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Difference between revisions of "Stupid dwarf trick"
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| − | A '''stupid dwarf trick''' is any project that requires a large amount of time and/or effort. They may provide a practical benefit, but are frequently done for the sake of doing them | + | A '''stupid dwarf trick''' is any project that requires a large amount of time and/or effort. They may provide a practical benefit, but are frequently done for the sake of doing them; they exist primarily as a [[challenge]] for experienced players. |
==Adventure mode fortress== | ==Adventure mode fortress== | ||
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'''Difficulty:''' Low. | '''Difficulty:''' Low. | ||
| − | '''Usefulness:''' Limited. They'll sleep through <s>'''anything'''</s> the noise. Although they have been known to awaken when drenched in water, possibly due to thinking it's alcohol | + | '''Usefulness:''' Limited. They'll sleep through <s>'''anything'''</s> the noise. Although they have been known to awaken when drenched in water, possibly due to thinking it's alcohol. This means an alarm clock is not impossible if carefully prepared. |
==Alphabet cages== | ==Alphabet cages== | ||
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'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Vowels are hard to come by. | '''Difficulty:''' Medium. Vowels are hard to come by. | ||
| − | '''Usefulness:''' Absolutely none whatsoever. (Easy reminders in case you're too lazy to use notes?) | + | '''Usefulness:''' Absolutely none whatsoever. Even less if using sprites. (Easy reminders in case you're too lazy to use notes?) |
==Altar of Armok== | ==Altar of Armok== | ||
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***MegaArmokBonus: Sacrifice all three species to the altar every day! | ***MegaArmokBonus: Sacrifice all three species to the altar every day! | ||
*MonarchBonus: Build the altar in the monarch's throne room! Yes, this stacks with the ArmokBonus up above. | *MonarchBonus: Build the altar in the monarch's throne room! Yes, this stacks with the ArmokBonus up above. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Anthill== | ||
| + | Build your fortresses hallways and rooms on the same Z-axis. Building rooms with depth is fine, as long as their west/east walls are on the same Z-coordinate. All the walls on the Z-coordinate should be glass. Hollow out the opposite section so that the area beside the glass is empty. Build viewing platforms in the hollowed-out space. | ||
| + | '''Difficulty''' High. The limited space is a huge restraint, and caverns are a huge issue. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Usefulness''' Very low, although intruders can be forced to climb the viewing area to enter, letting marksdwarves pick them off easily through fortifications. | ||
| + | |||
| + | *MirrorBonus* Instead of a viewing area, build a perfect replica of the fort. | ||
| + | *SuperDwarfGalaxyBonus* Make it horizontal instead of vertical. | ||
| + | **MegaBonus** Build it into the magma sea. | ||
==Aqueduct power== | ==Aqueduct power== | ||
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Aquifers can be a resource of immense power. If you have two levels of aquifer, you can generate a continuous flow by draining one level of aquifer into another and plant waterwheels above it. One stream can power a lot of wheels. | Aquifers can be a resource of immense power. If you have two levels of aquifer, you can generate a continuous flow by draining one level of aquifer into another and plant waterwheels above it. One stream can power a lot of wheels. | ||
| − | '''Difficulty:''' High. Anything to do with draining aquifers is very [[Fun]]. | + | '''Difficulty:''' High. Anything to do with draining aquifers is very [[Fun]]. It is now very rare to find a powerful enough aquifer. |
| − | '''Usefulness:''' High | + | '''Usefulness:''' High. |
==Archaeological excavation== | ==Archaeological excavation== | ||
| − | A Fortress in the | + | A Fortress in the caverns, built by the first dwarf tribes. Build the Fortress however you see fit for those prehistoric Dwarves (e.g. only primitive metals, elaborate tombs for the chieftains with burial objects, cave art, etc.) and abandon it. Then, embark with modern Dwarves, and excavate the ancient Fortress. Sort of like the Adventure Fortress above, only for Reclaim Mode |
'''Difficulty:''' As High as you want. | '''Difficulty:''' As High as you want. | ||
| − | '''Usefulness:''' | + | '''Usefulness:''' Variable. Carving a premade fort or building controlled access to caverns can potentially be useful for a Reclaim effort, effectively making the first wave dispoable setup so your would-be archologists to dig up and exploit their new home. The more Fun you leave behind, the harder it will be for your second wave to repurpose the place. |
*Bonus: A museum detailing the lives of those early dwarves. | *Bonus: A museum detailing the lives of those early dwarves. | ||
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* Bonus: Build your bastion at least in part in a clay or sand layer, add a little magma, and continue manufacturing useless crap even as the world crumbles around you! | * Bonus: Build your bastion at least in part in a clay or sand layer, add a little magma, and continue manufacturing useless crap even as the world crumbles around you! | ||
| + | ** StonksBonus: Rig a way for your bastion to transfer supplies to the outside world without exposing themselves to danger, so they can be somewhat useful to the rest of your fort before their inevitable downfall. Doubles as a way to restock the bastion with fresh supplies and/or bodies, or a way to let the apocalypse in a little at a time if your survivors get too comfortable. | ||
* Bonus: Build it on top of a tower outside, and then deconstruct the stairs up. | * Bonus: Build it on top of a tower outside, and then deconstruct the stairs up. | ||
* Bonus: Fill it exclusively with vampires, to avoid having to worry about food, children, and aging. | * Bonus: Fill it exclusively with vampires, to avoid having to worry about food, children, and aging. | ||
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==Bolt splitting operation== | ==Bolt splitting operation== | ||
| + | |||
| + | ## Note: no longer works due to climbing mechanics ## | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
One curious property of Dwarven physics is that a bar of metal makes 25 bolts, but if each of those 25 bolts is melted separately, they will become 2.5 bars, generating metal from nothing. Prior to the update that allowed splitting stacks at the [[trade depot]], the difficult part was separating the stacks of bolts into individual bolts without destroying them. EliDupree originally discovered this trick: | One curious property of Dwarven physics is that a bar of metal makes 25 bolts, but if each of those 25 bolts is melted separately, they will become 2.5 bars, generating metal from nothing. Prior to the update that allowed splitting stacks at the [[trade depot]], the difficult part was separating the stacks of bolts into individual bolts without destroying them. EliDupree originally discovered this trick: | ||
{{diagram|spaces=yes|color=#888|\ | {{diagram|spaces=yes|color=#888|\ | ||
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| − | The yellow @ at the right is a stack of marksdwarves (all in different squads so that they'll stand on the same tile) equipped with [[adamantine]] bolts, standing on top of a stairway surrounded by [[fortification]]s. The blue ☻ at the left is a single [[Attributes#Agility|Perfectly Agile]] soldier with orders to patrol up and down the line of green doors, with little delays at the top and bottom. (The doors are free-standing; they were built attached to a wall, then the wall was removed.) The "g" at the left is a goblin standing on a pillar (pitted from the z-level above). | + | The yellow @ at the right is a stack of marksdwarves (all in different squads so that they'll stand on the same tile) equipped with [[adamantine]] (or [[Divine metal]] if you don't have it; or [[Steel]] if you have neither) bolts, standing on top of a stairway surrounded by [[fortification]]s. The blue ☻ at the left is a single [[Attributes#Agility|Perfectly Agile]] soldier with orders to patrol up and down the line of green doors, with little delays at the top and bottom. (The doors are free-standing; they were built attached to a wall, then the wall was removed.) The "g" at the left is a goblin standing on a pillar (pitted from the z-level above). |
