Stash Culture

[Grimm]

A thread for talking about how we arrange our hoards of imaginary possessions in a computer game. Screenshots, favorite locations, organising principles, et cetera.

Currently I am doing boring stacks by item type in the room on Lair:2 that is closest to the nearest Dungeon level. Stacks are by inventory group: weapons first, then ammo, then armor, and so forth.

[GameKnut]

I usually stash things on Lair:1, but if I collect enough stuff early on (without having to use it), I'll start my stash in the Temple and move it to the Lair later.

As for organization, well, there isn't much to speak of. Everything goes into a pile 1 square from the entry staircase, unless there are some items that are useless or that I really dislike for some reason (such as terrible randarts). The junk goes in a corner of the room, or a square away from the good pile, whichever looks nicer.

[lucy_ferre]

I mainly stash stuff that I'm going to take to Zot or ascend with. I leave almost everything else on the ground. D:1/L:1 (general) and H:1 (food) are my stash locations. I'm not very organized, so I just dump my loot in large piles.

[szanth]

I generally only start a stash after I hit Hive, then my stash becomes right next to the entrance stairs of Hive1.

[Stormfox]

Unless I'm having horrible item generation (or I'm playing a high-Str build, which hasn't been often lately), I'll create a one-square stash in the Temple when I get to it. If nothing more, I drop excess scrolls and potions to save them from destruction.

Lair:2 is my permanent stash. If Hive is a lot lower in the dungeon and I'm making a move toward Vaults and Zot, I may transfer the stash to Hive:2...however, the time and food required to do that isn't always worth it.

Once I've made the Lair:2 or Hive:2 stash, it's sorted by item type. The quirk is that I always stack missiles, books, and melee weapons in adjacent squares in that order from left to right. (ASCII player here.) Other than that there's usually little rhyme or reason.

[Kate]

I actually had a jelly spawn and eat most of my Lair:1 stash a couple of games ago, which was cool (didn't actually lose much because the stash had only just been set up). But I still stash on L:1.

[Grimm]

I collect all the miscellaneous items I find - crystal balls, fans, lamps, etc. - and arrange them near my stash.

[mageykun]

I usually have stashes in the temple, lair:1, hive:1, and Hell. Sizes, distribution and usage varies depending on depth and what order I clear things.

I sort my stashes by stacks of type, with a few small subdivisions (armor split up by body part, weapons split into mele, ranged, and staffs, jewelry into rings and amulets. Runes usually each get their own stack). Artifact get separated the same way, but separate from the non-rands. If I'm a spellcaster with tons of books, I cap the stacks at 10 or so, just so I can see which spells are in each stack by mousing over the books. There will be duplicate stacks in different stashes.

If I live long enough to, I drag a pile of my best artifacts up to D:1, and put them all in one pile by the stairs, with a potion of might adjacent. The runes get their own stack, next to the artifacts. (Not that I've ever lived to pick this stuff up on the way out. Seriously, making an ascension cache is the biggest jinx in the game).

...that may be the most boring thing I've written here. I mean, I bored myself. Who's reading this thread? (That said, I enjoy stash management. It's just a little lame to describe it, apparently).

Early on in nethack, I used to have elaborate stashes. Because I hadn't found the "," key. So I picked things up by walking into stacks with autopickup, and then dropping the rest. For deep stacks, this would take several turns of picking up as much as you could, dropping it all, then taking another hunk, digging down to the item you wanted. Hence the elaborate stashes. And why I loved chests and dragged them back to stashes for use. It's kind of hard to believe in retrospect, but I managed my first ascension before I found that wonderful item management squiggle.

[Morosgovanyi]

I never stash anything, I just good at predicting what to throw away and what to keep (also in real life)

But I have to say that I'm kinda new to the game, I never managed to finish it (almost did it once) and only used warrior builds.

[Un67]

I just dump it in one big pile on Lair:2. Inefficient, but it works since I usually don't get too far anyways.

[Sometimes]

Ridiculously huge pile right by the stairs on Lair: 1. Ctrl-f to dig things out. Runes get their own little nook.

