Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

40d Talk:Bridge

2009-09-04T11:49:59Z

Zxcvmnb: /* Bridges and wagons? */ removed own edit as problem due to hostile creatures, not bridge.

==Fluids vs bridges==
Does a raised bridge prevent the flow of fluids? Guess I'll experiment and see if I can answer my own question. [[User:Yvain|Yvain]] 21:21, 29 February 2008 (EST)
:Yes. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 04:55, 1 March 2008 (EST)

==picture: south-raising drawbridge==
Here's a picture of a bridge that raises South, to clear up any confusion over which direction bridges raise. [[User:Basilisk|Basilisk]] 18:03, 27 March 2008 (EDT)
{{qd|cols=8
|╔|═|╗|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}
|║|+|║|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}
|║|+|║|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}
|║|+|║|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}
|╚|═|╝|.|╞|═|╡|.
|.|.|.|.|.|.|.|.}}

== Items... ==

When a creature is crushed by a bridge, what happens to the items they had?--[[User:Lordmick134|Lordmick134]]

:When the bridge lowers, it completely ans permanently destroys anything it crashes on. So, there will be absolutely nothing under bridge, when it raises back.--[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 03:29, 4 April 2008 (EDT)

::Not true! I had trapped a goblin inside a room with a bridge in it, and set the lever connected to the bridge to be repeatedly pulled. The goblin was stunned at most.--[[User:CrazyMcfobo|CrazyMcfobo]] 09:37, 16 April 2008 (EDT)

:::The goblin was likely ''flung'' from the bridge after stepping onto the extended bridge which then raised with the goblin still on it. Crushing is definitely an irrevocable and utter destruction. --[[User:JT|JT]] 16:30, 20 April 2008 (EDT)

== Channeling ==

Checked the [[channel]]ing article, nothing there, either. I have a bridge that raises to the right to form a wall, part of my outer defensive perimeter. I was digging a channel around the fortification wall and wanted to channel under the bridge. I raised the bridge ... I cannot channel. It never creates the flashy 'this is gonna be channeled' designation anywhere where the bridge could lay over. I can channel any where else. I can also remove the bridge, channel what I want, and replace the bridge just fine. What gives? Is this a known bug? --[[User:Geofferic|Geofferic]] 02:35, 29 May 2008 (EDT)

:As far as I know you can't dig on constructions. When the bridge is raised it is still considered to be constructed there. (or something like that) I had the same problem with some retracting bridges. To fix it I just removed the bridges and dug the channels, and then rebuilt them. --[[User:Lotus|Lotus]] 10:13 (CST) June 11, 2008

::This is particularly applicable to the process of obsidian mass production. If you have a bridge-held reservoir at Z-level 1, and a magma reservoir at Z-level 0, you will have to destroy and rebuild (and re-mechanize) your bridges every time you make obsidian. To solve this problem, I re-routed my magma to Z-level -1, and left Z-level 0 as empty space. I also re-routed my access paths so that miners will arrive in Z-level 0 from the west side, (and channel East to West, one row at a time) and my stone haulers will arrive in the northeast corner, so they can start hauling stone as soon as it is channeled out. Although this took several false starts, it is now a highly efficient system. If I ever do it again, however, I will build MUCH bigger reservoirs... And way wider channels for the magma. It takes FOREVER to fill my magma buffer... Would pumping the magma fix this? --[[User:Wattj|wattj]] 17:26, 1 February 2009 (EST)
:::Probably. Pumped magma behaves differently, while the pump is on.--[[User:Zchris13|Zchris13]] 05:23, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

== Bridges as a temporary wall ==

I want to build a wall by pulling a lever, to block off a tunnel three squares wide.
It is a mine tunnel with no channel above it.

How long should the bridge be?

It looks like this:
<div style="font-family: monospace; white-space: pre; line-height: 126.5%"><nowiki>
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ò▒▒▒
.........╥.........
.........║.........
.........╨.........
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
</nowiki></div>

[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 05:12, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

Well, you have to be careful. Don't forget, by raising a bridge, you can potentially obliterate your dwarves in the process. So try not to make it too wide. --[[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 05:41, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

:My question is, if I make it too long will it smash into the roof or anything?[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 06:09, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

::As far as I know of, it won't smash into the roof. The only concern is that if the bridge is too long, a dwarf may get accidently crushed. --[[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 06:14, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

:::Buildings that span multiple/variable z-levels are, at the current time, not possible. So, just build a 1x3 bridge, set it to raise west or east, and you have a wall! A toggleable wall! --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 09:09, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

::::I'd suggest doing a 2x bridge, as you'll have to track down the lever anytime you're curious as to whether the bridge is up or down, as a 1x or x1 bridge looks the same raised or lowered when raised on it's short axis. (e.g. the bridge above would look the same raised or lowered.) --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 09:59, 18 June 2008 (EDT)

== Retractable/drawbridge ==

How can you specify which type of bridge you want to build? --[[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 05:45, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

:When you go to place a bridge, by default it retracts. If you press wadxs you change the direction it raises: w = north, a= west, d=east, x=south, s=retracts. I don't know how to set the direction it retracts though.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 06:12, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

::So if it retracts, it creates an impassable wall? -[[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 06:15, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

:::No, it disappears. If it raises, it creates an impassable wall, whose direction is the same as the raise direction. Try it out.
:::And, Garrie, it isn't possible to set retract direction since there is no such thing. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 09:09, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