When the dwarf at the left runs up or down the line of doors, it opens all of them, and some of the marksdwarves loose their bolts. By the time the bolts get there, the doors have closed, so they hit the doors and fall into the channel, where they can be collected and melted separately. (That distance is exact, by the way. Any less and they sometimes get shots through the doors, which kills your goblin. Also, with less-skilled marksdwarves, some of the bolts will stray and land on the floors, but that isn't enough to worry about even with mere dabblers.) Naturally, this is also an excellent way to train marksdwarves. | When the dwarf at the left runs up or down the line of doors, it opens all of them, and some of the marksdwarves loose their bolts. By the time the bolts get there, the doors have closed, so they hit the doors and fall into the channel, where they can be collected and melted separately. (That distance is exact, by the way. Any less and they sometimes get shots through the doors, which kills your goblin. Also, with less-skilled marksdwarves, some of the bolts will stray and land on the floors, but that isn't enough to worry about even with mere dabblers.) Naturally, this is also an excellent way to train marksdwarves. | ||
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</frame> | </frame> | ||
</diagram> | </diagram> | ||
| − | The '@' is any number of marksdwarves standing on a down stair. You may want to use a defend burrow order to restrict them to that tile. The 'g' is a goblin or any other creature your marksdwarves will normally fire at upon encounter (pitted from 2 z-levels above). The 'O' is a well, which is suspected to be preventing | + | The '@' is any number of marksdwarves standing on a down stair. You may want to use a defend burrow order to restrict them to that tile. The 'g' is a goblin or any other creature your marksdwarves will normally fire at upon encounter (pitted from 2 z-levels above). The 'O' is a well, which is suspected to be preventing dwarves from plunging in and starting brawling with the creature. Marksdwarves will be able to see the goblin or whatever creature below and will loose all bolts in their quivers on them. Curiously, nearly all the bolts will fail to cross the bend in the middle and will fall onto the tile '/' where they can be collected. This disregards crossbow and archery skills and the only difference they make is the speed at which the bolts are split. This design has the advantage of taking less space and being easier to set up, however it is reported that sometimes the dwarves will not miss some of the bolts. If you are only stationing one marksdwarf in the tower, stationing another one may help the first one miss all of his bolts, even after the newly added one is then removed. Sometimes dwarves will spam job cancellation on the bolt collection level, and it is also reported that sometimes some dwarves will start firing when they are on the bolt collection level. In such cases you may want to seal the collection level off and open it once in a while to retrieve the bolts. |
'''Difficulty:''' Moderate. The hardest part is keeping the system running reliably. | '''Difficulty:''' Moderate. The hardest part is keeping the system running reliably. | ||
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*SwampBonus: Have your croc farm submerged in anywhere between 1/7 to 3/7 [[water]]. You gotta keep your crocs healthy and wet! But make sure not to submerge the nest boxes! | *SwampBonus: Have your croc farm submerged in anywhere between 1/7 to 3/7 [[water]]. You gotta keep your crocs healthy and wet! But make sure not to submerge the nest boxes! | ||
*SavageBonus: Have [[giant alligator]]s or/and [[giant saltwater crocodile]]s as part of your farm. | *SavageBonus: Have [[giant alligator]]s or/and [[giant saltwater crocodile]]s as part of your farm. | ||
| + | **Archcrystal bonus: Replace the crocs with [[Hydras]]. Keep them in a usually unseen location, as any Urist McFoolhardy walking by will try to attack them on sight. | ||
*TrainerBonus: Have your dwarves become Expert alligator/cave croc/saltwater croc trainers. | *TrainerBonus: Have your dwarves become Expert alligator/cave croc/saltwater croc trainers. | ||
**SteveIrwinBonus: Have your dwarves become Expert trainers of all croc species. | **SteveIrwinBonus: Have your dwarves become Expert trainers of all croc species. | ||
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'''Difficulty''': Low to Medium, depending on how you activate the traps. | '''Difficulty''': Low to Medium, depending on how you activate the traps. | ||
| − | '''Usefulness''': Low. While this used to be a very effecting training method in past versions, the combat changes in 0.43.04 has made them much more deadly, even for | + | '''Usefulness''': Low. While this used to be a very effecting training method in past versions, the combat changes in 0.43.04 has made them much more deadly, even for militiadwarves. They also wear down your dwarves' armor and shields quickly, making them harmful for your long-term survival, even if your militiadwarves manage to survive the room itself. |
'''Downside''': Civilians and pets that wander into the danger room will inevitably get killed, even if you use low quality training spears. | '''Downside''': Civilians and pets that wander into the danger room will inevitably get killed, even if you use low quality training spears. | ||
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==Day care== | ==Day care== | ||
| − | A room where you put all your dwarf children so they cannot be kidnapped by snatchers. Make a room with beds and tables and stuff, | + | A room where you put all your dwarf children so they cannot be kidnapped by snatchers, or get into accidents. Make a room with beds and tables and stuff, turn it into a burrow, then add all your children to it. Remember to include a food chute to [[quantum stockpile]] a huge amount of food and alcohol on a 1x1 stockpile (so it doesn't rot) in the room. High quality food, furniture, toys, clothing, and socializing should keep them happy. Note that the children will no longer be able to perform certain useful tasks like hauling, crop harvesting and deconstruction, and will not level up their skill in miscellaneous professions like an otherwise vulnerable child, but this is a small trade-off if they usually get kidnapped before maturing anyway. This is probably obvious, but make sure this room is guarded, otherwise it will turn into a Dwarf Orphanage (Dorfanage) (with Goblins and Minotaurs welcome!) |
'''Difficulty:''' Low. With the invention of burrows, you can designate the Day Care to contain all children, so it is unnecessary to use suicide-booth-micromanagement to contain the children. | '''Difficulty:''' Low. With the invention of burrows, you can designate the Day Care to contain all children, so it is unnecessary to use suicide-booth-micromanagement to contain the children. | ||
| − | '''Usefulness:''' | + | '''Usefulness:''' Varies, depending on the bonuses built. With v50, children are a lot easier to mentally scar for life, making them prone to fell moods and tantrums, so having a safe form of daycare allows them to grow up into adults whose stress levels are usually easier to manage |
| − | * | + | *SchoolBonus: Make the daycare a guild hall, and add a highly skilled dwarf and another adult to the burrow. The two will give demonstrations that the kids will occasionally watch, gaining experience in a profession of your choice |
