HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: sjr@tsaroth.isis.org (Steve Rycroft)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: OS/2 Version of Nethack
Distribution: world
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 92 16:43:16 GMT
Organization: Xak Tsaroth OS/2

Is there an OS/2 version of nethack out there somewhere?  Right now I'm using
Nethack PC which works fine, but I am interested in an OS/2 version.


+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Internet: sjr@tsaroth.isis.org (Steve Rycroft) | Nothing is forgotten;     |
|              * Orleans, Ontario - Canada *     | Nothing is ever forgotten.|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: dashiell@NADC.NAVY.MIL (A. Kaniss)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: trashing altars
Date: 13 Oct 92 18:56:23 GMT

Has anybody on this list ever zapped 
an altar with a wand of cancellation?
If things are right in that code I think this
should be the ultimate in desecration.

jude <dashiell@navy.navy.mil
Jude <dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil>
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
From: cuffell@spot.Colorado.EDU (CUFFELL TIMOTHY MICH)
Subject: Re: Polypiling
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 00:41:39 GMT

In article <1992Oct15.145411.6860@bmers95.bnr.ca> snelling@bnr.ca (Peter Snelling) writes:
>In article <1binqpINN90s@agate.berkeley.edu>, tom@soda.berkeley.edu (Tom Holub) writes:
>
>|> If you don't polypile (I usually don't), the wand is useful.  All you
>|> really need to win is the following (newbies take note)
>|> 
>|> -15 AC
>|> +6 or better Excalibur, Mjollnir, Fire or Frost Brand, maybe even Stormy.
>|> Teleport Control
>|> Levitation
>|> Poison Resistance
>|> Magic Resistance
>|> 
>|> Anything else is gravy.  I often hit the castle without this much,
>|> though.
>|>  -Tom
>
>I'd also consider telepathy practically indispensible (otherwise a 
>simple yellow light could lead to your death -- plus finding the wiz 
>can take a long time without it).  Of course most players will get 
>telepathy so early it almost goes without saying.
>
>-- 
>Peter Snelling

I think you would have a really hard time winning without fire resitance.
From: daly@ecs.umass.edu (Bryon Daly, ECE dept, UMass, Amherst)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Polymorphing Self
Date: 14 Oct 92 17:11:38 GMT
Distribution: usa

In article <1992Oct14.151624.9585@colorado.edu>, paul@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Paul Mathews) writes:
> In article <1992Oct14.010156.11835@msi.com> bill@msi.com writes:
>>Paul Mathews (paul@boulder.Colorado.EDU) wrote:
>>:   I have tried to steal money while being a leprechaun but the priest
>>: just gets angry with me when I hit him and them proceeds to KICK MY
>>: ***!!!  How do you steal back the gold without getting killed???
>>
>>Were you weilding any weapon?  Perhaps that was the problem.  Also try
>>the #monster command.  Maybe that will help.
> 
> 
> The #monster command gives a message that you can'y do anything
> special and I was empty handed when I hit the priest.  What am I doing
> wrong????

When I tried this a while back, I observed the following:
1)  To steal using a nymph/succubus/leprechaun, you bump into the monster, 
as if you were attacking.

2) A nymph/succubus will anger a priest(ess) if you try to steal something.

3) A leprechaun will anger a priest(ess) is you try to steal gold, and the 
priest has none. (The game treats this as an actual attack on the priest).

4) Your best bet is to give the priest some gold (to guarantee that he/she has
some for you to steal (to prevent #3)).  The bump into the priest with your
leprechaun to steal all his gold (I think you get it all at once, so you 
may not have to do it twice.)  Then #chat with the priest, give the XP 
level x 400 in zorkmids back to get the AC bonus, #chat again to give the 
rest of your money back (and pick up some clairvoyance time), and then steal 
it all over again.

Well, that's what worked for me.  I'm pretty sure that 1-3 are true, but I
haven't checked the source, so I can't guaratee anything....

Have fun,
-Bryon
From: cyberman@exucom.com (Stephen R. Phillips)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Nethack FTP site/by mail/
Date: 13 Oct 92 05:13:31 GMT
Organization: ExuCom MultiMedia Inc.

