Here is a fairly simple two-story gatehouse. Hearthlings happily build the first floor and then stop, never touching a block of the second floor.
gatehouse.zip (7.2 KB)
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I also came across a few designs, which my hearthlings wouldnât even look at (let alone start building them)⌠BUT I think I found a pattern⌠So I started designing a few very simple houses, testing my theories, and I ended up with these 4 designs that donât work:
Download a Zip archive containing all 4 at http://www.imagenetz.de/fcd98c019/not-working-buildings.zip.html
Now my theory is the following: For some reason, the hearthlings wonât accept a building blueprint if it matches these constraints:
- The design includes slabs
- The slabs touch the ground level
- The slabs are stacked on top of each other*
As you can see in the screenshot, the two-story-buildings were supposed to have outdoor stairs (same result BTW with indoor, slab-based stairs), the other two huts just have small slab-blocks to satisfy above conditions, and none of the houses will be built (all 4 are set to build, you can clearly see the huge storage of wood and people just standing around, protesting against my design skills).
Hopefully this can be resolved soon? Iâd love to include actual stairs in my templates again⌠
*) Edit: Iâm not entirely sure if they need to actually touch each other, as I just remembered having the same problem with âthinâ stairs (touching in a 8-neighborhood, but not in a 4-neighborhood), but just building a âdeckâ with a single layer of slabs on the ground wonât pose a problem, itâs the second layer that ruins everything.
Edit 2: Forgot to mention: this is on the latest Steam unstable dev-2807, x64
6 Likes
Actually stairs with slabs isnât really the problem. As that done separately will work if it is full from the ground up. As in no gaps or holes. In my experience.
However it is when it is combined with a building that it does not want to work. I guess it gets in the way of scaffolding.
Work around would be building a foundation first with slabs. Not sure if works with ascendancy, but know this method works with RC. Having a slab foundation up to height of the floor of house. Then do walls the way you want them, cutting away 1 block height if you want something like a stoop or porch. After walls are up then putting back the slabs you deleted.
Then again you could do that from the get go keeping in mine to do actual house floor first. Make the stoop or stairs after the walls are set on that. This works for 1 story buildings for the most part. Not good for 2 story, although semi-possible.
Right now though the small house with the full 3 step stairs next to it can be done as separate things and work; usually. Kind of same for the balcony stairs. Well work around way, if not foundation is desired. Oddly enough they will make balcony but not the stairs part with the building. But separate they 50-50 will do depending on the complexity.
Just wanted to point out the work around if you were not aware of it. Thick stairs works best, as in from ground to stair all filled in. At least separately they do, or with some kind of foundation. Managed to make a few stoop blueprints and a couple stairs that are thick that way; however in RC style with clay.
So #2 is pretty much a good look, when it is combine all in one building; and not parted out to a degree depending on what it is.
#3 is simply false do to what I mentioned with the stairs I make separate from the building anyway, for the exception of the ones I have done with foundation; yes some failed due to arches⌠#2 probably being the reason.
#1 is half true, as some work.
I suggest avoiding certain arches especially the ones that are like #2 related. Floating stuff seems to not work quite a bit of the time at the moment.
I apologize for the lengthy reply, as I just wanted to hopefully have some tips to point out to add to yours. You have some good ones in mind at least. And I agree this staircase thing should be possible, even if floating⌠So I guess we will see what happens no? 
Mod edit: corrected the strange post headersâŚ
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Yes, I partly agree. I didnât point this out clearly in my post, but of course, I was talking about slabs in combination with houses. Slabs alone work perfectly fine. To add a few more details: I only worked with all wooden houses, no stone nor clay elements, so I simply cannot say if or how that affects this problem. And yes, I was talking about putting everything together in the same blueprint. Building things after another is still no problem. As for the scaffolding, this was also my assumption, but putting slab blocks simply on the side of walls, but clear from the ground, does not seem to affect building the house. Hearthlings wonât be able to take down the scaffolding on that wall on their own, and need a manual ladder added to the slab-block, to take down the scaffolding from there, but at least they will build it. 
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Here are 3(4) Templates, with the âLadder galore!â Problem.
jomaxro told me to post it here.
I build the Tower 2 times, the Wall 5 times, and the Gate one time
every time with the Ladder problem, but not at the same position. I think, the way the Worker build the building create the problem here.
