Sil : Suggestions

[BlueFish]

I would prefer it to be in a separate window and automatic rather than something I had to hit a key for.

[HallucinationMushroom]

I like your dynamic random idea. More sophisticated than just monster anomalies.

I know FA has command to display items on screen (ctrl+i)... or to quote Nick,
"FA already has this." It is very nice. Perhaps others have it as well for code-steal behavior examples.

[BlueFish]

Sure would be nice to have an "item list" window similar to the "monster list" window. It's a bit annoying to have to 'l'ook at every weapon and armor you pass by to see if it's 'special'. If that would be easy to code, I would consider it to be a pretty high value and unambiguously good thing.

[Infinitum]

Would it be technically feasible to have territorial monsters that spawn with designated territories of varying size (which they won't pursue past)? If so, would it also be possible to spawn specific terrain features and traps within those designated areas (ie webs within spider nests, tribal totems marking orc warrens etc). The current solution with monsters not pursuing past los and returning to spawnpoints (?) works, but does indeed break immersion somewhat.

EDIT: Also, traps that don't do anything but add flavours and alert the player to nearby dangers - imagine a low perception character saunter into an empty cave then suddenly stumble into a pile of gnawed bones and discarded webs, automatically make the perception check for all other webs in line of sight and suddenly realize shit is about to go down.

[Scatha]

I like the idea of some dynamic randomness more than randomness by individual. Even if it were that territorial monsters tended not to pursue as you got far away or out of sight, but you didn't have the guaranteed safety stepping around a corner, that would be interestingly different. I'm not certain whether it would be better overall or not.

[clouded]

I agree with you. I would like to try a Sil version with much more unpredictable AI. But I would like dynamic randomness too, enemies suddenly changing their behavior. I was thinking it would be interesting if there were a few more orc captain style enemies, but each had a different AI strategy associated with it and it's band (and an ability to make it more effective).

[HallucinationMushroom]

The invisible cat assassin thing picks up a +9 deathblade. Ohhh snap.

The main reason I put forth this suggestion in the first place was seeing the complaint repeated that some of the monsters are very formulaic. I was trying to think of a way to make the monsters feel a bit more organic. They already feel real good -- the way they enter and leave the levels from stairs, and path around like they are searching, and their group tactics and, and, and...

It's kind of backwards, maybe, but the monster behavior is so good that silly behavior like 100% accurate movement prediction is really noticeable.

[debo]

Fine FINE. Forget I said anything... most people just auto-ignore me anyway so a response is more than I could hope for, to be honest. Haha.

Still, something to break the monotony and predictability of, say, orc archer packs, would be nice. One of the things I first liked about Sil was the really interesting monster ai and pack behaviors... but once you can make certain monsters dance like a marionette, I dunno. Some occasional behavior break would be refreshing I think.

Just let monsters pick up weapons!

"You see: the Mithril Longsword Ringil"

"The troll guard wields the Mithril Longsword Ringil. It glows with a wondrous light!"

[locus]

What you need to do in order to regain that "fresh" feeling is to make another roguelike mechanically similar to Sil, so that it'd have the same sort of feeling but you'd get the joy of learning the specifics all over again.

[taptap]

Fine FINE. Forget I said anything... most people just auto-ignore me anyway so a response is more than I could hope for, to be honest. Haha.

Still, something to break the monotony and predictability of, say, orc archer packs, would be nice. One of the things I first liked about Sil was the really interesting monster ai and pack behaviors... but once you can make certain monsters dance like a marionette, I dunno. Some occasional behavior break would be refreshing I think.

half said the archers were more intelligent at a point and were dumbed down on purpose in another thread. i guess i would enjoy it for intelligent enemies, but sword spiders are often enough at the very limit of my abilities (with the kind of builds and houses i play) and i wouldn't enjoy if i were unable to disengage basically limiting legitimate build choices.

[HallucinationMushroom]

Fine FINE. Forget I said anything... most people just auto-ignore me anyway so a response is more than I could hope for, to be honest. Haha.

Still, something to break the monotony and predictability of, say, orc archer packs, would be nice. One of the things I first liked about Sil was the really interesting monster ai and pack behaviors... but once you can make certain monsters dance like a marionette, I dunno. Some occasional behavior break would be refreshing I think.

[taptap]

yeah, those weapon weights made a lot more sense when it was 1.5lb per point of str per damage side. Also I think knockback used to depend on weapon weight, I'm not sure if it still does?

Nah, even with momentum it can be handy to have more than 5 lb if you are really strong (and don't want to take rapid attack to handle more strength). Knockback is exclusively strength now. It probably should be the effective strength bonus you have for your weapon.

[debo]

Don't make me find where you live and kill you.

A single non-territorial shadow spider would pretty much have me ragequit from Sil forever

[HallucinationMushroom]

That sounds like sweet music. If 1 in 20 were non-territorial, you'd have a sporting chance!

[BlueFish]

Non-territorial sword spiders would be walking (er, make that sprinting) death machines...