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[Skelodwarf]

Add listening to Rage Against the Machine to the list of things this kid can do, and you don't just win an internet cookie, you win an entire internet bakery.

You'll probably also get fined for child-traumatizing.

If you don't know why RAtM, you never will.

[i2amroy]

This is awesome. I am really glad that you didn't turn out to be one of those "let's remove every scrap of violence and alcohol and everything fun about this game. Oh, it's not possible? Then it must be Toady's fault for not making it moddable in that way and all of our faults for informing you of it" people, like that guy a couple of month's ago. This is really refreshing to hear someone who is actually telling his kid about it.

[Zironic]

It doesn't really matter, Personally. Life is full of violence. Most people by the time their 16 are kind of emotionally distant from it. Look at Vietnam. Look at Iraq. If we teach children what real war looks like, I think we would all be better off.

[G-Flex]

Oh, come on. The "children should never be exposed to anything, ever" approach is ridiculous and far too absolute, but so is "start exposing children to dismemberment and the horrors of war at the youngest age possible". There's middle ground, you know.

[ChazzyBurger]

I think it would be hilarious if you tried to get everything violent out of the game, but then the kid found the HFS full of HFD and they slaughtered EVERYONE

Oh the explaining that would have to be done...

"Yeah... Um... They're all sleeping and fell on some strawberries..."

[Broken Bolt]

Did you really present the option of sending all the dwarves into military mode and "only losing a few"?  It's possible to tone down the violence inherent in the game, but we can't do anything about the user

Yeah I did, and it didn't work out very well.  I do not claim to be perfect.
 
Andy's turned his attention to Crazy Contraptions, a part of a Hoyle gaming package but he'll be back doing DF with renewed vigor soon I suspect.

When some aspect of the game (or anything) is more than he can get all at once I explain it as simply as I can and just let it sit.  He absorbs what he can and works with it and the next day or 2 or 3 later he'll have like 1 question about it and that's it, it's part of his knowledge.  From there he starts asking questions beyond what I have explored and/or thought of yet.

I am okay with using the features I know and letting some of them slide unexplored but he wants to know about all menu options and if I don't know, it only fuels his energy to learn it.  Something about knowing more than Dad.

Yesterday he asked his Aunt if she knew how to play dwarf fortress and then spent the afternoon trying to explain it to her.  I'm still not sure she understands that it isn't point and click graphical RPG.  He talks about building gardens and bedrooms and "military guys" and not about menus, hotkeys and ASCII blips.

They say kids are getting smarter at earlier ages.

I agree that it's important to keep more in front of them, available, than they can absorb that day so their stretch isn't limited by lack of material.

Cheer and thanks for the thoughts all.

[Puck]

I havent read the whole thread, but what about just reducing the population a bit, turning off sieges/invaders and turning off moods in the ini file?

I mean... getting all "death" out of the game is probably close to impossible, also I dont think it's necessary. But that's bordering on discussing the parenting thingy, and that's not my job, I dont even know the kid. But I think talking to a child about death isnt that big of a no no, and when he manages to injure/kill some dwarves in a cave in, it's probably not the end of the world... I mean... is the looney tunes approach really that much better? Teaching you wont get hurt if you jump off a cliff isnt really all that smart, either, is it 

edit: and DEFINETLY upload some of the stuff the little guy builds! I wanna see something!

[BloodBeard]

I think this is just awesome, not only that a 5 year old can learn to play DF but that he's enjoying this kind of game in an era where graphics are almost everything.

Echoing many people on the thread, definately upload some of his maps 

[gumball135]

Oddly enough, I've seen a similar request on a TES forum that I visit.

[Helmaroc]

definitely upload some of his maps 

[Muz]

Lol, when I was 8, I'd be traumatized by any game where anyone loses a finger, much more all the gory details in DF. I was slowly desensitized to such things over several years. I'd respect a G-rated version of DF. It's like Lego

[Tellemurius]

no way in hell will dwarves be soft. find a story that dwarves are happy folks with all and the only sad part is one got a paper cut.

[jaked122]

kids should learn about violence and other unpleasent things, the earlier the better, assuming that the kid doesn't start thinking that murder is cool...

[pnutz]

Lol, when I was 8, I'd be traumatized by any game where anyone loses a finger, much more all the gory details in DF. I was slowly desensitized to such things over several years. I'd respect a G-rated version of DF. It's like Lego

SIEGE!!!

[G-Flex]

kids should learn about violence and other unpleasent things, the earlier the better, assuming that the kid doesn't start thinking that murder is cool...

"The earlier the better" doesn't personally sound right. I mean, I don't really think toddlers should be learning about dismemberment and harlequin ichthyosis or whatever. There's always lines to be drawn.