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Editing v0.31:Well guide

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A well can be vital to any fortress, but deciding that you need one and building one are two different things. Draining water from the surface can flood your fortress if you aren't careful, and building a well only to see the water source dry up or freeze is beyond frustrating. This guide will walk you through a number of different situations, and explain solutions that have been found for these problems.
 
A well can be vital to any fortress, but deciding that you need one and building one are two different things. Draining water from the surface can flood your fortress if you aren't careful, and building a well only to see the water source dry up or freeze is beyond frustrating. This guide will walk you through a number of different situations, and explain solutions that have been found for these problems.
 
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If you are looking for the step by step guide: [http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/DF2010:Well_guide#Step_by_Step]
A [[#Step_by_Step|step-by-step guide]] is available below.
 
  
 
== Why Build a Well? ==
 
== Why Build a Well? ==
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When digging a reservoir, you need to consider your needs and the space you have available. Do you really need a 20x20x20 reservoir, holding 56,000 tiles of water, requiring 560,000 uses of the well to fully dry up? Frequently, in well-managed fortresses, wells are really only used for the care of sick or imprisoned dwarves and animals. As a result, it doesn't really need to be anything special, unless it's a meeting hall, in which case dwarves will drink from it at random.
 
When digging a reservoir, you need to consider your needs and the space you have available. Do you really need a 20x20x20 reservoir, holding 56,000 tiles of water, requiring 560,000 uses of the well to fully dry up? Frequently, in well-managed fortresses, wells are really only used for the care of sick or imprisoned dwarves and animals. As a result, it doesn't really need to be anything special, unless it's a meeting hall, in which case dwarves will drink from it at random.
  
Another consideration is safety. Specifically, dwarves fighting near wells can fall into them, whether as a result of sparring or due to overcrowding of animals. You may wish to place some sort of escape route from the well, should anyone do so. At the least, this just needs to be a staircase going up the side of the well to the surface. The shorter the distance they need to go, the better off they are. Keep in mind, of course, that if any wildlife is able to access your reservoir, and if any of them are able to leave the water, they may wander into your fortress through the escape route. If they're particularly malicious, they may even path their way in to attack your dwarves.
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Another consideration is safety. (See Below) Specifically, dwarves can fall into wells. You may wish to place some sort of escape route from the well, should anyone do so. At the least, this just needs to be a staircase going up the side of the well to the surface. The shorter the distance they need to go, the better off they are. Keep in mind, of course, that if any wildlife is able to access your reservoir, and if any of them are able to leave the water, they may wander into your fortress through the escape route. If they're particularly malicious, they may even path their way in to attack your dwarves.
  
 
If you are filling the reservoir by aqueduct, consider the fill point. If you are using only gravity to fill the well, but the water needs to flow up to do so, you may experience problems when it comes time to refill your well. Specifically, water floods upwards into empty space very easily, but for some reason doesn't like to flood through still water. Thus, it may be more appropriate to have the reservoir fill from its top, though keep in mind that this is a very fast fill method and can flood a bit if you aren't watching and have a small reservoir. (As a side note on that, it is possible to fill a well by pouring water directly through the well opening itself)
 
If you are filling the reservoir by aqueduct, consider the fill point. If you are using only gravity to fill the well, but the water needs to flow up to do so, you may experience problems when it comes time to refill your well. Specifically, water floods upwards into empty space very easily, but for some reason doesn't like to flood through still water. Thus, it may be more appropriate to have the reservoir fill from its top, though keep in mind that this is a very fast fill method and can flood a bit if you aren't watching and have a small reservoir. (As a side note on that, it is possible to fill a well by pouring water directly through the well opening itself)
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Keep in mind, when you command the lever to be pulled to end filling, it may take some time for an available dwarf to actually do it. Even then, there is some lag time between the lever pull and the action it causes. Finally, if your plug is at some point in the aqueduct, but not at the entrance of the reservoir, any water in the aqueduct above the water level in the reservoir will continue to pour in.
 
