Dwarf Fortress: Very Ambitious Roguelike

Calistas · 2010-02-10T21:53:13.000Z

Today we wanted to see how the hospital zones worked out over there in a real fortress environment, so Zach took his fort and made a dwarf-dropping device. After a few false starts, we got a dwarf with a compound fracture in his left hand. One of the caretakers wanted to clean the dwarf off but kept dumping the water next to the dwarf, over and over. Once that was sorted out, surgery began. The dwarf Zach had selected didn’t have any surgical experience. As I was watching, blood splattered on the walls and floor, and another dwarf ran over to diagnose the patient again, while the dabbling surgeon moved between repairing the compound fracture and trying to stop bleeding from malpractice. Eventually it was time to suture up the wound, and the dabbling surgeon did this… then again… then again… our poor patient had four sutures in his left wrist before I got the bug figured out. Bandaging worked out fine, but I had screwed up the meal requests for patients that can move under their own power, so while the patient was waiting for a splint to be constructed in the workshops the caretakers left him to die of thirst. I got the splint together just in time, the caretaker put it on correctly, and the patient jumped out of bed and ran to get a drink.

No comment required :)

Talorc · 2010-02-11T00:58:58.000Z

Forget Skynet, Dwarf Fortress is clearly the AI system that will soon become self aware and take over the world!

Jarmo · 2010-02-11T01:28:14.000Z

This is a very worrying thought considering how often the dwarves go insane.

CustodianV131 · 2010-02-11T03:58:47.000Z

Jarmo:

This is a very worrying thought considering how often the dwarves go insane.

Indeed! No insane people leading the world now… ehm wonder or we’ll even notice the difference further then the leaders being short and have long beards.

Jarmo · 2010-02-11T04:11:36.000Z

The difference is we will know more about the family, medical and professional history and the personal grooming habits of the dwarven leaders than we do about the current ones.

David_Erikson · 2010-02-11T05:01:20.000Z

Calistas:

<dwarf hospital description>

No comment required :)

Damn. I mean - DAMN! Please tell me it was a joke. Is it really from the DF author, describing what he is working on now?

I mean - it’s truly fascinating and awe-inspiring, in some strange way. But man, it sounds as if I will die of an old age before this game will have half-decent UI. :((( <crying>

Kalle · 2010-02-11T06:27:29.000Z

Yes, you will. Bitching about it doesn’t change anything. Be happy that you have wonderful dwarven madness for free.

salwon · 2010-02-11T07:24:29.000Z

You have a half-decent UI now.

You’ll die of old age before getting a FULLY decent UI.

zengonzo · 2010-02-11T07:36:52.000Z

Three-quarters, all I ask.

Mousewheel list scroll and right-click context menus.

Kalle · 2010-02-11T07:38:32.000Z

Mass Effect 2 doesn’t have mousewheel support. Think about that for a moment.

zengonzo · 2010-02-11T08:26:31.000Z

Do you mean for the menus?

http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/review/R139215.html

cycle weapons with the mouse wheel

I actually only just discovered the mousewheel for map resizing in DF, which is kind of cool. Going through levels that way might be better, though. Through task lists would be best.

David_Erikson · 2010-02-11T10:45:23.000Z

Kalle:

Yes, you will. Bitching about it doesn’t change anything.

Wrong. Bitching can make you feel better. >;)

Be happy that you have wonderful dwarven madness for free.

I am, except I can’t really fully enjoy it with current UI (I’ve tried several times, trust me). I would be happy to give author 50$ if I would get a DF with decent UI to play in return.

Pogo · 2010-02-11T11:15:39.000Z

I do find Toadie’s programming updates funny. It’s tough not to read about this game and at least be amused by the stories that people give of unexpected or unintended consequences.

baelthazar · 2010-02-11T11:25:01.000Z

The UI in Dwarf Fortress is the Roguelike equivalent to skillfulling using Macros and hotkeys in a MMORPG. When you are good, it becomes an extension of your fingers. My only complaint is that the DF interface is a little harder to use with a laptop that doesn’t have the number keys - but I’ve managed to learn it fine.

So in the MMORPG world they would tell you to “QQ more n00b!” but we roguelike people are far more stately.

BTW, STOP POSTING IN THIS THREAD, I KEEP THINKING THAT IT’S RELEASE DAY!

Oops… I just broke my own commandment.

Lunch_of_Kong · 2010-02-11T14:08:11.000Z

Has Toadie been taken by a fey mood?

zengonzo · 2010-02-11T14:15:03.000Z

baelthazar:

My only complaint is that the DF interface is a little harder to use with a laptop that doesn’t have the number keys - but I’ve managed to learn it fine.

That’s actually my greatest problem. I pretty much exclusively play on my laptop, when I’m about.

And remapping keys sometimes seems to work better for some menus, but then is awkward for others. I can’t quite remember what the result was - but I recall the last time I attempted to remap it created as many problems as it had fixed.

nixon66 · 2010-02-11T14:19:49.000Z

The simple remap that I do is the one suggested on the WIKI. I think I’d have problems playing on a normal keyboard because this remap is all I’ve known.

[SECONDSCROLL_UP:KEYDB]
[SECONDSCROLL_DOWN:KEYDD]
[SECONDSCROLL_PAGEUP:MINUS]
[SECONDSCROLL_PAGEDOWN:PLUS]

roBurky · 2010-02-15T10:40:22.000Z

Toady One created a race of cave fish men. He put a few into the arena to test out their combat ability. He was confused when they just wandered around and didn’t fight.

Until he remembered that cave fish are blind.

JM1 · 2010-02-15T10:41:53.000Z

I’m glad he’s having fun. It’s been a long time since the last major release, though.

BobJustBob · 2010-02-15T10:43:01.000Z

JM:

I’m glad he’s having fun. It’s been a long time since the last major release, though.

I hate the internet sometimes.