Difference between revisions of "Role difficulty"

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'''Role difficulty''' is the general difficulty of being able to successfully [[ascension|ascend]] with the various [[role]]s. It has been demonstrated that every role is ascendable, but opinions vary as to which roles are the easiest and hardest to ascend.
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'''Role difficulty''' is the general difficulty of being able to successfully [[ascension|ascend]] with the various [[role]]s. Opinions vary as to which roles are the easiest and hardest to ascend.
  
 
==Starting difficulty versus ascension difficulty==
 
==Starting difficulty versus ascension difficulty==
 
Usually when people talk about role difficulty they are mainly referring to the beginning of the game. This is because the early game is by far the hardest part of the game, to the point where you could argue that starting difficulty is the ''only'' factor that matters.
 
Usually when people talk about role difficulty they are mainly referring to the beginning of the game. This is because the early game is by far the hardest part of the game, to the point where you could argue that starting difficulty is the ''only'' factor that matters.
  
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However some roles have advantages over other roles in the late game in spite of being at a disadvantage in the early game.
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However, some roles have advantages over other roles in the late game, in spite of being at a disadvantage in the early game.
  
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For example, [[barbarian]]s do better in the early game. They start with poison resistance, which allows them to eat poisonous monster corpses and protects against [[instadeath]] from poisoned arrows and spikes, common causes of death for early-game players. However, [[tourist]]s have a number of late-game advantages over barbarians. Their quest artifact is vastly more useful than the barbarian's, because of blessed charging on-demand, and they eventually get a good enough weapon and armor to match a barbarian's.
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For example, [[barbarian]]s do better in the early game. They start with poison resistance, which allows them to eat poisonous monster corpses and protects against [[instadeath]] from poisoned arrows and spikes, common causes of death for early-game players. However, [[tourist]]s have a number of late-game advantages over barbarians. Their quest artifact is vastly more useful than the barbarian's, and they eventually get a good enough weapon and armor to match a barbarian's.
  
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===Starting advantages===
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===Criteria for early-game advantages===
 
* High Strength and Constitution
 
* High Strength and Constitution
 
* Good starting equipment
 
* Good starting equipment
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* Access to strong artifact earlygame
 
* Access to strong artifact earlygame
  
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===Ascension advantages===
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===Criteria for late-game advantages===
 
* Good [[quest artifact]]
 
* Good [[quest artifact]]
 
* High ''maximum'' statistics (determined by race)
 
* High ''maximum'' statistics (determined by race)
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* Chaotic [[alignment]] (and to a lesser extent, neutral), to reduce [[Amulet_of_Yendor#Effects_of_the_mysterious_force|backsliding]] in [[Gehennom]]
 
* Chaotic [[alignment]] (and to a lesser extent, neutral), to reduce [[Amulet_of_Yendor#Effects_of_the_mysterious_force|backsliding]] in [[Gehennom]]
  
