Competition 100

[Nick]

Competition 100 is now available from the competition page; it is an NPPAngband 0.5.2 Elf Brigand.

In celebration of reaching the century, we have a massive competition this time, where the winner is the quickest to kill all the uniques. NPP is a challenging variant anyway, so there is over a month allocated for this one. Thanks to Jeff for the savefile and rules, and to Pav for implementing the rules, continuing to host the competition, and oook, and being generally awesome.

Note that comp 99 still has a couple of days to run.

[dos350]

plz no rage or stairs , eeeee

[Derakon]

We're not going to rehash the argument we've had for the past three-four competition characters. If you want to play with connected stairs, go do it elsewhere.

It'll be interesting to try a brigand. Have to say I'm not too thrilled about the goal, though; seems like it could lend itself to abusing unique-summoners. Though of course in NPP that's easier said than done.

[Roch]

Competition 100 is now available from the competition page; it is an NPPAngband 0.5.2 Elf Brigand.

In celebration of reaching the century, we have a massive competition this time, where the winner is the quickest to kill all the uniques. NPP is a challenging variant anyway, so there is over a month allocated for this one. Thanks to Jeff for the savefile and rules, and to Pav for implementing the rules, continuing to host the competition, and oook, and being generally awesome.

Note that comp 99 still has a couple of days to run.

And thanks to you, Nick, for making these competitions happen for us all.

[nppangband]

We're not going to rehash the argument we've had for the past three-four competition characters. If you want to play with connected stairs, go do it elsewhere.

That's the reason for the rule that a character is disqualified if they bypasss (don't enter) more than 15 greater vaults. Hopefully that won't be too viable of a strategy.

[Derakon]

As a more elegant solution to this problem in the future, you could make a note in the character file "Fled level X" if the player leaves the level by the same staircase they used to enter it. This would require specially marking that staircase somehow, though.

I assume "entering" a vault requires stepping on one of the icky tiles in it?

Also, the competition notes should probably include that NPP uses 4GAI, with the concomitant increase in big attack frequency.

[nppangband]

As a more elegant solution to this problem in the future, you could make a note in the character file "Fled level X" if the player leaves the level by the same staircase they used to enter it. This would require specially marking that staircase somehow, though.

I wish I could have coded up a special version of NPP for the comp, but there wasn't the time.

I assume "entering" a vault requires stepping on one of the icky tiles in it?

Correct. Or else a note is written to the player file that they abandoned the vault when they leave the level.

Also, the competition notes should probably include that NPP uses 4GAI, with the concomitant increase in big attack frequency.

Definitely. I did put a note that NPP has many, many more monsters below 2500' that will hit you for 400+ damage than in Vanilla. The teleport_to flag makes things interesting as well.

People should check the monster knowledge screens and monster recall. Every monster race in the game has been probed once, so the lore already has plenty of information about every creature. Also, you can see a list of all 104 uniques and which ones are still alive.

Players should also know that Morgoth can mana storm for up to 600 hp damage. IIRC his max damage in Vanilla is 550. He can be hasted if he absorbs charges from a player's backpack, so he can get up to +40 speed if you let him melee you.

[Derakon]

I wish I could have coded up a special version of NPP for the comp, but there wasn't the time.

I was thinking more for future comps, since I highly doubt this is the last time we'll have an NPP comp.

I did put a note that NPP has many, many more monsters below 2500' that will hit you for 400+ damage than in Vanilla.

Mostly I was clarifying that when you say "monsters will hit you for 400+ damage", you actually mean "monsters will hit you for 400+ damage." On the first turn they see you. And on the second. And so on. NPP monsters are very spammy.

Players should also know that Morgoth can mana storm for up to 600 hp damage. IIRC his max damage in Vanilla is 550.

I'm pretty sure his max is 600 in Vanilla too; it's something like 5 * mlvl + 10d10. Vanilla displays average damage in monster memory instead of max damage, though, which could explain the confusion.

He can be hasted if he absorbs charges from a player's backpack, so he can get up to +40 speed if you let him melee you.

Nasty. I though charge drain in NPP just healed the monster as in Vanilla. You must really hate warriors. Especially since NPP rods are susceptible to charge drain.

[nppangband]

Nasty. I though charge drain in NPP just healed the monster as in Vanilla. Especially since NPP rods are susceptible to charge drain.

