The 'Questions too small to need their own thread' thread

[nicolae]

What are the numbers and formulas and such for antimagic damage and the probability of a monster faltering?

[BlackSheep]

Hitting a monster with an antimagic weapon applies an antimagic debuff with a duration of random2(damage_done * 2) turns. Monster casters (that aren't priests) with this debuff have a (hit_dice * 10) in (hit_dice * 10 + duration) chance of successfully casting spells.

[tormodpwns]

That means that it's only worth hitting the enemy once, and switching to a higher damage weapon for a few turns before hitting again?

[rchandra]

That means that it's only worth hitting the enemy once, and switching to a higher damage weapon for a few turns before hitting again?

my experience with berserkers is that if you want to antimagic something, you'd rather keep hitting it with that than use time to switch weapons. This is especially true since you can't see the duration, so you want to keep applying it.

speaking of "turns", would standard usage be that a bardiche has a min delay of 7 turns or 0.7 turns?

[mazanaka]

Thanks for the answers,have another question:how much 's'eaches should be enough in most cases to reveal secret doors,as I can find very few,even when it's obvious that they are somewhere around.Also,if charaster is resting(shift+num5),he's also searching,yes?

[galehar]

speaking of "turns", would standard usage be that a bardiche has a min delay of 7 turns or 0.7 turns?

0.7 turns or 7 aut. aut means Absolute Unit of Time. A turn can either mean a player turn, ie an action (increases turn count by 1 but duration can vary depending on the action) or a game turn (10 aut which is the duration of most player actions at normal speed).

[rchandra]

Thanks for the answers,have another question:how much 's'eaches should be enough in most cases to reveal secret doors,as I can find very few,even when it's obvious that they are somewhere around.Also,if charaster is resting(shift+num5),he's also searching,yes?

It depends on your traps and doors skill and your distance to the secret door, but even with 0 skill I can always (or almost always?) find the door in one long-rest (5 or shift-num5) as long as I'm next to it. And as you say, rest and search are the same thing.

[BlackSheep]

speaking of "turns", would standard usage be that a bardiche has a min delay of 7 turns or 0.7 turns?

In the case of antimagic, duration values for the debuff are in absolute turns or multiples of 10 aut.

[Kate]

speaking of "turns", would standard usage be that a bardiche has a min delay of 7 turns or 0.7 turns?

0.7 turns or 7 aut. aut means Absolute Unit of Time. A turn can either mean a player turn, ie an action (increases turn count by 1 but duration can vary depending on the action) or a game turn (10 aut which is the duration of most player actions at normal speed).

I always thought it was "arbitrary unit of mass/time/whatever".

[Jabberwocky]

I think AUM's and AUT's can be whatever you like.

[Blade]

I imagine them as tonnes and years, respectively. But maybe that's just me.

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

More like "a handful of money" and "two steps long a moment". If they are tonnes and years, than we should replace everything with cosmic stuff, because then it will be a Galactic Civilisations roguelike.

[Xion350]

I have recently gotten an Obsidian war axe and I was wondering if there is anything I can do to make it more useful? Being forced to attack one target kind of limits it's usability.

[Blade]

The obsidian axe is one of the most infamous items in the game. It will kill you, but that's okay because it looks awesome.
(and no, there's nothing you can do to make it more reasonable, but elliptic won once while using it constantly from d:4, so it is possible to use [also a bad idea but who cares])

[tormodpwns]

What are the specifics for the bonuses received by player Vampires to vampiric weapons?

[Xion350]

The obsidian axe is one of the most infamous items in the game. It will kill you, but that's okay because it looks awesome.
(and no, there's nothing you can do to make it more reasonable, but elliptic won once while using it constantly from d:4, so it is possible to use [also a bad idea but who cares])

Rats, and I thought clarity might help. I mean it's awesome and a pretty massive upgrade over a simple Handaxe of Electrocution I found, but it's very touchy. XD

Oh well, guess you really can't do any better for an Orc Priest with 15 in Axe skills already.

[Stormfox]

elliptic won once while using it constantly from d:4

"Because elliptic once did it and lived" is equivalent to saying "because Superman once did it and lived"...

[BlackSheep]

What are the specifics for the bonuses received by player Vampires to vampiric weapons?

