Dwarf Fortress is finally getting the big Early Access release on Steam and itch.io on December 6, although the Native Linux support is to come along later. Many years in the making, with actual proper graphics and more, it's nearly here!
With Bay 12 Games at the helm and Kitfox Games publishing, no doubt it will be one of this year's biggest Steam releases. New trailer below:
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About Linux (and macOS) they said this under the "Soonish" heading:
We're also not able to approach Mac and Linux by ourselves, since we've never notarized a Mac build or managed Linux libraries, and will need to get help with that to do it properly. But obviously we'd love to get that whole pipeline working so people can play on non-Windows computers.
In an email to us, the publisher additionally noted "support for Linux and Mac is not planned for the initial release, but is relatively high in the priority list after the initial bug fixes/content updates are complete". At release though, I will be surprised if a title like this doesn't work well in Proton.
Features:
- Not just generated geometry -- a whole simulated world. Generated rise and fall of civilizations, personalities, creatures, cultures, etc. Infinite hours of gameplay.
- Now with beautiful pixel graphics!
- Learn the basics with in-game tutorials
- A lifetime “living” project - created/updated since 2003, with no end in sight
- Generate your unique world and manage a bustling colony of dwarves, even as they probably mine towards their eventual demise.
- A new endless hobby, just for you!
You can follow on itch.io and Steam.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Pity the Linux version isn't going to be available on day one, I'd love to buy this to show my support. Hopefully the graphics make it more accessible for people who were put off by the text/tileset-based graphics, although I'm sure the steep learning curve will still be there. :D
1 Likes, Who?
slaapliedje Nov 1, 2022
Pity the Linux version isn't going to be available on day one, I'd love to buy this to show my support. Hopefully the graphics make it more accessible for people who were put off by the text/tileset-based graphics, although I'm sure the steep learning curve will still be there. :DYeah, I think I'll wait for the Linux native release as well. Proton is nice and all... but I'm tired of chasing around what version will work on the desktop vs what will work on the Steam Deck, as they occasionally are not the same (not sure if that's a conflict between nvidia and AMD, or what the deal is).
1 Likes, Who?
Wait, what ? Wasn't this a NCurses game on everyone's distro repos ? How can it be not available on Linux ?
1 Likes, Who?
Wait, what ? Wasn't this a NCurses game on everyone's distro repos ? How can it be not available on Linux ?
Dwarf Fortress Classic will continue to be available on Linux, this is a new "more accessible" version with better graphics, mouse support, etc.
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Philadelphus Nov 1, 2022
It's happening! 
Maybe I can actually make the switch from ASCII to graphics with this release, now that it no longer involves simultaneously mangling text.
Maybe I can actually make the switch from ASCII to graphics with this release, now that it no longer involves simultaneously mangling text.
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Well I can deal with the lack of Linux support on the Steam version for a while just to simply use it as a way to send Tarn some money again. I know a Linux build for the Steam version is really high on the priority list for Tarn him self in part because some of the largest continued donors he's had over the years are Linux users. But the delay doesn't surprise me as the initial Linux port work was actually done by some one else in the first place but the Steam builds are going to have a slightly different build chain so it might take Tarn a bit to get it all sorted out.
1 Likes, Who?
slaapliedje Nov 1, 2022
Wait, what ? Wasn't this a NCurses game on everyone's distro repos ? How can it be not available on Linux ?I was going to reply with 'never have seen it in the Debian repos!' but it IS there. Did they only just add it for Bullseye?
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Looking at the changelog, it has been in Debian since 2017.Wait, what ? Wasn't this a NCurses game on everyone's distro repos ? How can it be not available on Linux ?I was going to reply with 'never have seen it in the Debian repos!' but it IS there. Did they only just add it for Bullseye?
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slaapliedje Nov 1, 2022
So weird! Ha, knowing my luck I was looking for dwarffortress and not dwarf-fortress. By the way, everything should be written in NCurses, graphics are way overrated.Looking at the changelog, it has been in Debian since 2017.Wait, what ? Wasn't this a NCurses game on everyone's distro repos ? How can it be not available on Linux ?I was going to reply with 'never have seen it in the Debian repos!' but it IS there. Did they only just add it for Bullseye?
2 Likes, Who?
I'm quite curious how spin-off games like Rimworld have paved the way to the masses for DF. I suspect the answer is "not much," but I suppose there is a world in which DF does become a massive hit.
0 Likes
redneckdrow Nov 1, 2022
It's happening!
Maybe I can actually make the switch from ASCII to graphics with this release, now that it no longer involves simultaneously mangling text.
