FAangband 0.3.4

[Nick]

The font looks odd on my screen... it reminds me of playing Nethack on the DS without the subpixel font.

I am using the same subpixel font as Nethack. One odd effect is that # characters look pink - is this the problem you're seeing?

Is there a key combination to switch between normal and subpixel font?

Not yet, sadly. I am working on some other things at the moment, but I'm planning to get back and make a bunch of improvements to the DS port later this year.

[sinoth]

The font looks odd on my screen... it reminds me of playing Nethack on the DS without the subpixel font. Is there a key combination to switch between normal and subpixel font?

Edit: I'm using a DS lite

[Nick]

So, I've been playing nicely along as a Maia warrior, I got to the first dungeon, and around level 25, I start finding rods of lightning bolts, joy. One problem though. I inscribe them to work in a macro, then when I try to choose a macro key, I choose F1. All that appears is ^_. after tapping repeatedly all I get is ^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_. Which Ironically, didn't make me happy. Any ideas?

OK, the good news is that hitting F1 as the trigger (which does print ^_, but just hit escape anyway), then setting the macro (z1 or whatever, then return) will make F1 zap the rod inscribed {@z1}. The bad news is that all the function keys keys ALL give ^_, and using one of them as the trigger for a macro makes all of them trigger that macro. And if you change one, they all change to that. The good news is that there's the alternative of keymaps; the bad news is that they do the same thing.

I thought I'd lifted this code pretty much straight from Vanilla, but apparently I did this imperfectly. If anyone else has a workaround for this, I'd like to hear it.

[Irashtar]

Macroness

So, I've been playing nicely along as a Maia warrior, I got to the first dungeon, and around level 25, I start finding rods of lightning bolts, joy. One problem though. I inscribe them to work in a macro, then when I try to choose a macro key, I choose F1. All that appears is ^_. after tapping repeatedly all I get is ^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_. Which Ironically, didn't make me happy. Any ideas?

[roustk]

Here are pictures of the Nethack port:

If I'm counting right, it looks to be about 50x20 -- probably big enough to be playable.

I'm not sure how close to true scale that picture is (I've never handled a DS), but the Nethack font as pictured matches the oook font size for me.

[Nick]

Interesting -- looks like the camera focused on itself, effectively several inches behind the screen. (The reflection appears to be in perfect focus.)

Ha - I shouldn't have cleaned the screen...

The keyboard doesn't seem like quite the right input model for this device, but it is functional.

Agreed - it should be something you can ask for if needed, but is not needed very often.

If you can use the lefthand arrow button for movement (with the V 3.1.0? patch for two key diagonals), then the lower screen could be a grid of fixed and assignable buttons. Fixed ones like "G", "m/p", and "z" (maybe with fancier names) and assignable ones for macros (as chris28 suggests).

This is possible, although I don't want to waste the whole bottom screen for control.

I presume that right now the information screens (C, i, e, stores) appear in the main window. It might be possible to have them appear in the bottom window (with applicable buttons at the bottom). Further, doing so would permit clicking on an item in the list (like the noun-verb store interface in V 3.0.9).

Yes, that would certainly make sense; it would also fit if the main screen is on the bottom.

chris28's screenshot appears to be 32 characters wide. Those look like big characters, so squeezing 80 tiny characters may not be unreasonable. And Psi is playing on a small screen as well (IIRC), and it doesn't seem to be enough of a hinderance.

I think this screen is a little smaller, and my feeling is that this font is a bit too small.

Here are pictures of the Nethack port:


The top screen, with (from the top) name, mini-map, status info, messages.


The bottom (touch) screen - map, with 12 rows of 16 tiles.

[roustk]

Top screen (not very well focused):

Interesting -- looks like the camera focused on itself, effectively several inches behind the screen. (The reflection appears to be in perfect focus.)

The keyboard doesn't seem like quite the right input model for this device, but it is functional.

If you can use the lefthand arrow button for movement (with the V 3.1.0? patch for two key diagonals), then the lower screen could be a grid of fixed and assignable buttons. Fixed ones like "G", "m/p", and "z" (maybe with fancier names) and assignable ones for macros (as chris28 suggests).

I presume that right now the information screens (C, i, e, stores) appear in the main window. It might be possible to have them appear in the bottom window (with applicable buttons at the bottom). Further, doing so would permit clicking on an item in the list (like the noun-verb store interface in V 3.0.9).

chris28's screenshot appears to be 32 characters wide. Those look like big characters, so squeezing 80 tiny characters may not be unreasonable. And Psi is playing on a small screen as well (IIRC), and it doesn't seem to be enough of a hinderance.

[Nick]

Do you know Powder ? It's not the best rogue-like game but there are some interesting ideas for gameplay like personnal buttons for actions or spells :

The empty slots are where you can assign other actions/spells

I like that assignable button idea. Thanks for pointing it out.

[chris28]

• The current one - regular angband main term on top screen, keyboard on bottom. It needs more font/tile options.
• Top screen is map only, bottom one has stats etc, and other control stuff.
• Map on the bottom, status display and messages on the top, keyboard can be brought up on request - this is the way the nethack port works.

In my opinion the most useful is the third possibility.

Do you know Powder ? It's not the best rogue-like game but there are some interesting ideas for gameplay like personnal buttons for actions or spells :


The empty slots are where you can assign other actions/spells

[Nick]

2005?! oO
Is that even possible?

Seems like only yesterday...

[Narvius]

2005?! oO
Is that even possible?

[Nick]

Wot no photos?

*Sigh* OK, then...

Top screen (not very well focused):


Keyboard on the bottom screen:


Both (with extremely handsome thumb):

[Nick]

Do you think is it possible to use the two screens for map and stylus for commands with a special button to make appears keyboard only when it's necessary ?

I've got some ideas about how to make the interface best; I'll probably try to get a few different display configurations, including (maybe)

• The current one - regular angband main term on top screen, keyboard on bottom. It needs more font/tile options.
• Top screen is map only, bottom one has stats etc, and other control stuff.
• Map on the bottom, status display and messages on the top, keyboard can be brought up on request - this is the way the nethack port works.

There are probably others, too; I'll just have to see how it goes.

[takkaria]

Well, somewhat to my surprise, a DS port now exists. It is still very rough, and will (I hope) improve a lot. In particular, it currently uses the top screen as the map, and the bottom one as a keyboard; the buttons are more or less useless (although I think one of them may be needed to progress at some stage in the birth process...). It currently supports one savefile, and (tiny) ascii graphics only.

It is very largely ripped off from the excellent NethackDS, but still has a long way to go to emulate its beauty.

If anyone wants to look and laugh, it's now available at

http://angband.oook.cz/faangband/Downloads.html

I will update this without notice as it improves, and post notice when it is in something like final form.

Wot no photos?

[chris28]

Well, somewhat to my surprise, a DS port now exists. It is still very rough, and will (I hope) improve a lot.

Great ! Very good job.

It work fine on SuperCard DSOne and R6 Gold. This version is with difficulty playable (font too small) but I wait impatiently for the next release.

Do you think is it possible to use the two screens for map and stylus for commands with a special button to make appears keyboard only when it's necessary ?