Dwarf Fortress Strategies

[Boris Yakinstov]

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW EVER.
http://df.magmawiki.com
I've been using it since I started, and it tells you how to do pretty much everything. There are some links on the front page as to how to get started.

 

[Cowabungaa]

I find fortresses quite easy to start really. Just dig in a hill, there's usually sand or clay soil there to plant some purple shrooms, and always bring enough food to last for a while in case you don't get any harvests. And you can always start up some outdoor farms if you really have no place to farm.

How dehydration occurs is a mystery to me, if booze runs out they just get a few sips at the river or a well. Sure it doesn't make them happier, but at least they're alive. And as I always keep them busy (I just started my first tutorial-less fortress, almost constantly 0 idlers) they never really tantrum either. No time for it.

Last but not least, if you want to illustrate Dwarf Fortress, this saga does it a lot better than that (hilarious, and correct) picture:

Yes, this game is that epic.

They think a tileset will make it easier to learn the game. I don't think this is true.

Speaking from someone who tried it without one before, and a while later with I wholeheartedly agree with it, actually. I did find a lot easier to learn, not in the way of mechanics (because they don't change) but because I could actually freakin' see what was going on.

This game needs proper graphics engine, control input method and UI to reach to the masses like Minecraft did.

It can't, honestly. The game is just too damned complex for it, your computer would go bust. Sure, Minecraft is huge and open, but it's nowhere near as deep mechanics-wise as DF is. Though mouse control would make things a lot better, just that.

 

[Nevyrmoore]

For those complaining that the Utterly Newbie tutorial doesn't help, there's a YouTube user called captnduck who has a video series of the game, and he's uploaded a short guide on the new features of the 2010 version.

 

[Internet Kraken]

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there.

Dwarf Fortress is indeed a (wonderful) bloated glitch-fest, but tile-sets do make a difference. The game doesn't just look bad; it looks ****ing HORRIBLE. All ASCII graphics is an ambitious undertaking, but it wasn't one I was prepared to put my eyes through in order to enjoy the game.

Then I found out about tile-sets, started using Mayday's one, and the game became much more enjoyable.

Dwarf Fortress looks fucking horrible no matter what tileset you apply to it. Mayday makes it worse since everything is an over detailed mess. ASCII graphics don't actually look bad, they're just primitive. At least with ASCII I can actually tell what is going on with a quick glance. Compare that to Mayday's where everything is so detailed that it just looks like a jumbled mess.

They think a tileset will make it easier to learn the game. I don't think this is true.

Speaking from someone who tried it without one before, and a while later with I wholeheartedly agree with it, actually. I did find a lot easier to learn, not in the way of mechanics (because they don't change) but because I could actually freakin' see what was going on.

I first played Dwarf Fortress with the Mayday tileset. I couldn't understand what the fuck was going on. It did not help me learn to play the game. And when I tried using the wiki, the fact that everything was in the standard ASCII tileset just made me more confused.

I fail to see how an over detailed, ugly tile set somehow makes it easier to learn the game. Especially when everything on the wiki is in standard ASCII.

This game needs proper graphics engine, control input method and UI to reach to the masses like Minecraft did.

Dwarf Fortress is way to complex for graphics even on the level of Minecraft. Honestly, if you can't get past the graphics in DF then it's just not the type of game for you. There's nothing wrong with that though, so don't take it as an insult.

 

[Spacewolf]

out of curiosity what does the legacy download link go to in the dwarf fortress download section? and for some reason a section of cavern collapsed as soon as i started my fortress so hopefully whatever was down there will be wounded except so much is collapsing it wont stop pausing the game to tell me

 

[Cowabungaa]

I fail to see how an over detailed, ugly tile set somehow makes it easier to learn the game. Especially when everything on the wiki is in standard ASCII.

Maybe I'm using a different tileset, but I don't find it over-detailed at all. I just like it when a goblin is, you know, actually a freakin' goblin instead of an arbitrary little sign. A dwarf is a dwarf, a dog is a dog, etc etc. It's all pretty basic. I can hardly call that uglier than random letters and assorted little things. Still ain't that pretty that's for sure, DF will always remain ugly.

I remember the first time I discovered a DF saga, without any graphical tileset. They showed these screenshots, similar to this one [http://rps.net/QS/Images/DW/map2.gif/]. Apparently, epic things happened. No matter how much I squinted and looked at it, I could barely make out what exactly was going on. With the graphical tileset I know what's what, generally. In the blink of an eye I can make out soldiers, nobles, goblins, caravans, dogs, easily differentiate between ores and stones, etc etc etc. I absolutely do not have that with the ACII graphics.

The tileset helps in learning how to play the game in that it skips a very big part of the original game; figuring out what the fuck is what. It was simple to spot a miner; dwarf with a little mining light on his head, stuff like that. Not to mention the increased colour contrast makes things easier as well.

