platypotamus
Member
Mine finishes generating, it just crashes as soon as I choose accept
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DWARF FORTRESS - For real this time. - This topic is for you (yes YOU)
- Thread starter GDJustin
- Start date
Ok. Fuck it. I am tired of Skyrim and how 'epic' and 'emergent' it is supposed to be. I am tired of how most games are just the same experience for everyone who plays them. So I am going to give this game a go.
I am downloading the lazy noob pack for v 0.34.07. I really hope I can learn this game but I think my mind may have been melted by years of PS360 type games.
I did understand Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, so there is hope.
I am downloading the lazy noob pack for v 0.34.07. I really hope I can learn this game but I think my mind may have been melted by years of PS360 type games.
I did understand Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, so there is hope.
If you get stuck, do ask in here before giving up!
Also, keep the wiki handy and use it for *everything* whilst you're getting started.
And, despite it being done with an out of date version now, the Complete Newbie Tutorial is a massive help. The guy who wrote it is actually writing a full book on the subject, which is due to be published in the next couple of months or so. Something to stick next your coding books and quantum mechanics papers
While I remember - Now that the new version has been out for some time and people have had a chance to get used to the quirks and new features are people still interested in a GAF succession game? We've had a few goes at getting a list of names, but that's as far as it ever got. I'm determined to at least give something like this a go at some point!
There are dozens of free guides online, and I cant imagine all the information you need for the complete game to be within one single book. I looked up so many wiki pages and articles for exact stats and numbers, they cant possibly be in there.
And if its just a starting out guide.. why not use the free ones? The ones that worked best for me were videos anyway.
Anyway, unrelated: Everytime this thread pops up, I smile.
Well, it might be just handy to have a guide in your hand to flip through in book format. Some people like that kind of thing.There are dozens of free guides online, and I cant imagine all the information you need for the complete game to be within one single book. I looked up so many wiki pages and articles for exact stats and numbers, they cant possibly be in there.
And if its just a starting out guide.. why not use the free ones? The ones that worked best for me were videos anyway.
Anyway, unrelated: Everytime this thread pops up, I smile.
The book is written by the guy who wrote the newbie tutorial to DF, and supposedly it'll be updated along with the game.
Gonna try starting this again (third times a charm right ). I was following a guide last time, but got stuck on creating an underground farm. After trying to do it for a week to no avail and giving up on it. I found out a month later that the version I was using had a bug that didn't allow for subterranean farming. By that time, I had forgotten how to navigate the UI and couldn't get back into it.
). I was following a guide last time, but got stuck on creating an underground farm. After trying to do it for a week to no avail and giving up on it. I found out a month later that the version I was using had a bug that didn't allow for subterranean farming. By that time, I had forgotten how to navigate the UI and couldn't get back into it.
IndieJones
Member
I came in here about a year and a half ago and I was like "THIS IS IT! For real this time, Dwarf Fortress!" but then I didn't and I was super-ashamed.
And then I saw the Gnomoria thread and thought that game looked cool, but the idea of a Dwarf Fortress-LITE game that you had to pay for just seemed counter-intuitive. I don't have anything against games you have to pay for at all - duh - but to have less features than the free counterpart (at this time, I must stress) just makes me want to go for the real thing.
I'm going to download that Lazy Newb pack and dig into it; my wife is away all next weekend so I am going to break this game, I swear.
Would anyone mind PMing me about how big a coward I am if I haven't posted in this thread within the next week?
And then I saw the Gnomoria thread and thought that game looked cool, but the idea of a Dwarf Fortress-LITE game that you had to pay for just seemed counter-intuitive. I don't have anything against games you have to pay for at all - duh - but to have less features than the free counterpart (at this time, I must stress) just makes me want to go for the real thing.
I'm going to download that Lazy Newb pack and dig into it; my wife is away all next weekend so I am going to break this game, I swear.
Would anyone mind PMing me about how big a coward I am if I haven't posted in this thread within the next week?
melichrous
Member
Hey guys, just though I'd drop in here. I started playing DF a couple of months ago, but didn't really get very far. Most of the games I played lasted a couple of years in game, and then I stopped playing for a while. I'm about to start playing again, and was wondering if anyone has any tips they'd like to share? Especially in the areas of farming, brewing, and getting some of the more complex stuff set up.
As an aside, I've ordered the book that was mentioned above. I'm aware that it'll be out of date pretty quickly, and there are many free resources out there (which I use), but I like having some things like this in paper form, and it'll probably be worth it for the user submitted stories contained within, and some of the artwork.
