Dwarf Fortress

[Whoha]

22f is the version BoatMurdered uses so it might be worth looking at, but 33g is the first version I used, and it has some features which aren't in 22f, but are helpful.
22f = 2d, 33g = 3d, but you can ignore 3d for the time being and just use a single slice while you play around.

Sieges in 22f and 33g are based on the wealth that you've created, so if you're just bumming around it won't throw doomsday at you. So you can focus on just setting up a farm first. In time, infinite magmaflood doomsday weapons will just be second nature.

This game is complex, no question about it, its just that the later versions ramp it up.

[DarkCloud]

>>http://fromearth.net/LetsPlay/Boatmu...apter1-16.html
Probably the funniest section of the story yet .
---
Okay. So, in terms of gameplay fun, you'd recommend staying at the lower versions? I'm not a complex fellow. I like strategy games, but I'd rather not have to spend too much planning. I won't be missing out on too many features by taking a lower version?

I appreciate the advice you've already given.
Thanks,
DC.

[Whoha]

I'd recommend grabbing the latest version and 33g. and Starting at lower versions, once you've got the basics down for starting a fortress, go ahead and move up a notch. Aboving 33g you'll find that the Military and economics become more fleshed out, and you'll have to deal with more. But you could always start out with the latest, it doesn't throw ambushers at you right away so you'd have some time to play around. Likewise the economy doesn't come into play until you're a certain size and have enough wealth built up. It is actually pretty good because it frees you up from directing everything that happens in the fort.

[DarkCloud]

okay. thanks. looking at the site it appears that version .28 is the most recent though?

[EPW]

Yeah. Oh, and chose fort locations in purple regions

[DarkCloud]

Aren't those miasma regions?

[EPW]

No, just bring some cats along if you want miasma

[DarkCloud]

Ah... I'm going to assume you meant:

"DF 0.27.169.33g (December 21, 2007) : Small"

and were referring to the last number, not the first... That makes sense (!)

Thank you again.

[EPW]

nooo, you might as well start with the newest version rather than any equal to or greater than .27.xxx.xxy. If you really want to start with a simplified version start with DF 0.23.130.23a (January 18, 2007), this is the last release before the z-axis was introduced.

Also, the "Small" version doesn't include the music.

[Jon Miller]

I as addicted to it 1.5 years ago

JM

[Skanky Burns]

I would recommend the very latest version. The newly-added finder lets you find an area in the map with certain features, like magma or no evil animals. Handy if you are just starting out and want an "easy" area.

The latest version has also ramped down the difficulty significantly in most respects. Food is easy to provide for all dwarves (2 skilled dwarves can literally grow food for 100 dwarves), booze is easy, defending from seiges passively is extremely easy. You can build weapon traps to kill them as they run towards your entrance, cage traps to insta-trap them, a bridge and empty moat to stop them even attempting to head towards your fortress...

[Whoha]

The Prospector utility has been built into DF now?

[DarkCloud]

Okay. So I guess I'll download the newest version, as Skanky recommends, but if the Z-scale, 3 dimensions are too difficult for my mind to concieve, I'll scale back to
0.23.130.23a.

Thanks a bunch!

[Skanky Burns]

Originally posted by Whoha
The Prospector utility has been built into DF now?

Yep, although you will have to enable it in the init file. By default underground features are not visible but the finder can see them, so you can embark on an area guaranteed to have a magma pipe for instance, but you won't know where it is.

Good luck DC!

[DarkCloud]

Out of curio... what's the largest you managed to grow your fortress, or the longest you've been able to keep it alive?

I read that discovering "adamantine" dooms your colony... should I look out for that?