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Archived news from 08/99.

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Archives - August 1999

Tuesday 31st August 1999
- Back! And there's a couple of things to post. Typical. Quiet as a crypt while I'm here... :)
- Amiga GSNband. First up is the amiga port of GSNband (v2.0a) by Bablos. You can find the files you want here...
- Still There. The nasty little crashing bug which made itself known in the recent releases of ZAngband infact turned out to be still present in the last 'fix' version (v2.2.6b) (bad bug, bad!). Robert Rühlmann says that the bug really is quashed in this new version (v2.2.6c) and also adds a couple of other changes to make things worthwhile. Here's the changes...
  • *Really* fixed the bug that could cause crashs when finishing a random quest.
  • Several changes to the 'Old Castle' quest. Replaced the "unknown grids" with normal floor. Fixed a bug that placed Mother Hydra instead of Death Knights. The reward is now correctly placed in front of the inn. You will now fail the quest when leaving without completing it first.
  • Fixed a bug that caused beam spells to do double damage at the end of the beam.
  • Orc and Troll pits will no longer contain undead trolls or orcs.
  • The casino will throw you out if you don't have money.
  • Fixed a glitch in the description of the snotlings.
  • Splitted up the cave generation source code.
And, ofcourse, here are the files...
- Are You Australian? If you are, they you're in the lucky position of being able to access the AARNet mirror of roguelike games. Apparently, there is a bunch of the usual suspects so if you're having trouble accessing other sites, this mirror might worth be considering... ...if you're Australian, that is... ...oh, or a New Zealander. The links are...
- New PernAngband. As he/she says so himself/herself, it's been a while since the last PernAngband but 'Darkgod' is back with a new version (v4.00) and a list of changes as long as your arm (or longer, perhaps). The list posted with the announcement was said to be the short version and even so, it's still a little on the huge side so if you wish to find out what changes have been made, I recommend you hit the link and check out the full list instead. Sidenote : the old savegames are no longer compatible with this new version.
Thursday 26th August 1999
- New GSNband. Gwidon S. Naskrent has a new version (v2.0a) of GSNband for you. Dos binary and source is available although the Win95 binary has been dropped due to lack of interest. Gwidon says that anyone wishing to compile a version themselves should feel free. Anyhoo, onto the feature list...
  • An attempt to stop the inflation manifested by successive versions of ZAngband, and a return to more earthly values. To this end:
    • Monsters have flattened HPs, with Morgoth coming out with 10000.
    • Maximum weapon/armour enchantment reduced to +10, with +15 on really excellent items (was +15/+20 before). Same thing with rings of accuracy, damage and slaying
    • Flattened the bonuses for high STR/DEX, no more +10 to-hit for 18/100 DEX and the like.
    • Changed the way in which allowable weapon weight is calculated (1/3 comes from class, 2/3 from from STR).
    • Changed the starting values for fighting skills and their level advancement to be more realistic, especially for magic users.
    • 10 random quests only, between 3000' and 4000'.
    • Made it harder to get your belly full; slow digestion is available deeper (unless you happen to find a Defender early) and the inn doesn't fill you up! And don't ever count on buying SoSH <eg>...
  • Scalar time with an Elvish calendar, sufficient for almost 136 years of gameplay, character birthday etc.
  • No more digging with weapon or bare hands; treasure veins are rarer.
  • Poison does more damage at high values, resist poison works like any other resist.
  • Cursed items cannot be activated.
  • New light item: Feanorian lamps, same as brass lanterns except fuel unlimited, Phial is now set at base depth 1500' <veg>
  • Items can have different bonuses to different stats, but other things still use the pval.
  • Moved preserve, maximize and autoscummer to startup options.
  • Status line displays indicators of conditions like blessed, see invisible, timed infravision etc., in addition to searching mode.
  • Corpses have real weight and can rot, rotting time is based on weight.
  • Elemental breaths are downgraded and others, like plasma, sound and chaos, upgraded.
  • Showers of bolts and balls implemented in several spells.
  • Added a new Water spell (Call the Abyss) using the above.
