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[Darktongue Breakbone]

I use mainstream lightly, cause I know DF doesn't fit in with Call of Duty and Halo.

But as far as sub-popular if not sub-par games, DF is kind of a cross between Dungeon Keeper and CaesarIII/Pharoah.

What does y'all think?

[Rex_Nex]

Dungeon Keeper/Warcraft (1-3)/Age of Mythology

[Deathworks]

Hi!

My vote goes to SimCity. Dwarf Fortress probably is already all Maxis originally hoped for with a little bit of fantasy brutality added to spice things up. SimCity Societies had the potential to bring SimCity a bit closer to the quality of Dwarf Fortress, but in exchange for the psychology features, they stripped the surprise factor, making it a relatively boring experience.

Deathworks

P.S.: I missed the time frame when Dungeon Keeper was in my local stores, and it is not available on my favorite download shops (T_T)

[Dave Mongoose]

Settlers 2/3 for the detailed resource system: different types of workshop that rely on each other.

Dungeon Keeper

because it has a very similar layout (tiles of rock/floor/magma), and because you manage units and build traps to fight off invaders.

A hint of The Sims, when it comes to making sure your dwarves are happy with their legendary dining rooms, etc.

Stronghold, for the defending against invaders thing... plus fortifications and siege weapons.

Maybe even something like rollercoaster tycoon, when it comes to things like mega projects. Creativity overcoming practicality.

And some kind of fantasy RPG in there for the various weapon types and materials... Neverwinter Nights or Baldur's Gate or Dragon Age.

Nothing really compares to Dwarf Fortress as a whole, and even in parts I can't think of anything with the detail of DF's world gen or its wounds system.

Edit: Actually, Subversion (by Introversion Software, not yet released) has a city generator that's a little like DF world gen... which also reminded me that Darwinia (also by Introversion) is a bit like DF in that you indirectly guide tiny beings who can't take care of themselves.

[Leesin]

Dungeon keeper 1 + 2 were awesome games  . I'd say it was a cross between Dungeon Keeper, The Settlers ( the earlier games, notably III which was my favourite ), and probably Cultures ( another strategy sim like Settlers/Dungeon Keeper, but was very personal with each member of your town, though that is where the similiarities end, because the rest of the game is quite, meh )

[Hyndis]

Dungeon Keeper and Evil Genius.


Dungeon Keeper, Evil Genius, and Dwarf Fortress really are the only 3 games in this entire genre.

[Firehound]

a lot like settlers seven... if it were any more like it, Toady would probably be collecting royalties from em. Of course DF actually has a functioning military that requires a little more strategy then 'spam cannons and horsemen'

[Dave Mongoose]

Dungeon Keeper and Evil Genius.


Dungeon Keeper, Evil Genius, and Dwarf Fortress really are the only 3 games in this entire genre.

The Wheel of Time had a multiplayer game mode that was quite similar - like capture the flag except you laid out traps and guards to defend your base.

[Mr Doctor]

Gameplay wise... abit of Dungeon Keeper, Settlers, Evil Genius and all that.

It feels like the dwarves of Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura and Dwarf Fortress are similar to eachother.
They are similar in the following ways:
-Every single dwarf has a beard, and in Arcanum a dwarf would sooner kill himself than remove his beard.
-Hate Elves, because where Elves in Arcanum are innately magical, all dwarves dislike magic (Every single spell costs twice as much fatigue to cast for a dwarf.), they don't exactly kill eachother... but they just simply dislike each other (Which causes fun dialogue to happen when you enter the Wheel Clan as an Elf and they act as if they would sooner kill you than let you roam about there, and when asking about the dwarven philosophy of the Stone and the Shape their current King severely doubts your ability to understand it because you're an Elf, , also, their former King apparently had an axe that did +Damage towards Elves)
-Living in fortresses built into the mountain, and what the shit the home of the Wheel Clan is confusing due to its large size.
-Dangerous mines, the Wheel Clan has cordoned off an entire mining area it used to have due to golems, golems, golems and granite rats, going down there equals death in most cases.
-All dwarves enjoy feats of engineering and building technological things.
-They also enjoy alcohol, plenty of it.
Also, the dwarven god in Arcanum can bestow a blessing of strength upon you if you sacrifice some lava rock to him.

Note that you can be a Dwarf in it as well, I just haven't tried it (Too busy being a pesky human with some fancy Electro-Platemail, a Chapeau Of Magnetic Inversion, Hand Cannon and sometimes Bronwyck's Gun)

[Rex_Nex]

May I also suggest the similarities between DF and The Incredible Machine

[Mfbrew]

This isn't the right board for it, but adventure mode is a lot like ultima games without the plot- how you can wander around talking to people with lots of free choices, exploring the world, looting houses, and randomly killing people.

I realize that's the case in many crpgs/wrpgs, but like Ultima it's easy to grind/cheat up in about 1-2 hrs to a point where you can pretty much kill entire towns... And still get your butt randomly kicked by a lucky shot.

If you look at DF as a whole- as a world builder with several different games to play in that world - it's entirely without peer.

[LordSlowpoke]

That SimCity 3000 mod that gave you about two thousand percent more natural disasters.

[Lord Darkstar]

Dwarf Fortress is like Dungeon Keeper, Evil Genius, Startopia, and the first or second Settlers.

• Dungeon Keeper: Designing your dungeon/fortress, looking after your individual members needs, training up your fighters.
• Evil Genius: DK with Traps, traps, and more traps. However clever you could be in setting up your base and trapping it, it allowed.
• Startopia: Advanced DK with trading and planting/farming/harvesting and processing that into useful products
• earliest Settlers: fantasy base builder with industry cycles (forestry plants tree, lumberjack chops down tree, haulers take log to sawmill, sawmill cuts log into lumber, lumber goes to storage until needed for construction or other industry inputs)

[zecro]

I want to say it's like Touhou, except with Dwarves, Elves, and Goblins instead of girls in bonnets.

Maybe the analogy doesn't quite work...

[Hyndis]

Dwarf Fortress is like Dungeon Keeper, Evil Genius, Startopia, and the first or second Settlers.

• Dungeon Keeper: Designing your dungeon/fortress, looking after your individual members needs, training up your fighters.
• Evil Genius: DK with Traps, traps, and more traps. However clever you could be in setting up your base and trapping it, it allowed.
• Startopia: Advanced DK with trading and planting/farming/harvesting and processing that into useful products
• earliest Settlers: fantasy base builder with industry cycles (forestry plants tree, lumberjack chops down tree, haulers take log to sawmill, sawmill cuts log into lumber, lumber goes to storage until needed for construction or other industry inputs)

Evil Genius allowed some hilarious traps to be made. Best part of the game. EG's traps were on par with DF's in terms of complexity and originality. Lethal traps were no fun because they were so simple. The non-lethal traps were great fun. Like my round windtunnel, kept intruders flying around in circles until the end of time. Or the sleeping gas maze. A huge number of doors that lead nowhere, with gas traps in each tiny room spewing gas to knock them out, so they just sleep away, forever.