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Archived news from 01/00.

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Archives - January 2000

Friday 28th January 2000
- Best Ever? Well, according to an article on Salon.com by Wagner James Au, Nethack is 'The Best Game Ever'. All in all, it makes for some very interesting reading and I recommend everyone take a peek.
- New Angband/64. Jurriaan Kalkman has a new version (beta 5 release 1) of Angband/64 available. The main changes in this version come in the form of bug fixes.
Thursday 27th January 2000
- Another Roguelike. 'Lord Draknor' (ack! Are you people ashamed of your real names or something? *wink*) has been in touch to tell us all about his roguelike game, Silmar. Running on Windows 95/98, Windows NT, Linux, and Mac, Silmar is a multiplayer affair and is currently in alpha (v0.01). You can download this fully functional version (apart from sound, apparently) gratis from the homepage but eventually, Mr. Draknor will be making the game shareware (boo, hiss *grin*).
- DOS OAngband. Tom Morton has compiled a DOS version of last weeks OAngband (v0.4.0d) release. You can grab it from...
Wednesday 26th January 2000
- New Roguelike. Peter Corbett would like to announce the start of his new roguelike project Nethermost Wanderings. If you tootle off to the homepage, you'll actually find something to download (source, a Linux binary and a Win binary). It's an early alpha but it definitely shows promise. Have a look and send Peter some feedback.
Tuesday 25th January 2000
- Help Revamped. Noticed that the Help Wanted/Offered page in the Development contained entries from 1997 so decided it was time for a shakeup. I've cropped pretty much all of them and from now on, entries will have a 6 month lifespan after which they'll be deleted. It's just a plan to trim the page when things get out-of-date. I've still got a backup of the old page so if you were on it and you're still offering/wanting help, drop me a note and I'll put you back in the mix.
- Snip Snip. Little overdue but the last soggy chunks of 1999 have been consigned to the Archives.
Monday 24th January 2000
- ZAngband Update. A number of bugs in the recent ZAngband release have been fixed in the shape of a new beta (v2.3.4c), most notably a crash bug that occured when lighting/darkening the dungeon. The list of fixes is a lot shorter than the new features for the last version so I've included it below...
  • Fixed a bug that could crash the game when lighting/darkening the dungeon.
  • The mindcrafter 'domination' spell no longer affects quest monsters.
  • Fixed a bug that caused 'time' melee attacks to also cause the effects of vampiric attack.
  • Fixed a bug that caused the arcane spell "Elemental Ball" to always produce an acid ball.
  • Fixed a bug that caused an "invalid command beep" when changing the autosave-frequency.
  • Fixed a bug that gave imps a much too high saving-throw vs. nightmares.
  • Fixed a minor bug in the character-dump routine.
  • Fixed a problem which prevented 'good luck' and 'bad luck' from appearing in the mutations list.
Here are the files...
Having just finished an Amiga port of (v2.3.4), Bablos has quickly sprung into action to port this bugfix too...
- Amiga DrBeta. Bablos has also ported the recent DrAngband (2.9.4) beta for the Amiga too, which you can find here...
- Mac Pern. For those of you who were hoping for 68K Mac version of PernAngband (v4.0.5), 'Gob' has managed to get it compiled. You can grab it from...
- ADOM ML. Mark Lattimer has started a mailing list for ADOM. He hopes that you'll find it useful in keeping up to date with ADOM goings on like changes to the web page, release info, swapping spoilers and the such. If this sounds like your kind of fun, pop along here and subscribe.
Friday 21st January 2000
- DrAngband Beta. Tom Morton has released the source to a new beta version (2.9.4) of his variant DrAngband. His condensed list of important changes includes...
  • Screen sizes may be wider as well as taller than normal with the -x and -y switches.
  • Detection spells effect a circular area.
  • Wizard spells have been considerably changed.
  • Oangband traps.
  • Damage dice oriented combat (just to give it a different name:)
  • Unlimited inventory (well, 52 items anyway).
And you can get the source from...
Wednesday 19th January 2000
- New ZAngband. The ZAngband devteam are at it again with another new development version (2.3.4 - now with added OAngband-style combat) and another massively oversized list of changes (which you can find here). As with most beta versions, expect your fair share of bugs and balance issues. You'll be wanting to know where the files are next, won't you? Tsch! Thought so...
- Monsters Smell. If you wished that your little dungeon roaming critters had a better way to track the player than their amazing 'see-through-walls' radar then help is at hand. Jim Crawford has written a document called 'Tracking by Scent and Sound' to show you how and it's happily nestling in the Development section even as we speak... Take a look and email Jim to say thank you.
- OAngband Update. Tim Baker has released a new version of OAngband (v0.4.0d). This version features Tom Morton's bigger display patch aswell as...
  • When the shield was moved on or off the characters' back due to 2-handed weapons use, some things were not recalculated.
  • Some fixes for Macintosh compilation.
  • D: line changed to F: for 'Careth Asdriag' in a_info.txt.
  • Monsters on themed levels can sense the player to their full range if they are hurt. This is to prevent the player shooting monsters which are just out of sight.
  • Fixed a problem with character history table for Ents.
  • Tom Morton's bigscreen patch applied.
  • Fixed some potential problems with the generation of special rooms and vaults.
Here are the files...
There is also an Amiga port available courtesy of Bablos...
- No Update Tomorrow. Not saying there would have been one anyway but as it is, my company is sending me down south for the day and chances are, I'll be away until quite late. Result - I'll be nowhere near my PCs for the day and they'll be no update tomorrow. Told you. ;)