::::Well I guess it doesn't really matter which way it retracts... although if a bridge is built outward from a cliff running east-west out to the chasm which is to the north then obviously the bridge retracts back to the edge it is anchored at (it can hardly retract back into mid-air...).[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 23:22, 6 June 2008 (EDT)

:::::Oh, really? --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 23:32, 6 June 2008 (EDT)

::::::well I guess applying common sense to DF might not be the best idea... but common sense would [bold]suggest [/bold] the bridge retracts back to where it was built from.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 00:03, 7 June 2008 (EDT)

:::::::We don't use BBcode here. I don't think that even is BBcode, but it is in that style. To make '''bold text''', type <code><nowiki>'''bold text'''</nowiki></code>.
:::::::And you're right that applying common sense to DF doesn't work. Even the least of peasants can carry thousands of pounds pebbles in a backpack. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 09:06, 7 June 2008 (EDT)
::::::::Actually, they carry thousand pound boulders in their hands. And cut it into blocks with their '''mind'''--[[User:Zchris13|Zchris13]] 05:24, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

== Bridge-on-bridge action ==

I've just added a note about retractable bridges being able to be built using existing bridges as support. However I'm currently unable to test what happens when an intermediary bridge is retracted or raised (I have no stone for mechanisms!). I'm assuming that any bridges relying on the retracted/raised bridge for support will collapse, but it should be tested (and noted), if someone else has the time and inclination! [[User:Raumkraut|Raumkraut]] 12:04, 14 June 2008 (EDT)

: I can confirm that when the first bridge is retracted the second one deconstructs. And also if you choose to do your testing using extreme cliffs and "accidently" make 6 of your 7 dwarves stand on the second bridge then they will die a horrible death after falling 18 stories. --[[User:Makuus|Makuus]] 16:54, 16 June 2008 (EDT)

::What if you raise both of the bridges at the same time? --[[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 05:48, 17 June 2008 (EDT)

:::The same thing happens, the second bridge deconstructs again --[[User:Makuus|Makuus]] 13:48, 22 June 2008 (EDT)
::::I attempted this quite some time ago, I think. I had something like ten bridges in a row built off a cliff, and retracted them all at once with one lever. All but the first one (which was connected to the cliff) shattered into stones instantly. --[[User:SL|SL]] 10:29, 23 July 2008 (EDT)

== lockdown system ==

in one of my old forts i had a setup so if the opponent got near my bridges a lever would be pulled and the opponents would fall into the lava with a godlike imp in it, it would use multiple bridges however and i would have to rebuild atleast 1, it was sort of like a tesselation of crosses

== Flying Bridge ==
Build stairs up. Build stairs down atop it. Build a retracting bridge extending into open air from the downstairs. Link the retracting bridge to a lever. Pull the lever to retract the bridge. Deconstruct the down stairs. Deconstruct the up stairs. Pull the lever. Remove the lever. Bridge flies. [[User:Rkyeun|Rkyeun]] 11:38, 18 July 2008 (EDT)
:Shame this can't be used to build eg. twisty retractable catwalks due to the above confirmations in Bridge-on-bridge action. :/ --[[User:Heron|Heron]] 09:46, 23 July 2008 (EDT)
::You could probably get something similar by just having occasional pillars sticking up, constructed by building towers of stairs, building a wall adjacent, then deconstructing the stairs. If you have each bridge anchored to one pillar, you ought to be able to get many retractable bridges in a sequence. --[[User:AlexChurchill|AlexChurchill]] 12:08, 23 July 2008 (EDT)
:::More testing. Retracted bridges never deconstruct. Make a chain as long as you like by keeping them all retracted until scaffolding is removed. Un-retracting bridges never deconstuct nor cause deconstruction. To make a path of multiple flying bridges build a scaffold for the first bridge, retract it, deconstruct the scaffold, build the second scaffold, retract that bridge, deconstruct that scaffold, and so forth. You can then unretract all bridges in any order and they'll all stay up. Retracting them again in any order caused them to fall. [[User:Rkyeun|Rkyeun]] 09:00, 2 September 2008 (EDT)

== Stockpiles under bridges ==

I tried to make a refuse stockpile with a drawbridge over top, and I couldn't place the stockpile where the bridge would lower onto. Can anyone else confirm this for the new version? [[User:Falcondude|Falcondude]] 11:05, 31 July 2008 (EDT)
:Yeah, that won't work. If you are trying to make a garbage compactor, make a ledge and designate a garbage dump with (i) that will drop the items where the bridge will close.[[User:Trevlyn13|Trevlyn13]]

::You don't need to make a ledge. Just retract the bridge (so you aren't dumping ontop of it) and make a garbage dump zone where the bridge will close. Voila --[[User:Sinergistic|Sinergistic]] 01:03, 21 January 2009 (EST)

== Drawbridge vs colossus ==

Yesterday a bronze colossus got trapped between my 2 moats, right under the drawbridge. It was too close to the catapults so that the operators wouldn't fire them, so I tried to crush it with the bridge.
My bridge broke instead.
(later I killed it by shooting hundreds of arrows)
If anyone could replicate this, and also experiment with other megabeasts....
(actually I made this account to tell people about this)
[[User:nautilusfossil|nautilusfossil]]
:As far as I know, Dwarven Atom Crushers™ break on megabeasts and demons. Cage Traps are the way to go for megabeasts, but demons are immune against them.
:I don't know about semi-megabeasts considering bridge-breaking. [[User:MC Dirty|MC Dirty]] 18:17, 19 September 2008 (EDT)

