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DF Gameplay Questions / This game terrifies me
« on: June 16, 2010, 04:04:42 am »
I heard about Dwarf Fortress a while ago, and I think I may have finally mustered the courage to give it a try - it can be intimidating for a newcomer. But I still hesitate, and I wonder if anyone can soothe my lingering reservations. Two major issues.
1. The default tileset. This is probably the most intimidating aspect of the game, because DF's complexity is exponentially aggravated by its arcane interface and "graphics." What's worse for me, though, is that I'm colorblind and I might find myself utterly baffled and unable to play the game, especially with the default tileset, since color-coding appears to be used so frequently. My question, then, is twofold: first, is there a good tile replacement? (I know there are at least a few out there, but I wonder if one is the undisputed best.) Second, will colorblindness pose an insurmountable obstacle even with a replacement tileset?
2. A more specific question: how does pausing work in DF? The game appears to move at a very frenetic pace, and I'm sure I would quickly become overwhelmed and violently frustrated if the world is falling apart around me while I am still feebly trying to learn the ropes. So, can you issue orders while the game is paused? Can you slow things down in some way while you're still figuring the game out? Will I have fourteen battalions of goblins rampaging through my halls while I'm still fumbling with the command to make my dwarves equip wooden swords? From what I gather, one of the biggest challenges of DF is its potential to foil even the best-laid plans of veterans, so I worry for how a total newcomer would fare.
Thanks for the time, folks. This game intrigues me like nothing I've seen in a while, so I hope I can gather some nerve and give it a go.
1. The default tileset. This is probably the most intimidating aspect of the game, because DF's complexity is exponentially aggravated by its arcane interface and "graphics." What's worse for me, though, is that I'm colorblind and I might find myself utterly baffled and unable to play the game, especially with the default tileset, since color-coding appears to be used so frequently. My question, then, is twofold: first, is there a good tile replacement? (I know there are at least a few out there, but I wonder if one is the undisputed best.) Second, will colorblindness pose an insurmountable obstacle even with a replacement tileset?
2. A more specific question: how does pausing work in DF? The game appears to move at a very frenetic pace, and I'm sure I would quickly become overwhelmed and violently frustrated if the world is falling apart around me while I am still feebly trying to learn the ropes. So, can you issue orders while the game is paused? Can you slow things down in some way while you're still figuring the game out? Will I have fourteen battalions of goblins rampaging through my halls while I'm still fumbling with the command to make my dwarves equip wooden swords? From what I gather, one of the biggest challenges of DF is its potential to foil even the best-laid plans of veterans, so I worry for how a total newcomer would fare.
Thanks for the time, folks. This game intrigues me like nothing I've seen in a while, so I hope I can gather some nerve and give it a go.