MSGTYPE

messagetype
Author	Pasi Kallinen
Download	link
NetHack PatchDB	397

MSGTYPE is a patch for NetHack 3.4.3 which adds configuration options allowing the user to change how messages are displayed. Nethack.alt.org and UnNetHack have it applied.

For example whether a message always waits for --MORE--, or if it's never shown, or if it's never shown more than once in a row.

Potential uses are:

• to call attention to delayed instadeaths.
• an automatic Elbereth spellchecker,
• to miminize --MORE--'s to page through by killing redundant or blatantly obvious messages,
• focus attention on the important parts of battle by removing the less serious "spam",
• to kill typeahead in dangerous or conduct-wrecking situations,
• reduce typing work a la "You carefully open your bag" space.

You might want different configurations for different stages of the game.

The format is

MSGTYPE=foo "string to match"

Where "foo" is one of "hide", "stop" or "norep", and the string to match is a message to be matched, with '*' and '?' wildcard expansion.

• "hide" hides the message, so it's never shown.
• "stop" always prompts for --MORE-- after the message.
• "norep" shows the message, but not again if no other message is shown in between.
• "show" shows the message, each time. This is the default.

The last matching rule is used. Put the general case first, exceptions below them.

# displacing pets
MSGTYPE=hide "You displaced *"
# items on floor
MSGTYPE=norep "You see here a *"
MSGTYPE=norep "You see here an *"
# delayed instadeaths
MSGTYPE=stop "You are slowing down."
MSGTYPE=stop "You find it hard to breathe."
MSGTYPE=stop "You are turning a little *"

"Stop" will also kill typeahead if you use the tty interface. For example, this will make it harder to miss the vibrating square due to inattentiveness:

MSGTYPE=stop "You feel a strange vibration under your *."
MSGTYPE=stop "You feel a strange vibration beneath you."

Tjr has a much more involved sample config.