Random number generation?

[grumbleguts]

I've pretty much resigned myself now to the fact that if zapping a rod fails the first time, no matter what the failure rate it will fail again 7-8 times out of ten. 1 fail and I try another course of action. unless it's a specific function like Id.

[half]

Since I specifically asked and got permission for Angband

Does this mean that variants won't be able to use it? Asking for 'Angband and derived games' might be best. I mention this as it is a legal issue and we want to be careful.

[d_m]

Does this mean that variants won't be able to use it? Asking for 'Angband and derived games' might be best. I mention this as it is a legal issue and we want to be careful.

Well, any variant under the GPL can use it. As far as other variants, I think that the "free for academic and non-commercial purposes" lines up pretty well with the old Angband license.

I hadn't thought of it, but technically variants that aren't GPL but want to take code from Vanilla will need to ask the particular author(s) permission for new code, since currently the GPL is the license it's being released under.

(I don't imagine this being a problem, but it's worth pointing out.)

[takkaria]

I hadn't thought of it, but technically variants that aren't GPL but want to take code from Vanilla will need to ask the particular author(s) permission for new code, since currently the GPL is the license it's being released under.

(I don't imagine this being a problem, but it's worth pointing out.)

That's not a problem, since all the V code is dual-licenced including new code (see copying.txt and the source file headers).

[half]

Well, any variant under the GPL can use it.

OK, that's great.

[d_m]

So, I have an initial version with the the new WELL1024a algorithm plugged in.

https://github.com/non/angband/tree/well-rng

There is still a lot of code in z-rand.c that I don't fully understand yet--which I am working on--but the core RNG has been swapped out. Feel free to clone my repo, build the branch and see how it plays.

I will try to post an actual build sometime soon.

[tigpup]

This overly-deliberate choice of a random-number-generating-algorithm is far too democratic and twin-eyed-biped-centirc to my thoughts.

My lone voice allows the current RNG to decide it's own fate. If anyone has a team of (randomly chosen) apes with (randomly chosen) typewriters, so much the better.

I'm prepared to validate each random-number generated under the current system;