I don't have a moat around my new base but rely on kiting attacks away. There was a ground shake event when I was working on the fences. I began running around looking for the trolls. And looking.

No trolls ever appeared. I don't think I have that many workbenches, just enough to keep the fences repaired. Each one is inside its own kiosk to protect them from attackers and spaced as far apart as I can get them. The compound is huge and mobs spawn inside all the time. (These days, they get greeted by wolves. I'm taking down the interior fences.)

Hypothesis 1: I ran around so much that the spawning algorithm couldn't figure out where I was.

Hypothesis 2: idk. I don't think it was workbenches.

There are certain things that can prevent mobs from spawning within your base. Wards are a good one to use, and they can work for decorative purposes too, so you don't have to slap down workbenches all over the place. For more things you can use, I recommend this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C9fKFg6bmw

But keep in mind, these only stop mobs from spawning INSIDE the base. They DO NOT prevent raids, which is what sounds like was going on when the two trolls attacked.

I discovered the hard way that the protection zone provided by a workbench is a sphere (like the Trader's shield). However, the white lines showing the edge of the zone are incorrect at elevations above or below the workbench. One way to know for sure is to equip a hammer and see if the red workbench icon shows up in the bottom of your HUD. I've had some big gaps if I just look at the white lines.

"...was killed instantly"...lol. I can visualize the ragdoll after being crapped on by a troll because I've been crapped on by a couple of trolls after I ran out to lure them away from my build project. It happens to every one of us vikings at some point. That said, TangoBlue gets my vote for best response. You have to have a gap in your bench coverage somewhere. It's a pain in the azz, but look around and find it. I had a similar issue once before and just walked around with a hammer equipped until I found a spot where I couldn't build and found the gap that way. In fact, I found a couple of spots. Once patched up, I've never had another issue. If it was right outside your door, then the gap is prolly close by. I always build benches and stone cutters inside my stone walls all the way around so that nothing even spawns close to my wall or in the moat, and if damage is somehow done during the troll events, I can repair the wall without having to build any benches. Of course, it's also aesthetically pleasing to have them hidden, too. GLHF!
And God, please don't let them spawn in my living room!

I'm not really aesthetics-centered. I'll plant trees around them or something.

Originally posted by UncleAcidic:

Originally posted by 76561198047197409:

Ok, I went over the compound and plastered workbenches all over the place.
At best, this is really sloppy or lazy game design. Don't really think the Viking backstory would support workbench overlap as a method of subsistence farming.

I love this game but I have to agree with you. I could understand this happening in the black forest (it's the trolls home after all) but in the meadows this can happen? That just feels like a mistake.

Probably ground shake event.

Yes, 2 troll raid.

Maybe It's your dwelling design. I have two workbenches, one by the sea and another inside. The residence is a massive 3 story stone keep with a ditch lined with spikes circling it. Nothing ever spawns inside. If threats appear outside the perimeter I pick them off from the roof but they can't get in.

Originally posted by jjrobinson2:

My largest compound is in Meadow, surrounded by entrenchments and earthworks. I have wards (which seem to only warn of intruders), and overlapping workbench areas of effect.
In spite of that, 2 trolls (normally nuisances) spawned just outside the door, and proceeded to destroy the entire wing of my compound. I was preparing food, so hadn't eaten, and was killed instantly when I tried to stop them in spite of full wolf armor. My upgraded atgeir was slung, and once I was near the trolls, I was blocked from equipping it (not for the first time).

If there is no way to build a defensible base, there can be no operations past hunting and gathering. What's the point?

was this an event "the ground is shaking"? Or did 2 trolls just spawn there?

Somewhere, you missed a spot with your workbenches. That's why they spawned inside your base. Had that happen a couple of times. Usually it was Gray dwarfs spawning in, but once it was 3 Fulings and they killed me just as I was going to sleep.

Took me forever to spawn, get equipped and take them out. Musta died 3-4 times before I got lucky. Then I found a 1 meter area that wasn't covered by a workbench... ~(8(I) D'oh!

Next time that happens I'll spawn another of my fully armored characters and have him take care of the nuisances.

Ok, I went over the compound and plastered workbenches all over the place.
At best, this is really sloppy or lazy game design. Don't really think the Viking backstory would support workbench overlap as a method of subsistence farming.

Originally posted by jjrobinson2:

Don't really think the Viking backstory would support workbench overlap as a method of subsistence farming.

The workbench thingy is an "exploit", it's not an inteded game mechanic. It's a safety measure to avoid monsters spawning inside your buildings or something but since people know about it they "abuse" it to avoid excessive raids and such, but it's not related to the lore or the mechanics (as in it's not like monsters are a buncha freeloaders too scared of work and that's why they don't spawn anywhere near those nor it's an intended strategy that you litter the map with workbenches). My guess is that they'll finetune the way things spawn and how raids work over time but right now people just work around things like that.

Personally I just burrow them under a structure like watchtowers or mini-houses to make it feel more integrated within a village and not just an outdoors cyber-caffee full of desks.

I disagree, Trolls are workshy freeloaders. IIRC bonfires and campfires also do the trick.

Originally posted by 76561198047197409:

Ok, I went over the compound and plastered workbenches all over the place.
At best, this is really sloppy or lazy game design. Don't really think the Viking backstory would support workbench overlap as a method of subsistence farming.

I love this game but I have to agree with you. I could understand this happening in the black forest (it's the trolls home after all) but in the meadows this can happen? That just feels like a mistake.

yeah all games are going to have some level of bull-shirt once and a while