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==Roles' difficulty levels==
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==Roles' advantages and disadvantages==
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Most agree that (dwarven) [[valkyrie]]s are the strongest roles, due to the strong physical combat options presented by the role from the very beginning (arguably minimizing the amount of [[strategy]] necessary). Lawful valkyries have the advantage of some easy access to early artifacts (Excalibur), an easy quest with an excellent quest artifact (the [[Orb of Fate]]) plus intrinsic cold resistance. Some people recommend beginners try [[barbarian]]s because they start with poison resistance and can eat whatever corpses they like; however this can generally be found out quickly and valkyries are probably better early game.
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{| class="wikitable sortable"
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|-
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[[Samurai]] start the game with powerful physical combat capabilities (both melee and missile), but have fewer advantages as the game enters the middle phase. In particular, their quest is riskier than either the Valkyrie's or Barbarian's. The luck of the draw (finding a longsword to dip for Excalibur or an altar for sacrifices) has a big impact on how easy it is to manage this phase of the game.
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! Role
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! Comments
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[[Wizard]]s are usually fairly easy due to their good starting equipment (for this reason, wizards are often [[start scum]]med) and powerful late game (thanks to e.g. {{spell of|magic missile}} and {{spell of|finger of death}}). They also have potential to cast spells with no hunger penalty, and easy access to [[Magicbane]]. Those that attempt to play them as physical combat characters will find them difficult until the obtaining of Magicbane, where their melee combat skill rivals even a valkyrie, due to the ability to [[Elbereth]] at will.
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|-
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| [[Valkyrie]]
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The [[priest]]'s innate ability to detect the [[BUC]] status of an item sounds like a tremendous advantage, but they are restricted in all edged weapons and cannot advance any ranged weapons past basic, meaning their weapon choice is hard early on, and are generally considered a hard role.
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| Most agree that (dwarven) valkyries are the strongest roles, due to the strong physical combat options presented by the role from the very beginning (arguably minimizing the amount of [[strategy]] necessary). Lawful valkyries have the advantage of some easy access to early artifacts (Excalibur), an easy quest with an excellent quest artifact (the [[Orb of Fate]]) plus intrinsic cold resistance.
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|-
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The [[knight]]'s codes of conduct can be cumbersome, though the penalty for breaking them (1 point of alignment) is minor, unless you are roleplaying or playing a [[pacifist]]. Due to access to [[Excalibur]] in the early game and the fact that they get very strong (>100 damage) magic missiles, they are perhaps the strongest late-game characters.
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| [[Barbarian]]
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| Barbarians start strongly due to their initial poison resistance, strength and [[two-handed]] weapon, but have a bad race choice (human/orc), a hostile Gnomish Mines, and a poor quest artifact. Some people recommend beginners try barbarians rather than valkyries since their very early game can be somewhat easier to navigate.
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[[Ranger]]s and [[rogue]]s can either be difficult or easy, depending on how capable one is of making use of their powerful ranged weapons (especially in the early game).
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|-
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| [[Samurai]]
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[[Caveman|Cavemen]] can be considered a more difficult version of [[samurai]]. Lawful cavemen are restricted in Excalibur but the artifact is strong enough that this does not matter.
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| Samurai start the game with powerful physical combat capabilities (both melee and missile), but have fewer advantages as the game enters the middle phase. In particular, their quest is riskier than either the Valkyrie's or Barbarian's. The luck of the draw (finding a longsword to dip for Excalibur or an altar for sacrifices) has a big impact on how easy it is to manage this phase of the game.
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|-
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[[Barbarian]]s can be strong due to their starting poison resistance and strong weapon, but have a bad race choice (human/orc), and a non-peaceful Gnomish Mines which may lead to the odd attack wand from a gnome killing your promising early character.
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| [[Wizard]]
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| Wizards are usually fairly easy due to their good starting equipment (for this reason, wizards are often [[start scum]]med) and strong late game (thanks to their excellent quest artifact, [[the Eye of the Aethiopica]], which enables them to cast powerful spells without worrying about conserving energy). They also have potential to cast spells with no hunger penalty, and easy access to [[Magicbane]]. However, those that try to play them as physical combat characters will find them difficult.
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[[Monk]]s are a unique role whose early game is relatively easy compared to its tricky midgame, mostly due to [[Master Kaen]] and armor and weapon penalties.
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|-
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| [[Priest]]
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[[Healer]]s start with [[poison resistance]], and are the role best-equipped to attempt the [[Protection racket]], which can give them a good defensive boost early in the game. Some argue that the protection racket is the best strategy for healers, and if you succeed the game becomes easier.
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| The priest's innate ability to detect the [[BUC]] status of an item is a tremendous early advantage, especially in armor selection. This, combined with their starting [[holy water]], makes them essentially "walking altars". But they are also restricted in all edged weapons and cannot achieve [[multishot]] with any ranged weapon thus significantly reducing their options. They may or may not begin with immediately useful spells and are generally considered a moderately difficult role. Somewhat ironically, they are the role best suited for an [[atheist]] conduct.
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|-
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[[Archeologist]]s have the advantages of starting with speed and stealth, and have early access to a good weapon -- the [[dwarvish mattock]]. Starting with a [[pick-axe]] (for digging out [[vaults]] or [[gems]] embedded in rock) and the ability to formally identify precious [[gems]] with their starting [[touchstone]], they are also well-suited for buying [[intrinsic protection|protection]] early.
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| [[Knight]]
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| The knight's codes of conduct can be cumbersome, though the penalty for breaking them (1 point of alignment) is minor, unless you are roleplaying or playing a [[pacifist]]. It can also take some time to learn how to use their steed effectively. Due to access to [[Excalibur]] in the early game and the fact that they get very strong (>100 damage) magic missiles, they are perhaps the strongest late-game characters.
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The [[tourist]]'s greatest early-game advantage is their starting stack of +2 [[darts]], which are good ranged weapons for the early game and can be [[poison]]ed; their [[expensive camera]] is also useful for evading non-[[Elbereth]] respecting monsters. Tourists enjoy a lot of advantages in the endgame, which make them arguably one of the stronger roles--they can use nearly any weapon effectively, start with a [[Hawaiian shirt]], which can be enchanted for extra AC later in the game, and their quest artifact, the [[Platinum Yendorian Express Card]], is one of the best artifacts in the game.
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|-
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| [[Ranger]]
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| Rangers can either be difficult or easy, depending on how capable one is of making use of their powerful [[ranged attack]]s, especially in the early game. Rangers will tend to rely heavily on the ranged game throughout.
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|-
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| [[Rogue]]
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| Rogues can either be difficult or easy, depending on how capable one is of making use of their powerful [[ranged attack]]s, especially in the early game. In later stages, rogues have the potential to become powerful [[melee]] fighters.
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|-
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| [[Caveman]]
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| Cavemen can be considered a more difficult version of [[samurai]] and/or [[barbarian]]. They have few good weapon options until receiving the [[Sceptre of Might]] from their quest and also lack the ability to #[[twoweapon]].
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|-
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| [[Monk]]
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| Monks are a unique role whose early game is relatively easy compared to its tricky midgame, mostly due to [[Master Kaen]] (prior to 3.6.0) and various armor and weapon penalties. They are perhaps the role best equipped to attempt a [[weaponless]] conduct.
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|-
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| [[Healer]]
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| Healers start with [[poison resistance]], lots of [[zorkmids]] and a deep knowledge and skill in [[healing]] both themselves and any pets. But they also begin with poor armor, a weak weapon and typically single-digit [[strength]], making them difficult early. They are perhaps the role best-equipped to attempt the [[Protection racket]], which can give a good defensive boost early in the game.
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|-
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| [[Archeologist]]
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| Archeologists start with speed and stealth. Starting with a [[pick-axe]] (for digging out [[vaults]] or [[gems]] embedded in rock) and the ability to formally identify precious [[gems]] with their starting [[touchstone]], they are also well-suited for buying [[intrinsic protection|protection]] early. However, their bad starting physical stats and AC make the early game very difficult.
 +
|-
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| [[Tourist]]
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| The tourist's greatest early-game advantage is their starting stack of +2 [[darts]], which are good ranged weapons for the early game and can be [[poison]]ed; their [[expensive camera]] is also useful for evading non-[[Elbereth]] respecting monsters. Tourists enjoy a lot of advantages in the endgame, which make them arguably one of the stronger roles - they can use nearly any weapon effectively, start with a [[Hawaiian shirt]], which can be enchanted for extra AC later in the game, and their quest artifact, the [[Platinum Yendorian Express Card]], is one of the best artifacts in the game.
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|}
  
