Difference between revisions of "Variant"

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m (The last NH:TNG was based on 3.1.3)
(Reorganise the variants into a table. List key information in the left column.)
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Where are the [[NetHack]] variants?
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The [[NetHack General Public License]] allows anyone to create a '''variant''', provided that they use the same license. Then, features from that variant may be reused in [[vanilla]] NetHack (under a small chance) or in another variant!
  
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Best known is '''[[SLASH'EM]]'''. That game and its ancestors ([[NetHack--]], [[NetHack Plus]], [[SLASH]], [[Wizard Patch]]) are now part of [[vanilla]] NetHack's [[game history]], because of the reuse of certain SLASH'EM code in [[NetHack 3.3.0]]. SLASH'EM puts more effort into killing the hero; plenty of games end at Dlvl1. There are some new monsters and new magic (thus SuperLotsaAddedStuffHack - Extended Magic). The dungeon features several new one-level dungeon branches; three new portals lead to quests for [[artifact key]]s. The player also has a larger choice of [[race]]s and [[role]]s than in vanilla.
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A ''variant'' typically contains many more changes to the game than a ''[[patch]]''. A variant is either distributed as a very large patch against vanilla NetHack, or as a separate source code distribution.
  
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Other than that, so many players are busy trying to ascend in vanilla that variants have not much attention.
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== Variants ==
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{| class="prettytable"
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! Variant
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! Description
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|-
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 30%;" |
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* '''[[SLASH'EM]]'''
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* [http://www.slashem.org Home page]
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* 0.0.7E7F3 (stable) and 0.0.8E0F1 (devel) released 30 December 2006
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* variant of [[NetHack 3.4.3]]
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 70%;" |
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''Slash'EM'' or ''SLASH'EM'', officially ''SuperLotsaAddedStuffHack - Extended Magic'', is the most famous variant. This game and its ancestor variants are now part of vanilla NetHack's [[game history]], because of the reuse of certain SLASH'EM code into [[NetHack 3.3.0]]. Perhaps because of this, and because so many players busy themselves with vanilla, SLASH'EM and other variants may have less attention than they had previously.
  
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One of the newest variants out there is '''[[NetHack brass]]'''. Coming from Japan at 29 September 2004, it is a variant of [[NetHack 3.4.3]] that remains mostly unknown among NetHack players who do not speak Japanese. It adds no new races or roles, but has a few new items and a redesigned [[Gehennom]]. Its major features include the new #[[skills (NetHack brass)|skills]] system and tweaks to how heroes gain [[experience level]]s and [[attribute]]s.
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SLASH'EM puts more effort (than vanilla) into killing the [[hero]]; plenty of games end at Dlvl1. There are more than plenty of new [[monster]]s, [[item]]s and [[magic]]. The dungeon features several new one-level dungeon branches for lose the hero in. Three new [[portal]]s lead to quests for [[artifact key]]s. The player also has a larger choice of [[race]]s and [[role]]s than in vanilla, and that alone is enough to make an experienced NetHack player rethink [[strategy]].
  
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There was a variant called '''[[NetHack: The Next Generation]]''' of [[NetHack 3.1.3]], but it has mostly fallen into disuse. TNG is mostly remembered for the [[Geek]] class and the [[Douglass Adams]] themed monsters.
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SLASH'EM started as a combination of two other variants, '''[[SLASH]]''' and the '''[[Wizard Patch]]'''. In turn, SLASH was a merger of and addition to '''[[NetHack Plus]]''' and '''[[NetHack--]]'''. Work continues on merging the '''[[Lethe patch]]''' into SLASH'EM.
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|-
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 30%;" |
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* '''[[GruntHack]]'''
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* [http://bilious.homelinux.org/?261 Home page]
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* 0.1.0 released 23 October 2006
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* variant of [[NetHack 3.4.3]]
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 70%;" |
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''GruntHack'' is distributed as a [[patch]] of over seven hundred kilobytes and extends the game in multiple ways. Much of it is adding behavior to existing things, rather than adding new things. For example, [[object]]s of the same object type can be made from different [[material]]s and [[monster]]s can have different [[race]]s. [[Monster]]s can now use more tactics when fighting other monsters; [[pet]]s can become full and stop eating.
  