| − | * | + | *OlympicBonus: Build a swimming pool of 4/7 between critical parts of the daycare, so the kids have to go through the water for their everyday tasks, gaining swimming skill and associated stats. |
| − | + | *ChildSoldierBonus: Make the daycare a barracks, and have your crack squad of dwarves spar and demonstrate there to train up the military skills of your dwarven children | |
| + | *HighSchoolBonus: All of the above, and make [[nobles]] and unskilled migrants stay there to learn. | ||
==Doberman bomb== | ==Doberman bomb== | ||
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*Bonus: Train the dogs inside as war dogs | *Bonus: Train the dogs inside as war dogs | ||
**DwarfBonus: Use [[giant badger]]s, [[tiger]]s, [[alligator]]s, bears, or anything big and aggressive when tamed | **DwarfBonus: Use [[giant badger]]s, [[tiger]]s, [[alligator]]s, bears, or anything big and aggressive when tamed | ||
| − | ***MegaDwarfBonus: Use [[giant cave spider]]s, [[cave dragon]]s, [[blind cave ogre | + | ***MegaDwarfBonus: Use [[giant cave spider]]s, [[cave dragon]]s, [[blind cave ogre]]s, [[jabberer]]s or something really dangerous and rare. |
| − | ****UltraMagmaArmokBonus: Use one (or more!) of the following list: [[dragon]] | + | ****UltraMagmaArmokBonus: Use one (or more!) of the following list: [[dragon]]s, [[bronze colossus]]es, [[forgotten beast]]s (bonus points for flesh-melting secretions), an [[undead]] [[giant sponge]], or [[Hidden Fun Stuff|Clowns of Hidden Funland]]. |
==Drophole== | ==Drophole== | ||
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'''Difficulty:''' Medium to high, depending on what you want to build. You'll want to build for very high water flow if you have more than a few fluid gates. | '''Difficulty:''' Medium to high, depending on what you want to build. You'll want to build for very high water flow if you have more than a few fluid gates. | ||
| − | '''Usefulness:''' Your mechanics | + | '''Usefulness:''' Your mechanics will level up very fast. Manual pumps give something for your haulers to do. Try and make a clock to trigger different mechanisms in different seasons. See if enemies actually blunder into your intricate traps. Watch all hell break loose as water freezes and building destroyers (''bugs, perhaps?'') enter your computer. |
*Bonus: Use lava. | *Bonus: Use lava. | ||
**Doombonus: Use lava ''and'' build it so that building destroyers that enter the complex get killed by the mechanisms they destroy. | **Doombonus: Use lava ''and'' build it so that building destroyers that enter the complex get killed by the mechanisms they destroy. | ||
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'''Difficulty:''' Low, although the walls around the rooms can be a bit fiddly due to the impossibility of building walls on constructed floors (yes, an extra credit challenge is to do this without using Remove Construction). | '''Difficulty:''' Low, although the walls around the rooms can be a bit fiddly due to the impossibility of building walls on constructed floors (yes, an extra credit challenge is to do this without using Remove Construction). | ||
| − | '''Usefulness:''' Limited, because you could just dig the things underground and save yourself the hassle. However it is much harder to flood a tower than a cave, in case you're prone to fun by water. Additionally, if you have the time and resources to train a sizable force of marksdwarves, placing a few "security rooms" (with barracks, ammunition store, ration cache, armory, etc.) at appropriate floors, complete with fortified balconies, will allow you to take advantage of the higher vantage point. | + | '''Usefulness:''' Limited, because you could just dig the things underground and save yourself the hassle. However it is much harder to flood a tower than a cave, in case you're prone to [[Losing|fun]] by water. Additionally, if you have the time and resources to train a sizable force of marksdwarves, placing a few "security rooms" (with barracks, ammunition store, ration cache, armory, etc.) at appropriate floors, complete with fortified balconies, will allow you to take advantage of the higher vantage point. |
*MegaDwarfBonus: Extend the tower to have levels below ground as well as above. | *MegaDwarfBonus: Extend the tower to have levels below ground as well as above. | ||
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*Bonus: Punch a large shaft through a multi-level aquifer (hint: punch through the aquifer from below). | *Bonus: Punch a large shaft through a multi-level aquifer (hint: punch through the aquifer from below). | ||
| − | *MegaDwarfBonus: Create a network of self-sufficient communities per shaft, allowing them to be sectioned off in case of disaster. (I plan on colonizing HFS eventually on this paradigm, creating a mining team of soldiers to extract, manufacture and ultimately use adamantine products without being connected to the main colony in order to take on the | + | *MegaDwarfBonus: Create a network of self-sufficient communities per shaft, allowing them to be sectioned off in case of disaster. (I plan on colonizing HFS eventually on this paradigm, creating a mining team of soldiers to extract, manufacture and ultimately use adamantine products without being connected to the main colony in order to take on the [[Demon|clowns]] while keeping the rest of the burrow safe.) |
==Dwarven disco ball== | ==Dwarven disco ball== | ||
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*Bonus: Automatically reload minecarts with [[magma]]. | *Bonus: Automatically reload minecarts with [[magma]]. | ||
*MegaDwarfBonus: Integrate the trap with a dwarfputer so that it can automatically send minecarts to where they are needed most. | *MegaDwarfBonus: Integrate the trap with a dwarfputer so that it can automatically send minecarts to where they are needed most. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Elephant man armor factory== | ||
| + | [[Elephant man]] are incredibly strong in combat — both in [[Dwarf fortress mode|Fortress]] and [[Adventurer mode|Adventurer]] modes. However, they can't put on normal-sized [[Armor]] — and therefore, walk around in crappy starting armor at best, naked at worst. We'll put [[Elephant man]] to make [[Armor]] — and another [[Elephant man]] for [[Clothes]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Difficulty:''' Easy. Depends on amount of [[Elephant man]] spawning in the world. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Usefulness:''' Your [[Elephant man]] [[Military|super-soldiers]] are now properly armored. Considering their size, strength, and possibly training, they are now borderline-invulnerable. Also, you have enough armor complects for your [[Elephant man]] [[Adventurer mode|Adventurers]]. | ||
==Emergency destruct stairs== | ==Emergency destruct stairs== | ||
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'''Usefulness:''' Lets you dispose of prisoners, and claim expensive silk, meltable iron, and (eventually) useful bones. Also highly amusing. | '''Usefulness:''' Lets you dispose of prisoners, and claim expensive silk, meltable iron, and (eventually) useful bones. Also highly amusing. | ||
| − | *MegaDwarfBonus: Send prisoners straight to | + | *MegaDwarfBonus: Send prisoners straight to the [[HFS]]. If some mod makes them survive, the [[Clown]]s will have their way with them. May make retrieving items difficult, however. |
| + | |||
| + | ==Flak== | ||
| + | If flying enemies circumventing your walls and causing mayhem inside your fortress is a problem, don't use marksdwarves, just make some flak! Simply cover a series of drawbridges in rocks, and when fliers come by pull the lever. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Difficulty:''' Easy | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Usefulness:''' Low. Contrary to the description, marksdwarves are more accurate, versatile, and just better. However, if you manage to hit something with this, there's a large chance of it getting stunned and crashing to the ground. Remember, what goes up must come down, wear your helmet Urist! | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Bonus: Use minecarts and pressure plates to make it fully automatic. | ||
