Borg bugs and feature requests

[agoodman]

as mentioned in https://angband.live/forums/forum/an...f-they-find-it dynamic calcs has been added back to the code with a new format. If people who compile the code themselves want to grab it and let me know
1) how to better document it
2) how to modify the format to be more readable
3) any other changes they might want
it would be appreciated
thanks!

[eschiss1]

Well, my current borg when fighting Itangast tries to pick him off from a distance with iron shots from a bow- no problem- but fails to take a turn (though it's not -that- serious a risk for a great gain; 990+ hp, borg) to change to his dragonslaying artifact weapon when Itangast has moved adjacent- just keeps poinking with +0 iron shots. not great, that. (Angband 4.2.5 compiled under MacPorts running on my MacOS 14.5 computer. With, since it may matter, randarts selected.)

[agoodman]

In the latest release (maybe previous ones too. just getting back into this), https://github.com/angband/angband/r...157-g3c9cb4468, my level 40 Druid likes to cast Turn Stone to Mud a lot. Seems to mostly get stuck in this loop when near those small monster areas that are mostly surrounded my indestructible walls.

It looks like backwardsEric has a fix to this. Just pushed it forward. I missed this entirely.
Thanks!

[agoodman]

Well, my current borg when fighting Itangast tries to pick him off from a distance with iron shots from a bow- no problem- but fails to take a turn (though it's not -that- serious a risk for a great gain; 990+ hp, borg) to change to his dragonslaying artifact weapon when Itangast has moved adjacent- just keeps poinking with +0 iron shots. not great, that. (Angband 4.2.5 compiled under MacPorts running on my MacOS 14.5 computer. With, since it may matter, randarts selected.)

I will take a look at the weapon swap code. I didn't write this section so it might take me a bit to understand it. My memory of it is that the borg is good at swapping to be safer ("mon might breath fire, switch to a resist fire swap item") but not as good at "I can attack better with this swap".

[agoodman]

ya, the only places it uses swap items is borg-item-wear.c/borg_backup_swap(). The comment to it says it all

* Place our "swap" if needed. We check both the armour and the weapon
* then wear the one that give the best result (lowest danger).
* This function is adopted from "borg_wear_stuff()" and borg_wear_rings
*
* Basically, we evaluate the world in which the swap is added
* to the current set of equipment, and we use weapon,
* that gives the largest drop in danger---based mostly on resists.
*
* The borg is forbidden to swap out certain resistances.

It doesn't even check "hey, how about if I swap to get a better attack"... unless it thinks it can kill the baddie, thus reducing the danger.

I think this would be a good enhancement so I will keep it in mind. I will have to think about where a "could attack better via swap" hook could be put in. It would need to be careful not to lose a resist by swapping or the borg would just instantly swap back before attacking getting into a swap loop.

[Grommen]

Using version 4.2.5-193-gfc1e6bcff

With turning afraid back on in 4.2.5-188-g24fce3201, borg can now get stuck in a hallway between 2 mobs. Attaching save or will email agoodman if that fails.

[agoodman]

Using version 4.2.5-193-gfc1e6bcff

With turning afraid back on in 4.2.5-188-g24fce3201, borg can now get stuck in a hallway between 2 mobs. Attaching save or will email agoodman if that fails.

Looks like this is an old bug. From what I can tell reading the 3.4.0 code, it would have happened there too. The borg gets all the way to the "twitchy" stage where it just picks a random direction and goes in it. The problem is that trying to attack when afraid doesn't take a turn so there is never any progress.

I just checked in a "fix".... it isn't great but the borg will chip at a wall in hopes to not be so scared in the future. Works for your save file. If the borg is completely surrounded by monsters and afraid he will rest a turn. BTW, it should only get this far if it doesn't have a spell to case or a scroll, like phase door, to read. I notice your borg had a deep descent scroll on him but the borg doesn't currently know how to use those.

[agoodman]

btw, I created
Borg todo list
which has a list of some of the things on the todo list... including the "deep descent isn't used",

[eschiss1]

Also, while I'm on it, apologies, but is there a chance that the borg [l]og function will be re-enabled in the near future? That said, I know I gripe, but it's just fun to have a working borg (for MacOS) back!- one of the borg dunadan paladins, for the first time in years and years, got as far down as dungeon level 92 before dying just recently...

