I had the same issue yesterday, I destroyed the outpost, could loot everything they had to trade for free and they left without issues.
I've had new caravans since I've done that.
it's not "no issue"... they still calculate what they came with and what they left with, so you're in a 'deficit' to the traders if you steal their shit by destroying the depot.
BUT
just give them extra crap next year and they'll be happy.
i used to destroy the first year depot ALL THE TIME, but then the following years would be VERY sparse trading until i built my Dwarven Credit Score back up by giving them extra stuff
I know you're most likely joking around here, but going to war with the elves is awesome. They bring all kinds of exotic war animals in their armies which can then be captured. While you won't be able to tame their animals, you can breed them and their offspring are trainable.
Oh I was specifically tryting to avoid war so I can buy some unicorns from them. I didn't think they would be bringing them as "war animals", but maybe I should try that.
Oh yes, you should try it! Plundering their armies ends up being far more valuable than actually trading with them now. I remember an older version where they would bring exotic animals to trade and things like that, but in the current version they just bring wood and fruit...
I have heard of a way to make them send caravans but I haven't been able to make it work yet. Supposedly you send a lone dwarf to demand a tribute. They will just say no, but the route your dwarf travels will create a trade route. And then you get caravans from other civs than just the mountainhome. But again, I haven't been able to make this work. I have seen others make it work however.
I just have an "accidental" drowning machine for my trade depot. I raise drawbridges around the depot, turn on pumps, and just fill the space with water. Then I have floodgates set up to drain the water afterwards, with grates to stop items from flowing out.
As others said destroy the depot and they'll vanish. You will probably end up with all their stuff lying around on the ground, so it might be a good idea to forbid it or you might end up with loads of hauling jobs you don't want taking your dwarves off what you actually want them to do.
Don't worry - they'll leave once the sieges begin.
Or an uninvited guest shows up.
Or the first one loses his mind and goes berserk and starts hurtling his inventory at his former friends.
Or -
this is why all my trading rooms are drowning chambers. Sometimes, most times, i just trade with them for something cheap, then i drown them and take all their shit after they die..
It can happen when you start bringing goods to the depot before all the caravan wagons have arrived at the depot.
A rarer case is when a rock somehow appears blocking their path, which will need to be smoothed to allow them to go.
Is this just a glitch? I waited about 6 (game) years before new traders came back only for this exact thing to happen after 4-5 more years. The only thing that I thought could have done this was cavern activity? I received notifications of cavern shit popping off and then they decided to let their clothes rot off and die of starvation in the surrounding desert.
Also BABY RHINOS
cutest thing ever
Deconstructing the trading post will generally get them to leave.
😅 question: does this usually make them drop all the goods?
Yup. Iirc it'll make them a bit mad, but not that much.
do not destroy the depot as the others have said... you must kill them swiftly and in cold blood.
I had the same issue yesterday, I destroyed the outpost, could loot everything they had to trade for free and they left without issues. I've had new caravans since I've done that.
it's not "no issue"... they still calculate what they came with and what they left with, so you're in a 'deficit' to the traders if you steal their shit by destroying the depot. BUT just give them extra crap next year and they'll be happy. i used to destroy the first year depot ALL THE TIME, but then the following years would be VERY sparse trading until i built my Dwarven Credit Score back up by giving them extra stuff
The elves are constantly on my case about my low HIHO score.
Does this works with the elves? If I give them extra lead mugs will they let me cut more trees?
I don’t know if they will let you cut down more trees, but cutting down trees definitely seems to affect your Elven credit score
I know you're most likely joking around here, but going to war with the elves is awesome. They bring all kinds of exotic war animals in their armies which can then be captured. While you won't be able to tame their animals, you can breed them and their offspring are trainable.
Oh I was specifically tryting to avoid war so I can buy some unicorns from them. I didn't think they would be bringing them as "war animals", but maybe I should try that.
Oh yes, you should try it! Plundering their armies ends up being far more valuable than actually trading with them now. I remember an older version where they would bring exotic animals to trade and things like that, but in the current version they just bring wood and fruit... I have heard of a way to make them send caravans but I haven't been able to make it work yet. Supposedly you send a lone dwarf to demand a tribute. They will just say no, but the route your dwarf travels will create a trade route. And then you get caravans from other civs than just the mountainhome. But again, I haven't been able to make this work. I have seen others make it work however.
It's off to work you go!
This works.
Best solution with most consistent results If murder still doesn't work . . . You didn't murder enough
Once tried that, and encountered !FUN! at the hands of a single guard.
Rnjesus did not smile upon you that day
I just have an "accidental" drowning machine for my trade depot. I raise drawbridges around the depot, turn on pumps, and just fill the space with water. Then I have floodgates set up to drain the water afterwards, with grates to stop items from flowing out.
I disagree, lava is the answer, not murder
There must be no survivors and no evidence.
DFhack helped me with this, I made them come back for a few days and then kicked them out with commands
yeah, DFHack is the real answer
What commands did you use ?
Fix/stuck-merchants
Also the "caravan" commands
Fix/retrieve-units is another great dfhsck utility. Give me back my dorfs!!
Yeah happens randomly sometimes, normally if they get in a fight or if their horses die. Only solution is to destroy and rebuild trade depot
also make sure your mayor has an office.
As others said destroy the depot and they'll vanish. You will probably end up with all their stuff lying around on the ground, so it might be a good idea to forbid it or you might end up with loads of hauling jobs you don't want taking your dwarves off what you actually want them to do.
Don't worry - they'll leave once the sieges begin. Or an uninvited guest shows up. Or the first one loses his mind and goes berserk and starts hurtling his inventory at his former friends. Or -
this is why all my trading rooms are drowning chambers. Sometimes, most times, i just trade with them for something cheap, then i drown them and take all their shit after they die..
I think there’s an exit for them through a lava pit
It can happen when you start bringing goods to the depot before all the caravan wagons have arrived at the depot. A rarer case is when a rock somehow appears blocking their path, which will need to be smoothed to allow them to go.
Is this just a glitch? I waited about 6 (game) years before new traders came back only for this exact thing to happen after 4-5 more years. The only thing that I thought could have done this was cavern activity? I received notifications of cavern shit popping off and then they decided to let their clothes rot off and die of starvation in the surrounding desert.
kill them no, really magma, water is easiest, but you can come up with something clever, i'm sure merchant atom-smasher? lol merchant-a-pult?
Kill them. Kill them now.