Well, you can always use TWBT via dfhack. I use McArcady's LinuxDwarfPack just so I don't have to fool with managing dfhack et al. myself. In fact, I find some functions of dfhack vital to my enjoyment of the game: namely exportlegends, workflow (a simpler manager interface), and the fairly recent embark-assistant (Much better than the default find embark!). I really hope that the paid version is still compatible.
The nestboxes command also saves my sanity by preventing dwarves from eating eggs in them! Without it, you have to manually forbid and unforbid 'em, and that's the ultimate pain to keep up a decent hatching industry.
I prefer Dwarf Therapist to dfhack's labormanager though.
edit: which reminds me, If we pay the $20 do you think we could get the new tileset as a graphics pack for the original in the meantime? I'll probably stick to spacefox myself otherwise.
Last edited by redneckdrow on 1 November 2022 at 11:24 pm UTC
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By the way, everything should be written in NCurses,foiled again!
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slaapliedje Nov 2, 2022
I'm quite curious how spin-off games like Rimworld have paved the way to the masses for DF. I suspect the answer is "not much," but I suppose there is a world in which DF does become a massive hit.Friend of mine has played more hours of Rimworld than I think I have played all of my Steam games combined... damn, I remember when I used to have the patience to play that long, I sadly do not anymore. Though I am trying to refuse watching shows and play more games though. 😜
I don't think he, or a lot of people even are aware of Dwarf Fortress.
1 Likes, Who?
Well, you can always use TWBT via dfhack. I use McArcady's LinuxDwarfPack just so I don't have to fool with managing dfhack et al. myself. In fact, I find some functions of dfhack vital to my enjoyment of the game: namely exportlegends, workflow (a simpler manager interface), and the fairly recent embark-assistant (Much better than the default find embark!). I really hope that the paid version is still compatible.At one point or another, I think I did and had all of these things.
The nestboxes command also saves my sanity by preventing dwarves from eating eggs in them! Without it, you have to manually forbid and unforbid 'em, and that's the ultimate pain to keep up a decent hatching industry.
I prefer Dwarf Therapist to dfhack's labormanager though.
But in the end, it felt more like I'm trying to set up a workstation with specific tooling.
With a game, you just kind of want to start it and play, maybe tick some boxes for the mods you want to activate.
Last edited by TheSHEEEP on 2 November 2022 at 8:44 am UTC
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soulsource Nov 2, 2022
Well, I still think that the ASCII art of Dwarf Fortress is a thing of beauty that is hard/impossible to match with actual graphics.
Take for instance the variety in different kinds of grass. They do have a unique ASCII representation, and have an annual blooming cycle. Of course visualized, and if you don't expect it to happen, it's a very impressive surprise if suddenly a lot of grass tiles on your embark turn into bright (ASCII) flowers.
For ASCII that's rather quick to do, as you just need to decide a character and a colour to visualize the flowers. For graphics, well, you need to draw the flowers first...
And that's just one example. There are plenty of things that are really hard to bring over to actual graphics, but work well with ASCII.
Take for instance the variety in different kinds of grass. They do have a unique ASCII representation, and have an annual blooming cycle. Of course visualized, and if you don't expect it to happen, it's a very impressive surprise if suddenly a lot of grass tiles on your embark turn into bright (ASCII) flowers.
For ASCII that's rather quick to do, as you just need to decide a character and a colour to visualize the flowers. For graphics, well, you need to draw the flowers first...
And that's just one example. There are plenty of things that are really hard to bring over to actual graphics, but work well with ASCII.
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And that's just one example. There are plenty of things that are really hard to bring over to actual graphics, but work well with ASCII.True, but aside from actual graphics just being more pleasing to look at for... almost everyone, probably .... there is also the mouse issue, which for me was always the biggest blocker to play Dwarf Fortress again.
Each time I felt like playing, I remembered the immense pain and time investment I had to do just to learn how to control the damn game, my interest in playing again quickly subsided.
1 Likes, Who?
soulsource Nov 2, 2022
This is certainly true. If you have the controls in your muscle memory, they are fine. If you had enough time to forget them: PITA.And that's just one example. There are plenty of things that are really hard to bring over to actual graphics, but work well with ASCII.True, but aside from actual graphics just being more pleasing to look at for... almost everyone, probably .... there is also the mouse issue, which for me was always the biggest blocker to play Dwarf Fortress again.
Each time I felt like playing, I remembered the immense pain and time investment I had to do just to learn how to control the damn game, my interest in playing again quickly subsided.
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By the way, everything should be written in NCurses, graphics are way overrated.I'm not so sure, I tried video in the terminal but it's not just the same:
!not github
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You should use libcaca, cacafire is as realist as a real fire.By the way, everything should be written in NCurses, graphics are way overrated.I'm not so sure, I tried video in the terminal but it's not just the same:
Last edited by amatai on 2 November 2022 at 7:40 pm UTC
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