Dwarf Fortress

pew pew pew
VLSmooth
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Dwarf Fortress

Post by VLSmooth »

http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/
  • Co-worker recommendation
  • ASCII power!
  • coworker wrote:You pick out a gang of dwarves, equipment to bring, and you mine yourself a fortress out of the side of a mountain.
  • screenshots

Peijen
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Post by Peijen »


Jonathan
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Post by Jonathan »

Over two hundred rock and mineral types are incorporated into the world, placed in their proper geological environments.
Oh yeah!

My ASCII power recommendation is Troubles of Middle Earth. It has a skill system fully integrated with the class designs, hundreds of high level magical artifacts, and randomly generated generic magical items as befits a direct descendant of the game that inspired Diablo. I still haven't beaten it, though I quickly became obsessed with designing and leveling odd characters.

George
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Post by George »

Ok, I need to play this game. I just started reading the blog at some random point and it's hilarious.
I feel like I just beat a kitten to death... with a bag of puppies.

George
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Post by George »

Ok, this game is a lot more fun to read about then to play. The controls are convoluted, the graphics are incomprehensible, and it requires more micromanagement than Master of Orion 3. Why hasn't someone made a non-crappy front-end for this with modern technology like scroll bars?

VLSmooth
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Post by VLSmooth »

George wrote:Ok, this game is a lot more fun to read about then to play. The controls are convoluted, the graphics are incomprehensible, and it requires more micromanagement than Master of Orion 3. Why hasn't someone made a non-crappy front-end for this with modern technology like scroll bars?
From a non-player with a Dwarf Fortress (DF) fanatic or two as friends, those aspect seem to be part of DF's charm. A better front-end would undermine what DF is, whatever that may be.

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Post by Jonathan »

I'm with George, albeit for different reasons. DF is no fun because the pace is too slow. I played for several hours and never got attacked. I spent most of my time waiting for my guys to finish their break or nap and get back to work.

Also, from the (admittedly hilarious) blog, it seems dwarves will sleep right through a siege. That's silly, in a game that appears to be striving for some kind of realism.

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

Started over, but this time in adventure mode!

First Dwindlehop (Iluvien, I think): Buffed Agility a little, buffed throw a lot, successfully murdered a wolf but could not find the hamlet where he got the quest to turn it in. Tried trekking overland to a different city but got eaten in the night by a grue (or a pack of bogeymen, whatever).

Second Dwindlehop (not sure last name): Got Superior Agility and some Dodge/Spearmanship. Am Elf. General plan of attack is to throw something at a foe, then not get hit while worrying it to death with my spear. This actually worked really well in my first battle against a mean human. He spawned in a room with a copper pick, an iron helm, and a iron lockbox. I threw my dagger at him, then tried to engage him with the spear but he kept dodging and counterattacking. Yikes, dangerous. So I backed all the way up to a room, where I carefully maneuvered around him, then ran down and picked up my dagger and the copper pick. I couldn't figure out how to wear the iron helm (but armor would only slow me down anyway). I threw the dagger and the copper pick at him. The copper pick made him bleed and he started to run away. I picked it back up, threw it again, and then worried him with my spear until he bled to death. Now to murder a vampire in the same way!

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

Dwindlehop Thilurino, the second, is an accomplished spearelf, a competent shield user, and an expert dodger. He has superelven agility and an immortal thirst for blood that will never truly be quenched after accidentally licking the blood of a vampire he killed. He avenged Dwindlehop the first by slaying some bogeymen on his multi-day journey to speak with an elder several towns over who has a mission for him.

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

Elven Vampire Hero Dwindlehop Thilurino Corutida Efiva is a legendary spearelf, a proficient shield user, a professional dodger, and a talented wrestler. He's broken his front teeth and two toes and has numerous bruises on his body.

He killed Istrath Parchgilt the Wealthy Luxury of Gems, a dragon, in 192 using only a masterwork bronze spear, an iron shield, and some clothing. The masterwork bronze spear he looted off a brigand on the way to meet the ruler of fortress Swallowhides, who charged him with slaying the dragon Istrath Parchgilt. While in the fortress, he recruited two bowmen, a lasher (whipman), a maceman, and a swordman to help him slay the dragon. On the way, they were ambushed by a brigand warchief and his crossbowmen. The lasher died and so did the swordman. The party attempted to rest out in the wilderness, but were ambushed anew. The second ambush set an evil swordman with a scimitar amongst the bowmen, who knocked them out and hacked off the arm of one of them. The maceman died. Dwindlehop was barely able to rescue his hirelings. With a heavy heart, he returned to Swallowhides to allow the bowmen to convalesce, and then marched off to face the dragon alone.

