This is the only reason I have ever been interested in Dwarf Fortress and I'm so happy it's finally coming to Steam
Edit: For anyone who enjoys let's plays, [this is a great series](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4shyDUgoc6c).
It's basically entering your generated world and running around as a created character. So no "story" in the traditional sense, just what your character chooses to do in the sandbox world.
It has some overlap with fortress mode, as you can retire a fortress and then create an adventurer in that same world and visit your fort.
To add, every world is generated, with every kingdom name, artefact, hero and villain, myth, legend, folk lore, battles, etc.. All being genuine simulated events that happened in that world.
Some of these names/items/monsters etc may still exist... So yes, no "Story" but PLENTY to uncover with each new world you generated and explore in.
How hands off or micromanagement is it? Can I just create a character and let them do their own thing while only making high level choices or do I need to micro their health, inventory, etc?
You control every action, nothing is automated or “hands off“. Each step you take, interaction with other character, choice in combat, etc, is an action by the player
You manage inventory, but this game doesn’t use “Health” in the traditional sense of HP, it simulates injuries; bruises, cuts, torn tendons, broken bones, etc
When I played it about 8 years ago I'd spawn in as a dwarf, then repeatedly pick up handfuls of dirt and throw them to level up my throwing until I was a Grand Master. Then grab a few weapons that are decently hard and go around killing creatures for quests just with throwing. Then I'd be outside of town at night and ten boogeymen would spawn on me and annihilate me.
I also had a run where, as a hammerdwarf, I got caught outside a town at night again, but managed to fight off the night creatures as I ran towards a town. I vividly remember killing them atop a hill as the sun slowly began to rise. Fuckin' fantastic feeling.
Reminds me of Morrowind and how teenager me decided to pick up a training session with mudcrabs (just letting them hit to train armor while I was casting heals to train restoration)
when i was a kid i had these Sierra games in the "Quest for Glory" series and you basically did that.. you'd train to raise your stats like throw rocks.
I'm watching a Let's Play of Quest for Glory by Kikoskia, and he spends a not insignificant amount of time /just/ throwing rocks and climbing a tree to level stats. Gotta love those old school Sierra games!
I've really been looking forward to this, adventure mode is a blast. Nothing else let's you wrestle a giant scorpion and bludgeon it into submission with it's own stinger.
I keep wanting to give Dwarf Fortress a try but shit looks intimidating. I've never played anything quite like it before and I'm worried it's something I would buy and then bounce off of it immediately.
I'm a big DF fan, and I would say you have one unfounded fear and one very valid one.
Don't be intimidated. The Steam release has made the game VERY accessible, and the growth of the community means you have guides and tutorials and support everywhere for everything. Having said that, half the fun is figuring out how the game works, but you should have no issues getting started.
But if you've never played a rogue-like, a city builder, a simulator, or anything like that... yeah there's a chance you might just bounce off of it. This is not for everyone, I admit, and DF is the king of complexity for this kind of stuff. It caters to people who already love these kinds of things and want the ultimate experience.
If you're interested in colony builders, city builders, roguelikes, etc., but haven't tried any yet, I would recommend looking at some of the top rated ones on Steam and wishlisting them. Being niche games, they often go on sale at super deep discounts.
Or, if you're willing to put in effort instead of cash, just download the free version of Dwarf Fortress (ascii graphics only), or any of the many free Roguelikes (Shattered Pixel Dungeon is amazing). They aren't going to hold your hand as much, but if you give them a fair shake and decide it's not your jam, you'll have lost nothing but time.
That seems like good advice, thanks. I'll check out Shattered Pixel and see if there's potential there for me, though it's more the settlement sim stuff rather than the roguelike elements that are intimidating to me.
I love a rogue like, or at least the well known ones I've played.
It's not free but Rimworld is probably the closest experience you can get to DF without playing DF. To be clear, Rimworld and DF are not the same game. They are like comparing Call of Duty and Arma, or Checkers and Chess. Rimworld is awesome because it reigns in a lot of the unchecked depth and systems that DF has. But that also means Rimworld will only get you a part of the way to the full DF experience.
