[Un] Unangband 0.6.2-wip6 has been released

[andrewdoull]

Unangband 0.6.2-wip6 has been released. This is a work in progress release: please save often.

I've worked hard on improving the documentation and experience for those new to Unangband, as well as fixed some major stability bugs on the Windows platform. If you've tried Unangband recently due to the discussions on angband.oook.cz and were dissatisfied, please download this release and see if I've addressed the issues you raised.

You can download a windows executable from http://prdownload.berlios.de/unangba...2-wip6-win.zip.

You can download the source files from
http://prdownload.berlios.de/unangba...2-wip6-src.zip.



### Game Play ###

- The unique elementals now get escorts of their ilk.

- Spores can now be stored in the quiver (Thanks to Mikolaj Konarski for the suggestion and
code for this).

- Reworked campaign mode so that you can almost always travel back and forward between two
locations. Added some additional locations. This is very much a work in progress and will need
balancing to ensure there are dungeons that can be accessed easily to cover all depths.

- Monsters in groups are now lead by a higher level leader. Add ability for monsters to vary by
age.

- Undead now live with undead animals. Animal summoners summon undead animals if they are undead.

- Added low level wands of Spark and re-organised wand depths and prices slightly.

- Blessing is now the first paladin spell to help low level paladins with combat.

- Made men of Bree observant and Haradrim warriors fearless.

- If a summoned minion of yours dies, you incure a mana debt equal to the monster level. If you
cannnot pay the debt from available mana, you'll pay it in blood instead.

- Monsters you summon now have a time limit to their existence.

- If the deepest monster on a level is powerful, litter the level with the remains of its victims.

- Morgoth is now an equal opportunity employer.

- Try to ensure monster drops 1 weapon, 1 body armour, 1 helmet etc. when calculating monster
drops to provide a better as well as more realistic set of drops.


### User Interface ###

- Added tips interface to allow context sensitive tips to be placed in the game. Have
created a few tips but there are many more to do. See info\readme.txt for what tips can be
put in the game.

- Added skill display for each class and race during character birth mode.

- Updates to documentation covering character creation.

- Added a 'difficulty' level at character birth mode. Be honest with your choices and you'll
get the best in-game experience.

- Display character height in feet.

- Reduce sensitivity in birth menus to mouse input.



### Bug fixes ###


- Fixed major bug with mouse interaction with looking on Windows platform.

- Fixed problem with strange wand effects when repeating wand activations (Reported
by redelsmansidi).

- Fixed bug where monsters would only breath when afraid (Reported by Matthias
Rudolf).

- Fixed numerous bugs with animate objects and summoned monsters (Reported by Matthias
Rudolf).

- Fixed bug where monsters would stop being generated on a level (Reported by Matthias
Rudolf).

- Fixed bug with repeat and shop services.

- Fixed bug with Throwing flag no longer being obvious (Thanks to Mikolaj Konarski for
the fix).

- Fix darkness so its useful as a spell.

- Fix logic problem with polymorphing a monster on terrain.

[andrewdoull]

Originally Posted by andrewdoull

- Reworked campaign mode so that you can almost always travel back and forward between two
locations. Added some additional locations. This is very much a work in progress and will need
balancing to ensure there are dungeons that can be accessed easily to cover all depths.

Its worthwhile mentioning that you no longer have to fight any suicidally out of depth uniques when wandering around the wilderness. I'm still tuning this, and the uniques in question will pop-up in their former locations after certain events in the game occur. Many of the dungeons that had compulsory uniques are now optional and can be bypassed.

Andrew

[Matthias]

Sounds nice. Looks like you've reduced the overall difficulty quite a bit. I really like how you balanced summoning. Is the same true for npc summoners too?

Originally Posted by andrewdoull

- Morgoth is now an equal opportunity employer.

Eh what?!?

[andrewdoull]

Originally Posted by Matthias

Sounds nice. Looks like you've reduced the overall difficulty quite a bit. I really like how you balanced summoning. Is the same true for npc summoners too?

They use the same 'summoned' counter, but the counter prevents them from summoning again. See my blog (summoning veils) for an in-game excuse for this.

> Morgoth is now an equal opportunity employer.

Eh what?!?