Monday 17th January 2000
- Mac Psiband. Darin Takemoto has compiled a 68k Mac version of Psiband (v1.0.7b). You can find it here...
- ADOM Pre. There is a new prerelease version of ADOM (0.9.9g16) from Thomas Biskup. This version is more bugfixes and as it is a prerelease, please bear in mind that it probably introduces it's own fair share of the little game destroying critters itself.
- Win32 MAngband. Tim Baker has put together everything you need (client, server, console and library files) to run MAngband under Windows. It can be found here...
- New Project. Sebastien Bracquemont has begun a new roguelike project that will hopefully lead to the creation of a web-based multiuser roguelike. Called 'RLGWeb', the first step will be to create a single user game with a java interface. Currently in the design stage, the web page does feature a discussion forum but if you don't speak French, you won't get too far in there.
Wednesday 12th January 2000
- Tall Dungeons. Tom Morton, maintainer of DrAngband has uploaded a web page to show you how to alter the Angband (v2.8.3 + most variants) source so that it'll show dungeons on a display larger that 25 lines. You'll find the page in question, here.
- Balrog Update. The roguelike information site, BALROG, run by Erik I. Bolsø has recently been updated. New additions to the page include new listings of lost and obscure roguelikes, details for Tyrant, screenshots for Telengard and a note from the author of BOSS. If you happen to be a roguelike author, please contact Erik and help support this site.
Tuesday 11th January 2000
- New MAngband. Alex Dingle has released a new version (0.6.0) of the multiplayer variant MAngband. New features in this release include a huge wilderness, new rogue skills, heal other prayers, scrolls of life which resurrect player ghosts in the dungeon, and a revised house system.
- APW Borg. Pasi Uuppo has put a version of Andrew White's Angband APW Borg source and DOS binary on a web page for you Borg fans out there.
Monday 10th January 2000
- Psiband Release. Jonathan Ellis has released a new version of the brain-frying-based variant, Psiband (v1.07b). This version features several bugfixes aswell as making playing non-psionists a viable option due to the addition of objects offering resistance to mental attacks. Also, be the first non-psionist winner of the game to post to rec.games.roguelike.angband and have your character immortalised in the next release, Psiband (v1.0.8). Grab the files from...
- Amiga Psi. Bablos has made sure that the Amiga people don't miss out on a chance for fame by compiling Psiband (v1.0.7b) to the Amiga. You'll find it here...
- Mac Bits. 'Gob' is also doing the port thing but this time for the Mac chaps. He's compiled PernAngband (v4.0.5) and ZAngband (v2.2.8) for your delight. Here are the files...
Friday 7th January 2000
- New SLASH'EM. After the absorption of the Nethack 3.3.0 odds and ends in the last release, Warren Cheung has released SLASH'EM (v0.0.5E9) which re-enables a couple features previously left out and fixes a handful of minor bugs. Warren warns there may be a couple more bugs lurking but nothing fatal.
- OTileset Update. Work on the conversion of the Over tileset (16x16 -> 32x32) is going a lot slower than expected. Got some of the monsters done and the floor/wall tiles but there is still a whole bunch to do. I've even been thinking about new tiles but I don't know whether I should draw them now or wait until I've finished :)
Wednesday 5th January 2000
- Carrying Article. A new article for the Development section has been sent in. This one is by James Burton and is called 'Monsters Who Carry'. As you can probably guess, it covers the topic of your little dungeon critters running around, grabbing and utilising all the junk you leave lying around their homes.
- Rapid Development. Charlie Hills has a new project he'd like you to know about. It's called 'Rapid' and essentially, it's a roguelike development system to help with the creation and portability of new roguelikes. Based on the Java idea of a virtual machine, Rapid will allow you to compile your roguelike so that it works on all platforms the 'vm' has been ported to. Initially, Charlie intends to create 3 sample roguelikes (an Angband look-alike, an Ancient Egyptian-themed adventure game and an Outer Space / Futuristic game). If you want more information or would like to help out, please contact Charlie directly.
- Gfx Tiles. David E. Gervais has recently moved the home for his roguelike gfx tilesets to http://www.dsuper.net/~kgerv/kangband/ktk.html. These are his new tiles, the same ones in fact that are used in the latest versions of Tim Baker's TK'ed variants.
- OAngband Update. Tim Baker is also the chappie responsible for releasing an update of Leon Marrick's OAngband (v0.4.0c) just before Christmas. This new version fixes a number of bugs that had been reported from the previous versions. You can grab the files from...
- ZAngband Review. Blinking Dot, home of Sia's RPG database (one of the most complete sources for infos on released CRPGs on the net) and developers of 'Legends of the Seers' has recently posted a review of ZAngbandTK. You can find the document here.
- New Ragnarok. To allow Ragnarok to run on faster machines, Tom Boyd has fixed a couple of bugs and released a new version (2.5) which you can find here. There's also a hint book to be found there but remember, no peeking. Although older versions of Ragnarok are marked as shareware, the game is now classed as freeware - they don't want your money any more ;)
- Nethack Bug Bug. A bit technical this, especially for RLNews, but apparently there is a little bugette in Nethack 3.3.0 that causes a twice as many corpses to be created. With a little patch and to explain it better is Ray Chason...
"Monsters that are killed during a turn remain in the global
monster list, fmon, and are not removed until the end of the
turn. There are dozens of places where Nethack scans all of 
fmon, and may process a dead monster when it shouldn't. One
of these, in fightm() in mhitm.c, gives rise to the double 
corpse bug (SC7).

