[ZodiacX]

I would like dwarf fortress if the sheer leetness on it was turned down. Ditch the ASCII art. It was nessesery in the 80's, but not now. Some simple icons or at least mid-rez setting would make it easier to play, since you wouldnt have to look up what a # or a moving & was again.
My only other gripe is it has a "learning curve of slamming into a brick wall". Theres a million things to do, but no explination in-game about what to do, why, where, or how. How about a tutorial where you start SMALL. Like. "Build a storage room, enough beds for all your dwarves, and enough food for a year" with a few starter units, then expand on it from there, gradually giving you more advanced units, professions, etc.