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[Michael]

One of the biggest annoyances in DF is that dwarves prefer to haul rather than do real work.

Logically, hauling should be low priority by default.  All dwarves can haul, but most other work can only be done by a subset of the dwarves -- often only one in a starting fort.  But hauling tends to outcompete other things, probably because hauling tasks are split into multiple jobs.  Hauling has multiple raffle tickets, real work just one.

Many people have suggested priority schemes to resolve this -- it's #5 on the Eternal Suggestions list.  But implementing a priority interface will take time.  (Perhaps #1 "Improved Hauling" might also be related to it, although it's hard to tell because #1 is overbroadly written.  I mean really, "blah, blah, blah, all goes here" is just asking to be killed like Underground Diversity was.)

Rather, to quickly lance the problem at hand, I suggest that the code be changed so that, before accepting a hauling task, a dwarf checks to see if he has anything better to do, and if so, does the other thing forthwith.

This would require no UI work, but would produce a massive drop in DF-player blood pressure.

It doesn't solve everything -- there's still the issue of hauling tasks competing with each other.  But it would make such a difference and doesn't preclude later improvements.

[Grendus]

I can kind of see this being a problem in early forts, though if you want a dwarf to do nothing but manufacture you can turn off hauling. Late game, you'll have so many excess peasants and Soap Makers that you'll have problems finding enough hauling jobs for them to do.

I think this can wait until job priorities are overhauled, which they will be. If it's not already one of the arcs, it will be added at some point, players will eventually demand that level of control over their dwarves.

[Michael]

I can kind of see this being a problem in early forts, though if you want a dwarf to do nothing but manufacture you can turn off hauling.

I know, but it's annoying to turn hauling on and off, especially since Toady has divided hauling into a half-dozen job preferences.

Late game, you'll have so many excess peasants and Soap Makers that you'll have problems finding enough hauling jobs for them to do.

I personally play with population cap low, so I'm in a sense always in the early game...

I think this can wait until job priorities are overhauled, which they will be. If it's not already one of the arcs, it will be added at some point, players will eventually demand that level of control over their dwarves.

Well, it's all in Toady's hands.  I just think my fix will be much faster for him to implement.

Of course, if he has the Grand Perfect Answer to Eternal Suggestion #5 already done, and is just busy fixing other critical bugs (and waiting for 40dX to settle), then it becomes irrelevant....

[Granite26]

Check Job Priorities on the eternal voting and it's associated thread.  It's a relatively thourough discussion of related issues

[tsen]

This would reduce my irritation at my glassmakers doing stupid things immensely.