks and cats mainly, but I'm running out of them. That's why I switched to piglets and lambs. They are as good as dogs to watch for invaders and to delay attacks.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2011, 10:11:05 am by Saiko Kila »
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evileeyore

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2011, 10:50:22 am »

Girlinhat has an excellent Watchtower Design.
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Saiko Kila

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2011, 11:35:31 am »

Girlinhat has an excellent Watchtower Design.

Looks promising. I'll build some. I was thinking about building windows into my traps (with bridge-gates and dogs inside, used against hunting enemies) but I forgot that windows can be destroyed. Though these constructions also can be destroyed if made from non-magma safe materials. I had a dragon burning my bridge and city walls to ashes, among other things. Are windows magma safe?

EDIT: Also note: building destroyers in 0.31.25 definitely can destroy hatch if there are stairs to it, despite what original poster says about the alternative. But the first project is plausible.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2011, 11:52:55 am by Saiko Kila »
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Fredd

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2011, 10:30:18 pm »

Place the windows behind fortifications. I visited a old fort in Adventure mode, the line of site is good
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Saiko Kila

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2011, 04:29:10 am »

Place the windows behind fortifications. I visited a old fort in Adventure mode, the line of site is good

Ah, thanks. I've constructed 3 watchtowers already, but after making some windows I will construct more. This time I'll put fortifications to see the effects. The problem I encountered while constructing watchtowers is that dwarf will move inside to install the last window, remove the bird, and try to entomb himself. When window construction is suspended he moves out, and after resumption he will randomly choose to either try to entomb himself again, or finish the construction from outside, as intended. But the bird is always left outside. So I made another stairs above, and pitted the bird. Since I had access now I created floors over the bird - now nothing can touch it.

Unless flying destroyer lands on the stairs, but I'm not sure they can destroy windows even then. I hope I'll see.
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evileeyore

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2011, 11:36:55 am »

Ah, thanks. I've constructed 3 watchtowers already, but after making some windows I will construct more. This time I'll put fortifications to see the effects.

If your actually building the watchtowrs, skip fortifications.  Ambush detection is only 3 tiles, the window takes up 1 tile, the fortification a second, meaning ambushers have to move within 1 tile of the tower to be detected.

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Saiko Kila

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2011, 02:03:54 pm »

Ah, thanks. I've constructed 3 watchtowers already, but after making some windows I will construct more. This time I'll put fortifications to see the effects.

If your actually building the watchtowrs, skip fortifications.  Ambush detection is only 3 tiles, the window takes up 1 tile, the fortification a second, meaning ambushers have to move within 1 tile of the tower to be detected.

Three tiles? That's far less than I expected. I'd need more of them. And placed more strategically. I assumed the animals will see ambushers from actual distance they can see things, which is surely more than 10 tiles.
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Darkmere

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2011, 03:18:35 pm »

My last fort tried the animal watchtowers. I funneled ambushes near (within 10 tiles) of the towers to aid in detection. Over 16 years, a single ambush was spotted by a tower. If you build them, build lots of them.
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evileeyore

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2011, 03:49:54 pm »

I'd need more of them. And placed more strategically. I assumed the animals will see ambushers from actual distance they can see things, which is surely more than 10 tiles.

Seeing distance and "uncovering an ambush" are two seperate distances.

Ambushers move at a staggered pace, zig-zagging sort of, so you can set your watchtowers 7 tiles apart and pretty much have 100% full coverage.

Or you can go further apart and use walls and channels to force Ambusher movement to within 2 tiles of a Watchtower.




Something else to be aware of...  3 tile detection still pits the Detector's Observer skill versus the Ambushers Ambusher skill.  So highly skilled Ambushers will slip right past Watchtowers.  It would still behove a paranoid builder to put traps in.
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Saiko Kila

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #12 on: May 20, 2011, 03:14:35 am »

So it seems I need to build much more and need to look for better animals. No sand means gem window. Thanks for these information, it will surely help in preparation of my defenses.
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evileeyore

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2011, 07:56:46 pm »

So it seems I need to build much more and need to look for better animals. No sand means gem window. Thanks for these information, it will surely help in preparation of my defenses.
You can mod an animal, say dogs or cats to have a Natural Skill.  It's in the Watchtower thread, I think.
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Saiko Kila

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Re: Dwarfs keep moving animals between restraint and pasture
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2011, 09:19:12 am »

So it seems I need to build much more and need to look for better animals. No sand means gem window. Thanks for these information, it will surely help in preparation of my defenses.
You can mod an animal, say dogs or cats to have a Natural Skill.  It's in the Watchtower thread, I think.

I'll mod these buggers. Though I'll stay with blue peahens. Cats and dogs would procreate, if female. If male, I'd have no control over genetics (though I'm not sure it is implemented at all) and could end with weak, skinny lapdogs. Peahens live long, don't lay eggs without nestbox, and are easy to pickup visually. I only wonder whether wild peafowl, which are plentiful in my embark area, would be more cautious after modding.
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