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{{Quality|Exceptional|15:50, 12 May 2013 (UTC)}}
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{{av}} {{quality|Fine|08:12, 31 May 2010 (UTC)}}
{{av}} '''Glaciers''' are extremely cold [[biome]]s, usually found in the northern or southern extremes on larger world maps. The first few layers of any glacier are solid [[ice]].
 
  
There are few resources on an ice tile; no [[tree]]s, [[plant]]s, [[water]], [[animal]]s, [[stone]], or [[ore]]s are typically included. In addition, the [[ice]] can be several z-layers thick, which can make getting to any stone underneath even more challenging.
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'''Glaciers''' are extremely cold {{L|biome}}s, usually found in the northern or southern extremes on larger world maps. The first few layers of any glacier are solid {{L|ice}}.
  
Due to being freezing and lacking of soil layers, above ground seeds cannot be used, meaning that all farming must be done underground.
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There are few resources on an ice tile; no {{L|trees}}, {{L|plants}}, {{L|water}}, {{L|animals}}, {{L|stone}}, or {{L|ore}}s are typically included. In addition, the {{L|ice}} can be several z-layers thick, which can make getting to any stone underneath even more challenging.
  
These factors make a glacier a very difficult biome to build a successful [[fortress]] in, although many players try it as a challenge.  
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These factors make a glacier a very difficult biome to build a successful {{L|fortress}} in, although many players try it as a challenge.  
  
 
Also, because of a glacier's isolation (generally), it is entirely possible that you won't see a caravan from the Mountainhomes for anywhere up to 3 years. Migrants may be even more rare. On the plus side, though, no hostile nations should bother you for a while.
 
Also, because of a glacier's isolation (generally), it is entirely possible that you won't see a caravan from the Mountainhomes for anywhere up to 3 years. Migrants may be even more rare. On the plus side, though, no hostile nations should bother you for a while.
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== Starting on a Glacier ==
 
== Starting on a Glacier ==
  
Take a lot of wood, food and drink. Consider bringing extra [[domestic animal]]s ([[dog]]s are recommended) as an emergency food source, and/or to jump-start a long-term [[breeding]] program.
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Take a lot of wood, food and drink. Consider bringing extra {{L|domestic animal}}s ({{L|dog}}s are recommended) as an emergency food source, and/or to jumps-tart a long-term {{L|breeding}} program.
  
 
Dump your wood cutter and axe in favour of another miner and pick. Alternatively, find a glacier near a forested taiga and enjoy the best of both worlds.
 
Dump your wood cutter and axe in favour of another miner and pick. Alternatively, find a glacier near a forested taiga and enjoy the best of both worlds.
  
Trading is '''essential'''. An easy source of income is rock crafts. All that rock you cut out making wells and farms you can sell to merchants who visit.  Begin as soon as you can because you need to import a lot of wood if you plan on having beds or fuel for making metal objects.
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Trading is '''essential'''. An easy source of income is rock crafts. All that rock you cut out making wells and farms you can sell to merchants who visit.  Begin as soon as you can because you need to import a lot of wood is you plan on having an beds or metal objects.
  
[[Ice]] is everywhere, so read up on it before you make any major plans. One difference between regular ice and glacier ice that you may want to know before you head out is that, unlike ice from other biomes, glacier ice constructions and workshops do not melt when above ground in the "summer".  The disadvantage, however, is that it is more difficult to use the ice as a potential water source. Note that mined out chunks of ice, when melted by being brought underground, will '''not''' produce usable water. {{Bug|360}}
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{{L|Ice}} is everywhere, so read up on it before you make any major plans. One difference between regular ice and glacier ice that you may want to know before you head out is that, unlike ice from other biomes, glacier ice constructions and workshops do not melt when above ground in the "summer".  The disadvantage, however, is that it is more difficult to use the ice as a potential water source.
 
