[Announce] Cthangband 5.0.0 Released

[Dean Anderson]

Yes, it's been a while since the last release - fifteen years to be precise - but here is Cthangband 5.0.0!

Windows Console Version (this is an installer).
Source Code (this is a zip file).

If anyone maintains libraries of Angband variants, feel free to upload these and re-host them there. For my part, I've not yet put up a page on my website for Cthangband 5.0.0 yet. But the above links will remain valid when I do.

The change log for this is quite large, since it reverts back to the class/level based mechanics of Cthangband 3.1.2. However, it does re-implement many of the other features of Cthangband 4.x as well as a couple of features taken from both Hellband and Yeekband and a whole host of new features as well.

Here's the changelog:

Cthangband 5.0.0

• Many other minor code changes
• Cleaned up commands (fewer need control pressed), and added a command list
• Removed 'pouch' slots.
• Mystics (now renamed "Martial Artists") now have a choice of three realms of magic. They can be "Ascetics" who use corporeal magic to improve their body, "Street Fighters" who zap people with projected chi or "Ninja" who use planar magic to move around and summon allies.
• Added Crafter class, who has no spells but who can use mana to prevent items from losing charges or being consumed when they are used.
• Added Chosen One class, who has passive magical abilities but no active ones.
• Fixed Thief (Rogue with Folk Magic) spell stats.
• Fixed symbol identification for shop doorways.
• Increasing in level now restores all stats.
• Added warpstone crystals.
• The screen is now refreshed after the options page is viewed - so the effects of any changed options are immediately visible.
• Cleaned up character history tables.
• Fixed display problem with bolts/balls.
• 'help.hlp' is now system specific ('help-dos.txt', 'help-win.txt' etc.) so that it can point to a different set of files for the different interfaces and systems.
• The random character generator now picks a class first, then a race to fit, rather than picking a race first and then a class to fit.
• The random name generator has been expanded to now provide 'angelic' names for Imps and to provide 'yeekish' names for Yeeks.
• Swapped the order of effects in the 'Major Displacement' mindcrafter power.
• Corporeal realm now gets 'Wraithform' instead of 'Polymorph Self'.
• The alchemist shop can now research an item, which identifies it fully.
• The 'Identify All' shop function has been moved to the pawnbrokers.
• Spectres now glow in the dark.
• Imps now get fire immunity at level 20.
• All Half-Trolls now get slow digestion, not just warriors.
• Druids now have a smaller upkeep cost for pets.
• Included character's birthday in character display.
• The 'mini-map' is now centred and bordered showing the size of the level.
• A new spoiler (mon-stats) can be generated, which lists the frequency of each of the RFX_XXXX flags by monster level.
• DEAD.TXT and NEWS.TXT files replaced with internal functions to enable full colour splash and death screens.
• Some clean-up of folder structure implemented - 'pref' files are now located in the 'pref' folder (not the 'user' folder) and spoilers now have the suffix '.txt' and are output to the 'info' folder.
• Monster recall (and spoiler) now gives attack speed if at least one attack is known.
• Added a 'Destroy All' command ('K') to destroy all worthless items in your pack and equipment list (equipped cursed items are not destroyed by this).
• If the 'auto-destroy' option is on, worthless items are stomped on rather than picked up.
• Removed most hard-coded 'Special Monster' hacks.
• The slime molds are revolting!
• Added Orbs, as described in RAK's history of Moria
• Character dump now dumps last 10 messages (so you can see how stupidly you died).
• Stats over 18 are no longer displayed as percentages.
• 'Dungeons' may now be towers (tiny levels heading upwards) as well as caves (larger levels heading downwards).
• 5 new dungeons added.
• Dungeons now have a 'bias' towards a certain type of creature.
• Dungeons (but not towers) display offset depth, rather than true depth.
• Startup options have their own option page, to reduce the number of questions the player is asked when creating a new character.
• Paths are now lit like floors.
• Problem with 'missing' options fixed.
• Wizard Mode moved to 'Cheat Options' page.
• Windows Console version added.
• Player breath weapons (from dragon plate or mutations) and 'wands of dragon breath' now use cone shaped attacks.
• Bug in 'unified commands' fixed so that objects on the floor no longer get prompted for twice.
• Corrected 'time of day' algorithm and added time display.
• Added Eric Bock's code to combine similar messages in message recall.
• Monster breaths are now cone shaped, rather than ball shaped (from Zangband)
• Added Zangband's view centring code.
• Reorganised and cleaned up 'options'.
• Added (and modified) ???'s point based stat generation code.
• Reverted source code to 3.1.2 base, losing all 4.0.0 and 4.0.1 changes

[HugoVirtuoso]

This is neat! This announcement warrants an upcoming compo, for sure!