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''Where are the other NetHack variants?''
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Some of the changes are similar to those in SLASH'EM or in NetHack brass, but GruntHack takes a different direction from either.
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|-
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 30%;" |
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* '''[[NetHack brass]]'''
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* [http://www11.cds.ne.jp/~youkan/nethack/index_e.html Home page]
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* 040923 released 23 September 2004
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* variant of [[NetHack 3.4.3]]
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 70%;" |
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Coming from Japan, ''NetHack brass'' is lesser known among NetHack players who do not speak Japanese. The game is in English but most of the community uses Japanese. NetHack brass adds no new races or roles, but it has a few new [[item]]s and a redesigned [[Gehennom]]. Its major features include the new #[[skills (NetHack brass)|skills]] system and tweaks to how heroes gain [[experience level]]s and [[attribute]]s. [[Minetown]] is now filled with shops, while the top of [[Sokoban]] offers prizes but permits the player to choose one and only one.
  
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You probably want a '''[[patch]]'''. Some patches make only interface changes, but others adjust aspects of the gameplay. TNG was a patch. If you want major changes, two choices are the '''[[Lethe patch]]''' against [[NetHack 3.3.0]] and the '''[[biodiversity patch]]''' against [[NetHack 3.4.3]]. The Lethe patch adds several fixed but interesting levels to Gehennom, the chief feature being the river that causes [[amnesia]]; it also adds some new monsters and installs [[Cthulhu]] as the [[high priest]] of [[Moloch]]. The biodiversity patch adds several monsters to the game, adjusts some monster behaviors and adds a few other features.
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Despite the many changes in this variant, they do not feel so drastic, and NetHack brass feels more like [[vanilla]] than the other variants.
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|-
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 30%;" |
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* '''[[biodiversity patch]]'''
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* [http://cec.wustl.edu/~naw1/nh/nh_bio.html Home page]
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* 1.2a released 23 September 2004
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* variant of [[NetHack 3.4.3]]
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 70%;" |
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The ''biodiversity'' patch adds several monsters to the game, adjusts some monster behaviors and adds a few other features. This patch is about populating the [[dungeon]] with monsters, not about changing the dungeon. It even adds more [[tree]]s.
  
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You can also select patches from the [[Patch Database]] http://bilious.homelinux.org or [[L (person)]]'s collection http://www.greyfire.org/~l/nethack.html – beware of conflicts and rejected hunks if you apply multiple patches!
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Some of the changes have basis in [[real life|reality]] (like [[echolocation]] for [[bat]]s), but there are also some serious nasties, including the [[disintegrator]] and the [[goldbug]].
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|-
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 30%;" |
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* '''[[Lethe patch]]'''
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* [http://e-wire.net.au/~eb_mykae/ Home page]
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* 1.2.01 released 2001
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* variant of [[NetHack 3.3.1]]
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 70%;" |
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The ''Lethe patch'' seems to be only a minor change to the game, before you reach [[Medusa]]. There you find the River Lethe which leads you into a very different [[Gehennom]].
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There are many new scares down there. If you are sufficiently powerful, then you can fight through it all, but it will far more difficult than the boring and relatively benign [[maze]]s of vanilla. Type carefully, and do not step into the river that causes [[amnesia]]. At [[Moloch's Sanctum]], the [[high priest]] of Moloch is [[Cthulhu]]...
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These days, more players choose [[SLASH'EM]] 0.0.7E7, which has most of the new items and monsters from this patch, but not the changed levels. Until the levels are integrated, one can play '''[[SLethe]]''' which includes the new levels. There is a 0.0.7E7F2 SLethe playground on [[slashem.crash-override.org]].
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|-
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 30%;" |
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* '''[[NetHack: The Next Generation]]'''
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* [http://www.juiblex.co.uk/nethack/TNG.html Archive page]
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* 1.0 released 30 May 1994
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* variant of [[NetHack 3.1.3]]
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| style="vertical-align: top; width: 70%;" |
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''NetHack: The Next Generation'' was a variant that has mostly fallen into disuse. TNG contains several strange new monsters and items, but is mostly remembered for the [[Geek]] class and the [[Douglass Adams]] themed monsters.
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|}
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''There are some [http://nethack-users.sourceforge.jp/ Japanese variants] missing from the above list.''
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You can also mix multiple patches, large or small, to form your own variant. You can select patches from the [[Patch Database]] http://bilious.homelinux.org or [[L (person)]]'s collection http://www.greyfire.org/~l/nethack.html – beware of conflicts and rejected hunks if you apply multiple patches!
  