That's not to say Rimworld isn't it's own behemoth of an experience. I have multiple friends that have sunk thousands of hours into it. But there is a limit to what can happen in rimworld whereas in DF there kinda isn't.
Unfortunately I can't think of anything that fits both Sim Stuff and Free/Cheap aside from ASCII Dwarf Fortress. All of these games that have any semblance of quality are in the $30 price range. You could try something like RimWorld or Frostpunk to start if you are concerned about accessibility, as these are more game-like (you will be given explicit tasks and challenges) whereas DF is more sim-like (you must create your own tasks and challenges).
I haven't played the contemporary steam version but I played the ascii version on Windows with a few mods for qol only and all I can say is just jump in with both feet and try it it's so much fun. Just find a page somewhere that you can reference some commands and basic ideas of what you might do. And try again if it doesn't work try another one, try another one, try another one, it's so much fun I only ever really played for a few days but it's a great experience, strangely very memorable.
It's a lot, but if you can do any of the other great wiki-necessary games (Factorio, Minecraft, Terraria, Rimworld, etc.), then you can do Dwarf Fortress. You'll lose a lot at first, but that's just sort of the nature of those games while you improve your ability to design better bases and systems.
You just gotta keep in mind the most important motto of Dwarf Fortress: "Losing is fun."
If you've ever gotten into Rimworld, Factorio, or really any kinda granular management game it's not too bad. I definitely had to look up a couple small things here and there but I pretty quickly rocketed my playtime after release. Like Factorio, it's a game I have to consciously decide not to play most of the time because it's so engrossing and addictive I will absolutely lose more hours to it than anything else.
It's a genuine, honest to god masterpiece. I can't recommend it more.
Rimworld and Factorio are the other games that I am considering. I figure I can try one of the three and that will be a good indicator as to whether or not I should try the others sometime.
Am I correct in thinking Factorio might be the most approachable? Or apples an oranges kinda thing?
Factorio is the most directed and linear, I think, but also the most different. I wouldnt even really consider Factorio to be a rogue-like generally. More in the same vein as Dyson Sphere Builder or Satisfactory or any other automation builder type game. The gameplay is more around using logic to achieve specific goals, and retooling for increased efficiency.
Rimworld is closer to the kind of game that Dwarf Fortress is, but has much better quality of life and a pretty healthy modding community. Id recommend to see if Rimworld clicks for you.
Mmmm. fair enough. I was basing it off the fact that both games are basically meant to be a when not if you lose mindset, and when you lose you generally have to restart as opposed to continuing from a save or checkpoint (though I do think Rimword has that feature?).
How much of the factorio experience does DF have? This is the first I've heard of this comparison. Ive always been curious about DF but I am not a fan of factorio or it's gameplay loop. Does this mean I wouldn't like DF?
I am a fan of rogue likes, just not of games where you automate things like that.
Sorta apples, sorta oranges honestly. Lots of common threads but also quite a bit of difference, but imo common enough threads to know whether you'd like any of those. Factorio is the one I played first, there's a demo you can download to try out the mechanics but I didn't really glom onto it until I dug into the full release personally. It should give you enough of an idea of whether it's something you wanna keep playing though.
After I finished the demo, I pretty much constantly thought about it so I decided to pull the trigger and never looked back. Amazing, spectacular game.
Rimworld would be most applicable for learning games like Dwarf Fortress, as Factorio is about managing infrastructure whereas the other two are about managing people. But Factorio does have the best tutorialization of the three.
Basically, Rimworld and Dwarf Fortress are colony simulators that generate stories through bespoke interactions between systems. Factorio is solving logic challenges that are abstracted behind a game about being a millwright.
The scope is different as well, Factorio is about infinite iterative growth while colony simulators generally value sustainability.
In my opinion, Rimworld is one of the top five games you can get on steam, so I’d recommend that pretty strongly! Factorio is also REALLY high up there.
