I bounced off Dwarf Fortress a lot over the years, even with the packs to help. Eventually I got the hang of Adventurer Mode and quite enjoyed it! Now I'm just waiting for that mode on the steam version!
When the Steam version was announced, I decided to dive in to the game blind. In the months before the release, I ended up seeing some interviews of Tarn and fell in love with their vision and quiet dedication.
Steam version came out and I dumped easily 200+ hours into the game. I'm waiting for adventure mode to dive back in. Can't wait.
The game is definitely not for everyone. But it is very special.