New to Unangband

[Deranged Archivist]

So I finally decided to give Unangband a shot, and I have to say, I really really love it. I appreciate the additional options at character creation, so that my fighter is not just a fighter, he's a one weapon style fighter, or good with rings. Maybe my priest is a demon hunter, etc. I really like this.

I really like the numerous spells of the same levels- it has the effect of allowing the spellcasting player actual choices, rather than forcing them down the same track each time.

I love the idea of item specialization- in Angband, wands, etc seem like junk half the time. What good is 150 points of damage, against a monster with 3000 hp, when your ordinary attacks easily top that? If I understand the specialization rightly, a wizard who specializes in wands can get enough damage from that wand to make interesting strategic choices.

I do like the terrains that I can interact with- though this is where I started to have problems. For instance, I think it's great that my fire spell caught some curtains on fire, but was surprised when I died almost instantly to smoke inhalation. I think it's great that my acid spell consumed something and left mist, but the mist killed me too, doing more damage (I think) than the spell itself could have done. Unexpected.

So far, Unangband seems like a far, far harder game. But it conveys a sense of atmosphere that I've found absent in the other roguelikes.

Anyhow, I am hitting a steep learning curve, and this is from a experienced (if not exactly successful) Roguelike player. I've come across some situations that I'm not sure what to do about.

I keep catching illnesses, and I can see that certain things cure certain diseases, but I cannot figure out how to cure the one I have, short of trial and error. Would our characters not have at least some sense of hedge medicine, and start with a few cures known?

I cannot see what effect the illness is even having on me, which makes me anxious.

When I wait for a turn, it says I am blocking- does this mean that I get an AC boost for a few turns?

Also found a bug- when I unequip a torch, it stacks it with my other torches, and sets all their light remaining to the same as the one in my hand. Unless I am misreading the display, and the amound applies only to the top torch of the stack.

I have not made it past Bree or the Cellars yet- the lethality of the game keeps catching up to my inexperience- but I would have to say that I am hooked.

[andrewdoull]

Originally Posted by Deranged Archivist

Anyhow, I am hitting a steep learning curve, and this is from a experienced (if not exactly successful) Roguelike player. I've come across some situations that I'm not sure what to do about.

I keep catching illnesses, and I can see that certain things cure certain diseases, but I cannot figure out how to cure the one I have, short of trial and error. Would our characters not have at least some sense of hedge medicine, and start with a few cures known?

Firstly, thanks for the kind words. Currently when you inspect an item, it tells you what illnesses it cures. As you point out, it'd make more sense to have when you inspect your illness (through self-knowledge) to be told what items can cure it. I'll add that as a feature request.

I cannot see what effect the illness is even having on me, which makes me anxious.

Illnesses only affect you when you change levels, and when you are hit by a disease effect - such as from a monster's attack. The rest of the time you are safe from their effects.

When I wait for a turn, it says I am blocking- does this mean that I get an AC boost for a few turns?

You get a bonus to AC (your shield/secondary weapon AC benefits are counted twice - if you don't have a secondary weapon, your primary weapon or hand armour is counted instead), a significant bonus to hit in melee (+20 to hit), shooting or throwing (+15 to hit) (you're also aiming at the same time) and protection against one trap type. If you find yourself regularly missing an opponent in melee, it may pay to alternate attacks with blocking.

Also found a bug- when I unequip a torch, it stacks it with my other torches, and sets all their light remaining to the same as the one in my hand. Unless I am misreading the display, and the amound applies only to the top torch of the stack.

Quite possibly. I've never got the maths for stacking quite right.

I have not made it past Bree or the Cellars yet- the lethality of the game keeps catching up to my inexperience- but I would have to say that I am hooked.

Don't worry. I rarely get further than that. It's still an entertaining game even if you only make it a little way.

