Dworf Fortress - Sucession Game

[Nick]

Brad and I have been talking about starting a sucession game of Dwarf Fortress. Thats where each person oversees the fortress for one game year, then passes it on to the next player.

Anyone else interested in taking a turn with the dorfs?

As soon as I get the world generator to output an acceptable world I will get the game started. I have been using a topographical map of mars to generate the terrain; with mixed results. This last run though the works produced a rather nice area by a volcano and a river. It also produced several geographically interesting but otherwise un-playable areas by volcano. Sadly though, it seems that goblins are exstinct in this world. So short of pissing off the elves or humans there is no conflict (other then the ever present forgotten beasts and titans. Or skeletal foxes and zombie bores if you play in the areas brad likes.) So its back to the word creation table to let history unfold once again on this imagined martian landscape.   

[zourtney]

How does the game work? Sounds like fun, but I usually forget to play 

[Nick]

Like brad just said (to me) its mostly tedium and micromanagement with a steep learning curve. And building a fortress deep under ground. Trying to get a bunch of manic depressive alcoholics to do your bidding, and occasionally accidentally flooding the world with magma, accidentally flooding your fortress, accidentally releasing the wrath and horror  of hell or succumbing to the grips of a tantrum-spiral after a already unhappy dwarf has his kitten killed by a goblin ambush. Its allot of work with zero pay off. There is no way to win, unless you count losing in some interesting or glorious manner winning .

You tell the dudes to tunnel, construct building and produce goods. You tunnel and mine to find ores to smelt and make into armor, weapons or trap parts. Dig channels and route water into underground reservoir that you excavated for that purpose, just don't forget about water pressure... and make sure the guy installing the floodgate is standing on the correct side before flooding the channel!

Basically, its inexplicable entertaining. Like watching and ant colony, but you have to keep them liquored up and sometimes the ants get depressed, possessed. or just decide to throw a party that brings the entire colony to a halt.

So yeah, you should give it a try. We are here to help.

P.S. You should read this if you have any further questions about what a succession game is:
http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/Boatmurdered/intro.html

That's an older version of the game, but most things still apply.

[Brad]

Let me know when we are ready to start. I'm prepared to go in and totally screw up the fortress. I'll probably write about all the major events of my year in some sort of dorky first-dwarf perspective (as a creative writing exercise of course).

[Nick]

What kind of location do we want? Volcano with a river? Volcano w/ no river? Just a river? And how evil a place should we go for?

[Brad]

volcano: yes
river: I don't care
Untamed Wilds

[zourtney]

Can we have a levy built by the lowest bidder?

...just sayin'...

[Nick]

We have arrived! The locals tell me the area is called 'Tombgirder.' The scouts tell me the hills are rich with magma, a great pit in the mountainside leafing into the heart of the earth.

The miners have found silver on their first try. Now to locate some iron and forge some weapons! But first a still, the workers are already clammering for more drink.  Then farms and workshops. Ahhh, the thrill of fort-breaking.

19th Limestone Year 751.
   I just discovered why the mining operations have been going so slowly. It would appear that one of the miners removed the only path down off the mountain, trapping all three of them up there. Their cries were heard to late for one of them. He died of thirst before we could rescue them from the high cliffs. They were removing the hillside to stop invaders from gaining access to our fortress from above our walls. But sadly they didn't think about what they were doing before removing the last slope. Fools.
   A large room has been flooded and two farm plots have been established. I presume planting will begin shortly.

[zourtney]

That all sounds quite exciting. So, are we naming character again? (I haven't tried playing yet, so I'm not too familiar with how it works.)

[Nick]

Sure we can name characters. The standard if for each interim overseer of the fortress to name a dwarf  after themselves.

I will be updating the above post with any new fortress developments, so look to there if you care to read them. Or we could start another thread only for that fortresses updates. Or compile a page on Randomland for it. Lets do that one

[Nick]

I realized that editing a post does not mark it as unread, so here is the update again.

19th Limestone Year 751.
   I just discovered why the mining operations have been going so slowly. It would appear that one of the miners removed the only path down off the mountain, trapping all three of them up there. Their cries were heard to late for one of them. He died of thirst before we could rescue them from the high cliffs. They were removing the hillside to stop invaders from gaining access to our fortress from above our walls. But sadly they didn't think about what they were doing before removing the last slope. Fools.
   A large room has been flooded and two farm plots have been established. I presume planting will begin shortly.

[Brad]

Our dwarf fortress succession game seems to have died.

[Nick]

Sadly so. There is, though, no reason it cant be revived. Provided there is interest in such an endeavor.

[Brad]

Revive it! The magma should flow.

[Nick]

Time has passed, and again I have been bitten by the dwarf. I have the fever; Magma fever.
The recent addition of several new features-of-fun perked my interest back up. Critters have to graze, you can put booze in pots, all you need is dirt (not mud, unless your growing on stone) to farm, and 'fun'-causing GHOSTS!!  Plus more (like bunches of more wildlife and some animals prone to engagement.)

And so, I have started another couple games. Getting back in the hang of things. Staying up till 2am watching them dig tunnels and throw tantrums.

If there is interest I will hand off my current fortress when spring hits and put it up for the next manager to oversee. (And good luck to him, unruly little hooligans the dwarfs are.) It has it all! A volcano in easy reach, a flowing brook near by, steep cliff faces and low-lying flat valleys. Any takers? As I really need to get away for a while....