[Bim]

I always have a stash in the Hive, its usually further enough down from the lair to make it worth it, and tend not to have too much stuff I need by that point. Once I've set up though, and have a ring(s) of sustenance I go mental with hording. I separate into item type piles, and then by usefulness being nearer and less useful being far away. I then have a separate set of Armour and weapons next to the stairs (sometimes 2), I personally view this as the only way I've managed to win more than once. I have a vaults set of armor and weapons (holy wrath and rN) and then ones for fire/ice fighting and maybe more if I'm getting loads of stuff. It sounds extreme, but it really helps, obviously I mix and match a bit, and if I find a really good weapon will keep that going obviously.

Yes I do collect a lot of junk

Although some people may find it a bit extreme, and I do it more or less for different chars, I find that it really helps to have a different sets, especially for the vaults and different hells. I tend not to move stuff from the hive unless Its a long way from hell, and even then only the important stuff.

[Grimm]

Please take some screenshots.

[banei]

Here's a pic of how I do it. It's from my Diary of a crawler post:
http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=File:Banei_Stash.jpg

[Grimm]

Tidy.

[Grimm]

Spoiler: show

[eharper256]

Wow, laid out like those air force displays you see in books. I applaud your dedication, sir!

Since mine are always 'lets select the most secure looking vault-like room I can see on Lair:2', they can vary alot. Here's three from my current characters:

Shinobu had a set of tunnels that she dug out into a real good looking vault with a lockable door and everything:


And Eucliwood, being a Necromancer, also has a bouncer on her door. (!)


Mizta Howes the Kobold Artificer, on the hand, has a huge untidy chamber continually infiltrated by rats!


Eris and Mir are currently too far away from their vaults for me to take a cap of. Perhaps soon.

[slowcar]

a digged stash with door and bouncer, wow.
i just put everything on a huge pile in L1 or L2. double-g is enough of an overview for my taste.

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

A question in advance: what's the working distance of Dig the Spell? 1 Los or less?

[XuaXua]

LOCATION
My first stash of just spellbooks potions and scrolls and spare (or dangerous but not for me - draining, electric, distortion) weapons and sometimes permafood is in Ecumenical temple.

My stash in Lair 2 is usually by the closest ctrl-g stairs to both D# and L3. I try to find a nice combo.
When I set it up, I move all valuable consumables from temple to L:2. I leave the dangerous (useless to me) weapons behind (I do keep one distortion around).

Due to the problems with ctrl-g completely ignoring the closest stairs up from L1 to D# if they haven't been used, I try to use all stairs at least once for speed.

Depending on where Hive is located, I move there when Orc, Swamp/Shoals/Snake is completed and I'm ready to tackle vaults or deep dungeon. I tend to just leave a pile of honeycombs and other items by the stairs. Usually H2 stairs down are right by the entrance from D# to H1, so one more step down is never a problem.

LAYOUT
I used to spread items out in semi-organized like banei; potions, scrolls, books + amnesia scrolls, armor, hand weapons, throwing items.

Lately, I just put it all on a single square and click my character for the inventory screen and hit the page up/down key. I move useless items (unused weapons, curse scrolls, bad potions if I don't have evaporate) to a second pile. Sometimes I make a third pile for useless artefacts.

[eharper256]

As promised, Eris Ferris' stash...

Mighty claustrophobic these days, but no forthcoming dig wands.

Just staggered back from Hive. Now have a rather stupid 69 Honeycombs and 19 Royal Jellies. Seriously, the amount of bee vaults I've already seen with her is silly. Considering she's had a ring of sustenance as well since D4, I imagine I'll never get through all this, even though the Bloodbane Katana helps burn it quicker with its constant Berserks.

[RFHolloway]

as an inexperienced player, with a fondness for TrMo of nem, stashing isn't a problem for me - when inventory space is an issue its time to use id scrolls or potions, much of the stuff gets sacrificed, and if I have too many decks I will just use some of them up on the next monster I see.

Thanks eharper - thats the first time I have seen a rune - ever!

