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https://store.steampowered.com/app/975370/Dwarf_Fortress/




It's going to have actual graphics! The developer is going to clean up some of the more maddening interface stuff!

Seriously, I have spent way too much time playing DF in the past and this news has me crazy excited. Anyone else play/excited?

I have had DF on my Steam wishlist since the day it was announced

Can't wait, hopefully the quality of life improvements will make it a lot more enjoyable to play through. The 'classic' version is great but it almost felt like a full time job just to get to grips with the basics and visuals. If you stopped playing for a few months it felt like baby steps all over again!

I have bounced off it a couple of times, so if this makes it more accessible I will be really interested.

If they give it actual graphics I might be tempted. I've heard great things but the interface and visuals were always so retro it was beyond me wanting to invest time into learning it. Be neat though as I did love games like Gnomoria and whilst its all one level, Rimworld is fantastic fun.

I've always wanted to play it, but I'm not the young gamer I used to be so it's harder for me to get into games like this one without very friendly UIs.

 Tannhauser42 wrote:
I've always wanted to play it, but I'm not the young gamer I used to be so it's harder for me to get into games like this one without very friendly UIs.

The funny thing is, its often explained as an old grognard game, beyond the capabilities young 'uns.


As for the 'graphics' the tileset being developed for steam isn't that different the ones already in use. It isn't clear if the UI is much improved over the current version, which is where the inaccessibility really lies.
Well, that and the crashes, which is what drives me off every time I try it.

The big question is of course when this will happened. It was announced for steam back in March, but the current release date, 'time is subjective,' isn't informative (or surprising, since its one guy programming, some work by his brother and I guess someone else for the new tileset.

Huh

I'm one of those weird people who actually prefer the ASCII graphics, but this could be good! I haven't played for quite a while, but i've probably put more total time into Dwarf Fortress than any game that I have on steam now.

Voss wrote:

 Tannhauser42 wrote:
I've always wanted to play it, but I'm not the young gamer I used to be so it's harder for me to get into games like this one without very friendly UIs.

The funny thing is, its often explained as an old grognard game, beyond the capabilities young 'uns.

It's weird, I can jump right in to the most complex games I played 25-30 years ago with no problem, but if I try to play a similarly complex game from the same time that I had never played before, I just have a much harder time getting into it. I guess I'm spoiled by modern conveniences like in-game tutorials, references, and, perhaps most importantly, tool tips. Then again, I only have this problem with computer games. Bust out an old RPG or Avalon Hill game and I'm as snug as a bug in a rug.

I'm very interested. I also bounced off it because of it's incomprehensible graphics, but have definitely wanted to play ever since I stumbled upon the saga of boatmurdered, years ago.

https://lparchive.org/Dwarf-Fortress-Boatmurdered/Introduction/

I've been playing Meph's Masterwork Mod set for a while now, so I'm glad he was brought on board for this. I'll be buying it just to support the Great Toady One.

I hopped in here to make a comment about how I'd play if it had graphics like 1980s Dragon Quest, and behold... Looks like I'm buying me a game.

While we wait do we want to do a dakka dakka boatmurdered style sucession game?

 Lance845 wrote:
While we wait do we want to do a dakka dakka boatmurdered style sucession game?

I'd be up for something like that.

Nnnnnnneat. Will take a look. Especialy if it's free.

 Melissia wrote:
Nnnnnnneat. Will take a look. Especialy if it's free.

It's not free. Tarn is putting it on Steam to raise money for health issues in his family.

Doesn't giving it graphics and cleaning up the interface kind of defeat the whole point?

 BaconCatBug wrote:
Doesn't giving it graphics and cleaning up the interface kind of defeat the whole point?

Nope. The games depth is its real shining points. So much is happening and can happen. And its so easy for it to all go wrong. Cleaning up the interface and making it possible to tell wtf is happening just lets you get to the good stuff easier.

The point of the game is the depth, people put up with the graphics and the UI because the underlying game is so good. I wonder how long it will take, how much of the code can just be transferred one on one. Animations might be the most work. Excited, although the release comment makes me think a year plus easy...

 Inquisitor Lord Bane wrote:

 Melissia wrote:
Nnnnnnneat. Will take a look. Especialy if it's free.

It's not free. Tarn is putting it on Steam to raise money for health issues in his family.

Oh. Well that's okay too.

The more I read up about the changes to DF since I last played and remember the stories about the game the more I realize that DF is Grimdark as feth.

This game is hilarious but brutal on a level I have rarely seen in any medium.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Disciple of Fate wrote:
The point of the game is the depth, people put up with the graphics and the UI because the underlying game is so good. I wonder how long it will take, how much of the code can just be transferred one on one. Animations might be the most work. Excited, although the release comment makes me think a year plus easy...

