Feature request: Auto-repeat the search command

[Marble Dice]

The only time I use the search command ("s" in the Angband keyset), is when I think I'm right next to a secret door/trap. You can mash on "s" but that's dangerous of course, the smart thing to do is INSERT-20-s, so you get repeat with disturbance if you find something or see a monster. If I don't know where a secret door is, but I think one's in the area (first room of the floor has no doors in it), I turn on searching mode ("S" in the Angband keyset) and run around the walls.

I propose to automatically repeat the search command so that you get 95% certainty that there's no secret adjacent to you. I would also add a message when you search but find nothing, so you get some feedback about what your character is doing (I think the message is a good idea regardless of auto-repeat). Both of these apply only to searching directly from the "s" command, not from the "S" searching mode or free perception searches.

For reference, a half-troll paladin has a searching score of 11%, and would have to search 26 times to get 95% certainty. A kobold rogue has 47% searching, and only has to search 5 times to get 95% certainty.

Does anyone have a good reason why the search command should NOT repeat in such a fashion, or why it should repeat to a different level of certainty?

[Magnate]

For reference, a half-troll paladin has a searching score of 11%, and would have to search 26 times to get 95% certainty. A kobold rogue has 47% searching, and only has to search 5 times to get 95% certainty.

Does anyone have a good reason why the search command should NOT repeat in such a fashion, or why it should repeat to a different level of certainty?

No, but I *really* don't like the idea of a given keystroke repeating a different number of times dependent on my race/class choice. Make it repeat 20 times for everyone, and interrupt if successful. Half-trolls can always do it twice if they don't succeed the first time.

[Pete Mack]

No, but I *really* don't like the idea of a given keystroke repeating a different number of times dependent on my race/class choice. Make it repeat 20 times for everyone, and interrupt if successful. Half-trolls can always do it twice if they don't succeed the first time.

I agree with this:
it's not efficient to search 60 times in each spot, then move on. You are much better off searching a few times, then moving on.
A 50% search (1 half-life) over the entire room has a 50% chance of success, the same chance for a 95% chance (~5 half-lifes) over 1/2 the room. But it takes (5/2) times fewer turns.

Anyway, this situation is not very common.
Rods of Detect doors/stairs, traps, objects are common and shallow. If you don't have the spell, and don't find the rod, you're best off using scrolls or staffs for a stand-in.

EDIT:
It might be reasonable to have the '#' search-while-moving option do the optimal number of searches per turn for a given character. But this is not the same as 95% chance. It's an optimal ratio of moves to searches. For repeated search, there's no fixed value for this, because it's geography-dependent.

[buzzkill]

I'm all for the search command auto-repeating 20 times or until successful, whichever is less. Just produce a message, when all is said and done, detailing the results. "You find nothing (20x)." or "You find a secret door (or trap)."

I'm constantly 'over-searching' when looking for secret doors. Usually... I search. I find the secret door. I search. Something opens the secret door. I search. It breathes. It breathes. It breathes.

Another option would be to have the second consecutive search trigger the '20 turn auto-search'. So 's' = search once, 's' 's' = search 20 times or until something is found. This way, you can still search just once, if that's all you want to do.

[Marble Dice]

[...] it's not efficient to search 60 times in each spot, then move on. You are much better off searching a few times, then moving on.

This is why I use the searching mode when I need to find a door but don't have a very good idea where the secret is. Pretty much the only time I use the search command is when I know there's a door at the end of a corridor, or in a doored corner.

Make it repeat 20 times for everyone, and interrupt if successful.

That would be fine with me, that's still 90% certainty even for Half-Troll Pallies:

                Search  Certainty (x20)
Troll Paladin   11%     90%
Human Paladin   12%     92%
Human Warrior   14%     95%
Human Mage      16%     97%
Human Priest    16%     97%
Human Ranger    24%     99%
Human Rogue     32%     99%
Kobold Rogue    47%     99%