Just Me, Or?...

[takkaria]

This ladder stuff is still confusing me. Like why not just make a zip file, or just screenshot my stats? That seems a lot easier and more efficient than whatever dumpfile thing you're asking.

It's just a culture thing. Since Angband let you save a textfile showing your character information, people have been sharing them and that's just the culture that's built up around the game, going back to the days when the Angba community was primarily on newsgroups. It's not inherently worse or better than any other way of sharing info, it's just "the way it's done" (and more importantly I guess, the main way the game lets it be done).

[fph]

Note that the it would take at least 5 different screenshots to cover the contents of a character dump file: stats, resistance, inventory, equipment, home inventory, history. Possibly more if you play randarts (would also need the Inspect screen of each randart).

[Timo Pietilä]

I don't know, it's probably just me, but it seems like the latest version of Angband is a lot harder than I remember it being in the past. Like even with wizard mode on (yes, I'm lame), I'm dying or coming close to death far too frequently in the early game (pre-level 5).

If you die before 5 then jump straight to 6 and you'll be fine .


Seriously though, getting early survival gear is a bit harder than it used to be. Just buy scrolls of phase door and be ready to run away at any point and you should survive. Note that those pesky low-level priests and paladins and cast curse so big bunch of those can kill you from distance. So avoid being in LoS of several of them at the same time. Corners are your friend.

[Sparrow the Dunadan]

Because it is far easier to read it as a text file online. I would never bother to download a zip file of someone's character just to read it. And cut-and paste characters are hard to read. Try the ladder before you make (ignorant) comments about it. (Ignorant, because you haven't tried it!)

Ignorance would suggest sufficient knowledge and then ignoring such knowledge. Since I obviously and clearly did not have such knowledge, one can not call me ignorant... naive maybe, under-educated... but not ignorant. You were fine with your comment until you decided to come at me with an ad hominem.

Please remove yourself from the conversation, as your attitude is not welcome with me. Thank you.

[Sparrow the Dunadan]

If you die before 5 then jump straight to 6 and you'll be fine .


Seriously though, getting early survival gear is a bit harder than it used to be. Just buy scrolls of phase door and be ready to run away at any point and you should survive. Note that those pesky low-level priests and paladins and cast curse so big bunch of those can kill you from distance. So avoid being in LoS of several of them at the same time. Corners are your friend.

Yeah, my characters were getting killed by stuff like molds/jellies, centipedes and I think jackals early on. But I have selling on, so I don't start with much money. And with the shops being pretty scarce as far as starting equips, it's hard to get just basic armor and a decent weapon (if a dagger or mace isn't going to cut it for whatever character I'm playing). Sometimes I can't even buy a sling or short bow because I focus on body armor.

Also I'm noticing some really odd behavior with jackals and cave spiders. They no longer chase you beyond the edge of the room they are in. Is that normal? I don't remember them them being so contained to their set locations before.

[Sparrow the Dunadan]

Note that the it would take at least 5 different screenshots to cover the contents of a character dump file: stats, resistance, inventory, equipment, home inventory, history. Possibly more if you play randarts (would also need the Inspect screen of each randart).

Ah... I see... I didn't even know what is in a dumpfile, which is why I thought a zip file would be easier, since I know how to create one of those already.

(I don't play anything but vanilla, so no randarts. :3 )

[Timo Pietilä]

Also I'm noticing some really odd behavior with jackals and cave spiders. They no longer chase you beyond the edge of the room they are in. Is that normal? I don't remember them them being so contained to their set locations before.

Yes, that's new behavior. They don't charge at you unless they can surround you. It's ambush-behavior.

[Adam]

So, I'm guessing that 15-16 STR is no longer a sufficient starting STR stat for characters such as Dunadan Rangers (16), Half-Orc Mages (15), and High-Elf Priests (15).

I'm not sure how much experience you have with the game. I see you joined last month so maybe not that much. So I am just making guesses
From my experience when I started playing this game one of my problems connected to low STR was the speed problem because I carried everything I found. Watch your speed. If you start to have -1, -2 or worse, start sorting out what you need and what you don't (average ammo, extra heavy weapons and armors, staves).

Yeah, my characters were getting killed by stuff like molds/jellies, centipedes and I think jackals early on. But I have selling on, so I don't start with much money. And with the shops being pretty scarce as far as starting equips, it's hard to get just basic armor and a decent weapon (if a dagger or mace isn't going to cut it for whatever character I'm playing). Sometimes I can't even buy a sling or short bow because I focus on body armor.

