One other player reported this issue, a couple of years ago; there has been no response so I don't know if it was noticed: https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=43880.msg429439#msg429439
I sent a caravan on the mission "Caravan to Orange Chonocroudue". At the destination, I completed the quest. Then I had the message "Caravan idle" and couldn't find a way to get my folks back to their base with the goods. The available options were "Settle" (greyed out), "Split", "Trade" (I did that), and "Attack" (thanks but no thanks). There was no option I could find for forming a new caravan. I tried selecting the caravan and then selecting a route, but the "Accept" button was missing and my only other options were to add more way-points or Esc, which left me back where I started: STUCK!
Hi,
does your caravan maybe be overload/to much weight and can't move anymore ? Can happen from mod quests that gave your some payment/reward to the caravan.
If that isn't the case, a safegame would be helpful.
Thanks for helping!
My caravan is three colonists, no animals. Carry weight is 36 Kg (79 lb). It shows movement speed of 43 tiles/d, which is a lot higher than on the trip out. All three colonists are selected. No mods installed here.
Save game file at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uX4hkTf1t5NPRAWofu9e6Cj0OrR4o68d/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uX4hkTf1t5NPRAWofu9e6Cj0OrR4o68d/view?usp=sharing)
Sorry that file isn't downloadable.
Just logout yourself and try to download it.
This is my first experience with Google Drive, so please forgive my ineptitude. I hope I've got it right this time: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CUzAN7A8CbDAAK7VVwwKJ65oSLvbtjAj/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CUzAN7A8CbDAAK7VVwwKJ65oSLvbtjAj/view?usp=sharing)
Don't worry about the google drive :-)
I don't see a problem with the caravan.
Select the caravan, right click at your colony, Enter Bitter End.
And once the day starts they stop resting and start moving toward it.
Thanks! Your idea worked fine. ;D
One might consider adding a tool tip that would make this sequence more accessible for inexperienced players. I've enjoyed over 300 hours in RimWorld but my caravans were usually one way (to the downed starship). This is my first extended stay and my first go at rolling my own starship, so I know only a little about how to run caravans. About return travel I was clueless.
That is basicly the standard caravan behavior.
Once the caravan is formed, you can send it around at this way. Mosttimes the caravan take the fastest way to the destination.
Waypoints you only need when you want that it take another route.
But once you played a bit around you will get the hang on it.
A hint at last, there is a lvl 5 or 6 psycast ability Farskip.
That allow the caster to teleport the caravan to a friendly pawn (home or another of your settlement).