Most monsters that used to be male now have MALE | FEMALE to represent that they can appear as either male or female. You can also specify differences in the monster name or description as |male|female| e.g. High priest||ess|

Its a bit hacky - much hackier than I expected when I first started implementing it.

Andrew

[Satyr]

Nice. Just tried it, and the improved info/docs really helps getting into the game. Though it didn't stop me from getting all my chars killed at level 2 or so ...

A few quick observations:

- the "visible monster list" in a subwindow seems not to be able to handle the dual sex monster entries (it displays e.g. hobbit |gentleman|goodwife|)
- I had a giant fruit fly "say something"
- while creating a ranger I selected "Statecraft" as my magic speciallity. The help text seems to imply that you would get that book as part of your starting kit, but I didn't receive anything.

EDIT: one other bug I encountered during starting a character: if you choose "played a roguelike/Angband before" you get thrown back to selecting your sex after entering a speciallity.

[Bandobras]

Edit: all bug reports below moved to the project bug system.

Wow, a lot of surprising changes. The tips are brilliant and the overhauled wilderness looks very nice.

But of course, I'm writing to point out some bugs or things that I don't like.

1. Everything is "nearby" in the wilderness.

FIXED: 2. I'd like it so that you cannot go back from Bree and Buckland. There is enough warning on the bridge and the road. Hobbiton has too good shops and encourages travel-shop-scumming. And, probably the most important thing, the inability to get back to your old cosy home seems to me a very good beginning of an adventure. Perhaps add some witty message when the player tries to go back, but really the texts on the bridge and on the river tell it all and build the tension really well. Oh, and neither in the Hobbit nor in LOTR was there any going back too soon. If you must, allow getting back from Bree, but not Buckland. BTW, the 2 additional shops on the bridge and road already give the player enough breathing space (and, let's hope, not enough incentive to scum, apart of the initial round of shopping before descending to the dungeon for the first time). Not to mention you can go to Bree, buy loads of potions of Speed and do Farm with it. Totally unfair. I mean, where is your EMFH spirit?

3. Gifted warriors get to choose a magic school. Also, their name overflows, but there is a lot of unused space in the Style row.

4. I would remove the 'nerve agents' from M.B. speech, it seem just a little bit too unlikely in his mouth. Otherwise it's very funny and informative. I understand, though, the need to convey somewhat the difference between 'nerve agents' and 'blood agents' and the terms seem useful.

5. It may be a good idea to switch from "roguelike commands" to "laptop commands" also in the tips. They are mostly for newbies and they don't know about Rogue.

6. As much as I'm fond of your tips, especially the fancy ones, and of Tolkien, I don't like the tip about Elendil. I would find another use for the nice informative bit:
"do not rely on the edge
of your killing blade, for while it may draw red blood or
black ichor or ash from many of the minions of Morgoth,
against some opponents --- those rocky hard or metallic or
stone --- your edge will not find purchase and it will be as
if you had shattered your own sword for all the effect it
may have against them. Carry a blunt weapon for those
circumstances, which will be able to crack through the
hard exterior to damage them"

7. The tip about Helm is nice, but I cannot quite fit "I think it is time we inform the senate that our ability to use the force has diminished." into the main text. Also, I'm not sure if you talk about blunt weapons or barehand combat. If both --- it's OK. No other remarks about the lib/info texts --- I've corrected some typos but otherwise they are perfect.

FIXED: 8. My shadow fairy is said to have a home in Angband.

9. The potions inside Tom's house looked identified in his house but turned unknown in my inventory. Storing them back into his house does not identify them. But they sell for the same high price as identified potions.

FIXED: I've just got the loot from Tom and with this loot Farm will be trivial. Moreover, dungeons nearby Buckland will be trivial. I guess Tom's house should be one-way, with enough warning somewhat given to the player. Here is what happens with fully connected wilderness:

[Unangband 0.6.2 Character Dump]

