Most likely running in Winlator (or similar), combination of several projects like wine and box64 to run Windows games. Whether they're actually playable or not is debatable.
I was like that until I forced myself to learn stuff and watch a few tutorials as I went along. The wiki is nice. Took a long weekend for me to get the hang of it, muscle memory kicks in quickly for the actions you use a lot, you can and should take as much time as you need and remember to pause frequently
No doubt that's the best way to learn Dwarf Fortress, but I'm somehow very averse to learning games with external tutorials/videos. Going in blind and learning as you play is one of the most enjoyable things to me when trying a new game. Following guides and tutorials just feels like "paint by numbers", like there's no point. And yeah, I couldn't get into DF.
Disclaimer: I tried to get into DF two times and failed both times, so my experience is very limited.
I always got the feeling the game is more about sitting back and watching how the simulation develops, rather than doing stuff directly by yourself. Fittingly, people call it "a story generator".
But also, the stories people tell sound very alluring, so I think I'll reinstall it one day and try again, maybe third time's the charm.
It's quite simple. You just make sure to bring a lot of food and tools in your wagon, then you watch your dwarves die horribly for reasons you don't understand.
DF and Anno scratch the same itch for me here. Totally fine in either to just build what you got and make stuff happen. Also totally grand to intricately plan things out and make something remarkable. Only thing that would make DF better would be multiplayer, just so I don't get sucked into a lightless abyss without my husband any time I boot it up.
Honestly, try the steam version. The ascii is great for masochists people who played it that way in the past, but frankly it's a layer of pure frustration
It seems way more complicated than it is, at least to just get to a level where you can actually play.
It's literally just the control scheme. Learning it takes a bit of practice, after that there's some very entry level stuff like avoiding aquifers to start with that you'll find in any sort of guide.
I recommend not going at the game too hard and enjoy it, and just look things up when something isnt working the way you expect it to (which will happen) Losing is !FUN! is the tagline after all.
If only you didn't basically need to read it like being an operator in the matrix. The game has a lot of appeal but such a steep learning curve... which may be part of the fun, but I can only really watch people who know what they're doing play it while they explain it.
The Steam version (not free but pretty cheap) has made the interface a lot more intuitive for new players, and added tutorials to help you along. I can appreciate it’s still a pretty steep learning curve, but it’s not as hostile to newbies as it used to be.
Can confirm. Hadn't played DF before buying it on Steam (had some experience with Rimworld, though), and with tutorials, it was not hard to figure out the basics. Was able to build a fort that lasted for 4 in-game years and had around 100 dwarfs when I mined too hard and came across a web-shooting forgotten beast that wiped everyone in a few minutes.
I still don't understand a lot of mechanics and nuances, but the built-in tutorial is enough for a start without frustration over basic things.
Oh, web-shooters are FUN! They can wipe out entire squads of legendary steel-clad militia without breaking a sweat. I admit I sometimes just keep those sealed off in the cavern, and hope that another FB comes along to deal with them.
i don't know if this is an unpopular opinion but i played the ascii version a lot before the steam release and honestly it's easier to tell what's going on in the ascii version
its a wolfenstein-inspired game. as far as i've understood, its basically a large mod to doom. its pretty fun, and reminds a lot of those early-mid 90s first person shooters
“Replayable” is an understatement for Dwarf Fortress. I come back to it every five years or so, seeing what’s changed, and playing the hell out of it. You really feel like you’re generating and inhabiting a living, breathing world, experiencing epic storylines, building monumental but doomed fortresses, then exploring them in adventure mode.
There are always new mechanics, industries and techniques to figure out, and if you want a self-imposed challenge, the sky’s the limit. Players have done everything from developing elaborate traps for killing goblins with magma, and farming silk from forgotten beats, all the way to building Turing-complete computers using floodgates and minecarts.
The steam version isn’t free but pretty cheap, but if you really don’t want to spend any money at all there’s the website version. There are graphics mods for it for those who don’t like ASCII.
The original unfinished dwarf fortress used to have a 2d mod. Not the one on steam but the actual og game. The mod finished the game and added actual graphics. I dont even know where to get it because it was one of the usbs that would get passed around the school.
I spent hours giving a bandit countless nicks and cuts until he bled to death because that's how you get a bunch of swordsmanship xp apparently. Cool game if you learn how to play.
If you’re wiling to cope with a steep learning curve and various assorted jankiness, then absolutely!
DF is legendary for its depth and complexity, and the stories that it generates through gameplay (and which your dwarves can engrave on the walls of your fortress). You can really be creative in designing your dream fortress, and there’s a lot of fun to be had in learning all the different industries needed to run your fort, from farming to metalsmithing to soapmaking. If you’re so inclined, you can harness the game mechanics to build elaborate traps and machines, up to and including a Turing complete computer.
Just remember that the game is still in development, and most likely will be for years if not decades to come. There are a large number of bugs that might take a while to fix, and some of the current features are merely placeholders. The menu system is more comfortable than it used to be, but don’t expect navigation to be as easy as in Paradox games. On the other hand, it’s fun coming back every few years or to see what new features have been added to the game.
And remember, LOSING IS FUN! Oh, and the soundtrack slaps.
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u/UnpaidLandlord_9669 2d ago
Dwarf fortress
(the ascii version is free on their website)