Preparing for 4.2 release

[Nick]

Little bug on Beorn. In monster description, his human form is supposed to move at normal speed and bear form is supposed to move quickly (+10). Still, Beorn has normal speed in both forms.

Yeah, that's actually intended (it's meant to be only the race that changes), but silly in the case of speed. I'll change that.

[wobbly]

Shouldn't it be everything but hps? I'd expect AC to change for instance. I'm also a little curious about what happens if something shapechanges into a breeder.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

I think it's wrong that shape-changed monsters get the high-end powers of the new shape. You might look like Huan, or even get the hitpoints, but really, you get all the supreme powers too? And what about shape-changing into things with spell powers? Did the shape-changer get an instant education that took years for the actual one to learn?

[Nick]

I think it's wrong that shape-changed monsters get the high-end powers of the new shape. You might look like Huan, or even get the hitpoints, but really, you get all the supreme powers too? And what about shape-changing into things with spell powers? Did the shape-changer get an instant education that took years for the actual one to learn?

The big shapechangers are Maiar, so yeah, I reckon they can do anything they set their minds to.

Shouldn't it be everything but hps? I'd expect AC to change for instance. I'm also a little curious about what happens if something shapechanges into a breeder.

As far as what the actual mechanics go, when a monster changes currently they just change their race. So they keep their current hitpoints, status effects, and inventory, but for many things it is the race that is looked at - spellcasting and other abilities, hearing, smell, AC are all examples. For detail, look at what is in struct monster_race and what is in struct monster in monster.h. Speed is a special case because, while average speed is defined in the race, speed for an individual monster is allocated at birth, and may be a couple of points above or below average. Consequently speed needs to be changed when the player changes.

[PowerWyrm]

Just something I spotted while porting some stuff to PWMAngband...

File: player-util.c

void player_over_exert(struct player *p, int flag, int chance, int amount)
{
...
player_stat_dec(player, STAT_CON, perm);
...
player_inc_timed(player, TMD_PARALYZED, randint1(amount),
...
}

One day you should get rid of that "player" global variable... And the "cave" one while you're at it...

[Nick]

OK, new builds up on the nightlies page and angband.live which will probably break savefiles (although probably not if the character's food counter is below 1/2). Changes are a couple of bugfixes plus a biggish rework of food; in detail:

• Shapechanging monsters adopt the speed of their new shape
• Character state of nourishment is now referred to in most places as a percentage
• There is a permanent hunger meter displaying the percentage, along with the usual hunger descriptions
• Full now starts at 80% nourished, and the player loses 1 speed with every 2% above that
• No more gorged status or vomiting
• Regeneration now goes faster the more nourished the player is, including when they are full
• Druids' Herbal Healing has been replaced by Rapid Regeneration, which gives phased healing over several turns (as before) at the cost of 10% nourishment per turn, and Herbal Curing, which cures the same status conditions as before plus Black Breath
• Rangers get Herbal Curing but not Rapid Regeneration
• Necromancers in the early stage of vampire form where they still get HP and nourishment from their bite attack are immune from slowing due to fullness
• Satisfy Hunger (both scrolls and spells) now sets the player to 50% nourished; Elvish Waybread sets to 75% (or gives no nourishment if the player is already above 75%)

These are quite big changes, which aim to integrate the food system more thoroughly into the game. I think they work well, but let me know how they play.

[Nick]

Just something I spotted while porting some stuff to PWMAngband...

File: player-util.c

void player_over_exert(struct player *p, int flag, int chance, int amount)
{
...
player_stat_dec(player, STAT_CON, perm);
...
player_inc_timed(player, TMD_PARALYZED, randint1(amount),
...
}

One day you should get rid of that "player" global variable... And the "cave" one while you're at it...

Thanks. You're right, of course, but not tonight

[PowerWyrm]

Looking at the change that adds random attack to bloodlust-affected characters... it involves modifying the process_command() function. Ouch... When I look at this function in PWMAngband... it's a client function. This means modifying the code like in V doesn't prevent anyone from hacking the client and removing/tweaking it. Not something that I would want...

