"Trying to get Mathig to look."
I looked at it the first time and mentioned it directly in my post. Aside from my comment concerning it, it is irrelevant.
Paraphrasing someone else, why hasn't someone simplified this massive debate so that new players can find the current status on the issue? I mean most of the threads are morons flaming someone for bothering to ask the question. Sure, the last time someone asked the question a flame war happened, but starting a flame war to prevent a flame war is hardly logical.
Ok, You have a point there. There isn't a faq about it, just countless topics that the newbies are usually instructed to read when this comes up. And please understand that this and "why not multithread" comes up a lot, and the answer is always the same, and after the umpteenth time it's a bit annoying, that's one of the reasons for the flamewar...this week this is the 3rd time someone wants to beat the dead horse. damn, we really need a faq.
and wine:
No, virtualization is not the answer, especially not because the number one reason for fortress abandonment is fps death. virtualizing, starving the game of resources will make that worse. And no, there is no 100% efficient solution, that's a myth.
And if I understand right what you propose it has been already accomplished, it's called dfhack. there are lot's of UI tweaks that come with it, practically any memory structure can be manipulated/overwritten/whatever...IF you have the skill and the patience to figure out how to do it.You can think of it as an unsupported/unofficial API that tend to get broken with every new release.
Virtualization does have one flaw, and you named it. However it illustrates precisely the fix we need. The fix is to replace Dwarf Fortress's menu system, and map system, with a new map and menu system. The new one having better GUI, obviously. If Stonesense works as described, that proves the map can be overhauled. It literally is a map overhaul, and apparently it relies on DFHack which is even better. All that remains is the menu interface, and guess what? Dwarf Fortress runs entirely off keyboard inputs. That is where virtualization comes in. Or, more specifically, virtual key strokes. If building a masons workshop requires the input command b-w-m then so long as you can send Dwarf Fortress a virtual b-w-m independent of the actual keyboard, you can program an interfacing software that allows players to access the menu in a more fluid, natural, clean setting.
This, is where WINE comes in. WINE IS NOT an EMULATOR. Wine converts inputs(well rather it converts outputs directed at the Operating System, but it demonstrates my point) from a windows system to a linux system, and consequentially doesn't use a massive amount of overhead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_(software) There is also the example of Botting and Macro software. These software types often convert single keystrokes into multiple keystrokes. For example, ISBoxer is a multi-boxing software that allows players to manage dozens of separate EvE programs simultaneously with the same effort as one program. The problem, is that I, personally, didn't develop WINE or ISBoxer, or any other virtual keyboard input software personally. So where-as I know it will work, I don't know what code is needed. Something like /send keystroke('b') dwarffortress.exe but the devil is in the syntax. It probably be best found by locating the developers of WINE etc. and asking them. Or I could open up WINE (which is open-source) and look around for it myself.
I guess I'm just hoping that I'm not the first person to think of this, and that someone is already way ahead of me and about to release the alpha version, so I don't have to do research. Or maybe that I might find enough support to have someone else solve it for me. Do I have any volunteers? Or am I not only the first person to think of this, but the first person to think of this who has any motivation to do it. -sigh- I'll add it on my list. Thanks all! Your motivational speeches really work... *grumble grumble*