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Pipe Laying For Green Beards (On-site Refining)

By ShugoTheRipper

Pipes always crossing? Tunnels never line up with the pump jacks? Team is confused? Grinding is constantly cut short? Sick of management docking your pay?

Solve all these problems and many more with this simple primer on pipe laying for the aspiring roughneck.

Award

Created by

ShugoTheRipper
Online

Category: Achievements, Characters, Classes, Co-op, Game Modes, Gameplay Basics, Loot, Maps or Levels, Multiplayer, Secrets, Story or Lore, Walkthroughs, Weapons

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

12 Nov, 2020 @ 8:31pm

17 Apr, 2021 @ 11:08am

8,146	Unique Visitors
279	Current Favorites

Guide Index

Overview

Introduction - Management Is Upset

All It Takes Is Class

Drop It Like A Leaf Lover's Special

Drill To The Core Of The Problem

Direct The Audience To Their Seats

Decide The Fates Of Hoxxes

Dig A Little Deeper

Conclusion - Success

Guide Patch Notes

Thanks For Reading!

Comments

Introduction - Management Is Upset

Looks like we are in trouble guys.

But don't worry your green little beards about it. Those whale pipers in "Management" are never going to can us; but the pay docking, that is all too real...

So unless you want to never drink again pay attention and I will give you some tips on laying pipes. It is so simple I can pull it off when I am seeing quadruple after a couple rounds of Gliphid Slammers.

Who know, maybe one day you'll be half as good as Karl. He once hooked up and built all the pipelines himself in four and a half minutes flat.

So get your gear, and i'll meet you in the pod. Rock And Stone! brother; Rock and Stone!

All It Takes Is Class

Knowing the task priority of each class is the first step to efficiency. The priority roster assumes that you have a four dwarf team with one of each class. Driller and Engineer are highly recommended but not required.

Priority Roster:

Jobs

Driller

Engineer

Gunner

Scout

Calling Pump Jack:

Very High Priority

Ultra High Priority

♠ Laying Pipe:

High Priority

Low Priority

♦ Tunneling Over
5 Meters:

High Priority

Low Priority

♦ Tunneling Under
5 Meters:

High Priority

Medium Priority

♠ Pipe Construction:

Low Priority

High Priority

Foundation & Bridges:

Unavailable

High Priority

Unavailable

♠ Note: "Laying Pipe" and "Pipe Construction" are two different processes.
♦ Note: Tunneling is dependent on terrain type, team composition, and level generation.

Drop It Like A Leaf Lover's Special

This is the one and only step that takes priority over every other aspect of laying pipe.

As a team all pump jacks need to be dropped before starting any pipe building. Doing so will allow your team to avoid crossing pipes and enable routing from the most efficient port on the refinery.

The primary class that will call pump jacks is the Scout. His mobility grants him the ability to reach difficult and/or hidden locations faster than any other class.

Dropping all pumps as soon as possible allows other players to know exactly where the wells are and the Driller can start tunneling towards them without constantly checking his map.

There is also a dual purpose of saving teams from the sunk cost fallacy. Wasting time building two pipe lines fully only to discover the third well is in a terrible location or so hidden it can't be found can cause a single mission to stretch past the hour mark.

By dropping all the pumps early, your team can decide if they like the level seed or if they need to forfeit and re-roll a new and better seed.

To see the pumps locations equip the Laser Pointer for a moment.

Drill To The Core Of The Problem

If your team has a Driller, it is now their time to shine. On site refining has turned him from a C4 lobbing antagonist to one of the most loved members of the crew.

His unrivaled ability to carve a path through near anything makes his utility near unmatched. When paired with an Engineer a direct path is always guaranteed, and only the largest pit can slow them down.

Starting at the refinery with all pump jacks in place a Driller needs to do is the following tasks to create optimal routes:

Equip the Laser Pointer for a moment.
Drill towards the middle of a pump jack's blue silhouetted outline.
Repeat until pathway is complete.

♣ As a Driller always create the most direct route possible in the X, Y, and Z axis. Short and direct runs are the key to fast building, repair, and travel time. The net gain in time savings from this simple optimization can not be understated.

There is no trench too shallow, salt pillar too small, or ebonut too hard. If it blocks the most direct path drill through.

Unconnected pump jacks have a blue silhouette, where connected ones are white.

When laying pipe in a Driller's tunnel make sure to hug a single side of the tunnel. On the left side this method is being executed and the automatic terrain carving is increasing the size of the tunnel giving more walking space in opposition to the right side where the pipe is being placed down the center.

The pipeline could of easily circumvented these pillars, but by drilling straight though the length of the line was reduced by a couple segments reducing build and travel time.

This is a shallow trench, instead of going on top of the terrain a direct path through further reduces line length.

♣ Note: There is always a level of diminishing returns; for example a 100+ meter trench would not return the time used to construct it as time saved. But in most cases maps are varied enough that this is a non-issue.