It appears that vampiric weapons restore health and nutrition on every hit. For non-vamps, they just restore health and only on 4 out of 5 hits.

Oh, here we go. Normal use of a vampiric weapon restores 1 + random2(damage) HP. Vampires start with that then get an extra bonus on monsters that yield clean chunks. (So another 1 + random2(damage)). The total healing amount is capped at your experience level.

[Blade]

elliptic won once while using it constantly from d:4

"Because elliptic once did it and lived" is equivalent to saying "because Superman once did it and lived"...

I know, but if people hear that things are possible, they're more likely to die in amusing ways.

...I am a bad person.

[Zenonira]

If a shapeshifter shifts into a Jelly and eats enough to split does it create normal jellies, shapeshifter jellies or does it even create jellies?

[ldierk]

The obsidian axe is one of the most infamous items in the game. It will kill you, but that's okay because it looks awesome.
(and no, there's nothing you can do to make it more reasonable, but elliptic won once while using it constantly from d:4, so it is possible to use [also a bad idea but who cares])

FooTV?

[sir_laser]

Is Vitrification supposed to work in the Labyrinth?

[Pteriforever]

Can someone explain why having a rod of warding in your inventory allows training of shields?

[nicolae]

Can someone explain why having a rod of warding in your inventory allows training of shields?

Presumably because you can use it to cast Condensation Shield. Knowing Condensation Shield lets you train Shields, since its effectiveness is partially based on that skill.

[Blade]

Note that no sane person should ever train shields based on rod of warding.

That said, I did it once on a minotaur of okawaru because I was so absurdly powerful everywhere else that I was in the mood for silliness

[Oddysee]

Is there anyway to see your highscores (playing offline) apart from just after you die?

[Jabberwocky]

Is there anyway to see your highscores (playing offline) apart from just after you die?

I'm afraid their isn't any way.

[BlackSheep]

Is there anyway to see your highscores (playing offline) apart from just after you die?

A high score menu was added to Trunk. It lets you browse your score list, and if you still have the morgue file for a given entry, you can open it right from the list.

[mageykun]

Is there anyway to see your highscores (playing offline) apart from just after you die?

You can open the scores file in your saves folder with a text editor. It's kind of inconveniently formatted for reading, though.

Alternatively, roll a wizmode character and quit the game to go right to the high scores list. (Doing this in wizmode keeps from cluttering your high scores list with dummy characters. They will still leave morgues though).

Or yeah, upgrade to trunk or wait for 0.11 for an actual menu option.

[XuaXua]

It is my understanding that you are penalized slightly in combat when you are invisible due to the fact that you can't see yourself.

I would think that See Invisible negates this penalty. Correct?

[BlackSheep]

It is my understanding that you are penalized slightly in combat when you are invisible due to the fact that you can't see yourself.

I would think that See Invisible negates this penalty. Correct?

Correct.

[ajon]

What is trunk?

[Jabberwocky]

What is trunk?

A unstable version that is regularly updated and is used for trying out new features.

[Grimm]

It can be had here: http://crawl.develz.org/trunk/

[hxy]

Why do orcs and other monsters pick up decks and misc items? I've never seen them used..

[cerebovssquire]

What is trunk?

From Wikipedia: In the field of software development, trunk refers to the unnamed branch (version) of a file tree under revision control. The trunk is usually meant to be the base of a project on which development progresses. If developers are working exclusively on the trunk, it always contains the latest cutting-edge version of the project, but therefore may also be the most unstable version.

On CDO and CAO many people (including me) play Trunk for the newest changes. It 1) helps if you can adjust to them bit by bit insteaf of getting 10+ noticable changes when switching main versions and 2) they're pretty cool usually.

[galehar]

Why do orcs and other monsters pick up decks and misc items? I've never seen them used..

Good question. For every other item type, monsters pick only usable ones, but there's no such check for misc items. Probably an oversight.

[Styro]

Can anyone explain what this statement from the Wiki Armour entry means?

"If your strength is less than 3x EV penalty of the armour, it will be "difficult to use" and offer limited benefits."

I currently have a Merfolk Gladiator going. His Str is 15. If I have the option between wearing Plate and Splint, which should I wear? I have enough Str to cover the Splint, but not the Plate. Does "limited benefits" mean that I will not get the full GDR? Or does it just mean my EV will be lower?