Hello nethackers.
I don't remember this in the FAQ and the Nethack file I have wasn't
any use either.  Where can the Latest Nethack source be scrounged
from?
Stephen/Cyberman
From: tom@soda.berkeley.edu (Tom Holub)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Am I ever gonna get a floating eye corpse???
Date: 10 Oct 1992 23:30:00 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley, CS Undergraduate Association
NNTP-Posting-Host: soda.berkeley.edu

In article <11005@scott.ed.ac.uk> cavedon@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Lawrence Cavedon) writes:
)
)Forget it---I got a couple of wishes from a throne (8 in total for the
)game!) and used one to get an eye corpse. Turned out I was on the
)Medusa level at the time!! I ended up winning pretty easily (didn't
)need any of my amulets of life saving, none of which I wished for!!

A much better wish:

blessed +3 helm of telepathy

One of the nicest items in the game. 
 -Tom
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
From: angus@hardy.u.washington.edu (Angus the Demonchild)
Subject: Re: ghost piles
Summary: Cursed items 201
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 01:50:55 GMT

In article <1992Oct10.195340.2235@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu>
naraht@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu writes:
>The piles that ghosts have:
>The stuff in there is not cursed but can't be taken off.
>What is the way to un sticky curse them?

What do you mean, 'They're not cursed'?  They bloody well are cursed.  Most
of the items in the ghost pile, anyway.

There are a number of ways to un-curse an item.

	1) Dipping the item in a potion of holy water.  This only
works on one item, and is rather a waste of a highly useful item, imho.

	2) Reading a blessed scroll of remove curse will uncurse all
the items in your inventory, whether you are wielding the item or not.
This is the best way to go, again imho.

	3) Zapping the item with a wand of cancellation, which has the
usually unhealthy side effect of cancelling *all* the enchantments on
the item (except the name of the item, if it's a named weapon.)  That
means that potions will be turned to water, scrolls will be erased,
and armor and weapons will be made +0.

>Randy Finder
>(naraht@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu)
--
Disclaimer:  I could be wrong.  It wouldn't be the first time.

another fine product from the house of angst


Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
From: cuffell@spot.Colorado.EDU (CUFFELL TIMOTHY MICH)
Subject: Re: Cool message
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 08:40:43 GMT

In article <15069@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au> s913578@yallara.cs.rmit.OZ.AU (Fantom) writes:
>Check it out, died and this is what it said
>
>Fell on a sink!
>
>The only notso cool thing was, i didn't fall on a sink that i know of, had cursed lev. boots on and walked above a sink, but i didn't take em off so how did it happen?
>
>Fantom the Knight

Spoiler

If you levitate over a sink, you do.

Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
From: ranger@titan.ucc.umass.edu (John C. Tennyson)
Subject: Re: More obscure messages
Organization: University Computing Services
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 23:44:57 GMT

In article <1992Oct13.190957.10543@ncsu.edu> mrmarcel@eos.ncsu.edu (MICHAEL RONN MARCELAIS) writes:

:   How about this one(unix only)
:
:   Segmentation fault -- core dumped
:
Now there is a fimiliar message isnt that the one you get when you insult, 
punch or make comments about the terminal paranting?

--
.-----------------------------------------------------------------------.
| All that is gold does not glitter,  | John C. Tennyson                |
|   Not all who wander are lost.      | Ranger@TITAN.ucc.umass.edu (*)  |
| -- JRR Tolkein, "Lord of the Rings" | Ranger@STUDENT.umass.edu        |
`-----------------------------------------------------------------------'
From: cstrom@astro1.phya.utoledo.edu (Chris Strom)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: What happened to my max hp?
Date: 15 Oct 92 02:38:56 GMT
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

snelling@bnr.ca (Peter Snelling) writes:
: I find the wizard on level 46.  I kill him, but have very low
: hit points left , and I haven't found the up stairs yet.
: So...I put on my ring of regeneration, to try to recover 
: before he reappears.
: After a few turns, he reappears, and kills me.  My amulet of life
: saving brings me back, and I kill him again.
: A few turns later, he reappears, and I look at my hit points.
: I have 10(10).  A while back my max hit points were 95 or so.
: Anyone have any idea what happened?  
: I'm not sure exactly when it changed, but when I put on my ring of
: regeneration, I'm pretty sure it was 15(95) or so.

Are you sure that you haven't stepped on a polymorph trap, slipped on a
ring of polymorph by accident or somesuch...  probably a good idea to
check.

--
                                       christopher strom
You are a fluke of the universe. You      university of toledo
have no right to be here, and whether        cstrom@astro1.phya.utoledo.edu
you know it or not, the universe is
laughing at you behind your back.
From: bpn@po.CWRU.Edu (Brian Nelson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Dungeon collapses!
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 22:42:48 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University
NNTP-Posting-Host: b62102.student.cwru.edu

I robbed the shop and took all of the wands....
I engraved with one and noticed the bugs on the ground sped up...
I zapped it at my dog and poof!





