I know the title basically tells you all you need to know or tells you nothing at all but let me explain. In many Simulated Civilization (SimCiv) games there is a point that we all hit where you are waiting around and letting the game play itself. One of the main differences between a SimCiv and a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game is that constant action happens and you can't afford to sit and wait in an RTS because someone over the other hill is trying to get an army big and strong enough to come attack you. SimCivs on the other hand are meant to be a little bit more laid back, enough so you can knit an entire sash and pause briefly every couple of seconds to fix a problem (anyone who knits knows what I mean when I am talking about the late game of Rim World, which will be talked about soon). Dwarf Fortress fixes this by having a game with deep mechanics that require you to play the game like an RTS. This becomes one of the greatest strengths and weaknesses of the game, with a hectic fasted-paced game that makes you feel like a dwarf that's been stuck working in a mountain so long you don't realize how many days have gone by in and out of game.
While reading through "The Hobbit" I decided that I wanted to try and have some kind of small theme if I am going to talk about both games and books. So considering all the "Dwarves in mountains" themed games, I figured the best game to represent the same key plot elements are there; both have borderline incompetent dwarves trying to do something that will end up getting them ate by a dragon. That happens to be the best part of both, thematically, if you can keep from assaulting your screen monitor when the dwarf who can't swim decides to grab a rock at the bottom of the well in the fortress. Don't worry though, there's a mod that fixes that!
That being said, this is a game with a small team that doesn't have the same level of polish than other big budget games, but what it does have is great. Yes, to truly understand the game you need to be well read enough on all the mechanics, YouTube videos, and have a Minecraft-Redstone level degree to get the most out of it though, but it's worth it. You go from not knowing what to do in a bad situation to creating whole worlds full of lore, and the chance to fail, build up a better place near that failure, then reclaim those old fortresses and turn a ruin into a monument of "Losing is Fun." Not to mention the new adventuring mode that allows you to create a world and fortresses then send a hero out from among them to go kill all the stuff you wanted to while only having to micromanage one or four dwarves instead of seventy. What makes it feel so great is when you give into the mania and allow yourself to be the overly precise gremlin you want to be. I know the word "micromanage" in any form when uttered can bring some discountenance, but when you are building a civilization in any game that will let you decide to even pick what color you want everyone's clothes dyed, it's not bad to be a maniac of perfection. An undead horde will likely come by to your nice home and start messing up everyone and their couch, but at least everyone will die in a nice hole in the mountain. Makes you realize that maybe the people in the mines of Moria were really good, they just had a bad day where none of the dwarves could walk over a puddle or something when they got taken.
If you like base-building games, you will love this game. If you like games that can be modded into completely new beast, kinda like how I hope to talk about Vintage Life soon, you will make a game you love. However, if you were hoping to finish a sweater in between tasks, you might get the arm done in the first month you start playing this game. There is no such thing as just playing a couple of hours of "Dwarf Fortress." You will be there until they smooth every tile, and heck, it's only five in the morning, maybe you can finally get that nice throne room done.
Thank you so much for reading, and let me know what kind of base building nonsense you love. All the janky mechanics in some games makes me want to crack open some of the old bush craft books I've bought and figure out which ones are easy to learn from and which require a good foundation and credit hours before having a chance to preform correctly alone and afraid in the wild. As always, stay safe, and I'll talk to y'all later.
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