[Shade]

My stashing strategy pretty much mirrors minmay's. I'll only stash in temple if I find something I really don't want to risk getting destroyed (or if I have freaky low str). After that I'll generally stash on lair:1 or hive:1, and make a final stash in the vestibule of hell. Generally speaking I'll double back for my temple stash, but I'll only cherry pick from my hive / lair stash when heading for the vestibule. As far as organizing my stash goes, most of my stashes are put to shame by the above screen shots. I usually find the first nook near the entrance stairs and just dump all items of a type into a single pile. With the spell forgetting mechanics in .8 I use two piles for spellbooks. One for 'spells to memorize' and the other for 'spells to forget'.

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

Not mine.

[PerverseSuffering]

Not mine.

I drool imagining secretly sneaking to said stash and then NEMELEX I HAVE PRESENTS FOR YOU.

[Jenx]

I usually stash things on Lair:1 or Lair: 2, depending which one has a better location. I usually also make a stash in Hive:1, though rarely. I do tend to stuff things in the Temple, but usually it's just weapons I don't want just lying around the place (electrocution, draining, venom and such.) If I plan on worshiping Nemelex I just hoard them there to sacrifice en-mass.

As for way of sorting - I only do stacks for food and potions. All other items each get their own square, divided into general categories - weapons and armor, books and scrolls, wands, potions, food, misc. I'd post a screenshot, but I've had a really bad run lately, most of my characters not even making it into the Lair.

[Grimm]

I thought people might be interested in this article. Better Homes & Dungeons did a piece on my latest stash. It'll be in next month's issue.



We visited a fashionable local minotaur and checked out his swanky bachelor pad. Located in the trendy Lair:2 neighbourhood on the corner of an ample, lightly-wooded lot, convenient to transport, the clean lines of this gleaming glass bungalow are the signature of famed Finnish modernist architect Hinaanaiiliinenen.

As we approach we notice the carefully groomed Japanese-style gravel path, lined by small red lights for both safety and looks. A water feature in the front yard is surrounded by artfully placed boulders in the Zen manner, and near the front door is a Victorian glass globe, so trendy this season.

The proud owner invites us inside. "That red patch near the door looks like a huge bloodstain but it's actually an artisanal Burmese rug - they make them in only three villages."

The feel is cosy and intimate. A silver telephone hangs on the wall by the door, as the owner eschews mobiles, and next to it is a piece of intense blue Chihuly glasswork. Two large tasteful lamps made from skulls stand in the far corners. We are offered seats on the two cubical black Bauhaus chairs next to the hovering table. We accept gratefully and note the deck of expensive Moroccan playing cards, and the large golden T'ang dynasty incense burner. A fan moves air gently around the space.

Some of his groceries are out in the kitchen area. They evince a refined taste - imported Brazilian honeycomb and Athenian ambrosia, along with oak-cured Canadian jerky and what looks like a lemon. We just catch a glimpse through into his bedroom. It seems he hasn't finished unpacking yet: by the light of another skull lamp we can see his books - scrolls actually - and clothes stacked in various corners.

Waste is stored in a hidden niche in the backyard wall, which was hand-hewn from yellow Indiana limestone.

The house, lot included, is listed at 110000 gp.

[eharper256]

Oh cool, I remember this topic.

Though I don't think much can match Grimm's vitrified rooms, that's pretty lolz, here's my 0.10 stashes (the one's I've already posted above were from way back in 0.8):

Eris got a wonderful 2-room stash this time; for extra sorting potential!


Myria has received loads of crap from Okawaru, hence the staggering equipment display here.


Aya only started stashing recently, but she got a really nicely disconnected and secure chamber.

[gearheart]

I compulsively scum pan even when I have everything I would need for a 15 rune ascension just so I can get more and better artifacts to lay out in my stash. I also always make the stash in a large room so that it looks nice when it is full of the best artifacts, arranged into blocks based on category.

I don't know, when it comes to inventory management I seem to be some kind of dungeon crawling rain man.

Here's one from one of my more recent games. Not the most impressive it's ever been, since I didn't find any artifact cloaks at all, which still annoys me greatly whenever I look at this picture, but it'll work for sake of example. It doesn't really compare to Grimm's in any way, but I'm proud of it nonetheless.

[Grimm]

Nice. I like the cluster of fixedarts on the right.

I don't know, when it comes to inventory management I seem to be some kind of dungeon crawling rain man.

I hear you. I play the entire game in a very fixed, almost ritualised style, doing the same things with the same build over and over. I've passed up several easy three rune wins, including one with the owner of the property listed above who passed away just a few hours ago (contact me to make an offer on the place), because I have to see the entire dungeon and



I used to be more elaborate with my stashes but now I only do that when I get a sweet location, like that house.

[Jabberwocky]

I'm curious what screen capture programs any of you use. I have some nice stashes which I would like to take a picture of, but I'm having a very hard time finding any programs that I can use to take pictures of crawl.

[pratamawirya]

I'm curious what screen capture programs any of you use. I have some nice stashes which I would like to take a picture of, but I'm having a very hard time finding any programs that I can use to take pictures of crawl.

I just press printscreen and then paste the picture on Irfanview.

[TehDruid]

I use PicPick.

[Deimos]

Printscreen -> Paste in Paint -> Save as whatever.png -> Imgur.com

Simple enough to me. Looking at some of these screenshots makes me wish my resolution wasn't 1280x1024; crawl looks a lot more detailed on a highres monitor.

[XuaXua]

My stashes always contain two stacks: One for keeping (at the bottom of the stairs on arrival on the stash level) and one for trash (any given space immediately next to the stash).

Ecumenical Temple is Waypoint 2. (or ctrl-g T)
Lair 2 (auto travel to D, auto travel to L2) is Waypoint 1.
Move everything useful (consumables) to Waypoint 1.
Hell (rare to get to this point) is new Waypoint 2 (or ctrl-G H)
Leave resist corrosion and helpful anti-slime stuff in Lair 2 till Slime is defeated.

To view my stash, I just click on myself; inventory page is auto-sorted.

[eharper256]

I'm curious what screen capture programs any of you use. I have some nice stashes which I would like to take a picture of, but I'm having a very hard time finding any programs that I can use to take pictures of crawl.

I use Hyperionics Hypersnap.
http://www.hyperionics.com/hsdx/

Mainly as its the only thing I can guarantee will be able to cap everything, including OpenGL and suchlike. Well, and the fact that pasting a PrintScreen into Photoshop seems like overkill.

[TehDruid]

On stashes: I most of the times make the following stacks just around the stairs of Lair:1.

1 Potion Stack (drop all pots here except a bunch of curing/cure wounds/speed and others that are useful, depending on character)
1 Scroll Stack (drop all enchant scrolls I'm going to be using later on when I get a decent equip I want to burn them on, as well as identify/rc/dc, everything that doesn't have tactical value).
1 Food Stack (I drop all except for some meat rations here, since meat should be consumed first on non-permacarnivores in case you get herbivore mutation later, although starving to death is a very very extreme scenario in general...).
Sometime, 1 Jewellery Stack (stuff I might need at some points goes here, although I'm carrying my jewellery on me most of the time, so I can switch for resists/stasis for tele traps/rMut/clarity, etc)
1-2 Trash Stack (the majority of wands and spellbooks (since I don't play casters much) goes here mostly, but also crappy god gifts etc, sometimes I make a second one for gear I might use at some point but I probably won't)

Lately I've been getting lazy and I make only two, "generic" stacks (1 useful, 1 trash) or just drop items in jelly-free levels especially enchant scrolls, if i lack conservation.

[rebthor]

On staches, usually I go for something like this:

But occasionally, I go for something like this:

[snow]

I don't even stash.

I used to create elaborate stashes in the temple (one pile for potions, one pile for scrolls, one pile for food, and so on) then move them to the lair.

Then at one point I just started creating a single pile in the lair and if I was burdened before then I'd drop my food wherever and move it later.

Then... I stopped doing even that and just dropped things on stairs when I'm burdened. If I need something specific I just ctrl+f it... having everything in the same pile is kind of pointless.