Wandering Caravan Animals

[Lifford]

Since 1.3 with the new pen enclosures they've done away with areas for the animals. My problem is that when my caravans arrive at an encounter, my animals just bugger off and go for a wander around the map.
Is there a way to prevent this or am I missing something? Building a pen on arrival seems a little silly. : )

[HunterSilver]

Animal's wandering away takes a lot of time and they don't just passively do it the instant they're unpenned.

The game will regularly check to see if they're unpenned, and if they are and capable of it, they may begin the process. You'll get a warning that they're wandering away, which basically gives you a day to grab them and pen them before they leave the map.

For the vast majority of encounters, this means it's not a problem. You just won't be on a map long enough for them to begin wandering, and if they do you can just finish your task, pack up your caravan, and move on.

If you're purposefully staying on a map for an extended period of time to mine stone/ore or something else, you may need to chop/bring some wood and setup a pen though.

[biomike]

Originally posted by HunterSilver:

Animal's wandering away takes a lot of time and they don't just passively do it the instant they're unpenned.

The game will regularly check to see if they're unpenned, and if they are and capable of it, they may begin the process. You'll get a warning that they're wandering away, which basically gives you a day to grab them and pen them before they leave the map.

For the vast majority of encounters, this means it's not a problem. You just won't be on a map long enough for them to begin wandering, and if they do you can just finish your task, pack up your caravan, and move on.

If you're purposefully staying on a map for an extended period of time to mine stone/ore or something else, you may need to chop/bring some wood and setup a pen though.

I think they mean they are walking around the map, not going off the map, like they wander into the line of fire

[jerrypocalypse]

That's weird my caravan animals usually stay around/near the area I entered the map from. They'll move around a little, but won't go too far unless there's some threat near them

[HunterSilver]

Originally posted by biomike:

I think they mean they are walking around the map, not going off the map, like they wander into the line of fire

I haven't witnessed them perform this behavior since 1.3 came out. Caravan animals, even ones that require pens normally, will just hang out at the edge of the map and not follow your colonists or wander off too far unless the wandering off event occurs.

[ichifish]

As far as I can figure there’s nothing you can do about the animals wandering around on a temp map. Even if you build a pen you can’t rope them into it (I tried when I wanted to use neuroquake on a pirate base).

If you need stuff that’s packed on the animal click on their gear tab and drop it manually.

The hostiles won’t attack your animals.

[wastecan]

As of the time of this post, there is still nothing that you can do about the animals wandering around a temp map. Turns out, I was using horses. Seems like you need a 'Hitching Post' (aka Caravan Loading Spot) or make the pens/roping animals work, but it would seem more prudent to just have these animals go (or be led) to this spot. As understandable, your pawns get injured. You have to send someone to unload the Sleeping Bag and Medicine. Takes way too much time to do this with animals hugging the edge of the map when lives are depending on it...

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by wastecan:

As understandable, your pawns get injured. You have to send someone to unload the Sleeping Bag and Medicine. Takes way too much time to do this with animals hugging the edge of the map when lives are depending on it...

You don't need the bedrolls to tend people, you can just drop a sleeping spot, or even draft the doctor and force them to tend the injured wherever they are. And you could've had your doctor carry up to 3 medicine themselves before leaving the pack animals behind.

[Jaggid Edje]

There's a new "hitching post" item in the current unstable version of the game which you will be able to bring with you when you are out on caravan. It replaces the caravan packing spot, but you'll also be able to use it on temp maps to keep the pen animals where you place it.

I'm looking forward to it.

[wastecan]

Originally posted by gimmethegepgun:

Originally posted by wastecan:

As understandable, your pawns get injured. You have to send someone to unload the Sleeping Bag and Medicine. Takes way too much time to do this with animals hugging the edge of the map when lives are depending on it...

You don't need the bedrolls to tend people, you can just drop a sleeping spot, or even draft the doctor and force them to tend the injured wherever they are. And you could've had your doctor carry up to 3 medicine themselves before leaving the pack animals behind.

Yes, I'm still a noob at this game- Thanks for that tip. And glad to hear of the hitching post in a future release!!!

[GeneralVeers]

"Hey Bob, now that we've arrived, could you tie the muffalos to trees so they don't run off?"

"Do what now??"

"You know, just take each muffalo's halter and tie it around a tree."

"Can't we just build a pen???"

"Takes too long to build a pen, just TIE them to a TREE."

"(♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, Joe, I can't do that! Tying animals to trees isn't even in this game!!!)"

"Bob, did you just break the Fourth Wall.........??"

"♥♥♥♥."

[blackrosedarkchild]

You can use the caravan hitching spot and they will be tied to that like they are when you build a new caravan.

[Astasia]

Originally posted by blackrosedarkchild:

You can use the caravan hitching spot and they will be tied to that like they are when you build a new caravan.

This was stated multiple times by other posters many years ago when this thread was made. It's also largely pointless, caravan animals do not wander away in mission maps, it's usually a waste to time roping them to a hitching post.