tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post1795915415697315853..comments2024-03-29T02:34:55.592-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: NetHack: He Coulda Been a ContenderCRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-87636980974362912832023-05-26T17:39:08.562-04:002023-05-26T17:39:08.562-04:00If you ever do a collection of classic posts, I no...If you ever do a collection of classic posts, I nominate this one. Great comment section, too.Bitmapnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-37492428908058427682016-08-18T01:29:00.040-04:002016-08-18T01:29:00.040-04:00Eee! Tess Ate Chai Tea is an admirably convoluted ...Eee! Tess Ate Chai Tea is an admirably convoluted profane handle. I have not seen one that took a second to get since I first encountered Sho Khan Chit. I was 14, not that it was that clever.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-57368516828577539662014-05-20T18:57:47.297-04:002014-05-20T18:57:47.297-04:00I can only imagine that the only people who would ...I can only imagine that the only people who would consider note-taking cheating are people too lazy to take notes who want to hold others back. That's just ludicrous.Jonesyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10646365932452250447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-84744058940793904922014-02-04T18:23:37.772-05:002014-02-04T18:23:37.772-05:00Trolls charmed into pets can be quite awesome. Th...Trolls charmed into pets can be quite awesome. They're all but indestructible. Disintegration, and petrification are about the only things monsters have which keep them down, and those aren't common.tlhonmeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03256644187305759072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-71168965858225062732014-01-08T17:38:20.389-05:002014-01-08T17:38:20.389-05:00I think he will enjoy ADOM as the natural progress...I think he will enjoy ADOM as the natural progression from Omega. Back in the day it was basically nethack or Angband derivitives that comprised 99% of roguelikes with a handful falling into the Omega style and some outliers.<br /><br />With the recent roguelike boom the genre has much more innovation, mashups, offshoots, as well as bandwagon jumping flops. So I really want to see his take on those when he catches up, you know in 3045.UbAhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447678457902055799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-982303855459827282014-01-08T17:18:25.439-05:002014-01-08T17:18:25.439-05:00I'm very much looking forward to hearing him c...I'm very much looking forward to hearing him compare/contrast Angband and ADOM, and to seeing him play DoomRL.Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-36052429244272717502014-01-08T11:06:05.079-05:002014-01-08T11:06:05.079-05:00I actually thought the addiction had taken irrever...I actually thought the addiction had taken irreversible hold when he posted his Friday, November 29, 2013 NetHack Version 2.3e: Ascended! post <br /><br />http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2013/11/nethack-version-23e-ascended.html<br /><br />The cure to nethack addiction is to try other roguelikes until you find one you like more. Or is that an escalation of addiction? Either way have fun and remember to eat/sleep/work/pay rent/use actual words to communicate to your wife on occasion.UbAhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447678457902055799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-31425369364740080662014-01-08T09:11:09.607-05:002014-01-08T09:11:09.607-05:00Quote:"...it's a specialized form of addi...Quote:"...it's a specialized form of addiction that I'll never experience..."<br /><br />Dear CRPG Addict,<br /><br />i fear it may be already too late for you. To say it takes a different mindset for games embracing the concept of permanent character death is only partially true in the case of Nethack.<br /><br />Part of Nethack's success is the direct result of being a game TEACHING that this particular mindset to its players and revealing the simple truth that having fun playing a game does not solely come from beating the game. Its indeed about PLAYING the game.<br /><br />You are not quite there at this point, but you are very well on your way, Sir.<br /><br />A core concept of permanent death is heavy randomization and STILL delivering a consistent gameplay experience in a world that feels every time different enough to be entertained. And entertained you were, Sir.<br /><br />Its obvious, as you spun the tale of the adventures of your barbarian, its a well known symptom to the initiated of the first stage of the addiction.<br /><br />You have to admit that it was quite a tale for a game that is one of such simple appearance. Yes, there are games that build better atmosphere and spin epic stories. But deep in your heart you know this wasn't hard coded. You were NOT railroaded. This was YOUR story and you will remember it a long time. I also got a similar story. We all have.<br /><br />You think you will walk away? It will sit there in the back of your mind and each time you complete a railroaded game, the more you will be reminded about the freedom for opportunities for real adventure offered here, until... you come back. And you know you will come back, Sir.