History YMMV / DwarfFortress

** Villains quickly became very painful to deal with once they were added in February 2020. The highest members will often never even enter your fortress, instead sending spies through your tavern or even corrupting your dwarves for their plans. They will very frequently make your dwarves try to steal your artifacts, forcing you to imprison them, butbiften times once you release corrupted dwarves, they will immediately attemp to steal the artifact again! Artifact guests aren't the worst they can do, since they can also corrupt your dwarves and make them stage a coup and basically start a loyalty cascade!

* MemeticTroll: Kea. They are hard to hit and tend to steal ''everything'' they can; their ability to steal items many times their size and/or weight is particularly well known, with anvils being a common specific item mentioned (because you can't make an anvil without another anvil, and FinaglesLaw ensures they will take the only one you have). Some people have even reported Kea stealing both the crossbows ''and'' the arrows ''intended for hunting them''. It's surprisingly a TruthInTelevision, as they are this in real life -- they are known for their intelligence and seemingly intentional trolling of humans.[[note]] Kea have been recorded to do the following: They can break into cars, have been seen killing sheep at random, they steal most small items they can find and even keep people awake at night by making noise on rooftops, usually by rolling a small object around for no particular reason[[/note]]

** Bogeymen appear to be this, as many players expressed relief when Toady revealed they would only appear in evil biomes from the next major patch onward. Their tendency to literally tear apart early-game adventurers who travel alone is considered especially frustrating, since in some causes you may not be able to recruit anyone in nearby towns yet your goals are too far to reach before nightfall.

* BrokenBase: The [[VitriolicBestBuds friendly teasing]] that occurs between tile users and ASCII users, or between those who prefer Adventure Mode to Fortress Mode, is occasionally mistaken for this.

** The random name generation can cause these on occasion. One example being a settlement named "Virgincrack". Bonus points if the group that rules it is called among the lines of "The fellowship of balls".

** Giant mosquitoes in the intial 2012 release deserve a mention here, as, even though they're no match for a trained dwarf individually, every time they show up they bring a hundred friends with them, and, even if you simply lock yourself underground to avoid them, they'll [[InterfaceScrew lag your game to high hell due to sheer numbers]]. Luckily, this was because of a bug that was fixed within a few days.

* MemeticTroll: Kea. They are hard to hit and tend to steal ''everything'' they can; their ability to steal items many times their size and/or weight is particularly well known, with anvils being a common specific item mentioned (because you can't make an anvil without another anvil, and FinaglesLaw ensures they will take the only one you have). Some people have even reported Kea stealing both the crossbows ''and'' the arrows ''intented for hunting them''. It's surprisingly a TruthInTelevision, as they are this in real life -- they are known for their intelligence and seemingly intentional trolling of humans.[[note]] Kea have been recorded to do thr following: They can break into cars, have been seen killing sheep at random, they steal most small items they can find and even keep people awake at night by making noise on rooftops, usually by rolling a small object around for no particular reason[[/note]]

** Economically, stoneware pottery. Fire clay can be gathered indefinitely and stockpiled near a magma kiln, which perpetually churns out crafts and large pots. Considering that stoneware can hold liquid without being glazed, you will never have problems with booze again. The value of stoneware crafts is comparable to obsidian, but are much easier to mass-produce; a few years of constant production will give incredible purchasing power.
** In adventure mode, sneak and find a tile where rocks can be picked up that is as close as you can get to the enemy's range of vision. Then start throwing the rocks until he dies (or passes out, at which point you can walk up and slit his throat), without ever being seen. A higher Ambusher skill makes this better, of course.
** In older versions, the so-called "[[FanNickname Danger Room]]" method of military training. Make a small room full of low-quality menacing spike traps. Fill those traps with practice spears. Attach them to a lever or repeater. Station a squad of dorfs in the room and watch their dodging, blocking, armor using, shield using, and weapon skills go up at a ridiculous rate. As a bonus, if any of them actually manage to get hurt, it gives your doctors practice, too! Later versions have significantly increased the injury potential of poorly-aimed practice spears while also increasing the skill-gain done from sparring with other dwarfs, so [[{{Nerf}} this is no longer the game-breaking training method it once was]].
** Currently, Elephant Men (and, to a lesser extent, Rhinoceros men) are this in adventurer mode, due to their sheer size and weight relative to speed; basically, imagine the old Elephants and all the damage they could inflict, now imagine if they could use weapons. The only thing keeping them relatively balanced is the armor system making it so they're most always wearing default, non-protective clothing rather than armor. Still, an average strength Elephant Man is still large enough to fight enemies simply by ''running at them and slamming into them head on'', and their punches and kicks are strong enough to send any average-sized creature flying (provided they hit squarely), and, with some luck, turning them into [[FastballSpecial a man-sized projectile against anyone unlucky enough to be in the flight path of the unfortunate victim]]. To say nothing of simply walking up to someone, grabbing them by the head and throwing them.

