Source
r/dwarffortress•
Xiphoid

Question about wells

I'm building some wells above a cavern. Will flying creatures be able to enter my fortress through the wells, and will swimming creatures scare my dwarves?

If they will, what can I do to safely build the wells?

EDIT:

Ok, I got it. I ended up sending my dwarves into the cavern, building a scaffold, and putting fortifications under the wells to keep out nasties. Thanks for the help.

EDIT2:

Actually, didn't work. Turns out fortifications and floor grates block the well from the water.

Posted Aug 16, 2010, 7:03 PM UTC · edited

516
pytechd•

I'm pretty sure they can. I always create a custom reservoir and flood it or fill it via bucket brigades to be sure. Plus I like watching the little fuckers all in a row carrying gigantic dwarf-size buckets full of '1' water.

5
CroMag•

How do you do that? Ive never been able to get them to actually do that.

2
Mnementh2230•

I believe you use the "i" button to zone it, and zone it as a pond/pit that needs filling. You also need to designate a water source, however.

1
musomus•

It needs to be a pond, not a pit. The default is pit, so be sure to change it after creating your new zone.

2
[deleted]•

[deleted]

4
XiphoidOP•

That's my usual plan. Unfortunately, my stairway managed to land directly in a narrow pillar of stone that passes through the cavern, so I don't have room to build a reservoir.

1
captain_yankee•

I know that in earlier versions creatures would sometimes jump out of wells and that in the 40d versions that carp and whatnot could attack dwarves (and in some cases drag them into the wells). I'm pretty sure that random creatures don't jump out, but FBs could get in. What is the exact plan for the wells? If you are using channels to make them, it would be much safer to stick a fortification down in there, especially if your water is coming from a cavern source. Flying beasts can't get into wells unless they can swim as well.

2
XiphoidOP•

They're directly over a wide open cavern, several z levels above the water.

1
menaceswithspikes•

The well doesn't have to be on the z-level directly above the water. I believe it can be any number of levels above as long as you have a shaft down to the water. I would imagine a floor grate in the shaft would allow water through, but not creatures. I haven't tested this yet but should work, if my understanding of wells and floor grates is correct.

2
captain_yankee•

FBs can easily destroy your floorgrates but not fortifications. I'm not sure that you couuld put one right below a well though.

3
menaceswithspikes•

yeah i'm not sure either, just speculating. i've only been playing this game for a few weeks but i sure am hooked. i guess it is time for some further experimenting in the name of dwarven science!

2
XiphoidOP•

I'm 5 or 6 z levels above the water. Directly under where I'm putting the wells is a massive, wide open cavern. I may have to relocate.

1
elt•

putting fortification under the well in the cavern? how does that work, exactly?

2
XiphoidOP•

Turns out, it doesn't.

3
Fosnez•

Here's one way you should be able to do it. It's a sod about, but it should work.

  • Construct up/down stairs all the way down to the waterline
  • Construct walls surrounding you're stairs all the way down to the waterline (starting from the top)
  • deconstruct the up/down stairs one at a time from the bottom up
  • build your well
2
RobotCaleb•

Make your scaffold envelop a 3x3 area and build walls all the way down to the surface of the water.

2
cryopyre•

Oh, yes, funny story. Forgotten beast that was a winged frog without skin hid in a well and killed a kid who got too thirsty.

2