Hydra Slayer (now at 16.1), NotEye (now at 8.1)

[Z]

I think the problem you mention is already solved by increasing the hydras' smell range instead of players' sight range. In Hydra Slayer it is assumed that PC can see very far, so the shape of FOV is almost only based on the shape of dungeon and the presence of mushrooms (LOS is blocked by two mushrooms). Almost only, because the sight range is 64 and the size of a level is only 50. So the distance is never a problem for FOV on a normal level, but deep in the Hydras Pit you find levels which wrap around, and it is possible that you don't see something because it is too far away on such levels.

A strange thing about the current FOV in the 4-directional mode is that you can currently see in 8 directions, so if two rooms have a common corner, you can see through the corner, but not go through it. This is a bit strange, but I think also interesting, so there is no reason to remove it, I think. (Except that you cannot see this when playing through NotEye's 3D mode, but I don't think this mode is important.)

However, hydras detect the player in a completely different method than the other way around (they will follow the player if the distance (measured as the number of steps) is smaller than their smell range, which is based on the number of heads and some random factor). I have made the smell range bigger in 4-directional mode, in order to compensate for the greater distances. Without this increase it was easier to avoid being attacked by multiple hydras and to see a hydra without being noticed by it, and hopefully this is fixed now.

Note that in 4-dir mode you are allowed to shoot in 4 dirs anyway, so missile tactics are changed too

[Z]

Version 12.0 is released!

• three new artifacts (spoiler: sub divisor, golden sector, witch's broom)
• one new special monster (shadow hydra)
• Power Swipe is now much more powerful if used with a divisor or similar artifact; as a counterbalance it is also rarer (I had a feeling that Power Swipes were a rather useless resource in late game, now they are quite powerful)
• ivy-hydras and arch-hydras now use the best possible strategy of regrowth/shrinking (well, the best according to the Potion of Knowledge, without taking Ambidexterity into account for speed); as a side effect, the Potion of Knowledge gives meaningful results for these hydras; they also prepare their strategy only once now (unless something changes)
• the vorpal blade now gives a HP reward if you slay hydras using only the vorpal blade. Also it no longer grows when fighting coaligned hydras (it was too easy to create giant hydras this way)
• potion of knowledge's display is now a bit more user friendly, and it also displays the health bonus
• renamed obsidian weapons to meteorite (should be more logical now: meteorite is frequently used in fantasy for weapons slaying particular monsters, its rarity is more reasonable, and also the fact that alien hydras resist meteorite weapons is more logical than for obsidian)
• variable geometry mode (made for myself to test game balance, but someone else might want to use it too)
• improved debug mode comand 'Call' (you can now enter the head count, and also summon plain hydras)
• rebalanced the probabilities of finding artifacts a bit
• rune of growth works slightly more reasonably when hydra impossible to slay or too big
• bugfix: no more messages when out-of-sight hydras are fighting
• bugfix: no message when recharging the wand (also more rechargeable now)
• bugfix: arch-hydras were weak to a wrong shield type
• bugfix (11.3a): keypad did not work in Windows
• bugfix: stairless dungeon levels were sometimes created in the hex mode
• ui: big divisors now have names
• ui: when examining meteorite weapons, info about regrowth is no longer shown
• ui: impossible ambidexterity attacks no longer show the result
• ui: one stat was displayed incorrectly in the log file

[Z]

Hydra Slayer version 12.4 released!

Not much many changes there, this version just includes changes from the Android version, but here you are:

• Auto-explore command
• Fixed a bug with vampire hydras and analyzer (i.e. potion of knowledge): it can now recommend you to "wait" (let it hit you and gain new heads) or "long wait" (no heads gained, but all heads are awakened)
• Some cosmetic changes to the interface (e.g. the name "Halfling Twins" was too long, it's just "Twins" now)
• Some algorithms have been improved for efficiency
• They also have been written more clearly (shield protection, hydra analyzer) - (although the hydra analyzer is still a bit messy)

[Z]

Due tu a forgotten edit all lower levels in the recent versions included Shadow Hydras (and no other special enemies). This has been fixed in Version 12.5.

Also auto-explore mode now works with a missile equipped, fixed bugs with Elves wielding divisors and standing next to mushrooms, and shadow hydras now ignore arrows.

[Z]

Due to new features of NotEye, the graphical version of Hydra Slayer has been improved. You can now control movement and switch weapons using mouse, and use the tiles also in the hex mode.