As an aside, I've ordered the book that was mentioned above. I'm aware that it'll be out of date pretty quickly, and there are many free resources out there (which I use), but I like having some things like this in paper form, and it'll probably be worth it for the user submitted stories contained within, and some of the artwork.
IndieJones
Member
I ordered that book as well, and it's TOTALLY not going to be like Dark Souls where I was finished with the game - or, more accurately, the game was finished with me - by the time the guide arrived.
Not at all.
Not at all.
So I had a nice successful little fortress going. No major incidents, dwarves were a very happy bunch. I use the burrow system to create an emergency system. Unfortunately I didn't save properly and was back to pre-burrow. I then get distracted and start trying to make an underwater tree farm.
Along comes a Ettin (two headed giant). My squad leap into action and start trying to pummel it to death with their crossbows, my war dogs attack, my dwarves run around screaming, dropping items everywhere and getting stamped on by the ettin. Reading the battle reports is grim work. Many babies die, many people die. The front door is missing, I've no idea where it is, but the Ettin is dead, the death toll is maybe 15 dwarves out of 170.
Fifty dwarves suddenly become miserable. I've been neglecting their bedrooms and dining areas, so I quickly scramble all able bodies to create more. Assign the rooms to the most miserable to try and improve their mood. The dwarves start to get snappy with each other, start throwing tantrums and there are many fistfights. Then the they start going berserk nearly always taking it out on babies. More miserable dwarves.
I try to lock them in rooms if I can, thinking they might calm down. Instead they just brood in there, probably smearing the wall with their feces. So I implement martial law, my squad is ruthless and there has been a steady culling of miserable dwarves. The rooming of dwarves continues and there has been a slight improvement in the fortress' mood.
We may yet survive.
Along comes a Ettin (two headed giant). My squad leap into action and start trying to pummel it to death with their crossbows, my war dogs attack, my dwarves run around screaming, dropping items everywhere and getting stamped on by the ettin. Reading the battle reports is grim work. Many babies die, many people die. The front door is missing, I've no idea where it is, but the Ettin is dead, the death toll is maybe 15 dwarves out of 170.
Fifty dwarves suddenly become miserable. I've been neglecting their bedrooms and dining areas, so I quickly scramble all able bodies to create more. Assign the rooms to the most miserable to try and improve their mood. The dwarves start to get snappy with each other, start throwing tantrums and there are many fistfights. Then the they start going berserk nearly always taking it out on babies. More miserable dwarves.
I try to lock them in rooms if I can, thinking they might calm down. Instead they just brood in there, probably smearing the wall with their feces. So I implement martial law, my squad is ruthless and there has been a steady culling of miserable dwarves. The rooming of dwarves continues and there has been a slight improvement in the fortress' mood.
We may yet survive.
Funky Functionality
Member
I read about this game when the articles about the Museum of Modern Art's video game collection started pouring out from every crevice of the internet. I'd heard about it when I began playing Minecraft but never looked into it. I have been missing out on so much!
This is the only game that got me to stop playing FTL in my free time... and it just keeps getting better. I love the main DF mode, but I just tried out the Adventurer mode the other day and my GOD, it's perfect. I am absolutely giving Tarn and his brother some money. And requesting a crayon drawing. ASAP.
My first adventurer was a dwarf from a civilization near my old fortress, so I set out to discover what had become of it (and the very rude goblins who so swiftly brought my peaceful farming village to its knees). Before I realized it, I'd stepped through about 3 or 4 tiles of a wicked murk cloud, but noticed no ill effects at that point. My quest to find my old fortress continued, with numerous wild beasts attacking me along the way. All the fights seemed a little too easy despite starting out at Hero level with highly trained skills, but I thought little of it and continued until I came across a Howling Horror who tore off my right arm with its first strike. Refusing to back down, I finally killed the Howling Horror and checked my health status.
I'd been given an additional suffix to my name. Why? Because the wicked murk cloud I'd stepped through hours prior had turned me into a fucking wicked murk zombie. A zombie! Injuries? Irrelevant. Food and water? Irrelevant. Other civilized beings? Well, let's just say they no longer cared for me. I had to kill a few unlucky bastards (and one poor child) who thought it'd be a good idea to chase me through the forest as I lumbered past their small town. One of the men had an iron scimitar. Moments later, I had an iron scimitar. Jackpot!
Just before finding my old fortress, a bear tore open my lower body and spilled my guts. For that, I let the bear bleed to death. Slowly.
