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Minecart

2016-01-20T17:00:11Z

Svick: /* Ramps */ properly closed parenthesis

{{Quality|Masterwork|08:15, 19 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
[[File:Leitnagel Hund.png|thumb|Minecarts]]
A '''minecart''' is a [[tool]] intended for [[hauling]], introduced in version 0.34.08. It can be made of [[wood]] at a [[carpenter's workshop]] or [[metal]] at a [[metalsmith's forge]] (using the [[Metal crafter|metalcrafting]] labor.) Minecarts store up to five times as many items as [[wheelbarrow]]s and are quite a bit faster than dwarves hauling objects by hand, but have the disadvantages of requiring a dedicated track network, a complex route planning phase, and the possibility of dwarves [[Fun|blundering into the path of carts filled with lead ore]]. Tracks may be carved into stone, or [[Construction|constructed]]; the latter allows above-ground routes, but these are more difficult to set up due to their additional [[building material|material requirements]].

Just like wheelbarrows, minecarts are considered [[item]]s and are stored in a [[furniture]] [[stockpile]]. Despite their five-times-greater capacity, they are only 33% larger than wheelbarrows and are identical in base [[item value|value]] when made from the same [[material]] (the value may differ due to the [[item quality]]). [[thief|Thieves]] or even mischievous animals can steal minecarts, even when they are moving on a track{{cite forum|109460/3289070}}. However, minecarts moving fast enough or being ridden cannot be stolen.

Although most of the utility of minecarts is in [[fortress mode]], an [[adventure mode|adventurer]] can also ride in a minecart. Adventurers can also pick up and relocate minecarts.

The invention of minecarts revolutionized the [[minecart logic|Science of Dwarfputing]] by enabling smaller, faster logic systems to be built.

== Basic Minecart Usage ==
Minecarts can be used to swiftly transport dwarves, [[flow|fluids]], and/or large amounts of items, but before you have a functional minecart there are several preconditions that need to be met. First of all you need an actual minecart, constructed either in a [[carpenter's workshop]] or [[metalsmith's forge]]. For the minecart to be able to move you also need to carve (with {{k|d}} {{k|T}}) or construct (with {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|T}}) a track, which could be as simple as a straight line. Finally you need to construct stops on your track (with {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|S}}) where the minecart will start and stop.

After you have created the stops and assigned a cart to the track, you must create logic routes connecting several stops and designate starting conditions for each stop. This is done with the {{k|h}}auling key. The most basic conditions are how the cart's movement is initiated and in which direction the cart should start moving. Carts can be either be Pushed (a dwarf stands at a stop and gives the cart a single push) or Guided (a dwarf continually pushes the cart forward, guiding it along the track). The [[hauling]] [[labor]] required for pushing and guiding carts is called "Push/Haul Vehicles" and is turned on by default.

To control which items to transport you can add conditions specifying: (1) which kind of items to be loaded, and unloaded, (2) stockpile links to define which stockpile(s) the items should be un/loaded to and from.

===Capacity and weights ===
Minecarts have five times the [[Weight|capacity]] of [[wheelbarrow]]s.

'''Examples of the capacity of one cart'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Item
! Amount
|-
| [[stone]]
| 5
|-
| [[wood|log]]
| 10
|-
| [[block]]/[[bar]]
| 83
|-
| [[Kitchen|prepared meals]]
| 500
|-
| [[Trap_component#Spiked_ball|spiked balls]]
| 500
|-
| [[Weapon#Native_weapons|mace]]
| 625
|-
| [[Weapon#Native_weapons|spears]]
| 1250
|-
| [[cloth]]
| 2500
|}

The weight of the loaded minecart does not affect the initial velocity received from pushing or launching from a roller. However, the load of a minecart ''does'' affect whether a [[pressure plate]] triggers or not, based on the pressure plate's setting.

'''Weights of different carts'''

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Type of cart
! Empty cart
! Fully loaded (items)
|-
| oaken minecart
| 28Γ
| 378Γ (10 oak logs)
|-
| platinum minecart
| 856Γ
| 10482Γ (83 gold bars)
|}

The weight of a minecart is one twenty-fifth (1/25) the [[density]] of its material in Urists. Because pressure plates can be set to trigger at intervals of 50 Urists, minecarts with weights just under a multiple of 50 are ideal for switching based on whether they're full or empty. The best minecart materials for full/empty switching are as follows:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Material !! Minecart weight !! Content weight required to trigger !! Banana roasts required to trigger (for scale)
|-
| [[Glumprong]] || 48 || 2 || 4
|-
| [[Electrum]] || 596 || 4 || 7
|-
| [[Nickel silver]] || 346 || 4 || 7
|-
| [[Brass]] || 342 || 8 || 14
|-
| [[Bismuth]] (moods only) || 391 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Fine pewter]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Lay pewter]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Tin]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Trifle pewter]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|}

=== Creating tracks ===
Minecart tracks are made up of contiguous track, tracked ramp, or bridge tiles. Track tiles and tracked ramp tiles have a direction or series of directions associated with them. These directions dictate which directions a minecart on a given tile may move from that tile. For example, a Track NE (northeast) tile allows a minecart on it to move either north or east from its present position. Therefore, if you want your minecart to move east along a straight piece of track, then return west using that same track, you would need to use EW tracks so that the cart could travel east initially, then return west over the same track. Excluding designs in which the cart will "jump" tracks via a drop or other ramp, tracks must be valid end to end to work for most looped or straight-track applications. A single east only track tile in your line of east-west tracks will cause any route using the track to fail the moment it tries to go the wrong way over that tile. Minecart tracks can be built in two ways: Engraved/carved or constructed. A given minecart track need not use engraved or constructed elements exclusively, as the two methods can be used interchangeably depending on the needs of a given section of track. The way the tracks are built is slightly different between the two, as explained below.

====Simple tracks====

'''Carved'''

A single-tile wide strip of natural stone can be designated to be [[Engraver|carved]] (with {{K|d}} {{k|T}}), which will create a straight two-way track. The creation of corners, crossings, and T-junctions is as simple as designating another strip of track that overlaps an existent or newly designated track. Engraved tracks are removed by [[smoothing]] the rock they're on, which results in a smooth floor (that can be re-engraved if necessary), or by building a [[floor]] on top and subsequently removing it. Dwarves can carve corner tracks in one pass by designating the track carving twice and canceling unwanted carvings (with {{K|d}} {{K|x}}). Tracks can be engraved in any natural floor tile, rough, smooth and even over engravings, providing an easy method to remove low-quality or undesired floor engravings. Once a track has been engraved, it's important to check the track directions for each tile in the route carefully to make sure no mistakes were made by yourself or the game's track engraving logic.

'''Constructed'''

Tracks can also be built as regular [[construction]]s (through {{K|b}} {{K|C}} {{K|T}}). This method is resource-expensive, since each track tile requires one stone, [[bar]], or [[block]] for construction, and time-consuming, since you can't designate strips longer than 10 tiles at a time. Corners, crossings, T-junctions, and ramps also have to be designated individually. However, it is usually the only way to build tracks above ground or on soil (barring the [[Obsidian farming|creation of obsidian]]). Constructed tracks are designated for removal like any regular construction; be aware that removing track ramps built on top of natural ones will also remove the original ramp, leaving a flat floor.

====Ramps====

'''Carved'''

The carving of natural ramps is a little more confusing: to carve a two-way track on a ramp (natural only, does not work on constructed ramps), you must designate the track '''starting on the ramp and one square beyond''' in the direction you want the track to go. For the side of the ramp square you want to head upward, there '''must''' be either a natural or constructed wall in the square next to it, otherwise the game assumes you are trying to carve it on the same level -- this can result in the track being carved underneath a door or other object. If you have accidentally done this, you can correct it by smoothing the ramp and constructing a single square of wall next to it, then re-carving the ramp correctly. (However, the wall must stay there permanently; removing it will disconnect the track.)

'''Constructed'''

When constructing track ramps, the stated direction should be the same as the connected tracks. For example, a track going up from West to East would require, starting from the West, a Track (EW), a Track/Ramp (EW) and a Wall behind the ramp, underneath the section of track above it. Incorrectly placed ramps result in minecarts ignoring the ramp and crashing into the supporting wall. They will not, however, display as unusable as when the supporting wall is missing.

'''Examples of ramps'''

A simple ramp would look like this:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1
░░░░ ░░░░
═▲o ░▼═
░░░░ ░░░░
o : wall
}}

Carving track corners into ramps is rather unintuitive and complicated. Since engraving tracks always requires two tiles to connect in a straight line as input, you have to give two separate designations for a single job: a track bit from the ramp tile to the "below" direction and another one to the wall of the "upward" direction. If you wanted to change direction on a ramp from east to north:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1
░░░░░ ░░░░░
░░░░░ ══╗░░
══▲░░ ░░▼░░
░░░░░ ░░░░░
}}

you would need to connect the ramp on z +0 both to the west and to the north by issuing two "carve track" commands, one selecting the ramp and the track tile to the west, and another connecting the ramp tile with the wall to the north. An engraver would then carve a NW track corner into the ramp, allowing carts to pass the corner correctly both going up and down. Such track corners are perfectly serviceable for guided carts, but moving down a route of several of them by pushed or ridden cart is problematic - ramps on corners behave very counter-intuitively, resulting in loss of speed when going down and diagonal movement when going up.

Moving to and from ramps (or between ramps "pointing" in different directions) causes some non-trivial adjustments to speed and even moving along the tiles at a fixed speed ''unrelated to the entry/exit velocity values'', because transitions to/from ramps are processed differently and are not to be "skipped". This affects compact track/ramp combinations (such as e.g. a simple 2x2 ramp spiral) most, and combined with bouncing often makes them work not in the way one could expect. {{cite forum|144328/5705102}}

{{anchor|Tracks}}

=== Hauling route ===
A hauling route is a list of directions describing how and under what conditions a minecart will move. The proper setting up of routes is essential for a working rail system. Routes, stops, departure conditions and stockpile links are managed from the {{k|h}}auling menu.

==== Route ====
A route defines the path a minecart will take along a track, as well as under what conditions it will move or stop moving. A route is made up of stops. Stops are precisely what they sound like, a position on the track at which you want a minecart to stop. A minecart track might use as little as a single stop for a looped track, which will serve as both a starting and stopping point for the cart, or it could contain many stops, perhaps to load supplies or wait for a bridge to be manually lowered, before reaching its destination or returning to its starting point. It is important to note that you only need to place stops on a route where you actually want the cart to stop and wait for some action to occur. They are not needed to help navigate the cart along the track beyond telling it where on the track to stop.

New routes are created with the {{k|h}}auling key. Existing ones can be removed (without confirmation) with the {{k|x}} key, and also {{k|n}}icknamed. Before operating, the route must have a {{k|v}}ehicle assigned to it (this can be done with either the route or a stop selected). Assigning a full minecart to a route may result in a slow hauling job if the contents are heavy.

==== Stops ====
Stops are the individual waypoints that make up a hauling route. A given stop consists of the location of a tile, as well as conditions describing when, where, and how a cart should be moved after being stopped at that tile. Stops can be created from within the {{k|h}}auling menu, by placing the cursor over a tile and hitting {{k|s}} while highlighting the route (or a stop within) you've already designated. A minecart will begin its route at the first stop created, and continue through each subsequent stop, being guided, pushed, or ridden from each stop to the next depending on the conditions specified. In many basic minecart applications, the cart will end up at the same stop it began at, though this is not always the case. It is important to note that hauling stop order is enforced, even if there is no track. A dwarf will drag the cart overland back to a skipped stop in the route's list if your tracks bypass it somehow.

Once a stop has been placed, it is given a default set of conditions under which to move the minecart if it is stopped there. Each new stop gets the same default conditions regardless of the track it is placed upon (e.g. guide the cart to the north). For this reason new stops might get marked by yellow exclamation marks ({{DFtext|!|#ff0}}) due to invalid directions. One important thing to note is that as you place additional stops, the display will show paths between the stops you have defined. However, this is '''not''' necessarily the actual route the minecart will take once the route is in operation. For example, if a route were defined with two stops at opposite ends of a track with many twists and turns, a line will be drawn directly between those stops to show the order in which they will be visited. These route lines may crisscross all over the tracks, but so long as the track is valid end to end, the cart will follow the track from one stop to the next, even across twists, turns, and z-level changes. Route stops, which are the steps that make up a route, should not be confused with physical Track Stops, described below.

===== Stockpile links =====
By placing the cursor on top of a stockpile and using {{k|s}}, you can create stockpile links while defining a hauling stop. Links can also be redefined by selecting them, placing the cursor over a different stockpile, and pressing {{k|p}}. The cart will then be filled by items present in its various linked stockpiles in preference to other items. Note that bins should be used with caution in stockpiles that are linked to minecarts. Bins cause problems when used with the "Desired Items" list in a stop's conditions. For example, if a minecart is set to accept only granite blocks, and to depart north when it is 100% full of granite blocks, it will not depart if any of those granite blocks are in bins, even if bins are also included in the desired items list. Two solutions to this problem exist as of v0.40.24. First, bins can be disallowed in stockpiles that are linked to stops. Alternatively, bins '''can''' be used in conjunction with minecarts provided that the minecart's departure conditions use only "any items" instead of "desired items." This option can be toggled in the advanced conditions menu for a stop, accessible via the {{key|C|}} key. The cart's contents can still be controlled by specifying what items are allowed in the linked stockpile.

===== Departure condition =====
Departure conditions involve setting conditions in which the minecart will leave on the route. Each condition includes:
# A departure mode (Guide, Ride or Push).
# An initial departure direction (NSEW). Note that this defines the initial direction of movement only. Even if a track includes many turns, as long as the initial movement direction is valid the cart will follow the minecart track thereafter.
# A timer, before which the departure condition cannot be met.
# Conditions on the amount of items in the cart.
Departure conditions are created with the {{k|n}} key. A new departure condition will read: "guide north immediately when empty of desired items". This condition can be changed between basic presets with {{k|c}}. "Advanced" mode ({{k|C}}) allows for more precise control over departure conditions: fine tuning the percentage from 0 to 100 in 25% steps ({{k|f}} and {{k|F}}), switching it being either the maximum or the minimum amount of items for the condition to be met ({{k|m}}), and whether the cart accepts all or only a specific set of items ({{k|l}}). Common to both screens are the departure mode ({{k|p}}, Push, Ride or Guide), {{k|d}}irection, and timer ({{k|t}} and {{k|T}}) options.

To have a cart only carry a specific set of items, the stop can be set to only carry "desired" items, opening the selection screen with the {{k|Enter}} key while having said stop condition selected, and toggling as desired, or it can simply be linked to a stockpile and set to depart once it is full of items from its linked stockpiles, regardless of type.

=== Track Stops ===
A Track Stop, not to be confused with a route stop, is an optional, single-tile construction which serves two purposes. First, it can be used to cancel a cart's momentum in order to slow or stop it as it passes over the Track Stop. This might be necessary if a cart were pushed down a series of ramps to its destination. Second, a Track Stop can cause a cart to automatically dump its contents as it passes over the Track Stop. Track Stops are constructed via {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|S}}, and must be constructed atop an existing piece of track. If a Track Stop has been set to automatically dump a cart's contents, the cart will dump its contents in the direction indicated when it passes over the Track Stop. Depending on the friction settings chosen for the Track Stop, the cart might then stop after dumping, or it might continue on its route to another destination.

Track Stops are not mandatory; in fact, their main use is in automated rail systems. However, even in basic rail systems it can be useful to set a Track Stop to dump items: this saves time that dwarves would otherwise spend in removing items from the cart, time that is better spent driving the cart back to where it's needed. Dumping will occur even with a guided cart. '''Take care not to set Track Stops at a loading site to dump their contents''', or dwarves will never be able to fill the cart. It will dump any contents the moment they are loaded.

Counter-intuitive to their construction method, Track Stops are considered [[building]]s and must be removed by {{k|q}} {{k|x}}.
* See [[#More_on_Track_stop |More on Track Stops]]

=== Step-by-step tutorial ===

Let's construct a simple minecart route. This route will move stone blocks from an input stockpile to an output stockpile. We'll begin by creating the stockpiles:

[[File:minecart-example-1.png|Stockpiles designated.]]

The input stockpile is on the left; the output stockpile is on the right. We'll be moving blocks from left to right. Disable bins in both stockpiles, and set the input stockpile to accept only from links. Then make the stockpile take from the mason's workshop where the blocks are being produced.

Next, carve the track:

[[File:minecart-example-2.png|Track carving designation.]]

Note that the ends of the designation are uniquely shaped; this is automatic, and not anything you need to control. Now, wait for your engravers to come along and carve the track into the stone. (Your haulers will probably also fill up the input stockpile while you wait.)

In addition, while we're waiting for that to happen, we'll build an iron minecart in the forge.

[[File:minecart-example-3.png|Track carved.]]

When the track has been carved, it will look like the above (the track will be solid instead of flashing). Now, order a track stop to be constructed next to the output stockpile:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-4.png|Track stop designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-5.png|Select dumping direction.]]
|}

You must press {{k|d}} three times to select the dumping direction ''before'' placing the track stop. We want our blocks to be dumped into the output stockpile east of the track stop. Then wait for a mechanic to come along and build the track stop.

[[File:minecart-example-6.png|Track stop constructed.]]

