Yet another idea (I'm not asking you to add it to the game, just discuss it!)

[Nemesis]

When it comes to open source games, people come up with ideas all the time and I know it's annoying for the developers, but I don't ask anyone to put implement it into the game, I'm glad enough it you forum banders discuss it in this thread! My idea:

What about letting the level feelings affect generation instead of the stuff that's in the level to start with? A strong feeling would mean that new wandering monsters are generated more frequently and that they're more likely to be OOD, but their drops are more likely to be OOD as well!

The monsters and items that are there when you enter the level shouldn't be affected at all, a level with artifacts and vaults and whatnot could have a boring feeling and that would only mean that monster generation is very tame and drops aren't that spectacular.

In that way, you'd really have to be on your toes if you're in a superb level, and you'd have to be it all the time, for generation of OOD monsters and great drops won't just affect one single part of the level.

Maybe level feelings would work better that way and maybe people who scum wouldn't spend that much time doing it.

[Djabanete]

I'm more keen on the Hengband implementation, where the level feeling changes periodically to reflect what's currently on the level (dangerous monsters and powerful unidentified items obviously making the feeling stronger).

[Nemesis]

I'm more keen on the Hengband implementation, where the level feeling changes periodically to reflect what's currently on the level (dangerous monsters and powerful unidentified items obviously making the feeling stronger).

That sounds rather clever, actually. When you kill a monster, can you tell from the feeling if the drop was important in Hengband?

[Djabanete]

That sounds rather clever, actually. When you kill a monster, can you tell from the feeling if the drop was important in Hengband?

Not immediately --- there's a delay. However, if in the middle of a big fight with lots of drops the level feeling suddenly intensifies, you know it's worth sticking it out. On the other hand, if you're just wandering around and the level feeling strengthens, chances are that a powerful monster just got generated and you should be careful.

I often play a "mixed" style that's somewhere between clearing and diving --- if the level feeling is weak below a certain threshold, I'll just keep taking the first down stairs I see, but if the feeling is strong enough, I'll clear the level down to the point where it's weak again, and then keep going down. It keeps the game moving along.