Alternative detect monster spell?

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  • Mikko Lehtinen
    Veteran
    • Sep 2010
    • 1246

    Alternative detect monster spell?

    I don't like casting Detect Monsters and then trying to remember where the monsters were.

    Does any variant have alternative takes on Detect Monsters that don't depend on player's memory? Or do you have ideas that would help? I'd like to cook something up for Fay.
  • Magnate
    Angband Devteam member
    • May 2007
    • 5110

    #2
    Originally posted by Mikko Lehtinen
    I don't like casting Detect Monsters and then trying to remember where the monsters were.

    Does any variant have alternative takes on Detect Monsters that don't depend on player's memory? Or do you have ideas that would help? I'd like to cook something up for Fay.
    Sangband has flag-specific ESP at high levels of certain skills, so you gain innate ESP of demons / animals / undead if your Holy / Nature / Dominion skill is high enough. At lower levels you can still sense them, but they flicker in and out of focus (and are sometimes asterisks rather than their actual monster glyph). I've always thought it would be a good mechanic to extend (e.g. you could have potions or spells which granted temporary versions).
    "Been away so long I hardly knew the place, gee it's good to be back home" - The Beatles

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    • Mikko Lehtinen
      Veteran
      • Sep 2010
      • 1246

      #3
      Leon may have taken those flickering asterisks from Ey Perception mechanic, actually. Fay may already have much of the necessary code.

      I don't like spells that you need to cast repeatably either, so I'd need to make this a skill maybe. Lots of options here. Maybe I could just make Perception skill stronger.

      Comment

      • Estie
        Veteran
        • Apr 2008
        • 2343

        #4
        I have played alot of tome2 and didnt like partial ESP at all, because it doesnt remove the need for monster detection and thus is of so little value that I ignored it for evaluation purposes.

        But the Sang asterisks now....what would the game be like if ESP just showed you an asterisk instead of the ascii symbol for a monster ?

        Comment

        • fph
          Veteran
          • Apr 2009
          • 1030

          #5
          Wouldn't the simplest solution be a new key "show me the output of all the detect monsters that I cast on this level"?

          In the end, we already have a key for "show me the state of the shops the last time I visited the town". (even if I didn't actually enter the store?)

          --federico
          --
          Dive fast, die young, leave a high-CHA corpse.

          Comment

          • Mikko Lehtinen
            Veteran
            • Sep 2010
            • 1246

            #6
            Originally posted by fph
            Wouldn't the simplest solution be a new key "show me the output of all the detect monsters that I cast on this level"?

            In the end, we already have a key for "show me the state of the shops the last time I visited the town". (even if I didn't actually enter the store?)

            --federico
            I like this! Maybe showing the output of the last detect monsters would be enough?

            Comment

            • Mikko Lehtinen
              Veteran
              • Sep 2010
              • 1246

              #7
              What if Detect Monsters would reveal monster location permanently until they move?

              Comment

              • ekolis
                Knight
                • Apr 2007
                • 921

                #8
                Or it could be a timed effect - instead of just "detect where monsters are now", it could be "detect monsters for 1d4+4 turns" or something...
                You read the scroll labeled NOBIMUS UPSCOTI...
                You are surrounded by a stasis field!
                The tengu tries to teleport, but fails!

                Comment

                • Derakon
                  Prophet
                  • Dec 2009
                  • 9022

                  #9
                  You could also, of course, set up a keymap to quickly cast the spell and bind it to an accessible key / key combination. I usually bind ! and @ to detection spells, for example.

                  Comment

                  • Mikko Lehtinen
                    Veteran
                    • Sep 2010
                    • 1246

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Derakon
                    You could also, of course, set up a keymap to quickly cast the spell and bind it to an accessible key / key combination. I usually bind ! and @ to detection spells, for example.
                    mad is not slower to me than ! or @. But I'm a Vim user.

                    I think I'll try making Detect Monsters stick until the monster moves. That makes it more powerful but that should be ok -- I've removed many other detection spells from spellcasters so it's good to buff this one.

                    I get annoyed at memorizing monster locations in tight spots where I need all brain power for tactical analysis.

                    Comment

                    • buzzkill
                      Prophet
                      • May 2008
                      • 2939

                      #11
                      Nothing new here, but DaJ has a (rare) potion in addition to the scroll. The potion grants a short duration continuous detection, similar to ESP.
                      www.mediafire.com/buzzkill - Get your 32x32 tiles here. UT32 now compatible Ironband and Quickband 9/6/2012.
                      My banding life on Buzzkill's ladder.

                      Comment

                      • LostTemplar
                        Knight
                        • Aug 2009
                        • 670

                        #12
                        mad is not slower to me than ! or @. But I'm a Vim user.
                        Good thing about macros is that you can add spaces in front of it (and after it), to clear messages, so it works instantly any time.

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