[Announce] Poschengband 3.1.0 Released

[UglySquirrell]

That would be amazing!!, when i first played Hengband many years ago it was set up to tile graphics, and i cannot imagine playing without them. I still play no graphics in V, and others but not in Poschengband.

The old tile style is pretty awesome, i know the difference between a Great Wyrm, and an Ancient one on sight, besides which it helps my little brain spot uniques who all look pretty cool too

One last question, how do i bring a character from an older version of the game to a newer one. Do you just replace the user, and save files?

[HugoVirtuoso]

One last question, how do i bring a character from an older version of the game to a newer one. Do you just replace the user, and save files?

Older versions are compatible if they are within the same major version as the new one. For example, you can upgrade a 3.0.5 character to 3.1.4 without issues, as far as I know.

However, savefiles from 1.x and 2.x are definitely not compatible with 3.x. This is because savefile compatibility between major versions were broken due to significant changes. One obvious example is 3.0's scrolling wilderness, which was not seen in 1.x or 2.x.

[UglySquirrell]

Thanks for the reply, it would just be from the current to the next. I was just curious if you just replace the user and save folders, i can't remember how to upgrade.

[HugoVirtuoso]

Thanks for the reply, it would just be from the current to the next. I was just curious if you just replace the user and save folders, i can't remember how to upgrade.

No need to replace user and save folders. Just load the old savefile and you're good. However, when you save it after upgrade, it will be located in the save folder of the old version.

Just move the savefile in the save folder of the new version and you're good!

[UglySquirrell]

Thank you, that clears it up.

Hmm, i wonder if a Doppelganger chose Weapon Versatility when he/she is a human or Demigod and trained up a weapon ninja can not normally use. If the trained skills would carry over when you change to another form?

[chris]

Thanks for the reply, it would just be from the current to the next. I was just curious if you just replace the user and save folders, i can't remember how to upgrade.

When upgrading, copy over the following files (Assuming you character is named Foo):
lib/save/Foo
lib/user/pickpref-Foo.prf
lib/user/Foo.prf

The first is your savefile, the second is your pickup preferences for the autodestroyer and the third contains any macros you have defined.

Copying the entire save and user folders would work as well if you have multiple characters.

Also on Windows, you might copy over Poschengband.ini since this contains window sizing/visibility info, fonts, etc.

I know upgrading is a hassle. I should push fewer releases

[chris]

Hmm, i wonder if a Doppelganger chose Weapon Versatility when he/she is a human or Demigod and trained up a weapon ninja can not normally use. If the trained skills would carry over when you change to another form?

Your skills are still there if you leave human/demigod form, but the maxes revert to the normal class maximums. The code checks this, so you'll only gain the class max rather than your higher trained value. However, if you revert back to human/demigod, you regain the weapon versatility power, and now the max skill you can gain is again "Master", so you can pick off training where you left off. In other words, you'll have to stay in human/demigod form to benefit from this choice and you don't lose any skill progress you have gained by switching to another form.

[chris]

Since the 3.1.4 comp seems to be dying down, I decided to release 3.1.5. If you are still playing the comp, then you probably will not want to upgrade since I made some aspects of the Ring more difficult. Here are the changes:

* Graphics now update when the doppleganger shapeshifts (tiles only)
* Fixed wilderness bug that allowed '<' to escape awake monsters
* Fearless personality now gives resistance to fear (again)
* Various changes to the Time-Lord class including a more appropriate Old Castle reward. Time-Lords now use Wisdom as their casting stat.
* Extra attacks on rings/gloves have been tentatively added back into the realm of possibilities (albeit, unlikely possibilities)
* Teleportation is now possible in The Royal Crypt quest.
* Fixed weaponmaster bug
* Fixed bug generating encounters on the wilderness edge (Thanks, Hugo!)
* Fixed necromancer bug that allowed dual wielding shields to retain the ability to touch opponents

Finally, numerous changes were made to the Ring race:
* Rings start with electricity vulnerability and elec resistance is a bit harder to attain
* Rings no longer gain automatic resists (cold, poison) or abilities (hold life)
* Faramir activation supported
* Ring levitation now applies to current ring bearer
* Ring casting costs adjusted. The number of essences effects costs as well as damage. Economical Mana is no longer all or nothing, but gradually reduces costs as essences are found.
* Rings can dig a bit better.
* Added a few new ring bearers (sorry, no giants or Olympians yet ... I'm still considering these)

As usual, source code and a full list of changes are available.

