The 'Questions too small to need their own thread' thread

[Phlimm]

Oh yeah I have been meaning to ask this one for a long time. When I first started it asked me my name and I put it in. Now every time I run it, it uses that name and the save game is of course the same. How do I change that so it asks me every time so I can run a different game and have multiple saves?

[eharper256]

-4 Scale Mail of the Seven Moons (-2 str -2 int)

Heh, whoever said Okie didn't have a sense of humour?

Why even bother moving it into your stash? Just chuck it away, its the game testing whether you can keep a straight face. In fact, if a monster foolishly tries to grab it, all the better for you.

Oh yeah I have been meaning to ask this one for a long time. When I first started it asked me my name and I put it in. Now every time I run it, it uses that name and the save game is of course the same. How do I change that so it asks me every time so I can run a different game and have multiple saves?

On the start screen, just start typing in the name of your next character before hitting the Dungeon Crawl button. Or press backspace and type the name in after picking class/race etc. Not sure if you can have multiples of the same named character. (it doesn't have to be your name, BTW, this is Roleplay, so create anyone you can think of- I like sending old D&D characters and anime characters to their premature deaths LOL).

[mageykun]

Oh yeah I have been meaning to ask this one for a long time. When I first started it asked me my name and I put it in. Now every time I run it, it uses that name and the save game is of course the same. How do I change that so it asks me every time so I can run a different game and have multiple saves?

Hit backspace to delete the cleared name.

Or, go into your setting folder, open init.txt and set

remember_name = false

and it will never remember old names for you.

[XuaXua]

Wearing a ring of Sustain Abilities.
Drank a potion of degeneration.
Lost a point of int.

Should that have happened?

Bots

Cuts all statloss (from sources other than SHT, Malign Gateway and Alistair's) in half, rounding down. Cumulative effect for wearing two rings. Note that most sources are 1-point, so it completely negates e.g. sickness and deterioration.

I guess the potion would have been -2 Int?

[pratamawirya]

Yeah, the potion usually makes you lose several points.

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

And, actually, you can wear more than one ring of sustain abilities.

[XuaXua]

And, actually, you can wear more than one ring of sustain abilities.

Yes, that I knew; I just wasn't expecting a 2-point hit from the potion.

[XuaXua]

Deep Dwarf at level 14 wielding lantern of shadows, wearing robe of positive energy. Have rN++.

When I cast dispel undead, I get an "extremely numb sensation". What is that?

[Galefury]

The lantern of shadows nukes your spellpower. This gives you an extremely numb sensation. Don't wear it while casting.

[Regnix]

Will leaving and then re-entering the Abyss reset the level? Most importantly, will new items be generated there?

[Tiber]

Yes, the abyss is infinite. Teleporting sometimes resets the abyss too. There are infinite items and xp to be had there, if you can deal with the boredom and lack of rest between fights.

[Galefury]

If you are looking for the rune note that it is more likely to be generated if you have been in the abyss for a long time. Exiting it is not advised in this case.

[Regnix]

If you are looking for the rune note that it is more likely to be generated if you have been in the abyss for a long time. Exiting it is not advised in this case.

Thanks, I already have the rune, but desperately need rMut before entering Zot

[Galefury]

So you're looking in the abyss, where the neqoxecs are? Oh well. If you just want to win go do Zot without rMut and try to stay away from Orbs of Fire. Staying away from those is usually a good idea anyway. The mutations the few unavoidable Orbs give you probably wont kill you, and after you won they don't matter.

[smeej]

After Zot, you only have the run out of the dungeon, which is a running joke among players who have experienced it because it is anticlimactically one of the easiest parts of the game.

Haha, yeah I got my first victory the other day and was surprised by how little happened once I actually GOT the orb. Just kinda strolled out. Waved goodbye to a hellion on my way.

[mrbobbyg]

After Zot, you only have the run out of the dungeon, which is a running joke among players who have experienced it because it is anticlimactically one of the easiest parts of the game.

Haha, yeah I got my first victory the other day and was surprised by how little happened once I actually GOT the orb. Just kinda strolled out. Waved goodbye to a hellion on my way.