| + | *SuperBonus: Make it closer to real world flak by using burning lignite bins. | ||
| + | *EfficiencyBonus: Use goblins as ammo | ||
| + | *AlternateBonus: Instead of drawbridges and stone, use jets of water to stun flyers, and then release the dogs. Alternatively, burn them in midair with lava. | ||
| + | *FunBonus: Use the above method with lava, except use the lava as a propellent to throw the circus at the local crow population. | ||
| + | *ArmokBonus: Use all of the above to emulate what happens when you drift into American airspace. | ||
==Flamethrower bunker== | ==Flamethrower bunker== | ||
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'''Difficulty:''' Low, but requires a fair bit of luck - a dragon (or fire-breathing forgotten beast) needs to survive worldgen, then it needs to attack your fortress (instead of a giant/minotaur/ettin/cyclops or other megabeast), and finally it needs to make it to your cage trap without being killed by something else. | '''Difficulty:''' Low, but requires a fair bit of luck - a dragon (or fire-breathing forgotten beast) needs to survive worldgen, then it needs to attack your fortress (instead of a giant/minotaur/ettin/cyclops or other megabeast), and finally it needs to make it to your cage trap without being killed by something else. | ||
| − | '''Usefulness:''' Medium. [[Dragonfire]] can kill almost anything, but will be blocked by a [[shield]] greater than 99% of the time. Adding a combustible floor (such as a paved [[lignite]] [[road]]) will significantly increase lethality for shield-toting targets. Also, any protective bridges in front of the fortifications may melt under sustained fire, leaving you with a bunker that ''nobody'' can safely approach; building the bridges (and mechanisms) from [[metal]] (or [[slade]]) will make them immune to the fire. Additionally, a skilled enemy archer can easily kill your dragon with a lucky shot if line-of-sight access is available. | + | '''Usefulness:''' Medium. [[Dragonfire]] can kill almost anything, but will be blocked by a [[shield]] greater than 99% of the time. Adding a combustible floor (such as a paved [[lignite]] [[road]]) will significantly increase lethality for shield-toting targets. Also, any protective bridges in front of the fortifications may melt under sustained fire, leaving you with a bunker that ''nobody'' can safely approach; ensuring the bridge center tile isn't near the fire, or building the bridges (and mechanisms) from [[ash]], dragon [[soap]], [[divine metal|divine]]{{version|0.43.03}} [[metal]] (or [[slade]]) will make them immune to the fire. Additionally, a skilled enemy archer can easily kill your dragon with a lucky shot, if line-of-sight access is available. |
*Bonus: Capture a fire-breathing [[titan]] or [[forgotten beast]] and use it. | *Bonus: Capture a fire-breathing [[titan]] or [[forgotten beast]] and use it. | ||
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'''Usefulness:''' You get a decent supply of zombies to use in your [[trap design|cunning traps]]. Depending on your style of play, this may prove to be worth the effort. | '''Usefulness:''' You get a decent supply of zombies to use in your [[trap design|cunning traps]]. Depending on your style of play, this may prove to be worth the effort. | ||
| − | * DwarfBonus: Use war [[elephant]]s, or any other giant | + | * DwarfBonus: Use war [[elephant]]s, or any other giant {{catlink|Grazer|grazing animal}} you <s>bought</s> seized from elves. |
** MegaDwarfBonus: Use [[giant elephant]]s. | ** MegaDwarfBonus: Use [[giant elephant]]s. | ||
*** BoatMurderedBonus: Release them all simultaneously to challenge your militia/play out a [[fun|!fun!]] scenario for your fort. | *** BoatMurderedBonus: Release them all simultaneously to challenge your militia/play out a [[fun|!fun!]] scenario for your fort. | ||
* MenagerieBonus: Create a zoo using only undead grazers. | * MenagerieBonus: Create a zoo using only undead grazers. | ||
| − | ** DwarvenMenagerieBonus: Combine this with the [[ | + | ** DwarvenMenagerieBonus: Combine this with the [[#Zombie_thunderdome|Zombie Thunderdome]] and have a rotation of undead cows fighting in the arena only to be re-caged when they try to leave. |
*** ChampionBonus: Give each grazer rooming in the zoo according to their kills, with the champion having the most luxurious room. | *** ChampionBonus: Give each grazer rooming in the zoo according to their kills, with the champion having the most luxurious room. | ||
| − | **** AltarBonus: Turn the champion's room into an [[ | + | **** AltarBonus: Turn the champion's room into an [[#Altar_of_Armok|Altar of Armok]]. |
**** FreedomBonus: Let the champion and higher-ranking zombies roam freely in their rooms, having to be re-captured for each battle. | **** FreedomBonus: Let the champion and higher-ranking zombies roam freely in their rooms, having to be re-captured for each battle. | ||
***** !FreedomBonus!: Release the champion into your fort. | ***** !FreedomBonus!: Release the champion into your fort. | ||
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*SurfaceDwellerBonus: Get the stone for your constructions entirely from open-pit quarries, i.e. by c[h]annelling instead of [d]igging. | *SurfaceDwellerBonus: Get the stone for your constructions entirely from open-pit quarries, i.e. by c[h]annelling instead of [d]igging. | ||
*MegaSurfaceDwellerBonus: Never use picks at all, all stone and metal must come from caravans or embark. | *MegaSurfaceDwellerBonus: Never use picks at all, all stone and metal must come from caravans or embark. | ||
| − | *WhereTheBeardedLadiesAtBonus: Enforce as many <s>pointless</s> quaint human quirks as feasible, for instance: nominating officials per wealth/popularity/relationships instead of merit and suitedness, coddling Nobles, burrowing farmers, miners, brewers, craftsdwarves and other backbones of society into the most tattered ridings, enforcing a specific religion upon the | + | *WhereTheBeardedLadiesAtBonus: Enforce as many <s>pointless</s> quaint human quirks as feasible, for instance: nominating officials per wealth/popularity/relationships instead of merit and suitedness, coddling Nobles, burrowing farmers, miners, brewers, craftsdwarves and other backbones of society into the most tattered ridings, enforcing a specific religion upon the populace, and so forth. |
==Ice tower== | ==Ice tower== | ||
| Line 613: | Line 651: | ||
*MegaArmokEntombmentBonus: Do both and cast your enemies in obsidian and boil the survivors in steam as a semi-permanent testament to their foolhardiness. This also means that you will have stairs cut out of lovely obsidian once your miners are finished making your stairwell usable again. | *MegaArmokEntombmentBonus: Do both and cast your enemies in obsidian and boil the survivors in steam as a semi-permanent testament to their foolhardiness. This also means that you will have stairs cut out of lovely obsidian once your miners are finished making your stairwell usable again. | ||
*MegaArmokEntombmentEXTREME+Bonus: "Forget" to pull the lockdown lever before you pull lever number 2. | *MegaArmokEntombmentEXTREME+Bonus: "Forget" to pull the lockdown lever before you pull lever number 2. | ||
| − | *MegaArmokEntombment<s>'''Bait&Switch'''</s>Diplomatic+Bonus: Set the highest level up on another switch, with a particularly <s>'''demanding and annoying noble'''</s> skilled diplomatic representative is waiting at the very bottom to <s>'''lure'''</s> invite them all down for a nice meal on <s>'''his flesh'''</s> the stockpile of food and booze that's keep him ever so happy. Then you can wait for the entire army to flow into the stairwell before flipping the switches. Don't forget to carve a statue out of the block of the noble! What noble doesn't want their grand <s>'''sacrificial defense'''</s> | + | *MegaArmokEntombment<s>'''Bait&Switch'''</s>Diplomatic+Bonus: Set the highest level up on another switch, with a particularly <s>'''demanding and annoying noble'''</s> skilled diplomatic representative is waiting at the very bottom to <s>'''lure'''</s> invite them all down for a nice meal on <s>'''his flesh'''</s> the stockpile of food and booze that's keep him ever so happy. Then you can wait for the entire army to flow into the stairwell before flipping the switches. Don't forget to carve a statue out of the block of the noble! What noble doesn't want their grand <s>'''sacrificial defense'''</s> diplomatic skills to be immortalized in volcanic glass? |