EDIT: at the Wall: all ladders stuck at the 2 blocks left and right from the white âcolumeâ
1 Wall is build âperfektâ, while put the template in the World, i build a stairway at my small tower (left side) and this 2 stick together. But all in all, the Stairway got the Problem ^^
Wall 3 times:
Pictures to each Template are in the zip file
Spiro-Ladder-Problem-Templates.zip (984.9 KB)
EDIT 2: Found a new nice Picture, in the walls down mode:
@Rafflo & Tamorr: i dont think that slaps are a problem, i build with it fine, yes i got problem too, but im not sure how it works, becouse there are combinations that works, and other notâŚ
This is a Building with stands on 4 Slap podests, and i could build it. Only problem, there are ladders, which dont get removed after finishing, but i think the mistakes here could be, that the pathfinder-algorithm dont find a wayâŚ
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Well I didnât say slabs specifically, but is what I used for my overhangs. What I am noticing is certain overhangs donât work.
I was mentioning foundation is a way to help with certain instances, like stairs. Figured out it doesnât matter which type of material used, as they are pretty much the same functionality across the board. Only roofs matter for positioning buildings a certain distance apart.
RC has a closer fit for buildings, due to the simple flat roofs that donât overhang much.
And that last pic you showed is what I mean about foundation, but to less of a degree⌠less being partial foundation. Foundations I usually build are full cover.
So slabs are technically not the problem is is where the attachment points are to ground and how high up they are for the most part. I mainly have troubles with archways under stairs and awning with a porch underneath.
More reason I do in parts for certain things when possible. Makes easier for hearthlings to figure out. 
1 Like
This Building wont get built by my hearthlings, they will either build it for a few seconds or when I hit the build button the actually tear things down, its like every other time im back on square one.fancy tavern.zip (4.2 KB)
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Fancy RC buildingsâŚ
Well I am beginning to think they donât like wrap around stairs, even if fully grounded. Well that and this was built up against a mountain. Usually donât have a problem with that latter bit due to foundation being used. Might be due to high walls and the fact the stairs are on 2 sides of the building that is 2 stories tall.
clay inn 2-story o stairs f.zip (5.7 KB)
Here is the file of this lovely building. 
EDIT: A14 (2807)
7 Likes
For Kate Umbro, who died valiantly, defending our great Fortress from the evil goblins.
So as you can see, the statue for kate umbro, is difficult to build. I had to try at least 10 times, before I gave up and 'IBâd it.
a12_kate_statue.zip (3.2 KB)
Also the wooden blocks under the top of the wallâs canât be build in one piece. I had to build the tower with just the wooden block and then as a separate building add the âCrenelationsâ (Which I think is a fancy word for tower top wall)
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This is my template. I saw that a lot of people had trouble with slabs under 2nd floor, slabs across floors, and free standing walls indoors. This is a report of an outdoor free-standing wall, thatâs underneath the 2nd floor. Hope it helps.
freestandingwallbugged.zip (2.4 KB)
Debugging pattern:
Original building:
Thanks
4 Likes
sleeping quarters for many.zip (6.7 KB)
The left window never got placed, And the roof never built, even when placed a ladder to prevent the problem of not having access
1 Like
Here 2 new one
Probleme here should be that a slab wall is touching a real wall
Tree_buildings.zip (10.8 KB)
and a third one:
lagerhaus.zip (10.7 KB)
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I tryed to build a âclay dining roomâ from the ingame templates. The building is not finishing and the furnutre is not placed (chair / table). Here the templates works for me in other games, but not here.
I had troubles with this save game before, see in this thread Workers switches task very often
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In other news, @ moderators is a thing!
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its been a thing for quite awhile now 
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I figured, I just had no idea.
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Wow nearly 100 replies.
I feel a little bit proud that one of my threads is actually worth something
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Here is my contribute to the topic, namely my hearthlings donât want to build a house from a clay, despite having the resources. They only dig a hole, and then stand idle.
Here is the screen:
And a save:
1454615102389.zip (8.8 MB)
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You donât have the resources, I just checked your save.
What you have is clay, but what you need is clay BRICKs
Go to your potter, and order some, you will see the result.
3 Likes