Stuck in a rut

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

On 2005-03-05, Ray Chason <johnnyreb.5@southland.smart.net.SPAMMEN.VERBOTEN> wrote:
>> Okay, so far that I've seen two people have mentioned that they don't like
>> pets (I'm not one of them). Are there any others?
>
> Make that three.
>
> My main gripe about pets, at least in the early game, is that they tend to
> attack nymphs. They're asleep, m'kay? and I'd just as soon let them sleep.
> No sleeping nymph ever pinched my cloak of protection.

I dislike wussy pets-- like dogs and cats, but give me a Solar ,
or an Archon [vanilla] and a magic whistle any day-- esp the Solar-
its so nice to not have to fight the Riders yourself, rather just
let your pet solar go kill them for you...

--
Andrew D. Hilton
UPenn Phd Student

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Seraphim wrote:
> "Philip Bollom" <philip_bollom@yahoo.com> wrote in
> news:1109963960.170717.195660@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:
>
> > Since I was asking for alternatives to using a pet, I don't think
it is
> > unreasonable to assume that the alternatives should be easier than
> > using a pet.
>
> I would say it is unreasonable to assume that the alternatives should
be
> easier. If there was an easier method don't you think everyone would
be
> using it? And wouldn't that then making using a pet would be the
> alternative to the easier method? The nature of nethack is that
> alternatives will usually cost you something, if they didn't then
they
> would likely be the normal behavior.

That is exactly my point. There is no easier alternative that I am
aware of. If there were, fewer posters would be claiming to love pets.
I still don't believe these people like pets. They just like what they
can achieve with pets. How many of us can honestly say we've never
kicked a little dog. I know I have (in nethack, not in real life).
It's better to get these things out in the open.

Nethack pets aren't very likable. They're either not very eager to
follow you or else they're always in the way. They flee from a blind
newt, but kill kobold zombies with gusto. About the only monster a pet
will attack more readily than the watch captain is a gas spore when
it's next to you.

 

[seraphim]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

"Philip Bollom" <philip_bollom@yahoo.com> wrote in
news:1109963960.170717.195660@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

> Since I was asking for alternatives to using a pet, I don't think it is
> unreasonable to assume that the alternatives should be easier than
> using a pet.

I would say it is unreasonable to assume that the alternatives should be
easier. If there was an easier method don't you think everyone would be
using it? And wouldn't that then making using a pet would be the
alternative to the easier method? The nature of nethack is that
alternatives will usually cost you something, if they didn't then they
would likely be the normal behavior.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Philip Bollom wrote:

> That is exactly my point. There is no easier alternative that I am
> aware of. If there were, fewer posters would be claiming to love
> pets. I still don't believe these people like pets.

I'm sorry, but you're realy twisting things towards your own points. You
stated you didn't like pets, and you also stated that (almost?) no one
did.

Immediately, lots of people said that they *did* like pets, and
(almost?) no one said that they agreed with you.

Where do you get the delusion that those people who say they like pets
actually don't? Why do you call these people liars? Who are you to judge
whether other people are speaking the truth? I think you're
presumptuous.

> How many of us can honestly say we've never kicked a little dog.

I can. Why would I kick a little dog?

> I know I have (in nethack, not in
> real life). It's better to get these things out in the open.

You're wierd.

> Nethack pets aren't very likable.

But they *are* likable: unlike real pets, who are way too predictable,
NetHack pets are much more random in their behaviour. They're almost
human. 🙂

> They're either not very eager to follow you or else they're always
> in the way.

Now this is a plain contradiction. They can only be in the way if they
stay close to you.

> They flee from a blind newt, but kill kobold zombies with gusto.

So what?

> About the only monster a pet will attack more readily than the watch
> captain is a gas spore when it's next to you.

Only when you let your pets level get high enough. And it will only be
dangerous when you didn't let your own level keep in pace.

--
Boudewijn Waijers (kroisos at home.nl).

