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[Kogan Loloklam]

Everyone try to get/make t-shirts with the same design on them (not necessarily my design, but something similar and vague).

FWIW, there is at least one Dwarf Fortress T-shirt. Ian of Three Panel Soul made one about the Catsplosion. I will note, though, that TheToadyOne was a bit peeved when they came out because he was not consulted before the shirts were released and in its default state, the shirt does not actually use the word "Dwarf Fortress". But, hey, they're a possible starting point.

I thought toady didn't care, and it was the community that got peeved for him?

Anyway, "Boatmurdered this, Boatmurdered that!" Boatmurdered doesn't work for everyone. Some people will be turned off by the language. There are other stories out there.

The best technique is still to pre-warn about the ascii, perhaps with a "nevermind, you probably wouldn't be interested, it doesn't have modern graphics" thrown in there. THEN, after a fair shakedown and they are crushed by the learning curve, toss a curveball, I mean a community fortress story, at them.

[Craftling]

One of my friends said he would play once he could play an Elf fortress.

Dont worry, I suggested therapy.

Ranting Rodent's Graphics pack brought in a few more "dwarfish players".

[Karzack]

I'm starting to have the reverse problem.  My 10 year old is wanting me to put it on his computer (my old one).  I told him that I wasn't sure.  I probably will once I can find an offline guide or make one by copy/pasting some starting guides from the wiki.  His computer isn't hooked up to the internet.

His computer sucks, but I used to play DF on it quite a bit. 

The cool thing is that he don't mind the graphics.  I play with ASCII, well the Mayday with the graphics shut off.  He sits here and watches and ask questions about this and that.  He asks if he is able to do this or that and I tell him 'yes' to pretty much everything.

Now that I type this, I think I really need to get it on his computer.  A kids imagination with the almost limitless ability to do things in this game...  I'm not sure if I want a DF addicted kid though.   

[Footkerchief]

I thought toady didn't care, and it was the community that got peeved for him?

Yeah, more or less.

[SolarShado]

His/her post, just spoiler'd for the the sake of board space.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The graphics were part of what enticed me.

After reading Boatmurdered, I decided to give it a try.  I downloaded it, genned a world, and then tried to choose an embark site.

I had no idea what I was doing.


I managed to fumble past the embark screen, and finally started to play.


I had never played an Asci-game before, and I spent about a full hour with the k key, finding out things in fascination (The red dot is a cardinal?  I laughed in glee.)  Then the next three hours were spent trying to figure out how to dig.  Another hour to go up and down z-levels (I had to use the wiki for that one), and when my dwarves finally started building farms and things, and it started to rain (It actually looks like the rain is falling in DF, as if you are watching it from above.  It's an illusion (If there is open space you don't see the rain), but its still a nice effect), I was hooked.


I'm one of those weird people who actually like to read books and stuff, as opposed to the cell-phone-texting TV watchers around me, so that might have played a part.

You must be my other twin sibling, the one that I never had. I think we both started DF in an almost identical way. The twin brother I do have absolutely detests Dwarf Fortress. Life is, in a word, Elven for him, I do pity his lack of understanding.

Back on topic, convincing friends to play Dwarf Fortress is about as easy as killing carp by dropping kittens on them. It helps to sit down with a friend and show him the basics of DF. I've told another all the fantastic things about the game, but he whines about what I've told him of the "graphics" and is too lazy to actually ever download the game. Rrgh.

I'll probably use Boatmurdered on my recently recruited friend to reel him in once he turns astray or if he grasps the Dwarven concept well.

Sounds simmilar to how i started.... 'cept i found out about it from GameInformer's "Mod World" section.

Downloaded, managed to embark, fiddled with it, didn't manage to dig. So i said "Screw it, I'll tinker with something else and look it op online later. Spent a whole day reading the wiki.

[martinuzz]

It usually helps to give 3 hammerstrikes to people who say they don't like the game..
If not, repeat.

[Corona688]

I got started off by a crazy friend who kept just telling me 'play dwarf fortress' out of nowhere over IM.  It wasn't the graphics or the learning curve that bothered me.   It was the performance!  I can understand megalag when a game as complex as DF is doing all the stuff it does, but not being able to play the text-movie intro full-speed on a decent PIII raised an eyebrow.  The relevation that it needed a modern graphics card to do so raised both.  But she kept at it and eventually caught me when I had access to a more decent computer. 

[alway]

I started playing after various small mentions made me curious. First it was featured/mentioned in the PC Gamer Magazine edition in which there were 365 free games, DF was one they gave high honors among them. Then I saw it multiple times on forums, the final time being the forums for Elemental: War of Magic

[Craftling]

I started playing after various small mentions made me curious. First it was featured/mentioned in the PC Gamer Magazine edition in which there were 365 free games, DF was one they gave high honors among them. Then I saw it multiple times on forums, the final time being the forums for Elemental: War of Magic

Pretty much the same with me, except it was a PC Powerplay Magazine.

[Gantolandon]

There is no universal way to hook people up with DF. It requires a person with very specific traits:

• doesn't mind poor graphics
• doesn't mind lack of storyline (and some people I know treat games like interactive books)
• has enough patience to understand the interface
• likes sandbox games

[Chromie]

I've found stories work pretty well. Not many other games have a good sandbox aspect, so simply the choice to trade with or steal from the elves, or murder them and create handicrafts from their bones is an entertaining one. Or, a kitten-products based economy. Or multilevel death towers, or flooding the world with magma...

[alway]

Ya, DF probably has one of the most interesting sandbox experiences... Plus it can turn out some pretty epic stories, mostly by chance.

[Noble Digger]

Boatmurdered worked on me and a few of my closest friends. If they won't\don't read Boatmurdered and their main complaint is the graphics, they are shitters and you probably shouldn't keep trying with them :|

The graphics are one of DF's strongest points, imo. It cultivates a strong imagination, eventually you see through the matrix and realize the vibrant world of colors and objects that was there all along.

[ToonyMan]

Think of it like a one-piece jigsaw puzzle.

[zwei]

I discovered DF while browsing TV Tropes: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DwarfFortress

I was isntantly convinced it is awesome, epic and dorfy game.