 
==Role difficulty statistics==
 
==Role difficulty statistics==
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|}
 
|}
  
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==Role categories==
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The selection criteria of this data evaluation is debatable, though, partly because it only examines the games of players skilled enough to win two games in a row; and specifically one entry (the Archeologist) seems extremely misplaced in this ranking.  
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Many players mentally group roles into categories based on typical style of play.  
 
  
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Valkyries, Barbarians, and Samurai specialize in close-quarters combat and rely on strong armor and powerful weapons. This style of play tends to be easier for less experienced players. Knights also fit into this category, but can be much more effective using a very different style based on their ability to #ride their starting pony. Cave(wo)men are essentially weaker versions of Barbarians. An Archeologist who finds a dwarvish mattock can do pretty well as a melee fighter.
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Another evaluation based on data from 2014-10-24 and based on a different statistical approach can be found at [http://nh.gridbug.de/roledifficulty.html].
  
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Roles that specialize in spellcasting include Wizards, Priests, Monks, and Healers. Using spells effectively adds a new dimension to game strategy, requiring the player to keep track of available Power and to understand the advantages and limitations of the specific spells available, which raises the difficulty level for new players. However, the tremendous power of many spells (as well as other advantages of these roles, such as the Priest's ability to BUC-identify) can be very useful.
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An unbiased analysis (excluding no games except ones where the player quit or escaped, assuming that nearly all of them were startscummed) of games on nethack.alt.org from 2008-03-20 to 2017-05-01 is as follows:
  
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Rogues, Rangers, and Tourists are best suited to focusing on ranged weapons, at least in the early game. Success often depends on patience and cunning, as well as an understanding of the power of [[Elbereth]].
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{|class="wikitable sortable"
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!Role!!Wins!!Total games!!Win rate (%)
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==''SLASH'EM'' roles==
 
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''[[SLASH'EM]]'' has several new roles with varying levels of difficulty. Also, some of the original roles are more or less difficult in ''SLASH'EM'' than in vanilla ''[[NetHack]]'', due to differences in starting equipment, skills, abilities, and the character of the game. Below is a rough, subjective ordering of difficulty of various SLASH'EM roles, incorporating some stats on ascensions from the SLASH'EM server at slashem.crash-override.net.
 