== Dwarves negative thoughts regarding crushed friends ==

Dwarves respond to friends or family members being crushed by a drawbridge as if they'd been killed & then not buried: "He was forced to endure the decay of a sibling lately. He lost a sibling to tragedy recently." (I'm certain this was due to the drawbridge, as all the siblings *except* the one that was crushed had these negative thoughts. Nobody else in the family had been killed by anything yet.) --[[User:Sev|Sev]] 14:49, 2 September 2008 (EDT)

== Melty mechanisms... redux? ==

Curiosity kills my dwarves - I'm not wasting the time to do this myself. Will mechanisms melt out of bridges that are submerged in magma? --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 22:31, 28 September 2008 (EDT)
:I have no idea, this is a good question. While writing a reply of my thoughts I kept re-thinking some things. If Magma passes over the bridge I'm pretty certain that the mechanism will act like a flood gate's. It will not melt away as long as you don't raise the bridge. If you do raise the bridge, the mechanism will melt away and the bridge could do a number of things. Before I keep typing about what I think will/could happen, I'm just going to go ahead and pass on a wall of text. [[User:Dakira|Dakira]] 1844, 28 September 2008 (PST)
::But fluids cannot enter the tile of a raised bridge, whereas they can enter the tile of a lowered bridge. In this way, a raised bridge would be analogous to a _closed_ floodgate, and a lowered bridge to an _open_ one. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 21:51, 25 November 2008 (EST)

GO GO GADGET TEST MELTY MECHANISMS --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 00:25, 16 January 2009 (EST)
:Nope, doesn't work. The mechanisms melted... and just when I was making to re-pull the lever, too. D: --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 01:05, 16 January 2009 (EST)

== Bridges and wagons? ==

Is is possible for wagons to drive over bridges? I would assume so, but I don't want to get hasty. --[[User:W-dueck|w-dueck]] 23:50, 3 December 2008 (EST)
:yes, anything can pass over them. [[User:Dangerous Beans|Dangerous Beans]] 00:29, 4 December 2008 (EST)
:: Okay, thanks. Now that the mean kobolds can't escape when they steal my stuff, I am free to bludgeon them with random objects! --[[User:W-dueck|w-dueck]] 18:39, 4 December 2008 (EST)
:::You have to spot them first, though. Put war dogs on restraints in a recessed area that leads to the trade depot.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 22:08, 4 December 2008 (EST)

== Indestructible Caravan ==
I needed to test out my whammer slammer bammer on <em>something</em> but no goblins volunteered for so long I was forced to attack the dwarven caravan instead. The mighty bridge swung down upon the lone wagon and was riven like a banana dipped in liquid nitrogen, leaving the wagon unscathed. If we could breed and train war wagons we'd rule the world. The 3-tile-wide parts of it anyway. --[[User:Corona688|Corona688]] 18:55, 9 December 2008 (EST)

:But a single cave swallowman can scuttle an entire wagon in two milliseconds. Maybe wagons count as a megabeast? --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 23:00, 9 December 2008 (EST)

:Funny. I dropped a bridge on a Mangrove Wagon yesterday, and the wagon vaporized like any other sap. It was an iron bridge - maybe that's the difference? --[[User:HMS Prancytime|HMS Prancytime]] 16:15, 1 February 2009 (EST)

== Megabeasts break bridges even without atomsmashing? ==

Situation: I captured a Titan and pitted it onto a drawbridge from a platform a Z-level above. The drawbridge is retractable and linked to a level. Logically, pulling the level will make the drawbridge retract and the Titan will plummet to his death.

But it didn't happen. The bridge refuses to budge. I haven't got a message about it whatsoever.

Is it possible for a Titan to break ''any'' drawbridge operation whatsoever no matter the end result?

--[[User:Shurikane|Shurikane]] 22:34, 6 January 2009 (EST)

:<s>Yes. A bridge is a non-construction building. Therefore entities with [BUILDINGDESTROYER] can nuke them.</s> I doubt it. Did you find any mechanisms lying around, like next to the lever? --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 00:02, 7 January 2009 (EST)

::Nothing unusual to report. As far as I see, everything should be functioning normally. The Titan, by the way, does not move around. He stays right where I dropped him... --[[User:Shurikane|Shurikane]] 12:25, 7 January 2009 (EST)
::Update: here's what I found out. A megabeast standing on a bridge will prevent said bridge from functioning. In my case, this means a retracting bridge will refuse to retreact unless the megabeast steps off or dies. --[[User:Shurikane|Shurikane]] 11:02, 10 January 2009 (EST)
:::A Zombie Elephant will do the same thing. --[[User:May Cause Drowsiness|May Cause Drowsiness]] 07:29, 25 July 2009 (UTC)

== Rain filling up ponds ==

Hi all. I just noticed something strange. I have a fortress without flowing water where it is hot (the ponds dry up) The evaporation depends on weather it is covered or not (I verified this 40d) But, if it is covered, then it doesn't refill with rain. So I thought, how about a retracting bridge. Nope. Even if it is retracted, the pond doesn't refill when it rains. Oh well. Probably has to do with the construction note above.[[User:Kwieland|Kwieland]] 23:16, 19 January 2009 (EST)

