ab3@stat-l (Rsk the Wombat) (04/27/84)
Just some notes that *seem* to work *some* of the time: 1. The "Scare monster" scroll is not worth all that much; it's worth blowing it to try and find the "Protect armor" or "Rustoleum" scroll, if you have > class 6 armor. 2. If you do find "Scare monster" and "Aggravate monsters"; use them together; after dropping S.M., read A.M., and watch the critters crowd around to get hammered. "Create monster" is also useful here. Good way to build experience points...just make sure you have enough food, and get ready to run for the stairs when you're done. 3. It seems to be okay to try random potions...provided you have 4 or 5 around; if one happens to be blindness/hallucination, one of the other ones is probably healing or extra healing, so you're ok. It one is poison, then one of the other ones is probably restore strength. Do this early; 'cause the rattlesnakes will knock your strength down anyway; drinking the potion of poison is no worse then 2 or 3 encounters with rattlesnakes. 4. The note I saw earlier today about maze continuations being at right angles to the path from which they branch seem to be *very* apt. 5. ALWAYS trace out the multiple paths between rooms; corridor and room loops are very nice when running away from beasties like trolls. 6. When searching for a doorway INTO a room, there seems to be about a 50% chance of finding a monster there when it materializes; be ready for it. 7. Compared with earlier versions of rogue, this one seems to have less cursed armor, but more cursed rings. 8. Unless you can get > 3 squares away from an ice monster and arch at it, leave it alone. 9. When entering a dark room for the first time, rest in the doorway several counts; your entrance can wake up a sleeping monster, and it's usually better to meet them in the doorway, where you have a clear path to retreat. 10. Take care to minimize the number of squares you explore in rooms; this not only saves food, but enhances your chances of NOT finding an arrow trap...or a rust armor trap...or a sleepgas trap... 11. Remember where the teleport traps are, and use them to flee. 12. Treasures and monsters seem to clump in certain mazes; if you find one, you'll probably find more. 13. When running away from monsters (in corridors) always use the uppercase direction key; or move single-step; don't use the control- direction key, since you'll stop just before a monster coming the other way, and he'll hit you first; if you run into him, and he's a wimpy monster, you have a chance of getting away from the original monster still. 14. When cornered in a corridor between two monsters, kill the easier one first, and continue running. Trying to kill the harder one usually let's the wimp get several hits on you, and that can be enough. 15. Don't attack a stationary monster when hallucinating; it might be an ice monster. 16. Don't worry overmuch about the potions of delusion, confusion, and levitation. Well, that's it for now...happy rogue-ing! -- Rsk the Wombat UUCP: { allegra, decvax, ihnp4, harpo, teklabs, ucbvax } !pur-ee!rsk { cornell, eagle, hplabs, ittvax, lanl-a, ncrday } !purdue!rsk