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Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with graphics

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61–70 of 333 posts

Re: Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with graphics

#61
post #22

Kitfox Games is run by Tanya Short, who’s co-authored a book on procedural generation in games.[1] She gave a pretty interesting talk in Vancouver about how it integrates into her studio’s production methodology. A lot of Kitfox’s games employ procgen, so I feel like they’re a good fit for the title. [2] [1] https://www.amazon.ca/Procedural-Generation-Design-Tanya-Sho... [2] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TH11Q7VPXj8

Co-authored with Tarn Adams, the co-creator of Dwarf Fortress.

Re: Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with graphics

#62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's such a disaster to see people so severely affected by the healthcare system in America. If you haven't been keeping track, there's been a similar issue with SomethingAwful's Lowtax, who is deep in debt as a result of some of the medical issues he's going through. It's enough to certainly make me consider working in a different country. I wonder if there would be any possibilities of the Dwarf Fortress developers…

What kind of issues is Lowtax having?

Suffice to say that we're chipping in for Lowtax's spine fund.

Re: Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with graphics

#63

"No access to the source code" is a seriously weird thing to note. Is this going to be like one of the existing memory-injecting/manipulating mods, with all the downsides that implies?

I think they're just making it clear that Kitfox is only distributing the game and not participating in development at all. All the development (including anything necessary for adding the "official" graphics/music) is still being done by Bay12.

Re: Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with graphics

#64
post #4
post #2

I wish they would release on gog too, but I guess that kind of loses the benefits of the steam workshop. Maybe an independent mod manager?

If you want a DRM-free version without Steam integration, they're also releasing on itch.io.

Awesome! Also do you happen to know if it's coming to Linux too?

Re: Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with graphics

#65
post #17

I've never been able to get into DF but I would suggest people check out RimWorld. I've heard it described as "Dwarf Fortress is Rimworld for people who hate fun" [0] and people often draw parallels between the two [1]. [0] https://www.reddit.com/r/RimWorld/comments/7dm7j8/how_does_r... [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/RimWorld/comments/6xeie3/coming_ove...

I love RimWorld, and have hundreds of hours in it, but I'd say it's really more like Babby's First DF game than truly comparable to DF. It just doesn't have the depth, or capability to present a deep challenge forever. It also takes place in a single layer, whereas DF has gobs of layers.

I actually really enjoy the way RimWorld's gameplay is simpler and more focused. Feels more like a game you actually get to play and less like a simulation you feel compelled to tweak every few hundred ticks.

Obviously, you're not going to get "infinite hours of gameplay" out of it the way you can with DF, but it can be a fun ride for hundreds of hours.

Re: Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with graphics

#66
post #48
post #35

One thing that amazes me about Dwarf Fortress is that the creator(s) don't use version control[1] (as of 2014, things may have changed): "I don't use version control -- I didn't like the feeling of having the code get committed into a black box thingy with no immediate upside." I can't fathom how you can manage the complexity of a game like DF without a VCS. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1avszc/im_tarn_a…

No development team , no need for version control. I meta love DF for it's primitive development practices too. Guy decides to make a game with a block of stone and a chisel, development community calls him crazy and says games can't be made that way, but he keeps chiseling away.

This is like stone carving with a chisel, but striking the back of the chisel with your hand instead of using a hammer. A hammer adds a bit of complexity, but you will save yourself a significant amount of pain.

Re: Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with graphics

#67
post #40

I always read about Dwarf Fortress in HN and it always interested me. But some elements, like the ASCII art, always seemed to me as entry barriers purposefully built to maintain a protected subculture that I had no interest in being part of. I just wanted to try out a good game. So this comes as good news to me, I'll probably give it a try now with the tile graphics.

You've been able to play DF with tile graphics for many years. Check out the "Lazy Newb Pack":

http://dwarffortresswiki.org/Utility:Lazy_Newb_Pack

Re: Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with graphics

#68
post #40

I always read about Dwarf Fortress in HN and it always interested me. But some elements, like the ASCII art, always seemed to me as entry barriers purposefully built to maintain a protected subculture that I had no interest in being part of. I just wanted to try out a good game. So this comes as good news to me, I'll probably give it a try now with the tile graphics.

To be fair, it is a video game and a personal project. There's no expectation of inclusiveness there. And I wouldn't say that the interface is an intentional barrier to entry, it is just not their favored feature to work on, so it simply receives little work.

Re: Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with graphics

#69
I wonder if the steam/itch.io versions will support linux? It only has windows on the steam page so far and nothing about platforms on the article or FAQ. I would enjoy a version integrated with the steam workshop with automatic updates and to help them out some more.

Re: Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with graphics

#70
post #22

Kitfox Games is run by Tanya Short, who’s co-authored a book on procedural generation in games.[1] She gave a pretty interesting talk in Vancouver about how it integrates into her studio’s production methodology. A lot of Kitfox’s games employ procgen, so I feel like they’re a good fit for the title. [2] [1] https://www.amazon.ca/Procedural-Generation-Design-Tanya-Sho... [2] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TH11Q7VPXj8

Tanya Short and Tarn Adams (of DF) are collaborating again for a new book built around procedural storytelling that is set to release soon. [1]

[1] https://www.crcpress.com/Procedural-Storytelling-in-Game-Des...

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