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[Niyazov]

I'm on the latest version. In all of my past 4 games I have run into serious micromanagement issues with Plant Gatherers getting stuck on top of stepladders while gathering or getting stuck in endless "cancels Gather Fruit: Dangerous Terrain" loops. (There are no ponds near my fruit trees). This is entirely separate from the known issue where other dwarves remove stepladders from gatherers, causing them to get stuck in trees. My searches haven't turned up a definitive prognosis for why this occurs. Does anyone know a hands-off way to ensure fruit is gathered from trees without gatherers getting trapped, either physically or mentally?

[Ulfarr]

There is always the option (in the zone's menu) to only gather fruits that have fallen on the ground. Granted it's not as efficient or dependable as gathering from the trees but is a good enough last resort.

[PatrikLundell]

I rarely have any issues with stepladders. One known/suspected reason for dorfs getting trapped in trees is tree growth: the branches change configuration to one that doesn't provide a path back down.

It can also be mentioned I tend to regularly cut down any trees except the fruit trees I want to keep (using a DFHack script tailored to my preferences), so there are fewer neighboring trees growing and entangling their branches with the one the dorfs are currently picking.

Also, as far as I've seen in my fortresses there are often more than one dorf picking from the same tree, which MIGHT allow alternative paths down in the case of a tree growth blockage.

[anewaname]

With zones, I only use 'pick fruit from ground', because the occasional issues with stepladders can allow a dwarf to die. I don't know why it happens.

I know of these issues with gathering from trees...
- If there are multiple stepladders and plant-gathering dwarfs, and you place a zone and toggle 'gather from tree', then those dwarfs will each carry a stepladder to the same tile of the same tree to start picking (this seems odd since you might expect them to claim different tiles). I cannot recall if they get stuck when you do this.
- If a zone is placed in the trees and there is a path for dwarfs to walk into the trees, they will not use stepladders and will go to the same tile and get stuck.

In any case, when they get stuck, if you go to the zone and toggle 'a'ctive, they will start moving around again. But turn it back on and they go right back to the same tile.

[Naia]

I usually build a scaffolding around the tree and up/down stairs in one or two corners. It does take some work to set up, but when it's completed there is no issues whatsoever. ( apart from getting too much fruit )
 
Each z level of the tree got a fruit gathering zone, a scaffolding around on the outer side of the branches and a path up/down. Multiple dwarfs can gather from the same tree and they happily carry stepladders into the tress and use them on for example z level 5 to gather from the level above.
The build in macro system helps when setting up the gathering zones and scaffolding.

[Niyazov]

I usually build a scaffolding around the tree and up/down stairs in one or two corners. It does take some work to set up, but when it's completed there is no issues whatsoever. ( apart from getting too much fruit )
 

When you say scaffolding, do you mean like a complete 5x5 set of floors on each z level going all the way to the trunk, or e.g. a 7x7 ring around the edge of the tree that doesn't overlap with the branches?

[Naia]

A ring around the edge of the branches.