* MemeticTroll: Kea. They are hard to hit and tend to steal ''everything'' they can; their ability to steal items many times their size and/or weight is particularly well known, with anvils being a common specific item mentioned (because you can't make an anvil without another anvil, and FinanglesLaw ensures they will take the only one you have). Some people have even reported Kea stealing both the crossbows ''and'' the arrows ''intented for hunting them''. It's surprisingly a TruthInTelevision, as they are this in real life -- they are known for their intelligence and seemingly intentional trolling of humans.[[note]] Kea have been recorded to do thr following: They can break into cars, have been seen killing sheep at random, they steal most small items they can find and even keep people awake at night by making noise on rooftops, usually by rolling a small object around for no particular reason[[/note]]

* MemeticTroll: Kea. They are hard to hit and tend to steal ''everything'' they can; their ability to steal items many times their size and/or weight is particularly well known, with anvils being a common specific item mentioned. Some people have even reported Kea stealing both the crossbows ''and'' the arrows ''intented for hunting them''. It's surprisingly a TruthInTelevision, as they are this in real life -- they are known for their intelligence and seemingly intentional trolling of humans.[[note]] Kea have been recorded to do thr following: They can break into cars, have been seen killing sheep at random, they steal most small items they can find and even keep people awake at night by making noise on rooftops, usually by rolling a small object around for no particular reason[[/note]]

** [[AwesomeMcCoolName Cacame Awemedinidae]], [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Immortal Onslaught]], Elf King of the Dwarves. According to the (partially player-invented) story, he joined the Dwarven military after his wife was killed and eaten by other Elves, just so that he could kill more elves. He proved to hate elves so much, that he was made the Dwarven King.

* EarWorm: the background music, a rather hypnotic six-string guitar piece by the game programmer himself. Its ability to get stuck in your head combined with the listener's inability to actually remember how it goes suggests it may be some kind of ethereal god music.

** Currently, Elephant Men (and, to a lesser extent, Rhinoceros Men) are this in Adventurer mode due to their sheer size and weight relative to speed; basically, imagine the old Elephants and all the damage they could inflict, now imagine if they could use weapons. The only thing keeping them relatively balanced is the armor system making it so they're most always wearing default, non-protective clothing rather than armor. Still, an average strength Elephant Man is still large enough to fight enemies simply by ''running at them and slamming into them head on'', and their punches and kicks are strong enough to send any average-sized creature flying (provided they hit squarely), and, with some luck, turning them into [[FastballSpecial a man-sized projectile against anyone unlucky enough to be in the flight path of the unfortunate victim]]. To say nothing of simply walking up to someone, grabbing them by the head and throwing them.

** Water will freeze in cold environments, the resulting ice can be mined out like stone, it will melt if it gets too warm. This is all logical and expected. But constructions built out of ice will ''never melt''. You can build a magma aqueduct out of ice if you so desire.

** The random name generation can cause these on occasion. One example being a settlement named "Virgincrack".

* QuicksandBox: The game doesn't (as yet) come with a tutorial. Some aspects of the game have complex and undocumented requirements. The wiki -- or failing that, a geology textbook -- helps out a good deal with both points. [[TrialAndErrorGameplay Or practice repeatedly making new fortresses and abandoning them when things go wrong]] -- which they will (losing is fun!) -- until you start to get the hang of making a working fortress. Or at least one that's not so dysfunctional.

** Force mechanics in post-0.42 versions, because ''everyone'' is MadeOfPlasticine due to them and armor doesn't help anyone. It's quite a blasted annoyance when you lose your adventurer or champion dwarf because a lucky shot to the fingers that glanced off their *Steel Left Gauntlet* somehow still imparted enough force to twist their wrist/elbow/shoulder into a gordian knot, tearing muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves and collapsing the victim into a helpless heap of pain with no chance to prevent it.

** Currently, Elephant Men (and, to a lesser extent, Rhinoceros Men) are this in Adventurer mode due to their sheer size and weight relative to speed; basically, imagine the old Elephants and all the damage they could inflict, now imagine if they could use weapons. The only thing keeping them relatively balanced is the armor system making it so they're most always wearing default, non-protective clothing rather than armor. Still, an average strength Elephant Man is still large enough to fight enemies simply by 'running at them and slamming into them', and their punches and kicks are strong enough to send any average-sized creature flying (provided they hit squarely), and, with some luck, turning them into [[FastballSpecial a man-sized projectile against anyone unlucky enough to be in the flight path of the unfortunate victim]]. To say nothing of simply walking up to someone, grabbing them by the head and throwing them.

