Sil 1.0.1

[HallucinationMushroom]

Is it possible to wield a bastard sword, spear, trident, etc... deliberately with one hand and the left hand empty? Been considering a critical-seeking build and wondered if subtlety would work with those.

[ewan]

I am/was definitely getting a bonus from focussed attacks even with a single turn of '5' before a blow.

[Jungle_Boy]

As a follow up to this I tested blocking as well and I get the same behavior. Resting with z or 5 does not grant the extra roll but using shift-z does.

It looks like focused attack is the same way. It seems like resting with shift-z automatically rests you for two turns even if a monster is right next to you. I tried resting multiple turns with 5 or z but still got no bonus.

Has anyone else even been able to duplicate this issue?

[meneldil]

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

Interestingly, I've never played Angband, and have only very limited experience of other rogue-likes, and have found Sil a really fun introduction to the genre (and seem not to be struggling too much: although I've not had a Green on the ladder, my last attempt came pretty close, and I certainly managed a few victories in alpha tests).

Admittedly, alpha/beta-testing Sil, I've been around people who are very knowledgeable about the game, and have been able to ask questions and receive hints and tips, but the shorter game-time of Sil makes it much more approachable for me, as I don't have vast quantities of time to spend.

[half]

It might be more intuitive that V,but you need to be lucky enough to find a good digger. If Sil has any fault,its that luck plays too much of a roll in the game.

I don't really think this is true. My guess is that there are now people on the forum who could win something like 50% of their games of Sil if they were trying to win (rather than trying out new builds). It is certainly possible to get into situations where luck is needed to survive, but that misses the point that the skill is needed to not get into those situations.

Regarding diggers, all characters can have a Mattock by 100 ft if they want one. They are difficulty 3 to forge, so even a human with zero grace can get one for 1,100 experience at that point. For a Feanorian it is 0 experience, but you may choose to use the free ability and free forge uses on other things -- that is their choice. A mattock of normal weight only requires strength 2 to use, and you can make lighter ones too.

[Psi]

It might be more intuitive that V,but you need to be lucky enough to find a good digger. If Sil has any fault,its that luck plays too much of a roll in the game.

I disagree. Why do you even need a good digger in Sil? Yes you need *a* digger to shift rubble by the latter half of the dungeon, but there is no real need to dig walls unless you get a freak situation with a Grotesque. The times I'd have liked an enchanted mattock (and a pile of strength to wield it - how much is that by the way?) is when I know where a secret door is (because of _Revelations say) but my perception isn't high enough to make the roll to find it and I've reluctantly had to put points in perception to proceed.

Certainly luck helps (like finding a _Revelations when you are forge hunting), but Sil seems balanced enough that you don't need to be lucky.

[Narvius]

I don't think that's true. True would be you have to have luck to get exactly what you want. This is more about making the best of the cards you are dealt.

[Fendell Orcbane]

Digging +0 (most weapons) => can't dig through anything
Digging +1 (shovels) => rubble
Digging +2 (mattocks) => rubble & quartz
Digging +3 (enchanted mattocks) => rubble, quartz, granite & secret doors

If you are not strong enough to wield your digging item, you get a -1 penalty to your Digging score.

All digging is deterministic (no chance) and takes a single turn. Rubble gets turned into floor, secret doors get turned into broken doors, everything else gets turned into rubble.

I think this is a much more intuitive system than V, with no characters hacking down granite walls with daggers etc. It occurs faster than is realistic, but that is true for many things in the game (e.g. resting, studying from spellbooks in V, smithing etc).

It might be more intuitive that V,but you need to be lucky enough to find a good digger. If Sil has any fault,its that luck plays too much of a roll in the game.

[half]

How does digging work? It seems like none of my characters could dig into walls.

Digging +0 (most weapons) => can't dig through anything
Digging +1 (shovels) => rubble
Digging +2 (mattocks) => rubble & quartz
Digging +3 (enchanted mattocks) => rubble, quartz, granite & secret doors

If you are not strong enough to wield your digging item, you get a -1 penalty to your Digging score.

All digging is deterministic (no chance) and takes a single turn. Rubble gets turned into floor, secret doors get turned into broken doors, everything else gets turned into rubble.

I think this is a much more intuitive system than V, with no characters hacking down granite walls with daggers etc. It occurs faster than is realistic, but that is true for many things in the game (e.g. resting, studying from spellbooks in V, smithing etc).

[Psi]

I had one character who could dig through granite - that might have been with my +4 mattock though and a whole stack of strength. Other characters have failed to break through secret doors with a mattock!

[Fendell Orcbane]

Apparently you need a digging tool, otherwise digging is 100% futile.

NO even digging with a shovel doesn't work on anything other than shovels.

[ekolis]

Apparently you need a digging tool, otherwise digging is 100% futile.

[Fendell Orcbane]

How does digging work? It seems like none of my characters could dig into walls.

[Stephen2]

Firstly, great game... Really the best I've played in a long time, of this genre - very well done, the feel/setting, the tactics - all great

I've probably just learned the normal "newbie tricks" such as Evasion I find to be the most powerful in the game - pump early. Then a bit more Melee so you can hit more, then Song of Slaying, and by that stage you probably need some Will tricks.

I'm sure there are alternate ways to play though, but for now, I'll perservere, oh... and I do really hate any creature of darkness (releases spores - mushroom patch? and shadow bat).

Thanks for the fun and challenging game.

[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.

BTW I wish I could code because I would love to build a variant with the best parts of Sil and V.