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[Eaten Cheese]

Hey, I'm a new member here, but am a big fan of Dwarf Fortress.  I'm not sure if someone has already done this, but seeing how fun Dwarf Fortress is I'm sure someone has.. But I randomly came up with this challenge while spammed questions on how to play dwarf fortress in my political science class by 3 different people..

Anyway, the challenge is simple, don't look up any tutorials or guides to play dwarf fortress.  That one rule may seem pretty simple for a new player in any game.. until they played dwarf fortress

Basically its just a way to get more people playing dwarf fortress, and to get a few laughs too

Anyway here's the list, Ill edit it more while I go along, and feel to send me an email or msn message to me if you want to add some people you know to the list who are taking up this challenge (MSN is Lancu48@hotmail.com)

Eaten Cheese: Used tutorial after 3 days of playing

Fitzy Chan: Used tutorial b4 having the actual game

Mayer Toast: Brain exploded

Microcyber: Couldnt figure out world generator and quit

Commander Bob: Hasn't started

Ace: Hasnt downloaded

Some Random Guy: Has started to play without tutorial, Adventure mode - jumped in a river and died

shuggy555: "This game is crap" He opened it up and pressed enter a few times then quit.  He never tried the game, probably quit because he couldn't figure out what anything meant, and gave up.  This game is not for the weak minded or selfish kids who know nothing but high quality graphics

Opie: Death by wild animals and quit

Rashilul: fortress of 45 dwarves that were all murdered by carp b4 looking at tutorial

Lawec: "Read tutorial and had food shortage, resulting in dwarves tantrum'in, going berserk, and chasing vermin"

Itnetlolor: "Started it, had not a friggin' clue how to play. Looked in the help file, dug a hole in the wall, everyone starved to death eventually, dehydrated, and tantrumed to death."
Take 2: "read the tutorial, still lost my fortresses to poor coordination and not a full understanding of the game."
Take 3: "the tutorial was initially useless until I did more experiments, and until I saw how to setup my guys properly. It took a video tutorial to show me how to properly get things going."

2xMachina: "Using the original, I got confused.  Later used DFG and helped me a lot, and then I just searched the wiki on how to do stuff"

Jude: "first reaction was, "What the fuck is this?" and deleted it. Took a couple more tries before I actually learned it, and that absolutely required a tutorial."

Draco18s: "I never looked at a guide/tutorial/the wiki when I started playing, and I figured things out.  Mostly by asking a friend who had played more than I had.  When I found the wiki I looked up a bunch of stuff, but I didn't need help per say.  I still use it to learn things (like the most efficient pump tower design)."

salttotart: "Not wanting to die instantly, I found Capt_duck's tutorials, and watched the first few to get a general grasp on the basic techniques.  After that I dived headlong in and actually tried to learn the bulk of things the hard way; only looking at tutorials if I absolutely had to."

Jimmy: "I started playing back in 2D, well before there were any tutorials. Still play that version sometimes."

darkflagrance: "When picking up the game, it really helped to have lurked the forums for a long time first, and thus having picked up not only the basics, but also the goals and challenges such as towers, mega-construction, and magma flooding. By playing your earlier games in a more consciously goal-oriented way, you don't get bogged down with the endless options."

Stahlseele:  "Well, it had to happen sooner or later ... Dorf Fortress has invaded dumpshock O.o "

LegoLord: "I managed to get one fortress to be large enough for a sheriff before they all starved to death wihtout taking a look at the wiki.  I think that between that fort and the wiki trip, I figured out how to change z-levels, but I can't quite remember."

CanadianWolverine: "Its a game I have wanted to get into, strikes me as something like what The Sims could be if it took the gloves off, but unfortunately I just can't seem to wrap my head around its GUI enough to accomplish any of the disasters I want to befall my dwarves to actually happen. Those that understand the interface however do some pretty cool stuff and I like reading about it."

kilakan's "Friend": played the game in fortress mode, got his hunter killed by gophers, quite, tried adventure mode, got killed by gophers quite, tried one more time and currently has over 400 elf kills.

[Rashilul]

Oh, yes. Before I read the tutorial I built a fortress of 45 dwarves that were all murdered by carp. Fun times.

[Lawec]

Even as I read the tutorial when I began, I didn't manage to produce enough food for all my dwarfs, so they ended up tantrum'in, going berserk, chasing vermin etc. 