** Any fortress will create a few of these if it survives long enough, but some are truly exceptional, such as the backpack-wielding dwarf of LetsPlay/{{Syrupleaf}}, or the dwarves of [[http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Bronzemurder Bronzemurder]].

** Weapon Traps are considered to be game breakers by some due to the massive amount of damage they deal. Likewise for cage traps, which unfailingly captures anything that isn't immune to traps, even megabeasts (and if you put a Giant Cave Spider web on it, it catches ''anything'')

** Captain Ironblood who never bathes (and is thus literally covered in blood, mud and vomit at all times) and can kill titans and dragons on his own. He eventually took up seige weaponry use as a hobby.

* QuicksandBox: The game doesn't come with a tutorial. Some aspects of the game have complex and undocumented requirements. The wiki -- or failing that, a geology textbook -- help out a good deal with both points. [[TrialAndErrorGameplay Or practice repeatedly making new fortresses and abandoning them when things go wrong]] -- which they will (losing is fun!) -- until you start to get the hang of making a working fortress. Or at least one that's not so dysfunctional.

* SequelDisplacement: Slaves to Armok Chapter 1? [[http://www.bay12games.com/armok/download.html What]]? Possibly inverted -- at this point, Dwarf Fortress is popular enough that "people who would never have heard of Slaves to Armok 1 if not for Dwarf Fortress having that conspicuous 2 in its full title" probably outnumber "people who might have actually played Slaves to Armok 1 if not for Dwarf Fortress being more polished and popular" by quite a lot.

* CrazyAwesome: A trait that is actively encouraged in players. Given that "Losing is Fun", there's no reason not to come up with the most ''completely nucking futs'' solutions to every problem in hopes that your lunacy at least yields a memorable story to share on the [=Bay12=] forums (said solutions actually working is just a bonus). After all, getting people to recognize your dorfiness is about as close as you get to actually winning.

** Pond grabbers are the new carp. Not excessively hostile but if you fight them they are '''terrifying'''.

* GoodBadBugs: These are the kinds of bugs that make DF the game it is. Magma sea vanishing? Oops, it's all being [[spoiler:sucked down by a hole into '''HELL''']].

** [[AwesomeMcCoolName Cacame Awemedinidae]], [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Immortal Onslaught]], Elf King of the Dwarves. According to the (partially player-invented story), he joined the Dwarven military after his wife was killed and eaten by other Elves, just so that he could kill more elves. He proved to hate elves so much, that he was made the Dwarven King.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: Arguably the entire point of the game. No matter what, your fortress ''[[EndlessGame is]]'' [[EndlessGame eventually going to die]], so you might as well make sure that the fortress and everyone in it dies in as hysterically violent, absurd, and over-the-top a manner as you can possibly generate.
* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Not the game itself, which despite all of the horrors that can happen to fortress and adventurer alike has a fairly standard tone for a medieval fantasy game (even the literal legions of hell can be overcome if you're prepared enough). However, the game's notoriously steep difficulty curve ends up having the same kind of effect on many players, leading to the "losing is fun" mentality; if you're going to fail anyway, you might as well go all out.

** You also occasionally run into randomly generated enemies that are made of solid stone or even metal, and are as hard to kill as that would imply. To make things even worse, if the RandomNumberGod hates you, they can also have a dust attack that is, in its most deadly form, an InstantDeathRadius with about the same range as your archers.\\\

* FanNickname:
** "Dorfs" for dwarves, "Dorf Fort", "Urist [=McX=]" for any given dwarf, "Cutebolds" for kobolds, "Hidden Fun Stuff" for [[spoiler:gateways to hell]].
** "Cotton Candy" for [[spoiler:adamantine]], "Clowns" for [[spoiler:demons]], and "The circus" for [[spoiler:hell]].
** "Party People" for [[spoiler:ghosts, due to a [[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=70423.0 rather infamous]] incident]].
** "Goblinite" or "Goblin Christmas" for the vast bounty of iron weapons and armor a Goblin Siege would bring, once your forces had killed them.
** "Zombie Spirals" for a common occurrence when the player embarks in an evil biome that raises everything as undead. The more that get killed, the more undead there are to fight, until your dwarves are completely overwhelmed.

* GoddamnedBats: '''Bogeymen.''' The only thing stopping them from being DemonicSpiders is that a decently skilled/strong character can usually manage to kill them; they're still absolute bastards, though, since '''[[FragileSpeedster you can almost never fucking hit them.]]''' Which is why, of course, every single person in the world tells you not to travel alone at night.