Elemental attacks destroying inventory items - challenging or frustrating?

[hugorune]

Personally one of the most frustrating aspects of Angband for me is fighting things like water hounds. With the default intelligent group AI, they won't chase you down a corridor, instead they'll mill about in a room, and wait for you to poke your nose in, before all breathing on you at once. If you've got lots of hitpoints, armour (especially acid-resistant), and elemental resistance from one or more items, then you won't be badly hurt, and you can proceed to melee or range them as you prefer. You will, however, lose numerous arrows and scrolls, maybe a spellbook. Other types of elemental zephyr hounds will destroy other items.

The cost to replace these items is never significant at this stage of the game. However, its annoying to have to do so - so is this mechanic really needed? If the answer is yes, then is there a solution to protect your inventory - aside from simply avoiding the encounters? (I'm not a natural avoider because I like to explore the levels in full)

[Narvius]

You *will* have to avoid. Sooner or later.
As far as I know, Immunity (not Perma+Temp res) protects your inventory.

[CJNyfalt]

I see consumables being destroyed in the inventory as a bit annoying but otherwise OK. However weapons and armors getting destroyed that way I don't like, so I edit the source to stop that on the variants I play.

[Zikke]

What I find annoying is when I get a new staff and use them, eventually I end up with about 10 staves of Curing with a total of 1 charge.... lol

[Wraitheist]

Well, artifacts aren't damaged by acid, fire, etc., so only early equipment and consumables are at risk. Early on, you should avoid water and fire hounds any way, so I'm not bothered by it.

[CunningGabe]

Sure, it is annoying when Water Hounds are congregating in a room and refusing to follow you down a corridor and around the corner. All you can do is avoid them -- you don't have to clear the level! Don't change Angband so you can win with your playstyle -- change your playstyle.

(Mind you, I'm a recovering level-clearer myself, so I know this is not an easy lesson.)

[Larvitz]

I'm the same way... I just have to clear a level, for fear of missing something good, even if the level feeling wasn't superb or super lucky... I just feel the need to do it... I don't know why.

And then come the water and fire hounds... and I'm like "BLAAHAAA" and run in, only to have everything melted, burned, shattered, and generally destroyed... oh my life...

Lol, but yeah, I do hate the hounds and stuff... because they always burn and melt all my ?Recalls... which is horrible 2000' down.

[Dragonboneman]

As someone else posted on this forum recently, Hounds and other inventory-wreckers like Saruman serve to teach players that some fights are best avoided.

[tigpup]

Fireproof scrollcases?
Frostproof potionbags?

-Neil

[Larvitz]

Fireproof scrollcases?
Frostproof potionbags?

-Neil

I kinda like this idea.

[Wraitheist]

Fireproof scrollcases?
Frostproof potionbags?

-Neil

Interesting idea, but that gets into inventory management, which is a whole other argument altogether.

[hugorune]

Sure, it is annoying when Water Hounds are congregating in a room and refusing to follow you down a corridor and around the corner. All you can do is avoid them -- you don't have to clear the level! Don't change Angband so you can win with your playstyle -- change your playstyle.

(Mind you, I'm a recovering level-clearer myself, so I know this is not an easy lesson.)

Yeah I understand this I guess the water hounds and similar things are there to show you that the level-clearing style is maybe not the most optimal way to play!

I'm also aware (partly from memories from several years ago) that when you get way down, encounters that *will* kill you no matter what stuff you've got are frequent. So I guess getting into the habit of avoiding can't hurt me. I'm playing a gnome mage at the moment (I usually play more buff melee types) a little below the depth where I'm comfortable, so I'm getting a bit of practise.

[Narvius]

Fireproof scrollcases?
Frostproof potionbags?

-Neil

But in a simple way: Having it in inventory protects stuff. So, 1 slot for protection. No putting in and stuff.

[Pete Mack]

But in a simple way: Having it in inventory protects stuff. So, 1 slot for protection. No putting in and stuff.

Guys, it is possible to adjust your playstyle so that you don't lose lots of inventory or have your armor all down to [3,-3]. Sure, the occasional _Tele will still get burned, but it can be a minor annoyance, not something that needs to be fixed. In fact, the biggest annoyance isn't losing staffs, potions, and scrolls, but Rods and Wands of Tele Other, and there's no rationale for keeping them in a bag.

[buzzkill]

Fireproof scrollcases?
Frostproof potionbags?

If that's going to be the case, why not just have the smith make your armour out of the same material?