Now we'll define the actual ''route''. This is done in the {{k|h}}auling menu. Press {{k|r}} to begin defining a route. Next, move the cursor to the input end of the track, and then press {{k|s}} to define the first stop:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-7.png|Stop 1 designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-8.png|Route definition, in progress.]]
|}

Move the cursor again, to the output end of the track, and press {{k|s}} again to define the second stop:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-9.png|Stop 2 designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-10.png|Route definition, two stops.]]
|-
|
| [[File:minecart-example-11.png|Stops are not defined yet.]]
|}

There are several user interface features to note at this point. The stops have been positioned, but they haven't been ''defined'' yet, so there is a warning {{DFtext|!|#ff0}} symbol by each of them. In the lower right corner, we see what the {{DFtext|!|#ff0}} means. Also, note that the second stop is labeled in white, while the other two lines are grey. The white text is a selection indicator, and can be moved up and down by pressing {{k|+}}/{{k|-}}.

Next we need to define what our stops do. We want the minecart to be filled with blocks at the first stop, then travel to the second stop where it will dump its cargo, and then return. Press {{k|-}} to move the selection up to stop 1, and {{k|Enter}} to open it up. By default, the stop has three conditions:

[[File:minecart-example-12.png|Default stop definition.]]

We don't want any of these, so press {{k|x}} three times to delete them. This leaves us with a blank stop. Now we can add the conditions we actually want. Press {{k|n}} to begin adding the first condition, then {{k|d}} twice to change the direction from north to east. Then press {{k|c}} to change the condition from empty to full. This will instruct the minecart to be guided east when full of desired items.

To set the desired items, we create a stockpile link. Press {{k|s}}, then move the cursor to the input stockpile, then press {{k|p}} to select that stockpile. Now press {{k|Enter}}; this opens up a selection screen that resembles the stockpile customization screen. Move down to Blocks, {{k|e}}nable them, then (if you wish) restrict it to stone blocks.

When you've done all that, stop 1 should look like this:

[[File:minecart-example-13.png|Stop 1, defined.]]

Stop 2 is much simpler. All we need to do is have the minecart return to the input stop. So, make a condition and change the direction:

[[File:minecart-example-14.png|Stop 2, defined.]]

Finally, we just have to assign our minecart. Go back to the route definition screen, and press {{k|v}}. Select the minecart, and press {{k|Enter}}.

Now we've got everything set up:

[[File:minecart-example-15.png|Route, fully defined.]]

The V is red because the minecart hasn't been moved onto the track yet. Some dwarf will have to haul it from the forge to the first stop, by hand; this will take a while, especially if the forge is far away.

Once the minecart is in place, dwarves should fill it with blocks from the input stockpile, which will in turn be filled with blocks from the workshop where your mason has been toiling dutifully. When the minecart is full, the blocks will be dumped into the 1x1 stockpile on the right. Automatic quantum dumping!

=== Troubleshooting ===

Because of the complexity of the system, all but the most careful and experienced minecart users will encounter issues. Most route issues can be diagnosed and fixed from the {{k|h}}auling menu.

'''Symptom:''' {{DFtext|! Set dir/connect track|6:1}} message appears to the right of one or more stops

'''Possible Causes:'''
* In basic terms, the game checks if there is a valid path for a cart along the rails to reach the next stop in the route, and whether a dwarf ''guiding'' a cart would be able to find a path to the destination without carrying the cart. This warning pops up if the cart can't find a valid path based upon guided carts.
** If your cart path relies upon advanced tricks like deliberate falling into pits or ignoring floor types, even a path designed entirely as you intended will still trigger the yellow warning. (But double-check to make sure it's fine...)
* The departure direction of the stop might be invalid. Edit the stop using {{k|Enter}} and press{{k|d}} until it is pointing in a valid direction.
* The track stop might not be built on top of a track. The track stop must be deconstructed to remedy this issue.
* Your track might not be built correctly. Make sure all connected tracks between destinations are not one-way tracks.
** This can be especially confusing with ramps. To carve a two-way track on a (natural) ramp, you must designate the ramp <b>and one square beyond</b> in the direction you want the track to go.
** Ramps '''must''' have a solid block on the side opposite to the track, or they will neither work nor be marked as "unusable". The solid block can be natural or constructed.
* The desired/kept items might not be configured correctly.

'''Symptom:''' The status '''0% <span style="color:#00dd00;">V</span>''' always appears to the right of one stop.

'''Possible Causes:'''
* The stop may not be set to take from a stockpile. Edit the Stop using {{k|Enter}} and make sure you see a message like "Take from Stockpile #1".
* The take conditions must correspond with the contents of the stockpile.
* The track stop may be set to dump. A track stop set to dump cannot be filled. You must either set the stop to a time-based departure or deconstruct the track stop and rebuild it without dumping. (Alternatively, with [[DFHack]] you can modify "Dump on arrival" to "No" using the {{key|q}} menu without rebuilding the stop.)
* Make sure the minecart itself has not been designated to be dumped (such as when using mass-dump).

'''Symptom:''' Dwarves fill the minecart properly, but will not move it thereafter.

'''Possible Causes:'''
* The minecart may contain items which are not included in its current stop's desired items. Check inside the minecart using the {{key|k}} and {{key|z}} keys and ensure that all items in the cart are desired items.
* The minecart may contain desired items in bins. Minecarts seem to have problems realizing that they are in fact full of desired items if some of those items are in bins, even if bins are also among the desired items for that stop. '''This cannot be solved by adding the appropriate bins to the stop's desired items.''' Either disallow bins in stockpiles you intend to load minecarts from, or set the departure conditions to rely only on percentage of total load rather than percentage of desired items using the advanced conditions menu ({{key|C}} key).

'''Symptom:''' Dwarves repeatedly attempt to load the minecart, but no items are ever loaded into it.

'''Possible Causes:'''
* This can be caused by using a Track Stop with autodumping enabled at a loading site. Every time a dwarf places an item into a cart resting on such a track stop, the item will be immediately dumped, causing unlimited, useless cart loading jobs. Autodumping Track Stops should never be used at a loading site.

'''Symptom:''' A dwarf picks up the minecart and carries it to its destination.
* See [[#Quirks|Quirks]]

=== Danger ===
Minecarts are not without <strike>danger</strike> [[fun]]. Although designating a track automatically sets the [[traffic]] designation to low, dwarves ''may'' still walk on them, and [[creature]]s ignore traffic designations altogether. If an unlucky dwarf or creature fails to [[dodger|dodge]] a minecart, they can be injured. Most of this danger can be avoided by setting the minecart {{k|h}}auling commands to guide instead of push or ride (dwarves guiding minecarts will ignore traffic restrictions), as well as by [[pasture|pasturing]] domestic animals and preventing the access of other creatures to the tracks. Note that removing the track doesn't reset that tile back to normal traffic priority, so you may wish to manually clean up traffic designation afterward. Also note that bridges that are used as tracks don't have their traffic priority changed automatically (since they're just normal bridges), which could cause dwarves to pathfind normally through dangerous minecart entrances in your fort's walls if you're not careful.

The only <s>fool</s>''dwarf''-proof method is to make the tracks inaccessible. There are several ways to create a track which works for minecarts but doesn't allow creature-traversal; the simplest is perhaps building a [[statue]] on the tracks. Other options include adding single-tile holes (minecarts moving at reasonable speed will jump the gap), vertical drops, minecart-triggered doors, small pools of liquid (4/7 water or 2/7 magma), and hostile creatures overlooking the tracks. For safety, both ends of the track should be isolated, making the dangerous center sections completely inaccessible (though maintenance access can be provided by a locked door).

Danger does not always involve living victims: careless route designation can also result in minecarts careening off tracks or colliding with each other. If this occurs, the [[item]]s may be scattered; this can cause even more hauling jobs than the minecart aimed to eliminate. Even <s>better</s> worse, scattered items, especially [[weapon]]s, can injure passing [[dwarf|dwarves]] or other [[creature]]s; in the words of Toady One the Great, "Accidental grapeshotting of the dining room should be possible now."

Of course, the danger of using minecarts means they can also be [[Trap_design#Minecarts|used as weapons]] by imaginative players.

== Advanced usage and automation ==
Minecart-specific effects are implemented via track stops, rollers and [[pressure plate]]s with "track" condition set. Since all three are considered [[building]]s, they can't be built on the same square (however convenient track stop + pressure plate would be) nor a simple ramp, and are removed by {{k|q}} {{k|x}}.

=== More on Track stop ===
Track stops are constructions that allow further automation of minecart systems via adjustable features such as braking by friction and automatic dumping of contents. They can be built from logs, bars and blocks through {{K|b}} {{K|C}} {{K|S}}; friction amount, dumping toggle and dumping direction must be set '''before''' construction, and these settings can be neither changed nor seen thereafter; however, track stops can be linked to [[pressure plate]]s or [[lever]]s to toggle friction and dumping On or Off (trigger state is inverted: switch On = track stop Off).

If a [[stockpile]] is placed on the tile that a track stop is set to dump to, it can act as a [[Exploit#Quantum_stockpiles|quantum stockpile]] and any items dumped from a minecart that match the storage settings of the stockpile will remain there and accumulate. Normally trackstops are built on top of existing track to operate on moving minecarts, but they can also be used without tracks to create [[Exploit#The_Minecart_Stop|automatic quantum stockpiles]] (see also [[#Step-by-step_tutorial|step-by-step tutorial]]). It is not always desirable to collect ALL of certain items into one quantum stockpile, such as when distributing a material to multiple separate industries. You can link your quantum stockpile to various other stockpiles, ensuring that your dwarves will keep them supplied as necessary. Because quantum stockpiles never fill up like regular stockpiles, it may be a good idea to add a switch to turn them off.

Items dumped from a minecart at a track stop (or dumped by any other means) into open space fall through z-levels until they land on a solid surface. Items falling onto a designated [[stockpile]] will automatically be considered part of that stockpile, even if the stockpile is set to disallow those items (they will, however, be automatically moved to a more appropriate stockpile, if available). Items falling on top of a minecart will '''not''' fall "inside" the minecart. Use with caution; dwarves have fragile skulls.{{bug|5945}}

=== Automated propulsion ===
==== Roller ====
{{Main|Roller}}

A '''roller''' is a [[power]]ed [[machine component]] for the automated propulsion of minecarts. They are built over the top of existing tracks with {{K|b|M|r}}, requiring a [[mechanic]], ''(length/4)+1'' [[mechanism]]s and a [[rope]]. Rollers may also be placed directly on ramps to help pull carts up Z levels. Rollers are very useful to maintain a cart's momentum along long routes, to get them to climb Z-levels without dwarfpower involved, and to get them to reach speeds unattainable by guiding dwarves. These devices are variable-length (1-10), variable-direction and variable-speed ([[Minecart#Numbers_behind_the_scene|see below]]), all traits that can be set at construction time; a roller uses two units of power per tile it is long.

Single-tile rollers transfer power in all four cardinal directions, while other rollers generally only transfer power perpendicular to their activity direction. Longer rollers can also transfer power along their activity direction if built in the correct order, although this can be hard to accomplish and is easily broken. Rollers cannot be powered from above.

Rollers have great acceleration and capped speed. Carts going faster than the roller are unaffected. If a cart moves across an active roller in the direction the roller works and moves slower than the roller's specified speed, the cart will be set to the roller's speed. A cart going against a roller's movement direction will be sent back the way it came (once again at the roller's speed), unless it was moving extremely fast: speed increment of 100000 allows to reverse carts from the full "highest" (50000) speed roller to full "highest" speed back, but ramps can accelerate a cart beyond this. {{cite forum|144328/5702453}}
A cart crossing over a roller perpendicular to its current movement direction will gain the roller's amount of speed in the perpendicular direction without directly changing its forward motion. Without an adjacent wall to constrict its movement, this will typically send a cart off the rails on a diagonal path, completely unable to follow any tracks until it collides with a wall or is otherwise brought to rest. However, if the roller is placed over a track turn and pushes ''from'' the direction of that turn's track, the turn affects carts ''after'' the roller, so they will be forced into the turn rather than derailed in a diagonal direction. {{cite forum|144328/5702453}}

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
tracks: full:
║ ║
═╗═ ═╢═
║ ║

╢ : roller pushing from W to E
}}
If the roller is powered, carts from ''all'' directions (unless too fast) exit S, because speed imparted by the roller forces carts toward E and ''then'' into the turn.
If not powered, carts from W and N exit S, carts from E and S exit W. Carts above derail speed will ignore the turn, of course.

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
║ ║
═╗═ ═╟═
║ ║

╟ : Roller pushing from E to W
}}
Carts from the E or W: exit W.
Carts from N: derailed diagonally, exit SW.
Carts from S: derailed diagonally, exit NW.

Rollers affects carts on a track - if placed on a floor or ramp without any tracks, they are ignored. Depowered rollers are also ignored, friction is determined by the tiles underneath.

Because of their one-way nature, rollers are unsuitable for most two-way minecart tracks (unless you set gears toggling roller A->B off while toggling A<-B rollers on). However, a minecart set to be ''guided'' is not affected by rollers at all{{cite forum|109460/3286235}} — this allows a one-way track to be used in both directions. In addition, unpowered rollers do not affect minecarts.

Care must be taken in [[glacier]]s and other extremely cold [[biome]]s, since rollers (and the machinery used to power them) will not operate when constructed on natural [[ice]] floors.

==== Impulse ramps ====
Carts can be given momentum without rollers or changing z-level through a phenomenon called "impulse ramps". A track ramp which is connected both to a wall and to a floor will ''always'' accelerate a cart towards the connected floor tile, no matter where the cart enters the tile from. This means carts can be accelerated as though dropping z-levels, even if the cart doesn't actually change z-level at all. If a track ramp faces three directions such as ╩, then two of those directions need to be facing walls for the cart to be accelerated towards the remaining direction.

Example of straight impulse acceleration:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
═▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲═ ═╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚═
▒ : Wall
═ : Normal track
▲/╚ : N/E Track/Ramp
}}

If a cart enters from the left, it will speed up on every track/ramp and exit to the right going very very fast - more than one tile every step. If it enters from the right then it will bounce back impulsed by the ramp if it's going slow enough.

As another oddity, carts coming from ramps will in some cases "teleport" through most of the next tile. This is called the "checkpoint effect", and is explained in detail in the Physics section, below. This negates the deceleration of the next tile if it is a ramp "angled" in a different direction. You can just make an upward spiral alternating impulse ramps and regular upward ramps. It takes no power, is quick and cheap to build, requiring only channeling and track carving, and the cart goes up fast, but not so fast that it launches its contents.

Example of an impulse elevator:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1 z +2 z +3
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░
░╔░░░ ░▼╚╗░ ░░▼▼░ ░░░░░
░╝░░░ ░▼░░░ ░░░╔░ ░░░▼░
░▼▼░░ ░░░░░ ░░░╝░ ░╚╗▼░
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░

░ : Wall
╔,╚,╗,╝ : Track/Ramp
▼ : Down Ramp (empty space)
}}

Note that this impulse elevator, due to the checkpoint effect and upward curved ramp effect, will not actually result in carts traveling straight up the ramp. They will lose speed, bounce off a ramp, then be accelerated back into the spiral after a 9-turn delay on both tiles on the floor where they are stopped. This is because the checkpoint effect allows carts to travel up the ramps in a single turn, but also prevents the impulse ramps from adding acceleration unless the cart is slowed to staying on the ramp for more than one turn. Initial acceleration will carry the cart up a variable number of floors before this effect occurs, but this bouncing back and forth will occur every 5 z-levels after the first time the cart stops. When the cart ''is'' traveling upwards, it will pass every tile at a rate of one tile per turn regardless of its actual speed, due to the checkpoint effect. In tracks with only a single cart, this is negligible, but when multiple carts are on the same track (such as when you place multiple carts on a magma cart lift) this can cause collisions which derail carts or cause other unexpected or undesired behaviors.

The following impulse ramp (while larger) should alleviate these problems by using a straight ramp to go upwards, preceded by an impulse ramp to exploit the checkpoint effect and negate up ramp costs. Corners still decelerate carts, so the cart will tend towards a velocity of 72k, which is derail speed. Derail speed breaks (see Controlling Speed, below) may be necessary at the top.

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1 z +2 z +3
░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░░░
░░░░░░ ░╔╔═░░ ░░▼▼╗░ ░░░░░░
░║░░░░ ░▼░░░░ ░░░░╗░ ░░░░▼░
░╚░░░░ ░▼░░░░ ░░░░║░ ░░░░▼░
░╚▼▼░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░═╝╝░
░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░░░

░ : Wall
║,═,╔,╚,╗,╝ : Track/Ramp
▼ : Down Ramp (empty space)
}}

Also, if you want to have a cart following a below-derail speed, the following track works well:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1 z +2 z +3
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░
░░░░░ ░══░░ ░▼▼║░ ░░░▼░
░║░░░ ░▼░░░ ░░░║░ ░░░▼░
░║▼▼░ ░▼░░░ ░░░░░ ░░══░
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░

░ : Wall
║,═ : Track/Ramp
▼ : Down Ramp (empty space)
}}
In this elevator, the cart collides with the walls in the corners, but then realigns on the ramp, picks up speed, checkpoints through the next ramp, and slams into the next wall. It is slower (10 ticks per floor) but produces reliable speeds, and will exit the impulse elevator at little more than push speeds.

A sort of opposite effect to impulse ramps also exists: ramps lacking the proper "up" and "down" connections are treated as flat track, even if they actually go up or down z-levels. This allows building "anti-impulse" slopes consisting entirely of ramps only connected up, which a minecart can travel up forty levels and more, needing no more than a single push.

