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[MrSmiley381]

Dwarf Fortress is amazing, complex, and a hell of a lot of fun, am I right?  Well, we need to get the word out about it.  I know it's still in alpha stage, but here's something to keep in mind.

Xfire.  Perhaps you've heard of it.  If you haven't, check out Xfire.com.  What I'm suggesting is that we round up as many people as possible and politely demand that Xfire add Dwarf Fortress to their list of supported games.  People will randomly find out about it faster, and players can track how many hours they spend taking care of their dwarves.

The direction in which this thread goes is up to you, now.

[MaxVance]

Dwarf Fortress is still in alpha. It really isn't a good idea to "release" DF until it's finished.

[vanarbulax]

Hmmm... I hate to be elitist but Dwarf Fortress is the kind of game where people find it not the game trying to find people. While a influx of new players would be good how many of them are going to be prepared to put up with the interface, brutal difficulty and over 300 bugs. While I definitely think word should get out it's better not to just plop it on Xfire without people learning about the game first so people don't expect to much in the "playability" department.

[Sylverone]

I agree with the others. As long as Dwarf Fortress has such a tough learning curve AND a difficult interface, we should probably limit our "advertisement" to personal recommendations, random hits, and certain gaming blogs.

I feel this way partially because a sudden influx of new members tends to wreak havoc on a forum, and I don't want want to see this place become irreparably disrupted. We don't need 50 new members spamming "Dis G4m3 R 2 H4RD!1!!!", especially not when the game isn't even claiming to be near completion.

I think our publicity level is perfect for now; People interested in a game like this tend to find out about it on their own. Otherwise the game is allowed room to grow.

[Leerok the Lacerta]

I think that exposure of Dwarf Fortress to people should be maximised. Those who do not find interest in the game will eventually depart, filtered out by the game itself.

I tend to randomly tell people about the game, since I can name lots of good things and bad things, though the bad things tend to be funny bugs.

I love telling people about how I once sank the ocean into an aquifer, how my dwarves are covered in vomit and mud, or how the dungeon master wears his weight in cloaks.

[SirPenguin]

I think passively getting the word out, and forcing people to find out about the game itself, is our best course of action. Remember, more people playing = more suggestions = more donations.

However, we gotta be careful, as this game, in it's current form, sure as hell isn't for everyone, and could actually cause a backlash if forced upon people.

[Kagus]

I say we all sit around muttering in our little hermit community for a while yet.  Once Dwarf Fortress reaches release version, we should run around gathering up as many new recruits as we can so they can worship the Toady One as a god, and us as his elder prophets.

[Akroma]

there are almost daily DF treads on /v/

that's enough to ensure a steady advertisement

[Capntastic]

DF's been praised in tons of magazine reviews and such.   It's fairly popular considering what it is; and I think a gradual increase will happen naturally as things progress.   No need to try to cause a blowout when the game isn't anywhere near done.

[Greiger]

I agree that we should just stick to word of mouth for the moment.  Sure we might get more people if we did now, but theres also the possibility that folks may get confused and think that it is a finished product then when they figure out that it isn't they might starting to tell their buddies that it is unfinished buggy garbage. If that happens somebody that would be interested decides not to check it out because of their friend's opinion.

Some new folk might get scared off by the size of the forum community too if it grows too fast.  I literally have fifty times the number of posts on this forum than I have on any other forum.  Including the board for a UT2k4 clan that I was a member of for a full year.  If the community was much bigger back when I joined these forums you probably would have never seen me.

End of ramble.

[zagibu]

DF is perfect. You can advertise it wherever you want, it will still allow only the worthy people in. I have tried to propagate it in my circle of friends, but so far, no one has passed beyond the different graphics and "unique" interface. I knew beforehand, that they are not worth to play this game, but I still wanted to run the test. Now I know that DF is indeed, perfect...as perfect, as an alpha can be.

[Othob Rithol]

I don't think "worthy" is a really good concept to squeeze into the discussion. That might lead us into elitist thoughts. I don't really want to spend a lot of time with the fans of the newest and lamest 3 button console platform games, but I really don't see myself as more or less worthy of anything.

If Toady want his game on an external site, I am sure he will do so. We, as the fans, taking the steps to "get the word out" without his request just seems to be usurping his role. I suspect he might like more donations ( and will get one from me when I get caught up on the loan payments) but may not necessarily want to expose his half-finished work to the universe just yet.

Word of Mouth seems the best way for we, as the fans, to proceed. Let your friends know about it. I think (maybe) I got my cousin hooked. If not, nobody lost anything.

[Dwarfler]

quote:Originally posted by Othob Rithol:
<STRONG>I don't think "worthy" is a really good concept to squeeze into the discussion. That might lead us into elitist thoughts. I don't really want to spend a lot of time with the fans of the newest and lamest 3 button console platform games, but I really don't see myself as more or less worthy of anything.</STRONG>

Wait a minute, you mean I spend dozens of hours building huge virtual fortresses with complex plumbing, defense and mercantile systems using legions of dwarves so incompetent they couldn't get a job in the local public works department, all the time battling an unwieldy interface, sidestepping various bugs and "idiosyncrasies", while somehow keeping my processor from melting, and I don't even get to feel superior to other people?

Well hell, I quit.

[Rhenaya]

Dwarf Fortress is amazing, complex, and a hell of a lot of fun, am I right?  Well, we need to get the word out about it.  I know it's still in alpha stage, but here's something to keep in mind.<P>Xfire.  Perhaps you've heard of it.  If you haven't, check out Xfire.com.  What I'm suggesting is that we round up as many people as possible and politely demand that Xfire add Dwarf Fortress to their list of supported games.  People will randomly find out about it faster, and players can track how many hours they spend taking care of their dwarves.<P>The direction in which this thread goes is up to you, now.

i would really find it a nice DF is supported by xfire, i use xfire myself to track my gaming times, and since i got DF it looks like i dont play that much games anymore
even its still alpha, its most complex and funniest game i know (and who cares of some odd modern 3d nearly-reallife grafics, if means a big lack of gaming deepth, i do not :p)

so xfire is not only to advertise the game, its more useful for me to see how much i play games a week and to show friends what i am playing.

[Neonivek]

I think Dwarf Fortress is getting all the attention it needs... Don't force the issue

Those people who you invite and leave because the game is rather unfinished are potential donators who could have stayed to donate if they had come at a much later date.