Dwarf Fortress is a rogue-like game that focuses on the establishment and long-term maintaining of a dwarven settlement. Everything is rendered in ASCII, although there are "tilesets" that render everything differently.
Dwarf Fortress started development in 2001, and no public release was made until 2006.
Originally the game was simply 2D (meaning, there were no z levels. You could not go up or down). There was no variety in the maps. On the left, there is a grassland, and on the right side, there is a mountain, further in a cave river, chasm, magma and then adamantine/the Pits.
Then, the 3D version was released, with the major addition of Z levels, and mechanics. This expanded gameplay tremendously, but made underground rivers, magma, and creatures etc unique to their landscape. To clarify, this is not in a 3D view, but adds 3D features. Whereas in the 2D version you could go left and right, x and y axis, the 3D version adds up/down, the z-axis. Once more, THIS IS FROM THE SAME VIEW AS THE 2D VERSION, TOP-DOWN.
The latest 2D version is here
Note: 2D version is no longer updated and lacks many of the features you may be used to in the 3D version.
The latest 3D version is here
The most stunning feature of Dwarf Fortress is that it creates a randomly generated, persistent world for you to play in. (The world is only "on" when you are actually playing in it, however.) When you die in either the adventure or fortress modes, your next game will be in the same world, albeit a few days later. You can visit your old fortress, or get revenge on the monster that killed your adventurer. If your fortress or your adventurer had done anything of particular note, there's a chance that the game will generate a legend for them, which you can read about in the legends section. (Provided you've discovered enough information about the legend)
Dwarf Fortress has three major game modes and a fourth non-game mode:
* Dwarf Fortress Mode: In this mode you manage a number of dwarves whose task is to create a fortress.
* Reclaim Fortress: Once you have created and abandoned/lost a fortress, you can take a band of military dwarves to fight the monsters that now inhabit it. If you succeed, the fortress is yours to play in once more, just like the standard dwarf fortress mode.
* Adventure Mode: In this mode you explore the world in a fashion similar to Rogue, Nethack, or Angband, completing quests and killing monsters. In adventure mode you can uncover details about your world's legends.
* Legends: In the fourth mode you can read more about the legends of your world, provided you've discovered them through adventuring.
* The world is randomly generated with distinct civilizations spanning over 1000 years of history, dozens of towns, hundreds of caves and regions with various wildlife.
* The world persists as long as you like, over many games, recording historical events and tracking changes.
* Command your dwarves as they search for wealth in the mountain.
* Craft treasures and furniture from many materials and improve these objects with precious metals, jewels and more.
* Defend yourself against attacks from hostile civilizations, the wilderness and the depths.
* Support the nobility as they make demands of your populace.
* Keep your dwarves happy and read their thoughts as they work and relax.
* Z coordinate allows you to dig out fortresses with multiple levels. Build towers or conquer the depths.
* Build floodgates to divert water for farming or to drown your adversaries.
* Much much more...
* Play an adventurer and explore, quest for glory or seek vengeance.
* Meet adversaries from previous games.
* Recruit people in towns to come with you on your journey.
* Explore without cumbersome plot restrictions.
* Seamlessly wander the world -- 197376 x 197376 squares total -- or travel more rapidly on the region map.
* Accept quests from the town and civilization leaders.
* Retire and meet your old characters. Bring them along on an adventure with a new character or reactivate them and play directly.
* Z coordinate allows you to move seamlessly between dungeon levels and scale structures fighting adversaries above and below.
* The combat model uses skills, body parts, wrestling, charging and dodging between squares, bleeding, pain, nausea, and much more.
* A dynamic weather model tracks wind, humidity and air masses to create fronts, clouds, rain storms and blizzards.
* Over two hundred rock and mineral types are incorporated into the world, placed in their proper geological environments.
* Add new creatures, weapons, plants, metals and other objects via modifiable text files.
* Extended ASCII character set rendered in 16 colors (including black) as well as 8 background colors (including black).
Indecisive's Illustrated Dwarf Fortress Tutorial
Your First Fortress
The Wiki - The most useful site related to Dwarf Fortress - Go here for anything and everything.
An epic story of burning puppies, rabid elephants and insane mayors, Boatmurdered.
The Official Forums
Dev Log - Check it every now and again for latest developments.
The awesome tale of Boatmurdered.
Leetsepeak
FooBeH
Darkea
Most importantly, remember Losing is fun!
The majority of the content of this thread is by a friend, Thorny, at another forum, so credit goes to him.
I'd love to see how many of you guys play this wonderful game, it's a tad complicated at first but once you learn the basics it's great fun.
