HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: daly@ecs.umass.edu (Bryon Daly, ECE dept, UMass, Amherst)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Ascension announcement!!!!
Date: 14 Oct 92 17:53:23 GMT

Well, here's my obligatory first ascension (without cheating) post...long 
overdue since I've been playing Nethack for almost a year now.  (Would've
been sooner if Nethack hadn't crashed on me in no less than 3 awesome games)
I suspect I haven't got something quite right in my compilation (under OS/2),
so I quit, saved, and made a backup every once in while just in case another 
crash occurred, but fortunately none did.

Before I get to the juicy stats, I want to ask a question of all you other
'hackers: How long does an average winning game take you to play?  This game
took me between 20-25 hours to finish.  That seems excessively long.  Do you
play faster?

The relevent specs:
Bif the Demigod
HP: 167  Lvl: 19  Str: 18/**  Dex: 21  Con: 18  Int: 18  Wis: 18  Cha: 12
4 amulets of life saving (I never needed any!!!!)
+4 athame
blessed +6 long sword named Glasporina  (one of David's neat-o additions)
blessed +4 long sword named Fire Brand
blessed +3 cloak of displacement
blessed +5 Gray Dragon scale mail
blessed +2 Hawaiian shirt
blessed +4 helm of telepathy
blessed +3 boots of speed
blessed +3 shield of reflection
blessed +3 gauntlets of dexterity
ring of regeneration (hardly needed)
ring of conflict (I got it late in the game (lvl 20) and barely used it at all)
blessed luckstone
all the good intrinsics (incl disintegration res & tel. control)

Some comments and admissions:
- My wizard started out with an 18 STR and a 17 CON!!!!!  Talk about unusual.
- Only 1 damn shop (armor) (a tiny one at that) in the entire dungeon.
- Not one lawful altar in the entire dungeon.  I got my first holy water at
dungeon level 16 - sheesh. 
- Only one wand of wishing (in the castle) and it started with only 1 wish.
- I did do some polypiling to get some needed items, and convert some useless
items into useful ones, but not too much.  The game would have taken an
intolerable amount longer if I didn't do this.
- I did kick a few sinks.
- I didn't do any of the gold-getting tricks like leprechaun-taming, 
preist-stealing or pet-dropping.

Later,
-Bryon
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
From: scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper)
Subject: Alright, another mystery message
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 17:39:25 GMT

New mystery message-
"What would you write, Jonah was here?"
Guesses anyone?


--------------------+-------------------------+
HIC IACET ARTVRVS   + The Grim Reaper         + 
IN INSVLA AVALONIA  + SCYTHE@U.WASHINGTON.EDU +
REX QVONDAM REXQVE  + ----------------------- +
FVTVRVS             +                         +
--------------------+-------------------------+
From: ralf@ark.abg.sub.org (Ralf Stephan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Annoying critters
Date: 08 Oct 92 19:30
Organization: Magick Shoppe, Gurth City

bpn@po.CWRU.Edu (Brian Nelson) writes:
> In article <1992Oct7.150413.25770@ms.uky.edu> mtbb134@ms.uky.edu (Darrell Epp
> erson) writes:
> > 
> >	Is there anyway (in Nethack 3.0 for the PC) to get rid of
> >	the dumb cat or dog? Some poeple might find them useful, but 
> >	I think they're just annoying.
> 
> Hmmmm, I always thought kicking them was pretty effective...
> 
> Then again, so is throwing things at them and zapping them with destructive 
> wands....

Simply stay on the stairs you want to go down and wait (.) until it is
not on a neighbouring square.  Then down.  At the time you'll ever come up
again, it'll be an easy kill.

--ralf
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
From: dcb@wdl1.wdl.loral.com (Predecrement David)
Subject: Re: Monster Spells
Organization: Tomobiki-cho
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 20:31:55 GMT

v104pwrb@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Michael J Peet) writes:
>dcb@wdl1.wdl.loral.com (Predecrement David) writes...
>>[...] 
>>Holding  <-----Mimics
>>Wounds  (OK, I saw this once...)
>>Blindness  <-----Yellow Lights (surely you've seen this..)
>>Sticks to Snakes (or Ants)
>>Confusion  <-----Umber Hulks
>> 
>>We should definitely have more monsters that cast these spells.  So far,
>>only one type of monster casts these.  Do you know which? 
>> 
>	Yes.