Direct The Audience To Their Seats

This entire step is related to the first several pipe segments and how they are positioned and routed from the refinery. If your team lacks a Driller or Enginner this important pre-planning step can save you from the dreaded pipe cross over.

Depending on map layout and team composition it may be optimal to route all pipes near each other down a singular path. It is good practice to communication with your team while doing this as there is a good chance pipes will hop or cross each other in ways that break the grinding path if you do not.

A good rule of thumb is if there is no Driller the terrain will dictate that path of pipes.

Grinding paths should be maintained to simplify the transport of, compressed chunks, gunk seeds, and even eggs. Make sure to allows ample space between pipe lines sharing a single path, and be mindful of the interactions between them.

Alternatively a team that has a Driller can almost ignore this step as this class can compensate for almost any unfortunate positioning of the refinery, in addition to unforgiving terrian.

The set of pipes have been directed out of a refinery in a pit, and left in a way that makes their associated pump jacks obvious. This can be done by a single dwarf as pump jacks are being found and dropped by others.

The example on the right is of a grinding path not being maintained. The Gunner is being blocked and bumped off the pipe from bad direction and placement. This should be avoided!

Engineers and Drillers can leave pipe lines at the start of platform bridges or tunnels while they go do other tasks. In the case of a Driller a pipe line stopping at a wall will be drilled later. For an Engineer the implied path for the pipe line below is to follow the platform bridge.

Needless changes in pipe elevation should be avoided. This example demonstrates that with slight repositioning the line can bridge the gap.

Decide The Fates Of Hoxxes

The easiest step but also the most complex, If all other previous steps have been done or considered do the following:

Run the lines along the best possible route to the pump jacks. This is also the time when any pipe lines that were badly directed can be fixed. As it is much easier to deconstruct and reinstall the pipe lines when they are short.

Make sure to avoid common mistakes already mentioned in addition to some of the following common mistakes.

The Pipe Cross: When two lines intersect in a way that breaks the grinding path. Cause: Lack of team communication, or laying of pipe before all pump jack locations are known. Solution: Find all pump jacks first, and increase team communication. If this has already happened it is hard to correct in a active mission. Take note of what caused the mistake and apply a solution next mission.

Over & Under Hang: When two lines are so near each other one or more grinding directions is blocked. Cause: Reckless placement, and the inability or unwillingness to fix a pipe section. Solution: Keep all lines at least 1 meter from each other when possible, and pay attention to section as they are being placed. If there is over or under hang fix it immediately and do not ignore it.

Supply Drop Block: When a supply drops is called, but placed in a way that blocks the grinding path of a pipe line. Cause: Panic placement of a much needed resupply, and/or griefing. Solution: Mine out the terrain under the supply pod until the grinding path is clear. The resupply pod is effected by gravity and an empty one will be out of the way in 6-8 pickaxe swings.

Engineer Platform Block: When an Engineers platforms block the grinding path. Cause: Panic placement, left over holdout zones, missing a nearby target, and/or griefing. Solution: Mine out the platforms with your pick axe. If the issue is a recurring problem in the mission asking the Engineer to stop is a good idea, unless he is griefing. But in most cases it is a mistake.

The pipe line must be destroyed one segment at a time if any corrections need to be made. The only segment that can be destroyed at any given time is the current segment. When the current segment is destroyed the next segment in line becomes the new current segment. Thus the entire pipe line can be destroyed but only one segment at a time in order from newest to oldest. Pipe segments are destroyed by striking them with the pickaxe. Moving your crosshair over the end of the current segment will show all possible actions and the commands to do them. Note: Once a pipe line is connected to a pump jack no further modifications can be made to any segments of that line.

Pipe segments have a maximum possible length of 9 meters, with almost no limit on vertical positioning. This allows for novel solutions that use the least possible number of segments. Fewer segments will allow the line to be built faster, and is absolutely necessary for expedience in solo play. Therefore every single pipe segment should be made as long as possible.

Bridge Gaps: Depending on terrain, or the skill of a teams Engineer the 9 meter limit can be pushed very far. Most chasm, valleys, and cliffs can be bridged; and any that are too far can be solved with Engineer platforms. Benefits: Less segments provide faster build time and shorter route. Downsides: Falling off can lead to fall damage, or becoming stuck.

Use Verticality: A lesser known ability of pipelines is how well they handle sheer drops. In most cases a pipe line can be placed at a 70° to 80° angle going straight up or down providing the 9 meter limit is not exceeded. Benefits: Lay pipe over almost anything as any class. Downsides: Slower grinding speed, and the inability to walk some pipe routes.

Dig A Little Deeper

Digging and removing small terrain problems to allow for straight, flat, and short runs is preferable. It should always be done if you can save a large detour or random humps in the line.

While being the last resort of laying pipes, it is powerful when when done efficiently and may be required if there is no other option.

Smooth out small areas of ground to create efficient pipe runs.