=== Controlling traffic ===

==== Switching ====

As constructions or tile features, [[door]]s and other furniture can be built on tracks. A [[door]] or [[floodgate]] can be turned on or off by a [[lever]], effectively controlling the flow of automated minecarts. This may be <s>dangerous</s> [[fun]], however.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
->
A ════┤≡════ B
┤ : roller pushing to East
≡ : door
}}
The roller pushes the cart east, but until the "departure condition" is fulfilled, the door remains closed and blocks the path.

[[Bridge]]s can also act as tracks, but only if they're lowered or not retracted. This property can enable levers to turn tracks on and off. However, care should be taken to ensure that such bridges are never operated while a cart is on top of them, as the cart will be flung off the track. It's worth noting that it's often faster, and cheaper, to construct large bridges than long sections of constructed track.

A powered track switch can be constructed by building an "inverted" corner as illustrated below.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
B B
║ -> ║
║ ║
════╚═══ ════├════
A C A C
├ : roller pushing to West.
}}

If the cart is pushed East from the stop at 'A' while the roller is activated, it will arrive at 'B'. If the roller is not running, it will arrive at 'C'. The switch works by the roller first reversing the incoming cart's movement and the cart ''then'' following the track corner.

This switch is very reliable, reacts instantly to on/off signals, and carts of any speed can be switched by this design, although very fast carts will require rollers that are several tiles long, up to three. The requirement for power can be inconvenient or impractical. Non-powered solutions may use controlled derailment, or a connecting bridge.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
B ╥
║
║
╞════╝ ════╡
A D C
}}
Here the track between A and C is not continuous. The only continuous track is A->B, with a corner (not a T section). Fast moving carts will tend to derail at D and rejoin the track to C. Placing a door at D will prevent the derailment, so the cart continues to B. The door is operated by mechanisms elsewhere (typically, a lever, but some fun can be had with pressure plates).

Since it depends on derailing, this switch requires a very fast cart, faster than what can be achieved with rollers alone. To gain sufficient speed, a cart must be accelerated further, usually by descending several levels or through impulse ramps. The high speed makes the cart much more dangerous and harder to control.

If carts are moving too slowly to derail at the corner, a retractable bridge may be used as a connector between A and C.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
B╥
║
║
A╞════bbb════╡C
}}
The bridge must overlap the corner. Bridges behave like a track crossing, allowing carts to pass in a straight line. When retracted, the corner reappears, so the carts will continue to B. Bridges take 100 steps to react to a signal, necessitating rather long "lead times" when switching tracks via bridge.

As mentioned above, special care must be taken to make sure the bridge doesn't change state while the cart is passing over it. Retracting bridges will throw the cart, causing it to stop dead. Raising bridges can even crush the cart.

==== Controlling Speed ====


Minecarts can reach extremely high speeds, especially when descending multiple Z-levels. A minecart will derail at a track corner if its speed exceeds 0.5 t/st (tiles per step), '''unless''' the route in the direction of travel is blocked:

Will derail at > 0.5 t/st:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
in ══╗ -> derailing
║
out
}}

Will not derail at > 0.5 t/st:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
in ══╗O
║
out

O : wall/column.
}}

This behavior can be used to build a "speed limiter", that will ensure that when a minecart exits it is traveling below derail speed:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░
in ═╔═╗░ ░╔S╗░ ░╔S╗░
out ═╬═╝░ out ═╗═╝░ out ═╗═╝░
░╚S╝░ ░╚═╝═ in ░╚S╝░
░░░░░ ░░░░ ║░░░
in
░ : wall
S : Track Stop (High Friction or lower)
}}
If the minecart is traveling below derailment speed, it will not be affected; if above, will be slowed down and checked again. Granted, you could do the same just with track turns, but it may take a lot of turns and time.

Since all the derailings, bounces and ramps can impart a sideway component of speed small enough to start visible drift many tiles away (say, [[Fun|in the middle of a bridge]]), track turns have one more use: forcing the carts to move strictly along the grid directions. Carts passing a turn below derailing speed convert one component of velocity into another, thus eliminating the drift.

=== Loading liquids ===
[[Water]] and [[magma]] can also be loaded into minecarts by submerging them to a depth of at least 6/7 while standing still or moving at speeds of at most 10000. Loading fluids onto minecarts can be difficult because the added friction provided by fluids can stop a cart in a submerged tile. Curiously, filling a minecart with magma does not injure a dwarf ''riding'' it. A minecart will hold enough fluid to increase the depth of a single tile by 2. This amount is listed as 833 units, which weigh 459Γ (water) or 999Γ (magma). An iron or steel cart filled with magma weighs 1313Γ, while an adamantine cart filled with magma weighs 1007Γ. Since you need a minecart above the liquid's level, possible arrangements may include pressure-activated sluices, rollers (with magma-safe chains for magma), pouring from above to "submerge" it briefly on the same level and drain excess away (dig deeper and leave a vaporizer, though if you could have power for rollers, may as well use a pump) and exploits with ramps (not necessarily impulse ramps, "same height" passing dip does it).
The liquids can be dumped by a constructed track stop.

== Quirks ==
This little quirk concerns dwarf-managed minecarts. If a track which was previously open becomes blocked (ex. flipping a switch connected to a floodgate you've built on the track to raise it) and the conditions for departure are met, instead of refusing to ride/guide the minecart or ride/guide it until it reaches the obstacle, the dwarf will pick up the minecart off the tracks and haul it to its scheduled destination on foot. If the distance is long enough and the weight of the cart heavy enough (due to being filled with heavy items such as stones), the dwarf may drop the cart because of fatigue/hunger/thirst before reaching the destination. This will cancel that vehicle setting job and make another dwarf come by and attempt to haul the cart to the nearest appropriate stockpile where another dwarf will pick up the cart and attempt to haul it to its initial stop. If the stockpile is far enough from initial stop, this second dwarf who is attempting to place the minecart on its tracks may also drop the minecart out of fatigue/hunger/thirst creating a loop that will go on until a dwarf with enough endurance manages to place the minecart where it belongs.

In fact, it seems dwarves are more than happy to attempt to carry a minecart from one stop to another even if just waiting until the track is open again would be the more sane option.

Dwarves will also carry a minecart to its next stop if the direction specified is incorrect (or invalid). This can often occur when using the default departure settings and forgetting to set the direction of each condition.

Dwarves can admire buildings while riding mine carts. Dwarves will not fall asleep during a ride (at least not from being drowsy). If riding on a continuous powered track loop, the dwarf will die of dehydration/starvation as they can not jump off to get sustenance{{cite forum|109460/3377228}}. Dwarves riding in submerged minecarts will gain experience in [[swimming]].{{cite forum|129889}}

Tracks block wagon access to trade depots, unless they're on a ramp. [[Bridge]]s can also be used, as they function as tracks but do not block wagons.

== Physics ==


Minecart physics depend greatly on the departure mode set in the route stop conditions.

When set to "Push" or "Ride", minecarts will move according to the regular laws of momentum, gaining speed when going downhill, losing it slowly due to friction when on a flat plane, and more quickly when going uphill. In these modes, minecarts will move in a straight line until they either are brought to a stop by friction or an obstacle, or until they encounter a turn. A minecart will roll straight past "blocked" ends of T-junctions or track ends, they have no power to restrict a cart's movement. The cart's behavior is largely independent of the weight of its contents (including fluids and dwarves): heavily loaded carts gain more momentum when accelerating, but this only plays a role in collisions: a heavy cart gains just as much speed and is as easy to stop as a light one. In either case, dwarves can not push nor ride an unpowered cart up a ramp, bouncing back the direction it came. At best, this is a waste of time; at worst, it will give your cart-pushing dwarf a [[fun|fun surprise]]. To solve this, the player can either use Rollers (see below) or set the cart to be Guided.

The difference between "Push" and "Ride" is whether the dwarf will go along with the cart or not.
{{DFtext|Push}}: the dwarf will give the cart an initial push, not enough to go up a ramp, but enough to go some way along flat track, and the dwarf will remain at the first stop, ready for a new job.
{{DFtext|Ride}}: the dwarf will give the cart the same initial push and then hop aboard the cart riding with it to the next stop.
{{DFtext|Guide}}: minecarts seem to ignore all laws of physics. That is:
*Ignore the weight of any and all items inside. Therefore:
**Move at the speed of the dwarf that is guiding them. It is thus recommended to pick the most [[attribute#Agility|agile]] of your dwarves for cart-guiding tasks.
*Ignore working rollers.
*Will ''not'' collide with other guided carts even when a full frontal collision would be expected.
*Will go up ramps like nobody's business.
This is therefore the recommended method of transport for simple non-powered rail systems, despite it diverting a dwarf from other, potentially more important tasks.

Some samples with behavior:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
A <-> B A <-> C A <-> B
B B B
║ ║ ║
A══╝ A══╩══C A══╬╗
You can only go A->B ╚╝
Works when the cart Works
is in Guide mode.
}}
In the second example above, a cart "pushed" from B will go over the junction and roll off into the unknown south.

=== Numbers behind the scene ===

According to early research by '''expwnent'''{{cite forum|112831/3536975}}:

The minecart has 3 variables for velocity. Velocity can be thought of as tiles per 100000 ticks, so a velocity of one hundred thousand means a cart travels one tile per tick. By going down a large number of ramps, a maximum velocity of 270,000 can be reached, which presents the limit for most practical applications. Short bursts of (much) higher speeds are possible through carefully planned collisions of high-speed carts {{cite forum|137557/5145499}}. (See [[#Perfectly Elastic Collisions|Perfectly Elastic Collisions]].)

Every tick the cart adjusts sub-tile position units by the amount of their velocity, as well as adjusts velocity depending on current tile (speed is reduced by the "friction" of the tile, or accelerated if going "down" a ramp). On flat (non-ramp) tiles, the cart will move to the next tile when the sub-tile position goes either above 100,000 or below 0, (or several tiles if velocity is over 100,000,) and 100,000 is either added or subtracted to sub-tile position to restart the count to the next tile change.

Since most deceleration and acceleration is applied per step, with the notable exception of corners, a cart going at twice the speed of another one can cover about four times the distance in a straight line, but only twice the distance along a winding track with very many corners.

A push will teleport a cart to the middle of the next tile in one tick with 19990 speed (10 speed is lost due to track friction), while a roller will directly give a cart the roller's set speed and the cart starts accumulating distance from its standing position. When a cart leaves a ramp it will emerge after one tick at the very end of the next regular tile.

Friction of tiles:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Tile
! Friction
! Comment
|-
| Tracks
| 10
|-
| Ground/Floor
| 200
|-
| Unusable ramp
| 10
|-
| Upwards ramp
| 4910 (10+4900)
|-
| Downwards ramp
| -4890 (10-4900)
|-
| Roller
| ±100000 (but capped by the set speed)
|-
| Corner track
| 10
| Speed reduced by 1000 upon leaving the corner tile
|-
| Track stop (highest)
| 50000
|-
| Track stop (high)
| 10000
|-
| Track stop (medium)
| 500
|-
| Track stop (low)
| 50
|-
| Track stop (lowest)
| 10
|-
| Water 1-6
| Additional (WaterLevel - 1) * 100
| rowspan="2" | [[#Skipping|See Skipping]]
|-
| Magma 1-6
| Additional (WaterLevel - 1) * 500
|-
| Empty space
| 0
|}

Water of depth 7/7 provides a friction of about 10000 per step, as does maximum-depth magma. This higher friction may not apply to very slow-moving carts.

Impulse sources:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Feature
! Speed
|-
| Push
| 20000
|-
| Roller lowest
| 10000
|-
| Roller low
| 20000
|-
| Roller medium
| 30000
|-
| Roller high
| 40000
|-
| Roller Highest
| 50000
|-
|}

Note, again, that nearly all of these values are applied ''per tick'', rather than ''per tile''. The exceptions are curves, which is 1k deceleration per direction change at the half-way point of the tile, and rollers, which ''set'' the speed every tick. This makes rollers particularly useful in high-deceleration situations, such as underwater, but require that ''nearly every tile'' in such high-deceleration situations have a roller.

A cart heading up a ramp can experience deceleration on multiple ticks, (and stays on the tile more ticks the slower it is going, resulting in greater deceleration,) and as such, a cart leaving a "Highest Speed" roller with 50k velocity will not be able to climb 10 consecutive straight ramps, since they are ''not'' "5k deceleration each". In fact, the first ramp not on a roller will be -15k velocity, and, depending slightly upon other factors of "remainder" x position, the second may completely cancel forward momentum, and send it rolling back down, where it will bounce off the roller repeatedly. Using rollers to power carts up ramps reliably requires rollers every other un-rollered ramp. Fortunately, rollers can be built upon ramps, themselves, which allows for rollers to only need to be built every other floor. (Exploiting the [[#Checkpoint Effect|checkpoint effect]] can allow one to bypass this requirement.)

=== Sub-tile Positions and Velocity ===
Carts store six values that are unique to them. Three sub-tile position values, and three velocity values. (X, Y, and Z.)

Note that the Z position and velocity only matter when a cart is in flight. (See [[#Falling|Falling]] and [[#Cart Jumps|Cart Jumps]].)

Each non-ramp tile is functionally composed of a value between 0 and 100,000, with a "centered" cart sitting at the 50,000 point in all three directions. When a cart has velocity, it is added or subtracted from the current position every tick, and then a friction force is applied to the cart.

In essence, every sub-tile position unit is a decimal value of a tile, 0.000001 tiles, in a game that largely prefers integer values.

When carts move beyond the maximum or minimum value of a tile, they physically move a tile on the map, and start at the far end of the sub-tile position the next tile. (I.E., traveling West, a cart that starts a tick at 15,000 X sub-tile position and has an X velocity of -20,000 would move to -5000 X sub-tile position, which is out of bounds for that tile. As such, it will travel one tile West, and start the next tick at 95,000 X sub-tile position. It will also lose 10 velocity in that tick due to friction with the track if it is on a track, or 100 velocity if it is on regular ground, or no velocity if it is airborne.)

Ramp tiles are longer, approximately 144,000 in the direction where it "slants downward", (to approximate a 45 degree slope, it is square root of two times longer,) and centered at 72,000. Because of this, a cart with no velocity dropped from a hatch will land at the center of a tile, at position 72,000, and 72,000, and will start rolling in the ramp's "downward" direction, picking up the ramp's acceleration (4890 per tick in the direction of the ramp's "downward" direction) every single tick, then moving that sub-tile amount every tick. (This results in a cart that takes 5 ticks of acceleration to leave its ramp - 6 ticks overall - and to leave the ramp with about 23k velocity, slightly more than a push.) When it enters another ramp ''facing the same direction downwards'', a cart will start at the 0 or 144,000 position, and have twice as far to travel. This means that if a cart enters a ramp from the side, it will gain twice the momentum of simply starting at the midpoint of a ramp.

Note that passing from one direction of ramp to another or to flat terrain causes unintuitive behavior, "teleporting" to the midpoint of another tile in what is called the "[[#Checkpoint Effect|checkpoint effect]]".

Note, however, that sub-tile positions are carried over from tile-to-tile. This separate tracking of velocity and position between X and Y can lead to problems with diagonal motion:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z0 z-1
▒║▒ ▒▒▒
═▼═ ▒╬▒
▒ ▒ ▒║▒
▒ : Wall
═, ║ : Track
╬ : Track and Ramp
}}

If a cart is passing West-to-East over this setup, the valid ramp to the South will apply "Southward" acceleration to the cart (-Y velocity) as it passes through the ramp tile. Assuming it only spends one tick in that tile, it will still have gained about -5k Y velocity, which will still apply motion Southward. If the tracks continue straight for another 11 tiles, it will have accumulated enough Southward motion to try to move a tile South, even if all tracks are facing East-West.

'''Non-curving tracks do not correct this motion'''.

They don't "tip back over" without adjustments in the track. Any value of sideways motion on tracks larger than 990 will lead to a derailment. (Lower values will be nullified by friction before they are enough to lead to derailment, but there is currently no way to apply such a small amount of velocity.)

If the tile to the South is a wall at that point, it will be considered a collision with a wall that ''halts all motion''. If the tile is open, it will generate a diagonal track derailment that will send a cart flying until it strikes a wall, at which point it will not re-rail itself. In almost any circumstance, this is undesirable behavior.

The only way to appropriately deal with this is to either cancel out this behavior with an equal amount of acceleration in the opposite direction, or to take a curve.

Note, again, that sub-track position is saved in both directions, so when a cart approaches a curve, it will already have a shorter or longer distance past the curve when it makes the turn.

Curves are applied "halfway through" a tile. If a cart is moving East, and approaches a North-East track at 20k velocity, and friction is eliminated for the purposes of a cleaner demonstration, then when it enters the tile at sub-tile point 0 X, and 50k Y at the start of a tick, it will then move 20k East (+X) the next tick, and be at 20k X sub-tile position, and 50k Y sub-tile position. Next tick, it is at 40k X sub-tile position, and 50k Y sub-tile position. The next tick would take it to 60k X, but that's past the halfway point, so it stops at 50k, turns (and thus loses 1k velocity, but translates the rest from X-velocity to Y-velocity) and travels another 10k. It is now at 50k X sub-tile position, and 60k Y sub-tile position. Next tick, it travels at 19k velocity North, and so moves to 50k X sub-tile position, and 79k Y sub-tile position. Then in two more turns, it leaves to the North.

