40d:Wagon (embark)

(For information on wagons as they pertain to caravans, see Trading.)

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In Fortress Mode, you start with a single immobile wagon that represents the transportation vehicle for all your supplies. A wagon is not a real vehicle, and never moves or serves any other purpose - it simply sits there at the start of the game, representing where your dwarves decided to stop. Any and all supplies were selected at embark by you and bought with points; supplies cannot be bought later, but your dwarves can (try to) trade for whatever the seasonal caravans bring.

To empty a wagon, your dwarves need the appropriate hauling labor enabled (all are enabled by default at embark), no other jobs to distract them, an appropriate stockpile designated, and a valid path between the stockpile and the items. And, depending on how many items you brought, patience.

You can can break down your wagon into three tower cap logs by pressing q, highlighting the wagon, and pressing x. A dwarf with the Carpentry labor enabled will then deconstruct the wagon into its component logs. The items will then be scattered in a slightly wider pattern in that same location. A wagon cannot be used for any other purpose - might as well break it down for the lumber, now or later.

If that dis-assembly is finished while a dwarf is returning to the wagon to haul an item to a stockpile, the dwarf will cancel that job. An announcement will be generated, to the effect of "Job Item lost or misplaced". Don't panic - nothing has been lost, except that dwarf's train of thought, as the item they were retrieving is no longer in the wagon but instead on the ground. They may adopt another hauling job, that same or a different one, and sooner or later that item will get hauled, but that particular job is cancelled for that moment.

In rare cases you might start on a level or spot that doesn't have a 3x3 square (e.g. mountain peak). In this case your wagon will be missing/inaccessible via the k or q menu, but your goods will still be there (all?).

Dismantling the wagon when its very near (1-2 tiles) the edge of the map, a river or magma vent can cause you to lose part of your embark equipment if it lands where your dwarves can't go. If it's within a couple tiles of such a location, it's recommended you wait until the wagon is 100% empty before dismantling it.

Unless/until you formally designate a new one, the location where your Wagon is (or was) is a default Meeting Area or Meeting Hall. A meeting zone is where any domestic animals or idle dwarfs will congregate in their spare time, and also provide some measure of defense for your possessions from any rhesus macaques or kobold thieves before you finish securing your valuables. Oddly,trader wagons appear on the unit list and are listed under corpses under refuse stockpile.

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