Version 12.9 also includes a minor bugfix (last help screen was not displayed correctly) and a minor change (when a monster A kills another monster B, B's HP bonus does not go directly to you; instead, it is transferred to A's health bonus, so you need to kill A to get it).

link

[sbluen]

I'd like to report a bug: When you ambidextrously kill a hydra with an axe and a regular weapon, the hydra may come back to life with its regenerated but stunned heads.

By the way, the new weapons look exciting.

[Z]

Thanks! I'll check that later. Hard to get ambidexterity right as there are lots of special cases...

[Z]

Hydra Slayer version 13.0 released!

This version of Hydra Slayer introduces bloody hydras, which are just like normal hydras, except that you don't know their type, resistances, or susceptibilities. Two of them should appear before the first boss, and more should appear randomly later.

Additionally, Potions of Knowledge can now provide "real" information instead of just hints: they can fully identify bloody hydras, and suggest three first attacks when you are under a shadow hydra attack.

The graphical (NotEye) version has been updated. Whole game should be mouse controllable now (this includes all the menus, and all gameplay actions). Also the hydra slayer picture is now displayed in the main menus, hydra list has been moved to the top left corner in the FPP mode, and the hex mode is centered better. Hopefully mouse control will be helpful to newbies, for advanced players keyboard should be much more convenient.

Also the bug repoted by sbluen above has been fixed, and Trollish inventory now displays free keys even if the inventory is almost empty (potentially helpful for mouse users).

I have not tested it very thoroughly, but I hope there are no big bugs.

As a side result there has been a minor update to NotEye, too.

[getter77]

Good deal on the continuing progress, especially NotEye! 

[requerent]

Hola! I love Hydra Slayer and had just a couple of thoughts for features that might be interesting to think about.

The 'board' plays a variable role in gameplay. Sometimes it's important, sometimes it isn't. It might be interesting to include missile-like weapons (spells?) that strike in a pattern on the board, but require that each space it strikes must be occupied. Or something along those lines.

Another thing that may be interesting is to begin the game with only a few elements to consider and procedurally generate more elements with new relationships. Potions of knowledge may be necessary to learn about the properties of new elements.

Also, a weapon type that auto-transmutes itself on hit could be interesting so long as it was predictable.

[Z]

Hola! I love Hydra Slayer and had just a couple of thoughts for features that might be interesting to think about.

Thanks! How far have you gone so far?

The 'board' plays a variable role in gameplay. Sometimes it's important, sometimes it isn't. It might be interesting to include missile-like weapons (spells?) that strike in a pattern on the board, but require that each space it strikes must be occupied. Or something along those lines.

There is nothing exactly like what you describe, but there are several types of weapons, potions, and racial powers which affect a line or a circle. For example, throwing stars (M4 etc) can hit several hydras on a line, and blade disks can hit only one, but the number of heads cut depends on the distance.

Another thing that may be interesting is to begin the game with only a few elements to consider and procedurally generate more elements with new relationships. Potions of knowledge may be necessary to learn about the properties of new elements.

Could you elaborate on that? The game already gives you more and more elements as you descedent the Hydras Nest. In the later game (after the first boss) you occassionally find artifacts with unique and powerful effects, and it is worth it to incorporate them into your weapon set; but it is random where and whether you find these artifacts.

Also, a weapon type that auto-transmutes itself on hit could be interesting so long as it was predictable.

Indeed, that could be interesting. Especially that they would give yet another purpose for mushrooms (especially big patches of them). Thanks!

[requerent]

Not very far...

I have experienced a few of the AOE/beam weapons and like them- I was just reminded of the calc ability from FFT, and how it seems somehow very appropriate for a game like Hydra Slayer. The calc ability from FFT does things like, 'Hit every 5 squares.' I wouldn't recommend that sort of all encompassing pattern for HS, but a 'spell' type of attack could have a randomly generated or not-explicitly logical set of squares it effects in a designated radius around the user in a variety of ways.

Consider the following-

Code: [Select]

.....
..X..
..@.X
.....
X....
edit: Code didn't preserve spacing... but you get the idea.

A weapon that only effects the squares above when activated/thrown. It could seem somewhat pointless- but the player may be able to take advantage of board manipulation and mushroom pots to create situations where they're able to use these sort of abilities extremely effective.

To make it more interesting, consider alternative effects and mixed elements. Within a 5x5 area around the player, each square might be affected by a different element. It could add some depth in regards to managing groups of enemies or treating multiple enemies as a single enemy.

Are there ways to split a hydra in two? That could also be interesting.

