advice: dive vs stat gain

[smee]

hi

i usually play dunadin paladins or high elf ranger, make it to stat gain, and then start finding a few good items, get tired of looking for potions, dive to 3000' and die.

should i stay around at 1500-1800 and look for potions for longer? or just be more careful while diving?

i put a current character at http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=7113

thanks a lot for the help!

[Psi]

Originally Posted by smee

i usually play dunadin paladins or high elf ranger, make it to stat gain, and then start finding a few good items, get tired of looking for potions, dive to 3000' and die.

should i stay around at 1500-1800 and look for potions for longer? or just be more careful while diving?

There is no real need to hang around for potions. If diving to 3000 is killing you, then try spending a bit more time on each of the levels around 2500 until you feel more comfortable.

[Dragonboneman]

There's a fine line between "fast diving" and "suicide".
Example: http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=6139

[Mondkalb]

Oh yes, time hounds are nasty!

[Psi]

...which is why ?TL would have been better in your inv rather than your home!

[Dragonboneman]

Yeah. But in that particular game I'd developed something of a death wish. I thought I'd just see how far I could push it. It's not like I was given a chance to read any scrolls anyway. It was a case of pure diving without any thought of survival.

[Psi]

Originally Posted by Dragonboneman

Yeah. But in that particular game I'd developed something of a death wish. I thought I'd just see how far I could push it. It's not like I was given a chance to read any scrolls anyway. It was a case of pure diving without any thought of survival.

Fair enough about the deathwish, but I meant use TL *instead of* the teleport in this situation: "Killed by unfortunate teleport right next to a large pack of Time Hounds"

[Dragonboneman]

Well, yeah, but I might have teleported UP a level! Can't have that...

[Psi]

Originally Posted by Dragonboneman

Well, yeah, but I might have teleported UP a level! Can't have that...

I like your style. LOL

[Magnate]

Originally Posted by smee

hi

i usually play dunadin paladins or high elf ranger, make it to stat gain, and then start finding a few good items, get tired of looking for potions, dive to 3000' and die.

should i stay around at 1500-1800 and look for potions for longer? or just be more careful while diving?

i put a current character at http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=7113

thanks a lot for the help!

I think your problem is compacency: you take a character who is in almost no danger at 1800' and dive very quickly to 3000' without getting used to the increasing danger level. There are two solutions to this:

1. Dive more slowly once you leave 1800'. Make sure you notice how much more dangerous each level/fight is getting - how much more often you have to heal/teleport/rest. As you near 3000' you'll be much more wary of stuff that could kill you, and you'll be much more likely to survive. This is essentially what Psi recommended.

2. The alternative is to dive more *quickly*, right from the start. Don't stop at 1500'-1800', keep going. You'll spend your whole time carefully avoiding what could kill you and killing only what is rewarding, and you'll suddenly find yourself surviving perfectly well at 3000' because you've developed those survival skills through the game.

They end up as totally different experiences, so do whichever you enjoy more.

CC