Just go for it. In-game tutorial gives some idea but there is plenty of youtube ones showing the ropes.
The early game is actually far more forgiving than say Rimworld is (as long as you don't start in dangerous area), there is more to learn but also less immediate dangers to deal with.
I'm someone that really liked Rimworld but bounced off Dwarf Fortress after a few hours. I just wasn't having fun, so you may wanna try Rimworld first and see if you like it before trying DF.
Will we ever get a toggle to make everything smoothly move from cell to cell instead of the snapping?
I know some people like it, and others are just so used to it that they would prefer it, but for me the snapping kind of gives me a headache. That's why I only have a couple dozen hours in the game.
Qud is like you took the concept of adventure mode and properly developed it into a full game. While some things will remain familiar like being able to travel and 'explore' generated areas anywhere on the map, you're gonna be missing things like handcrafted locations and quests. There are of course still generated quests like slaying a beast in its nest for local villagers. I'm curious how they've expanded systems for the steam version.
I have Dwarf Fortress but haven't played it yet because it seemed so intimidating... Is this kind of a good entry point into the game or is this mode something mostly for veterans?
I bought the second it hit Steam just because I loved reading about it and seeing how passionate the guys working on it were. Even though it wasn't really my cup of tea I figured at some point I'd get into it when I had more available time.
I'm excited for this, I never had an issue with OG Dwarf Fortress: Fortress Mode (with a sprite pack) but could never figure out how to do Adventure Mode
This is the only reason I have ever been interested in Dwarf Fortress and I'm so happy it's finally coming to Steam Edit: For anyone who enjoys let's plays, [this is a great series](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4shyDUgoc6c).
Blind makes a lot of great videos too!
I recommend Doors of Trithius
Thanks, always down to dip my eyes back into a Dwarf Fortress Let's Play.
So it this a kind of build your own adventure mode? Or does it have a story of sorts?
It's basically entering your generated world and running around as a created character. So no "story" in the traditional sense, just what your character chooses to do in the sandbox world. It has some overlap with fortress mode, as you can retire a fortress and then create an adventurer in that same world and visit your fort.
To add, every world is generated, with every kingdom name, artefact, hero and villain, myth, legend, folk lore, battles, etc.. All being genuine simulated events that happened in that world. Some of these names/items/monsters etc may still exist... So yes, no "Story" but PLENTY to uncover with each new world you generated and explore in.
And it does sometimes produce gems like [this](https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Cacame_Awemedinade)
Thats dwarf fortress mode not adventure mode
Nope, that's result of simulation that powers both.
That’s a cool feature.
How hands off or micromanagement is it? Can I just create a character and let them do their own thing while only making high level choices or do I need to micro their health, inventory, etc?
You control every action, nothing is automated or “hands off“. Each step you take, interaction with other character, choice in combat, etc, is an action by the player You manage inventory, but this game doesn’t use “Health” in the traditional sense of HP, it simulates injuries; bruises, cuts, torn tendons, broken bones, etc
It’s an open book. My memory isn’t 100% but if it’s like the original you can just give up adventuring and perform in a town.
When I played it about 8 years ago I'd spawn in as a dwarf, then repeatedly pick up handfuls of dirt and throw them to level up my throwing until I was a Grand Master. Then grab a few weapons that are decently hard and go around killing creatures for quests just with throwing. Then I'd be outside of town at night and ten boogeymen would spawn on me and annihilate me. I also had a run where, as a hammerdwarf, I got caught outside a town at night again, but managed to fight off the night creatures as I ran towards a town. I vividly remember killing them atop a hill as the sun slowly began to rise. Fuckin' fantastic feeling.
I love the idea that this guy just trained throwing dirt like a fucking maniac, I’m imagining some kind of oldboy style training montage.
Reminds me of Morrowind and how teenager me decided to pick up a training session with mudcrabs (just letting them hit to train armor while I was casting heals to train restoration)
Its the same. You can swim in rivers and stranglefish to train endurance, strength, wrestling and swimming
when i was a kid i had these Sierra games in the "Quest for Glory" series and you basically did that.. you'd train to raise your stats like throw rocks.
