Difference between revisions of "Next version"

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The mythical '''next version''' of NetHack is also known as Net Hackem Forever (in reference to ''[[Wikipedia:Duke Nukem Forever|Duke Nukem Forever]]''). There is no information available to suggest when it will be released, other than "When it's ready."
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The '''next version''' of NetHack is [[NetHack 3.7.0]]. There is no information about when it will be released, other than "When it's ready"; the [[DevTeam]] has a policy of not announcing release schedules. <ref>http://nethack.org/common/info.html#B2</ref> Anyone is free to [[NetHackWiki:Next_version_pool|hazard a guess]], though.
  
==Version number==
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After the release of [[NetHack 3.4.3]] in 2003, the NetHack [[DevTeam]] went on a long hiatus. 3.4.3 was long [[NetHackWiki:Next_version_pool_3.4.3#Never|considered by some]] to be the final version of NetHack until December 7, 2015, twelve years after this version's release, when [[NetHack 3.6.0]] was released.
  
Possibilities are 3.4.4, 3.5.0, 4.0.0, or something else.
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There are also various actively developed [[variant]]s by different developers that build on [[NetHack]] and could be considered a "next version" of NetHack in the same way as [[NetHack 1.3d]] was to [[Hack 1.0.3]].
  
3.4.4 seems unlikely, unless a major security hole is discovered, in which case it may be released with only the bugfixes marked "fixed" (lowercase f) on the [http://www.nethack.org/v343/bugs.html NetHack bugs] page.
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==Leaked 3.5.0 source code==
  
An increase in major version number to 4.0.0 also seems unlikely, as the last major bump was 17 years ago, since when many, ''many'' major features have been added. Such an increase doesn't fit in with the [[DevTeam]]'s observed pattern of extremely conservative behavior.
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In September 2014, a leaked source code distribution described as "NetHack 3.5.0 Beta" was circulated on the Internet, e.g. in the Usenet newsgroup [[rec.games.roguelike.nethack]].  In response, the DevTeam posted an official announcement on [http://nethack.org nethack.org] confirming the leak, but refuting any claims that it would represent an official release (beta or otherwise), and also retiring the version numbers 3.4.4 and 3.5, which had been incorrectly associated with the leaked code:
  
"Something else" is a possibility, but again would be uncharacteristic.
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<blockquote src="http://nethack.org/">Recently a NetHack source distribution has appeared, claiming to be NetHack 3.5 or 3.5.0 or 3.4.4.
  
This leaves 3.5.0 as the likely next version number.
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This claim is partially correct. This is our code. However it was not released by us or with our authorization. This code is not ready for release: it is unfinished, unpolished, and almost certainly very buggy. It has not been play-tested for balance or functionality. It is best considered a partial and unfinished rough draft. We will not be supporting this code, nor will we be releasing binaries or bugfixes for it. It will not be available through our website.
  
==New features==
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Due to this incident and to prevent confusion, we will not now nor in the future release anything with a version number of 3.4.4, 3.5, or 3.5.0.</blockquote>
  
Only two new features, one gameplay feature and one user-interface feature, are known for certain: the #tip command, and an option to rotate the number_pad directions for play on phones.
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Discussion about this leaked code can be found in the article [[leaked development version]].
  
News of the #tip command was leaked in July 2003 by Pat Rankin in [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.roguelike.nethack/msg/f077992a9ba933de this RGRN post]:
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==NetHack 4 confusion==
  
<pre>
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There is a variant of NetHack 3.4.3 known as [[NetHack 4]], which is not an official version 4 of NetHack from the DevTeam. More confusingly, [[User:Ais523|Ais523]], the maintainer of NetHack4, is now on the DevTeam but works on NetHack4 and vanilla separately.  
This capability has already been implemented for NetHack version $(NEXT),
 
for some value of $(NEXT) greater than 3.4.2.  (At present the command is
 
named #tip rather #dump, but that could conceivably change if your patch
 
actually makes an impact. It has handling for containers on the floor as
 
well as in inventory, for cursed bags of holding, bags of tricks, altars,
 
levitation, and for one or two other things you'll probably overlook. ;-)
 