The dungeon collapsed...

Error: could not access monster (e477).
Just out of curiousity, could someone tell me what just happened and what 
monster the game was trying to locate?
Thanks

Brian Nelson
bpn@po.cwru.edu
From: tom@soda.berkeley.edu (Tom Holub)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Polypiling
Date: 12 Oct 1992 00:00:05 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley, CS Undergraduate Association
NNTP-Posting-Host: soda.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Oct11.203440.21543@msi.com> bill@msi.com writes:
)
)This goes back to the old discussion: Does having a game feature
)availible to gamers make the game too easy?  What if a person just
)chooses not to use it?  Does that mean it should remain for all others to
)use if they want?

The main point is, the game is too easy.  I've recently come back to
it after abandoning it after my first win (the first one took a long time,
to learn all the tricks), and I've won 4 times in the past 2 weeks
(with a Barbarian, a Tourist, a Caveman, and a Priest.  And yes, my
site has HARD defined).  The main things that upset the balance are
polypiling, wands of wishing (wishes are OK, but 7 wishes is ridiculous),
and rings of conflict.

Now, you can say, 'don't use wishes or polypiling or rings of conflict',
but that ignores the fact that someone who doesn't feel the same way
you do about the game can fill up the high score list with easily-earned
winners.  The most important factor in game design is balance; the most
difficult thing to do when designing games is balance them.  To put
out an unbalanced game and then say 'don't do the things that make 
it too easy' is wrong.
 -Tom
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
From: ulrich@cs.tu-berlin.de (Ulrich Wittenberg)
Subject: On The Location Of Lockfiles
Organization: Technical University of Berlin, Germany
Distribution: rec
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 16:48:53 GMT


Hello fellow hackers,

I`m working in a networked environment and just right now I (we) have
a small problem:

All the lockfiles are kept in the same directory. This allows at most
26 hack players on our campus. This number is a bit small but usually
sufficient.

The real problem is that a lockfile is not removed when a player's
machine crashes, so old (and useless) lockfiles block the game.

Solution 1: Contact your system manager ("Hey, I want to play hack
during work, would you please delete bogus lock files?")

Solution 2: Place lockfiles in /tmp. /tmp is automagically cleared
each time the system is booted -> no bogus lockfiles.

What do you think?
Ulrich
-- 
Ulrich Wittenberg, FG Computer Graphics, Institut fuer technische Informatik
Fachbereich 20 (Informatik), TU Berlin, Franklinstrasse 28/29, 
1000 Berlin 10, Germany, Europe, Terra, Sol, Milky Way, Universe (Backyard)
From: rmh@itd.dsto.gov.au (Roger Helbig)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: I got the BIG level!!!
Date: 15 Oct 92 19:20:35 GMT
Reply-To: rmh@itd.dsto.gov.au
Organization: Defence Science & Technology Organisation


Finally, after 100s of games... the big level appeared on
dlevel 21.  Hmmm, this seems like a good place to hang
around with a few nurses - might just try that when I 
continue the game.

Oh, by the way... here's how I killed Medusa - it's not
recommended.  Located a likely "@" on level 26.  This
must be her!  Put a dot on the screen with a marker so I
can find her.  I'm in a corridor, one step from a door,
and Medusa's in line with the door, like this:

       -------
       | @   #@##
       |     |

I can't see into the room yet, and she's probably asleep
anyway.  So, I send in several magic missile and fireball
blasts from spell and wands.  Cautiously venture into the
doorway, mirror ready, just in case.  The room is dark.
Gingerly, one step at a time, move to where she was.
Noboby's there!  Whew.  But hey, where's the corpse?
Uh-oh...
Move a step back towards the door, and...
    You gaze upon Medusa -more-
    You turn to stone! -more-
    But wait!  Your amulet of life saving glows for a moment...
-more-
    You survived that attempt on your life.

Lucky about that.  I then #applied my mirror and finished
the bitch off.  Remind me to find a blindfold next time.

p.s. the spoilers list Medusa as stone resistant!  How
come the mirror works then?

-=-
Roger
From: datta@durban.berkeley.edu (Ruchira Datta)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Teleport Control *Before* Teleportation?
Date: 10 Oct 1992 20:51:45 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Math. Department.
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: durban.berkeley.edu
Summary: I thought it was impossible!