[Z]

I think you could base an interesting game on this idea, but Hydra Slayer is complex enough without this...

Splitting a hydra into two was already discussed in this thread (it would be rather a bad idea because 2N-headed hydra is usually much less dangerous than two N-headed ones, and also having two hydras of the same color would cause problems with the Rune of Conflict, although that could be solved). There are Bisectors and similar weapons later, but the idea is a bit different.

[CCC]

Hmmm. Nice game.

Managed to finish it as an Echnida. On-demand ambidexterity is incredibly useful, used right.

Hydra Slayer v14.5 character log for Echidna CCC (CCC)
Game saved.

Items found and used:
  Powder of Stunning (13/18)
  Powder of Decapitation (11/15)
  Powder of Cancellation (0/22)
  Powder of Growth (0/32)
  Powder of Conflict (0/13)

Some powders I just didn't need.

  Powder of Fungification (7/10)
  Powder of Fungal Necromancy (1/10)

I used the powder of fungal necromancy shortly after using two powders of fungification. I ended up with a zombie were-hydra with over a thousand heads.

...who immediately got into a fight with a hydra that gained more heads than it lost per zombie-hydra attack. Did not work out well.

  Scroll of Transmutation (1/30)
  Scroll of the Big Stick (48/52)
  Scroll of Reforging (7/9)

Scrolls of the big stick are very useful.

  Potion of Power Swipe (0/11)
  Potion of Weapon Charge (0/6)
  Potion of Extreme Speed (17/17)

I couldn't get a weapon back from a three-headed monkey without drinking two of these, due to the Echnida's slow speed.

  Potion of Knowledge (3/14)
  Potion of Power Juice (8/8)
  Potion of Mushroom Spores (0/20)
  Potion of Ambidexterity (7/14)

Only used to apply the Big Stick to multiple weapons at once.

  Potion of Life (2/2)

Had to drink the second one shortly after finishing the small game. Had to drink the first one before the Ancient Hydra level.

No items used on the ancient hydra level - congratulations!

Costs of winning the small game:
  462 wounds
  4427$ of inventory items used up
  280 mutation score
    (when slaying each hydra, you get +1 for each extra arm)
  4 items used against the boss
     (including permanent effects of BS/L/PJ obtained on previous levels)
  109 wounds from the ancient hydra attacks

Costs of winning the big game:
  4197 wounds
  20688$ of inventory items used up
  2905 mutation score
  57 wounds from the ancient dragon attacks

Various stats:
  4197 total wounds (383 of 1024 HP left)
  31213 total turns (hydra movements)
  30164 total seconds of real time
  four-directional movement
  50 levels solved
  1 times saved a game
  9700 moves suggested by auto-explore
  10 vulture hydras have been killed
    13 unhonorable attacks against mighty vultures

Stun and decapitate. The only way to deal with vulture hydras.

  4 giants were killed
  6 monkeys were killed
  1 monkeys were left alive
    145 wounds from armed attacks

If the monkeys wouldn't insist on stealing my biggest weapon, I wouldn't mind them so much.

  4 ivy hydras were killed

Usually via fungification. They're half-plant already, right?

  2 arch-hydras were killed

In one hit each. These were easy - the number of heads was only two digits.

  10 alien hydras have been killed

These, on the other hand, were a pain; I had mainly meteorite weapons. My strategy was to pump them up to the next perfect square, then use my Storm Eradicator along with enough other stuff to wipe them out in one hit. (I got some massive one-hit kills that way).

  9 dragons were killed.

They can shoot through mushrooms!

  2 shadow hydras killed
    48 wounds from shadow hydras

One killed by a potion of knowledge (drank the potion, killed in in two hits) and one by fungification.

  7 ambidextrous uses of scrolls of big stick and transmutation

Various head stats:
  54 heads regrown by vulture hydras while attacking
  43586 heads stunned by Powder of Stunning
  20 heads grown by Ivy Hydras
  3 heads teleported away by Arch-Hydras
  2 heads of hydras slain only with a vorpal blade (+2 HP)  9682 mushroom heads auto-removed by auto-explore

I think you may be missing an end-of-line there.

Records:
  841 max hydra one-shotted

An alien hydra, using an Eradicator and a few other weapons at once. My previous maximum was 729 - also an alien hydra. (Well. Two seperate alien hydras).

  2 max speed drank at once

Catching up to a monkey while trying not to get hit.

