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[Phibes]

That's because the reasons are given on an answer to the question: "Why DOESN'T Toady hire more coders?", not "What are the pros and cons of hiring more coders".

Obviously. But there is a difference between listing Toady's stated concerns, and analyzing them. Just as there is a difference between repeating something, and implying that it is either true or false without presenting facts to support the claim. If conjecture is going to be involved, it could be a little more even. But it's just a minor critique, and I don't want to clutter the OP's thread.

[Urist_McArathos]

That's because the reasons are given on an answer to the question: "Why DOESN'T Toady hire more coders?", not "What are the pros and cons of hiring more coders".

Obviously. But there is a difference between listing Toady's stated concerns, and analyzing them. Just as there is a difference between repeating something, and implying that it is either true or false without presenting facts to support the claim. If conjecture is going to be involved, it could be a little more even. But it's just a minor critique, and I don't want to clutter the OP's thread.

There are also links provided to threads where the pros and cons are exhaustively debated; however, as long as Toady's personal preference is that he doesn't want them, it seems the conjecture is irrelevant.

[Logen910]

4. Why are there no sophisticated graphics (rendered 3D, better sprites, etc.) for Dwarf Fortress?

Also I don't really understand why there are so many requests for better graphics. Personally I prefer ASCII to some shitty 2d graphics. Graphics would slow development, break game mechanics (100 cats on a single tile)  and make the game look like a big pile of shit.

[Lumix]

4. Why are there no sophisticated graphics (rendered 3D, better sprites, etc.) for Dwarf Fortress?

Also I don't really understand why there are so many requests for better graphics. Personally I prefer ASCII to some shitty 2d graphics. Graphics would slow development, break game mechanics (100 cats on a single tile)  and make the game look like a big bunch of shit.

Look how much lag it has now,

If it had 3d graphics... Holy shit.

[Mike Mayday]

4. Why are there no sophisticated graphics (rendered 3D, better sprites, etc.) for Dwarf Fortress?

Also I don't really understand why there are so many requests for better graphics. Personally I prefer ASCII to some shitty 2d graphics. Graphics would slow development, break game mechanics (100 cats on a single tile)  and make the game look like a big pile of shit.

wow

[Logen910]

4. Why are there no sophisticated graphics (rendered 3D, better sprites, etc.) for Dwarf Fortress?

Also I don't really understand why there are so many requests for better graphics. Personally I prefer ASCII to some shitty 2d graphics. Graphics would slow development, break game mechanics (100 cats on a single tile)  and make the game look like a big pile of shit.

wow

Do tilesets count a 2d graphics? I don't think so 

[Mike Mayday]

As a matter of fact, they do!
But actually, 100 cats on a single tile is a game mechanic that is already broken IMHO.

[Logen910]

As a matter of fact, they do!
But actually, 100 cats on a single tile is a game mechanic that is already broken IMHO.

I prefer to see it as a weird feature.
When talking about 2d graphics I'm more thinking about graphics like in stonesense. Which is however an example for less shitty 2d graphics 

[Logen910]

(just ignore this double post)

[Mike Mayday]

Logen: and have you seen CavASCII? http://mayday.w.staszic.waw.pl/~mayday/files/DF/asciso6.png

[Logen910]

Logen: and have you seen CavASCII? http://mayday.w.staszic.waw.pl/~mayday/files/DF/asciso6.png

No and in it's current state, it looks a little bit weird to be honest. Altough I see that there is some great potential there..
Maybe you don't really understand me when I am talking about ugly 2d graphics, because I always have something like this in my mind:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.linux-community.de/var/ezwebin_site/storage/images/internal/artikel/print-artikel/linuxuser/2006/07/die-schacht-um-wesnoth/abbildung-1/1149146-1-ger-DE/Abbildung-1.png

Of course I would like to see good 2d graphics without a major fps loss, but I think we are a far away from that.

[eataTREE]

Logen: and have you seen CavASCII? http://mayday.w.staszic.waw.pl/~mayday/files/DF/asciso6.png

No and in it's current state, it looks a little bit weird to be honest. Altough I see that there is some great potential there..
Maybe you don't really understand me when I am talking about ugly 2d graphics, because I always have something like this in my mind:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.linux-community.de/var/ezwebin_site/storage/images/internal/artikel/print-artikel/linuxuser/2006/07/die-schacht-um-wesnoth/abbildung-1/1149146-1-ger-DE/Abbildung-1.png

Of course I would like to see good 2d graphics without a major fps loss, but I think we are a far away from that.

Hey, don't be hating on Battle for Wesnoth. It's a fine game whose graphics are as good as they need to be. Actually that second sentence is also how I would describe DF: the graphics are as good as they need to be. It's a "strategic richness and depth" game not an "eye/ear candy" game, and making it more of the latter would necessarily make it less of the former.

As a professional coder I endorse the answer to "Why no hire more doodz?" question. Increasing the size of the project increases programmer time linearly and logistical overhead exponentially.

EDIT: Also I don't know whether to be amused or frightened to learn that Toady has a "don't murder me for the DF source" clause in his will. I guess I should not be surprised that the imagination that came up with DF would consider some pretty macabre possibilities in other settings.

[Rafal99]

Logen: and have you seen CavASCII? http://mayday.w.staszic.waw.pl/~mayday/files/DF/asciso6.png

No and in it's current state, it looks a little bit weird to be honest. Altough I see that there is some great potential there..
Maybe you don't really understand me when I am talking about ugly 2d graphics, because I always have something like this in my mind:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.linux-community.de/var/ezwebin_site/storage/images/internal/artikel/print-artikel/linuxuser/2006/07/die-schacht-um-wesnoth/abbildung-1/1149146-1-ger-DE/Abbildung-1.png

Whe Wesnoth screenshot looks like a pretty good old-school 2D graphics to me.
The the CavASCII is pretty much how I would like the DF to look in 3D. Except if it was make into actual 3D as I don't like isometric view.

[puke]

8. When will Dwarf Fortress be finished?

Numerous estimates have been given for the release date of Dwarf Fortress v1.0, ranging from the laughably optimistic to the bitterly pessimistic.  As of early 2012, the game is approximately one-third of the way finished according to Toady's planned features and goals at that time.  Extrapolating the progress of the game from his pace thus far, the game would be finished around 2030, assuming Toady continues to improve the game at the same rate and adds no additional goals nor content beyond what he has planned already.

Obviously, this is subject to sweeping and enormous change based on the future of coding, computers, the whims of Toady, and the unforeseeable events that shape the game over time.  The most accurate answer to this question is the frustratingly vague "when it's finished".

I dont know man, I think this is like one of those expanding universe things where distant stars are becoming more distant "faster than the speed of light".  As the game ages and more potential features are placed on the roadmap or the long term vision develops and grows, I think it probably gets LESS finished the longer it is developed.

The original concept for the game could probably have been finished 20 times over by now, but it's grown.  This time next year, it may only be 1/5 finished or something like that.  Thats what I like about this thing, is reading about the new ideas and seeing it change and grow like some sort of organic thing.  I mean, product manager's nightmare, right?  Thats why you'll never see a commercial game like this.

[Name Lips]

Hey cool Toady is the same age as me.

I know it's morbid but I DO worry about my favorite indie game developers, webcomic artists, bloggers, novelists, and so on. What if they die before their works are complete?

Already one of my once-favorite webcomics has stopped updating due to the poor health of the artist. The worst part is it was in the middle of my least favorite storyline so far, which I was suffering through until she could get back to what I considered the fun cool stuff. Which now might never happen...