Minor Spoiler

Lucky me!  I have an 8th level Priestess, on dungeon level 8.  A tengu
materialized next to me.  I killed it - it left a corpse!  I ate the
corpse - I felt in control of myself!  But I thought this could only
happen if one already had the teleportation intrinsic?  BTW, this was
the first tengu I had seen in this particular game.

(Even more luck: a few turns later, *another* tengu materialized.
I killed it, ate its corpse, and felt very jumpy.)

-- Ruchira
From: jurlwin@gandalf.UMCS.Maine.EDU (Jeff Urlwin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: messages on floor
Date: 15 Oct 92 17:58:14 GMT
Organization: University of Maine, Department of Computer Science

In article <Bw4DtC.9EH@news.iastate.edu> thanatos@iastate.edu (Bradley C Karsjens) writes:
>I have recently found this on the floor several times. What does it mean? or,
>more importantly, what is it useful for?
>
>Something is written here in the dust.  You read: "ad ?e?ar um".
Spoiler (minor) follows:

It means that there is a secret door at the wall next to the engraving that
will lead to another "hidden" floor that has a teleport trap in it.  The
teleport trap will take you directly to the vault on the level.

Have fun in the vault...

-- 
--------------------------------------
jurlwin@gandalf.umcs.maine.edu
From: dt@yenta.alb.nm.us (David B. Thomas)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: pets and cursed items
Date: 9 Oct 92 22:32:42 GMT
Organization: yenta unix pc, rio rancho, nm

I know that pets will initially avoid stepping on cursed items, and that
you can train them to overcome this fear by throwing food onto a cursed
item.

My question is: what if your pet kills a monster that is carrying a cursed
item, and is hungry.  Will the pet pounce on the food, and lose the innate
fear of cursed items?

						little david
-- 
I'm a poet and I'm unaware of it.
From: s892341@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Matt=Goodall)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Polypiling
Date: 16 Oct 92 02:35:27 GMT
Organization: RMIT Computer Centre
NNTP-Posting-Host: minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au

laruedm@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (David Larue) writes:


Polypiling, I usually only use polypiling to find the bits of armor I
don't already have, speed boots, cloak of displacement etc. The worst
thing about polypiling is the ability to turn rocks into gems, I think
rocks should be polymorphed into statues as this means you wouldn't
leave the dungeon with 500 dilithium crystals.  Also maybe only magic
type armor would transform into magic type armor as this would mean
that the polymorph spell would be reasonable.

Matt

-- 
Matt Goodall
s892341@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au
Famous last words: "Who's the bitch with the spiders?"
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
From: claudius@leland.Stanford.EDU (Nelson Lu)
Subject: Re: More obscure messages
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 92 07:24:03 GMT

In article <1992Oct15.192857.24767@wdl.loral.com> bmk@box.ssd.loral.com (Bruce Krawetz) writes:
>Try this:
>
>	"The bat hits (or whatever) the rock mole."
>
>Nether monster was tamed, and I did NOT have a ring-o-conflict.

Hmmm.  This sounds confusing. :-)

You confused the bat using either a scroll of confuse monster or a potion of
confusion.

The Rabbit of Seville hits! -more-
You feel perplexed. -more-
You feel vexed. -more-
You feel next. -more-
The Rabbit cuts your mop. -more-
The Rabbit shaves your crop. -more-
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
From: piiro01@convex.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de (Dave Rodriguez)
Subject: Shop generation question
Organization: Comp. Center (ZDV) U of Tuebingen, FRG
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 17:48:57 GMT


    I've recently been wondering what determines the type of shop generated
in Nethack. I've never seen it mentioned before but there seems to be a clear
pattern. General stores seem to be the most common (perhaps %50?). Next seem
to come weapons and armor stores. Less common are bookstores, liquor stores
and delicatessans. Hardware stores, jewelry stores and apparel shops (wands)
seem to be the rarest. Anyone know the details on this from the source?


                              David Rodriguez
From: dashiell@NADC.NADC.NAVY.MIL (A. Kaniss)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: pets are not worth the trouble
Date: 15 Oct 92 12:15:17 GMT
Article-I.D.: NADC.9210151215.AA05809

Starting out a new game of nethack, I get my
pet kitten killed by an orc who threw a good knife.
I kill the orc and two jackals and having a wand of
undead turning I zap the kitten.
That was a mistake.  The kitten kills me in two moves
before I have any time to throw it any corpses.
Next time no resurrections they're just not worth it.

jude <dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil>
From: scavanag@neumann.une.edu.au (Steven Cavanagh)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Castle in the Winds
Date: 7 Oct 92 05:44:10 GMT
Reply-To: scavanag@neumann.une.edu.au
Originator: scavanag@neumann.une.edu.au

