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[G-Flex]

Just play the older versions if you truely are encountering that many problems. As an in-development game (i'm avoiding the term alpha for a reason, you are definately correct, Apollonin), it DOES have issues. Toady has already released TWO bugfix versions in quick succession, and I doubt any bugs that still persist will last another month.

A month? Seriously? Maybe for the major bugs, crashes, etc., but I can almost guarantee you that there will be some very serious lingering issues at that point. This isn't to disparage the work being done; I just think a month is an extremely unrealistic estimation.

The concern isn't that the major bugs won't be fixed, really, in my opinion; it's that the other serious issues will linger and accumulate as Toady adds new content. I don't think this will necessarily happen, but it's what I'm concerned about.

[Asmodeous]

There's really only one bug currently stopping me from playing that will be fixed once he gets 31.04 out, and that's the fish bug.

No shells have caused each of my attempted fortresses to die horribly.

I would also like him to fix the ineffective weapons and training issues, but those I can surmount without modding raws (because I prefer to not do so).

[Kza]

Just play the older versions if you truely are encountering that many problems. As an in-development game (i'm avoiding the term alpha for a reason, you are definately correct, Apollonin), it DOES have issues. Toady has already released TWO bugfix versions in quick succession, and I doubt any bugs that still persist will last another month.

A month? Seriously? Maybe for the major bugs, crashes, etc., but I can almost guarantee you that there will be some very serious lingering issues at that point. This isn't to disparage the work being done; I just think a month is an extremely unrealistic estimation.

I just pulled a random time period out of my bum. I have no idea how long it'll take. There's been a lot of people implying that Toady is lazy, when that is not the case. Of course, I agree, 1 month is a tad unreal.

[Boingboingsplat]

Yeah, the release is buggy, I don't see why people are complaining about it.

The bugs are going to get fixed whether or not you complain about them, just report any bugs you encounter, wait for them to be fixed, and go with the flow.

[Coidzure Dreams]

On the bright side, it's not a Lovecraft to fans.

[Megabass]

On the bright side, it's not a Lovecraft to fans.

I dunno, man. I've seen things in the depths that'll turn you white.

[FreakyCheeseMan]

See, maybe this is the fact that I'm a programmer at heart, but I look at this release, I don't see a slightly improved, highly buggy version- I see a systemic rewrite with incredibly, barely-developed potential.

The new things Toady has done, particularly with syndromes, materials, hospitals and the underground, add... well, a not insignificant amount to the game, if we think of them only as what they are now.

However, each of these provide new foundations for *much* more interesting stuff to come... I suspect that after the bugs from this release get handled, we'll see a slough of new material over a relatively short period. I'm talking infectious diseases, poison weapons, imported medical supplies, amazing combat, underground ruins of old civilizations, the occasional accidentally-mined-into tomb of undead or plague pit, rabid dwarves...

[Misterstone]

^This is why I feel most of the complainers are being selfish and short sighted.  It's as if they can't imagine anything except the game as it used to be, but they think they're enough of an expert on that, that they have the right to criticize important development goals as unnecessary or a step backwards because they mess up their precious previous alpha version.

[Urist McDepravity]

TL;DR;
I, for one, enjoy these new challenges. 40d got too stable and easy. To the point of being not dwarfish enough.
There is no universal and unbeatable defence anymore, and thats great. Right now i am figuring a way to get rid of damn toad which spreads paralyzing goo around, for example. Before i would just chop it in pieces and dont care, but now i also need to do it cleanly, not letting it contaminate anything.
As long as there is *some* solution to the problem, its all good.

[Surma]

Apolloin, just wanted to clarify two points: specifically 1a and 2a.

On 1a, you may be correct in that the terms Alpha and Beta, when referring to game development, have little in common with what Dwarf Fortress has become over the last several years. However, Dwarf Fortress is still a game and should be treated as such.

2a:
Evidently the Great Toad disagrees 

To the complainers of the new features: They'll probably stick around for a while. They even might begin working as intended soon, so we may as well start getting used to using them

[Cardinal]

See, maybe this is the fact that I'm a programmer at heart, but I look at this release, I don't see a slightly improved, highly buggy version- I see a systemic rewrite with incredibly, barely-developed potential.

this++

[Neyvn]

It's even worse when there is no official testing team to try and find all of them before it's released to the public(as developers are likely to miss a lot due to unexepected playstyles).

In all technicallity... We are the bug testers. An Open Alpha/Beta is given to the Public to play and test for the Developer without the Developer paying them for the testing they do. In fact, we end up paying them with all the Donations that the community Pumps into Toady's Bank account...

Just a 10 Page late response cause to was late in the night when I first saw this thread anew...

[Jintor]

I sure hope ya'll be knowing that a lot of what Toady's done this release looks to be more like groundwork for later releases...

[Asmodeous]

Would just like to say...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0


Seriously people.

[Hydra]

See, maybe this is the fact that I'm a programmer at heart, but I look at this release, I don't see a slightly improved, highly buggy version- I see a systemic rewrite with incredibly, barely-developed potential.

Well, as a programmer you would know that it's generally not wise to bite off more than you can chew, and I think that is something Toady typically does. Don't get me wrong; I'm a HUGE fan of his and if Dwarf Fortress would be a flawless game I'd probably die because I would not go outside anymore, but I think stuff would go a lot more smoother if he released in smaller increments, finished the stuff he was working on (first military, then cave systems, etc.), and then moved on he would probably have more fun developing and we would have more fun playing.