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Author Topic: Question from a noob, What exactly is the objective in Dwarf Fortress?  (Read 11484 times)

Bluehotdog5

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hey I'm trying to learn how to play dwarf fortress, I realize it'll take a while but I'll try haha

anyway, what exactly is the objective, because I'm not entirely sure. I hear that minecraft was somehow inspired by dwarf fortress, is the objective in df just to create a large creative fort and use the world as your sandbox? or is more aimed towards the commanding and conquering type strategy
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Capntastic

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Have fun in a sandbox fantasy gameworld
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Livonya

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At first the goal is just to learn how to play, to survive, and then to thrive.

At some point you will master the basics and then fortress mode will seem stale unless you add to the challenge by finding more difficult places to embark.

Eventually, you will need to establish some sort of grand goal.

For instance for a long time I was trying to build a 40+ level tower completely carved from obsidian.  The tower was 150 squares by 150 squares.  I have to build a massive system to transport water and lava to poor each level.  In the mean time I had to survive invasions, mistakes, blunders, and what not.  I never manage to finish as something always goes wrong... or a new version comes out and I start over sooner or later.

Once you master fortress mode then you will need to use your imagination and creativity to establish your holy grail.

So, yeah, it is pretty much just a sandbox... and you will have to define what winning means.
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bluephoenix

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At the moment its just sandbox but some time in the far future you will be able to manage multiple forts at once and be able to take over the world from the elves and goblins by sending sieges to them.
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Bluehotdog5

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At first the goal is just to learn how to play, to survive, and then to thrive.

At some point you will master the basics and then fortress mode will seem stale unless you add to the challenge by finding more difficult places to embark.

Eventually, you will need to establish some sort of grand goal.

For instance for a long time I was trying to build a 40+ level tower completely carved from obsidian.  The tower was 150 squares by 150 squares.  I have to build a massive system to transport water and lava to poor each level.  In the mean time I had to survive invasions, mistakes, blunders, and what not.  I never manage to finish as something always goes wrong... or a new version comes out and I start over sooner or later.

Once you master fortress mode then you will need to use your imagination and creativity to establish your holy grail.

So, yeah, it is pretty much just a sandbox... and you will have to define what winning means.
that sounds cool, at first I though this was a rpg/strategy game with ascii graphics, and I'm not a huge strategy game fan, but I do love sandbox games.
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FearfulJesuit

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If you dig down far enough, you'll find big pillars of blue stuff. If you dig down through those below the magma sea, you win.
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@Footjob, you can microwave most grains I've tried pretty easily through the microwave, even if they aren't packaged for it.

Farmerbob

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DF is definitely sandboxy - some people play it one way, others another.  There are two modes of play, individual adventurer, and dwarf fort mode.

Individual adventuring is a part of the game I've never gotten into, but the fort side has had me hooked a couple years now.

Some people build forts for megaprojects.  Some build them for Luls while they do evil things to elves and sometimes to their own dwarves, sort of like owning an antfarm and pinching the heads off the ants.

Others just enjoy building stuff.  I think most of us enjoy building stuff, but slide into doing evil things from time to time.  DF can be a very nice stress reliever at times.
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How did I miss the existence of this thread?
(Don't attempt to answer that.  Down that path lies ... well I was going to say madness but you all run towards madness as if it was made from chocolate and puppies.  Just forget I said anything.)

Azated

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I think most of us enjoy building stuff, but slide into doing evil things from time to time.  DF can be a very nice stress reliever at times.

I've never had a fortress where I didn't intentionally maim at least one of my dwarves, for one reason or another.


To bluehotdog, imagine age of empires with clubs made from the bones of your own villagers and towns built from the skin of dirt licking hippies elves, with your fort going completely insane because one of the crafters suddenly decided to make Urist Bone necklaces menacing with spikes of Tholtig.

Yeah, it's alot of FUN.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2011, 02:04:53 am by Azated »
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Then it happened. Then I cringed. Then I picked it up and beat him to death with it, and then his buddies, too.
You beat a man to death with his dick?

"I don't feel like myself. Maybe I should have Doc take a look at me" ~ Dreamy
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bluephoenix

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Some build them for Luls while they do evil things to elves and sometimes to their own dwarves, sort of like owning an antfarm and pinching the heads off the ants.
If your character is big enough you can even pinch off heads in adventure mode.
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fivex

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The prize is at the bottom of every map.
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ETV

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Survive as long as possible, download mods to make it harder to if you manage to survive your terrifying dessert embark with no nearby rivers, and possibly other environmental difficulties (aquifers), also be near civilizations that are hostile to you, especially Goblin forts.
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Hello.

BodyGripper

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The objective is to do as much cool stuff as you can.  Build and then enjoy the ride down.
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"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... It's okay to sell quivers..."
I just ripped open a lions throat by biting it. Who's the lion now, bitch!

cerapa

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The objective is to do as much awesome stuff as you can before your horrible and strangely humorous demise.

Kinda like life.
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Tick, tick, tick the time goes by,
tick, tick, tick the clock blows up.

Tharwen

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You seem to know Minecraft well.

Play Dwarf Fortress exactly like you play Minecraft and you'll have no trouble.

Except that you will lose. You'll also enjoy it.
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Lord Inquisitor

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Objective is what you make it. In my case find the widest river I can that is massivly deep cliffed sided canyons and seal it off into a gigantic glass apartment block. Then when army is big enough go to the cuircus ad steal excaliber that is jus sitting there to be taken. Then i shall take over the circus. Big plans = back up saves. esp when you have no iron.
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http://cataclysm.tiddlyspot.com/index.html Cataclysm Roguelike game Tiddlywiki mostly out of date
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=113337.0 Who makes alcohol? do you? post here then.
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