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Difference between revisions of "Development arc"

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[[Toady One]] has outlined specific ''Arcs'' that will be accomplished during the development of Dwarf Fortress. There are 21 in total, and not all may take the same length of time to complete. Each Arc also encompasses certain cores, requirements, bloats, and power goals listed in the Dwarf Fortress development page. [http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/dev_v1.html]
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In earlier days of ''Dwarf Fortress'', development was split up into outlined specific '''Arcs'''. That system has been replaced by a short list of future releases given names after their main focus by [[Toady One]].
  
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==Current Arc(s)==
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== Named Releases ==
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===Army Arc===
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=== Future ===
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The [[Army Arc]] is possibly the biggest endeavor out of all the current Arcs, and is the one being written at the moment. It may take a couple more months to release the third and final version of the Army Arc.
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==== Next ====
 +
A second siege release focused "[[Release_information/53.07#What.27s_Next_for_Sieges.3F|on magic, armies, and diplomacy]]".
 +
==== Later ====
 +
* The adventure mode site building: the return of [[Camp#Adventurer_camps|camp founding and building]], plus more "cross-mode play and Adventure mode crafting".
 +
* The map rewrites: A rework of the generated spaces and regions, allowing for more dynamic and reactive worlds, with changes focused on the underground, but also some changes above. It has been previously known as the "Big Wait" before myth and magic, but is planned to be released incrementally alongside smaller magical features.
 +
* More villains releases: the continuation of the villains release, finishing what was left when focus shifted to the premium release, divided into multiple smaller releases.
 +
* More myth and magic, world changes, "probably through covens and religion", starting scenarios, and civilization improvements.
 +
==== Sources ====
 +
* ''[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/975370/view/520859243419533943 Dwarf Fortress Patch 53.07 🏹 What’s next for Sieges? + New animal portraits]'' Steam news.
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* ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbzttKQofFg What's Next for Sieges? - Tarn Time (Winter 2025)]'' YouTube video.
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* ''[https://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/dev.html Dwarf Fortress Development]'' Bay 12 Games website page (last updated: December 18, 2025).
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* ''[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/975370/view/530964346754301996 Next Steps for Dwarf Fortress + Patch 51.05 ⛏ Dwarf Fortress Dev News]'' Steam news.
 +
* ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw_-jdN8zcA Tarn Time - Dwarf Fortress Seasonal Update (Spring 2025)]'' YouTube video.
  
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===Presentation Arc===
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=== Possible Future ===
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It has been suggested by Toady that he may have to "cut out and jump to the presentation arc,".
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These are things that have been discussed as future releases, but have not been officially announced.
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*'''Toady One:''' "April has been very thin so far donation-wise (I wasn't on track to make rent when I replied on the 8th; it's slightly better now), and I wasn't feeling like I can grind away on world-gen details quite so much. I dunno. If I have to cut out and jump to the presentation arc, I'd rather have completed in-game army features that you can use during play rather than the other stuff. On the other hand it's best to get as much of the foundation down as possible early on. I'm not sure how it's going to play out at this point. I'll probably have to make some tough decisions soon." ''April 10, 2008 11:51 PM''[http://www.bay12games.com/cgi-local/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=001837]
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* More [[Lua]] functionality, including UI exposure to allow for more mouse versus keyboard control flexibility.
 +
* The boats release: will feature, well, boats, with all that entails (ports, maritime trade routes, pirates, and so on). Probably multi-tile creatures as well, as mechanics on how to make boats (floating superstructures) work will be borrowed to make multi-tile creatures as well.
 +
* The economy release: will piggyback on the new trade and property stuff to establish a new framework that will completely overhaul the old (and deactivated) [[economy]] system.
  