== Building at the end of a bridge ==
As an addition to the info regarding bridges constructed at the end of bridges, apparently you can build walls and floors at the end of bridges as well, but upon completion, they collapse, along with the dwarf who was building it. I only tested with a retracting bridge, but I see no reason the same wouldn't apply to drawbridges. Of course, this information isn't really useful, but a warning on the page would be nice. Actually, I suppose it would make an innovative way of killing off masons. --[[User:Mikaka|Mikaka]] 05:12, 23 April 2009 (UTC)
:I just discovered this the hard way, when my mayor / broker / manager / legendary carpenter / only architect attempted to build a floor at the end of a bridge, only to plummet to his watery death in the ocean. Plans have been drawn to drain the ocean into the aquifer in retaliation. ~ [[User:Eidako|Eidako]] 05:46, 27 June 2009 (UTC)

== Magmapult. ==

If you have a bridge that raises directionally attached to a lever, and it has retaining walls, and everything is magma-proof, can you fill the retainer with magma, pull the switch... would it throw magma like it throws other objects?
--[[User:Roflcopter!|Roflcopter!]] 22:35, 19 August 2009 (UTC)
:An easy experiment to try - let us know how it works out.--[[User:Albedo|Albedo]] 23:41, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

== Deconstruction Scaffold ==

Backstory: my new fort's entrance is accessible only via a bridge over the magma pipe, using two 3x10 raising bridges on the edges and a bunch of constructed floors in the middle (and constructed walls along the edges), and I recently decided to rebuild it with 3x2 raising bridges on the edges and retracting bridges in the middle (for dropping goblins into the magma, or for clearing away magma pumped onto the bridge). In order to do this, though, I would need to deconstruct the existing floors, removing the only path out of my fortress (except for the walled-off back door which I'd rather not reopen), so as a test, I attempted to build a retracting bridge '''over''' the floor and then remove the constructed floors underneath it. Amazingly, it worked, and it even left the building materials sitting directly on top of the bridge rather than falling into the magma pipe. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 14:00, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

40d Talk:Bridge

2009-09-04T11:31:12Z

Zxcvmnb: /* Bridges and wagons? */ ?

==Fluids vs bridges==
Does a raised bridge prevent the flow of fluids? Guess I'll experiment and see if I can answer my own question. [[User:Yvain|Yvain]] 21:21, 29 February 2008 (EST)
:Yes. [[User:VengefulDonut|VengefulDonut]] 04:55, 1 March 2008 (EST)

==picture: south-raising drawbridge==
Here's a picture of a bridge that raises South, to clear up any confusion over which direction bridges raise. [[User:Basilisk|Basilisk]] 18:03, 27 March 2008 (EDT)
{{qd|cols=8
|╔|═|╗|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}
|║|+|║|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}
|║|+|║|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}
|║|+|║|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}|{{qd/ch{{!}}≈{{!}}00F}}
|╚|═|╝|.|╞|═|╡|.
|.|.|.|.|.|.|.|.}}

== Items... ==

When a creature is crushed by a bridge, what happens to the items they had?--[[User:Lordmick134|Lordmick134]]

:When the bridge lowers, it completely ans permanently destroys anything it crashes on. So, there will be absolutely nothing under bridge, when it raises back.--[[User:Dorten|Dorten]] 03:29, 4 April 2008 (EDT)

::Not true! I had trapped a goblin inside a room with a bridge in it, and set the lever connected to the bridge to be repeatedly pulled. The goblin was stunned at most.--[[User:CrazyMcfobo|CrazyMcfobo]] 09:37, 16 April 2008 (EDT)

:::The goblin was likely ''flung'' from the bridge after stepping onto the extended bridge which then raised with the goblin still on it. Crushing is definitely an irrevocable and utter destruction. --[[User:JT|JT]] 16:30, 20 April 2008 (EDT)

== Channeling ==

Checked the [[channel]]ing article, nothing there, either. I have a bridge that raises to the right to form a wall, part of my outer defensive perimeter. I was digging a channel around the fortification wall and wanted to channel under the bridge. I raised the bridge ... I cannot channel. It never creates the flashy 'this is gonna be channeled' designation anywhere where the bridge could lay over. I can channel any where else. I can also remove the bridge, channel what I want, and replace the bridge just fine. What gives? Is this a known bug? --[[User:Geofferic|Geofferic]] 02:35, 29 May 2008 (EDT)

:As far as I know you can't dig on constructions. When the bridge is raised it is still considered to be constructed there. (or something like that) I had the same problem with some retracting bridges. To fix it I just removed the bridges and dug the channels, and then rebuilt them. --[[User:Lotus|Lotus]] 10:13 (CST) June 11, 2008

::This is particularly applicable to the process of obsidian mass production. If you have a bridge-held reservoir at Z-level 1, and a magma reservoir at Z-level 0, you will have to destroy and rebuild (and re-mechanize) your bridges every time you make obsidian. To solve this problem, I re-routed my magma to Z-level -1, and left Z-level 0 as empty space. I also re-routed my access paths so that miners will arrive in Z-level 0 from the west side, (and channel East to West, one row at a time) and my stone haulers will arrive in the northeast corner, so they can start hauling stone as soon as it is channeled out. Although this took several false starts, it is now a highly efficient system. If I ever do it again, however, I will build MUCH bigger reservoirs... And way wider channels for the magma. It takes FOREVER to fill my magma buffer... Would pumping the magma fix this? --[[User:Wattj|wattj]] 17:26, 1 February 2009 (EST)
:::Probably. Pumped magma behaves differently, while the pump is on.--[[User:Zchris13|Zchris13]] 05:23, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

== Bridges as a temporary wall ==

I want to build a wall by pulling a lever, to block off a tunnel three squares wide.
It is a mine tunnel with no channel above it.

How long should the bridge be?

