[dri_ft]

I think I agree. I'm up for complex keyboard interfaces and simple, ASCII-ish graphics - I play a lot of roguelikes - but something about Dwarf Fortress's interface still rubs me the wrong way. I do want graphics to be pretty, even if they're simple, and I do want controls to be elegant, even if they're keyboard-based.

The default tiles are ugly - unnecessarily ugly - and the keyboard controls don't seem great. (Like a sibling to this comment says, consistency has a lot to do with it, and not having to move your hands far around the keyboard is nice.) Then again, I admit I haven't spent that much time with it.

So I do find the interface offputting, but it's not because I want a flashy, dumbed-down one. And it's a bit frustrating whenever I see criticism of the Dwarf Fortress interface dismissed in those terms.