Here is a patch to fix the bug.

mhitm.c, line 126, reads:

            if(mon != mtmp) {

To fix the bug, change this line to read:

            if(mon != mtmp && mon->mhp > 0) {

and recompile."
Tuesday 4th January 1900 (ahaha, only kidding) 2000
- New Roguelike. Ancalagon is a new roguelike being developed by a team headed by Brett Nash. Noteworthy points about the project is that they intend to create a 1st-person 3D engine for the game, that the game will be free and open-source. All very promising. Take a look at the homepage to check out their progress and if your think you'd like to help, contact Brett directly.
- More Borg. Dennis van Es has compiled a version of Win32 Angband with the RML (Ross Morgan-Linial) borg. You'll find it here. Personally, I like seeing the computer playing Angband thousands of times faster than I could and doing a much better job of it too.... *mumble* *grumble*
- New Angband/64. Jurriaan Kalkman has released a new version (beta 5 release 0) of his variant Angband/64. This release features several bug fixes, a number of tweaks but the main alteration is that monsters will now search out room exits.
- Crawl Preview. Although version 3.40 of Dungeon Crawl hasn't been officially finished, Brian C. Robinson has made an unofficial pre-release version available. If you're interested, you find a DOS executable, a 'wizard' test DOS executable and the source here.
- Logo Archive. Some of you out there have suggested this a few times so here it is. I've collected together all the logos from the monthly rotation and put them all in one place so if you're new to RLNews and want to see what you've missed, take a peek here.
© Copyright 2000 Darren Hebden.