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So with the release of 1.2.0 out of the way, it's time to resume porting stuff from Vanilla. Plan is to release two versions, 1.3.0 and 1.4.0, so in the end we will be aligned with MAngband's current version.
Planned changes for 1.3.0: porting the class overhaul from the 4.1.3 tag (22/07/2018) to the "struct loc" rework (01/01/2019). I will probably port a very small portion of all the changes here, simply because PWMAngband has different classes and different mechanisms that I want to keep.
This will include:
- comparing spell lists with V, reducing number of books while keeping a mix of spells
- switching ranger to nature realm
- adding druid class (nature realm)
- extra shot nerf
- adding blackguard class (here I need to decide if I use the death realm or do something else)
- struct loc rework
- reduce frequency of non readable books
This will exclude:
- rogue using arcane realm (will keep shadow realm)
- replace temple by bookseller (no need to "replace", there is already a bookseller in PWMAngband)
- recolouring books (will just need to find a colour for the nature realm)
- shapechanging (already in PWMAngband under a different form)
- commanding and MvM (already in PWMAngband under a different form)
Stuff that I may add or not depending on how much time I have and how hard it is to port:
- SDL2 frontend
Planned changes for 1.4.0: monster rework. Here again I don't like all the changes, so they won't all make it to PWMAngband. I'm particularly curious to see how monster shapes go before implementing that.
At this point, with the possible huge change to monster list, I don't see how I will be able to maintain 3 tilesets, especially the pseudo-3d one which requires me to redraw pseudo-iso tiles by hand each time I need to add or modify a monster. And iso-ASCII can be attained by using the Necklace of the Eye frontend. So it will have to go...
1) David Gervais Tileset (UT32 version)
This tileset is quite nice, as it uses a 32x32 version of tiles which is detailed enough while not being too big so you can see a large part of the dungeon when you play. It has also a large variety of tiles for monsters, indoor features and outdoor features. His main drawback: a large part of mobs that don't match anything. For example: all the Easterlings who look like Dr Zoidberg from Futurama.
2) Shockbolt Tileset
Ok... this tileset is simply gorgeous. Huge respect for the guy that spent so much time hand drawing these tiles. I'd like to use this one exclusively, however there are so many drawbacks I don't think it will be possible.
- tiles are 64x64, meaning most of the time you can see half the things in your visual range
- there are SO MANY holes in the features and mobs you can map, especially there are absolutely no tiles for outdoor features, meaning you have to use the original 64x64 tileset based on Gervais' tileset made 10 years ago for 3.5 and remap the holes to some Gervais tiles, which gives an ugly mix of two styles
- not 100% free to use
For the first issue: there is now a 32x32 version of the tileset. The new version however doesn't include any Gervais tiles anymore, has moved a lot of tiles around and removed some. For the second issue, there have been gorgeous tiles added for NPPAngband that could be used here. And that brings the third issue: those tiles are copyrighted. We've reached a dead end here. The only way to be able to use the tileset would be to have access to a 32x32 version enriched with the NPPAngband tiles.
Planned changes for 1.3.0: porting the class overhaul from the 4.1.3 tag (22/07/2018) to the "struct loc" rework (01/01/2019). I will probably port a very small portion of all the changes here, simply because PWMAngband has different classes and different mechanisms that I want to keep.
This will include:
- comparing spell lists with V, reducing number of books while keeping a mix of spells
- switching ranger to nature realm
- adding druid class (nature realm)
- extra shot nerf
- adding blackguard class (here I need to decide if I use the death realm or do something else)
- struct loc rework
- reduce frequency of non readable books
This will exclude:
- rogue using arcane realm (will keep shadow realm)
- replace temple by bookseller (no need to "replace", there is already a bookseller in PWMAngband)
- recolouring books (will just need to find a colour for the nature realm)
- shapechanging (already in PWMAngband under a different form)
- commanding and MvM (already in PWMAngband under a different form)
Stuff that I may add or not depending on how much time I have and how hard it is to port:
- SDL2 frontend
Planned changes for 1.4.0: monster rework. Here again I don't like all the changes, so they won't all make it to PWMAngband. I'm particularly curious to see how monster shapes go before implementing that.
At this point, with the possible huge change to monster list, I don't see how I will be able to maintain 3 tilesets, especially the pseudo-3d one which requires me to redraw pseudo-iso tiles by hand each time I need to add or modify a monster. And iso-ASCII can be attained by using the Necklace of the Eye frontend. So it will have to go...
1) David Gervais Tileset (UT32 version)
This tileset is quite nice, as it uses a 32x32 version of tiles which is detailed enough while not being too big so you can see a large part of the dungeon when you play. It has also a large variety of tiles for monsters, indoor features and outdoor features. His main drawback: a large part of mobs that don't match anything. For example: all the Easterlings who look like Dr Zoidberg from Futurama.
2) Shockbolt Tileset
Ok... this tileset is simply gorgeous. Huge respect for the guy that spent so much time hand drawing these tiles. I'd like to use this one exclusively, however there are so many drawbacks I don't think it will be possible.
- tiles are 64x64, meaning most of the time you can see half the things in your visual range
- there are SO MANY holes in the features and mobs you can map, especially there are absolutely no tiles for outdoor features, meaning you have to use the original 64x64 tileset based on Gervais' tileset made 10 years ago for 3.5 and remap the holes to some Gervais tiles, which gives an ugly mix of two styles
- not 100% free to use
For the first issue: there is now a 32x32 version of the tileset. The new version however doesn't include any Gervais tiles anymore, has moved a lot of tiles around and removed some. For the second issue, there have been gorgeous tiles added for NPPAngband that could be used here. And that brings the third issue: those tiles are copyrighted. We've reached a dead end here. The only way to be able to use the tileset would be to have access to a 32x32 version enriched with the NPPAngband tiles.
But I'm still pretty silly to comprehend it 
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