I can handle lower EV, but if it will not give me the full GDR then I would think that the Splint would be better.

[Rast]

http://crawl.develz.org/info/index.php?q=aevp

"Adjusted body armour evasion penalty. Affects spell success, melee accuracy."

So an archer who only has a few utility spells might as well wear the heaviest armor possible?

I have 27 points in armor and 26 STR... wondering if I should switch from full plate to gold dragon armor.

  Code:

 a + Fighting         22.0   25%   +2    h - Stabbing          0.0         -1
 b - Polearms          8.1         +2    i - Traps & Doors    10.1          0
 c - Unarmed Combat    2.1         +1
                                         j - Spellcasting      6.0         -3
 d * Bows             24.5   50%   +1    k - Hexes             3.5         -4
 e - Throwing          2.0          0    l - Charms            4.1         -4
                                         m - Necromancy        5.2         -3
     Armour           27           +2    n - Translocations    7.6         -3
 f + Dodging          16.4   25%   +1    o - Transmutations    5.0         -2
 g - Stealth           0.0         -2    p - Air Magic         4.4         -3
     Shields           1.2         +2
                                         q - Invocations       7.0         -1
                                         r - Evocations        4.1         -1


[Xion350]

If you're worshipping Zin and pick up the Orb and it ends up causing glow/contamination, does Zin get upset at you? Seems like Zin would be a very poor choice end game in that case.

[XuaXua]

QUESTION Do green crystal walls reflect arrows now?

I am shooting an arrow of frost at an enemy in front of a green crystal wall and I get the message "the arrow of frost is likely to hit you, continue anyway?"
This is 0.11-a0-1529 build.

ANSWER (edit) YEP, apparently have for some time.

  Code:

Reflects cold and flame the way ordinary walls reflect lightning. Immune to digging, disintegration, and Lugonu's corrupt ability, but even easier to destroy with Lees Rapid Deconstruction than rock walls. Does not appear naturally (except rarely in the deeper Vaults - it is a very bad day if this happens on level 8), so signifies a vault.

[BlackSheep]

If you're worshipping Zin and pick up the Orb and it ends up causing glow/contamination, does Zin get upset at you? Seems like Zin would be a very poor choice end game in that case.

I don't think the orb causes contamination. It just glows on its own.

[cerebovssquire]

If you're worshipping Zin and pick up the Orb and it ends up causing glow/contamination, does Zin get upset at you? Seems like Zin would be a very poor choice end game in that case.

Even if it did, nonsense. Zin only has a tiny piety penalty for glowing, he doesn't instantly put you in penance. Zin is very good especially in extended and Zot.

[tasonir]

So 300 in 600 at skill level 6 makes perfect sense, you have a 50% chance, and everything is great.

What happens when the second value is smaller? How can you take a 300 chance in 100? Is there an "else" clause in the code?

[BlackSheep]

If the second value is smaller, the return value is always true. If it's true, then the monster updates its target to your current position. When it gets there, it makes another check. If you ever pass the stealth check, the monster forgets about you and starts wandering.

My beef is that there's an elaborate function that takes into account player species, stats, mutations, equipment, enchantments, ambient noise, etc. to figure out your stealth value. All that is ignored when monsters are looking for you.

[galehar]

QUESTION Do green crystal walls reflect arrows now?

Green crystal reflects fire and ice beams. The flaming and freezing brands turn missiles into beams.

[jejorda2]

After pressing "f" to fire an arrow, you can press "." instead of "f" or "enter," and the arrow will not keep going if it misses the enemy. This will keep it from reflecting, which means it doesn't get a second chance to hit the enemy or a fist chance to hit you.

[varsovie]

After pressing "f" to fire an arrow, you can press "." instead of "f" or "enter," and the arrow will not keep going if it misses the enemy. This will keep it from reflecting, which means it doesn't get a second chance to hit the enemy or a fist chance to hit you.

Or your precious Steel Javelin won't end in lava.

[Confidence Interval]

When comparing two armours and deciding which to wear, is it reasonable to just add the AC and EV scores and go with the highest total or does this ignore important differences between the effects of AC and EV?