Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[syphontwo]

Yes... that's right...

The story is a long one, if you want to read how the whole thing came about, just look up syphontwo on the dwarf fortress reddit.  I'll give the abbreviated story here.

Someone posted the instructions for making a linux machine boot into DF with no GUI.  I instantly thought, why would you do that?  Then I thought what if you had a computer just for dwarf fortress?  The thoughts continued until - Urist McSyphontwo is taken by a fey mood!
Now, before I go insane, I must make a console for the sole purpose of playing dwarf fortress.

Introductions now behind us, this is the current state of the project.  I have a programmer helping me with the software while I develop the setup for the machine.  The machine will essentially just be a linux computer with all the necessary components to run a very nicely sized fortress (I don't want a cheap novelty, I want a viable alternative to playing DF on a computer).  We have started deciding on hardware and features.  Here's a short list to keep me from rambling to much:

1 - no GUI other than LNP (and associated tools) and Dwarf Fortress
2 - online updates.  (system automatically disables the LAN port when not updating for security)
3 - custom casing, featuring the likeness of Armok.
4 - mod capability (given linux knowledge through the terminal)

Once the project is complete, the software and instructions for making it will be online and free.  As far as ordering one, my intent is to offer to build one, with the custom case and everything, for only materials cost + optional donation.  There are still a few things to get underway before prototyping can begin though.

I am a design engineer with 6 years experience, and I'm starting my own business based around making models for everyday people for whatever end they desire.  This is my pilot project, and I don't assume the business will be profitable as I intend EVERYTHING I design to be open source, and free to the public (unless the commissioner requests otherwise).  As this is just starting up, I do not have all the appropriate tools already at my disposal.  I was already going to buy them, but this project hit sooner than intended, so I'm a bit short of what is needed to do this straight away.  I am not asking for money yet, and we are developing the software regardless, but felt this information was important to include.

The final cost of the components will likely be either ~$200 or ~$300 depending on what you all would prefer.  For ~$300 you can get a sleeker, slightly more powerful machine, and for ~$200 it would be a bulkier, still capable but not as nice machine.

Let me know what you all think of the project and what price range you would prefer.  Also let me know how you would want to see the donations for getting the project off the ground handled, be it kickstarter, crowdfund, patreon, or just blind donations to my paypal account (please don't do that last one, I like being transparent and that makes it hard).  The minimum we will need to do anything is about $600 for prototype parts, and if you all really hate this idea I'll just buy the stuff myself, but no official console will ever be created (and I'll go insane because of it).

OH and I almost forgot.  This project is Toady approved.

[Max™]

I assume you mean something besides just booting a cli into the ncurses text mode, of course (I'd take a screenshot but I don't know how sadly) and what would you do about the dfhack terminal?

[syphontwo]

I will do my best to describe how this functions but...

HUGE DISCLAIMER

I'm not an IT guy.  I'm a product designer, and the lead of the team.  Urist McProgrammer is in charge of all the software techy stuff, so I'll ask him to correct my stupidity in what I'm about to say.

The idea is to, on boot, load LNP into a................   I'll just wait for Urist McProgrammer to respond with the answer and I'll get back...

A short answer, but I hope this clarifies things a bit for you "we'll have a X session for tool like LNP and Therapist. The dfhack terminal will be in another TTY" - urist mcprogrammer

On a side note, I'm glad I didn't give my half understanding answer.  It was close, but probably just wrong enough to leave everyone wondering wtf I'm saying.

[Max™]

Hmmm, so you'd switch tty to dfhack, guess that could work, put in an easier shortcut for that than the ctrl+alt+f-key though.

[syphontwo]

suggestion passed along!

[Max™]

Also add in an option if you have an extra monitor to put the dfhack terminal over there... I'm not sure how I'd go about setting up a different tty per monitor though I'm sure it could be done but might not be needed as most X versions these days can handle multi-monitors readily.

[tsuki66]

I think this is a great idea and it might even make friends and family more enclined to watch you play Dwarf Fortress and maybe even try it themselves! However, as versions of Dwarf Fortress rise and new processors are invented, it would render the machine obsolete pretty fast and you might just end up playing on your PC anyway... Still, I like the novelty of the idea, and as a pilot project it would make a very interesting challenge. I hope you succeed in your endeavors, and I hope I win the lottery so I can afford to buy one of your custom machines one day! Sorry I'm such a party pooper

[Lightman]

I play DF on a dedicated Linux machine (a VM, actually).  However, I don't think you should switch off the network.  Or, at least, that should be something that you leave easy to configure.

I play over SSH (via a modified version of PuTTY) and I have a custom script and executable that locks the DF account to the game using Screen.  That way I can always resume the game, wherever I am, as long as I have Internet access.  It's also nice because it makes it easy to share the game with others.  I have a guest account that can only view the game.

[tonnot98]

So this means that it won't lag as bad with pathing issues as it does normally?

[NAV]

I don't have much to say on the technical side of things, but you better cover it with menacing spikes and engravings.

[tonnot98]

I don't have much to say on the technical side of things, but you better cover it with menacing spikes and engravings.

