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[Valdrax]

I've got an odd situation in my fort.  The dwarven merchant caravan announced that they were packing up and leaving towards the end of a month that started with a successful round of trading.

And then they didn't.  Not all of them, anyway.  Two wagons and Some pack animals, several merchants, and several guards are just chilling out in my Trade Depot.  They all have a clear path out of the depot.  It may be worth mentioning that they didn't have a 3-panel wide path when they entered the screen; they just charted a course through my goblin maze.

So what do I do?  I've thought about deconstructing the Trade Depot, but all the stuff I traded to them (and several things I didn't want from them) are all still in there, and I don't want to steal from my own civilization.  They're my only source of gypsum powder, for one thing.  Also, I traded all those goblin clothes to them to save me the trouble of throwing it all into a magma pit.

Suggestions?

[Edit:  I hadn't noticed that "creature" wagons weren't around any more and had always just mentally filed pack animals as wagons.  Sorry for the confusion.]

[They Got Leader]

What version are you playing?

[Valdrax]

The current version.  0.31.25.

[Girlinhat]

With wagons?

[Valdrax]

Most of them.  Two wagons pack animals and drivers left.  The rest stayed.  The two that left may or may not have been the ones that crossed my bridge after I lowered it instead of detouring through the goblin processing plant below.  I am not sure.

They also were still making their way into my fortress when a goblin ambush appeared, and the exit for the goblin maze is inside my Trade Depot; no merchant died during the fight, but I'm unsure that they were uninjured.

[automaticsquid]

you probably already checked but i once got merchants refusing to leave because i left a door forbidden after a siege or ambush or something

[Valdrax]

you probably already checked but i once got merchants refusing to leave because i left a door forbidden after a siege or ambush or something

No, they've got two ways out.
1)  Across a 3-tile wide fortress bridge that leads from the entrance to the Depot.
2)  Through a narrow, winding, trap-laden 1-tile wide maze down below that serves as my goblin receiving dock. 

And, yes, I've checked depot access and verified that they have full access to about 80-90% of the map edge (barring a few blocking trees and a small segment of ocean).

[Ieb]

How exactly did you get wagons on the current version?
I recall Toady removed 'em from showing up for the time being but increased the amount of stuff trade animals could carry to compensate.

That aside, when I've had traders hang around longer than usual it's been because of the large amount of crap given to 'em. If the stuff isn't in bins then they store the items one by one and it takes much longer. Maybe they're still doing that? Although I also recall that when this has happened to me, all the merchants stayed put until the items were loaded.


Have you pulled any levers recently that might block them? Is there a fungitree blocking the path somewhere? hurrr how does i read posts

[Mister Always]

When the merchants announce that they've "embarked on their journey", they don't leave immediately, mate. It takes a while.

[Valdrax]

How exactly did you get wagons on the current version?
I recall Toady removed 'em from showing up for the time being but increased the amount of stuff trade animals could carry to compensate.

Yeah, whoops.  I meant pack animals.  I hadn't paid too close attention to what they were using and hadn't noticed that "wagon creatures" weren't around anymore.  They've got two horses and six water buffalos (plus 4 caged animals).  6 non-combatant merchants, 2 speardwaves, 2 axedwarves, 1 sworddwarf, 1 macedwarf. 

That aside, when I've had traders hang around longer than usual it's been because of the large amount of crap given to 'em. If the stuff isn't in bins then they store the items one by one and it takes much longer. Maybe they're still doing that? Although I also recall that when this has happened to me, all the merchants stayed put until the items were loaded.

Possibly.  I did trade them over 18,000 in crappy clothes and crafts and then tacked on another 8,000 in crafts with no bins for any of it.  However, it's been over two months, and I'm confused by why a few but not all of them left.

[Valdrax]

On a possibly related note, one merchant and bodyguard are parked away from the Depot in the bathtub in front of my hospital/well room.  The tub has only 3/7 water in it, so I don't think that's a problem.  And there's a 3-tile wide path (through up/down stairs) from there to my Depot, so...   

[edit:  Even weirder, they're in the only non-nasty tile of the bathtub.]

[Melissia]

you probably already checked but i once got merchants refusing to leave because i left a door forbidden after a siege or ambush or something

No, they've got two ways out.
1)  Across a 3-tile wide fortress bridge that leads from the entrance to the Depot.
2)  Through a narrow, winding, trap-laden 1-tile wide maze down below that serves as my goblin receiving dock. 

And, yes, I've checked depot access and verified that they have full access to about 80-90% of the map edge (barring a few blocking trees and a small segment of ocean).

An odd thing for myself...

It says tehre's no depot access for most of the map but they have no trouble getting in?

[Ross Vernal]

Eh, try figuring out the furthest green route they can take, and send your woodcutters to clear out a 3-wide trail through it.

It's not as though it can do too much harm...



Curse them! An ambush!

[Endiqua]

Since wagons aren't in the current version, the depot access is basically moot as it checks for a 3-tile wide path for wagons.  If they can walk to your fortress, the traders can make it and you don't need to worry about creating a 3-tile wide obstacle-free pathway for them.

I've had instances of lingerers before if the packup and departure is interrupted by something, such as an ambush.  Never could figure out how to get them to leave in that case, though. 

[Oliolli]

My guess is that pressurized water would help at that...

Or the Necro910 method.