Slaves to Armok: God of Blood - Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress
Description
Slaves to Armok II: Dwarf Fortress is an 2-in-1 interconnected ASCII based game currently still in its alpha stage (under development). Additional gameplay features may be introduced with each new version. Although the default graphic display is in ASCII, a limited 2D graphical display is also officially supported, however the game configuration must be tweaked manually by the player for it to become available. Fan-made graphic sets and other features can be downloaded separately to change the default features, in addition to personal modding.
Dwarf Fortress
The first and primary mode of the game is the Dwarf Fortress mode, a city building simulator. Before actual gameplay, the player must first create a random world, pick a location for a starting outpost, stock up the seven strong dwarven team for the hard seasons ahead, embark, and find a suitable location on the world map.
City building, depending on player creativity, offers numerous possibilities. The basic strategy is to dig into a mountain or dig underground. Rooms may later be used for specific purposes, such as building forges, farms, sleeping quarters, improving the initial outpost and creating wealth. The first few seasons usually focus on a self-sufficient food supply, creating initial rooms, creating an economy that manufactures basic goods (furniture, crafts, clothing, etc.), and later selling those goods to (if available), human, elven, and dwarven caravans. All this while also trying to maintain food and alcohol stocks for your dwarven workers, managing population happiness, architectural planning, and defending the outpost from possible attacks. After the outpost achieves a basic level of functionality and security, the player may then have to focus on a more elaborate military infrastructure (traps, drawbridges, armor, weapons, soldiers) for defense against kobold thieves, goblin kidnappers, braving dangerous animals, fighting off besieging forces and megabeasts and exploring unsafe caverns.
Each dwarf has a set of skills, indicating the level of expertise the dwarf has. A master miner for example will mine much faster than a novice miner, the same goes for military units. Continued use of a particular skill will increase a dwarfs' skills from the lowest dabbling skill to the highest legendary skill. Skills are also related to the many jobs available to maintain a dwarven industry, such as jewelers, smiths, masons, etc. Items manufactured may be individually used by the dwarves, incorporated into the city, or traded off to other civilizations.
Losing the fortress to the numerous challenges however, does not end the game. The player may then choose to send in another party to reclaim the ruins, return as a single adventurer, or simply start fresh in another location.
Adventure Mode
The role playing version of the game may also only be played after a world has been created. The player can choose a human, dwarven or elven character, personalize available skills and set forth into the wilds. Events that have occurred during Dwarf Fortress mode are recorded, thus the player may visit the previous fortress (what's left of it) and obtain previously manufactured items.
Default gameplay consists of completing quests given by NPCs (Non-Player Characters), usually revolving around killing certain powerful monsters. In doing so, the player may find or buy and sell items, weapons, and armor to equip the player.
Groups +
- Dwarf Fortress series
- Fantasy creatures: Dwarves
- Gameplay feature: Blacksmithing
- Gameplay feature: Botany, farming, gardening
- Gameplay feature: Freely destructible terrain
- Gameplay feature: Mining
- Gameplay feature: Pettable animals
- Games with randomly generated environments
- Genre: Simulation - Castle / Fortress building
- Middleware: SDL
Screenshots
Promos
Credits (Windows version)
16 People
Programming | |
Design | |
Music | |
Initial Playtesting | |
Lots of HTML/IT stuff | |
DF 2010 Playtesting |
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Significant Melting/Boiling Point Contributions |
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Reviews
Critics
Average score: 84% (based on 2 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 19 ratings with 1 reviews)
Gets better with each new release!
The Good
With Dwarf Fortress there's so many different things you can do, and sometimes even the smallest action can lead to vastly different, just like real life. And the opportunities presented by the game are amazing! It only takes a quick search for community plays of this game, such as Boatmurdered or Nist Akath, to understand the story-telling potential of Dwarf Fortress.
With each new release, the Adams brothers implement new ideas that further the creativeness with which people can play the game. And that's what makes it so worthwhile.
The Bad
The behaviours of the dwarves and other creatures generally seem more random than not. However, I won't point out any specific issue with AI, because that part of the game is constantly tweaked, and a problem in one release might be fixed (or turn to be beneficial) later on.
The Bottom Line
This game is a work in progress, and a moving target, but that's because creating stories through game play can never be finished. Despite its basic graphics, in this game lies something so profound that is hard to find in most professional games. Play this game.
Windows · by coldacid (550) · 2008
Discussion
Subject | By | Date |
---|---|---|
Want clones. | Indra was here (20746) | Apr 16, 2013 |
Trivia
1001 Video Games
Slaves to Armok: God of Blood - Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
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Related Sites +
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Dwarf Fortress Video Tutorial
a tutorial in 16 parts to get familiar with all aspects of the game -
The Dwarf Fortress Wiki
A fan-run wiki rich with tips and ideas for playing the game.
Identifiers +
Contribute
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by coldacid.
Linux added by Alsy.
Additional contributors: Sciere, Alsy, FatherJack, Evolyzer.
Game added June 24, 2008. Last modified October 21, 2023.