I finally found my fortress, and as luck would have it, a party of goblins patrolling the area. Imagine their terror as I approached--a gutted, one-armed, scimitar-wielding zombie dwarf with nothing but revenge on my mind. The bloodshed was incredible. I tore through each goblin limb by bloody limb, decapitated a few, and made sure to gather all their brains, which I ate in solitude at my campfire outside the fortress entrance. Satisfied, I hit ESC and my only retirement option was "Give in to starvation." And so it was. My vengeful undead dwarven hero had done his job and done it damned well.
I am so hooked on this shit right here. So hooked.
This is the only game that got me to stop playing FTL in my free time... and it just keeps getting better. I love the main DF mode, but I just tried out the Adventurer mode the other day and my GOD, it's perfect. I am absolutely giving Tarn and his brother some money. And requesting a crayon drawing. ASAP.
My first adventurer was a dwarf from a civilization near my old fortress, so I set out to discover what had become of it (and the very rude goblins who so swiftly brought my peaceful farming village to its knees). Before I realized it, I'd stepped through about 3 or 4 tiles of a wicked murk cloud, but noticed no ill effects at that point. My quest to find my old fortress continued, with numerous wild beasts attacking me along the way. All the fights seemed a little too easy despite starting out at Hero level with highly trained skills, but I thought little of it and continued until I came across a Howling Horror who tore off my right arm with its first strike. Refusing to back down, I finally killed the Howling Horror and checked my health status.
I'd been given an additional suffix to my name. Why? Because the wicked murk cloud I'd stepped through hours prior had turned me into a fucking wicked murk zombie. A zombie! Injuries? Irrelevant. Food and water? Irrelevant. Other civilized beings? Well, let's just say they no longer cared for me. I had to kill a few unlucky bastards (and one poor child) who thought it'd be a good idea to chase me through the forest as I lumbered past their small town. One of the men had an iron scimitar. Moments later, I had an iron scimitar. Jackpot!
Just before finding my old fortress, a bear tore open my lower body and spilled my guts. For that, I let the bear bleed to death. Slowly.
I finally found my fortress, and as luck would have it, a party of goblins patrolling the area. Imagine their terror as I approached--a gutted, one-armed, scimitar-wielding zombie dwarf with nothing but revenge on my mind. The bloodshed was incredible. I tore through each goblin limb by bloody limb, decapitated a few, and made sure to gather all their brains, which I ate in solitude at my campfire outside the fortress entrance. Satisfied, I hit ESC and my only retirement option was "Give in to starvation." And so it was. My vengeful undead dwarven hero had done his job and done it damned well.
I am so hooked on this shit right here. So hooked.
I have a sub to this thread but every time it's bumped I'm like "Hmm... maybe today is the day I learn how to pl- NOPE"
That was me but replace DF with Nethack and Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.
I failed out of university
Funky Functionality
Member
I tried this game about 4 times, always giving up...
But I came back recently, that's it. I'm hooked.
I'd love to narrate my fort's history with screenshots, but not a lot of fun things have happened yet. But i discovered the second cavern layer, hopefully fun is coming !
Maybe for my next fort ... in a more dangerous zone, because it looks like I'm addicted to reading the combat reports, always imagining what it would be in real life when my cat grabs a troll by the nose with its left paw and then the troll smashes violently into an obstale...
Or when my speardraft with an artefact overpriced silver lance always thinks the best strategy is to just punch enemies, never using its killer weapon.
Still haven't found any magma yet, maybe sometimes (and it will be "fun")
But I came back recently, that's it. I'm hooked.
I'd love to narrate my fort's history with screenshots, but not a lot of fun things have happened yet. But i discovered the second cavern layer, hopefully fun is coming !
Maybe for my next fort ... in a more dangerous zone, because it looks like I'm addicted to reading the combat reports, always imagining what it would be in real life when my cat grabs a troll by the nose with its left paw and then the troll smashes violently into an obstale...
Or when my speardraft with an artefact overpriced silver lance always thinks the best strategy is to just punch enemies, never using its killer weapon.
Still haven't found any magma yet, maybe sometimes (and it will be "fun")
Funky Functionality
Member
Sorry buddy! Loving that Senna avatar, though. I keep forgetting there's a small group of legit motorsports fans around here.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3549/interview_the_making_of_dwarf_.php
There was an AMA with Dwarf Fortress creator Toady recently, check it out if you're interested here.
