So I dl'ed this game about a year ago, and loved it. I could tell it was unpolished, but it gave me hours of entertainment. I was drooling for the finished product.
The finished product Mr. Freeman, it will be a lifetime forwards... A journey we all get to stand by.
Eventually I suffered FPS death one too many times, and told myself I'd try it again in a year or so when naturally it would be completed. How wrong I was.
A LIFETIME MR. FREEMAN!
Why is this game taking so long to make?
Maybe Toady's adding more things like genetics, world generation that can replicate real world erosion and land formation, fluid mechanics and a highly advanced biological damage system... Oh wait never mind, those are all already in the game. Next one introduces psychology and the fear of death.
I feel bad for the creator, because while he moves at a snail's pace fixing everything in the game, everyone and their mother is reaping tons of money on shoddier but more "complete" clone products. I know nothing about coding, but it just seems like he's taking the most long-winded way of making a game you can possibly take.
The way that ensures he makes something great - that comes out of his labours and two people's designs.
While most of the updates seem obsessed with "tinkering".
*Adding brilliant features to a game, both in utility and actual gameplay.
1. FPS death. As I understand it, this was a result of the insane detailing of the code. All those calculations going on in the background are enjoyed by about five people. DF's fanbase and Toady himself.
Ftfy. No one likes FPS death, but that's an issue that will be addressed when nearly enough of Dwarf Fortress's features have been realized.
Stop catering to the engineering school kids, and streamline this for the rest of the planet.
*Streamline this for the lowest common denominators!
Your bank account will thank you.
Toady has turned down multiple digit offers for rights over DF.
2. The learning curve. It honestly feels like the creator doesn't want people to play his games
*Tutorial is one of those useless tinkering things to be added. The learning curve is the same with any other game - you become accustomed to it and learn how to play it. There is just more depth to DF than most other games to first grasp.
...And has devised the most incomprehensible interface to address a sadistic desire to keep people from playing his game.
Words are bad in an ASCII game?
Once again, streamline it. Five people will be horrified, the rest of the planet will rejoice.
...
Heh.
3. World creation versus gameplay. LOOK AT THIS AMAZING WORLD FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH FANTASY, ADVENTURE, AND DIVERSITY! Now play the game in .0001% of that land. Do not interact with the outside world, do not allow your dwarves to explore, do not have any interaction with the civilization your dwarves came from.
/Useless tinkering to be added.
I realize the "adventure" game allows you to explore the game world.
However only five people play the adventure game.
/Adventure mode sub forum
Most people play Dwarf Fortress to you know, have a Dwarf Fortress.
The original goal was to have Dwarf Fortresses, then have adventurers explore them.
I realize that this post sounds like trolling but I'm just very disappointed with the lack of progress in this game. There's about fifty clones of this game already, and while I've yet to see one that surpasses the original, eventually one of them will and leave this game in the dust, which is tragic because it has such promise.
[citation needed]