Out of curiosity, any other DF players on here? The antics of your dwarves make for some great writing... every few months I jot down another doomed Dwarven misadventure.
Yeah. I've been playing the game for years, now, but I remember the learning curve. If you haven't already, I suggest downloading one of the graphics packs to make the interface a bit more intelligible, as well.
I quite enjoy DF, but I haven't really been able to play as much lately. Let me tell you, the graphics packs make it MUCH less confusing! If you haven't already, download the Lazy Newb Pack. It comes with a copy of DF.