Is it a city builder or more like DF? From what I have read it seems vague to me. Now I might be overlooking something though.
It's inspired by games like DF, but it's going to be its own thing. That doesn't mean Gaslamp haven't looked at SimCity, Anno and the likes and noted what works well, however.
If I were to wager a guess, I'd say closer to Dwarf Fortress than Sim City. Much closer, due to the scale of the whole thing. And if I were to allow myself to go off on a tangent, I will say that it is something that will likely resemble a mix of "The Settlers" and "Warcraft" with some "Wiggles" mixed in and with an unhealthy dose of "Science!" (not a game but rather dubious 18th and 19th [and early 20th, likely] century based "science" engineering, of the sort you can see in a webcomic titled "Girl Genius" and in a lot of other creations of the steampunk genre) and "Fun" (once again, not a game, but since you mentioned Dwarf Fortress I reckon you know that) added to it, but not resembling "Dwarf Fortress" almost at all from meta-mechanical viewpoint and only being similar to it in its core concepts and the fact that things are guaranteed to go haywire and explode or worse.
In my imagination it´s a mix of DF, "Majesty" and "Knights & Merchants" with a few new features not seen in any of those (like the military system they introduced a few weeks back. I am actually most exited to see that in action).
Well I would love it if it was more like DF(a lot). Updated UI and graphics since Toady will not do it and doesn't seem to care that others are taking his ideas (gnomoria). If it's just simcity then I will be passing, but thats a long way away it seems and minds can change.
The tagline I have been giving out down here at interviews is "Steampunk Dwarf Fortress with an H. P. Lovecraft Twist." Obviously, we are more than just Steampunk Dwarf Fortress, and we're not doing everything that Dwarf Fortress is doing. However, I think that we are much, much more closely aligned to DF than SimCity - if only because you have individual, named units at a small scale, as opposed to the Nameless, Faceless Sims. (And we have fewer of them.)
Well i can't help but get the impression you might be doing the game a bit of a disservice by simply comparing it to other games. Simply because of the things appearing i am pretty sure you won't see happen in a game like sim city id'wager (that or i've missed out on an Obeliskian invasion)
That is entirely correct. And it is also why every one of us compared it to different games - Sir Nicholas and the Gaslamp Team aren't making the game similar to those game, but instead they are just making a game and it's us who try to notice the similarity (by comparing it to games which we liked and which we think would have been similar).
When you joined the Clockwork Knight brigade. But really, I'm just using "Sir" to call you because I think it is more amusing and (in a way) more appropriate. I can stop if you don't like it.
I thought it was awarded to him by Lord Palmerstoke for his innovative discoveries in the field of Impractical application of Phlogiston. Notable achievements being the Phlogistonic Implosion Bomb. The Phlogiston Implosion Refrigerator And of course the ever popular Phlogiston powered self propelled baby carriage (The Mark IIIc now 23,567% more safe than it's predecessor ! Buy now to receive the ever popular Implosion Insurance for 50% off !)
Lord Palmerstoke mainly sends letters of commendations to the Royal Academy, who promptly ignore him. (he's kind of in disgrace.)
Phlogiston weapons should produce a dephlogistonated waste product with unusual properties and various industrial applications particularly for the creation of armor that resists flame at the cost of becoming more flammable.