LITV Presents: Dwarf Fortress

[Lost In The Void]

[HEADING=1]Dwarf Fortress[/HEADING]

Spoiler: Opening Snips

I'm trying a new banner, this one also made by Sporky111
Images taken from Internet Kraken's Lets Play here on the Escapist
Flaming is not cool guys, don't do it
If you read the review, please comment, it lets me know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong
Enjoy the read
I wrote this to "Friday" on repeat. I've never written so fast in my life

Games have evolved greatly in their design in the last generations. Whether or not this has been a smart evolution or not is still hotly contested amongst people. While the AAA market continues this evolution by making games more accessible to the common person, there are those games that cater more to the more advanced gamer crowd. These are the niche games, ones that have a certain target audience and use the less than welcoming game mechanics to offer depth that isn't often matched by the so called 'mainstream games.'

A game found in the latter category is Dwarf Fortress; an indie game project available for free from Bay 12 Games. The game's full name is actually Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress, however its much more commonly called by the former. It is developed mostly by one person, though some aspects were created by a third party. Production started on the game in 2002 while having its first release in 2006.

The game is a 2-D graphic game, with 3-D environments built within it; the interface is text based and the graphics themselves can be charitably described as basic, in this day in age, with the more advanced graphical engines present in most mainstream and indie games, the look of Dwarf Fortress will turn many people off of the game before they even start it. Once started this game does its best to irritate the player right off the start. The User Interface is this game, is not very friendly and could be described as unintuitive, overcomplicated or just plain messy. Add to this some awkward controls and some game logic that only seeks to confuse and the majority of people who experience this game will throw it down and never touch it again.

[IMG_inline caption="If you don't know what this means; you haven't played the game" IMG height=200 IMG width=400]http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/3908/goblins.png[/IMG_inline]​

This initial negativity falls short though, for those who choose to take the plunge into the game and after a few annoying drops into the difficulty curve, will find themselves amazed by the pure depth that Bay 12 has put into the game, whether it be in the combat, the building of the fortress, or even the history that the game follows, the player is bound to find something interesting in this game that keeps them playing for hours on end.

Gameplay is generally started by creating a world; this world will then continue to be used in later fortress playthroughs, adding history in the world, with each fortress that falls, and the events that occurred during that fortress's existence. Once the map is generated, you choose where on the map that your fortress will be built, taking into account whether there is magma, water and many other things that could make or break the fortress once its been built. Finally after this setup, you can begin building a fortress. For beginners and many veterans of this game, this involves digging either underground, or into a side of a mountain, you collect resources and build things like carpentry benches and furnaces to build and refine equipment with these resources and use them either to further your progress in your fortress or sell them to traders for fortress wealth.

Much of the gameplay comes down to micromanagement of the dwarves in your command, an example would be near the beginning when you're just beginning to create the fortress you'll be living in until your untimely demise. While 2-3 of your new dwarves set to mining into the mountain to create the base, others could be logging or hunting animals for food. There will also be those who forage for food. The game amounts to keeping the base well stocked with materials and your dwarves as happy as possible.

This is just the basics of the gameplay though; as you become more experienced in the game, you'll find yourself creating elaborate traps; huge industries within the fortress, managing a basic economy within the fortress and fending off various things that would seek to destroy your fortress and kill its inhabitants off in the most brutal way possible. To see this game in its absolute glory though, one should seek out various Lets Plays of the game, as they can give you a great idea of what can be expected of a playthrough of the game. It is impossible to show the depth of the game without spanning several pages of pure detail and as such its easier to simply encourage 'extra reading' so to speak.

[IMG_inline caption="Its a bit of an uphill battle" IMG height=300 IMG width=300]http://zero.mysidia.org/2rmqi6o.GIF[/IMG_inline]​

Finally one of the game's greatest strengths to some and weakness to others is its difficulty curve. Dwarf Fortress can be unforgiving to the player in the early years and only seeks more punishment for them as it goes on. One can expect goblin raids, Forgotten beasts, weather and all sorts of extra danger for the dwarves as they struggle to survive. The game embraces the idea that 'losing is fun,' and shows it by testing the players from the beginning. While seeming harsh in nature, this idea is more or less a 'tough love' approach, teaching the players to learn from their mistakes and this, if one sticks with the game after a few brutal losses, nearly always proves to be true.


