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> I'd like to be a person who plays DF. I know it's stupid Not stupid. The feeling of mastering a properly hard game is a good reason to try it. I've used the

> I'd like to be a person who plays DF. I know it's stupid Not stupid. The feeling of mastering a properly hard game is a good reason to try it. I've used the same "strategy" for most technically challenging games: play in long stretches, trying to make any kind of progress. Have the wiki open and read it any time you are confused. Just keep trying to do _something_. Eventually it will either click and you'll have a bunch of fun, or you'll tire out. If you tire out, just don't play the game again for a couple days, or whenever you regain your energy. Once it clicks once, it will instantly start being fun. The interesting part is that the click happens multiple times with challenging games. I've been playing EVE for more than a year now and the combat system _still_ gives me huge revelations. Same with DF, once you learn how to get your fortress rolling you can very quickly learn to build a fully defensible mega castle. Then the next click is realizing that makes the game boring and allowing some danger by fulfilling self placed challenges. edit: I just bought it and played it for a bit -- the updated graphics/UI are a great improvement! Obviously bit hard to judge but now there's proper icons indicating common actions (mine, cut trees), a tutorial.. give it a try!

RupertEisenhart 4y ago
Let me confirm the long stretches thing. I learned DF by setting aside two weeks and playing ~16 hours a day. Was a piece of cake. It's not the kind of game you can pick up with an hour here or there.
- to1y 4y ago
  That's way too much. It should take 3-4 hours tops. The most difficult thing is the ridiculous UI (press b then d then c, etc.) It's basically just a slightly more complicated AoE)
- dpedu 4y ago
  I learned like this too, though not quite so extreme. I was going to be somewhere with my laptop but no internet for about a week so I printed off an at-the-time popular strategy guide called something along the lines of "the absolute beginners guide to dwarf fortress". This was before the wiki existed! Anyhow, it worked out, as my build order still is vaguely reminiscent of what was in that guide, more than 10 years ago.
- binkHN 4y ago
  > I learned DF by setting aside two weeks and playing ~16 hours a day. Now that's commitment.
vlunkr 4y ago
Nah, OP was right, it is stupid. I like hard games, but if you’re not getting any enjoyment out of it just give it. There are a million other things to do.

RupertEisenhart 4y ago

Let me confirm the long stretches thing. I learned DF by setting aside two weeks and playing ~16 hours a day. Was a piece of cake. It's not the kind of game you can pick up with an hour here or there.

to1y 4y ago
That's way too much. It should take 3-4 hours tops. The most difficult thing is the ridiculous UI (press b then d then c, etc.) It's basically just a slightly more complicated AoE)
dpedu 4y ago
I learned like this too, though not quite so extreme. I was going to be somewhere with my laptop but no internet for about a week so I printed off an at-the-time popular strategy guide called something along the lines of "the absolute beginners guide to dwarf fortress". This was before the wiki existed! Anyhow, it worked out, as my build order still is vaguely reminiscent of what was in that guide, more than 10 years ago.
binkHN 4y ago
> I learned DF by setting aside two weeks and playing ~16 hours a day. Now that's commitment.

vlunkr 4y ago

Nah, OP was right, it is stupid. I like hard games, but if you’re not getting any enjoyment out of it just give it. There are a million other things to do.