And if it's files you're after...
- Mac ZAngband. Prfnoff has created a Mac version of the last (v2.2.6) release of ZAngband which you can pick up from...
- Amiga ZAngband(s) Also moving ZAngband to other platforms (specifically the Amiga) is Bablos with versions of both (v2.2.6) and Eric Bock's modification (v2.1.1ce). You can get both files from...
- ZAngband Update. Looks like the was a little bug in the last release of ZAngband which meant that if you finishing a random quest, you might suffer a crash. Not to worry though, Robert Rühlmann has fixed said bug and released v2.2.6b which you can get from...
It's unclear at the moment if this bug has been nobbled in the ports mentioned earlier but I'm sure we'll see fixed versions of those too before long if not.
Wednesday 25th August 1999
- Amiga CthAngband. Bablos has ported the recent CthAngband (v3.1.2b) fix to the Amiga. This was the one where a certain wilderness square could possibly cause a hang. You can get your grubbies on the file here...
- Gone! I'm not going to be anywhere near a PC from the 26th to the 31st so a total lack of updates between those dates should be expected. I know I don't usually do weekends anyway but I thought it best to mention it...
Tuesday 24th August 1999
- Engine Progress. Last month, Benjamin Waite told us about his plans to create a Roguelike game engine. Benjamin has been back in touch to say that the initial design phase of the project is now complete. If you want to know more about his progress, I've added his post to the Articles section. You can reach it direct by clicking here.
- New ZAngband. Robert Rühlmann has decided to set off another wave of ports and conversions by releasing a new ZAngband (v2.2.6). Here is the rather chunky list of changes/fixes...
  • Added a new quest and 3 new artifacts by Shayne Steele.
  • Added a new quest by John I'anson-Holton.
  • Added Mark Kvale's labyrinth rooms.
  • The Alter (+) command will close an open door, as the documentation says it does.
  • The monster memory will now record the lack of attacks of some monsters.
  • Fixed some small bugs in the documentation.
  • Fixed some bugs that prevented display of the correct message when failing some of the quests.
  • The quest stairs will no longer be placed on objects.
  • Disintegration spells will no longer affect grass and dirt and disintegrated trees will leave behind a patch of grass.
  • Cleaned up the handling of non-living monsters.
  • Monsters detected by magic are now correctly marked as seen in the monster memory.
  • Rewards for killing uniques are no longer depending on the "speaking uniques" option.
  • Fixed several small bugs in the monster definitions.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the proper assignment of the Water Cave quest.
  • Fixed a bug in the distribution of charges for thrown wands and rods.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented Eldritch Horrors detected by telepathy or magic from blasting your sanity.
  • Secret doors the player reveals are sometimes locked or jammed.
  • Doubled the maximum number of objects and monsters per level.
  • The spell list now uses colors.
  • The savefile loading code now always shows the correct version number.
  • Fixed a compilation problem in the X11 module when compiling with graphics turned off.
  • Fixed a compilation problem on Solaris and SGI machines.
And ofcourse, here are the files...
Saturday 21st August 1999
- Murry'e? Tsch! I spell Moria wrong and no one notices. What is the world coming to. Well, at least mine was a typo :)
Thursday 19th August 1999
- Diablo II. I'm sure we're all quite interested in the upcoming Diablo 2, either in hopes that it's more in-depth than it's predecessor or to exclaim that they should give up trying once and for all. PC Zone recently interviewed Blizzard head-honcho Bill Roper, talking mainly about Blizzard and their work, hitting a little on Diablo and it's sequel. You can take a look at it online here. One point of interest is their admittance that Roguelikes were the main influence (oh, and the interviewer's inability to spell Moira). Thanks to Terry Wilcox for the pointer.
Tuesday 17th August 1999
- LOTS Page. Last month, I mentioned a new roguelike in development called Legends Of The Seers from Bernhard Rems. Bernhard has been back in touch to say that they've now sorted themselves out with a web page for the project (link above) which you can go check out. At the moment, the page contains some background information and a couple of screenshots for you to oggle.