Keep in mind, when you command the lever to be pulled to end filling, it may take some time for an available dwarf to actually do it. Even then, there is some lag time between the lever pull and the action it causes. Finally, if your plug is at some point in the aqueduct, but not at the entrance of the reservoir, any water in the aqueduct above the water level in the reservoir will continue to pour in.
  
If you want to empty the aqueduct, use a similar method to build a drain to some reasonable dumping location, like a cavern. Make sure you can control it with levers, however, or it will constantly drain instead of filling your well.
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If you want to empty the aqueduct, use a similar method to build a drain to some reasonable dumping location, like a carvern. Make sure you can control it with levers, however, or it will constantly drain instead of filling your well.
  
 
== Safety ==
 
== Safety ==
  
A well is not an obstructing object. That is to say, it doesn't stop things from passing through its space. This is why wells can function through other wells, why water will flood out of them, and why a (very) few monsters may be able to climb out through them if you're tremendously unlucky.
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A well is not an obstructing object. That is to say, it doesn't stop things from passing through its space. This is why wells can function through other wells, why water will flood out of them, why a (very) few monsters may be able to climb out through them if you're tremendously unlucky, and why dwarves and animals frequently fall in.
  
 
=== Flooding ===
 
=== Flooding ===
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3. No Exits. The safest and easiest way to do it, is to dig out the reservoir, ''but not the opening for the well itself''. This way, you can fill the reservoir completely, and because there's nowhere for it to flood out to, it simply WON'T! Then you can seal off the reservoir at your leisure and dig the opening without concern! (Though not without caution. Make sure you turned the taps off first.)
 
3. No Exits. The safest and easiest way to do it, is to dig out the reservoir, ''but not the opening for the well itself''. This way, you can fill the reservoir completely, and because there's nowhere for it to flood out to, it simply WON'T! Then you can seal off the reservoir at your leisure and dig the opening without concern! (Though not without caution. Make sure you turned the taps off first.)
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=== Falling ===
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The main problem is that while dwarves will normally walk around random holes in the ground, a well is treated as a "passable" tile. It's what allows them to use the well itself. However, this doesn't stop them from simply walking across its space and falling through the hole it was built over. And because there's no such thing as buoyancy or water resistance yet, dwarves fall through water at the same rate they would through air. Meaning the deeper your reservoir, the bigger the splatter they make at the bottom. The following are all suggestions which decrease the likelyhood of anyone falling into a well. Keep in mind what you want to use the well for, however. There's little point of making a high value well if nobody will ever see it.
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1. Put it somewhere out of the way. If your dwarves don't have any reason to path over it, they won't fall into it.
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2. Surround it with restricted traffic control. Then dwarves will be less likely to actually walk over it, even if they do go through that area.
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3. Don't make it a meeting hall, or people will throw parties at it, and dwarves don't really care about traffic, when they're on break/partying/nojob, because they aren't trying to find the fastest route to their task, because they don't have a task. Also, animals like to ignore traffic control.
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4. For the same reasons, don't put it ''in'' a meeting hall.
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5. Don't put it in a barracks, or around other places where dwarves may be fighting for any reason, as dwarves don't look before they leap.
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6. Making a well so it's at the end of a hall, with only one tile dwarves can stand on next to it, will dramatically decrease the chances of anything ever falling in. because then the only reason anything could have to go there, is to use the well, which does not involve standing ON the well.
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7. Making a well's reservoir shallow, but wide, is also a good idea, I think. A wider reservoir holds a LOT of water, and takes a LONG time to dry out. If a reservoir is shallow, that means a dwarf will only fall one level or so, which can only cause momentary unconsciousness at the worst. That means your dwarves won't fall down the well, break their leg and drown.
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8. Making an escape route from a well is probably also a good idea.
  
