Demonspawn mutation ease of use request

[Rast]

When playing a demonspawn, the (A)bility menu should list known future mutations.

So, if you've reached rank 1 or 2 in any mutation, in parentheses it should list the final description. If you have mutations you haven't yet discovered, it should mention them without revealing what they will be. Like:

  Code:

You have a pair of antennae on your head. (Eventually: SInv)
You are partially covered in thin metallic scales. (AC +2) (Eventually: +4 AC, rElec)
When hurt, damage is shared between your health and your magic reserves.
(Eventually: You regenerate magic rapidly.)
(Eventually: When low on magic, you restore magic in place of health.)
(You will develop one additional ordinary ability and one powerful ability)


At the start of the game it would be something like this:

  Code:

(Your head, feet, hands, or all three will mutate)
(Your body might grow scaly)
(You will develop two ordinary abilities and one powerful ability)


[Majang]

Well, there should be some good reasons for players to consult the crawl wiki. Demonspawn mutations are one such reason.

[Fingolfin]

I think you can find out about them with '?/'

[Majang]

Doesn't seem to work for me. You can ask for all kinds of things, but I don't see mutations there.

[Fingolfin]

Okay my bad sorry

[ZipZipskins]

Well, there should be some good reasons for players to consult the crawl wiki.

Why?

[Majang]

Because you don't get the information elsewhere, do you?

[ZipZipskins]

That doesn't mean you shouldn't.

[Shard1697]

I get my information from the learndb because it's usually much more accurate and helpful than the wiki.

In an ideal world all information would be contained in the game and you wouldn't need to look it up anywhere.

[Majang]

I certainly don't disagree with that.

[MainiacJoe]

I tend to use the wiki more than learndb because the information is more comprehensive and presented more conveniently. I've just learned to not trust it, and do check lerndb when I want to make sure of something. Stale version number on wiki articles is the most frequent cause of this.

And when you read the wiki you get to chuckle at the advice portions so there's that.

[prozacelf]

I get my information from the learndb because it's usually much more accurate and helpful than the wiki.

In an ideal world all information would be contained in the game and you wouldn't need to look it up anywhere.

While the in-game help is rather extensive and also useful, it's also somewhat difficult to navigate to exactly what you want, which is kind of a barrier to entry. Here I am more specifically referring to the actual manual part rather then the specific help sections (for commands, macros, etc.). Probably 99 times out of 100 I'll look at the learndb or ask in irc before I even consider digging in the manual for an answer.

[Siegurt]

I get my information from the learndb because it's usually much more accurate and helpful than the wiki.

In an ideal world all information would be contained in the game and you wouldn't need to look it up anywhere.

While the in-game help is rather extensive and also useful, it's also somewhat difficult to navigate to exactly what you want, which is kind of a barrier to entry. Here I am more specifically referring to the actual manual part rather then the specific help sections (for commands, macros, etc.). Probably 99 times out of 100 I'll look at the learndb or ask in irc before I even consider digging in the manual for an answer.

This is mostly because of the lack of any navigation in it, or the ability to do a 'find' either of which (or preferably both) would be a huge boost in usability, fortunately the help is all in text files that I can open externally, which is adequate, if not exceptional.