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Dwarf Fortress: Knowing no mercy, Toady One destroyed our lives!
Xtarath
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Welcome to the Tenth Dwarf Fortress Thread!!
(stories of bloodshed and pressure plates)
Get it here: http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/
A tutorial is available here: Your First Fortress
Then there's also: a very helpful Illustrated Fortress Mode Tutorial
The ever helpful Dwarf Fortress wiki
The First G&T DF thread - forever lost to the chaos of the intertubes
The Second G&T DF thread
The Third G&T DF thread
The Fourth G&T DF thread
The Fifth G&T DF thread
The Sixth G&T DF thread
The Seventh G&T DF thread
The Eighth G&T DF thread
The Ninth G&T DF thread
And the SA DF thread, the Goons have plenty of DF chatter too.
And of course THE EPIC SAGA OF BOATMURDERED which is a must-read.
Welcome to the mountainhome of the dwarves! Starting out with a hardy band of seven pioneers, you will be beset on all sides by the threat of starvation, exposure, rampant idiocy, inexperience, tantrums, monkey attacks, hostile goblins, kleptomaniacal kobolds, accidental drownings, those goddamn hippy elves, being set on fire, upper class nobles that will make lives hell for your peasantry, and the mortal enemies of the dwarves: [strike]elephants[/strike] carp.
So what's Dwarf Fortress?
It's a rather bizarre [strike]little[/strike] huge roguelike/ fantasy world generator / colony management sim hybrid. With lots of dead dwarves guaranteed.
You start out with a tiny band of 7 dwarves, a wagon, mules and a pair of cats that multiply without any restraint and flood your fortress with kittens.
With a little luck (and if those goddamn monkeys dont steal all your food off the wagon again), your fortress will make it past the first winter. Or more likely it will collapse and you'll start up a new fortress, avoiding the mistakes of the first.
...before it all ends in a tide of blood and dwarf parts!
And then you start AGAIN!
So what does it look like?
AAAAA LETTERS EVERYWHERE OH GOD HOW DO I DO STUFF?!
A few keys will come up a lot. Pressing these keys will bring up a yellow X cursor which you control using the arrow keys. PROTIP: use the keypad to move the cursor around- it's more comfortable.
Q - assigns orders at workshops and structures, or used to create rooms from a placed structure, like tables, beds, archery targets, etc, or to destroy them.
T - much like Q, but works for sTructures. Use this when you want to examine/destroy a structure that is not a workshop. Also useful for peeking at the contents of a workshop to see how cluttered it is.
V - Examines an individual dwarf, where you can look at their stats, gear, thoughts and alter their job list.
K - If you'd like to see if that U is an attacking Unicorn or a friendly hUman trader, this is the key you want. Pressing enter examines the object in greater detail (if any).
D - Designates an area for tasks. Hit enter to start dragging out a rectangle, enter to stop. Or hold down the mouse button and draw it in. Everything in this area will now be designated for whatever task you had selected, from Digging out rock, cutting down trees, or picking plants, or whatever else it might have been. Use this to dig out your dwarf-hole.
Z - Brings up your fortress report and tells you how depressingly low you are on food.
U - displays a list of all units on the map, along with current job. Useful for finding idlers and wild animals
< and > - Change the levevel displayed by one (up and down, respectively). Since you'll be using these a lot, it might be wise to remap the keys (I use / and * on the keypad). To do this, press ESC and use the "Key Bindings" option ("move/view cursor up (Z)" and "down (Z)" )
I built a bridge, but it looked ugly so I demolished it. The new one never gets built because of pathing errors!
Common mistake. Never cut off the fortress. The dwarf builders are trying to get to material/worksites on the other side of the river/chasm, but cant because there's no bridge anymore. Avoid this by always having spare bridges. If this has already happened, build stone blocks at your masonry workshop and use those to build your new bridge, ensuring that you're using accessible materials.
They've sent a diplomat from the mountainhomes and he's killing all my dorfs! What kind of a diplomat is he?!
Aye, the outpost liaison who comes with the dwarven caravan is a delicate fellow. When he arrives, ensure that your outpost leader (use the N key to find him) has all jobs turned off, so that he has the time to meet the diplomat. Otherwise the poor guy will feel unaccepted and get miserable/insane/berserk.
How do I change the game resolution/settings/colours/etc?
In the data/init directory is init.txt, a well documented file which contains all sorts of DF settings.
