Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

v0.34:Slade

2014-01-08T16:57:26Z

Itg: /* Mining Slade */ Added simpler slade mining technique

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'''Slade''' is the stone that makes up the surrounding layers of [[Hell|eerie cavern]]s. After dwarves dig deep enough down into [[adamantine]] veins, large, demonic caverns made of slade will open up and spew forth demons. [[Demonic fortress|Curious structure]]s are also made entirely of slade.

Slade is '''very''', '''''very''''' heavy - according to the density specified in the raws (200 grams per cubic centimeter), a single boulder weighs around '''20 metric tons'''; by comparison, an equivalent volume of freshly mined [[native platinum|platinum nuggets]] only weighs around 2.1 metric tons (and takes a ''very'' long time to haul) - making slade around ''9.348 times as dense as platinum'', and thus the heaviest material in the game.

In Fortress Mode, it is not possible to mine through revealed slade walls, however, if it is unrevealed, a miner can dig up into it from below by designating an up/down stair and standing on an appropriate up stair. Normally, there is no way to get underneath slade to do this. However, a [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=108189.0 method] has been discovered (see below) to allow tunnelling through an eerie pit by exploiting collapsed magma flows and getting under the slade cavern floor of Hell. It appears to be like any other stone when mined. Due to the extreme weight, dwarves hauling it move very slowly.

It is possible to use weapons made out of this extremely dense material in Arena mode - tests show that weapons and armor made out of this superdense rock are at least comparable to if not stronger than even adamantine.

It may be interesting to note that our friends at Wikipedia also believe [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slade] Slade to be a hard rock and a heavy metal.

== Mining Slade ==

'''How to mine Slade:'''

Step 1. Construct (do not dig) a down stair directly above some unrevealed slade.

Step 2. Dig an up stair directly below the down stair.

It is best to build one down stair, then dig the slade beneath it before building more stairs, because digging one staircase will prematurely reveal the slade below any other constructed staircases, rendering it unminable.

'''Old method:'''

[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=108189.0 Original Thread]

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urM19dQrsJ4 Video Demonstration Part 1]

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcalni8h8Ak Video Demonstration Part 2]

The exact mechanics at work here are not fully understood. When a dwarf descends through the an opening in the Eerie Glowing Pits, the game seems to generate new stone layers in the unrevealed area below. These generated stone layers are a copy of the stone type directly above them. The unrevealed layer will change to become the same as a construction built directly above. Testing has shown that this transformation may only occur once, the first time a dwarf descends below the surface of the Eerie Glowing Pit. A diorite block floor constructed on the slade cavern floor will create diorite rough hewn walls beneath the slade layer. It is also possible to use rare or useful stone to duplicate them. If you build a rough raw adamantine floor over the slade cavern floor, you will find raw adamantine below.

Step 1. Find a location with accessible unrevealed SMR (Semi-Molten Rock) above Hell and an Eerie pit tile adjacent to a slade cavern floor. You'll want the magma flow tile directly above it. You'll need enough room to engineer a cavern collapse to drop a floor down and land it in the Eerie Pit tile.

Step 2. Prepare the drop site in Hell. Construct a normal floor over the Eerie pit tile. The Magma Flow tile will land here.

Step 3. Prepare the drop shaft in the SMR. Unlike the long difficult method of [[semi-molten rock|tunnelling]] through SMR, once you are in the underworld, you can construct scaffolding up to the unrevealed ceiling and dig staircases from bottom to top through Semi Molten Rock with no problems. Don't mine through the magma flow tile. You need it for the next steps. Channel out the stairs from top to bottom to to leave an open shaft with nothing in it. Remove all scaffolding in the way between the Magma flow tile on top and the constructed floor over the [[Hell|Eerie Glowing Pit]].

Step 4. Prepare a Cave-in above the Magma flow tile. Build a support directly on the Magma Flow tile and construct a floor on top of it. Then make sure its disconnected and supported only from underneath. Link the support pillar to a lever.

Step 5. Prepare the mining area. This is the most important step. You'll only be able to mine slade and duplicate stone in area that have constructed floors. You need to build constructed floors over the slade cavern floor over the entire area you plan to mine slade from. Floor over the entire area before you continue. It may not be possible to convert anymore unrevealed tiles after you begin. Use High value materials like iron ore or raw adamantine to pave the floors with. They will be duplicated and can be mined out for profit.

