3) THIS IS NOT THE LAST YOU'VE SEEN OF ME.
v0.8.0 is out! Not sure of the changelog yet, but this is still probably awesome considering. 
Hey, everybody. The game is here:
http://code.google.com/p/forays-into-norrendrin/ The changelog is actually so big that I'm sure to miss some things, but I'll give it a shot. (Holsety, I think you might like these changes, especially the final level):
Changes:Dungeon:The dungeon is much more than walls and floors now - brush burns, gravel makes noise when stepped on, and pools of water provide relief for burning adventurers.
There are a lot of interactions between all the new elements, especially fire: Water, slime, and thick poisonous gas can all extinguish it. Oil will ignite when the smallest ember touches it.
(Lots of new dungeon features and traps, too, like webs and the explosive blast fungus.)
Items:Forays has an item identification system, finally! (There's a twist on the usual ID game: There are no scrolls of ID, and there are no purely negative items.)
The item list has been expanded, too, with some weaker items being replaced by more dramatic versions.
Enemies:Yep, the enemies have been expanded & rebalanced too. In addition, each type of monster has its own critical effect now, not just max damage and stunning!
Equipment:The weapons also have their own passive & critical effects, and all 5 are now viable choices. (All the melee weapons have the same base damage now, instead of the staff and dagger being too weak.)
You can now find magical trinkets with passive bonuses when you open a chest. For example, the ring of keen sight doubles your chance to spot traps.
One more major change to how equipment works: Weapons and armor can be affected by temporary statuses, like possession, weak points, or infestation. These are indicated on the equipment screen. While [r]esting, you'll also repair all of your equipment, leaving it as good as new.
Skills & Feats:The feat system has been changed too, and I think the fun & balance have improved a lot. Feats no longer have different point values - instead, you simply pick one feat when you take your first point in a skill, and another feat when you take your 6th point in a skill. (New players will actually be able to get a feel for how they work, even if they don't make it very far!)
Magic:You still learn one spell each time you increase your Magic skill. You now gain 5 mana, too: Spells are now divided into 5 tiers, and a spell's mana cost is equal to its tier. Spells no longer have a failure rate based on their level. (Instead, only exhaustion can make your spells fail - see below.)
(I wanted to reduce the number of random spell failures while also limiting the number of times you could cast a spell like Blink on a single level. Now, you can cast Blink many times, but not infinitely.)
The spell list has also been updated - again, I tried to make sure all of the spells were actually worth learning and casting.
Exhaustion:Exhaustion results from various things: struggling to break free of a web or ice, scattering a heavy pile of rubble, blocking an attack while wearing heavy plate armor, or casting a spell without having enough mana.
Resting will reduce your exhaustion back to 0%.
At certain thresholds of exhaustion, you'll find it hard to cast spells, wear armor effectively, and even swing a weapon.
Spells of a higher tier will be affected first: If your exhaustion is at or above 10%, your tier 5 spells might fail. (Failure chance is equal to exhaustion.)
Every additional 10% affects another spell tier - at 50% exhaustion, all spells are affected.
Likewise, heavier armors will be affected first: At 25% exhaustion, you get no defensive benefit from plate armor. At 50%, chainmail, and at 75%, leather. At 100% exhaustion, half of your attacks will fail from sheer fatigue.
UI:The UI has taken a few tips from Brogue:
Selecting an item in the 'i'nventory screen will give a description, as well as allowing you to apply/fling/drop that item.
The '>' descend command will now offer to take you directly to the stairs if you're not already there.
Don't want to go to the stairs? The 'X' command will let you travel to any other location.
Additionally, the in-game tutorial tip system has been expanded again to explain statuses, terrain, and item effects.
I'm sure I've missed something there, but that should cover most of it.
Finally, I've created an IRC channel and a forum! The channel is #forays on QuakeNet, and the forum is
http://forays.forumotion.com/ .
Enjoy!
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