40d Talk:Mining

It'd be nice if someone could reformat this following the format of Farming -- that format should be the standard. --Infinity 05:33, 31 October 2007 (EDT)

Forcing stones to be hauled

Even with one dwarf set to having stone hauling as his only active job, I still have problems getting my stones hauled out of the way... any hints?GarrieIrons 01:26, 4 January 2008 (EST)

Yes. For heavy-duty stone clearance, I prefer to use dumps. Set up a dump (any size). Mark the stones you want to shift as "dump" (use either the object display screen or the stockpiles interface). Order a bunch of dwarves to haul refuse. HTH. Fedor 01:46, 4 January 2008 (EST)

Talk page from Digging

I think this should be merged with mining. --Mizipzor 07:20, 1 November 2007 (EDT)

Move the 3D map stuff from Design strategies here and integrate. I feel it explains better how the floor/wall system works. -- Zaratustra 10:49, 4 November 2007 (EST)

Markavian explained the 3d system far better then i ever could - i vote it be the only way it's explained on this page for clarity. dethb0y 7:04, 5 November 2007 (EST)

Has anyone else noticed that the 'dig priority' holds true also for constructed items?
i.e. You tell a dwarf to build a windmill, he'll TRY to be on the west side first? --CrushU 22:13, 14 March 2008 (EDT)

---

Whoa. We have Digging AND Mining? Major R violation. *merges* --Savok 11:45, 28 March 2008 (EDT)

One-way corridor?

Is it possible to create a one-way corridor? It's annoying trying to lead invaders into my traps, without all my stupid workers rushing to collect their friends' dead bodies. --User:AlexFili, unsigned

Nay. I, personally, keep all civilians in a giant squad. When danger comes, they are drafted and stationed in safety.

Well, all but a few key ones (siege operators, The Lever Puller in the Control Room, etc). --Savok 11:31, 4 June 2008 (EDT)

Well, I am a noob at this game (it was highly recommended to me) and I can't even figure out how to mine. I followed the exact directions given below, but when I hit ENTER a second time to designate an area to mine, all that happens is the flashing green cross disappears. What should I do?

Are you sure you're really on "Mine" and not "Chop down trees" ? Things like that can happen when you're outside. Timst 04:26, 14 July 2008 (EDT)

You need a wall or face to mine into. If you are trying to designate ground that dwarves are standing on then you need to be telling them to channel not mine but that isn't the way to go for most uses. If you're really stuck look at some tutorial vids on you-tube maybe (it worked for me!)GarrieIrons 04:43, 14 July 2008 (EDT)

Try digging a downward staircase, then build an upward staircase on the level below. Then experiment with the digging tools. That's how I learned. --AlexFili 06:37, 14 July 2008 (EDT)

Ramp action change?

Call me crazy but I just sat here watching my dwarves dig out a series of ramps from the bottom. Ramp up; then above and next to it a ramp up; for a number of tiles. I had intended it to be dug from the top down; but they got to the ramps from the bottom first and just went to school. Anyone confirm that its not just a bad file on my machine? --Silver 22:40, 22 July 2008 (EDT)

Digging upward

Any tips on digging out the level above from below? It gets more than a little fiddly with staircases all over the place, and it's also tricky to avoid dwarves getting stranded on disconnected outcrops of floor. --Theory 07:40, 17 August 2008 (EDT)

Don't forget you can "remove up stairs/ramps" from the designate menu. If you're digging out an entire floor from below, you could just get up there and dig channels, though, right? You could also place a support under the level you're removing, dig out tiles surrounding the level you're removing, wire the support to a lever and pull it, causing a cave-in. You can also designate entire blocks of up staircases, and then dig out your ceiling (and then designate a mass "remove up stair"). --MarauderIIC 04:47, 22 August 2008 (EDT)

Job preferences

anyone else noticed that miners will prefer to do normal digging first, then downward staircases, then up/down staircases? in my fort, i designated two staircases to the bottom of the map looking for minerals, so the miner dug the down staircase (at the top) for one, then trundled across half the map to dig the other one. halfway through doing the middle of one of the shafts, i designated a normal dig area back at my fortress, so he ran all the way back and started digging that instead.... Twiggie 17:32, 27 August 2008 (EDT)

Digging causing Lag?

So I got a little ambitious and decided to try some massive mining operations at my fort... 3-4 levels full of long tunnels just probing for veins of ore. However at the same time my fortress mega-project managed to run into "Secret Fun Stuff", and my fortress has hit lag and never come back. My computer is pretty powerful, and lag's never been an issue for me. So was it the massive digging projects that caused the lag, or HFS? -- Archaeologist 12:32, 27 September 2008 (EDT)

This is because you've broken into (HIDDEN FUN STUFF: CONTAINS SPOILERS), which contains quite a few living units, several items, the Demon Horde, and have likely triggered checks for the disguised King. --GreyMaria 01:35, 28 September 2008 (EDT)

Mining Strategy

This is an easy way to get loads of gems, ores and interesting stones, even in a forest biome. First, build a downward stairway, then keep building up/down stairways. Note: If you're in a mountain biome you shouldn't be going too low or you might run into lava and demons, and you don't need to go too deep. At any random level, do a horizontal "cut" of the level by mining (meaning you dig in one straight line from one end of the block to the other. You should eventually bump into interesting ores (I've already found silver nuggets, galena, garnierite, cassiterite, platinum nuggets) gems (I've found loads) and also some useful stone (I found dolomite, so I basically have a supply of steel). --Stinhad Limarezum 01:01, 22 October 2008 (EDT)

Mining training

I've found that because miners dig through soil a lot faster, before you start exploratory mining you can have your miners get legendary mining in the first season alone by simply digging through a huge block of soil. Even though you waste time digging through soil, it seems like you actually end up mining out more stone in the first 2 seasons when you switch to exploratory mining in summer Greep 04:50, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Safe "terraforming"

I am trying to "smooth" hillsides nearby my outer wall.

I run into problems with collapsing, so I have been digging up ramps to try avoiding collapses. But still I think if there is a tree or something I get cave-ins.

Is it "just" trees that are causing my problem? Garrie 06:55, 21 June 2009 (UTC)