Now looking where I could implement that on the server instead... it seems the best location would be the "has_energy" function which rejects commands if the player doesn't have enough energy to act. Including the code there and returning "false" when a random attack occurs should work fine.

[PowerWyrm]

File player-attack.c, about shield bashes:

bool attempt_shield_bash(struct player *p, struct monster *mon, bool *fear, int *blows)
{
...

	/* Players bash more often when they see a real need: */
...
if (weapon->dd * weapon->ds * (*blows) < shield->dd * shield->ds * 3)
{
		/* ... or armed with a puny weapon */
bash_chance *= 2;
}
}

Problem: blows is always 0 (see py_attack), so the x2 buff always applies for all weapons...

[mrfy]

OK, new builds up on the nightlies page and angband.live which will probably break savefiles (although probably not if the character's food counter is below 1/2). Changes are a couple of bugfixes plus a biggish rework of food; in detail:

• Satisfy Hunger (both scrolls and spells) now sets the player to 50% nourished; Elvish Waybread sets to 75% (or gives no nourishment if the player is already above 75%)

FYI, my savefile didn't break and when I started my food was at 99%. Rested and down to 76%, when for a whim I cast Satisfy Hunger (I'm trying out the revamped Ranger class). Food drops to 49%. Shouldn't the Satisfy Hunger verse just do nothing and leave you at 76%?

Later I ate two slime molds (yum!) which take me to 83% and slow, so I cast Satisfy Hunger and back to normal 49%. I can also verify that the Satisfy Hunger scroll acts the same way.

[fph]

FYI, my savefile didn't break and when I started my food was at 99%. Rested and down to 76%, when for a whim I cast Satisfy Hunger (I'm trying out the revamped Ranger class). Food drops to 49%. Shouldn't the Satisfy Hunger verse just do nothing and leave you at 76%?

Later I ate two slime molds (yum!) which take me to 83% and slow, so I cast Satisfy Hunger and back to normal 49%. I can also verify that the Satisfy Hunger scroll acts the same way.

Satisfy Hunger putting you at 50% even when you are above that is by design, I think. It has always been this way: the spell is both a way to cure hunger and to ensure that the next 2 or 30 CCW potions won't leave you gorged.

[Pete Mack]

Reading that function signature, I *do* wish it included const correctness. All those mysterious pointers, and I am trying to figure out what arguments might change underfoot!

[Pete Mack]

Satisfy hunger used to put you at, but not above, satiation. It was a dangerous spell if you planned to get into a big fight. Having it as a replacement for potions of salt water is a much better solution.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

...a biggish rework of food; in detail:...

• Character state of nourishment is now referred to in most places as a percentage
• There is a permanent hunger meter displaying the percentage, along with the usual hunger descriptions
• Full now starts at 80% nourished, and the player loses 1 speed with every 2% above that
• No more gorged status or vomiting
• Regeneration now goes faster the more nourished the player is, including when they are full
• Necromancers in the early stage of vampire form where they still get HP and nourishment from their bite attack are immune from slowing due to fullness
• Satisfy Hunger (both scrolls and spells) now sets the player to 50% nourished; Elvish Waybread sets to 75% (or gives no nourishment if the player is already above 75%)

These are quite big changes, which aim to integrate the food system more thoroughly into the game. I think they work well, but let me know how they play.

While still not a fan of the "hunger" mechanic, though I may be converted over time once I get used to it again, I think these changes make it much more manageable and much less of a "gotcha". Thank you, Nick! One question, I can't tell for certain, but it seems to me that Slow Digestion isn't working very well anymore, if at all. Am I imagining this, or did the changes break Slow Digestion?

[Nick]

One question, I can't tell for certain, but it seems to me that Slow Digestion isn't working very well anymore, if at all. Am I imagining this, or did the changes break Slow Digestion?

It should work just as before - it divides the amount of food digested by 5. Other things have changed around it which may make it feel different; I believe I haven't broken it.

PowerWyrm - keep it up