Print

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

[Dasqoot]

I think the stuff he's working on, while probably boring to do and boring to read about, is going to be fantastic to get my hands on.

[Davion]

I was thinking we were about due for a "DOOM DOOOOOM COMES TO DWARF FORTRESS"/"Toady isn't working on interesting/important things now!"

Remember when he was working on the world-gen wars there were all those complaints that he wasn't spending enough time on gameplay?  Now he's working on gameplay and people are still complaining.

If you want to help Toady, donate.  I don't think he needs our advice, particularly.

Personally, I'm astounded at how self-motivated he is, and I'm a pretty self-motivated guy.

Exactly.

Or what about when he was working on the z-axis and putting in all kinds of resource types and people thought he was getting carried away with geology and world generation?

This doom and gloom is brought up between every big release, and (not suprisingly) disappears completely once the next  version is released. That proves to me that it's not so much people complaining about the minutiae as it is people complaining that: "Things I want to see aren't being worked on and the minutiae is getting in the way of that."

Of course I'm sure the modding community is weeping sweet tears of joy at this next release.

[Tormy]

Remember when he was working on the world-gen wars there were all those complaints that he wasn't spending enough time on gameplay?  Now he's working on gameplay and people are still complaining.

Yes well...just for example, someone was complaining about the body layers a couple of days ago maybe? He thought that it's unimportant, and Toady shouldn't spend an hour with coding in something like that. However I am pretty sure that the same player will be very happy, because of the more realistic combat results....or some others were complaining about the "hair system" [now this sounds a bit weird, I know  ], that it's pointless. Personally I think that these little things are making this already awesome game even more awesome. Having more diversity is always a good thing.

[commondragon]

People will complain, its best just to explain to them the situation and move on.  once one or two people do it you have sufficient postings to MOVE ON and LEAVE THESE TOPICS ALONE.

After all, Toady wont be too motivated if he keeps seeing topics like these in the forums....

[Citizen of Erl]

Having seen this sort of thing a couple times, I've grown used to Toady going into seclusion and working away at the next big thing. Don't worry too much, it will come through.

And don't faesh yourself over the man having his weekends to himself. They let him get other ideas he's had creep up upon his psyche run free, so that they don't distract from dwarfing it up. And at the same time, giving him a break from dwarfing it up, which is important to avoid burning out on a project.

So in short, what pretty much everyone said.

[Keiseth]

And don't faesh yourself over the man having his weekends to himself. They let him get other ideas he's had creep up upon his psyche run free, so that they don't distract from dwarfing it up.

Yes, imagine the consequences of idea fallout. You're walking through a forest retreat, minding your own business and...


An arrow strikes you in the left arm!
Your medical sector, second hull, left side has been severely damaged!
Urist Omnom, Engineer, has been sucked into space!
You smash the Elf in the right foot!

[Keilden]

And don't faesh yourself over the man having his weekends to himself. They let him get other ideas he's had creep up upon his psyche run free, so that they don't distract from dwarfing it up.

Yes, imagine the consequences of idea fallout. You're walking through a forest retreat, minding your own business and...


An arrow strikes you in the left arm!
Your medical sector, second hull, left side has been severely damaged!
Urist Omnom, Engineer, has been sucked into space!
You smash the Elf in the right foot!

Been watching Meet Dave?

[Rockphed]

And don't faesh yourself over the man having his weekends to himself. They let him get other ideas he's had creep up upon his psyche run free, so that they don't distract from dwarfing it up.

Yes, imagine the consequences of idea fallout. You're walking through a forest retreat, minding your own business and...


An arrow strikes you in the left arm!
Your medical sector, second hull, left side has been severely damaged!
Urist Omnom, Engineer, has been sucked into space!
You smash the Elf in the right foot!

This is either pure win, or completely bonkers.  Since I have a bad head-cold right now and am sleepy, I can't tell the difference.

[blkholsun]

That proves to me that it's not so much people complaining about the minutiae as it is people complaining that: "Things I want to see aren't being worked on and the minutiae is getting in the way of that."

I'm man enough to admit that this is true for me.
All the descriptive paragraphs and hair and fur color and all that stuff... I'll never see it. I can't remember the last time I looked at the description of a dwarf, or anything else. I just don't really care about it. I also have absolutely no interest in the wounds system. The exact character of how a dwarf is wounded is unlikely to interest me. I don't care if his arm is broken or his liver is lacerated or whatever; once you get more than a couple dozen dwarfs, that becomes a level of micro-management that I will never involve myself in. The dwarf will go sleep for twelve months or die or whatever and I'll never know why, or really care. I also don't really understand how any sane people who manages more than the starting seven dwarves could possibly involve themselves and be interested in the descriptions, wound details, etc. of every dwarf. (Obviously, I only play fortress mode. I never really got into adventurer mode, which is where I think a lot of this stuff is going to really shine. Heck, maybe if it becomes developed enough, I will eventually get intrigued by that mode.) Despite what I say above, I make absolutely no value judgments about what Toady has been working on, and I'm still very interested to see it. I think it will be very gratifying to many people, and I look forward to "my turn" with respect to the stuff that I enjoy about DF.