I'd play this if only it had graphics
There's replacement tile and object graphics you can use along with install instructions on these pages:
http://dwarf.lendemaindeveille.com/index.php/Tilesets
http://dwarf.lendemaindeveille.com/index.php/List_of_user_character_sets
http://dwarf.lendemaindeveille.com/index.php/List_of_user_graphics_sets
Then there's also this: http://mayday.w.staszic.waw.pl/df.htm
It makes the game look like this:
This game is running slooooooooow! I thought ASCII graphics don't need a fast PC?
Make sure your starting area is suitably small for your PC. If you're already in the middle of a game, it may also help to turn off weather and/or temperature in the data\init\init.txt file. There is also a possibility you have set an FPS_CAP in the very same file. It is also worth mentioning that if you have too many tasks going at once, it will slow your performance down dramatically.
What happens if I do this?
Just try it first! It's no fun if we tell you that you would have doomed all your dwarves to a horrible agonizing death beforehand. No fun at all!
Besides, it just means you get to do it better next time.
How do I back up my save game?
A good idea, since the game is only in alpha, and does crash (rarely), but if it does, it can corrupt your entire world.
Make a copy of the data/save directory and keep it somewhere safe. To restore, delete your entire data/save directory and replace it with your copy. NOT DELETING IT FIRST WILL CAUSE ERRORS. For the backing up of save games, you can also go into the init.txt file (\data\init\init.txt) and set
[AUTOSAVE:NONE] to
[AUTOSAVE:SEASONAL]
and
[AUTOBACKUP:NO] to
[AUTOBACKUP:YES]
You can make the autosave yearly as well, and making autobackup set to yes will make each autosave a new save instead of overwriting your current one.
Also chronicled here is the stunning tale of a group of dwarves that chose the impossible, they chose Oceanside...
Disclaimer: Dwarf currency is to be called dimdums, no exceptions.
(This introduction was edited by SynthOr, Bahamut0, J3p, Xtarath and Mayday.)
(stories of bloodshed and pressure plates)
Get it here: http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/
A tutorial is available here: Your First Fortress
Then there's also: a very helpful Illustrated Fortress Mode Tutorial
The ever helpful Dwarf Fortress wiki
The First G&T DF thread - forever lost to the chaos of the intertubes
The Second G&T DF thread
The Third G&T DF thread
The Fourth G&T DF thread
The Fifth G&T DF thread
The Sixth G&T DF thread
The Seventh G&T DF thread
The Eighth G&T DF thread
The Ninth G&T DF thread
And the SA DF thread, the Goons have plenty of DF chatter too.
And of course THE EPIC SAGA OF BOATMURDERED which is a must-read.
Welcome to the mountainhome of the dwarves! Starting out with a hardy band of seven pioneers, you will be beset on all sides by the threat of starvation, exposure, rampant idiocy, inexperience, tantrums, monkey attacks, hostile goblins, kleptomaniacal kobolds, accidental drownings, those goddamn hippy elves, being set on fire, upper class nobles that will make lives hell for your peasantry, and the mortal enemies of the dwarves: [strike]elephants[/strike] carp.
So what's Dwarf Fortress?
It's a rather bizarre [strike]little[/strike] huge roguelike/ fantasy world generator / colony management sim hybrid. With lots of dead dwarves guaranteed.
You start out with a tiny band of 7 dwarves, a wagon, mules and a pair of cats that multiply without any restraint and flood your fortress with kittens.
With a little luck (and if those goddamn monkeys dont steal all your food off the wagon again), your fortress will make it past the first winter. Or more likely it will collapse and you'll start up a new fortress, avoiding the mistakes of the first.
...before it all ends in a tide of blood and dwarf parts!
And then you start AGAIN!
So what does it look like?
AAAAA LETTERS EVERYWHERE OH GOD HOW DO I DO STUFF?!
A few keys will come up a lot. Pressing these keys will bring up a yellow X cursor which you control using the arrow keys. PROTIP: use the keypad to move the cursor around- it's more comfortable.
Q - assigns orders at workshops and structures, or used to create rooms from a placed structure, like tables, beds, archery targets, etc, or to destroy them.
T - much like Q, but works for sTructures. Use this when you want to examine/destroy a structure that is not a workshop. Also useful for peeking at the contents of a workshop to see how cluttered it is.
V - Examines an individual dwarf, where you can look at their stats, gear, thoughts and alter their job list.
K - If you'd like to see if that U is an attacking Unicorn or a friendly hUman trader, this is the key you want. Pressing enter examines the object in greater detail (if any).