Step 6. Pull the lever to trigger the cave-in. the Magma Flow tile will fall down and crash through the constructed floor above the Eerie pit. This will punch an 'open space' hole in the Eerie Pit.

Step 7. Get a miner in there. Do whatever you can to get a miner to drop into that open space. I have him stand on a constructed staircase and remove it while standing on top. He will fall one Z-level and be stuck below.

Step 8. Use the stuck miner to build a constructed floor on an adjacent Eerie pit tile. This gives him a place to stand.

Step 9. Make him build an upstair on the magma flow tile then remove it. the magma flow tile will be gone and replaced with a normal stone or soil cavern floor

Step 10. Make him channel straight down from where that magma flow was. Go as deep as you want, the bottom Z level of the map should be very close though. Start to mine out the area. You'll find you can only mine out as far as you've built the constructed floors from Step 5..

Step 11. Mine or build upstairs every other tile. Extend those stairs upward to just under the floor above. The upper Z-level, just under the cavern floor will not be changed into natural stone. It will remain slade and can be mined from below.

==Bugs==
* Although slade is not intended to be diggable, it can be channeled through floors from above, leaving the wall underneath it.{{bug|708}}
* Jewelers may randomly try to cut slade, despite not finding any of it on the map.
{{gamedata}}
{{stones}}

v0.34:Sky support

2013-12-23T06:06:56Z

Itg: added category|physics

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'''Sky support''' is an unusual quirk of dwarven [[physics]] whereby a natural or constructed tile attached to the [[sky]] (i.e, built on the top level of the map) will provide a limited form of support to the tiles directly below it. Any attempt to build off this column horizontally will result in a [[cave-in]].

Sky support will override the "standard" support given to any tile connected to the ground. This behavior can cause previously supported constructions to collapse if their support columns become attached to the top level of the map. A clever application of this behavior allows the player to create some otherwise impossible cave-ins. For example, the player can collapse hundreds of z-levels of rock into the [[magma sea]] without channeling out the surrounding rock, and the player can even cause the [[semi-molten rock]] to collapse. See [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=133810.0 this forum thread] for full instructions.

This mechanic can be used to create a free-floating [[Skyfort]].

{{Category|Physics}}

v0.34:Sky support

2013-12-23T06:05:17Z

Itg: Added version thingy

v0.34:Skyfort

2013-12-23T06:03:33Z

Itg: Added link to Sky Support article

{{Quality|Tattered|20:25, 19 December 2013 (UTC)}}
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{{Quote|align=left|My Armok...

We've walled and roofed whole map tiles just because the sun irritated us. We've drained the magma sea and built a fort under it. We've drained the real sea, just to try and get at mermaid bones. We built a fort in hell just to prove we could. And now, we've built a fort in the sky.
There is no natural obstacle a dwarf has not overcome.}}

A '''skyfort''' is a floating fortress without structural support from the ground. Due to a quirk in dwarven [[physics]], the sky can be used to provide [[Sky Support|limited support]] to your fortress. Specifically, a solid vertical column that reaches the top of the sky level will not collapse, but it will also no longer support neighboring tiles horizontally. In order to retain vertical support, passable areas are carved with up/down stairways. [[Obsidian]] casting is necessary to allow these stairways to be added on top of existing [[building]]s (like [[furniture]] and [[workshop]]s). Unsupported glass [[window]]s can be used to plug any holes, such as those required below magma workshops.

Please [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=133968.0 refer to the forum thread] for full details.

{{Category|Physics}}

v0.34:Sky support

2013-12-23T05:59:27Z

Itg: Created page

'''Sky support''' is an unusual quirk of dwarven [[physics]] whereby a natural or constructed tile attached to the [[sky]] (i.e, built on the top level of the map) will provide a limited form of support to the tiles directly below it. Any attempt to build off this column horizontally will result in a [[cave-in]].

