@KagoDev - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index
Q: What got you into Dwarf Fortress?
Definitely the anecdotes you see online. Dwarf tantrums leading to large-scale infighting, dropping goblins down giant pits so they explode at the bottom, custom-built mist generators... I had to know how a game could accommodate so much stuff.
Unfortunately the game's learning curve is no joke, I gave up a few times before it finally clicked. There's a Steam version now with actual graphics (rather than ASCII glyphs) so it's probably easier to get started these days.
Q: What is the story of some of your fortress, and have you tried adventure mode and how did it go?
I suck at adventure mode! All my stories there are just "I walked around and messed with people until they killed me."
As for fortress mode, one of my favorites was a group of dwarves called "The Sticky Creams of Men." I built their fortress in a deep underground cavern. Their population increased fast and it was going great, until strange salamander people called "Olm men" started to attack.
They were relentless, always appearing out of nowhere to butcher some dwarves. Since I built the fortress by repurposing the maze-like cavern, it was easy for them to find some way inside. We were doomed.
Until... One day, a fortress migrant's kid stood up to the Olm men, taking one out with a single punch to the head. I couldn't believe it. I gave the kid his own decorated room and made statues of him, celebrating him as a fighting prodigy who would one day destroy the Olm menace. When he became an adult, I put him in the military to protect us.
He was immediately stabbed to death, and the Olm men overwhelmed us soon after.
Q: Is it true that "Losing is fun"?
Definitely! My games never end the way I expect. You'll be doing great with a heavily protected fortress, and get destroyed by an invasion because you forgot to seal up a small hole you made in the wall 5 hours ago. All you can do is laugh. And honestly, if a fortress lasts a long time, sometimes you're relieved to see it fall so you can start fresh with different ideas.
Q: How to describe working with Gadot?
Godot Engine is great! It has a heavy emphasis on composing objects by combining other objects, which clicked right away for me. The engine is also free with no licensing stress, and it's lightweight but powerful. A newcomer can download it and get started in just a few minutes.
It's also versatile and useful for more than just games. For example, I've been using it alongside Blender to make 3D art and animations.
Q: How did you get interested in making a low poly models? And also art in general?
I started with art by drawing Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man characters as a child. I've never been committed enough to become a great artist, but I still enjoy it. As for 3D, I wanted to make 3D stuff ever since I played games like Ocarina of Time and Mega Man Legends back in the day.
I felt like 3D was too much for me to learn though, for many years, and I focused on other stuff instead. Seeing low poly art by Newgrounds users like Violxiv and nupsume inspired me to give it a real try, and so far it's going okay.
Q: What is it like being Forklift Certified?
Oh it's rough. The women never leave you alone. They can actually smell the certification on you and they'll follow. And then you have to deal with the men. Tall dudes, huge muscles, want to duel you to prove they're even half as manly as you are. Well, send them my way. I'll wear my US flag shirt and my bald eagle cap and kick their asses.
- Workplace Dangers
I spent time working at factories in the past, and I could talk your ear off about how badly factory workers seem to want to hurt themselves or others. Just a constant stream of mistakes or near-injuries. One time a guy obliviously shut an oven door while another dude was inside, causing him to panic and burn himself on heated metal trying to escape. Another guy had a natural talent for backing into people with the forklifts.
Q: Why does it look like people ignoring safety precautions?
I think people just hate their job so much that they stop caring. Or your boss is on your ass and you're trying to hurry up. Maybe it's not a good combination... Underpaid people and dangerous machinery.
- Words of Wisdom
The thing about forklifts, electric pallet jacks and so on is that people will just walk up and try to use them. They're easy tools that require little training, but still. I saw so many Tim the Tool Man Taylors try to speed up their task and nearly crash, nearly hit someone... As an older man told me when I started my first factory job, "machines don't have feelings. They'll crush you to death and they don't give a shit."
Q: Has working at factories change your perspective on dealing with machinery?
It made me realize that machines aren't an "extension of your body" or anything like that. They're dumb, separate entities that do whatever you say, even if it's a bad idea. I guess you don't have to look far to explore this, though. Car accident videos online are often just people who got a little too comfortable with the wrecking ball they're steering around.