Andrew

[Deranged Archivist]

Well, now I brought a Dwarf warrior much further- took down Bilbo's trolls (which, oddly, did not unlock the troll race. Do named trolls not count for unlocking purposes?) and got swarmed by fast breeders in the Midgewaters. It was a salvagable situation- I just waited too long before using recall, and they chewed me up before I exited.

Unlocked goblins, and goblin-men. (The goblin-men have slightly worse infravision, and a higher xp penalty, and are otherwise identical to goblins. Am I missing something, like an intrinsic ability unlisted on the stats?)

I'm curious where some of your inspiration for your changes came from- do you have any history with paper and pencil roleplaying games? Some of the atmosphere added to Unangband felt like that to me. I realize much is code borrowed from other variants.

[andrewdoull]

Originally Posted by Deranged Archivist

I'm curious where some of your inspiration for your changes came from- do you have any history with paper and pencil roleplaying games? Some of the atmosphere added to Unangband felt like that to me. I realize much is code borrowed from other variants.

I played a lot of AD&D in my teenage years and was an avid collector of other RPG materials.

Andrew

PS: Dark Conspiracy 4eva

[VRBones]

So far, Unangband seems like a far, far harder game. But it conveys a sense of atmosphere that I've found absent in the other roguelikes.

Atmosphere seems an apt word and my continual delight in the game. There seems to be more purpose to things, and the flotsam around the levels along with the room descriptions give rise to a feeling of it being a lived-in place. It's quite hard to put your finger on immediately, but once you go back to another you'll definitely notice its absence.

[Bandobras]

Originally Posted by Deranged Archivist

Unlocked goblins, and goblin-men. (The goblin-men have slightly worse infravision, and a higher xp penalty, and are otherwise identical to goblins. Am I missing something, like an intrinsic ability unlisted on the stats?)

Goblin-men are not hurt by bright light. But they have another disadvantage: they are (part-) men, so they are hurt by SLAY MAN weapons. At least that is what I remember from previous versions (and similar for Orcs and Half-Orcs).

Have fun!

[Deranged Archivist]

Originally Posted by VRBones

Atmosphere seems an apt word and my continual delight in the game. There seems to be more purpose to things, and the flotsam around the levels along with the room descriptions give rise to a feeling of it being a lived-in place. It's quite hard to put your finger on immediately, but once you go back to another you'll definitely notice its absence.

It's true- once you get used to seeing different types of rooms, your minds starts subconsciously putting it together into a story that adds a lot to the feel of the game. When I came across the ruins of a dining hall, or a lab, or a cloakroom, it felt like I was picking through actual ruins. When I went back to V, or most other variants, I kept thinking "Why do these tunnels even exist? What purpose did they serve?" There's no hint of that at all.

It's just more fun to pick through crumbling ruins than endless pristine chambers that occasionally contain a bone.


What exactly are the other unlockable races, anyhow? I've seen a number on the ladder- trolls, forge giants, etc. Unangband seems to be striving to be faithful to Tolkien's source material, so I'm not expecting to play Klackons or Mind Flayers, but I am curious what else is out there.

[andrewdoull]

Originally Posted by Deranged Archivist

What exactly are the other unlockable races, anyhow? I've seen a number on the ladder- trolls, forge giants, etc. Unangband seems to be striving to be faithful to Tolkien's source material, so I'm not expecting to play Klackons or Mind Flayers, but I am curious what else is out there.

How much do you want to spoil yourself here?

Let's just say that they are all faithful to Tolkein to a greater or lesser degree, but some are more fantastic than others.

Andrew

[Deranged Archivist]

Fair enough. As far as character creation options go, it does not bother me to know all the things I could unlock, or how they interact. Not so much looking for spoilers on the rest, though.

[honaker215]

I'm new to Unangband, and Angband in general, and I was wondering how exactly I get my intelligence back from 3 to 13. It's yellow and I believe I was affected by the Black Brain disease, not sure how but I just cured it in Bree and my stats havent raised back up.