Should I Invest Time In Learning To Play Dwarf Fortress?

I could install the latest base package from the DF web site. I haven't decided whether to do that or stay with the old version I've already installed from the Mint repository.

Yeah, probably a good idea to stick with the latest version. Unfortunately, it looks to me like installing the Linux base package from the web site would be a complete nightmare. Instead, I think I'll try installing the Linux Dwarf Pack (which is a simple deb package install of the latest version with all the mods) and see if it will let me run just the base program without all the bells and whistles.

Bump -

Still downloading tutorial videos...

I'm downloading a number of video tutorial series from different people. I'll sort them out later and decide which series I want to view. Strange that my download speed from YouTube is terribly slow, but that's okay, I just have to be patient.

In the meantime, I found this image on the interwebz...

I can only do this in small time snippets, but I'm making a little progress in the setup. Finished downloading all of the video tutorial series that looked helpful.

I uninstalled the stock DF program from the linux software manager (it's an old version) and installed the Linux Dwarf Pack from the Deb file (newest version). It uses a number of mods bundled with the Lazy Newb Pack launcher, but I did determine that you can turn off all of the mods.

I guess now I'll have to pick one of the video tutorial series to watch and combine that with reading some of the DF Wiki. (Even the DF Wiki Quickstart guide is quite lengthy.) The only minor problem with the video tutorials is that they all use graphic tilesets. I don't know if it'll be a problem to be watching the videos with the graphic tilesets while actually running the game with the ascii tilesets. (I sort of get this ZZT deja vu feeling.) Maybe it won't be too bad.

I did decide to try a test - Jumped in to see if there was any way I could wing it and figure it out on the fly. Created a small world and started playing. Yeah, completely overwhelming. Well, back to the docs and tutorials, haha.

One thing I noticed between the two versions -

With both versions, I created about 5 worlds of varying sizes to see how long the creation process would take. The last world was the largest world size with the longest history, so it was massive. On the older DF version, it took 16 hours to create, and my PC almost ran out of RAM. (I only have 8 GB RAM on my machine.) On the new version, it only took 3-1/2 hours and much less RAM. (The save file for the new version was about 1/3 as large as the old version's save file.) I don't know what the reason for this is. Either the new version is more efficient at creating worlds, or the Lazy Newb Pack launcher has changed some settings that I don't know about.

At any rate, I doubt if I'd ever play any of these massive worlds, so it was really just an academic exercise.

I suspected as much. During the creation process, I noticed that one of the options was to pause or finish. However, I *HAD* to let it run to completion - It was an experiment!

I might try that some time, after I get more familiar with the game. I did run across this video, which has a similar viewpoint.

Okay, I have a question that maybe you can help me with. (Sorry, it's a long question.)

I've created a world, and now I'm searching for a good site for embarking. I'm using the "find tool", and I'm trying to use the search criteria suggested in the Quickstart guide. (One of the criterion is warm temperature.)  When I tried to choose "evil = low", I got flashing red Xs over the entire map, so then I decided to go back to "evil = NA".

Continuing the search, I found a number of locations that met my search criteria. However, the Quickstart guide also tells you to check the neighborhood to verify that goblins aren't in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, every one of these locations that met my search criteria (including warm temperature) had goblins as neighbors.

However, I did find a few locations that had "temperature = temperate" and no goblins as neighbors.

So, I guess what I'm asking is, how important is it to avoid goblins as neighbors? Would it be better for me to choose a location with "temperature = warm" and goblins as neighbors, or to choose a location with "temperature = temperate" and no goblins as neighbors?

This is the second world I've tried using this search criteria. Should I pick a location now, or generate another world and keep looking?

temperate is good, going near goblins will make it much hard, just make sure theres no aquifer, no evils, some ore, and decent vegetation

Thanks for the advice. I think I've found a good location.

I specified "no aquifers" in the Lazy Newb Pack launcher, so I don't have to worry about those. I found a location with temperate temps, no goblins for neighbors, a stream, calm surroundings, trees and vegetation, clay and soil, shallow and deep metals, and a flux stone layer. I think I'm going for this location!

P.S. - How do I interpret "no evils"? Does that mean calm surroundings, or does that mean that I have to check the neighborhood for no goblins or towers?

Okay, I've embarked! I just chose "play now" and accepted the default set of equipment.

I saved the game, that's enough for now. I'll pick it up later when I have more time.

no evils just means no like goblins and stuff like that it doesnt nessecarily have to be calm, and by the way, did you add a anvil to the list of supplys before you embarked? its kind of a pain to get if you didnt

I didn't even look at the default set of equipment before I embarked. But I checked just now, and apparently I have one iron anvil. Is that okay, or should it be a steel anvil?