Totally agree! I was expecting to have to blast my way through countless pan lords, and instead I just had a nice walk.

[absolutego]

sometimes you do get seven pan lords on a 3-runer.
bad mutations are nearly irrelevant during the ascension, but an orb of fire on zot:1 can ruin your game. (well, it can kill you too.)

[Regnix]

As well as no mutation resistance, I've not no significant resistances (no artefact armour). The beserkitis mutation played a part in the death of my last 3 melee characters to get above level 20. Ive posted for assistance on the CIP board: https://crawl.develz.org/tavern/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1801

[Grimm]

Amulet of stasis will prevent berserkitis from triggering.

[XuaXua]

Amulet of stasis will prevent berserkitis from triggering.

Once played a game with amulet of stasis on; acquired some mutations and didn't realize. Took the statis off for some awesome randart amulet and got my ass killed by previously unknown berserkitis while trying to take out some trolls.

[gofftc]

I cant preach to a invisible Sigmund on the Tile NE of me. :(
It should be possible to preach on demand. Maybe a piety hit if no visible are in sight, but Sigmund is invisible not deaf.

  Code:

 Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.8.0 character file.

tsisooma the Pious (Human Priest)                                                           Turns: 1281, Time: 00:05:06

HP  24/25        AC  3     Str 13      Exp: 3/44 (0), need: 26
MP   6/6         EV 12     Int 12      God: Zin [**....]
Gold 86          SH  0     Dex 12      Spells:  0 memorised,  2 levels left

Res.Fire  : . . .   See Invis. : .    a - +0 quarterstaff
Res.Cold  : . . .   Warding    : . .  b - +0 robe
Life Prot.: . . .   Conserve   : .    (no shield)
Res.Acid. : . . .   Res.Corr.  : .    (no helmet)
Res.Poison: .       Clarity    : .    v - -1 cloak (curse)
Res.Elec. : .       Spirit.Shd : .    (no gloves)
Sust.Abil.: . .     Stasis     : .    o - +0 pair of boots
Res.Mut.  : .       Ctrl.Telep.: .    (no amulet)
Res.Rott. : .       Levitation : .    (no ring)
Saprovore : . . .   Ctrl.Flight: .    (no ring)

@: not resistant to hostile enchantments, unstealthy
A: no striking features
a: Recite, Vitalisation, Renounce Religion


You are on level 2 of the Dungeon.
You worship Zin.
Zin is most pleased with you.
You are not hungry.

You have visited 1 branch of the dungeon, and seen 2 of its levels.

You have collected 66 gold pieces.

Inventory:

Hand weapons
 a - a +0,+0 quarterstaff (weapon)
 l - a dagger
 m - an uncursed orcish dagger of speed
Missiles
 e - 33 stones (quivered)
 r - 4 curare-tipped needles
Armour
 b - a +0 robe (worn)
 o - a +0 pair of boots (worn)
 v - a cursed -1 cloak (worn)
Comestibles
 c - a bread ration
 q - a chunk of giant newt flesh
 u - a meat ration
Scrolls
 d - a scroll labeled WAFE SHEHU
 g - a scroll labeled PHUROG PEGEHESI
 h - a scroll labeled QAIZATESUI
 j - 3 scrolls labeled NYOX SUTYLO
 k - a scroll labeled XEF IRGHOOTTYO
 n - a scroll labeled LYKUF AJEHAN
 s - a scroll labeled KEKHEA MIHAO
 w - 3 scrolls labeled TWINIZ RUISOAV
Jewellery
 t - a notched golden ring
Potions
 i - a fizzy cyan potion


 You have 0 experience left.

   Skills:
 + Level 2 Fighting
 + Level 3 Staves
 + Level 2 Dodging
 + Level 5 Invocations


You have 2 spell levels left.
You don't know any spells.

Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations

Branches:
Dungeon (2/27)           

Altars:

Message History

* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
Drink which item? (? for menu, Esc to quit)
You feel much better.
Use which ability? (? or * to list)
There's no-one here to preach to!
Use which ability? (? or * to list)
There's no-one here to preach to!

