Sangband 1.0.2 Beta

[artes]

I downloaded and compiled Sangband a couple of days ago. It's really cool. First time I played I was killed by a fruit bat. I couldn't hit it. Later I understood that it was because I hadn't put any skill points in my weapon skill, so it was my fault.

I like the system with skills instead of levels. Maybe I would have prefered that skills would go up when used instead of putting exp points in them, but I'm sure there was a good reason to do it the way it is now.

[Derakon]

I'm generally not a big fan of "you gain ranks in the skills that you use", if only because it tends to promote grinding. It's probably possible to do it well, but I've yet to see a game that used that approach and worked well while still allowing for well-differentiated characters.

[camlost]

I downloaded and compiled Sangband a couple of days ago. It's really cool. First time I played I was killed by a fruit bat. I couldn't hit it. Later I understood that it was because I hadn't put any skill points in my weapon skill, so it was my fault.

I like the system with skills instead of levels. Maybe I would have prefered that skills would go up when used instead of putting exp points in them, but I'm sure there was a good reason to do it the way it is now.

I've considered adding a feature that would automatically assign experience to skills based on useage, but only as an option (or an option as a fraction of your XP?). It just hasn't been a priority.

In the spirit of keeping everything documented:

http://code.google.com/p/skills-angband/issues/detail?id=180

I'm glad you're enjoying it!

[Chud]

I don't think I've heard of or seen this before. The yellow cursor sounds familiar though.

This is the only reference I've found.

http://angband.oook.cz/forum/showpost.php?p=43483&postcount=101

Maybe try deleting your prf files? Are you setting highlite_player?

I don't think I changed highlite_player, so whatever the default is. Delete the prefs in lib\prefs that come by default? I don't have anything in lib\user.

EDIT: Updated - I deleted the entire folder tree to try starting from scratch; I un-packed the zip file and got the same blank screen behavior on the first run, just FYI.

[Nick]

EDIT: Updated - I deleted the entire folder tree to try starting from scratch; I un-packed the zip file and got the same blank screen behavior on the first run, just FYI.

This sounds like a font issue; IIRC it was happening sporadically with V for a while in Win7. Sorry I don't recall anything useful like a fix...

[Fuma]

It is a font issue and I did happen to have it or hear of it years back.

If I remember correctly, disappearing things were because of how recent Windows versions display fonts.
Do you, by chance, have any additional fonts/languages installed? Like Asian fonts support in Region and Localisation settings?


Also, I see this problem did not get solved

http://angband.oook.cz/forum/showthread.php?t=1483

Below is a comparison of how the characters look in 1.0.2 on Windows7 x64 and in the fontfix version:

http://i.imgur.com/fDNdm.png

http://i.imgur.com/YH0Um.png

See the first row to see what is my problem.

[camlost]

I don't think I changed highlite_player, so whatever the default is. Delete the prefs in lib\prefs that come by default? I don't have anything in lib\user.

EDIT: Updated - I deleted the entire folder tree to try starting from scratch; I un-packed the zip file and got the same blank screen behavior on the first run, just FYI.

Ok, try editing config.txt (once it is generated) to read
Graphics = none
Graphics = 16x16-f

The first should load in pure ascii, the latter in a 16x16 graphical mode, but with characters for objects and monsters.

Let me know if that helps.

[Fuma]

Graphics = none

http://i.imgur.com/oJPFc.png

Graphics = 16x16-f

http://i.imgur.com/NfSrG.png

I believe they are identical. It's most probably a Windows conflict with the font/character index number.
EDIT: Strangely enough, the spacing between the rectangles changes if I change graphics.

When I have graphics sent to font, a pool with some trees look like blue and green rectangles. When set to none, they are blue . and green +. When set to 16x16-f an interesting thing happens. The trees and water are graphic tiles, but the player and any monster is invisible.

[camlost]

My comment was originally addressed to Chud.

But it sounds like the game is playable for you in pure ASCII, right? Green '+' and blue '.' are the ascii equivalents for trees and water.

16x16-f uses fonts for monsters and objects, but not the player and terrain. What you're describing sounds pretty odd. When I get around to looking into this, I might send some files your way to see if anything helps.

How does 16x16 (or 32x32) work for you? That should be a pure graphical modes.

[Fuma]

Oh, I'm sorry. I did not read the quoted text.

The game is playable with garbled special tiles anyway, it's just something I noticed when I tried Sangband again since I saw you took over. Oddly enough, after cycling through the graphics settings in-game, the character and monster visuals are not disappearing any more.

[Zireael]

Camlost, would you consider adding a Digging (or Mining, or whatever you want to call it) skill? I find tunnelling in Sangband to get some rich veins hard. Too hard, compared to vanilla or, say, NPPAngband.

[camlost]

Camlost, would you consider adding a Digging (or Mining, or whatever you want to call it) skill? I find tunnelling in Sangband to get some rich veins hard. Too hard, compared to vanilla or, say, NPPAngband.

I don't really want digging to be such an integral part of the game as to require a skill. If you want to dig more quickly, try wielding a shovel or pick. If that's not fast enough, the wrestling skill does give a tunnelling bonus, as does being a giant.

At what point in the game is digging speed being problematic?

[Zireael]

I don't really want digging to be such an integral part of the game as to require a skill. If you want to dig more quickly, try wielding a shovel or pick. If that's not fast enough, the wrestling skill does give a tunnelling bonus, as does being a giant.

At what point in the game is digging speed being problematic?

Beginning, mostly. When I can't afford a pick or a shovel yet and I want to earn some money by getting to a rich vein. Sometimes I've got one right in front of me, and get annoyed because I can't mine it.

[NotMorgoth]

A pick or shovel is pretty much the first thing I buy if I'm playing with selling off - before healing potions or ?phase.

But I don't think a digging skill would be a good idea - it would be useless beyond the early game, and learning it would take XP away from the skills you really need to survive, so I don't know if I would use it even then.

[Philip]

Bug?
My hobbit burglar(not a cheesy combo, no) just got the detect and nab objects thing. Really nice, although when targeting the nab, you get a normal monster targeting menu, so if you do it while a monster is there you can't get any objects. If there aren't you have to move all the way to the object to target it.

Running windows XP, Sangband 1.0.2 final.