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[Andir]

I'm curious as to why the idea that DF is Monarchical hasn't been brought up.

You tell the dwarfs what their jobs are
You set the rules at your whim on where they can go
You decide what to build
You decide who deserves to live and die
You decide who owns what land, and can take it from them at any time (seemingly with little to no retort...)
You assign sheriffs, control the army...

The only thing you don't do is decide on the nobles, and even at that, you can kill them without having to defend your decision.

It's like you are a powerful landlord-king in the Medieval times that doesn't have to answer to the nobility.

[Dakk]

I think you're more of a god-like figure that can affect their lives directly. I mean, you can read their thoughts, influence them to create unescessary contructions that may or not be used to cause their ultimate doom, and eventualy create an avatar for yourself in their world.

Look at one of your dead adventurer's story in legends, it'll say he was "guided by unknown forces" or something like that.

Something along the lines of: Although accounts may vary, it is universely assumed he/she was guided by unknown forces.

[Hippoman]

I wish it was Communist throughout the entire game. Sadly once money comes, the economy destroys everything. You have your favorite dwarf almost-champion whos also a founding member living in this grand room, and the economy comes and kicks him out.

It's a horrible thing. But I had to start making people sleep in the barracks in the defense towers!

Also as said in my signature:
THPÆCROSSISM
ΘπÆ┼ - Rise up against our superiors! Let all dwarves be equal!

[Lukas]

I like to think of this playing style as being a player-ocracy. Like many people have said, other building and management games have the player decide what to do, so that there's something to play. It's basically where the player is close to being something like god, or a dictator like figure. Except dwarf fortress restricts the players' control in some circumstances (you can't tell every dwarf what to do in every situation, i.e. when and where to drink), so the player in this case is more like the dictator for life. At least this is how I see it.

[NecroRebel]

Yeah, the dwarven civilization is definately a... deocracy? Rule by deity?

I mean, they all are answerable to a large extent to an unknowable, exceedingly powerful, entity that can apparently control the minds of most dwarves to great extent, though that varies depending on the dwarf's status.

...Actually, that line of though raised another point. Nobles aren't, as most people seem to think, totally worthless to the dwarves. Nobles are those who are most resistant to the will of this sometimes-capricious deity that looks over them all! I mean, we the "Spirits of the Fortresses" as I somewhere heard the player described as can influence nobles the least of everyone, and soldiers the most, and clearly that must be worth something. I mean, most of us consider dwarves who happen to like cats for their aloofness to be second-class citizens, at best, due to their vulnerabliity to... psychic... assault...

Holy crap, guys! We're cats! What else has the power to influence dwarves minds so?! 

[Graven]

Hell yeah it's communist! At least when I play, it is.

 No rotten capitalist pig-ish market economies (barter trade! *fistpump*), taxes (zero rent!), profit (the fruits of your labour, DWARF, are to be distributed evenly among the populace. Yes, even the berserking fits and tantrums. You'll be hitting everyone equally or I will intervene personally!) and whatever else I can remember from last year's microeconomy courses. And, of course, the general principle "From everyone according to their potential, for everyone according to their needs!". And yeah, I know it doesn't really sound like that in English, but it's the best I can do right now.

Ok, it sounds more sociallist, come to think of it. Though the kings get a free pass, just cause they're so damn rare.

And spirit of the fortress? I like to think of myself as an Overseer - kind of a manager to the company's owners (the king/nobles). Sure they technically own the place I've built for them, but it's often better for the company if the owners change, rather than the manager. Or at least that's what my ancient professor in management liked to say. I think. Oh, and thought reading? A good manager should always know what his underlings think!

[Demetrious]

Nah, fascism involves a collaboration between corporate entities and the state entity working toward improving the "nation".  Dwarf Fortress nobles are too medieval in their demands.  Of course, you could always envision Goering and Himmler as DF nobles, where Goering would keep mandating *leather skirt*s.

Hermann Goering has mandated the construction of certain items!

Me-262 [50/200]
Fw-190-D9 [128/650]


A vile force of Communism has arrived!

Your Reich has crumbled to it's end.

[Flying Carcass]

Who saw the political discussion coming? /raise hand   

I dunno, dwarven society could also be seen as mercantalism in that the the home country, the mountainhomes, sends out settlers to acquire raw materials and produce goods. The mountainhomes then imports those goods. Of course, the dwarven colonies are more akin to a North American style colony than a South American in that the dwarves seek to recreate the comforts of the mountainhomes in a permanent colony and recreate its social stuff rather than simply exploiting the land with the intention of returning to the mountainhomes once the land has no more to offer.

[quinnr]

I think you're more of a god-like figure that can affect their lives directly. I mean, you can read their thoughts, influence them to create unescessary contructions that may or not be used to cause their ultimate doom, and eventualy create an avatar for yourself in their world.

Look at one of your dead adventurer's story in legends, it'll say he was "guided by unknown forces" or something like that.

Something along the lines of: Although accounts may vary, it is universely assumed he/she was guided by unknown forces.

Or TOURTURE the thoughts out of them with no negative affects.

[eerr]

This paper talks about the problems of size.
Mostly about how biologists generally ignore it when classifying animals.
But also goes forth to make the analogy of imagining a communist USA is like an elephant turning somersaults.

http://irl.cs.ucla.edu/papers/right-size.html

[melkorp]

The "system" at work in DF, whatever "ism" you want to call it (ASCTHEIISM?) definitely feels, to me, inherently divided into two phases: the Good Old Days (Bolshy, idyllic, wild)  and the Occupation (Fascist, dystopian, civilized). 

It's like you're recreating Deadwood everytime you play: if you succeed at getting the $$ to flow back towards your civilization, Hearst comes into camp and promptly has a certain legendary miner killed..

I think the nobility should be fascist!  Primae Noctis!  Mandates for Dwarven Bone Furniture!  They should generally grow so heinous and  intolerable that the army or the most put-upon tradesguild starts Dabbling in Conspiracy or Assassination.  Violent revolt, secret societies, fortresses awash in the blood of overthrown despots or failed revolutionaries, decapitating the government from within while fending off seiges from without: these things would be Dwarven and Fun.   

[Graven]

Screw this, assassination needs to be a state after a failed mood - Dwarf cancels make artefact : Assassinating King!

Then the dwarf becomes transparent, unable to be seen in the unit list, and creeps toward a chosen noble with an obsidian dagger in hand. Or the legendary armoursmith. You know, whatever chance decides.

[Urist McCyrilin]

Personally I rule my Dwarves with the power of fascism. It works.

[melkorp]

Yeah, the dwarven civilization is definately a... deocracy? Rule by deity?

I mean, they all are answerable to a large extent to an unknowable, exceedingly powerful, entity that can apparently control the minds of most dwarves...

Holy crap, guys! We're cats! 

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding!

[Laskuraska]

Holy crap, guys! We're cats!

Meow! Resistance is futile!  http://www.rathergood.com/laibach