In the case of diagonal motion due to having velocities in X and Y at the same time, it is critical that the direction the cart is heading in reaches that halfway point in a curve before the cart leaves the track off its sideways velocity direction. If it does so, all sideways velocity is lost, as forwards velocity ''overwrites'' sideways velocity in a curve. If, in that example in the paragraph above, the cart entered at 0 X sub-tile position with 20k X velocity, and 40k Y sub-tile position and -1k Y sub-tile position, it would take that "curve" (or rather, redirection of velocity) on the third turn, while it is at 38k Y sub-tile position to start with, and then move to 47k Y sub-tile position at the end of that tick. It would then move to 56k Y sub-tile position in the following turn, and take 3 turns, rather than just 2, to clear the tile.

But, most importantly, it would be centered in the X sub-tile position, and with the negligible difference of an extra tick, all sideways velocity could be safely ignored.

There are two common ways to gain sideways velocity: Rollers facing perpendicular to the cart's travel path (which, as covered above, are almost always a bad idea, as it is easier to push ''against'' the travel direction of a cart into a curve, which redirects all velocity in the new direction,) and [[#Corner Ramp Derail|corner ramps]], and require a curved track to compensate for sideways velocity within a few tiles.

=== Track Direction Irrelevance ===
Carts that are traveling independently, (that is, not guided,) only care that tracks ''are'' on the tile, not which direction the tracks actually move. Tracks respect only curves (with two exits) and ramps.

This means, for example, that the following tracks, when a (non-guided) cart travels from West-to-East, are functionally identical in effect:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
A════════════B A╬║╚╔╣╩╦╠╥╨╞╡B
}}

This is because so far as the cart is concerned, only valid ramps and curves with two exits where there is no exit in the path they are traveling matters.

Hence, if a minecart encounters the end of the track or a T junction with no "exit" in its movement direction, it will simply leave the track and continue on its course in a straight line until it encounters an obstacle, slows to a stop, or encounters another track even if the tile at which it joins the new track instantly sends it around a corner.

In fact, in a track designed for pushes or rides, a "║", a "╦", a "╬", and a "╥" are ''only different in appearance'', and are ignored by an unguided cart, which will continue in its current direction, regardless of the track. For any purpose but guided tracks, ''only curves and ramps matter at all''.

Tracks like T-junctions, however, ''are'' respected by dwarves guiding carts, who will lift and carry carts if they cannot find a valid track to their destination, and can choose to follow any orthogonal direction at a four-way junction in much the same way as they normally pathfind. What this functionally means is that T and four-way junctions ''only guide dwarves hauling a cart, not carts, themselves''.

Carts only check for curves when they are halfway through a tile. When they get there, they look to see if their path has no exit. (That is, if it is traveling East, it checks if there is an East exit.) If there is, it ignores all other track directions, and keeps traveling. If there is not, it checks to see if there are only two exits to the track, and if one of those directions was the direction it "came from". (That is, if traveling West from the East, it checks if there is a valid exit to the West, and if not, if there is an East exit and EITHER a North or South exit.) If there is not, it ignores the track anyway, and keeps on traveling as though it were still on track.

If there is a curve the cart will respect, it checks for derailment. Carts derail at a speed whose exact number is currently unquantified, but is over 50k. Carts at this critical speed will then check for blockages of their forward path. If there is an obstacle to their path, which may be a wall or even furniture or buildings like a door or impassible workshop tile, they will not derail and respect the curve, anyway. Derailing carts do not "[[#Cart Jumps|jump]]" unless they hit completely untracked tile or an invalid ramp, but simply ignore the layout of the tracks entirely. With invalid ramps, this means not respecting the ramp, and likely results in collision with a wall, zeroing of all velocity, and a cart that requires manual retrieval.

If the cart is traveling at a speed that will not derail, or is forced to turn by a supporting wall, it will subtract 1000 from the "forwards" velocity of the cart, and redirect all forward velocity to the direction of the curve. This change in the direction of velocity ''overwrites'' any "diagonal" velocity, which can prevent diagonal velocity derailments, but any perpendicular velocity is not preserved, and is instead discarded.

=== Valid and Invalid Ramps ===
Ramps are functionally defined for cart purposes as being a tile which exerts an acceleration force upon its "downward slope", and which allows connection to tracks a z-level above or below. This downward slope requires a cart to have one ''and exactly one'' carved exit to the tile that is the "bottom" of the ramp. Ramps accelerate carts in this "downward" direction (possibly leading to [[#Corner Ramp Derail|diagonal movement]]), and the deceleration of an "uphill" ramp is actually just the acceleration being applied against the direction of a cart's movement.

This is where players can find an exploit in the behavior of ramps - if there are ''two'' "downhill" exits to a ramp (such as a "T junction" on a ramp where only one exit faces a wall), then the ramp provides no acceleration ''or'' deceleration, allowing carts to travel up ramps without any loss of momentum except for the standard "flat track" deceleration, because as far as the cart is concerned, the track ''is'' flat. (A T junction is also not a curve, so the track is considered flat and straight no matter what direction the cart is traveling.)

Similar effects can be achieved when there are ''no'' "downhill" exits to a ramp. This may be the case if you have, for example, an East-West track with a one-tile channel with a ramp in it. The cart will travel through the "dip" with no change in velocity. It can also be the case if you abuse the [[#Track Direction Irrelevance|Track Direction Irrelevance]], and set only exits ''up'' the ramp, and none leading ''down'' the ramp. For example, if a cart is traveling from West to East up a slope, only carving East exits on each tile of ramp will make the cart travel up the ramp, and then recognize the tile it is on as being a "flat" tile, thus ignoring any deceleration from traveling uphill.

Note that this effect only reliably occurs at below-derail speeds as the cart will treat the ramp as an invitation for a ramp jump otherwise. (This almost always results in a collision with a wall that will stop forward progress.)

=== Falling ===
When falling, a minecart appears to cause no damage upon collision, possibly to allow cart "stacking" across Z-levels.{{cite devlog|2012|04|06}} A dwarf riding in a minecart that is dropped multiple z-levels suffers normal fall damage. Minecarts can fall through up/down stairs.

While airborne, carts do not feel the effects of friction in any horizontal direction, and will continue until they strike an obstacle. Carts that land on tracks instantly re-rail themselves regardless of track directionality.

Falling carts accelerate similarly to the way that a ramp will accelerate a cart in a special z-only velocity that only applies to airborne carts. (Actually, acceleration due to gravity in freefall seems curiously slightly ''slower'' than ramp acceleration.) Ramp acceleration, while it logically should be partially z-directional, is only recorded as x- or y-directional, and there is no translation of z-directional velocity upon landing. Landing carts zero out their vertical velocity upon landing, even when landing on ramps, although carts that had horizontal momentum while falling preserve it.

This means a cart falling (from a hatch, thus with no horizontal speed) onto a track ramp is accelerated as if starting from the middle of the ramp - i.e. to the same speed, no matter how many Z-levels it was dropped, vertical velocity is negated. {{cite forum|144328/5701211}}

Carts falling onto a floor can, however, cause damage to creatures ''one tile below the floor''. This can be used in an [[exploit]] called a "thumper", where carts are caused to repeatedly fall on a floor above an entrance to the fort, inflicting significant damage (as though it were a collision) on those below the cart.

=== Cart Jumps ===
Carts that cross off of "up" ramps relative to their current direction of travel, which do not have a ceiling above them, are traveling above derail speed, and do not have valid ramp track before them can translate a portion of their horizontal velocity into vertical velocity, causing a cart to be projected into the air until vertical velocity is negated and overcome by the gravitational acceleration. Because downwards acceleration is applied per-tick, this creates a reasonable facsimile of the parabolic motion of an actual object rolled up a ramp and launched with significant speed.

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z0 z0 hiding ramps z+1 A z+1 B (hidden ramp)
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
═▲▲▲▲▲══▲▒▲═ ═╚╚╚╚╚═══▒══ ▼▼▼▼▼ ▼═▼ ▼▼▼▼▼ ▼╚▼
▒ : Wall
═ : track
▲ : Ramp
}}
In this diagram, if there is no ceiling above it, the track in z+1 A will launch its carts airborne when they travel across the ramp. z+1 B (with a ramp on the tile on the hill) will not launch the cart. The cart would also not be launched with ''any'' valid ramp, even if it does not travel in an appropriate direction, such as North/South (which the cart will ignore, as it is not a curve, anyway, although it may produce acceleration that may cause diagonal movement.)

Carts that are traveling at derail velocity will also start "jumping" from the track if it hits an un-tracked tile, flying over and ignoring any tracks until it is ready to land. Carts that land upon tracked tiles re-rail themselves, and clever designers use this feature to jump over curved track sections in one direction or another. (Retracting bridges over untracked tiles can cause jumps or not cause jumps depending upon the status of the bridge.) Minecart speed must be carefully regulated to ensure reliability of jump length.

Hitting untracked tiles at around 70k velocity creates a vertical component to acceleration that allows for jumps of around 6 (horizontal) tiles that do not actually leave the z-level the cart is on, but which do apply z-direction velocity on the cart, as per falling.

Carts that approach a downward slope at a high enough velocity will also make a jump, (or rather, ignore the ramp and fly forwards) but will not do so if the [[#Checkpoint Effect|Checkpoint Effect]] is exploited through an impulse ramp before the actual downhill as the impulse ramp "tricks" the cart into thinking it has already started going downhill. The cart will also not fly off the ramp if there is a wall and ceiling preventing any motion but going down the ramp.

=== Skipping ===
If a minecart is moving fast enough, it can skip over [[water]] or [[magma]], making splashes of [[mist]] (or [[magma mist]]) as it attempts to move on them horizontally. This horizontal movement is independent of the minecart and its content's [[weight]].

Skipping causes significant friction on the cart, and even a cart going at max speed from ramps can only make about 50 tiles without requiring re-acceleration. (Carts that decelerate enough that they do not trigger the skipping effect will, of course, sink.)

=== Corner Ramp Derail ===

Corners on upward ramps can cause diagonal movement, forcing a derail even if the cart has a wall next to it, which will force a stop when it touches a wall that forces dwarves to manually reset the cart.

This is caused by the fact that a cart, after turning the bend in the track halfway through the length of the tile, will still "accelerate down", which is now perpendicular to the movement of the cart, causing acceleration to occur in two directions. (Down corner ramps do not have this problem, as when they pass the halfway point, all perpendicular motion is added to forward motion, and after that curve, all downward acceleration is in the forward direction.)

There are two fixes to this problem. One is to simply not put corners on up ramps. The other is to "cancel" the lateral speed after a cart has passed the ramp, either by sending the cart through another corner or by putting a high-friction track stop on the exit tile. In the latter case, the cart will lose 10000 speed in the desired direction, but the same speed loss will apply to the undesired lateral speed, nullifying it.

=== Checkpoint Effect ===
The checkpoint effect, [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=144328.0 explained in depth by Larix], is an odd and highly exploitable feature of ramps where minecarts "teleport" through the next tile of track, ignoring nearly all minecart physics (except that they stop at all walls or other obstacles and only respect curves with no backing wall and invalid ramps if they are below derail speed) and passing through that tile in just a single tick, and into the next tile at the halfway point.

This effect occurs when a cart leaves a downward ramp for any other direction of tile. (This includes ramps which accelerate in different directions, even a ramp which goes from accelerating East to accelerating North due to a bend in a chain of standard down ramps in a curve.) This allows, for example, two valid straight ramps directly next to one another with a cart dropped onto one or the other with no momentum to have the cart pick up acceleration going "down" the ramp as normal, but then flying up through the "up" ramp it travels into with no loss of momentum, as though it had come from an impulse ramp. If the two ramps had at least one space of distance between them, and then a cart were dropped in, the cart would instead "rock" back and forth between the two ramps.

This seems to be because ramps have a slightly longer length than regular tiles - 144,000, rather than 100,000 distance. When this "snaps back" after a ramp, it seems to project the cart suddenly further along the track, making it jump a tile ahead even when otherwise moving at relatively low speeds.

This [[bug]] is the cause of a ''wide array'' of unexpected behavior among people who do not take this bug into account. It causes derailments or failure to climb up seemingly valid impulse elevators. In general, it makes a system that behaves extremely counter-intuitively, and operates ''any time a cart encounters a valid ramp''. At the same time, when its effect is accounted for, it is highly exploitable: It causes "perpetual motion devices" using no power when two opposing ramps are placed next to one another, since the "uphill" effect of the opposing ramp is ignored, preventing deceleration.

Another useful thing to note about this exploit is that carts traveling at no less than 72,000 or so speed (enough to travel half a ramp tile in a single tick) can travel through every tile in just one tick at no change in velocity as long as the tiles alternate between impulse ramp or actual down ramp and any other tile type. The cart checkpoints through the non-down-ramp tiles, and can pass through the (impulse) down ramp tiles in a single tick, before they can actually start gaining momentum.

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
═▲═▲═▲═▲═▲═ ═╚═╚═╚═╚═╚═
▒ : Wall
═ : Normal track
▲/╚ : N/E Track/Ramp
}}

If the cart enters from the West at less than 72,000 speed, some of those ramps will cause Eastward acceleration.

This means that an impulse ramp not contiguous to other impulse ramps has a top speed of around 75k:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒
▒╔═╗▒ ▒╔═╗▒
▒╚▲╝▒ ▒╚╗╝▒
▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒
}}
This setup makes a cart that travels clockwise at a speed that fluctuates around 75k velocity. If the cart has more than 72k velocity, it fails to accelerate in the ramp, as it leaves the ramp in a single turn due to checkpointing to the halfway point. After that, the curves sap 1k velocity, and every tick saps 10 velocity.

Two contiguous impulse ramps with a same-facing "downwards slope", however, do not suffer the checkpoint effect in the second tile, giving functionally triple the space to accelerate. This means it will add velocity (at the standard rate of 4.9k per tick) up to a maximum speed of 216k.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒╔══╗▒ ▒╔══╗▒
▒╚▲▲╝▒ ▒╚╗╗╝▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒
}}
This example results in a cart moving three times as fast as the previous cart.

Three successive ramps results in the highest attainable speeds.

In practical terms, this means that only consecutive ramps should be used for high acceleration, but singleton ramps can be used to have speeds that are somewhat regulated.

=== Stacking ===
If a minecart lands on top of another minecart, they may form a stack, with the upper cart on the z-level above the lower. Subsequent carts do not form a stack, but rather quantum stockpile in the same space. This behaviour is useful for [[megaprojects]] and [[trap design]] with minecarts as the weaponry. Moderation should still be exercised: carts take longer to fall into a "stacking" tile already occupied by other carts and will spend that time "hanging" in the air above the stack. This can lead to following carts striking them, which can cause all kinds of malfunctions. The extra time is two game steps for every cart already in the stack, which doesn't hurt stacks of ten carts very much but makes stacks of 100+ rather impractical.

These minecarts on the upper level generally need to be struck with another minecart to move out, or have their support removed. The latter option is safest done by shooting it away with another minecart, manual removal of a stack-supporting cart typically causes the next cart from the stack to [[fun|fall on top]] of the hauler.

=== Perfectly Elastic Collisions ===
Minecart collisions are perfectly elastic, meaning that not only do minecarts not take damage, but that two carts that are rolling which have frontal collisions of near-similar speed, and where one cart is no more than twice the mass of the other cart, will result in a billiard-ball-like effect of the lighter cart bouncing off the heavier cart with a proportional speed increase dependent upon the relative momentum behind the heavier cart.

Using this trick with carts already at the 270,000 maximum speed from ramps can result in "supersonic" carts traveling at speeds in the millions (travelling a dozen tiles per tick), but where they are suddenly subject to 10,000 units of "terminal velocity" friction per tick. [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=137557.0 Thread with SCIENCE here].

While hypothetically capable of launching a minecart into orbit when used in conjunction with a ramp, no cargo can be contained in the launched cart, as the collisions will force ejections of the cargo. Your "unwilling volunteer" [[goblin]] space pioneers will simply become paste underneath the wheels of an extreme high-speed cart.

== Non-standard uses ==
Minecarts include some interesting characteristics that have motivated uses beyond hauling. They can be useful for creating fully-automated [[exploit|quantum stockpiles]] and [[garbage disposal]]s. Storing perishable goods (meat, meals, etc.) inside a minecart appears to guard against rot and vermin.
Minecarts can be [[Trap_design#Minecarts|used as weapons]], or as (hopefully non-fatal) triggers to restart stalled [[healthcare]]. They can also be used to time/control game events, either using a basic [[repeater]] or much more advanced [[minecart logic]].
Minecarts trigger [[pressure plate]]s, which means a trap can be designed to trigger when a thief attempts to steal a minecart.
A pressure plate can be used as automatic and more precise custom "launch when full enough" system - as long as weight of your minecarts stays the same. You cannot build a hatch or roller on the same tile, so launch by bumping with another cart. {{cite forum|15096/4580050}}
Dwarves riding minecarts can attack enemies within reach (which goes back to dev log). This applies to shooting, and they actually can hit targets while riding by.{{cite forum|109460/5266119}} Whether a minecart protects the rider and how it interacts with dodging is not known yet. Minecart riders can also [[Swimming#Minecart_training|train swimming]] and [[Megaprojects#Surveillance_Track|detect ambushers]].

