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IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
0010323Dwarf FortressDwarf Mode -- Jobs, Cancellation and Suspensionpublic2017-12-06 21:20
Reporterdffun Assigned To 
PrioritynormalSeveritymajorReproducibilityalways
Status newResolutionopen 
OSWindowsOS Version7, 10 
Product Version0.43.05 
Summary0010323: Jobs cannot be cancelled or suspended from joblist
DescriptionThere is a number of jobs, that can neither be cancelled nor suspended from the (j)oblist. "Store Item in Stockpil". Somtimes the worker cannot be removed from a job.
Steps To ReproduceSimply use the joblist
Additional InformationRunning a fortress, which is big in terms of dwarves (300) animals (~ 1000) and size, the joblist raises many jobs which are compleatly useless. E.g. Moving boulders from one end of the fortress to another end.
Therefore any job should be cancable and suspendable which possibly would help with fps and help with getting the more important things done first.

(I have dwarves moving wood and stone instead of getting the food moved from the butcher to the foodstore or moving "nervous tissues" to the refuse.)
TagsNo tags attached.

Activities

Loci

2017-11-11 07:55

viewer   ~0036853

While I agree that the jobs list can be somewhat inconsistent at canceling jobs, not all jobs should be cancelable (e.g. strange moods) and the game currently doesn't allow "suspending" any job that doesn't take place at a workshop or building site.

There are, however, already multiple ways to control which jobs get created, most of which are more convenient and intuitive than micromanaging the jobs list. For example, instead of manually canceling hauling jobs you could 1) not make massive stockpiles, 2) assign wheelbarrows to your stockpiles, 3) temporarily toggle your stockpiles to take from links only, 4) suspend types of hauling in the standing orders menu, or 5) adjust hauling labors on your dwarves.

dffun

2017-11-11 10:03

reporter   ~0036854

I fully agree, there are lots of possibilities for job creation. But all of these do not address the job management interface. So I'd prefere to focus on the point.

I fully agree, there are jobs that must not be cancable, like strange moods. The real question about those is: "Are they jobs? Should they be listed in a job management interface?". Again I would'nt want to focus on those questions, instead I'd suggest to simply grey them out. So it's ovious they are not managable.

Any other job/kind of work is cancable and delayable (suspendable) und should fully support the management interface actions.

There are many situations in fortress mode, when you need something to be done but you'd prefere the clean-up/followup jobs be delayed or canceled.

Loci

2017-11-11 16:16

viewer   ~0036859

The Job List originated as an informational summary of dwarves actions, not a management interface; the ability to cancel and suspend jobs on the list is a recent addition. Removing "jobs" which are "unmanageable" would undermine the usefulness of the list for tracking dwarves' activities.

Other intentionally "uncancelable" jobs include purple socializing, marriage, rest, etc. Providing an actual list of jobs that you think *should* be cancelable but currently aren't, would be helpful.

Note that "canceling" a job only stops the current action; it does not prevent the action from being requested and performed at any later point. Even if you were able to cancel a "store in stockpile" job, the job would likely just be recreated by the stockpile immediately (as demonstrated in 0003221).

dffun

2017-12-06 21:20

reporter   ~0037252

OK - some steps:

1. Keep uncancable and unsuspendable jobs in the list, but mark them (color).
I know, socializing, marriage etc. is colored. Others arn't.

2. Make jobs suspendable, which are generated automatically. Especially moving things to stockpiles.
Example: Stone hauling jobs, which are setup if a matching stockpile exists or is created.

3. Make jobs cancable, which use stockpiles, where the hauling object does not match (any more) to the stockpiles constraints.
Especially, if you forgot to pause the game before setting up a stockpile, there will be generated hauling jobs, in the second you switch between "p" and "q" to narrow the things that can be stockpiled (quality etc.). So you will end up with stuff in that stockpile, that should not go there.

Others:
The joblist would be a good possibility to make hunting and fishing cancable.

In the past, I've seen my dwarves haul stone and bullshit over lengthy distances, while meat started rotting at the butcheries or my fishery was not cleaned... so it would be cool, if I could set the dwarves back on track by suspending and cancelling jobs currently not needed.

And a final note ... "diagnose patient" ... it would be helpful if this opened the possibility of locating a wounded dwarf (maybe by pressing "z")

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Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2017-11-11 06:09 dffun New Issue
2017-11-11 07:55 Loci Note Added: 0036853
2017-11-11 07:55 Loci Additional Information Updated
2017-11-11 10:03 dffun Note Added: 0036854
2017-11-11 16:16 Loci Note Added: 0036859
2017-12-06 21:20 dffun Note Added: 0037252