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[amz181]

Ok, first of all hi, im new... And i literally have no idea whats what.

To understand my viewpoint, ill just tell you how i found DF...

Ok, i was feeling bored, and i was looking for a good game, ya know, a FPS, or a nice 3d mmorpg... and then i stumbled across a list of "freeware games" on wikipedia, all the usual suspects, fps's and 3d mmorpgs, and then i saw Dwarf Fortress, clicking on it, i saw a more elaborate wiki page, saying how the games graphics were good as they allowed players to visualise the world themselves, and blah blah. No normally i wouldnt look twice at something so random, but i noticed that the wiki page was quite lengthy... which would mean usually it was popular.

So i went onto the website and OMG, there was a recent client... i had gone onto the website without my hopes high, expecting some long dead project, but there was a recent client... I then proceded to the forums and OMGx2, all of the posts were from today. I was very intrigued now, and tried to get more info on the game.

Unfortunately wiki seemed to be the only place that held any info, so i read it, and i must say, it was very vague. It hinted at the fact that the DF world was realistic as it moulded to the player, and how it was very different from other games... But apart from that it didnt really say much else...

Now, i am wierdly excited about this game... i have not yet downloaded it, as i dont want to be dissapointed. But still i am excited, and i have no idea why. Maybe its because the game is meant to be very complicated, and i like complicated games. But i stilll feel randomly excited...

Now to my question.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS GAME?

who was it made by?
why?
Why is it so good?
why am i feeling so excited?
is it really all that good?
what do you do in it?
is there any must have mod i should download with the client?
is it addictive?
is it complicated?

Sorry for my nubness, but this game seems very strange, very cultish, very undergroundish, and very addictive...

and i know theres a specific dwarf wiki, but i want to hear it from actual players, what makes this game so good that its still going strong with schoolboy graphics, and a strange game ethos?

and what the hell is roguelike?

[woose1]

Ok.. I'l try to answer your questions...
1. DORF FORTRESS!
2. The great and all powerfull Toady one, also known as Tarn Adams.
3. It is an ongoing project to simulate a fantasy world in extreme detail.
4. Because it utilizes the power of IMAGINATION TECH, Sooo many things can go wrong in a fort, the gameworld is very detailed, down to the last fluffly wambler. (You'll get to know that later.)
5. Because, OMGx2, A RECENT ROUGELIKE!
6. Yes.
7. Create a dwarven fortress with your original starting 7 dwarves.
8. Take a visit to the modding forum and take your pick. (no pun intended) But I really suggest you play the "Vanilla" version first.
9. YES.
10. YES.

EDIT: Very cultish?
EDIT2: A rougelike is a game rendered in ACII graphics.
...
In second thought, take a look at the wiki and find yourself a graphics set... it will make your play experiance easier.
EDIT3: (New record!) This thread also belongs in "Gameplay Questions", but it is fine for now I guess.

[amz181]

well ya gotta see it from my point of view, here i am safe in the land of good old zelda and cod, and i find this weird entity.
Not to mention that fact that some of your illustrious members are having "dreams" about DF. Which is, slightly strange to say the least.


im gonna try and download now... im gonna get the normal one...

i want my mommmy

[amz181]

Oh is the latest client the september 6th one...?

[woose1]

well ya gotta see it from my point of view, here i am safe in the land of good old zelda and cod, and i find this weird entity.

I feel your.. confusion? Whatever.

Not to mention that fact that some of your illustrious members are having "dreams" about DF. Which is, slightly strange to say the least.

I don't get them either... they scare me... 

im gonna try and download now... im gonna get the normal one...

May Armok have mercy upon your pitifull soul.
Also: heres a link to a pre-packaged version of the game+tutorial:
http://afteractionreporter.com/

The latest version of the game is 40d.

[amz181]

well thanks, and sorry for posting in the wrong section.

well, here i go, boldly going where no man has gone before.

[woose1]

well, here i go, boldly going where no amz181 has gone before.

Fix'd

[Sowelu]

Wait, there's males on these boards?  Huh.

'client' may be the wrong term though, considering it's single player. 

