Bay 12 Games Forum

Yeah, I agree with you, Nasikabatrachus, in that the author does take the liberty to fill in some gaps. The whole thing is a bit tongue in cheek, however, and it does raise some very interesting points. While it is possible to run your fort in very many different ways, the very mechanics do tend to push into some forms of organization rather than others.

I've been playing for some 3-4 years, so I wasn't around then the economy was still in. Being graduate economics student (should be whipping up some proofs right now!), I find the questions it raises pretty intriguing.

I liked how he relates the tradicional aspect of the division of labor with dwarves' claim for wealth and luxury, and how we can understand the role of the player:
"The player is not a god, but the concept of the gods, and is not the commander of the fortress, but the ideological authority of its social relations and the need to reproduce them. In effect, the player is lordship – (...) the social and ideological glue holding feudalism together." Sounds pretty good to me!

I would say that, in the very least, it is a cool example of emergent behavior: how the "simple" rules of the game create something that can relate so complexly to the structure of a real historical mode of production.

One could avoid the fractalist interpretation if the dwarves do the engraving in, say, an impressionist way. Or cubist. Or dadaist. Perfectionist does not equal realist.

Although the universe-folding hypothesis is obviously the truth.

Some more or less decent soldiers were chasing the remnants of a siege, gangbanging a goblin: after falling and droping his weapons and shield, the bastard got enraged and bit off the militia captains tongue, before being killed.

I guess his fantastic linguistic habilities are not much use anymore. 

All right, thanks a lot!