#2439 scraps of paper (from diaries of uniques) \o/
Let me know if this idea has too much flavor and not enough gameplay, but this idea just came to me and it might be interesting. Journals would be books pertaining to uniques (or other hypothetical explorers of the dungeon) that would have several different functions.
1. They could contain spells.
2. They could work as manuals.
3. They could work as scrolls.
4. They could add bits of backstory and flavor, and offer tips.
They would be balanced by 1. Disintegrating over time, ala manuals, but faster. 2. You would only find some pages at a time. As you found more pages, they would become a book, thus preventing them from taking up too many slots. 3. Scroll ones would be very limited. For instance, it might work as a "scroll" of identify "potions of poison and strong poison" or of "magic mapping" for specific floors that the writer may have explored.
Example- Sigmund's journal could have "Spell- throw flame. Manual-polearms. Scroll of ID- potion of invisibility (yes, I know he doesnt use potions, but he could have studied the effects of invisibility," along with some snippets of flavor explaining why he is such a psychotic jerk.
Thoughts? Is this idea clear, or am I not making sense?
=tapicell.
Idea is clear. I think I like it. Obviously, only uniques should have these (and not for all of them this makes sense).
A simple randart [0] scroll would do, in my opinion. No need for fancy books etc. That scroll should contain some random story [1] and a bit of information that is added right to the player's knowledge. Such information could be:
* identification of items
* location of features (branches, altars, perhaps vaults)
* partial mapping of one specific level (indicated on the scroll)
It may happen that the information is old but we can try to avoid that. (Branches mentioned are deeper than the current place; items identified are rather rare.)
Ideally, the story and the hint should be related.
[0] the scroll name could be {unique}'s [notes|remarks|...]
[1] Of course, we could write many random stories. But perhaps one can assemble randomly a few sentences, based on given patterns. (The gameplay-relevant bit is chosen first.)
Other ideas for information would be good. I am against stronger gameplay effects. In particular, nothing manual like. In my opinion, this addition shouldn't be so hard to make and it would make killing uniques more fun.
I absolutely like it. Could such a note reveal the position of shops in deeper levels as well? That would be grat info.
Obviously, that could be hilarious on some uniques (Prince Ribbit) and should be special-cased for others (Xhtatua, Dissolution).
DF
If this is added (something I'm not convinced of, but it could be interesting) I think it should be in the form of an outside patch since it's a lot of work (you need new item types and loads of flavour text) and not at all urgent.
jpeg
I don't think it would be a lot of work, especially with dploog's suggestions. Another use could be as a "detect traps" scroll, or a "detect altar" scroll (something more specific than just mapping).
-tapicell
tapicell: as I said, mentioning an altar on an unknown should not be a problem. There might be a misunderstanding: I don't intend to scroll to have effects depending on where you read it. It would provide some information e.g. "altar to Vehumet on Elf:6" or "Vaults are on D:17" or "map of a part of Elf:5". In the latter case, if you reach Elf:5, a part of the level will be automatically mapped (because you saw it on Sigmund's map already).
Detect traps is something not so easily put into this framework. (Also, plain detect traps scrolls will come as the spell is to be removed.)
In my opinion, the greatest work would be come up with the flavour blurb: either you do it by hand, for each unique or you generate it. In both cases, quite some effort.
DF: I think announcing a shop or a portal vault on an unkown level would be possible. And as I said, not all uniques would be fit for this feature.
Of course I don't mean it would be as much work as a new god or species. But it does require, among others:
1. Addition of a new item type, possibly masquerading as scrolls
2. Pre-definition of level content for levels not yet created
3. Fixed or random flavour text for all uniques
The special code to identify unknown stuff would be comparably easy to add if it happens randomly upon reading the scroll, but more complicated if there's supposed to be a connection between the unique and the scroll effect. Still, 2 and 3 are probably where the largest amount of work comes in.
I'm having trouble seeing the gameplay benefit. What interesting choices does this create for the player?
Lemuel
That said, here is how I would implement it:
1. It is a scroll type, called "scrap of paper".
2. It replaces scrolls of paper. (And perhaps appears at somewhat higher frequency.)
3. Flavor text: "This is a page from an adventurer's journal! Your read about..." ("an adventurer" could be a random unique name, but no other special text.)
4. It has one of the following effects, at random:
a. "... [branch name]." Maps some or all of a level of a random branch. Could be a level you already visited.
b. "... [item name]." Identifies one random flavor of item (i.e. one type of wand, ring, potion, etc.) Could be one you have already identified.
c. "... [skill]." Dumps a small number (50-100) of skill points into a random skill. (Doesn't affect your pool.)
This would achieve the main goal of the FR, be (I think) relatively easy to code, be more interesting than the current scroll of paper. It would also always be optimal to read immediately -- we don't want people gaming the system by e.g. hoarding journals until they've done everything but the Hells.
Lemuel
Lemuel: oh, the gameplay value is small. This is essentially a YANI, with emphasis on nifty. Still, I think it would make uniques more unique so that's some flavour gain.
Make ghosts sometimes carry such a journal or generate on same level with ghost. Listing ~5 notes before death note. Possibly maps a deepest level about what there are notes (or current level) and if notes mention advancing in some skill (that player who reads it has lower) then gives sage in that skill.
kotk: I am against sage and other effects. And the way ghosts work, it would be surprising to have them carry notes (as in Crawl, they wander around their death level, without any belongings).
Lemuel: your proposal sounds good (including that the new itemfre should replace the scroll of paper) but I am against higher frequency. As I see it, it would be cool to find such a paper on a slain unique. And part of the coolness would come (for me!) from reading a paragraph of text.
Hehe, let's turn the cards around: tapicell, would you (help to) provide the flavour texts?
Glad to! What is the optimal method for me to submit them?
-tapicell
A plain text file, either to c-r-d or to the patch section of SF or to me. Thanks!