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{|class="wikitable"
 
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!Rank
 
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!Role
 
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!Notes
 
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!Ascension rate*
 
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|-
 
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|1||[[Valkyrie]]||Starts with spear instead of long sword, but still the easiest; [[Mjollnir]] much more powerful in SLASH'EM||24%
 
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|-
 
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|2||[[Samurai]]||Fast speed more important in early game where you must flee often; Snickersnee and Excalibur make powerful weapon combo; charged 2x more in shops||13%
 
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|-
 
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|3||[[Knight]]||Start with [[plate mail]], [[long sword]], Str 18/**; much weaker as a spellcaster than in Vanilla||10%
 
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|-
 
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|4||[[Monk]]||Powerful [[technique]]s and automatic AC bonuses as level increases||6%
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
|5||[[Yeoman]]||Two powerful guaranteed sacrifice gifts: [[Sword of Justice]] and [[Reaper]]||N/A
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|[[Archeologist]]||1134||64600||1.755
 
|-
 
|-
−
|6||[[Barbarian]]||Charged 3x more in shops||N/A
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|[[Barbarian]]||1225||47413||2.584
 
|-
 
|-
−
|7||[[Rogue]]||Ultra-powerful guaranteed sacrifice gift: [[Bat from Hell]]||4%
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|[[Caveman]]||866||18832||4.599
 
|-
 
|-
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|8||[[Caveman]]||Gets underground vision but the [[Sceptre of Might]] is considerably weaker||N/A
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|[[Healer]]||985||39874||2.470
 
|-
 
|-
−
|9||[[Wizard]]||Starts with more but lower-level spells||5%
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|[[Knight]]||960||34385||2.792
 
|-
 
|-
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|10||[[Undead Slayer]]||Slow, weak fighter whose main advantages ([[drain resistance]] and [[immunity to sickness]]) are less important in early game than late game||N/A
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|[[Monk]]||1003||60001||1.672
 
|-
 
|-
−
|11||[[Ranger]]||Bows require two hands to wield in SLASH'EM||1%
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|[[Priest]]||1155||66435||1.739
 
|-
 
|-
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|12||[[Flame Mage]]||Starts with a [[hell hound pup]] and a [[wand of fire]] but otherwise far weaker than Wizard||N/A
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|[[Ranger]]||951||39853||2.386
 
|-
 
|-
−
|13||[[Priest]]||Can now use [[long sword]]s effectively||N/A
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|[[Rogue]]||942||48955||1.924
 
|-
 
|-
−
|14||[[Ice Mage]]||Starts with a [[winter wolf]] but weaker than either Wizard or Flame Mage||3%
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|[[Samurai]]||1337||45058||2.967
 
|-
 
|-
−
|15||[[Necromancer]]||First sacrifice gift [[Serpent's Tongue]] moderately good, otherwise like [[Undead Slayer]] with drain resistance and immunity only mattering late in game||N/A
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|[[Tourist]]||1351||76527||1.765
 
|-
 
|-
−
|16||[[Archaeologist]]||[[Fedora]] acts as luckstone||N/A
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|[[Valkyrie]]||2413||141934||1.700
 
|-
 
|-
−
|17||[[Healer]]||First sacrifice gift [[Mirrorbright|will not be a weapon]]||N/A
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|[[Wizard]]||3572||330560||1.081
−
|-
 
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|18||[[Tourist]]||Starts with more gold and scrolls of magic mapping||N/A
 
 
|}
 
|}
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Note: Ascension rate equals the percentage of games for each role that ended in ascension on slashem.crash-override.net as of Feb. 13, 2013, given that (1) the race was not Doppelganger (too easy) or Vampire/Lycanthrope (too difficult), (2) the player had achieved at least one ascension on the server, and (3) at least 20 qualifying games had been played for that role. N/A indicates a sample size of < 20.
 
  
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In SLASH'EM, race is often more of a factor than role in determining success. In particular, [[Doppelganger (starting race)|Doppelgangers]] are far and away the most powerful race to play, [[Drow]] are extremely hardy in early game thanks to their barehanded sleep attack, and [[Vampire (starting race in SLASH'EM)|Vampires]] and [[Lycanthrope (starting race)|Lycanthropes]] are extremely challenging.
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This has similar conclusions to the gridbug.de unbiased analysis, and it most likely indicates some differences in how different roles are generally selected and played. For example, Cavemen are the least popular role to play and are likely chosen more often by experienced players trying to complete all roles or play in tournaments, and Wizards have enough good and varied starting equipment that startscummers might try to play them instead of quitting, but still die quickly because the player still doesn't really care about the outcome of the game.
  
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==''Slash'EM Extended'' roles==
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==Role categories==
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''[[Slash'EM Extended]]'' has all of SLASH'EM's roles and also new ones with varying levels of difficulty. There are no ascension statistics for this NetHack variant (yet), but a brief overview of their strengths and weaknesses will be given below.
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Many players mentally group roles into categories based on typical style of play.  
  
