Class/magic feature branch

[PowerWyrm]

The problem here is having Ranger bonus being only +0.5, which makes a level 50 Ranger as powerful as a non Ranger using Belthronding. I'd say to compensate Rangers should probably also get some +extra might in the mix.

[Nick]

Playing Ranger (level 25), getting 1.2 shots per turn with a regular Long Bow. Found a Sling of Buckland (x4) (+15,+11) <+4, +3, +2>, which should give +4 Dex, +3 shooting speed, +2 shooting power. Info screen says Shots 1.3/turn. Wouldn't same weapon with any other class give 3 shots per turn?

Nope, the extra shots nerf applies to everyone. Your ranger is getting their + .2 shots from being a ranger; the sling is getting 1 plus +.3 for the +3 to shooting speed.

[mrfy]

Playing Ranger (level 25), getting 1.2 shots per turn with a regular Long Bow. Found a Sling of Buckland (x4) (+15,+11) <+4, +3, +2>, which should give +4 Dex, +3 shooting speed, +2 shooting power. Info screen says Shots 1.3/turn. Wouldn't same weapon with any other class give 3 shots per turn?

[mrfy]

As for necromancers and darkness - yes, this is still a work in progress. Once I get the Blackguard class out (which I hope will be fairly soon) I'll go back over all the new classes and do a bit of tweaking.

I've been trying out the new Ranger class (as it was one of my favorite classes to play under the previous versions). Perhaps I'm used to it being overpowered, but now it feels vastly under-powered. But so far, I only have the first spell book, and at 1.2 shots per turn at level 24.

[Nick]

When hit by a shattering effect (Atlas, Morgoth...) I get the "which direction" query, as if I were casting a spell.

Thanks, I was vaguely aware of this but had forgotten.

I'm now getting slight slowdown occasionally: not drastic, but enough to be annoying. Seems to happen mostly on levels with GVs, possibly when an awake monster (hounds, Saruman) can't find a path to me.

OK, I'll look out for that.

Not really a bug, but might be nice to change: could items stolen from monsters have the description "stolen from..." rather than "dropped by..."?

Good idea.

As for necromancers and darkness - yes, this is still a work in progress. Once I get the Blackguard class out (which I hope will be fairly soon) I'll go back over all the new classes and do a bit of tweaking.

[Voovus]

I've considered this, but I like the sense that it gives of there being more to the world than the character you're currently playing. Certainly when I was starting out, I found the idea of books I couldn't read intriguing.

Would it be possible to stop unusable books mess up the level feeling? But I agree that they add a bit of atmosphere during one's @ish youth. (As, actually, did the rat skeletons and filthy rags in the olden days...)

A couple more bugs:

* When hit by a shattering effect (Atlas, Morgoth...) I get the "which direction" query, as if I were casting a spell.

* I'm now getting slight slowdown occasionally: not drastic, but enough to be annoying. Seems to happen mostly on levels with GVs, possibly when an awake monster (hounds, Saruman) can't find a path to me.

* Not really a bug, but might be nice to change: could items stolen from monsters have the description "stolen from..." rather than "dropped by..."?

[Sky]

wow, the necromancer is hard.

i like the concept of a darkness-based character. however, at this time it still doesn't work. you need darkness, but ALSO need light. Not to cast, but to see your targets. And instead, mobs do not suffer at all from being in the dark. Elven Mages cast just as well in the dark, mobs always know where you are, and really, i don't know if there is any upside to being in the dark. Is there? A CON bonus doesn't really cut it. If this is to work, it needs to affect you the exact opposite of the way light works - you are harder to see.

And i'm just gonna have to say it, you need to start with perma pBlind. OR something else which covers the same problem, such as a ESP spell that lasts for a few turns.

[Philip]

I would like to note that assuming the distribution of books is at the intended level, you can achieve the lack of inappropriate books through squelch settings (though perhaps making a "ignore books that I can't use" extra setting that takes into account your current class wouldn't be unreasonable) while you can't do the reverse.

[Nick]

ok, *how* do i play necromancer?
angband-4.1.2-51-g8ce9bc5 only seems to have the new mage as option.

That's quite an old version - there's some weirdness on the build page, where older builds occasionally re-appear at the top. Look for the highest number after 4.1.2 (currently 150), or use the links in my most recent update post on this thread.

[Sky]

ok, *how* do i play necromancer?
angband-4.1.2-51-g8ce9bc5 only seems to have the new mage as option.

and angband-win-4.1.2-16-g92fe98c has the two mages and the rest of the standard classes, but still no necro.

[Nick]

Suggestion: a more radical change in the same direction that you could consider would be forbidding unreadable books from being generated at all in the game. They are functionally junk items. They are confusing for newbies, and they are only a source of frustration for expert users (when you find one out of depth).

I've considered this, but I like the sense that it gives of there being more to the world than the character you're currently playing. Certainly when I was starting out, I found the idea of books I couldn't read intriguing.

[fph]

Yeah, I should do the O/FA trick of making those books show as grey in the inventory.

Suggestion: a more radical change in the same direction that you could consider would be forbidding unreadable books from being generated at all in the game. They are functionally junk items. They are confusing for newbies, and they are only a source of frustration for expert users (when you find one out of depth).

[Sky]

so, is the necromancer playable?? is it in the default new-magic build?

[Sky]

i'm not sure if real of if i dreamed it, but did i just get 600 XP for casting Acid Spray for the first time ???

[Nick]

OK, new builds up on the build page for macOS and Windows (source zipfile here). Main observable changes are:

• Adjustment to extra shots for artifacts, randarts and egos
• Stealing crash fixed (I believe)
• Shop description weirdness fixed (I believe)
• Unreadable books are now all coloured grey in the player's inventory