I am unsure how "animated" it will be. But the release is 1 more big update. Apparently he is currently working on "Villains". People who start evil organizations, infiltrate societies and enact "plans" even roping others into them through bribery and extortion. Supposedly the back end is done or near done so that in world generation the villains get to work doing their plots. Its just giving adventurers access to the interface elements so they can use them themselves in adventure mode and the tools to fight them in fortress mode (a Villain may create or recruit agents to infiltrate your fortress and then extort or bribe your citizens (or just show up themselves as migrants) to work on smuggling out your resources or artifacts or do other things to undermine your society).

The release of the Steam version is supposed to come with the big update that finishes off Villains. Or at least gets most of the tools there so it's functional enough.

Like others I like the idea of the game and reading the stories that come out of it.

The game itself has always been impenetrable to me, so if they can unlock it for a wider audience that would be great!

 Lance845 wrote:
The more I read up about the changes to DF since I last played and remember the stories about the game the more I realize that DF is Grimdark as feth.

This game is hilarious but brutal on a level I have rarely seen in any medium.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Disciple of Fate wrote:
The point of the game is the depth, people put up with the graphics and the UI because the underlying game is so good. I wonder how long it will take, how much of the code can just be transferred one on one. Animations might be the most work. Excited, although the release comment makes me think a year plus easy...

I am unsure how "animated" it will be. But the release is 1 more big update. Apparently he is currently working on "Villains". People who start evil organizations, infiltrate societies and enact "plans" even roping others into them through bribery and extortion. Supposedly the back end is done or near done so that in world generation the villains get to work doing their plots. Its just giving adventurers access to the interface elements so they can use them themselves in adventure mode and the tools to fight them in fortress mode (a Villain may create or recruit agents to infiltrate your fortress and then extort or bribe your citizens (or just show up themselves as migrants) to work on smuggling out your resources or artifacts or do other things to undermine your society).

The release of the Steam version is supposed to come with the big update that finishes off Villains. Or at least gets most of the tools there so it's functional enough.

It isn't animated at all (static sprites will just move from square to square as now, not sure where Disciple got that)- the new tileset is just fancier than the existing ones, and will apparently be a bit better supported by the engine. Same with mouse support and some basic UI changes (some, but not all, functions will be slightly less buried if I understood that right)

The big change might be that even the basic system will beat back the interface issues for many - couple that to the big fan base doing a lot of promotion (I can see it appearing on a lot of youtube channels) and the game could sell in considerable strength. Giving them the income to weather these tough times but also likely generating enough to help support the game for further development.

Hmm for some reason I thought the little Steam clip showed some animation of the sprites. But I just looked over the store page and video again and I have no idea where I got the idea myself

Did find this developer comment from today though:

Let's put it this way. When Tarn and I first started talking about the villains update, I think he was originally targeting January 2019. (He's still working on it rn.)

As much as I'd love to give you an estimate, I'd rather not make a liar out of myself! FWIW, the Steam update *should* be much less intensive and complicated than a normal "full" update, like the villains, even with a few UI/UX tweaks. And the graphics are half-done already.

So, fingers crossed it's sooner rather than later.. but that's all I can say right now. I promise we'll let you know as soon as we have an even semi-confident estimation. Thank you for your patience!

 Disciple of Fate wrote:
The point of the game is the depth, people put up with the graphics and the UI because the underlying game is so good. I wonder how long it will take, how much of the code can just be transferred one on one. Animations might be the most work. Excited, although the release comment makes me think a year plus easy...

You'd really be keeping all the base code, IE: the actual game. The only changes would be altering the images that get displayed. Its somewhat analogous to pulling some drywall off a wall and replacing it with some wood sheeting. You're not rebuilding the house, just changing what the exterior looks like. And for a game with such simple visuals, its a relatively simple job of replacing the old X visual with a new Y visual. the only real hard part would be designing the new Y visual in the first place and then changing all the old display files to display the new ones.

Which most competent modders are able to do to begin with, there's already skins available for it. He's just making an official one.

 Melissia wrote:
Which most competent modders are able to do to begin with, there's already skins available for it. He's just making an official one.

Thing is the bulk of users for most games don't use mods, esp on their first play. Even mod-heavy games like Skyrim many people play "without mods" quite happily.
People like to open the box and get a working product right out that works.

Plus Dwarf Fortress going on Steam in itself is big marketing, plus the attention an official system will generate will likely help it boost sales dramatically. Far better than "buy this game - then download and install this mod". Remember lots of people have trouble just updating drivers, let alone messing around with mods.

The big thing for me is mods being put up on Steam Workshop. Ease of access to whatever mod I prefer at the moment having is accessibility I didn't have before!

Agreed, ZebioLizard. That's a great point and I'm feeling kinda hyped for that.

Also agree. It will be nice to have a single place where everything is kept regularly updated instead of me having to check various websites for the various updates.

Any interface enhancements would be a god send too.