exercise: think of all possible uses of magic mapping

[Pollen_Golem]

read it when you're on a level with a timed portal, and on the bottom of rune branches.

That and occasionally when shafted or teleporting on a largely unexplored level for any of a number of reasons. But

no idea why you think those are the best places to use mmap

While the user was certainly trolling at this point, it might be interesting to consider other obscure situations where you would rather mmap than anything else. Ideas?

[Laraso]

Usually by the time I get to Zot, I have a few left over. I just use them to map all of Zot. Makes it easier to just dive straight to Zot:5 and grab the orb, no need to wander around and fight random enemies looking for the downstairs. Otherwise, yea I pretty much just use them to find portals or mapping the branch-end vaults.

[ydeve]

Sometimes the hell downstairs can be hard to find. But yeah, I use it mostly for branch ends and portals.

[CanOfWorms]

I'll use them on levels with hidden areas (like that one 3 tile room that keeps appearing in Depths with staves and clubs in it or the hidden god altar room in Dungeon) if I have spares.

[ydeve]

I'll use them on levels with hidden areas (like that one 3 tile room that keeps appearing in Depths with staves and clubs in it or the hidden god altar room in Dungeon) if I have spares.

How do you know that they're there?

[archaeo]

First off,

While the user was certainly trolling at this point

I don't think n1000 was trolling at all.

That said, I'm not really sure that there are any surprising answers to be found here; as you say, the vast majority of mmap uses will be on relatively obvious floors. I think the interesting question isn't, "What uses are possible?" but, "What uses are desirable given a limited number of mmap scrolls?"

[Gerad]

I used to use all of mine for branch ends with runes. Nowadays, I pretty much only use them for portals if there are two portals on a level or if I'm following Chei (this may not be optimal, but portals are fun). I use them mostly (in order of priority) for Hell levels 1-6, not-special Pan levels, and Zot 1-4 (especially if I'm not doing extended).

[Sprucery]

Usually by the time I get to Zot, I have a few left over. I just use them to map all of Zot.

Heh, I do that too. And then I clear Zot:1-4 anyway. I just want to know where the stairs are, and there's nothing else to map anyway.

[Pollen_Golem]

"What uses are desirable given a limited number of mmap scrolls?"

Well, yeah, that is implicit in the question, since if mmap was unlimited you would use it on every floor.

[CanOfWorms]

I'll use them on levels with hidden areas (like that one 3 tile room that keeps appearing in Depths with staves and clubs in it or the hidden god altar room in Dungeon) if I have spares.

How do you know that they're there?

Stair counting for those. Sometimes I just make a guess based on the minimap and there might not be a secret room!

[dynast]

think of all possible uses of curing

[DunwichHorror]

Elf 3 and Zot 5 are probably obvious choices
When I have excess MM scrolls I will tend to map the last level of Swamp, Spider, etc
MM scrolls are also great in the various Hells and Pan.

[bcadren]

Earth elementalist; no teleport or blinking left; need to find a good wall to use passwall on.

[quote=CanOfWorms]I'll use them on levels with hidden areas (like that one 3 tile room that keeps appearing in Depths with staves and clubs in it or the hidden god altar room in Dungeon) if I have spares.[/quote] I found that vault in spider on accident by casting shatter. It had the hat of the alchemist and the shillelagh for me though. [If you are wonder how I had shatter in spider; Vehumet + Formacid +3! Earth].

[The Ferret]

Maybe if you !tele into a potentially bad situation with nearby tough melee monsters and it's not clear which way you should run so you don't get trapped in a dead end, or you haven't found the other upstairs yet?

[Laraso]

If I teleport into a group of tough melee dudes, I typically teleport again, not run away into unexplored territory and run into more scary things.

[The Ferret]

Maybe it's your last teleport and your only remaining consumables are scrolls of magic mapping...

It's an edge case, roll with it :p

[Kaelii]

Read-IDing looking for remove curse before you have not found enough scrolls to guess the biggest piles are likely ID and remove Curse.
You picked up and wore-ID'd amulet, and two rings that happened to be: Inaccuracy, Slaying -5, and Evasion -6.

Spoiler: show

You subsequently read in order: your only blinking, magic mapping, teleport, enchant weapon, enchant armour, holy word, torment (you teleport onto a shaft and fall three levels, you land on a shaft and fall two levels). You have no more scrolls left. At least you found Lair!

[daggaz]

Earth elementalist; no teleport or blinking left; need to find a good wall to use passwall on.

[quote=CanOfWorms]I'll use them on levels with hidden areas (like that one 3 tile room that keeps appearing in Depths with staves and clubs in it or the hidden god altar room in Dungeon) if I have spares.

I found that vault in spider on accident by casting shatter. It had the hat of the alchemist and the shillelagh for me though. [If you are wonder how I had shatter in spider; Vehumet + Formacid +3! Earth].[/quote]

...or you could just make sure to take all the stairs once, even tho its super tedious.

[BugHunter]

When I've finished a level, I just take the nearest stairs down, then as I explore the new level and find an unused upstairs, I quickly pop up and back down. So I end up using every stairway, but it's not tedious at all.

[daggaz]

When I've finished a level, I just take the nearest stairs down, then as I explore the new level and find an unused upstairs, I quickly pop up and back down. So I end up using every stairway, but it's not tedious at all.

It is tedious.

[archaeo]

Eh, it's also something I try to remember to do, and I don't find it incredibly tedious. I just inevitably forget to continue doing it around d:10.

[daggaz]

The fact that you have a reason to do it (linking stairs for autotravel, checking for "hidden" areas), but eventually can't be bothered because it is a bunch of extra steps that aren't actually all that fun compared to actual game you are playing, is exactly what makes it tedious. Maybe you don't assign it quite the same subjective level of tedium as say, doing your income taxes, but then again, income taxes are not imbedded in Crawl.

New God: Eyearress, God of Nitpicking, Resource Management, and Spreadsheets.

Appreciates: Making the absolutely most optimal move in any situation. Always going up every stair case, especially escape hatches don't forget about the escape hatches they are doors, too. Doing your income taxes instead of playing Crawl.
Dislikes: Games, Alcohol, Sex of any type other than in the missionary position for the sole purpose of procreation.

[njvack]

It would be nice if seeing both ends of a staircase linked them in the map.