The garden of happiness is surrounded by a wall so low only children
can look over it. - "the Orphanage of Hits", former Dutch radio show.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Philip Bollom wrote:

> That is exactly my point. There is no easier alternative that I am
> aware of. If there were, fewer posters would be claiming to love pets.
> I still don't believe these people like pets. They just like what they
> can achieve with pets.

Believe what you like, but you're Just Plain Wrong in this case.

> How many of us can honestly say we've never kicked a little dog.

I've never intensionally kicked a peaceful or tame dog in NetHack, and I'm
somewhat astonished that you think this is unusual on my part.

> Nethack pets aren't very likable.

This is clearly a matter of opinion, which at least some of us do not
share. I agree that they can be frustrating at times, but for me, that's
actually adds to the appeal.

--
Benjamin Lewis

I regret to say that we of the FBI are powerless to act in cases of
oral-genital intimacy, unless it has in some way obstructed interstate
commerce. -- J. Edgar Hoover

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Philip Bollom wrote:

> That is exactly my point. There is no easier alternative that I am
> aware of. If there were, fewer posters would be claiming to love pets.
> I still don't believe these people like pets. They just like what they
> can achieve with pets. How many of us can honestly say we've never
> kicked a little dog. I know I have (in nethack, not in real life).
> It's better to get these things out in the open.

Plonk. I don't like being called a liar.

Raisse, killed by a little dog

--
irina@valdyas.org LegoHack: http://www.valdyas.org/irina/nethack/
Status of Raisse (piously neutral): Level 8 HP 63(67) AC -3, fast.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Boudewijn Waijers wrote:
> Philip Bollom wrote:
>
>>They're either not very eager to follow you or else they're always
>>in the way.
>
>
> Now this is a plain contradiction. They can only be in the way if they
> stay close to you.
>

Hence the word "either".

--
____ (__)
/ \ (oo) -Shadow
|Moo. > \/
\____/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Ray Chason wrote:
> My main gripe about pets, at least in the early game, is that they
tend to
> attack nymphs. They're asleep, m'kay? and I'd just as soon let them
sleep.
> No sleeping nymph ever pinched my cloak of protection.

Not a problem as far as I'm concerned- as long as you're not burdened/
slow you can dance around the pet, keeping just out of the nymph's
reach while the pet finishes her off. Then you have a dead nymph (best
kind), a shiny mirror (has its uses) and a quite likely a free ID of a
certain very useful potion as well.

--
You may wish for an object. --more--
For what do you wish?
A sword-chucks patch
No such object exists.
*snif*

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

begin quoting Philip Bollom <philip_bollom@yahoo.com>:
>That is exactly my point. There is no easier alternative that I am
>aware of. If there were, fewer posters would be claiming to love pets.
>I still don't believe these people like pets.

Don't tell me what I think!

>They just like what they can achieve with pets.

The two are closely related - why do you like to get wands of wishing?

>Nethack pets aren't very likable. They're either not very eager to
>follow you or else they're always in the way. They flee from a blind
>newt, but kill kobold zombies with gusto.

That's what I want, since a kobold zombie could be a real threat but I can
steamroller a blind newt by myself. Even people who mess about with the
protection racket can kill a few blind newts.
--
David Damerell <damerell@chiark.greenend.org.uk> flcl?
Today is Monday, March.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Philip Bollom wrote:

> That is exactly my point. There is no easier alternative that I am
> aware of. If there were, fewer posters would be claiming to love pets.
> I still don't believe these people like pets.

I do. I really love my tame hill giants, even though they break down
doors and eat co-aligned priests. Or that werewolf I had for a pet once,
who ruined every piece of armour he found. And that cute little
chameleon which turned into a killer bee on Medusa's to follow me across
the moat (and promptly drowned when changing into something else). Ah,
those memories 🙂.

> They just like what they can achieve with pets.

No.

> How many of us can honestly say we've never
> kicked a little dog.

Only hostole little dogs.

Lars

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Philip Bollom wrote:

> Elbereth will protect you from the monsters, but it doesn't get rid of
> them. If the monsters don't get killed, you're going to find it quite
> difficult to get around.

If you don't hang around too long, no.

> How are the monsters going to get killed if
> you don't kill them?