This, if it has menacing spikes expect a steep increase in sales.

[eccentric]

What Linux distro will this be based on?

How are the limitations of playing ncurses going to be addressed? (shift+movement, ctrl and alt keys not working properly, lack of mouse support, ect..)

Get away from X, building an ncurses version of the LNP GUI interface and use the in game dwarf 'manipulator' plugin.

No AA fonts please, also I have an easy way to convert tilesets to fonts (played in the terminal for awhile)

Wait a few months for the mobile Xeon E3 SoC industrial/server boards to start showing up. Sure they'll cost $250-300 but they have large cache, support DDR4 (up to 64GB in a mini itx form) are thermally designed to run non-stop which would suit df. I'm an old AMD fan but Intel offerings are better.

Linux is happy to boot off cheap USB drives, once it's booted you can run from ram (I play df from a 'ram drive' on my laptop) You can also use a laptop power supply and adapter instead of the big bulk PSU which could open up the case styling options.

This would be more like $400 option but it's end of life could be spent as a nice little server.

Open source and community built projects can be make money (SparkFun comes to mind)

If you don't follow though, I will steal your idea(s) use your implied public license and make them myself. I'm a Sr Industrial Designer of 12+ years and have been thinking of projects. I already have a design in mind and a few more fun ideas.

[syphontwo]

Wow, I stepped away for a few days ause of work and got a lot to respond too, lol.  I only have about 15 spare minutes today, so I'll spend it trying to be as thorough as I can here.

I think this is a great idea and it might even make friends and family more enclined to watch you play Dwarf Fortress and maybe even try it themselves!

This is EXACTLY the idea.  I'm really hoping that the small novelty bought by the machine, combined with its ability to handle the game in a serious and non-novel manner will help bring more people to DF.  On another side note, I am also trying to make this a cost effective option for those serious fans who are short on funds to be able to enjoy more than a micro embark (though I know those have there own merits, it's nice to have options)

I don't think you should switch off the network.

This has been addressed in our last meeting.  We are actually adding a self updater (manually started) which turns on the wifi during the update and turns it off afterward.  This way updating is super easy (on our side) and security is kept.  You will be able to easily re-enable or otherwise mess with the system as well since we are not turning off the terminal (accessible via standard hotkeys)

I play over SSH (via a modified version of PuTTY) and I have a custom script and executable that locks the DF account to the game using Screen.  That way I can always resume the game, wherever I am, as long as I have Internet access.

Personally, I want to do this to my own console once I get it up and running, but still limit its access to the internet.  Just so I can play anywhere in the house.  I love novel things like being able to do that.

So this means that it won't lag as bad with pathing issues as it does normally?

All this system will do is optimize the system environment for DF.  Whether or not it will actually run better than your personal computer is purely dependent on your personal computers environment.  For me, it won't run any better.  I tend to go to decently great lengths to optimize my PCs performance for DF when I seriously sit down to play.

I don't have much to say on the technical side of things, but you better cover it with menacing spikes and engravings.

It will have menacing spikes, and an engraving of Armok.  I plan to use his eyes and mouth as the path for heat to escape from the top.  Considering also gluing on a beard if it doesn't look to cheesy.

What linux distro will this be based on? (and all other highly techy questions)

I will need to get back in touch with Urist McProgrammer on his progress.  We've mostly been discussing the features needed, and his status on implementing them.  We are close to the prototype stage 1 (hardware only), and oddly, I haven't asked him about which distro he is using yet, lol.

Wait a few months for the mobile Xeon E3 SoC industrial/server boards to start showing up

This is really related to longevity more than functionality.  If the system is built well enough, with the increase I've seen in needed computing power, it will remain a relatively good system for over a year.  That said, this would increase it's longevity, but also the price.  I'm still working to find that sweet spot, but I also believe that there will likely be more options to the DF console, and if it's popular, future versions once the hardware gets to dated.

Linux is happy to boot off cheap USB drives, once it's booted you can run from ram

The original idea was to do exactly this.  People would update their system by just updating their portable USB stick and everything would be easy.  But that doesn't really feel much like a console
In reality, the reason we are not opting to do this is that hard drive access has a generally minimal impact on the gaming experience, and it is WAY cheaper to buy a decent little SSD than lots and lots of RAM for those big, long historically significant worlds.

This would be more like $400 option but it's end of life could be spent as a nice little server.

The current idea will have an end of life as a nostalgic mantelpiece.  In all honesty though, the system could become a little backup PC, since everything is just standard computer components, and the parts are by no means -low- end right now, even when it's no longer a DF powerhouse, it can still be great for other small things.


Anyway, sorry to rush the last few answers, wife is calling GTG!  I'll be back to answer more before long.

[eccentric]

Between your comment about using usb not feeling much like a console and the Reddit talking about a 3d printer.

I'm now thinking you are making a pc fit in a keyboard like this VT100 keyboard (but with more beard),

[Meph]

engraving of Armok.  I plan to use his eyes and mouth as the path for heat to escape from the top.

General consensus is that the player himself is Armok, creating new worls, controlling the lives of dwarves, then destroying the world to create a new one.