Can roofs collapse?

[MaGicBush]

So I have not played in years. It seems like roofs could collapse when digging out mountains but I maybe thinking of a different game? Do I need to leave a column every so often? Same with construction if I'm constructing a large outer wall with a long floor and no support can that collapse? Thanks for any help!

[Fel]

Collapse (or cave-ins as they are called) only happen if there is nothing holding the structure at all.
A single pillar or floor can hold the whole fortress without any issue.

So you can put pillars if you want but it's not a strict requirement.

[Thrice]

Ive managed to collapse things on my dwarves a few times until I learned better lol. For those who really want to, I think I saw a setting that disables collapses....

[DoubleG]

If something collapses on a dwarf, or anyone really, they die. It's a nice way to wipe out invading armies and still get their loot. One of my old forts used to get invasions always from the same direction. Built a massive floor hovering in the air held up by one tiny support. Next time the baddies tried to roll through... I pulled the lever and collapsed in all on their heads. 100 dead gobbos in one go.

[Naryar]

They used to back in a time before time, when DF didn't have z-levels. Now no, as long as something holds that roof or piece of terrain (no matter how flimsy), it will not collapse.

But the moment something will be unconnected to the general map it will collapse.

That can be used for various defense, aquifer breaching, construction or even terraformation purposes.

Or likely something will *accidentally* collapse and you'll have a few miners wounded (or reduced to paste, depends if they are under it or no).

I still like to have natural stone pillars in big rooms, but that's an entirely roleplay thing. You don't *need* them.

[Planewalker]

Originally posted by Naryar:

That can be used for various defense, aquifer breaching, construction or even terraformation purposes.

Indeed. Am quite fond of the 3x3 dugout and then dumping it into the aquifer layer.

[Fel]

I'm a bit sad that you can't use cave-ins to "set" constructed areas where we want them.

At one point my project was making a fort inside the lava sea or in the sea without relying on pumps to empty an area first.

It's possible in the lava sea by dropping many Z-levels into it and then carving it out but it's not as interesting as dropping a fully built fort into the magma, dwarves included and live there afterward.

[Naryar]

Originally posted by Planewalker:

Originally posted by Naryar:

That can be used for various defense, aquifer breaching, construction or even terraformation purposes.

Indeed. Am quite fond of the 3x3 dugout and then dumping it into the aquifer layer.

I, for once, like the tactical cave-in strike to kill a Forgotten Beast when it is in the caverns and you don't have a military. Of course, having them miners not be afraid and immediately canceling their task when they see the beast is another matter.

[Thrice]

Originally posted by DoubleG:

If something collapses on a dwarf, or anyone really, they die. It's a nice way to wipe out invading armies and still get their loot. One of my old forts used to get invasions always from the same direction. Built a massive floor hovering in the air held up by one tiny support. Next time the baddies tried to roll through... I pulled the lever and collapsed in all on their heads. 100 dead gobbos in one go.

Have you checked out the Atom Smasher? (I think thats what its called. But I just watched Black Adam so Im not 100% sure haha). Dropping rocks on things and enemies is awesome

[Fel]

Atom smasher is nice but it doesn't work on all enemies.
If the enemy is strong/big enough it's the bridge that breaks instead.

[Thrice]

Really? Never had that happen yet.... Luck rofl

[Fel]

I had a couple forts collapse because I relied on that as a final defense in older versions so I assume it's still a feature but not certain.

Another issue with atom smasher is that the items also vanish from existence, meaning no goblinite.
If you don't defeat enemies and don't get loot from them then might as well disable them in the difficulty settings.

[DoubleG]

Originally posted by Fel:

Atom smasher is nice but it doesn't work on all enemies.
If the enemy is strong/big enough it's the bridge that breaks instead.

Plus atom smashers smash all the atoms that could be used to be smelted into stuff.

[MaGicBush]

Thanks everyone! My last fort on this version I was leaving pillars as I was not sure and didn't want to risk it. So I started a new one and I was wondering about it again as I was designing the layout. I must have played that really old version haha! I remember playing a version without Z levels many years ago. I think I started playing DF around 2008, but very much off and on and mostly in adventure mode once it was available.

I will have to try smashing things as a defense as suggested! Sound FUN.

[harlequin_corps]

So.. lots of odd replies. Yes, you can deliberately collapse an area, the dorf doing the final dig of the final Floor tile will get flung around, bruised, abused, confused, concused and.. dead.. and can get dropped down however many Z levels. Generally anything under the collapse has a very good chance to be killed, but it's not automatic. In order for the auto kill to occur the being has to be on the specific tile that the block creating the collapse tile generates at the exact movement tick. This is a lot harder than it sounds. Each collapse tile generates at a different movement tick, so things have a habit of being thrown around. Death does occur from debris.
And to answer your original question. No, you do not need any supports at a specified frequency. This isn't 7DTD, You just need a single floor tile cardinally adjacent to a Floor/Stairs/Support/whatever else provides support to keep support. Even if that single tile is on the other side of the map.

[nrusselluk]

Originally posted by Planewalker:

Originally posted by Naryar:

That can be used for various defense, aquifer breaching, construction or even terraformation purposes.

Indeed. Am quite fond of the 3x3 dugout and then dumping it into the aquifer layer.

think this was really the only way to breech them - don't remember there being Light aquifers at one point.