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[MonkeyHead]

Hell, my brain doesnt function without sugar drinks and caffine drinks, and I am but a humble Physicist 

I have the luck to be so caffeine-sensitive that one cup of tea will send me roaring into hyper-focus, but yeah, I do eat a hell of a lot of sugar.

(Love your avatar, by the way)

In my youth I too had caffine sensetivity - useful as a legal stimulant before sports. It semi abuse in academia has blunted its effects, and everyone I know can tell when I have not had any. As for the avatar, its off a t-shirt... link to good old geek humour section: http://shop.cafepress.co.uk/geek-humor. I have more than a few of my own for wearing to work, as some kind of badge.

[Jake]

Well, that's considerably increased the amount I intend to donate. Though I'm seriously considering just driving to Toady's apartment towing a U-Haul trailer full of food. I'll even buy him a microwave and a hotplate for his bedroom so he can keep working while he cooks if that'll help.

[Melagius]

Toady did meth and still went on to make one of the best video games ever made?

Legend.

[Itnetlolor]

Awesome article. Makes me want to play the game again.

Also, whenever one of my clients really pays off for me (and I know it will), I'll be donating a very generous amount to Toady, I've been overdue for doing that for far too long, and I want to make up for it soon.

EDIT:
↓: One of the many reasons I switched to becoming a freelancer (Graphic Design, at least). I get a project in mind (within any field/genre), and proper funding myself, I can do that, or at least have it as an option. It is indeed an awesome dream to reach for. More power to Toady for having accomplished that himself.

I am oft reminded about the song Hermes Conrad sings in the Futurama episode "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back". Particularly the lyric: "When push comes to shove you gotta do what you love, Even if it's not a good idea!".

[Artzbacher]

Wow. Just wow. Imagine having a project, a creation that is 100% of your own, and being able to spend all your waking time on it. That's like... everyone's dream.

[ImBocaire]

Regarding meth use: Its extremely common among physics majors, too. This will sound silly, but its true; I've never known a 4.0 physics major who did not admit to using meth to the rest of us in the physics lounge, sooner or later.

Biggest users of meth are, of course, rural soccer moms who need to juggle five kids and a career. I've always found that somewhat amusing.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

You know, the more I think about this, the more I am convinced that making Dwarf Fortress was a genius decision on Toady's part. He might have made more money becoming a professor, sure, but how many people are going to remember Professor Adams, even if he makes an astounding mathematical discovery or two? No, Toady stuck to his ambition, and even though it started small, Dwarf Fortress just got an article in the New York Times and is going to be in an exhibit for the fucking Museum of Modern Art. Holy hell. Toady has more recognition and admiration right now then he ever would have had in a standard mathematics career.

[BloodBeard]

Like alot of others i've come away with mixed feelings after reading it. I might so far as compare Tarn and his life/legacy to that of a game developer version of Vincent Van Gogh. By your own prejudice you feel sorry for him and that he deserves a more stable, comfortable environment but at the same time be happy for him because he's living his dream and doing what he loves most.

I know firsthand how this kind of lifestyle makes you happy, but I also know firsthand how depressed it can make you feel. There are homeless people who prefer being homeless, but that doesn't make it the most healthy lifestyle for them. I don't know Tarn personally and have no right to tell him what's best for him, I just hope that he is truely content with how things are and is not living in bare minimal conditions just to not be a conceited hypocrite. Most particularly because of the paralelle of his life to Van Gogh and how that turned out.

[Jurph]

FYI, the article just hit the front page of bOING-bOING so we should expect to see some curious new players showing up over the weekend.  We might want to create a "if you got here reading the NYTimes article, here's the Wiki and here's your life jacket" thread...

[Alluvian_Est-Endrati]

Very cool article. Time to share it around some more.

[KaelGotDwarves]

You know, the more I think about this, the more I am convinced that making Dwarf Fortress was a genius decision on Toady's part. He might have made more money becoming a professor, sure, but how many people are going to remember Professor Adams, even if he makes an astounding mathematical discovery or two? No, Toady stuck to his ambition, and even though it started small, Dwarf Fortress just got an article in the New York Times and is going to be in an exhibit for the fucking Museum of Modern Art. Holy hell. Toady has more recognition and admiration right now then he ever would have had in a standard mathematics career.

 think that's what the article is truly about - some guys who decided to follow a dream, the dream of the "After nine years of development, Dwarf Fortress is, from the perspective of game play, perhaps the most complex video game ever made" - the game they always wanted to make and play. And the two of them are doing it on their own terms.

The writer is obviously in the know too.

Back on SA ages ago, and I've seen the metaphor used to compare Toady to the dwarves with fey moods. Dwarf Fortress is his artifact and legacy, and the object of what some described as somewhat obsessive behavior. Who really cares though? I do, enough to stick around after a bunch of years and support DF through various means, although only monetary a few times.

I do not even play DF much nowadays, but I'm just watching as it works its way up to craftsdwarfship of the highest quality. We're lucky it was not a fell mood.

[Solifuge]

-snip-

I have a serious problem with this kind of view, as i encounter it in alot of other places as well about other topics.
-snip-
To mourn about someone not being "successful" in terms of recognition and money implies that art is only valuable when it a) pays off or b) is adapted by a lot of people. Or that whenever you pop champagne and hot ladies in your 400m2 Villa you "made" it. I detest that kind of view to the deepest.

I'd like to say that you've misinterpreted what I was saying by throwing some preconceived notions in there. My wish is not for Tarn to be showered in hot ladies and champagne, with a lot full of fancy cars with enlarged rims and lowered suspensions. I'd like him to be able to eat 3 square meals a day, and take care of his brother or himself in the event that some medical problem or other emergency happened (since this project is the source of livelihood for the two of them).

Like alot of others i've come away with mixed feelings after reading it. I might so far as compare Tarn and his life/legacy to that of a game developer version of Vincent Van Gogh. By your own prejudice you feel sorry for him and that he deserves a more stable, comfortable environment but at the same time be happy for him because he's living his dream and doing what he loves most.

I know firsthand how this kind of lifestyle makes you happy, but I also know firsthand how depressed it can make you feel. There are homeless people who prefer being homeless, but that doesn't make it the most healthy lifestyle for them. I don't know Tarn personally and have no right to tell him what's best for him, I just hope that he is truely content with how things are and is not living in bare minimal conditions just to not be a conceited hypocrite. Most particularly because of the paralelle of his life to Van Gogh and how that turned out.

Your stance is very close to mine; that this project has grown so much, and reached so many people, is a testament to how special it is. I know it's got to be a good feeling being the guy at the head of such a thing, steering it along. I just hope he's able to do all the things he wants to do in life, and is provided for well enough that he can live a long and fruitful one, rather than burning himself out like so many candles that burned at both ends.

[shadow_archmagi]

Yeah, it was sort of depressing to learn that Toady lives in a hole and drinks nothing but soda. Still, it's amazing to see just how much he's invested into this, and I'm glad that the reporter knew what they were talking about and understood what made the game special, but was still able to explain it in a way that non-gamers might find satisfying.

[iceball3]

Yeah, it was sort of depressing to learn that Toady lives in a hole and drinks nothing but soda.

Why so? It's how he lives life to the fullest, isn't it? Might as well let people find the greatest joy in anything that doesn't rear harm to others, no?

[Dutchling]

Great article. Thanks for the link.
@iceball. Read BloodBeards van Gogh post. That'll explain.