v0.31:Water

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

Water is a fluid found all over the world. It Template:L from mountain springs, forming the world's Template:L, Template:L, Template:L, and Template:L. Water falls as Template:L and Template:L, and freezes into Template:L. Water is home to a variety of Template:L. Many creatures can Template:L in deep water. Air-breathing creatures that are submerged in water can Template:L in it. Water comes in two varieties: freshwater, which makes up almost all inland water, and saltwater, which fills the seas.

In the new system mud is now a Template:L which is created any time water covers an area. Any tiles that contain mud may be used for Template:L.

Water is displayed with the symbols ≈ and ~, sometimes colored different blues, and white, showing ripples. Water can also take on other colors indicating Template:L such as mud and blood. (The game can be Template:L to show the depth instead).

Dark-colored water symbols indicate the water is one Template:L below the camera level. Water has 7 depth levels per tile, with 1 being a shallow puddle, and 7 filling the tile completely. Template:L can safely walk through water up to a depth of 4. Dwarves finding themselves in water at a depth of 5 or greater are at risk of drowning unless they are skilled at Template:L.

Evaporation

Evaporation occurs when water or Template:L is at a depth of 1/7. In hot or scorching environments Template:L can sometimes evaporate at greater depths as well. Any fluids that evaporate are gone forever.

Flow

Water and Template:L are both Template:L which are constantly trying to Template:L into adjacent tiles until they have filled all available space or until they run out of fluid. Fluids move in 10 directions, up, down, and to the sides. Fluids cannot move diagonally up or down. Fluids at a depth of 1/7 no longer attempt to move unless they can move down. Fluids under Template:L can be pushed up until the pressure equalizes.

Fluids in Dwarf Fortress acts like a fairly thick, viscous material. This makes it possible to do highly implausible things like Template:L out a dry hole in the middle of a Template:L or Template:L.

Sourced Water

Water that comes from Template:L, Template:L, Template:L, Template:L or Template:L is considered to be sourced water. Any sourced water is an endless supply of water that can never run dry. With Template:L and Template:L it may be possible to destroy this source of water by causing a Template:L that removes the tiles this water originally flows from.

When using sourced water you should strongly consider installing Template:L and be aware of how Template:L works or you could easily end up Template:L your fortress and having a lot more Template:L than anticipated.

Salt Water

Dwarves can not drink salt water until it has been desalinated. In 40d water could be desalinated by either placing a Template:L, or by using a screw pump to pump the water into a reservoir made entirely out of constructed walls and floors. It is not yet verified if this remains true in the current version.

Contaminants

Contaminants that get into water currently can do very strange things. A pool of blood that gets covered by water will be pushed out of the water as the water flows creating more pools of blood at the edge of the water. Overflowing a large reservoir that contains contaminants of blood will generate a large amount of blood very quickly. This behavior is thought to be a bug.