Angband 4.2.3

[Nick]

Angband 4.2.3 is now available for Windows, macOS and as source. It can be downloaded from the official site.

This version contains considerable bug-fixing - mostly by backwardsEric - and more class tweaks. It's also possible that the game will run faster than 4.2.2 - I'm interested to hear if this is indeed the case.

It will not be that last release in the 4.2 series - there are still code improvements going on. However there are no definite bugs outstanding (see here for the indefinite ones) and the changes since 4.2.2 make it IMHO worth a release now.

Summary of changes:

• updates to necromancer and ranger spells
• improvements to quiver inscriptions
• many improvements to dungeon generation, especially robustness
• many improvements to testing and building the game, especially with SDL2
• make the duration of multiple timed effects exactly the same
• allow selection for effects that used to give a random choice of effects
• fix a bug that made radius of artifact lights too small by one
• improvements to handling in-game information on effects
• better documentation in datafiles
• debugging commands now use the Angband 4 command system
• upgrade of the NDS port to the 3DS with many improvements

As always, thanks to everyone who has contributed.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Congratulations Nick, BackwardsEric, and everyone who contributed to code and testing. What an achievement!

[archolewa]

Being able to select an effect rather than just picking one at random is my favorite change. Wands of Dragon Breath are now *good* and one of my favorite wands when playing a device-focused Rogue.

[will_asher]

Found a bug (Actually found in my variant but it was inherited from the changes I got from V):

'k' doesn't work as a direction when targeting because it's set to do something else at line 1209 in ui-target.c:

} else if (event_is_key(press, 'k') || event_is_key(press, KTRL('D')))

I changed it to this:
} else if ((!OPT(player, rogue_like_commands) && (event_is_key(press, 'k'))) || event_is_key(press, KTRL('D'))) {


We roguelike-key users would like to be able to move around correctly when targeting.

[Nick]

Found a bug (Actually found in my variant but it was inherited from the changes I got from V):

'k' doesn't work as a direction when targeting because it's set to do something else at line 1209 in ui-target.c:

} else if (event_is_key(press, 'k') || event_is_key(press, KTRL('D')))

I changed it to this:
} else if ((!OPT(player, rogue_like_commands) && (event_is_key(press, 'k'))) || event_is_key(press, KTRL('D'))) {


We roguelike-key users would like to be able to move around correctly when targeting.

Yep, that one's already been found.

[sffp]

Congrats Nick

Will a 4.2.2 character file be playable in 4.2.3

[Nick]

Congrats Nick

Will a 4.2.2 character file be playable in 4.2.3

Yes - any 4.2.y savefile should be usable in any 4.2.x version. Usual advice is to keep a copy of the savefile anyway

[Sky]

*heavy sigh*

why has the 'p' key stopped being the magic key?

You know i have idk what, 10k hours in this game and can't just casually change my muscle memory, right?

[Sky]

ok so, i'm CL24 and i still cannot learn any spell from - or even browse - P2.

[archolewa]

ok so, i'm CL24 and i still cannot learn any spell from - or even browse - P2.

Playing a paladin? They cant read the P2 spell book. They only have three spellbooks, while priests have 5. The description of the book says "You can read this book" if you can use it.

[Sky]

Playing a paladin? They cant read the P2 spell book. They only have three spellbooks, while priests have 5. The description of the book says "You can read this book" if you can use it.

well my paladin can't.

rioght, i wizarded a character and discovered that paladins cant use P2, they use P3, a book with minimum depth DL30.

[Pete Mack]

@sky--
Be patient. PB 3 is *great* and relatively common. I agree early PB 2 spells are a bit underwhelming Heal2000.

[Nick]

Playing a paladin? They cant read the P2 spell book. They only have three spellbooks, while priests have 5. The description of the book says "You can read this book" if you can use it.

well my paladin can't.

rioght, i wizarded a character and discovered that paladins cant use P2, they use P3, a book with minimum depth DL30.

OK, now just read what archolewa told you again

[Pete Mack]

Sky--
Again: it is the third paladin book that is very powerful: Slay Evil, *Slay Demon*, Single Combat--and enchant weapon+armor, which are nice but not so lethal.

[Sky]

no, there is no PB2. They can use PB1, PB3 and PB5.

a CL26 in 4.1 would have these additional spells:

1. portal
2. satisfy hunger
3. resist h/c
4. neutralize poison
5. sense surroundings
6. orb

with an investment of 500 gold. These are ALL fundamental utility spells that make up for the fact that i have 1.6 blows instead of 3.2. I currently deal 70 damage per round, against the 150-200 that a warrior would.

I found a stupidly OOD longbow of lothlorien which is how i've managed to make it into the low 20s but i am waaaay below my depth already.
There's no staves of teleport in the store. I am relying ton 5 scrolls of magic mapping, !phase and i've had to rest scum for potions. I can't dig so i need a slot for a ring. I can't see invisible so i need another slot for a ring. I'm wearing a damage +11 because otherwise i cant even kill orcs.
I need to carry food and arrows, another 4 slots. I dont resist blind or confuse so i need CLW, and i'm stashing CSW / CCW because things actually want to kill me.
PB1 is another slot.
i carry heroism or berserk because i dont resist fear and cant waste turns casting the spell. Obviously RLL because invisible breeders who drain life. !Mana takes another slot, although i honestly dont know WHAT i'm carrying it for, as i can only cast Light and CLW.

Im out of !Spd.
Luckily i have found ESP super early and also by absurd luck i have a shooter that deals 70 damage, but if i perchance run into Azog or anything OOD or that moves fast, my only hope is to recall and phase until it kicks in because i cannot kill it, i cannot evade it, and i actually have no idea where i am going because i can't even map.

i'm basically a shit warrior that has free Light; i could do that with a rod of Illumination.