Mostly it just has to do with being able to learn the game and getting through the first chosen quest, since we're expecting some new people. After the release we can start worrying about the big picture again.
On the topic of the adventure mode beta being close to release, and expected new player influx..
Q1: When the adventure beta is integrated into the main branch, would it be helpful to describe adventure mode inside the game as still a work in progress, similar to the Steam blog posts introducing the mode, with regards to:a) Incoming delayed features like cabin building, layout of NPC fortresses not being like player fortresses yet, legends mode integration? etc.
b) Adventure mode not being as fleshed out and rounded out as fortress mode although some areas like combat are extremely in depth, and including issues mentioned in the Steam posts:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/975370/view/3973931474165976101https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/975370/view/3753244942577557600c) Possibly describe what adventure mode is to prevent people thinking adventure mode is another version of a game or game-type they're familiar with? They may get confused. They may get frustrated when they look for features that aren't there instead of focusing on unique things the mode has that the other game types don't, or not focusing on gameplay that complements fortress and legends by switching between modes.
For example the start menu choices could show adventure mode is WiP e.g. "Adventure mode - WiP(?)". Clicking on the "?" could give a text description showing what's upcoming.
The Start menu could have an entry called "About" that shows a text description of the project, it's goals, and modes - as well as details on each mode including adventure mode and it's current state. Trying to sum up Dwarf Fortress is likely non-trivial on a project this big, but it could be iterated on later, perhaps by asking community to contribute to a wiki page. This might alleviate the misconceptions and frustrations Steam players have had.
For example, a 1 sentence description of modes might be.. interacting with the simulation via:
- Fortress mode: a central planner of a Dwarven settlement who has limited influence and depends on other noble professions for information and action. [It's probably important to stress the player has limited control, as a lot of games tagged "colony sims" have mind controlled drones in the colony that presumably go "I must scream, but have no mouth" at the players Skynet like control]
- Legends mode: a historian observer with limited information on significant characters and events (with IIRC! deliberately limited info on significant characters too e.g. accounts of significant characters aren't disclosed in legends mode),
- Adventure mode: directly control 1 or a party of characters (not to be confused with NPC companions the characters could have) in a mode that will eventually be a Star Trek style holodeck for medieval-fantasy adventures, but for now contains the guts of a Rougelite with deep combat under its broad umbrella of features.
Descriptions inside the game would reach a far larger audience than blog posts on Steam, which receive only a few thousand votes compared to ~1 million players, and probably really don't get read by players who aren't active at the time.
If Kitfox are planning to do a marketing push around adventure mode, they could perhaps wait until all the features are in. Even if they don't, labeling Adventure as WiP inside the game and describing where it fits in the project will inform media and future reviewers.
Q2: Is it possible to allow players to quickly transition to adventure mode and back during fortress mode with no delay?Switching might need to be restricted to prevent players using it as a crutch to avoid learning fortress management, and do difficult things in manual mode ... maybe have an option that defaults to restricting switching. But I can see people would like being able to go in person and talk to interesting characters, or go for a quick journey outside the fort to investigate something like where the Kobolds are coming from, or visit the nearest settlement to have a chat with the ruler... maybe do a trade/supply run to a nearby settlement or to a retired fort the player switches back and forth with.
Players could keep one or two adventurers in a fort and switch to adventure mode when needed, or maybe create a new adventurer at their fort. Forts might need a temporary retire option with a tickbox-list of things the AI is allowed to do, and revert to full AI control if the player declines to take back control in time.
If Kitfox are doing a big marketing push around adventure mode later on, a rapid switching feature can be used to show how adventure mode fits in to the wider framework. It can also help/encourage fortress mode players to get their feet wet in adventure mode.
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Topic: Future of the Fortress (Read 3182781 times)