Issues on current master

[Nick]

What happened here is that the item the artifact amulets were based on are normally higher powered than the pool assigned to these artifacts, so you end up with bad amulets of trickery.

Picking base egos to add something on top is dubious unless the randart is much more powerfull than the ego to begin with; otherwise you make sure that there are _really_ no random items in the game. If you pick a low powered item, say an amulet of wisdom, as base, there is less of a problem because a) there are only 2 fixed properties - +wis and sustain wis - and more over you have room to add something like 2-3 different attributes to make the artifact distinctly different from the base ego item.

OK, there's actually a pretty simple change to the current code - see what you think.

Currently, the process goes

1. Choose a base item
2. Copy all it's properties across to the new artifact
3. If it's jewellery, keep the properties but move it to be one of the "special" kinds, (so your amulets are both "Jewel of ...")
4. Add extra properties until it has sufficient power

This is fine for weapons and armor, because their basic properties are their damage dice or armor class (and extras on only a few things like elven cloaks and blades of chaos). The problem with jewellery, though, is that it has no really basic properties.

My suggestion, then, is for jewellery only to choose one of the special kinds as base item. That way, they all start with nothing and get completely random properties added. As a bonus, it simplifies the code

[wobbly]

4.0.3-768-gc1d18b2

Somethings up with rods of disable traps. Zapped 1 down the corridor at a trap door, it disappeared, when I got to the square it says "You disable the trap door".

[Estie]

Level creation gone wrong:

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=82782600469305870208

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=07947287969857477471

Save file and corresponding randart file. Loading the save file on my computer works, but first attempts at doing something (like mapping) crashed the game. Somhow, digging worked in my last attempt.

Edit: Argh, it seems this is the status before the recall. Unfortunately I have lost the bogus level (it was a town square "vault" with nothing but granite around and me starting in permanent wall far away). Sorry.

[Estie]

the Jewel of Amarindin <+1, +2>
-------------------------------
+1 dexterity.
+1 stealth.
+2 searching skill.
+2 infravision.
+1 speed.
Provides resistance to poison, sound, nexus.
Sustains dexterity, constitution.


Min Level 45, Max Level 90, Generation chance 19, Power 150, 0.3 lbs
Random amulet of power 150.


the Jewel of Umlaith <+1, +2>
-----------------------------
+1 dexterity.
+1 stealth.
+2 searching skill.
+2 infravision.
+1 speed.
Provides resistance to poison, shards, nexus.
Provides protection from fear.
Sustains dexterity.


Min Level 21, Max Level 84, Generation chance 10, Power 141, 0.3 lbs
Random amulet of power 141.


What happened here is that the item the artifact amulets were based on are normally higher powered than the pool assigned to these artifacts, so you end up with bad amulets of trickery.

Picking base egos to add something on top is dubious unless the randart is much more powerfull than the ego to begin with; otherwise you make sure that there are _really_ no random items in the game. If you pick a low powered item, say an amulet of wisdom, as base, there is less of a problem because a) there are only 2 fixed properties - +wis and sustain wis - and more over you have room to add something like 2-3 different attributes to make the artifact distinctly different from the base ego item.

I am sorry, but I like the old artifact algorithm "based on standart" a lot better. The new ones really just feel like playing with the no artifact option on. Why is it necessary that all artifacts share their properties with an ego ?
That really cuts down on the amount of combinations possible and removes any chance for a kit of unusual combination.

I understand the desire to give the randart set some kind of structure and not go completely random. However, using the existing ego bias as skeleton is terrible.

Here is an idea of a way to give structure that does not mirror the ego set:

Make a list of all possible properties and when creating a new randart set, sort it randomly. Now for each slot, roll a number on that list. When creating an artifact for a given slot, prefer properties that are close to the one with the given number (gaussian distribution).

For example, a list might include searching(7) strength(8) resist poison(9). Suppose the game rolls 8 for amulets and wants to create an amulet. Then it picks properties from the list with the most likely being str, followed by searching and res poison.

This is very raw; it can be finetuned in various ways, for example making 2 lists - one with weak and one with strong properties - and giving randarts a varying amount of picks from each list, depending on the power level.

Another way would be to list the properties as above and use the current algorithm (based on egos), except you shift along that list. So for example, if you create an amulet and determine it is based on trickery, instead of using resist poison (9) you use (9 + s) where s is a (randomly determined ?) shift, which might point to resist chaos or whatever depending on the list order. If you sort properties by their power (not randomly), you somewhat preserve the power between randart sets.

Other ways can be devised; I am as always happy to throw out ideas, unfortunately I cant code.

[Pete Mack]

It seems to be intermittent. I just tried again, and it's currently working. I've seen it happen twice now, once just now, and once a while back on the options menu.

[Pete Mack]

Windows, though that shouldn't matter.

Which OS is this?

[Nick]

roguelike keyset is horked for some menu lists. Attempted to inscribe object 'j' in inventory. Keypress was interpreted as "menu down item."
Worse, when I go to try to read scroll "j", it still interprets it as "menu down", and gives prompted request for first scroll in list.
*Vanilla is currently unplayable* as it stands. For roguelike keyset, this is a priority-0 regression.

Which OS is this?

EDIT: OK, my testing so far has only found this behaviour when there is no "j" item. What I see is

• If there is an appropriate "j" item, that is selected;
• If not, the "j" keypress is interpreted as down-arrow (as are the other roguelike direction keys in similar circumstances).

I believe this is correct behaviour.

[Pete Mack]

roguelike keyset is horked for some menu lists. Attempted to inscribe object 'j' in inventory. Keypress was interpreted as "menu down item."
Worse, when I go to try to read scroll "j", it still interprets it as "menu down", and gives prompted request for first scroll in list.
*Vanilla is currently unplayable* as it stands. For roguelike keyset, this is a priority-0 regression.

[Derakon]

the aggravate and drain xp. otherwise, they are decent weapons. back in 3.0 angband, they were cursed (i.e. you could not unequip them) and they had penalties to hit and damage, and a flavour text so amazing i still remember it "you feel a deadly chill" when you wielded them.

The flavor text was "Oops! It feels deathly cold!" and was displayed whenever you equipped any cursed item (possibly only if it hadn't been identified yet, though).

[Sky]

the aggravate and drain xp. otherwise, they are decent weapons. back in 3.0 angband, they were cursed (i.e. you could not unequip them) and they had penalties to hit and damage, and a flavour text so amazing i still remember it "you feel a deadly chill" when you wielded them.

[wobbly]

Morgul blades have aggravation right? Too weak as weapons to suicide that way. Better to remove the ag, give them drain xp & a sticky curse guaranteed to break the weapon on removal

[Sky]

Blades of Morgul can have additional ego properties, such as ... hold life.

[Estie]

Yes I believe it was on generation.

[Nick]

Assertion failed!

Program: ...
File: cave-square.c
Line: 472

Expression: square-in-bounds(c,y,x)

Thanks. Was that on level generation? If not, can you remember what you were doing?

[Estie]

Assertion failed!

Program: ...
File: cave-square.c
Line: 472

Expression: square-in-bounds(c,y,x)