Sky support will override the "standard" support given to any tile connected to the ground. This behavior can cause previously supported constructions to collapse if their support columns become attached to the top level of the map. A clever application of this behavior allows the player to create some otherwise impossible cave-ins. For example, the player can collapse hundreds of z-levels of rock into the [[magma sea]] without channeling out the surrounding rock, and the player can even cause the [[semi-molten rock]] to collapse. See [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=133810.0 this forum thread] for full instructions.

This mechanic can be used to create a free-floating [[Skyfort]].

v0.31:Nest box

2013-12-23T05:44:02Z

Itg: minor grammar edit

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{{Building|name=Nest box|key=N|job=[[Food hauling]]
|construction=
* Nest box
* Adult, female, tame, egg producing animal
* ''(Optional)'' Any male animal of the same species
|construction_job=
* [[Food hauling]]
|use=
* [[Nest box]]
|purpose=
* Producing [[egg]]s
* Producing [[Domestic_animal#Comparison_of_domestic_poultry|poultry]] (with male present)
}}

A '''nest box''' is a 1x1 building that, once created and placed, a tame, [[egg]]-laying creature will claim and use to lay eggs in.

== Creation ==
A nest box is created using a single piece of [[wood]] or [[stone]] at a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]], a single bag of [[sand]] (and optional crystal/pearlash) at a [[glass furnace]] or [[magma glass furnace]], or a single bar of [[metal]] at a [[metalsmith's forge]] or [[magma forge]]. Unplaced nest boxes are stored in the [[tool]] section of a finished goods [[stockpile]].

* To create one at a Craftdwarf's workshop, {{K|q}}uery the workshop, select {{K|w}}ood products, then use {{K|+}}/{{K|-}} to manually highlight "Make wooden Nest Box", or select {{K|g}} rock products, then use {{K|+}}/{{K|-}} to manually highlight "Make rock Nest Box".
* For a glass nest box, {{K|q}}uery the workshop, select {{K|g}}reen/{{K|c}}lear/{{K|k}} crystal glass, then use {{K|+}}/{{K|-}} to manually highlight "Make ''type'' glass Nest Box".
* For either forge, {{K|q}}uery the forge, select {{K|o}}ther objects, then use {{K|+}}/{{K|-}} to manually highlight the metal and then use {{K|+}}/{{K|-}} to manually highlight "Make ''metal'' Nest Box".

== Construction and use ==
Once created, the nest box is then {{k|b}}uilt using {{K|Shift}} + {{K|n}} and will not block movement. The box will then be claimed by an egg laying animal when it is ready to lay eggs. The animal that claims the nest box will periodically lay [[egg]]s into the nest. This process is very quick (<1 day) and the eggs are ready to be collected immediately if they are to be cooked, but require time to hatch if you wish to start a breeding program.

If dwarves have access to the nest, a dwarf with the [[food hauling]] labor enabled will then remove the eggs and take them to a food stockpile and the animal will vacate the nest until it is ready to lay again. If a dwarf does not collect the eggs, the animal will remain on the nest box until the eggs hatch, after which it will also vacate the nest box until it is ready to lay again. In either situation, the nest box remains claimed by the animal. To free the nest for rapid turn around of eggs from a single box, deconstruct the nest after the eggs are collected or hatched and rebuild it - a different animal, ready to lay, will claim the nest box and immediately lay a clutch of eggs.

== Fertilised eggs ==

A nested female will lay eggs regardless of the presence of a male of the same species, however the eggs will not be fertilized and will not hatch unless a male is present. If a male is present, the eggs may be fertilized and hatch if the dwarves can be prevented from collecting them out of the nest box and hauling them to be eaten. To achieve this, eggs can be [[forbidden]], or access to the nest box can be blocked with locked doors, or eggs can be forbidden as a cooking ingredient in the kitchen menu. There may be no way of telling whether or not eggs have been fertilized, but if they sit in a nest box for more than two seasons, they are unlikely to ever hatch. Eggs do not appear to go rotten and can be collected and cooked after two or more seasons without generating [[miasma]].

== Bugs ==
It should be noted that most domestic birds have tremendous reproductive potential, and a few species of breeding birds can cause a population explosion that rivals even the deadliest of [[catsplosion]]s. Entire fortresses can be fed with [[egg production]], although eggs are currently bugged and can cause instant maximum [[clutter]] in your kitchen.{{Bug|3994}}

[[category:buildings]]

v0.34:Gravity

2013-12-23T05:39:20Z

Itg: Added brief reference to the sky support mechanic and the skyfort article.