 
=== Digging down to the rock layers ===
 
 
 
Due to a bug, down-[[stair]]s and up-down-stairs can't be carved out of ice if the layer immediately below the ice is stone. {{Bug|358}} This makes it impossible to get from the surface down to the stone layers using only stairs.  Instead, use [[ramp]]s.
 
 
 
=== Farming and getting water ===
 
 
 
Since glaciers contain no [[soil]] layers you have to use [[irrigation]] in order to [[farm]], and that requires [[water]], which isn't to be found on the surface of a glacier.  Also, water is needed at [[hospital]]s for cleaning and to give the wounded something to drink.  There are two ways to get water on a glacier.
 
 
 
==== Underground pools ====
 
 
 
All regions of the world have vast underground [[caverns]] (unless the world was [[world generation|generated]] without them), and caverns almost always have large pools of water.  Further, if the pool abuts the edge of your embark area, new water will fill in from the edge, giving you an infinite source of water.  On the down side, it can take a while to find the caverns, since digging straight down isn't guaranteed to breach them, and there's a small chance of aquatic monster escaping from the cavern.
 
 
 
To safely (without having to wander around inside the cavern) tap into an underground pool, consider the following diagram:
 
 
 
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
 
WWWWWWWWW
 
▓▓▓▓X▓▓▓▓
 
▓▓▓▓B▓▓▓▓
 
▓▓▓▓.▓▓▓▓
 
▓▓▓▓.▓▓▓▓
 
▓S......▓
 
▓.......▓
 
▓.......▓
 
▓.......▓
 
▓.......▓
 
▓F▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
 
}}
 
 
 
* W = water
 
* ▓ = stone wall
 
* X = last wall to dig out
 
* B = floor with [[floodgate]] or [[bridge|drawbridge]]
 
* F = wall or optional floor with floodgate (for [[irrigation]])
 
* . = floor with optional paved [[road]]
 
* S = up stairs or ramp
 
 
 
Then do the following steps:
 
 
 
# Dig down to the same level as the pool (not to the surface of the pool) and dig out the reservoir (rectangular region) with stairs (or ramp) leading out. 
 
# If you're going to use the reservoir for [[irrigation]] then dig an outlet from the reservoir at the F, install a floodgate at its mouth, and hook it up to a [[lever]].
 
# Dig a tunnel to the pool, leaving one tiles worth of stone between the tunnel and the water (the X in the diagram).
 
# Install a [[floodgate]] or a south-raising [[bridge|drawbridge]] at the end of the tunnel and hook it up to a lever.
 
# Have a dwarf dig out the X.
 
 
 
The dwarf who dug the X should be able to get back to the stairs/ramp in time to not [[swimming|drown]].  To make extra sure of not drowning, ensure at least one dwarf is idling and have him/her pull the lever to the floodgate/drawbridge as soon as the wall is breached, then lower it again to let the reservoir fill.  To make extra, ''extra'' sure, embark with a dwarf with a single point in the [[swimming]] skill, and have him/her carve the fortification.
 
 
 
Use a drawbridge instead of a floodgate at the end of the tunnel to prevent [[building destroyer]] aquatic/amphibious monsters from swimming into the reservoir and enter the rest of your fortress.  A floodgate wouldn't stop a building destroyer, and monsters can swim through fully submerged [[fortification]]s. {{Bug|3327}}  If you're going to use this reservoir for a [[well]] then closing off it off with a drawbridge is very important, since some building destroyers can swim ''and'' fly.  If you're only going to use it for irrigation then you can use a floodgate and then simply [[wall]] off the reservoir once you're done with it, since building destroyers can't affect walls.
 
 
 
If you're going to use the reservoir for a well you should cover its floor with a paved [[road]] to prevent [[tree]]s from growing, because in some circumstances trees can grow underwater. {{Bug|1139}}
 
 
 
==== Cave-in some ice ====
 
 
 
One quirk of [[dwarven physics]] is that a [[cave-in]] will transform an ice [[wall]] into liquid water.  This can be used to generate water in the following fashion:
 
  
 
To begin, it is best to clear out a large section of the rock underneath all the ice.  Then cut out a 6x6 section of ice (it is easiest to cut out two squares around the part you want to drop so that you won't have any fatalities while channeling out the section of ice).  Channel out the entire piece of ice and it will fall into that cleared out section, immediately defrosting and flooding the area.  Now you can farm!
 