<br /><br />Yes there are other dungeon crawls, there are nicer ones and better UIs. But somehow only this game manages to unleash the development of adventures worth remembering.<br /><br />Yes, the death toll is catastrophic. Well, basically and technically its not impossible to beat Nethack, but its really not being meant for being beat. The road is the goal. You are meant to enjoy playing it. And the harder it its, the more time it takes to beat it, the more it keeps the game alive for you.<br /><br />In that respect its pretty much like FLT, a game that uses different mechanics in a similar fashion.<br /><br />Here you will feel accomplishment. True accomplishment which doesn't result from save loading but true achievement.<br /><br />Yes you can cheat. But you do not want to cheat. Because it would ruin the game for you. And you don't want that to happen, Sir.<br /><br />Why is that?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-22184981495818115872013-11-04T07:02:06.741-05:002013-11-04T07:02:06.741-05:00Wow...this is a different world... I love the merc...Wow...this is a different world... I love the merciless comments here. I will have to try NetHack.Alexander Sebastian Schulzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15135338616598357444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-8186816790575784092013-02-24T23:59:59.845-05:002013-02-24T23:59:59.845-05:00I would agree with you for most games, but I feel ...I would agree with you for most games, but I feel that part of a game like <i>NetHack</i> is immersing yourself in not only the game but the culture that has emerged around it. There are a lot of <i>NetHack</i> lovers among my readers, and I think they would feel collectively disappointed if I didn't win the game honestly, because it's part of their gaming culture that you don't save-scum.<br /><br />I cheated with <i>Mission Mainframe</i> and <i>MAG</i> just so I could write about the ending, so it's not a completely foreign concept, but those games didn't have the fan base of <i>NetHack</i>.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-10313239070900991672013-02-24T15:34:30.960-05:002013-02-24T15:34:30.960-05:00I haven't posted here in a while, but I drop i...I haven't posted here in a while, but I drop in every month or so to catch up. Anyway, I think you should play whatever you feel like playing, that's what makes this blog what it is, and if that means spending half a year on NetHack, I'll live with that. I will say that as a reader, though, I'd rather see you spend 20 hours on five games and hear your views on those than watch your frustration at spending the same 100 hours trying to get lucky on NetHack, a game that doesn't even have a real narrative. Will those hours really change anything on the overall analysis? What I'm saying is, don't feel obliged, do it because you want to. But, like I say, if you feel like you have to beat NetHack, go for it. I can know that feeling as well.<br /><br />And a note on permadeath: I spent twelve years making video games and another five years teaching college grads how to make them, and if "breaking the rules" allows you to have more fun, go for it. You can always put an asterik beside the number of hours played to let people know you "cheated". But the truth is, there is no such thing as cheating in a one-player game, except perhaps hacking the code. And while hacking isn't appropriate for a site like this, in which you're trying to explain the original game experience, I even consider that appropriate for anyone playing at home, if it gives them a better experience. Where would all the great mods be without hacking?<br /><br />In summary, as long as you let people know what you're doing, who cares? You're in charge here. That's what being a Dungeon Master is all about. :)Christopher Kastensmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15257100052975986115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-86409443564450160912013-02-23T13:26:56.747-05:002013-02-23T13:26:56.747-05:00I consider 'lose half an hour' systems as ...I consider 'lose half an hour' systems as a happy medium between the permadeath of <i>NetHack</i> and the absurd simplicity of modern games, where death is no more than a 5-second inconvenience while you wait for the game to reload.<br /><br />The unfortunate thing is that <i>NetHack</i> is a very good game even without the roguelike insistence on permadeath. If the game saved your progress every level or two and had all of its other features, players turned off by roguelikes would still enjoy the game and find it challenging. I would actually encourage casual players to play it this way: back up your saved game every once in a while and let yourself restore it when you die, and enjoy all the other challenges the game has to offer.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-22236929353087413322013-02-23T12:59:22.276-05:002013-02-23T12:59:22.276-05:00Whether you intended it or not, you've convinc...Whether you intended it or not, you've convinced me that NetHack is the kind of game I'd rather have dental work done than play. But I already knew that, really; Your description of the apprehension the permadeath system makes you feel is how I feel about the 'lose half an hour' save systems you're so fond of.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-1264741144927285222012-12-25T03:02:05.946-05:002012-12-25T03:02:05.946-05:00Actually, Adeon is the 29-game winner.