It looks like this:
<div style="font-family: monospace; white-space: pre; line-height: 126.5%"><nowiki>
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ò▒▒▒
.........╥.........
.........║.........
.........╨.........
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
</nowiki></div>

[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 05:12, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

Well, you have to be careful. Don't forget, by raising a bridge, you can potentially obliterate your dwarves in the process. So try not to make it too wide. --[[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 05:41, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

:My question is, if I make it too long will it smash into the roof or anything?[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 06:09, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

::As far as I know of, it won't smash into the roof. The only concern is that if the bridge is too long, a dwarf may get accidently crushed. --[[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 06:14, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

:::Buildings that span multiple/variable z-levels are, at the current time, not possible. So, just build a 1x3 bridge, set it to raise west or east, and you have a wall! A toggleable wall! --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 09:09, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

::::I'd suggest doing a 2x bridge, as you'll have to track down the lever anytime you're curious as to whether the bridge is up or down, as a 1x or x1 bridge looks the same raised or lowered when raised on it's short axis. (e.g. the bridge above would look the same raised or lowered.) --[[User:N9103|Edward]] 09:59, 18 June 2008 (EDT)

== Retractable/drawbridge ==

How can you specify which type of bridge you want to build? --[[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 05:45, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

:When you go to place a bridge, by default it retracts. If you press wadxs you change the direction it raises: w = north, a= west, d=east, x=south, s=retracts. I don't know how to set the direction it retracts though.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 06:12, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

::So if it retracts, it creates an impassable wall? -[[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 06:15, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

:::No, it disappears. If it raises, it creates an impassable wall, whose direction is the same as the raise direction. Try it out.
:::And, Garrie, it isn't possible to set retract direction since there is no such thing. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 09:09, 3 June 2008 (EDT)

::::Well I guess it doesn't really matter which way it retracts... although if a bridge is built outward from a cliff running east-west out to the chasm which is to the north then obviously the bridge retracts back to the edge it is anchored at (it can hardly retract back into mid-air...).[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 23:22, 6 June 2008 (EDT)

:::::Oh, really? --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 23:32, 6 June 2008 (EDT)

::::::well I guess applying common sense to DF might not be the best idea... but common sense would [bold]suggest [/bold] the bridge retracts back to where it was built from.[[User:GarrieIrons|GarrieIrons]] 00:03, 7 June 2008 (EDT)

:::::::We don't use BBcode here. I don't think that even is BBcode, but it is in that style. To make '''bold text''', type <code><nowiki>'''bold text'''</nowiki></code>.
:::::::And you're right that applying common sense to DF doesn't work. Even the least of peasants can carry thousands of pounds pebbles in a backpack. --[[User:Savok|Savok]] 09:06, 7 June 2008 (EDT)
::::::::Actually, they carry thousand pound boulders in their hands. And cut it into blocks with their '''mind'''--[[User:Zchris13|Zchris13]] 05:24, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

== Bridge-on-bridge action ==

I've just added a note about retractable bridges being able to be built using existing bridges as support. However I'm currently unable to test what happens when an intermediary bridge is retracted or raised (I have no stone for mechanisms!). I'm assuming that any bridges relying on the retracted/raised bridge for support will collapse, but it should be tested (and noted), if someone else has the time and inclination! [[User:Raumkraut|Raumkraut]] 12:04, 14 June 2008 (EDT)

: I can confirm that when the first bridge is retracted the second one deconstructs. And also if you choose to do your testing using extreme cliffs and "accidently" make 6 of your 7 dwarves stand on the second bridge then they will die a horrible death after falling 18 stories. --[[User:Makuus|Makuus]] 16:54, 16 June 2008 (EDT)

::What if you raise both of the bridges at the same time? --[[User:AlexFili|AlexFili]] 05:48, 17 June 2008 (EDT)

:::The same thing happens, the second bridge deconstructs again --[[User:Makuus|Makuus]] 13:48, 22 June 2008 (EDT)
::::I attempted this quite some time ago, I think. I had something like ten bridges in a row built off a cliff, and retracted them all at once with one lever. All but the first one (which was connected to the cliff) shattered into stones instantly. --[[User:SL|SL]] 10:29, 23 July 2008 (EDT)

== lockdown system ==

in one of my old forts i had a setup so if the opponent got near my bridges a lever would be pulled and the opponents would fall into the lava with a godlike imp in it, it would use multiple bridges however and i would have to rebuild atleast 1, it was sort of like a tesselation of crosses

== Flying Bridge ==
Build stairs up. Build stairs down atop it. Build a retracting bridge extending into open air from the downstairs. Link the retracting bridge to a lever. Pull the lever to retract the bridge. Deconstruct the down stairs. Deconstruct the up stairs. Pull the lever. Remove the lever. Bridge flies. [[User:Rkyeun|Rkyeun]] 11:38, 18 July 2008 (EDT)
:Shame this can't be used to build eg. twisty retractable catwalks due to the above confirmations in Bridge-on-bridge action. :/ --[[User:Heron|Heron]] 09:46, 23 July 2008 (EDT)
::You could probably get something similar by just having occasional pillars sticking up, constructed by building towers of stairs, building a wall adjacent, then deconstructing the stairs. If you have each bridge anchored to one pillar, you ought to be able to get many retractable bridges in a sequence. --[[User:AlexChurchill|AlexChurchill]] 12:08, 23 July 2008 (EDT)
:::More testing. Retracted bridges never deconstruct. Make a chain as long as you like by keeping them all retracted until scaffolding is removed. Un-retracting bridges never deconstuct nor cause deconstruction. To make a path of multiple flying bridges build a scaffold for the first bridge, retract it, deconstruct the scaffold, build the second scaffold, retract that bridge, deconstruct that scaffold, and so forth. You can then unretract all bridges in any order and they'll all stay up. Retracting them again in any order caused them to fall. [[User:Rkyeun|Rkyeun]] 09:00, 2 September 2008 (EDT)

