I am considering introducing a cut-down version of Sil's lighting effects into Angband.
Specifically, I'm considering the possibility of some monsters having negative light radius - so they would be in darkness, and at higher levels surround themselves with darkness.
I see this working approximately as follows:
We could regard the current situation as torches and monster lights give light intensity 2, lanterns give intensity 3, and artifact lights (and lanterns of brightness) give intensity 4.
Introducing monsters with negative light intensity would mean that they move around in a patch of shadow, which would be cancelled out as the player's light source cast light on them.
I'm interested in opinions, especially from people with experience of Sil.
Specifically, I'm considering the possibility of some monsters having negative light radius - so they would be in darkness, and at higher levels surround themselves with darkness.
I see this working approximately as follows:
- Every monster (also the player) has a light intensity, which results in a light radius of that amount
- The default light intensity is 0, but both positive and negative intensities are possible
- Light intensity drops off by 1 (or increases by 1 for negative intensities) with every grid distant from the monster
- The light intensity on a given grid is the sum of all the intensities cast on it by nearby monsters
- A monster on a grid of negative intensity is not visible by ordinary vision (ignoring ESP and infravision)
- A monster on a grid of positive intensity is visible by ordinary vision
- On grids of zero intensity, the monster is visible or not as currently - so light intensity operates independently of whether a grid is lit or not
We could regard the current situation as torches and monster lights give light intensity 2, lanterns give intensity 3, and artifact lights (and lanterns of brightness) give intensity 4.
Introducing monsters with negative light intensity would mean that they move around in a patch of shadow, which would be cancelled out as the player's light source cast light on them.
I'm interested in opinions, especially from people with experience of Sil.
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