Z+Angband version 0.2.2 beta released; looking forward

[Mangojuice]

Hey folks.

Z+Angband 0.2.2 is now available, at

http://tinyurl.com/5pq2bd

The new program is savefile-compatible with the old one. Again, there's a .tar.gz source package and a .zip Windows executable, and I'd love it if anyone could compile on other systems, but this is all I've got.

Changes are detailed in the download file and on the website. Briefly, there are a number of bug fixes: many minor bugs were fixed and a few major ones, including a nasty savefile-corrupting bug, the running-with-a-torch bug, and the bug that caused quest stairs to not show up immediately. There are some game-balance adjustments; most notably, the Conjuration school's common spells have changed somewhat, and Sorcery's ID spell is pushed a little further back. There are also some new features, some by request:

- Game options to supplement the object kind squelch system
- Object source memory (e.g. "It was dropped by a Kobold at 2350'")
- Full object descriptions and quest info in char dumps
- {=gn} inscription tool; see help files for detail.


Please let me know any issues you have with the new release, but do check the changes file so you know what I intended to fix. Hope you all like it!

As always, thanks very much to all those who have been playing, and thanks for the bug reports and other feedback, it's been very helpful.

---

I have three big things on the horizon for future versions. First, I want to implement quivers, but unlike other variants, I want to have actual quiver objects you must carry around, and that may themselves be vulnerable to fire, theft, or acid. I'm mixed on the idea of including other types of containers (e.g. scroll cases, wand cases, etc.) but there's a load of interesting ideas in there.

Second, do people like the High Mage class? Because I feel like it's underpowered. Is there a way to rescue it so it would be a viable option? For those not familiar, High Mages get only 1 realm instead of 2, but have improved mana costs and learning curve.

Third, and this one is the biggie, Z+Angband (and Z, and other variants) include a LOT of races but they don't really seem balanced to me. No one ever seems to play humans, some races seem superior in all ways to others, et cetera. So I want to take a hard look at racial balance issues, and perhaps introduce some new races.

So any feedback on these design points would be appreciated.

[Altefcat]

Hello,

ZangbandTk was my first roguelike, the one that made me play endlessly in my young days . So all my support goes to you!

There is a typo on your googlepage website, changelist link is wrong.

Is there any chance that some compilation guru creates a GNU/Linux binary? My Ubuntu box would be very pleased!

[ekolis]

Sweet
Now, why is it that when I say "no" to creating a chardump, it makes me do it repeatedly and won't let me quit the game???

[Mangojuice]

Originally Posted by ekolis

Sweet
Now, why is it that when I say "no" to creating a chardump, it makes me do it repeatedly and won't let me quit the game???

Someday, I swear, you will not be the first one to find a bug with my releases.

Ok, that's now been fixed and the download packages replaced.

[AR_chie]

Originally Posted by Mangojuice

Second, do people like the High Mage class? Because I feel like it's underpowered. Is there a way to rescue it so it would be a viable option? For those not familiar, High Mages get only 1 realm instead of 2, but have improved mana costs and learning curve.

I prefer high mages from orydinary ones and I agree that they are hard to play with, especially in medium stadium game. And IMO high mages are to difficult with other magic realms than black and chaos (sorcery are possible also).

Do you know a branding patch to Z 2.7.2?
http://ww2.cs.fsu.edu/~steele/zangba.../Branding.html

It contains a high priest class which is very interesting for me.

[konijn_]

Originally Posted by AR_chie

I prefer high mages from orydinary ones and I agree that they are hard to play with, especially in medium stadium game. And IMO high mages are to difficult with other magic realms than black and chaos (sorcery are possible also).

Do you know a branding patch to Z 2.7.2?
http://ww2.cs.fsu.edu/~steele/zangba.../Branding.html

It contains a high priest class which is very interesting for me.

Same here, I have always loved high mages. Especially Death High Mages.
Your link is broken, I would love to see what those high priests are all about.

T.

[konijn_]

Originally Posted by konijn_

Same here, I have always loved high mages. Especially Death High Mages.
Your link is broken, I would love to see what those high priests are all about.

T.

FYI
http://web.archive.org/web/200706282...72Options.html

"Teddy Bears"

T.

[Arendil]

Originally Posted by Mangojuice

Second, do people like the High Mage class? Because I feel like it's underpowered. Is there a way to rescue it so it would be a viable option? For those not familiar, High Mages get only 1 realm instead of 2, but have improved mana costs and learning curve.

One simple solution is to give High Mages a multiplier to spell power, say 1.5? So, compared to other mages, all their spells inflict more damage, last longer, etc.

[Mangojuice]

Here's the current differences between High Mages and Mages in Z+0.2.2:

1. Only one magic realm.
2. They start with a wand of Magic Missiles.
3. They have a higher chance of getting bolt spells to "beam", by 10%.
4. A few select spells are higher in power: Holy Orb, Manaburst, and Orb of Entropy.
5. Faster spell progression. (Approx. 25%)
6. Lower mana costs. (Approx. 25-50%)
7. Smaller failure penalty for not having enough mana (2%/pt vs. 5%)
8. 25% extra mana.
9. Compared to mages, +1 INT but -1 DEX
10. 15 x_thn and 10 x_thb compared to 25 x_thn and 14 x_thb for Mages. (That is, High Mages are about 20% worse in combat than Mages are.)

So the main attractions of a high mage are spell progression and mana cost. But this has never seemed that good to me, since Mages already get a good enough spell progression that they more need to manage to find their next book than concentrate on gaining levels. And as for mana cost, it's good but all you have to do to get your mana back is escape and rest. So this means you'll have to do that less often, or in fewer circumstances. But I can hardly imaging playing a Chaos High Mage (where the mana cost benefit would be most useful) and thinking that the mana bonus was worth losing the ENTIRE school of Sorcery I could have had by being a Mage.

More powerful spells, for instance, may be another benefit, but the game is so different without that second magic school that I think High Mages need to have something fundamentally different going for them to be appealing.

[CJNyfalt]

How about studying the specialties of Oangband, and give High Mages the effects from one or two of your choice?