 
=== Monsters ===
 
=== Monsters ===
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Even if monsters do get into your well, they're rarely a genuine threat, and at worst can give your dwarves an unhappy thought by scaring them. However, if your reservoir is filled right to the brim, carp and other fish CAN attack your dwarves, just as they would from a river. Also, any amphibious creatures may be able to use an escape passage to make their way into your fortress and make a mess. (Keep in mind, zombified fish are amphibious) And, of course, anyone who falls into a well full of predators is pretty much doomed.
 
Even if monsters do get into your well, they're rarely a genuine threat, and at worst can give your dwarves an unhappy thought by scaring them. However, if your reservoir is filled right to the brim, carp and other fish CAN attack your dwarves, just as they would from a river. Also, any amphibious creatures may be able to use an escape passage to make their way into your fortress and make a mess. (Keep in mind, zombified fish are amphibious) And, of course, anyone who falls into a well full of predators is pretty much doomed.
  
To prevent amphibians from getting out of your well, should they somehow get there, simply put a lockable hatch over the escape route.
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To prevent amphibians from getting out of your well, should they somehow get there, simply put a lockable hatch over the escape rout.
  
 
Finally, if you are drawing directly from a cavern lake, and have simply opened a hole in its ceiling for the well, any flying creatures in the cavern may be able to use the well as an access point to your fortress. You could potentially construct a wall surrounding the pathway of the bucket. This would prevent flying creatures from entering, unless they are also capable of swimming. Do not forget the perils of dwarves falling into a well, however, falling into a cavern lake full of cave crocodiles will cause lots of fun.
 
Finally, if you are drawing directly from a cavern lake, and have simply opened a hole in its ceiling for the well, any flying creatures in the cavern may be able to use the well as an access point to your fortress. You could potentially construct a wall surrounding the pathway of the bucket. This would prevent flying creatures from entering, unless they are also capable of swimming. Do not forget the perils of dwarves falling into a well, however, falling into a cavern lake full of cave crocodiles will cause lots of fun.
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=== Murky Pools ===
 
=== Murky Pools ===
  
A relatively large and deep murky that has not been contaminated will work. You will want to build a wall around the pool to prevent contamination and creatures using it to access your fortress. Next build a reservoir one level below the murky pool. Remember that part of your reservoir will have to be directly below the spot you want to build your well. Make the reservoir fairly small as murky pools do not hold much water. If you make the reservoir to large you will just end up with a muddy floor. Drain the water into the reservoir. Once it has filled, you can build your well on an available square directly above your reservoir.
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The pitfalls of using murky pools directly. We'll show you how to do it right and keep your dwarves smiling.
  
 
=== Brooks ===
 
=== Brooks ===
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=== Reservoirs ===
 
=== Reservoirs ===
  
So, you've decided you need to store water elsewhere, eh? Well, I can't blame you. Here's some discussion about the traits a reservoir can have, how to build them without trapping your dwarves, safety concerns, escape routes, and a discussion on effective filling methods.
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So, you've decided you need to store water elsewhere, eh? Well, I can't blame you. Here's some discussion about the traits a reservoir can have, how to build them without trapping your dwarves, safety concerns, escape routs, and a discussion on effective filling methods.
  
 
=== Bucket Filling ===
 
=== Bucket Filling ===
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This can be VERY useful when you have a larger reservoir that fills your well. This way every pull of the lever delivers a set amount of water into your well. Thus eliminating<sup>1</sup> the risk of flooding due to the well becoming pressurised.<br />
 
This can be VERY useful when you have a larger reservoir that fills your well. This way every pull of the lever delivers a set amount of water into your well. Thus eliminating<sup>1</sup> the risk of flooding due to the well becoming pressurised.<br />
 
<sup>1</sup>Beware dwarves that throw tantrums, they randomly pull levers.
 
<sup>1</sup>Beware dwarves that throw tantrums, they randomly pull levers.
 
{{Category|Guides}}
 
{{Category|Design}}
 

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