If EA got the rights, I'd never update again.
Weep, too. I'd definitely weep.
Then I'd probably rename elves to EA grunts and learn to play adventure mode.
Your summary sounds about right though, especially the part where you end with gold armor. Does it make sense? No. Would EA do it? Oh yeah.
If EA got the rights and you didn't update, and kept playing the old one, they'd probably sue you for piracy. $20,000 for every stone you mined after acquisition.
They cannot, they are not allowed to:
*** COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ****************************
Copyright (c) 2002-2011. All rights are retained by Tarn Adams, save the following: you may redistribute the binary and accompanying files, unmodified, provided you do so free of charge. If you'd like to distribute a modified version of the game or portion of the archive and are worried about copyright infringement, please contact Tarn Adams at toadyone@bay12games.com.
This software is still in development, and this means that there are going to be problems, including serious problems that, however unlikely, might damage your system or the information stored on it. Please be aware of this before playing.
The underlined part of this quote is a right that Toady has given up, and as such, cannot take back except as part of a new license agreement -- one that has to be part of a new download.
We are downloading Dwarf Fortress under this software license, and as such, it cannot be rescinded. If they make their own version, and start releasing it under a new license, only
their version will be under the new license. We would be entitled to continue distributing these versions of Dwarf Fortress amongst ourselves and with others provided we include everything as-is. EA wouldn't be able to say shit about it. Toady would likely have to stop distribution on his end as part of a non-compete clause though.