[Fea-Req] Less <color> monsters

[Daniel Fishman]

Add me to that list, I was just surprised (and tired!), not complaining.

[Fuma]

perhaps the descriptions could start with them being colours and give them proper names as you learn more about them.

And we would end up with "a big red dragon" instead of ancient dragons?
Come on, it'd be just plain silly.

For me it was pretty easy to learn the meaning of colours of different low-level monsters after a dozen of dead characters.

[Neil Stevens]

Okay, due to the feedback I got on this issue, I re-enabled time unlimited editing.

I'm glad you did.

[CunningGabe]

I know this is an old thread, but I'd like to say that I completely agree that we should change the names of the <color> monsters. I often do this in my own monster file; here are a few suggestions:

white jelly -> lactoplasm
silver jelly -> photoplasm
yellow jelly -> tapioca
Large brown snake -> python
Large white snake -> sidewinder
Large yellow snake -> boa constrictor

For some monsters, it might be enough to simply use more interesting color words - for instance, there are many colored molds and mushrooms. Perhaps the grey mold could be ashen instead?

Ultimately, there are more changes I would love to see to the monsters:
- eradicate icky things and centipedes
- use 'i' for insects - perhaps including a centipede or two, but with more variety in general
- use 'c' for cattle, perhaps (e.g., horses, bulls, etc). Or something else.
- other wackier changes I won't mention here.

But reflavoring some of the more mundane monsters would be a good start

[will_asher]

I know this is an old thread, but I'd like to say that I completely agree that we should change the names of the <color> monsters. I often do this in my own monster file; here are a few suggestions:

You sound like a prime candidate to try DaJAngband. Its gameplay is almost the same as vanilla Angband (except for the changes I took from Eddie G's patch), but I went over the monster list, making a lot of changes with the primary intent of adding flavor and removing monsters that had no flavor (icky things and yeeks) or monsters which didn't belong in a game like Angband (angels).

white jelly -> lactoplasm
silver jelly -> photoplasm
yellow jelly -> tapioca
Large brown snake -> python
Large white snake -> sidewinder
Large yellow snake -> boa constrictor

In DaJAngband, these three snakes (and the large grey one) have been replaced by two: the garter snake (very similar to the "large white snake"), and the cave python (the same as the "large yellow snake" except in color of course.)
Those ideas for jelly names sound good to me, I think I'll put them in DaJAngband. (Although I removed the yellow jelly because it was the same as the white one except a little tougher). Do you have a suggestion for the rot jelly?

For some monsters, it might be enough to simply use more interesting color words - for instance, there are many colored molds and mushrooms. Perhaps the grey mold could be ashen instead?

Ultimately, there are more changes I would love to see to the monsters:
- eradicate icky things and centipedes
- use 'i' for insects - perhaps including a centipede or two, but with more variety in general
- use 'c' for cattle, perhaps (e.g., horses, bulls, etc). Or something else.

In DaJAngband icky things have been removed. There are only two types of centipedes replacing all those colored ones in vanilla that are mostly the same as each other. There are also less types of molds (the grey mold was removed) There aren't any cattle, but there are a couple similar things which use the "q" symbol: rothes from Nethack which are like noctural oxen, and The Boar of Everholt which is from from Tolkien's works.
plus "- other wackier changes I won't mention here." Feel free to suggest your wackier ideas, I might just use them.

As soon as I finish the monster descriptions, I will be releasing a (very slightly) new version of DaJAngband which has the ability to sell to shops as a birth option, so you can choose to keep it or go without. The current version uses Eddie's patch as is, so you can't sell to shops.

[takkaria]

You sound like a prime candidate to try DaJAngband. Its gameplay is almost the same as vanilla Angband (except for the changes I took from Eddie G's patch), but I went over the monster list, making a lot of changes with the primary intent of adding flavor and removing monsters that had no flavor (icky things and yeeks) or monsters which didn't belong in a game like Angband (angels).

I will be looking at a monster list refresh for V by 3.2.0. The related bug on the bugtracker is #443. (Feel free to link to anything which might be useful in doing this in the comments bit.)

[will_asher]

I will be looking at a monster list refresh for V by 3.2.0. The related bug on the bugtracker is #443. (Feel free to link to anything which might be useful in doing this in the comments bit.)

I'm honored to have a "bug" report largely based on my suggestions with links and everything. (Hey, one of them links back to this thread which links back there, you could go in a neverending loop creating an endless number of windows by clinking on that link and the link to this thread over and over..)
I guess DaJAngband could have some impact even though no one plays it but me. Hopefully, within the next week I'll will have the monster descriptions finished and will post DaJAngband 1.0.03. I been working on those monster descriptions a lot more in the past few days (although tonight I've been reading Penance).