- Snip Snip. Yeah, you know what I mean.
Monday 16th August 1999
- Quad Tk-ness. Tim Baker has taken to buffing up his four Tk'd variants and probably wins the award for the most mentions of 'David E. Gervais' in one update. The new versions are AngbandTk (v2.8.3r18), KAngbandTk (v2.8.3r7), OAngbandTk (v0.4.0r4) and ZAngbandTk (v2.2.5r3). Here is the list of shared changes...
  • The character's life rating is now displayed when creating a new character.
  • KAngbandTk includes a new town and quests (#9) by David E. Gervais.
  • The town levels in KAngbandTk have a very customized appearance when using David E. Gervais' icon set.
  • The building doors in ZAngbandTk now use individual icons when using David E. Gervais' icon set.
  • You should notice a speed improvement when running around.
  • The dungeon levels now have a more varied appearance when using David E. Gervais' icon set, including new wall, door, and stair icons.
  • A new monster graphics file by David E. Gervais was added, including images for ants, worms, dragon flies, centipedes, and mummies, among others.
  • The awful "gzclose() failed" bug should be fixed now.
Thursday 12th August 1999
- ZAngband '+'. After his 'Qlzborg', Eric Bock has turned his attention to ZAngband and made a couple of modifications to produce 'v2.11ce'. Here is a list of changes that Eric has made...
  • ZAngband 2.2's pet menu has been added.
  • Chaos warriors may choose their patron at startup.
  • All chaos patrons grant some bonus abilities.
  • Two new uniques to replace Qlzqqlzuup and Vecna.
  • Three new chaos patrons: Qlzqqlzuup, Vecna and Id.
  • Breath attacks are conical.
  • Experience gained from a particular monster type decreases as more monsters of that type are killed.
  • Weapons and armor may be given altered damage dice/base ac.
If the features have you interested, these are the files...
Wednesday 11th August 1999
- CthAngband Fix. Seems there was a little bug-ette in the last release of CthAngband (v3.1.2). Apparently, due to a wrong digit, entering wilderness grid (5,4) caused a hang. Dean Anderson has released an update (v3.1.2b) which takes care of this small problem and you can find here...
Also, Prfnoff has made a fixed Mac version available too...
- Oooh, Eclipse! We watched, it got cloudy, sun eclipsed, no biggie, world still here. Ho-hum.
Monday 9th August 1999
- Insert STrek Joke Here. Or don't. Either way, I'm sure you're happy to learn that Eric Bock has been tinkering with Ben Harrison's Angband 2.8.3 borg and come up with his own 'QlzBorg'. Here's the list of changes, following that is a link to the source...
  • Broken swords/daggers will be destroyed unless pseudo-id'ed as 'good' or better.
  • The borg now has an understanding of 'overkill' and will try to attack as efficiently as possible.
  • Detailed messages about attack strategy. You may want to disable some of these.
  • New borg commands.
  • 'Light area' is cast more intelligently.
  • If it decides it is unprepared for its happy depth it will power-dive from the town until it is prepared, enters a very dangerous situation, or accumulates a respectable amount of loot.
  • If it encounters a situation it can't handle, it will try to leave the level quickly; if below its happy depth it may decrease its happy depth.
  • Recall is preferred to diving. If it recalls past its happy depth it will climb until it is comfortable.
  • Decreased breeder paranoia.
  • When casting spells, it will assume that any grid containing a monster is a valid target, allowing it to get the first shot.
  • When casting ball spells, it may consider grids adjacent to monsters allowing it to attack groups more efficiently and to attack monsters that cannot be reached by bolts.
- I'm Lazy. Maybe you are too? Either way, (whoah deja-vu!), Eric Bock has been nice enough to prepare an update, or a 'variant-ette' if you prefer of Angband (v2.8.3) with his QlzBorg and a couple of other nice changes. It's going by the moniker Angband (v2.8.3e) and contains the following. As before, links at the end...
  • Some of the sillier breathes have been altered.
  • Breath attacks are conical.
