Proposal: All timed portals are announced

[khalil]

I've never understood the unanounced timed portals. Never really sure as to why they exist. The ones that you get told about when entering a level serve a purpose: They turn it into a race against time in which you try to get to the portal before it disappears. The most fun I've ever had involving a labyrinth was trying to get there in the first place. Unannounced ones? They don't do that. All they do is make me feel sad when I find the place where a wizlab used to be.Thus, I propose that either all timed portals are announced, thus adding a race against time mechanic for all of them, or that they do not start counting down until you see them.
Do note I'd totally be willing to code one of them up if enough people think it's a good idea.

[dpeg]

When I proposed portal vaults, I was afraid that it'd be too much if every single one was announced. We now have a lot more experience, so perhaps it's alright to announce them all.

[khalil]

When I proposed portal vaults, I was afraid that it'd be too much if every single one was announced. We now have a lot more experience, so perhaps it's alright to announce them all.

Hooray! I'll go code it up.

[khalil]

And done! Posting in contributions too.
https://crawl.develz.org/mantis/view.php?id=6938

[galehar]

There is an implementable to change unanounced portals by removing the long timer and triggering the short one as soon as 1 cell of the entry vault is seen or mapped. It's a bit tricky to implement. Maybe just announcing all portals would be a good alternative yeah.

[khalil]

There is an implementable to change unanounced portals by removing the long timer and triggering the short one as soon as 1 cell of the entry vault is seen or mapped. It's a bit tricky to implement. Maybe just announcing all portals would be a good alternative yeah.

At the very least, it was the alternative that required the least work on my part.

[prozacelf]

Yay! I'm all for this! I always make my sad face when I see a crumbled portal. Even if it's just the sewer.

[petzl]

I kind of liked the unannounced nature of (non-Labyrinth, non-Bazaar) portals. It gave you more of a reward for clearing a level quickly and efficiently and/or using your map scroll.

[Sandman25]

I kind of liked the unannounced nature of (non-Labyrinth, non-Bazaar) portals. It gave you more of a reward for clearing a level quickly and efficiently and/or using your map scroll.

I believe using magic scroll should be punished instead of being rewarded. These scrolls are scarce and one should save them for branch endings/lab/bazaar/shaft.

[prozacelf]

Finally saw this in action. Naturally, I was using Ash so I got the "vision of a gate" message anyway, but I still like it. At least I had forewarning of what I was looking for.

[cerebovssquire]

Yes, thanks a lot for this khalil, the old rules on this were annoying and kind of arbitrary too.

[Volteccer_Jack]

this is so ****ing annoying i don't care about that ossuary is there any way to turn it off

[reaver]

this is so ****ing annoying i don't care about that ossuary is there any way to turn it off

You can turn it off in your rc file - the ossuary will still exist, but you won't be bothered by the messages. People do it to Labyrinths all the time. If you don't know anything about rc files, just google it.

[Lasty]

Why don't you care that Ossuary is there? It's usually free XP and loot.

[Bim]

I'm assuming he was being sarcastic...

But great idea!

[khalil]

Why don't you care that Ossuary is there? It's usually free XP and loot.

I think we might have found what was once thought impossible: Someone worse at this game than me.

[Lasty]

Why don't you care that Ossuary is there? It's usually free XP and loot.

I think we might have found what was once thought impossible: Someone worse at this game than me.

Are you trying to tell me that Ossuary kills your characters?

[khalil]

Why don't you care that Ossuary is there? It's usually free XP and loot.

I think we might have found what was once thought impossible: Someone worse at this game than me.

Are you trying to tell me that Ossuary kills your characters?

No, I meant that he's worse than me because he doesn't go for the free loot.

[Volteccer_Jack]

I'm assuming he was being sarcastic...

Nothing sarcastic about it because Ossuaries don't matter (as regards surviving/winning; they matter in other ways).

Also, FYI, I thought for sure that this was sarcastic:

Yes, thanks a lot for this khalil, the old rules on this were annoying and kind of arbitrary too.

Why don't you care that Ossuary is there?

I'll get to it eventually. Or I won't, in which case it'll just be like the Ossuary never generated, which is what I was expecting anyway. I could write a 5,000 word essay on why I hate this, but I could write 50,000 words about Djinn, and they're in the game now, which means I no longer respect the devs, so why bother. The short joke version then:

loot sucks i don't need another wand of paralysis/digging/confusion i already dropped 3 of them as soon as i entered lair in fact i'm glad my low str stops me from feeling obligated to carry it and the only reason i'm willing to risk my life to MAYBE earn the benefit of paying a crapload of gold for stuff i won't have in my inventory by the end of the game is that the portal is guaranteed to be a safe place to rest after risking my life (unless it turns out to be a mimic in which case the crawldevs are saying to me as one "LOLFUCKYOUNOOB how dare you run towards the thing we've gone to extensive lengths to teach you is a safe place") here's the crawl high score count how many volcanoes he entered http://crawl.develz.org/morgues/0.10/Sa ... 090514.txt that's right less than you did coincidence i think not

I think we might have found what was once thought impossible: Someone worse at this game than me.

Despite my awful winrate (which I believe actually qualifies me for awfulplayers), I assure you that I understand the game quite well, better than many, many people with higher winrates. Regardless, one's ossuarial tendencies have no bearing on their skill whatsoever.

[XuaXua]

I like going so I get all the bad potions and remove curse scroll id'd early.

[Volteccer_Jack]

I like going so I get all the bad potions and remove curse scroll id'd early.

Thank you for your excellent reading comprehension. <---For future reference, THAT is sarcasm.

PS--Here's how you ID remove curse. It's the one you have 17 copies of in your inventory.

[mumra]

I could write 50,000 words about Djinn, and they're in the game now, which means I no longer respect the devs, so why bother.

Ouch! If you have feedback about features currently being tested in trunk, it would be helpful if you gave us that feedback, and also understand what "being tested in trunk" means. Don't play trunk if you don't like potentially unfinished and broken features.

[njvack]

OK, this has devolved into sarcasm and name calling. Locked.

@Volteccer_Jack: If you want help hiding ossuaries, ask in Advice.
Also, what mumra said.