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[Suihanki]

For example a dwarf digs a mine shaft that probably isn't much taller than the dwarf, how the fuck are you supposed to show a dragon or anything else large like that invading your tunnels?

Since size would matter in this case, I imagine the dragon just sticking it's head into your tunnel and breathing fire into your fort, or waiting outside.

To hit on the main subject, I don't think DF as it is will ever be 3D compatible, outside of what Stonesense can show us. Having visualizers like that are awesome, however.

A 3D game that is 99% of the dwarf fortress experience can be made though. It's just that no one's done it. They're probably too busy playing Dwarf Fortress, or something.

[Zaphod]

Some of this was tl;dr.

I often think about how cool df would be to play with full rendered 3d graphics. But it simply an impossibility with the mechanics of the game.
I remeber toady saying once some where that in a distant future he wouldn't be apposed to a graphics upgrade, but as it stands he has no plans for adding that to the games to do list, and probably wont for a long time.

[Urist_McArathos]

I think the best reason given was the fact that the more complex the graphics, the slower the updates.  I -love- the content and depth Toady is putting into this game, and it's clear that managing the simple tile-based 2D world as it is already is a monstrous undertaking with a lot of room for things to go wrong.  With only one man doing the entire job, the last thing DF needs is more hurdles to updates and completion.

Personally, I've grown rather fond of the old-school graphics, both the pure ASCII and the 2D sprite packs.  I like that it allows me to use my imagination to see the game, and that we as a community can write some incredible stories to fill in the gaps where the crude animations end.  I'd be content with a slightly more sophisticated graphic system, sort of like what we see in stonesense: workshops look like workshops, grass grows on the ground, etc.  It doesn't even need to be isometric (though that's a cool feature for just viewing a fort in 3D, I prefer the top-down view for actually playing the game).  If this game wound up looking half as good as an old school SNES RPG like the old Final Fantasy games, I'd be overjoyed beyond belief.  I don't think I'd want it to go any further, to be honest.

We're all probably blue-skying anyway; without a serious change of attitude on this being a solo project, the game isn't changing appearance any time soon

[Mugros]

Some of this was tl;dr.

I often think about how cool df would be to play with full rendered 3d graphics. But it simply an impossibility with the mechanics of the game.

Why? I don't see any mechanic that would prevent 3D graphics.

[DStecks]

There'll be 3D graphics in Dwarf Fortress 2.

[kopout]

There'll be 3D graphics in Dwarf Fortress 2.

And i'm sure my grandson will appreciate them. But until that far distant date I',m god with the ascii.

[CerealGuns]

There'll be 3D graphics in Dwarf Fortress 2.

Dwarf Fortress 2?

Are you implying that the final version of Dwarf Fortress 1 won't do everything the human mind can conceive of? 

[kotekzot]

Some of this was tl;dr.

I often think about how cool df would be to play with full rendered 3d graphics. But it simply an impossibility with the mechanics of the game.

Why? I don't see any mechanic that would prevent 3D graphics.

I'm having a hard time imagining a faithful rendition of DF battles in 3D without sacrificing complexity and/or it looking ridiculous.

[zx.pr0jk#]

Stonesense and multithreading would be good enough for me.

But not to the exclusion of skyview. Skyview is much easier to work with than isometric for large projects. Isometric and 3d are pretty to look at, and certainly add to the reward of seeing a design come together though. That's why I build complex things, then run Stonesense for a little while and look at it from that angle. It's just nice to watch the water/lava ripple as everyone runs around.

[Triaxx2]

space-taking issues of quantum dump

Only in Dwarf Fortress does taking a Quantum Dump provoke no reaction.

[Mugros]

I'm having a hard time imagining a faithful rendition of DF battles in 3D without sacrificing complexity and/or it looking ridiculous.

What complexity? The graphics are now anything else but complex. Just simple tiles without any additional effects. It can only gain complexity.
Or do you say that the game has to lose complexity? I don't see why.
Of course, there need to be put a lot of effort to make it work in 3D.
As i said, i don't mind 2D. And i would prefer it for DF over 3D, because there is so much to keep track off and this would be easier to manage in 2D. But it lacks the 3rd dimension. Isometric view would be kind of an in-between.

[shadowclasper]

Honestly I'm fine with him keeping it the way he's kept it until he gets out of beta then maybe buys one of the more popular graphics sets from one of the group (or hell, technically one could argue he might already own them since we're all just supporting HIS game... not sure about the legality of that... either way)

Honestly, I just want the UI improved... if he could find a way to make the UI modular like he's done with the graphics that would be amazing o-o; and save EVERYONE a massive headache ><

[Naz]

I'm just fine with the graphics as they are. I'm not fond of the ASCII so I use the may green pack. That's what I love about this game though. Toady puts an ungodly amount of time into adding actual content instead of making realistic blood and tits which, while nice, doesn't lead to alot of replayability. Also he knows that as a group we're creative enough to either use our imaginations to fill in the blanks or make our own graphics. If I had to make any suggestions at all for areas of improvement it would simply be support for multicore systems so I can use my beast of a computer to built some gigantic, golden affront to god on my map and still maintain a decent frame rate.