Interface proposal : life savers screen

[Gilou]

Hello guys,

I'm not used to post a lot, so I'll start my message with a big thanks to the developpers of this great game.

Now, my suggestion.
I don't know if I'm absent-minded of whatever, but I keep losing my characters around level 15-20 in very savable situations. My problem is that I often forget that I have such special ability or such item that would save the day, and I realise when reading my morgue file that I worshipped Makhleb and could have summon some friend to kick ass for me, or that I had some blink scroll left to take me out of melee. I'm talking about life-saving options, that are accessible from various interfaces, and that are surrounded by so much non-life-saving options that I don't have them in mind all the time.
My suggestion here is to add a new interface screen to the game, where one would be able to add whatever ability/spell/scroll/evokable item/etc. he wants for a quick and direct access. Such interface could serve many purposes, but the one I see is to put all those life-saving options at the same place, at the exclusion of everything else. So that when I find myself in trouble, I just have to hit a key and have a clear view of what I can do to survive.
Some list hosted in the option file would prefill this screen when a given option become accessible.
Thanks for reading.

Gilles

[galehar]

I think it would be worse. You put all your life-saving options in the screen, but then, you forget to update it when you pick a scroll of blinking. Next time you need it, you're sure to overlook it.
In life or death situations, there are only 3 screens to check: inventory, spells and abilities. Escape items are already highlighted in yellow.

[pubby]

You put all your life-saving options in the screen, but then, you forget to update it when you pick a scroll of blinking.

I think the OP intended the list to be specified in the RC file, but either way the list wouldn't be comprehensive as so many effects can be used to escape.

there are only 3 screens to check: inventory, spells and abilities.

How about a screen which shows all 3 of these at once? It would be pretty convenient.

[Lasty]

there are only 3 screens to check: inventory, spells and abilities.

How about a screen which shows all 3 of these at once? It would be pretty convenient.

Would it? It seems to me that it would be a jumbled mess, probably taking several pages to read. Right now you can get an organized version of the same thing with ~6 key presses (a, esc, i, esc, z, esc).

The problem the OP is having is best solved by learning to slow down and think carefully when in a dangerous situation.

[5ubbak]

In life or death situations, there are only 3 screens to check: inventory, spells and abilities. Escape items are already highlighted in yellow.

Maybe escape spells could be shown in yellow too ? It often happens that I learn Haste when it costs tons of food "for emergencies", somehow don't need to cast it for a while, and then entirely forget I had it.

[Gilou]

Maybe escape spells could be shown in yellow too ? It often happens that I learn Haste when it costs tons of food "for emergencies", somehow don't need to cast it for a while, and then entirely forget I had it.

This is my point. Some of the emergency buttons are that : for emergencies that rarely happen, if ever. Good players may know by heart what those buttons can be, and check if they are available all the time, but sometimes it is easy to forget them. Obviously my problem will be solved the day i'll be experienced enough to keep in mind what my options are in such situations, but I think there is room in this game for people like me whi think "Hey, that stuff may sove my life some day, I hope i'll remember" (no matter what, i never remember to use a wand of digging to dig a corridor and solo monsters).

[galehar]

The thing is: almost any spell can save you in a specific situation. What are usually called "escape items/spells" are the most generic ones like ?teleport, ?blink, !speed, summon butterflies,... If you highlight those options, then you're even more likely to forget about other options which could be even more useful in your specific situation. Yes, you can teleport, but maybe it would be even better to summon BiA, or cast mass confusion.
When in danger, you just have to stop and take the time to review ALL your options. The game can't do it for you.

[BlackSheep]

Indeed, sometimes a wand of confusion, paralysis or enslavement is just as good an escape tool as any of the other things mentioned. And sometimes just one item or ability isn't enough, but in concert with one or more others will save your bacon.

[mikee]

I also don't think there's an easy panacea for this problem, at least not an interface one. What if, once you recognize you are in danger, you simply take a step back? Save your game (literally); before this, press # to print out a character dump to look at if you'd like.

[Lasty]

Good players may know by heart what those buttons can be, and check if they are available all the time, but sometimes it is easy to forget them.

You do not need to know your escape options by heart. You need to:

1) notice that you're in danger
2) stop taking actions
3) look through all your available resources, including your abilities, spells, inventory, the map, and monsters in LOS
4) try to determine one or more series of events that would save you
5) find some way to construct one of those series of events using the resources you have (e.g. a plan)
6) execute the plan without rushing, making sure to adapt to changing circumstances during the execution of that plan.

Good players will do this faster than bad ones, but all players can do it if they take the time to think carefully about what to do, and (most importantly) get to step 1) soon enough.

For example, I recently had a HuFi who ran into an awake centaur in a wide open room, along with a pack a jackals. The nearest wall to hide behind was 5 tiles away, the centaur was 7 tiles away, and the character was already down to 80% health after one centaur turn, and the character had no spells, abilities, or consumables that would fix the situation. If I had rushed to my next action, I probably would have done something stupid and gotten perforated by the centaur, but after thinking for a moment, I realized I could step into a position where the jackals were largely shielding me from the centaur to force the centaur to approach closer. I managed to finish off the centaur and the jackals that way, and only went down to about 35% health.

I had another recent situation where I saved myself from a near-death situation using a scroll of immolation and venom bolt, but that doesn't meant that jackals and scrolls of immolation should be yellow-colored. There's no substitute for taking a moment to investigate your options and come up with a plan.