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Dwarf Fortress => DF General Discussion => Topic started by: Sean Mirrsen on November 10, 2007, 03:03:00 pm

Title: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Sean Mirrsen on November 10, 2007, 03:03:00 pm
Okay, since Toady is going to go for monthly releases anyways, he's probably going to get a lot more changes squeezed into every version.

So, I'd like to see opinions and guesses. Opinions on what do you think Toady should get done next, and guesses on what will he get done next. Next being in the next one-two months, and apart from fixing game-breaking bugs, obviously.

So far there are a lot of Big Things floating about, every next one bigger than the previous. Of those, there are very few within fathomable range.

My opinion (or should I say "wish"?) is that generalizing materials, liquids, items, and skills within the game (and the raws) should be the Next Big Thing.

As for my guess...  Toady will probably resume work on the Army Arc, like adding patrols and specific functions for nobles.

This thread has no point or value whatsoever, it's just made out of curiosity. A poll would be nice though..

Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Capntastic on November 10, 2007, 03:06:00 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Sean Mirrsen:
<STRONG>As for my guess...  Toady will probably resume work on the Army Arc, like adding patrols and specific functions for nobles.
</STRONG>

You guess is an awful lot like exactly what he said in the Future of the Fortress page!  I see through your scheme.

Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Kyselina on November 10, 2007, 03:29:00 pm
Magic should be in next big release, I hope
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Baro on November 10, 2007, 03:48:00 pm
Magic??? awwwww I didn't know he was going to add that junk.
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: subject name here on November 10, 2007, 04:08:00 pm
Magic would kick ass, especially if it's like the magic in Armok 1.
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Tormy on November 10, 2007, 04:13:00 pm
the next big thing will be the military system. Magic would be awesome to have as soon as possible.   :cool:
[Especially if we can modify and add spells]
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Capntastic on November 10, 2007, 05:20:00 pm
I'm fairly certain magic is pretty far off, but who knows- we might get surprised.
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Vodalian on November 10, 2007, 05:33:00 pm
I hope 'the next big thing' involves adventure mode  ;)
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: qwertyuiopas on November 10, 2007, 05:58:00 pm
yes, being able to use a pick would be nice...
Or even being able to find a place to get one...
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Dae on November 10, 2007, 06:09:00 pm
Sorry, what was magic like in Armok 1?
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: subject name here on November 10, 2007, 06:56:00 pm
Why not see for yourself? http://www.bay12games.com/armok/download.html
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: qwertyuiopas on November 10, 2007, 07:04:00 pm
I played that, but got a glitch where I was targeting a spell, but could not, so the save was ruined.
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Fourth Triad on November 10, 2007, 07:21:00 pm
Turning your body parts to stone is fun in that game.  :)
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: PTTG?? on November 10, 2007, 08:49:00 pm
I really hope that the 'raws generalization' is next, along with the related general tiding up; things that are just a little off, like how trees only get one useful log a piece, and all furniture uses 3 bars of metal, no matter what, and beds only need wood, and all the other little nitpicky stuff. I would love that!
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: qwertyuiopas on November 10, 2007, 09:29:00 pm
I wand bugfixes too, although I havent had bugs yet.
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: mikefictiti0us on November 11, 2007, 12:05:00 am
Now that fortress mode has had its overhaul, I'd like to see some new features for adventure mode.

Off the top of my head, I'd like the ability to attack specific body parts, climbing, better layout for towns, and a fix for the seemingly magical wound healing when in travel mode. All of those combined, perhaps with the exception of towns, would not require an immense amount of time.

Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Asehujiko on November 11, 2007, 05:00:00 am
Keep the instaheal. Any idea how ****ing boring adventure will be if you need to sit next to a pond for years while waiting for a red wound to heal?
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: BDR on November 11, 2007, 05:43:00 am
Actually, I predict that if insta-heal were to go most adventurers receiving mangled limbs would end up *dead* rather than stuck next to a pond for years and years.  Even if they manage to get away from/kill whatever it was that hurt them so badly, and even if they can find a source of water, they have to eat sometime, and even if adventurers had to walk everywhere normally, they'd probably not buy enough meat to last them for a trip where they *crawl* back to town, which means that they'll starve on the way/at that pond with water in it.
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Tormy on November 11, 2007, 07:25:00 am
quote:
Originally posted by mikefictiti0us:
<STRONG>Now that fortress mode has had its overhaul, I'd like to see some new features for adventure mode.

