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Author Topic: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!  (Read 91867 times)

Xenos

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #165 on: July 02, 2012, 10:45:22 am »

Building designer skill will make buildings that needs architecture faster than somebody with no skill.

That's good to know.

I've just checked and my herbalist already had the Architect labor enabled (buy no Architect skill in his list of skills), but didn't start building the Trade Post, which was inactive due to a lack of an Architect. Strange.
She could be busy with other labors that are a higher priority than architecture.  Try giving the labor to a dwarf who spends a lot of time idling.  I just make all my haulers architects as well to always allow for building designing quickly.
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This is a useful feature..and this is DF.. so im gonna assume its bugged
That's what cages and minecart shotguns are for!  We don't need to control them.  We just need to aim them.
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Werdna

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #166 on: July 02, 2012, 10:56:51 am »

It's not about which one you like, it's that the aim here is to teach people how to play the game, which means vanilla. Once you know how to play, feel free to try other utilities, but there's a worrying number of people who don't seem to even know that you can change labors within the game.

So?  So what?

You're weighing a quite trivial drawback against an immense benefit.  Dwarf Therapist is phenomenal.  It is far more important to make people aware of a tool that makes this game more easily playable at the mid- to late-fortress stage, than it is to insist on 100% adherence to 'learning' every corner of the game.  I've played this game for god knows how long, and there are still parts of it that I feel clueless at - so what?  Its just a game.  Its just a game forum.  Let people be newbies and ask newbie questions.  If its such a hassle to answer the same questions over and over - let other people answer them!

Dwarf Therapist is probably the most significant contributing factor (second only to the game itself) to why I continue to play this game after all these years.  I'm willing to bet that's true for a significant chunk of this audience.  If a utility helps strengthen a game for its audience, and keeps them coming back to it instead of retiring the game to the digital dustbin like so many others, then that's something we should be praising and pushing like mad.  Utilities like this help retain DF players that might otherwise be turned off.
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parlor_tricks

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #167 on: July 02, 2012, 11:42:29 am »

It's not about which one you like, it's that the aim here is to teach people how to play the game, which means vanilla. Once you know how to play, feel free to try other utilities, but there's a worrying number of people who don't seem to even know that you can change labors within the game.

So?  So what?

You're weighing a quite trivial drawback against an immense benefit.  Dwarf Therapist is phenomenal.  It is far more important to make people aware of a tool that makes this game more easily playable at the mid- to late-fortress stage, than it is to insist on 100% adherence to 'learning' every corner of the game.  I've played this game for god knows how long, and there are still parts of it that I feel clueless at - so what?  Its just a game.  Its just a game forum.  Let people be newbies and ask newbie questions.  If its such a hassle to answer the same questions over and over - let other people answer them!

Dwarf Therapist is probably the most significant contributing factor (second only to the game itself) to why I continue to play this game after all these years.  I'm willing to bet that's true for a significant chunk of this audience.  If a utility helps strengthen a game for its audience, and keeps them coming back to it instead of retiring the game to the digital dustbin like so many others, then that's something we should be praising and pushing like mad.  Utilities like this help retain DF players that might otherwise be turned off.

Wimp. :D. Your beard has shrivelled!
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Lockyy

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #168 on: July 02, 2012, 12:06:09 pm »

Picked the book up today at a conference and it's really good, I quite like how for some sections he held off on information. Specifically the strange moods section where he held off on explaining exactly what things dwarves say mean. Only problem is secretive moods where you need an explanation glass and burning wood is not ever going to lead you to crystal glass. Plus the problem where for most moods all cloths say the same thing. These exceptions certainly needed a mention at least.

Anyway, the book is great and explains the complex sections like the military really well. I've thrown a review and suggestion up on my site, because anyone who wants to learn has to get this book.

The only downside I really find with it is that to get the e-book with the physical you've got to pay a small upgrade fee, for a book like this that is going to be out of date, potentially even with completely wrong information, it seems like an updating e-book should come free with the physical.
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Jake

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #169 on: July 02, 2012, 12:37:15 pm »

Useful as Therapist undoubtedly is for a lot of people, it's an unofficial third-party tool that stops working for weeks after every major update, and can't be used at all on certain Linux distros -including Ubuntu- without a moderately complicated workaround. Everyone's going to have to manage without it at some point, and this guidebook is as close as we're likely to get to an actual manual this side of DF v1.0.
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Never used Dwarf Therapist, mods or tilesets in all the years I've been playing.
I think Toady's confusing interface better simulates the experience of a bunch of disorganised drunken dwarves running a fort.

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Werdna

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #170 on: July 02, 2012, 02:00:08 pm »

Useful as Therapist undoubtedly is for a lot of people, it's an unofficial third-party tool that stops working for weeks after every major update, and can't be used at all on certain Linux distros -including Ubuntu- without a moderately complicated workaround. Everyone's going to have to manage without it at some point...

Yes, but you can say something very similar about this very book - it too is 3rd party, incomplete, broken after every update, missing references to this or that.  There are undeniably drawbacks to this 3rd party book or to any 3rd party tool.  That doesn't outweigh their net benefit.  Pointing out their drawbacks is fine*, but there is no reason to be telling people they're doing a disservice by mentioning or relying on them. 

@parlor_tricks:  Has my beard shriveled a bit? I was wondering why my toes were starting to get a little cold...  ;)

* in fact, endless relentless criticism is likely what fuels the modern internet
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Alehkhs

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #171 on: July 03, 2012, 03:55:52 am »

TinyPirate, have any revisions been done yet to the print version? Or is it still "First Edition" ?
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vehka

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #172 on: July 03, 2012, 04:28:37 am »

Useful as Therapist undoubtedly is for a lot of people, it's an unofficial third-party tool that stops working for weeks after every major update, and can't be used at all on certain Linux distros -including Ubuntu- without a moderately complicated workaround.

