QuickHack 1.4.2!

[wire_hall_medic]

New this version:
Gold now adjusted based on the difficulty of the class you select.
Level generation much faster, particularly cave levels.
Lava caverns now have a significant number of pillars between the platforms.
Help text file included.
Launch batch file included.

Download at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6oeeUZo0SLSSDlDSVh1QV92UDg
RogueBasin page http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment.org/index.php?title=QuickHack

[spelk]

Excellent!

Really like the modifications you've made.

I couldn't get the batch file to work on my Win7 laptop, it said it couldn't find "javaw", but if I just right click and select Open on the JAR file it works fine still.

A suggestion I have, that hasn't really bothered me much, but I think would help players - would be to have pressing 'e' in the inventory screen equip the current item, but remain in the inventory screen selection. If you want to do some item swapping, or even dropping - having the game close the inventory after one selection means equipping more items becomes a dip in and dip out procedure that just interrupts the equipping process. A minor UI issue though.

I like the pillars in the lava levels, adding some structure to it all.  Top Stuff!

Thanks for the update!

[getter77]

The trend of nothing but nifty updates to this continues I see...   

[wire_hall_medic]

A) Thank you (both).

B) The reason it kicks you out of the inventory screen, is because equipping takes time.  I didn't want players digging around in their inventory while the baddies stabbed them to death.  At least not without knowing what's going on.

[spelk]

B) The reason it kicks you out of the inventory screen, is because equipping takes time.  I didn't want players digging around in their inventory while the baddies stabbed them to death.  At least not without knowing what's going on.

Ahhhhh! I didn't realise the time spent in your inventory was a chunk of game time as such. That sort of clever detail must have passed me by. Now that I know this, I shall endeavour to only tidy up the inventory, when I've cleared a level. So there is no danger, when doing the OCD housekeeping in my inventory

Would it be possible to to know when a level is clear and there is no danger, and subsequently allow you to do this housekeeping without dropping back to the game? Yet keep the dropout to maintain situational awareness when you are in danger? I know this sounds like a lot of fuss over something quite trivial in UI terms. Just a thought anyway. Tell me if I'm hounding you a little too much, and I'll stop

Something else I've found, more tied in to the way I play the game, is I rarely ever take a chance on a token. Whilst the benefits of them can be advantageous, the risk factor of a random monster ambush, or something negative being applied to my character, more or less outweighs the decision for me to take that chance. I do like the mechanic, but in order to get anywhere I need to be ultra cautious with every action I take, so then including a lucky dip in those actions, often has my spidey senses tingling way too much.

Just wondered if other players of the game, have had a similar experience with the tokens?

[wire_hall_medic]

Well, as long as there's nothing hostile aware of you, you're pretty safe mucking out your inventory.  Going into and out of it are free, but actually equipping, dropping, or using an item cost.  Next game I'll probably make it free; it wound up being a case of realism getting in the way of fun.

I've debated having a notification when a level is clear, but just never got around to it.  I might still do it at some point, but QuickHack's low priority at the moment; I consider it done, and just come back and tinker every now an then.

I haven't gotten a lot of feedback on the tokens; my feedback overall has actually been pretty limited.  I personally clear the room (but not the level) before picking them up.  My wife is terrified by them, but can't resist the possibility of sweet, sweet loot, so she will clear earlier levels before picking them up, or just the room in later levels.  She only skips them if she's out of potions and wounded.

As there's no hunger mechanic, if I get a detrimental effect, I'll often just wait until a monster wanders into the same room as me, or the effect expires.

Also, it's subtle, but you know that little yellow exclamation mark when an enemy becomes aware of you?  That means they're surprised for a turn (1.0 seconds, regardless of their speed).  If a critter does wander in while you're organizing your backpack, you'll have a little time to react.

[Legend]

I like the tokens. It adds a nice and simple but fun risk vs. reward mechanic.  And it gives the feel of potions/scrolls that could be cursed without having to lug them around and try to identify them.

It would be kinda cool if there was one that gave you the ability to know what others do before using them. Only for a limited time though of course.

Something I think would be cool for your game would be a different end game screen depending on how much gold you had collected. Something like a nicer more elaborate grave stone screen for the higher the amount of gold/score you have when you die.

Fatal Labyrinth did something similar on the genesis. A little feature that I always felt would have been nice if it was implemented more often for simpler games such as quickhack that are mainly about playing for score.