[Davion]

Just hold onto the fact that he's still doing underground diversity, and better handling of squads and their AI for this release.

It won't just be counting hairs on goblin butts.

[Exponent]

I'm man enough to admit that this is true for me.
All the descriptive paragraphs and hair and fur color and all that stuff... I'll never see it. I can't remember the last time I looked at the description of a dwarf, or anything else. I just don't really care about it. I also have absolutely no interest in the wounds system. The exact character of how a dwarf is wounded is unlikely to interest me. I don't care if his arm is broken or his liver is lacerated or whatever; once you get more than a couple dozen dwarfs, that becomes a level of micro-management that I will never involve myself in. The dwarf will go sleep for twelve months or die or whatever and I'll never know why, or really care. I also don't really understand how any sane people who manages more than the starting seven dwarves could possibly involve themselves and be interested in the descriptions, wound details, etc. of every dwarf. (Obviously, I only play fortress mode. I never really got into adventurer mode, which is where I think a lot of this stuff is going to really shine. Heck, maybe if it becomes developed enough, I will eventually get intrigued by that mode.) Despite what I say above, I make absolutely no value judgments about what Toady has been working on, and I'm still very interested to see it. I think it will be very gratifying to many people, and I look forward to "my turn" with respect to the stuff that I enjoy about DF.

I mostly agree with you, but want to point out that you don't have to care about these features for all dwarves in a 200-dwarf fortress in order to still care about the features.  Many people would probably be fascinated to look at the details for their best warrior, or the mother who just got her fifth baby daughter killed in battle, or a noble that they particularly hate, et cetera.  It can help add some story-telling to the process; the player will check out the description of the creature, find some particularly interesting tidbit, and with a touch of imagination, exclaim, "So that's why that creature just did what it did!"

[Greiger]

...It can help add some story-telling to the process; the player will check out the description of the creature, find some particularly interesting tidbit, and with a touch of imagination, (exclaim), "So that's why that creature just did what it did!"

That right there is one of the primary reasons I play Dwarf Fortress.

And I don't know about the rest of the modding community but I for one am not going to be seen outside my home for at least a week after this release.  Even if I run out of Dr Pepper (god forbid).

[Richards]

1. He is working on the game at the same rate he used to. However, instead of taking weekends off, he 'saves' all the weekends by working continously for the first 5/7ths of the month and takes the final 2/7ths of the month off.

As I stated a while ago, I've been putting off weekends until now so that I can have a fair chunk of time at the end of the month to work on the weekend project without switching gears so often. If you consider this schedule vs. the normal work-week schedule, you'll see DF hasn't been slowed at all (if anything, more DF days in a row helps)...

(DevBlog 22 Jun 2008)

Ah. I apologize, I didn't know about the reason behind the change. Hopefully Toady breezes through the rest of the arc after this. Sorry I didn't take the time to look into this more, it was a foolish thing to do. Guess we're all going to be affected by what's ahead. I just didn't want Toady not focusing development on his best work. Good luck mate.

I guess it was my own concern, like a few other poster on this topic of the impression that Toady was focusing on the wrong things, or looking foward to breaks. It's his project, so I'll get my nose out of it.

[Keiseth]

I guess it was my own concern, like a few other poster on this topic of the impression that Toady was focusing on the wrong things, or looking foward to breaks. It's his project, so I'll get my nose out of it.

S'quite normal to bring up such, the new release looks to be really exciting and getting it any sooner is anyone's dream. I'm looking forward to the sub-species within a race and all that, especially if it has an effect on gameplay. Race of mutants, anybody?

[Gantolandon]

To all of those who say that layers are not important... Well, even if you don't see an immediate gain, consider it as something that may pay off greatly in the future. The sooner it's coded, the less pain in the ass it will be, and I can see many applications of more detailed dwarf bodies. New maneuvers in combat, diseases, gruesome descriptions... And more organized and detailed RAWs are crucial if we want our modding community grow.

You should also mind that at this point the project is huge, and changing it will require much more consideration than before. If it looks as it developed slower, it propably is - but not without a reason. I don't also suprised that Toady wants to clear it up as much as possible.