Favourite variants? Hated ones?

[XVIITheStar]

My favorite Hengband (Zangband is good but I mean Hengband is kind of just an expansion to it)
It's not about the several towns and dungeons, I like the fact that there are 37 races and 27 classes that all play differently, allowing 999 different possibilities of characters. This is not counting the 10 basic magic realms.

Else I find SAngband really original and a fun new way to play but I haven't played enough to strongly recommend it, I might start doing so though.

I have Tome and Tometk but I don't play much, it's cool but I find the magic system a bit odd. Anyways I almost didn't play so I cannot tell.

Eyangband is definitely a good variant, adding new elements but keeping the feel of vanilla

DrAngband is not a largely played variant but (even if it is easier) it's cool to play as a dragon

I also have FAangband, Hellband, Angbandtk and Zangbandtk

A variant I will definitely never play is Animeband

[Wisp]

[QUOTE=

I also have FAangband, Hellband, Angbandtk and Zangbandtk
[/QUOTE]

Speaking of (Z)AngbandTK

, does anyone know where I could get a hold of those, and possibly Tometik?

[pav]

What about http://www.bitmine.net/~bayard/angbandTk/ ? But they are hopelessly outdated - Vanilla one is for 2.9.2, for example.

[andrewdoull]

What about http://www.bitmine.net/~bayard/angbandTk/ ? But they are hopelessly outdated - Vanilla one is for 2.9.2, for example.

I think you'll find that maintenance of the TK versions have fallen by the wayside.

You might find a more recent version if you search for Omniband. Having had a quick look though, you might not have much luck.

Andrew

[Wisp]

Thanks for your help... Searching for ZangbandTK got me a copy of Omnitk which is working fine. Now all I want to find is TomeTik, which I cannot find a website that has that actually works.

[nobody]

i'd have to say there are lots of variants i like, altho i *never* get far at all, in any of them, i'm just extremely impatient. here's my list off the top of my head

zangband- the variant i judge all others on quite frankly

sangband- neat thing with the skills instead of clevs, but the graphics might be my fav thing in this variant, i'm strictly an ascii guy, but sangband has some neat compromises between tiles and ascii that look great.

hengband- a really neat variant with lots of different crazy stuff

kangband- sorta like hengband with lots of crazy stuff, a blast to play, altho it might be too easy, seeing as i usually get to a higher clev in this then most others

portralis- some really innovative stuff here, perhaps not too balanced as of yet, but really fun

looking at my list, it seems as if i mostly like the variants that are quite different then vanilla. i also love vanilla. i don't think i really hate any of the variants, i appreciate when people love this great game enough to create their own take on it, that said i could never get into ToME, its always confused me a bit, which makes me sad. why can i walk through some trees, but not others, even if they're the same color? also, all other roguelikes i've tried pale in comparison to the mighty bands as far as i'm concerned

[Magnate]

sangband- neat thing with the skills instead of clevs, but the graphics might be my fav thing in this variant, i'm strictly an ascii guy, but sangband has some neat compromises between tiles and ascii that look great.

I agree. The "pseudotiles" in the new Sang are exactly the right balance between ascii and graphics (for me, at least). All the monsters and loot are good old ascii (but in 256 colours which is very helpful), but walls, doors and terrain (rubble, trees, lava, water, columns) are pseudotiles. Really nice for us ascii folks.

Sang is my favourite variant - it is beautifully balanced and offers fantastic choice and replay value.

O is my second favourite - it's basically halfway between S and V. It has classes rather than skills, with really cool special abilities. It's more difficult than either S or V.

NPP I like, though I've not tried the 0.5.x series. The 0.4.x series was like an improved version of V, but I understand 0.5 has departed a little.

I've never really got into variants with wildernesses (I briefly tried Z and Un). I'm sure I'll get back there one day, but for now I'm sufficiently challenged by the single dungeon variants. FA is on my list to try, as is Gum.

Glad I read this thread - will add Portralis to my list (I always wondered what happened to NewAngband).

I hardly ever play V any more, and with all these variants that probably won't change any time soon.

CC

[shadus]

My personal favorites are ToME (2.3.4), Sangband (1.0), and Portralis (0.2.1)... over the years I've done O, Heng, Anime, Steam, Z, Vanilla, UN, and of course nethack.