 
[[Category:Community]] [[Category:Development]]
 
[[Category:Community]] [[Category:Development]]

Revision as of 19:53, 25 February 2007

The NetHack General Public License allows anyone to create a variant, provided that they use the same license. Then, features from that variant may be reused in vanilla NetHack (under a small chance) or in another variant!

A variant typically contains many more changes to the game than a patch. A variant is either distributed as a very large patch against vanilla NetHack, or as a separate source code distribution.

Variants

Variant Description

Slash'EM or SLASH'EM, officially SuperLotsaAddedStuffHack - Extended Magic, is the most famous variant. This game and its ancestor variants are now part of vanilla NetHack's game history, because of the reuse of certain SLASH'EM code into NetHack 3.3.0. Perhaps because of this, and because so many players busy themselves with vanilla, SLASH'EM and other variants may have less attention than they had previously.

SLASH'EM puts more effort (than vanilla) into killing the hero; plenty of games end at Dlvl1. There are more than plenty of new monsters, items and magic. The dungeon features several new one-level dungeon branches for lose the hero in. Three new portals lead to quests for artifact keys. The player also has a larger choice of races and roles than in vanilla, and that alone is enough to make an experienced NetHack player rethink strategy.

SLASH'EM started as a combination of two other variants, SLASH and the Wizard Patch. In turn, SLASH was a merger of and addition to NetHack Plus and NetHack--. Work continues on merging the Lethe patch into SLASH'EM.

GruntHack is distributed as a patch of over seven hundred kilobytes and extends the game in multiple ways. Much of it is adding behavior to existing things, rather than adding new things. For example, objects of the same object type can be made from different materials and monsters can have different races. Monsters can now use more tactics when fighting other monsters; pets can become full and stop eating.

Some of the changes are similar to those in SLASH'EM or in NetHack brass, but GruntHack takes a different direction from either.

Coming from Japan, NetHack brass is lesser known among NetHack players who do not speak Japanese. The game is in English but most of the community uses Japanese. NetHack brass adds no new races or roles, but it has a few new items and a redesigned Gehennom. Its major features include the new #skills system and tweaks to how heroes gain experience levels and attributes. Minetown is now filled with shops, while the top of Sokoban offers prizes but permits the player to choose one and only one.

Despite the many changes in this variant, they do not feel so drastic, and NetHack brass feels more like vanilla than the other variants.

The biodiversity patch adds several monsters to the game, adjusts some monster behaviors and adds a few other features. This patch is about populating the dungeon with monsters, not about changing the dungeon. It even adds more trees.

Some of the changes have basis in reality (like echolocation for bats), but there are also some serious nasties, including the disintegrator and the goldbug.

The Lethe patch seems to be only a minor change to the game, before you reach Medusa. There you find the River Lethe which leads you into a very different Gehennom.

There are many new scares down there. If you are sufficiently powerful, then you can fight through it all, but it will far more difficult than the boring and relatively benign mazes of vanilla. Type carefully, and do not step into the river that causes amnesia. At Moloch's Sanctum, the high priest of Moloch is Cthulhu...

These days, more players choose SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7, which has most of the new items and monsters from this patch, but not the changed levels. Until the levels are integrated, one can play SLethe which includes the new levels. There is a 0.0.7E7F2 SLethe playground on slashem.crash-override.org.

NetHack: The Next Generation was a variant that has mostly fallen into disuse. TNG contains several strange new monsters and items, but is mostly remembered for the Geek class and the Douglass Adams themed monsters.

There are some Japanese variants missing from the above list.

You can also mix multiple patches, large or small, to form your own variant. You can select patches from the Patch Database http://bilious.homelinux.org or L (person)'s collection http://www.greyfire.org/~l/nethack.html – beware of conflicts and rejected hunks if you apply multiple patches!

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