feature/monster

[Nick]

New builds for Windows and macOS up on the builds page (source is here) with the following groups of monsters updated:

• Orcs:
  • Hill orcs replaced by orc trackers
  • Black orcs replaced by orc archers
  • Almost all non-unique orcs given some archery
  • Uruks given whips
  • Azog renamed Enemy of the Dwarves
• Ogres:
  • Ogre mages and Lokkak buffed and moved deeper
• Zephyr hounds:
  • Ethereal hounds replaced by hounds of Tindalos
  • Aether hounds get extra speed
• Trolls:
  • Water trolls replaced by hill trolls
• Insects (and lice):
  • Lice removed as a monster base (freeing up space...), giant white and black lice become insects
  • Hummerhorns, neekerbreekers and fireflies moved deeper
• Killer beetles:
  • Killer white beetles come back in as the deepest beetle (and stronger)
  • Fire and iridescent beetles get a spit-from-a-distance attack
  • A few types get an AC buff
• Snakes:
  • Large brown snakes replaced by serpents of the brownlands
  • Nightcrawlers become snakes
  • Large yellow snakes replaced by serpents of chaos

I had a fair bit of fun with these, I hope you do too. Testing and comments appreciated.

That's about 1/4 to 1/3 of the monsters done, I think.

[Nick]

Trying out the new monster branch, found a pit of creepie crawlies. While waiting for them to come around the corner to be frost bolted, I notice the description for a giant fire tick keeps changing in one of my subwindows. Specifically, the line "It may spit at you from a distance (#)". Each turn, the number "#" changes randomly from 5 up to max 15.

Thanks, filed and diagnosed. Normally monster lore shows maximum damage, but the LASH effect that monster spitting uses complicates the way it's calculated. I will have to rewrite a bit.

[mrfy]

Trying out the new monster branch, found a pit of creepie crawlies. While waiting for them to come around the corner to be frost bolted, I notice the description for a giant fire tick keeps changing in one of my subwindows. Specifically, the line "It may spit at you from a distance (#)". Each turn, the number "#" changes randomly from 5 up to max 15.

[Nick]

Haven't yet made it to the Greater Demon depths, where I suspect the Balrogs are seriously overpowered. So far, though, the dungeon is certainly more dangerous, but I think appropriately so. I've had @'s die several times as I adjust to the new balance. For those who have complained that the game had been nerfed too much, the pendulum is swinging back. Great job, Nick!

We'll have to see how it is when I've upgraded the other nine tenths of the monsters

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Haven't yet made it to the Greater Demon depths, where I suspect the Balrogs are seriously overpowered. So far, though, the dungeon is certainly more dangerous, but I think appropriately so. I've had @'s die several times as I adjust to the new balance. For those who have complained that the game had been nerfed too much, the pendulum is swinging back. Great job, Nick!

[Nick]

New Windows and macOS builds now up on the builds page (source is here). Changes are:

• Fixed crash bug caused by failed monster shapechanges
• Added the ability for monsters who are too far away to sense the player to follow monsters in their group who can sense the player

That last one is in preparation for the orc update which will be landing soon.

[Nick]

Okay, I have a savefile for you of a similar CRASH bug. Try melee with the Enchantress. It may take a couple attempts, but you will most likely get a crash quite quickly. [ATTACH]1681[/ATTACH]

Excellent, thanks.

[MattB]

I’m happy/excited/impressed by most of the changes. But here’s a few preliminary worries...

Whip sounded awesome, until I realised you’d sneakily buffed Balrogs. I bloody HATE Balrogs! Then I read further and you buffed then again!! Argh!!!

On resistances, I reckon most of my deaths in the lower half of the dungeon come from taking a higher than expected hit from a resisted higher element. And I think that’s probably a good thing.

I will miss Driders. They were always one of the more interesting shallow monsters.

But I haven’t played yet. I will as soon as this Dwarf Paladin dies. Probably to a 5/6 damage nether breath...

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Hm, no idea what that one's about. Do you have a savefile?

Okay, I have a savefile for you of a similar CRASH bug. Try melee with the Enchantress. It may take a couple attempts, but you will most likely get a crash quite quickly. Neleg.zip

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Hm, no idea what that one's about. Do you have a savefile?

It wasn't duplicatable, since I had to start the level over again and didn't make the exact same key-strokes over the exploration, melee, etc. I am trying to reinculcate my old habit of paranoid saving when I was play-testing every single aspect from way back when you were making the initial code-base changes. If I can get a duplicate with moves close to a savefile, I will send it.

[Nick]

There's still a nasty crash bug. On DL32, @ activated Dethanc down a hallway at a Forest Wight and immediately behind it an unseen Q (invisible, but known to be there due to a ?Detect Invisible used a couple turns before rounding the corner to the hallway). Game immediately crashed and restart dumps @ back at the beginning of the level.

Hm, no idea what that one's about. Do you have a savefile?

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Latest builds ....More generally, please do give feedback on any aspect of this branch...

There's still a nasty crash bug. On DL32, @ activated Dethanc down a hallway at a Forest Wight and immediately behind it an unseen Q (invisible, but known to be there due to a ?Detect Invisible used a couple turns before rounding the corner to the hallway). Game immediately crashed and restart dumps @ back at the beginning of the level.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

More generally, please do give feedback on any aspect of this branch; so far the lack of negative feedback is encouraging me to be creative, which is something of a double-edged sword

So far I'm liking it, even though my last @ just died stuck in a web, surrounded by Mirkwood Spiders. I thought it was pretty cool even though I have to start over. Haven't gotten to the Big Demon depths, which as I've said before, if I understand your changes, scares the Hell (he he he) out of me.

[Nick]

I'm less ok with changes that make the game look less like Moria. There haven't been many of these, the main one being the change to the Mage: I wouldn't mind if the effects of the Mage's spells had been fiddled with, but because the spell list has been totally redone I now find that the classical character from my childhood has simply evaporated, and I will never be able to play the old character again *sob*.

You'll note that there is also an old_class.txt shipped with the game, which is like it says on the tin.

[Voovus]

More generally, please do give feedback on any aspect of this branch; so far the lack of negative feedback is encouraging me to be creative, which is something of a double-edged sword

Ok, some general, highly subjective feedback here. I'm happy with most of the technical gameplay changes and with the additions - fewer spellbooks, introduction of totally new spells / classes, tweaks to old spells. Many need fine-tuning (shapeshifting, stealing, several spells), but otherwise seem good. Not convinced with the change to shooting, but haven't played with it much since the change. I'm less ok with changes that make the game look less like Moria. There haven't been many of these, the main one being the change to the Mage: I wouldn't mind if the effects of the Mage's spells had been fiddled with, but because the spell list has been totally redone I now find that the classical character from my childhood has simply evaporated, and I will never be able to play the old character again *sob*. Haven't had time to try out the new monsters.