Squelch Worthless option not sticking

[Zikke]

When a character dies and I use the old save file to re-make a new character, it does not automatically squelch worthless items any more, even though the option looks to be set in the options.

In the first game I made, it correctly deleted things like "Wand of Haste Monster" etc. but after making several characters from the same file, none of the subsequent characters will do this.

[awldune]

I have encountered this also.

[dhegler]

I also wish all birth options would stick (ie randarts) after you change them.

[PowerDiver]

Originally Posted by dhegler

I also wish all birth options would stick (ie randarts) after you change them.

I was wondering if there was some strange thing with squelch_worthless, but now I wonder if this is yet another pref file problem. I know for sure that the randarts birth option sticks from game to game for me.

I offer a totally unsubstantiated guess that you guys have some pref file that is somehow overwriting some of your options. Did you ever "save options" through a menu some time past?

[awldune]

Originally Posted by PowerDiver

Did you ever "save options" through a menu some time past?

I have, yes. I thought you had to if you wanted the options to stick after exiting and reopening Angband.

Aren't macros and "visuals" settings like that?

[Zikke]

Related question:

If I create a new character based on the old character with randarts, does it re-generate a new set of Randarts every game? Or does it use the original batch?

[PowerDiver]

Originally Posted by awldune

I have, yes. I thought you had to if you wanted the options to stick after exiting and reopening Angband.

Aren't macros and "visuals" settings like that?

Once you save an option to a pref file, you can never keep it changed, because each time the game starts the pref file is read and the changed option is overwritten by the value in the pref file.

Macros belong in a pref file. I'm not sure about visuals. Options should never have been allowed in pref files.

Delete your pref files and you should be able to change options again. Be very careful about what you put into any new pref files you create.

@Zikke randarts are regenerated at the start of each game

[dhegler]

Originally Posted by PowerDiver

I was wondering if there was some strange thing with squelch_worthless, but now I wonder if this is yet another pref file problem. I know for sure that the randarts birth option sticks from game to game for me.

I offer a totally unsubstantiated guess that you guys have some pref file that is somehow overwriting some of your options. Did you ever "save options" through a menu some time past?

Each time I start a new game, it always has randarts set to off.

[Magnate]

Originally Posted by PowerDiver

Once you save an option to a pref file, you can never keep it changed, because each time the game starts the pref file is read and the changed option is overwritten by the value in the pref file.

Macros belong in a pref file. I'm not sure about visuals. Options should never have been allowed in pref files.

Delete your pref files and you should be able to change options again. Be very careful about what you put into any new pref files you create.

@Zikke randarts are regenerated at the start of each game

In the previous thread about pref files, there emerged a consensus that we should split stuff into a "knowledge" file and a "settings" file. The settings file should contain options that are common across characters (e.g. subwindow settings, display settings - how you set up your visual environment) - but not options that are character-specific (e.g. AI options, birth options etc.). Those should stay in the save file.

[PowerDiver]

Originally Posted by Magnate

In the previous thread about pref files, there emerged a consensus that we should split stuff into a "knowledge" file and a "settings" file. The settings file should contain options that are common across characters (e.g. subwindow settings, display settings - how you set up your visual environment) - but not options that are character-specific (e.g. AI options, birth options etc.). Those should stay in the save file.

The future may be a long way away. In the interim, can we simply disable setting variables read from pref files that do not belong in them? Or would that screw up the parser?