FAangband 1.3

[Nick]

FAangband 1.3 is now available from the download page. Thanks to pav for hosting, and to everyone who has sent feedback.

The big changes for this release are:

1. A compressed wilderness map - the wilderness and all the dungeons except Angband have had levels cut out, and it is much quicker for any character to get to the first dungeon (Amon Rûdh);
2. Autoscum has gone back from being a birth option to being a switchable option; also there's a new "hard mode" (also switchable) where levels have a much higher rate of interesting rooms, pits and vaults;
3. Shockbolt's tiles are included, and default in windows, and Nomad's tiles now work much better;
4. The new trap handling (although introduced in some 1.2.x) is probably worth a mention, as traps and objects can now exist in the same grid.

I have also updated the page summarising the state of play with Shockbolt's tiles - there are gaps, but mostly I've plugged them with 32x32 tiles. Obviously I would like to see them filled properly, but I expect Shockbolt may have one or two other things to be doing

It's worth noting too that there are RPMs for a number of linux distributions, and both Carbon and Cocoa versions for OSX.

[Magnate]

Congrats on the release (and on the rapid production of RPMs!). What made you decide to make autoscum switchable? (And doesn't the new "hard mode" somewhat duplicate it? How do they interact?)

[Nick]

Originally Posted by Magnate

What made you decide to make autoscum switchable?

It just seemed like more fun for the player. I tend to favour more choice where possible.

And doesn't the new "hard mode" somewhat duplicate it? How do they interact?

Technically they're independent options, but I suspect that autoscum is irrelevant if you turn hard mode on. Hard mode levels that I've played have yet to be anything less than 'very good'

For the statistically minded, I have a room distribution R(n), where n is the room type, and replaced it with nR(n). This is crude and easy to implement, but brutally effective.

[getter77]

Congrats on the release, and well done on this sort of a "hard mode" that should indeed make for some interesting times.

[Nick]

One thing I forgot to mention - the old wilderness map is still available as a birth option, but the new compressed one is the default.

[Seany C]

Well done, Nick - looking forward to trying the new version. Have any particular wilderness branches been excised or is it more like ramping the danger level changes from 1 and 2, to 2 and 4 respectively?

Also, has this replaced the 'open wilderness' plan or is this still a future prospect?

[Nick]

Originally Posted by Seany C

Well done, Nick - looking forward to trying the new version. Have any particular wilderness branches been excised or is it more like ramping the danger level changes from 1 and 2, to 2 and 4 respectively?

Typically danger level changes are 2, 3 or 4 (and that includes in the lesser dungeons). There are no branches excised, and there is a new short path added so you can get quickly from Belegost/Ossiriand to Amon Rûdh. Now I just need buzzkill to make a new world map

Also, has this replaced the 'open wilderness' plan or is this still a future prospect?

That's Beleriand, and "future prospect" is a good description. At this point it's a massive rewrite from the ground up, incorporating elements from Sil as well as all the other stuff I've talked about, and is likely to be playable sometime after 2020.

I blame you.

[buzzkill]

Originally Posted by Nick

Now I just need buzzkill to make a new world map

I'll be glad to once I get around to it. I'm mildly obsessed with HoMist right now. There's no real magic making a world map. I just took screen shots (smallest font) from the in game M)ap, and then stitched them together in a photo editor.

I wouldn't mind making something prettier if Shockbolt would lend permission to use his his minimap tiles... and then produce some depicting trees and mountains, etc. Hmm, it might be easier if... "Hey, Shockbolt..."

[getter77]

Now that this sizable hump has been cleared, what's the state of the plan of attack or rough order of events to come for the First Age here beyond 1.3 heading towards some other nifty integer or some such?

[Nick]

Originally Posted by getter77

Now that this sizable hump has been cleared, what's the state of the plan of attack or rough order of events to come for the First Age here beyond 1.3 heading towards some other nifty integer or some such?

I don't have specific plans for FA at this point - I'm planning to put a fair bit of time into Beleriand next. That said, I will be doing bugfixes to FA (I have some already), and will add new features if I think of any I want to add.