lmeck (05/10/83)
Relay-Version:version B 3/9/83; site harpo.UUCP Posting-Version:version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site sdcrdcf.UUCP Message-ID:<243@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Date:Tue, 10-May-83 11:47:27 EDT Organization:System Development Corporation--a Burroughs Company Don't do the things recommended by Quiche-eater; they'll only get you killed early. Some tips for playing version 5.2: By the time your strength is down to 3, you have lost (with respect to strength 16) 4 dexterity points and 5 damage points. Your +1,+1 mace will effectively behave like a -3,-4 mace. By contrast, getting to strength 22 gives you 2 extra dexterity points and 4 extra damage points. It is important to get your strength up and keep it up. Food does waste space. Play using a termcap entry that tells rogue that your screen is 18x56 and keep one ration of food in your pack plus one extra for each +1 hunger ring you wear full time (dexterity, strength, stealth, etc.) minus one for a ring of slow digestion. Scare monster is the only scroll a monster will refuse to step on. However, I don't usually use this tactic to identify them anymore; I've stepped in too many traps doing it and playing on a small screen puts most scrolls in positions where such a tactic is nearly impossible. Use fire, lightning and cold against heavy monsters (DPU) except fire bounces off of dragons. Teleport away is very useful for temporarily getting rid of a monster when confused or sandwiched. If you want to win, not just collect gold: Don't bother with any weapon but a two handed sword (4d4) or a long sword (3d4). Extra weapons waste space and may be cursed, wasting valuable remove curse and enchant weapon scrolls. Attack leprechauns with the mace or sword to see if they are standing on treasure. If they steal gold, you can always get more later. I never go out of the way to pick up gold on the first time down, either; it wastes moves and finds traps the hard way. Save arrows for nymphs. Save enchant weapon scrolls for a two handed sword unless your armor is *very* good (<-3). Rings of regeneration should stay off except when running or resting to regain Hp. Another useful trick with a ring of regeneration is to dodge around a monster that does little or no damage (e.g. R) avoiding a bad one (e.g. X) until Hp are restored. A drain life staff will wake all monsters in a treasure room. Usually this is crazy; however, if you drop or teleport into the middle of one, dropping a scare monster scroll and waking everything may be just the ticket. Polymorph is a desperation tactic against heavy monsters. On upper levels, it is nearly sure to create a worse monster. Genocide umber hulks. With a ring of stealth and a small screen, purple worms are a possible alternative, since D and U in rooms won't waken, there will be fewer wandering U due to fewer moves on the small screen (I can't overemphasize the virtues of a small screen), and most will be met in corridors where confusion isn't a problem (in version 5.2 you hit, move away, or the keystroke is ignored). If you also have a +2 ring of protection and bad armor (>0), definitely consider genociding P, as the ring decreases the probability of being confused or hit by flame. Attack dragons if you can beat them, since they all carry a treasure (like nymphs). Remove a ring of stealth in a corridor, since it does no good there. I often use a ring of stealth only when entering the door to a room and then remove it. The monsters in the room will not waken until you stand next to them or leave the room. It is also useful to know that, except in treasure rooms, BCEGILMNPW&Y will not waken unless attacked. However, BCGIPW&Y also appear as wanderers so when you see one of these it is either already awake (wanderer) or will not waken. ADFHJKOQRSTUVX&Z will waken (66% probability each time you enter or exit the room or stand next to the monster). Except for D and F, these also appear as wanderers. Within reason, I quaff unknown potions as soon as I find them. I wait as long as possible on scrolls, unless I have at least two of the following: armor worth enchanting (4 or better), a two handed sword, and a ring or staff. I identify rings first (they make a big difference early in the game and can shape your strategy), wands second (I save wands until later in the game and usually start using them against xorns and umber hulks), and anything else third. I usually explore level 17 but not 18. I explore levels 19, 20, and 21; then, if I have enough magic aids, I shoot directly for 26 and back up to 1. I then drop the amulet and go down again exploring every level to 26. By then, I can usually bounce back and forth between levels 25 and 26 collecting more gold and items with no trouble. On several ocasions, I have searched all of level 26 without finding the amulet (I did not have it in my pack either). What I think happens is this: a wandering monster picks up the amulet along with several other items. You meet and kill it in a place where there is little room (corridor, etc.) and items from its pack are placed on the floor until there is no more room, then the rest are discarded. I have lost dropped items in the same way. Slasher