Lurker + items == untouchable lurker?

[kandrc]

Yeah, it doesn't make a lot of sense to keep them hidden after they are exposed by melee.

Somebody, 30 years ago, thought it was clever. In the intervening time, we've learned a lot about game design. We know it's not clever. We know it is annoying.

I think that Nethack gets this right, actually. Mimics, after disturbed, change to an m. Furthermore, there is an ability that allows you to see them from the start (protection from shape changers). There aren't many things I'd be willing to claim that Nethack does better than Angband, but this is one of them. I don't like trappers and lurkers for the reasons discussed in this thread. I even more dislike new (I guess it goes back about 10 years by now, so not that new) mimic code that makes them undetectable until disturbed, especially with respect to how it interacts with squelch, and the justification for it, that if you (a human behind a keyboard) are squelching coins, then you (an adventurer in a dungeon) are so godlike that they are beneath your notice, is pure BS and interferes with suspension of disbelief and conflates interface with gameplay.

Why is it bad? @ is waiting for a Big Bad to come around a corner into an corridor. @ TOs Big Bad, but the (squelched) $ or . is TOd instead. Big Bad breathes. @ dies.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Lurkers and their big brothers, Trappers, always bring to my mind the T-1000 terminator when it posed as a checkerboard floor in Terminator 2-Judgment Day. I'm just glad they don't turn into psychopathic robots that chase @.

[Derakon]

Lurkers and their big brothers, Trappers, always bring to my mind the T-1000 terminator when it posed as a checkerboard floor in Terminator 2-Judgment Day. I'm just glad they don't turn into psychopathic robots that chase @.

BRB, making a new mimic monster that can be disguised as literally anything in the dungeon.

[Patashu]

BRB, making a new mimic monster that can be disguised as literally anything in the dungeon.

Not impressed unless it can generate a Morgoth, Lord of Darkness Mimic.

[Derakon]

Not impressed unless it can generate a Morgoth, Lord of Darkness Mimic.

A monster that could be disguised as any other monster could actually be an amusing concept. Give it only +0 speed and it should be readily detectable by observant players (plus it might choose to mimic an already-dead unique). But what abilities would it get besides the shapeshifting?

[PowerWyrm]

TomeNET has an amusing item that can be generated during Halloween and Xmas weeks: the costume of (monster). You equip it instead of your current armor and you can disguise yourself as the corresponding monster. So you can mimic Morgoth if you want. I had the chance of finding a costume of Santa Claus (TomeNET is based off ZAngband), so I equip that during Xmas and wander around in town shouting "Ho Ho Ho!"

[kaypy]

But what abilities would it get besides the shapeshifting?

Someone fell victim to an orc-captain-mimic a while back, and reported that they have a paralysis attack...

[Nick]

A monster that could be disguised as any other monster could actually be an amusing concept. Give it only +0 speed and it should be readily detectable by observant players (plus it might choose to mimic an already-dead unique). But what abilities would it get besides the shapeshifting?

FAangband has this