Nethack 3.4.0 released

[LotC]

The Nethack devteam has just released v3.4.0. Release notes are here. They've done some bugfixes and tweaks to the engine as well as added a couple of features and some balancing. One of the features that's quite useful is highlighting your pet (very helpful if you've ever been killed by a kitten you thought was yours ). Saves and bones are not compatible with previous versions.

If you don't know what Nethack is, well then you've never experienced one of the best games ever made . Nethack is a turn-based dungeon crawl, the goal of which is to find the Amulet of Yendor in order to achieve immortality. It has been around for over 15 years and is rendered in stunning colour ASCII text (graphical interfaces are available but I've never tried them and don't wish to). The complexity of the game can't be overstated; the creators seem to have thought of everything. All in all, a must play for every serious (and even not-so-serious) gamer.

What are you waiting for? Go download the now! new version now!

[Richard Bruns]

Downloaded. I like the new windowed version. Now I can play with the graphical tiles and not have it take up the whole screen. The addiction shall begin anew....

[Kassiopeia]

What? The earlier version had bugs? Ridiculous accusations!

[MattyBoy]

Why did you have to tell me that !?

Just when I was beginning to live a responsible life, something like this comes along and I spiral down again.

[MattyBoy]

I gave this a try.

For the first time, I prefer Nethacks graphical interface to its character interface! The main reason is that you can use all the same button presses in either interface. And you actually pick up the same saved game whether opening the graphical interface or the ascii.

Always wanted the following and it looks good.
> Tom Friedetzky's blessed/uncursed/cursed selection patch for menustyle:full

Look forward to finding out about the following (I didn't know one could ride)
> Objects merge in containers
> Riding has been improved
> New travel command which is particularly helpful for mouse navigation on handheld computers
> more feedback about skill advancement from #enhance command

Couldn't make this work at all.
> Jay Tilton's full-screen message window display via control-P

Sounds great, but I died before I saw a shop.
> Ken Arnold's patch to display prices in your inventory

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'm downloading... never played before... but looks very interesting...

You people have gotten me interested .

[MattyBoy]

Imran, I would try nethackw.exe instead of nethack.exe.

So far I've only noticed 1 bug in this interface and it is very minor.

Also, something happened that never happened in the old nethack:
I was only level 3 and I offered a sacrifice at an altar of the wrong alignment and I was converted. That never used to be a possibility, but it is logical, especially if you try something silly like that.

[MattyBoy]

More great features in the GUI.

Wow, if you are used to the ascii interface, you can still switch back and forth between ascii and the graphical tiles within the windows interface. Just try the Map menu.

If you are finding slight differences between the buttons in the old and new interface, just choose Nethack Mode from the Windows Settings menu.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Imran, I would try nethackw.exe instead of nethack.exe.

Yah, that is what I'm doing... still learning

[loinburger]

Blaaaargh, maybe I could win Nethack if my idiot pet would stop getting its ***** ass lost!

[Richard Bruns]

One of the options in the new version is to start without a pet. This is another minor improvement. I always end up ditching the thing anyway, and this way I don't get the penalty.

[MattyBoy]

If you start with a pet and leave it near the down stairs on an early level, you can show up much later with some food and befriend it again when you need it. Retrieving them may seem like a hassle, but not when my character is taking time out to let wounds heal. It doesn't work after they are polymorphed into something wilder.

I only end up using them to help with early shopping,
but Lightening seems to turn them into dragons and use them in earnest. ThT certainly makes shopping a lot cheaper!
I should keep them around for handling monsters with awkward special abilities, but it's just not worth bothering.

[loinburger]

How do I befriend my pet, anyway? Do I just leave some food lying around?

My pet never seems to want to follow me down the stairs. Is this because my pet isn't tame, or is it because my pet is stupid?

[LotC]

loinburger-Your pet has to be standing right next to you when you go up or down stairs. If you fall through a trap door when your pet is next to you then it will follow you. If not, then you have to find your way back up to retrieve it (if you want to bother).

Personally, I only find pets useful for shopping or if I play a weaker character, like a Wiz or Rogue. Mind you (as I discovered a couple of days ago) a Wiz with a wand of fire doesn't need a pet for shopping .

[MattyBoy]

Hi level Wizards are awesome. Need to be a bit careful of those bouncing spells though.

If you throw fresh food directly at the pet they'll befriend you.