== Adventure mode ==
In addition to being used for hauling, minecarts can also be ridden in [[adventure mode]]. (Adapted from forum thread {{cite forum|122903/4258212}})

# If the minecart is in your inventory, drop it. If it is already on the ground, proceed to step 2.
# Press {{k|u}} when you are 1 tile away from the minecart (or standing on the same tile as the minecart).
# You will be presented with the following options:
[[File:minecart adventure mode menu.png|left]]
{{clear}}
* If you {{DFtext|Push}} the minecart, it will move a few tiles in the direction you chose. Physics comes into play here, so it will gain/lose speed depending on the usual factors.
* If you {{DFtext|Ride}} the minecart, you will hop into the minecart, even if you were a tile away, and it will move in the chosen direction with you in it. It will gain/lose speed depending on the usual factors. Whilst the minecart is in motion, you should press {{k|.}} to skip your turn; if you attempt to move whilst the minecart is still in motion, the laws of physics come into play, and you will take [[wound|damage]]. Alternatively, you can push the minecart whilst it's still in motion (although it's unclear how one can bend [[physics]] so as to push a moving minecart whilst inside the minecart). If you push it in the same direction you are already travelling in, you will greatly increase the minecart's velocity. You can also push it in different directions, and this will cause it to gradually change direction-the amount of pushes this requires depends on the minecart's velocity. Once the minecart has stopped moving, you may move out of it safely, or you may want to give it another push. Note that if you push a minecart right after having ridden it (still on the same tile as the minecart), it will act as though you chose to ''ride'' it.

If you want to test this out without creating an adventurer, the [[object testing arena]] allows you to spawn minecarts ({{k|k}}-{{k|c}}-{{k|n}})

== Forging and Melting ==
* Metal minecarts cost '''two''' [[metal]] bars to forge, or '''six''' [[adamantine]] wafers.
* When a non-adamantine metal minecart is melted down, it will return '''1.8''' metal bars, for an '''efficiency of 90%'''.
* When an adamantine minecart is melted down, it will produce '''1.8''' wafers, for an '''efficiency of 30%'''.

== See also ==
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=109460.0 The "How Does Minecart" Thread] by '''Girlinhat''' et al.
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112831.0 SCIENCE: Quantifying minecart physics] by '''Snaake''' et al.
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=129676.0 How to build a Multi-cart Ore to Magma Minecart Project without needing power] by '''WanderingKid'''.
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=144328.0 My very own Minecart Education Thread. Ten Lessons, now complete.] by '''Larix'''.

== Bugs ==
*A dwarf will drop her [[child|baby]], if she has one, when boarding a minecart set to be ridden.
*Dwarves have no concept of traffic safety and will walk into busy minecart lines to retrieve objects, often with deadly consequences. This is especially problematic in [[Swimming#Minecart_training|clever applications]] depending on dwarves riding the carts very frequently, because they have a bad habit of dumping their worn clothes on the tracks after a minecart ride. Adding an automatically-operated [[hatch cover]] at the end of such a ride can help prevent [[unfortunate accident]]s.
*Dwarves cannot guide a minecart through an unlocked door unless another dwarf opens the door.{{bug|6056}}
*It is possible for a creature and minecart moving towards each other to pass without collision if they exchange tiles in the same tick.
*After a minecart ride, a dwarf will sometimes haul the minecart to a storage stockpile, leaving another dwarf to haul the vehicle back to the route.
*Minecarts falling onto a floor injure creatures in the tile below the floor.{{bug|6068}}
*A minecart's initial velocity is not affected by weight, when pushed or launched from rollers.{{bug|6296}}
*Removing a stop that has a vehicle waiting on it may cause the game to crash.{{bug|5980}}

{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Interface}}

[[ru:Minecart]]

Lever

2016-01-19T12:11:38Z

Svick: /* Toggling Passages */ list formatting

{{Quality|Exceptional|18:31, 23 August 2014 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

A '''lever''' is a building constructed from one [[mechanism]] on an empty tile. It can be built with {{k|b}},{{k|T}},{{k|l}}. Once in place, it can be linked to one or more devices such as [[door]]s, [[bridge]]s or [[support]]s, permitting you to control these other devices remotely. Order the lever to be pulled through its {{k|q}} menu. A dwarf with the [[lever operation]] labor will get assigned the job of pulling the lever. This dwarf might be a long way away, and the delay in pulling the lever can result in [[Fun]]. Levers also make good furniture choices when constructed with high-quality mechanisms.

[[Pressure plate]]s are like levers, but are triggered by creatures or fluids directly rather than by giving an order to a dwarf. If levers are too much [[fun]], a pressure plate may be a better choice. There is more information on trap design [[trap design|here]].

==Activation of the devices==
When a lever is pulled, the connected device(s) activates. What happens during activation depends on the linked device:

* [[Door]]s and [[Hatch]]es open and close.
* [[Support]]s collapse, potentially causing a cave-in (pulling the lever again won't re-assemble the support, cave-in or not).
* [[Bridge]]s raise and lower, or retract and extend, depending on the type of bridge.
* [[Floodgate]]s open and close.
* [[Gear assembly|Gear assemblies]] toggle between engaged and disengaged (disengaged assemblies can't support other machinery).
* [[Restraint]]s release the creature assigned to them (leaving the restraint attached to the creature and, at present, unrecoverable).
* [[Cage]]s are deconstructed, releasing their occupants (needless to say, this is irreversible!)
* [[Spike]]s raise and lower.

Different objects take different amounts of time to respond to activation; generally this is only a brief pause but it can be enough for a charging [[goblin]] to cover more than a few tiles.

==Linking==
One [[mechanism]] is required to construct a lever, and then two more are required to '''link''' the lever with a device. The link is made by selecting the lever with {{k|q}}, choosing the type of object you want to link the lever to, and then using {{k|-}} and {{k|+}} to choose the particular object. The list is chronological by order of construction, most recently designated last, and the map will recenter on each object as you scroll through the list.

In addition, you can choose the building to link to with the cursor, moving via arrow keys and up/down. The interface will offer and highlight the nearest applicable building. This choice by cursor was introduced in DF 0.40 and is only available when linking to levers, not pressure plates.

The linkage interface will not give you the option to link buildings already linked to the trigger in question, or tasked to be linked. Buildings that are inaccessible from the lever or currently forbidden aren't offered, either. This allows limiting the choices offered to you by deliberately forbidding buildings you don't wish to link.

Once a building is picked, you can choose what specific mechanisms you want to use to connect the device to the lever. The quality of a mechanism affects the accuracy of traps, but not the speed of activation. The first mechanism you choose is for the device end, the second for the lever end. This is important when working with [[magma]].

A lever can be linked to any number of objects, and each object can have any number of levers controlling it.

There is no way to de-link an object without disassembling either object or lever. When using a lever for a single-use purpose (cages or supports), the mechanism in the lever will remain in the lever, but the object and its mechanism will deconstruct. In this manner, a single lever might accumulate many mechanisms. Deconstructing the lever will free all these mechanisms and allow their reuse - keep your permanent and one-time linkages to separate levers.

In contrast with [[pressure plate]]s, build order does not affect the timing of levers whatsoever. In any given tick, any levers will send their signals before any furniture receives those signals, so it as if levers are always considered to be built after the furniture they link to. In rare cases, it is possible for the order of arrival of the dwarf pulling the lever to affect the precise timing of lever-linked devices, as when using a hatch to drop a dwarf-- if the falling dwarf arrived later than the lever pulling dwarf, the dropping dwarf will take an extra tick to fall.

==On/Off vs Open/Close==
Levers normally have an "on" and an "off" state, seen as whether the small tag at the top of the lever is to the left ("off" state) or the right ("on" state). Upon being pulled, the state of the lever changes, and everything they're connected to updates to the ''corresponding'' state of that lever, and does not just ''change'' states ("toggle"). This becomes important if you have several levers attached to the same device, or one trigger attached to several systems.
:Example: 2 levers (both in "off" position) are connected to a drawbridge. After pulling the first lever, the bridge will lift. Pulling the second lever tells the bridge to "open", which it already has done - no visible effect. When it is pulled a second time it will let the bridge down. This in turn requires the ''first'' lever (still in "open/lift" position) to be pulled twice to trigger a change (lift again), and so on.

"On" and "off" state is fixed and dependent on the lever, not the object that lever is linked to:

* "dash to the right" ( '''ó''' ) is '''on'''
* "dash to the left" ( '''ò''' ) is '''off'''

Note, however, that gear assemblies are ''the sole exception'' to this: Instead of On/Off triggers, they indeed '''do''' toggle.

Several devices, such as [[floodgate]]s and [[bridge]]s, have a delayed response to all incoming signals, and will not respond to subsequent signals until the first has taken effect. For instance, if you pull a lever attached to a floodgate on then off in rapid succession, the floodgate will only respond to the first signal, independent of the position the lever rests in eventually.

In the unusual case that a device receives both an on and an off trigger in exactly the same tick, the device will change states-- an open device will close, and a closed device will open.

==On/Off states==
Objects that can be controlled by levers include:

===== Multiple Uses =====

A "step" is not a step that a dwarf makes, and not based on [[Frames per second|FPS]]. It's one "step" that the game advances. When paused (via {{k|spacebar}} ), you can manually advance the game "1 step" by hitting the period ( {{k|.}} ) key.

* [[Bridge]] – Activates 100 steps after being triggered (see [[#Bugs|bug]] below)
** '''On:''' Turns the bridge into either a raised drawbridge, or a retracted bridge, depending on which option was chosen when the bridge was constructed.
** '''Off:''' Returns the bridge to normal.

* [[Door]] – Activates instantly. Note that once you connect a door, it is either completely open or sealed shut. There is no "''closed, but can be opened by a dwarf''" state anymore.
** '''On:''' Opens the door.
** '''Off:''' Closes the door.

* [[Floodgate]] – Activates 100 steps after being triggered.
** '''On:''' Opens the floodgate.
** '''Off:''' Closes the floodgate.

* [[Floor hatch]] – Activates instantly. Note that, like doors, once you connect a hatch, it is either completely open or sealed shut.
** '''On:''' Opens the hatch.
** '''Off:''' Closes the hatch.

* [[Grate]] – Activates 100 steps after being triggered. When it is open, it just disappears. Liquids go through it just the same, but it will no longer function as a floor/wall (depending on its orientation).
** '''On:''' Opens the grate.
** '''Off:''' Closes the grate.

* [[Bars]] – Activates 100 steps after being triggered. When it is open, it just disappears. Liquids go through it just the same, but it will no longer function as a floor/wall (depending on its orientation).
** '''On:''' Opens the bars.
** '''Off:''' Closes the bars.

* [[Trap|Upright Spear/Spikes]] – Activates 40 steps after being triggered.
** '''On:''' Retracts spears/spikes.
** '''Off:''' Extends spears/spikes.

* [[Gear assembly]] – Activates instantly. When it is disengaged, no power goes through it and anything that is being kept up by its presence (like a [[windmill]] right on top of it) falls down.
** '''On:''' Toggles gear state.
** '''Off:''' Toggles gear state.

* [[Minecart|Track stop]] – Activates 40 steps after being triggered. When disabled, trackstops behave like the track (or floor) underneath them, and minecarts occupying the tile will not auto-dump or experience friction.
** '''On:''' Disables the track stop.
** '''Off:''' Enables the track stop.

===== One-Shot =====

These items, when activated, deconstruct, and/or cannot be triggered again until re-linked.

* [[Cage]] – Deconstructs the cage and releases all of its contents. The cage and its attached mechanism will be left on the floor nearby; you recover the [[mechanism]] used on the cage but you do not recover the mechanism used in the lever until you deconstruct the lever itself.
* [[Restraint]] – Deconstructs the [[Restraint|chain/rope]] and releases whatever creature it held. The restraint's mechanism will be left on the floor nearby, and the restraint itself will remain attached to the creature's neck; again, you recover the [[mechanism]] used on the restraint but you do not recover the mechanism used in the lever until deconstructing the lever itself.
* [[Support]] – Deconstructs the support, ideally without a dwarf next to it. Most commonly used to cause controlled [[cave-in]]s. The support's building material and its attached mechanism can both be recovered (unless they happen to get destroyed in said cave-in).

==Labeling==
There is no built-in indication of what a lever does, and pulling them to see what will happen can be immensely [[fun]]. Using the [[note]] function is the most foolproof way of labeling levers; color-coding of levers can give some indication too.

However, it is possible to ascertain whether or not a building has been linked to a lever by finding the building under {{k|R}} "View Rooms/Buildings" and then selecting {{k|t}} "Zoom to building items". A device that is actuated by a lever not only lists the components of the building but will also include a mechanism item. Viewing the lever itself this way will display one mechanism for each building the lever is linked to (plus one mechanism from the construction of the lever itself).

There is way to ascertain which lever is linked to what, but it becomes very hard when you have many linkable items. Find the lever, use "q" and then select "add new task". Try for every linkable thing in your fortress, to link the lever to it. If an object isn't available for linking, that's because it is already linked. Though this method isn't very usable to find the single linked item in all of them, it is useful when you forgot whether the left or the right lever was linked to the support.

Finally, the utility [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]] provides a new GUI command "gui/mechanisms" (bound to {{k|ctrl}}-{{k|m}} by default) which allows you to list and navigate mechanical connections from inside the game itself. This is by far the easiest and least tedious method to review your levers.

==Toggling Passages==

Since all activatable devices apart from gear assemblies have predefined "on" and "off" states, you cannot directly link a lever to two doors in such a way that a single lever flip opens one and closes the other. You can, however, make use of the differences between different linkable devices:

* while doors and floodgates prevent passage when "off" and allow passage when "on", a bridge prevents passage by raising or retracting upon receiving an "on" signal and returns to its passable state when "off".
* hatches, floor bars and floor grates can be placed over a channelled-out tile creating a gap in a passage. When closed (switched "off"), those structures now provide a path across the gap, but block passage when switched "on" and opening. Hatches, like doors, react immediately to signals, which makes them particularly useful for this purpose.

So, to "switch" between paths with a single lever, you could connect functionally different devices to it, e.g. a floodgate in one passage and a raising bridge in another. Whenever the lever is switched now, it will send the necessary signals to open one path and at the same time close the other.

If you want to "toggle" two buildings which follow the same switching rules, you will probably need to build a [[Computing|Logic device]] to do the job.

==Bugs==

* Linked devices that were prevented from operating on a previous trigger may engage immediately on the next trigger.

{{buildings}}

Soldier

2016-01-18T14:59:59Z

Svick: /* Soldiers and Civilians */ rm stray ,

{{Quality|Exceptional|12:02, 18 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
{{Timelessness Notice}}

:''This article is about individual soldiers and their training; for information on [[squads|maneuvering]], [[scheduling]], or [[equipment|equipping]], your dwarves, see the respective pages. For a general overview, see [[Military]].

Your '''soldiers''' are the dwarves who make up each '''[[squad]]''' of your '''[[military]]'''. Turning your [[lye maker|useless civilians]] into hardened harbingers of death is one of the most important jobs in the fort. With all the [[forgotten beast|horrors]] [[megabeast|awaiting]] [[titan|you]], you'll need the toughest dwarves you can get.

==Soldiers and Civilians==
At any given moment, a dwarf is either a ''soldier'' or a ''civilian''. When on duty, a dwarf plays the role of a soldier. The dwarf's icon will be solid: {{Raw Tile|☻|#fff}} . When off duty, the dwarf is a [[skill|civilian]], with a hollow icon: {{Raw Tile|☺|#fff}} . Off duty is the default state; all your dwarves will start out this way.

A dwarf goes on duty when given an active [[squad#orders|order]], or when his [[scheduling|schedule]] requires him to follow a passive order. When going on duty, a dwarf will pick up any equipment needed to fill out his assigned uniform. If the dwarf's military title is "Recruit" (see Skills below), then the dwarf will think a bad [[thought]] about the draft when going on duty ''unless'' there is an active siege. Likewise, if a military dwarf goes off duty but has no civilian skills of Novice or higher (civilian title of "Peasant"), then the dwarf receives a bad thought about being relieved from duty (unless he was previously a Recruit).

On-duty soldiers will not follow any orders, alerts or schedules when they are in line of sight of an "enemy" creature, be it a [[goblin]], an [[alligator]], or even a [[hoary marmot]]. However, if facing enemy fighters or large threatening/freakish creatures such as werecreatures, they may turn right around and flee in a routed state labeled as "overcome by terror," and are extremely vulnerable to attack as their panic may prevent them from fighting back. Thrill seeking, quarrelsome and dutiful personality traits help dwarves avoid fleeing in terror, as does the [[Discipline]] skill. Conversely, undisciplined or insufficiently emotionally hardened soldiers may be "overwhelmed by horror" after witnessing one or more sapients die and become too horrified to fight or run, resulting in their swift demise if their comrades aren't swift in dispatching nearby enemies. This is also true for attacking forces: They may outright turn tail and refuse to fight when faced with large numbers of dwarves or militia that stand their ground, and may collapse in complete horror if they see several allies die (if they aren't already running hither and yon trying to avoid the same fate). On-duty soldiers don't take kindly to dwarves trying to assault them during tantrums and may seriously injure or, more likely, kill dwarves who try to beat them up. While off duty they will instead use whatever dodging skill they have to avoid the angry dwarf's fists, and turn them in to the [[fortress guard]].

Off-duty civilians behave in a similar manner. A civilian who spots a hostile creature will possibly panic in a similar manner to undisciplined or generally routed soldiers: He will stop working on whatever job he is performing, and will run often in some highly inappropriate direction - generally ''away'' from the perceived threat, but not necessarily ''toward'' safety. It doesn't matter if the "threat" is trapped behind a solid wall, three Z levels down, with no conceivable way to injure the dwarf - if a civilian can see it, he'll run from it, unless he has a "belligerent" personality (quarrelsome, dutiful, thrill seeking, or other similar traits) or some measure of discipline, in which case they may ''actually attack it'' or ignore it completely if they perceive it as nonthreatening, though line of sight may be a factor.

