bmh@unc.UUCP (08/11/83)
In response to the last article about saving time discovering
secret doors by throwing arrows through them, I have two comments.
First, I have seen that when you are at the end of passage way as
pictured below
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and want to know whether a passage exists off in some direction
(in this case towards the right of the rogue) you can throw an
object in that direction. You get one of three conditions:
1) the arrow will appear beside you in the corridor,
2) you get the message about the arrow vanishing,
3) the arrow simply disappears.
In case (1) and (2) there is not a secret passageway to the right.
[In case one it's the same as throwing an arrow against a wall
and having it end up alongside of you; case (2) is when rogue
decides it doesn't have anywhere to put the arrow so it 'vanishes'
it]. Case (3), however, means that there is a secret passage way
(to the right in this case). Now of course you have to spend those
20s' anyway to make the passage become availible to you. Thus if
there is a secret passageway you don't save any turns; however, if
there is not a secret passageway you have decided in one turn versus
20-25 turns (of doing s') that there is not a secret passageway there.
Second point. I'm not sure if it is implied, but the other thought
that comes to mind, is "great, I can use this in rooms to find any
secret doors." Well at least in my experimentation this is not
true. As is standard for doors in rooms, you have to be at the door
to throw out of the room down the corridor. Thus standing next to
a door and throwing towards it will not cause the arrow to go through
the door and out the corridor.
Thus this method does not allow the discovery of secret doors from
inside of rooms. Its one advantage is in saving the number of turns
used to decide that a secret passageway does not exist.
Brad Hemminger
bmh@unc