Nope.  What I was refering to, was *spells.*  Not special attacks.  The only
monster that can cast those spells is: "temple priest(ess)"  I think we need
more monsters that cast those spells.  Maybe let the shaman have these
cleric spells...

Also, the game can be made a little more fun by adding a few more print
statements.  The spellcasters already cast haste-self and healing.  It would
be fun to *see* them do it:

The lich chants and suddenly seems faster.
The lich is surrounded by a golden glow.

--David
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| David Blume            | "These games aren't meant to be fun,         |
| dcb@wdl1.wdl.loral.com | "They're meant to be *played!*" Phil Requist |
+-finger acct. for prefs------------------------------------------------+
From: urbndv8@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Bleeding Rivets)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Nymphs/Leprachauns
Date: 15 Oct 1992 21:27:05 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucscb.ucsc.edu


In article <1992Oct15.002701.2676@bhprtc.scpd.oz.au> dif@bhprtc.scpd.oz.au (David Faulkner) writes:
>In article <1992Oct13.060306.5901@nevada.edu>, funky@nevada.edu (MATTHEW KAPHAN) writes:
>> What is the method to keep nymphs from stealing things from me, and 
>> lepracauns also?  I just started playing the game, and I'm having a lot
>> of trouble staying alive unless i'm in exploratory mode.  Any hints to help
>> me out?
>
>Spoilers!

>A wand of cancellation will stop a nymph stealing from you. Failing
>that, she will steal a ring of adornment first. If you have a mirror,
>#apply it at the nymph and the nymph will steal the mirror rather than
>anything else more important. They often seem to prefer your shield and
>other rings, too, (this is just a personal observation, may or may not
>be correct).  So if you can have a couple of encounters without having
>the nymph steal anything important, you have a fair chance of killing
>her. Throwing weapons are very handy for the purpose of weakening the
>nymph.
>
....
>Unfortunately, sometimes you just have to accept the fact that the
>little #@*?$! has stolen everything you have and you are about to die a
>painful (naked) death.
>
>  -dif-

The best way to deal with nymphs once they have taken stuff is to stay in
a largish room, dig a pit in the space in front of each door where the
nymph would step to go to you, and do a 5. (5 period) to wait repeatedly.  
When the nymph falls into the pit, peg it with missile weapons until it 
expires.  Maybe dig a row of pits for extra security.

I've also noticed that when you're in a large room and you're throwing stuff
at the nymph, very commonly she'll wander around picking up the arrows/daggers/
darts that didn't hit her until she's been pinked to death.

In a related vein, one way of dealing with orc hordes is to put a dart under
a boulder; 3 or 4 of the orcs will mill around trying to get at that gosh
darn dart, so you can slay them in a lesiurely manner.

urbndv8@ucscb.ucsc.edu

-- 
"The possessed's mad speech is the higher wisdom of the world, since it is 
human...Why have we not yet acquired this insight in relation to the world
of the free will?  Because outwardly we are the masters of madness, because
the insane are violated by us, and we hinder them from living according to
their ethical laws...Now we must endeavor to overcome the dead point in our
relationship to insanity."       --Wieland Herzfelde, 1914
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: nethack 3.x for DOS ?
From: comjohn@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz (Mr. John T Jensen)
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 19:01:19 GMT
Organization: University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Does anyone know of nethack 3.? for DOS.  Currently have one which announces
itself as 2.2-2.3b and is woefully lacking compared to what I see in the
Wheaton Spoiler (just acquired).  Is 3.0j the latest nethack?  What is?
Have I got to get a Unix machine for my 12-year-old hack addict in order to
get him the latest nethack? :-)

jj

John Thayer Jensen                      64 9 373 7599 ext. 7543
Commerce Computer Services              64 9 373 7437 (FAX)
Auckland University                     jt.jensen@aukuni.ac.nz
Private Bag 92019
AUCKLAND
New Zealand
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
From: laruedm@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (David Larue)
Subject: Re: Polypiling
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 13:19:23 GMT

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?
>
>My take on the discussion is that certain "tricks" of the game should be
>left in.  If someone doesn't think its right, then they shouldn't use the
>trick.

Yep, my opinion too.  Here's an idea:
Set options: Polyphile=on
or off, or Ring of Conflict on/off, or etc. etc.