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Donations to Toady can be given here: [http://www.bay12games.com/support.html]
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=== Past ===
 +
* The [[night creature]] release ([[v0.34:Release_information|0.34.01]]): added [[necromancer]]s, [[mummy|mummies]], [[vampire]]s, [[werebeast]]s as well as a complete [[undead]] overhaul. Other notable additions include evil [[weather]], improved human [[site]]s featuring [[catacombs]], [[sewer]]s and [[dungeon]]s, and a number of animals added to the game.
 +
* The [[World activities|world activation]] release ([[DF2014:Release_information/0.40.01|0.40.01]]): allowed many [[world generation]] activities to carry on during normal gameplay, as opposed to a static world. Other notable additions include non-human [[site]]s, multi-tile trees, retireable fortresses, claimable non-player fortresses and a great variety of plants and additional animal people.
 +
* The [[tavern]] release ([[DF2014:Release_information/0.42.01|0.42.01]]): added taverns and [[visitor]]s to the game. Other notable additions include fortress [[temple]]s, [[library|libraries]] (with [[scholar]]s complete with a [[knowledge]] system), a [[paper]] industry, art forms (music, dance and writing) and non-dwarven citizens.
 +
* The [[artifact]] release ([[DF2014:Release_information/0.44.01|0.44.01]]): added non-player artifacts to the game. Other notable additions include the ability to send [[squad]]s of dwarves off the map (on [[mission]]s to raid sites, rescue citizens, retrive artifacts, explore ruins and so on), secret [[agent]]s, non-player [[quester]]s and improved [[kobold]] sites.
 +
* The [[villain]]s release (first part) ([[DF2014:Release_information/0.47.01|0.47.01]]): added villains to the game, giving them goals and the ability to subvert other people into various corruption activities such as embezzlement, sabotage, kidnapping or assassination. Other notable additions included improved relationships (divorce and remarriage, children outside marriage, different kinds of friendships), improved religions (featuring prophets and monastic orders), trade companies, craft guilds, new sites (monasteries, bandit forts and the return of castles) as well as several new [[night creature]]s. This release was cut short, leaving out most of the [[cv:fortress mode|fortress mode]] and [[cv:adventure mode|adventure mode]] villainy, to hasten the Premium release.
 +
* The Premium release (or the Steam release) ([[Release_information/50.01|50.01]]): the first commercial release of ''Dwarf Fortress''.  also known as ''Dwarf Fortress Premium''. As the primary commercial platform is [https://store.steampowered.com/app/975370/Dwarf_Fortress/ Steam], it is also known as the Steam release, though it is also available on [https://kitfoxgames.itch.io/dwarf-fortress itch.io]. It included a complete overhaul of UI and graphics, bug fixes, as well as an official pixel-art [[graphics set]]. A concurrent free version is still available as ''Dwarf Fortress Classic'' (Available on 12/22/22 since version 50.04 at [https://bay12games.com/dwarves/ Bay 12 Games]), which has feature parity but not the official graphics set.
 +
* The adventure release ([[Release_information/51.01|51.01]]): Re-enables [[Adventurer mode]] with a new interface and additional graphics. Added [[:Category:Myth|mythical]] features such as [[chosen]] adventurers and [[mysterious dungeon]]s.
 +
* The initial Lua scripting release ([[Release_information/52.01|52.01]]): Exposed previously hard-coded "procedural object generation, like the forgotten beasts, divine curses (vampires and werebeasts), divine items, necromancers and their lieutenants and experiments, evil weather, and so forth."
 +
* The first siege release ([[Release_information/53.01|53.01]]): An improvement of [[siege]]s, with a focus on more intelligent invader tactics, balanced [[trap]]s, and updated [[siege engine]]s. [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/975370/view/530964346754301996][https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/975370/view/528732929177683220][https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/975370/view/536616130148565319][https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/975370/view/530987265859522075]
  
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==Arcs==
+
== Old arcs ==
−
*[[Army Arc]]
+
''Dwarf Fortress'' development has moved away from the old large arc based strategy. The old [[Consolidated Development]] page lists 21 "short-term arcs" and 15 "long-term arcs". Not all arcs would have taken take the same length of time to complete. Each arc also encompassed certain cores, requirements, bloats, and power goals.
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*[[Caravan Arc]]
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*[[Life Cycle Arc]]
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Here are a few notable ones:
−
*[[Presentation Arc]]
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*[[Army arc]]: possibly the biggest endeavor out of all the current arcs, it was never fully completed. Version 0.31.01 introduced many army arc features.
 +
*[[Caravan arc]]: another famous arc, focusing on fleshing out the caravans (Status unknown as of v0.47.05, may have been completed.)
 +
*[[County arc]]
 +
*[[Life cycle arc]]
 +
*[[Presentation arc]]
 +
 
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[[Category:Arcs| ]]
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[[Category:Game development]]
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{{unversioned}}
 +
[[ru:Development arc]]

Latest revision as of 01:06, 19 December 2025

In earlier days of Dwarf Fortress, development was split up into outlined specific Arcs. That system has been replaced by a short list of future releases given names after their main focus by Toady One.

Named Releases[edit]

Future[edit]

Next[edit]

A second siege release focused "on magic, armies, and diplomacy".