From article <BvnEv7.HJ8@hkuxb.hku.hk>, by h8915726@hkuxb.hku.hk (Loser):
> Hello,
> 
> 	I wonder if anyone has played this CASTLE In the Winds, a windows
> 	game, which almost exactly like nethack, e.g. curses, weapon,
> 	potion, spellbook, but it is a shareware. (And quite difficult
> 	to play!) Anyone try?
> 

Yeah, I played and got through it quite easily

Cav.
From: bazin@carolus.cma.fr (Eric Bazin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: when it's too easy ...
Date: 14 Oct 92 17:22:20 GMT
Reply-To: bazin@carolus.cma.fr (Eric Bazin)
Organization: INRIA Sophia Antipolis


dcb@wdl1.wdl.loral.com (Predecrement David) writes:

> However, I think the greater deed would be for Tom to move on
> to a different
> hobby.  *All adventure games get boring when you've utterly
> mastered them.*
> 
> Nethack is already on the verge of being unapproachable
> to the novice.
> Nethack is a very frustrating game when you don't know
> the tricks.  One of the
> most enjoyable aspects of the game is experimenting and
> learning new tricks.
> At the current level of nethack, it is near impossible
> to the novice, hard and 
> challenging for the player, and enjoyable/easy for the expert.  

I agree. And I would advise Tom to switch to moria :

I really enjoyed playing nethack, but now it's over : i won't say i
know of all the tricks (who could !? :-)), but it's too easy.

So I first added new limitations to myself (e.g. : try to play a
knight in a *real* lawful way : don't hit a non agressive monster,
prevent your pet to doing so , don't rob shops, and so on. (hard to
resist to knock thoses tengus down ! :-))
There used to be in this group a *Vegetarian* Valkirie).

And then I switched to umoria 5.5, *read no spoilers*, but keep reading
rec.games.hack, waiting for 3.1.




Ahhh. Good to write in rec.games.hack again.
Ok, now, send flames !
From: agrimm@slate.mines.colorado.edu (Snarf)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Polypiling
Date: 9 Oct 92 21:31:33 GMT
Organization: Colorado School of Mines

zimms@gecko.ee.byu.edu (Stephen H. Zimmerman) writes:
: In article <9OCT199211411159@elroy.uh.edu> elee8zr@elroy.uh.edu (Rit, Vincent) writes:
: >I have a wand of polymorph (and a scroll of recharging :) ), hence I'd like
: >to polypile and *zap* get new stuff.
: >
: >Question:do the polymorphed objects keep their cursed/uncursed status?
: >
: >Thanks.
: >
: 
: I have used this trick often and I think it is the best way to get great
: stuff--especially if you can get a polymorph spell and an identify spell.
: Then you just pile up as much stuff as you want and then identify it.  If
: you don't like what it turns into, just do it again!! Try
: it on EVERYTHING you find (hint, hint).
: 
: In answer to your question, the curse/uncursed/blessed status remains but
: the type of object changes (though it stays in its same class--i.e. weapons
: only polymorph into weapons).

Yeah, but it takes all the FUN out of the game!  Where's the challenge?
Anyone can keep staring with wizards until a wand of polymorph pops up...

Don't count on this trick working in 3.1...
-- 
Snarf (alias Andy Grimm) agrimm@mines.colorado.edu  |      Cheery thought
"And if I refuse?"                                  |       for the day:
"If you refuse, you die, she dies, EVERYBODY dies." | Jump off a cliff, 20,000
Sounded reasonable to me!              -Heavy Metal | lemmings can't be wrong!
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
From: gregs@polari.online.com
Subject: Re: Amulet in Hack??!!
Organization: Seattle Online Public Access Unix.  (206) 328-4944 (all lines telebit-equipped)
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 04:33:16 GMT

lsnyder@olive.ucsb.edu (Snyder) writes:

>In article <1992Sep28.182453.2694@head-cfa.harvard.edu> ov@head-cfa.harvard.edu (Olaf Vancura) writes:
>>
>>Does anyone know whether the "Amulet of Yendor" really exists in the
>>original version of Hack -- NOT NetHack...

I also wandered around the botton of Hack (not Nethack) for a long time.
I never found it either.  I know it exists because I was teased
mercilessly by people who had solved it.

I've solved Nethack three times, but not Hack.  Will someone please at
least give us a clue?!

-- 
Gregory Sumner                        ::
gregs@polari.online.com               ::               Go Dawgs! 
Seattle, Wa                           :: 3-0
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack