Formicid Archaeologist Minigame

[WalrusMcFishSr]

For a stupid 2 minute amusement between "serious" games. The rules are thus:

1.) Play as a Formicid. Background of your choice.

2.) Upon starting the game, step off the initial staircase, and start shafting.

3.) Keep digging until you get to D15. If you stop to take easy kills or grab loot, well I don't blame you, but it diminishes the "purity" of the challenge.

4.) Once you get to the bottom, try to make it back up to D1, by any means necessary.

I tried a bunch of times to no avail, but then I'm a pretty mediocre player. My record was making it back to D8.

Assassin seems to be a good choice...Hunter with the large rocks is helpful too. As a bonus, your next good character will be surprised to find a multitude of low level ghost ants waiting at the bottom of the dungeon.

[Sandman25]

Too dependent on luck IMHO. I didn't move in any directions before reaching D15.

  Code:

The shaft crumbles and collapses.
2 centaur warriors and a zombie come into view.
The centaur warrior shouts! x2
You hear a shout! x2
Found 19 sling bullets, 19 gold pieces, a papyrus book and an apple.
Found an escape hatch in the ceiling.


The escape hatch was 2 tiles away but that's too much for HP 15 FoHe:

  Code:

A great orb of eyes, an orc warrior and a tengu warrior come into view.
The tengu warrior shouts! The orc warrior shouts!
The great orb of eyes turns its gaze towards you.
The centaur warrior wields a shortbow. The centaur warrior shoots an arrow.
The arrow closely misses you.
Found 18 gold pieces, a trident, a glaive and a cheese.
A centaur warrior comes into view.
***EMERGENCY*** This monster can paralyze you: great orb of eyes
The centaur warrior hits you!
Ouch! That really hurt!
* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
The centaur warrior unwields an uncursed shortbow.
The centaur warrior hits you.
Elyvilon protects you from harm!
The centaur warrior hits you!
Ouch! That really hurt!
You die...

        # #
       #§˜˜˜  #
       #:$%[ ˜#
       #.#c  ˜#
       +.#.{.˜#
       #.Q##$˜#
       +....(˜#
      ##.Z...˜#
###+#+#c...(##˜#
˜$......@..+#
˜(##...c..+#.#
 $oG#....+#.#+
 $. #...+#.#+..
   )).%# .#+...#
  ˜˜˜˜˜  #+....
   ####    . .


You could see a great orb of eyes, a tengu warrior, 3 centaur warriors, an orc
warrior and a fire dragon zombie.


[Hopeless]

Didn't go with the no move thing as it seems more fun to move around first but I did this a few times. Died mostly right away. Trying a slower approach now. Also how do you get hunter with large rocks as Fo? I thought large rocks was for largish races (Og, Tr) only?

[Viashino_wizard]

Didn't go with the no move thing as it seems more fun to move around first but I did this a few times. Died mostly right away. Trying a slower approach now. Also how do you get hunter with large rocks as Fo? I thought large rocks was for largish races (Og, Tr) only?

At one point Fo could use Large Rocks and GC/GSC. It was removed shortly before 0.14 went live, I believe.

[and into]

Assassin all the way. Managed to escape once, without grabbing stuff or exploring at all on the way down, albeit with slightly different rules:

1.) Upon reaching floor 15 I entered wizmode and dismissed any enemies in LOS where I landed (I was getting sick of landing in packs of ogres, centaurs, dragons, and the like and insta-dying);
2.) I gave some extra food via wizmode also, since I didn't find the limited food aspect as much fun, though I now plan to try one without the extra food;
3.) Otherwise I didn't use wizmode at all and played it according to the rules you laid out.

Number 2 was quite a large advantage though because I could use digging freely, so now I'm going to try it with just the starting ration. Still going to wizmode myself a clear spot wherever I land on D:15, as that doesn't really make the challenge any easier, but it does eliminate insta-deaths and restarts.

[Klown]

Everything OHK's you.

[Lyrick]

I shafted myself into the Orc Mine entrance vault.

One-shotted by orc-warrior

This is funner than xom

[Sandman25]

This is more random than xom

ftfy

[TehDruid]

WELP

  Code:

 Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.15-a0-733-gb4c3b50 (tiles) character file.

0 No hope the Covered (level 1, -2/13 HPs)
             Began as a Formicid Wanderer on May 11, 2014.
             Succumbed to a manticore's barbed spikes
             ... on Level 15 of the Dungeon.
             The game lasted 00:02:04 (167 turns).