So with a game such as this, how can you decide whether or not it is for you? The easiest way is just to download it and try, the game is free on the Bay 12 site seen here [http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/] and there is a huge mod group that gives multiple tilesets that can improve the graphics slightly, in order to make the game easier to play for some. In short, if you like a challenge, don't mind lower end graphics and want to support the indie game crowd, give this game a try and if you like it, donate to the developer, as thats what the game's development runs on. Dwarf Fortress is a diamond in the rough; its just about digging in to find it, that makes the game worth playing in the long run

Spoiler: Other Reviews by Lost in the Void

[HEADING=2]Games[/HEADING]
Sins of a Solar Empire [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.145037]
Dragon Age: Origins [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.161457]
MX vs ATV: Reflex [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.165581#comment_form]
Mass Effect 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.171506-Lost-in-the-Void-Presents-Mass-Effect-2#comment_form]
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.172605-Lost-in-the-Void-Presents-Knights-of-the-Old-Republic]
The Witcher: Director's Cut [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.206375-LITV-Presents-The-Witcher-Directors-Cut]
Golden Sun: The Lost Ages [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.207308-LITV-Rides-the-Epoch-Golden-Sun-The-Lost-Ages]
Amnesia: The Dark Descent [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.264458-LITVs-10-000th-Post-Review-Amnesia-The-Dark-Descent]


[HEADING=2]First Impression Reviews[/HEADING]

Bulletstorm [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.259669-Bulletstorm-First-Impressions]
Dragon Age 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.269033-LITV-Presents-Dragon-Age-2-First-Impressions#10316738]

[HEADING=2]Satirical Reviews[/HEADING]
The Ice Pick Lobotomy [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.186914-LITV-Presents-The-Icepick-Lobotomy#5696492]

[HEADING=2]Literature Reviews[/HEADING]

Stephen King's Cujo [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.268847-LITV-Reviews-Stephen-Kings-Cujo#10305683]

 

[steeple]

when one puts "dwarf fortress" in the title of a thread, its an obligation to at least reply with a simple "thank you"...

as for the review itself, I felt like it didnt talk enough about the game aspect of the game itself, but rather about the many many (many) functions stuffed in it... if I was unfamilier with the game beforehand, I may have not realy understood what the game actually was...

maybe you could write a small paragraph with an example of the start (like sending 7 dwarfs to the mountains, with 2 digging for stone, another cutting wood or hunting, and explaining a bit how it relates to the basics of the game...

Im not a proffesional critic, but these are my two and a half cents...

oh and once again, thank you mate

 

[Lost In The Void]

when one puts "dwarf fortress" in the title of a thread, its an obligation to at least reply with a simple "thank you"...

as for the review itself, I felt like it didnt talk enough about the game aspect of the game itself, but rather about the many many (many) functions stuffed in it... if I was unfamilier with the game beforehand, I may have not realy understood what the game actually was...

maybe you could write a small paragraph with an example of the start (like sending 7 dwarfs to the mountains, with 2 digging for stone, another cutting wood or hunting, and explaining a bit how it relates to the basics of the game...

Im not a proffesional critic, but these are my two and a half cents...

oh and once again, thank you mate

Thank you I felt like writing about a small game I love with a burning passion; I'm just about to head to college classes for the day, but when I'm back I'll add that paragraph to the review. Its tough to write exactly how this game works, but I'll do my damndest to do it justice.

Thanks again for the critque, I always appreciate it.

EDIT: Added what you suggested.

 

[steeple]

when one puts "dwarf fortress" in the title of a thread, its an obligation to at least reply with a simple "thank you"...

as for the review itself, I felt like it didnt talk enough about the game aspect of the game itself, but rather about the many many (many) functions stuffed in it... if I was unfamilier with the game beforehand, I may have not realy understood what the game actually was...

maybe you could write a small paragraph with an example of the start (like sending 7 dwarfs to the mountains, with 2 digging for stone, another cutting wood or hunting, and explaining a bit how it relates to the basics of the game...

