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v0.31:Magma
| This article is about an older version of DF. |
Magma is a red-hot liquid that wells up from deep within the earth - but not too deep to be found by dwarves. Magma that is above the ground is called Lava but is still the same exact substance.
Magma serves as an energy source, powering Template:Ls, Template:Ls, Template:Ls, and Template:Ls. Magma is extremely hot which can lead to a lot of Template:L. In the current version magma seems a bit slower to burn things, allowing things to "fall to the bottom" of a magma pipe before finally burning to death. Also workers that dig into a magma reservoir are not instantly killed as the magma touches them and can often scramble to safety as long as they are not fully immersed in 7/7 magma. It's worth noting that magma never seems to blink with Template:L now either.
The list of materials that are Template:L has been expanded considerably in this version. Magma never cools, but can Template:L if left at a depth of 1/7 for long enough. When magma is mixed with water it forms Template:L.
Template:L
The Magma sea is located at the bottom of every map, forming an (almost) impenetrable barrier. They also provide a great source of magma. Template:L can also be found around the magma sea, and cannot be dug through.
Pumping magma up from the magma sea via a conventional Template:L is a lot of work, requiring hundreds of pumps and vast amounts of power. It is possible to do a lot less work through the "piston method", a clever abuse of Template:L Template:L. The basic principle involves channelling out an area around a huge stone pillar, hundreds of z-levels tall, which will become the "piston" that drives magma to the top. Rest the piston on a single support, then carve out a tank at its base which will be filled with magma pumped from the magma sea. (Beware: building the piston directly over the magma sea will NOT work!) Once the tank has been filled, drop the piston by removing its support. Liquids displaced by a cave-in will "teleport" straight up to the nearest available space; here, the nearest available space will be the catchment area you thoughtfully prepared earlier atop the piston. A full discussion of this trick, including how to make the piston reusable, can be found in this forum thread.
Magma pools
Although the name suggests them as pools, they are actually pipes (Unknown why Toady changed the name). They can be found underground, however they rarely reach the upper z-levels (40+). Most end just a few z-levels above the magma sea, though some span up to more than 100 z-levels. Magma pools seem to be always connected to a magma sea, and the sea and pipe can occasionally reach up to the same level, making them hard to separate. However, magma pools can be identified by the obsidian walls which surround them. Magma pools will slowly refill themselves, giving the player an infinite source of magma.
Volcanoes
Volcanoes can be found which extend all the way to the surface, but on a standard map they are exceedingly rare. If you want a volcano it is probably best to specify it when creating your world. Volcanoes are an endless source of magma so they will always refill themselves.
Properties of magma
Magma behaves the same way as water with the exception of not being affected by Template:L, unless pressurized by a Template:L, and apparently not showing Template:L. Magma will turn into Template:L if it touches Template:L. In the game, magma's temperature is exactly 2,032°F, or about 1,111°C. This is also 12,000° Template:L. The list of Template:L materials has changed considerably in this version.
- Modding information: The rock that is used when magma mixes with water is the first rock encountered to have the [LAVA] tag during worldgen.
Dangers of magma
Magma is not immediately fatal when first touched. It is dangerous to stand in magma, but dwarves will generally only suffer minor burns when running from a flow. Most creatures can survive standing on even a completely filled magma tile for a single turn, but any more and they will likely die.