 Name   Wormhole, the Dragonslayer               Self  SB  EB  TB   Best   Curr
 Sex    Male               Age      292  STR:      11  +0  +3  +0     14
 Race   Shadow Fairy       Height  6' 8  INT:      11  +0  +0  +0     11
 Class  Paladin            Status    12  WIS:   18/16  +0  +0  +0  18/16
 Style  Slay Dragons                     DEX:      16  +0  +0  +0     16
 Title  Gallant                          CON:      15  +0  +0  +0     15
 Home   'Bag End' in Hobbiton            CHR:      17  +0  +0  +0     17
 Target Farmer Maggot's farm             AGI:      15  +0  +0  +0     15
                                         SIZ:      11  +0  +3  +0     14
 Level            1  Hit-Points  15/15  Fight     (+1,+0)  Fighting    Very Bad
 Curr Exp         0  Spell-Pts     8/8  Dual      (+1,+0)  Shooting        Poor
 Max Exp          0  Hit die        13  Off      (+18,+7)  Throwing        Poor
 Adv Exp         18  Armor      [0,+6]  Blows  2/turn(x1)  Stealth    Excellent
 Depth      Lev   2  Infravis    60 ft  Shoot     (+1,+0)  Save Throw      Good
 MaxDepth   Lev  11  Gold         4263  Shots  0/turn(x0)  Disarming       Iffy
 Game Turn   483006  Burden    109 lbs  Throw     (+1,+0)  Devices    Very Good
 Plr Turn      1068  % Burden      68%  Hurls  1/turn(x1)  Searching       Iffy
 Act Turn      1068  Speed      Normal  Weight     64 lbs  Digging          Bad

 You are one of several children of a Shadow-Fairy Scribe.  You have dark
 brown eyes, straight grey hair that barely covers your shoulders, and a
 pale complexion.
 This is 5th Tuile of the 2890th year of the third age.
 You are in Farmer Maggot's farm.

  [Character Equipment]

a) a Hatchet (1d5) {Maggot, magical}
   It is better than average quality, and not cursed.  It may be an ego item
   or artifact.  
b) (nothing)
c) (nothing)
d) a Ring of Free Action
e) (nothing)
f) a Brass Lantern (with 14830 turns of light left)
g) (nothing)
h) (nothing)
i) a Javelin 'Frostbite' (1d6) (+17,+7) (+3)
   It is a useful ego item, with a random hidden ability.  
j) (nothing)
k) (nothing)
l) (nothing)

  [Character Equipment -- Quiver]

n) 8 Javelins 'Frostbite' (1d6) (+17,+7) (+3)
   It is a useful ego item, with a random hidden ability.  
o) a Harpoon 'Flametongue' (1d8) (+8,+13) (+2)
   It is a useful ego item, with a random hidden ability.  

  [Character Inventory]

a) a Prayer Book of Blessings {@m1, 25% off}
b) 8 Rations of Food
c) a Pint of Orcish Spirits
d) 2 Flasks of Oil
e) 5 Potions of Speed {speed}
f) 2 Potions of Cure Critical Wounds
g) 5 Tangerine Potions {hero}
h) 5 Scrolls of Phase Door
i) a Scroll of Sense Magic
j) a Wand of Teleport Other (11 charges) {!*}
k) 4 Wands of Spark (12 charges)
l) a Staff of Teleportation (1d6) (+0,+0) (8 charges) {!*}
m) a Pick (1d3) (+0,+0) (+1)

  [Home Inventory]

a) a Prayer Book of Mantras {@m2, 25% off}
b) a Red Speckled Potion {restore life}

  [Dungeons Explored]


  [Self-Knowledge]

You suffer from no afflictions.  

  [Spells Learnt]

Bless

Another one, without visiting Tom, this time, but with a royal child. Notice the time spent shopping and how fruitful it was.

  [Unangband 0.6.2 Character Dump]

 Name   Wormhole, the Dragonslayer               Self  SB  EB  TB   Best   Curr
 Sex    Female             Age      237  STR:      11  +0  +0  +0     11
 Race   Shadow Fairy       Height  6' 7  INT:      11  +0  +0  +0     11
 Class  Paladin            Status   100  WIS:   18/16  +0  +0  +0  18/16
 Style  Slay Dragons                     DEX:      16  +0  +0  +0     16
 Title  Gallant                          CON:      15  +0  +0  +0     15
 Home   'Bag End' in Hobbiton            CHR:      17  +0  +0  +0     17
 Target Farmer Maggot's farm             AGI:      15  +0  +0  +0     15
                                         SIZ:      11  +0  +0  +0     11
 Level            1  Hit-Points  13/13  Fight     (+1,+0)  Fighting    Very Bad
 Curr Exp         0  Spell-Pts     8/8  1Hand     (+1,+0)  Shooting        Poor
 Max Exp          0  Hit die        11  Free               Throwing        Poor
 Adv Exp         18  Armor      [0,+6]  Blows  2/turn(x1)  Stealth    Excellent
 Depth      Lev   2  Infravis    60 ft  Shoot     (+1,+0)  Save Throw      Good
 MaxDepth   Lev   2  Gold            1  Shots  0/turn(x0)  Disarming       Iffy
 Game Turn   308419  Burden     66 lbs  Throw     (+1,+0)  Devices    Very Good
 Plr Turn       931  % Burden      50%  Hurls  1/turn(x1)  Searching       Iffy
 Act Turn       931  Speed          +1  Weight     56 lbs  Digging         Poor