[PMantix]

Here is an amazing tutorial that got me into the game....  lots of info, should help you out tremendously! It did for me!

http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=28477.0

[stoned funeral]

haha yes I will forever remember capnduck with his kinda geeky accent going "hi I'm capnduck and this is my dorffortressvideotutorial number..."
He's like the DF youtube sensei

[Hawkfrost]

First off, hello!


The reason DF is so great is that you are really only limited by your imagination.
Want to build a giant statue of Obama? Go right ahead.
Those elves pissing you off? Design a drowning chamber and kill them.

It's a little hard to get into for some people, but once you try it you'll see that there is no other game that gives you this much freedom to do whatever you want.

If the ASCII graphics are not your thing, there are plenty of graphics sets available on the wiki as well.

[Demonic Gophers]

Welcome!  Here's my take on your questions:

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS GAME?

Primarily, a world simulator.  A program for creating settings and enacting stories.

who was it made by?

Bay 12 Games; basically, one guy who is doing all the programming and most of the design, while living off of donations.  THat should be "Who is it being made by?", though, as it's still very much in progress.

why?

I think, as much as anything, 'cause he wants to be able to play it when it's done.

Why is it so good?

Detail, complexity, versatility, twisted humor.  You can build practically anything, or go around in Adventure mode and gouge out your enemies' eyes.  One reason I like it is that it's so easy to mod; I love designing creatures and cultures and such, and DF lets me play around with them.  Also, it can lead to some pretty awesome characters and events.  I recommend taking a look at some of the threads in the Community Games & Stories section.

why am i feeling so excited?

Because it's so detailed and complex?  Because it has an active community of almost fanatical supporters and players?  Perhaps because you've looked at the development pages?

is it really all that good?

Yes.  Yes, it is.  And it's going to keep getting better!

what do you do in it?

In Fortress mode, you found a settlement, mine for valuable minerals, produce (or trade for) food and drink, defend against invaders (and then sell their blood-stained but valuable clothing), and build excessively large and complicated projects.  In Adventure mose, mostly you just kill things in brutal, vividly described ways, and die when a wolf tears out your throat or an archer buts an arrow through your lungs.

is there any must have mod i should download with the client?

Nothing in particular.  You may find it easier to get into with a graphics pack, and there's some interesting versions in the modding forum.

is it addictive?

Quite so!

is it complicated?

Extremely.  Also, detailed.


And remember, there are lots of people on the forum who are happy to help with questions and problems.  Hope you enjoy the game!

[crazedwarf]

Hey guys, noob here too, and total fanboy after being engrossed in this game for several weeks now. I agree with OP the WIKI can be somewhat vague and noninformative at times, however it was/is extremely helpful for the most part. Also the OP may want to read the stories on the WIKI, the sad stories thread here on the forums, and watch the CptDuck videos someone else mentioned. They are all extremely entertaining, inspiring and helpful!  People who say the ascii keeps them from getting into the game haven't sat down long enough and don't know what they're missing!

[QuantumSawdust]

Another important feature of Dwarf Fortress is how it mixes multiple genres. It has elements of god games, city simulations, life simulations, real time strategies, RPGs, and text adventures. Depending on what your interests are, you can focus on any of these and still have a have more than enough features to satisfy your continued gameplay. You can build a fortress without ever looking at any of your dwarves, or their personality, or their jobs and family and who they hate/love, their wounds and tragedies, or anything else. Or, you could start a game and not care one bit about how your fortress is build (beyond the basics), and focus entirely on the drama which unfolds between dwarves.
Plus, the wide variety of climates, biomes, monsters, and starting locations provide a highly variable gaming experience. For example, starting in a land covered in ice could lead to a very different fortress than one in a desert, or one above a giant chasm in a mass of cliffs, or on an island, or inside of a human town.

[amz181]

thanks alot for your helpfulness. I had my first crack at the game and failed miserably, but shall have another go again tomorrow (i dont like using tutorials, i prefer making my own way through games)

I kind of just mined some floor, for no apparent reason, puzzled over how to give my dwarfs orders etc... but i made progress

the musics great btw, does anyone know if you can get tabs?