| − | **UltraArmokBonus: Defeat all your invasions this way, and build a temple to Armok full of the once noble, now obsidian statues, only the highest of quality (and value) memorial slabs. | + | **UltraArmokBonus: Defeat all your invasions this way, and build a temple to Armok full of the once noble, now obsidian statues, as well as only the highest of quality (and value) memorial slabs. |
==Magma Lock System== | ==Magma Lock System== | ||
| Line 651: | Line 689: | ||
'''Usefulness:''' Marginal. But very cool. | '''Usefulness:''' Marginal. But very cool. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Magma access early== | ||
| + | ASAP from embark, dig down to the magma.<br> | ||
| + | Make 2 magma proof pumps,<br> | ||
| + | make a small (5x5?) room that you can pump magma into and out of and<br> | ||
| + | make a stockpile for only iron & steel minecarts in the room.<br> | ||
| + | Be sure to make enough minecarts to fill the room.<br> | ||
| + | Once the room is full of minecarts, seal room and pump it full of magma.<br> | ||
| + | Then pump the magma out.<br> | ||
| + | Delete the stockpile.<br> | ||
| + | Make a new stockpile near your forge/smelt/glass/kiln area.<br> | ||
| + | Haul minecarts by hand (or magma proof wheelbarrow).<br> | ||
| + | Use tracks and stops to dump 4 deep magma into shallow pits.<br> | ||
| + | 2 minecart loads per pit. <br> | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Difficulty:''' Low. <br> | ||
| + | '''Usefulness:''' Very High. <br> | ||
| + | *Bonus: !!Magma Economy By Autumn!! | ||
| + | *ObsidianBonus: Instead of pumping the magma out, drain water from a nearby lake or aquifer cistern onto it to turn it into obsidian. Carve out the minecarts, magma safely still inside, and enjoy the extra obsidian you have. Watch out not to flood the fortress! | ||
==Magma highway== | ==Magma highway== | ||
| Line 712: | Line 769: | ||
'''Usefulness:''' Medium. Depends on the size of your fortress/defences/amount of attackers. Works well with fire creatures to create a sauna. | '''Usefulness:''' Medium. Depends on the size of your fortress/defences/amount of attackers. Works well with fire creatures to create a sauna. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Minecart spiral== | ||
| + | Build a giant spiral [[Minecart#Impulse ramps|minecart impulse ramp]] all the way from the [[magma sea]] to the surface. You can use it to transport ores to the [[magma smelter|magma smelters]] at the bottom from [[sedimentary layer|sedimentary layers]] near the surface. You can build [[statues]] in it to prevent dwarves from walking in and [[fun|dying]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Difficulty:''' Medium-High. You will most likely have to use [[macros]]. Additionally, when crossing caverns you will have to [[construct]] minecart ramps which can be tedious. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Usefulness:''' Medium. It depends on how tall your map is and how much ores you consume. | ||
| + | |||
| + | *TrapBonus: Use [[bridge|drawbridge]] to guide invaders to the spiral, then [[screw pump|pump]] water into it and drown them. | ||
| + | **BetterTrapBonus: Make it [[magma]] instead. | ||
| + | *SuperBonus: Make the tower go all the way to the highest [[Z-axis|Z level]]. | ||
| + | **ArmokBonus: Make it go through the magma sea, and [[HFS|further below]]. | ||
| + | *Bonus: At the top, set up a system where dwarves can guide minecarts to different vertical shafts where the will fall to different Z levels, for loading. Then, the minecarts fall further down to the smelters, where the empty minecarts are sent back up for loading. | ||
| + | **MegaBonus: Divide your dwarves into two separate [[burrows]] connected only by the minecart spiral and the shaft. The higher burrow is in charge of mining, growing food, and operating the minecart system, and the lower burrow is in charge of smelting ores and making crafts. | ||
| + | ***HyperMegaBonus: Close off all stairs and add a minecart loading and unloading station at every inhabited z level. All vertical transport of goods should be done via minecarts only. Also, dwarves are not allowed in minecarts. | ||
| + | ****UltraSuperBonus: Build a minecart loading and unloading station at every Z level, even the uninhabited ones you never use. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Mist generator== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Using whatever screw-pump-statue contraption your dwarves can muster up, create an endless mist-generating machine which will hopefully not obliterate your [[Frames_per_second|FPS]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Difficulty:''' Extremely easy. You will only need a basic understanding of screwpumps and gear assemblies. However, you can scale it to any size or level of complexity. The [[Mist|mist page]] has a handy guide. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Usefulness:''' Borderline cheating. Keeps your dwarves in a state of constant euphoria. Mist does funny things to a dwarf's mind. Also a one-up from artificial waterfalls as they only need to travel a single Z level, (hopefully) reducing the FPS strain. | ||
| + | *Bonus: Build an absolutely horrible fortress with as much [[miasma]] and [[hateable]] vermin that you can fit in one bunker. Keep your dwarves sane with the power of Mist™ alone. | ||
| + | **FUNbonus: Build it in a semi-freezing climate instead. Watch as winter rolls by and your dwarves are deprived of their only source of joy. [[Fun]] will surely ensue. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
==Monumental statue== | ==Monumental statue== | ||
| Line 751: | Line 836: | ||
==Nuclear Fallout Bunker== | ==Nuclear Fallout Bunker== | ||
| − | Build a mini fortress with everything your dwarves could need deep underground. Stock it with enough food, drinks, and materials to last your small band of survivors for years or alternatively make it self-sufficient with its own food production. Lastly add a bridge that allows you to seal off the bunker from the rest of the world. | + | Build a mini fortress with everything your dwarves could need deep underground. Stock it with enough food, drinks, and materials to last your small band of survivors for years or alternatively make it self-sufficient with its own food production. Lastly, add a bridge that allows you to seal off the bunker from the rest of the world. |
'''Difficulty:''' Easy-Medium depending on the relative luxury of the bunker and how many dwarves you intend to shelter from the apocalypse. | '''Difficulty:''' Easy-Medium depending on the relative luxury of the bunker and how many dwarves you intend to shelter from the apocalypse. | ||
| − | '''Usefulness:''' High. If your fort is threatened by some particularly nasty disaster (be it | + | '''Usefulness:''' High. If your fort is threatened by some particularly nasty disaster (be it zombie goblin horde or Bronze Colossus) simply rush your best and brightest dwarves down to the Nuclear Fallout Bunker and raise the bridge, sealing it off from the rest of the world. |
| + | *MutallyAssuredDestructionBonus: Have a self-destruct lever in the bunker that is pulled once everyone is safely inside. | ||
==Obsidian factory== | ==Obsidian factory== | ||
| Line 783: | Line 869: | ||
