From: djdaneh@pbhyc.PacBell.COM (Dan'l DanehyOakes)
Subject: Re: Changes for 3.1
Reply-To: djdaneh@PacBell.COM (Dan'l DanehyOakes)
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 17:49:30 GMT

In article <1992Apr14.011855.8318@u.washington.edu> aranta@milton.u.washington.edu (Aaron Ranta) writes:

>># confirm walking into water from land
>
>This one is in the same league as the over-eating.  It usually happens if
>you get pressing the move keys to far ahead of yourself... This one shouldn't
>be done either, takes away from the game ( in my oppinion )  

Actually, it isn't in the same league -- as you pointed out, it confirms
overeating.  It should confirm all such stupid deaths or none.

Related:  I'd like to see a "runstop" option, where you stop any time you
come upon anything "interesting" -- e.g., running down a corridor you now
go right past doors; running through a dark room (to get an idea of its size)
you go right past piles of money, etc., unless they're directly in your
path.  Since you _see_ things in adjacent squares, you ought to have the
option of stopping & dealing with them.  (Of course, this only becomes really
annoying on a dark "big room" level. . .)


Some objects to add:

Spellbooks of fairly useless spells.  E.g., "confuse self."
Statuary shops.  (If you start pickaxing unpaid-for statues, the owner
	will expect payment!)
Trap components.  Perhaps this would be something that rogues had an
	intrinsic ability (at some level) to use.  Also, the ability to
	"steal" the components for a detected trap, at a percent chance
	of setting it off (lower percent for rogues).  Obvious exception:
	you can't "steal" the components of pits and trapdoors.  (Duuuuh.)

New character classes:  I'd like to see one for every letter of the
	alphabet.  Part of the schtick is to create some specialized
	categories of magic-user beyond the generic "Wizard."

		Archaeologist 
		Barbarian
		Caveman
		Demon (yes, a demon.  Obviously chaotic.  You start out as
			a wimply little manes or worse, work your way up to
			being a prince of Hell.  Since there are obvious powers
			involved in the character, you need matching disads:
			Step on a lawful altar and take massive damage, 
			proportional to level.  You _can't_ gain any benefits
			by #O ffering because you're part of the hierarchy
			that's offered _to_.  Etc.)
			If you don't like that, there's always "Dwarf."
		Elf
		Fire mage (Adept in fire magic.  Creatures of a firey nature
			will always be peaceful or friendly; earth-based
			creatures, esp. earth elementals, always attack.  Start
			with intrinsic fire resistance, at high levels get cold
			resistance, high prob. that initial spell books will
			include fireball or magic missile.)
			(Alternative:  Fairy.)
		Geomancer (adept in earth magic.  Earth elementals will always
			be peaceful or friendly, ditto other earthworkers such
			as dwarves.  Fire creatures automatically hostile.  Get
			intrinsic to ID gems and rocks.)
			(Alternative:  Gremlin.)
		Healer
		I -- still working on this one.
		J -- ditto.
		Knight
		Lama (Lawful.  Pure hand-to-hand fighter, martial artist, may
			_not_ use weapons; has bonus with god -- better starting
			luck, shorter prayer timeout -- and ability to detect 
			blessed/cursed status as Priest.  At high levels gain 
			intrinsic ability to bless/curse/remove curse.)
		Merchant (Neutral.  Begins with ability to ID gems; as advances
			gains more ID abilities until he has essentially an
			intrinsic "Identify" spell.  If he completes the game,
			he ascends as a shopkeeper, not a demigod.)
			(Alternative:  Munchkin!)
		Necromancer (Chaotic as all get-out.  Undead of level or less
			will not attack; can control [i.e., tame] undead two
			levels less than own.  Wimpy in terms of hitpoints.
			Has a negative bonus in dealing with magic other than
			detects and "necromantic," i.e., non-undead-related,
			magic.  Percent chance that humanoids #O ffered will
			rise as undead.)
		Officer (Starts as a Civilian, becomes a Boot, a Private, a
			Corporal -- on up to Captain.  Lawful.)
		Priest  (I'd like to see priests' initial alignment chosen at
			random!)
		Q -- under development.
		Rogue
		Samurai
		Tourist
		Universal (Everyman.  This would be the hardest character in
			the game, as you begin with a knife and a food ration,
			no armor, no magic, nuthin', and never gain any 
			intrinsics as you go up levels.  A peasant, a serf, a
			villein, a commoner out to make his fortune by 
			adventuring.  Should have good starting luck.)
		Valkyrie
		Wizard
		X -- Help!
		Yeoman (jack-of-all trades, neutral.  Has a little bit of all
			the basic characteristics -- some magic skill, some 
			fighting skill, etc.  Special skill with bow-type 
			weapons.  Gains _lots_ of intrinsics, but at very
			high levels.)
		Zoologist (Lawful.  Can tame _any_ animal [e.g., non-sentient,
			non-magical] type monster by feeding.  But if s/he
			abandons a pet, s/he loses luck, possibly offending the
			god!)

Just some thoughts. . .


			Lord!  Here comes the flood,
			We'll say goodbye to flesh and blood.
			If again the seas are silent, and any still alive,
			It'll be those who gave their island to survive.
			Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry. . .
				-- Peter Gabriel
		
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, Net.Roach
My opinions do NOT represent Pacific Bell,
Professional Development, or anyone else.
But I'm willing to share.