Tweaking Character Creation Process

[Nick]

Originally Posted by Ingwe Ingweron

So, you see how being able to load inscriptions, etc., easily and in mass to any new savefile is efficient, but you don't see how being able to load user interface options to any new savefile easily and in mass would also be efficient?

Only if I reuse the savefile can I have the benefit of the user-interface options chosen? A new save requires reimputing the options one by one? Why should that be different than the keymaps, inscriptions and subwindow options that I can load in mass? What am I missing in my explanation?

The bit I don't understand is why you are using a new savefile - but I guess "reasons" is enough there

I guess it makes sense for the savefile to contain only information about the character, and for all other info to be somewhere else. Maybe this also applies to some other info besides options, like whether you have ever seen given artifacts (which gets thorny when you consider randarts) and ego items?

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Originally Posted by Nick

The bit I don't understand is why you are using a new savefile - but I guess "reasons" is enough there

I guess it makes sense for the savefile to contain only information about the character, and for all other info to be somewhere else. Maybe this also applies to some other info besides options, like whether you have ever seen given artifacts (which gets thorny when you consider randarts) and ego items?

A savefile has the class and race locked in, doesn't it? If I played a half-troll mage, reusing the savefile doesn't let me play a hobbit rogue, or does it? If I play in a comp, I must use the comp savefile. I can load my standard pref of inscriptions, keymaps, and subwindows, but not the interface options. That seems really odd, especially when interface options are the things least likely to change no matter what race or class I play. I don't mind that item knowledge resets with a new savefile, in fact I find that helpful to keep track of what I have and haven't found yet.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by Ingwe Ingweron

A savefile has the class and race locked in, doesn't it? If I played a half-troll mage, reusing the savefile doesn't let me play a hobbit rogue, or does it? If I play in a comp, I must use the comp savefile. I can load my standard pref of inscriptions, keymaps, and subwindows, but not the interface options. That seems really odd, especially when interface options are the things least likely to change no matter what race or class I play.

If you start from an old savefile, you get to choose your race and class again (keeping the same savefile used to be the only way to retain monster memory), but you are right about competitions.

As to the dumping of interface options to a .prf file, that will be easy to implement, because it was taken out on Friday August the 30th, 2013 (or it would be if some fool hadn't completely rewritten the code since then). The essential reasons for that are in this thread, and seem principally related to some squelch (now ignore) options which no longer exist anyway. I can no longer see any reason now not to allow dumping interface options to a .prf file, so I will implement that. I can also see no reason not to continue saving interface options to the savefile, so I will not remove that.

Also I see no harm in putting the rolling for stats before class choice in the standard roller, so I will look into doing that too. After that, I will be free to return to putting back in the trap-noticing code. By the time I have finished that, I should be in just the right frame of mind to re-work the monster list

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Originally Posted by Nick

If you start from an old savefile, you get to choose your race and class again (keeping the same savefile used to be the only way to retain monster memory), but you are right about competitions.

You are the man, Nick!

It never ceases to amaze me how I still have holes in my knowledge of some little and basic things about this game. I always thought, quite wrongly, that if I chose "new" in an old savefile, the prior settings would be dumped. Obviously, it does keep the settings. However it also keeps all the item knowledge, but not flavor knowledge, which can be good or bad, depending on what you're after. I have used the item knowledge/flavor list to know what items I have or have not discovered. With the old savefile, there's no easy way to know whether the item in the knowledge list has actually yet been found.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by Ingwe Ingweron

It never ceases to amaze me how I still have holes in my knowledge of some little and basic things about this game.

Well, thing have changed over the years too. In fact it's reasonably common for a change to be made, and then reverted, ruining the game both times