Slaves to Armok II: Dwarf Fortress

Slaves to Armok II: Dwarf Fortress is a computer game by Bay 12 Games for Microsoft Windows that combines aspects of strategy, god, and roguelike games. Development started in October 2002, followed by the game's first public release in August 2006. As of 2007, it remains alpha-level software.

History

Dwarf Fortress is the successor to Slaves to Armok: God of Blood, a hack and slash role-playing game. Dwarf Fortress discards God of Blood's 3D graphics in favor of a text user interface and incorporates economic and strategy modes. On-screen displays utilize code page 437 characters in 16 different colors, and the developers state that graphic representation is not a significant focus. Despite being donationware early in its development cycle, Dwarf Fortress has garnered a review in the December 2006 issue of PC Gamer UK and mention on the popular Eurogamer website.[1]

Gameplay

Prior to play, a world must be generated or downloaded from the developer's website. Each constructed world is unique; events that take place during play will affect subsequent games. World creation in Dwarf Fortress is elaborate: terrain is generated using fractals, erosion is simulated, then wildlife, towns, and other sites are placed. A specific history is attached to each site, although gameplay does not rely on this information. The entire process takes about 15 minutes, but is dependent on available computing resources. The game offers two play modes: "Dwarf Fortress" mode, in which the player builds a dwarven settlement, and "Adventurer" mode, in which the player controls a single character in a generally roguelike manner. Only one mode can be actively played in a given game world, although adventurers can visit fortresses built in prior games.

Dwarf Fortress mode

Selecting a building to construct

The initial settlement party consists of seven dwarves. The player receives a number of points to spend on settler skills and resources (food, weapons, armor, equipment, and so on). Once these decisions have been made, the settlers arrive and begin to work. A variety of tasks can be performed in the game. Some are basic, such as mining, wood-cutting, metalsmithing, masonry, farming, and cooking. Others are more esoteric, such as soapmaking, fish-cleaning, engraving, and gem cutting. A given dwarf's "career" will generally center on the skill practiced most. The player influences newly-arrived dwarves through the designation of work areas and subsequent job creation. For example, marking an area for wood-cutting creates one "chop down tree" job for each tree encompassed. If a stockpile is created, a "haul lumber to stockpile" job forms whenever there is a spare log and available room in the stockpile. Any dwarf may be designated to perform a job. Higher skill in a given job may improve rate (such as with mining) or quality (in the case of crafting) of performance. As they excavate their mountain, dwarves will have to fashion living space, produce food (typically involving farming and irrigation), obtain water and alcohol, and build workshops to generate valuable trade goods. They will also encounter hostile creatures against whom they must defend, which generally leads to military organization. As the fortress grows, more dwarves will arrive, providing additional labor and opportunities for job specialization. As the game proceeds, players will encounter foreign traders, dwarven nobles who place demands on the populace, goblin sieges, maniacal dwarven artisans, and a variety of other special events.

Adventurer mode

In "Adventurer mode", the player controls an individual dwarf, human, or elf. There is no goal apart from survival. Players may either receive quests to kill monsters, which provide no specific reward, or wander freely, slaughtering things. Gameplay is fairly minimal; "Fortress mode" has received the bulk of the developers' attention. Adventurers are assigned several combat-related skills: shield use, armor use, ambushing, wrestling, and any of several weapon skills. Initial skill selection wholly determines starting gear, but equipment is available for purchase from stores in human towns. The player can also assemble a party of adventurers by asking townsfolk to join the lead character.

See also

• Dungeon Keeper
• Dungeon Keeper 2
• Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim

External links

Game and resources

• Dwarf Fortress at Bay 12 Games
• The Dwarf Fortress Wiki
• Dwarf Fortress Map Archive

Reviews

• Eurogamer article
• Games for Windows article: page 1, page 2, page 3