So you want to contribute but can't code?

[Nick]

OK, so basically what you're telling me is there is no spec, no scope, no information of any kind as to what needs to be done other than the form the file entries need to take (which I understood perfectly well the first time, thanks). No one knows what the link from the original ticket contained or what the original intent of the ticket was.

Essentially, you're asking for someone to implement a mystery feature that even you don't care enough about to make the slightest attempt to define it.

I think you may be kind of overthinking this (not an insult, in fact it makes you fit right in here). If you want a spec, it's basically:

1. Think of game events where context-sensitive help may be useful;
2. Write a list of said help in the given format.

How much of this you do is up to you - there could be 3 or 30 or 300 entries in the list. And of course you can choose not to.

[AnonymousHero]

(snip)

I don't quite see the need for this level of snark. Need I remind you that Angband is developed entirely by volunteers who also have lives of their own?

[gglibertine]

OK, so basically what you're telling me is there is no spec, no scope, no information of any kind as to what needs to be done other than the form the file entries need to take (which I understood perfectly well the first time, thanks). No one knows what the link from the original ticket contained or what the original intent of the ticket was.

Essentially, you're asking for someone to implement a mystery feature that even you don't care enough about to make the slightest attempt to define it.

No thanks, I'll pass on that.

[Nick]

When someone can tell me a LITTLE more than the basic file format, I'll be happy to take a look at it.

OK, so the other post has a format and an example. So in that example you would probably actually want a token and a message, like:

context:LIGHT_OUT
help:You have no wielded light source - you need to find another torch or lantern

(or split into LIGHT_OUT_TORCH and LIGHT_OUT_LANTERN, or whatever).

So your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to work out what contexts help would be useful in, and supply it. As to how to do that, I'd suggest the three classic information gathering methods - guess, look it up or ask someone. So use your own experience and common sense, maybe look through posts of people asking questions, and start a thread for people to contribute ideas.

[gglibertine]

Actually, you now remind you that I did that in post 30 of this thread - as well as giving a sort of answer to your original question. As usual, it seems that past me was smarter than the current model.

Actually, reviewing that post, I see that it was the very post to which I was responding; you didn't answer my questions because I hadn't asked them yet.

I'm trying to be helpful. I'd like to contribute to the project in some way, but over the years I've volunteered several times to take things on, only to be told that something has already been done, doesn't need to be done anymore, or, in this case, that nobody knows what needs to be done. It's a little disheartening, to be honest. Yes, yes, open source, blah blah blah.

You put the context-sensitive help thing out there. I have 20 years of experience both as a technical writer and as an Angband player, which may make me uniquely qualified to take on this ticket.

When someone can tell me a LITTLE more than the basic file format, I'll be happy to take a look at it.

[Nick]

Maybe this thread needs to be updated to note that some of these things no longer need doing.

Actually, you now remind you that I did that in post 30 of this thread - as well as giving a sort of answer to your original question. As usual, it seems that past me was smarter than the current model.

[gglibertine]

That ticket predates my involvement in Angband development...

I guess we need to think about what sort of context-sensitive help would be useful - there are already, for example, help tips in the shop interface.

Aha, ok. If anyone still thinks it needs doing, I'll gladly tackle it.

Maybe this thread needs to be updated to note that some of these things no longer need doing.

[fph]

I assume you're responding to Tibarius' post from a few months back. Nick has progressed past this point in the thread I linked just after that post.

Oops - sorry, I didn't realize it was so old. I didn't intend to cast raise dead on an old thread.

[Carnivean]

(and I realize that you did a lot of work here, and here I am commenting gratuitously instead of having helped by doing it myself, so kudos and thanks for getting involved)

I assume you're responding to Tibarius' post from a few months back. Nick has progressed past this point in the thread I linked just after that post.

Not that I would discount Tibarius' work, as he clearly put a lot of effort into that.

[fph]

That seems a lot of spells. I'd be more comfortable with the changes being more incremental. Magnate asked for:
(1) fix the "damage progression" of attack spells
(2) subdivide better the existing spells into books

It seems like you did that, but combined irreversibly with:
(3) adding a bunch of new stuff, some of it with dubious balance effects (I think that giving players access to infinite magical arrows inside the dungeon is problematic, for instance). That spell list is huge; how many spells do you have there, like 80?
(4) reworking completely the mana/failure rate/int bonus formulas, in particular giving 0% fail rate to classes other than mages, which is extremely game-changing.
(5) altering some of the existing spells, sometimes in ways that look gratuitous (why should satisfy hunger be changed to "conjure food"? What advantage does it have compared to the current state?)

In short, this looks like a giant step for a game that usually changes at a much slower pace. I'd be more comfortable in getting (1) and (2) done immediately and independently of the other changes.

(That said, I like some of the suggestions, for instance the burning hands spell looks like a great idea to combine attack and utility).
(and I realize that you did a lot of work here, and here I am commenting gratuitously instead of having helped by doing it myself, so kudos and thanks for getting involved)

[Nick]

I'm thinking I'll take a shot at the context-sensitive help, since documentation is my area of expertise. (And I can really use the recent work experience since I haven't had a job for a couple of years now.)

