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Author Topic: None of the dwarves pick up any picks  (Read 4922 times)

GoneWacko

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None of the dwarves pick up any picks
« on: May 30, 2010, 02:27:11 pm »
Hello folks,

After one of my two miner dwarves caused his copper pick to mysteriously disappear ( ??? ), I managed to buy a new pick for him through a great deal of trouble (i.e. assigning some random fisherdwarf to be a bonecrafter and having all the idle bingedrinking dwarves carry them up 4 levels to the trade depot).

This new pick in question is a Bismuth Bronze Pick. It is encrusted with superior quality pyrite. This object is adorned with hanging rings of exceptionally worked pipe opal.

However, the pick now sits in my weapon stockpile, and none of the dwarves want to pick it up to do some mining.

I can't think of any reasons why, so I can't really give you any more information. The one thing I can think of as a possible reason is that the decorations make the pick unusable? I'm playing v31.03.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2010, 05:58:36 pm by GoneWacko »
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dakenho

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Re: Dwarves won't use (decorated) pick - Why?
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2010, 04:04:10 pm »
try removing and rebuilding the stock pile
also press j and try to figure out if the thing is tasked for something
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From the description of the event, I think that your copy of Dwarf Fortress was on drugs when this happened. That's surely the only logical explanation for a human werewolf with deadly farts dying from it's own excrement after slaughtering some goblins comrades.

GoneWacko

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Re: None of the dwarves pick up any picks
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2010, 05:28:47 pm »
Quote from: dakenho on May 30, 2010, 04:04:10 pm
try removing and rebuilding the stock pile
also press j and try to figure out if the thing is tasked for something

Neither solution seems to have worked. The pick was in a bin, but removing it from the bin and moving it back to a newly designated weapon stockpile with 0 max bins has not made anyone pick it up. It's not being used for anything. There are at least 4 dwarves (all non-military) standing around in my meeting area doing the "no job" occupation, who could all be mining out some bedrooms instead...

I guess I'll see if the traders bring me some normal picks or if I can smelt some  ::)


Update: I forged some copper and iron picks the old fashioned way (that is, no magma involved), and the dwarves are not going for those either... Color me confused.

Update update: My carpenter that is also in the military went and picked up an iron pick even though he does not have mining enabled and there are far more suitable weapons lying around (like axes and swords)... What the shit? This carpenter has been giving me trouble for a while now, earlier he was constantly picking up a (cave spider silk sock) and a (giant cave spider silk shoe), walk away 1 tile, turn around, drop the items again, repeat ad infinitum.
Now I've dumped the iron pick he's carrying, specifically told him to equip an iron axe, and stationed him somewhere to make him a recruit instead of a carpenter. And while the military screen says that the carpenter has the iron axe claimed or equipped or whatever, the axe is nowhere to be seen in his inventory... :(

Update update update: luckily I got a high master miner migrant, so I do have 2 miners now, but the issue with the picks remains unsolved...
« Last Edit: May 30, 2010, 06:16:16 pm by GoneWacko »
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Fourdots

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Re: None of the dwarves pick up any picks
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2010, 08:06:35 pm »
If you're using dwarf therapist to assign labor, it doesn't work for things which need items. You'll have to do it in the game interface.

Other than that, no idea, but this has been the case in most of the other threads I've seen with the issue.
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Greep

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Re: None of the dwarves pick up any picks
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2010, 09:53:00 pm »
Yeah I found taking off woodcutting, unpausing, and then re-enabling it via the menus worked for me.
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GoneWacko

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Re: None of the dwarves pick up any picks
« Reply #5 on: May 31, 2010, 02:57:40 pm »
I've not used any external tools, just vanilla DF v0.31.03, with the Mike Mayday graphics pack tacked on by hand.
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GoneWacko

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Re: None of the dwarves pick up any picks
« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2010, 03:51:19 pm »
Sudden idea: Do you need an arsenal dwarf for picks to be used?

I'm not quite sure that it would be relevant because I think the issue appeared before I had 20 dwarves, but I think my population is at 22 at the moment, so that might be worth looking into...

Edit: Meh, the position is not shown on the nobles screen at this time.
« Last Edit: May 31, 2010, 03:53:43 pm by GoneWacko »
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Corona688

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Re: None of the dwarves pick up any picks
« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2010, 11:28:10 pm »
I've had picks that were being used by inured miners never get reassigned.  Not even if you dump the pick and unforbid it, they'll never use it.
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Quote from: gtmattz on May 10, 2010, 09:56:28 am
You never know when you might need a berserk dwarf to set loose somewhere.

GoneWacko

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Re: None of the dwarves pick up any picks
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2010, 03:24:30 pm »
Unfortunately they're not picking up any picks that are fresh from the forge either, so that's probably not it either, although I did use my miners to kill some uninvited guests in the caves earlier...
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This is a stack of 9 finely-prepared Prickle berry stew. The ingredients are finely minced Prickle berry, finely minced Prickle berry and superiorly minced Prickle berry.

Fourdots

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Re: None of the dwarves pick up any picks
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2010, 04:19:32 pm »
Quote from: GoneWacko on June 01, 2010, 03:24:30 pm
Unfortunately they're not picking up any picks that are fresh from the forge either, so that's probably not it either, although I did use my miners to kill some uninvited guests in the caves earlier...

Hmm. Could be a military issue, then; once a dwarf is in the military, he may never be able to return to civilian life, though I forget the conditions which trigger that. Do other dwarfs also refuse to use the picks? If you enable mining on one, will he pick up the pick and go off to mine? Sorry if you've already tried this, a cursory reading didn't catch any mention of it.
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GoneWacko

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Re: None of the dwarves pick up any picks
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2010, 06:55:00 pm »
I think I may have tried that too, yes.

I upgraded to .31.05 today and deleted the old saves, so I'm unable to test any further until I run into the issue again :-X
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This is a stack of 9 finely-prepared Prickle berry stew. The ingredients are finely minced Prickle berry, finely minced Prickle berry and superiorly minced Prickle berry.