An off-duty dwarf who is a member of a squad will perform whatever civilian [[labor]]s are enabled. In addition, he may train in his [[barracks]], doing Individual Weapon Drills to keep his abilities semi-sharp, if his squad has an assigned barracks. (He will not participate in any group training, though.) Off-duty dwarves may continue to wear their military uniforms and it is advised to have them do so (this is the default behavior). Also, it's advised to make sure they have at least the bare minimums for a uniform if told to have it replace their civilian attire to avoid unhappiness from no shoes and being uncovered/shirtless: upper and lower body and shoes (for example, a mail shirt, trousers, and socks are perfectly fine while a mail shirt and trousers by themselves are not.) This is due to some dwarves being even less bright than usual and stripping off whatever isn't acceptable to use for their uniform.

==Weapons and skills==

Dwarves will train with whatever [[weapon]]s they carry, which may vary from dwarf to dwarf depending on what you've explicitly issued or their uniform requires; otherwise, they will [[wrestling|wrestle]] if not told to use a weapon in their uniforms or equipment in general. All dwarves can wear armor and wield a shield along with their weapon(s) if they use any, in which case the shield may end up their weapon along with their fist and feet. Occasionally, dwarves may become "attached to" their weapons and shields, and can even name either or both. Whether this is true for pieces of armor is unknown.

===Skills===
When reaching Novice skill with a weapon (or wrestling), a dwarf will turn from a Recruit to a specialized soldier, e.g., a [[sword]]-using Recruit would become a Swordsdwarf. When reaching the level of Great or higher in a weapon skill, he will become a Hero, or ''elite'' soldier (e.g. a Swordsdwarf becomes a Swordmaster.)

Dwarves can specialize in any of the following weapon skills. Not all of these skills are easily trained however: Some weapons, like pikes and whips, are 'foreign' and cannot be manufactured by dwarves normally and are generally lack quality modifiers, and bowdwarves require a steady stream of ammo from human and elven caravans as well as weapons purchased from the same or looted from invaders.
* [[Axedwarf]]
* [[Hammerdwarf]]
* [[Macedwarf]]
* [[Marksdwarf]]
* [[Speardwarf]]
* [[Swordsdwarf]]
* [[Wrestler]]
* [[Combat skill|Pikedwarf]]
* [[Combat skill|Lasher]]
* [[Combat skill|Knife User]]
* [[Combat skill|Blowgunner]]
* [[Combat skill|Bowdwarf]]

Other military skills cannot be specialized in, but are also important:
* [[Armor user]]
* [[Dodger]]
* [[Fighter]]
* [[Kicker]]
* [[Shield user]]
* [[Striker]]
* [[Archer]]

Yet more civilian skills are important for a soldier to have in order to learn (or teach) better during demonstrations.
* [[Concentration]]
* [[Leader]]
* [[Observer]]
* [[Student]]
* [[Teacher]]
* [[DF2014:Discipline|Discipline]]

The [[miner]] skill is unique in that although Dwarf Fortress does not technically consider it a weapon skill, it is the primary skill used by military dwarves wielding a pick against meaty goblinite rather than rock or dirt. Dwarves without any other military specialization skill, but with skill in miner, will still be named and considered "Recruit" and act as such. The same appears to be true for knife users and possibly lashers.

==Soldier professions==

Every [[weapon]] has an associated skill. Soldiers will have professions according to what weapon they are most skilled at using, as long as they are at least a novice rank in one. Thus a soldier whose highest weapon skill is with a [[spear]] will be known as a Speardwarf, even if the soldier has been reassigned to train with an [[axe]] instead, and when told to use their choice of melee weapon they will choose the weapon they already have skill with more often than not, or barring that, whatever is the most valuable weapon available. For example, they'll be more apt to choose a silver battle axe over a copper mace if they have skill with swords but none are available, simply because the axe is more valuable than the mace.

=== [[Axeman|Axedwarves]] ===

Axedwarves, thought by some to be the only true dwarven soldiers, specialize in the slash [[damage type]], also known as the fine art of severing limbs.

=== [[Hammerman|Hammerdwarves]] ===

Hammerdwarves, the other true dwarven soldiers, specialize in blunt damage, which breaks the bones of the enemy and may propel the enemy a short or large distance, causing extra damage if they are bashed into a wall, though this happens much less frequently than in earlier versions.

Human Hammermen often use a two-handed maul instead of a war hammer. More powerful, mauls focus on breaking bones rather than mangling limbs, though that does also happen on the occasion. They have a greater chance to knock back an opponent than a mace, but this comes at the cost of speed; this is often exacerbated by them often using a shield as well, further reducing their attack speed. Also should someone be knocked back into an obstacle, they'll take extra damage.

=== [[Maceman|Macedwarves]] ===

Macedwarves, like hammerdwarves, use blunt weapons that are suited to fighting plate-armored opponents. If you plan to use the dwarves as marksdwarves it may be better to use hammers instead, as the hammer skill determines the effectiveness of crossbows used in melee.

=== [[Spearman|Speardwarves]] ===

Speardwarves specialize in edged damage, and will puncture an enemy's organs quickly and critically once in range. The spear doesn't hit as hard as an axe, but it has a higher chance of piercing organs and chipping bones (rather than fracture or totally shatter them like a hammer or mace will), making it a better choice against large, living creatures like demons or dragons. These dwarves are your monster killers; they specialize mainly in killing unarmored targets but are still extremely deadly against armored targets since they can pierce armor somewhat reliably and puncture the organs under that breastplate if they have the better material spear or get lucky. While your other dwarves disable the enemy, the speardwarves will finish them off quickly. Definitely have a squad of them in your military. 

=== [[Swordsman|Swordsdwarves]] ===

A Jack-of-All-Trades weapon, Swordsdwarves deal edged damage. Swords can cut off limbs, like an axe, but are also reasonably good at hitting internal organs, like a spear. They are useful for a general-purpose squad or a stormtrooper squad of sorts. 

=== [[Marksman|Marksdwarves]] ===

Marksdwarves, the only ranged soldiers dwarves can train without external resources or modding, are armed with [[crossbow]]s and deal edge damage from afar. A [[bolt]] does a fine job at destroying the internal organs of a creature while also doing some damage to outside parts. This is of limited use against creatures without organs, such as [[bronze colossus]]es or creatures made out of non-solid materials, such as [[magma man|magma men]]. Occasionally a bolt will get stuck in a target. These bolts may later be retrieved from the corpse to be melted down or possibly reused. They also may be grabbed by a [[wrestling]] dwarf, who may twist the bolt it in the [[wound]]. 

Many players use marksdwarves as a first line of defense, sticking them in towers or bunkers behind fortifications to slow or injure enemies so that melee dwarves can take them out easier, though enemy ranged troops can potentially kill or cripple them if they aren't distracted. Others may simply send their melee troops in while marksdwarves provide support fire after the fight is already underway, which has a nice side effect of keeping enemy archers from picking your own off (as they're focused on the closer melee dorfs). Don't rely on them too much either way though; it takes a while for them to kill most enemies unless they score a lucky hit to the head or throat. Such hits generally cause instant death, nervous tissue damage, or rapid exsanguination. However, against certain monsters, these dwarves may be your only means of combat without (or at least with significantly reduced) risk.

A Marksdwarf who is forced into melee will use the [[combat skill#Weapon skills|hammer skill]] to bash enemies with their crossbow, so you may consider crosstraining them as hammerdwarves. However marksdwarves in such situations tend to be slaughtered rather quickly. It should be noted dwarves can use crossbows one handed, and so may be issued a shield if you desire to do so. It is recommended you give them wooden or leather shields so that they can attack - or flee - much quicker while still being able to block attacks more readily.

Immigrating [[Trapper|Trappers]], [[Hunter]]s, and other [[Ranger]]s often arrive with some training in the Marksdwarf skill, usually between novice and skilled.

=== [[Wrestler|Wrestlers]] ===

Wrestlers focus on tying the opponent into knots, choking them, gouging eyes, and breaking limbs. Creatures tied up in [[wrestling]] will do nothing else and remain immobile, either fighting the attacker or trying to break free. They are perfect targets for a marksdwarf to pick off at a range or an armed dwarf to carve into bite-sized pieces or bludgeon into paste. Wrestling is often used in extremely close combat regardless of what weapon a dwarf is holding, so it can be useful even for a dwarf with a weapon equipped. Wrestlers are much weaker than any other soldier type, but forcing powerful opponents to wrestle can exhaust them and make them easy prey for other soldiers. It should be noted that with the introduction of pulping, elite wrestlers are once again a force to be reckoned with, as their punches and kicks can crush an adult human's chest with as little as one strike with stronger individuals.

Wrestler skill will be improved somewhat even while practicing with a weapon.

=== Recruits ===

Any dwarf without at least one of the above skills at [[skill|Novice]] level or higher will be classified as a recruit. If you keep recruits off active duty, they will train at their selected weapon until they reach Novice skill, at which point they will turn into one of the above weaponsdwarves. Miners and knife users will be treated as recruits regardless so it may be worthwhile to have a pick- or dagger-armed militia train to at least novice wrestler skill.

==Heroes==
[[Image:Champions.png|thumb|left|Melee goblins are no match for a champion Axedwarf.]]

Once soldiers reach ''Great'' [[skill]] level ''(the 11th level)'' in any weapon, they will become '''heroes''', will be called Lord/Master/Elite and have a different color shade. Heroes can be removed from duty regardless of skill level unlike in past versions and can be kept on active duty indefinitely, since they love training and combat and will no longer complain about long patrol duty.

Note that non-weapon skills like shield user, fighter, or armor user ''do not'' make dwarf a hero.

:'''Exception:''' If a dwarf gains Great skill (or above) in a weapons skill while a civilian (usually as a [[Hunter]]), they will not become a Hero, not even when activated ''as'' military. To become a Hero, some experience over the limit must be gained ''while'' activated as a soldier. Weapon skills can only be improved as a civilian while [[Hunting]], very slowly through off duty drills, or on the chance occasion that a civilian dwarf is forced or decides to attack an enemy rather than flee. If the dwarf is then activated as military and gains any experience in a weapon that is at rank 11 or better, the dwarf becomes a Hero as usual.

==Champion==

The '''[[champion]]''' is a noble position appointed by the [[Baron]] (that is, you can appoint it, but you can't do so without a baron or greater [[noble]] being present). A champion has no special room requirements, but may make a single demand eventually. As the title of champion is bestowed by appointment rather than merit, you may want to have your best [[teacher]] be the champion and conduct weapon demonstrations to boost the morale of training soldiers while your toughest killers go out and fight [[goblin]]s.

==Training==

Once you've drafted some dwarves, you should start training them. Dwarves will perform 'Individual Training' when they have no [[squads|active order]] or [[scheduling]] to follow. They will spar, or observe/teach combat demonstrations when they are following the 'Train' schedule order. Dwarves will train with whatever weapon they carry. [[Marksdwarf|Marksdwarves]] require an archery target to train, as well as bolts (assigned in the military/ammunition window). If this is not available, they will simply do combat demonstrations in the barracks; if you do not assign them a barracks, they will simply stand in your meeting areas with the job "Soldier (cannot follow orders)".

Squads train in their assigned [[barracks]]. To assign a squad, build a bed or storage building (i.e. weapon rack) and turn it into a room, then use the secondary up/down selector to pick your squad and press {{k|t}} to tell the squad to train there. You may wish to build your barracks outside to avoid [[cave adaptation]].

===Duty roster===
Dwarves will get a bad [[thought]] if left on patrol duty too long. When [[scheduling]] your squads, make sure they have some down-time, such as training.

===Rations===

You can assign what squad carries how much or little food and alcohol through the military screen's '''supplies tab'''. Make sure your dwarves have access to [[flask]]s, [[waterskin]]s and [[backpack]]s. Carrying rations will not prevent your dwarves from going off duty to eat or drink, but it will reduce the amount of time they are off duty. The downside of assigning food to soldiers is that they will likely drop it in their barracks if they rotate out to inactive, where it will rot and produce miasma{{bug|3471}}. [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]]'s ''cleanowned'' command can solve this problem.

==See also==
* [[Weapon]]s
* [[Armor]]

{{Translation
| dwarven = ezar
| elvish = ethare
| goblin = oxo
| human = tath
}}

{{Military}}
{{Category|Dwarves}}
{{Category|Military}}

Farming

2016-01-17T11:22:51Z

Svick: /* Yield and Fertilization */ added margin to table

{{Quality|Masterwork|23:04, 8 April 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
[[Image:Df-crops-diagram.png|thumb|200px|General farming flowchart.]]

'''Farming''' is the act of growing [[crop|crops]] for [[food]], [[alcohol]] production and [[cloth]] manufacturing. While small forts can easily be sustained by plant gathering, [[hunting]] and trading, farming is vital to large settlements.

Farming is done at a '''farm plot''' building ({{k|b}}-{{k|p}}, resize with {{k|u}}{{k|m}}{{k|k}}{{k|h}}). Building uses no resources, and can only be done on soil or muddied rock. Mud-free stone will not allow the building of a farm plot on top. The "Farming (Fields)" [[labor]] must be enabled. Farm plots only display the kind of crops that they are able to grow when selected with the {{k|q}}uery key.

Depending on where the farm plot is constructed, different crops may be planted. Farm plots built [[above ground]] are not suitable for the crops grown on [[Tile_attributes | subterranean]] farm plots and vice versa. Note that the attributes {{DFtext|Inside|6:0:0}}, {{DFtext|Outside|3:0:1}} are of no relevance. You can grow surface plants indoors by channelling out the roof above the desired plot and then constructing a floor ({{k|b}}-{{k|C}}-{{k|f}}) over the open space. Doing this changes the tile from {{DFtext|Dark|0:0:1}} to {{DFtext|Light|6:0:1}}, despite there being a roof (you do '''not''' need to make the roof out of [[glass]] for this to work).

Note that although you can construct a farm plot anywhere there is either a soil floor or a mud covering, this does not always mean seeds can be planted there. Certain biomes will not allow planting certain seeds, and some biomes will prevent the planting of '''all''' above-ground crops.

The yellow warning message, {{DFtext|No mud/soil for farm, Mud is left by water|6:0:1}}, is displayed on all above-ground tiles, regardless of whether the farm will function.{{version|0.34.11}} This warning may be ignored. Tiles that actually lack mud or soil are excluded from the construction entirely with a red warning message (either {{DFtext|Blocked|4:0:1}} or {{DFtext|Needs soil or mud|4:0:1}}).

See the article on [[crop]]s for details on the conditions needed to grow the available plants.

== Introduction to Farming ==

First, build a farm plot "building" ({{k|b}}-{{k|p}}, resize with {{k|u}}{{k|m}}{{k|k}}{{k|h}}) on [[soil]] or [[irrigation|muddy]] rock. Keep your farms ''small'' -- 2x2 up to 4x4 or so. Farms are surprisingly productive. You can always make more farms later if you run low on plants, and having several small farms lets you diversify your crops. (Each farm plot can only grow one kind of plant per season.)

Once the farm plot has been built, you must select which crops to grow. Press {{k|q}} and move the cursor over the farm. You will see a list of crops you can select to grow in the current season. You can change which season is displayed by pressing {{k|a}},{{k|b}},{{k|c}}, or {{k|d}}. Move the blue selector up and down with {{k|-}} and {{k|+}}, and press {{k|Enter}} to choose a crop to plant during that season (highlighted in white). Crops displayed in red cannot be grown at the moment, either due to a lack of seeds, or a lack of growing days left before the crop goes out of season.

You must have the appropriate [[seed]]s to plant a crop on a plot. To easily see how many of each seed you have, you can go to the Kitchen menu ({{k|z}} {{k|right}} {{k|Enter}}).

Since your dwarves require food, booze and clothing, you should set up a combination of plants that will supply all of these. [[Plump helmet]]s are a good beginning crop for a first cave farm, and [[Strawberry|strawberries]] are a good choice for outdoor fields -- both can be eaten raw, or brewed. [[Pig tail]]s produce cloth, which will become important once your clothing starts to [[wear]]. Check the [[crop]]s page for details on different seeds.

Cooking plants destroys their seeds, so you should disable the cooking of plants in the Kitchen menu. Eating them, brewing them, or processing them through a farmer's workshop, quern or millstone will produce seeds.

Instructing a plot to remain fallow ({{k|z}}) during a particular season will tell dwarves not to plant in that plot during that season. Note that, unlike in real life, crop rotation is not necessary; soil productivity is only affected by fertilizing, and the same crop may be grown indefinitely without a decrease in performance, even without fertilizer.

=== Yield and Fertilization ===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin: 1em"
! Farm Size !! Potash !! Per Square
|-
| 1 || 1 || 1.000
|-
| 2 || 1 || 0.500
|-
| 3 || 1 || 0.333
|-
| 4 || 2 || 0.500
|-
| 5 || 2 || 0.400
|-
| 6 || 2 || 0.333
|-
| 7 || 2 || 0.286
|-
| 8 || 3 || 0.375
|-
| 11 || 3 || 0.272
|-
| 15 || 4 || 0.266
|-
| 19 || 5 || 0.263
|-
| 23 || 6 || 0.260
|-
| 27 || 7 || 0.259
|}
Each farm tile requires a single seed to be planted. Unfertilized farm tiles can produce a stack of 0-6 plants when harvested, depending upon the skill of the planter and random chance. Experimentally, fertilizing a farm plot boosts production by 1-3 additional plants per stack each harvest, though the exact mechanism is unknown. For unskilled planters, yield can be effectively doubled with the use of fertilizer. This can be particularly important early on, when your fortress's seed supply is limited, because those extra plants mean more seeds for planting next season. Many crops, like quarry bushes, are impossible to farm effectively in the beginning without fertilizer.

