Dwarf Fortress News

More Adventure Mode fixes, Portraits coming to Fortresses soon!

Hey Urists!

Alexandra is off today so you have to make do with me, Tanya. But I'll be brief.

As many of you probably already noticed, beta13 went live yesterday afternoon with these fixes:

[h2]New functionality[/h2]

right click menu has option to move more than one tile
npc sheets no longer give away their names unless you know them

[h2]Major fixes[/h2]

cleaned up an intermittent crash from playing multiple adventure worlds
fixed crash from some old adventurers

[h2]Minor fixes[/h2]

stopped lockpicking menu from popping up until that's ready
fixed cave adaptation
optimization for loading speed with regards to flow events
restricted some actions like bookkeeping from happening outside fort mode
centered display of some wide-bodied creatures (some bears, anaconda, python, some animal people

We're all hoping to get the food situation sorted soon (butchering, etc), along with many other wishes, but it'll have to wait awhile (probably 2+ weeks), because Tarn worked very very hard to bring you the beta on his birthday, then needed to hurry some crash fixes with Putnam, and now needs a small rest. He'll be back at the grindstone soon, we promise, and his fey moods will return. In the meantime, dabbling in thievery or playing as a goblin or a necromancer (edit: oops, not available yet, sorry) will also keep your belly from rumbling.

BUT! Very very shortly the portraits from Adventure Mode will be hitting the main branch for Fortress Mode, plus some bonus bugfixing while we're there, one that might be an all-time great. You'll know it when you see it in our update later this week.

Thank you for playing!
Tanya, on behalf of Kitfox and Bay 12

Patch Notes 51.01 and what's coming next for Adventure Mode?

Hello Urists!

Alexandra here with a post-Adventure Mode beta launch update. We hope you’re enjoying all the mischief and mayhem that the beta has to offer. Some of the stories you’ve been sharing have been hilarious and thought-provoking to say the least. This story about stealing a shield gone wrong made me laugh a lot.

[h3]Today’s Patch[/h3]

A big thank you to everyone who has been submitting bug reports to the tracker. The team already patched early this morning with some fixes:

Fixed region map scrolling crash
Crash fix related to multithreading

[h3]What’s Next?[/h3]

In the beta, as you may have noticed, you can create a party in character generation, visit your old forts, retire, unretire, get NPC companions, take quests, fight monsters with the various melee/wrestling/ranged options, set fires, tell stories, and travel the world. Portraits are available for dwarves, humans, elves, goblins, kobolds (minus some clothing variations), animal people (no items), and necromancer experiments (no items). These portraits are in both modes on the beta branch.

These are the features and improvements we have planned for Adventure Mode, as listed by Tarn in his devlog yesterday. We plan on keeping the beta branch up till the full launch on the main branch so you’ll be able to continue to play as features get added.

Even just the first few items on the (non-exhaustive) list below might take a few weeks so you can expect the beta to last quite a bit longer than that, which unfortunately means the launch won’t be extremely soon, despite what we thought and said previously. We promise we’re looking at how to be as efficient as we can. We don’t yet have a target date for the full adventure mode launch, but you’ll know as soon as we do, and keep updating regularly.

Planned improvements, though not sure in what order they'll be attacked exactly yet:

Quest log / information screen
Butchering and crafting
Ability use, from necromancy to pet animal to spit
Composing
Motion/attack indicators
Building interactions (levers, doors, etc.)
Wrestle button
Stealth vision arcs
Better UI for stuff like going through hatches over ramps
Some other info like movement speed / encumbrance
Tracking / odor / weather / light / time etc. information
Some travel map stuff like visible armies and zooming and highlights
Minimap / map memory
Trading and bartering (and the town shops being generally a mess)
Assuming false identities
Full personality customization in chargen
Graphics and audio that didn't make it in for the initial beta release
Get Classic conversions for the new buttons etc.
The new stuff: chosen mode with deities, town improvements, dungeon improvements, healing options, and so forth

As we’ve said before, cabin building is a larger interface project, so that'll have to wait until after the rest of Adventure Mode is launched. We might also shift some of these improvements to be post-Adventure Mode launch, depending on how things look as we go. We’ll keep you updated.

