ToTRL Competitions: Recover the Amulet of Yendor!

[Slash]

This is the most accurate description of the random nature of rogue I have ever found!

* Slash hates

[Omnivorous]

Level 16 - 4000gold is my record now!

I was unlucky enough to find a great two-handed sword AND decent armours.
Ring of dex+1, Ring of Regeneration = no food.

Ohwell! Was trapped between a Troll and a phantom at the end there, was at 3hp and had no useful items except for possibly an un-IDed scroll. It was a scroll of teleportation! And I managed to go downstairs to regen some.. Then I died of starvation

[Vanguard]

Yeah, just because you find an uncursed ring (a rare enough occurrence itself), doesn't mean you should necessarily wear it.

Edit:

I just got pinned between an ur-vile and a phantom on level 17.  Of course, just to spite me, I died to the phantom immediately after killing the ur-vile.

Level 16 is definitely where you should quit treasure hunting, and just make a break for the amulet.

If I can get some food, preferably a scroll of slow digestion, and a bit of luck, maybe it would be doable to grind monsters for a while on level 12 (after trolls but before wraiths).  

I don't think it's feasible to do this before trolls show up - almost everything before them gives low amounts of experience.  After level 12, wraiths will probably ruin everything.  With a scroll of scare monster, you could pull it off against ur viles and phantoms and wraiths, all good sources of exp, up to level 18, where medusas show up, who will have a high likelihood of killing you off if you try this where they can find you.  I don't know if this is worth it, as a scroll of scare monster is pretty much a get-out-of-jail-free card.

I've read that you can identify a scroll of scare monster without even picking it up, but they didn't say how it was done.  Will monsters not step on one lying on the ground?  Does anyone else have esoteric tips?

[Omnivorous]

Is there any such thing as a uncursed Ring of Tele? I mean even a uncursed ring will just randomly teleport you about, right? It's kindof like putting on a ring is like 'u'se ability..

[Omnivorous]

Ahhh! Just -cannot- get past level 16.

I've found that the challenge with this game is to find _balance_ with your style of playing. At the start you know it can be severe later on if you accidentally equip a cursed shitty longsword. You also know that staffs you find will come in very handy. You also know that rings like Regeneration, Stealth, add STR etc. increases food consumption alot! ..and there might not be much more food in store for you! Anyway what I'm getting at is that I've found that all my characters with the MOST potential (Great rings, nice staffs, enough food, decent gear) die before level 10. Because instead of being moderate, I get greedy.

With these mediocre characters I just use what I got when I have to, and easily run down to level 15-16.

Can't wait till I get one of these uber-characters down to that level! Atleast my last one killed afew trolls, ur-viles and phantoms! (When I was forced to deal with them with the sword) What was sad for this last char was the only armour I had was 2 AC. That doesn't cut it for long at level 16!

This game is abit like chess. Atleast I'm learning more about movement and being careful in dark rooms/after level 15

[Omnivorous]

Ahhh, damned jabberwock at level 24! Ohwell, new record ^^

[Vanguard]

jabberwock at level 24! Ohwell, new record ^^

Ohhh, that's a shame.

24 is impressive.  I've never been that far before.

I say we all just go on a Rogue marathon until someone makes it.  One of us has to get lucky eventually, right?

[Slash]

One of us has to get lucky eventually, right?

No.

[Omnivorous]

I am working on it! This game has far more strategy than I initially thought.. Think "Rogue" is gonna be the first "roguelike" I ever manage to win at this rate.. I keep thinking about playing Crawl, start up Dosbox then go.. "Meh.. ONE quick rogue-run first!" Then I end up doing 4 runs

[Vanguard]

No.

 

I am working on it! This game has far more strategy than I initially thought..

Got any tips to share?

Think "Rogue" is gonna be the first "roguelike" I ever manage to win at this rate..

That would be an extremely impressive first win.  I think a Rogue win is the prestigious victory of all.

[Omnivorous]

Arrrghhh! I downloaded Dos recorder for my next game to try and record a game, and it went extremely well. Got to level 23 again, and AGAIN died to a 'J'. Ofcourse I managed to close Dosbox before going to check out the demo.. messed it up x_x

I'll try to record another later or tomorrow! It took about 20minutes.