 You are the second child of a Shadow-Fairy Queen.  You have blue eyes,
 straight grey hair that forms a shining waterfall from head to foot, and a
 pale complexion.
 This is 3rd Tuile of the 2890th year of the third age.
 You are in Farmer Maggot's farm.

  [Last Messages]

> You fuel the lamp.
> You have 9 Flasks of Oil (d).
> Your travels are without incident.
> You are no longer full.
> You have entered the Brandywine Bridge.
> That tastes good.
> You are full!
> You have 5 Rations of Food (c).
> Your travels are without incident.
> You are no longer full.
> You have entered Farmer Maggot's farm.
> You light your Brass Lantern.

  [Character Equipment]

a) a War Hammer (3d3) {very good}
   It is of very good quality, but with no additional powers.  
b) (nothing)
c) (nothing)
d) (nothing)
e) (nothing)
f) a Brass Lantern (with 8818 turns of light left)
g) (nothing)
h) (nothing)
i) (nothing)
j) (nothing)
k) (nothing)
l) (nothing)

  [Character Inventory]

a) a Prayer Book of Castigation {@m1}
b) a Magical Bag of Harmful Mushrooms
c) 5 Rations of Food
d) 9 Flasks of Oil
e) a Potion of Speed
f) a Potion of Heroism
g) a Potion of Cure Serious Wounds {75% off}
h) 3 Scrolls of Phase Door
i) a Scroll of Identify {50% off}
j) 2 Wands of Spark (14 charges)
k) a Pick (1d3) (+0,+0) (+1)

  [Dungeons Explored]


  [Self-Knowledge]

You suffer from no afflictions.  

  [Spells Learnt]

Bless

10. I find it quite hard to grasp and to remember that some potions with more powerful names cure less status effects than those weaker. E.g. only CCW cures poison. I cannot see any pattern. Similarly the fact that there are double entires with the same names, but different effects, for curing spells in spell.txt confuses me.

FIXED: 11. "Here your adventure begins" sounds strange when you return to Hobbiton for the 100th time as a respectable veteran.

12. Priests "Raise Dead" has a broken description.

13. Chosen spellcasters don't get most of the spells and they cannot choose some of the low-level books. The first problem is probably caused by many ways of counting 'legible = TRUE' --- some new, taking into account schools and some old, using spell_match_style.

More to come...

[Fuma]

Maybe that's only me, but I don't really like that almost all Angband variants use the same logo.
Maybe that isn't a big issue of course, but having the window (windows precompiled version) named "Angband" seems simply wrong to me.

Hope you'll fix the little window title annoyance in the Monday release. (or whenever you'll feel like releasing another precompile)

[andrewdoull]

Originally Posted by Fuma

Maybe that's only me, but I don't really like that almost all Angband variants use the same logo.
Maybe that isn't a big issue of course, but having the window (windows precompiled version) named "Angband" seems simply wrong to me.

Hope you'll fix the little window title annoyance in the Monday release. (or whenever you'll feel like releasing another precompile)

I'll add it to the to do list. Anyone with artist skills feel like coming up with a new Unangband logo is welcome to do so.

[Fuma]

- rough something I made in a minute. I can fix the lines, make the P bigger and stuff. It's just something I drew to show that simple icon-like drawings aren't very hard to do.

I don't have any artistic skills whatsoever, but drawing something simple and small isn't really that hard. Just give me some ideas as to what would be the most fitting theme for UnAngband and I'll give it a try.

[Bandobras]

Hehe, a nice one. Is M blue? I've never seen him *blush*. I'm not sure if the icon is enough Un, but sure it's very nice for an Angband.