Great writeup Kevin.

I've sat on the fence about Dwarf Fortress for months. I've heard so many epic stories from cool battles to complete insane moments in this game. I've installed the game, but never loaded it up, it's visual style is intimidating.

The game's presentation commands the use of imagination, and that's part of why I like the idea so much. I'm ready to dig in, I need to stop being afraid of it.

Have you ever tried any tilesets with that game? I know there are tons of 'graphical' tile sets that help the player understand whats happening better, but I know many people just poke fun at those using the sets, claiming they're not hardcore enough.