Breaking Angband down into early, mid, and endgame

[ulrichvonbek]

I might go with 1st stat gain potion starts the mid-game, and the end-game starts when you have 550+ HP, (a whole in basic 4 + rPoison might call for an exception there) plus perm speed of at least +7/8.

Obviously, the game can be broken down into much finer detail when it comes to stages of gameplay. For example, even though both would be endgame in my mind, there's a big difference in first reaching 4000' to look for high end gear, and having everything you need to fight Morgoth except enough consumables to get you through the final battle.

Curious to hear what other people might think.

[Derakon]

Early game is before I have FA, SI, and a recall depth above, oh, 1500' or so. Midgame is everything from then until I can start reasonably killing deep uniques. The rest is endgame.

[SSK]

Early game is before I have FA, SI, and a recall depth above, oh, 1500' or so. Midgame is everything from then until I can start reasonably killing deep uniques. The rest is endgame.

Cool I was just thinking about how I am not doing certain things right and it seems I am having trouble with the transition from mid to late game--I dive to 55 and suddenly I run into trouble by not having the right consumables with me and more conservative escape thinking...

Looks like scrolls of teleport level seem to be important as a mid-late midgame possession for a Paladin--those damn spells with their 5% fail rate...

[Derakon]

If I don't have protection from blindness and confusion, I carry staves of Teleport. If I don't have both those and 0% failure rates, then I carry scrolls of Teleport Level (or scrolls of Teleport if necessary). Once I get Destruction I try to carry that instead. I don't anticipate ever needing anything bigger than teleport, but I have had to resort to the bigger escapes a couple of times and it's far, far better to have them and not need them than the reverse.

In short, everyone except for mages/priests with sufficient INT/WIS and protection from blindness and confusion should be carrying some escape items.

[SSK]

If I don't have protection from blindness and confusion, I carry staves of Teleport. If I don't have both those and 0% failure rates, then I carry scrolls of Teleport Level (or scrolls of Teleport if necessary). Once I get Destruction I try to carry that instead. I don't anticipate ever needing anything bigger than teleport, but I have had to resort to the bigger escapes a couple of times and it's far, far better to have them and not need them than the reverse.

In short, everyone except for mages/priests with sufficient INT/WIS and protection from blindness and confusion should be carrying some escape items.

I thought 5% fail TO was enough when it was a beam, combined with some *healing* and healing. I also had staves and scrolls of *destruction*. I think I should have used them or looked more carefully at Eonwe's mass banishment property...

[Derakon]

In my opinion, 5% fail basically means "will fail if you absolutely positively need it to not fail." So e.g. as a paladin I cast Heal before dropping below 400HP or so (higher if I lack resists / am fighting Morgoth), and if it doesn't work then I break out the 0% fail items.

[Tregonsee]

Looks like scrolls of teleport level seem to be important as a mid-late midgame possession for a Paladin--those damn spells with their 5% fail rate...

Wait! Do you mean that Paladins, no matter how high their wisdom is, will always have a 5% spell failure rate?

[Derakon]

Yes. The only classes that can achieve 0% failure rates are mages and priests. Everyone else has a minimum of 5% (or 100%, in the warrior's case...).

[scud]

Endgame starts when I'm capable of taking on the Big Angels.

I hate those Big Angels.

[ulrichvonbek]

I tried to take down Azriel with a Paladin who went on to win, but had to bail on that fight after an early nether breath. I'd say you're in the later stages of the endgame if you can kill him.

[scud]

My high elf ranger (*snore*) has recently taken down Uriel with a lot of help from a) being in a cavern level (phase doored, dug in and rested half a dozen times) and b) carrying Firestar in his back pocket.

That was at 3650', CL45, 6.5m exp and nearly 600k turns. Looking at my Hall of Fame this is very rapid progress for me, but I reckon I've got at least another 600k turns before I can even consider taking on the Big Man himself.

Have had two attempts at Gabriel but had to bail out very quickly on each occasion. Still haven't seen Azriel. The three Big Angels are to my mind both OOD and undervalued: Uriel is 33k (to my CL46), Gabriel is 48k, Azriel is in the middle. Compare that to the Witch-King, who is basically a 'basher' but is worth 104k. I'd definitely rate Azriel and Gabriel as being in the Top Ten uniques.

Obviously we all have different definitions of 'end game', but I know that once I'm capable of dealing with Azriel and Gabriel I then have a 'viable' character that, with some equipment enhancements and a house full of potions, should be capable of meeting Morgy.

[Tregonsee]

Yes. The only classes that can achieve 0% failure rates are mages and priests. Everyone else has a minimum of 5% (or 100%, in the warrior's case...).

Do Paladins have other restrictions for gains in wisdom (mana points, spells gained, etc)?

I realize they do not get all spells, and that mana costs per spell are higher

[PowerDiver]

Do Paladins have other restrictions for gains in wisdom (mana points, spells gained, etc)?

I realize they do not get all spells, and that mana costs per spell are higher

Not a restriction, but the one other difference is less damage from orbs given a particular CL.

[ulrichvonbek]

Obviously we all have different definitions of 'end game', but I know that once I'm capable of dealing with Azriel and Gabriel I then have a 'viable' character that, with some equipment enhancements and a house full of potions, should be capable of meeting Morgy.

I used being able to kill the Tarasque as a similar gauge of power recently. I really needed a few more ?Banish before the final fight though. Luckily got through it relying on banish evil when the summons weren't that dangerous.

[Tregonsee]

So a Paladin and a Priest will get the same benefit in terms of mana points and spells available per point of Wisdom...