rec.games.roguelike.angband looking glass

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From: Neodymium <neo_1061@127.0.0.1>
Subject: Re: [announce] Angband 3.0.4 beta 1 released
Date: 2004-02-04 10:16:58
Agent: Xnews/5.04.25

In 2101, war was beginning and we got signal. In
rec.games.roguelike.angband, "David Grenier" <grenier@uiuc.edu> set up us
this post:

> Neodymium wrote:
>> In 2101, war was beginning and we got signal. In
>> rec.games.roguelike.angband, "Jonathan Ellis" <jonathan@franz-
>> liszt.freeserve.co.uk> set up us this post:
>
>>> Not if you can't recharge rods at all: because a "drain charges"
>>> attack would then make the entire stack useless for the duration of
>>> the entire fight, whereas if it was a wand you could recharge it next
>>> turn (or, rather, the turn after next, after you have phase-doored
>>> away so as not to be in melee range any longer) and use it again
>>> immediately.
>
>> None of which has mentioned so far this little factoid: drain charges
>> attacks right now are far, far too powerful. Make them drain one item
>> in a stack; preferably only one *charge*; and not heal the monster,
>> or much less than currently. Make high AC give these hits a VERY low
>> chance of connecting. Or something.
>
> I agree with this, but not to this extreme.  After all, part of the
> reason you carry multiples of certain items is so they aren't all
> affected when you get hit with a particularly nasty attack.  That's why
> I never carry less than six WoR scrolls, after all.  The question at
> hand here, I think, is whether "drain charges" should eliminate one
> stick-based character effect entirely (devastating for a warrior) or
> actually drain a certain amount of magic out of an item irregardless of
> how much the character has?  My vote is for the latter.
>
> My proposal: Change "drain charges" so that it drains a random number of
> charges from a wand or staff (say 2-8 or something) and drains one rod
> down to a certain number of turns needed to recharge (40-100% of
> maximum).  The attack doesn't hit stacks; just one item at a time.  To
> balance this lesser effect, "drain charges" gets multiple hits at your
> items.  Perhaps it checks your entire inventory at random, like a fire
> or acid attack.  If there is some sort of power level associated with
> it, maybe it can strike from 2-6 items in your inventory dependant on
> monster level.  Each individual strike can be resisted as normal.

I can see it now.

The Lich hits you. The Lich misses you. The Lich touches you. Energy
drains from your pack! Your pack overflows! You drop a Wand of Cold Balls
(3 charges) (x).

Fortunately the wand stacking in 3.0.4 beta would prevent lich hits from
making you fumble wands and rods; the above scenario explains why this
toning down wasn't done before.

I'd further suggest:

* Make staves immune. More balance for their bulk and having the greatest
vulnerability.
* Make rods more resistant than wands.
* Use the player's Saving Throw.
* Add a low level charge drainer, say a Shimmering Jelly (multihued 'j')
at around the depths you start collecting wands. It touches to poison,
electrify, burn, and drain charges, say -- the latter three of which all
threaten wands and staves. Players then encounter these attacks early.

Also, how come disenchantment breaths don't ever drain charges from
devices? It's a sensible side effect for them to have. They could pick a
random equipment or inventory item. Devices may be drained; enchanted
items may lose a point of enchantment. If an artifact is activateable and
not charging, it could be drained and this protect it from any further
disenchantment even.

--
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
Palladium? key escrow? DRM? FBI? Microsoft? Sauron.
"One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them
One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them."

[announce] Angband 3.0.4 beta 1 released	43 posts
..... Robert Ruehlmann	2004-02-01 20:38:49	176
.......... Robert Ruehlmann	2004-02-01 20:49:51	17
.......... =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Timo_Pietilä?=	2004-02-01 21:15:26	12
.......... Velvet Elvis	2004-02-01 23:00:39	65
............... Jonathan Ellis	2004-02-01 23:12:15	67
.................... Harriet Bazley	2004-02-02 19:02:19	37
......................... Neodymium	2004-02-02 20:31:56	21
.............................. Harriet Bazley	2004-02-04 00:29:26	35
.......... MightyKitten	2004-02-01 23:51:56	10
.......... Matthew Collett	2004-02-02 04:34:01	41
.......... Tom Whistler	2004-02-02 10:36:26	8
............... Neodymium	2004-02-02 11:20:42	24
............... Matthias Kurzke	2004-02-02 14:27:42	17
............... Robert Ruehlmann	2004-02-02 18:48:19	14
.......... Matthias Kurzke	2004-02-02 12:16:51	33
............... Jonathan Ellis	2004-02-02 12:46:05	47
.................... Matthew Collett	2004-02-02 21:29:25	36
......................... Jonathan Ellis	2004-02-02 23:47:56	54
.............................. Neodymium	2004-02-03 00:02:21	24
................................... David Grenier	2004-02-04 01:26:27	40
........................................ Neodymium	2004-02-04 10:16:58	76
.............................. Matthew Collett	2004-02-03 07:25:57	23
................................... Jonathan Ellis	2004-02-03 09:47:04	37
............... Michael Roper	2004-02-02 13:56:28	16
.................... Juergen Frieling	2004-02-02 15:03:01	10
......................... Michael Roper	2004-02-02 15:46:13	27
.............................. Jiamat	2004-02-02 16:32:08	40
................................... Neodymium	2004-02-02 16:55:20	36
.......... pelpel	2004-02-02 15:21:22	39
............... pelpel	2004-02-02 16:07:31	10
.......... Atriel	2004-02-02 17:44:43	44
............... Jiamat	2004-02-02 18:13:00	70
.................... Atriel	2004-02-03 00:31:37	12
.......... Michael Roper	2004-02-03 03:18:31	10
.......... Eddie Grove	2004-02-03 18:01:08	26
............... David Vestal	2004-02-03 18:07:20	32
............... Jonathan Ellis	2004-02-03 19:47:11	36
.................... Jiamat	2004-02-03 20:36:38	37
......................... Jeff Greene	2004-02-04 00:06:13	38
.................... Toby	2004-02-04 11:42:36	26
.......... Eddie Grove	2004-02-10 07:31:44	23
............... Michael Roper	2004-02-10 08:03:34	8
.................... Eddie Grove	2004-02-10 09:46:33	32

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