  • Experience gained from a particular monster type decreases as more monsters of that type are killed.
  • Weapons and armor may be given altered damage dice/base ac.
  • Several room variations have been added.
  • QlzBorg is included.
  • My scrolling patch is included.
- New Underdark. Stuart George has released a new version (0.1.9) of his roguelike - Underdark. Here's a list of some of the changes...
  • Slightly changed the LOS algo for the player. (Tiny noticable difference)
  • Started to script the monster template data file.
  • Added 'healing' every N (64) moves you get 1 hp back.
  • Added 'resting' so you can pass the time and do nothing.
  • Dungeon rooms can now have 'pillars' in them.
  • There is now less chance to randomly roll a sexless or hermaphrodite character.
  • Randomly generated characters will now only allocate up to 2 thirds of the available skills, instead of low percentages in all skills you now get good percentages in some skills and low in some skills.
  • Dungeon is now redrawn on point you died, before it didnt get updated so only showed your position prior to the move that 'killed' you.
  • Stopped skills being raised over level of 100.
  • Fixed character creation now since it uses the monster template database.
  • Randomly generated characters had more skill points than other characters.
  • Now displays age/hp etc when creating a test tube character.
  • Infravision now works, variable distance based on race and stuff.
  • Player '@' is now represented by race tile and not just '@' unless human!
  • Fixed base object generation, stopped generation of traps ontop of pillars, etc.
  • Monsters now appear on the map! wai!!
- More Mac. Two more Mac ports from Prfnoff are available. This time, he's taken a swing at RAngband (v1.05a) and CthAngband (v3.1.2) for you. All the files you need are listed below...
- Valdor Release. A new version (0.005) of Legends of Valdor ny Piotr Wolny is available. This new release adds new monsters and attributes, wilderness and town, selling and a R.I.P screen.
- Uh-Oh. I've bought Everquest. I may be gone some time... ;)
Thursday 5th August 1999
- Mac ZAngband. And when all the little Mac users were feeling left out, Prfnoff has ported version 2.2.5e of ZAngband to the Apple. You grab the files you want from...
Wednesday 4th August 1999
- Amiga CthAngband. Bablos has ported Monday's release of CthAngband (v3.1.2) to the Amiga. You can find the files here...
- WOTR Release. There is a new version of War Of The Runes (b0.8.01) from AwesomePlay Productions available. This release updates the interface, making it all windowed.
Tuesday 3rd August 1999
- RISC Port. Musus Umbra has created an Acorn RISC OS port of the recent ZAngband (2.2.5e). You can either grab it from his homepage here or go straight for the file itself...
Monday 2nd August 1999
- New CthAngband. Taking a break from Gloranband, Dean Anderson has released a new version of CthAngband (v3.1.2). Originally a bug-fix release, this update also adds a couple of new features. See below for details...
  • Fixed bug with Corporeal Books not stacking properly.
  • Most object commands (e.g. 'q'uaff, 'z'ap, 'E'at, 'b'rowse, etc.) have been unified into a single 'u'se command.
  • Added 6 'Pouch' equipment slots that can each hold a scroll, potion or wand.
  • Message about 'Library' when trying to gain spells changed to 'Bookstore' as it was confusing people.
  • Most (but not quite all) documentation files updated.
  • Stats over 18/100 are no longer displayed as 'silly' percentages.
  • Class 'sub-names' (used in documentation) are now used in game as well.
  • Vault code updated to properly handle large array of vaults.
  • Chopping down of trees and bushes is now included in 'repeat obvious commands'.
  • Characters who can't learn spells are no longer asked to study in the library.
  • Roads added between towns and forest made denser.
  • Chris Weisiger's 'v_info.txt' file updated to the new version.
  • Cleaned up lots of dead code in Load/Save routines.
  • Fixed bug in home which gave the wrong inventory after resting for the night.
And if that's got you interested, you can find the files here...
- Too hot. Anyone giving away free air-conditioning units? Nah? Thought not. *mumble* *grumble* *melt*
© Copyright 1999 Darren Hebden.