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[00Davo]

After building a few fortresses, and losing a few fortresses, I still can't understand what the world generation part is needed for: specifically, the history over 1050 years. I suppose creating rivers and stuff is important for the fortress, given how handy water can be. The history doesn't appear to get used in any part of fortress construction. Why does DF tie up CPU cycles creating all this world stuff when it isn't needed in play?

[Torak]

Because it's step one in a larger plan.

[Ioric Kittencuddler]

After building a few fortresses, and losing a few fortresses, I still can't understand what the world generation part is needed for: specifically, the history over 1050 years. I suppose creating rivers and stuff is important for the fortress, given how handy water can be. The history doesn't appear to get used in any part of fortress construction. Why does DF tie up CPU cycles creating all this world stuff when it isn't needed in play?

Blasphemy!  Pray to Armok for forgiveness. 

...And considering the post above mine, that's about all I have to say.

[McDoomhammer]

Other reasons to consider:

* Fortress placement.  Hunting down the right location for your fortress is fun, and wouldn't be the same if one just randomly generated a patch of terrain to build on or picked from a list at random.

* Immersion.  It ties your fortress into a living, breathing world, rather than just being a monolithic construction with only artificial, handwaved context.

* Adventure mode.  DF is not just about the fortresses.  But because they are part of a wider world, you can visit them as an adventurer and lead expeditions to reclaim them, too.  Which is just cool.

* Stories.  More or less the point of this project- merging the gameplay of fantasy and strategy games with the story-generating potential of The Sims.  All the background the game gives you is there to be a springboard for you to colour the world with your own imagination, and make up your own narratives to give what happens in the game more personal meaning.  Eventually, to have fully-fleshed narratives more or less write themselves, while you observe or intervene as desired. 

Tell me that a game of Dungeon Keeper where all your monsters have their own personalities, histories, loves and hates- or a game of Sims where all your sims are four-foot axe-weilding alcoholics with seige engines and you can rig the buildings to self-destruct- isn't awesome.

EDIT:  Now now, Ioric.  No need to chastise people for asking honest questions.

[Ioric Kittencuddler]

Burn the heretic! 

[sneakey pete]

By the 1050 years comment, i'll take it your still using version .38c. The new version adds a crapload of new world gen features to the game, the histories are quite interesting these days.

As well as that, you only need to generate a world once.

[Ostsol]

Also consider that it is traditional in roguelikes to have a certain degree of random generation.  DF simply takes this further (by a rather large degree) than most.

[DarkAvenger]

He possibly may be playing the very first version, thats what I thought about it when I downloaded that instead of the later versions.

Where you basically only start off at the exact same rock wall every time no matter what world you generate.

[Sprout]

You know, the entire reason Power Goal 89 exists is for insane people like this one.


In all seriousness, as many have said, it's part of a bigger picture, and all the random generation is part of what makes dwarf fortress a smoldering hellhole filled with suicidal dwarves, demon fish, cannibalistic elves, and +pig tail socks+. And portal refrences.

[Grath]

Before long (by which I mean 'a few dozen versions later') you will actually be attacked by sieges of goblins from the goblin civilization and you will probably be getting migrants from the dwarven civilization.

[Draco18s]

You know, the entire reason Power Goal 89 exists is for insane people like this one.

Had to go look this one up.

PowerGoal89, DIGESTIVE TRACT LESSON, (Future): You are eaten by the dragon. It chews on you briefly, and you are grieviously wounded, but it swallows you and you survive. The powerful acids in its stomach surround you, but you are protected by your ring. Eventually you are passed into the intestines, where nutrients and water are absorbed, and then you are excreted.

[Mr.Person]

You know, the entire reason Power Goal 89 exists is for insane people like this one.

Had to go look this one up.

PowerGoal89, DIGESTIVE TRACT LESSON, (Future): You are eaten by the dragon. It chews on you briefly, and you are grieviously wounded, but it swallows you and you survive. The powerful acids in its stomach surround you, but you are protected by your ring. Eventually you are passed into the intestines, where nutrients and water are absorbed, and then you are excreted.

Where have I seen that Power Goal before?

[00Davo]

Burn the heretic! 

My ingenious system of grates and floodgates extinguishes your attempt to burn me!

Good to know all that world-gen has a purpose, even if it doesn't use it yet.

[Jay]

It USES it.  But not in Fortress mode for the most part (yet)
If there are surviving megabeasts in your world when you make the fort, they may attack you (or are they randomly generated on the spot for the sole purpose of attacking you, like the individual units in sieges/ambushes are now?  I forgot :S)
Likewise, the civilizations made in world-gen interact with you on a global level.
We're still waiting on all individual units being made during world-gen and not on-the-spot as currently, as well as the caravan arc allowing us to impact the world by selling artifacts and such.
The current army arc has plans for us to be able to siege other people, rather then just getting sieged IIRC.
Of course, before that becomes effective, attackers can't be generated on-the-spot, weapons/armor needs to be saved over offloading... (ever found a person in a town missing a hand?  if you come and go via Travel often enough, they start covering the town in gloves)
It's part of a larger purpose, but for right now only really affects Adventure Mode, allowing it to be the way it is.

[Ioric Kittencuddler]

Burn the heretic! 

My ingenious system of grates and floodgates extinguishes your attempt to burn me!

Good to know all that world-gen has a purpose, even if it doesn't use it yet.

Aha!  Well lets just see how your water trap stands up to my Überzwergen!  They're amphibious, tireless, and sleepless!  They also have evolved beyond their alcoholism!  The Überzwergen shall supersede the Dwarf as the dominant species!  I mean, until the GCS develops the ability to build.