Can you gather fruit on the ground?

[certain]

It's late fall and all the trees around my fortress seemed to have dropped a bunch of fruit and nuts. But I can't see to figure out how to gather them. The normal plant gathering ignores them. Did I just wait too late to realize they were there? Do I need to gather them before they fall?

[Zuao]

You absolutelly can. Designate an area for plant gathering (NOT the gather plants command in the base interface. It's the option in the same place you designate bedrooms and such) and anyone will get those fuits, even children if you have the option set in their chores, plus people with the Gather Plant job will grab any ripe plants in that area automatically. Also fruit straight from the trees if you have stepladders.

[certain]

Ahh... Plant gathering zone, not the Gather Plants command.

Thanks!

[McFuzz]

Don't go crazy with gathering zones. They lead to a known bug that stops all dwarves from doing any work if you make them too big.

[BlackSmokeDMax]

Originally posted by certain:

Ahh... Plant gathering zone, not the Gather Plants command.

Thanks!

When you have the gather plants zone window open, I'd also recommend turning off the option for harvesting directly from trees. Think it's the first button of the three.

What could happen is you'll end up with dwarves stuck in a tree and dying up there.

[certain]

Originally posted by Frank McFuzz:

Don't go crazy with gathering zones. They lead to a known bug that stops all dwarves from doing any work if you make them too big.

Thanks for the tip. I assume this is the "general strike" mega thread? Is it total zone area or single-zone area that seems to trigger the bug? Like if you have 100 5x5 zones is that the same as one 50x50 zone?

[certain]

Originally posted by BlackSmokeDMax:

When you have the gather plants zone window open, I'd also recommend turning off the option for harvesting directly from trees. Think it's the first button of the three.

What could happen is you'll end up with dwarves stuck in a tree and dying up there.

Thanks!

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by BlackSmokeDMax:

Originally posted by certain:

Ahh... Plant gathering zone, not the Gather Plants command.

Thanks!

When you have the gather plants zone window open, I'd also recommend turning off the option for harvesting directly from trees. Think it's the first button of the three.

What could happen is you'll end up with dwarves stuck in a tree and dying up there.

Craft Stepladders. That's what they're for. Though, I can't say Dorfs use them as I don't use Gathering Zones.

[Boomshanka]

Originally posted by Morkonan:

Originally posted by BlackSmokeDMax:

When you have the gather plants zone window open, I'd also recommend turning off the option for harvesting directly from trees. Think it's the first button of the three.

What could happen is you'll end up with dwarves stuck in a tree and dying up there.

Craft Stepladders. That's what they're for. Though, I can't say Dorfs use them as I don't use Gathering Zones.

ive seen mine using them, they leave the step ladders outside by the trees usually:)

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by Boomshanka:

Originally posted by Morkonan:

Craft Stepladders. That's what they're for. Though, I can't say Dorfs use them as I don't use Gathering Zones.

ive seen mine using them, they leave the step ladders outside by the trees usually:)

Because... of course they do. :)

[Phoenix]

Supposedly other dorfs will inconveniently borrow the stepladder, stranding the other. Not sure what you can do in that situation apart from cutting the tree down. You'd think that they would holler for help though ...

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by Phoenix:

Supposedly other dorfs will inconveniently borrow the stepladder, stranding the other. Not sure what you can do in that situation apart from cutting the tree down. You'd think that they would holler for help though ...

Stepladder disappears.
Dorf doesn't see a valid path to the ground.
Dorf stops believing the ground exists and accepts their new life as a leaf.