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[thistleknot]

wtf?

Why am I assigning schedules twice?

Clarification.

I understand the tutorial on how to setup scheduling, but in my bottom right corner of my scheduling screen, there's an option to hit / for View Alerts.

And when I go into that, I get a whole new screen to setup scheduling for every month for all my squads again.

When I exit out of this "View Alerts" screen, I'm back in the scheduling screen.

The two don't seem to change each other.  Nor is one pulled from the other.

[i2amroy]

The '/' and '*' keys change which alert you are currently altering since each alert can hold its own schedule. So for example you might set your squad to train 12 months of the year in one alert, and then hit the '/' key and swap to "Patrol" or another alert where they patrol your corridors for 12 months of the year. Then if the squad was set to the "Train" alert it would train all year and if it was set to the "Patrol" then they would patrol your corridors all year. So the "view alerts" option isn't opening a different menu, it is simply changing which alert you currently have selected for scheduling modifications.

[thistleknot]

I've never set schedules on alerts before.  I was worried because it said no scheduled order.  Does that mean they do what the default is?  Its obviously a more advanced way of scheduling, but does anything happen if I don't use this sub menu?  Do they fall back on what the default scheduling is.

The way I was using scheduling, was setting my squads to inactive or active to de activate and activate their scheduling on the alerts (m a) screen.

Thanks btw.  If u google "dwarf fortress" "view alerts".  You only find string dumps.

So if I use view alerts to assign schedules does that mean I can leave the main schedules window empty?

Does one schedule override the other if there's conflicts?

And I guess what I really don't get.  Is that they're still duplicate order screens (i.e. they both do the same thing).  I can create multiple alerts in the schedules window, and assign specific orders per month per squad in the schedules window.  Why do the same thing in the "View Alerts" window?

OH MY GOD.  I'M SUCH A DUMBASS.  When I hit /, I jumped to the "Inactive" schedule.  That's why I saw "No Scheduled order".  So if I hit / again, I would have seen my Active/Training schedule.

Oops, questions answered.

btw, i killed my first cave dragon!  (Without the aid of training rooms or any traps what-so-ever).  Sent in all my squads, and lost 3 militia (good dwarves), and 1 peasant.  I think only 8 warrior dwarves got to him.

[khearn]

I set up my "Active/Training" alert schedule for what I want my troops to do in normal times. I also have an alert called "Live Training", which has it's schedule set so all of my melee squads defend my "melee training" burrow every month, which is the room that I pit goblins into for, well, live training. So when I want to do live training, I set my melee squads to the Live Training alert, and they all proceed to the training room.

One wall of the training room is fortifications, behind which is a hallway. There is a burrow called "Archery Training" that covers that hallway. The archer squads are all scheduled to defend that burrow in the Live Training schedule. So when I put them on the Live Training alert, they go into that hallway behind the fortifications and are ready to shoot whatever gets dropped in the training room. It's better than stationing them there with the squad orders, because half of them would end up in the training room instead of in the hallway if I station them. Defending a burrow makes all of them go into the burrow. When the training is over I switch all squads back to the Active/training alert and they go back to whatever they would normally be doing that month.

You can also use this during attacks. Assuming you have an alert set up for getting your civilians into a burrow, you can also set up a schedule that sends each squad to where you want them during an attack. You have to put each squad on that alert (just setting the civilian alert doesn't effect your squads), but it's easy to remember to do, and then your archers go to their shooting spots, and your melee troops go to wherever you want them.

It's actually quite useful, once you learn to use it.

[thistleknot]

I've been using station orders with pitted animals.  I like your idea better.  Cuz I don't have to specify where on the map they need to go.

I've been using burrow and defending them for danger rooms, haven't really got the danger room working yet.  I want to ensure I have a lot of training spears, so far I have 60.

[khearn]

You know that you can make a 1x1 danger room, don't you?

[thistleknot]

My problem was getting dorf's in the 1x1 danger room.  Using a 1x1, the only way I could get them in was with a burrow assigned to an alert.

Hmm... I guess another way is to manually assign a dwarf to a 1x1 burrow, using the burrow's c menu.

What do you recommend?

[ZeroSumHappiness]

Code: [Select]

...  -- Walls
.A.  -- Armor rack
.+.  -- Internal door
.^.  -- Spike trap
.+.  -- External door
Set up a barracks from the armor rack.  The room should overlap the whole diagram I've written.  The internal door is locked and set as internal so that the room designation can flow through it.  Unlock the lower door.  Set your squad to train at the barracks.  Wait until they all file into their barracks to train.  Lock the external door.  Start pulling that lever.

[thistleknot]

Yeah, I didn't want it in the barracks due to aminals

[ZeroSumHappiness]

What do animals have to do with it?  They'll follow dwarves into barracks just as well as they'll follow into any other room, no?

But yeah, if you're looking for a true 1x1 then you're probably looking for a burrow.

[thistleknot]

I don't know, I'm thinking that barracks (regularly occupied) vs danger room (not so much) I might somehow be able to control animals somehow.  I guess either way.  I'm going to have to assign an animal to a zone prior?  Or just lock the door and micro-manage and ensure they don't enter (I had a dog with a broken skull thanks to those spears, poor sparky).

[Grumbledwarfskin]

The design that was given, and the approach suggested for using it, is perfect for keeping pets out.

Set the outer door as not pet passable as the recruits are filing in. If any animals slip in as recruits are opening the door to get inside, make the door temporarily pet passable and pasture the animal somewhere to get it out of the danger room.

When you've got everyone in that you want in, and all pets/children/married female dwarves out, then lock the outer door so nobody gets in or out, and start pulling the lever or turn on the machine. No pets can wander into the area and get killed. You do have to remember to turn off the danger room and let your dwarves out before they dehydrate or starve.

[knutor]

Yeah, I didn't want it in the barracks due to aminals

Pen em all, all the time, that's my strategy.  Caging them all, lowers lag but I like some lag.  So I pen um.  Lag helps remind me that I didn't pay anything for this.  That keeps my posts here in check, I can whine like a pro, otherwise.  Pro Whiner in the house!  Lag is a good serum for fun, aswell. 

But with that all said and written, I'm still not certain what all belongs in a Barracks.  Are you?  In theory the only thing a barracks should contain is a chest and bed.  Parade grounds, training room, range, etc.. should have racks, stands and targets.  Seems to me, the Commander has dropped the ball, that dwarf should make more detailed requests for stuff to improve his militia, like the other nobles do.  At least to clarify vague stuff.

Maybe that's the skill that is Unknown, in Dwarf Therapist.  Ya know?  Strategy.  That'd make good sense.  If your Commander has not strategy, he doesn't say anything.  I cannot remember what that Unknown skill is.  Might be more than one, for all I know.  Hope the next patch addresses this, to some extent.  *cross fingers*

Sincerely,
Knutor