[HugoVirtuoso]

I found this strange bug with the Time-Lord in 3.1.5:
Picking up Telmora quest rewards cause player to teleport, even when no cursed items are equipment. And no, I did not use any ?Teleport.

However, I think I was carrying a heavily cursed Sabre (Pattern) at the time. Maybe having heavily cursed objects in inventory (not equipment) has something to do with it?

[chris]

I found this strange bug with the Time-Lord in 3.1.5:
Picking up Telmora quest rewards cause player to teleport, even when no cursed items are equipment. And no, I did not use any ?Teleport.

However, I think I was carrying a heavily cursed Sabre (Pattern) at the time. Maybe having heavily cursed objects in inventory (not equipment) has something to do with it?

I noticed this happen once, but haven't been able to figure out the problem.

[Avenger]

So, quick question. I've been playing quite a lot of PosChengband, and of course failing miserably.

I had been trying a few Monks, and I kind of liked the martial arts style of fighting.

Noticing that the description for the Berserker class states that they can fight without weapons, I decided to give it a try, and found that I did "not have a melee attack".

Sorry, what? I don't have any melee attack at all? I don't mind that I don't get the martial arts table, but moving in the direction of a monster without a weapon equipped does literally nothing? When did that change happen? Seems to me it's always been possible to fight bare-handed, albeit poorly, giving minimal reason to do so, but why take it out completely?

Additionally, the class I am playing is specifically supposed to be allowed to fight without weapons, so even if unarmed melee is disabled for some inconceivable reason on every other class, why is it also gone for Berserkers?

[UglySquirrell]

Just a few things iv'e noticed, i don't know if it is intentional but my Magic Eater absorbed 2 rods of lightning and can now cast lightning bolt every turn. Seems a little too powerful.

Also i noticed in a post from "Atlas, Snotling Monk by chris" (May he Rest in Peace)
that a challenge has been put forth.

The Challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to win the game with a Snotling. Any class or personality is permitted!

So i started a Snotling named Twitch, has the race been changed since Chengband? i know the spoilers don't really apply to Poschengband but no more recoil when shooting or fear when hit for them?

I played a Sniper and a Duelist to 18 and only felt uneasy once and that was when i was fighting a Paladin pit.

[ThunderToads]

Noticing that the description for the Berserker class states that they can fight without weapons, I decided to give it a try, and found that I did "not have a melee attack".

...

Additionally, the class I am playing is specifically supposed to be allowed to fight without weapons, so even if unarmed melee is disabled for some inconceivable reason on every other class, why is it also gone for Berserkers?

PosChengband is still a fork under continual development so the in-game documentation isn't always up to date.

Seems to me it's always been possible to fight bare-handed, albeit poorly, giving minimal reason to do so, but why take it out completely?

Probably the same reason as Elfs and Half-Elfs - because it was hardly ever used and so it was taken out.

[krazyhades]

What is the use of the warrior technique "Sword Dancing"? It attacks in 6 random directions. By the time it's at a low enough fail rate to practically use, one tends to have over 6 blows/round which you can distribute all at one monster or, if the target dies with fewer blows, you can use the extras on another without wasting the attacks/energy. At least, that's how it works in V, and it looks to work the same way here. So the ability seems almost always to be strictly worse than actually attacking.

tl;dr: What makes Sword Dancing not useless?

[chris]

What is the use of the warrior technique "Sword Dancing"? It attacks in 6 random directions. By the time it's at a low enough fail rate to practically use, one tends to have over 6 blows/round which you can distribute all at one monster or, if the target dies with fewer blows, you can use the extras on another without wasting the attacks/energy. At least, that's how it works in V, and it looks to work the same way here. So the ability seems almost always to be strictly worse than actually attacking.

tl;dr: What makes Sword Dancing not useless?

Attacking a monster uses full energy regardless of how many blows are required to kill it. The only exceptions to this are Berserkers and a certain demigod power.

Sword Dancing attacks foes in 6 random direction, and each foe so attacked gets *all* of your attack blows. So if you have 7 attacks (normal for a warrior) then you can land up to 42 blows with this technique. If you are dual wielding (common for a warrior) you can get up to 84 blows. If you are using vampiric weapons, then you can greatly exceed the 50hp recovery limit since the limit gets reset with each new foe. But the randomness of the effect really sucks. It's really supposed to be a baby version of the massacre talent.