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[manored]

A liason has been chasing my expedition leader for almost a season to talk about the import/export agreements, and, I believe, because my expedition leader is also my legedary bookeeper who never stops doing things.

[Scotty]

try setting his bookkeeping to the second last option instead of "all accounts accurate"

[manored]

I know I can do that, but it shouldnt be necessary, so I am just informing the problem

[Scotty]

yeah they should be able to stop bookkeeping to talk to the liason, especially once the dwarf has become legendary, but in my experience, if he's set to "all accounts accurate" they'll basically lock themselfs away in their office, only coming out to eat/drink/sleep

[lastofthelight]

This is a problem I've had since I first started playing.

Frankly, as far as I'm concerned, Dwarf Fortress has virtually no priority system involved in cases like this, or else was purposely made to encourage such stupidity from public officials (which I suppose WOULD be realistic.)

I've been playing  this game for six months or so, at least, and I have almost never failed to see my expedition leader (when the liason is here) or my broker (when the traders are here) eat/sleep/take a break. It makes me want to control-alt-delete each and every time it happens, and yet it never fails to happen. One of the most annoying things about dwarf fortress.

[Deathworks]

Hi!

Yep, that's a standard problem. Diplomacy is only dealt with if the dwarf in question has really nothing else to do. Even trading and bringing items to the depot have a higher priority.

It is a pain in many ways, but in others, it can be useful. If you have a labor shortage, you want the trading to take place before talking to the diplomat as the traders will leave even without trading. So, disable all possible jobs on your leader, and she/he will bring items to the depot and trade until there is nothing to bring to the depot and only then talk to the diplomat.

This, of course, means you should keep your leader to tasks you can easily deactivate (like any workshop stuff, where suspending the activities of just one or two workshops can solve the problem).

For a suggestion behind the logic, consider this: We are talking about a medieval world, so most of the nobility and diplomats are probably stupid inbred bores. The poor expedition leader listens to their self-glorifying stupidity for a minute, then can't take it and goes to do something more important, like polishing the door knobs of the fortress or counting the ant hills in the vicinity.

Deathworks

[manored]

yeah they should be able to stop bookkeeping to talk to the liason, especially once the dwarf has become legendary, but in my experience, if he's set to "all accounts accurate" they'll basically lock themselfs away in their office, only coming out to eat/drink/sleep

Thought I have seen my bookeeper set to "all accounts accurate" actually doing other things, while the "set account accuracy" menu said "your bookkeeper has done enough work to achieve the "all accounts accurate level". It seens that a good enough bookkeeper in a small enough fortress can keep that level while still having free time.

[Deathworks]

Hi!

As for bookkeeping, the best way to consider it is to think of it as a decaying value. Just for illustration, let's say it starts at 0 and when the recordkeeper does his/her thing, the value increases. The recordkeeper will continue doing this until the value reaches the minimum value for the accuracy demanded and then stops (no need to keep records more accurate than the boss wants them to be, after all :) :) :) :) ).

However, that value is not stable, but slowly declines over time. Thus, it eventually drops below the minimum value of the accuracy needed and the bookkeeper needs to update the records. Thus, even if you have reached the desired accuracy, the bookkeeper will get busy from time to time, but only for a short period.

Of course, if you have a crisis situation where you do not wish to have him distracted, lowering the desired rating is actually a good idea as the bookkeeper will not suddenly be called off to update the records.

Personally, I always keep record keeper and broker/leader different dwarves. This gives you more freedom with handling the record keeper in my eyes.

Deathworks

[manored]

Thanks for the info. But the bookkeeper is usually mysteriously ultra-everthing, so it makes a hard-to-kill broker

By the way, how do I get other dwarves to learn broking? No dwarf lasts forever I suppose, so I will need replacements one day

[Deathworks]

Hello!

Yes, bookkeepers get high stats because they do their job continuously, only stopping to eat, drink or sleep. Other dwarves spend a lot of time walking from one work station to the other, thus getting much less out of their time.

With broker, you mean trading, right? That is actually simple. When you request a trader at the depot, simply switch from "only broker can trade" to "anyone can trade". Make sure that the broker has anything to do while disabling ALL jobs for the apprentice. Have that guy do one trading session, and they will usually become a Compentent or Accomplished Appraiser.

Alternatively, you can, of course, simply make a different dwarf your broker from the nobles menu. However, I am not sure whether you will get to see the prices for goods that first time then.

As for social skills, giving the dwarf time to idle and a meeting hall should help with that (once you have children in your fortress, you don't need to worry about that - once they become adults, they will be pros in that respect (^_^;; ).

Deathworks

[manored]

Thanks for the info again and, yes, kids waste 12 years (I think thats the time) just socializing... makes me think some kind of school to teach jobs for kids to peform on adulthood would be nice Thought in 12 years they would probally get to legendary-everthing, what would be kinda lame.

[Deathworks]

Hi!

The following is what I remember from a while ago (currently, I am trying desperately to convince my dwarves to marry, so no kids yet). I think this was the way things are, but if in doubt, you should probably test this yourself.

Children will actually do a few jobs:
* Bringing items to the Depot
* Pulling Levers
* Harvesting Plants (if All Dwarves Harvest is enabled)
* Deconstruct constructions

While the first two are convenient for the flow of play, the other two are interesting because they actually involve skills:

By harvesting plants, children can get experience in farming and by deconstructing stuff, I think they can get masonry or carpentry depending on what they are deconstructing. So, theoretically, you have the choice between them being professional entertainers, professional farmers, or professional carpenters/masons when they grow up.

Deathworks

[Footkerchief]

^^^ No, deconstructing doesn't give experience, although it does depend heavily on attributes (weak workers take forever).  You're right about farming though.

[manored]

Yeah I know children work too, I think they do all the jobs that come as standart for all dwarves. But tendence is for then to be peasants then they grow up, what is kind of a waste of 12 years. And I cant force children to harvest plants a lot so cant direct then against farming either.

I think you should let it happen naturally, I havent done any effort towards marying in my fortress and anyway my dwarves are breeding like rabbits!... in what breeding like rabbits is for dwarves, that is like 2 babies in a same season