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[[Convict]]s (which are also playable in [[UnNetHack]], [[dNetHack]] or with the [[Convict patch]]) are a harder-than-hard role that starts with a [[heavy iron ball]] [[chain]]ed to the player, a [[cursed]] [[striped shirt]] and negative [[alignment]], [[luck]] and a high [[sin counter]]. Races that would usually be peaceful will be hostile to the Convict. Shopkeepers who see their striped shirt will not allow them into their shop, and [[watchmen]] as well as [[vault guard]]s will attack them on sight.
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Valkyries, Barbarians, and Samurai specialize in '''melee combat''' and rely on strong armor and powerful weapons. This style of play tends to be easier for less experienced players. Knights also fit into this category, but can be much more effective using a very different style based on their ability to #ride their starting pony. Cavemen are essentially weaker versions of Barbarians. An Archeologist who finds a dwarvish mattock and some decent armor can do pretty well as a melee fighter.
  
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[[Death Eater]]s start out slow. Their main strength is spellcasting; they start with several high-level spells and a [[wand of death]] as well as an [[amulet of life saving]] and a [[cloak of reflection]]. If an early [[nymph]] shows up and steals some or all of those items, [[YASD]] is imminent.
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Roles that specialize in '''spellcasting''' include Wizards, Priests, Monks, and Healers. Using spells effectively adds a new dimension to game strategy, requiring the player to keep track of available Power, avoid metallic armor, and understand the advantages and limitations of the specific spells available, which raises the difficulty level for new players. However, the tremendous power of many spells (as well as other advantages of these roles, such as the Priest's ability to BUC-identify) can be very useful.
  
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[[Electric Mage]]s are the lightning-based counterpart of flame/ice mages. They specialize in shock spells, and both they and their [[shock hound pup|starting pet]] are shock resistant. Starting with a [[wand of lightning]], they can easily survive the early game by burning a permanent [[Elbereth]] in critical situations.
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Rogues, Rangers, and Tourists are best suited to focusing on '''ranged weapons''', at least in the early game. Success often depends on patience and cunning, as well as an understanding of the power of [[Elbereth]].
  
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[[Gangster]]s start with a [[submachine gun]] and [[bullet]]s. They also have the very useful [[create ammo]] [[technique]] that allows them to create new ammo every once in a while, allowing them to shoot enemies with wild abandon. A gangster is good at using daggers, darts and crossbows too, which can be used on weaker foes to conserve ammo for the stronger ones.
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==See also==
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* [[Role difficulty/Variants]] - compares the many roles added in [[variants]]
  
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[[Geek]]s (a role from [[NhTNG]]) are very hard to play. They move slowly and don't have a lot of [[hit point]]s or [[mana]], and their starting [[electric sword]] is quite weak too.
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==External links==
 +
* [http://groups.google.de/group/rec.games.roguelike.nethack/browse_thread/thread/033a6bedaa3ebf85# Measurements and respective merits of difficulty metrics (rgrn thread)]
  
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[[Jedi]]s (also available with the [[Jedi patch]] for SLASH'EM) use [[lightsaber]]s and have techniques to recharge them, move objects from a distance and do [[jump]]s. They can't get proficient at most other types of weapons though, and they either run out of lightsaber energy often or have to waste a turn every time a monster shows up to turn their saber back on.
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[[Category:Articles for beginners]]
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[[Noble]]s (also available in [[DNetHack]]) are a melee role that mainly uses one-handed weapons. They start with a saddled [[pony]], but their hit points and mana aren't great, making them a hard-to-play role.
 
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[[Pirate]]s (also available in [[DNetHack]]) specialize in one-handed weapons and [[firearm]]s; they have the ability to [[swim]]. However, their hit point and mana totals are usually pitiful, making them hard to play.
 
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[[Pokemon]] are bad at using weapons, and they don't start with spells. A viable strategy would be to dig down to the [[Oracle]] and smash the [[statue]]s in hope of finding [[spellbook]]s; they may also be combined with a race that gets [[unarmed]] damage bonuses and fight hand to hand. Pokemon can throw [[poke ball]]s at random monsters for a chance to turn them into [[pet]]s; if the monster has the "petty" string in their name, the ball will always work.
 
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[[Transvestite]]s excel at fighting with weapons that use the [[hammer]] skill. They should wear [[high heels]] at all times for extra speed; if they don't, they will be slow and have a hard time overall. Also, the [[attire charm]] technique may be used to turn any adjacent [[human]] or [[humanoid]] monster (except uniques, [[nemesis|quest nemeses]] and [[shopkeeper]]s, but including things like gnomes or orcs) into pets. The transvestite starts with a [[saddle]] and has increased chances of successfully mounting a steed.
 