Traps, conflict, wands, poisoned arrows; they are quite inventive in
getting themselves killed.

> What are you going to use for defence before you
> get all those nifty abilities you mentioned,

you mean, before you learn to run and engrave? You should be able to do
that on your first turn. Also many classes start with sleep or displacement.

> and how are you going to buc items without a pet?

altars, stack sizes, let monsters test them, just try it and use
fountains/prayer to uncurse?

> The first guaranteed altar is in minetown. I
> have to say that I'm far from convinced, and since you use an army of
> pets yourself, I don't think you'll object to me sticking with mine.

Nobody objects to you sticking with pets but you asked for alternatives,
not necessarily easy ones.

Lars

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 16:35:21 -0800, Benjamin Lewis <bclewis@cs.sfu.ca>
wrote:

>Boudewijn Waijers wrote:
>
>> Philip Bollom wrote:
>>
>>> No-one likes pets.
>>
>> Speak for yourself!
>>
>> 🙂
>
>Okay, so far that I've seen two people have mentioned that they don't like
>pets (I'm not one of them). Are there any others?

Me. I normally play petless, though I'll use a pet for character
types that start out way underpowered.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Benjamin Lewis wrote:
>
> Okay, so far that I've seen two people have mentioned
> that they don't like pets (I'm not one of them). Are
> there any others?

I dislike pets. In the early game pets are a common way
of lowering your alignment. While source diving I
noticed that displacing a pet or something like that
decreased the character's alignment (the numerical one
about piously/stridently aligned not the
lawful/neutral/chaotic one). I took up ditching my pets
early on rather than figure it out exactly. No pet
around, no effect on alignment. That and pets get
underfoot all the time.

I usually keep my initial pet around until I have used it
to rob one or two shops. Then I close the door while my
pet is still in the shop and I no longer have a pet under
foot.

By the time I get to midgame and alignment has been maxed,
I'm not interested in having pets again until I find a
magic whistle.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

David Damerell wrote:
> Doug Freyburger wrote:
>
> > I dislike pets. In the early game pets are a common way
> > of lowering your alignment. While source diving I
> > noticed that displacing a pet or something like that
> > decreased the character's alignment
>
> Yes... into a trap. Ordinary displacing, no.

Ah, quite a difference. Thanks. Does displacing
your pet decrease any of its stats? I know it
takes more than a displace to reduce tameness.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

begin quoting Doug Freyburger <dfreybur@yahoo.com>:
>I dislike pets. In the early game pets are a common way
>of lowering your alignment. While source diving I
>noticed that displacing a pet or something like that
>decreased the character's alignment

Yes... into a trap. Ordinary displacing, no.
--
David Damerell <damerell@chiark.greenend.org.uk> flcl?
Today is Friday, March.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

begin quoting Doug Freyburger <dfreybur@yahoo.com>:
>David Damerell wrote:
>>Doug Freyburger wrote:
[There's no point in rewriting the "begin " - it loses its virtue when
quoted.]
>>>of lowering your alignment. While source diving I
>>>noticed that displacing a pet or something like that
>>>decreased the character's alignment
>>Yes... into a trap. Ordinary displacing, no.
>Does displacing your pet decrease any of its stats?

To the best of my knowledge, an ordinary displacement has no effect
whatsoever. "You stop. <pet> is in the way" causes it to flee you for a
short time, but has no permanent effect.
--
David Damerell <damerell@chiark.greenend.org.uk> flcl?
Today is Friday, March.

 

[Sean]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Lars Kecke wrote:

>> That is exactly my point. There is no easier alternative that I am
>> aware of. If there were, fewer posters would be claiming to love pets.
>> I still don't believe these people like pets.
>
> I do. I really love my tame hill giants, even though they break down
> doors and eat co-aligned priests. Or that werewolf I had for a pet once,
> who ruined every piece of armour he found. And that cute little
> chameleon which turned into a killer bee on Medusa's to follow me across
> the moat (and promptly drowned when changing into something else). Ah,
> those memories 🙂.

YKYBPTMN when you find these stories way cuter than anything found in a
real life pet store.