[Announce] PosChengband 1.0.0

[AnonymousHero]

A minor buglet with Golems: It seems that _get_flags() is missing a couple of blocks of code, specifially for the "Eog Golem" and "Spellwarp Automaton" forms.

(Btw, do you prefer bugs be reported here or should we use the Github issue tracker thingy?)

[chris]

Four kids and a full time job here, so I don't get to play as often as I'd like. Rather than take the time to explore each class, could I get spoiled as to what each one will offer me as I advance?

I'd rather not do spoilers as it is a very labor intensive for something that "spoils" the game, IMO

Ideally, the class descriptions during the birth process should be enough for new players to get a feel for how each class will play, as well as hinting at the types of strategies involved. For example:

The Mauler favors extremely heavy weapons, and possesses powerful
abilities whose effectiveness depends on the weight of the weapon. While
they only gain a limited number of blows which can never be magically
increased, they are capable of hitting opponents very hard to make the
most of each strike. The Mauler is required to use both hands on a single
weapon when wielding if they wish their talents to function properly.

This should be enough for new players to get the idea of how to play. Heavy weapons, two-handed wielding, strong melee.

Of course, the descriptions for some classes might need improvement and I'd like to get feedback from new players on specific instances where the descriptions are inadequate.

Also, during the birth option, I grouped the classes into categories based on how they play: Melee, Archery, Martial Arts, Magic, Stealth, etc. This should give a strong hint as to the type of class involved.

You can access the help files at any stage in the birth process by pressing '?'. Again, these files might need some improvement (I inherited them from Hengband, and ultimately, Zangband, so I'm sure they could use some updating). The help commands during the birth process are context sensitive, bringing up files appropriate to your current options.

Also, a request for the Magic Eater. There are a /lot/ of buttons to push before you can cast a spell with these guys. Could you simplify their casting menu by eliminating the top later? Just go straight to Offense, Detection, Utility, etc... Would it be possible to combine similar effects as well? Or are the power levels between, say, a rod staff and wand of fireball too great to make a single fireball ability?

I have to agree with this. Its odd, since only a single keystroke has been added relative to normal casters (4 versus 3), but it is very noticeable. Perhaps the best option is for the zap, aim and use commands to redirect to the appropriate magic-eater submenus since it is normal for magic-eaters to eat all their devices. This would return to 3 keystroke power selection.

I'd rather not remove the categories as having a single level with all choices is a bit overwhelming (Hengband does this though). You end up with 30 to 40 choices and of course, your screen might not be big enough to display them all.

Minor magic eater bug: the rod of pesticide doesn't have its damage listed in the power info.

Fixed. It does 4hp damage, by the way.

EDIT: OK, some of the class descriptions really, really suck (e.g. The Duelist, Blood-Knight, Time-Lord). When I get time, I'll work on improving these.

[Brouhaha]

Class power spoilers?

Four kids and a full time job here, so I don't get to play as often as I'd like. Rather than take the time to explore each class, could I get spoiled as to what each one will offer me as I advance?

Also, a request for the Magic Eater. There are a /lot/ of buttons to push before you can cast a spell with these guys. Could you simplify their casting menu by eliminating the top later? Just go straight to Offense, Detection, Utility, etc... Would it be possible to combine similar effects as well? Or are the power levels between, say, a rod staff and wand of fireball too great to make a single fireball ability?

Minor magic eater bug: the rod of pesticide doesn't have its damage listed in the power info.

[HugoVirtuoso]

YAR (Yet Another Release ... 1.0.35) is available here:

The big change this time is to move blows calculations to a system of fractional blows. It is a big change, affecting every class in the system as well as all the monster innate attacks and monk attacks. Obviously, I didn't test everything, but I did run thru my vast array of "characters on hold", about 20 or so.