D - Designates an area for tasks. Hit enter to start dragging out a rectangle, enter to stop. Or hold down the mouse button and draw it in. Everything in this area will now be designated for whatever task you had selected, from Digging out rock, cutting down trees, or picking plants, or whatever else it might have been. Use this to dig out your dwarf-hole.
Z - Brings up your fortress report and tells you how depressingly low you are on food.
U - displays a list of all units on the map, along with current job. Useful for finding idlers and wild animals
< and > - Change the levevel displayed by one (up and down, respectively). Since you'll be using these a lot, it might be wise to remap the keys (I use / and * on the keypad). To do this, press ESC and use the "Key Bindings" option ("move/view cursor up (Z)" and "down (Z)" )
I built a bridge, but it looked ugly so I demolished it. The new one never gets built because of pathing errors!
Common mistake. Never cut off the fortress. The dwarf builders are trying to get to material/worksites on the other side of the river/chasm, but cant because there's no bridge anymore. Avoid this by always having spare bridges. If this has already happened, build stone blocks at your masonry workshop and use those to build your new bridge, ensuring that you're using accessible materials.
They've sent a diplomat from the mountainhomes and he's killing all my dorfs! What kind of a diplomat is he?!
Aye, the outpost liaison who comes with the dwarven caravan is a delicate fellow. When he arrives, ensure that your outpost leader (use the N key to find him) has all jobs turned off, so that he has the time to meet the diplomat. Otherwise the poor guy will feel unaccepted and get miserable/insane/berserk.
How do I change the game resolution/settings/colours/etc?
In the data/init directory is init.txt, a well documented file which contains all sorts of DF settings.
I'd play this if only it had graphics
There's replacement tile and object graphics you can use along with install instructions on these pages:
http://dwarf.lendemaindeveille.com/index.php/Tilesets
http://dwarf.lendemaindeveille.com/index.php/List_of_user_character_sets
http://dwarf.lendemaindeveille.com/index.php/List_of_user_graphics_sets
Then there's also this: http://mayday.w.staszic.waw.pl/df.htm
It makes the game look like this:
This game is running slooooooooow! I thought ASCII graphics don't need a fast PC?
Make sure your starting area is suitably small for your PC. If you're already in the middle of a game, it may also help to turn off weather and/or temperature in the data\init\init.txt file. There is also a possibility you have set an FPS_CAP in the very same file. It is also worth mentioning that if you have too many tasks going at once, it will slow your performance down dramatically.
What happens if I do this?
Just try it first! It's no fun if we tell you that you would have doomed all your dwarves to a horrible agonizing death beforehand. No fun at all!
Besides, it just means you get to do it better next time.
How do I back up my save game?
A good idea, since the game is only in alpha, and does crash (rarely), but if it does, it can corrupt your entire world.
Make a copy of the data/save directory and keep it somewhere safe. To restore, delete your entire data/save directory and replace it with your copy. NOT DELETING IT FIRST WILL CAUSE ERRORS. For the backing up of save games, you can also go into the init.txt file (\data\init\init.txt) and set
[AUTOSAVE:NONE] to
[AUTOSAVE:SEASONAL]
and
[AUTOBACKUP:NO] to
[AUTOBACKUP:YES]
You can make the autosave yearly as well, and making autobackup set to yes will make each autosave a new save instead of overwriting your current one.
Also chronicled here is the stunning tale of a group of dwarves that chose the impossible, they chose Oceanside...
Disclaimer: Dwarf currency is to be called dimdums, no exceptions.
(This introduction was edited by SynthOr, Bahamut0, J3p, Xtarath and Mayday.)
Xtarath on
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Posts
Has anyone got any ideas of interesting themed forts? Special challenges?
Or you could try building an underwater castle, with all of the exterior cells made out of glass.
The first one is interesting, but the fun would pretty much be over after the goblins were cleared out.
The second one sounds like a nightmare
I actually tried something similar to this, I called it the 7 man raid. All I brought with me was enough equipment to train my 7 dwarves for around 4 years, armor / weapons, then see how many goblins were killed before the 7 died. Sadly I didn't know you could tell a dwarf to dig out once they became champions so they were stuck in the training cave I made for them and died of hunger/thirst -.-
I also considered trying to build up instead of down, perhaps with a waterfall rolling down a gigantic hole in the center being fed by a series of pumps pushing the water up.
