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[mikekchar]

If you use bins for thread, cloth and gems you *will* eventually run into some of the many bugs associated with bins.  Don't complain to me when "I have plenty of materials but the dwarfs refuse to use them in the workshop!".  <--- These ones are specifically notorious...

Bins are generally useful for goods that you are storing that are "finished".  In other words, they will never go to a workshop.  However, do not use bins for things that your dwarfs need to use regularly because you will get contention on the bin and problems will result.  *Never* use bins for ammo because there are bugs transferring from containers to other containers and eventually you will get into a situation where the dwarfs will refuse to fill your quivers -- a bad place to be.  Don't use bins for construction blocks unless you have enough bins filled for all the dwarfs doing construction.

You can sometimes use bins and barrels to contain goods for the input for a workshop, but it's generally only when you need that specific good for that specific workshop and you *never* need that good in any other workshop.   Never use containers for the food for kitchens unless you want roasts all made of the same thing.

There are lots of little caveats, but if you want it to "just work", then skip the containers altogether.  Personally I don't like QSP and a don't see the need for it unless you aren't disposing of things with an atom smasher, etc (though stone disposal is a gigantic PITA).  However, I'm not aware of any serious bugs related to QSP and if I had a choice between containers and QSP, I'd definitely choose the latter.

[feelotraveller]

I fully approve of the previous post.    But I likes my QSP's.

The only thing with (minecart) QSP's is to avoid using stockpiles with containers (no bins or barrels) as these set up endless loops, being 'owned' by the feeder stockpile.  Basically this rules out booze, and food - unless you are willing to put up with the increased vermin from containerless food - and anything you will want to sell that is binned (or you put up with the increased hauling to the depot).

Very occasionally I also have a problem where wheelbarrows (only noted with carting stone/ore/clay boulders...) can get stuck in a loop when for some reason instead of removing the stone boulder from the wheelbarrow they get placed together into the minecart as a unit.  Then of course the wheelbarrow (including 'stuck' boulder) gets returned to the feeder stockpile, repeat...  Dumping the boulder is a solution once the loop is noticed.

(While QSP's are handy it should be kept in mind that it multiplies the number of jobs created as items not only need to be hauled to the stockpile but also loaded into the minecart - albeit the latter is a very quick job, once the dwarf has walked over there.)

[Sarmatian123]

I think this failed dumping of items from wheelbarrow is reported in bugs section for last decade. The idea for solution was to make Dwarves empty wheelbarrows from _ALL_ items upon its arrival to assigned stockpile. Not matter if brought or wheeled to. However, I was under impression this stone stuck in wheelbarrow bug was solved by Toady at begging of this year. Could this be on the part, when wheelbarrow is wheeled to stockpile only? Not when brought? I still am finding stones stuck in wheelbarrows too and only dumping of contents helps.

[feelotraveller]

Yes, it is also my suspicion that the problem is triggered when a loaded wheelbarrow is carried rather than pushed to the stockpile.  This can occur when a hauling job is interrupted on the return trip.  In my experience this frequently happens when a harvesting job takes precedence, but can be a consequence of any interruption in the return phase such as a scared dwarf.  My personal workaround here has been to only allow farmers to harvest, and to turn off stone and wood hauling for farmers - those being the things I use wheelbarrows to carry (well apart from some micro-managed carrying of minecarts...).  That has markedly reduced the frequency of the problem for me but may not suit all players.

I have not had any problem with stuck boulders outside of QSP's for a fair while now, so that problem may well have been solved.  (To be fair to ToadyOne I believe that QSP's are an 'exploit' in the classic sense of being an unintended possibility of game mechanics.)  Boulders do remain in wheelbarrows until either the boulder or the wheelbarrow is needed for (another) task, just so as we don't get confused.

[Sarmatian123]

My issues usually result from bringing trading goods to Depot or rising alarm for Dwarves to hide in burrow during siege. Else farmers are rather tender with those wheelbarrows.

(To be fair to ToadyOne I believe that QSP's are an 'exploit' in the classic sense of being an unintended possibility of game mechanics.)

Oh, so you are also from the choir preaching QSP are an "exploit" because having 100 stone boulders on 1m2 is unrealistic? So, you imagine storage there you put one tiny sock in area of 1m2 and then second tiny sock in another 1m2 area is to contrary very realistic and indeed what people always should do... With stinking socks maybe yeah, but new ones? Come on. Oh well, I do not share this believe, though stone and wood QS could use some limitations, because how high this stockpile really is. 2m? 5m? Well, it hurts when you fall 1 level, so not 1m for sure.

[feelotraveller]

Sounds like you are try to start a war!     But you picked the wrong target.

I likes my QSP's, as I said above.     I use them liberally in my forts.

Unfortunately you have bought into the view that all 'exploits' are 'cheats' and somehow rort the game, while in fact the song I was singing comes from a different gospel!  I do suspect quantum stockpiles were unforseen from a game design perspective but they use only normal game mechanics/commands - no hacking or modding or other shenanigans - and are far from the only player invented entities.  In fact Toady has previously been pretty gracious with the like, sometimes incorporating them into the game more properly, or at least refraining from squashing them as bugs and 'cheats' as some developers are wont to do, that latter is also known as 'We will decide how you play our game' and effectively stifles a lot of player initiative/innovation.

(More generally, you've got me very wrong because I don't believe that cheating is even possible in single player games. 
There may be cheating with regard to that modern aberration that is 'achievements' - "look mum I got a gold star" - or scoreboards and the like, but then we a not dealing with a single player game but with a community-based meta-game.  )

Size and dimensions in DF have been the topic of many an interesting thread but easiest answer is that dwarfen physics are not those of the non-game world.

[Sarmatian123]

War? Nah rubbish! I just put my own belief out there too, besides yours, so you won't feel so lonely & depressed in doing so, like many Dwarves in DF recently do thanks the unbalanced psycho system. However thanks for making it more precise. I see you play DF like I do, though I do QS exclusively, except those with barrels. However Toady still is not forth coming with custom saving and loading. Those still need to be done with file browser. Custom saves could help trace some bugs, like the one with dumping goblins into pit.