FAangband 0.3.6

[Mr.Peanut]

0.3.6 NDS version

I have really been enjoying playing on the nds. A few issues:

1) When in a menu with numerical selections (e.g. help or knowledge) the d-pad no longer works because it has been set to numerical values instead of cursor keys. Touchscreen selection works.
2) Second line of all item descriptions(via inspect command) is broken.
3) When browsing spell books, long spell descriptions do not get cleared properly. e.g. I was reading a spell description that wrapped onto 3 lines. I hit esc and selected another spell whose description was only one line. The second and third line from the previous spell were still displayed
4) Could really use the "lazy key" option, or whatever it is called. Trying to lay a trap diagonally between boulders is really hit and miss. Even with zoom on I often end up digging instead of laying a trap. (Having a "diagonal lock" key for movement, as I previously described would be another possible solution.)
5) Why is it that only spells that have been learned can be browsed? Is this standard for bands?

[Zikke]

5) Why is it that only spells that have been learned can be browsed? Is this standard for bands?

I have seen it both ways in different variants. Personally, I love it when you can browse unlearned spells so that you know what spell will fit with your play style. I actually have save-file scummed in some variants to pick a spell to see what it does and if it's something useless to me I'll go back. I would love to not have to do this...

[Nick]

1) When in a menu with numerical selections (e.g. help or knowledge) the d-pad no longer works because it has been set to numerical values instead of cursor keys. Touchscreen selection works.
4) Could really use the "lazy key" option, or whatever it is called. Trying to lay a trap diagonally between boulders is really hit and miss. Even with zoom on I often end up digging instead of laying a trap. (Having a "diagonal lock" key for movement, as I previously described would be another possible solution.)

I know significant button customization is coming; the menu thing I will be looking at.

5) Why is it that only spells that have been learned can be browsed? Is this standard for bands?

This has been mentioned before (in this thread - not that that narrows it down a real lot), and will be changed for next version.

3) When browsing spell books, long spell descriptions do not get cleared properly. e.g. I was reading a spell description that wrapped onto 3 lines. I hit esc and selected another spell whose description was only one line. The second and third line from the previous spell were still displayed

Yes, that's not just a DS issue. Next version.

2) Second line of all item descriptions(via inspect command) is broken.

That one's new to me, and may be just a DS issue.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Mr.Peanut]

This has been mentioned before (in this thread - not that that narrows it down a real lot), and will be changed for next version.

I have been trying to catch up on the FA threads but it is easy to miss something.

Thanks for the feedback.

Thanks for giving me yet another way to procrastinate real life!

Auto-haggle should be removed from options? I could not figure out what I was doing wrong until I searched the forums and found haggling was removed in 0.3.2.

[Nick]

Auto-haggle should be removed from options? I could not figure out what I was doing wrong until I searched the forums and found haggling was removed in 0.3.2.

Oops. Thanks - always nice to lose an option.

[Mr.Peanut]

Elmo - Longbeard Druid

Here is Elmo's dump. And yes, the name Elmo came from the random name generator.

Why a longbeard druid? Easy passage through both woods and mountains. Stone to Mud. All-you-can-eat Buffet. Detect Life.

Latest faux-pas? Sold Holy Avenger Trident which I ID'd as only {good}. I was loaded with {good}s after my first two vault discoveries and there were no Identify scrolls to be purchased in Belegost, so I started selling.

Being a newb, I have been grinding, thoroughly exploring most levels. I am somewhat uncertain when a druid should start using weapons, if at all, and when to use a bow or crossbow(racially disinclined) instead of a sling.

edit: Ring of Protection description has some nonsense about being able to shoot balls of lightning...
edit2: Reference to a possible artifact?

[Nick]

Here is Elmo's dump. And yes, the name Elmo came from the random name generator.

Cool - Elmo actually appeared as a name in some of Tolkien's writings,

Being a newb, I have been grinding, thoroughly exploring most levels. I am somewhat uncertain when a druid should start using weapons, if at all, and when to use a bow or crossbow(racially disinclined) instead of a sling.

