Builders Stuck in Builders Workshop

[leafandlore]

I started a game this past Sunday and played consistently each night this week to the point where I had more than a hundred villagers. At some point not too far back, I realized my builders were not building-- any of them. When I went to investigate, I found that every builder that was currently working was sitting in the builders workshop and their status was flipping back and forth between "I am working" and "I am preparing to work". Then when they finished "working" they would go on free time and leave the workshop.

At first, I thought there must be something obstructing their path, but:

- all three builder's workshops were having the problem
- they were able to leave the workshop when they were on free time
- at least one of the workshops was set up completely by itself

I decided to try and destroy the workshops and rebuild them. Same problem. I also tried destroying all of them and rebuilding in an area I was certain was not obstructed. Same error.

I did a google search and found one person having the same problem last July on Reddit, only the problem went away when they started a new game. I also found that when I started a new game the problem went away, except only for a little while. A game I started tonight began to exhibit the same problem, prompting me to try and troubleshoot the issue.

The only things I can think of that might have been involved with the problem are the following:

- I recently acquired marble; I had built a sculpture addition to the workshop previously, not realizing I needed marble to complete it. It was completed shortly before I noticed the problem, but the sculptor had begun work on the two fountains I had planned.
- The second builder's workshop has somehow wound up next to a house-- right next to it. But it's been that way for a little while, before I noticed any issue. The paths in and out of the workshop do not seem to be blocked. And destroying and rebuilding the workshop didn't help.
- I had recently created the third workshop, which is the one that isn't near any structures. It is alongside a river, not too far from a planned fisher's hut that I was wanting him to build. I have one villager assigned to that workshop, a newcomer who has not done any building work at all so far; just sat in the workshop.

I have screenshots of each of the workshops from different angles.

[Mr Ash]

Hi leafandlore,

It sounds as though something somewhere is blocked, however from what you describe it is strange behaviour.
As it will be very difficult to diagnose the issue from screenshots please could you send in your save file to [e-mail]
If the file is too big to send via email please upload it to a filesharing site such as GoogleDrive/Dropbox/WeTransfer or similar and send us the link.

Please also add a description of the issue or link to this thread.
Cheers