Is this just the free version with a high res texture pack?

[DiamondDuty]

What is the real difference? Is it just aesthetics?

[clinodev]

Graphics, new music and sound, and Steam Workshop support. The base game will have the code for the first two, and other new community graphics and sound will be available soon. Nothing can be done about Steam Workshop support, of course.

A substantial part of all this, from the fan point of view, is helping the Bay 12 family out with medical care.

[StayCranked]

Originally posted by clinodev:

A substantial part of all this, from the fan point of view, is helping the Bay 12 family out with medical care.

They are already getting 7,5k a month on patreon alone, they don't need that to help out with medical care. That is just a stupid excuse

[tpsSurvivoR]

Originally posted by StayCranked:

Originally posted by clinodev:

A substantial part of all this, from the fan point of view, is helping the Bay 12 family out with medical care.

They are already getting 7,5k a month on patreon alone, they don't need that to help out with medical care. That is just a stupid excuse

Receiving support from these sources is a very unstable way to do it.
You don't know how much their medication costs. Even if you do, DF is always been free. Developed since 2006 and never actually charged a penny for it, the brothers have the right to charge the amount they want for this game. they have the right to do it and spend the money in whatever they want to. So chill

[Viss Valdyr]

Regardless, derailing is not helpful. The question is answered. So that's it for now. If you want to talk about the reason or American health services, this is not the place. I get your concerns, we know for a fact that his medical bills are paid by his wife's insurance right now and also that they turned down half a million from the maker of Minecraft way back when.

[Sabin Stargem]

I will buy Dwarf Fortress, because I want more Dwarf Fortress to be made. Be it food on the table, medical care, or just plain relaxation, I want Tarn and company to be in good shape.

Bonus points for voting with my dollars about the direction Dwarf Fortress takes - namely, to improve user-friendliness for casual folk like myself.

[Almea]

I think it also has a generally more friendly UI, graphics aside. At least from what I've heard.

[Viss Valdyr]

Originally posted by Vis:

I think it also has a generally more friendly UI, graphics aside. At least from what I've heard.

Then the free version will have it too. Now it is not even sure if the UI will be changed

[Almea]

Originally posted by Viss Valdyr:

Originally posted by Vis:

I think it also has a generally more friendly UI, graphics aside. At least from what I've heard.

Then the free version will have it too. Now it is not even sure if the UI will be changed

I think I did hear about changes that will happen in the free version too. But again, I'm not sure, I think I just remember reading it from a toady or kitfox post somewhere.

Personally I do hope the general UX gets an overhaul. I can play normal DF fine (except I use the godsend that is Dwarf Therapist), but the UX is still bad. I see people defending it as part of the difficulty or whatnot...but I don't think figuring out the UX should be part of an intended difficulty in anything. Unless that specifically ties into gameplay features.

[Manveruthan]

Originally posted by Vis:

I think I did hear about changes that will happen in the free version too. But again, I'm not sure, I think I just remember reading it from a toady or kitfox post somewhere.

Personally I do hope the general UX gets an overhaul. I can play normal DF fine (except I use the godsend that is Dwarf Therapist), but the UX is still bad. I see people defending it as part of the difficulty or whatnot...but I don't think figuring out the UX should be part of an intended difficulty in anything. Unless that specifically ties into gameplay features.

The only things exclusive to the Premium Steam version is the graphics and music, as well as steam workshop support for obvious reasons. The base game will remain the same in both free and premium versions going forward. The Steam release is essentially a UX release, the UI being one of the facets explicitly stated to be planned to be improved. Now to what extent it'll be improved remains to be seen, but being all naysayie like some people here seems a bit silly.

[Retro]

the only way the game will be a ultra success is if they do some genius UI changes to make it accessible that even a 12 year old can get into it and then beneath all those layers you are eased into the great depth of what is dwarf fortress.

Honestly the most interesting part about this besides the graphic overhaul will be what they do with the UI.

[ULTRA]

Originally posted by StayCranked:

Originally posted by clinodev:

A substantial part of all this, from the fan point of view, is helping the Bay 12 family out with medical care.

They are already getting 7,5k a month on patreon alone, they don't need that to help out with medical care. That is just a stupid excuse

Lol, I assume you are not American.

[Brassqund]

There is a lot of cancer in his family.
By month (in the USA):
Chemotherapy: between 1 000 and 12 000
Radiation: 9 000
Immunotherapy: between 10 000 and 12 000
Add the specialist meeting cost, possible hospitalization, possible surgery,
cost of transport (treatments are not always done close of home)
... most people can't even pay that.
(note: those numbers are estimates I found on the internet, it can vary a lot)

In any case, I am happy to be born in Canada.
Even if it is cold as hell here. Talking about that, I need to go
shovel some snow. It was snowing like... 4 days in the last 5 days. XD

[UncleYar]

One huge difference as I understand it (guessing from the screenshots) is that the Steam version will add support for variable size graphics, i.e. using images that are larger than one in-game tile. Up to now, a workshop for instance had to be composed of individual tiles which matched ASCII characters which were also used somewhere else. So the tileset author had to jump through hoops to make sure that what he drew still made some sense when used in other contexts.

The screenshots clearly shows workshops which are one big continous image, which suggests support for those will be added before the Steam release

[Sabin Stargem]

I hoping that with the addition of multiple-tile graphics, we eventually get creatures that span tiles in size. EG: Elephants taking up four blocks as a square, a giant millipede that is 12 blocks long and constantly shifting position, ect.

[gachi is manly]

The UI is getting an overhaul. They've said it during the PAX West 2019 live panel conversation.

https://youtu.be/WW_dHPtC2wg?t=3363

Time stamp 56:02 is them saying it flat out. They do talk about it several times throughout the video, though.

Originally posted by Viss Valdyr:

Originally posted by Vis:

I think it also has a generally more friendly UI, graphics aside. At least from what I've heard.

Then the free version will have it too. Now it is not even sure if the UI will be changed

I don't know where you're getting the idea that the free version will get it too. AFAIK they've only said the UI is being updated for the Steam release.