Rune-based ID

[Nick]

Yep, but given that I'm quite the noob, I might not be the best suited. I would need pointers to where I could find a complete list of all effects, too.

Well, here is the list of effects; looking at the effect: lines in object.txt will show you which objects have which effects.

An alternative would be to add a flag for auto-ID to object kinds, which would allow, say, a scroll of Detect Invisible to auto-ID but require noticing to ID the staff.

[Nick]

There are new builds up for Windows and OS X.

The changes are:

• OS X port now uses Command-n to raise term window n (thanks to molybdenum).
• Several improvements to object and monster lists, and other code improvements, also by molybdenum.
• Identify scrolls are more common (they appear in stacks) and more expensive.
• The player gets a message when an item they are carrying or standing on is IDed as a new ego or jewellery type.
• Code improvements to how intrinsic properties of diggers, lights and oil are handled.
• Egos and jewellery are fully named in shops, although examining only reveals properties the player already knows. On buying an object, the player learns all the runes on it.
• Fixed Nomad's selling/autoinscribing bug.
• There is now a birth option for knowing all runes (and hence getting ID on walkover for wearables (with the exception of jewellery with effects, which still need to be tested)). I lied, it only took 4 lines of code.

[Nomad]

Something's now majorly buggy with screen-refreshing while you're exploring the dungeon - instead of the previous image being erased it's just getting overlaid with the new one, so you end up with multiple copies of @ all over the place.

[Nick]

Something's now majorly buggy with screen-refreshing while you're exploring the dungeon - instead of the previous image being erased it's just getting overlaid with the new one, so you end up with multiple copies of @ all over the place.

Is this from you manually refreshing, or just what happens in general play?

[Nomad]

Is this from you manually refreshing, or just what happens in general play?

Just in general play. It happens whenever the screen re-centres because @ is about to run off the edge. (Probably far more noticeable because I'm playing with the window at the minimum size.)

ETA: only seems to occur with running, the screen refreshes correctly if I'm walking.

[Nick]

Just in general play. It happens whenever the screen re-centres because @ is about to run off the edge. (Probably far more noticeable because I'm playing with the window at the minimum size.)

ETA: only seems to occur with running, the screen refreshes correctly if I'm walking.

OK, I can confirm that. I'll have a look.

[tprice]

I got sidetracked by life and other games over the holidays and just stuck my head back in the Angband forums on Thursday to see how things were going. This thread and feature branch attracted my attention since I've been seeing the debate over RuneID for ages as it keeps popping up. I'm glad that the Great Code Cleanup let you all finally implement it so we can test the theories that kept getting batted around. Looks like its letting Nick implement change ideas quickly as well from what i read in thread. I want to thank everyone who helped bring 4.0 out, i had looked at Angband code a few years ago and the spaghetti code scared me off, i really should look at it after the refactoring and see if i can understand it better and help out where i can besides just bug finding :-)

I downloaded the latest windows client for this branch on Friday (though i see Nick just updated a couple hours ago but there is a screen refresh bug) and spent last night and this evening dieing a lot at shallow levels (Scroll ID by use kept finding Deep Decent and taking a character on his first dive down from ~DL5 to ~DL10 without any magic weapons nor many HP. lost at least 6 characters that way). I finally got a ranger who found a *slay Undead* whip on ~DL3 and then a Resist Poison Ring on ~DL5 who has been able to make the transition to the double digit depths successfully (then the gear REALLY started dropping, like elvenkind boots with +7 speed and artifact weapons and gloves).

Even at shallow depths with the quickly dead characters I really like the ID on Walkover for basic weapon/armor stats once you get those 3 runes. It eliminates the need to pickup every drop to Psuedo ID it and then figure out if it is better than the current basic gear. It made those repeated deaths a little easier to deal with since I wasn't grumping at the "But I don't have the ID Spell/staff/Rod yet" period of character growth.

Now that I'm lasting a while at a depth where Rune's really show up on gear I'm finding the new ID mini game a lot of fun. No need to limit a trip based on how many ID scrolls or IDStave Charges I could buy (Quiver Contents became my new limit). But those freed up backpack slots are taking up with ??? items that i keep swapping out in minor fights to figure out what they are. Makes it a bit of a puzzle but not TOOO annoying of one so far.

So first impressions are this is a worthwhile branch to spend time exploring and refining. Its a major change to the gameplay but I think its one that I for one like.

[Nick]

OK, new builds up for Windows and OS X.

The multiple @ problem is fixed, thanks to calris, and there are also some improvements to the overhead map subwindow (I hope).

So first impressions are this is a worthwhile branch to spend time exploring and refining. Its a major change to the gameplay but I think its one that I for one like.

Excellent, thanks for the feedback.

[spara]

There is some middle ground here. The old system was that effects were noticed when they were noticeable - or because they were too annoying or impossible to notice. A number of effects are made noticeable in a fake way - Trap Creation is a good example.

Just one step back and thats it . The only change I'm looking here is that monster affecting effects would require an actual monster to be revealed. For monster affecting wands and rods that would mean targeting a monster and for staves and scrolls just a monster around. And to be clear, unaffected result would also reveal the effect.

[spara]

I've got a repeatable CTD with the latest version.

Create a ranger. Go to the general store. Buy arrows so that quiver fills to 40.

[wobbly]

4.0.3-247-g8329eaf windows 7. The gold on the sidebar is not updating till I change levels.

& just got an assertion fail
File: obj-knowledge.c, Line 1558
Expression: obj -> known

was buying a phase door scroll

[Ingwe Ingweron]

In the latest build, the monster subwindow no longer works. Monsters are clearly in view, but the subwindow shows not a single monster ever.

EDIT: actually, only some monsters don't appear. I haven't figured out why. Spider doesn't show, centipede doesn't show. But a cutpurse does show. Go figure?

FURTHER EDIT: Well, the cutpurse doesn't show all the time. I'm mystified. Sometimes the monster subwindow starts working when @ walks into a room, but most of the time it doesn't.

[Nick]

Thanks for these - I've seen the monster list one (note the monster list is fine if you bring it up in the main window), and also some weirdness with updating (HP wouldn't reach max). I shall investigate.

[tprice]

4.0.3-247-g8329eaf windows 7

the obj-knowledge.c, Line 1558 error can be made to happen by

1) existing character i ported from last weeks build, buying any scroll that i already had a stack of in my backpack. BUT if i drop the scrolls outside, buy the scroll, then walk back out and auto pick up the dropped scrolls it worked fine.

2) Started a ranger and tried out the Arrows thing. Error happens if you buy less than enough to fill a slot. aka don't start a new stack. So having 15 and buying 25 crashes, having 15 and buying 26 is fine. having 41 and buying less than 40 more causes the crash.

hmmm from some further messing around you can cause this crash by buying anything that updates a stack quantity...

[Nick]

hmmm from some further messing around you can cause this crash by buying anything that updates a stack quantity...

Correct. I've done a fix to this (it was some of the sloppiest code I've ever written), and there will be a new build before too long.

The monster list and update issue seems a bit more subtle, but I'm investigating it.