What's this? I've used Therapist with the latest three (I think) Ubuntu versions without any problems.

Back on topic. I've leafed through the book, and read several chapters carefully. It's simply great, and I'm sure it will make DF more accessible to many people! Well done TinyPirate, and thank you!
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TinyPirate

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #173 on: July 03, 2012, 06:03:50 am »

Is there an option for e+paperback from https://www.bookdepository.co.uk ?

The link in your post looks like it's only the paperback.

I don'ttttt think so? You'd have to check their site carefully (or email them) to confirm. Sorry, I can't keep up with all of the etailers!
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TinyPirate

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #174 on: July 03, 2012, 06:04:57 am »

TinyPirate, have any revisions been done yet to the print version? Or is it still "First Edition" ?

Still first edition. I'm going to start working on the new version, well, tonight! I have some fixes and some tweaks and some small additions to make.
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Jake

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #175 on: July 03, 2012, 06:16:25 am »

What's this? I've used Therapist with the latest three (I think) Ubuntu versions without any problems.
I don't remember the exact details, but apparently the way Therapist works makes it look like malicious code of some kind, so Ubuntu would refuse to let it run. I think the solution involved either logging in as root or doing something complicated in the command-line before every time you started Therapist. It may have been fixed since, but I wouldn't know.
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Never used Dwarf Therapist, mods or tilesets in all the years I've been playing.
I think Toady's confusing interface better simulates the experience of a bunch of disorganised drunken dwarves running a fort.

Black Powder Firearms - Superior firepower, realistic manufacturing and rocket launchers!

krenshala

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #176 on: July 03, 2012, 08:21:14 am »

Sorry about this, but yet another question about the book/getting started. (PDF version)

p31, it says "The herbalist dwarf has the Architecture labor enabled, and the Trade Depot is one of a few constructions that requires an architect..."

Alas, it seems that I may have messed up because my herbalist doesn't seem to have this skill. He is supposed to have "Building Designer" from p20, but it looks like I didn't give that skill to anyone and instead gave the "Mechanic's" other skills to two Dwarves. Am I totally hosed here?

Thanks!

Yeah, I checked this out since the trading post was never being made. It need the architect skill, which was not given to no one, since I was following the book and it didn't say to add the architect skill. Now I guess I'm stuck.
Nope, not stuck.  Just pick the appropriate dwarf and add the skill as needed.  u select the dwarf, p-l to specify his labors, and architecture is part of the bottom category.

And the part of the book discussing skills for your dwarves, during the "Prepare Cafefully" section, is where it specifies to add it initially.

Thanks for the instructions, as this comes later in the book, I've checked now.

And no, the book didn't specify to get the architect skill, I've just double checked.

So, if there's something that I want to do but I have no dwarf with the specific skill, I just have to enable it through this way, right?

BTW, a dwarf with "Building Designer" skill will be a better "Architect" or is it irrelevant? I've just ordered my Miner/Mason to do Architect labors, instead of my Herbalist, which has the "Building Designer" skill.
Yes, it does list it in the book - Table 2-8, pg 20 (of the print version). Dwarf #6 lists Building Designer, which is the name for someone with the Architecture skill.
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Over

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #177 on: July 03, 2012, 12:13:33 pm »

Sorry about this, but yet another question about the book/getting started. (PDF version)

p31, it says "The herbalist dwarf has the Architecture labor enabled, and the Trade Depot is one of a few constructions that requires an architect..."

Alas, it seems that I may have messed up because my herbalist doesn't seem to have this skill. He is supposed to have "Building Designer" from p20, but it looks like I didn't give that skill to anyone and instead gave the "Mechanic's" other skills to two Dwarves. Am I totally hosed here?

Thanks!

Yeah, I checked this out since the trading post was never being made. It need the architect skill, which was not given to no one, since I was following the book and it didn't say to add the architect skill. Now I guess I'm stuck.
Nope, not stuck.  Just pick the appropriate dwarf and add the skill as needed.  u select the dwarf, p-l to specify his labors, and architecture is part of the bottom category.

And the part of the book discussing skills for your dwarves, during the "Prepare Cafefully" section, is where it specifies to add it initially.

Thanks for the instructions, as this comes later in the book, I've checked now.

And no, the book didn't specify to get the architect skill, I've just double checked.

So, if there's something that I want to do but I have no dwarf with the specific skill, I just have to enable it through this way, right?

BTW, a dwarf with "Building Designer" skill will be a better "Architect" or is it irrelevant? I've just ordered my Miner/Mason to do Architect labors, instead of my Herbalist, which has the "Building Designer" skill.
Yes, it does list it in the book - Table 2-8, pg 20 (of the print version). Dwarf #6 lists Building Designer, which is the name for someone with the Architecture skill.

That's what I said previously. There was a Builder Designer, but he didn't build the Trading Depot, which displayed being inactive and needing an architect.
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Triaxx2

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #178 on: July 03, 2012, 03:56:46 pm »

If you need something done for sure, turn everything else off.
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Xenos

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Re: "Getting Started with Dwarf Fortress" - it's out!
« Reply #179 on: July 03, 2012, 03:57:33 pm »

If you need something done for sure, turn everything else off.
Or enable the labor for everyone.
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This is a useful feature..and this is DF.. so im gonna assume its bugged
That's what cages and minecart shotguns are for!  We don't need to control them.  We just need to aim them.
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