                      #
                      ....
                      .....
                      ......
                      .?.....
           #.#        .......
.          #.#      ##.....
           #.#      #...#
           #.#      #@#
###        #.#     ##.#######
..#        #.#     #........#
..####     #.#######........#
.....####  #.#..............#
..##....####.#.#####........#
..#####........#   #........#
..#   ##....(.##   #........#
###    #......#    #######.##
#      ##.....#          #.#
###   ####%####          #.#
..##  #....#
#..#  #.####
##.## #.#
....###.#######
......).......#


There are no monsters in sight!

Vanquished Creatures
  A snake (D:1)
  2 hobgoblins (D:1)
  3 kobolds (D:1)
  An ooze (D:2)
  A giant cockroach (D:2)
  3 giant newts
  6 goblins
  4 megabats (D:1)
  6 rats (D:1)
27 creatures vanquished.

Vanquished Creatures (others)
  A toadstool (D:1)
1 creature vanquished.

Grand Total: 28 creatures vanquished

Notes
Turn   | Place   | Note
--------------------------------------------------------------
     0 | D:1      | tsisooma, the Human Priest, began the quest for the Orb.
     0 | D:1      | Reached XP level 1. HP: 13/13 MP: 2/2
   481 | D:1      | Reached XP level 2. HP: 18/18 MP: 3/4
   916 | D:1      | Acquired Zin's second power
  1046 | D:1      | Reached XP level 3. HP: 23/25 MP: 5/6
  1250 | D:2      | Noticed Sigmund

//post scriptum:
Didnt check trunk though...

[Regnix]

Amulet of stasis will prevent berserkitis from triggering.

Thanks, will an amulet with -TELE also prevent it?

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

How do you prefer to use quickblades with fast and tiny characters? Enchant them like there are seven dire elephants close to you and then brand it with something?

[galehar]

Amulet of stasis will prevent berserkitis from triggering.

Thanks, will an amulet with -TELE also prevent it?

No.

How do you prefer to use quickblades with fast and tiny characters? Enchant them like there are seven dire elephants close to you and then brand it with something?

Yes. Pain or Elec.

[dassem]

Quick but stupid question: Can ice statues see invisible?
I am in an ice-cave have no fire-based fire-power, but a potion of invis, speed, and reasonable stabbing.
I worship Yred and this is in trunk.
What to do...?

Oh, I have rC+++.

[mrbobbyg]

The bots say no.

[dassem]

Thanks guys!

Just a quick update on how that turned out:
My "plan" was to run up to the statue and stab it. Luckily, haste, invis, and rc+++ transformed that rather unsucessful idea into a non-suicidal one.
I never got the statue below "lightly" damaged and discovered a second one, so decided to run... Straight into a pair of ice dragons...
Using the last of my speed, I got both of the items, left about 500 gold pieces uncollected, teleported away, and escaped with a respectable 28 HP to spare.

Of course, immediately on returning to the dungeon, I found a long sword of flaming on the same level.
If I had seen that first, it would have let me take out the statues, but I suspect that it would have (fatally) encouraged me to fight the dragons. So, this way was probably for the best!

[hxy]

Is there an action that takes half a turn but does nothing? (as opposed to "s" which takes one turn)

e.g. I'm one square away from a monster, waiting for it to step forward so that I can bash it, but sometimes when I use "s" it is able to make the first hit, and I don't want to switch weapons...

[Galefury]

You can move backwards until the monster ends up next to you. If you want to stay stationary I think you have to switch weapons.

[galehar]

Is there an action that takes half a turn but does nothing? (as opposed to "s" which takes one turn)

e.g. I'm one square away from a monster, waiting for it to step forward so that I can bash it, but sometimes when I use "s" it is able to make the first hit, and I don't want to switch weapons...

You can put on or take off a piece of jewellery. It takes exactly half a turn to do. Enable show_game_turns option to see the exact duration of actions.

[amic]

You never need rMut for Zot, because what you have coming out of Zot barely matters. After Zot, you only have the run out of the dungeon, which is a running joke among players who have experienced it because it is anticlimactically one of the easiest parts of the game. The only mutation that has any likelihood of getting you killed at that point is level 3 of slow healing, and you're going to get more mutations in Abyss than in Zot anyway.