Off the top of my head, I'd like the ability to attack specific body parts, climbing, better layout for towns, and a fix for the seemingly magical wound healing when in travel mode. All of those combined, perhaps with the exception of towns, would not require an immense amount of time.</STRONG>



Look, I am pretty sure that most of the people are preferring Dwarf Fortress mode, that is what making this game unique. Theres countless of stuff what Toady plans to add to DF mode, and those should have the priority always. If he will waste time to make serious changes in Adventure mode, we wont see a major DF release for lot of months. That would be really bad. The current game is like a sandbox mode, overhaul or not, there are no goals in the game basically, you just play until you got bored with your current fortress.
Military + linked systems [diplomacy for example] should be added to the next major release, so the game will have a goal hopefully.

[ November 11, 2007: Message edited by: Tormy ]

Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Red Jackard on November 11, 2007, 07:41:00 am
Fortress > Adventure.

Myself, I'd hope for a larger viewport.

[ November 11, 2007: Message edited by: Red Jackard ]

Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Lord_Daeloth on November 11, 2007, 09:10:00 am
quote:

Tormy-
Look, I am pretty sure that most of the people are preferring Dwarf Fortress mode...

Well, actually, I'm going to have to say that I would love to see a bit more in adventure mode.  I've basically stayed away from it because of the limited number of things you can do.  Now that we have z-levels and all kinds of other neat things, some extra bits in adventure mode would be awesome.  This is just a little thing I'd like, a map with the ability to add markers.  Make it dynamic and have accuracy based on your mapping skill   :cool:

Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Funkadelic Jive Turkey on November 11, 2007, 03:02:00 pm
I hope the next Big Thing is a GUI overhaul. I doubt it will be but here's hoping.

And before the ASCII purists jump on my ass for saying so, let me clarify that I don't mean that Toady should now program l33t 3d graphix for everything, but as the game gets more complex, the interface gets more frustrating. What I mean is to  get the game out of the 80x25 gridlock, separate the menus from sharing icons with other tiles, scalable menus, mass job assigning, etc.

I'm used to it at this point but I also think this would also help reel in new players as they won't be put off by the ever steepening learning curve. (And I'm not talking about the game play difficulty, I mean the struggling to figure out where in what sub-menu is that thing that you need for that other thing type of stuff.)

Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Red Jackard on November 11, 2007, 03:10:00 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Funkadelic Jive Turkey:
<STRONG>What I mean is to  get the game out of the 80x25 gridlock, separate the menus from sharing icons with other tiles, scalable menus, mass job assigning, etc.</STRONG>

Yeah, I was hoping for the same thing. The game would be more convenient to play if you could see more of it at once. There;s not a whole lot of point to that black space...
Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: Tormy on November 11, 2007, 06:35:00 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Red Jackard:
<STRONG>
Yeah, I was hoping for the same thing. The game would be more convenient to play if you could see more of it at once. There;s not a whole lot of point to that black space...</STRONG>

Seconded, gfx engine overhaul would be nice to see.

Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: nagromo on November 11, 2007, 07:42:00 pm
My number one goal/desire for Dwarf Fortress is the ability to play at 80x50 (instead of 80x25). I don't want a complete graphics engine overhaul; I just want the option to draw more tiles on the screen at once.

Of course, an improvement in the menu system/GUI would be nice as well, but as the game changes the menus would have to change, so it might not be worth the effort yet.

[ November 11, 2007: Message edited by: nagromo ]

Title: Re: The Next Big Thing?
Post by: qwertyuiopas on November 11, 2007, 10:46:00 pm
Option for an icon based menu at the bottom(1 tile per icon) with a toggle to change back?
It would free up space, and add mouse options.