The learning curve for this game is rather high. After around 50 deaths or so, I still have very little idea what I am even doing. How frequently should I be searching for secret passages early in the game?

crate

United States2474 Posts

November 05 2011 04:36 GMT

#62

On November 05 2011 10:24 Cool Cat wrote:
The learning curve for this game is rather high. After around 50 deaths or so, I still have very little idea what I am even doing. How frequently should I be searching for secret passages early in the game?

You only need to search if you're reasonably certain that a passage exists, which usually means you need to find it to find the stairs to the next floor or something similar.

gameguard

Korea (South)2132 Posts

November 05 2011 10:54 GMT

#63

shops are often hidden in corners too. If you look at the map, and there is one corner thats empty, its likely that there is a room there. And you can guess the path that the hallway would take if there was a room in taht corner then search the wall that will likely lead there.

Manit0u

Poland17831 Posts

November 05 2011 11:53 GMT

#64

For those interested in tackling such things:

http://genesismud.org/

whatusername

Canada1181 Posts

November 22 2011 12:21 GMT

#65

Okay, so I downloaded unnethack and i cant see any walls. lmao anyone know whats up with that? all I can see when I start is my character, dog and stairs.

also, how do I turn on vi keys? idk how to config file format works

gameguard

Korea (South)2132 Posts

December 04 2011 04:10 GMT

#66

it might be because of IBMgraphics. Go to options and turn it off or go to config file and disable it.

Perguvious

United States1783 Posts

April 15 2013 22:27 GMT

#67

picked up nethack again a couple of days ago and ascended with samurai. I've only ever ascended with samurai and valkyrie, and I want to try more roles now. It's amazing how much time can be spent on this game without getting boring.

Starting to learn wizard. As a Samurai I didn't even know the Z command existed

BrTarolg

United Kingdom3574 Posts

April 15 2013 22:36 GMT

#68

On April 16 2013 07:27 Perguvious wrote:
picked up nethack again a couple of days ago and ascended with samurai. I've only ever ascended with samurai and valkyrie, and I want to try more roles now. It's amazing how much time can be spent on this game without getting boring.

Starting to learn wizard. As a Samurai I didn't even know the Z command existed

My brother has ascended with tourist and says wizard is the easiest to ascend with. I think wizard hits the endgame requirements a lot easier than other characters but just has a bit of a hard time near the start

Perguvious

United States1783 Posts

April 15 2013 22:51 GMT

#69

On April 16 2013 07:36 BrTarolg wrote:

Show nested quote +

Yeah, I find early to early-mid game wizard to be significantly harder than it was with samurai. There's a lot more running and picking your fights. I feel though, that once I get used to the role and get past early and mid game it should be smooth sailing. I'm really digging spellcasting to kill monsters instead of smacking them, it's a refreshing change.

Bog

Netherlands49 Posts

April 17 2013 04:01 GMT

#70

NetHack, so we meet again. I must have spent over a 1000 hours on this game. Even played it on my old AmigaPC >15 years ago! My best run got to the Plane of Air with a Knight (the magic mirror + magic missile is just OP), but I've never Ascended.

This is without a doubt the game that single handedly changed my perception on games in general. To the point where I no longer find any game satisfying when there are no consequences for screwing up. ('checkpoint every 20 steps-games' I'm looking at you!) The value of a goal is proportional with the associated risk of trying to reach said goal, a wisdom I feel is lacking in many of our more youthful gamers.

List of most influential games of all time? You'd better include a roguelike! (Except Angband, which sucks)

Someday, I WILL ascend!

Perguvious

United States1783 Posts

April 19 2013 05:26 GMT

#71

let's do this.

Therapist.

United States207 Posts

April 19 2013 06:29 GMT

#72

Just noticed this thread for the first time. Just wanted to say that this is my first and favorite Roguelike. I never knew a game that looked so simple could be so incredibly engaging. Nethack is actually one of the LEAST random Roguelikes that I've played. Once you know how to handle the game, you can achieve some 90-95% win rate which was where I was when I stopped playing a couple years ago.

I love this game so much. I remember so many funny moments. I remember one time I was hallucinating and a succubus seduced me and I got the amazing line, "Time stands still while you and the giant slug lie in each other's arms."

Or hilariously silly deaths like the first time I got blinded right after killing a cockatrice and moved onto its square while not wearing gloves. "You feel around on the floor... do you want your possessions identified?"

I remember as I was developing there were always key things I learned that massively improved my performance. The first was hanging around the mines until I had a full set of dwarvish gear. The second was realizing that if I got an Amulet of Reflection from Sokoban, ascension was basically guarunteed. After you are properly equipped and geared (and dig a few vaults for a few rounds of divine protection), you are basically totally prepared to handle most of the Dungeons of Doom pre-castle, which is enough time to get a well upgraded artifact weapon and most other good stuff you need. The only stupid thing that can kill you are rays or death/disintegration. So having the reflection from sokoban basically assured victory with correct play.

And finally, the thing that removed all the randomness from Nethack for me - the wand of polymorph. Polypiling scrolls ensured that you basically had all the genocide/enchant armor/enchant weapon/identify/whatever you ever needed. That meant that you didn't need to waste wishes on too many magic markers or whatnot, so you could totally deck yourself out in perfect gear. Once I discovered how to polypile properly, I would use 0-3 wishes from the wand of wishing per game (usually first wish was always a wand of polymorph lol).

Love love love this game. Ask me anything if you want. ♥ Gonna start playing again because of this thread.

EDIT: Wanted to add that my favorite combination is Neutral Human Archeologist dual wielding Grayswandir/Silver Saber with Magic Mapping as their class spell so they can always cast it 100%. Best weapon combo in the game and easy Gehennom. Yay. <3

I also consider Neutral Monk to be my most consistent combination. Lawful Knight is especially consistent too (and their magic missile with the magic mirror of merlin is pretty fun too late game). Archeologist wins for crawling the Dungeons of Doom though since Dwarven Mattock is so ridiculous.

I know, I know. Most people consider Wizard to be the most consistent, and THEORETICALLY it probably is. But I just don't like it as much or I'm just not normally patient enough in the early game.

BrTarolg

United Kingdom3574 Posts

April 20 2013 00:34 GMT

#73

lol damn you actually wish for a wand of polymorph that's hardcore

Syxygy

558 Posts

April 20 2013 23:25 GMT

#74

If you don't already have a wand of polymorph it's one of the best things to wish for, especially if Ludios is generated so you don't have to make your own stash of random armor/weapons to finish your ascension kit, or to polymorph those 500 unihorns you've been collecting to get a stash of magic markers. Less useful in slash'em as polymorph isn't permanent unless you #dip into a potion of restore ability.

Bermuda

Belgium411 Posts

April 24 2013 22:08 GMT

#75

Wishing for a wand of polymorph isn't hardcore. Try farming 5k pudding with that awesome -2 iron dagger and then sorting through all the junk (and of course dying stupidly in the process after many many hours and a level filled with crap and pudding). :p

I used to lurk the newsgroup a lot a few years ago. Learned a lot but only ever ascended as a wizard. Probably because I never really play anything else. The ability to teleport / jump / identify / ray of death / polymorph / summons / magic map and so forth at will... the life of a wizard is just too comfy to go back to another class. But I promised myself I'll ascend a tourist one day.

Tried a few other roguelike as well but never found something like nethack.

crate

United States2474 Posts

April 24 2013 23:51 GMT

#76

knight or ranger/rogue are the easiest imo

knight can jump so you just always jump never die

ranger/rogue have really good ranged attacks and ranged attacks are much better than melee so you can kill everything