  
    Its primary purpose is to provide a means of getting things out of
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Unlike most other variants, NetHack4 has a drastically different codebase from vanilla, and the DevTeam internally refers to it as NetHack4, with no space. It is not actually version 4 of NetHack, and no such version currently exists.
containers when your hands are stuck to weapons and/or shield, but it
 
will work at any time unless you're too heavily encumbered. </pre>
 
  
In May 2008, Pat Rankin wrote in [http://groups.google.co.uk/group/rec.games.roguelike.nethack/msg/170f359840893318 this post]:
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==See also==
<pre>
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*[[Bugs in NetHack 3.6.0]] &mdash; What will be fixed in the next version
The post-3.4.3 development code has
 
extended the number_pad option to support the upside down keypad
 
variant used by phones [...]</pre>
 
  
Rumors that Pat has since been executed by the other DevTeam members for these rare breaches of secrecy are unconfirmed.
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==References==
 
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<references/>
If the next version is a major release (i.e. not 3.4.4), it is very likely to break savefile compatibility, as every previous major release has done so. This can not be known for certain until the release date.
 
 
 
Careful perusal of the [http://nethack.cvs.sourceforge.net/nethack/nethack/?hideattic=0 official CVS repository], particularly doc/buglist and the revision logs for various files gives some insight into the DevTeam's operation during what appears to be the development of [[NetHack 3.3.0|3.3.0]]. Some of the bugs and proposed features in the buglist have yet to appear in an official release.
 
 
 
When reporting bugs to the DevTeam, it is possible that the responding member of the DevTeam reveals some information about the current development code concerning the reported bug.
 
 
 
==Next version pool==
 
In the '''[[Wikihack:Next version pool]]''', you can guess the date on which the DevTeam will release the next version.
 
 
 
==External links==
 
*[http://www.nethack.org/v343/bugs.html NetHack 3.4.3: Known bugs] &mdash; What will be fixed in the next version
 
  
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{{nethack-360}}
 
[[Category:Development]]
 
[[Category:Development]]

Latest revision as of 08:25, 15 December 2019

The next version of NetHack is NetHack 3.7.0. There is no information about when it will be released, other than "When it's ready"; the DevTeam has a policy of not announcing release schedules. [1] Anyone is free to hazard a guess, though.

After the release of NetHack 3.4.3 in 2003, the NetHack DevTeam went on a long hiatus. 3.4.3 was long considered by some to be the final version of NetHack until December 7, 2015, twelve years after this version's release, when NetHack 3.6.0 was released.

There are also various actively developed variants by different developers that build on NetHack and could be considered a "next version" of NetHack in the same way as NetHack 1.3d was to Hack 1.0.3.

Leaked 3.5.0 source code

In September 2014, a leaked source code distribution described as "NetHack 3.5.0 Beta" was circulated on the Internet, e.g. in the Usenet newsgroup rec.games.roguelike.nethack. In response, the DevTeam posted an official announcement on nethack.org confirming the leak, but refuting any claims that it would represent an official release (beta or otherwise), and also retiring the version numbers 3.4.4 and 3.5, which had been incorrectly associated with the leaked code:

Recently a NetHack source distribution has appeared, claiming to be NetHack 3.5 or 3.5.0 or 3.4.4.

This claim is partially correct. This is our code. However it was not released by us or with our authorization. This code is not ready for release: it is unfinished, unpolished, and almost certainly very buggy. It has not been play-tested for balance or functionality. It is best considered a partial and unfinished rough draft. We will not be supporting this code, nor will we be releasing binaries or bugfixes for it. It will not be available through our website.

Due to this incident and to prevent confusion, we will not now nor in the future release anything with a version number of 3.4.4, 3.5, or 3.5.0.

Discussion about this leaked code can be found in the article leaked development version.

NetHack 4 confusion

There is a variant of NetHack 3.4.3 known as NetHack 4, which is not an official version 4 of NetHack from the DevTeam. More confusingly, Ais523, the maintainer of NetHack4, is now on the DevTeam but works on NetHack4 and vanilla separately.

Unlike most other variants, NetHack4 has a drastically different codebase from vanilla, and the DevTeam internally refers to it as NetHack4, with no space. It is not actually version 4 of NetHack, and no such version currently exists.

See also

References


This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.

It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.6.0. Information on this page may be out of date.

Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-360}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.