You can check your unarmed damage output on the 'C' screen to compare with weapons. Longbeards are actually OK with bows and crossbows; check the damage output of your ammo to get an idea of how effective your missile combat is.

[buzzkill]

Latest faux-pas? Sold Holy Avenger Trident which I ID'd as only {good}. I was loaded with {good}s after my first two vault discoveries and there were no Identify scrolls to be purchased in Belegost, so I started selling.

There IS a known bug in FA that allows you to know the full identity of an item before you sell it. You could find it here in the forums (by searching) if you wanted to utilize it.

Along these lines Nick, I'd like to propose a feature to have shop keepers ID items you are trying to sell to them, let's say, for 10% of the sale price, more, maybe 25%, at the general store. After learning the ID you can then continue to sell the item, or pay the fee and keep the item. A nominal fee will be charged for cursed items (or not). Staffs and wands should have the number of charges, of known items offered for sale, for free. I currently use the BUG to ID the junk I sell when in the above situation. I don't find it to be unbalancing as lugging the items back to town is enough of a punishment.

[Zikke]

Being a newb, I have been grinding, thoroughly exploring most levels.

It's not a newb trait! Some of these guys are dive-aholics but exploring a whole level is a playstyle preference.

I generally explore a whole level while only taking the down stairs (until I get to vault-farming dlvl). I find it works very well as a dive/explore hybrid.

[buzzkill]

Just arrived at Sirion Vale 36, a 'river' level. The RNG has generated this level with a pack of cave trolls, a pack of black orcs, a troll priest, a mage, a werewolf, and of all things, an iron golem (I guess this is where the rust monster came from), peacefully sleeping in the river.

Should land based enemies be generated in the river?
If so, should they be sleeping? Wouldn't they drown?

The only land generated creatures (I could detect) were an energy vortex, and a scorpion, both of which would, quite possibly, be more at home in the water than any of the others. What's next, Fire Hounds splashing about???

Same level. Encountered a pack of Nexus Hounds sleeping. Do hounds sleep? I don't think I've ever seen sleeping hounds before.

[Psi]

Same level. Encountered a pack of Nexus Hounds sleeping. Do hounds sleep? I don't think I've ever seen sleeping hounds before.

They do at night.

[Nick]

Should land based enemies be generated in the river?
If so, should they be sleeping? Wouldn't they drown?

Some things can't pass over water at all (like Fire Hounds), and some things are slowed by it, but I guess stuff sleeping in it is a bit weird. I'll add it to my list.

[Nick]

Along these lines Nick, I'd like to propose a feature to have shop keepers ID items you are trying to sell to them, let's say, for 10% of the sale price, more, maybe 25%, at the general store. After learning the ID you can then continue to sell the item, or pay the fee and keep the item. A nominal fee will be charged for cursed items (or not). Staffs and wands should have the number of charges, of known items offered for sale, for free.

I'll keep this in mind. ID is getting overhauled, so anything is possible

[Mr.Peanut]

NDS initialisation bugs

Okay, I thought it wasn't a problem, but it is.

After installing the latest NDS port, faangband hung while initialising arrays. I turned off and tried again. The second time it made it to another array type and hung. I turned off and tried again. The final time it made it through and the game started. I can not remember if it took 3 or 4 restarts.

That is probably the reason my object.raw is broken. I renamed it and now faangband hangs when trying to initialise the objects array.

Was the port tested on real hardware?

I will rename object.raw.0 back to oject.raw so I can continue my game, but there is a major bug in this version that was not in the previous version. Bug is either in initialising arrays or writing the *.raw files.

edit: definitely broken. After 5 minutes objects still not initialised. A new object.raw file was created, but nothing was written to it. File size 0 kb.

[PowerDiver]

I'll keep this in mind. ID is getting overhauled, so anything is possible

There is a trivial way to remove all inconsistencies about ID when selling to stores.