'''Difficulty:''' Medium; only tricky parts are (potentially) finding enough items of different colors, and keeping track of which colors are where before the hauling is done. | '''Difficulty:''' Medium; only tricky parts are (potentially) finding enough items of different colors, and keeping track of which colors are where before the hauling is done. | ||
| − | '''Usefulness:''' | + | '''Usefulness:''' Negative |
==Pressure washer== | ==Pressure washer== | ||
| − | A huge tower with floodgates at the bottom on one side. When opened, the pressurized water fires out and | + | A huge tower with floodgates at the bottom on one side. When opened, the pressurized water fires out and instantly submerges anything in the way of the flow. Depending on size, can be surprisingly powerful. You can see an example tower [http://mkv25.net/dfma/map-7485-griffonwind here]. |
'''Difficulty:''' Medium, construction technique takes some consideration. | '''Difficulty:''' Medium, construction technique takes some consideration. | ||
| Line 792: | Line 878: | ||
'''Usefulness:''' Medium-High. Tested in version 0.28.181.40d with 50 recruits standing in front of it when the floodgates opened, killed 46 of them, including ones not pushed into the pit. | '''Usefulness:''' Medium-High. Tested in version 0.28.181.40d with 50 recruits standing in front of it when the floodgates opened, killed 46 of them, including ones not pushed into the pit. | ||
| − | * Bonus: Fill it with Magma instead (though | + | * Bonus: Fill it with Magma instead (though it won't flow out nearly as quickly). |
| + | |||
| + | ==Quantum Blizzard Cannon== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Do you need to kill something? Is atom-smashing no longer a viable option? Do you wish to bring glory to Armok? Do not fear, the QBC is here! By creating individual stops to fill minecarts with projectiles of your choosing, then loading up to 12 filled minecarts into a final “Launcher” minecart (using a stop designated to fill the "launcher" with minecarts), you can effectively fire as many items as you would like at your foe using a standard minecart shotgun. It is also possible to fill this with fluids, to great effect (and risk of crashing the game). This can often have interesting effects because hitting a goblin with 996 bars of lead at extreme speeds is not good for the squishy bits. The cannon gains its name from its creator. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ''' Difficulty:''' excessive, lots of time in menus and loading per shot, but really ((Fun)) | ||
| + | |||
| + | ''' Usefulness:''' medium to low. The same trick can be used to move large amounts of items via minecart, but ultimately the QBC is excessive for even the HFS. | ||
==Redesign the fortress== | ==Redesign the fortress== | ||
| Line 800: | Line 894: | ||
'''Usefulness:''' Varies depending on how you carry it out, a.k.a. the efficiency of the new organization. | '''Usefulness:''' Varies depending on how you carry it out, a.k.a. the efficiency of the new organization. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Bonus: use [[obsidian]] casting to carve the new fortress entirely out of obsidian. | ||
| + | ** DwarfBonus: but keep valuable walls such as [[native gold]]. | ||
| + | *** PurpleDwarfBonus: using controlled [[cave-in]]s, arrange for your king's new room to be entirely bordered by native gold/platinum/aluminium walls. | ||
==Rehabilitation centre== | ==Rehabilitation centre== | ||
| Line 862: | Line 960: | ||
* Bonus: Build your fortress high above ground, connect the fortress to a roof through just one support and have the system, when activated, drop the whole construction into the magma sea, destroying the whole thing permanently. | * Bonus: Build your fortress high above ground, connect the fortress to a roof through just one support and have the system, when activated, drop the whole construction into the magma sea, destroying the whole thing permanently. | ||
* FunBonus: use the lever to drop the fortress off a pillar while simultaneously opening the [[hidden fun stuff]], preferably in a whole lot of places. | * FunBonus: use the lever to drop the fortress off a pillar while simultaneously opening the [[hidden fun stuff]], preferably in a whole lot of places. | ||
| − | *ExtraFunBonus: do as | + | *ExtraFunBonus: do as many of these bonuses as you please (as long as they still function together) AND unleash a whole lot of dwarves throwing tantrums near the lever when you wish to set the fun things off. |
==Shark catcher== | ==Shark catcher== | ||
| Line 908: | Line 1,006: | ||
'''Usefulness:''' Medium. The swimming skill is only slightly useful, but it does provide [[cross-training]] for attribute gains. | '''Usefulness:''' Medium. The swimming skill is only slightly useful, but it does provide [[cross-training]] for attribute gains. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Tower of Death-Struction== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Have you ever wondered, "What would it take to make my [[Siege|friends]] all [[Gravity|fall]] at once into a pit of [[Trap|fun times]] while also not risking failure?" Elementary, my aspiring architect -- [[Fun|THE TOWER OF DEATH-STRUCTION]]! | ||
| + | |||
| + | Step 1: Build a tower with a [[bridge]], to allow for non-lethal access to the fortress. Build the tower roughly 25-30 blocks high, though higher towers tend to result in roughly equivalent amounts of [[Fun]]. The access bridge should be linked to a lever, to close it like a standard gate. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Step 2: Build a thinner tower 20 blocks away, for maximum bridge length. Any number of middle towers can be constructed, though one is recommended. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Step 3: Build another tower, one that can be ascended by [[Goblin|curious friends]]. Fill it with cage traps, to thin out the number of [[Troll|friends]] to take up space on the bridge. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Step 4: Build two bridges on either side of the skybridge, to trap attackers on the skybridge. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Step 5: Hook up the skybridges to one lever, and the trap bridge to another. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Once this is done, just wait for a [[Siege|surprise party]] to be thrown for you. Close the access bridge, forcing the [[Goblin|visitors]] to path onto it. Trap them, and when the time looks right... | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Pull the lever, Kronk!''' | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Difficulty:''' Moderate to hard. If all of your dwarves have cave adaptation, the construction might take a lot longer to complete. As well, the cost of floors and traps alone will mean that just acquiring the materials will need its own stupid dwarf trick. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Usefulness:''' Low to high, depending on how well you use it. If you forget to open the access gate, you might find your dwarves trapped inside the tower, or even worse, they may run up to the bridge to fight and meet a [[Gravity|bad time]]. Also, the goblin corpses piling up in the spike pit might cause extra [[Miasma|fun]] depending on how regularly you take care of it. If done correctly, this tower might become the most efficient and effective defence against all problems that one could possibly ask for. | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Bonus: Build enough middle towers to build a bridge path long enough to trap an entire siege and drop them onto spikes below. | ||
| + | *SuperBonus: Build the towers above a river. | ||
| + | *MegaDwarfBonus: Build the towers above a lava pit. | ||
| + | *SuperMegaDwarfBonus: Build the towers above a ticket straight to [[HFS|the circus]]. | ||
| + | *ArmokBonus: Build the towers out of [[Slade]] (Note: This should be impossible, so if you do it...)) | ||
| + | *HardcoreDwarvenMasterpieceArtifactBonus: Build the fortress at the top of the tower that the goblins have to try to get to. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Traveling Circus == | ||