[getter77]

YES! Congrats and thanks aplenty for making this release---keep at the fine work going forward! 2015 continues to shape up to be a fine year indeed for all things *BAND.

Definitely throw the release news and such up here when time avails so players new and lapsed can have even better odds of spotting it and because this is definitely a Big Deal in the Roguelike spectrum:

http://www.roguebasin.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

[vstat]

Excited to start exploring this. I have noticed the knowledge features don't work, and I can't seem to bring up multiple windows to show inventory etc. Are there plans for these in the future?

[Dean Anderson]

Originally Posted by vstat

Excited to start exploring this. I have noticed the knowledge features don't work, and I can't seem to bring up multiple windows to show inventory etc. Are there plans for these in the future?

The knowledge features are working for me as far as I can tell. In what way don't they work for you?

As for multiple windows, the pre-compiled version is the windows Console version. Therefore it runs as a console app - which means there's only one window and there's no graphics.

I haven't done anything to take graphics or multiple windows out, so if someone compiles a version for a different system they'll work normally.

[vstat]

Originally Posted by Dean Anderson

The knowledge features are working for me as far as I can tell. In what way don't they work for you?

As for multiple windows, the pre-compiled version is the windows Console version. Therefore it runs as a console app - which means there's only one window and there's no graphics.

I haven't done anything to take graphics or multiple windows out, so if someone compiles a version for a different system they'll work normally.

I can get the knowledge menu up fine. When I select option 1, 2, or 5 I get an error that says "cannot open '\s6po.' Multiple attempts will add increments of 1/10 behind that period. I can close the game and reopen and it cannot find open a different file name. Some examples I've had are s474, s5v0, s1bg and s2j4.

When trying to open options 3,4, or 6 I get a windows message saying the cthangband main executable has stopped working.

For reference I'm on a 64 bit version of Windows 7.

[Dean Anderson]

Originally Posted by vstat

I can get the knowledge menu up fine. When I select option 1, 2, or 5 I get an error that says "cannot open '\s6po.' Multiple attempts will add increments of 1/10 behind that period. I can close the game and reopen and it cannot find open a different file name. Some examples I've had are s474, s5v0, s1bg and s2j4.

When trying to open options 3,4, or 6 I get a windows message saying the cthangband main executable has stopped working.

For reference I'm on a 64 bit version of Windows 7.

Hmmm...

The knowledge functions write temporary files and then display those files. It looks like for some reason it doesn't have permission to write those files on your machine.

This is probably a Windows thing - Windows sometimes locks down your Program Files folder and stops files from being created there.

Try either:

1) Uninstalling the program and re-installing it somewhere other than your C:\Program Files\ folder. Preferably on another drive than your C drive.

-or-

2) Running the program "as Administrator".

If the problem is what I think it is, then hopefully doing either of those should fix it.

I should probably re-do the install script to make sure that it defaults to somewhere outside of your C:\Program Files folder, to be on the safe side.

[vstat]

Originally Posted by Dean Anderson

Hmmm...

The knowledge functions write temporary files and then display those files. It looks like for some reason it doesn't have permission to write those files on your machine.

This is probably a Windows thing - Windows sometimes locks down your Program Files folder and stops files from being created there.

Try either:

1) Uninstalling the program and re-installing it somewhere other than your C:\Program Files\ folder. Preferably on another drive than your C drive.

-or-

2) Running the program "as Administrator".

If the problem is what I think it is, then hopefully doing either of those should fix it.

I should probably re-do the install script to make sure that it defaults to somewhere outside of your C:\Program Files folder, to be on the safe side.

Run as admin works. Thanks! I did install in a different directory as well, did not run as admin, and got the same errors. The admin piece is the solution.

[Avenger]

Haven't played this one in years - nice to see it's still under development.

I've noticed a few minor things, and perhaps it's just because I'm accustomed to other variants, but... shift + direction doesn't seem to allow running, regardless of the Number Lock, and Function keys don't appear to be selectable in the macro creation process.

Again, maybe I'm missing something, but as running and macros are staples of my gameplay in other variants, playing without them feels rather odd.

[Dean Anderson]

Originally Posted by Avenger

Haven't played this one in years - nice to see it's still under development.

I've noticed a few minor things, and perhaps it's just because I'm accustomed to other variants, but... shift + direction doesn't seem to allow running, regardless of the Number Lock, and Function keys don't appear to be selectable in the macro creation process.

Again, maybe I'm missing something, but as running and macros are staples of my gameplay in other variants, playing without them feels rather odd.

I think these are both issues with the Windows Console code. The function to pick up keypresses isn't handling the non-alphanumeric key codes.

You can still run by using '.' and following it by a direction. Since that's the way I always do running, I didn't notice that using shift wasn't working (in fact I'd forgotten that you even could use shift to run!)