after playing the game for a while, ive noticed a few interesting quirks about the game that could be smoothed out.
now, before i start, im not a professional programmer, im not certified in any programming languages, but i do have some experience in a few languages that are used in niche areas EG: muck/mud servers that use MPI (lost of seeding commands and such similar to how html is done) and MUF (similar to c++, but with reverse polish notation and alot of specialized commands - eg 1+1 is written as '1 1 +') and the standard hardcoding of HTML.
at the moment there are two types of wagon, each handled differently. the first is the starting wagon that is handled as a building, and the second is the caravan wagon that is handled like a creature. it should be possible to recode the wagon so that they are all handled as a construct, that when 'killed' it leaves behind the 3 logs (like how a BC leaves a statue instead of bones) and scatters its contents like when a normal creature dies.
recoding the wagon to match something similar to this will allow expansion of the coding to have it be dragged to another area away from the start through the hauling labors, similar to how an animal is led to a butcher shop to be killed off. you bring up the wagon with the 'q' button, select the option 'bring cart to->' selection, and select the area on the map where you want them to drag it.
this will also allow you to build small carts (IE what the elves use) and large wagons (everyone else) for hauling purposes, and set up trade routes within your fortress using the 'take from' designations from stockpiles. the preference for the take from designations is that a cart comes by and loads up, then takes it to another pile and drops it off... and maybe then goes to another stop and such.
you would still need a dwarf to pull a cart or a creature to pull the wagon and a dwarf to steer as well, so probally ethier animal hauling or a new hauling labor of wagoneering might be useful for handling who takes the job. the speed of the cart/wagon can be adjusted by the strength and agility of the dwarf or creature and the weight of the load, and what creature is bound to the wagon can be changed similar to how animals get chained or caged, meaning you can use any tame creature for pulling a wagon. if the creature pulling the wagon dies, then the wagon cannot move. it CAN however be recovered and have a new creature attached to it and hauled inside. (can we say kill those caravan horses and steal the wagon whole?)
i think this might be worth a good looking into, because sometimes when you embark with 100+logs and 300+ drinks... it takes so long to get them inside your newly built fort, especially if you embark beside enemies.. (higher wagoneering skill reduces the chances of the wagon taking off randomly and leaving the driver unconscious on the floor.
)
any thoughts?