Fast diving, a myth?

[PowerDiver]

That really is a frighteningly impressive win. The tension level of that game must have been pretty high. It isn't your turncounts that I find really impressive, it's the fact that you seem to get them without big pieces of luck. I've played some very quick games (though not as quick as yours), but they generally involved some early speed and some other nice lucky finds.

It was really tense at first, but then it just got silly. Less than 200 hp at 3000'. I was laughing out loud, it was so silly. I just kept making my way to the next stair or trapdoor and going down. My 2nd or 3rd trip to 4950 gave me a checkerboard vault, and then there was no more tension.

I particularly remember searching out an emperor wight, and it cursed me for half my hp and I kept blasting away. I didn't know if one more curse would kill me, but I knew at least I had a chance to kill it, unlike so many other high value foes.

[aeneas]

It was really tense at first, but then it just got silly. Less than 200 hp at 3000'. I was laughing out loud, it was so silly. I just kept making my way to the next stair or trapdoor and going down. My 2nd or 3rd trip to 4950 gave me a checkerboard vault, and then there was no more tension.

The last time I tried diving with a mage my experience was similar, though less extreme as I was not going anywhere near as fast as you were. I think at 3000' I was still under 300 hp, but that extra 100 is pretty huge- 200 is just ridiculous. I had also found a really nice Heavy XBow pretty early, which is really helpful. I think I got cold feet a bit in that game, and died from spending too much time in the 60s and 70s- that and doing something dumb. I'm guessing that one of the keys to the way you play is never letting cold feet take over.

I particularly remember searching out an emperor wight, and it cursed me for half my hp and I kept blasting away. I didn't know if one more curse would kill me, but I knew at least I had a chance to kill it, unlike so many other high value foes.

Well, there's a good example of no cold feet. I don't think I would have done that. I have to admit that when I saw your dump I was thinking your prospects were pretty grim. Have you won in <400k with every class now?

[PowerDiver]

Have you won in <400k with every class now?

Not yet with a warrior. They start so slow without access to detect stairs. My current warrior had an extremely lucky find, boots of speed +10 at 1900', and should do it if I survive. Currently 3100' and 210K turns, but only 465 hp so there will still be plenty of chances to die.