Post by forbincolPeople complain about the alignment penalty for fighting a fleeing monster
while standing on an Elbereth square. Does this feel like playing fair?
Yes, of course, why not?
If you refrain from using your in-game options it's completely your
own business of course.
Post by forbincolThey are already running from you from your scribbling in the dust, and now
you expect your "lawful" character to be able to stab it in the back?
(As often discussed, lawful means not good and chaotic not bad.)
Anyway, I didn't care about that penalty; it was there for Knights in
NH-343 (and with your statement I suppose it's now for all lawfuls in
NH-361).
And if it means that it is the difference between own life or own dead
why would you abstain saving your butt? I've done that with Knights in
NH-343 and would do it with other lawfuls in NH-361.
Post by forbincolPost by Janis PapanagnouWhat specifically do you find awesome that wasn't in 3.4.3 already?
I'm going to spin this around because the improvements to the interface and
general changes in the game from 3.4.3 (released how long ago?) until now
are too numerous and can easily be found in changelogs-
The point is that I had (compared to vanilla 343) already an enhanced
interface with the patched NH-343 at NAO. This is one of the reasons
why I stayed with that NAO version. When I had tried 36x the interface
was inferior compared to the NAO version.
Post by forbincolWhat specifically is keeping you from moving on from 3.4.3 with everyone
else ? (if it isn't the Elbereth change)
(I am aware that there are folks who follow "everyone else" just per se.
This is not my mindset.)
My reasons can already be found in RGRN in the respective threads if you
care; I said that already. Just returning the question I asked you about
your statement of NH36x being "awesome" doesn't answer it or give any
insights; it was (also still quoted above; second chance to expose to us
Post by forbincolPost by Janis PapanagnouWhat specifically do you find awesome that wasn't in 3.4.3 already?
If there was - beyond your enthusiasm - any substancial rationals behind
your statement I'd like to hear. (Not that I wouldn't know most changes
already, but I find it interesting what others find it worth a change,
specifically from *NAO* 343 to vanilla 361. - For me there's no question
that a change from vanilla 343 to vanilla 361 would be okay, but since I
am/was playing on NAO that's irrelevant for me.)
Post by forbincolI honestly don't even know all the mechanics of how E-word used to work
because I never used it. I DO know that bots regularly ascended on NAO
"playing" 3.43, and that they no longer are able to.
The bots I've seen - actually only one bot that wins in the first place -
plays and occasionally wins dwarven valkyries only. (I have an ascension
rate of 80% with that class.) I haven't seen bots winning other race/role
combinations. The most successful bot I've seen until recently was the
bot running under the username we6jbo9 on NAO; he ascended 6 times in a
set of 759 games (that's close to 0.8% success rate; modulo changes that
were introduced recently).
Whether the bot is able or unable to win the NH-361 version we cannot say.
Have you seen an adaption of the bot for that version and a sufficiently
large number of games played by this or another bot so that we can make
any valid statement?
Post by forbincolThat kind of shows
right there that with patience basically anyone could win the game, and
No. Even with the most easy role the bots die much more often that they
win. Even without any of the instant-death incidents your statement here
is utter nonsense.
Post by forbincolthat the feature was being misused.
Littering the E-word may be considered a "misuse", and I've seen players
who mechanically do that in every situation, specifically since Elbereth
scribblings were extremely unreliable already in NH-343. But just using
a feature can hardly be considered a "misuse".
Post by forbincolI don't think it's clever strategy to
do like I said above with the gold piece, or to cause a difficult monster
to flee and then attack it. It's cheating.
Gee! It's now getting more and more ridiculous. Attacking a fleeing monster
is perfectly fine, even for lawfuls. (But maybe your use of words like
"cheating" is less differentiating than it seems to be standard elsewhere.)
Post by forbincolAs far as the soldier ants? They are a leading cause of death for just
about everyone. They always seem to come along just as the character is
starting to coast along and feeling a little (over?) confident.
It's not overconfidence that kills most players if they meet soldier ants.
As I said elsewhere already; it's their high speed, it's their poisonous
possibly even instant-death attack, it's that they swarm you.
If you think it's okay that some monsters can just kill you without having
any inherent tactical option to change odds a bit, well, to each his own.
Post by forbincolDon't rush ahead into dark areas. Have an escape item.
You don't get it. - Once you have escape items (or anything from your list)
you do have a chance to survive that situation. In the early game you don't
have those options usually. (Do you read the postings before replying?)
Post by forbincolBe ready to run away.
(It would be easier if you read the arguments and think about them before
posting.) Soldier ants have a speed of 18 (players mostly start with 12),
you can't outrun soldier ants. (Even if you are playing a role from the
small set of fast character classes you don't have that speed necessary
to run away.)
Without effective means to handle soldier ants or escape you need specific
e.g. topographic constellations to escape them; e.g. being close to stairs,
or a nearby door to a corridor or room that can't be reached by other paths,
etc. (and even in those cases you often postpone your death only if you have
no way to circumvent that level in the first place).
Post by forbincolHow is it fair to just write ELBERETH and avoid your fate for
playing sloppy?
You imply sloppiness despite it was pointed out that not sloppiness is the
reason for such situations, it's lacking balance implemented. (Read, think,
post. Please in that order.)
Post by forbincolThey have spoiled many many many a good players great
starts. DYWYPI? That's the game.
Lacking game balance can be fixed.
Janis