ID: the game (tips and tricks)

[half]

I just realized that I tend to use up at least one, often two, recharging staffs for recharging my understanding staff. I try to use-ID items, but want to save consumables. But in fact I just trade charges for potions / herbs, now if I imagine more treasure or revelation charges I am not sure this trade off is so good.

Great point. I really like my super-simple version of recharging staffs. Much more interesting and much more simple than the Angband version.

This is exactly the kind of tradeoff analysis Sil encourages. Scatha was recently mentioning to me that you could quantify a similar tradeoff in terms of how many points of damage equal how many lost turns (due to resting). It depends on your Con, but can be surprisingly high

[BlueFish]

Great point. I really like my super-simple version of recharging staffs. Much more interesting and much more simple than the Angband version.

This is exactly the kind of tradeoff analysis Sil encourages. Scatha was recently mentioning to me that you could quantify a similar tradeoff in terms of how many points of damage equal how many lost turns (due to resting). It depends on your Con, but can be surprisingly high

I doubt many of us rest all that often though. Generally you can multi-task your healing with your exploring, if you weigh the dangerous parts of exploring more towards when you have full HP and the less dangerous parts more towards when you have less HP. For me, passing a turn for the sole purpose of gaining HP is a pretty rare occurrence.

[debo]

The health/exploring/resting tension is something I really noticed as Edain (or other low-con dudes).

I really want to be at full HP all the time when Con is <=3, but since resting takes the same # of turns regardless of maxHP, neither do I want to be resting after every fight.

I'm pretty comfortable walking around at half-HP when I have Con 5 or higher, but below that I actually have to think about whether I feel comfortable multitasking my exploring with healing, or whether I do want to sit tight and wait it out.

[HallucinationMushroom]

I shift-z fully heal after every skirmish... I'm the oddball, again, I suppose.

[taptap]

It really depends on the char. A singer who got things under control again, fine. An archer, fine. If I feel really strong, fine. But quite often my fighters end up healing in a corner (that is why I am usually quite slow I guess).

I shift-z fully heal after every skirmish... I'm the oddball, again, I suppose.

But you play heavy protection fairly often, don't you? Do you have to heal a lot?

[HallucinationMushroom]

I have just simply always fully healed after every conflict for many many years. I never cared about turncount... in fact, it surprised me when I learned that people actually cared about turncount. I try to shave it down, but, I don't really know why... peer pressure? I think it's fun to spend half a million turns shopping and digging smiley faces in the rock. *shrugs*. It's not an optimal habit... just a habit.

In regards to Sil clock, I don't think I've ever had any problems with clock, even resting full after every conflict with ironman stairs. I... just don't care. Plus, it's easy not to care when even if I did... my turncount would still suck. Haha.

When I picked up Nethack a few years ago, it drove me absolutely crazy that there was no easy rest full or until disturbed command.

[taptap]

Ironman stairs ... my turncount would still suck.

@hm: Hilarious understatement given how fast you actually play. "Ironman stairs" really says everything.

[HallucinationMushroom]

Haha, yeah. My Aluminum Elf came in at 29,789 turns. That's enough time for several good naps.

[BlueFish]

Not to diminish the accomplishment, but under ironman rules, you'd want to spend lots of time on every level, so resting makes perfect sense in that case. That would increase the experience gained and items dropped per level, since it would increase the number of monsters seen and killed per level, as they enter the level while you rest.

[HallucinationMushroom]

My characters all have narcolepsy.

[debo]

My characters all have narcolepsy.

Carrying all that heavy shit around is hard work.

[HallucinationMushroom]

I just lost my tea all over the keyboard! Haha, you got me on that one Debo.

Okay, to try and steer this back on topic, (As I'm likely the one who de-rerailed it)...

One of the things I do is pile as many potions and herbs as I can carry before I start trial by use. This way, if I find a negative herb or potion, I have a sporting chance of curing stat loss or finding the right antidote. I usually wait until I am hurting and hungry and then go on a glutton fest. If I get on a lucky-streak and hit no negative effects and my stores are dwindling, I stop, as my chance to hit a landmine with no cure increases. Minesweeper is an awesome game, btw.

[Psi]

I shift-z fully heal after every skirmish... I'm the oddball, again, I suppose.

On the flip side, I only shift-z after being blinded or confused when testing potions.

[half]

On the flip side, I only shift-z after being blinded or confused when testing potions.

Would it be useful to have some other standard rest type? Perhaps even as the default meaning for shift-Z?

What do other people think is ideal?

[Psi]

Would it be useful to have some other standard rest type? Perhaps even as the default meaning for shift-Z?

What do other people think is ideal?

I believe the current implementation rests until either status change or fully healed and that works fine for me. I almost never rest for HP as I can recover whilst I explore.