To fertilize a farm plot, one needs [[potash]], which is produced by processing [[ash]]. Each plot must be re-fertilized each season, and the fertilizer must be in place at the time the seeds reach maturity. It does not matter whether the plot is fertilized at the time of planting. {{cite forum|139382/5375231}}

Fertilizing a farm plot requires ''floor(plot_size / 4) + 1'' potash. The table on the right illustrates the efficiency of potash as a function of plot size. Generally, larger farms use less, approaching a limit of 1/4 bar per square. The worst yields per tile are multiples of 4; if one plants to optimize harvest yield, it's most efficient to have plots of size ''4n - 1'', where n is the number of potash used. Suitable sizes are 1x3, 1x7, 3x5, 3x9, 5x7, and 7x9. If one plans to optimize farmer experience, plots of size 2 or 4 can fertilized and seeded quickest, and experience can be distributed among more farmers. This ensures that if a bounty of crop is needed in the future, your farmers can yield more without potash, can plant and harvest quicker, and will have more time for other jobs in between.

Fertilizer may be applied to a plot by pressing {{k|f}} while viewing the plot. Only dwarves with the Farming (Fields) labor will apply fertilizer; this grants 30 XP of farming experience for each unit of potash used. Pressing {{k|s}} toggles seasonal fertilization. This does nothing until the next [[season]], at which time the plot will be automatically fertilized. Note that if you do not have a potash stockpile near your farm plots, your legendary farmers may spend all of their time hauling single bars of potash from all the way on the other side of your fortress, rather than growing food.

'''Potash Production Chain:'''
Wood [[Stockpile]] > Wood [[Furnace]] produces [[Ash]] (as [[bars]]) > [[Ashery]] produces [[potash]] (as [[bars]]).
Note: 5 bars are stored in a [[bin]]. An [[Ashery]] requires a [[block]], barrel, and bucket as components.

=== Subterranean Farming ===

To grow the six "dwarven" plants, you will need an underground farm plot. The seeds and spawn available to your dwarves at embark will only grow underground. Underground farm plots must be placed on soil or [[mud]]dy stone.

Muddying a stone floor requires temporarily covering it with water; common methods include a [[Irrigation#via_Buckets|bucket brigade]] or '''controlled''' [[flood]]ing (see: [[Irrigation]]) by temporarily diverting a river or pool, using a [[floodgate]] or [[door]] to stop the flow. You may also find a muddied area in a [[cavern]], but note that each tile underneath the farm plot must be muddied. Most caverns have entire open areas which will be permanently covered in mud, but if you dig into the walls of a cavern or chisel away a pillar, the freshly cut floor area will not be muddied until you get it wet. Underground caverns are dirty, and frequently contain [[Mud|piles of mud]] that are perfect for quickly setting up farms. However, given the wide variety of creatures found in caverns, you may want to take precautions. Consider keeping a [[squad]] close at hand to guard the farm, or walling off a muddied area for your dwarves' exclusive use.

Underground farming is not restricted to soil layers and caverns; underground floor of any material -- rough stone, smoothed stone, ore, gem -- can support subterranean farm plots once there is a layer of mud covering it. See [[irrigation]] for tips on getting the right amount of water to the farm plots.

=== Above Ground Farming ===
Farming of above ground crops is only possible on tiles that lie in a biome supporting their growth. Those are "land" biomes excluding the notoriously cold [[Glacier]] and [[Tundra]], but also all [[Mountain]] [[biome]]s. [[Ocean]] biomes are also excluded, since they are not "land". The biomes where above ground farming is possible are internally referred to as NOT_FREEZING, but that label is somewhat misleading, since it's a [[Biome token|shorthand]] for a group of specific biomes and doesn't imply anything about the actual temperature - mountains and oceans are generally infertile, no matter what temperature range the embark screen lists, and a [[Taiga]] with "freezing" temperatures allows farming above ground plants.

Above ground farming is basically the same as underground farming, with the simplifying distinction that above ground plots typically do not require preparatory work. However, there are some complications.

The first complication is that seeds cannot be chosen at embark, as dwarven civilizations do not have access to those sort of plants. They can be bought from [[Elves|elven]] and [[human]] caravans; above-ground plants can be gathered using the [[Plant gathering]] designation, and then [[brewer|brewed]], [[miller|milled]], [[thresher|threshed]] or [[food|eaten]] directly (depending on the plant) to produce seeds.

The second complication is that the farming must be done on [[soil]] or muddied rock, which is [[above ground]]. Typically, it is done on the surface, which is dangerous (due to aggressive animals, ambushes and sieges). However, any land which has ever been exposed to sunlight becomes permanently marked as "above ground". So, if you have multiple Z-layers of soil, you can channel some above-ground land, remove the resulting ramps, then construct a floor above, where the surface once was. The (now inside and protected) lower soil will still be suitable for farming outdoor plants like [[strawberry|strawberries]], [[longland grass]], [[rope reed]], and anything else you may find. If your soil is not thick enough, you may still get a secure above ground farm by doing the same with any stone and muddying it. Alternatively, you may build a greenhouse by [[wall]]ing around some soil.

Some crops require a particular environment to grow. On an embark which crosses multiple biomes, it's not unusual for aboveground farms in different biomes to have different lists of available crops. Whether this varies only with temperature or also with other climate factors is not yet known.

Note that when creating an above ground plot, the interface may incorrectly display "No mud/soil for farm", even though mud is present. {{bug|249}} The message can be ignored.

== Farm plots in action ==

Once a farm plot has been built and crops have been selected for the current season, dwarves with the [[growing]] labor enabled will begin planting the selected seeds. One seed is used per tile. The higher a Dwarf's grower skill in planting, the more plants will be harvested from each seed planted. The farming labor is fairly low in priority, so if you want a full-time farmer, it is best to disable all other labors.

Plants take time to grow, depending on their type. Once a plant is fully grown, a dwarf will harvest it. By default, any dwarf will do this. Harvesting plants is not affected by any skill, although it provides a small amount of grower experience. So it's a good idea to set only your planters to harvest, not anyone. To do that, set option "Only Farmers Harvest" {{k|o}}{{k|h}}. This is useful only to train your planter faster; once they're skilled enough, everyone can be allowed to harvest again so the haulers can take care of half the farming work.

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In the farm plot shown on the right, {{Tile|≈|6:0}} indicates tiles awaiting planting, {{Tile|═|6:0}} indicates tiles that have been planted and are now growing, and {{Tile|τ|6:1}} indicates [[longland grass]] plants that are ready for harvesting.

If harvested plants are not moved to a stockpile in time, they will wither. These plants will eventually [[rot]] away. There's no use for withered plants. If, when the seasons change, the previous crop can not grow anymore, all immature plants will be destroyed yielding neither seed nor plant. If the farmers are "aware" of this limitation, they will automatically stop planting crops that haven't enough time to ripen, but you might lose a few seeds in your first year when growers of insufficient skill plant seeds too close to the cutoff.

Depending on the number of growers and their experience and the rate at which the plant grows, not all squares of large plots may be used.

Any farm plot that has both Above Ground and Subterranean tile attributes within the plot will only be partially planted, if at all. Verify using {{k|k}} over each square of the plot and remake as needed to follow the proper attributes.

== Management ==

Create a custom [[stockpile]] near your [[farm]] which only accepts [[seed]]s. This will consolidate your seeds into one place, instead of having them littered all through the [[dining room]]. As a single barrel can hold up to 10 seed [[bag]]s (each of which can hold 100 seeds of a specific type), and there is a maximum of 200 seeds of each type in the whole fortress, this stockpile need only be three or four tiles. (For DF2014 the theoretical maximum is 31 tiles for 200 seeds of each of 155 crops, but the actual maximum needed is much less because no fort will be situated in the right place to grow all of those. Four tiles gives enough space for 20 different crops.) Unfortunately, due to an outstanding bug, consolidating your seeds will increase the amount of planting job cancellation spam; see the [[#Bugs|Bugs]] section below for workarounds.

It may also be a good idea to set aside a few seeds from each type of crop and [[forbid]] them, as a seed bank in case of [[fun|fun times]].

You can also create a custom stockpile that will only accept [[plant]]s, to avoid having it all mixed up with your [[meat]] and [[drink]]s. It would be a good idea to have this stockpile near your [[still]], [[farmer's workshop]], [[kitchen]], etc. If you suffer from plump helmet overflow, create a plump-helmet-only stockpile, forbid plump helmets from all other food stockpiles, and let the crops in the field die if they can't be picked. It is worth noting that withering crops in the field do not produce miasma.

Use the [[stocks]] menu, and go to the Kitchen tab. From here you can see how many of each kind of food you have. If you're running out of a certain kind of seed, toggle the corresponding plant "Cook" setting to red. [[Cooking]] plants doesn't leave a seed. If you have too many of a certain kind of seed, or of plump helmet, as noted above, toggle the seed "Cook" setting to blue. Just make sure you check on the stocks and toggle it back before you run out, or use the seed bank idea above.

===Managing Seeds===
[[Seed]]s are used to grow [[crop]]s. You may begin the game with a certain number of seeds, [[trade]] for them, or [[plant gathering|gather]] them. In addition to this, eating, [[milling]] and [[brewing]] plants often yield a seed (assuming your fortress hasn't hit the seed cap for that plant). [[Cooking]] plants does not yield seeds, and cooking seeds makes them unusable for planting, so you may want to watch out and make sure you don't convert the last of your plants into +strawberry roast+ without the ability to make more.

You can create a custom [[stockpile]] near your [[farm]] which will only accept [[seed]]s. This will consolidate your seeds into one place, instead of having them littered all through the [[dining room]]. Seeds are stored in [[bag]]s (up to 100 seeds per bag), and seed bags can be stored in barrels. It is recommended not to use barrels on seeds stockpiles, however, since the hauling habits of the current version lead to barrels getting carted around to collect each and every loose seed, interrupting the planting work.

Each plant has a seed cap set at 200 (this value can be adjusted in [[d_init.txt]]). [[Brewing]], [[milling]], and [[food|eating]] raw plants will not generate additional seeds once the cap is reached, although you may still get additional seed bags via [[trading]] and thus exceed this limit. Once the count of seeds falls below 200, new seeds will again be generated.

There is also a fortress-wide total seed cap, initially set at 3000 (also configurable in [[d_init.txt]]). Once your fortress reaches this cap new seeds will still be generated, but the oldest seeds on the map will disappear. Unfortunately, this cap counts all seeds on the map, including those carried by traders {{bug|8108}}, and removes old seeds even if they have already been planted {{bug|8107}}. Finally, because the two caps behave differently, they can cause undesirable behavior when both are in operation {{bug|8091}}.

Seeds may be toggled for [[cooking]] on the Kitchen tab of the [[stocks]] menu. Disabling seed cooking will keep your seeds safe from starving dwarves. Although the item properties label them as EDIBLE_RAW, [[quarry bush|rock nuts]], like all other seeds, are ''not'' consumed as-is.

===Managing Crops===
When your [[crop]]s are ripe, your dwarves will harvest them from the farm plots. This will yield one or more [[stack]]s of [[plant]]s, which will be [[hauling|hauled]] to the appropriate [[stockpile]]. It is generally a good idea to have sufficient [[barrel]]s to hold the food, as [[food]] is subject to [[wear|withering]] and the predation of [[vermin]]. [[Metal]] barrels are especially effective against vermin.

You can create a custom stockpile that will only accept [[plant]]s, to avoid having it all mixed up with your [[meat]] and [[drink]]s. It would be a good idea to have this stockpile near your [[still]], [[farmer's workshop]], [[kitchen]], etc. You may also choose to make more specialized stockpiles, for instance if your [[windmill]] is located far away from your farms, you might have small nearby stockpiles dedicated solely to millable plants and [[flour]] so as to save on hauling.

The Kitchen tab on the [[stocks]] menu allows you to control which crops, if any, your dwarves will use as ingredients when cooking. Be careful when you are cultivating new crops or running low on others, and make sure you don't cook the last of them instead of recovering the valuable seeds. Note that experienced [[farmer]]s and crop [[fertilize|fertilization]] significantly increase the return on planted seeds, and can be quite useful when attempting to build your seed stockpile.

==Bugs==

* "Store item in container" jobs block access to items already in the container. This causes stored seeds to become unavailable, spamming job cancellations. {{bug|9004}}
** Workaround #1: set your seed stockpile to only take from links ({{k|a}}). When seed supplies run low, toggle it back to "anywhere" temporarily to gather up all the loose seeds.
** Workaround #2: disable barrels ({{k|E}}) in the seed stockpile. This means making the stockpile larger, as only one seed bag will be stored per tile. However, at 100 seeds per bag and with the 200 seed cap per seed type (cf. [[seed]]), this still only amounts to 12 tiles for a full underground-crop seed stockpile, assuming each seed type is only stored in 2 bags. Haulers will still lock a whole bag to gather individual seeds, but this is better than locking a whole barrel full of seed bags.
** Workaround #3: create two custom [[stockpile]]s which only accept [[seed]]s. Disable barrels in the first stockpile, and set it to give to the second stockpile. Set the second to only take from links.
** Workaround #4: disable seeds in all stockpiles and recruit a few extra farmers. No hauled seeds means no planting job cancellation spam.

* Fortress-wide seed cap counts seeds carried by traders {{bug|8108}}
* Fortress-wide seed cap removes seeds that have already been planted {{bug|8107}}
* Conflict between seed caps can cause all seeds for a crop to disappear {{bug|8091}}

{{Farming FAQ}}

== See also ==
* [[Irrigation]]
* [[Tile attributes]]
* [[Crops]]
* [[How large a farm do i need|How large a farm do I need?]]

{{Category|Buildings}}
{{Industry}}

Squad

2016-01-17T00:58:54Z

Svick: /* Orders */ fixed heading levels

{{Quality|Exceptional|18:32, 23 August 2014 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

A '''squad''' is a group of [[military]] dwarves who share the same [[scheduling|schedule]] and active military orders. Squads are a fundamental part of your fortress' military — they are the units who carry out all the orders you give them. Your ability to manage these iron-blooded dwarves could spell the difference between a healthy fort's life and death.

For quick reference: from the main menu the '''military''' screen is accessible through the {{k|m}} key and the '''squads''' screen is accessible through the {{k|s}} key. The military screen and all its tabs are mouse-compatible, and can be navigated through mouse clicks rather than strictly keys (when in windowed mode).

For a simple, ''very'' basic, unarmed/unarmoured "How to attack a creature", see [[attack]].

==Forming Squads==

Before you can do anything with your military you may want to go into the [[noble]]s screen ({{k|n}}) and designate a '''[[militia commander]]'''. Your fortress can only have one militia commander, who acts as the commander-in-chief of all squads. The militia commander also serves as the leader of your first squad.

Each squad after the first will have its own [[captain]], who reports to the militia commander. Squad captains can be designated through the nobles screen, or by creating a new squad on the {{k|m}}ilitary screen and then assigning a dwarf to the first position of that squad.

When you have designated a commander or captain, going to the military screen will show that dwarf under the "Squads/Leaders" heading and you'll notice an option to create a new squad. You can also create a new squad before you designate your militia commander; the first dwarf you choose will automatically be assigned that position.

When you create a squad, you will be asked what uniform to give them. The game creates three uniforms by default; if you aren't sure what to use, or if you want to customize their uniform, choose ''No uniform''. (See [[#Equipping Soldiers|Equipping Soldiers]], below, for details.)

Once the first squad has been created, you can then fill out the squad with any military-capable dwarves in your fort. No more than ten dwarves can be assigned to any one squad. When you add a dwarf to one squad they will be removed from another; for this reason you will always see the majority of your dwarves in the rightmost pane. Dwarves that are already in a military squad will have the name of that squad in the uppermost box, allowing you to skip them over if necessary.

==Equipping Soldiers==

In the military screen, press {{k|n}} to open the '''uniforms''' tab. Each listing under the 'Uniforms' header is essentially a pre-designed set of equipment that you can quickly apply to any individual soldier or entire squad, much like a template. You can create new uniforms if you want, and add or remove items from any uniform (even the standard ones). Uniforms are only ''created'' or ''modified'' in this tab, not applied.

While still in the military screen, press {{k|e}} to open the '''equipment''' tab. The default sub-tab, {{k|V}}iew/Customize, will be open. We'll come back to that in a moment. To apply one of your uniform templates, press {{k|U}} to open the Assign Uniforms sub-tab. Make sure the squad you want is highlighted under Squads/Leaders and then move the selector to the Position Uniform header. Pressing {{k|enter}} will apply the selected uniform to the individual dwarf of your choosing, and {{k|shift}}+{{k|enter}} will apply the selected uniform to the entire squad. If you edit a uniform after this, you will need to reapply the uniform for the dwarves to recognize the changes.

In the {{k|V}}iew/Customize sub-tab, you can select individual dwarves (technically squad positions) and apply individual pieces of equipment to them - {{k|A}}rmor, {{k|L}}eggings, {{k|H}}elms, {{k|G}}loves, {{k|B}}oots, {{k|S}}hields, and {{k|W}}eapons. You can also specify {{k|M}}aterial and {{k|C}}olor depending on the piece of equipment highlighted. Finally, there are two settings that can be toggled for each dwarf: ''Ove{{k|r}} clothing'' and ''Partial {{k|m}}atches''. These are both on (highlighted) by default. ''Over clothing'' means the dwarf will do his best to wear his uniform in addition to his civilian [[clothing]]; if toggled, it becomes ''Replace clothing'', and the dwarf will strip naked before donning his military gear. ''Partial matches'' means that if a dwarf cannot satisfy an equipment assignment, he'll substitute something close; if toggled to ''Exact matches'', he'll go without rather than making do with a substitute.