It first tries to heal them. If there is any power "left over", it restores their mana. Any remaining power can temporarily haste the monster.

You must really hate warriors.

I am a maintainer. I hate all classes.

Warriors should be helped greatly by the stores. Most of the things they need are standard inventory or can be bought via a service in the stores. They can haul many more things back from the dungeon than to sell than the other classes, and use that extra money on store services for things like healing potions, scrolls of mass genocide, brand ammo.

There are other little things to help warriors in NPP. I have been coding this variant since 2002, so I don't remember all of them, but they aren't an unusually difficult class.

[bulian]

Sounds like an interesting competition.

Every monster race in the game has been probed once, so the lore already has plenty of information about every creature.

Does this imply a single probing doesn't give complete information about a monster?

[nppangband]

Sounds like an interesting competition.



Does this imply a single probing doesn't give complete information about a monster?

Correct. There are three flag sets for a monsters basic abilities, and you get to know 2 of them, chosen at random. There are 4 sets of flags for the monster spellcasting, and you get to know one of them (assuming they cast out of at spellset), chosen at random. 1 in three times you get to know which terrains the monster is native. Finally, you get to know one of the following three things: 1) their attacks, 2) thier awareness of you in the dungeon, 3) their max number of treasure drops.

Vanilla probing used to give you almsot nothing. I made it much more informative in NPP. Then I think Vanilla went further than I did and gave you complete knowledge of a monster.

[Derakon]

Vanilla isn't complete -- I don't think it gives average life rating or AC, for example -- but it does give almost everything.

[Timo Pietilä]

Mostly I was clarifying that when you say "monsters will hit you for 400+ damage", you actually mean "monsters will hit you for 400+ damage." On the first turn they see you. And on the second. And so on. NPP monsters are very spammy.

Just a quick comment that if you don't already know NPP hydras they are not same thing as vanilla hydras. Think AMHD + Kavlax crossbreeds for top ones. Very very very nasty.

(unless they have been weakened, I haven't played NPP for a long time).

[nppangband]

Just a quick comment that if you don't already know NPP hydras they are not same thing as vanilla hydras. Think AMHD + Kavlax crossbreeds for top ones. Very very very nasty.

(unless they have been weakened, I haven't played NPP for a long time).

The hydras themselves haven't been weakened. But there are no longer hydra pits and nests.

The ones with over 10 heads are extremely dangerous. They breathe things like gravity, nether, nexus, or inertia. Also, hydras breathe ball spells, instead of cone shaped breaths like dragon sand demons. Cne shaped breaths damage is like vanilla, in that it gets weaker as the monster HP is reduced. Ball spells are different. They hit for a fixed damage every time. So if you have a hydra down to one star, it can still breathe at you for 350+ hp damage.

As a general rule, if the monster is in NPP but not vanilla, it is probably pretty nasty for its depth. Azathoth (lowecase black 'j') is probably the most dangerous NPP addition. It starts showing up at around 3000', can pass through walls, and dish out damage like Morgoth. You probably won't be ready to face it until you are close to being ready for Morgoth himself.

The player has plenty of help to counter all of this. The high level brigand can set and improve traps that, at later stages are strong enough to kill an ancient dragon. They can dish out a great deal of damage with slings as well. Due to the way the extra damage is calculated, the true damage isn't properly reflected on the to-hit and to-dam on the character screen.

[Derakon]

Another thing to be aware of is that monsters that can teleport to you can do so from across the dungeon if they're awake. Thus it can be nigh-impossible to shake e.g. Radagast (to pick a comparatively minor example) once he's taken a shine to you; you can teleport him away but he'll just keep coming back a few turns later. You'll have to deal with him more permanently or leave the level, which can be nasty if you have a quest there.

Also, starting out this comparatively physically-weak warrior-type with a quest for Golfimbul is cruel. I thought I might be able to take him with some iron shots and a sling I'd found, but the sling turned out to be cursed...at clvl 9 with a magic dagger (only two blows!) in melee, with heroism and bless running, I got him down about three stars before he slaughtered me. Saving up for the crossbow in the weapons store doesn't really seem feasible when you only have access to dlvl 1. Maybe I should try to buy a wand of Magic Missiles with my starting cash?