First, how does it work? Well, instead of starting with say 1 attack, and having to wait until you receive the correct combination of stat boosts to click into 2 attacks, you might get 1.75 attacks. Improve your dex a bit, and maybe now you get 1.83 attacks. Of course, each time you attack a monster you either get 1 blow, or 2 blows. But you have a 75% or 83% chance of getting those 2 blows, and this is rolled each time you attack. It is best to think of this as a bonus since the old system would just round down those fractional blows to 1.

Second, why the change? Well, the early game can be rather frustrating to get melee going, especially for characters with poor starting dex. Also, characters that should be favoring heavy weapons often switch to light weapons simply to chase extra blows.

Also, I went ahead and bumped the max blows numbers for many classes and monsters. I've always been bothered by the 5 attacks for melee characters, except warriors who get 7 blows. Now, some of the strong melee hybrid classes (Paladins, Samurai, Chaos Warriors, Cavalry) get 5.5 max blows. Weaker melee classes (Priests, Rangers) stay with just 5.0 blows.

Anyway, this is a big change, and I hope you will like it. You might give monks a whirl to really notice the difference, since now they get blows in .25 attack increments

Other changes this release include some rebalancing to giants, including adding penalties for wielding tiny weapons and bonuses for wielding favored weapons. Also, there is a slight monster surprise in store awaiting the unwary!

Arrrgh...you had to release this on a Sunday. I'll have to wait until next weekend for my next 8 - 10 hr session.

Having the fractional blows + increased max blows for BOTH players and monsters is a great way to make the game easier, yet harder in other ways. Quite an ingenious way to balance the game!

Also...
The Troll Monster's pseudo-ID works for weapons but not for Rings anymore.... Is this working as designed? Or Troll Monsters are normally supposed to be INCAPABLE of doing a Ring/Amulet pseudo-ID? Apparently, my current Troll Monster [Combat Nefaric Kalmah] start to PosCheng 1.0.35 was *way* faster than it was in PosCheng 1.0.34. I just don't remember if the Troll Monster race had ANY Ring/Amulet pseudo-ID capability before version 1.0.35.

And also...
Did you remove the display indicating the STR and DEX requirements indicating the next increase in number of blows? Working as designed?

[chris]

YAR (Yet Another Release ... 1.0.35) is available here:

The big change this time is to move blows calculations to a system of fractional blows. It is a big change, affecting every class in the system as well as all the monster innate attacks and monk attacks. Obviously, I didn't test everything, but I did run thru my vast array of "characters on hold", about 20 or so.

First, how does it work? Well, instead of starting with say 1 attack, and having to wait until you receive the correct combination of stat boosts to click into 2 attacks, you might get 1.75 attacks. Improve your dex a bit, and maybe now you get 1.83 attacks. Of course, each time you attack a monster you either get 1 blow, or 2 blows. But you have a 75% or 83% chance of getting those 2 blows, and this is rolled each time you attack. It is best to think of this as a bonus since the old system would just round down those fractional blows to 1.

Second, why the change? Well, the early game can be rather frustrating to get melee going, especially for characters with poor starting dex. Also, characters that should be favoring heavy weapons often switch to light weapons simply to chase extra blows.

Also, I went ahead and bumped the max blows numbers for many classes and monsters. I've always been bothered by the 5 attacks for melee characters, except warriors who get 7 blows. Now, some of the strong melee hybrid classes (Paladins, Samurai, Chaos Warriors, Cavalry) get 5.5 max blows. Weaker melee classes (Priests, Rangers) stay with just 5.0 blows.

Anyway, this is a big change, and I hope you will like it. You might give monks a whirl to really notice the difference, since now they get blows in .25 attack increments

Other changes this release include some rebalancing to giants, including adding penalties for wielding tiny weapons and bonuses for wielding favored weapons. Also, there is a slight monster surprise in store awaiting the unwary!

[clouded]

I declare this game of one-upmanship on.

You toss Meng You, the Brother of Meng Huo.
Meng You, the Brother of Meng Huo hits King Mulu, the Chief of Southerings. 
King Mulu, the Chief of Southerings shouts, 'AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!'
King Mulu, the Chief of Southerings dies.
Meng You, the Brother of Meng Huo cries out in pain.

