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Among the growing field of independent games, one of them is truly unique: the dwarf fortress. This incredibly rich and complex title, and legendary unhelpfulness, has been a free burden of fear and frustration for years. But the developers, in a radical change of the status quo, announced that the game will not soon have a paid version on Steam, it will have … graphic.
It can be difficult for those who are not already familiar with the game and the community to understand how important it is. Over the last fifteen years, this game has experienced active and continuous development. Perhaps the only thing that has not changed is a labyrinth for the eyes, a jumble of mountaineers and art in ASCII format approaching barrels, dwarves, goblins and dozens of stone types .
You know in The Matrix where they show how the world is composed of a bunch of essentially textual characters? It's basically that, except much more confusing. But you have an idea after a few years.
So, when developers Tarn and Zach Adams announced on their Patreon account that they planned to remove ASCII for real sprites, a paid version of the game was to be available on the Steam site and the indie market itch.io. were blown. Of all the changes that the dwarf fortress has undergone, it is probably the most surprising. Here are some screenshots compared to the old ASCII graphics:
This does not mean that you could not get graphics otherwise – players are not so masochistic. There are "tile packs" available in a variety of sizes and styles that any player can apply to the game to make it easier to follow. in fact, the creators of two popular tile sets, Meph and Mike Mayday, have been asked to help create the "official" game, which seems to be pleasant. Kitfox Games (manufacturer of the beautiful island Shrouded Isle) also helps.
There are many other small modifications and improvements made by dedicated players. Many of them will probably be ported to Steam Workshop and made a kid's game to install – another bonus for paying players.
Now, I must note that I do not find it embarrassing. I support Tarn and Zach in everything they choose to do and, in any case, the original ASCII version will always be free. But what Is annoy me is the reason they do it. As Tarn wrote on Patreon in a rare update not related to the game:
We do not talk much about this, but for many years, Zach has been taking expensive drugs, which have fortunately been covered by his health care. This is a constant concern because the plan has changed several times and the political environment has changed. We have other risks to the health of the family and, as we get older, the precariousness of our situation worsens; After Zach's latest cancer alert, we determined that with copay from my health care plan, etc., I would be wiped out if I had to undergo the same procedures. That said, crowdfunding is by far our main source of revenue and the reason we are still here. Your assistance is always crucial, because the release of Steam could bring us or not the extra stability that we are looking for now, and this in a few months.
It is sad to hear that two developers whose game is so popular and who make a modest sum via Patreon may still be afraid of a sudden bankruptcy due to a chronic medical problem.
This is not the place for a political debate, but we can hope that the creators of what is a small, successful business like this will not have to worry about this stuff in the most rich of the world.
That said, they seem comfortable with switching to the real graphics and adding a more traditional income stream. The community (myself included) will undoubtedly see the sunny side and continue to support the game in its new form.
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