0003399: Trader doesn't want to work - Dwarf Fortress Bug Tracker

(0013289)
sgrunt (reporter)
2010-10-10 00:09

I, too, have noticed this occurring - frequently I need to pause the game, cancel whatever task the broker is working on, go to the depot and toggle the trader requested bit off and then back on to motivate him to come up and trade... and although that's reasonably reliable, it's not 100% reliable!

(0013292)
burlingk (reporter)
2010-10-10 02:28

That doesn't work very often for me. It is worth trying though, for those who are having the same issue.

(0013299)
Q.T.Quazar (reporter)
2010-10-10 11:34

I don't think that's a bug. That's pretty much trader behaviour for every version of Dwarf Fortress I've played, especially if you haven't turned off trader's labor prefs. Trader especially doesn't like to trade if you have a long list of items still being hauled to the depot.

(0014245)
tatterdemalian (reporter)
2010-11-27 10:38

My broker refuses to trade, too. He's also the expedition leader, and starts performing the "Conduct Meeting" job rather than trading. (Before anyone asks, no I can't upload the save, DFFD doesn't accept registration requests with Hotmail accounts.)

(0018640)
burlingk (reporter)
2011-08-28 06:55

Conduct Meeting will take precedence over pretty much everything, even trading.

Make sure someone other than your leader is the merchant. In newer versions you can manually change leaders.

(0018641)
Rhenaya (reporter)
2011-08-28 07:21

dont make your "dislike dealing with others" or similar trait dwarfs to broker, or simply dont give him other jobs. conduct meeting isnt neccassary priority either, my brokers most often do 1-2 pages of the meeting, then i turn on the "broker needed at depot" will run off in the middle of it.

(0021048)
etherflan (reporter)
2012-03-03 23:58

seems to still be present in 0.34.04. I attempt to solve it by turning off all jobs for my broker, but that usually makes them immediately go and eat + sleep instead of trading. They usually finish all that before the traders get impatient and leave, but sometime I just have to allow anyone to trade to make it in time.

The same seems to go for my Mayor. An entire season can go by before a meeting is conducted, unless I turn off all other tasks.

(0022143)
etherflan (reporter)
2012-04-07 14:42

0.34.07 Traders also prioritizing pen/pasture animals before trading.

(0022145)
Kumquat (reporter)
2012-04-07 15:06

I guess dworfs just go newest-first for any job they're qualified for. Repeat jobs simply get reissued on top of the stack when they're done, that's why they work at all. Cleaning and healthcare seem to be the exception, though I guess all the 'collect troll fur sock' jobs get issued after any 'rescue bleeding soldier' jobs as other soldiers do their work...

So it is not about a bad priority system, it is the complete lack of one.

(0022178)
dree12 (reporter)
2012-04-09 09:55

There is in fact a priority system - fishing, for example, will take place (in my testing) above all else but eating, drinking, attending party, on break, sleeping, and clean self. This is reproducible by simply assigning your mason fishing and watching him abandon the masonry.

(0022185)
Kogut (reporter)
2012-04-10 01:19

duplicate/child of 0000412: Nobles job priority is weird

(0022194)
zombiejustice (reporter)
2012-04-10 07:05

One can also rig the trader to drop what he's doing by setting a burrow for just the Depot and assigning it to the trader.

But what I find works very reliably is to have the broker have no job before the merchants even show up, then request him at the Depot immediately. Once he takes the job, then assign goods to be hauled to the Depot. Trivial, if the broker is also your bookkeeper/manager.

