v50 Steam/Premium information for editors
- v50 information can now be added to pages in the main namespace. v0.47 information can still be found in the DF2014 namespace. See here for more details on the new versioning policy.
- Use this page to report any issues related to the migration.
This notice may be cached—the current version can be found here.
Editing Traffic
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Warning: You are not logged in.
Your IP address will be recorded in this page's edit history.
If you are creating a redirect to the current version's page, do not use any namespace. For example: use #REDIRECT [[Cat]], not #REDIRECT [[Main:Cat]] or #REDIRECT [[cv:Cat]]. See DF:Versions for more information.
The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
− | {{Quality| | + | {{Quality|Exceptional|20:58, 20 September 2016 (UTC)}} |
{{av}} | {{av}} | ||
− | + | '''Traffic designations''' determine preferred paths for dwarves going around in your fortress. Normally, dwarves use the shortest route possible; using these designations, you can force them to take a different route. This way you can set up main hallways or rarely used side corridors. Only your dwarves will obey your traffic designations, and then only when they can. If a [[job]] requires that they go into a restricted zone, they will. Other [[creature]]s will not recognize your traffic designations, and even [[domestic animal]]s or [[caravan]]s will follow their own pathing. | |
− | Traffic designations can't solve all traffic problems. However, some issues can be prevented by good [[Design strategies|fortress design]]. For example, you might make hallways that are likely to be busy two or more tiles wide, and place [[stockpile]] | + | Traffic designations can't solve all traffic problems. However, some issues can be prevented by good [[Design strategies|fortress design]]. For example, you might make hallways that are likely to be busy two or more tiles wide, and place [[stockpile|stockpiles]] close to relevant [[workshop|workshops]]. Other difficulties may be reduced by designating traffic areas. |
Vegetation (saplings) will tend to die if repeatedly trampled upon, leaving dead [[Tree|sapling]]s or [[shrub]]s and quickly exposing bare [[soil]]. This may be desirable as [[tree]]s block dwarves' and [[caravan]]s' paths, but unchecked traffic may trample entire areas of [[forest]] regrowth. | Vegetation (saplings) will tend to die if repeatedly trampled upon, leaving dead [[Tree|sapling]]s or [[shrub]]s and quickly exposing bare [[soil]]. This may be desirable as [[tree]]s block dwarves' and [[caravan]]s' paths, but unchecked traffic may trample entire areas of [[forest]] regrowth. | ||
==Setting Traffic Areas== | ==Setting Traffic Areas== | ||
− | |||
− | * It is often a good idea to set any [[water]] source in a [[biome]] with seasonal freezing to a Restricted area | + | The {{K|d}}{{K|o}} combination sets '''traffic areas''', which are zones used to manipulate the movements of dwarves. Traffic areas can be designated as high, normal, low, or restricted. When walking from one point to another, dwarves consider these designations in finding the shortest path. Costs per tile for the pathfinding AI set for traffic levels are: High costs 1 point, Normal (default, undesignated) costs 2, Low costs 5, and Restricted costs 25. You can change the default PATH_COST values in [[d_init.txt]], or per-fortress values with {{K|d}}{{K|o}}. |
+ | |||
+ | * It is often a good idea to set any [[water]] source in a [[biome]] with seasonal freezing to a Restricted area so your dwarves will be less likely to be caught on it when it melts. | ||
* Some dwarves get [[thought|disturbed]] if they walk through a [[butcher's shop]] and see an animal being slaughtered, so you may wish to designate the shop or a band around it as Restricted. | * Some dwarves get [[thought|disturbed]] if they walk through a [[butcher's shop]] and see an animal being slaughtered, so you may wish to designate the shop or a band around it as Restricted. | ||
− | * Setting | + | * Setting restricted traffic areas over undisturbed [[cloth|webs]] or saplings is a good way to prevent dwarves from destroying them. |
* If an area occasionally gets [[flood]]ed, or is dangerous for some reason, routing dwarves around it could be lifesaving. | * If an area occasionally gets [[flood]]ed, or is dangerous for some reason, routing dwarves around it could be lifesaving. | ||
− | * Setting | + | * Setting High traffic areas along [[road|roads]] outdoors prevents vegetation from being needlessly trampled. |
− | * An important use of traffic designations is to restrict movement in the tile where a [[ballista]]'s firing arrow originates. This will prevent tragic [[siege]] training accidents. Note that [[ | + | * An important use of traffic designations is to restrict movement in the tile where a [[ballista]]'s firing arrow originates. This will prevent tragic [[siege]] training accidents. Note that [[Pet|pets]] can and will be killed by firing ballista even if movement is restricted. |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | [[ | + | Setting Restricted does not forbid a [[dwarf]] from traveling over those squares, but rather makes them willing to walk around them – for the normal cost table, 12.5 times further, or up to 25 times longer if there is an alternative high-traffic path. If you have an area that absolutely must not be stepped on by dwarves, consider [[wall|walls]], or if you still need access now and then, a locked [[door]]. |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | [[ | ||
− | |||
==Limitations== | ==Limitations== | ||
− | Traffic designations only affect path preferences when pathfinding. Dwarves generally choose their jobs without weighing the pathfinding costs. For example, one cannot use traffic designations to direct a dwarf to confine his digging to a specific area. He will still take whatever path necessary to get to the job he has chosen to work. The best option to restrict a dwarf to a certain area is to make use of [[burrow]] | + | Traffic designations only affect path preferences when pathfinding. Dwarves generally choose their jobs without weighing the pathfinding costs. For example, one cannot use traffic designations to direct a dwarf to confine his digging to a specific area. He will still take whatever path necessary to get to the job he has chosen to work. The best option to restrict a dwarf to a certain area is to make use of [[burrow|burrows]]. |
Additionally, traffic designations cannot be used to restrict where a dwarf will stand when building/digging. In other words, traffic designations will not prevent a dwarf from placing himself on the outside of the fort when the last tile of a moat or wall is completed. One workaround is to build a statue on a tile to prevent dwarves from standing there. | Additionally, traffic designations cannot be used to restrict where a dwarf will stand when building/digging. In other words, traffic designations will not prevent a dwarf from placing himself on the outside of the fort when the last tile of a moat or wall is completed. One workaround is to build a statue on a tile to prevent dwarves from standing there. | ||
− | == Using | + | == Using Traffic Areas to Improve Framerate == |
− | In cavernous rooms that handle large amounts of through traffic but have a | + | In cavernous rooms that handle large amounts of through traffic but have a small number of exits (a large central dining room, for example) designating a few high-traffic paths ("freeways") between the doors can help reduce the pathfinding cost for dwarves who are just passing through. There may also be benefits to adding low-traffic edges to these freeways to keep the search algorithm from looking for shortcuts. Likewise, any large dead-end room that branches off a major hallway should have the area around its doorway marked low or restricted traffic to prevent dwarves from searching it for shortcuts. As noted above in '''Limitations''', this should not affect the dwarves who have a legitimate reason to hang out in the dining hall or visit the storage room - they will path to their destination regardless. Users may see up to a 10% increase in FPS by implementing these changes throughout their fortress. |
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | '''See also:''' | ||
− | |||
:* [[Path]] | :* [[Path]] | ||
+ | |||
{{Category|Designations}} | {{Category|Designations}} | ||
− |