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[thistleknot]

So far the only thing I've learned to make powered, is a repeating spike trap, and a repeated raising bridge trap (over a moat).

The bridge trap is two bridges. 
||
++
||

|| = bridge
++ = floor (covered with spikes from my repeating spikes trap).

The bridges raise towards the floor.  The idea being that the creatures are either thrown to the drowning pit below (see below), or are thrown onto the repeating spikes.

Below the bridges is a floodable pit (controlled with floodgates, drained with floodgates/water pumps [so I can retrieve enemy gear in my ore lacking fortress]).

[xelo]

Please keep always in mind that there is weight limit of your bridges.
Some megabeasts (and a lot of other animals like f.e. elephants) maybe exceed this limit so your bridges maybe refuse to work properly.

As far as I know the limit is at 1,200,000 and it is not cumulative, so billions of goblins won't cause a disfunction while standing on a bridge, but maybe one single heavy megabeast probably does.

[Myrmec]

yeah even the rutherers and jabberers and cave crawlers goblins ride in the third or fourth attack will stop a bridge from functioning.

[thistleknot]

thanks.  I just found this out today as my bridge didn't do shit.  I'm gonna have to rethink that.  Will retracting bridges work?

[xelo]

Will retracting bridges work?

No, either retracting or raising... both types have the same limitations regarding the weight of a single creature.

[Tirion]

Out of curiosity, how do you make it powered? I thought retracting spikes and bridges can only be connected to levers, not gear assemblies...

[Triaxx2]

Probably pump powered water repeaters.

For dealing with oversize creatures, I find that having the bridges supported by pillars with supports built in is a good idea. If something is too large for the bridge to function, it'll trigger a pressure plate which will blow out the supports and send the entire bridge and whatever happens to be on it to the bottom. True, you'll have to rebuild the bridge, but it's an effective back up.

[thistleknot]

where you put the pressure plate?  You can't put it on the bridge can you.

[dr_random]

In my last fort I employed the gas guzzler: A simple reservoir filled up with magma by a manually operated pump and that flood gate at the muzzle (just a opening in the reservoir wall into the direction of choice) which is lever triggered. If you substiituted muscle power with water or wind and make a trigger to open and close the flood gate you'd have have a powered trap with potential hilarious effect. This is a ranged weapon with a shotgun pattern. For deviousness, let a couple of victims pass by and employ on the main body of troops. Friendly fire possible.
For magma to have an effect on creatures "temperature" might be necessarily activated in your options.

[Triaxx2]

Yeah pressure plates can be put just before the bridges, or in the middle. I have a 5 bridge set up, with the first, and second bridges being controlled by the first two pressure plates. Pressure plate 3 triggers the supports in pillars 3/4 to blow out, and dump the bridge.

[Rez]

Somewhat on topic...

Do bridges seize up under water pressure, ie weight?

[Sphalerite]

Somewhat on topic...

Do bridges seize up under water pressure, ie weight?

No.  The only thing that stops a bridge from working is any creature of size greater than 1,200,000.

[i2amroy]

I find that the best way to use bridges is to set them up in a sideways instead of a lengthwise way of bridging gaps i.e
A,B,C...=bridge A,B,C...   X=wall/raised bridge   .=pit of death

Spoiler: Closed Bridges (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

XoutdoorsX
XAAAABBBBX
XCCCCDDDDX
XEEEEFFFFX
XGGGGHHHHX
XIIIIJJJJX
XKKKKLLLLX
XfortressX

Spoiler: Raised Bridges (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

XoutdoorsX
XX......XX
XX......XX
XX......XX
XX......XX
XX......XX
XX......XX
XfortressX

This insures that if any heavy creatures do attack you, then they end up stranded like this

Spoiler: Trapped Creature (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

XoutdoorsX
XX......XX
XX......XX
XX......XX
XX...HHHHX
XX......XX
XX......XX
XfortressX

Making them perfectly harmless (well except for goblin marksmen, they will still be dangerous until they run out of arrows) targets for any marksdwarves that you have.