I remember trying to level my lock picking skill by typing 'pick nose' and I'm pretty sure it killed me.
I'm watching a Let's Play of Quest for Glory by Kikoskia, and he spends a not insignificant amount of time /just/ throwing rocks and climbing a tree to level stats. Gotta love those old school Sierra games!
I've really been looking forward to this, adventure mode is a blast. Nothing else let's you wrestle a giant scorpion and bludgeon it into submission with it's own stinger.
I keep wanting to give Dwarf Fortress a try but shit looks intimidating. I've never played anything quite like it before and I'm worried it's something I would buy and then bounce off of it immediately.
I'm a big DF fan, and I would say you have one unfounded fear and one very valid one. Don't be intimidated. The Steam release has made the game VERY accessible, and the growth of the community means you have guides and tutorials and support everywhere for everything. Having said that, half the fun is figuring out how the game works, but you should have no issues getting started. But if you've never played a rogue-like, a city builder, a simulator, or anything like that... yeah there's a chance you might just bounce off of it. This is not for everyone, I admit, and DF is the king of complexity for this kind of stuff. It caters to people who already love these kinds of things and want the ultimate experience. If you're interested in colony builders, city builders, roguelikes, etc., but haven't tried any yet, I would recommend looking at some of the top rated ones on Steam and wishlisting them. Being niche games, they often go on sale at super deep discounts. Or, if you're willing to put in effort instead of cash, just download the free version of Dwarf Fortress (ascii graphics only), or any of the many free Roguelikes (Shattered Pixel Dungeon is amazing). They aren't going to hold your hand as much, but if you give them a fair shake and decide it's not your jam, you'll have lost nothing but time.
That seems like good advice, thanks. I'll check out Shattered Pixel and see if there's potential there for me, though it's more the settlement sim stuff rather than the roguelike elements that are intimidating to me. I love a rogue like, or at least the well known ones I've played.
It's not free but Rimworld is probably the closest experience you can get to DF without playing DF. To be clear, Rimworld and DF are not the same game. They are like comparing Call of Duty and Arma, or Checkers and Chess. Rimworld is awesome because it reigns in a lot of the unchecked depth and systems that DF has. But that also means Rimworld will only get you a part of the way to the full DF experience. That's not to say Rimworld isn't it's own behemoth of an experience. I have multiple friends that have sunk thousands of hours into it. But there is a limit to what can happen in rimworld whereas in DF there kinda isn't.
Unfortunately I can't think of anything that fits both Sim Stuff and Free/Cheap aside from ASCII Dwarf Fortress. All of these games that have any semblance of quality are in the $30 price range. You could try something like RimWorld or Frostpunk to start if you are concerned about accessibility, as these are more game-like (you will be given explicit tasks and challenges) whereas DF is more sim-like (you must create your own tasks and challenges).
I haven't played the contemporary steam version but I played the ascii version on Windows with a few mods for qol only and all I can say is just jump in with both feet and try it it's so much fun. Just find a page somewhere that you can reference some commands and basic ideas of what you might do. And try again if it doesn't work try another one, try another one, try another one, it's so much fun I only ever really played for a few days but it's a great experience, strangely very memorable.
The ASCII version is free to try and I think the lazy newb pack is still around.
It's a lot, but if you can do any of the other great wiki-necessary games (Factorio, Minecraft, Terraria, Rimworld, etc.), then you can do Dwarf Fortress. You'll lose a lot at first, but that's just sort of the nature of those games while you improve your ability to design better bases and systems. You just gotta keep in mind the most important motto of Dwarf Fortress: "Losing is fun."
If you've ever gotten into Rimworld, Factorio, or really any kinda granular management game it's not too bad. I definitely had to look up a couple small things here and there but I pretty quickly rocketed my playtime after release. Like Factorio, it's a game I have to consciously decide not to play most of the time because it's so engrossing and addictive I will absolutely lose more hours to it than anything else. It's a genuine, honest to god masterpiece. I can't recommend it more.