No hope the Covered (Formicid Wanderer)              Turns: 167, Time: 00:02:04

HP  -2/13        AC 10     Str 16      XL: 1   Next:  0%
MP   1/1         EV 11     Int 12      God:
Gold 0           SH  0     Dex  9      Spells:  0 memorised,  0 levels left

rFire  . . .     SeeInvis +     d - +2,+1 mace (protect)
rCold  . . .     Clarity  .     e - +0 steam dragon armour
rNeg   . . .     Conserve .     (no shield)
rPois  .         rCorr    .     (helmet unavailable)
rElec  .         rRot     .     (no cloak)
SustAb . .       Spirit   .     (no gloves)
rMut   .         Warding  .     (no boots)
Gourm  .         Stasis   +     (no amulet)
MR     .....                    (no ring)
                                (no ring)

@: not resistant to hostile enchantments, unstealthy
A: permanent stasis, dig shafts and tunnels, four strong arms, antennae 3
a: Dig, Shaft Self


You were on level 15 of the Dungeon.
You were hungry.

You visited 1 branch of the dungeon, and saw 10 of its levels.

Inventory:

Hand weapons
 a - a +2,+2 dagger
 d - a +2,+1 mace of protection (weapon)
Armour
 e - a +0 steam dragon armour (worn)
Comestibles
 b - a pear
 f - a bread ration


   Skills:
 * Level 0.0 Fighting
   Level 2.0 Axes
   Level 2.0 Staves
 - Level 1.0 Throwing
 - Level 3.2 Armour
 - Level 2.4 Stealth


You couldn't memorise any spells.
You didn't know any spells.

Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations

Branches:
Dungeon (15/15)           
Temple: D:4-7          Orc: D:9-12        Lair: D:8-11      Vaults: D:13-14
Depths: D:15       

Altars:

Shops:
D:15 *


Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations

Your are under a permanent stasis effect.
You can dig through walls and to a lower floor.
Your four strong arms can wield two-handed weapons with a shield.
You have a pair of large antennae on your head (SInv).


Message History

The barbed spikes become lodged in your body.
Ouch! That really hurt!
* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
Use which ability? (? or * to list)
You extend your mandibles.
Use which ability? (? or * to list)
You are already prepared to dig.
Unknown command.
Unknown command.
Use which ability? (? or * to list)
You can't shaft yourself on this level.
There are monsters nearby!
Drink which item? (? for menu, Esc to quit)
You feel better.
You retract your mandibles.
The barbed spikes dig painfully into your body as you move.
The ogre hits you but does no damage.
The barbed spikes dig painfully into your body as you move.
Ouch! That really hurt!
You die...

...n..
..(.(.
......
O......      .
.......      R..
#######      ..#
#            ..#
#            ..#
#            ..#
#############..#####
..........O.H........
............@........
...........?.....####
..#############.!#
..#             .#
..#              #
..#############..
........<........
.................
...############.
...#
...#
...#


You could see a manticore, an efreet (sleeping) and an ogre.


Notes
Turn   | Place    | Note
--------------------------------------------------------------
     0 | D:1      | No hope, the Formicid Wanderer, began the quest for the Orb.
     0 | D:1      | Reached XP level 1. HP: 13/13 MP: 1/1
     6 | D:1      | You fall through a shaft!
     9 | D:2      | You fall through a shaft for 2 floors!
    12 | D:4      | You fall through a shaft for 2 floors!
    12 | D:6      | Noticed a giant frog
    15 | D:6      | You fall through a shaft for 3 floors!
    18 | D:9      | You fall through a shaft!
    18 | D:10     | Entered Level 10 of the Dungeon
    18 | D:10     | Noticed a big kobold
    21 | D:10     | You fall through a shaft!
    24 | D:11     | You fall through a shaft for 2 floors!
    24 | D:13     | Noticed a centaur skeleton
    27 | D:13     | You fall through a shaft for 2 floors!
    27 | D:15     | Entered Level 15 of the Dungeon
    35 | D:15     | Found Jawn's Assorted Antiques.
    37 | D:15     | Noticed an ogre
    59 | D:14     | Noticed a big fish
    60 | D:14     | Noticed a big fish
    87 | D:14     | Noticed a hound
   122 | D:14     | Noticed a hill giant skeleton
   128 | D:14     | Noticed a red ugly thing
   130 | D:14     | Noticed a red ugly thing
   144 | D:14     | Noticed a red ugly thing
   162 | D:15     | Noticed a manticore
   167 | D:15     | Succumbed to a manticore's barbed spikes


Action                   || total
-------------------------++-------
 Abil: Shaft Self        ||     8
       Dig               ||     1
  Use: Potion            ||     1



[bcadren]

Yet to make it TO D:15. O_O; often die in the middle of shafting myself. Got fatally poisoned by a Water Moccassin on D:6 once...yeesh.

[and into]

This is pretty fun. Had a totally winnable dude on D8 who didn't wizmode food, but was distracted (IRL) and shamefully died to a komodo dragon zombie, of all freaking things...

[duvessa]

Done, this "challenge" is pretty much pure luck though. No actions taken before D:15 except for self-shaft and moving off of unshaftable features.