The dragon attempted to breathe dragonfire on Dwindlehop several times, but Dwindlehop was able to block the dragonfire with his shield and nimbly run away. Striking the dragon was difficult, but Dwindlehop was able to pierce its foot and sever a tendon, which caused the dragon to fall to the ground. On the ground, Dwindlehop was able to make a quick strike to the throat which severed an artery. Some rounds of non-decisive jabs later, another opening to the throat opened up and Dwindlehop struck his spear deep into the dragon and killed it.

Having returned to Swallowhides to bask in the adulation of its people, he has reunited with his bowmen, acquired a new pikeman, and is marching off to deal with a nasty roc who has been harming the people.

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

Dwindlehop Thilurino died to a marksdwarf chief. I made a bunch of mistakes.

1. I turned a vampire before hitting the attribute cap.
2. I saw the chief but did not realize he was a marksdwarf so I went after the other bowmen first.
3. I fell down a hill trying to dodge his arrows several times.
4. I did not run away and remove the bolt that lodged in my chest immediately upon getting hit.

I started a new world where the elven starts are not so damn mountainous and the megabeasts have killed more than one person each.

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

Dwindlehop the third killed a werebeast and then was slain by a hag spouse who wrestled him to death. I tried taking points out of Dodge to get my fighting up to snuff, but maybe Dwindlehop Thilurino had the right idea.

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

Dwindlehop the fourth killed a number of hags, an amphibean man, a rather old vampire with bronze armor and a copper shield, and then killed two of three night women (or spouses) before the last one killed him because he tired. Too much autoattack instead of going straight for the head.

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

I've made and killed maybe a dozen or so more Dwindlehops and none of them have gotten famous enough to talk to the leader, much less kill a megabeast. In retrospect, this is because I killed the vampire and then spent a night picking off bogeymen which really trained up my dodging and shield use. If I did not become a vampire, then I'm not sure the bogeymen encounter is survivable.

On the plus side, I found the dungeon beneath the keep where the evil vampire lord rules over the town I keep starting in. I still have not found that vampire lord, though. He'd murder me pretty handily, of course.

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

Well, after hunting for bogeymen and other night creatures for several nights with a copper spear I bought, my new non-vampire Dwindlehop is an accomplished spearelf but only an adequate shield user. Still an expert dodger, but I started with that. Getting up to competent with shields is gonna be tough, because if you dodge the blow you don't get any shield skill. Eventually you get talented enough with the shield that you can block attacks you don't dodge and the whole leveling up in shield use becomes easier.

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

And that last Dwindlehop, the one I had carefully trained against several waves of bogeymen by becoming nocturnal and living in a cave, he died. To the last bogeyman in just one more wave, who kicked me in the foot and then kicked me in the head. Sigh. Superelven agility ain't what it used to be.

I think I am free of this particular geas, at least until my friend sends me a save with some artifact weapons in it.

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in.

Thought I could train up my stats by swimming, then drink vampire blood and have a crazy speed. This is true, but stat gain from swimming is so slow I would be playing for hours just to get to that point. Then I realized I hadn't started in my high metal world. I bought a well-created iron spear for a lot of giraffe meat, then realized the premium want worth it on a non legendary warrior.

Latest Dwindlehop has been ambushed by goblins, snuck away to circle around behind them, struck a iron shield from a sword goblin's hand, scooped it up, and then got a nasty cut in the hand which made him drop his spear. Being so fast, I just circled around and picked up my spear again. I threw things at the sword goblin until he bled to death, then stole all his armor and ran away before his friend could do anything. I have a «copper breastplate»

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

Which slows me down a fair amount. I'm not sure what I will wind up wearing, but I need to fight someone to get some shield and armor skills.

I have killed a vampire so I can turn myself whenever is convenient. I need to find some fiends near a hamlet to grow my fame and then go dragon hunting.

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

My name is Dwindlehop Raysplay the Solitary Act of Mirth. I have six notable kills: two humans vampires, one amphibian man vampire, a goblin, and a couple of were-whatsits. I have an iron spear I am expert with. I have a «copper breastplate» and a couple of shields I am merely novice with. I recently killed a vampire named Mong by taking away its weapons first.

Image

Once disarmed, he decided he needed to run away. Unfortunately for me, he was very fast.

Image

Fortunately for me, I am even faster once I drop my provisions and take off my armor, Schwarzenegger-in-Predator-style. BAM

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Re: Dwarf Fortress

Post by Jonathan »

Also, crazy vampire adventurer speed is not a thing, as vampires have a capped speed, apparently. On the one hand, not experiencing pain or tiredness due to being undead really helps with the epic battles. On the other hand, being crazy elf fast also really helps. Hmm.

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