How many people play Angband?

[fph]

... which I'd imagine are a lot like 'hot keys' (ala ToME 4).

Yes, I assume from the Youtube videos (I tried playing it, but T4 is really too much for my old laptop... this and Shockbolt's tiles make me wonder if it should be counted among "modern graphical RPGs", too )

Can Tome4's hot keys store spells as well?

@APWhite: great tale. Did you tell him in the end?

[buzzkill]

Can Tome4's hot keys store spells as well?

In short, yes. If implemented properly, hot-keys should be able do anything that can be defined as a macro/keymap or, more practically, accomplished by pressing the n key. The real advantage (over macros/inscriptions) is that you get all that functionality with just a single key press to set up, and a single (identical) key press to execute. Sounds like a no brainer to me, but I'm not the one who's going to have to code it.

I've played very little TOME, maybe 4-8 hours worth total. The one thing that stuck in my head was the convenience of the hot keys. I've mentioned them several times, here in the forums but no one seems interested enough to actually make them happen.

[takkaria]

I've played very little TOME, maybe 4-8 hours worth total. The one thing that stuck in my head was the convenience of the hot keys. I've mentioned them several times, here in the forums but no one seems interested enough to actually make them happen.

They are something I'd like to do in V but it requires significant underlying code rewrites to make it happen with the same level of ease. The recent input layer rewrites have gone a short way toward this goal, but not far enough yet.

[Zappa]

I've had the screensaver running for years now and it usually gets me interested in playing again every once in a while. I'm having a lot of fun with it now running a Kobold Paladin, but if/when I win again, or have a depressing death I'll probably wander away for awhile again. I always come back though.

Moria was the first video game I ever played. On my dad's Compaq "laptop" with the tiny puke green screen.

[GeoffHill]

I would think there are indeed quite a few people still playing it on some level. It's likely a few people don't bother coming to the forum because the registration question for the forum is dense and unclear what to do! (really, I have to think like Gandalf and speak a foreign language to register for a discussion group...)

[Magnate]

I would think there are indeed quite a few people still playing it on some level. It's likely a few people don't bother coming to the forum because the registration question for the forum is dense and unclear what to do! (really, I have to think like Gandalf and speak a foreign language to register for a discussion group...)

And the real tragedy is that it hasn't stopped the spammers registering (see all the modelling agency avatars on the members list).

[Timo Pietilä]

I would think there are indeed quite a few people still playing it on some level. It's likely a few people don't bother coming to the forum because the registration question for the forum is dense and unclear what to do! (really, I have to think like Gandalf and speak a foreign language to register for a discussion group...)

What, "mellon" isn't clear enough? This is angband, so LoTR should be something everyone remembers.

[GeoffHill]

What, "mellon" isn't clear enough? This is angband, so LoTR should be something everyone remembers.

Well, having just gone through the registration, it isnt really clear that you are being asked. Here's my experience... it just says "random question" and a bunch of quenya underneath not in the same box, and without a question mark. It just looked like a comment or quenya quote rather than a question, so I presumed that the text box was a place for me to put in a security question, so I did one. Got confused. Guessed it must be a question, remembered my tolkien, put in "friend". That still didnt work. Sighed. Did a google search again....

(I expect I'm not alone in this)

[Nomad]

What, "mellon" isn't clear enough? This is angband, so LoTR should be something everyone remembers.

I think most people would try "friend" in English. I certainly did, and made many frustrated attempts with changing the capitalisation, writing the translation of the question, etc. before it finally occurred to me to Google the Elvish answer. LoTR readers certainly remember "speak friend and enter", but I think very few would actually remember the word "mellon".

[Timo Pietilä]

I think most people would try "friend" in English. I certainly did, and made many frustrated attempts with changing the capitalisation, writing the translation of the question, etc. before it finally occurred to me to Google the Elvish answer. LoTR readers certainly remember "speak friend and enter", but I think very few would actually remember the word "mellon".

You don't have to remember it. All you have to remember is how the Gandalf and Pippin (or was it Merry) figured it out. It's in the writing. Instead of saying "password" you just say the word in the wall.

I didn't think that is hard to figure out.

[pav]

It is, the wording and everything, taken straight from the book.

And for the record, I am also dismayed about how quickly spammers learned how to get past it.

[relic]

You don't have to remember it. All you have to remember is how the Gandalf and Pippin (or was it Merry) figured it out. It's in the writing. Instead of saying "password" you just say the word in the wall.

I didn't think that is hard to figure out.

Continuing OT: I had also problems with the question, mainly because I haven't read Tolkien or LotR. (Although I have seen the films, at least the first two.) So, how many Angband players besides me have also not read LotR? Not too many I would guess.

[GeoffHill]

You don't have to remember it. All you have to remember is how the Gandalf and Pippin (or was it Merry) figured it out. It's in the writing. Instead of saying "password" you just say the word in the wall.

I didn't think that is hard to figure out.

I dunno.. it took Gandalf ages...

[BlueFish]

Well, having just gone through the registration, it isnt really clear that you are being asked. Here's my experience... it just says "random question" and a bunch of quenya underneath not in the same box, and without a question mark. It just looked like a comment or quenya quote rather than a question, so I presumed that the text box was a place for me to put in a security question, so I did one. Got confused. Guessed it must be a question, remembered my tolkien, put in "friend". That still didnt work. Sighed. Did a google search again....

(I expect I'm not alone in this)

It took me a while to understand what they were asking. It's a really objectionable registration process and I'm pretty sure it's keeping people from registering who would like to discuss Angband. Keeping spammers out is not worth that price.

It's used in absurd ways too - if you forget your password, it asks you that question, as if it was your personal security question.

[buzzkill]

I glad I got in before the process got complicated. I could see myself taking a guess or two and then saying "screw it" and moving on. Although I read the books (back in the day) and more recently have seen the movies, and am familiar with the portion of the story being referenced, I have no recollection of, and would never guess "mellon" regardless of what the question is.