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[Uthimienure]

When designating items to be dumped, could we have an option to select a specific garbage dump the items are taken to?

[DwarfStar]

I'm trying to imagine how we would specify this, given how many different ways there are to dump objects. I usually control the dwarves' dump behavior by disabling all the other garbage dumps than the one I want the dwarves to use. But, that means I usually only have one dump zone active at a time. If the objects "remembered" which dump zone(s) was/were active when the dump designation was made, then I could switch my dump zones back to "normal" even if I am doing a specialized dump with some other objects at the same time.

On the other hand, sometimes you would want previously-designated objects to be directed to a freshly-activated garbage dump, so there should be a way to do that. Maybe that should be an option in the o menu, or perhaps you would achieve that by completely deleting the garbage dump you no longer want to dump into. Or, maybe there would just be an option when inspecting the garbage pile to redirect all the objects that currently want to dump into it. Of course you could always un-dump and re-dump the objects but that might be a hassle.

It would be nice if you could inspect an object and have the game tell you where the dwarves are planning to take it. But, this would be great to have not only for objects marked for dumping, but also for objects that have been chosen to place into a stockpile.

One final thought: it would really help to manage your garbage dumps if we had a list somewhere. Maybe this is already in the development branch, since rooms and locations are currently undergoing major changes.

[Uthimienure]

I give my dumps a name, i.e., "dump 104c" or "dump to smash" or whatever.
Then in "R" search for "dump" and get the list of them.  Then I can deactivate
the ones I don't want to use currently.  Or I place the dumps behind doors which
can just be locked as needed.

I envision in the game, when designating object for dumping, we can see a list of all
the dumps (regardless of if it was renamed) and just pick one from the list.  The list
could also tell us if each dump is active or not.

[Pillbo]

This could maybe be done by making dumps a special stockpile, then you could specify what types of things are allowed in each dump. So the user marks an area of a siege mess to be dumped and the corpses go to the atom smasher dump, but clothes and weapons go to a dump by the depot so you can trade it away later. Would that do what you want?

[DwarfStar]

I envision in the game, when designating object for dumping, we can see a list of all
the dumps (regardless of if it was renamed) and just pick one from the list.  The list
could also tell us if each dump is active or not.

A popup window could work for d-b-d, but when you're marking a zillion things for dumping in the stocks menu, or one at a time in item descriptions, a popup for each one could be cumbersome in some situations. That's why I was trying to think of some way to specify the current "default" dump zone. That could be via it being whichever zone(s) are active when the dump designation is made, or if it's easier to understand there could be a different toggle (other than "active") to mark which garbage dump to put things into.

[A_Curious_Cat]

I think part of the problem is that there is a disconnect between what Toady One originally intended “Garbage Dumps” for, and what the players actually use them for.

It seems to me, that a better solution would be to introduce a new designation that would cause dwarves to clear the designated items of loose (I.e. unbuilt) items.  Presumably, the dwarves would pick the items up, carry them away, and dump them on the first tile they came upon that was outside the designated area.

Then “Garbage Dumps” could be used for their original intended purpose.  Disposing of garbage.

[FantasticDorf]

I think part of the problem is that there is a disconnect between what Toady One originally intended “Garbage Dumps” for, and what the players actually use them for.

It seems to me, that a better solution would be to introduce a new designation that would cause dwarves to clear the designated items of loose (I.e. unbuilt) items.  Presumably, the dwarves would pick the items up, carry them away, and dump them on the first tile they came upon that was outside the designated area.

Not even this, you'd still have very little control over what happens with what you suggested and it'd not actually change the habits or mechanics people use out of garbage dumps. People put "garbage" into very specific piles because it has the option, the game would be unplayable but it would be unmanagable long-term without it.

I know for certain that i could find a use for 'loose' designation in clearing out a workshop or a depot into a tempoary storage area but im already well accustomed to moving garbage with a quick flick of the switch to turn garbage dump on and when im done, off. "Fixing" garbage would crack open a whole load of bugs like "can't selectively move gems or furniture to get engraved/gem embedded" or "FPS dying because of unremovable badger corpse spinning in a hole" and other similar complaints because of the limited nature of workshops & the stockpile movements.