I started a new game, trying to take it a little more seriously, and one thing that's fascinating is that you could even call it
educational. Why?
- You have to learn about and understand supply chains. For instance, to make an iron goblet, first you must mine ore, then you must smelt it into bars, and only then can you make goblets from it. Everything you make has a chain like this. Some elements are fantastical but a lot is grounded in reality.
- You have to look out for the psychological health of your dwarves. In some ways it's like a lesson in good governance. Initially, you can look at each dwarf individually and figure out what needs aren't being met, and then decide whether you want to prioritize them, because you never really have enough dwarves or resources to do everything you want at all times. You have to pick and choose.
- I assume once your population gets big enough you really can't focus on the needs of individual dwarves, unless some of them start agitating and upsetting the others (which is a thing they can do.)
- Not to mention, you have to keep your dwarves fed, housed, and in good supply of alcohol. As an example, they prefer having their own rooms with their own beds. But they also want meeting rooms so they can hang out together. It's a bit like The Sims in that regard but instead of running a household it's more like running a (very small) country.
I'm sure none of these observations are new, but it is fun to learn as I go.
