New features for Angband from variants

[andrewdoull]

Hi,

I'd like to do some pre-filtering for Andrew Sidwell on the new feature front, and make the suggestion that features that get into Angband should have been tested in a variant first.

Of course, to do that, everyone would have to know about what features are popular, and useful in the variants out there. I think a big part of the problem is that people tend to stick to one variant, and not necessarily know what the alternatives are.

So what features do you think from the variants out there are suitable for Angband? Describe them, love them, hate them?

[Elsairon]

Non-sneaky humanoid monster's without infra-vision carrying lights (ninja's or thieves w/ lights are silly imo, novice fighters, mages, etc. would be fine). Self-lit monsters (fire-hounds, colbrans, etc.).

I think this has been well tested.

[GSN]

Monster/object/artifact "browser" found in some variants (when you press ~).

[Faust]

Random quests / fireproofable books (and other store services) / Mass identify / Different or no town unique (Bill Ferney perhaps, after all Farmer Maggot's one of the good guys) / Stolen money not vanishing.

[andrewdoull]

Monster/object/artifact "browser" found in some variants (when you press ~).

That's in, already. Pete Mac has done some really good work on this btw.

[petebull]

- Nearby objects in the monster list window from Sangband

- Trap detection display/running behaviour from FAangband or ToME

- Item worth display from NPPAngband

- Item source from NPP/ToME (e.g. dropped by Wormtongue on 500')

- The object window from ToME which would not only show book rememberance

- Weapon damage info from ToME/FAangband

[pav]

Quiver slot, NPP style! (Stacks up ammo in inventory to occupy one inv. slot per 99 ammo pieces).

[Pete Mack]

Faust writes:

Stolen money not vanishing.

I want to be on record as being strongly against this.

(a) encouraging the hunting down of thieves is encouraging poor gameplay.
(b) having monsters that are genuinely bad to melee without actually killing you is a useful lesson. Thieves are just like Water Hounds: a damn nuisance.

Note that this stands in contrast to my position on "amnesia attacks." Amnesia attacks have _no_ gameplay implications, and just encourage boring bookkeeping. They really should be eliminated.

[Pete Mack]

Faust writes:

Random quests

I also doubt this will make it. It interferes with smooth gameplay, and lends itself to easy abuse. (I find myself taking a quick lev 1 quest in NPP as an easy way to increase starting cash and character level, and never take another quest the entire game.)

[pav]

(a) encouraging the hunting down of thieves is encouraging poor gameplay.

Care to enlighten us how exactly is this a poor gameplay? I think it's great enhancement to gameplay - it gives you an incentive to go do something you wouldn't usually do. Makes game less boring.

(b) having monsters that are genuinely bad to melee without actually killing you is a useful lesson. Thieves are just like Water Hounds: a damn nuisance.

Irrelevant to the point. Thieves will continue to be genuinely bad to melee even with ability to get the money/item back.

[pav]

I also doubt this will make it. It interferes with smooth gameplay, and lends itself to easy abuse. (I find myself taking a quick lev 1 quest in NPP as an easy way to increase starting cash and character level, and never take another quest the entire game.)

That's perfectly fine. It's minor enough to not throw out balance of the game if you decide to never take quests/take all possible quests. If the player feels occasionally he could use a challenge, why not to provide one to him?

The only concern here is to avoid overpowered artifact rewards - that's usually how Ey 0.4.x was won

[Faust]

I want to be on record as being strongly against this.

(a) encouraging the hunting down of thieves is encouraging poor gameplay.
(b) having monsters that are genuinely bad to melee without actually killing you is a useful lesson. Thieves are just like Water Hounds: a damn nuisance.

Note that this stands in contrast to my position on "amnesia attacks." Amnesia attacks have _no_ gameplay implications, and just encourage boring bookkeeping. They really should be eliminated.

(a) I hunt them down to get my equipment back so I don't see the difference with money.
(b) what about Smeagol & Wormtounge?

I have to agree on amneisa, it's just annoying.

I also doubt this will make it. It interferes with smooth gameplay, and lends itself to easy abuse. (I find myself taking a quick lev 1 quest in NPP as an easy way to increase starting cash and character level, and never take another quest the entire game.)

I personally don't take low level quests (to easy to die) but later on they help to incourage faster diving as the quests are always several levels deeper, which make the game more interesting.
I can't see how this changes gameplay, after all the quests are optional if you don't like them don't take them, simple.
The rewards would need to be carefully balanced, small rewards at first getting better as you complete more quests (I think 1000AU in NPP is probably too much for your first rewards, maybe 200-300AU would be a better first reward).

[Mondkalb]

Amnesia would be less annoying if either the *identify* scolls would be more common or we would have a something of "mass identify".

Why not let the charakter have his stuff *identified* at the shops, for a price. (IIRC this was possible in Moria way back in the glorious 80s .)

[Faust]

NPP style hydras, that is more types of breath attack (eg. acid & lightning) than just the fire & poison breaths they have in V.

[pav]

NPP style hydras, that is more types of breath attack (eg. acid & lightning) than just the fire & poison breaths they have in V.

NPP hydras annoy me by dropping only a worthless cash...