[agoodman]

Also, while I'm on it, apologies, but is there a chance that the borg [l]og function will be re-enabled in the near future? That said, I know I gripe, but it's just fun to have a working borg (for MacOS) back!- one of the borg dunadan paladins, for the first time in years and years, got as far down as dungeon level 92 before dying just recently...

It isn't working? There should be a borg-log.txt with a list of the deaths and causes and a borg.dat with the same data in csv format (I think) and, depending on your borg.txt settings, a {name}.map. You only get the .map if you are above the config borg_dump_level.

[eschiss1]

I thought the ^Z-l command began saving the borg messages to a file, hence "log" (this was, if I recall, true of earlier versions, years ago.) I didn't think it was doing anything because it wasn't doing that, but I may be mistaken; I had forgotten to check borg-log.txt. yes. Yep, borg-log.txt is there, registers two very good borgs in a row in fact (whose maximum death dungeon levels are a bit misleading as they were reset higher/less than they actually were, so one who died having reached level 92 at one point is described as "Killed on level: 74 (max. 74) by an osyluth", but, nothing for that . The one before that one couldn't quite figure out how to take on two drujn (drujs? Bruges? Drujes? ) at once, but I remember years ago getting taken out by merely one of them when playing at one in the morning by my lonesome, and can sympathize.)
Thanks!
Edit: most recent fairly long-lived borg instance died (this morning, only level 38/dlvl 28...) because, from the looks of the messages at death, did not recognize creeping adamantine coins as an enemy?... - ok, no, that's not the reason, the monster memory now says "Your ancestors have killed at least 20 of these creatures". Still, this borg was not even trying to fight back, which is - just weird. Can attach some form of the messages if that's helpful if it suggests there might be a bug...

[agoodman]

I thought the ^Z-l command began saving the borg messages to a file, hence "log" (this was, if I recall, true of earlier versions, years ago.) I didn't think it was doing anything because it wasn't doing that, but I may be mistaken; !

Mistaken or not, not a bad idea. I will add a note to my todo list. Might even be better to dump the full character, map, and recent log much like the .map file on command.

[agoodman]

I thought the ^Z-l command began saving the borg messages to a file, hence "log" (this was, if I recall, true of earlier versions, years ago.)

https://github.com/angband/angband/pull/6048 now crates a .map file that includes logged messages

[agoodman]

a quick list of changes to the borg since the last time I mentioned changes to the borg:
1) cheat death in borg.txt. a setting to allow the borg to keep playing and just cheat death rather than being reincarnated
2) fixes to vault excavation logic
3) fixes to light beam attack
4) fixes to sell things before they are ID'd if the borg has more than one
5) fixes to using unblessed items to match new paradigm for that
6) better collection of teleport staffs
7) fixes to prioritize high cal food more
8) fixes to attacking when afraid since it now doesn't cost an action
9) fixes to identifying monsters on the map
10) make sure the code stops when things go wrong rather than letting bad keypresses accumulate
11) fixes to the use of tremor and earthquake spell
12) fixes to which spells can be cast just for experience
13) check for "web" on the ground. used for teleporting
14) changes to how the "uniques alive" count is done and used
15) fixes to how cursed items are handled
16) fixes to home optimization which was very slow before and should be faster now
17) flow changes to avoid being stuck and help some exploration
18) fixes to potion collection during the endgame

and other things. Full list can be seen https://github.com/angband/angband/p...r%3Aagoodman00

Just wanted to make sure people know that just because things have been quiet on the forum doesn't mean things aren't being done.

[eschiss1]

Necromancer bug: seems to cast crush at anything that looks like it's in its line of sight, which can become a real problem if it has telepathy. Repeatedly. Often runs very low on hp this way and this may be the indirect cause behind some unnecessary deaths.

(used to have another account but locked myself out of it, grumble. Hrm, never mind, I seem to be posting as my old name anyway despite having had to log in under a new one. Weird, but ok!)

Ooh, was looking for the "keep playing" borg.txt cheat death WIll try that. Thanks-- ah, the version I have (via MacPorts) is still using the Sep. 26 2024 borg compile. Not sure whether the Nov. 2024 compile is available for the Mac yet. (maybe if I'd downloaded it more normally, rather than by MacPorts. Worth checking.)

Further edit: Mac just won't open Angband opened from Rephial.org at all. Back to Macports version with September 26 2024 borg, then, for now!