Always mcg after mab

[BaldAdonis]

http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=8429

Home for the holidays and after the kiddies go to sleep, there's plenty of adventure time. So I started up a new human mage, wanting some more practice with magic (I've been playing a HE Rouge and a Dwaven Priest recently), and the ability to level up quickly. Unlike rouges, I found mages could climb the early levels (up to clvl 12 at least) very quickly, because they get to learn more spells and get enough xp from that. So I fought (and disarmed) my way up to 3, learned some spells, killed the dogs, learned more spells, and killed a couple more nagas until I hit level 7. Then I came back to town, bought books 2 and 3 and cast spells/leveled up/cast spells until I had identify and could make food. That's when the fun begins.

I got Calris from a ?Acquirement around 1000', but I couldn't do a thing with it because of the aggravation. Eventually I found Raal's and could take down all the uniques I met and all the basic ancient dragons with those spells. They were a bit costly on mana, but with a fast regen and teleport self/other it didn't matter. The ghostly uniques were the most fun, because you could send them anywhere on the map and they'd walk right back to be hit again and sent away. Treasures galore, but the rng was not giving me any decent items.

I finally found a sword I was comfortable with (but hardly any other good equipment, I just picked up Colluin on my death dive) and started meleeing a pack of wargs down a corridor. They led me to a large dark room, so I mab'd the place and saw a mature blue dragon and a Patriarch. Not knowing the latter but with full health and enough mana to deal with the dragon and teleport myself or the Patriarch, I lit the room up. And then something else lit the room up. For 350 damage. Yikes. Ethereal dragons are much tougher than AMHD. "Always mcg after mab." I'm sure I read that somewhere here, but it never meant anything to me until after I died.

I'll head back to my real home tomorrow and try again. On that note, how would the rest of you deal with travelling frequently? Flash drives to keep my characters, or just new games (or don't travel/don't play when away)? I've also been thinking about playing while travelling, but I still don't like playing on a laptop and I couldn't see handhelds being any better. Is the rougelike keyset a lot better for laptops? (I'm used to having numpad for walking/running).

[Donald Jonker]

Originally Posted by BaldAdonis

I've also been thinking about playing while travelling, but I still don't like playing on a laptop and I couldn't see handhelds being any better. Is the rougelike keyset a lot better for laptops? (I'm used to having numpad for walking/running).

At present, the roguelike keyset is the only option for laptops... if you want to move diagonally. A lot of people are extremely adverse to it, though I can't figure out why; after 3-4 hours of play it becomes very natural and intuitive, and has the added virtue of not requiring one to move one's hands during the course of play, which can't be said of the standard keyset. I happen to like it a lot. You *could* use the row of numbers above the letter keys... I've read of someone who does that, but such a herculean labor is beyond my comprehension.

There is one drawback to roguelike keys in the current vanilla: there's no key for the 'squelch' command. See this thread. Although if you don't mind going into squelch menus, it isn't a problem.

Also in the development version (has the change been effected yet?) there's a 'lazy mode' where if you press two arrow keys in quick succession, say up and left, it has the effect of going diagonally northwest, which would mean you wouldn't have to switch to the roguelike keys, so you might want to check out the dev version for travel play.

Nice handle, by the way.

[takkaria]

Originally Posted by Donald Jonker

At present, the roguelike keyset is the only option for laptops... if you want to move diagonally.

Honestly, it's not. I use laptop keyboard to play with the standard keyset, and my fingers know just where to hit if I want to go diagonally. I'd say it's far easier to learn these keys than it is to learn a whole new keyset (at least, that's what I found).

[Narvius]

Also, there are external Numpads that can be attached to laptops. Shouldn't be too expensive.

[Jungle_Boy]

Originally Posted by takkaria

Honestly, it's not. I use laptop keyboard to play with the standard keyset, and my fingers know just where to hit if I want to go diagonally. I'd say it's far easier to learn these keys than it is to learn a whole new keyset (at least, that's what I found).

I agree with this. Also if you're not real hardcore or in real trouble just take two turns and use the arrow keys.

[Donald Jonker]

Reprobates! Defilers of the True Religion of the Roguelike Keyset!

[rdermyer]

I use a combo of the number keys at the top and the mouse.

[Pete Mack]

Originally Posted by takkaria

Honestly, it's not. I use laptop keyboard to play with the standard keyset, and my fingers know just where to hit if I want to go diagonally. I'd say it's far easier to learn these keys than it is to learn a whole new keyset (at least, that's what I found).

I understand what you are saying, but there is one more benefit to the roguelike keyset: the directions are all in the "home" line, or are very near by. I tried using the numbers on the top line and found that it was very hard to keep track of where my fingers were. I have the same problem with the keypad on a fullsize keyboard.

It's pretty funny that this goes all the way back to the very first video game (spacewar), and very first visual editor, where hjkl were the "alt" encodings for cursor movement on some long-forgotten terminal.

[Immir]

Yes, being able to play anywhere is what is driving me to develop the Nintendo DS version. The touch screen helps alleviate some the control issues, and I have various other ideas for helping deal with control issues / lack of keys (some implemented, others in planning stage).

Keep an eye out any day now for a development release of a NDS port of vanilla 3.1.0.

Cheers,
Immir.

[Donald Jonker]

Originally Posted by Immir

Keep an eye out any day now for a development release of a NDS port of vanilla 3.1.0.

This is so damn exciting I can't contain myself, but I hope you realize all the lives you'll be destroying by developing this. Between Vanilla DS and FAAanbgandDS, I'm not sure I'll have the time for regular meals, university study, contact with my significant other, personal hygiene, shifting my body to avoid bedsores... the list goes on.