Saving +1/-1 stat potions for late stat-gain

[Pondlife]

I've started saving the +1/-1 stat potions (brawn, intellect etc) in my home until the late stat-gain phase of the game when stats start getting maxed out at 18/100.

I find this helps speed up this part of the game, as juggling stats allows me to use all the stat gain potions that I find. So, if I'm maxed out on STR and CON and have strength and con potions, I'll use my saved intellect, nimbleness or contemplation potions to reducing STR or CON and then use the STR and CON potions.

Does anyone else find this a useful technique?

[AnonymousHero]

!

Sure, it gets you a small advantage, but then so does getting +1 in <favored stat> early on! And who knows if you'll even make it far enough to gain the overall advantage...

[Derakon]

Yeah, my philosophy of Angband is to use items when they're useful. There may be a larger benefit in absolute terms if I wait, but I figure the faster I move along the power curve right now, the sooner I'll get to the late game where large benefits of all kinds are in ready supply.

For example, sure, if I saved that potion of Brawn for later, I could get the +1 without having to suffer a -1 somewhere else. But if I use it right now, I'll get to the proper stat gain depths that much sooner. Who knows how many extra stat gain potions I'll pick up in the time saved by using the potion early?

Same goes for Acquirement -- if I use it later, I might get an endgame piece of equipment, sure. But if I use it now, I may get an item that helps me to get to the depths where endgame equipment is in relatively plentiful supply.

[Pondlife]

I guess that shows I'm a bit of a hoarder!

In the original rogue (which was more of a resource management game than Angband IMO), I would often die with unused things that might have saved me. When I win in Angband (which is rarely), it's generally a bit underwhelming.

[Estie]

I use them immediately, if at all.

mage: str, int
priest: str, wis
everyone else: str, dex

[AnonymousHero]

I guess that shows I'm a bit of a hoarder!

I used to be like that too... but then New Angband showed me the way... well that and no-reload BG:1+2+ToB. You really learn the value of immediate survival vs. future gain when you have to go back ~60h (real time) of play to walk out of goddamn Candlekeep. (EDIT: I should add that this is in a gaming context... IRL optimization for future gain usually works out better. Usually. Statistically..)

[Egavactip]

What I do is wait until I have a backup for a crucial stat. So if I have a priest, for example, I want to raise strength (because who doesn't) but not at the expense of wisdom. So I wait until I get one or more of both brawn and whatever the wisdom one is. That way if drinking brawn messes with wisdom I can fix it.

[AnonymousHero]

What I do is wait until I have a backup for a crucial stat. So if I have a priest, for example, I want to raise strength (because who doesn't) but not at the expense of wisdom. So I wait until I get one or more of both brawn and whatever the wisdom one is. That way if drinking brawn messes with wisdom I can fix it.

A very nice micro-optimization .

[Pete Mack]

I only do this for the half-caster spell stat, and DEX for full casters Primary stats I prefer maximizing ASAP. Once the character is comfortable, then it's time to get the secondary stat up to snuff.