-= Justin =-
From: roldham@tartarus.uwa.edu.au (Robert Oldham)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Mac Ftp site ?
Date: 11 Oct 1992 01:15:54 GMT
Organization: The University of Westrn Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: tartarus.uwa.edu.au
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

Is there any FTP site at which I can get the code (or binary)
for a Mac version of Hack ?
Please reply via email to:
roldham@tartarus.cs.uwa.edu.au

much appreciated,

Rob Oldham.
From: dcb@wdl1.wdl.loral.com (Predecrement David)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Eggs & Armor
Date: 7 Oct 92 17:23:32 GMT
Organization: Tomobiki-cho

turnerm@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (M. L. T.) writes:
>There was talk a week or so ago about eggs and their effects in Hell.
>I know that cocatrice eggs will kill whenever eaten but what about other 
>eggs in Hell

An egg is an egg is an egg.  The post about eggs in hell was from a guy
who knew that if it was a deadly egg he ate, his god wouldn't listen to him in
hell because he was not of Chaotic alignment.

>Also what is the benifit of blessed armor besides that it takes longer to
>curse when attacked by monsters that curse items

That is reason enough for me.

--David
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| David Blume            | "These games aren't meant to be fun,         |
| dcb@wdl1.wdl.loral.com | "They're meant to be *played!*" Phil Requist |
+-finger acct. for prefs------------------------------------------------+
From: agrimm@slate.mines.colorado.edu (Snarf)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: The case of the deceptive dog, and other ramblings
Date: 9 Oct 92 21:23:30 GMT
Organization: Colorado School of Mines

rmh@itd.dsto.gov.au (Roger Helbig) writes:
: 
: Something strange happed in my current game... I'd just found a bones
: level with a lot of stuff on it, and was trying to find out if some
: rings were cursed or not.  So I dropped a few rings around and waited
: to see if my dog stepped on them.  To make sure the pet stayed close to
: me, I leashed it.  Anyway, the dog stepped on a ring, so I tried it on.
: It was cursed!!!  Maybe being on the leash made the dog step on a cursed
: object... anybody know?  Had to get a nymph steal the ring - all the
: fountains dried up when I tried to #dip it.
:
Sounds reasonable to me!
 
: This game is my best start with a wizard for a long time.  The main
: reasons why I'm still alive are (i) ring of regeneration (started with
: it) and (ii) the +4 cloak of displacement I found on level 1!  The
: baddies sure have a tough time hitting me when I'm wearing the cloak.
: Also have Fire Brand and Dragonbane from an altar - people have said
: that Fire Brand / Frost Brand are better than Excalibur.  The problem
: is that Fire Brand's fire damage won't do me much good in Hell, since
: all monsters there are fire resistant... right?  Maybe I'll try to get
: Frost Brand by sacrificing as well.
:
I'd use Excalibur, personally.  Protection from level drain, constant
damage (as opposed to variable), and easy to get.

: Another interesting item which I have is a flute - I assume it's a magic
: flute, although I haven't id'd it yet.  When I #apply it and improvise,
: I "produce soft music" and all monsters go to sleep.  I lost my first
: pet this way - it wouldn't wake up!  After throwing food and objects at
: it, even kicking it, I eventually just left it behind.  Questions: is the
: sleep effect actually permanent?  I presume elves and such are immune.
: Does the flute have only a certain number of charges, like a frost horn?
: I thought a magic flute tamed monsters, rather than sending them to sleep,
: or am I thinking of a magic harp?
: 
Correct. I don't think so. Yes. Harp.

: -=-
: Roger
-- 
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: dalton@nevada.edu (William Tiberis Felis Long)
Subject: Re: Annoying critters
Organization: NCC 1701-F USS Enterprise
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 22:22:29 GMT

Also, 'morphing them into something better is helpful for a while.  They're
a real pain in the neck after the first few levels.
From: madmax@cellar.org (Alex Strumpf)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Kinky message in a fortune cookie
Date: 13 Oct 92 04:55:13 GMT
Organization: The Cellar BBS and public access system

bandu@acsu.buffalo.edu (Jagath Samarabandu) writes:

> Yesterday I found this
> 
> They say that you should never introduce a rope golem to a succubus.
> 
> Does that mean what I think it means?