(If only I could have killed his brother with him)

[Arjen]

I'm away for a week and suddenly we can go throw monsters? I knew that going on vacation was a bad idea.

[chris]

Whatever happened to version 1.0.33?

It got announced here. I think it just got lost with all the giant tossing banter.

You can always download old releases here, but Google Sites doesn't give much storage space so I have to delete them eventually.

For those who like to build, I'm trying very hard to remember to tag each release here.

[HugoVirtuoso]

Whatever happened to version 1.0.33?

[chris]

OK, for fun, I uploaded 1.0.34 here. This is a beta release and only adds the giant's Throw Monster power.

How does it work? Well, after activating the power, you are prompted to choose an adjacent monster to throw. If the monster is too heavy, or can't be thrown for some reason, the toss fails. Also, you need to successfully grab the monster, and this depends on your melee skill and the monster's AC. How big a monster you can pick up as well how far you can throw it depend on your Strength, your level and the monster's weight.

After you have successfully grabbed an adjacent monster, and lifted it over your head, you are then prompted for a target (Try turning on the Show Path option so it becomes obvious how far you may throw). Throwing the monster will hit the first thing along the path. If this is a monster, you might miss it (i.e. there is another combat roll, this time using your shooting skill vs the target monster's AC). If you miss, the target monster takes no damage, but the tossed monster might take a little damage. If you hit, both monster take equal damage, the amount dependent on the weight of the thrown monster as well as your experience level.

If there isn't a nearby target monster, then you can still use this power to get rid of nearby enemies, sort of as a short range line of sight teleport away power. Alternatively, you can bash the monster into a nearby wall. I recommend this option

Ideally, monsters could also do this to the player, but that will have to wait a bit until my coding batteries recharge ...

Thanks for the idea, Nick!

[Djabanete]

My creative consultant (girlfriend) --- also on the imaginative end of the spectrum --- independently voiced this monster-throwing suggestion to me for PosCheng. I thought it was too far out there, but now I'm tossing it in the ring! (Actually what I thought at the time was that Chris probably didn't have time to implement something so seemingly convoluted... ^^)

Of course... she was thinking that it would be a monster that would throw other monsters at the player, and that the thrown monsters could very well be large, like dragons. And the monster's name was to be Xoctagar the Powrahowse. Basically an incarnation of pure dynamism and destructive energy. We figured out what flags and stuff the Xoctagar would have... Ah, I found the document.

Xoctagar the Powrahowse
Active powers: haste, invulnerability, hurl boulder, breathe shards, breathe sound, breathe disintegration, breathe force, throw monsters at player
Passive powers: chew through rock, crush items on floor, push past weaker monsters*
Melee combat: punch to shatter, punch to shatter, crush to cause earthquakes, crush to cause earthquakes

*Not crush weaker monsters because that paradoxically takes longer.

[Nick]

I'm not sure if you are joking or not, but I actually really like this idea!

I was kind of serious. It was an idea from my Creative Consultant (my son) from a while ago, and his ideas are often at the imaginative end of the spectrum. And then Derakon's comment reminded me of it, and I thought that PosCheng could just possibly pull it off

[debo]

What I would like to see is giants getting the ability to throw small monsters at other monsters for damage to both

I asked that Yeeks be allowed as sling ammo in V for 3.4. It never happened

I see Yeeks as Popples in my head.

[Derakon]

As a first pass, you could restrict it to monsters that are no more than, say, half the character's level, and only from certain symbols (e.g. o, h, p, j, etc.).

[chris]

What I would like to see is giants getting the ability to throw small monsters at other monsters for damage to both

I'm not sure if you are joking or not, but I actually really like this idea! I'm just trying to think of a nice way to determine "small" for purposes of throwing without running thru r_info adding some sort of size attribute ... But if there were a weight attribute, then that could factor into the damage calculation as well as the "permissible" calculation (influenced by Str and level).

Throwing Snaga Sappers would be fun