To begin, it is best to clear out a large section of the rock underneath all the ice.  Then cut out a 6x6 section of ice (it is easiest to cut out two squares around the part you want to drop so that you won't have any fatalities while channeling out the section of ice).  Channel out the entire piece of ice and it will fall into that cleared out section, immediately defrosting and flooding the area.  Now you can farm!
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Diagram of Ice cutting:
 
Diagram of Ice cutting:
  
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
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OOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOO
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OCCCCCCCCO
OCCCCCCCCO
+
OCIIIIIICO
OCIIIIIICO
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OCIIIIIICO
OCIIIIIICO
+
OCIIIIIICO
OCIIIIIICO
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OCIIIIIICO
OCIIIIIICO
+
OCIIIIIICO
OCIIIIIICO
+
OCIIIIIICO
OCIIIIIICO
+
OCCCCCCCCO
OCCCCCCCCO
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OOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOO
 
}}
 
  
 
O = Open area, no channeling, just an area for dwarves to walk
 
O = Open area, no channeling, just an area for dwarves to walk
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'''On neutral glaciers appear:'''
 
'''On neutral glaciers appear:'''
  
* [[Polar bear]]
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* {{L|Polar bear}}
* [[Yeti]]
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* {{L|Yeti}}
  
'''On evil glaciers appear:'''
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'''On evil glaciers also appear:'''
  
* [[Blizzard man]]
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* {{L|Blizzard man}}
* [[Ice wolf]]
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* {{L|Ice wolf}}
  
 
== Some Hints and Ideas ==
 
== Some Hints and Ideas ==
  
Flowing sources of [[water]], such as [[river]]s or [[brook]]s, don't ever seem to be present in glacier [[biome]]s.  So getting [[water]] for wounded dwarves early on may prove a challenge.  Usable water may be present in the underground caverns.
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Flowing sources of {{L|water}}, such as {{L|river}}s or {{L|brook}}s, don't ever seem to be present in glacier {{L|biome}}s.  So getting {{L|water}} for wounded dwarves may prove a challenge.
  
 
Ice that is underground melts, but creates only useless puddles of water (marked as a cyan double tilde) identical to water dumped from a bucket.  These puddles can only be cleaned.  They cannot form usable water (blue tilde with depth attribute).  Dumping block after block of mined ice blocks indoors will simply result in a huge stack of useless "water".
 
Ice that is underground melts, but creates only useless puddles of water (marked as a cyan double tilde) identical to water dumped from a bucket.  These puddles can only be cleaned.  They cannot form usable water (blue tilde with depth attribute).  Dumping block after block of mined ice blocks indoors will simply result in a huge stack of useless "water".
  
[[Aquifer]]s are sometimes present, and magma can be used to melt ice - if that's present. Seaside glaciers can allow you to bring some water in underground, but [[Water#Salt_Water|desalinating]] the water will be necessary before it is drinkable by dwarves (or even before it can be designated as a [[Activity_zone#Water_Source|water zone]] for filling ponds).
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{{L|Aquifer}}s are sometimes present, and magma can be used to melt ice - if that's present. Seaside glaciers can allow you to bring some water in underground, but {{L|Water#Salt_Water|desalinating}} the water will be necessary before it is drinkable by dwarfs (or even before it can be designated as a {{L|Activity_zone#Water_Source|water zone}} for filling ponds).
  
 
Some glacier biomes have such low temperatures that your dwarves may die during winter when above ground.
 
Some glacier biomes have such low temperatures that your dwarves may die during winter when above ground.
  
Ice in buckets does not freeze above ground so you can designate an area as a pool, tell dwarves to fill it, then smooth and engrave your new ice fort.
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{{World}}
  
{{World|Biomes}}
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{{Category|World}}

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