I probably like ToME the best, I feel the most free there to create the character I want... and even with the freedom to do that it doesn't feel easy like some of the other variants end up feeling... although if you try tome go with 2.3.4 and not the 3.0 pre-releases, they're still hideously borked.

I can't say I've ever met a *band I hated... just ones that didn't hold my interest. I really enjoy skill based *bands the most and I don't feel there is one that has yet fully explored that avenue... even in Sangband you're still tied fairly tightly into magical schools or by oaths. ToME suffers from the same problem also but less-so because of the fumble fingers quests where you can pick up skills here and there at a low multiplier.

Edit: Whoops, didn't finish my thoughts.. durr.

Portralis is kinda skill based but the interface feels... off to me. It would have probably become my favorite quite a while ago but I just don't like the interface... and the errors in the character screen, sometimes getting stuck with a race, etc... just get on my nerves. It lacks a lot of polish that I feel really helps a lot of other varients... and even in the last couple years, vanilla.

A mix of the three would really be ideal for me... but I suppose if something like that was to ever be done I'd have to be the one to do it... and that would require a LOT of time that I don't have (Edit2: I can't believe I just said that after spending 4 hours straight playing sangband *hangs head*)

[Variaz]

Portralis is kinda skill based but the interface feels... off to me. It would have probably become my favorite quite a while ago but I just don't like the interface... and the errors in the character screen, sometimes getting stuck with a race, etc... just get on my nerves. It lacks a lot of polish that I feel really helps a lot of other varients... and even in the last couple years, vanilla.

I admit that my variant's interface could use some more polishing. I focused mainly on adding features rather than polishing the interface. So I apologise if it looks a bit old or unpolished.

I have one question though... I wonder what errors in the character screen you are talking about... And what exactly do you mean by "sometimes getting stuck with a race"?

[Diogenes]

I tried Vanilla, Zangband and FAngband.

Vanilla (especially pre 3.0.0, when mages still had the Invulnerability) is okay, Zangband was/is *very good* - I liked that one the best. I think I'll take that one again when V developments go too much in the wrong direction and I'll want to take something else again.

I soon got frustrated with all the dead-end corridors I encountered in the "mountain" part of FA, so I soon quit on that. Maybe I should retake it, but ToME looks more appealing.

My favorite variant is Druid, since it gives not-so-expert players a chance to win the game.

Cheers,


Peter.

[takkaria]

I tried Vanilla, Zangband and FAngband.

Vanilla (especially pre 3.0.0, when mages still had the Invulnerability) is okay, Zangband was/is *very good* - I liked that one the best. I think I'll take that one again when V developments go too much in the wrong direction and I'll want to take something else again.

I know this is heavily off-topic, but what in particular are you referring to there?

[Nick]

I soon got frustrated with all the dead-end corridors I encountered in the "mountain" part of FA, so I soon quit on that.

You could always try a race that starts a long way from mountains - Green Elves and Ents make good druids.

[Seany C]

>>.I soon got frustrated with all the dead-end corridors I encountered in the "mountain" part of FA, so I soon quit on that. Maybe I should retake it, but ToME looks more appealing.

Alternatively, some classes (Priests and Rangers, IIRC) get Magic Mapping in a town spellbook, which makes getting through the mountains a doddle once you can cast MMap...

[Diogenes]

I know this is heavily off-topic, but what in particular are you referring to there?

I don't want to tread too much on your toes - it must be quite an effort to maintain the software - but I thought I read in a thread that both the Autoroller and the Autoscum option were in the planning to be lost. I sincerly like both of them - they give my characters good stats (which I think helps their survivability) and Autoscum helps for interesting levels. In ZA I played with the # of quests put at 49.

http://angband.oook.cz/forum/showthread.php?t=226

And, (I'm sorry), I really have trouble adjusting to the new shopping system...

Nevertheless I'm still happy that someone's willing to put much of their voluntary time in maintaining the game!

Cheers,

Peter.

Edit: Here's the thread about the Autscum. And the Autoroller.

[Diogenes]

>>.I soon got frustrated with all the dead-end corridors I encountered in the "mountain" part of FA, so I soon quit on that. Maybe I should retake it, but ToME looks more appealing.

Alternatively, some classes (Priests and Rangers, IIRC) get Magic Mapping in a town spellbook, which makes getting through the mountains a doddle once you can cast MMap...

Thank you Nick and Seany for your suggestions - I'll try them (I would say "When I've beaten Morgoth - but that would take too much time).

Cheers,

Peter.