• Can anyone suggest a good place to get started with this? i.e., are there lib files I can mine for messages (nothing obvious popped out at me) or is it just a matter of playing the game and writing help entries for things that pop up?
  
• What's the scope here? What types of messages do you want help for, what types should be considered self-explanatory? I can start with what's most obvious, but there are an awful lot of possible messages. (The "Current Plans" link at http://trac.rephial.org/ticket/13 is broken.)

That ticket predates my involvement in Angband development...

I guess we need to think about what sort of context-sensitive help would be useful - there are already, for example, help tips in the shop interface.

[gglibertine]

Re: banishment and mass banishment -- how about Deportation? Exile? Eviction? Eradication? (Let's avoid Cleansing, shall we?)

I'm thinking I'll take a shot at the context-sensitive help, since documentation is my area of expertise. (And I can really use the recent work experience since I haven't had a job for a couple of years now.)

• Can anyone suggest a good place to get started with this? i.e., are there lib files I can mine for messages (nothing obvious popped out at me) or is it just a matter of playing the game and writing help entries for things that pop up?
  
• What's the scope here? What types of messages do you want help for, what types should be considered self-explanatory? I can start with what's most obvious, but there are an awful lot of possible messages. (The "Current Plans" link at http://trac.rephial.org/ticket/13 is broken.)

[gglibertine]

I am impressed with the decision to remove many of the utility spells such as detect traps/doors/stairs (it comes late enough that it really doesn't matter too much anymore).

I think the utility spells are absolutely critical to any kind of strategic gameplay and don't come too late at all. I use them (especially detect traps, doors, and stairs) constantly, at every phase of the game. It's vastly better to carry one spellbook with the basic detects in it than several items to detect each thing separately.

* Detecting traps allows you to avoid losing a promising level to a trapdoor or a vital spellbook to a burst of flames.

* Detecting doors gives you some idea of the layout of rooms ahead of you and helps predict what rooms might be pits or vaults, without actually having to reveal everything all at once. (I hate mapping because I track my progress through a level based on how much of it is visible.)

* Detecting stairs allows you to quickly escape a level that's not promising or too dangerous -- and gives you the choice of whether to go up or down, which can be really key in the early stages in particular.

* Detecting monsters is indispensable for determining strategy, deciding whether to break into a vault or not, and generally keeping yourself alive. Is that a kobold pit or a jelly pit behind that door? Orcs, or undead?

* Detecting treasure/objects is useful in much the same ways as detecting monsters -- is there anything in there worth fighting for or should I just skip that pit? Buried treasure is much more important when selling objects is turned off as well. If I'm starving to death, I want to know where the nearest food is and fast.

And that's just what occurs to me off the top of my head.

[Philip]

So, while the damage levels really require some reworking, since some of the damage spells are absurdly weak, and others seem generous, tweaking those is a relatively simple exercise. So, I'll be focusing more on the utility spells.

Spells that no-one will ever use: Wonder (randomness is far too dangerous at levels at which you get this kind of spell), Alertness (no practical effect, really), Polymorph (see Wonder), Multi-missile (even if this is tweaked, 12d6 damage for 15 mana is expensive, and hitting multiple targets can be done with a ball spell), Bash Door (20 mana is absurd for half of a trap/door destruct, not to mention V doesn't even have jammed doors anymore), Touch of Death (sacrificing lots of life to maybe kill something that is next to you is a great way to die)

A couple spells have odd duplication: Rift and Magic Hole seem way too similar, as does Recharge and Imbue Power. At least Recharge and Imbue Power are functionally a bit different, since Imbue Power is better in almost all situations (if you're recharging, you probably have quite a bit of free time).

Spells that seem off: 6th sense, since you'll probably have a source of telepathy already anyway, Enchant armor/Create ammo/Brand/Enchant Weapon (incredibly spammy group of spells)

I am impressed with the decision to remove many of the utility spells such as detect traps/doors/stairs (it comes late enough that it really doesn't matter too much anymore).

I also really like the bloodcasting idea, but there are problems with it. For one, casting it in combat is incredibly dangerous - usually a move puts you in a better position, not a worse one - and when not in combat it isn't really a credible cost.

I think you're way too generous to ranger/rogue. As far as I can tell, a rogue would have +10 speed (or +5 speed and +100 AC), never miss, take 15% less damage in melee, unlimited light radius, base immunities, including poison, and slightly more utility than a mage. A ranger never misses a shot, and has more or less all of the above advantages. In fact, given spend HP to gain mana spell, a faultless recharge, and a staff of healing, or even just staff of magi, faultless recharge and staff of healing, spell costs are irrelevant outside of combat.

[Carnivean]

Bunch of stuff

Goes here: http://angband.oook.cz/forum/showthread.php?p=103162