It doesn't matter what you have coming out of Zot:5, but it still matters what you have coming out of Zot:1-4. If you can avoid ever having to fight an orb of fire until Zot:5, you should be OK. But if you end up having to face even one of them, that can be devastating--I would say that as a melee character, I usually get hit with polymorph about 8 times each time I fight an orb of fire, and 8 mutations could easily give you a lot of trouble in Zot:5.

[hxy]

Why is it that in char-dumps, identified randarts are not always displayed with their properties/resistances?
e.g. from a random morgue file:

  Code:

 24638 | Lair:6   | Identified the great mace "Undeadhunter" {god gift, holy, rN+} (Trog gifted it to you on level 6 of the Lair of Beasts)
 26118 | Lair:8   | Identified the cursed great mace of Wafegia {god gift, flame, Str-5 Curse} (Trog gifted it to you on level 8 of the Lair of Beasts)
 39595 | Snake:4  | Identified the ring of Begischex (You found it on level 4 of the Snake Pit)
 52948 | Vault:3  | Identified the -4 cloak of the Empire (You acquired it on level 3 of the Vaults)


[XuaXua]

Why is it that in char-dumps, identified randarts are not always displayed with their properties/resistances?

From your example, it looks like the difference is in source of acquisition. If you were gifted it, everything appears; if you found it, nothing appears.

Report it as a support request or a trivial bug.

[Daydreamer]

Can timed portals be generated in Vaults 8? I found two empty arches there on my last trip and don't know if they're just decoration or if I missed something. I didn't notice any prompts when I entered the level.

[KoboldLord]

Can timed portals be generated in Vaults 8? I found two empty arches there on my last trip and don't know if they're just decoration or if I missed something. I didn't notice any prompts when I entered the level.

I don't think any timed, unannounced portals can show up specifically in Vaults 8 because it's always too deep (minimum absolute depth 22) for most of them, and Wizlabs specifically exclude it, but I have found timed portals on other branch ends before. It's worthwhile to burn a magic mapping scroll on each branch end. Not only do you find any portals you would want to reach in time, it's also a much safer way to handle these exceptionally dangerous levels.

[Regnix]

When playing as a Ghoul and carrying rotten corpses you sometimes get the message:
The smell of rotting flesh makes you hungry. (slot h)

Does carrying rotten meat increase your hungry rate?

[Zuboki]

No, but as a ghoul it feeds/heals/restores you more than clean meat would.

[DivineHammer]

When do you use your potions of might/brilliance/agility? I never really know what to do with mine, and they usually end up collecting dust in my stash. The benefits seem sort of inconsequential, but there must be some good uses for them.

[Shade]

When do you use your potions of might/brilliance/agility? I never really know what to do with mine, and they usually end up collecting dust in my stash. The benefits seem sort of inconsequential, but there must be some good uses for them.

If I'm a caster I'll use Brilliance to help memorize a particularly hard spell, then I'll use another Brilliance to cast that spell in a branch end (maybe with an extra item of wizardry in both applications). I usually use Might to get an overloaded character up a couple flights of stairs to my stash. I'll also use Might on a Be before a tough fight. Agility is usually the potion I quaff ID when desperate and hoping it was something else. Though for a branch end I'll often quaff one along with the Brilliance or Might.

I've always though of those 3 potions as a less effective version of 'Quad Damage' from those classic games.

[glyphic]

Does the idea of a 'stash guard' work?

I have an elephant that I don't really want to take with me, but am considering leaving it b my stash. Would it, by nature of being friendly to me, protect the rest of my stash?

(trample is annoying for melee characters..)

[hxy]

that's interesting... put it in a room to guard your loot

[galehar]

I usually use Might to get an overloaded character up a couple flights of stairs to my stash. I'll also use Might on a Be before a tough fight.

Might is probably the best of the 3 and that sounds like a real waste to use it just to carry stuff around. If you've got a +str ring or randart, use that instead. You can also use levitation to boost your carrying capacity. Don't forget that might provide +1d10 damage, so it can be really helpful in tough fight, especially with fast weapons. Also, berserk already gives might and it doesn't stack with the potion. Using both is a waste.