To select a specific piece of equipment (such as an artifact), select 'specific _____' under that equipment type (e.g. 'specific armor' in the Armor field); for your convenience, highest-quality equipment is listed first.

You have the option to wear equipment over clothing or to replace clothing using the {{k|r}} key on the equipment screen. Wearing armor over clothing can cause problems as some civilian clothing (caps, gloves, and shoes) will conflict with their military counterparts (helms, gauntlets, and boots). Even though the '''equipment''' tab will show that these items have been assigned to a solider they will not actually wear them. To avoid this use the ''Replace clothing'' option. As armor counts as clothing, dwarves will not get bad thoughts if only wearing armor.

For ranged soldiers, open the '''ammunition''' tab ({{k|f}}) to assign [[ammunition]] to your dwarves. If you chose the ''Archer'' uniform when you created the squad, then the game has already assigned 250 bolts to this squad. Otherwise, you must assign them some ammo (Important: The assigned amount of ammunition refers to the total amount which is carried by the whole squad--you'll generally want about 30 bolts per soldier). If you don't care what type of bolts they use, just pick "bolts" and they will use any bolts they can find. Also note that [[quiver]]s must be available for marksdwarves to equip bolts/arrows. They are not assigned under the '''equipment''' tab and are automatically retrieved by dwarves that require them.

If you want them to train at an [[archery target]], you may want to assign lower-quality [[wood]] or [[bone]] bolts for training use. While this prevents your dwarves from wasting high-quality bolts, it can cause problems when training or combat bolts become "stuck" in inventory{{bug|4530}}. By default, both training and combat use are allowed for all assigned ammunition; use {{k|C}} and {{k|T}} to toggle these settings. If the letter is present next to the ammunition the use is turned on.

Soldiers who have more than one item to put on will not use distance to determine which of the remaining items will be equipped next. Therefore it is best to keep all dwarf-usable equipment within a small area, ideally near your [[barracks]].

The {{k|m}}ilitary-{{k|e}}quipment screen can also be used to ''see'' what equipment has been assigned, without changing it. A green checkmark will appear next to each equipment that has successfully been assigned to a dwarf (which doesn't necessarily mean the dwarf has actually picked it up yet). For example, if your 9th and 10th squad members don't have a checkmark next to their gauntlets, then you may want to make some more. Pressing {{k|P}} lets you see ''precisely'' what items the dwarf has been assigned.

Dwarves do not share weapons and armor even if in the same squad and even if the equipment is currently unused by another squadmate who is off duty. This means, for example, that you cannot have one set of armor for a squad of four dwarves who share guard duty one at a time. When one dwarf is relieved from duty, he may take off his armor (if set to wear civilian clothes) but the new dwarf going on duty will not then pick it up and wear it. Each dwarf in a squad needs his own uniform.

===Changing Equipment===
Let's suppose you started with the ''Leather armor '' uniform and then smithed some metal armor, and now you want to change your squads to the metal armor. From the military screen {{k|m}}, access the '''equipment''' view {{k|e}}. Then open the uniforms sub-view {{k|U}} which will show the standard Leather, Metal, and Archer uniforms on the right (if you haven't deleted them). To change a full squad, select the squad on the left, then select the uniform (metal) on the right, and hit {{k|shift}}-{{k|enter}} (if you only hit {{k|enter}} it will only apply the change to the lone selected squad member). Just hope you have enough metal armor and that Urist goes and picks it up!

Dwarves will not always pick up their military equipment immediately. An off-duty dwarf will sometimes prefer to perform one of his civilian jobs rather than putting on armor. Giving squads an [[#Orders|order]] will put them on duty and force them to gather their equipment with a bit more hustle.

===Equipping Bone and Shell Armor===
One peculiarity for equipping [[bone]] and [[shell]] armor is that, for the purposes of the '''equipment''' and '''uniforms''' tabs, bone and shell are white. Further, they are not explicitly listed in the {{k|M}}aterial of the {{k|V}}iew/Customize sub-tab. A workaround for this problem is that bone and shell are the only materials that are white colored and can be used to make armor by default. So, to add bone or shell armor items to a preset uniform template, you need to add a specific type of armor (a helm, for instance) with the modifiers of {{k|C}}olour "white (dye)" (thus, a "white helm"). This workaround is ONLY effective if you also have no unique artifact armor made out of a white metal (such as an Aluminum Breastplate, Platinum Helm, or Silver Low Boot). It also requires that the armor template be for "Exact matches" (not "Partial matches") using the {{k|m}} in the Uniforms tab.

===Equipping Leather Shields===
[[Leather]] is not a selectable material in the uniform screen. However, its uniformly brown colour means that you can order dwarves to use only brown-coloured [[shield]]s and be reasonably confident that they will choose only leather shields. Leather and wood are quite similar as shield materials, but if your leatherworkers make better shields than your carpenters you may want to use their products instead. [[Highwood]] shields are also an option with this uniform setting, and will be chosen if their value is appropriately high.

==Orders==

Getting your military to actually ''do'' something is the second step. Squads receive '''passive orders''' through [[scheduling]], and you can give '''direct orders''' to '''attack''' one or more specific targets or to '''move''' to a specific location at will through the {{k|s}}quads menu.

Passive orders are programming that a squad will follow in the absence of direct orders. Passive orders are typically used for training and defense, while direct orders are used for taking the fight to the enemy. The ''squads'' menu is predominantly used for direct orders, and the ''Alerts'' and ''Schedule'' tabs of the ''military'' menu are used for passive orders. This article will focus on active commands; for more information on passive orders, see [[scheduling]].

A squad that is following a direct command is free to go wherever it is ordered to go, unhindered by any [[burrow]] restrictions.

===Selecting Squads/Soldiers===

When needed, soldiers can be sent to do specific tasks to <strike>satiate the blood god</strike> defend your fortress. Once these orders have been canceled, your dwarves will return to their passive orders (if on duty), or their civilian lives (if off duty). Note, however, that your dwarves may continue to move towards their prior objective and mill about for some time afterwards. For this reason (and because canceling orders causes your dwarves to immediately drop any [[wear|worn-out]] clothing) it is best to order your dwarves back to a safe area '''before''' canceling their orders.

In the {{k|s}}quad menu, you can press {{k|a}}/{{k|b}}/{{k|c}}/etc to select the squad that will execute an order, or hold {{k|shift}} to select multiple at once. You may press {{k|p}} if you want to toggle between having an individual dwarf or the squad perform the order.

If a squad is off duty when you give them an order, they will switch to on-duty status before carrying out the order. This may mean they need to pick up new equipment before they will carry out their orders.

There are two types of active orders that can be given to your dwarves: a move order or an attack order.

===Nobles in Squads ===
Here's a link to the DF forum, with some not always correct speculation on if you should put any nobles in the military:
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=113639.msg3467517#msg3467517

===Move Order===

From the {{k|s}}quad menu, a '''move order''' (also known as a ''Station'' order) is issued by selecting a squad, pressing {{k|m}}, choosing an area, and pressing {{k|enter}}.

Each dwarf in the squad will select a random (reachable) point within 3 tiles of the spot you specify, and will move directly to that point. He will stand there until you cancel the order, or until he is overcome by [[hunger]], [[thirst]], or [[exhaustion]].

On-duty soldiers will pursue and attack any hostile targets they see, either en route to their station point, or after arriving. Hostile targets may include certain wild animals that are deemed dangerous. If the dwarf loses sight of the enemy, he will return to his chosen station point.

===Attack Order===

The '''attack order''', sometimes referenced to as the '''kill command''', instructs your squad to pursue and attack one or more specific targets. It is a very unsubtle way of beating into your dwarves' booze-addled minds that they are to kill your target or be killed in the attempt. A kill order can be used to chase a kobold thief or goblin snatcher who is running away with your precious loot, or it may very well be your last command to your dwarves if things are getting desperate.

After selecting which squad will execute the kill order, press {{k|k}} to Attack. You now have several options: you can move the cursor to what you want to attack and press {{k|enter}}, press {{k|l}}ist and select what you want to attack from a list, or {{k|r}}ectangle to select an area of things you want dead. Upon pressing {{k|enter}} your dwarves will happily run off to execute the order by executing the target.

Each dwarf in the squad will attempt to move toward the target until he is within striking distance. Ranged attackers will not do anything clever like climbing up to the top of your archery tower. If you want them to fire from a specific position, use a move order instead. If they're already somewhere they can fire from safely, one can also cut off access to the intended targets and THEN issue a kill order. If they're stationed in an archery tower and ordered to kill something they can path to, they might charge the enemy even if they have a clear shot from their current position.

This order will remain after the intended victim is killed (fixed in some of 34.* - in 34.11 they will cancel order when target is terminated), leaving your squad standing over the corpse of their slain enemy waiting for new orders. Similar behavior will emerge if the intended target is caught in a [[trap|cage trap]]; when the caged target is hauled to the animal stockpile, the dwarves given the orders to kill it will follow the cage as it is hauled and wait around it once it is stockpiled until the kill order is canceled.

Dwarves go about this with a little more vigor than required and will also attack any other creatures nearby. As a result it is very difficult to attack members of an enemy group with any sort of precision, and if your dwarves cannot take down their target there is no real way to get them out of combat; it's do-or-die. It is unknown whether this is a bug or a feature {{version|0.34.07}}.

===Cancelling Orders===

Pressing the {{k|o}} key in the {{k|s}}quad screen will '''cancel''' the selected dwarves' active orders, sending them back to their civilian or pre-scheduled military lives. It appears that this does not always work properly; as a result, your over-eager dwarves may get themselves into some trouble. Take caution when sending them deep into unfamiliar territory.

==Order Scheduling==

''Full article: [[Scheduling]]''

From the squad menu you can cycle through any alerts you have defined quite quickly by pressing {{k|t}}. This will set the order schedule for the entire squad even if you only have a single dwarf selected.

To edit an existing order schedule or create a new one you need to visit the military schedule screen. This can be done directly from the squad menu by pressing {{k|s}} or alternatively you can back out of the squad menu and use {{k|m}}-{{k|s}} to get to the schedule page from the military screen. The details of setting up an order schedule are described on the [[scheduling]] page.

==Bugs==
* When selecting new dwarves to place in a squad the cursor always returns to the first available dwarf instead of remaining where it is.
* Dwarves handle equipment conflicts poorly, often resulting in an ill-equipped military.{{bug|535}}
* Military dwarves may constantly perform "pickup equipment" jobs {{Bug|2687}}
* Military equipment interferes with civilian equipment (picks/axes/crossbows/quivers).{{bug|1451}}
* Training or Combat bolts become stuck in inventory, preventing acquisition of combat or training bolts respectively.{{bug|4530}}

==Troubleshooting==
Getting dwarves to collect and wear their assigned equipment can be a challenge. Here are some known issues:

*Dwarves take forever to pick up their assigned equipment
**Issuing a "station" order near your equipment dump should motivate dwarves to collect their equipment before reporting for duty. If they are still not fully equipped then check the problems listed below.

*Some types of civilian clothing conflict with armor (caps and shoes are common culprits).
**Toggle "Replace clothing" to force dwarves to wear the assigned armor. (You can toggle it back after they are equipped and your dwarves will add back any non-conflicting clothing.)

*Dwarves don't equip hands and/or feet completely.
**Remove duplicate assignments. A single "Metal footwear" entry will assign a *pair* of boots; dwarves with two entries are assigned two *pair*, which cause conflicts and prevent the second pair from being equipped by another dwarf.

*Dwarves drop their assigned equipment.
**Make sure they are ordered to wear their uniform when inactive, and disable all mining, hunting, and woodcutting labors (these labors conflict with military uniforms).

*Dwarves keep complaining of "equipment mismatch".
**This is an "informative" message that doesn't generally indicate a problem; ignore it.

*Dwarves have tattered clothing equipped.
**Assigned clothing will generally not be swapped for new replacements, leading to stress. Remove clothing from the dwarf's uniform, and optionally toggle "over clothing" to allow the dwarf to collect, wear, and replace civilian clothing automatically.

*Dwarves don't pick up bolts.
**Make sure you have enough quivers and bolts. Hunters are assigned 100 bolts by default, which remain reserved whether you have any hunters or not. There have been unconfirmed reports that bolts stored in bins may also be problematic.

*Dwarves have the wrong bolts stuck in inventory.
**Using separate bolts for combat and training does not currently work due to a [[#Bugs|bug]]. Assign one type of bolt for both.

{{Military}}

Thief

2016-01-13T16:32:21Z

Svick: fixed link

{{Quality|Superior|00:23, 18 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

In Fortress mode, a '''thief''' is a disgusting dishonorable creature that can skulk around the map unseen until detected. When a thief is detected, the game pauses with an identifying [[announcement]] and moves the game view to include the threat (This can be modified in init/announcements.txt).

''(A full [[military]] response is both complex and slow. If you are unfamiliar with the military and simply want to send your nearest dwarves after a thief, see [[Attack]].)

There are two types of intelligent thieves: '''[[kobold]] thieves''' and '''[[goblin]] snatchers'''.

Both kinds will usually come in small groups of about 1 to 4 individuals. They try to escape once detected and only fight when cornered. With the much larger detection ranges of DF 2014, thieves are often found out fairly early. Consequently, they rarely succeed in stealing anything and almost never get caught. They can lurk around the map for quite some time and wait for their opportunity, even when they are already inside your fortress. They may arrive more or less simultaneously with sieges or ambushes, distraction and general turmoil working in their favor. Guarding any entrance with [[restraint|guard animals]] is a wise countermeasure. A successful theft of item or child will be announced once the thief leaves the map.

Spotting the thief is half the battle, but catching and killing them is not always easy. A thief can typically outrun an [[armor]]ed recruit and usually has enough of a headstart that even a trained military dwarf will rarely be able to catch up. (Thieves can't outrun crossbow bolts, though.)

Thieves not only steal your fort's own objects, but any loose item lying around. They will e.g. pick through and filch items left behind by [[siege]]s.

Beware that if thieves successfully steal enough items from your fort, their civilization will (if it has the [SKULKING] [[entity token]]) become bold enough to send their military to ambush your dwarves. Thus, it is important to neutralize any thieves early.

==Kobold thieves==
'''Kobold thieves''' can start appearing quite early (first year) and will sneak right past all of your [[trap]]s, only triggering them if they are injured during their escape attempt and happen to fall unconscious on one. Their ability to sneak into your fortress is not to be underestimated; locked doors do not slow them down, although doors that are linked to a lever (and are closed) will. They may be detected when they move into vision range (about fifteen tiles) of a [[dwarf]] or tame [[animal]]. Armed with only a large dagger, they offer little threat to anyone should they get caught - an armed dwarf or dog should be able to take them down, but extreme bad luck is always a possibility in any [[combat]] situation. They try to get hold of valuable objects, which can lead them into the heart of your fort. Especially when the fort is in lockdown, they may also pilfer any [[goblinite|items]] left outside.

:The announcement for a kobold thief is...
::{{Gametext|Thief! Protect the hoard from skulking filth!|4:1}}
:...and the game will zoom to a section of your fortress with a small grey "'''k'''" visible - that's your intruder.

==Goblin snatchers==
Unlike kobolds, '''Goblin snatchers''' happily run into any kind of trap. They aren't after your trade goods; they're after your [[child]]ren. They are detected the same way kobolds are, plus cage traps trigger the announcement. They should be approached with a little bit more caution, but any average soldier should take them down unharmed. A normal thief will carry a large copper dagger, but a master thief is known to carry an iron one. When they get their hands on one of your beloved(?) children, they will stuff them in a bag they carry with them for that purpose. The child is considered part of the snatcher's inventory -- in particular, if the goblin is caught in a cage trap, the child will be caught with him but will not be displayed as occupant of the cage. Since the event of a child being stuffed into a bag produces no notification, either, one can easily fail to realise the predicament of the child, which if left in this condition for too long, may go insane or die from hunger or thirst.
Should the kidnapper escape the map while carrying an abducted child, you will be notified that "a kidnapper has made off with <childname>!".
The child is permanently removed from the fort and its parents and other [[relationship|relatives]] should get the "sad at being separated from a loved one" [[thought|unhappy thought]] as a result.

:The announcement for a goblin child-snatcher is...
::{{Gametext|Snatcher! Protect the children!|4:1}}
:...and the game will zoom to a section of your fortress with a small grey "'''g'''" - if you use {{k|v}} or {{k|u}}, these will be listed as "goblin ''thief''" but they're cut from the same stuff and should be terminated with equally extreme prejudice.

:If caged by a trap, the zooming may only reveal a flashing "{{Tile|‼|0:6:0}}".

==Other==
Certain [[Steals items|"playful"]] [[creatures]] will also try to steal items from your hoard, if left open to more general traffic. These include [[raccoon]]s, which tend to be solitary, groups of [[kea]]s (which are frustrating to face because of their ability to fly), [[rhesus macaque]]s and [[mandrill]]s (which aren't just playful, but downright dangerous) and finally the most threatening animal thief, the dreaded [[giant kea]]. In addition, [[Steals food|hungry]] and [[Steals drink|thirsty]] critters will try to eat your [[food]] and drink your [[alcohol|booze]] respectively, if they can get to it. None of these animals has any special ability to avoid standard traps or bypass locked doors.

{{Translation
| dwarven = gakit
| elvish = urithi
| goblin = snang
| human = sewat
}}

{{Military}}

{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Professions}}