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[[Warrior]]s are great at using melee weapons and good at ranged combat too, but they can't learn any spellcasting skills. The warrior starts with a saddled [[green nightmare]] steed. Their main difficulty is beating the [[Quest]], thanks to their [[Archnemesis|nemesis]] basically being a [[Master Kaen]] on steroids. If you used to have difficulty beating Master Kaen, the Archnemesis will probably be next to impossible to defeat.
 
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[[Chevalier]]s are a fighter/cleric role with the ability to detect the [[beatitude]] of objects, [[blessing|bless]] them every once in a while and use [[healing]] and other clerical spells. They also start with an awesome baby [[dragon]] pet that can eventually grow up into an adult dragon. Chevaliers have to follow the knightly code of conduct though.
 
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[[Courier]]s are a harder-than-hard role that [[hunger]]s extremely rapidly (about 7 extra points of nutrition get used up every other turn), always causes [[conflict]] and is slow to boot. They're immune to [[mind flayer]] intelligence drain attacks though, and start with a [[pistol]] and a [[knife]].
 
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[[Zyborg]]s are an easy to play role suitable for beginners, with good [[plate mail|armor]] and access to all skills, including [[martial arts]] at grand master skill level. They even get random techniques from leveling up, and they are also [[metallivore]]s, greatly reducing the risk of early starvation. Zyborgs are moderately slow though, and they also have a very hard quest to beat. The [[verbal blade|quest artifact]] has a chance of [[beheading]] monsters with a head, and it can also be picked up by intelligent monsters and used against the player.
 
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[[Acid Mage]]s are the acid-based counterpart of flame/ice/electric mages. They specialize in acid spells, and both they and their [[acid hound pup|starting pet]] are acid resistant. Starting with a [[wand of acid]], they can blast nasty enemies but unlike flame/electric mages cannot burn permanent Elbereths, making them a bit harder to play.
 
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[[Activistor]]s start with poor equipment; the main thing they have going for them is the starting [[charm monster]] spell. They are also slow and restricted in most weapon skills, but they can advance all spellcasting skills to Expert and eat several types of non-food items. Still, Activistors are a hard role.
 
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[[Binder]]s can gain lots of intrinsics and techniques by enhancing their skills, but it will take a while, making the early game very difficult due to the lack of good equipment. However, leveling up may grant a Binder a random [[spellbook]]. They may get lucky and receive a useful one.
 
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[[Bleeder]]s are the dictionary definition of a harder-than-hard role: '''they take double damage.''' This applies to just about any source of damage, so they effectively have half the amount of hit points shown on their status bar. Worse, Bleeders randomly lose HP, the random HP loss gradually becomes bigger as time passes, they randomly lose max HP and Pw, and their bad starting equipment means they probably won't be able to rush past the early game quickly to keep the nasty random HP loss at bay. To top it off, the Bleeder quest shows especially malicious design. Bleeders either hurry up and complete their quest as quickly as possible or they will simply die to random HP loss. They will also die if they linger after their quest instead of ascending ASAP, or basically, if they linger at any time, as the HP loss may randomly be higher than their max HP, leading to [[instadeath]].
 
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[[Rocker]]s are [[lithivore]]s with [[petrification resistance]]. This would make them an excellent [[YASD]]-proof character were it not for the fact that they start out slow, and they also have a very hard quest to beat. They can repeatedly produce [[cockatrice]] [[egg]]s from thin air to use on enemies though.
 
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[[Spacewars fighter]]s start out woefully underequipped, but they also get a lot of money so they might be able to buy what they need. They suffer from a relative lack of ranged options though, and their quest can be annoying. This is especially true if they allow their quest nemesis to banish them to the depths of [[Gehennom]], possibly even right into [[Demogorgon]]'s lair. However, with good preparation the Spacewars Fighter quest isn't too hard to beat.
 
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[[Topmodel]]s are relatively good fighters that start out with a [[rifle]], but bullets may be hard to come by. They also get lots of great intrinsics at the start of the game, including [[flying]], [[unbreathing]], [[warning]] and more. Additionally, the Topmodel may use the [[attire charm]] technique to convert intelligent human(oid)s into pets. However, Topmodels are the slowest role of all, also all of their powers are lost if they take off or lose their high heels, and they need to follow the "anorexia conduct" or they will suffer from negative effects including, but not limited to, [[vomiting]], [[food poisoning]], stat point loss, negative alignment record and eventually being unable to [[pray]] safely. Topmodels also face some of the most obnoxious random monsters ever in their quest, and their nemesis commands armies of nasty monsters too.
 
