[Gllug] Downright fun

[David Damerell]

On , 15 Mar 2003, Nix wrote:
>On Thu, 13 Mar 2003, David Damerell said:
>>The fundamental insight is that if you don't use prayer for anything
>>else _and_ are below XP level 15 _and_ haven't been crowned (which can
>>only really happen when praying on an altar) _and_ pray when you are
>>not just Weak with hunger but one move away from Fainting, you will
>>essentially never anger your god by praying when hungry.
>Really?
>[reads code]
>Boggle. I never noticed that. Nice one.

... irritatingly, this is all rather vague owing to the foul and nasty
nature of rnz() and rne(), but I did do the numbers once.

>I tend to find I have nothing to lose shortly before losing a dozen
>levels to a wraith and being slaughtered by some dragon; prayer rarely
>gives me the levels back. :(

Observations about level draining; firstly, magic cancellation helps
prevent it. Most cloaks and mithril coats have good magic
cancellation. Secondly, you're left just 1 XP below the level just
lost; so provided you don't get drained twice in a row, you can
recover the lost level right away. So fight level drainers with some
popcorn monsters you can kill in one hit around.

>I hope these people are writing for nethack too, making it harder for
>themselves next time (and for the rest of us, of course :) )

It's hard enough already! :-)

-- 
David Damerell <damerell at chiark.greenend.org.uk> flcl?

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