Anyone here who was intimidated by the game's depth but then overcame it and found actual enjoyment?

[wet socks]

Hey people,

recently I have been in a situation where many games just don't give me what I want anymore, so I found this (and some other complicated games), but I have this weird issue that, while not being too dumb to understand everything, I'm simply overwhelmed by the possibilities of the game. I know there are plenty of ressources out there to help myself, but it's more of a mental thing. I know it's deep, so I avoid it, but I also want to experience the fun of this game.

Maybe it's because I am already deep into university stuff rn, but I just can't wrap my head around having to learn another thing.

So I am just wondering if anyone on here had a similiar situation and what lead to the solution to finally be able to enjoy this game. I have been always starting the game and then I straight up gave up once I built a few rooms and that was it.

[Gunsaremagic]

I could never play the original this version is way easier to learn its not that hard to learn i expected worse

[wet socks]

Originally posted by Gunsaremagic:

I could never play the original this version is way easier to learn its not that hard to learn i expected worse

that's reassuring, I might try again to get into it.

[Fel]

Well, a good part of what made the old versions hard to learn was the UI.
It's not that the new UI is perfect, far from it, but at least it makes more sense and you don't have to fight your keyboard just to find what set of keys work in that specific menu.

There are some video series about the basics needed to be able to start having fun with the game, blind did one of those (not perfect but serviceable enough) if you need something to act as a guide.

[Haethei]

you might be worrying too much about making sure you're "winning". just play and focus on learning one thing at a time. if your dwarves all starve to death because you were too busy learning how to make bedrooms, it's okay, make another fort with your new knowledge. this process repeats itself for hundreds of hours, as the game never ends until you are completely wiped out from the map, and has a massive trove of knowledge to dig through

and it feels incredibly satisfying when you finally get to do the really cool difficult tasks like 200 population fort, multiple military squads equipped with the best gear in the game, massive structures made of materials that are impossible to collect as a small group but were obtained through the effort of hundreds of dwarves working together

[jozef.sova]

I am finding enjoyment in details here and there. It's good to not know all the details under the hood, so simulation always surprise.btw I am trying to avoid guides just to try and fail.

[Fel]

The whole "losing is fun" is definitely a fairly important part of the game, especially since it's quite simple to make a fort that would never "lose".
Fully walling off (with roof), mist generator, enough food and drinks being produced and done.
You might have some slight issues here and there with strange moods but that's about it.

The downside is that it is incredibly dull when nothing is happening, which is why you "allow" invaders, beasts (and visitors) to come and have a go at your defenses.
You breach caverns, grow your population, play with magma and water...

It's still good to have at least an idea of what you are doing as well as what caused you losses of course or it can get frustrating rather than fun.

[Morkonan]

Once I had a stable start, without being overrun by undead, beasts, etc, I managed to get 220+ pop Mountainhome in my first playthrough.

It's not a hard game to play if the player is experienced with similar games. The loop is pretty much the same, with certain dorfy exceptions. It's only made a bit difficult by the UI and control scheme with some disparate mechanics that are a bit confusing and/or unfinished/bugged.

Though, the game can get very difficult... Unfortunately, that's usually based on RNG. ("FUN") But, despite that bit, there's enough going on in narrative bits to keep the new player fairly amused.

This is not, by any stretch, a difficult game to play. It does require a ton of "research" to learn it well enough to survive/play, though. That's more due to the lack of ques, tips, reporting features or intuitive controls and displays than "difficult mechanics" to understand.

PS: Want to add: DF's unique world-generation and the interactions possible with the rest of the map, including starting a whole new fortress somewhere else, is pretty unique. The biomes and danger levels... can be a bit difficult to understand. It's very cool, though, how it all comes together.

[ostlandr]

DF is like chess. "A few minutes to learn, a lifetime to master." I still spend a lot of time Googling "Dwarf Fortress how do I X?" Tutorial vids on YouTube are your friend also.

Also, given the depth and randomness of the DF world, in the words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard: "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life."

[wet socks]

Originally posted by ostlandr:

DF is like chess. "A few minutes to learn, a lifetime to master." I still spend a lot of time Googling "Dwarf Fortress how do I X?" Tutorial vids on YouTube are your friend also.

Also, given the depth and randomness of the DF world, in the words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard: "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life."

