Next competition

[Philip]

I feel like the information leaks from everyone having the same savefile are less important than everyone having the same starting town/stuff/whatever. Changing this feels like a fix to a problem that doesn't really exist. I did not use any of the information leaks in my game this comp either, for example.

The only times I know of that the fixed start has mattered were in Ironband and in FA (ironman, to boot) thrall mode, and those are very much special cases.

[wobbly]

Neither start scumming or paying attention to flavours are things I care to do, I guess unless you force on-line play (something I'd like less then cheat checking) you have to live with something. My preference is to allow someone to just quick start rather than re-download the old save.

[debo]

The problem with that is that it theoretically encourages startscumming. I don't think anyone is going to practically do that, though, so it should be fine.

[Gwarl]

So, there's this issue with competition mode on the server:

https://github.com/OwenGHB/angband-webclient/issues/5

Vanilla and FAAngband are afaik the only two variants with this savefile header information, which is what competition mode currently relies on.

Since I've been short of free time lately, I won't be able to solve this by next weekend. I have thought up a way to get around this and still enable competition savefiles to be played on the server, but won't be recording runs. This seems acceptable since there isn't a playback feature to use the recordings with yet. So recording will go on ice, and when I find the time to implement playback all the entries for this competition and the last will be available to watch.

Only at that point will I worry about recording games again.

Also: I would like to change the rules at some point. Getting the same colours of potion and identically named scrolls every run doesn't sit right with me, nor does the ability to get the same first dungeon level every game. That's an opinion I've had for a while. The next competition will follow the same format as is traditional, but for the one after I like the idea of programmatically generating savefiles which have completed the birth process and offering a download link somewhere that provides a new file with every click.

If anyone would like to strongly object, you have plenty of time.

[HugoVirtuoso]

yeah this is the best idea have more then 1 option a month do like 1 monster class and 2 others maybe at same time and people can keep up on a separate ladder for all 3 so you can keep on with the one your playing.

This should be implemented. Gwarl - you should find a way to make this happen!

[Montana71]

This is a great idea. Though I was a aware of, and bookmarked, the competition page, I rarely visited it (and never entered a competition).

I'm also fully on board with frequent, mini-ladder updates. This will make it feel much more like a competition, rather than a blind auction.

Another idea might be to to have 3 or 4 competitions running simultaneously, but staggered. Maybe start a competition in a different variant every week or so, just in case the current competition isn't ones cup of tea. That way one wouldn't have to wait weeks/months for a new competition to begin.

yeah this is the best idea have more then 1 option a month do like 1 monster class and 2 others maybe at same time and people can keep up on a separate ladder for all 3 so you can keep on with the one your playing.

[HugoVirtuoso]

Perhaps the next compo should be on PosChengband 7.0.0!!

[HugoVirtuoso]

Aren't those just the default settings.
Not sure what you meant by this.

Those default PosChengband settings + race/class combo of choice (I should have said Tonberry Skillmaster) = highest chance of ME winning any compo (at least one and notwithstanding the 100% uniques)

^ That's what I meant!

[Gwarl]

you can skip ... the early game.

But if the point is to try lots of variants, I don't want to skip the early game..

[the Invisible Stalker]

Thrall isn't really that much more challenging than non-thrall. It's just different. Starting with telepathy goes a long way to compensating for your fragility as a first level character in dangerous territory. The keys to surviving as a beginning thrall are:

- Hounds and vortices sleep at night. Try waiting for dark. You'll be a lot safer. You may need to *destruct* to create a safe space in which to wait.

- Unlight is great. If you're a rogue, assassin or necromancer then it should definitely be your first specialty.

- Choose your first kill wisely. Experience points get divided by character level, so it's best to get as many as possible when you're still level 1.

- The only escapes you start with are five scrolls of *destruction*. Use them when needed, but only when needed.

- Visit (and move to) town fairly quickly. There you can get more escapes. Also, WoR only works once you have a home to recall to.

- Mostly ignore stuff that isn't close to you and far from monsters. It usually isn't worth the risk.

Some of those are more guidelines than absolute rules, but if you follow them then thrall mode isn't really that much harder than standard. Most of your @'s will still die, of course, but they mostly die quickly, and if they don't then you can skip much of the tedium of the early game. The average time required to get a decent midgame character is probably lower than for a non-thrall.

[debo]

Pretty sure the last poschengband comp was so recent that my run is still going...

Me too haha

[Gwarl]

That seems like a bit of a wasted opportunity. The nice thing about comps is the opportunity to experiment with things which are unique to a particular variant.

There's a lot to distinguish FA without going full thrall mode. I'll have a few plays through but I think the harder races might be challenging enough as they are.

More suggestions are still welcome.

[wobbly]

Pretty sure the last poschengband comp was so recent that my run is still going...

[nikheizen]

My request:
PosChengband Tonberry Chaos-Warrior + FULL Wilderness + 100% Uniques (YES, I mean 100%)

Aren't those just the default settings.
Not sure what you meant by this.

[HugoVirtuoso]

My request:
PosChengband Tonberry Chaos-Warrior + FULL Wilderness + 100% Uniques (YES, I mean 100%)