Auto-ID wandtype on pickup

[le_nerd]

With the change to always identify the wandtype after an evocation of an unknown wand, it is now optimal behaviour to immediately zap that wand. (And in if ones cares about noise, retreat previously because /fireball and /lightning). This is tedious and funtionally equivalent to generating all wands with a one lesser charge number and auto-iding the wandtype on pickup. Therefore, I propose this to be done:

- Change the formula for generating starting wand charges to decrement ALL charges by one.
- Identifiy the type of wand upon pickup of any unknown wand.

Reasons:
- removes tediuosness.
- Seems simple to implement
- Does not really affect balance.

Potential reasons to not do this:
- The chance to draw a lot of attention to a wand-trying char by /fireball and /lightning is seen as valuable
- The one extra charge on wands which people identifiy by scroll is seen as important.
- Makes the minimum number of charges on valuable wands too low.

Any feedback thoughts and other perspectives are welcome!

[johlstei]

I do scroll id wands late in the game if I haven't ided wands already, and finding a new wand is pretty rare. I don't love this change for that reason, but I don't feel all that strongly either way.

[Moose]

Perhaps just ID wands automatically, but have them generate with one less charge if you haven't already found-id'ed one of that type?

[snow]

This takes away the "interesting choice" of either zapping and wasting a charge or using an identification scroll on it.
Though honestly wands should break if you try to zap them with no charges.

[PleasingFungus]

This came up in discussion a few weeks ago. The general feeling was that people preferred to make IDing wands a more interesting choice, rather than removing the choice (by auto-IDing); there wasn't really any consensus on how to do so, however.

[Sprucery]

How about wands don't zap-id at all if wand of random effects hasn't been identified? I mean, how can you tell the difference?

Exceptions: heal wounds (not randomly zappable), random effects (if 2 zaps give different effect).

Btw. I'm not serious.

[Hurkyl]

Some possibilities:

• When unidentified it consumes more/all charges
• It can't be zapped before being identified
• It may fail to zap if not identified.
• It may miscast if not identified.
• It may have a weaker effect if not identified: e.g. wand of fire would zap like a wand of flame until formally identified. Not obviously suitable for all wands.

And, of course

• Change wands to auto-ID on pickup, until such time that something more interesting is implemented