A fellow Star Trek enjoyer, nice. Well.. with DF there's just this issue that it doesn't quite "click" for me yet. I do random things, then I can't even find soil for farming and then the confusion begins. I guess I would need some play along guide and suffer for a few hours until I finally grasp the game.

(the only colony management game that clicked for me so far is Oxygen Not Included, but it being 2d is probably a big contributor as to why I got it in the first place + everything seems straight forward due to imminent danger being nearby you need to adapt to)

[FriendCalledFive]

Originally posted by wet socks:

Originally posted by ostlandr:

DF is like chess. "A few minutes to learn, a lifetime to master." I still spend a lot of time Googling "Dwarf Fortress how do I X?" Tutorial vids on YouTube are your friend also.

Also, given the depth and randomness of the DF world, in the words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard: "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life."

A fellow Star Trek enjoyer, nice. Well.. with DF there's just this issue that it doesn't quite "click" for me yet. I do random things, then I can't even find soil for farming and then the confusion begins. I guess I would need some play along guide and suffer for a few hours until I finally grasp the game.

(the only colony management game that clicked for me so far is Oxygen Not Included, but it being 2d is probably a big contributor as to why I got it in the first place + everything seems straight forward due to imminent danger being nearby you need to adapt to)

Am a big ONI and DF fan, I found the basics of DF way easier to learn than ONI. Blind on Youtube has a bunch of beginner tutorials.

[wet socks]

Originally posted by FriendCalledFive:

Originally posted by wet socks:

A fellow Star Trek enjoyer, nice. Well.. with DF there's just this issue that it doesn't quite "click" for me yet. I do random things, then I can't even find soil for farming and then the confusion begins. I guess I would need some play along guide and suffer for a few hours until I finally grasp the game.

(the only colony management game that clicked for me so far is Oxygen Not Included, but it being 2d is probably a big contributor as to why I got it in the first place + everything seems straight forward due to imminent danger being nearby you need to adapt to)

Am a big ONI and DF fan, I found the basics of DF way easier to learn than ONI. Blind on Youtube has a bunch of beginner tutorials.

I'm not good at ONI by any means, it's just... something that doesn't feel overwhelming before it actually gets overwhelming.. Stuff is hidden behind research and I can directly see the issues and try (often with no success) to fix things.. but the journey is fun.
I have yet to find this feeling of having fun during the whole journey in DF, but that's probably because I haven't actually played far into a single fortress yet.

[FriendCalledFive]

Originally posted by wet socks:

Originally posted by FriendCalledFive:

Am a big ONI and DF fan, I found the basics of DF way easier to learn than ONI. Blind on Youtube has a bunch of beginner tutorials.

I'm not good at ONI by any means, it's just... something that doesn't feel overwhelming before it actually gets overwhelming.. Stuff is hidden behind research and I can directly see the issues and try (often with no success) to fix things.. but the journey is fun.
I have yet to find this feeling of having fun during the whole journey in DF, but that's probably because I haven't actually played far into a single fortress yet.

In ONI you are in direct control of everything (aside from the random dupes/item spawns), everything that works or fails is down to you, which is a major part of what makes ONI special. DF has you steering the direction of the colony, but every living thing has their own lives and motivations, so things are a lot more chaotic and prone to going wrong (from your point of view). The more you play a fortress, usually the more chaotic and interesting things get.

[wet socks]

Originally posted by FriendCalledFive:

Originally posted by wet socks:

I'm not good at ONI by any means, it's just... something that doesn't feel overwhelming before it actually gets overwhelming.. Stuff is hidden behind research and I can directly see the issues and try (often with no success) to fix things.. but the journey is fun.
I have yet to find this feeling of having fun during the whole journey in DF, but that's probably because I haven't actually played far into a single fortress yet.

In ONI you are in direct control of everything (aside from the random dupes/item spawns), everything that works or fails is down to you, which is a major part of what makes ONI special. DF has you steering the direction of the colony, but every living thing has their own lives and motivations, so things are a lot more chaotic and prone to going wrong (from your point of view). The more you play a fortress, usually the more chaotic and interesting things get.

that could be the main thing that I need to understand, I like being in control lol, but letting go of that could be a ton of fun! I am watching starter guides rn because I don't quite understand some of the basics yet. I definitely need to keep playing tough. This game has so much potential.