Afraid so. ;-) Wonder how a succubus looks wearing a studded leather armor. 
<smile>

madmax@cellar.org
PREFERRED mailpath: madmax%cellar@tredysvr.tredydev.unisys.com



"There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."

Doctor Who, ROBOT
From: daly@ecs.umass.edu (Bryon Daly, ECE dept, UMass, Amherst)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Need monster kill list patch
Date: 15 Oct 92 21:11:24 GMT

Hi,

A while back, someone posted a patch to the NetHack code that printed
out a list of the total number of kills you have for each the monsters 
that you have killed, when your game is over.  In other words, after
your game ends, it provides a list something like

32 hill orcs
5 water nymphs
13 goblins
75 killer bees
:
etc

Does anybody still have the code for this that they could post or email to
me?

Thanks,
-Bryon
From: agrimm@slate.mines.colorado.edu (Snarf)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: PC Nethack query
Date: 9 Oct 92 21:19:38 GMT
Organization: Colorado School of Mines

comjohn@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz (Mr. John T Jensen) writes:
: 
: My 12-year old has asked me to post three questions about PC nethack (sorry,
: don't know what version he has):
: 
: 1)      He has found half a dozen or so throne rooms, killed all the
: 	monsters, and sits on the throne.  When he does, he is told
: 	"you feel out of place" and the throne disappears.  Has anyone
: 	any comment?
:
Well, all sorts of things can happen.  I forget exactly what the chances
are based on...  It's a good idea to drop all your gold before sitting,
because it might all disappear.  On the brighter side, you might be granted
a wish!  It's generally worth the risk.
 
: 2)	He knows how to get Excalibur, but wants to know how to get:
: 
: -	a katana named Snickersnee
: -	a war hammer named Mjollnir
: -	a broadsword named Stormbringer
: 
The trick is to offer corpses at an altar of your alignment.  You may
eventually be granted an artifact, other nice things can happen too.
Of course you could wish for them, or be unbelievably lucky and find them
lying around.

: 3)	The verb 'pray' does not give a syntax error, but 'offer' does.
: 	There are altars.  Any suggestions?
: 
Offer is an extended command, and is thus rather specialized.  One uses it
to offer corpses to one's deity at the appropriate altar.  The command to
type is "#o".  Pray is handy for getting out of all sorts of scrapes,
provided the gods like you.

: jj
: 
: John Thayer Jensen                      64 9 373 7599 ext. 7543
: Commerce Computer Services              64 9 373 7437 (FAX)
: Auckland University                     jt.jensen@aukuni.ac.nz
: Private Bag 92019
: AUCKLAND
: New Zealand

Hack on!
-- 
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: bill@snoopy (Bill Poitras)
Subject: Re: Polymorphing Self
Reply-To: bill@msi.com
Organization: Molecular Simulations, Inc.
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 01:01:56 GMT

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.

--
+-----------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------+
| Bill Poitras    | Molecular Simulations Inc.    | Tel (408)522-9229       |
| (bill)          | Sunnyvale, CA USA             |                         | 
|                 | FAX (408)732-0831             | bill@msi.com            |
+-----------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------+
From: fletcher@rtf.bt.co.uk (Catherine Fletcher)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Maze Level
Date: 7 Oct 92 10:57:52 GMT
Organization: BT Customer Systems, Brighton, UK

Hello

I have reached a maze level on level 27 and do not know how to go down from
here.  My pick-axe and wand of digging do not work and I do not have the
ability to level teleport.

Any tips appreciated.

-- 
 Catherine 
 _____________________________________________________________________________

    "Anyone who calls a spade a spade should be compelled to use one"
    Oscar Wilde
 _____________________________________________________________________________
From: mikegan@wpi.WPI.EDU (Michael K Ganley)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: shop size
Date: 16 Oct 92 16:59:30 GMT
Article-I.D.: bigboote.1bmsdiINNloo
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: wpi.wpi.edu