My recent fortress didn't turn out so well:
The goblins were aggressive really early this time, they ambushed a few caravans as they entered my map but I caught most of them in cage traps and used them as target practice for my marksdwarfs. I guess their civilization didn't like that much, as their first seize had two full unit pages of invaders. I didn't get my draw bridge up in time and... that was the end of it. I was hoping that my rock fall traps would have been more effective
My recent fortress didn't turn out so well:
The goblins were aggressive really early this time, they ambushed a few caravans as they entered my map but I caught most of them in cage traps and used them as target practice for my marksdwarfs. I guess their civilization didn't like that much, as their first seize had two full unit pages of invaders. I didn't get my draw bridge up in time and... that was the end of it. I was hoping that my rock fall traps would have been more effective
The goblins were aggressive really early this time, they ambushed a few caravans as they entered my map but I caught most of them in cage traps and used them as target practice for my marksdwarfs. I guess their civilization didn't like that much, as their first seize had two full unit pages of invaders. I didn't get my draw bridge up in time and... that was the end of it. I was hoping that my rock fall traps would have been more effective
You've got a drawbridge there and a lever that I assume it's attached to, so you should have had the magic siege survival recipe. Were all your lever pullers attending a party at an orthoclase table when the siege hit, or were you just trying to live dangerously?
Chuck Jones used to say that everybody's got 100,000 bad drawings that they need to get out of their system before they can produce anything worthwhile. Dwarf Fortress is like that, except instead of bad drawings you're churning out dead dwarves.
Ain't no time like the present to start stacking them bodies up.
'Living dangerously' certainly haha. I was obviously too overconfident with my military, and tried to kill the goblins as they approached my hall of traps. But seeing as the fortress was relatively young, they had hardly any combat skill and pretty much got slaughtered. After that, I assigned the task to pull the lever but the dwarves of course freaked the hell out when they saw a group of blood covered goblins and voracious cave crawlers. By that stage it was far too late.
I had just got my steel industry up and going but still had only leather armour and whatever crappy bronze & copper sets that I'd got from killing a couple of goblin ambushes earlier. It really wasn't enough for proper combat hahaha.
Oh well, 'losing is fun'!
Woo-Fu
Banned
"I saw that job in queue to pull the lever but I thought it more important to run out onto the drawbidge and start sponging off the blood."
I need to return to DF soon. Been so many other DF-wannabes distracting me lately. Add minecraft with FTB where I get to actually be the dwarf and DF has been not getting my attention.
I need to return to DF soon. Been so many other DF-wannabes distracting me lately. Add minecraft with FTB where I get to actually be the dwarf and DF has been not getting my attention.
KojiKnight
Member
I had heard of this game before... but damn if reading this thread doesn't make me want to actually jump in. Recommended pre-reading? Or should I just jump in, fail horribly, then come back and read so I have some context?
The newbie guide on the wiki is probably helpful. Diving straight in might get you scared off by the arcane and incomprehensible menu structure.
Dear GOD we have found Adamantium.
Then along comes a goblin horde (they brought Trolls, how nice!) who wipe out all 250 dwarfies. Who the fuk suspended the job Link Lever to Bridge? If only I could string up that wanker.
Anyway reclaimed the fort and found that it is full of "Friendly" goblins that I can't kill. So have setup an system where I flood the old fort to kill the 50 gobbos down there. It's taking a Looong time.
I'll post some pics later maybe.
FROM the AMA:
Then along comes a goblin horde (they brought Trolls, how nice!) who wipe out all 250 dwarfies. Who the fuk suspended the job Link Lever to Bridge? If only I could string up that wanker.
Anyway reclaimed the fort and found that it is full of "Friendly" goblins that I can't kill. So have setup an system where I flood the old fort to kill the 50 gobbos down there. It's taking a Looong time.
I'll post some pics later maybe.
FROM the AMA:
About the UI said:
About Z-levels (Single Level being Grander) said:
I'm still having a hard time being creative.
Never used patrolling for my squads, just started circling my entrance with wall and building a drawbridge, the most complex thing I tried was yesterday by channelling a moat and make a way to flood it and empty it with levers and floodgates.
pumps ? power ? minecarts ? .. maybe one day but I'm not ready for this.
Also never found any magma.
I recently found the masterwork mod adding a lot of things, I like the additions, but doesn't feel like I'm playing the true df, I'm conflicted.
Also I really want to write down my stories cause fun happens a lot, and really is fun.
yesterday for example a lot of centaurs were roaming near my walls, the drawbridge was open because they tend to flee. but this time they didn't and went straight to my fort, i had no military yet, they killed like three quarters of my dwarves but then stopped being aggressive and just went idle near the bridge, but inside. I tried to make them flee but to no avail, the only thing I could do was waiting for them to step on the bridge and activate the lever to send them flying.
