40d Talk:Water depth

Not sure what we need to verify this article. Another article has an unverified bullet saying that at a depth of four the dwarf can choose whether or not to swim, can anyone confirm that?--Richards 04:00, 21 April 2008 (EDT)

"I think swimming becomes optional at 4/7, and required at 7/7 (it doesn't care about creature size at this point, I think, and that would be a tricky issue, especially if you fiddle with dwarf sizes, due to path-finding again). You can swim in a 1/7 if it is above a 7/7. When I say optional I don't mean to imply that there's an adventure mode interface for that option yet, but you can swim around in adventure mode if you get into the water, and I'm pretty sure you can jump in with the additional movement keys now." --Toady, on Future of the Fortress 2

--JT 20:21, 21 April 2008 (EDT)

Thanks JT. I'll add that in.--Richards 22:52, 21 April 2008 (EDT)

Edit: Does that mean at a depth of 4/7, dwarves with the swimming skill will swim, and dwarves without it will walk? Does it depend on the pathing?--Richards 22:55, 21 April 2008 (EDT)

Later on the same thread, he actually mentions that if dwarfs can do so, they'll prefer to walk instead of swim. So in 4/7 water, they likely will wade, regardless of swimming skill, but a swimming creature could swim in water of the same depth even if IMMOBILE_LAND.

"I don't think the dwarves swim when they can optionally do so. They don't like swimming. I'm not sure they'll even practice when they are dying, rather than just being confused... it all needs some work." --Toady One

--JT 23:43, 21 April 2008 (EDT)

Alright, it's added in there. Can someone make the water depth numbers blue?--Richards 01:48, 22 April 2008 (EDT)

In one game I made my dwarves a swimming pool statue garden with two entrances on opposite sides (so that they additionally tried to path through it). I filled it to a target depth of 3+delta (average about 3.5 - many 3s and 4s). No one used it, and people pathing through it with items canceled orders because of dangerous terrain. After some time, it evaporated down to 3s pretty much everywhere with the occasional 2. Dwarves started using the statue garden and carrying objects through it became no issue. No one gained any swimming. Conclusions: (1)Dwarves can walk through 3 easily but not 4 depth water - they may be able to walk through 4 unencumbered, but will not use rooms submerged at that depth. (2) Swimming gains require moving water when the water is this shallow (my pool was static), as i've had dabbling swimmers from lower water levels in other games, but that water was moving. --Squirrelloid 14:38, 21 April 2008 (EDT)