I have surely entered a shop with more than 20 wands before!!  There must be 
some code that gives a small %chance of encountering an unusually large shop
of one-type objects.  Also remember that the first row on the door side where
the shopkeeper hangs out doesn't have 'shop stock'.
	What does the code say about the chance that, while standing on 
Elber***, you will accidentally rub-off the letters to allow monsters to attack
you again?  This seems to happen to me in life and death situations...which
usually end in death of coarse.
	And what about falling down stairs with a cockitrice corpse in hand?
I would think that, even if I fall the chances of that corpse touching my flesh
(which,with full armor and cloaks etc..)would be slim since the only flesh
showing is my face.  Oh well.
From: dcb@wdl1.wdl.loral.com (Predecrement David)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Ascended at last
Keywords: cockatrice scrolls
Date: 8 Oct 92 00:25:00 GMT
Organization: Tomobiki-cho

trav@wixer.cactus.org (traveller) writes:
>lmulcahy@nyx.cs.du.edu (Larry Mulcahy) writes:
>>agrimm@slate.mines.colorado.edu (Snarf) writes:
>>
>>>(3) If you use a magic marker and rip the scrolls up in your haste, it
>>>    means you haven't yet id's the scrolls as blank.  Try reading one.
>>
>>This must be what it was... I dipped some useless scroll in a fountain
>>and the label changed.  Then I used M-n to name it blank paper.  I
>>never did actually read one.
>
>actually, what happened was that you were trying to write a scroll you didn't
>know. if you have not yet read the scroll you try to write, there is a very
>amazingly slim chance you will be able to write it <like 5%>. but you should
>probably go ahead and read a blank first too since it doesn't use them up..

Sorry Traveller, that's not the "haste"message.  Snarf was right.

"In your haste, you rip the scroll to shreds" (or something like that)
is the "haven't identified the blank scroll" error.

"You don't know how to write that!" (or something like that)
is the "haven't identified the desired scroll" error.
BTW: Odds of success are 1:3 for wizards, 1:15 other.

--David
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| David Blume            | "These games aren't meant to be fun,         |
| dcb@wdl1.wdl.loral.com | "They're meant to be *played!*" Phil Requist |
+-finger acct. for prefs------------------------------------------------+
From: s892341@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Matt=Goodall)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Ring of Conflict (Was: Polypiling)
Date: 16 Oct 92 02:51:12 GMT
Organization: RMIT Computer Centre
NNTP-Posting-Host: minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au

tommy@nevada.edu (Greg Hjelstrom) writes:

>In article <1992Oct13.204538.21151@wdl.loral.com> dcb@wdl1.wdl.loral.com (Predecrement David) writes:
>>tom@soda.berkeley.edu (Tom Holub) writes:
>>We can't be tempted to continuously modify the game to suit the expert's
>>needs.  Tom is evidently already aware of a lot of the tricks of NetHack.
>>And therefore, he is bored with the game because he can consistenly win.
>>We _could_ make the game harder to suit Tom, so that he could continue to
>>enjoy the game.

>>I think we should keep NetHack at the same level of playability.

>Same here!  I just started playing this game again, (I used to play it about
>six or seven years ago) and the degree of difficulty is definitely high enough.
>I'm not really a novice because I know some of the tricks and I've played a
>LOT on the old versions of this game but I'm haveing a hard time.  

>btw, How does one cure lycanthropy?

holy water, praying or garlic
Do not use garlic though, when I played around with this in wizard mode
I found that all your stats get reduced to 3, restoring them with potions
did not work, gain ability potions did not work, a unicorn horn did not work
the only way around this I could find was to polymorph into a monster and
polymorph back to human again. I feel this loss of stats is a far to painful
punishment for this and that the above methods should have worked as well
as the stats recovering naturally perhaps at the rate of 1 point every 200?
turns.

Matt

-- 
Matt Goodall
s892341@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au
Famous last words: "Who's the bitch with the spiders?"
From: snelling@bnr.ca (Peter Snelling)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: Re: Teleport Control *Before* Teleportation?
Date: 13 Oct 92 16:27:39 GMT
Reply-To: snelling@bnr.ca (Peter Snelling)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.

In article <1b7fp1INNggl@agate.berkeley.edu>, datta@durban.berkeley.edu (Ruchira Datta) writes:
|> 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

It is possible, just unlikely.

When you eat a tengu, first you roll to get teleportation, then
if you fail to get teleportation, you roll to get teleport 
control.  With a level 6 monster (ie: a tengu) you have a 60%
chance of getting teleportation, and a 40% chance of getting
teleport control.

Hence, the odds of NOT getting teleportation and getting teleport
control instead are:

(1-.6)*(.4) = 16%

-- 
Peter Snelling
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack