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Author Topic: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?  (Read 1674 times)

gawwy

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is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« on: June 05, 2011, 07:53:55 am »

is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?

possibly through firing it through magma mist?

Diamond

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2011, 08:04:39 am »

Items passing through magma mist are destroyed. Maybe unless its metal arrow. In which case it wont catch fire.
And i don't think that it is possible to set arrow/bolt in flight on fire anyway.
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noodle0117

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2011, 09:11:18 am »

But it'd be pretty darn awesome if it did.
Although I have my doubts about this, this experiment calls for !!Science!!
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AutomataKittay

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2011, 09:25:37 am »

As I recalls, there was experiments done, possibly further back to 40d, and the conclusion was it didn't work at all. Something about objects in flight being unaffected until it impacts.

I don't know what would actually happen.
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Oliolli

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2011, 09:32:14 am »

Something about objects in flight being unaffected until it impacts.

So if you cause a cave-in on top of a flying ballista arrow, it will not be affected?
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dwarfhoplite

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2011, 09:34:29 am »

Something about objects in flight being unaffected until it impacts.

So if you cause a cave-in on top of a flying ballista arrow, it will not be affected?
This is getting ridiculous.
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Yoink

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2011, 09:37:14 am »

I'm pretty sure someone did something like this a while back... I think their entire map was on fire from a magma spillage, and they fired an arrow from the ballista and it caught fire after a few squares.
If I recall correctly, they then tried to make a magma-fall to produce the same effect, but I can't remember if it worked. :)
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Shootandrun

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2011, 09:55:24 am »

You could set the ballista on fire and then fire the arrow. Maybe that would work. You'd loose a dwarf, but it's not like they are expensive or something.
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darkrider2

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2011, 10:05:15 am »

Objects in flight currently ignore all laws of dwarven physics until they reach the point where they stop moving.

I'm afraid this is impossible.
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Ace_Warbringer

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2011, 10:08:03 am »

The eternal flaming bin of lignite could do the trick. Prop in front of the ballista, and !!FIRE!!.
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Though maybe that's the issue. The concept is just too simple for the dwarven mind to grasp!

Akura

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2011, 10:30:13 am »

It might be possible if you modded in a material that that has a higher material temp than its ignite point, but not give it a [HEATDAM:] point, which causes it burn for about 3 or 4 seasons before disappearing, and then add a reaction to make a ballista bolt out of that material. Of course, there's still the issue of it burning down the ballista, the workshop the bolt is made in, the dwarf carrying it, and the 50 dwarves going to the booze stockpile(followed by the booze stockpile). And then the tantrums of their friends and family.
Isn't fire Fun?

Something about objects in flight being unaffected until it impacts.

So if you cause a cave-in on top of a flying ballista arrow, it will not be affected?
This is getting ridiculous.
You really don't pay attention to these boards, do you?
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BloodBeard

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2011, 12:06:53 pm »

Modifying the above post, mod in a material that will ignite in a hot environment outside but not inside the lower temperature of your fort and fire the ballista from inside to outside. Just a theory, I havent tried it.

Oliolli

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2011, 12:36:16 pm »

In case the bolt ignores physics while in flight, it wouldn't help. Of course, you could make a ballista outside, close to an indoor area.

I wonder if it could work with catapults? Throw 'em some burning lignite. If fired from a z-level above the target, you may even manage to set the world on fire.
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evileeyore

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #13 on: June 05, 2011, 02:05:03 pm »

In case the bolt ignores physics while in flight, it wouldn't help. Of course, you could make a ballista outside, close to an indoor area.

But it would be a funny mental image of the bolt impacting, thus coming to rest, and suddenly !!fizzle!! !!pop!! and it's on fire.  It would be like ballista tracer rounds.
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Lectorog

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Re: is it possible to set a ballista arrow on fire mid flight?
« Reply #14 on: June 05, 2011, 02:21:53 pm »

In case the bolt ignores physics while in flight, it wouldn't help. Of course, you could make a ballista outside, close to an indoor area.

But it would be a funny mental image of the bolt impacting, thus coming to rest, and suddenly !!fizzle!! !!pop!! and it's on fire.  It would be like ballista tracer rounds.

Ballista rounds that catch on fire upon impact? If this works, we may have discovered a great zombie extermination method.
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