It all sounds fun, but my dorfort skills are really rusty. I am tempted to break out my usb keypad and try again.
ed: Or, instead of water, make it magma. All of the pumps would have to be made of fireproof material, and all the cells it comes in contact with too.
Actually, how's year 6 of Oceanside going, and who's doing it?
All others made it in before she gets cut off from the enterance by the invaders.
She runs East, over the hills, goblins in hot persuit, before she runs out of space and heads north to the moutain range north of Roughnessneutral. Crosses a couple peaks before loosing her persuers and heads back home. "FREEDOM!!!" She screams, alearting another 5 Speardwarves and their human leader.
She spins 180, running east again the same way she went thje first time, only persued by 2 gobs while the other 4 decide to check out my weapon traps. only one got away from those. lest I have iron.
the other two gobbos in persuit turn around, ran back a few steps, looked at each other, and head out of the map east, catching our Heroine offguard, she heads home again!
One gobbo infron of the base, hurt, winded, she turns away from him and sees the first 5 gobbos crossing the river bat to the moutainhome enterance. She pauses, the wounded gobbo stumbles away from the enterance just enough for her to make a mad dash inside.
I watched the whole thing, was so dwarfishly awesome.
Then, once both of my miners had become legendary, they find the magma, and are immediately incinerated by a named fireman. My elite squad of wrestlers kill him off, and leave behind their fearless leader with an injured leg. For months, she sat there right next to the magma (ecstatic the entire time). Then, she proceeded to have a miscarriage. I had a dwarf set to only do health care, but he just acted like there was no job to be done. Eventually, after almost an entire season, one my dwarfs finally grabs her and brings her to the barracks to rest. She is starving, dehydrated, yet still ecstatic from defeating the fireman.
This was easily the most eventful first year I've had.
I love when I have guard dogs chained up at my entrances/exits and thieves/kobolds try to sneak in. The only fortress accesses I ever have not blocked-off are the ones actively in use, so that means either a quick mauling to death for the intruder or a passing hunter casually murdering the wounded attacker as he crawls off.
It's a real shame that building a mighty fortress offers so little reward. It would be awesome if attacking armies would bring siege equipment and ladders and whatnot to cross gaps and knock down doors. Plus, digging enemies which try to mine their way into the fortress.
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
Agreed. There is something wrong when you find a gold seam and go "damn, just more useless gold". So undwarfish!
Magic Online - Bertro
http://www.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Challenges
Damn, should have remembered about that list. Thanks for linking it!
I'm thinking I might try the Human town challenge, coupled with the Wealth one. Should be good fun!
Buildings planned: An inn, a great keep, a watchhouse, apartment buildings, poor mans shelter, villas for the legendary dwarves and noblemen, workshops....
It'll be quite a lot of work. I had better get going.
Image by Sharpwriter on deviantart.com
It only show the stone layers on the "choose location" screen. Metal ores come as veins or clusters inside the stone, you can see which metal comes in what stone (here though a good rule of thumb is to look for sedimentary stone(Shows up white on the list).
Also that DF is not actually ASCII. It uses OpenGL and bitmap tiles that just happen to look like ASCII (but, if you look closely, actually use far more foreground / background color combinations than ASCII allows).
Looking back at the dwarf fortress wiki this seems like the easiest way:
Not really an aggressive area, but definitely dangers. Especially when you have a catwalk hanging out in space with no walls. I lost a couple dwarves to falls when constructions dislodged, sucking them downward and falling 12 levels.
The best was a one-humped camel who just got plain pissed at my engravers. There they are, making the trade depot area look pretty, and I get two death messages: both engravers dead. What gives? No goblins, no siege, no kobs.... a f***-in' camel? Yes, a named camel killed the two of them. That's one pissed camel.
So I sent what little military I had... couple wrestlers... up the ramp to the depot to take care of this rabid camel. Meanwhile, the camel is exploring my catwalk construction. Finally, the wrestler catches up, and he leaps at the camel to strangle it.
Leaps at it. On the catwalk.
Twelve Z-levels later, they both hit the dusty ground. *splat* *splat* What a mess... arms and hooves and buckets of blood across the yellow sand. Still, the camel was dead. Sadly, so was 50% of my military.
Damn camels.
Dammit.
Try the linux port: http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=28841.0
It also does work in Wine, but you might as well go with the actual port since there is one now.
Nope it was me, I thought of it shortly after the conception of the last thread. Unless it was someone else, in which case, I'm so sorry :P
You can smooth them over (just like smoothing over walls inside).