Hopefully if enough people pick it up, we can have a bloodline game.
My former fortress.
Dwarf Fortress started development in 2001, and no public release was made until 2006.
Originally the game was simply 2D (meaning, there were no z levels. You could not go up or down). There was no variety in the maps. On the left, there is a grassland, and on the right side, there is a mountain, further in a cave river, chasm, magma and then adamantine/the Pits.
Then, the 3D version was released, with the major addition of Z levels, and mechanics. This expanded gameplay tremendously, but made underground rivers, magma, and creatures etc unique to their landscape. To clarify, this is not in a 3D view, but adds 3D features. Whereas in the 2D version you could go left and right, x and y axis, the 3D version adds up/down, the z-axis. Once more, THIS IS FROM THE SAME VIEW AS THE 2D VERSION, TOP-DOWN.
The latest 2D version is here
Note: 2D version is no longer updated and lacks many of the features you may be used to in the 3D version.
The latest 3D version is here
The most stunning feature of Dwarf Fortress is that it creates a randomly generated, persistent world for you to play in. (The world is only "on" when you are actually playing in it, however.) When you die in either the adventure or fortress modes, your next game will be in the same world, albeit a few days later. You can visit your old fortress, or get revenge on the monster that killed your adventurer. If your fortress or your adventurer had done anything of particular note, there's a chance that the game will generate a legend for them, which you can read about in the legends section. (Provided you've discovered enough information about the legend)
Dwarf Fortress has three major game modes and a fourth non-game mode:
* Dwarf Fortress Mode: In this mode you manage a number of dwarves whose task is to create a fortress.
* Reclaim Fortress: Once you have created and abandoned/lost a fortress, you can take a band of military dwarves to fight the monsters that now inhabit it. If you succeed, the fortress is yours to play in once more, just like the standard dwarf fortress mode.
* Adventure Mode: In this mode you explore the world in a fashion similar to Rogue, Nethack, or Angband, completing quests and killing monsters. In adventure mode you can uncover details about your world's legends.
* Legends: In the fourth mode you can read more about the legends of your world, provided you've discovered them through adventuring.
* The world is randomly generated with distinct civilizations spanning over 1000 years of history, dozens of towns, hundreds of caves and regions with various wildlife.
* The world persists as long as you like, over many games, recording historical events and tracking changes.
* Command your dwarves as they search for wealth in the mountain.
* Craft treasures and furniture from many materials and improve these objects with precious metals, jewels and more.
* Defend yourself against attacks from hostile civilizations, the wilderness and the depths.
* Support the nobility as they make demands of your populace.
* Keep your dwarves happy and read their thoughts as they work and relax.
* Z coordinate allows you to dig out fortresses with multiple levels. Build towers or conquer the depths.
* Build floodgates to divert water for farming or to drown your adversaries.
* Much much more...
* Play an adventurer and explore, quest for glory or seek vengeance.
* Meet adversaries from previous games.
* Recruit people in towns to come with you on your journey.
* Explore without cumbersome plot restrictions.
* Seamlessly wander the world -- 197376 x 197376 squares total -- or travel more rapidly on the region map.
* Accept quests from the town and civilization leaders.
* Retire and meet your old characters. Bring them along on an adventure with a new character or reactivate them and play directly.
* Z coordinate allows you to move seamlessly between dungeon levels and scale structures fighting adversaries above and below.
* The combat model uses skills, body parts, wrestling, charging and dodging between squares, bleeding, pain, nausea, and much more.
* A dynamic weather model tracks wind, humidity and air masses to create fronts, clouds, rain storms and blizzards.
* Over two hundred rock and mineral types are incorporated into the world, placed in their proper geological environments.
* Add new creatures, weapons, plants, metals and other objects via modifiable text files.
* Extended ASCII character set rendered in 16 colors (including black) as well as 8 background colors (including black).
Indecisive's Illustrated Dwarf Fortress Tutorial
Your First Fortress
The Wiki - The most useful site related to Dwarf Fortress - Go here for anything and everything.
An epic story of burning puppies, rabid elephants and insane mayors, Boatmurdered.
The Official Forums
Dev Log - Check it every now and again for latest developments.
The awesome tale of Boatmurdered.
Leetsepeak
FooBeH
Darkea
Most importantly, remember Losing is fun!
The majority of the content of this thread is by a friend, Thorny, at another forum, so credit goes to him.
I'd love to see how many of you guys play this wonderful game, it's a tad complicated at first but once you learn the basics it's great fun.
Hopefully if enough people pick it up, we can have a bloodline game.
My former fortress.
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