Later[edit]

  • The adventure mode site building: the return of camp founding and building, plus more "cross-mode play and Adventure mode crafting".
  • The map rewrites: A rework of the generated spaces and regions, allowing for more dynamic and reactive worlds, with changes focused on the underground, but also some changes above. It has been previously known as the "Big Wait" before myth and magic, but is planned to be released incrementally alongside smaller magical features.
  • More villains releases: the continuation of the villains release, finishing what was left when focus shifted to the premium release, divided into multiple smaller releases.
  • More myth and magic, world changes, "probably through covens and religion", starting scenarios, and civilization improvements.

Sources[edit]

Possible Future[edit]

These are things that have been discussed as future releases, but have not been officially announced.

  • More Lua functionality, including UI exposure to allow for more mouse versus keyboard control flexibility.
  • The boats release: will feature, well, boats, with all that entails (ports, maritime trade routes, pirates, and so on). Probably multi-tile creatures as well, as mechanics on how to make boats (floating superstructures) work will be borrowed to make multi-tile creatures as well.
  • The economy release: will piggyback on the new trade and property stuff to establish a new framework that will completely overhaul the old (and deactivated) economy system.

Past[edit]

  • The night creature release (0.34.01): added necromancers, mummies, vampires, werebeasts as well as a complete undead overhaul. Other notable additions include evil weather, improved human sites featuring catacombs, sewers and dungeons, and a number of animals added to the game.
  • The world activation release (0.40.01): allowed many world generation activities to carry on during normal gameplay, as opposed to a static world. Other notable additions include non-human sites, multi-tile trees, retireable fortresses, claimable non-player fortresses and a great variety of plants and additional animal people.
  • The tavern release (0.42.01): added taverns and visitors to the game. Other notable additions include fortress temples, libraries (with scholars complete with a knowledge system), a paper industry, art forms (music, dance and writing) and non-dwarven citizens.
  • The artifact release (0.44.01): added non-player artifacts to the game. Other notable additions include the ability to send squads of dwarves off the map (on missions to raid sites, rescue citizens, retrive artifacts, explore ruins and so on), secret agents, non-player questers and improved kobold sites.
  • The villains release (first part) (0.47.01): added villains to the game, giving them goals and the ability to subvert other people into various corruption activities such as embezzlement, sabotage, kidnapping or assassination. Other notable additions included improved relationships (divorce and remarriage, children outside marriage, different kinds of friendships), improved religions (featuring prophets and monastic orders), trade companies, craft guilds, new sites (monasteries, bandit forts and the return of castles) as well as several new night creatures. This release was cut short, leaving out most of the fortress mode and adventure mode villainy, to hasten the Premium release.
  • The Premium release (or the Steam release) (50.01): the first commercial release of Dwarf Fortress. also known as Dwarf Fortress Premium. As the primary commercial platform is Steam, it is also known as the Steam release, though it is also available on itch.io. It included a complete overhaul of UI and graphics, bug fixes, as well as an official pixel-art graphics set. A concurrent free version is still available as Dwarf Fortress Classic (Available on 12/22/22 since version 50.04 at Bay 12 Games), which has feature parity but not the official graphics set.
  • The adventure release (51.01): Re-enables Adventurer mode with a new interface and additional graphics. Added mythical features such as chosen adventurers and mysterious dungeons.
  • The initial Lua scripting release (52.01): Exposed previously hard-coded "procedural object generation, like the forgotten beasts, divine curses (vampires and werebeasts), divine items, necromancers and their lieutenants and experiments, evil weather, and so forth."
  • The first siege release (53.01): An improvement of sieges, with a focus on more intelligent invader tactics, balanced traps, and updated siege engines. [1][2][3][4]

Old arcs[edit]

Dwarf Fortress development has moved away from the old large arc based strategy. The old Consolidated Development page lists 21 "short-term arcs" and 15 "long-term arcs". Not all arcs would have taken take the same length of time to complete. Each arc also encompassed certain cores, requirements, bloats, and power goals.

Here are a few notable ones:

  • Army arc: possibly the biggest endeavor out of all the current arcs, it was never fully completed. Version 0.31.01 introduced many army arc features.
  • Caravan arc: another famous arc, focusing on fleshing out the caravans (Status unknown as of v0.47.05, may have been completed.)
  • County arc
  • Life cycle arc
  • Presentation arc
Retrieved from "https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php?title=Development_arc&oldid=312314"