v0.31:Bridge

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v50.14 · v0.47 · v0.34 · v0.31.25 · v0.28 · v0.23 This article is about an older version of DF. More Info · V

Bridges are extremely useful buildings for crossing dangerous terrain and also for fortress defense. Using them to control fluids can save one a ton of mechanisms and time, especially when the fluid in question is free-flowing and not pressurized (by Template:L, Template:L or hydrostatic anything) and needs a wide tunnel.

Building Bridges

Bridges can be built (b -> g) of Template:L, Template:L or Template:L. They are first designed by an Template:L, then require a specialist worker for the material used (e.g. a Template:L for a stone bridge). The size of the bridge can be altered with umkh while placing it, up to a maximum size of 10 squares in each direction. The bridge must be anchored to a solid surface on at least one edge. Before placing the bridge ensure that the bridge raises in the direction you want it to using wadx or retracts using s.

Raising/Retracting Bridges

All bridges in DF can be raised or retracted by linking it to a Template:L. This requires a Template:L and a dwarf with the Template:L labor activated.

If a bridge is set to retract when the lever is pulled, the bridge essentially disappears dropping anything (friend, foe, or object) on the bridge onto whatever is underneath. Clearly this can be used to drop your enemies to rocky/watery/fiery deaths (or anything more imaginative you can think up!).

If a bridge is set to raise when the lever is pulled, the bridge becomes a wall along the edge selected with the wadx keys when placing the bridge. The resulting wall is always one z-level tall, regardless of the width of the bridge. The bridge also "moves" to this position very fast, firing anything on the bridge into the air. The key advantage to raising bridges is the creation of a wall when the bridge is raised. This can be used to block fortress entrances/corridors. Using 2 bridges at opposite ends of a corridor creates a very large and simple trap by walling in enemies.

The lowering of a drawbridge can also be used as a waste disposal for unwanted stones, Template:L, Template:Ls (dead or alive) and Template:L, to name a few. Even fluids get destroyed (this is especially useful considering lack of chasms in the new version). However, lowering a drawbridge onto a sufficiently large creature (such as a Template:L) simply destroys the bridge.

Bugs

Retractable bridges (possibly raising bridges, but this is untested) will not retract when a mounted unit (a unit riding another) is on the bridge. Attempting to do so will create odd results if multiple bridges are connected to the same lever[1].

*This is true except that I was able to retract the bridge if only 1 or 2 mounted units were standing on it.  Could it have to do with a weight limit?

It is impossible to channel out stone that is directly under a raiseable bridge when its in the raised position.

Non-magma-safe bridge will heat up and eventually melt if a tile, which would be normally part of a lowered bridge gets covered in magma. State of the bridge (raised/lowered) doesn't matter, if it's within the bridge's rectangle, it endangers the whole bridge.

Bridges do not provide structural support -- but the game thinks they do. Sorry two random masons. I already forgot you.

Traders might expect 5 tiles wide bridges. One tile width apparently wasn't good enough for them and they went insane. (.31.12)

A raised bridge cannot be linked to a lever from the inside.

You can steal from traders with bridges.^Bug:3128

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