40d:Stairs

Stairs allow Dwarves and other creatures to travel up and down. Ramps most likely operate in the same fashion and so most advice here should apply to both.

Constructing Stairs

In order for stairs to be usable, you must construct stairs on both levels you wish to connect (An up stair connecting to a down stair). However, a Down or Up stair will give you sufficient access to the adjacent level to build connecting stairs. This means you can dig directly downwards or even directly upwards using stairs without needing any other forms of access to the area.

Using an Up/Down stair (Which goes both up and down on the same tile) you can dig a straight vertical shaft.

Older stuff:

I'm trying to figure out stairs, but can't. I thought this would be a very important topic to start.

How do I erase "down stairs" and "up stairs"? There is an option for one, but not the other.

I'm also trying to figure out ramps.

Looks to me like the "remove down stairs" option is missing. But if you rewall it (b - C - w), and then designate it for "Remove Construction" (d - n), that works to get rid of it. Or just rewall it and leave it as a wall. --Peristarkawan 20:44, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

It seems that building an up/down stairway is the easiest way to build underground. --Vbraun 21:06, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

Stairs and ramps appear to serve the same purpose except stairs can be built directly on top of each other while ramps cannot.

To build a stairs first you create one in the direction you want to go, ie downstairs for going down and upstairs for up. Then a stairs of the opposite direction is built on the next level directly on the previous one. Only after the stairs have been connected can dwarves dig on the next level.

Only upstairs can currently be removed but a new floor can be built over them to render them unusable. --Lucid 21:13, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

I'm betting that dwarves can traverse ramps faster than stairs, but I haven't tested this yet. --Peristarkawan 21:18, 29 October 2007 (EDT)