Here’s something that the Something Awful guys and I can agree on: Dwarf Fortress is awesome. Which is why I was elated to hear that creator Tarn Adams (aka Toady One) has decided to go full time:
“He he he, I’ve been out of school for two years. I’m quitting my job as a visiting assistant math professor (like a baby professor) to write video games, DF in particular. Ideally, I’ll be supported by the DF community. Realistically, who knows? Right now I can pay for food, utilities and a slice of rent on donations, and I’ve saved enough money to make an honest effort for some months after I leave my job mid-May. I’m hopeful that when I finally have my time freed up I can push things forward to the point where the project generates enough interest that I’ll be able to pay my bills and maybe even get health insurance or something. Whether or not that’s optimistic remains to be seen, but I think it’s worth a try.”
Donationware is a tough route, but I would love to see Tarn get to make DF a living! Given his insane pace, one can only imagine what the game could look like with a few years of full time work. Send money!