Caravan
A caravan is a group of one or more colonists and their supplies, animals, and prisoners. Each caravan is represented on the world map by a yellow icon.
Creation
While in the World map, select the colony icon and click 'Form caravan'. You can create multiple caravans.
People and Animals
Choose the colonists, prisoners, and animals you wish to include in the caravan. At least one colonist must be chosen.
Items
Use the Items tab to optionally bring supplies, especially food. The estimated days of food is listed at the top. The only pawns that can carry items are colonists, muffalos, and dromedaries.
Carrying capacity:
- Colonists: 35 kilograms (kg). This capacity includes clothing, gear and inventory they already have.
- Muffalo: 70 kg
- Dromedary: 66.5 kg
The combined carrying capacity and mass of selected items is listed at the top. Buttons are used to select items/amounts. A double arrow [>>] will take the quantity of an item. The arrow [>M] indicates you cannot carry the full quantity, but it will automatically take the maximum amount. When over capacity, the arrow [M<] will return all or a quantity of that item so that the mass total does not exceed the caravan's carrying capacity.
Config
Use the Config tab to choose an exit direction. It's possible to have no available exit direction, such as when on a single-tile island, thus a caravan cannot be launched.
A caravan can:
- Move - Right-click to select destination. A line indicates the optimal route (accounting for terrain speed and elevation changes).
- Settle - Click Settle to create a new colony. You may not settle a new colony when already at maximum. The default maximum is one. This can be set up to up to five (in Menu - Options).
- Enter back into the colony.
- Enter a faction outpost to trade (if friendly) or attack.
- Split - Click the Split button. Each caravan must consist of at least one colonist.
friendly faction outpost to trade with them, or can attack a faction outpost.
- Merge - Select two or more caravans in the same tile and click Merge to form a single caravan.
Double-clicking a caravan will select all caravans on the screen. In this way multiple caravans can be ordered to a single destination.
Colonists, prisoners, and animals in a caravan require food; automatically eating as needed. When food supplies are depleted pawns will start to starve and will die if they reach max malnutrition.
If a member of a caravan dies, everything they were carrying is lost. If all colonists of a caravan die, then all prisoners, animals, and items are lost.
Inspection Pane
In the World view the caravan's inspection pane displays its status.
Movement status:
- Traveling - moving to destination.
- Resting - caravan automatically stops between hours 22 and 6 to sleep.
- Waiting - no destination selected.
- Stopped - stopped moving with reason given.
Estimated time to destination - time to destination based on the current tile movement time. Days of food - compare this to 'estimated time to destination' to determine if your caravan has enough food for the journey.
Movement speed is greatly reduced any pawn is incapacitated. If inventory mass exceeds carrying capacity the caravan will become immobilized until the mass is reduced.
Base movement time: Movement speed based on pawns' movement.
Current tile movement time: Current movement speed based on the terrain and biome.
A caravan may stop for various reasons. A caravan will automatically stop between hours 22 and 6 while the members sleep. A caravan will stop if all colonists are downed. A caravan will stop if a colonist (prisoner too?) is having a mental break.
Events
Caravan Encounter
Occasionally another caravan may cross your path giving you an opportunity to trade; or attack them if you wish. If you attack them you'll damage relations. Your pawns may exit the map.
Ambush
Your caravan has been ambushed by an enemy faction. Colonists cannot exit the map until the attackers are defeated (killed, downed, or fled).
Manhunter Ambush
Your caravan has been ambushed by pack of manhunter animals. Colonists cannot exit the map until the attackers are defeated.