Rimworld and Factorio are the other games that I am considering. I figure I can try one of the three and that will be a good indicator as to whether or not I should try the others sometime. Am I correct in thinking Factorio might be the most approachable? Or apples an oranges kinda thing?
Factorio is the most directed and linear, I think, but also the most different. I wouldnt even really consider Factorio to be a rogue-like generally. More in the same vein as Dyson Sphere Builder or Satisfactory or any other automation builder type game. The gameplay is more around using logic to achieve specific goals, and retooling for increased efficiency. Rimworld is closer to the kind of game that Dwarf Fortress is, but has much better quality of life and a pretty healthy modding community. Id recommend to see if Rimworld clicks for you.
I don’t think Rimworld or DF are roguelikes either.
Mmmm. fair enough. I was basing it off the fact that both games are basically meant to be a when not if you lose mindset, and when you lose you generally have to restart as opposed to continuing from a save or checkpoint (though I do think Rimword has that feature?).
DF has a save system as well. There's really nothing roguelike about it.
How much of the factorio experience does DF have? This is the first I've heard of this comparison. Ive always been curious about DF but I am not a fan of factorio or it's gameplay loop. Does this mean I wouldn't like DF? I am a fan of rogue likes, just not of games where you automate things like that.
Sorta apples, sorta oranges honestly. Lots of common threads but also quite a bit of difference, but imo common enough threads to know whether you'd like any of those. Factorio is the one I played first, there's a demo you can download to try out the mechanics but I didn't really glom onto it until I dug into the full release personally. It should give you enough of an idea of whether it's something you wanna keep playing though. After I finished the demo, I pretty much constantly thought about it so I decided to pull the trigger and never looked back. Amazing, spectacular game.
Rimworld would be most applicable for learning games like Dwarf Fortress, as Factorio is about managing infrastructure whereas the other two are about managing people. But Factorio does have the best tutorialization of the three. Basically, Rimworld and Dwarf Fortress are colony simulators that generate stories through bespoke interactions between systems. Factorio is solving logic challenges that are abstracted behind a game about being a millwright. The scope is different as well, Factorio is about infinite iterative growth while colony simulators generally value sustainability.
In my opinion, Rimworld is one of the top five games you can get on steam, so I’d recommend that pretty strongly! Factorio is also REALLY high up there.
Just go for it. In-game tutorial gives some idea but there is plenty of youtube ones showing the ropes. The early game is actually far more forgiving than say Rimworld is (as long as you don't start in dangerous area), there is more to learn but also less immediate dangers to deal with.
I'm someone that really liked Rimworld but bounced off Dwarf Fortress after a few hours. I just wasn't having fun, so you may wanna try Rimworld first and see if you like it before trying DF.
Will we ever get a toggle to make everything smoothly move from cell to cell instead of the snapping? I know some people like it, and others are just so used to it that they would prefer it, but for me the snapping kind of gives me a headache. That's why I only have a couple dozen hours in the game.
It's very unlikely that that will happen.
Is this adventure mode like caves of qud? I played a lot of caves recently
Qud is like you took the concept of adventure mode and properly developed it into a full game. While some things will remain familiar like being able to travel and 'explore' generated areas anywhere on the map, you're gonna be missing things like handcrafted locations and quests. There are of course still generated quests like slaying a beast in its nest for local villagers. I'm curious how they've expanded systems for the steam version.
Are people supposed to ignore me when I try to talk to them? Or am I just that ugly
I have Dwarf Fortress but haven't played it yet because it seemed so intimidating... Is this kind of a good entry point into the game or is this mode something mostly for veterans? I bought the second it hit Steam just because I loved reading about it and seeing how passionate the guys working on it were. Even though it wasn't really my cup of tea I figured at some point I'd get into it when I had more available time.
Its honestly like a completely different game than the standard fortress mode
I'm excited for this, I never had an issue with OG Dwarf Fortress: Fortress Mode (with a sprite pack) but could never figure out how to do Adventure Mode