I thought that was the end of my fort, but as soon as they landed on their ass 46 migrants just arrived.
This game...
Never used patrolling for my squads, just started circling my entrance with wall and building a drawbridge, the most complex thing I tried was yesterday by channelling a moat and make a way to flood it and empty it with levers and floodgates.
pumps ? power ? minecarts ? .. maybe one day but I'm not ready for this.
Also never found any magma.
I recently found the masterwork mod adding a lot of things, I like the additions, but doesn't feel like I'm playing the true df, I'm conflicted.
Also I really want to write down my stories cause fun happens a lot, and really is fun.
yesterday for example a lot of centaurs were roaming near my walls, the drawbridge was open because they tend to flee. but this time they didn't and went straight to my fort, i had no military yet, they killed like three quarters of my dwarves but then stopped being aggressive and just went idle near the bridge, but inside. I tried to make them flee but to no avail, the only thing I could do was waiting for them to step on the bridge and activate the lever to send them flying.
I thought that was the end of my fort, but as soon as they landed on their ass 46 migrants just arrived.
This game...
^ haha nice.
Magma is pretty deep. I'm close and I'm at level 150ish (I had to reclaim so I can't see exactly what level it is at).
You might need a more challenging environment, try an evil biome or an ocean one. There id a DF challenges page on the wiki for interesting stuff to try.
Have you become a
(small spoiler) yet?
Magma is pretty deep. I'm close and I'm at level 150ish (I had to reclaim so I can't see exactly what level it is at).
You might need a more challenging environment, try an evil biome or an ocean one. There id a DF challenges page on the wiki for interesting stuff to try.
Have you become a
barony
DF FUN said:
Okay, objectives for this fortress : reach magma and try to play as long as possible (I usually quit when overwhelmed by the number of dwarves...).
Relatively easy embark (I'm not ready for endless zombies).
Here is where I decided to settle
Wildnerness seems to be giant sparrows and chinchillapeople.
Channel ready for the moat, the first bridge will be for a small island with the trade depot.
A second bridge to an island where a borean hole that will be the mine and the elevator to hell.
I can close the island if something fun happens.
A third bridge will be to exit the fortress.
Outdoors : farm, butcher/tanner/refuse for when I'll get hunters, pasture.
Entrance : armories for melee squad and ranged squad.
First Z level there will be stockpiles and farming, cloth and leather industries.
Second Z are the basic workshops : craft, mason, carpenter, mechanic...
Third is dining room/food industry/hospital.
Fourth is living quarters.
Fifth will be metal industry.
I plan on leveling the small mountain my fort is under, as it only has several Z levels.
Wish me luck !
Relatively easy embark (I'm not ready for endless zombies).
Here is where I decided to settle
Wildnerness seems to be giant sparrows and chinchillapeople.
Channel ready for the moat, the first bridge will be for a small island with the trade depot.
A second bridge to an island where a borean hole that will be the mine and the elevator to hell.
I can close the island if something fun happens.
A third bridge will be to exit the fortress.
Outdoors : farm, butcher/tanner/refuse for when I'll get hunters, pasture.
Entrance : armories for melee squad and ranged squad.
First Z level there will be stockpiles and farming, cloth and leather industries.
Second Z are the basic workshops : craft, mason, carpenter, mechanic...
Third is dining room/food industry/hospital.
Fourth is living quarters.
Fifth will be metal industry.
I plan on leveling the small mountain my fort is under, as it only has several Z levels.
Wish me luck !
If I'm digging deep I use mouse clicks and key combos.
So:
Press d and draw a line using the mouse button from the down stair square out in a random direction for about 8 squares (this is to see if there are interesting ores about)
Press i and click on the down square again to request an up/down stair.
Press > to move down a level and the dwarves have usually mined out the stair above and I could do the same as above again.
It gets me down pretty fast. I usually seal off caverns with floor hatches and dig to a location where there is a gap and bypass them. You don't want FBs getting into your fort. I don't think there is much of interest in caverns anyway.
So:
Press d and draw a line using the mouse button from the down stair square out in a random direction for about 8 squares (this is to see if there are interesting ores about)
Press i and click on the down square again to request an up/down stair.
Press > to move down a level and the dwarves have usually mined out the stair above and I could do the same as above again.
It gets me down pretty fast. I usually seal off caverns with floor hatches and dig to a location where there is a gap and bypass them. You don't want FBs getting into your fort. I don't think there is much of interest in caverns anyway.