FAangband 1.2

[Nick]

FAangband 1.2 is now available from the usual place. Thanks as always to pav for hosting, to LostTemplar and AnonymousHero for improvements to 1.1.x, and to the Angband devteam for providing the huge amount of code I have stolen from them.

This is an unusual release - there is very little gameplay change. The main changes are in bringing the codebase and user interface in line with Angband 3.2.0. Moreover, some things are probably broken, and there is no NDS or WinCE port at this point. And this sort of thing is going to continue - the 1.2.x series will consist of bugfixes, plus further progression of the code until it catches up with current Vanilla. The cool stuff promised in this thread will likely appear in 1.3.

Updating a live character from pre-1.2 is not possible; if you load an old file, it will load your monster and object memory, kill your character and start the birth process. Also the options have been completely reorganised, so anyone playing should check all options during the birth process.

So that's the bad news. The good news is that

1. At the end of the process FAangband should be quicker and easier to modify (so subsequent releases should take less time) and
2. The similarity of the FA and V codebases means it will be easier to port features in both directions. Things like scrolling of item menus, variation between books for half- and full-casters, and player specialties will all be easy to port into V if the devteam so desires.

I'll also be updating AngbandBase, and writing a guide for maintainers about how to adapt their variant to it. The big advantage of that is portability - the main* files for V3.2 and FA1.2 are identical, so any variant based on AngbandBase is automatically ported to all the platforms that V is.

So I would greatly appreciate feedback on this release. I know there are bugs (although any I know about in the release are cosmetic), but they should be ironed out over the course of the 1.2.x's.

Also, Eddie, there's a disconnected stairs option now

[Nick]

Bugs so far:

• Extra -more- prompts, especially in shops
• Grass looks stupid in the sdl port, and can't be edited by the visuals editor
• Asking for information on death gives weird formatting, and the tombstone vanishes never to return
• Nomad's tiles are included, but there is no support for them yet
• Many (possibly all) things seem to come identified
• Mushrooms appear to be unflavoured
• Most of the OSX port's menu items don't work, or look silly

Additions to this list welcomed.

[Nick]

Fixed in development: grass issue, OSX port (there are still some graphics issues, but I think those are across all ports, and it's just pref files need updating), ID issues (probably).

[LostTemplar]

Stats displayed wrongly on 'C' screen.
No trowing damage displayed by 'I'.

[Nick]

Stats displayed wrongly on 'C' screen.
No trowing damage displayed by 'I'.

Excellent, thanks.

Note also that development has now really moved from Launchpad to github. Anyone who is interested in contributing should feel free to make a fork, and I can pull in changes.

[Nick]

Stats displayed wrongly on 'C' screen.

I can't see anything wrong here. What are you seeing?

[LostTemplar]

My HE warrior got 18/130 str at start.

[Nick]

My HE warrior got 18/130 str at start.

Ohhh. Something's wrong there.

[Chud]

Hmm, I just started a dark-elf necromancer, with no_selling, and she started with no inventory, no equipment, and no gold. This may be challenging at first...

[Nick]

Hmm, I just started a dark-elf necromancer, with no_selling, and she started with no inventory, no equipment, and no gold. This may be challenging at first...

Ouch. On the plus side, your stats were probably too good

I'm working on the birth process, but it's not there yet.

[Chud]

Yep, she died. :-) So I started a Druadan Druid, on the theory that if I'm going to go into the woods bare-handed, this was better choice. Sure enough, she's faring better so far, but although I can now learn 14 spells I have yet to acquire any spell books (tomes, I guess). This will also be challenging, but maybe doable.

For druids, is it always better to avoid melee weapons and rely on the bare-handed attack? I'm not sure quite how to interpret what the character screens shows me. What is "% deadliness"?

[Derakon]

If I recall correctly, it's simply a percentage multiplier on the base damage you deal. E.g. if you have a 2d4 weapon and +50% deadliness, then your damage is 1.5 * 2d4, ranging from 3 to 12.

[Nick]

For druids, is it always better to avoid melee weapons and rely on the bare-handed attack? I'm not sure quite how to interpret what the character screens shows me. What is "% deadliness"?

Yes, like Derakon says. It is mostly better not to use a weapon as a druid, especially early, as your barehanded attack will be better.

Also, note that you can order your town books from the Merchant (shop 0).

[Nick]

Now fixed in development:

• Birth stat and lack of equipment bugs
• Throwing damage not showing
• Death information screen messed up
• Stuff auto-IDing (really this time. I think)

New unfixed bugs:

• Inscription shortcuts don't work with show_lists
• Squelched items aren't dropped immediately
• Throwing weapons can't be wielded (anywhere)
• easy_open makes the player start running
• Inventory subwindow sometimes shows the first quiver line twice
• ID'd scrolls and mushrooms are invisible (ie black) on the ground
• Mouse movement doesn't work

Progress seems to be negative...

[Chud]

FYI, browsing my beginning spell book for a petty-dwarf necromancer, the damage for nether bolt is listed as 0d3. In practice it's clearly more than that since it does kill things...