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[Moogie]

I've been waiting, literally, years for my Masons to construct four golden archery targets on a constructed, fortified balcony overlooking my fort's entrance.

There are four unblocked stairways leading up to the balcony. My marksdwarves have no trouble going to their stations up there during a siege, so the path to them is not blocked.

The gold bars, the material I chose to use, are in a Bar/Block stockpile which is in regular use, several z-levels down. There is full access to them also.

I have five masons with both Masonry and Architecture enabled. The unbuilt archery targets state they are "waiting for Architect". The masons are usually milling about with 'No Job' except when they're pumping out new doors and such in the workshop level.

At first, the archery targets were going to be Granite. But after a year of waiting for their constuction, I tried cancelling them and using Gold Blocks instead. None of them, Granite or Gold, were ever built.

I already have 5 targets built underground in the Barracks level, which my marksdwarves regularly use. But I want to put some on the balcony, so that I can spot ambushers when my marksdwarves are off-duty.

So, what am I doing wrong?

[ June 10, 2008: Message edited by: Moogie ]

[Elitay]

I had the same problem recently. Could you have selected 'Soldiers Can go Outdoors' from the 'o' menu? That would do it.

[Jamuk]

<snip>

[ June 10, 2008: Message edited by: Jamuk ]

[Moogie]

I wish it were the case, but I checked that too. My trade depot is in an 'outside' area in the front courtyard, and they are quite happy to bring items there. Also I've been building some perimeter walls to protect incoming traders.

Still, even when there's nothing else to do, these constructions simply sit there,  waiting to be built. The masons, as I mentioned before, state "No Job" (NOT "On Break").

Another weird thing happened just now, but I think I can explain it. My Legendary bonecrafter suffered 2x Art Defacement, but he's no Engraver, so I can only assume some of his stray Masterpiece bone bolts that were fired into my magma moat were considered "art" and therefore caused the unhappy thought when they burned up.

[Kagus]

Are you using gold bars or blocks (both were mentioned)?  It shouldn't make much difference as far as architecture is involved (which is what appears to be the problem), but masons don't handle the building of stuff from metal bars.  If it's a native gold block then they'll do it, but not if it's a golden bar.

Like I said, it shouldn't really have an effect on architecture, but give the architecture job to a metalsmith and see if anything happens.

[Moogie]

Another problem: I've got a rope nearby which DID have a war dog chained to it (until a whole squad of Goblin Marksmen slaughtered it).

Now nobody will dismantle the rope. It's been slated for removal as long as the archery targets have been waiting for the masons.

=(

[ShadowDragon8685]

Do you actually have an Architect, or just masons?

If it's "waiting for Architect", then it's waiting for a dwarf with the architecture behavior enabled to come 'round and zone the site for construction. Another pointless piece of headache from the great guys that brought you boozebiscuits.

[edit]Nevermind, you say your masons have architecture enabled?

Maybe they're not skilled enough? I dunno, build some roads to train up their skillz.

[ June 10, 2008: Message edited by: ShadowDragon8685 ]

[Joseph Miles]

Nobody seems to have hit it yet, and I'm not sure about this exact instance, but I've had similar problems when I made rooms out of platinum blocks. You need to have a metalsmith, not a mason.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

The construction:
Try removing the archery target construction designation, and making it again. Also try making a target out of normal rocks.
And try making something else in the room, like a workshop, out of other materials and try making it out of the same gold blocks.
I assume the targets are not Suspended.

The Dwarves:
Turn off the masonry and architect jobs on a dwarf, draft him, undraft, and set his jobs again.
Try taking a hauler or something and turning on those jobs. Maybe he will work.

The materials:
Is the container holding the gold Forbidden or set to Dump?
It's plausible that the gold was set to be used by some other job, and that job hasn't come up yet. I can't recall how to check for that.
Are you absolutely certain you chose the gold in the stockpile, rather than gold somewhere else (like forbidden out in the wilderness where the caravan dropped it)?
Finally, check out those gold blocks (bars?) and make sure they're not set to Dump or Forbidden.

Pathfinding:
You say the Dwraves can reach the work site. They sometimes have trouble building diagonally, are you giving them room to stand while they build?
Like an above poster said, are your settings for Dwarves going outside letting them go out? Try toggling the setting, unpausing, and toggling it back to let them go out.
Are there restricted walking zones around the area?

[Moogie]

Thanks for the checklist. x)

Something must have finally worked. I drafted new masons/architects and also re-set the others labors and re-constucted the targets (again). They finally got built, and just in time for 50 (ouch!) Goblin Siegers and a Hydra to turn up.

I caged the Hydra. Woot! And I managed to protect a Human caravan of 6 wagons and 4 camels until the siege was broken. I finally feel like I'm mastering this game. =)

I wish I could go away happily now, but I'm afraid a new issue has cropped up. xD I feel a screenshot will best describe it:

 

[ June 10, 2008: Message edited by: Moogie ]

[Andir]

Well, right there's your problem.  Wrestlers giving birth to girls is just wrong!

(Actually, I have no clue, but I'm tired and I posted in spontaneity)