== Stockpiles under bridges ==

I tried to make a refuse stockpile with a drawbridge over top, and I couldn't place the stockpile where the bridge would lower onto. Can anyone else confirm this for the new version? [[User:Falcondude|Falcondude]] 11:05, 31 July 2008 (EDT)
:Yeah, that won't work. If you are trying to make a garbage compactor, make a ledge and designate a garbage dump with (i) that will drop the items where the bridge will close.[[User:Trevlyn13|Trevlyn13]]

::You don't need to make a ledge. Just retract the bridge (so you aren't dumping ontop of it) and make a garbage dump zone where the bridge will close. Voila --[[User:Sinergistic|Sinergistic]] 01:03, 21 January 2009 (EST)

== Drawbridge vs colossus ==

Yesterday a bronze colossus got trapped between my 2 moats, right under the drawbridge. It was too close to the catapults so that the operators wouldn't fire them, so I tried to crush it with the bridge.
My bridge broke instead.
(later I killed it by shooting hundreds of arrows)
If anyone could replicate this, and also experiment with other megabeasts....
(actually I made this account to tell people about this)
[[User:nautilusfossil|nautilusfossil]]
:As far as I know, Dwarven Atom Crushers™ break on megabeasts and demons. Cage Traps are the way to go for megabeasts, but demons are immune against them.
:I don't know about semi-megabeasts considering bridge-breaking. [[User:MC Dirty|MC Dirty]] 18:17, 19 September 2008 (EDT)

== Dwarves negative thoughts regarding crushed friends ==

Dwarves respond to friends or family members being crushed by a drawbridge as if they'd been killed & then not buried: "He was forced to endure the decay of a sibling lately. He lost a sibling to tragedy recently." (I'm certain this was due to the drawbridge, as all the siblings *except* the one that was crushed had these negative thoughts. Nobody else in the family had been killed by anything yet.) --[[User:Sev|Sev]] 14:49, 2 September 2008 (EDT)

== Melty mechanisms... redux? ==

Curiosity kills my dwarves - I'm not wasting the time to do this myself. Will mechanisms melt out of bridges that are submerged in magma? --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 22:31, 28 September 2008 (EDT)
:I have no idea, this is a good question. While writing a reply of my thoughts I kept re-thinking some things. If Magma passes over the bridge I'm pretty certain that the mechanism will act like a flood gate's. It will not melt away as long as you don't raise the bridge. If you do raise the bridge, the mechanism will melt away and the bridge could do a number of things. Before I keep typing about what I think will/could happen, I'm just going to go ahead and pass on a wall of text. [[User:Dakira|Dakira]] 1844, 28 September 2008 (PST)
::But fluids cannot enter the tile of a raised bridge, whereas they can enter the tile of a lowered bridge. In this way, a raised bridge would be analogous to a _closed_ floodgate, and a lowered bridge to an _open_ one. [[User:Random832|Random832]] 21:51, 25 November 2008 (EST)

GO GO GADGET TEST MELTY MECHANISMS --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 00:25, 16 January 2009 (EST)
:Nope, doesn't work. The mechanisms melted... and just when I was making to re-pull the lever, too. D: --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 01:05, 16 January 2009 (EST)

== Bridges and wagons? ==

Is is possible for wagons to drive over bridges? I would assume so, but I don't want to get hasty. --[[User:W-dueck|w-dueck]] 23:50, 3 December 2008 (EST)
:yes, anything can pass over them. [[User:Dangerous Beans|Dangerous Beans]] 00:29, 4 December 2008 (EST)
:: Okay, thanks. Now that the mean kobolds can't escape when they steal my stuff, I am free to bludgeon them with random objects! --[[User:W-dueck|w-dueck]] 18:39, 4 December 2008 (EST)
:::You have to spot them first, though. Put war dogs on restraints in a recessed area that leads to the trade depot.--[[User:Maximus|Maximus]] 22:08, 4 December 2008 (EST)

I made a similar setup (two 3x10 bridges over a bottomless pit as my entrance) but whilst the wagons can pass over the bridge, some of the other merchants can't. The head towards the bridge but turn around when they get to it, only to try again a few moments later. Why could this be happening? [[User:Zxcvmnb|Zxcvmnb]] 11:31, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

== Indestructible Caravan ==
I needed to test out my whammer slammer bammer on <em>something</em> but no goblins volunteered for so long I was forced to attack the dwarven caravan instead. The mighty bridge swung down upon the lone wagon and was riven like a banana dipped in liquid nitrogen, leaving the wagon unscathed. If we could breed and train war wagons we'd rule the world. The 3-tile-wide parts of it anyway. --[[User:Corona688|Corona688]] 18:55, 9 December 2008 (EST)

:But a single cave swallowman can scuttle an entire wagon in two milliseconds. Maybe wagons count as a megabeast? --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 23:00, 9 December 2008 (EST)

:Funny. I dropped a bridge on a Mangrove Wagon yesterday, and the wagon vaporized like any other sap. It was an iron bridge - maybe that's the difference? --[[User:HMS Prancytime|HMS Prancytime]] 16:15, 1 February 2009 (EST)

== Megabeasts break bridges even without atomsmashing? ==

Situation: I captured a Titan and pitted it onto a drawbridge from a platform a Z-level above. The drawbridge is retractable and linked to a level. Logically, pulling the level will make the drawbridge retract and the Titan will plummet to his death.

