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NetHack: Difference between revisions
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==Introduction and general advice== | ==Introduction and general advice== | ||
NetHack is a roguelike computer game in which your objective is to go down to the bottom of the Dungeons of Doom and retrieve the Amulet of Yendor. It can be downloaded for free from [http://www.nethack.org the official NetHack home page]. | |||
NetHack is a complicated game, and it can be difficult to understand all the details of how it works. There are numerous "spoilers" available on the Web; here is a [http://www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/~eva/nethack/spoilerlist.html fairly complete list]. However, NetHack is very much an exploration and discovery game, and many people prefer to avoid reading spoilers, or at least to wait to read them until they have a hunch about how a certain part of the game works and want confirmation. If you'd prefer to figure out the game for yourself, here are a few tips that may help: | |||
*Read the Guidebook that comes with the game. | *Read the Guidebook that comes with the game. | ||
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==Basic survival== | ==Basic survival== | ||
''' | '''NetHack is not Quake.''' | ||
Always remember that | Always remember that NetHack is a turn-based game. You have as long as you need to consider your options, even in the heat of combat. In fact, when you find yourself in a sticky situation, it is wise to walk away from the keyboard while you think about what to do next. You could even save your game and consult the spoilers or the [news:rec.games.roguelike.nethack NetHack newsgroup]. | ||
'''The better part of valor is discretion.''' | '''The better part of valor is discretion.''' | ||
In | In NetHack, there are no prizes for dying with honour. When a monster is giving you a hard time, it is seldom wise to take one last swing at it in the hope that it will die. It is much better to escape from the situation and return when you are more able to handle it. One reason why experienced players are fond of speed boots is that they enable you to run faster than most monsters. | ||
Running is not the only way of escaping a dangerous situation. It's a good idea to carry a scroll or wand of teleportation for emergencies. Most monsters won't follow you up or down stairs, though a few will. If you have a wand of digging, you can use it to dig a hole through the floor, though again, some monsters will follow you. A cursed potion of gain level will cause you to rise up through the ceiling. | Running is not the only way of escaping a dangerous situation. It's a good idea to carry a scroll or wand of teleportation for emergencies. Most monsters won't follow you up or down stairs, though a few will. If you have a wand of digging, you can use it to dig a hole through the floor, though again, some monsters will follow you. A cursed potion of gain level will cause you to rise up through the ceiling. | ||
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Savescumming and explore mode are generally considered to be a less effective way of learning than playing the game properly. When you can refuse to die, or save your game before a difficult encounter and restore it if you get killed, it is tempting to just keep trying the same strategy until you happen to survive, rather than thinking about ways to improve your chances. | Savescumming and explore mode are generally considered to be a less effective way of learning than playing the game properly. When you can refuse to die, or save your game before a difficult encounter and restore it if you get killed, it is tempting to just keep trying the same strategy until you happen to survive, rather than thinking about ways to improve your chances. | ||
Incidentally, it should not be necessary to back up save files as protection against your computer crashing. | Incidentally, it should not be necessary to back up save files as protection against your computer crashing. NetHack comes with a "recover" command for restoring crashed games. | ||
'''Rerolling''' means that if you don't like the stats or items which your character starts with, you immediately quit and try again. Although this is a legitimate part of some other games (for example Angband) it is generally considered to be abusive in | '''Rerolling''' means that if you don't like the stats or items which your character starts with, you immediately quit and try again. Although this is a legitimate part of some other games (for example Angband) it is generally considered to be abusive in NetHack. Like savescumming (though to a lesser extent) rerolling is an ineffective way to learn the game - the ability to keep weak characters alive and to make do with the equipment you find is an important part of being a skilled NetHacker. | ||
Many players who do not savescum or reroll will deliberately play in a risky manner in the early game, because you haven't lost much time if a beginning character dies. For example, they might drink from fountains hoping for a grateful water demon to grant them a wish, even though there is an 80% chance that any water demon they get will be hostile and will kill them. This is not considered as bad as savescumming or rerolling, but is still frowned upon by many | Many players who do not savescum or reroll will deliberately play in a risky manner in the early game, because you haven't lost much time if a beginning character dies. For example, they might drink from fountains hoping for a grateful water demon to grant them a wish, even though there is an 80% chance that any water demon they get will be hostile and will kill them. This is not considered as bad as savescumming or rerolling, but is still frowned upon by many NetHackers, who feel that you should try your best to ascend each character. Also, when you play this way you miss out on the valuable experience of struggling to keep a marginally viable character alive for as long as possible. | ||
