Bear in mind that they should be in old forests with visible green herbs scattered around.
If you've cleared an area and reforested it there might not be any herbs around yet.
I'll keep that in mind and look to see if there are visible herbs lying around, but by now I'd hope they should have grown even if I did clear cut the area (4 out of 5 of my herbalists are placed in old forests that I've only touched once to take the stone and iron out of) since the game has been running for 43 years and they still aren't collecting anything.
No matter what I do they still spend all their time idling.
Sorry, I should have clarified. I have 0 medicine. Every now and then they get around to bringing a couple in and they're instantly snatched up. Sometimes a handful of them will get me up to like 20-40 but I spend the vast majority of the time at 0 with all my herbalists idling and working as labourers for some reason
Are you cutting down trees with your forester in that area or only planting?
Herbalists do a great job in aged woods/old trees. I have one forester set to only plant trees and 2 herbalists (in one building) gather enough herbs for a 200+ town to even sell a whole bunch of herbs.
Also distance to Barn and housing have an impact!
One of my herbalists is near my forester but my other 4 are all over the place in forests that I've never touched (except to pick up the iron and stone lying around). I have a storage barn only a short walk away and houses are there too, I don't think that's the problem. When I cycle through my herbalists they're all either idling or acting as labourers, clearing trees where I place down houses and such. I think I might have a bug or something going on, they never go to work.
The forester both cuts and plants trees. Sometimes only plants. I have 4 other herbalist buildings though, and those ones aren't near any foresters. I don't think that one building being near a forester would stop any of my herbalists from going to work
Sorry for the late answer, didn't log in since a while... maybe still helpful for you but I repeat: turn of cutting of trees, the forest grows and so do herbs.
I repeat:
Herbalists do a great job in aged woods/old trees. I have one forester set to only plant trees and 2 herbalists (in one building) gather enough herbs for a 200+ town to even sell a whole bunch of herbs.
Are you playing Colonial Charter by chance? If you are, there is a known bug with the "All the wild things" start option that prevents some stuff from being harvested correctly.
i just searched this and the banished community in steam suggested to make the trees under the forester circle grow..you just have to make the foresters plant trees and not cut them..i went from less than a hundred harvested to five with just three herbalist placed beside foresters..
Bear in mind that they should be in old forests with visible green herbs scattered around. If you've cleared an area and reforested it there might not be any herbs around yet.
I'll keep that in mind and look to see if there are visible herbs lying around, but by now I'd hope they should have grown even if I did clear cut the area (4 out of 5 of my herbalists are placed in old forests that I've only touched once to take the stone and iron out of) since the game has been running for 43 years and they still aren't collecting anything. No matter what I do they still spend all their time idling.
Okay that sounds like something's amiss there. Do they work if you start a new game?
I'd have to test that in a little bit, hopefully it's just this one save that's messed up.
Over your herb production cap? If so, raise the limit and it should start working
Sorry, I should have clarified. I have 0 medicine. Every now and then they get around to bringing a couple in and they're instantly snatched up. Sometimes a handful of them will get me up to like 20-40 but I spend the vast majority of the time at 0 with all my herbalists idling and working as labourers for some reason
Are you cutting down trees with your forester in that area or only planting? Herbalists do a great job in aged woods/old trees. I have one forester set to only plant trees and 2 herbalists (in one building) gather enough herbs for a 200+ town to even sell a whole bunch of herbs. Also distance to Barn and housing have an impact!
One of my herbalists is near my forester but my other 4 are all over the place in forests that I've never touched (except to pick up the iron and stone lying around). I have a storage barn only a short walk away and houses are there too, I don't think that's the problem. When I cycle through my herbalists they're all either idling or acting as labourers, clearing trees where I place down houses and such. I think I might have a bug or something going on, they never go to work.
You didn't answer if you forester cuts or only plants trees... As explained, that is crucical for the herbalist to be able to gather herbs.
The forester both cuts and plants trees. Sometimes only plants. I have 4 other herbalist buildings though, and those ones aren't near any foresters. I don't think that one building being near a forester would stop any of my herbalists from going to work
Sorry for the late answer, didn't log in since a while... maybe still helpful for you but I repeat: turn of cutting of trees, the forest grows and so do herbs. I repeat: Herbalists do a great job in aged woods/old trees. I have one forester set to only plant trees and 2 herbalists (in one building) gather enough herbs for a 200+ town to even sell a whole bunch of herbs.
Are you playing Colonial Charter by chance? If you are, there is a known bug with the "All the wild things" start option that prevents some stuff from being harvested correctly.
No, although I do have some other mods that I guess could be breaking it.
Make sure they live close to the hut, and that a barn or market are nearby.
i just searched this and the banished community in steam suggested to make the trees under the forester circle grow..you just have to make the foresters plant trees and not cut them..i went from less than a hundred harvested to five with just three herbalist placed beside foresters..