With several quick swings a detour is made saving many pipe segments by not looping around another way. There is a diminishing return on detours dug by hand, if the blockage is over 5 meters it may be a job for a Driller.

No Driller? no problem! In cases where the best route is straight through and the terrain permits it you can dig a small channel directly into a wall and lay the pipe inside. The automatic pipe carving will expand the cave after. The one downside to this method is that the pipe must be lain and destroyed repeatedly. A coordinated two dwarf team can nullify this time limitation.

Conclusion - Success

Amazing, how did you do it?

Take a look at this, fresh from the trash can, it's your quarterly pay report, and not a single deduction for misuse of company property.

Oh you can't see an entry for misuses? That's because "Management" lumps it all together as damages; something about "Providing our stakeholders with a greater value though form optimization".

I stopped trying to understand it decades ago.

Karl understood pay reports, he even managed to negotiate pay deductions with management; if only we knew his secrets.

Anyway first rounds on me, because you definitely can't afford it. Rock And Stone! brother; Rock and Stone!

Guide Patch Notes

Version 1.0 - Initial Release

Page Load (34.52 MB)

Version 1.1 - Image Optimization Pass

Significant reduction in resolution and bit depth across all images.
Example of reduction: Before & After.
Page Load (11.83 MB)

Version 1.2 - New Sub-Section

Section "Decide The Fates Of Hoxxes" flavor image removed, text rewritten and expanded.
Sub-Section "Fix Common Mistakes" under "Decide The Fates Of Hoxxes" added.
Special thanks to Jeslis for this sub-section suggestion.
Page Load (11.96 MB)

Version 1.3 Alpha - New Sub-Section

Sub-Section "Avoid Common Mistakes" under "Decide The Fates Of Hoxxes" added.
Special thanks to DJDiceZ for this sub-section suggestion.
Page Load (12.92 MB)

Version 1.3 Final - New Sub-Section

Sub-Section "Understand And Exploit The Limits" under "Decide The Fates Of Hoxxes" added.
Special thanks to DJDiceZ for this sub-section suggestion.
Special thanks to Enlightened Semi-Commie for motivating me to add it!
Page Load (15.07 MB)

Version 1.4 - Formatting

Added more white space for better readability.
Page Load (15.07 MB)

Version 1.5 - Formatting & Revisions

Modified H1 level titles to match my other guides.
Demoted Scouts "Laying Pipe" priority.
Special thanks to Russiansubcommander for Scout priority change suggestion.
Page Load (14.99 MB)

Version 1.6 - Formatting

Modified H2 level titles to match my other guides.
Page Load (12.51 MB)

Complex feedback or section suggestions? Visit my group discussion! Posting is publicly open.

Thanks For Reading!

It is rare for me to make guides, but a community this great definitely justifies it. Thanks for taking interest in it and getting all the way to the end.

If you enjoyed this guide, please consider giving it a Like and or Favorite! Truth be told I hate asking, but it seems to be the trend.

Rock And Stone!

52 Comments

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YUFS 24 Jul @ 12:58pm

The pictures of dwarves blocking the pipelines are so cute~lol

ShugoTheRipper [author] 18 Sep, 2023 @ 12:05pm

That is a good warning, I am surprised it has not been fixed in all this time.

Watereaters 12 Apr, 2023 @ 1:25am

Warning: If someone is pipe griefing, make sure to not kick them until they are no longer placing a pipe, as this can bug the pipeline and softlock the mission.

Steeeeeeeeeeeve 2 Mar, 2023 @ 6:00pm

The only bad pipeline is a boring pipeline!

ShugoTheRipper [author] 20 Feb, 2023 @ 3:30pm

Hey man you want to make that roller-coaster go for it.

Much like cooking once you know the basic recipe you can spice it up.

A Good Joe 20 Feb, 2023 @ 3:19pm

"As a Driller always create the most direct route possible in the X, Y, and Z axis"

Disgusting, boring, uninspired! Pipes going straight to the pumpjack make Karl sad.

I bet OP drinks leaf lovers before laying these pipes.

jedijohnson06 19 Feb, 2023 @ 10:30am

This is one mission where trying to solo it as a scout sucks. Driller is best for this solo.

Katmorphous333 24 Nov, 2022 @ 6:34pm

Finally I wont have to see a scout trying to place pipes ever again.

genghisjayder 20 Apr, 2022 @ 5:31pm

possibly the best steam guide I have seen in a while.

Jay 13 Dec, 2021 @ 9:32pm

in case nobody else has mentioned it, I find that agonizing over every pipe being exactly 8.9 meters long can slow down the pipe laying process, especially if driller or engi forget their traversal tools exist or they're simply not in the squad. I'm uncomfortable when framework placement takes longer than 30 seconds per segment. Sometimes it's okay to use one or two extra segments to be done with the pipeline already and move on

there's a balance to be had between "maximizing segment length & minimizing segment count" vs. "set up the pipeline asap with no regard to segment efficiency"

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