grave danger

[Nick]

It's not just the Czech Republic.

[Philip]

Back to Angband stuff, I would view myself as an aimless looking merchant. Or maybe the Black Market owner.

[dos350]

this is how freedom sounds

[camlost]

I wonder what item I would be?

I couldn't help remembering that I wrote a quick joke-monster description of Nick a few years back before he started showing up in FA's ghosty-ghost pantheon of evilness...

N (Black and White, alternating)
16000 h.p. 82 a.c.
You see Nick, the Maintainer of FAangband. He laughs at your race class combo and reaches for his duct tape. His keyboard crackles with ancient magic, having sacrificed the right shift and number lock keys for increased power. He can hit to duct tape shut your favorite glitches, touch to remove any chance of finding confusion or blindness resist, hurl wilderness code for 26d8 damage, can imprison you within rock and can summon 4d10 complainers to whinge you to death. He resists lightning, fire, complaining, whining and Bandobras. He may drop 12 exploding trapped chests filled with spellbooks you can't use. You feel an intense desire to avoid this monster...

What, no "He cast spells frequently that can delete items from your inventory, crash the game, or send you to nowhere town forever?"

[HallucinationMushroom]

Ooh those would be good. We should start a list!

You see a HallucinationMushroom, it can notice game glitches from across the room but does not deign to help to fix them. It can cause 1d6 malaise, 1d6 random useless comments on forum and posts questionable advice one time per 30 days.

[Pete Mack]

Back to Angband stuff, I would view myself as an aimless looking merchant. Or maybe the Black Market owner.

Your wish may be granted: if you write enough code, Nick will turn you into a shopkeeper.

[Nick]

Your wish may be granted: if you write enough code, Nick will turn you into a shopkeeper.

Usually developers become player ghosts (tradition started by Leon Marrick, I believe); some shopkeepers are former characters. There was one well-known player and, um, pundit who I turned into a shopkeeper...

[Philip]

Better learn to code then. Well, I'm not so sure I can help. Do you need any creative ideas for something?

[Pete Mack]

Usually developers become player ghosts (tradition started by Leon Marrick, I believe); some shopkeepers are former characters. There was one well-known player and, um, pundit who I turned into a shopkeeper...

Whoops, my bad. UnAndrew may turn into a shopkeeper, not Nick.

[Jude]

As regards the actual thread topic (sort of), what ARE disconnected stairs, anyway? I think I always play with them connected but I have no idea what that does.

Also, Maximize mode is the one that makes your race/class stat bonuses last to the endgame? Whereas with it off, everyone's max stats are the same? Is there any accepted consensus on which is the "real way to play" with this option? (presumably meaning either that one is too easy, or that one is too hard, therefore making the other one "right")

[buzzkill]

As regards the actual thread topic (sort of), what ARE disconnected stairs, anyway? I think I always play with them connected but I have no idea what that does.

Disconnected simply means that upon taking a staircase you don't arrive on the new level standing upon an opposite staircase, you simply appear on open floor and must seek out a staircase.

Also, Maximize mode is the one that makes your race/class stat bonuses last to the endgame? Whereas with it off, everyone's max stats are the same? Is there any accepted consensus on which is the "real way to play" with this option? (presumably meaning either that one is too easy, or that one is too hard, therefore making the other one "right")

Based upon your given descriptions, IMO maximize mode seems to be the one true way to play.

[EpicMan]

I believe non-maximize mode is the original way to play, since maximize is an option, but II wasn't around when that option was first added.

That being said, maximize mode seems better from an immersion point of view and makes characters more varied in the endgame, so it's better IMHO from a gameplay perspective as well.

I'm not sure what advantages non-maximize mode offers (other than using the weird 18+ stat max to give bigger bonuses at start) its proponents. Maybe it lessens the importance of stats if everyone has the same bonuses from stats at the end?

If I say maximize mode should become the one true way to play, and you argue no, what are your reasons? I'm not trying to troll or flame, I just don't understand why anyone would want to play without maximize on.

[LostTemplar]

want to play without maximize on.

When you play bookless hobbit mage, you can turn off maximize to get more strength in the end.

[Max Stats]

Also, Maximize mode is the one that makes your race/class stat bonuses last to the endgame? Whereas with it off, everyone's max stats are the same? Is there any accepted consensus on which is the "real way to play" with this option?

Maximize seems to be the more "natural" way for things to be; i.e., a character that is more gifted in a certain area has more potential for advancement in that area. But it also makes later characters somewhat easier (usually), so the people who want the game to be more challenging would probably prefer non-maximize. Personally, I hope neither alternative is forced on everyone.