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[[Diver]]s, [[Korsair]]s and [[Gladiator]]s are experimental roles with moderate to high difficulty. They don't particularly excel at anything but don't suffer from serious drawbacks either.
 
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==External links==
 
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* [http://groups.google.de/group/rec.games.roguelike.nethack/browse_thread/thread/033a6bedaa3ebf85# rgrn thread: measurements and respective merits of difficulty metrics]
 
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{{nethack-343}}
 
 
[[Category:Roles]]
 
[[Category:Roles]]
 
[[Category:Strategy]]
 
[[Category:Strategy]]
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{{nethack-360}}

Latest revision as of 04:58, 25 August 2022

Role difficulty is the general difficulty of being able to successfully ascend with the various roles. Opinions vary as to which roles are the easiest and hardest to ascend.

Starting difficulty versus ascension difficulty

Usually when people talk about role difficulty they are mainly referring to the beginning of the game. This is because the early game is by far the hardest part of the game, to the point where you could argue that starting difficulty is the only factor that matters.

However, some roles have advantages over other roles in the late game, in spite of being at a disadvantage in the early game.

For example, barbarians do better in the early game. They start with poison resistance, which allows them to eat poisonous monster corpses and protects against instadeath from poisoned arrows and spikes, common causes of death for early-game players. However, tourists have a number of late-game advantages over barbarians. Their quest artifact is vastly more useful than the barbarian's, and they eventually get a good enough weapon and armor to match a barbarian's.

Criteria for early-game advantages

  • High Strength and Constitution
  • Good starting equipment
  • Access to good ranged attacks (especially daggers)
  • Good starting intrinsics (especially poison resistance and speed)
  • Access to strong artifact earlygame

Criteria for late-game advantages

  • Good quest artifact
  • High maximum statistics (determined by race)
  • Good acquired intrinsics (for example wizards gain warning and teleport control at high levels)
  • Access to useful weapon and magic skills
  • Good artifacts available by sacrificing
  • Starting with highly enchanted or hard to find equipment
  • Chaotic alignment (and to a lesser extent, neutral), to reduce backsliding in Gehennom

Roles' advantages and disadvantages

Role Comments
Valkyrie Most agree that (dwarven) valkyries are the strongest roles, due to the strong physical combat options presented by the role from the very beginning (arguably minimizing the amount of strategy necessary). Lawful valkyries have the advantage of some easy access to early artifacts (Excalibur), an easy quest with an excellent quest artifact (the Orb of Fate) plus intrinsic cold resistance.
Barbarian Barbarians start strongly due to their initial poison resistance, strength and two-handed weapon, but have a bad race choice (human/orc), a hostile Gnomish Mines, and a poor quest artifact. Some people recommend beginners try barbarians rather than valkyries since their very early game can be somewhat easier to navigate.
Samurai Samurai start the game with powerful physical combat capabilities (both melee and missile), but have fewer advantages as the game enters the middle phase. In particular, their quest is riskier than either the Valkyrie's or Barbarian's. The luck of the draw (finding a longsword to dip for Excalibur or an altar for sacrifices) has a big impact on how easy it is to manage this phase of the game.
Wizard Wizards are usually fairly easy due to their good starting equipment (for this reason, wizards are often start scummed) and strong late game (thanks to their excellent quest artifact, the Eye of the Aethiopica, which enables them to cast powerful spells without worrying about conserving energy). They also have potential to cast spells with no hunger penalty, and easy access to Magicbane. However, those that try to play them as physical combat characters will find them difficult.
Priest The priest's innate ability to detect the BUC status of an item is a tremendous early advantage, especially in armor selection. This, combined with their starting holy water, makes them essentially "walking altars". But they are also restricted in all edged weapons and cannot achieve multishot with any ranged weapon thus significantly reducing their options. They may or may not begin with immediately useful spells and are generally considered a moderately difficult role. Somewhat ironically, they are the role best suited for an atheist conduct.
Knight The knight's codes of conduct can be cumbersome, though the penalty for breaking them (1 point of alignment) is minor, unless you are roleplaying or playing a pacifist. It can also take some time to learn how to use their steed effectively. Due to access to Excalibur in the early game and the fact that they get very strong (>100 damage) magic missiles, they are perhaps the strongest late-game characters.
Ranger Rangers can either be difficult or easy, depending on how capable one is of making use of their powerful ranged attacks, especially in the early game. Rangers will tend to rely heavily on the ranged game throughout.
Rogue Rogues can either be difficult or easy, depending on how capable one is of making use of their powerful ranged attacks, especially in the early game. In later stages, rogues have the potential to become powerful melee fighters.
Caveman Cavemen can be considered a more difficult version of samurai and/or barbarian. They have few good weapon options until receiving the Sceptre of Might from their quest and also lack the ability to #twoweapon.
Monk Monks are a unique role whose early game is relatively easy compared to its tricky midgame, mostly due to Master Kaen (prior to 3.6.0) and various armor and weapon penalties. They are perhaps the role best equipped to attempt a weaponless conduct.
Healer Healers start with poison resistance, lots of zorkmids and a deep knowledge and skill in healing both themselves and any pets. But they also begin with poor armor, a weak weapon and typically single-digit strength, making them difficult early. They are perhaps the role best-equipped to attempt the Protection racket, which can give a good defensive boost early in the game.
Archeologist Archeologists start with speed and stealth. Starting with a pick-axe (for digging out vaults or gems embedded in rock) and the ability to formally identify precious gems with their starting touchstone, they are also well-suited for buying protection early. However, their bad starting physical stats and AC make the early game very difficult.
Tourist The tourist's greatest early-game advantage is their starting stack of +2 darts, which are good ranged weapons for the early game and can be poisoned; their expensive camera is also useful for evading non-Elbereth respecting monsters. Tourists enjoy a lot of advantages in the endgame, which make them arguably one of the stronger roles - they can use nearly any weapon effectively, start with a Hawaiian shirt, which can be enchanted for extra AC later in the game, and their quest artifact, the Platinum Yendorian Express Card, is one of the best artifacts in the game.

