I know there are probably other threads on the subject, but I'm shy about resurrecting year-old topics.In the current version, a trade depot is considered inaccessible if there is a raised drawbridge in the path. Either the human caravan bypasses the fort or they destroy their own wagons and blame it on you.
In my fort, the human caravan has made it inside and I wanted to reduce dwarf traffic on that road, so I closed the outer gate (a 1×5 drawbridge thats opens and closes on the wide side, see diagram below), and they seemed to be fine with that. But as soon as the last wagon made it to the depot, they self destructed, and trade was no longer possible.
code:
Crude representation of my freight entrance.
Hallway length shortened, and other "gates"
and traps removed for simplicity.outside ▒ inside
▒ ╘╗
▒ ╥╚════════════════ O███O
++++++++++║++++++++++++++++++++++█████
++++++++++║++++++++++++++++++++++██O██
++++++++++║++++++++++++++++++++++█████
▒ ╨╔════════════════ O███O
▒ ╒╝
▒ ^ gate opens <-->
My proposal:
Allow the caravan to stop before the drawbridge (at a safe distance of course), and interrupt with a message saying something like "<civ> merchant requests/demands that you open the gate/lower the bridge." And there they'll stay until the situation is corrected, or until they decide to go home (if locked outside) or go berserk (if trapped inside).