Dwarf Fortress Bug Tracker - Dwarf Fortress
View Issue Details
0004292Dwarf FortressDwarf Mode -- Thoughts and Preferencespublic2011-03-21 13:582011-03-31 20:04
GreenSpinach 
Dwarfu 
normalminoralways
resolvedno change required 
0.31.18 
 
0004292: Dwarves complain that there is no well when there actually is, and dwarves are drinking from it
My baron complained of the "lack of a well" when there was a perfectly functioning well with plenty of water in it, and other dwarves were drinking from it. Other dwarves also complained. I think that this problem happens every time that a dwarf wants to drink from the well while another dwarf is using it. The obvious workaround is to have several wells, each of which has water only 1 Z-level below the bucket, so as to minimize the time it takes to use the well. Which would of course be a huge, huge pain in the ass to set up on an embark site where the only water is in a cave 150 Z-levels deep underground.
1. Build a well.
2. Have lots of dwarves, and run out of booze.
No tags attached.
duplicate of 0001007new  Wells become unusable after being used for anything other than drinking 
Issue History
2011-03-21 13:58GreenSpinachNew Issue
2011-03-21 14:15QuietustNote Added: 0016454
2011-03-21 16:12Logical2uTag Attached: AWAITING UPDATE
2011-03-21 16:43JyrinxNote Added: 0016458
2011-03-21 17:06greycatNote Added: 0016460
2011-03-31 19:03DwarfuTag Detached: AWAITING UPDATE
2011-03-31 19:08DwarfuNote Added: 0016911
2011-03-31 19:08DwarfuStatusnew => resolved
2011-03-31 19:08DwarfuResolutionopen => no change required
2011-03-31 19:08DwarfuAssigned To => Dwarfu
2011-03-31 20:04DwarfuRelationship addedduplicate of 0001007

Notes
(0016454)
Quietust   
2011-03-21 14:15   
How long has it been since you built the well? If it's been less than a year, then it's possible the baron's complaint was from before the well was even built.
(0016458)
Jyrinx   
2011-03-21 16:43   
I can tell you I see the same thing, with a well that's been around more than a year. Also, during the winter when most water sources are frozen, I often get job cancellations saying "No water source" despite my two functioning wells (hospital and non-hospital).

That fortress was lost to goblins, though, so I can't try adding more wells to see if it helps ...
(0016460)
greycat   
2011-03-21 17:06   
There are a finite number of spaces adjacent to each well. Only one dwarf can "use" each space at a time, and their claiming of a well spot lasts from the moment they start the well-space-requiring job until they're done with the well -- that includes their travel time to the well, plus possibly picking up a bucket along the way.

So the most probably explanation for this is that you need more wells, or more open space around them, or shorter pathing to them, or more patient dwarves. Good luck with the last one....
(0016911)
Dwarfu   
2011-03-31 19:08   
If Quietust's explanation doesn't explain your situation, then greycat is correct, it is a matter of too many dwarfs trying to use the well at one time. It is the same as a dwarf claiming a barrel to drink and no other dwarf can drink from it (if you have 10 booze all in one barrel, only one dwarf can drink, not 10). Your options are to build more wells or brew more booze. As such, it is working as intended.