| + | Travel across the world, building megaprojects like pyramids or bridges. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Difficulty''': The larger the world, the higher. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Usefulness''': ''None at all''. | ||
| + | * Bonus: travel around and actually release [[HFS|the circus]] on every embark. Needless to say, this is the most [[fun]] option. You may consider making sure the clowns get their share of fun, if you want your circus to happen more than once... | ||
==Underground forest== | ==Underground forest== | ||
| Line 1,016: | Line 1,151: | ||
'''Difficulty:''' You will get a were sooner or later. Getting him pitted in the right spot without havoc is the hard part. | '''Difficulty:''' You will get a were sooner or later. Getting him pitted in the right spot without havoc is the hard part. | ||
| − | '''Usefulness:''' Low. | + | '''Usefulness:''' Low/None. As of Premium, the lunar phase is permanently affixed to the user interface, making a werewolf clock frankly redundant. |
*Bonus: Make the werewolf do most of the work himself. | *Bonus: Make the werewolf do most of the work himself. | ||
| Line 1,025: | Line 1,160: | ||
'''Difficulty:''' Low. | '''Difficulty:''' Low. | ||
| − | '''Usefulness:''' Medium. Keeping your fort safe from the threat of animated beak dog beaks is worth any price. However, [[ | + | '''Usefulness:''' Medium. Keeping your fort safe from the threat of animated beak dog beaks is worth any price. However, [[Defense guide|there may be better things]] [[Mega construction|to do with your time]]. |
*Bonus: Set up a series of [[bridge|defenses]] that drop invaders into the pit. | *Bonus: Set up a series of [[bridge|defenses]] that drop invaders into the pit. | ||
| Line 1,037: | Line 1,172: | ||
In a reanimating biome, build a holding room for your undead, wall it off with fortifications. In the adjacent (accessible) area, build an archery range and order your archery squads to train there. Your marksdwarves will go to their scheduled archery training and whenever a zombie is raised, they'll switch focus from the boring old archery target and instead shoot down the undead. Once the zombies are dead, they'll return to regular shooting practice until the corpses rise again. The raised corpses cannot attack through fortifications and thus cause no unhappy thoughts from seeing them, but will spook haulers trying to collect errant socks from the shooting range. | In a reanimating biome, build a holding room for your undead, wall it off with fortifications. In the adjacent (accessible) area, build an archery range and order your archery squads to train there. Your marksdwarves will go to their scheduled archery training and whenever a zombie is raised, they'll switch focus from the boring old archery target and instead shoot down the undead. Once the zombies are dead, they'll return to regular shooting practice until the corpses rise again. The raised corpses cannot attack through fortifications and thus cause no unhappy thoughts from seeing them, but will spook haulers trying to collect errant socks from the shooting range. | ||
| + | |||
| + | A viable (if finicky) alternative to a reanimating biome could be a [[necromancer]]. This has the benefit of being more controllable, but comes with the threat of [[intelligent undead]] and their abilities. Most would be relatively harmless or a minor inconvenience, but some are potentially lethal to your dwarves. Whether or not this is a downside depends on how many corpses you have available to restock the gallery. | ||
'''Difficulty:''' Low. The difficulty lies in finding a source of permanent undead, the actual construction is trivial. | '''Difficulty:''' Low. The difficulty lies in finding a source of permanent undead, the actual construction is trivial. | ||
Latest revision as of 17:44, 6 September 2025
v52.04 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF.Note that some content may still need to be updated. |
|
This article or section has been rated D for Dwarf. It may include witty humour, not-so-witty humour, bad humour, in-jokes, pop culture references, and references to the Bay12 forums. Don't believe everything you read, and if you miss some of the references, don't worry. It was inevitable. |
A stupid dwarf trick is any project that requires a large amount of time and/or effort. They may provide a practical benefit, but are frequently done for the sake of doing them; they exist primarily as a challenge for experienced players.
Adventure mode fortress[edit]
Build a fortress specifically for exploring in adventure mode. You can either make a nasty monster-filled challenge, or a smörgåsbord of masterpiece adamantine weapons and armor. Possibly both. Breaching the caverns or hidden fun stuff should ensure the fortress is occupied. Building a fortress is now possible inside of adventure mode as of DF v0.43.
Difficulty: The sky's the limit.
Usefulness: None for fortress mode, but filling it with high-quality equipment can certainly be useful for adventure mode.
Alarm clock[edit]
Are your soldiers all sound asleep while blood soaks the walls? No need to deconstruct their beds one by one, if you bought the Dwarf Wakey 3000! Simply a solitary floor tile balanced on a support, one or more can be toppled with the pull of a lever to produce an earth-shaking racket that'll have them leaping for their axes!
Difficulty: Low.
Usefulness: Limited. They'll sleep through anything the noise. Although they have been known to awaken when drenched in water, possibly due to thinking it's alcohol. This means an alarm clock is not impossible if carefully prepared.
Alphabet cages[edit]
Use captured monsters in cages to spell messages.
Difficulty: Medium. Vowels are hard to come by.
Usefulness: Absolutely none whatsoever. Even less if using sprites. (Easy reminders in case you're too lazy to use notes?)
Altar of Armok[edit]
Build a large altar made out of adamantine, clear glass, magma, and obsidian. The main altar should be hollow adamantine with clear glass "windows." It should have magma inside. The altar should be adorned with large obsidian spikes, as it pleases Armok.
Difficulty: Medium, raising with the amount (and respective difficulty) of bonuses you add.
Usefulness: Low to medium. If the chamber containing the altar is consecrated as a temple, dwarves will go there to pray, and may gain additional happy thoughts for admiring the altar's materials and craftsdwarfship.
- Bonus: Guard the altar with a megabeast.
- Bonus: Cover the altar with blood of a Titan.
- MegaBonus: Cover the altar with blood of a denizen of the HFS.
- ArmokBonus: Build the altar in the HFS.
- MegaBonus: Cover the altar with blood of a denizen of the HFS.
- MegaBonus: Cover the altar in a temporarily lasting strength inducing extract.
- BerserkBonus: Cover the altar in a nausea-inducing extract.
- BloodBonus: Also cover the altar in an extract inducing slow death.
- SychronizationBonus: Make it so that a dwarf that goes into contact with the altar dies the moment the strength runs out.
- SacrificialBonus: Sacrifice a dwarf to the altar every day.
- MegaSacrificialBonus: Sacrifice an elf to the altar every day.
- HistorySacrificialBonus: Sacrifice a human to the altar every day
- MegaArmokBonus: Sacrifice all three species to the altar every day!
- MonarchBonus: Build the altar in the monarch's throne room! Yes, this stacks with the ArmokBonus up above.
Anthill[edit]
Build your fortresses hallways and rooms on the same Z-axis. Building rooms with depth is fine, as long as their west/east walls are on the same Z-coordinate. All the walls on the Z-coordinate should be glass. Hollow out the opposite section so that the area beside the glass is empty. Build viewing platforms in the hollowed-out space. Difficulty High. The limited space is a huge restraint, and caverns are a huge issue.
Usefulness Very low, although intruders can be forced to climb the viewing area to enter, letting marksdwarves pick them off easily through fortifications.
- MirrorBonus* Instead of a viewing area, build a perfect replica of the fort.
