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Sascha Wilde
Read Me
NetHack V1.0 README
This file contains information on NetHack, it's history, features,
and installation proceedures.
For a detailed history of the game, see the README.OLD file, which
contains three separate readme files, dating back to the original release of
the game (then named hack) by Jay Fenlason.
History:
==========
NetHack is the product of literally dozens of people's work. I have
a list of *some* of those who made major additions to the game which appears
below:
Jay Fenlason wrote the original release of "Hack", with help from
Kenny Woodland, Mike Thome and Jon Payne.
Andries Brouwer did a major re-write on the program and publshed (at least)
two versions to the Usenet.
Don Kneller ported the 1.0.3 version of Hack to the PC, creating PC-Hack.
The following folks didn't actually re-write the game, or port it to
a new machine, but have made significant contributions to the playability of
the game:
ins_a...@jhunix.UUCP (Ken Arromdee)
New character classes.
New weapons code.
Armor weights implemented.
New tools code.
Polymorph self code.
additional bug fixes.
srt@ucla-cs (Scott R. Turner)
Rockmole & Keystone Kops code.
Squeeky Board & Magic traps.
Fountain code.
more bug fixes.
...@cornell.UUCP (Gil Neiger)
Magic Marker code.
Fountain code enhancements.
Enhancements to dozens of routines.
more bug fixes (esp. in hack.zap.c)
er...@hplsla.UUCP (Eric Backus)
#dip mods to fountain code.
yet more bug fixes.
As for myself, I have added new character classes and traps, the
Throne Room, spellbooks and spellcasting, implemented code for praying and
made some enhancements to the endgame.
NetHack is an integrated version of two major "flavors" of Hack,
Unix and PC Hack. It is designed so that you should be able to compile it
in either one of the target enviornments. The filenames of all modules have
been modified to correspond with the PC-Hack standards implemented by Don
Kneller.
config.h
==========
As distributed, it is set up to compile on my machine (a Pyramid 98xe
in the Berkeley universe). Due to the large number of "features" in NetHack,
the config file (config.h) is used to select the target options.
Here is a list of the currently supported options:
SPELLS Spell casting code
PRAYERS Prayer code
KAA Various changes made by Ken Arromdee
MARKER Magic marker modification
NEWCLASS New classes, traps, and Throne Rooms.
SAFE_ATTACK Safe attack code
PROBING Wand of probing code
DIAGS Diagnostics after death/quit
SORTING Sorted inventory
DGK Additional features by Don Kneller (PC specific)
DGKMOD Additional features by Don Kneller (Non-PC specific)
REDO support for redoing last command
HARD Enhanced wizard code among other things.
NEWTRAPS Magic and Squeeky board traps
FREEHAND Cannot use Pick-axe without wielding it.
SPIDERS Spiders and webs
FOUNTAINS Fountain code
KOPS Keystone Kops
ROCKMOLE Rockmoles
Status Line options:
GOLD_ON_BOTL
EXP_ON_BOTL
In a number of cases, code written for one specific version of Hack
or another was separated out and given it's own designation (eg. REDO has
been moved out of DGKMOD which was moved out of DGK from PC-HACK).
Some New Features:
====================
Some of the old code (eg. KOPS) has been enhanced to allow for more
functionality. Here's a couple of examples - you can find out the rest for
yourself in the traditional Hack style :-)
Kops now throw cream pies (thank/blame KAA for the suggestion).
The wizard may not stay dead!!!
There are a couple of new types of demons.
Demons may not be aggressive.
There are lots more of these little gems, with sufficient hints in
various fortune cookies to give away enough clues.
Makefiles:
============
The Unix "Makefile" has been enhanced to make installation cleaner
and also to allow "initialization" of the play directories (WARNING: this
will destroy old score files!!!). The PC Makefile hasn't been upgraded in
this respect.
The program "makedefs" has been modified in order to allow limited
use of "#ifdef/#else/#endif" sets in objects.h. Makedefs will only generate
one #define for any number of ocurrences of a given object name string. In
addition, "makedefs" also generates alternate defines for "DEAD_xxxxx" in
those cases where a monster has been given an alternate identity.
Makedefs has also been modified in order that it may be used to
initialize the following variable def files:
objects.h -o option, see above.
trap.h -t option, trap type defines.
date.h -d option, date string.
data -D option, optional monster names.
rumors -r option, optional rumor addition.
To compile the program on any 4.n or Sys V system, you should only
need to copy "Makefile.unix" to "Makefile", set up "Makefile" and "config.h",
then type "make". On a Xenix system, use "Makefile.xenix" and similarly set
up "Makefile" and "config.h", with "STUPID" defined. At this point in time,
I can get the Xenix version to build, but it will immediately dump core on
invocation.
Known Problems:
=================
There are several known problem areas and deficiencies in the code
which I haven't yet addressed, prefering to get the really fatal bugs out of
the way. Here's a short list of things someone out there might want to work
on (and it is by no means complete):
- The WALKIES code is really crude. Fido get's mnexto()'d you when
he gets out of the effective leash range. I haven't yet been able
to integrate leashed movement into dogmove(). You might just want
to comment out the #define in config.h.
- ROCKMOLES have some problems with screen updating. I didn't make
any changes to the code I received, and have noticed some distinct
problems with walls not being set to "door" until the rockmole
moves off the cell.
- There are some problems in the item selection code, the usual effect
of which is to leave the cursor sitting at some arbitrary point on
the screen instead of returning it to the upper left hand corner or
onto the "@". This doesn't affect the screen updating, so I have
ignored it up to now.
- REDO may not be completely implemented. I am still working on it
here but would appreciate any help anyone out there might want to
give.
I fully expect that about one week's worth of play on the net will
result in a couple dozen bugs being discovered. I would like to keep a lid
on the potential explosion of different sub-versions of the game, so if you
possibly can, please send me the bug reports, instead of releasing them to
the general public. I will apply them to my code here, and will generate an
update to the release when the mass of fixes (or mass * severity factor) gets
large enough. This way, we should be able to keep most of the net up to a
certain level - this may turn out to be the first truely net maintained
game. Unless circumstances change, I will continue to consolidate fixes and
modifications to the game, and will continue to post to the net through
comp.sources.games, with notices of new patches/fixes/mods going out through
rec.games.hack.
Making Bug Reports:
=====================
To send bug reports, just E-Mail me at any one of the following net
addresses (in order of connectivity):
seismo!mnetor!genat!mike
utzoo!mnetor!genat!mike
pyramid!pyrnj!genat!mike
utzoo!utgpu!genat!mike
When you send in a bug report, please keep your code fragments as
small as possible. Remember that each site along the way is paying for the
transmission of the code.
Mike Stephenson
Mail: Genamation Inc. Phone: (416) 475-9434
351 Steelcase Rd. W
Markham, Ontario. UUCP: {seismo, utzoo}!mnetor!genat!mike
Canada L3R 3W1