[Itnetlolor]

Much like how I started; Started it, had not a friggin' clue how to play. Looked in the help file, dug a hole in the wall, everyone starved to death eventually, dehydrated, and tantrumed to death. That was in the 2d version.

Upon return, I did read the tutorial, still lost my fortresses to poor coordination and not a full understanding of the game.

To say the least, the tutorial was initially useless until I did more experiments, and until I saw how to setup my guys properly. It took a video tutorial to show me how to properly get things going.

[2xMachina]

Using the original, I got confused.

DFG helped me a lot, and then I just searched the wiki on how to do stuff (What key does what. What item is built where).

[Eaten Cheese]

Its nice to see the beginnings for some of you pro's    But the main purpose for this challenge is to get new people into playing and hopefully having fun with Dwarf Fortress.  Or just to find someone who has never looked at a tutorial yet 

Edit (multitasking and forgot to add this in):
However feel free to continue to post your own experience

[Sir Finkus]

The problem with that is I'd imagine everyone in these forums has already played dwarf fortress.  Maybe you'd have more success in another forum.

[Jude]

My first reaction was, "What the fuck is this?" and deleted it. Took a couple more tries before I actually learned it, and that absolutely required a tutorial.

[Draco18s]

I'd like to nominate myself.  I never looked at a guide/tutorial/the wiki when I started playing, and I figured things out.  Mostly by asking a friend who had played more than I had.  When I found the wiki I looked up a bunch of stuff, but I didn't need help per say.  I still use it to learn things (like the most efficient pump tower design).

[Akigagak]

Its nice to see the beginnings for some of you pro's    But the main purpose for this challenge is to get new people into playing and hopefully having fun with Dwarf Fortress.  Or just to find someone who has never looked at a tutorial yet 

Oh, I get it. We go to other forums, make a thread called 'The Dwarf Fortress Challenge', with a vague description, and a link to the download. And instructions to post their reactions in the thread.

Might be a good idea, although I imagine that most of the gaming-related-forums have already heaed of DF, and have made up their mind one way or another.

[salttotart]

Boatmurdered introduced me to the game, but I read it waaaaaaaay after it was actually LP'd.  By the time I got to it, 39d was out.  Seeing the pictures I kind of knew what the game was like and what to expect.  Not wanting to die instantly, I found Capt_duck's tutorials (If I'm ever really stressed I still turn them on.  His voice is just so soothing.) and watched the first few to get a general grasp on the basic techniques. My first version of the game was the gset and tset that Capt_duck used in said videos.  After that I dived headlong in and actually tried to learn the bulk of things the hard way; only looking at tutorials if I absolutely had to.
Now, while I'm not great at the game (I still have trouble with aquifers and I don't even want to attempt an evil biome), looking back I'm glad I found the game and took the time to learn it.  I just came back to the game after about a 3 month break and I had to relearn some things, but I made sure not to immediately open up the wiki to do it.

Oh, I get it. We go to other forums, make a thread called 'The Dwarf Fortress Challenge', with a vague description, and a link to the download. And instructions to post their reactions in the thread.

Might be a good idea, although I imagine that most of the gaming-related-forums have already heaed of DF, and have made up their mind one way or another.

You'd be surprised.  Although many forums may have mentioned DF at one time it may be buried in the forums from not bing bumped.  The new people joining the forums can still be reached.  It never hurts to try.

EDIT: Added the quote.

[Jimmy]

I started playing back in 2D, well before there were any tutorials. Still play that version sometimes.

[darkflagrance]

When picking up the game, it really helped to have lurked the forums for a long time first, and thus having picked up not only the basics, but also the goals and challenges such as towers, mega-construction, and magma flooding. By playing your earlier games in a more consciously goal-oriented way, you don't get bogged down with the endless options.

[Draco18s]

Its nice to see the beginnings for some of you pro's    But the main purpose for this challenge is to get new people into playing and hopefully having fun with Dwarf Fortress.  Or just to find someone who has never looked at a tutorial yet 

Oh, I get it. We go to other forums, make a thread called 'The Dwarf Fortress Challenge', with a vague description, and a link to the download. And instructions to post their reactions in the thread.

Might be a good idea, although I imagine that most of the gaming-related-forums have already heaed of DF, and have made up their mind one way or another.

I found one that hasn't (oh god, what have I done?).

My first respondent!

Stahlseele:  "Well, it had to happen sooner or later ... Dorf Fortress has invaded dumpshock O.o "

[kilakan]

lol I love reading what pissed em off, anyone actually succeed in getting someone new to join?