Got any tips to share?

I don't know, I just found that guide slash posted extremely helpful.

The playingstyle I've adapted is just to collect all the items I can, exploring all of each area on each level down to 14/15.
I try to get past most of the rattlesnakes before I start quaffing potions.
I try to avoid using 2 rings, ever. Unless I have TONS of food, or there's a dire situation. Take off rings for resting. Rest in the middle of well-lit rooms, so you most likely can start off an encounter by throwing some arrows.

Do not mix staffs/wands. Staffs are staffs in all games, and wands are wands in all games. Wands I usually just ID by zapping in a dark room, or if that doesn't work, at a monster. I try to ID staffs on a semi-hard monster too.

If you have a +3, +2 mace, don't take the risk of equipping an un-IDed two-hander at level 13.. It WILL be -3 and cursed!
I only stick with Leather Armour if it starts out somewhat enchanted and I encounter 2 or more Enchant Armour scrolls.

Below level 16, forget about being conservative with good staffs or items. Now your goal is just to get to the NEXT level. A potion of magic detection can be a life saver! The potions of curse monster are extremely powerful against monsters which don't have TOO much HP. Staffs of polymorph are also VERY good. And I find that Ring of Stealth is the best ring you possibly can wear. Allows you to just tippy-toe around Dragons, Medusas and other nasty foes.

When I never got below level 16, my goal was to just get DEEPER, not win the game. That means I am expecting to die before I reach the amulet. So if you ask me, you can be happy if you die at level 20 with an empty inventory, and be angry with yourself if you die at level 22 with an inventory full of still useful potions/scrolls.

Arrrr.. someone get to those damned Jabberwocks and tell me how to dispose of them.. x_X

[Vanguard]

Arrrr.. someone get to those damned Jabberwocks and tell me how to dispose of them.. x_X

The only time I ever encountered a Jabberwock and lived to tell the tale was because I polymorphed him.

Really, I don't think you're supposed to fight them one on one at all.  They have as much health as you, and do more damage.

Also:

Don't you love it when a two handed sword is generated on the first level after not having seen one for dozens of games, and then you promptly get cornered and killed by a hobgoblin who manages to dodge about seven consecutive attacks?  I know I love it.

If I ever get two rings of slow digestion, I'm just going to sit on floor 11 until I'm level 15 or something, and make everything pay for its crimes against me.

[Omnivorous]

Haha yeah I know, I was thinking that as it killed me. I tried to 'z'ap my staff of polymorph, only to discover (and remember) that in my hurry of doing the run quickly, since I was recording, I was standing on a staircase at level 5 or something, wanting to drop a ring of -1 DEX and instead I dropped a staff and then went down.. I got to pay for that mistake!

Btw, at level 18, I had all my potions identified and I had not found a "Restore STR" yet. However my str was at 14/19 or something, and I had 3 potions of increase STR. I figured "Screw it, I won't find a restore str potion in time. I need to quaff them to raise my str alittle just to maybe survive alittle longer." I quaffed all 3 potions. Found another so my str was 19/19. Then in the next room lies an unidentified potion.... ;P We all know which one. Could've had 23/23 str instead had I kept my cool for 3 rooms more x.x

[Vanguard]

I just died on level 19 because an ur-vile showed up at a dead end, and then when I threw my potion of paralysis at him, it missed, and when I threw a potion of confusion, it didn't do anything.  Those things are my most hated enemies in the game.  Jabberwocks and griffins are worse in every way, but it's just overkill by that point, and most of the time an ur-vile will probably get you before you reach them anyway.  Never seen a dragon before.

[Omnivorous]

Oohh nice. Seems like you're getting more consistent deep runs too. I have never had much success with throwing potions either, at all. I tried it out on some weak monsters when I started playing just to see if it worked, and it didn't so I concluded that throwing potions were useless.

Ohwell, I'm sure you'll reach that depth again but with some staffs that dispose of the ur-viles easily! Heading to bed now. Gonna try again tomorrow! :-)