But it didn't happen. The bridge refuses to budge. I haven't got a message about it whatsoever.

Is it possible for a Titan to break ''any'' drawbridge operation whatsoever no matter the end result?

--[[User:Shurikane|Shurikane]] 22:34, 6 January 2009 (EST)

:<s>Yes. A bridge is a non-construction building. Therefore entities with [BUILDINGDESTROYER] can nuke them.</s> I doubt it. Did you find any mechanisms lying around, like next to the lever? --[[User:GreyMario|GreyMaria]] 00:02, 7 January 2009 (EST)

::Nothing unusual to report. As far as I see, everything should be functioning normally. The Titan, by the way, does not move around. He stays right where I dropped him... --[[User:Shurikane|Shurikane]] 12:25, 7 January 2009 (EST)
::Update: here's what I found out. A megabeast standing on a bridge will prevent said bridge from functioning. In my case, this means a retracting bridge will refuse to retreact unless the megabeast steps off or dies. --[[User:Shurikane|Shurikane]] 11:02, 10 January 2009 (EST)
:::A Zombie Elephant will do the same thing. --[[User:May Cause Drowsiness|May Cause Drowsiness]] 07:29, 25 July 2009 (UTC)

== Rain filling up ponds ==

Hi all. I just noticed something strange. I have a fortress without flowing water where it is hot (the ponds dry up) The evaporation depends on weather it is covered or not (I verified this 40d) But, if it is covered, then it doesn't refill with rain. So I thought, how about a retracting bridge. Nope. Even if it is retracted, the pond doesn't refill when it rains. Oh well. Probably has to do with the construction note above.[[User:Kwieland|Kwieland]] 23:16, 19 January 2009 (EST)

== Building at the end of a bridge ==
As an addition to the info regarding bridges constructed at the end of bridges, apparently you can build walls and floors at the end of bridges as well, but upon completion, they collapse, along with the dwarf who was building it. I only tested with a retracting bridge, but I see no reason the same wouldn't apply to drawbridges. Of course, this information isn't really useful, but a warning on the page would be nice. Actually, I suppose it would make an innovative way of killing off masons. --[[User:Mikaka|Mikaka]] 05:12, 23 April 2009 (UTC)
:I just discovered this the hard way, when my mayor / broker / manager / legendary carpenter / only architect attempted to build a floor at the end of a bridge, only to plummet to his watery death in the ocean. Plans have been drawn to drain the ocean into the aquifer in retaliation. ~ [[User:Eidako|Eidako]] 05:46, 27 June 2009 (UTC)

== Magmapult. ==

If you have a bridge that raises directionally attached to a lever, and it has retaining walls, and everything is magma-proof, can you fill the retainer with magma, pull the switch... would it throw magma like it throws other objects?
--[[User:Roflcopter!|Roflcopter!]] 22:35, 19 August 2009 (UTC)
:An easy experiment to try - let us know how it works out.--[[User:Albedo|Albedo]] 23:41, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

== Deconstruction Scaffold ==

Backstory: my new fort's entrance is accessible only via a bridge over the magma pipe, using two 3x10 raising bridges on the edges and a bunch of constructed floors in the middle (and constructed walls along the edges), and I recently decided to rebuild it with 3x2 raising bridges on the edges and retracting bridges in the middle (for dropping goblins into the magma, or for clearing away magma pumped onto the bridge). In order to do this, though, I would need to deconstruct the existing floors, removing the only path out of my fortress (except for the walled-off back door which I'd rather not reopen), so as a test, I attempted to build a retracting bridge '''over''' the floor and then remove the constructed floors underneath it. Amazingly, it worked, and it even left the building materials sitting directly on top of the bridge rather than falling into the magma pipe. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 14:00, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

40d:Help! My civilians keep running into combat!

2009-08-25T01:30:31Z

Zxcvmnb: /* Corpse looting */ added link to reclaim

After the bodies start falling, and sometimes even before, citizens will run like madmen right into the middle of a [[combat]] situation. We'd like to think of it as natural selection, but all dwarves are potentially that stupid.

==Causes==
===Corpse looting===
The most common cause is the death of a friend or enemy. A dying creature who carries objects drops those objects on death, and your dwarves just can't wait to start looting the corpses. Even the presence of hostiles will only deter them if they get close enough to be spooked, and then there's often no telling which direction they'll run - it's usually the wrong one. This behavior only occurs after someone dies. To prevent this behavior, as soon as bodies are generated immediately forbid ({{K|d}} - {{K|b}} - {{K|f}}) all objects they were carrying and their corpse - including all parts thereof - possibly to be [[reclaim]]ed later. Dwarves will the cancel jobs to retrieve the forbidden items.

As of v0.28.181.40a, an option is available to automatically forbid objects and corpses killed on the map. You can access the options via the following key combo: {{K|o}} - {{K|F}}

===Outside tasks===
The second behavior which leads to civilian dwarves in avoidable combat situations is dwarves who try to take jobs which take them outside. The very simple way to deal with this is the order {{K|o}} - {{K|i}} - dwarves stay indoors. This might give you a lot of cancel job messages and dwarves may also still crowd your fortress' entrance(s), which is often not desirable (see details below).

