Re: [Slashem-devel] Dungeon reorganization - shades of Lethe

[<Tin...@ra...>]

Darshan S <dar...@az...>  wrote:
> Tin...@ra... writes:
> > Darshan S <dar...@az...>  wrote:

> > [new Branch-up levels nastier]
> > > True, if we can live with the fact that most monsters will
> > > be doing nothing more dangerous than getting in the way.
>
> > Which wouldn't be all that exiting.
>
> That's what I thought too, but that's from what I remember of
> my Slash'EM games - the late game has always been too easy,
> easier even than NetHack's late game (apart from Demogorgon).

True, except I'd disagree about Demogorgon; he's there in a fixed
place and all the stuff lying around in the dungeon will provide
enough wands to cover his entire level in Elbereth, with some
left over. (Plus the special roles/races that can just wander up
to him and whack him without a second thought.) In Vanilla he's
an ugly surprise (or at least I guess he is).

If you want Demogorgon be an ugly surprise in Slash'EM, you'd
have to have him appear randomly but definitely somewhere, and
remove any vulnerability. The latter wouldn't be a good idea, but
the former would, IMO.

> Trouble is, I started playing Slash'EM only after I had a few
> ascensions in vanilla, so I don't know how Slash'EM's late
> game feels to a total newbie. Should we try to be nice to
> newbies? I think NetHack errs too much in that direction
> already, but I'd like to know what others on slashem-devel
> feel.

I agree that we shouldn't be nice to newbies (neither to
experienced players). Mistakes do kill people, whether that's on
DL:4 or on DL:40 shouldn't really make any difference. Knowing
'nothing can go wrong from here on' only provides boredom.

> [...]
> > > A list of special levels that can be moved into the new
> > > branch? I'd suggest
>
> > > 1. The Spider Caves
> > > 2. The Giant Caverns
>
> > Could we re-design them first?
>
> I don't see why we shouldn't redesign them, certainly.

I want a decent editor! (Sorry. <g>)

> > Especially the supposed Big Bads aren't all that tough. They
> > need toughening up to something actually posing a danger.
> > With that, you could also cut down on the hordes of harmless
> > monsters, that just get annoying because of their numbers.
>
> I actually like the flood of spiders in the Spider Caves. :-)

<uncomprehending> What exactly do you like about that!? That's
just whacking away at a horde of moving boulders that pose no
threat.

> > How about <self-advertising-warning> we put Grund's
> > Stronghold as first level after the Sanctum, replace the
> > more common footfolk with tougher orc-kinds (or just all
> > orc-demons, possibly toughened up)?
>
> That's doable, but it looks like a separate issue for
> slashem-devel.

Why that?

> [...]
> > > That makes 8 special levels to play with - we can use
> > > random levels for the others...
>
> > No random levels please. At least make them each one a
> > number of pre-designed levels (like the bigroom has several
> > variations).
>
> Ok, let's not put in the random levels to begin with, but I
> expect we'll need to use at least a few, if only to keep the
> branch from looking like a badly assembled collage, since the
> special levels we're proposing to put in don't fit one theme.

If you put them in the right order and make up a nice backround
story they could fit one theme. If you do have to add random
levels, then make them a new kind of random levels at least, not
the room&corridor or mines or maze kind we've already got.

(If there are no objections I'll put some thought into sticking
them together and put some filler levels in between so they don't
look like a random collage.)

Tschuess
Tina
___________________________________________
Emails: <Tin...@ra...> only.