- SuperDwarfGalaxyBonus* Make it horizontal instead of vertical.
- MegaBonus** Build it into the magma sea.
Aqueduct power[edit]
If your river's a long way away from your fortress, building a trans-map axle may be less efficient than building an aqueduct and pump stack driven by waterwheels in the river. The pump stack raises it to the height of your fort, where it flows through the long, long aqueduct and drives waterwheels on the other end. Getting the water pressure just right so it powers your waterwheel without flooding the fort can be Fun. Diagonal channels make good pressure reducers.
Difficulty: High. Lots of stone, lots of engineering, lots of dangerous outdoor work, lots of trial-and-error for the receiving waterwheels.
Aquifers will absorb any amount of water at any rate. Using an aquifer as drain for the reservoir will nullify the risk of flooding the fortress due to the drain not keeping up with the supply.
Usefulness: High. As much water and power as you want, wherever you want, whenever you want.
Aquifer power[edit]
Aquifers can be a resource of immense power. If you have two levels of aquifer, you can generate a continuous flow by draining one level of aquifer into another and plant waterwheels above it. One stream can power a lot of wheels.
Difficulty: High. Anything to do with draining aquifers is very Fun. It is now very rare to find a powerful enough aquifer.
Usefulness: High.
Archaeological excavation[edit]
A Fortress in the caverns, built by the first dwarf tribes. Build the Fortress however you see fit for those prehistoric Dwarves (e.g. only primitive metals, elaborate tombs for the chieftains with burial objects, cave art, etc.) and abandon it. Then, embark with modern Dwarves, and excavate the ancient Fortress. Sort of like the Adventure Fortress above, only for Reclaim Mode
Difficulty: As High as you want.
Usefulness: Variable. Carving a premade fort or building controlled access to caverns can potentially be useful for a Reclaim effort, effectively making the first wave dispoable setup so your would-be archologists to dig up and exploit their new home. The more Fun you leave behind, the harder it will be for your second wave to repurpose the place.
- Bonus: A museum detailing the lives of those early dwarves.
- Bonus: Create a save with your First Tribe fort collapsed/flooded/etc, for other users to explore. Leave them some Fun what-does-this-lever-do problems to solve.
- EncinoDwarfBonus: Some of those early dwarves frozen in a block of ice.
- FunBonus: Breach the HFS.
- MegaBonus: Do a cave in to the HFS after fighting it leaving multiple signs of battle in the fortress, to be dug by your modern dwarves.
Artificial waterfall[edit]
To keep the waterfall going, you need a pump stack, preferably powered by a windmill or water wheel. Alternatively, an aquifer, or other limitless water source, makes for a waterfall entirely underground.
Difficulty: Moderate (Low if there is an aquifer above pouring down).
Usefulness: Dwarves love waterfalls. Putting a waterfall in your meeting hall will give your dwarves good thoughts, although it can significantly lower frame rate.
- Bonus: Build it in a "Warm" or hotter climate so it does not freeze.
- DwarfBonus: Build it in a freezing/cold/temperate climate and keep it going entire year!
- MegaDwarfBonus: Use magma. It does not freeze, even in a freezing climate!
- MegaDwarfBonusEXTREME+: Use magma and water in the same waterfall. The results will enshrine you in dwarf history! Possibly permanently.
Ballista battery[edit]
Overlap a few ballistas to completely cover a narrow corridor. There is an unavoidable risk of your operators wandering into the line of fire.
Difficulty: Low. If you insist on highly trained operators with high-quality ballistas, it gets harder.
Usefulness: A complicated and dangerous way to defend a single corridor. Ultimately extremely effective. Sometimes.
Bastion[edit]
Construct an isolated burrow containing a farmer and some labourers, containing at least an uncontaminated well (an aquifer is great for this) and some farms. Use whatever elaborate mechanism you wish to seal it off from the rest of the fortress. Congratulations; your bastioned dwarves and their descendants will keep your fortress alive forever until one of them goes nuts.
- Bonus: Build your bastion at least in part in a clay or sand layer, add a little magma, and continue manufacturing useless crap even as the world crumbles around you!
- StonksBonus: Rig a way for your bastion to transfer supplies to the outside world without exposing themselves to danger, so they can be somewhat useful to the rest of your fort before their inevitable downfall. Doubles as a way to restock the bastion with fresh supplies and/or bodies, or a way to let the apocalypse in a little at a time if your survivors get too comfortable.
- Bonus: Build it on top of a tower outside, and then deconstruct the stairs up.
- Bonus: Fill it exclusively with vampires, to avoid having to worry about food, children, and aging.
- MegaDwarfBonus: Hollow out a shell around your bastion, connecting it to the rest of the cavern by a single 1x1 adamantine support, and flood the shell with magma.
Difficulty: Low.
Usefulness: High. If your bastioned dwarves have high enough quality living space and few enough nonbastioned friends, it makes the fortress functionally immortal.
Bathtub[edit]
Stop dwarves from hauling in tons of exotic, poisonous sludge into your fortress by creating a tub filled with 3/7 water that everyone has to get through to enter the fortress. Include a system to change the water, so that they don't bathe in grime.
Difficulty: Moderate
Usefulness: Low in most cases. High in some evil areas.
- DwarfBonus: Make it drain and refill itself with clean water automatically once in a year.
- MegaDwarfBonus: Clean it with magma.
- *MegaDwarfBonus*: Have an alternative bathtub-buffered entrance next to the main one, which opens automatically when sanitizing the main one and closes and sanitizes itself when it is no longer needed, so that no jobs are canceled during cleansing cycle.
- ≡MegaDwarfBonus≡ : Make it clean itself with magma automatically once in a year, but make it wait for the moment when it's unused, so that no dwarves or pets are incinerated.
- ☼MegaDwarfBonus☼: All of the above, plus make it detect when there should be no dwarves or pets around, but invaders are in it, so that the cleansing cycle can be started prematurely.
Boat[edit]
In intermittently freezing biomes, ice may be used to create actual floating boats, submarines, or other floating objects/forts; as constructions built on top of ice do not collapse when the ice thaws.
Difficulty: High. Needs an intermittently freezing biome, construction is limited to frozen periods, and there's a substantial risk of flooding, drowning and being encased in ice.
Usefulness: Low. Forts within boats are protected from invaders while the water is unfrozen, but they're also trapped within the confines of the boat.
Note: You'll probably want to limit your saves to the colder months.
- DwarfBonus: Have the dwarves live on the boat.
- MegaDwarfBonus: Make miscreants/nobles walk the plank.
- *MegaDwarfBonus*: Bury your treasure on shore.
- ≡MegaDwarfBonus≡ : Have a pet kea for each of your dwarves.
- ☼MegaDwarfBonus☼: Build it on top of an ice tower.
Bolt splitting operation[edit]
## Note: no longer works due to climbing mechanics ##
One curious property of Dwarven physics is that a bar of metal makes 25 bolts, but if each of those 25 bolts is melted separately, they will become 2.5 bars, generating metal from nothing. Prior to the update that allowed splitting stacks at the trade depot, the difficult part was separating the stacks of bolts into individual bolts without destroying them. EliDupree originally discovered this trick:
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