Preparing for 4.2 release

[Egavactip]

I would like to see a pre-game option to start stores close together, so that I don't have to waste useless time scurrying around the screen.

I would still like to see Non-Flammable Basic Spellbooks added as new items that could be found in the dungeon.

I would like the ability to order my own inventory.

I REALLY WANT the default order of arrows to have SEEKER arrows come AFTER MITHRIL arrows, rather than the reverse, which makes no sense to the usual order of weakest on top.

Really would like more powerful & useful mushrooms to be found deep in the dungeon.

Too many wolf-type creatures appear in the game. Later in the game, they are just a constant minor irritation, as they can't kill you but they are just always there, forcing you to go around killing them so they don't clutter your path or stop you from resting, etc.

Why do the stores contain huge multiples of items no one is ever going to buy a multiple of at all?

[Vorczar]

Managed to take a screenshot, hilarious red text.
"A gruesome software bug LEAPS out at you! Panic save..."

I started playing a necromancer with persistent levels and randarts twice now and have had the character crash when trying to go down or up levels, leaving me back at the beginning of that level. This is the latest nightly build windows version, and Angband.Live Sometimes taking a different stairs work, sometimes I'm stuck on a level or a deep descent works. At first I thought it was only unbuilt levels but it also crashed before trying to go back to town.

I don't remember which thread, but I think someone else posted this same issue a few weeks ago.

[Sphara]

Is a non-property artifact going to be a thing when playing randarts? This is a second one I've seen in just under two weeks. I can live with this, alright, it just seems a bit silly.

[Voovus]

Is this the very latest version you're playing? It has changed a lot in the last couple of builds.

...

Yep, that's still on my list of unfixed bugs. Is there any idea of when this tends to happen? Is it all the time?

...

What would you suggest? Is it just a matter of how difficult, or does it need some other dimension to it?

Re: food. Latest build. The issue is that it increases the amount of uninteresting micromanagement. It's not hard to avoid getting @ overfed, but I'd rather concentrate on more fun parts of the game! I don't have strong views on the new percentage display - it's nice to see what different food does, but "Hungry" has more atmosphere.

Re: running bug. Just tested on Word-of-Recall. Yes, it appears that @ always takes an extra step when teleporting out of the dungeon while running. I guess this would be the same issue as with traps.

Re: rogue theft. I'll try to come up with something constructive. How sacred is the cow that says that the loot carried by uniques is determined by the dungeon level, rather than by their native depth? (In the context of theft, it's currently worth keeping Wormtongue alive and steal from him every time.)

[Chud]

Though I feel Satisfy Hunger should take you to more than 49%.

Eh - it does satisfy you. :-)

I do find now that slime molds have surpassed scrolls of Satisfy Hunger as the best weight-efficient food source.

[Vorczar]

Crashing on Level Change

I started playing a necromancer with persistent levels and randarts twice now and have had the character crash when trying to go down or up levels, leaving me back at the beginning of that level. This is the latest nightly build windows version, and Angband.Live Sometimes taking a different stairs work, sometimes I'm stuck on a level or a deep descent works. At first I thought it was only unbuilt levels but it also crashed before trying to go back to town.

I don't remember which thread, but I think someone else posted this same issue a few weeks ago.

[mrfy]

Changing the description is an easier fix

Heh. So if Full is 90% and Hunger is 15%, then "well-fed (but not satiated)" should be 2/3rds, or 65%.

[Nick]

Though I feel Satisfy Hunger should take you to more than 49%. After all the description says "Magically renders you well-fed (but not satiated)." How about it takes you to 66%?

Changing the description is an easier fix

[Nick]

1. New hunger mechanic. Sorry, no. I find it even more of a nuisance with the gorge effect.

Is this the very latest version you're playing? It has changed a lot in the last couple of builds.

3. New damage rules. Interesting. This was the first time I ended up carrying a spare weapon. Normally I find it's too much of a hassle (+30% damage to dragons - meh), but now it felt that it was worth it (+200% damage to dragons - yes please!). Not convinced that the details are right, but it's going in the right direction.

4. New damage rules applied to ranged damage. Um. Needs work. Heavy Crossbow of Extra Might (x5) (+12,+18) <+1>, only does 29 damage/round with a normal bolt. Seems a bit pathetic. Maybe just double or triple all ranged damage?

If (as I suspect) this is about the new percentage damage birth option, then I agree - it's fun, but needs lots of work.

5. Exp modifiers. Are High-Elf and Dunedain meant to be "easy" races, since they don't appear to get any exp penalty? Could cause difficulties for competitions.

I initially wanted to remove all XP modifiers, but was talked in to (essentially) keeping them for humans. Maybe High Elves and Dunedain should get a bigger modifier. It just seems like such a lame mechanic to me. What do others think?

6. This has probably been reported plenty of times, but there's still a bug with @ not stopping in time when running. For instance, my @ automatically moved onto a trap with 100% searching skill.

Yep, that's still on my list of unfixed bugs. Is there any idea of when this tends to happen? Is it all the time?

7. Please address the Rogue's thieving skill before 4.2. It was a lot of fun originally (though overpowered). Now it's basically worthless.

What would you suggest? Is it just a matter of how difficult, or does it need some other dimension to it?

[mrfy]

Returned to Angband from a holiday elsewhere. Some comments for Nick on the new version:

1. New hunger mechanic. Sorry, no. I find it even more of a nuisance with the gorge effect.

I've grown to like it and it's even better with the latest changes. It's nice to know how much each kind of food will fill up @'s stomach.

Though I feel Satisfy Hunger should take you to more than 49%. After all the description says "Magically renders you well-fed (but not satiated)." How about it takes you to 66%?

[Voovus]

Returned to Angband from a holiday elsewhere. Some comments for Nick on the new version:

1. New hunger mechanic. Sorry, no. I find it even more of a nuisance with the gorge effect.

2. Tunneling with shovel in inventory. Wonderful!

3. New damage rules. Interesting. This was the first time I ended up carrying a spare weapon. Normally I find it's too much of a hassle (+30% damage to dragons - meh), but now it felt that it was worth it (+200% damage to dragons - yes please!). Not convinced that the details are right, but it's going in the right direction.

4. New damage rules applied to ranged damage. Um. Needs work. Heavy Crossbow of Extra Might (x5) (+12,+18) <+1>, only does 29 damage/round with a normal bolt. Seems a bit pathetic. Maybe just double or triple all ranged damage?

5. Exp modifiers. Are High-Elf and Dunedain meant to be "easy" races, since they don't appear to get any exp penalty? Could cause difficulties for competitions.

6. This has probably been reported plenty of times, but there's still a bug with @ not stopping in time when running. For instance, my @ automatically moved onto a trap with 100% searching skill.

7. Please address the Rogue's thieving skill before 4.2. It was a lot of fun originally (though overpowered). Now it's basically worthless.

[Pete Mack]

Alas, so many changes happened *before* the game was refactored, so it is very hard to go back to tweak 3.0.x with just those changes that (say) Eddie Grove would like. Such are the wages of an engineering deficit.

3.0.8, when you and Andrew Sidwell did TONS of fantastic work improving the game!

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Squelch was added in 3.0.6

3.0.8, when you and Andrew Sidwell did TONS of fantastic work improving the game!

[Ingwe Ingweron]

For kicks, or to relieve boredom more likely, I just read back through all the release notes for Angband versions on rephial. Nick, I must say, you've done an amazing amount of work in these past four years! Thank you!!!

[Pete Mack]

Squelch was added in 3.0.6