Bay 12 Games Forum

Mystery Meat Surprise:
Warning: May contain elf Corpse.

Hmm...perhaps the quality of the beer should also be based on its relative temperature. Using a caged ice elemental to power a minifridge sound like anyone's fancy?

The easiest way is to build a 1x1 room with a pressure plate linked to every spike, set to trigger when water goes off, and a lever connected either to a hatch or screw pump (as a means to get water to the system. Me, I use two hatches, one above the other, so that when I pull the switch, only a limited amount of water reaches the pressure plate, allowing it to reset afterwards.

When I first played Dwarf Fortress, I used to build my housing areas haphazardly, and with subsequent games, I started planning. I started setting up long-term constructions/housing complexes.

The game has also taught me the true value of water. Be it for irrigation, for power, or for computing, water is truly one of the most useful items about and for more than just drinking. The game is also creating interest in the nature of animal husbandry, be it breeding animals for war, food, or as another powersource.

Dwarf Fortress truly is unlike any other game of it's kind; the ability to work from the smallest details and work one's way up allows it to be used in all sorts of creative ways.

I've found games by themselves generally aren't more than cursory in their ability to educate, yet are capable of sparking interest in subjects that prompt an inquisitive gamer to read up on the subjects in detail. For example, Age of Empires 2 gave very cursory descriptions of the nature of medieval society, and the assorted groups that lived and died throughout it, yet the presentation of the material came in such a manner that one would legitimately be interested in these subjects and want to read more on the nature of how the Byzantine Empire's decline continued to accelerate between the fall of Manzikert, and the Siege of Constantinople.

My question is, given enough time, does one view Dwarf Fortress as having potential as an educational tool for assorted subjects? E.g. could one see it being a study guide for learning one's different forms of rocks, or simply as a primer for sparking interest in the differences between sedimentary vs. metamorphic rocks. As a tool for teaching lateral thinking and creative ways to use smaller parts to build a greater whole (e.g. computer construction). Or as a moral lesson on not angering the carp?

Or am I looking into this too deeply.

I make it a point to capture nobles and throw food to them through a pit.

I go to North Carolina State university; we're within close proximity to Epic Games (they're headquarted in Raleigh, and their president Mike Capps gave a seminar on building the perfect gamemaking team), and Red Storm Entertainment. Another thing to find out under which college Computer Science falls under. In some schools, Computer Science is treated as part of the math and science program, while at others (such as State), it's considered part of the College of Engineering.

If you are looking for job opportunities/social networking, look to join your local ACM or IEEE chapter. Look out for career fairs. Learn to write a good resume. Don't write bullshit. Look like a hard-worker. Avoid parties. Do not fold, spindle or mutilate. Beware of campus preachers.

Your math score is good but I would retake the other 2 sections. Have you been loading up on AP courses? If so, that will really help you out.

A standard computer science degree is good, depending on the school it will probably have you take assorted non-CSC courses such as humanities/general tech electives because if you're not a well-rounded student, you're a communist! Summer school is good for the summers of your freshman and sophmore years to knock those types of courses out of the way.