 

[Altorin]

*snip* Oggez Rashas *snip*

that was quite possibly my favorite thing I've ever seen on the internet... just the absurdity of it all

and my old gaming computer that could play oblivion with all of the bells and whistles started to chug a bit when I got over about 80 dwarves... I can only imagine it would have slowed to a crawl after 100... MORE graphical acuity would just make the game entirely unplayable with 20 dwarves..

Maybe if it was entirely redesigned, but then you wouldn't have the emergent gameplay, like that totally amazing Oggez Rasha thing.

 

[Internet Kraken]

Maybe I'm using a different tileset, but I don't find it over-detailed at all. I just like it when a goblin is, you know, actually a freakin' goblin instead of an arbitrary little sign. A dwarf is a dwarf, a dog is a dog, etc etc. It's all pretty basic. I can hardly call that uglier than random letters and assorted little things.

There is no tileset in the game that replaces every single creature with a graphic instead of a letter. If you download or create any mods, you're not going to get that either. If you're playing Dwarf Fortress, you should be used to identifying creatures based on symbols. Part of the game is using your imagination to fill in the gaps. And since tilesets just replace the letter with symbols, it's not like the game is suddenly so much clearer anyways. You just replaced an H with an ugly horse symbol. I fail to see how that somehow makes the game look better.

I remember the first time I discovered a DF saga, without any graphical tileset. They showed this screenshots on which, similar to this one [http://rps.net/QS/Images/DW/map2.gif/]. Apparently, epic things happened. No matter how much I squinted and looked at it, I could barely make out what exactly was going on. With the graphical tileset I know what's what, generally. In the blink of an eye I can make out soldiers, nobles, goblins, caravans, dogs, ores, etc etc etc.

I can do that with the vanilla tileset. Anyone can do that with the vanilla tileset after playing for more than a week. You act like a moving symbol is somehow more advanced than a moving letter.

The tileset helps in learning how to play the game in that it skips a very big part of the original game; figuring out what the fuck is what. Not to mention the increased colour contrast makes things easier as well.

The main difference I've noticed with tilesets is that some creatures are represented by symbols rather than letters. In vanilla DF, all you have to do to identify a creature is use the v key. It is not hard to figure out what something is in vanilla DF. What is hard is to figure out how something functions in relation to the rest of the game, and how to navigate the menus. Tilesets don't help with this. And since everything on the wiki is in vanilla DF rather than a tileset, you're just making things harder on yourself in the long run.

 

[Cowabungaa]

I can do that with the vanilla tileset. Anyone can do that with the vanilla tileset after playing for more than a week. You act like a moving symbol is somehow more advanced than a moving letter.

I've got a ton of games begging to be played. If a game can't draw me in straight away I'm going to pick up another. With the tileset I was able to do just that. I wasn't able to do that with the vanilla graphics.

The main difference I've noticed with tilesets is that some creatures are represented by symbols rather than letters. In vanilla DF, all you have to do to identify a creature is use the v key. It is not hard to figure out what something is in vanilla DF. What is hard is to figure out how something functions in relation to the rest of the game, and how to navigate the menus. Tilesets don't help with this. And since everything on the wiki is in vanilla DF rather than a tileset, you're just making things harder on yourself in the long run.

I know, but I don't like spending too much time on figuring out what's what. I didn't have to do that with the graphical tileset, that's a pretty big threshold taken away. It's not as much hard, it's just incredibly annoying. An annoyance I can get rid of really easily with a tileset. It doesn't as much make it easier to play, but more friendly, more inviting.

As for making things harder for myself, I haven't noticed that as of yet. I use the wiki often, and still haven't encountered any problems. What kind of issues would you be referring to anyway?

 

[Internet Kraken]

-snip-

You know, I was about write another long, winded post about why I don't like tilesets. Then I remembered that the reason I made that post in the first place was to get the sperging over tilesets out my system, yet I'm doing it again anyways.

So my last point is this; I just don't like it when people make new players use tilesets, as it gives the false impression that you need a tileset to enjoy the game.

 

[Cowabungaa]

You know, I was about write another long, winded post about why I don't like tilesets. Then I remembered that the reason I made that post in the first place was to get the sperging over tilesets out my system, yet I'm doing it again anyways.

So my last point is this; I just don't like it when people make new players use tilesets, as it gives the false impression that you need a tileset to enjoy the game.

Some people are so easy to trap. Nah I kid I kid.

But anyway, I think the fact that plenty of people play it just fine without tilesets prove that it can be done.Some people, like me, just prefer it for the sake of laziness or even aesthetic purposes. I know a couple of people who couldn't get passed the ACII graphics, just couldn't be bothered with learning it. Then I showed them a tileset and they did started playing and he enjoyed it immensely. Sure it's not necessary, but heej, thanks to them I introduced someone to the wonderful world that is DF. Ain't that awesome?

And I like to actually watch an actual goblin zipping over the landscape, only to explode in a red cloud covering that bright green undergrowth with bits and pieces. Battles are so much fun to follow like this. Or the slaughter in the river... Carps might be lethal, but pike...oh gods those damned pike!