[PC] Dwarf Fortress: Too Awesome for Graphics

Dwarf Fortress is a freeware roguelike/strategy game that's the most graphic thing without graphics that I've ever played. The game procedurally generates a unique world when you first install the game, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes. With that generation comes landmarks, history, cultures, etc.. Following the generation of the world you choose to play either Dwarf Fortress or Adventure mode.

Dwarf Fortress mode is the strategy game in which you start out with a small band of dwarves, choose a location in the world to start building, and then start assigning tasks, gathering materials, and expanding your fortress while on the lookout for things like goblin raids. The game does a good job of just throwing you into it without much of a tutorial, but thankfully people have written a lot of good introductory guides on the Dwarf Fortress Wiki.

Adventure Mode is the roguelike portion of the game. You pick a race and either select "Play now," which starts you naked, skill-less, and in a random location, or you choose a starting region and a few starting skills. After that you're free to roam your world as you please. There is no main quest, but you can do anything from help mayors of random towns to laying siege to any settlement you come across. It's in this mode where the graphic descriptions of combat comes in, from breaking brains to limbs flying off in bloody arcs. It's wholesome fun that the entire family can enjoy!

The game requires a good computer; I'm on an AthlonXP 2.2GHz and it has to pause and load frequently.

The latest game can be downloaded from the Bay 12 Games Website.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'm a sucker for roguelikes, thanks for the tip. So... you can break brains eh? Most interesting.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Oh, Dwarf Fortress, where have you been all my life?

I really like the game, even though it's incredibly taxing on my computer. That seems shocking for an ASCII game, but it's understandable when you take a look at its sheer size. The world creation took two tries (first attempt failed because of a lack of available memory) and about three hours, but it was still enjoyable to watch. The generation of names, legends and historical figures is completely arbitrary, but it gives each world a very unique feel that no one else will ever experience. My world is Zilirsil, the Eternal Plane.

The only Roguelike I've ever enjoyed was Shiren the Wanderer and I've never played any older ones like Rogue, so this has been taking some time to get used to. I started Adventure Mode so that I could figure the graphics out before I jumped into Dwarf Fortress itself. I made a Dwarf with an emphasis in swords, armor and shields, and made his name to translate as "Mistycastle, the Ancient of Shields" in dwarfish.

I've spent two hours exploring the world (I went into Travel Mode, but it's very taxing on my computer when I do that), setting fire to various shrubberies and looking for civilization of some kind. I found one NPC out in the middle of nowhere, but he confusedly declined my offer to join me. He told me the capital was far to the south, but rivers have been blocking my goddamn path. Speaking of, I love how they "animated" the rivers. I was ambushed by a bear at one point, and I proceeded to eviscerate it slowly.

Great find, Taco.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'd love to see the bugfix reports for this sucker. Nethack is constantly riddled with bugs owing to the fact that you can pretty much do anything in that game, leading to a lot of unforseen glitches. A game as apparently as complex as this must be a nightmare to maintain. I'll have to give it a try when I get home, if my aging rig can handle it.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Quote:

The world creation took two tries (first attempt failed because of a lack of available memory) and about three hours, but it was still enjoyable to watch.

Man, are you going to be pissed when you find out you can download a pre-generated world to keep your computer from going haywire.

Anyway I played the adventurer version but got sick of it really quickly. It was fun while it lasted, but I didn't like how there was like four goals but they change the names every time you ask.

So I'm playing fortress mode. Shit's so cash. My dwarves are admiring the doors, but are kind of pissed that the barracks are so close to the workrooms. I'm going to move the workrooms a z-level or two, I think.

My spot is pretty sweet but I'm kind of worried I'll run out of logs before I run out of uses for them. I didn't realize that in fortress mode, the little 'square' you select is it - you can't go beyond those bounds. All the same though, there's a couple of clusters of opals and some native gold right on the face of the cliffs.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by a lucca

Man, are you going to be pissed when you find out you can download a pre-generated world to keep your computer from going haywire.

Nah, I knew about it before I downloaded the game itself. Like I said, I really enjoy the prospect of having my own unique little world to fiddle with.

I started a Fortress Mode file yesterday, but I was completely lost. I'll have to read more about it in the DFWiki before I try again.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I've always wanted to try out one of these text based games. So I'll try this out sometime this weekend when I get the time.

FELIPE NO

Wasn't aware there was a Mac version. Downloaded, installed, will try it out in an hour or so.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I'm afraid I lack the capacity to get into Dwarf Fortress, but it really warms my heart that the game exists.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

While you're at it, for an entertaining read, here is the saga of Boatmurdered. An excellent primer on how NOT to play Dwarf Fortress, as well as a bonus bit of insight into why government sucks.

There's nowhere I can't reach.