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:''"The bigger they are, the harder they fall"''

Gravity in Dwarf Fortress shares similarities to the real world but has some key differences. Items, creatures and fluids will descend under gravity, moving to a lower [[z-level]] in the right circumstances. While this mimics the real world, the biggest key differences are listed below:
* In a [[cave-in]], terrain collapses to the lowest point instantly, however items, creatures and buildings fall more slowly (over multiple ticks)
* A support, fortification, or natural wall on the top level of the map will be effectively immune to gravity and capable of supporting a column of tiles directly below it. This effect, known as [[Sky Support]], can be used to construct a [[Skyfort]].
* Buildings in a cave in will instantly deconstruct before they fall, and the resulting items will then fall separately
* Items and creatures that are thrown, shot, cut off and sent flying, knocked back or generally expected to travel in a parabolic arc will tend to do so (within the limitations of the game tiles); one notable exception is for [[siege engine]]s, which currently launch projectiles in a flat trajectory.
* Creatures and items accelerate while falling. Water falls at a semi-random rate, taking between 5 and 20 ticks to fall a single z-level.
* Creatures that fall into water decelerate, generally suffering less overall damage upon impact with the bottom. Drowning while stunned, however, is still a concern.
* Creatures that are dropped onto a standing creature's head will generally suffer little damage regardless of how many z-levels they fell. The unfortunate creature who broke their fall may suffer significant damage, however.

In general, falls of 1-2 z-levels are unlikely to cause significant damage to your dwarves, and goblins have been seen to fall more than four with only light bruising and stunning. Large falls (30+ z-levels) will tend to cause the hapless victim to explode upon impact. The minimum drop with 100% mortality appears to be around 25 z-levels.[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110718.0|1]

On the other hand, falling items and creatures can cause grave injury to any creature they fall upon, even when falling a single z-level.{{bug|5945}} A falling [[giant cave spider]] web can easily break the neck of your master weaver, while [[wear|worn]] [[clothing]] is liable to maim or kill anyone below. Refuse dumping may therefore be [[Trap_design#Falling_debris_trap|weaponized]].

v0.34 Talk:Skyfort

2013-12-20T00:03:45Z

Itg:

Why does this page exist? --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] ([[User talk:Quietust|talk]]) 19:37, 19 December 2013 (UTC)
:Eh, why not? It is an interesting quirk, and it should probably be on the wiki somewhere. Why not here?--[[User:Loci|Loci]] ([[User talk:Loci|talk]]) 20:17, 19 December 2013 (UTC)
::Because it isn't something that's actually part of the game, just something that players have decided to do. If we're going to have an article for this, then we would also have to have an article on making fortresses underwater, in the magma sea, and in Hell, and that's a bit of a slippery slope that can lead to quite a bit of clutter. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] ([[User talk:Quietust|talk]]) 21:27, 19 December 2013 (UTC)
:::Like Quietust said, I'm concerned about the lack of clear guidelines on which megaprojects deserve their own page. This page clearly has some useful content in addition to being a megaproject, so it's fine with me, but some (like [[megaprojects#Santa Claus|Santa Claus]]) obviously shouldn't have their own page. (Organization is also a little unclear – I added {{tl|Category|Physics}}, but if there are other similar pages a separate category or infobox/navbox would be useful).
:::Regarding underwater forts (and building forts in any location): that kind of information would be useful to some players, and there isn't exactly a comprehensive source of information on the wiki, but I agree that the place of an article like "Building forts underwater" is debatable. In my opinion, we could use a "Tutorial" namespace, or tutorials/advice like this could be placed in a subpage of, say, [[design strategies]] or [[megaprojects]]. (That leads to versioning issues, though, although something like {{tl|mwv}} could help resolve them) --[[User:Lethosor|Lethosor]] ([[User talk:Lethosor|talk]]) 21:41, 19 December 2013 (UTC)
:::Maybe it would be better to do an article on sky support physics, which would naturally address the skyfort project, as well as the "power mining" trick. --[[User:Itg|Itg]] ([[User talk:Itg|talk]]) 00:03, 20 December 2013 (UTC)