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Dwarf Fortress is finally getting the big Early Access release on Steam and itch.io on December 6, although the Native Linux support is to come along later. Many years in the making, with actual proper graphics and more, it's nearly here!

With Bay 12 Games at the helm and Kitfox Games publishing, no doubt it will be one of this year's biggest Steam releases. New trailer below:

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About Linux (and macOS) they said this under the "Soonish" heading:

We're also not able to approach Mac and Linux by ourselves, since we've never notarized a Mac build or managed Linux libraries, and will need to get help with that to do it properly. But obviously we'd love to get that whole pipeline working so people can play on non-Windows computers.

In an email to us, the publisher additionally noted "support for Linux and Mac is not planned for the initial release, but is relatively high in the priority list after the initial bug fixes/content updates are complete". At release though, I will be surprised if a title like this doesn't work well in Proton.

Features:

  • Not just generated geometry -- a whole simulated world. Generated rise and fall of civilizations, personalities, creatures, cultures, etc. Infinite hours of gameplay.
  • Now with beautiful pixel graphics!
  • Learn the basics with in-game tutorials
  • A lifetime “living” project - created/updated since 2003, with no end in sight
  • Generate your unique world and manage a bustling colony of dwarves, even as they probably mine towards their eventual demise.
  • A new endless hobby, just for you!

You can follow on itch.io and Steam.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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22 comments
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denyasis Nov 1, 2022
This thing spawned an entire genre. Great game
redneckdrow Nov 1, 2022
Quoting: PhiladelphusIt's happening!

Maybe I can actually make the switch from ASCII to graphics with this release, now that it no longer involves simultaneously mangling text.

Well, you can always use TWBT via dfhack. I use McArcady's LinuxDwarfPack just so I don't have to fool with managing dfhack et al. myself. In fact, I find some functions of dfhack vital to my enjoyment of the game: namely exportlegends, workflow (a simpler manager interface), and the fairly recent embark-assistant (Much better than the default find embark!). I really hope that the paid version is still compatible.

The nestboxes command also saves my sanity by preventing dwarves from eating eggs in them! Without it, you have to manually forbid and unforbid 'em, and that's the ultimate pain to keep up a decent hatching industry.

I prefer Dwarf Therapist to dfhack's labormanager though.

edit: which reminds me, If we pay the $20 do you think we could get the new tileset as a graphics pack for the original in the meantime? I'll probably stick to spacefox myself otherwise.


Last edited by redneckdrow on 1 November 2022 at 11:24 pm UTC
Purple Library Guy Nov 2, 2022
Quoting: slaapliedjeBy the way, everything should be written in NCurses,
foiled again!
slaapliedje Nov 2, 2022
Quoting: anewsonI'm quite curious how spin-off games like Rimworld have paved the way to the masses for DF. I suspect the answer is "not much," but I suppose there is a world in which DF does become a massive hit.
Friend of mine has played more hours of Rimworld than I think I have played all of my Steam games combined... damn, I remember when I used to have the patience to play that long, I sadly do not anymore. Though I am trying to refuse watching shows and play more games though. 😜

I don't think he, or a lot of people even are aware of Dwarf Fortress.
TheSHEEEP Nov 2, 2022
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Quoting: redneckdrowWell, you can always use TWBT via dfhack. I use McArcady's LinuxDwarfPack just so I don't have to fool with managing dfhack et al. myself. In fact, I find some functions of dfhack vital to my enjoyment of the game: namely exportlegends, workflow (a simpler manager interface), and the fairly recent embark-assistant (Much better than the default find embark!). I really hope that the paid version is still compatible.

The nestboxes command also saves my sanity by preventing dwarves from eating eggs in them! Without it, you have to manually forbid and unforbid 'em, and that's the ultimate pain to keep up a decent hatching industry.

I prefer Dwarf Therapist to dfhack's labormanager though.
At one point or another, I think I did and had all of these things.
But in the end, it felt more like I'm trying to set up a workstation with specific tooling.

With a game, you just kind of want to start it and play, maybe tick some boxes for the mods you want to activate.


Last edited by TheSHEEEP on 2 November 2022 at 8:44 am UTC
soulsource Nov 2, 2022
Well, I still think that the ASCII art of Dwarf Fortress is a thing of beauty that is hard/impossible to match with actual graphics.
Take for instance the variety in different kinds of grass. They do have a unique ASCII representation, and have an annual blooming cycle. Of course visualized, and if you don't expect it to happen, it's a very impressive surprise if suddenly a lot of grass tiles on your embark turn into bright (ASCII) flowers.
For ASCII that's rather quick to do, as you just need to decide a character and a colour to visualize the flowers. For graphics, well, you need to draw the flowers first...
And that's just one example. There are plenty of things that are really hard to bring over to actual graphics, but work well with ASCII.
TheSHEEEP Nov 2, 2022
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Quoting: soulsourceAnd that's just one example. There are plenty of things that are really hard to bring over to actual graphics, but work well with ASCII.
True, but aside from actual graphics just being more pleasing to look at for... almost everyone, probably .... there is also the mouse issue, which for me was always the biggest blocker to play Dwarf Fortress again.

Each time I felt like playing, I remembered the immense pain and time investment I had to do just to learn how to control the damn game, my interest in playing again quickly subsided.
soulsource Nov 2, 2022
Quoting: TheSHEEEP
Quoting: soulsourceAnd that's just one example. There are plenty of things that are really hard to bring over to actual graphics, but work well with ASCII.
True, but aside from actual graphics just being more pleasing to look at for... almost everyone, probably .... there is also the mouse issue, which for me was always the biggest blocker to play Dwarf Fortress again.

Each time I felt like playing, I remembered the immense pain and time investment I had to do just to learn how to control the damn game, my interest in playing again quickly subsided.
This is certainly true. If you have the controls in your muscle memory, they are fine. If you had enough time to forget them: PITA.
whizse Nov 2, 2022
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Quoting: slaapliedjeBy the way, everything should be written in NCurses, graphics are way overrated.
I'm not so sure, I tried video in the terminal but it's not just the same:
amatai Nov 2, 2022
Quoting: whizse
Quoting: slaapliedjeBy the way, everything should be written in NCurses, graphics are way overrated.
I'm not so sure, I tried video in the terminal but it's not just the same:
You should use libcaca, cacafire is as realist as a real fire.


Last edited by amatai on 2 November 2022 at 7:40 pm UTC
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