How Two People Created Gaming’s Most Complex Simulation System
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Published 2023-02-20
The documentary also explores all the design decisions that Bay 12 Games made and shows why the project went from 3D graphics to using simple ASCII text-based graphics. It also takes a close look at all the hurdles the brothers had to go through. From struggling to become full-time indie developers, and Tarn’s bank account skimming zero multiple times, to completely overhauling the game’s world generation system during the process of adding a z-axis to Dwarf Fortress. Additionally, after Zach got skin cancer, the two developers started thinking more about their health insurance and how expensive it is. Therefore, they decided to partner with publisher Kitfox Games and develop a commercial version of Dwarf Fortress that was released on Steam and Itch.io in 2022. Lastly, the documentary takes a look at what’s next for the brothers, who are now millionaires, and their growing team and what we can expect of Dwarf Fortress in the future.
References:
thatguyglen.fun/video/how-two-people-created-gamin…
Script written by Anine Van de Ryck.
Outro song: Thank You R.G.E. - Joe Bagale
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All Comments (21)
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What indie game would you like to see me cover next? Leave a suggestion in the comments below! Also, if you enjoyed the video, please consider subscribing to stay up to date on future “How Games Were Made” episodes. Leaving a like and sharing the video also helps out! Support me on Patreon and get exclusive content like Q&A sessions, ad-free content, access to my Discord server and more: www.patreon.com/ThatGuyGlen
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I had no idea. I love how they fully take responsibility in continuing the project rather than try to chase the next dragon. It's that type of dedication to a game that the whole gaming industry has mostly lost sight of these days. I'm new to DF, but glad I discovered it.
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dwarf fortress should be remembered by future historians with as much prestige as something like the Illiad or the epic of gilgamesh. not just because the game itself is a unique and truly wonderful expression of human thought, but because of the story of these two brothers who are pouring their entire lives into a true magnum opus. long live the toady one and threetoe!
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i think its beautiful that 2 brothers basically spent their lives working on a project they created together. truly a game of a lifetime. not just a game but a work of art
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I’ve never taken a deep dive into this game. But the drunk cat bug just sold a copy. Because that’s brilliant. They created a world so complex, so detailed, that it simulated a real life problem no one saw coming. That is the stroke of a genius.
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The way you adapt your video editing style to the games you talk about is really cool!
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Bro literally decided to program everything into a video game
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I remember playing this game with someone wayyy back on some random LAN party and I thought to myself "what a weird game, you have basically no idea what is happening, you do basically 3 actions per minute and you have to google constantly". Haven't played it after that much, and definitely didn't knew it had such a huge backstory to it. But also partly because of DF, I now love games like Rimworld, Factorio, Terraria and other similar dig and explore adventures. This game is absolutely legendary, and as a hobby programmer, I love the fact that even the developer itself sometimes doesn't know what features are in the game. Thank you Tarn and Zachm and Glen for reminding me about its existence and beautifully edited video
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Oh my gosh, I hadn’t considered myself to be part of Dwarf Fortress history! I did a double take when I saw myself there lol
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That dead cat bug is crazy detailed and hilarious
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Amazing work Glen, you gave this indie story the documentary it deserves. I particularly enjoyed the ASCII graphics incorporated throughout the video. I think this may be my favourite indie story yet!
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I never played much of Dwarf fortress, that being said, I did buy the steam version just out of respect for the two brothers. This game is a work of art, and people like this deserve our support.
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ngl this is probably the most heartwarming thing i’ve seen this month, the narration and editing were also superb :)
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It is amazing to think the game development was very literal to even the most micro-functions of the game. The brothers did an epic job. Simply inspiring.
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"every year around christmas their donations would increase" my heart. lol they thought of game developers theyve never met for christmas. tarn and zach are leaving the world a far far better and more fun place than in which they came into it.
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Glad to see so much coming into place for Tarn and Zach
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Even though I don't know how to play Dwarf Fortress (my base is basically a rotten hole in a hill) I still absolutely love this game and I'm glad you made a video about it!
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It's amazing to see the amount of dedication and passion that went into creating such a complex and unique game. To think that this game was developed by just two people is a testament to the power of creativity and determination. This documentary is a must-watch for anyone who loves Dwarf Fortress, and for anyone who wants to gain a deeper appreciation for the art of game development. Great video
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I have been in the roguelike community for 11 years now and I can definitely say that this will be forever my favorite game.
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I've just started watching it, but want to say this first: it's beautiful! How you always create a stylisation for each video based on the game it's made about, it's so awesome and done professionally. Your videos are always enjoyable, inspiration and full of little details that take us back into our past of retro and nostalgia and awesomely done games with restrictions. Good times. Thank you, Glen!
