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[Lancezh]

I like the idea of pointing to the wiki and the "if you are new read this" hint.

Yeah i agree on the part of an easy map (didnt mean necessarly a tutorial map, just bypassing the embark screen), but the idea with it being used as a tutorial map from the community is actually a great idea. I'd even rerecord my tutorials as needed if that would be the case.

[franti]

"Ok i'm an idiot, and everyone else who did the same as well. Or you step out of your comfort zone and admit that this is a problem about accessability."

My "comfort zone"? Am I supposed to be self concious about figuring out how to play the damn game?

I think the 'idiot' bit is more reasonable.

[Rowanas]

Are we still arguing sbout this?

[frodo0800]

thithis thread should be moved to the suggestion page,but i support the idea

[Lancezh]

"Ok i'm an idiot, and everyone else who did the same as well. Or you step out of your comfort zone and admit that this is a problem about accessability."

My "comfort zone"? Am I supposed to be self concious about figuring out how to play the damn game?

I think the 'idiot' bit is more reasonable.

Your comfort zone is calling everyone an idiot who doesnt figure out what you figured out, without the need to acknoweldge that there are people who are not coming from the same background.

[dr_random]

Suggestion: Explain the difference between SDL and Legacy version. I still don't have a clue what that is.

Even Better: Eliminate the choice. Instead give that on a toubleshooting section and make a "Quickstart Link" with the Lazy Newb Pack. I just downloaded that because I thought: "Well, that might be a version that is expected to run." Don't know what version it uses - unfortunately it seems to be the one without the sounds - only music...

[puppy daub]

I agree with many things Lancezh says here.  Removing hurdles that impede people from picking up the game would be a benefit.  If that just means a little blurb on the download page pointing people to helpful utilities lots of people enjoy, I'm all for it.  If you make someone search the forums just to get started, you're starting off on the wrong foot if you are looking to expand your audience.  I would love to see more people enjoying DF and donating to Toady.  I had a false start with DF my first go of it.  I think if there was a lazynewb pack back then I might have had a better chance sticking with it instead of not being motivated to learn it.  What allowed me entrance to the game was Capn Duck's tutorial videos, tilesets, and utilities.  If links to things like that are on the download page, I think the chances of someone sticking it out to learn DF goes up.  With DF there's a given expectation there's going to be a steep learning curve.  That doesn't mean there also needs to be a learning curve to the learning curve.

[cameron]

SDL version uses SDL for rendering where-as legacy uses whatever older method toady used, afaik just direct calls to openGL with a bunch of windows boilerplate.

There is no version of DF with sound effects other than music, there is however a community add on which reads the announcements and tries to play fitting sound effects for them.

I would rate DF at about the same difficulty to learn as most complex simulators or most fully featured 3d modeling programs so certainly not impossible but still harder than it needs to be. Somthing easy to make that might help would be some sort of keyboard legend
like this one for blender

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

you could even have a little explanation at the bottom of the contexts you would use each particular key in (like when to use up down vs +-)

[Mohreb el Yasim]

SDL version uses SDL for rendering where-as legacy uses whatever older method toady used, afaik just direct calls to openGL with a bunch of windows boilerplate.

There is no version of DF with sound effects other than music, there is however a community add on which reads the announcements and tries to play fitting sound effects for them.

I would rate DF at about the same difficulty to learn as most complex simulators or most fully featured 3d modeling programs so certainly not impossible but still harder than it needs to be. Somthing easy to make that might help would be some sort of keyboard legend
like this one for blender

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

you could even have a little explanation at the bottom of the contexts you would use each particular key in (like when to use up down vs +-)

Well keyboard depends on who to define it in the options ... so i don't see how can you legend it ... i was never been able to use the original one and need to re-do it each times 'cause it is really not user friendly for non-english keyboards ... (mine is a "azerty" type keyborde so directions aren't good whoever i keep other keys)

[Ghills]

Suggestion: Explain the difference between SDL and Legacy version. I still don't have a clue what that is.

Even Better: Eliminate the choice. Instead give that on a toubleshooting section and make a "Quickstart Link" with the Lazy Newb Pack. I just downloaded that because I thought: "Well, that might be a version that is expected to run." Don't know what version it uses - unfortunately it seems to be the one without the sounds - only music...

Try going to the init file. The init file is located at YourDwarfFortressFolder\data\init\init.text  Change the line [SOUND:NO] to [SOUND:YES]. That line is very near the top of the page, so it's easy to spot once you know where it is.

If you want even more sounds, use SoundSense. It comes with the LNP. I'm not going to give instructions on how to get it running here, but if you go to http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=60287.0 there's a lot of help.

[Aeon Blue]

I've been playing for months, have read the wiki and this board regularly and just now found out about SoundSense because of this thread. I am very excited.