40d:Ramp

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A ramp is a map feature that allows dwarves and caravans to move between levels. A natural (non-dwarf-constructed) ramp is called a slope, and act as hillsides on the map. Both use the ▲ symbol (pointing "up").

Unlike stairs, a single ramp on a lower level is all that is needed for access, no "down ramp" is required to complete the path between levels. However, the ramp will be visible from the upper level, shown as a ▼ symbol (pointing "down").

Also unlike stairs, they do not feed every lower and upper tile they are adjacent to, which can cause pathing problems if used incorrectly. (See "Using ramps", below.)

Ramps are the only way that wagons can move between levels in order to access an underground trade depot.

Using ramps

Ramps have two common problems - collapsing because they are unsupported, and not allowing a path because they have been constructed as "dead ends" to upper levels.

Diagram A: The lower ramp is connected to another tile on its level; the upper ramp is not and may collapse.

The tile above a ramp must be open space for it to operate (it will appear on screen as a down triangle).
The ramp must have at least one wall adjacent to it for it to not collapse (however, this does not guarantee it will function as a path, see below). Any adjacent ramps are considered part of the same, larger ramp for this purpose; for example, the following is allowed even though the ramp tile in the center is not next to any wall:

`█`	`.`	`.`	`.`	`█`
`█`	`▲`	`▲`	`▲`	`█`
`█`	`▼`	`▼`	`▼`	`█`

The tile above the wall must be non-solid e.g. a floor, stair, 2nd ramp, etc. (Not a wall, statue, floodgate, etc.). Whatever it is, it will be destroyed when a ramp is dug out under it.

A creature can then move from the square the ramp is on to the square above it.

In Diagram A, you can see the difference: because the upper ramp is adjacent on all sides to empty space, it cannot be used to reach the tile to the west

Note: It can be used to reach the tiles to the northwest or northeast of the ramp (not shown in picture). Also, if the tile to the west had a natural rock wall on top of it, it can be mined from the ramp. ^{v0.28.181.40d}

If the upper right of Diagram A is the "top" of the map, with the ramps moving up from right to left, it would appear in DF like this (top level is Z, middle (unsupported, red ramp) is Z-1, bottom level (supported, grey ramp) is Z-2):

( Z ) ( Z - 1) ( Z - 2)

. █ . . █ . █ █ █ █ █ █

. ▼ █ █ █ ▲ ▼ . █ █ ▲ .

█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ . . . .

Note that the ramp (▲) on the Z-1 level is not supported by any adjacent walls or ramps. The ▼ symbol next to it represents the ramp on the next level down.

Diagram B: a supported ramp with an invalid path

Diagram B represents a ramp system that will not collapse, but will not work as expected: Dwarfs on the upper floor will be able to descend to the lower, by walking onto the ramp and then off of the ramp, but dwarfs from the lower floor will not be able to go up.

The top of the ramp must feed into a tile to act as a landing platform for upwards traffic. A ramp cannot "double back", leading up and then expecting the traffic to jump to the tile behind them.

Short Version

The ramp must have a wall next to it.
The space above the ramp must be open.
The space above one of the walls next to the ramp must be open.

Construction and Materials

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

Digging a slope uses the material and colour of the designated tile.
Constructing a ramp uses the colour of the material used.

Remember that the physical ramp is always "up", so to dig out a ramp which goes downward from a flat surface (for example, a ground level slope down into earth), you need to shift one level down and designate the ramp from that level. Dwarfs can dig out a ramp from above or from the level it's been designated on.

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.

Also be extremely careful with digging ramps into areas that have trees growing on them. If you dig a ramp under a tile with a tree on it there will be a collapse that can easily kill the dwarf doing the digging and even injure or kill other dwarves in the immediate area. There is no risk in digging under boulders, shrubs or saplings.

Removing Natural Slopes

Natural slopes 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 slopes (and carved stairs) can be removed in such a manner, and only from the same level as the (upward) ramp. Selecting a downwards ramp in such a manner has no effect, and constructed ramps must be removed differently (see below). Removing the upward ramp will automatically remove the downward ramp designation from the level above, replacing it with "open space". (The downward part of a ramp doesn't really exist, not like a "down stair" does - a creature standing on a ramp tile will be on the lower tile until they move out of the tile.

The only way to remove a ramp on the edge of the map is to build a construction, such as a floor, on the ramp's base.

Removing Constructed Ramps

Constructed ramps can be removed like any other construction via the designation menu using the Remove Construction selection (d -> n, using the ingame interface). Constructed ramps will leave one stone of the sort the ramp was constructed from.

Ramps Versus Stairways

As explained above, ramps have important limitations, but if constructed correctly they can allow slightly faster movement than stairways. For example, if a dwarf wants to go down and to the north using a stairway, it will have to take two steps: one step down a stairway and one step to the north. Going to the same place using a ramp only requires 1 step. Thus ramps are good for underground entrances to your fortress, even if they aren't going to be used by wagons.

Ramps Versus Channeling

Ramps are better suited to carving rooms spanning multiple z-levels than channels. They are safer, because your miners will not channel the stone from underneath each other and will not get stranded on a single rocky outcrop because they could not channel out the tile they're standing on.

For example, to build a dining room three z-levels high, carve a single ramp on the first (bottommost) floor, another ramp on the second floor next to it and designate the whole third (topmost) floor for digging. After that, designate the second floor to be filled with ramps, then to be cleared of them (you might need to channel out the floor above the downward ramp). Repeat on the first floor. Voila, you have a large dining room your dwarves won't appreciate.

Digging an execution pit is even simpler. Start carving ramps from the very top, and you'll need to remove them only on the bottommost floor.