Chasing the dragon...

[Grotug]

I seem to be on a seasonal Angband cycle, where I binge it for a couple months each winter. I'm currently in the middle of a binge and I sorta wonder what keeps me coming back. I guess a big part of it is the goal of playing the perfect game: finding the perfect assortment of gear that I don't have to do a bunch of swapping or doubting about and finding an insane launcher (I'm still stuffed that I found *two* of the greatest launchers I've ever found in this game in the same game *on the same level* while playing an experimental version of a broken mage. The launchers themselves were so powerful as to be broken, but they were still not as good as the mage I was playing, so I couldn't justify using them .

My last game pretty close to perfect; I found *two* incredible slings of similar power, as well as end game xbow and long bow; and then I found The One Ring on DL100 (forced descent game) in the very center of a small vault sort of shaped like a flower. In addition, I already had a really useful ring of power that had lightning immunity and all the stats I needed as a Hobbit Ranger (including 5 CON and 5 STR) as well as all the resists I needed; a ring that left me without that annoying quandary feeling of "should I wear the other ring instead?" It was a very satisfying game; one of my best I guess. But the thing is, The One Ring didn't really fit into my character. I didn't need to find anything else, except some holy might ammo and more rods of TO (I had only two, and no Mbans or Destructs, which I didn't want, preferring multiple launchers and a ship-ton of ammo instead). Did I mention my Hobbit had /*** on STR, DEX and CON before I found the One Ring and the ultimate non-artifact MoD?

I have been recording all my games with the intention to at some point edit the good ones and upload them to YT. I was inclined not to put on the One Ring, but I thought it would make for a better video so I did. Which was really stupid. My character didn't need it. And I replaced it on the great Ring of Power I was already wearing, not realizing that I would lose rNexus in doing so (ended up getting bounced to a TO'd corner).

Anyway, not surprisingly, the added melee damage and +5 speed and additional Acid and Cold immunities were not at all worth the aggravation with a character whose only ability to control his environment is 2 rods of TO and endless sling damage (x4 +21 +7 shooting speed). I went with the buckland sling over the artifact x4 +28 sling because the buckland's Dex got me 5 blows with my MOD Extra attacks <+2> (+17) good for 620 to others and 1000 to Undead.

Anyway, it was very unsatisfying playing with the One Ring, and kinda ruined what would have otherwise been a very satisfying ending to a great game. For one, the aggravation prevented me from being able to look at anything else in the vault. The level had a treasure feeling 9 (which, I remember reading from someone else--that the One Ring doesn't give a treasure feeling that high), so I was *really* keen to see what the 9 object was as it's very rare in my games for very late or last level to have that high a treasure feeling. I never got the chance to find it because of the shit show the level became.

I have never put that cursed ring on and had fun with it, which is annoying from a game design POV as it's supposed to be the most powerful item in the game; the most sought after. Yet when I find it it's like, "well, it doesn't suit my character". It should be something that should almost always be the right choice to wear. It never has been for me.

It would be cool if you could try to take it off, but the game gives a message like "are you sure you want to take it off? It looks so nice and shiny on your finger." If you try again it says "Really take it off? the power surging through your body is so irresistible!" there could be like 7-10 different messages like this randomly generated anytime you try to take it off (on the third try it would give a message "you briefly overcome the will of the ring and slip it from your finger". And then.. if you put it on two more times after taking it off you cannot take it off again; showing in a progressive way its corruptive power, so that when you answer yes to take it off the third time, instead of taking it off the message reads "You reach for the ring, but you cannot bring yourself to do it. And why shouldn't you keep it? Its power is precious!" or something Tolkienish.

[Sky]

everyone know you are not allowed to wear TOR unless you are evil, e.g. a blackguard, necro, or a half-troll / half-orc.