'''Do not attack peaceful monsters.''' | '''Do not attack peaceful monsters.''' | ||
Some monsters will be described as "peaceful" when you look at them, and you will be asked to confirm any attempts to attack them. It is generally a good idea to leave them alone, for two reasons. One is that the gods disapprove of killing peacefuls, and will exact an alignment penalty, along with more severe penalties for killing a peaceful human (unless you are chaotic) or a unicorn of your own alignment. More details of the penalties for killing peaceful monsters can be found on [http://www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/~eva/nethack/index.html this page of myths and facts about | Some monsters will be described as "peaceful" when you look at them, and you will be asked to confirm any attempts to attack them. It is generally a good idea to leave them alone, for two reasons. One is that the gods disapprove of killing peacefuls, and will exact an alignment penalty, along with more severe penalties for killing a peaceful human (unless you are chaotic) or a unicorn of your own alignment. More details of the penalties for killing peaceful monsters can be found on [http://www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/~eva/nethack/index.html this page of myths and facts about NetHack]. Note, though, that there is absolutely no penalty for allowing your pets to attack peaceful monsters, or even for healing them as they do. Nor will the monsters retaliate against you for your pets' actions. | ||
The other reason to leave peaceful monsters alone is that many of them are much stronger than you. In particular, tangling with a priest or shopkeeper is likely to lead to your death. (You can use a stethoscope to check how strong a monster is.) | The other reason to leave peaceful monsters alone is that many of them are much stronger than you. In particular, tangling with a priest or shopkeeper is likely to lead to your death. (You can use a stethoscope to check how strong a monster is.) | ||
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'''Only pray if you have good reason to.''' | '''Only pray if you have good reason to.''' | ||
Some newbies feel that they "ought" to pray on a regular basis in order to keep in touch with their god. In fact, prayer in | Some newbies feel that they "ought" to pray on a regular basis in order to keep in touch with their god. In fact, prayer in NetHack is always pestering the gods for help, never praising or thanking them. Hence your god does not mind in the least if you never pray, but does object if you pray too often. Once you get a negative response to a prayer, you will almost always be unable to pray until you have placated the angry deity with a suitable sacrifice. | ||
However, prayer can save your life in an emergency. Just remember that your god's definition of an emergency may not be the same as yours. Wounds aren't an emergency until you are either at 5 HP or less or at 1/7 max HP or less, and hunger isn't an emergency until you are weak from hunger. The [http://www.steelypips.org/nethack/pray.html praying spoiler] gives much more detail about prayer. | However, prayer can save your life in an emergency. Just remember that your god's definition of an emergency may not be the same as yours. Wounds aren't an emergency until you are either at 5 HP or less or at 1/7 max HP or less, and hunger isn't an emergency until you are weak from hunger. The [http://www.steelypips.org/nethack/pray.html praying spoiler] gives much more detail about prayer. | ||
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==The Ascension Kit== | ==The Ascension Kit== | ||
"Ascension Kit" is a term experienced | "Ascension Kit" is a term experienced NetHack players use for the equipment they hope to have before entering Gehennom (Hell). | ||
Ascension Kits provide extra speed (e.g. boots of speed or a spellbook of speed), magic resistance (e.g. a gray dragon scale mail, Magicbane or a quest artifact), reflection (e.g. a silver dragon scale mail, a polished silver shield or an amulet of reflection), boosted stats (e.g. Gauntlets of Power, Gauntlets of Dexterity, a Helm of Brilliance, any item of gain X), levitation (e.g. a ring or boots of levitation), something holding your stuff (a blessed bad of holding and an oilskin sack are nice), a pick axe for quickly traversing Gehennom's long, pointless mazes and ideally at least one artifact of life saving. | Ascension Kits provide extra speed (e.g. boots of speed or a spellbook of speed), magic resistance (e.g. a gray dragon scale mail, Magicbane or a quest artifact), reflection (e.g. a silver dragon scale mail, a polished silver shield or an amulet of reflection), boosted stats (e.g. Gauntlets of Power, Gauntlets of Dexterity, a Helm of Brilliance, any item of gain X), levitation (e.g. a ring or boots of levitation), something holding your stuff (a blessed bad of holding and an oilskin sack are nice), a pick axe for quickly traversing Gehennom's long, pointless mazes and ideally at least one artifact of life saving. | ||
