v0.31 Talk:Volcano

Differences from 40d

I'd just like to note some differences between 40d volcanos and the new ones. From what I've seen, they have fixed designs as opposed to random shifting patterns as you go down the z axis and act more like pipes that were lucky enough to reach the surface during worldgen. The last one I embarked on actually protruded out of the ground for 4 z axis' sort of like a chimney http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h133/Radicalaces/chimney.png?t=1273214099 --radical 07:12, 7 May 2010 (EST)

Rock layers

I'm not sure if this is within the scope of the article, but something I've noted after a -large- amount of volcano-hunting is that the only way to get sedimentary rock on an embark tile with a volcano is for there to also be a brook in the area. Probably needs some independent confirmation, but after probably 200-250 medium maps checked, I'm pretty confident in my analysis. 24.35.61.81 00:59, 27 June 2010 (UTC)

Which, y'know, kinda makes sense based on the geological processes behind volcanoes and sedimentary rocks. That is, volcanoes form igneous rock around them, bringing the temperature and pressure up on the surrounding rock and converting it to metamorphic. So the presence of a brook would indicate that the volcano is dormant enough for water flows to create channels in the area, and also dormant enough that sedimentary rock (and not just plain sediment, or soil) could form and continue to exist. Just to be clear: when you say "on an embark tile with a volcano", you ARE talking about a 1x1 region on the Local map of the Embark screen? And not the 4x4 region which is the usual embark site? --DeMatt 07:03, 27 June 2010 (UTC)

Aside from that, in my pseudo smartguy terms, volcanoes are upwellings of "new" rock, and are as geologically different from ancient coal-bearing rock (coal is a fossil fuel y'know) as you can possibly have on the same planet. Although in the current version, if the embark screen does not list sedimentary rock as one of the layers for the selected biome, you aren't going to find it anywhere in the map no matter how large it is. I get the impression this is more a game mechanic thing to balance the relative advantages of playing in a volcano area (huge amounts of high value ores and obsidian, easy access to magma with low/no risk).FleshForge 01:42, 7 August 2010 (UTC)

By the way a pretty simple way to force a lot of volcanoes for your map is just to set "Minimum Volcanoes" option in the world gen parameters to 100 or so, on a medium map this takes little time to roll up and can be previewed before going through the history iterations - hit a key and scroll around the map and see if it looks promising, and abort if it doesn't, continue if it does. --FleshForge 01:45, 7 August 2010 (UTC)

It appears to be simply simple impossible to get coal on a volcano map regardless of what rock layers are shown on the embark screen. On the other hand, you can make charcoal from burning wood, so the easy access to magma is still a pretty great advantage and you can still make steel eventually.FleshForge 07:00, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

Hah what do you know, the current map I'm looking at JUST MADE A LIAR OUT OF ME! So yes, as long as the set of biomes overlapping with the volcano area can contain coal, then there can be coal on the volcano map - however the coal will only be in the part of the map that is actually in the sedimentary-containing biome!FleshForge 07:03, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

Volcano - magma sea connection and exploration

After some playing and a bit of my habit from 40d days, when plugging up a volcano with water, i found out that crashing tiles dropping down into it will go down to the magma sea and act as "explorers" to uncover tiles. i'm unsure whether its an isolated case or a common occurence, so if anyone could confirm, i'd be grateful - Vrga 06:45, 3 July 2010 (UTC)

Confirmed. I'm not sure how it happens, but it does. Water shouldn't drop diagonally down a z-level, right? But that's what happens, water drops diagonally, the resultant obsidian isn't supported, cave-in, and you get to see down to the magma sea. GhostDwemer 19:31, 26 October 2010 (UTC)

Volcano and undeground lakes

I embarked at volcano area at freezing biome, and got problem with absence of water. The only underground lake was found at the far edge of second cavern - first was completely dry. Is it volcano influence or just random? On maps without volcano each cavern had it's lake, sometimes several of them.Peregarrett 06:39, 30 July 2010 (UTC)

As far as I can tell, this is completely random - in some volcano maps I've found huge lakes 10 levels below sea level, and in some more like 100 z-levels down.FleshForge 06:59, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

Do volcanoes ever erupt?

As a player inexperienced with volcanoes I came to this article looking for that information in the course of trying to site my fortress, so it might be worth adding that. (Though I must admit that not knowing adds a touch of suspense.) --Auto Slaughter 03:39, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

Going on 10 years in my reclaim fortress. I have a volcano (surface magma pipe), that has never overflowed on its own. -BP

I'm trying to dry (obsidianize) my volcano, and have some notes on refill process. It seems that the game periodically generates additional 1/7 amounts at the level above fully filled one, where all tiles are 7/7. So first you see flat empty space just above magma surface, then there appears tiles with 1/7, then 2/7 and so on until the level is completely filled. Then go on to the next level. They never erupt, though it would be nice way to more Fun =)) Peregarrett 07:04, 17 September 2010 (UTC)

Pouring water into a volcano for exploratory magma sea mining?

It will slow your game down ridiculously, but a murky pool that started above the volcano with a broken wall drained in and covered the volcano halfway with an obsidian cap, causing about 20 caveins and showing me the entire magma sea and adamantine pillars. Is this a bug?

Can't speak for it being a bug or not, but same thing happened to me too, complete with the HFS activating, my framerate got killed long before I could experience any real effects of it, though I noticed the lava in the volcano was quickly draining down, presumably into blank tiles in the magma sea. --Twilightdusk 02:45, 24 November 2010 (UTC)

Piercing a Volcano?

The new volcanoes are straight up and down; if you don't pierce it at the top (and mine is a chimney), how do you pierce it safely? I can't get above to channel down. --Bombcar 17:55, 27 March 2011 (UTC)

Standard "mine and run" techniques work. Mine out a path for the magma, with a ramp or other escape route at the other end. Clear it out, and then have someone mine the last space. Your dwarf will run and survive. --Bombcar 03:29, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

It is also recommended to have another job or task elsewhere that the dwarf can take after piercing the volcano so that he is not idle for a moment after opening the volcano. A dig designation usually works, but make sure they are not all claimed by other miners (or temporarily disable mining on dwarves who aren't opening the volcano). You can also try accessing the volcano from a corner rather than a direct entrance, though since magma doesn't pressurize naturally I'm not sure that would make a difference. Niveras 20:54, 29 March 2011 (UTC)