[h3]The Adventure Mode Soundtrack is Available![/h3]

Also, after a bit of a hiccup on the backend, the Adventure Mode soundtrack is now available on Steam. You can even get a 10% discount on it and the other OST, if you already own the base game.

Check it out!

That’s all for now! We really appreciate all the support and kind words as we continue our own adventure (of development!)

-Alexandra + Tanya + Bay12

Long-awaited Dwarf Fortress adventure mode is now playable on Steam

One of the most iconic and beloved colony management games of all time has finally brought its much-requested roguelike RPG counterpart to Steam. The Dwarf Fortress adventure mode is the second key piece of one of the most intricate and best PC games ever made, and it's now available to play in public beta testing via the Valve platform. Previously only available through the original ASCII graphics release, you can now enjoy the turn-based RPG mode on Steam, and PCGamesN joined Bay 12 Games for a preview of its new look ahead of launch.

Read the rest of the story...

Dwarf Fortress's graphical adventure mode launches today, includes extremely Dwarf Fortress touches like '186 animal people portraits' and a unique sound effect for walking on soap

dventure mode, Dwarf Fortress's lesser-appreciated RPG-style alternative to building and managing a colony of dwarves, is finally playable on Steam, with snazzy new pixel art graphics, a whole new set of songs, and the same detailed UI makeover the main mode got when it launched in late 2022. It's launching today in beta, which means it's not quite finished, but the bulk of the mode is there, allowing you to go into one of your own fortresses for a ground-level view or go out into the world in search of quests...
Read more.

Adventure Mode Beta Out Now! 🗺️ Dwarf Fortress Dev News

It’s time to venture outside your fortress!

The beta for Adventure Mode is now live on Steam. Create a character and freely roam the rich simulated world you have made a home in during your Fortress Mode save or start fresh in a newly generated world.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

If you already own Dwarf Fortress on Steam, you will be able to play the beta. To access the beta, right click Dwarf Fortress in your Steam library -> Properties -> Betas -> dropdown list and select "beta - Public beta branch”. No password needed. Steam should automatically begin downloading the beta!

There’s also the whole new original soundtrack out now, with an hour of music from good old Dabu and Simon Swerwer, together again. You can even get a 10% discount on it and the other OST, if you already own the base game. The soundtrack is also available on Bandcamp, Spotify, Youtube and Apple Music!

Note that although you will hear versions of these songs in the game, the dynamic music system Adventure Mode uses means that the OST is the only way to reliably hear these exact compositions, as ‘baked’ by the composers.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2937200/Dwarf_Fortress_Soundtrack_2_Adventure

Keep in mind this is very much a beta and still in active development. There are features from Classic Adventure Mode and planned new features that have not made their way to the Steam version yet. We will be updating the beta frequently with hotfixes, new menus, audio and art as well as fixing the inevitable bugs. Please send in your reports.

Want to discuss the beta and all your Adventure Mode trials and tribulations? Join us on the df-adventure channel on the Kitfox Discord!

[h3]FAQ[/h3]

How do I report bugs?
Please report bugs using the normal methods at https://dwarffortressbugtracker.com/
What’s the difference between Easy mode and Demigod mode?
Easy mode, which is available now in the beta gives you more skill points in character creation to make your party stronger. Demigod mode, which is still in progress and not in the beta right now will add tutorialization and worldbuilding.
What about my save files?
Old save files are compatible and you shouldn't lose anything.
Will the new portraits be in Fortress Mode?
They aren’t in right now, but they will be soon!
Will the new music from the Adventure Mode soundtrack appear in Fortress Mode? What about ambience?
New ambiance and music will not be in Fortress mode for now. Hopefully someday!
Where can I get more info about what's in and what's missing from Classic Adventure Mode?
Tarn and Zach are preparing a devlog for the Bay 12 blog, so keep an eye out over there if you’re interested in diving into the rich underbelly of details.
Edit: Devlog is now available

Happy Adventuring!

-Kitfox + Bay12