I've never used brilliance much but quaffing it to memorise a spell also sounds like a big waste. Use wizardry and +int items instead to memorise, and quaff the potion only to cast it. Or maybe use it if you're really afraid of getting a miscast from the dangerous books. Bots say it boosts spell power, but actually it doesn't. I don't know yet if I'll fix the bots or the code, but I feel like it should give a boost to spell power.

Agility boost dex, stealth and evasion. The evasion bonus can be useful for a tough fight, but it's probably put to better use by using it for stabbing a high HD monster, or for stealing a rune or the orb.

[KoboldLord]

They're mostly an early-game thing. Brilliance will put the big blast in your starting spellbook over the critical margin between 'Fair' and 'Excellent' for a short period of time, which is fairly important when Grinder is right there on your butt and you don't have Throw Icicle working consistently yet. Might is a large boost in melee, but eventually you're going to find reusable ways to improve your ability to kill things. Agility seems consistently to be the least useful, but at the very least you can use it to improve your chances of getting through a congested area without getting killed.

Later on, these potions will be largely obsolete so use them the first time they look like they might be vaguely useful. Eventually they won't be worth the inventory slot they take up.

[slowcar]

Later on, these potions will be largely obsolete

With the exception of mennas

[Shade]

I usually use Might to get an overloaded character up a couple flights of stairs to my stash. I'll also use Might on a Be before a tough fight.

Might is probably the best of the 3 and that sounds like a real waste to use it just to carry stuff around. If you've got a +str ring or randart, use that instead. You can also use levitation to boost your carrying capacity. Don't forget that might provide +1d10 damage, so it can be really helpful in tough fight, especially with fast weapons. Also, berserk already gives might and it doesn't stack with the potion. Using both is a waste.

I've never used brilliance much but quaffing it to memorise a spell also sounds like a big waste. Use wizardry and +int items instead to memorise, and quaff the potion only to cast it. Or maybe use it if you're really afraid of getting a miscast from the dangerous books. Bots say it boosts spell power, but actually it doesn't. I don't know yet if I'll fix the bots or the code, but I feel like it should give a boost to spell power.

Agility boost dex, stealth and evasion. The evasion bonus can be useful for a tough fight, but it's probably put to better use by using it for stabbing a high HD monster, or for stealing a rune or the orb.

Well, the characters I'd use a Might potion on to carry stuff around would be the same characters I wouldn't let into melee range period. I wouldn't use it on a Troll Berserker to haul things, but a Deep Elf with a food stash and the Library of Congress (err, wrong country for me) that needs to go up out of Lair or Orc and down to my main stash in Hive... That's about the best use of the potion I've found for those characters. Though you are right on the levitation, but nobody would use a consumable for hauling unless they really had no other use for it... But a blastey caster has no other use for it other than saving on hauling. (Err, though it is wasteful.)

As far as the waste when it comes to memorizing goes... If I can pop one Brilliance potion now and memorize some Level 9 uberspell (with my best wizardry items already on), then pop another to clear the end of Elf, or Shoals, or the bottom of the Vaults as a shortcut to good loot / a rune I'll do it in a heartbeat. By the time you actually have your 3 Runes you don't really need the Brilliance potions (give or take a little bit)... And it's the miscasts, glow, and mutation I fear mostly. Power schmower, if I can drop a half dozen Firestorms into the Elf vault I'm a happy guy. Happier still if I can do it at a point in the game where the loot is actually useful to me.

I think your post is actually right on, and you have a better handle on the details than me (beyond any doubt)...

[galehar]

I think your post is actually right on, and you have a better handle on the details than me (beyond any doubt)...

Or not. Being a dev hasn't made me an über player and you raised some very valid points yourself

Brilliance boosts intelligence, doesn't it? In that case, it would boost spell power (though not by a large amount).

It does yes. Actually it used to provide a boost to power, but it was unintentionally removed when the power boost from wizardry was removed. MarvinPA fixed it and brought back the power boost for brilliance.