User:Chris/dNetHack/Projects

This is a list of open projects in dNethack

Increase Game-to-Game Variability

• Elements of the early branches should be randomized
  • Randomize Chaos Quest
    • Since this quest is currently based on FFI, this would be a good place to introduce almost anything
  • Randomize Vlad's Tower
    • Vlad & Co don't always have to be the boss, either
  • More minetown/mines end variations
    • One suggesting is an Orc-occupied minetown paired with a refugee-occupied mines end
  • Medusa variants (note: Medusa has a wide-area instant-death attack that targets a rare resistance (stoning), but that can be blocked/reflected by a rare-but-necessary extrinsic (reflection), and that can be ignored through the use of a more common effect (blindness). Variant creatures should be similar in impact but preferably should target all-different resistances. Medusa's level also has a rarely-used ward associated with it. Also, in recent versions Medusa is tameable, which does NOT make the character immune to stoning from her gaze, variants should likewise be tameable and have interesting effects if brought along with the character)
    • Echo: if the character makes a loud noise near her, the echo has some seriously bad effect (level drain to 1/2 current?). Should be made to test Stealth + player skill, Concave amulet 'reflects' the noise, Convex amulet deflects it harmlessly. Drain resistance would protect against the level drain.
    • Grue: gains shadow-damage attacks and an engulfing attack if it is in darkness. Many darkness-causing other creatures on its level. The player will need a light source or two, and ranged attacks are a good idea for the darkness-makers.
    • Siren
• I think it would be really cool if (something similar to) the Laws of the Grokodus were in effect in the dungeons of doom.

Dungeon Rooms

• Upper dungeon should be more distinct from lower dungeon (The upper dungeon should be more ruined
  • Example is dilapidated armory vs barracks
  • Have been wanting to make "cave room", an irregular eroded room for the upper dungeon.
• Statue garden/figurine room
• Trip back up the dungeon should be distinct from trip down it
  • Ex: Dread Seraphs wake up, weeping angels call in friends and become more aggressive, Uvuudaums cease meditating and attack.
  • Amulet should probably block even things like cursed gain level potions, def things like teleport-to-upstairs.

Quest Improvements

• The early part of the Neutral quest (the neutral quest proper, before Lost Cities) could use to be made more neutral-y
  • One potentially-interesting idea is to introduce a 3 or 4 way fight between Rilmani, Kamerel, and servants of Tharizdun
    • Neutral characters would probably be ignored by Rilmani and Kamerel, Tharizdun followers would be hostile to everyone, the three sides would fight each-other via grudge.
    • Downsides: Requires a new monster class for Rilmani, Kamerel probably added to the already-overcrowded @ symbol (though Kamerel should theoretically also have a caste system and need their own sysmbol), and whatever ends up representing Tharizdun's followers would probably need to be added.
• Quest changes
  • Pantheon-specific Priest home levels
  • Race-specific Binder locate levels (ie, Drow should have an underground city, elves should probably have an elf village, etc.) The goal level remains the same, but the left-hand side could be re-dressed to account for different locate levels.
  • Binder needs Astaroth bell solution fixed (Astaroth should ring the bell once then set a 10%-of-normal cooldown on itself), needs method to retain atheist conduct and still ascend.

New Roles

• Reverse role: Start in gehennom, travel up to heaven to steal the Amulet back before it can be returned to the Gods
  • How can starting in gehennom be made interesting?
  • Want to use Charon's crossing in place of the castle
  • This one has... ?dnethack lore?... considerations.
• Alchemists might be nice to have, if a good mechanic could be created. I recently saw someone suggest letting them split dangerous potions into vials that could be thrown, stretching their potion ammo.

Demon Lords

• Alrunes (Demon Lady of Sisterhood and Protection) needs a lair (Abyss 1).
• Obox-Ob (Demon Prince of Crawling Things) needs a lair, and better abilities (Brine Flats).
• Dagon needs better abilities and behavior
  • Perceiving him in any way should cause a permanent fear of water and swimming things
  • Can 'sing' a Doomsong (presumably sounds something like whalesong). In D&D this causes hypnosis, self-drowning, and paralysis. Probably would not want to do all those things in nethack.
  • Should probably be out swimming in the water, not in a building.