Attack types used:
  normal blade: max 26, to win 12, 811 uses, 6684 enemy heads, 29 kills, 179 mushroom heads, 68 destroyed, 16 heads regrown
  meteorite blade: max 15, to win 2, 2352 uses, 8138 enemy heads, 11 kills, 1155 mushroom heads, 139 destroyed, 16 heads regrown
  blunt weapon: max 7, 64 uses
  divisor: max 16, to win 10, 421 uses, 1142327 enemy heads, 7 heads regrown
  eradicator: max 2, 85 uses, 12342 enemy heads
  missile: max 4, 2 uses, 4 enemy heads, 4 mushroom heads, 3 heads regrown
    1 total hydras hit by your missiles
  zombie: max 12, 0 uses, 685 enemy heads, 437 heads regrown
    1174 total mushroom heads converted to zombie heads
  non-zombie hydras: max 13, 0 uses, 1218 enemy heads, 1 kills, 38 heads regrown
  ambidexterity: 904 uses, 1171154 enemy heads, 459 kills, 457 mushroom heads, 48 destroyed, 2966 heads regrown, 261 stunned heads cut
    3271 one-hand hits used in ambidextrous attacks
  pickaxe: 12 uses, 12 walls

Testing it out, on the floor I picked it up on. Ended up leaving it there.

  primeslayer: 2 uses

I have no idea where the size limit for this is, but every time I used it, it failed (even though the number was prime). I used the Scroll of the Big Stick on it a couple of times, to no apparent use, and ended up leaving it behind later.

  vorpal: max 8, 449 uses, 5 enemy heads, 2 kills, 517 mushroom heads, 104 destroyed

Picked up a vorpal meteorite blade. Picked it up to use instead of the meteorite dagger, so as to gain a minor health benefit from one-headed hydras.

  axe: max 16, 146 uses, 6 enemy heads, 1 kills

Weapons at the end:
  meteorite vorpal dagger (V1, from Level 33)
    449 uses, 5 enemy heads, 2 kills, 517 mushroom heads, 104 destroyed
  meteorite machete (-2, obtained by reforging, from Level
    567 uses, 22 enemy heads, 4 kills, 122 mushroom heads, 29 destroyed
  meteorite shortsword (-4, obtained by reforging, from Level 15)
    425 uses, 20 enemy heads, 1 kills, 76 mushroom heads, 12 destroyed
  meteorite double sword (-8, obtained by reforging, from Level 26)
    240 uses, 16 enemy heads, 1 kills, 16 mushroom heads, 1 destroyed, 16 heads regrown

This should tell you a lot about my strategy.

  Meteorite Quad Bisector (/16, obtained by reforging, from Level 23)
    132 uses
  Storm Eradicator (R2, from Level 12)
    85 uses
  Meteorite Trisector (/3, obtained by reforging, from Level 41)
    55 uses
  meteorite three-handed sword (-15, obtained by reforging, from Level 21)
    269 uses, 12 enemy heads, 1 kills

Didn't want to make this bigger - with another Power Juice, I could reforge another divisor and take down even bigger hydras quickly and effectively!

  ash scythe of the vinculum ((7, ash shortsword of binding from Level 37)
    64 uses

This was incredibly useful, on many occasions. It was thanks to his scythe that I was able to use a Trisector on the Ancient Dragon in the first round (and thanks to a potion of extreme speed that I was able to stay out of his line of fire until that point).

Best with a prime size that is not a factor of any divisor sword, but that's what scrolls of the big stick are for.

If I'd been allowed two of them, I could have guaranteed a Trisector hit in the first round of any battle (instead of the two-thirds probability I had); unfortunately, they reforge into far more ordinary weapons.

  Meteorite Pentasector (/5, obtained by reforging, from Level 39)
    57 uses

Weapon history:
  (L3) flaming sabre (-3, from Level 1)
    6 uses, 3 enemy heads, 1 kills
  (L4) flaming longsword (-5, from Level 3)
    5 uses
  (L5) frozen double axe (A6, from Level 4)
    12 uses, 6 enemy heads, 1 kills
  (L6) frozen scythe (-7, from Level 5)
    2 uses
  (L9) flaming machete (-2, brought from home)
    68 uses, 30 enemy heads, 15 kills, 20 mushroom heads, 10 destroyed
  (L9) bone dagger (-1, brought from home)
    112 uses, 10 enemy heads, 9 kills, 53 mushroom heads, 49 destroyed
  (L9) ash bastard sword (-9, from a Giant on Level 7)
    20 uses
  (L10) poison halberd (A10, from Level
    19 uses
  (L10) Poison Decimator (/10, from Level 9)
    2 uses

Was a bit too big this early in the game. I took up an acid trisector instead, which grew into a triple bisector.