The source of this behaviour can be really a more general version of the previous (as they may be trying to do a job 'take item to depot' for dropped items), but can be generated by any object or stockpile that's sitting outside. Dealing with this in detail can be much harder unless you've kept your stockpiles inside and kept track of every object outside, because finding them to forbid them can be difficult, especially on larger maps or maps with many outdoor z-levels.

Of course not all outdoor jobs are going to be item collecting jobs. Woodcutters will want to chop designated trees (deselect them to stop this or turn off the labor), planters will want to harvest or seed an outside plot, fisherdwarfs are going to want to go fishing (turn off the fishing labor), trappers will want to trap and hunters will want to hunt (turn off these labors). You'll want to turn off gathering refuse from outside as well using the [[standing orders]] menu: ({{K|o}} - {{K|r}} - {{K|o}}).

===Rescue missions===
One last behavior which can (rarely) bring a civilian into combat is an attempt to rescue a wounded dwarf. Unfortunately you can't 'forbid' a living dwarf, but you can disable the "Health Care" job for the dwarf attempting the rescue. You may need to draft then undraft him to reset his health care job.

==Solutions==
==="All dwarves stay inside"===
You can order all your dwarves, or just non-soldier dwarves, to stay inside by using the standing orders menu: {{k|o}} - {{k|i}}. However this is often an ineffective solution because the prohibition only kicks in when a dwarf actually steps outside. Thus, if combat (or other enemy deterrence systems) are at or near your entrance, telling dwarves to stay inside will not help - they will still try to take these jobs, walk outside (right into a combat situation), and then realize they aren't supposed to be there, cancel the job, walk back inside, and try to take the same job again.

Setting only soldiers to go outside is not a cure-all, since soldiers can still generate Pickup Equipment jobs and run one by one into a hail of goblin crossbow fire. Idle soldiers will still head for outside statue gardens or spar at outside barracks unless you un-designate those rooms.

Also, dwarves will go outside even under this order if there is something inside they want that can only be reached by a path that takes them outside, for instance running across a wall providing a beautiful target to aforementioned goblin crossbows.

Entrance design helps. If the only way to your entrance is through a protected "outside" area (using open ceilings (skylights) and/or a brief walk across a patch of surface surrounded by aboveground walls) your dwarves will remember the "stay inside" order when they reach the outside area. Keep this protected area a bowshot or sharp bend away, behind the actual entrance (or trapped hallway), and you should be good throughout [[Goblin christmas]].

===Remove distractions===
As described above, as soon as a siege or ambush occurs, turn off the labors of dwarves who have outdoor tasks (woodcutting, fishing, trapping and hunting), un-designate ({{k|d}} - {{k|x}}) trees or shrubs that were set to be cut or gathered, and forbid ({{k|d}}} - {{{k|f}}) anything outdoors that your dwarves might want to fetch (such as freshly-cut logs). Continue doing this as the combat progresses and bodies and items start dropping. Turning off refuse hauling, as described above ({{K|o}} - {{K|r}} - {{K|o}}), may help. So can telling dwarves not to collect bodies: {{k|o}} - {{k|g}} if you use stockpiles for dead dwarves (which [[coffin|you shouldn't]]).

===Batten down the hatches===
An easier solution to manage is locking all your dwarves inside, for instance by raising drawbridges. This tends to break invader AIs however, as they will just mill about outside (not walking forward into your traps) because they can't find a path to a dwarf. It also makes it more difficult to get military out to the invaders because when you open the doors your dwarves will start taking outdoor jobs again.

===Martial law===
One last solution is to draft all your civilian dwarves and station them somewhere deep within your fortress. It will generate a lot of unhappy thoughts, and kill your productivity for the duration of the siege, but it will stop them from being stupid. Watch out for newly-recruited dwarves who are set to equip armour or weapons, however: they may attempt to run out into the fray to equip themselves if 'Soldiers can go outside' is selected.

===Forward barracks===
Create your barracks, a food stockpile, weapons and armour stockpiles, small meeting hall, etc. near the entrance of your fort for your military dwarves to use. Have the rest of your fort separated by lockable doors. When fighting occurs, lock all non-military dwarves in the back of the fort where they can continue working undisturbed. Forcing all incoming traffic to move through your barracks has the added benefit of making it likely that any sneaky [[thief]] will be discovered in the middle of your sparring ground -- with predictably gruesome results for the thief.

The forward barracks concept can be extended by placing the barracks so far forward that they are on the surface, outside the fortress proper, forming a castle of sorts. This requires encircling walls or channels on the surface to force enemies into a designated approach path and block others, so there is more work required of the player. One benefit is that the "soldiers can go outside" order will keep civilians out of the castle, and thus hopefully out of harm's way; also this will consume large amounts of those stones that clutter up the fortress.

==Conclusion==
The existence of this problem is a strong argument for doing as much as you can to give your dwarves little reason to go outside. The fewer reasons your dwarves have for going outside, the fewer dwarves you will lose to crazy dwarves wandering into the line of fire. It has the side benefit of greatly reducing your casualties from ambushes. Strategies like building a [[trade depot]] indoors, behind a retractable drawbridge, will help keep your dwarves out of danger.

Providing indoor pastimes (like a [[sculpture garden]], [[zoo]], [[meeting hall]], or a meeting area [[zone]]) will make dwarves spend their break time in the fortress rather than outside. This will prevent dwarves from hanging around outside, which will lessen the likelihood that they will get caught outside when siegers arrive. Creative use of water resources to create an [[underground forest]] can limit danger to woodcutters. Hunters, haulers and other dwarves who have business outside will still be at risk.

{{Military FAQ}}
[[Category:Fortress defense]]