Also I'm noticing some really odd behavior with jackals and cave spiders. They no longer chase you beyond the edge of the room they are in. Is that normal? I don't remember them them being so contained to their set locations before.

Molds and jellies usually do not move, just don't stand next to them. I'm not sure if you know that, if you have ammo, you can throw it with the 'v' command even if you don't have a launcher. Less effective, but against immobile monsters it may be enough. You can also just leave them alone, they usually don't mean much XP and they don't drop anything.

Jackals (and later hounds) have this logic since very early versions I think. They come to attack you if you are in a room but don't follow if you go into a corridor. Unless you go below 50% of your HP in which case they still follow you.

When buying your starting equipment, body armor is not always the good choice. For example mages don't want to go to melee range, so they don't need armor. They need cure light wounds potions and phase door scrolls.

You don't need to kill everything you see, just leave monsters which are too dangerous or don't worth killing.

[Grotug]

The following is copied verbatim from a quick google search for the term 'ignorance':

ignorance

noun
lack of knowledge or information.
"he acted in ignorance of basic procedures"

[Pete Mack]

Sparrow--
My apologies; no insult was intended. That post was meant as a stronger suggestion to actually post a character dump. Without one, nobody will be able to help you very well, because we can't actually see what you are doing.

[Sparrow the Dunadan]

Yes, that's new behavior. They don't charge at you unless they can surround you. It's ambush-behavior.

Ah, that's an interesting concept, makes 'em a bit harder to deal with in early levels, but it's more realistic in a sense.

[Sparrow the Dunadan]

I'm not sure how much experience you have with the game. I see you joined last month so maybe not that much. So I am just making guesses
From my experience when I started playing this game one of my problems connected to low STR was the speed problem because I carried everything I found. Watch your speed. If you start to have -1, -2 or worse, start sorting out what you need and what you don't (average ammo, extra heavy weapons and armors, staves).


Molds and jellies usually do not move, just don't stand next to them. I'm not sure if you know that, if you have ammo, you can throw it with the 'v' command even if you don't have a launcher. Less effective, but against immobile monsters it may be enough. You can also just leave them alone, they usually don't mean much XP and they don't drop anything.

Jackals (and later hounds) have this logic since very early versions I think. They come to attack you if you are in a room but don't follow if you go into a corridor. Unless you go below 50% of your HP in which case they still follow you.

When buying your starting equipment, body armor is not always the good choice. For example mages don't want to go to melee range, so they don't need armor. They need cure light wounds potions and phase door scrolls.

You don't need to kill everything you see, just leave monsters which are too dangerous or don't worth killing.

Yeah, I've been playing various vanilla versions for probably off and on for about 20 years (Started playing Angband way back in the 90's on a Mac). Sometimes there's been 5+ years between game plays and versions though.

Yes, I've noticed recently, that even if I'm not slowed, if I'm carrying heavy stuff like a mace or heck even a pick, it can effect my hit ratio against their miss ratio (at least how I'm understanding it.)

Yeah, I try to stay away from jellies (molds are less of a problem except the ones that cause confusion) if it can be helped, but the problem is sometimes I can't get ranged equips at the beginning of the game because of lack of money, or they just aren't available.

Yeah, the jackal/hound thing is new and I think was part of my problem in earlier gameplays that I later deleted. Because I was getting surrounded by them the moment I got into the room (because they would linger out of light sight if I managed to get to a corridor).

I haven't playing a lot of mage types unless I go Kobold or something tougher like a gnome or dwarf. I disagree that they don't need body armor. They do because there will be situations where in early levels you can't just spellcast things to death (because you don't have a lot of SP to begin with). Though that being said. Body armor should be only lighter wear like robes, and maybe soft leather later on. Which is what I look for. I usually don't bother with shield until later if I am a mage.

Again with potions and scrolls, you can't buy a lot without it costing a bunch early game when you don't have money. I try to play cost conservative, just so I can build bank to get those good early BM items and enchanted items.

But yeah, I do need to know when I'm over my head sooner. I tend to get a bit bloodlusted when facing a item/treasure drop enemy early game. (What can I say, I got a greedy gut... must be the dragon in me. XD )


Oh, I do know about the throw command, but like I said, sometimes I'm not able to buy either a sling or bow early game because of the stupid store doesn't have one.... so I usually don't think to just buy ammo to throw. I guess I kinda derped on thinking about that.

Anyway.... thanks for telling me about the Jackal/hound behavior and about the STR:WT ratio. I will keep that in mind on my next character build.