Im not a proffesional critic, but these are my two and a half cents...

oh and once again, thank you mate

Thank you I felt like writing about a small game I love with a burning passion; I'm just about to head to college classes for the day, but when I'm back I'll add that paragraph to the review. Its tough to write exactly how this game works, but I'll do my damndest to do it justice.

Thanks again for the critque, I always appreciate it.

EDIT: Added what you suggested.

yeah, giving the example does help...

oh and I almost forgot, the meaning of the first picture is "fun", or quite possibly !!fun!! (depending on the fortress)

 

[zombiesinc]

I think I would fail at this game even more so than the average person... >.> But after all you've said, both in this review and on Skype, I feel I should at least give it a try.

Good review though, you manage to make a game that usually wouldn't interest me seem interesting, so kudos for that!

 

[dave1004]

*sob*

Dwarf Fortress popped up in front of me in an alleyway, beckoning for me to follow it. I obliged, and after roughly 20 minutes, I was raped a thousand different ways. I left that alleyway, never to return.

Literal sense: HOW DO YOU PLAY THIS GAME? HOLY JESUS CHRIST I'M SO CONFUSED.

 

[Lost In The Void]

*sob*

Dwarf Fortress popped up in front of me in an alleyway, beckoning for me to follow it. I obliged, and after roughly 20 minutes, I was raped a thousand different ways. I left that alleyway, never to return.

Literal sense: HOW DO YOU PLAY THIS GAME? HOLY JESUS CHRIST I'M SO CONFUSED.

So ya...I realize in retrospect that I didn't give enough information on how to go about learning this game so I present: this [http://afteractionreporter.com/2009/02/09/the-complete-and-utter-newby-tutorial-for-dwarf-fortress-part-1-wtf/]

 

[Aethren]

A nice list of game features, but a depressing lack of Fun. And you should show a picture of the menu in question, helps to describe it better than words can. That difficulty curve chart is actually for Eve Online, not Dwarf Fortress, by the way. If you were to draw one for Dwarf Fortress, it would be more of an infinite loop, considering the game's premise of being unwinnable.

 

[thiosk]

I just popped in here to say nice review-- and post a time destroying link

aurora2.pentarch.org

Check it out-- its been called the Dwarven Fortress of 4x gaming-- not altogether out of the realm of possibility.

 

[Lost In The Void]

A nice list of game features, but a depressing lack of Fun. And you should show a picture of the menu in question, helps to describe it better than words can. That difficulty curve chart is actually for Eve Online, not Dwarf Fortress, by the way. If you were to draw one for Dwarf Fortress, it would be more of an infinite loop, considering the game's premise of being unwinnable.

I tried to find a good menu picture, but a combination of finding one that wasn't part of another tileset and the fact I wrote it at 4 am made me, instead pull an image from Internet Kraken's LP and use that. Plus I think the image accurately showed quite a bit of Fun personally.

As for the Difficulty curve one, ya I realize that it was modified from the EVE Online one, but regardless I think it applies. One could argue that the infinite circle effect would be better, but at the same time, I know quite a few vets of the game that can pull off a fortress easily, you may not win, but in the end they stop playing the map for lack of challenge.

Anyways thanks for the comments regardless

I just popped in here to say nice review-- and post a time destroying link

aurora2.pentarch.org

Check it out-- its been called the Dwarven Fortress of 4x gaming-- not altogether out of the realm of possibility.

Thank you for the compliment, though I dare not click on the link. Between Minecraft, Dwarf Fortress and Mount and Blade I lose enough hours on my PC as is, especially with a Mount and Blade expansion coming out.

 

[thiosk]

Thank you for the compliment, though I dare not click on the link. Between Minecraft, Dwarf Fortress and Mount and Blade I lose enough hours on my PC as is, especially with a Mount and Blade expansion coming out.

do it!

 

[Catface Meowmers]

Dwarf Fortress: a game in which a troglodyte can sneak up from a cavern and attack a dwarven mother holding a baby, only to be punched 10 times in a row by the baby.

The baby was unharmed, except for what I imagine were a pair of slightly bruised baby fists.