Issue History
Date Modified	Username	Field	Change
2010-10-09 23:53	burlingk	New Issue
2010-10-10 00:09	sgrunt	Note Added: 0013289
2010-10-10 02:28	burlingk	Note Added: 0013292
2010-10-10 11:34	Q.T.Quazar	Note Added: 0013299
2010-10-14 08:30	Khym Chanur	Issue Monitored: Khym Chanur
2010-11-27 10:38	tatterdemalian	Note Added: 0014245
2011-08-28 06:55	burlingk	Note Added: 0018640
2011-08-28 07:21	Rhenaya	Note Added: 0018641
2012-03-03 23:58	etherflan	Note Added: 0021048
2012-03-03 23:59	etherflan	Issue Monitored: etherflan
2012-04-07 14:42	etherflan	Note Added: 0022143
2012-04-07 15:06	Kumquat	Note Added: 0022145
2012-04-09 09:55	dree12	Note Added: 0022178
2012-04-10 01:19	Kogut	Note Added: 0022185
2012-04-10 01:20	Kogut	Tag Attached: CLOSE THIS
2012-04-10 07:05	zombiejustice	Note Added: 0022194
2012-04-11 11:58	Footkerchief	Relationship added	duplicate of 0000330
2012-04-11 11:58	Footkerchief	Status	new => resolved
2012-04-11 11:58	Footkerchief	Resolution	open => duplicate
2012-04-11 11:58	Footkerchief	Assigned To	=> Footkerchief
2012-04-23 09:52	etherflan	Issue End Monitor: etherflan

Notes
(0013289) sgrunt (reporter) 2010-10-10 00:09	I, too, have noticed this occurring - frequently I need to pause the game, cancel whatever task the broker is working on, go to the depot and toggle the trader requested bit off and then back on to motivate him to come up and trade... and although that's reasonably reliable, it's not 100% reliable!

(0013292) burlingk (reporter) 2010-10-10 02:28	That doesn't work very often for me. It is worth trying though, for those who are having the same issue.

(0013299) Q.T.Quazar (reporter) 2010-10-10 11:34	I don't think that's a bug. That's pretty much trader behaviour for every version of Dwarf Fortress I've played, especially if you haven't turned off trader's labor prefs. Trader especially doesn't like to trade if you have a long list of items still being hauled to the depot.

(0014245) tatterdemalian (reporter) 2010-11-27 10:38	My broker refuses to trade, too. He's also the expedition leader, and starts performing the "Conduct Meeting" job rather than trading. (Before anyone asks, no I can't upload the save, DFFD doesn't accept registration requests with Hotmail accounts.)

(0018640) burlingk (reporter) 2011-08-28 06:55	Conduct Meeting will take precedence over pretty much everything, even trading. Make sure someone other than your leader is the merchant. In newer versions you can manually change leaders.

(0018641) Rhenaya (reporter) 2011-08-28 07:21	dont make your "dislike dealing with others" or similar trait dwarfs to broker, or simply dont give him other jobs. conduct meeting isnt neccassary priority either, my brokers most often do 1-2 pages of the meeting, then i turn on the "broker needed at depot" will run off in the middle of it.

(0021048) etherflan (reporter) 2012-03-03 23:58	seems to still be present in 0.34.04. I attempt to solve it by turning off all jobs for my broker, but that usually makes them immediately go and eat + sleep instead of trading. They usually finish all that before the traders get impatient and leave, but sometime I just have to allow anyone to trade to make it in time. The same seems to go for my Mayor. An entire season can go by before a meeting is conducted, unless I turn off all other tasks.

(0022143) etherflan (reporter) 2012-04-07 14:42	0.34.07 Traders also prioritizing pen/pasture animals before trading.

(0022145) Kumquat (reporter) 2012-04-07 15:06	I guess dworfs just go newest-first for any job they're qualified for. Repeat jobs simply get reissued on top of the stack when they're done, that's why they work at all. Cleaning and healthcare seem to be the exception, though I guess all the 'collect troll fur sock' jobs get issued after any 'rescue bleeding soldier' jobs as other soldiers do their work... So it is not about a bad priority system, it is the complete lack of one.

(0022178) dree12 (reporter) 2012-04-09 09:55	There is in fact a priority system - fishing, for example, will take place (in my testing) above all else but eating, drinking, attending party, on break, sleeping, and clean self. This is reproducible by simply assigning your mason fishing and watching him abandon the masonry.

(0022185) Kogut (reporter) 2012-04-10 01:19	duplicate/child of 0000412: Nobles job priority is weird

(0022194) zombiejustice (reporter) 2012-04-10 07:05	One can also rig the trader to drop what he's doing by setting a burrow for just the Depot and assigning it to the trader. But what I find works very reliably is to have the broker have no job before the merchants even show up, then request him at the Depot immediately. Once he takes the job, then assign goods to be hauled to the Depot. Trivial, if the broker is also your bookkeeper/manager.