  (L11) acid triple sword (-12, from Level 10)
    11 uses
  (L12) bone triple sword (-12, from Level 11)
    12 uses
  (L16) bone shortsword (-4, from Level 2)
    129 uses, 12 enemy heads, 1 kills, 20 mushroom heads, 4 destroyed
  (L18) poison bastard sword (-9, from Level 13)
    25 uses
  (L21) flaming shuriken (M4, from Level 20)
    2 uses, 4 enemy heads, 4 mushroom heads, 3 heads regrown
  (L22) bone two-handed sword (-10, from Level 20)
    16 uses, 10 enemy heads, 10 mushroom heads, 1 destroyed
  (L24) Acid Triple Bisector (/8, Acid Trisector from Level 10)
    160 uses, 180 enemy heads, 7 heads regrown
  (L24) Poison Double Bisector (/4, from Level 23)
    4 uses
  (L27) silver double sword (-8, from Level 6)
    258 uses, 64 enemy heads, 1 kills, 32 mushroom heads, 4 destroyed, 16 heads regrown
  (L29) frozen axe of might (A16, acid axe of might from a Giant on Level 18)
    115 uses
  (L31) amethyst pick axe (W1, from Level 30)
    12 uses, 12 walls
  (L33) golden three-handed sword (-15, from Level 29)
    23 uses
  (L34) meteorite dagger (-1, from Level 9)
    851 uses, 10 enemy heads, 4 kills, 528 mushroom heads, 97 destroyed
  (L38) Silver S2 Primeslayer (p2, Silver Primeslayer from Level 32)
    2 uses
  (L40) Bone Double Bisector (/4, from Level 36)
    11 uses
  (L42) chaos blade of dancing (D26, chaos katana of dancing from Level 28)
    124 uses, 44 enemy heads, 2 kills

Monkeys kept stealing this last one, for some reason.

[Z]

Hmmm. Nice game.

Thanks, and congratulations for winning!

I think you may be missing an end-of-line there.

Thanks for noticing!

  primeslayer: 2 uses

I have no idea where the size limit for this is, but every time I used it, it failed (even though the number was prime). I used the Scroll of the Big Stick on it a couple of times, to no apparent use, and ended up leaving it behind later.

Indeed, there was a bug with the Primeslayer, and it basically did not work. Thanks for reporting! Will be fixed in the next version.

Although it should have worked after using Big Stick... but it does not work with ambidexterity, which makes it less useful for the Echidna.

Weapons at the end:
  meteorite vorpal dagger (V1, from Level 33)
    449 uses, 5 enemy heads, 2 kills, 517 mushroom heads, 104 destroyed
  meteorite machete (-2, obtained by reforging, from Level
    567 uses, 22 enemy heads, 4 kills, 122 mushroom heads, 29 destroyed
  meteorite shortsword (-4, obtained by reforging, from Level 15)
    425 uses, 20 enemy heads, 1 kills, 76 mushroom heads, 12 destroyed
  meteorite double sword (-8, obtained by reforging, from Level 26)
    240 uses, 16 enemy heads, 1 kills, 16 mushroom heads, 1 destroyed, 16 heads regrown

This should tell you a lot about my strategy.

The vorpal dagger will become a machette after each attack (and Echidnas cannot simply move away to reverse this). Does not this cause problems with your strategy?

  Storm Eradicator (R2, from Level 12)
    85 uses

Good to see that some people use the Eradicator

  ash scythe of the vinculum ((7, ash shortsword of binding from Level 37)
    64 uses

This was incredibly useful, on many occasions. It was thanks to his scythe that I was able to use a Trisector on the Ancient Dragon in the first round (and thanks to a potion of extreme speed that I was able to stay out of his line of fire until that point).

Best with a prime size that is not a factor of any divisor sword, but that's what scrolls of the big stick are for.

If I'd been allowed two of them, I could have guaranteed a Trisector hit in the first round of any battle (instead of the two-thirds probability I had); unfortunately, they reforge into far more ordinary weapons.

Yeah, probably the best artifact for the Echidna I have checked this, and it seems that you can reforge it and get another one... (which is intentional, although maybe overpowered).

  (L42) chaos blade of dancing (D26, chaos katana of dancing from Level 28)
    124 uses, 44 enemy heads, 2 kills

Monkeys kept stealing this last one, for some reason.

They prefer to steal big weapons, and also weapons which can kill them in one hit.

Thanks again!