I would like to request the ability to link a grow zone to a specific, nearby, stockpile, so that items harvested from that zone will always be taken to that stockpile, even if it has a lower priority than other stockpiles. Once all the items from the grow zone have been moved away from the grow zone, only then would those items be reallocated from the linked stockpile to other, more distant stockpiles.
The purpose of this would be to aid in harvesting when one's main stockpiles are distant from one's fields. This way, one could build a storage silo for colonists to use to quickly get a harvest indoors and not spoiling, without having to mess around with priority settings and risk having the pawns decide to instead bring items from the main stockpiles to what is meant to be a temporary "waypoint" for newly harvested foodstuffs before they are brought to the main stockpiles.
A simple change to the hauling system would fix just about everything with hauling.
1) Tend to priority stockpiles. So a critical stockpile that is low will get serviced first.
2) Bring items into stockpiles. So crops in the fields are brought to the nearest stockpile. Items that are too far away should be forbidden. Most items drop forbidden by default.
3) Consolidate items and sort inventory. So low priority storage (exposed crops) gets pulled into preferred storage (fridge).
Quote from: bobucles on October 27, 2018, 07:00:28 PM
A simple change to the hauling system would fix just about everything with hauling.
1) Tend to priority stockpiles. So a critical stockpile that is low will get serviced first.
2) Bring items into stockpiles. So crops in the fields are brought to the nearest stockpile. Items that are too far away should be forbidden. Most items drop forbidden by default.
3) Consolidate items and sort inventory. So low priority storage (exposed crops) gets pulled into preferred storage (fridge).
That doesn't really solve the issue my suggestion is meant to help with, though. Take a look at my current set-up:
(https://i.imgur.com/pvUuE1C.jpg?1)
My fields are mainly in the area marked A, the stockpile I'm using to temporarily store new harvests (by playing with priority settings) is marked B, and my fridge is marked C. Given the distance between my fields and fridge, your changes 1 and 3 aren't really viable, as I want to avoid the need for long walks back and forth to bring stuff inside so it doesn't spoil. Instead, I want to have my harvests quickly brought inside to the stockpile at B, and then when the harvest is safe from spoiling, bring it over from there to my fridge.
You can make a zone which covers your fields and the temporary stockpile, and restrict farmer / harvester pawns to that zone during harvest time.