http://alt...Actually, Adeon is the 29-game winner.<br /><br />http://alt.org/nethack/ascstreak.html<br /><br />You can see from the multiple players with long streaks that once you know enough and are good at tactics, you are a threat to ascend most games.Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01040874637214905870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-53808862952179755262012-12-18T16:18:10.603-05:002012-12-18T16:18:10.603-05:00Not everything, and sometimes cursed items is usef...Not everything, and sometimes cursed items is useful. Also, if you die next to your cache you can find a mountain of uncursed items. I've had that happen a couple of times, was awesome. There is also nothing worse then dieing right after leaving the level with your cache.Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-35991141005822150162012-12-18T16:16:05.725-05:002012-12-18T16:16:05.725-05:00A lot of roguelike players are specialists in RLs,...A lot of roguelike players are specialists in RLs, but not any specific one.Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-2522795242089476212012-12-18T15:09:45.899-05:002012-12-18T15:09:45.899-05:00That's pretty incredible. I wonder what other ...That's pretty incredible. I wonder what other games he plays. If the answer is "none" or "very few," then it supports my hypothesis about generalists and specialists.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-50118942447465791232012-12-18T15:07:13.864-05:002012-12-18T15:07:13.864-05:00And having the patience to use it. Perhaps that...And having the patience to use it. Perhaps that's my big failing.<br /><br />My ultimate winning game of <i>Rogue</i> took about half the time I invested in this single character in <i>NetHack</i>, who didn't come close to winning. The longer the game goes on, the more chance you'll have to make a mistake--particularly if you're an impatient player.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-5607153107780665632012-12-18T15:04:02.501-05:002012-12-18T15:04:02.501-05:00My general feeling is that in contrast to most RPG...My general feeling is that in contrast to most RPGs, where you look forward to better and better equipment along the way, the best strategy in <i>NetHack</i> is to get a weapon you like early on so you can keep adding to it with Scrolls of Enchant Weapon throughout the game.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-53668212215689313682012-12-18T15:02:36.315-05:002012-12-18T15:02:36.315-05:00Thanks. I'm not sure where I got that idea.Thanks. I'm not sure where I got that idea.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-19055374996298989522012-12-18T15:02:15.943-05:002012-12-18T15:02:15.943-05:00Since everything you find on a body in a bones fil...Since everything you find on a body in a bones file is cursed anyway, I don't think it's a great cheating option. In fact, I'm pretty sick of those ghosts showing up at the most inopportune times. Do you suppose it's considered cheating to delete the bones files?CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-69623051896932119852012-12-18T14:13:53.454-05:002012-12-18T14:13:53.454-05:00The other reason it is cheating is it wouldn't...The other reason it is cheating is it wouldn't happen on a shared server. <br /><br />Also: There is only a chance a bones level will be loaded when you enter that level, due to the fact on a public sever someone will have died on EVERY level.Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-69999823528907310642012-12-18T05:44:55.844-05:002012-12-18T05:44:55.844-05:00marvin is even better than that; he had a 29-game ...marvin is even better than that; he had a 29-game winning streak once.Rodneyliveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476187929555342435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-8653270732093787222012-12-18T05:43:52.682-05:002012-12-18T05:43:52.682-05:00Actually....
For a perfectly spoiled player (I...Actually....<br /><br />For a perfectly spoiled player (I'm probably 95-98% spoiled), Rogue is harder than Nethack, because there are many more situations in Rogue where you're just screwed by the random number generator, while Nethack has a lot more means of getting out of them. The next version is easier still.<br /><br />Once you really know what you're doing, Nethack isn't actually that bad. The problem is learning it all and getting it in your brain in a form you can use.Rodneyliveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476187929555342435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-69123534903802552112012-12-18T05:40:05.495-05:002012-12-18T05:40:05.495-05:00All weapons that you find laying around with names...All weapons that you find laying around with names are artifacts; the only way non-artifact weapons get named is if you name them yourself. (In a couple of cases, you can MAKE artifacts that way. You might even be able to figure out which those are yourself...)<br /><br />However, most artifacts in Nethack are actually not all that great. They're better than the base weapon, but for the majority of them the bonus is either small, or only applies against one class of monster. Cleaver is above-average, but not top-tier.Rodneyliveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476187929555342435noreply@blogger.com