Town layout

[awldune]

I'm sure this has come up before here or in rgra, but it has always annoyed me that some of the shop doors are on the back side of the buildings. It seems like the town is basically arranged as a street with shops on both sides, so why would some shops have their entrance at the back?

For that matter, why is the town layout random? Does anyone enjoy this feature?

Just a petty gripe. I was really impressed when I started a new character after retiring my winner and it immediately offered me a new character with the same race/class/stat allotment.

[Hariolor]

I've noticed this as well. I'd honestly be pretty happy if the town level were just a menu, numbered 1-8 (for shops), with 9 prompting you to (r)ead a scroll or go to DL1.

Short of that solution, I'd agree that a randomized town layout serves little purpose, really, and could be standardized.

[Pete Mack]

Originally Posted by Hariolor

I've noticed this as well. I'd honestly be pretty happy if the town level were just a menu, numbered 1-8 (for shops), with 9 prompting you to (r)ead a scroll or go to DL1.

Short of that solution, I'd agree that a randomized town layout serves little purpose, really, and could be standardized.

If you count turns, town layout makes a difference. I don't see anything wrong with a random town (it does add significant flavor for newbies.) though I agree that doors should usually be on the front or sides of buildings, except the black market entrance should always be around back.

[Marble Dice]

May I suggest:

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Joking aside, Pete's suggestion seems reasonable. You could give shop doors a 90% chance to be in the front, and a 10% chance to be on the side, with the black market door being on the back instead of the front.

[Hariolor]

Originally Posted by Pete Mack

If you count turns, town layout makes a difference. I don't see anything wrong with a random town (it does add significant flavor for newbies.) though I agree that doors should usually be on the front or sides of buildings, except the black market entrance should always be around back.

If you count turns, and your layout is different than every other layout in every other game, then you are essentially getting a randomly-assigned benefit/penalty in terms of turncount. I realize this is no different than the RNG's effects on items, dungeon maps, etc etc - but something about it feels wrong to me. Perhaps because everyone has a town level, and everyone will use it at least once (unless they are voluntarily foregoing its availability). Really not that important to the game overall, though.

Also, I like MD's suggestion. Do that

[Nick]

Originally Posted by Hariolor

Also, I like MD's suggestion. Do that

What, and have it be two steps from 5 to 4 and only one step from 5 to 2? That would be so unfair

[HallucinationMushroom]

Town Drunks need a place to Stumble... I propose:

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####678####
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[PowerDiver]

Originally Posted by HallucinationMushroom

Town Drunks need a place to Stumble... I propose:

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###  ######
####123####
####4>5####
####678####
###########
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If you taking things this seriously, you need to put an empty square in drop distance from each store. Occasionally you accidentally do stuff inside a store that causes you to drop an item out of the store. Do that e.g. in the home above and it would be destroyed.

[awldune]

I was thinking something like this:

#########################################
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#           #####             #######   #
#           #####  ########   #######   #
#           #####  ########   #######   #
#     ###   #####  ########   #######   #
#     ###   #####  ########   #######   #
#     #8#   ###3#  ###2####   ###1###   #
#                                       #
#                                       #
#                  >                    #
#                                       #
#                                       #
#   #####  ####4##  ###6##    ##5###    #
#   #####  #######  ######    ######    #
#   #####  #######  ######    ######    #
#   #####  #######  ######    ######    #
#   #####           ######    ######    #
#   ###7#           ######              #
#                                       #
#                                       #
#########################################

A fixed layout would let us have a small home and a black market that is "in back" if desired. There would still be enough room for some townspeople.

[Magnate]

Originally Posted by awldune

A fixed layout would let us have a small home and a black market that is "in back" if desired. There would still be enough room for some townspeople.

I hope Takk treats this whole issue with the contempt it deserves. So a random town might cost you a few more turns if you get a duff layout. The whole game is random! You might as well suggest that dl1 should always contain a specific set of monsters ... and so on all the way to dl100.

EDIT: I tell you what though - I wouldn't mind a "goto" key, which then takes a store number argument and takes the shortest route to that store.