Role difficulty statistics

NetHack players widely disagree about which roles are easiest or hardest. In order to provide an attempt at objective statistics, the following table lists win rates on nethack.alt.org, as of December 11, 2011, for games which would form a streak of 3 or more if won (and thus, it can be assumed that the player was likely trying to win).

Role Wins Losses Total Win rate (%)
Valkyrie 147 88 235 62.55
Barbarian 119 76 195 61.02
Samurai 110 94 204 53.92
Archeologist 93 91 184 50.54
Caveman 98 102 200 49.00
Monk 96 100 196 48.97
Ranger 100 108 208 48.07
Knight 81 90 171 47.36
Healer 96 115 211 45.49
Priest 88 116 204 43.13
Wizard 153 206 359 42.61
Rogue 87 121 208 41.82
Tourist 85 137 222 38.28

The selection criteria of this data evaluation is debatable, though, partly because it only examines the games of players skilled enough to win two games in a row; and specifically one entry (the Archeologist) seems extremely misplaced in this ranking.

Another evaluation based on data from 2014-10-24 and based on a different statistical approach can be found at [1].

An unbiased analysis (excluding no games except ones where the player quit or escaped, assuming that nearly all of them were startscummed) of games on nethack.alt.org from 2008-03-20 to 2017-05-01 is as follows:

Role Wins Total games Win rate (%)
Archeologist 1134 64600 1.755
Barbarian 1225 47413 2.584
Caveman 866 18832 4.599
Healer 985 39874 2.470
Knight 960 34385 2.792
Monk 1003 60001 1.672
Priest 1155 66435 1.739
Ranger 951 39853 2.386
Rogue 942 48955 1.924
Samurai 1337 45058 2.967
Tourist 1351 76527 1.765
Valkyrie 2413 141934 1.700
Wizard 3572 330560 1.081

This has similar conclusions to the gridbug.de unbiased analysis, and it most likely indicates some differences in how different roles are generally selected and played. For example, Cavemen are the least popular role to play and are likely chosen more often by experienced players trying to complete all roles or play in tournaments, and Wizards have enough good and varied starting equipment that startscummers might try to play them instead of quitting, but still die quickly because the player still doesn't really care about the outcome of the game.

Role categories

Many players mentally group roles into categories based on typical style of play.

Valkyries, Barbarians, and Samurai specialize in melee combat and rely on strong armor and powerful weapons. This style of play tends to be easier for less experienced players. Knights also fit into this category, but can be much more effective using a very different style based on their ability to #ride their starting pony. Cavemen are essentially weaker versions of Barbarians. An Archeologist who finds a dwarvish mattock and some decent armor can do pretty well as a melee fighter.

Roles that specialize in spellcasting include Wizards, Priests, Monks, and Healers. Using spells effectively adds a new dimension to game strategy, requiring the player to keep track of available Power, avoid metallic armor, and understand the advantages and limitations of the specific spells available, which raises the difficulty level for new players. However, the tremendous power of many spells (as well as other advantages of these roles, such as the Priest's ability to BUC-identify) can be very useful.

Rogues, Rangers, and Tourists are best suited to focusing on ranged weapons, at least in the early game. Success often depends on patience and cunning, as well as an understanding of the power of Elbereth.

See also

External links

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