40d:Ramp

A ramp is a map feature that allows dwarves and caravans to move between levels. Unlike a stair ramps have no 'top', they only have a bottom. The tile above a ramp must be clear for it to operate. Ramps are less useful in construction then stairs because they do not provide access to adjacent tiles on the floor above them. Ramps are the only way that wagons can move between levels in order to access your trade depot.

Construction and Materials -

There are two ways for your dwarves to construct ramps. The first is to carve them into the earth itself (see digging), using the ground below or walls of stone, dirt, and ice as a building material. The second is to build a ramp out of materials such as stone, wood or blocks or bars.

• Digging ramps upwards is useless unless the tile directly above is empty and there access to the side.
  • If you are digging upwards through rock, like a cliff, you may want to use a stair instead.
  • Ramps are easy to work with when digging downwards through a cliff.
• Digging a ramp uses the material and colour of the designated tile.
• Constructing a ramp uses the colour of the material used.

Collapse

Be sure to avoid mining out all of the floor tiles surrounding a ramp or staircase above and below it. If you do this, not only will the structures themselves be useless, they'll collapse, both of which can leave your dwarves trapped.

Removing Natural Ramps

Natural ramps can be mined out via the designation menu using the Remove Up Stairs/Ramps selection (d -> z, using the ingame interface). Like the selection says, only upwards ramps can be removed in such a manner. Selecting a downwards ramp in such a manner has no effect. Removing the upward ramp will automatically remove the downward ramp on the level above. The downward part of a ramp doesn't really exist, a creature standing on a ramp tile will be on the lower tile until they move out of the tile.

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