Topic: Dwarf Fortress, anyone?

[UltimatePartyBear]

I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in doing an NWR bloodline game in Dwarf Fortress.

If you don't already know (and why would you?), Dwarf Fortress is a free game with ASCII graphics (though there are basic tile sets available), a complicated user interface, and lots of dwarven death and destruction.  It generates a fantasy world, you pick a place to settle, and you try to make a safe and happy home for your dwarves.  Along the way, you'll face starvation, dangerous creatures, kobold thieves, demanding nobles, goblin sieges, and the occasional dragon attack (or worse).

A bloodline game (a.k.a. succession game) is one in which different people play the game for one in-game year each.  Hilarity usually ensues from the differing play styles and lack of communication, such as one player laying plans to trap dangerous wildlife, being so successful that the next player doesn't notice the dangerous wildlife problem and doesn't maintain the traps, leading to murderous elephants rampaging through the halls unchecked.  Or perhaps one player devises a deathtrap in the entrance hall to deal with invaders, and the next player wonders "what does this switch do?" and unleashes a tidal wave of magma on his own dwarves.

The most well known bloodline game is Boatmurdered from the Something Awful forums.  The game has advanced quite a bit since then.  Elephants are no longer dangerous unless provoked, for example.  Oh, and the game went 3D.  Yep, 3D ASCII art.  Now there are different elevations to deal with, much more realistic world generation, and no guarantee of finding certain things like magma and adamantine.

There are some more bloodline games chronicled on the wiki here, if you're curious.  I found Girdertrampled pretty funny.

If any of this sounds like a good time to you, I suggest you at least read this tutorial, if not play along.  The wiki is also an invaluable resource.  And remember the DF mantra: Losing is Fun!

Say so here if you'd like to play in an NWR DF bloodline game.  All you have to do is keep a log of your exploits (role-playing optional, but funnier), and promise not to intentionally screw anything up for the rest of us (accidentally screwing up is expected).

[KDR_11k]

Dwarf Fortess?

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

Dunno, I've played a tutorial for it and got kinda bored, lost tons of dwarves to an invasion because they insisted on running into gunner positions even when they were just armed with warhammers and predictably got shot like sitting ducks, the dwarves that fell into my moat weren't much better...

[oohhboy]

I tried playing this not too long ago, however I just couldn't get pass how much micro you had to do because of how user unfriendly the interface was. I am not talking the graphics or anything like that, but how bloody thick them dwarfs are.

I can see why it fun in a advanced dungeon keeper way, but he really needs to stop bloating the game and work on streamlining the gameplay.

[blackfootsteps]

I dl'ed it and started playing. Very addictive but I found I had to keep referring to the walkthrough every two seconds because of the sheer range of features. For some reason the tutorial level wouldn't load and I have a bad feeling i situated my fortress in a bad spot.

As mentioned by oohhboy the resemblance to Dungeon Keeper is the coolest thing. I miss DK so much!

[raidfighter]

How can the tutorial level wouldn't load in your game mate? Is there anyway we can activate the tutorial level of DK?

[KDR_11k]

How can the tutorial level wouldn't load in your game mate? Is there anyway we can activate the tutorial level of DK?

It's not an official tutorial level, it's a savegame from a third party that is used in conjunction with a lengthy text to introduce you to DF.

[UltimatePartyBear]

Well, so far this has gotten a better response than I was expecting, but that's not saying much.

One of the reasons I wanted to try a bloodline game is that I wanted to see a fortress through to its eventual demise.  As I learn new things, I keep starting new fortresses to put them to use.  Most of mine have died to deletion, though I have abandoned a few due to stupid mistakes (like messing up the settings on a pressure plate that was supposed to keep my cistern full without flooding the fortress; turning the well into a geyser wasn't that helpful, even if dwarves do get happy thoughts from seeing mist).