Sil 1.0.1

[Fendell Orcbane]

Interestingly only one of the playtesters (other than me) had played Angband before and in that case only for an hour or so. This was actually very useful for me when it came to breaking some of the Angband taboos. So I think it is entirely possible to start with Sil, and presumably despite being harder in some sense, it would take less time for most people to reach their first winner.

Well I don't know about that...I think with Angband you have a lot of help with the forum so its actually pretty easy to get a winner. Sil, you don't have the spoilers(although once you get lore master its is like having a spoiler file) or the advice that you do. Although I know how to beat Sil now,its just that Sil is *very* unforgiving...one mistake and you are done. Plus you need to be lucky in Sil. Angband you at least have a chance once thou get past the first few levels. Plus some of the Sil winners like Psi, and 'Mushroom, are really good at FA.
I think it took me 3 months to get a winner in Angband....While it hasn't been 3 months I don't know if I'll be in the green within that time. But I will say that I KNOW its possible to win and I know how to do it, now I just have to do it.
While in loving Sil, I think its hard just because of the luck factor,V has a luck factor too but V is more forgiving and its easier to get to a point where luck doesn't matter much anymore....With Sil you have to be in the Throne room before you reach that point and even then one false move and your game is over...or if you have too many bad rolls you are done for. With V by the time you face Morgoth you have escapes that can get you out of anything if you know when to use them.

[half]

Sil seems to be a game for those that have beaten V a few times and need a new challenge.

Interestingly only one of the playtesters (other than me) had played Angband before and in that case only for an hour or so. This was actually very useful for me when it came to breaking some of the Angband taboos. So I think it is entirely possible to start with Sil, and presumably despite being harder in some sense, it would take less time for most people to reach their first winner.

[Fendell Orcbane]

Why can a horse run faster than a human?

Good point, LOL.

[Fendell Orcbane]

I think this is a good question. Compared to many games we've tried to be quite transparent about the mechanics (many are explained in detail in the manual, and a few more perhaps should be). We think they offer fun and interesting decisions, and it isn't suddenly obvious what to do when you know how the game works.

On the other hand if you enjoy exploring to discover first hand what is or isn't effective, then this could be a good reason to keep yourself from reading this information!





Hmm. There are eight players who have winners on the ladder, and another ten or so who have got to at least 600ft, which I think suggests that they have played at least a moderate amount. I really don't know what the actual number of players is, but I guess it's likely to be quite a bit higher than this because many players may not post on the ladder: there's some discussion of the games on other sites, and some people have registered on the forums here only to report bugs with the game (suggesting there may be more who never register).

I was thinking the other day that I'm addicted to what is a micro brew game. I don't know anyone that plays Angband, let alone Sil. And while I'm liking Sil better than Angband I couldn't imagine starting with Sil. Sil seems to be a game for those that have beaten V a few times and need a new challenge.

[Narvius]

Indeed, I don't really consider Sil to be a Variant of Angband. Obviously it is descended from Angband and shares most of the display code, but almost every system that involves numbers is different. I think it is quite a bit more different from Angband than Angband 1.4 was from Moria (possibly more different from Angband than Angband 3.0 is from Moria) and we don't tend to think of Angband as a Moria Variant. So I'd probably say an 'Angband descendent' rather than an 'Angband Variant'. I'm not too bothered either way though.

It's probably just that it's somewhat customary to call Angband descendants variants. It's even up there in the navbar, third item from the left. I think everyone is aware of the magnitude of the difference nonetheless.

[Scatha]

Its funny because one part of me doesn't want to learn much of the workings of Sil, and yet another part of me wants to know how everything works so that I can make the best choice in any given situation. Honestly I feel like the player has very limited control of the situation as compared to V and so the only choices that can be made should be best possible choice.

I think this is a good question. Compared to many games we've tried to be quite transparent about the mechanics (many are explained in detail in the manual, and a few more perhaps should be). We think they offer fun and interesting decisions, and it isn't suddenly obvious what to do when you know how the game works.

On the other hand if you enjoy exploring to discover first hand what is or isn't effective, then this could be a good reason to keep yourself from reading this information!

BTW how many people actually play Sil? I feel like maybe 15 or 10 people but I could be wrong. I actually feel like all the people that cry about V not benign hard enough should be playing Sil...because Sil is hard.

Hmm. There are eight players who have winners on the ladder, and another ten or so who have got to at least 600ft, which I think suggests that they have played at least a moderate amount. I really don't know what the actual number of players is, but I guess it's likely to be quite a bit higher than this because many players may not post on the ladder: there's some discussion of the games on other sites, and some people have registered on the forums here only to report bugs with the game (suggesting there may be more who never register).

[half]

I recently started playing V again, which showed me just how different games they've become.
It's a good time for variants...

Indeed, I don't really consider Sil to be a Variant of Angband. Obviously it is descended from Angband and shares most of the display code, but almost every system that involves numbers is different. I think it is quite a bit more different from Angband than Angband 1.4 was from Moria (possibly more different from Angband than Angband 3.0 is from Moria) and we don't tend to think of Angband as a Moria Variant. So I'd probably say an 'Angband descendent' rather than an 'Angband Variant'. I'm not too bothered either way though.

[half]

Why should monsters have more speed available than players? That seems kinda unfair.

Why can a horse run faster than a human?

[Psi]

Actually it calculates the critical thresholds by multiplying by the number of criticals in question and rounding to the nearest 1. So 2.1lb is pretty similar to 2lb (difference will only show up with 5 or more criticals), and 2.9lb is pretty similar to 3lb.

Thanks - that makes sense!

[Fendell Orcbane]

Its funny because one part of me doesn't want to learn much of the workings of Sil, and yet another part of me wants to know how everything works so that I can make the best choice in any given situation. Honestly I feel like the player has very limited control of the situation as compared to V and so the only choices that can be made should be best possible choice.

BTW how many people actually play Sil? I feel like maybe 15 or 10 people but I could be wrong. I actually feel like all the people that cry about V not benign hard enough should be playing Sil...because Sil is hard.

[will_asher]

I'm pretty sure it truncates towards zero. Thus 2.1 == 2.9 != 3

Actually, in the code (of V and Sil) object weight is x10, so a weight of 2.1 = 21 in the code, which means there's no need for truncating.

[Scatha]

Actually it calculates the critical thresholds by multiplying by the number of criticals in question and rounding to the nearest 1. So 2.1lb is pretty similar to 2lb (difference will only show up with 5 or more criticals), and 2.9lb is pretty similar to 3lb.

There are really relatively few monsters with speed 4. Bats and birds, dragonflies, darting horrors, and a couple of uniques.

[Narvius]

I'm pretty sure it truncates towards zero. Thus 2.1 == 2.9 != 3

[Psi]

Regarding weapon weights is 2.1lbs actually any better than 3lbs for criticals? (or 2lbs better than 2.9lbs - not sure how you are rounding).

Thanks!

[Morik]

Just had an appcrash. Had 99 arrows plus another stack of about 4, shot a few off. I went to pick up the arrows afterwards. Sil crashed when arrow count went over 99 again.