The Sewer Massacre 1.0

[Grue]

I'm pleased to announce the release of The Sewer Massacre 1.0, which will
without doubt mark the milestone of roguelike gaming. Product of the secret
alien technology, this version improves greatly on the earlier 7drl version,
adding new monsters, new effects (such as poisoning) and intense gameplay, which
will keep you on the toes until your character meets a bloody death.

Discover the secrets of the underground, now!

>http://common-lisp.net/project/lifp/sewers.htm<

Windows and Linux binaries are available, as well as the source code.

Warning: this is one of the most challenging roguelikes available. If you like
your roguelikes nice and easy you're adviced to stay away from The Sewer
Massacre. Are you the fire, or just another flame?

Have fun!

[Adral]

Hey, thank you for releasing a Linux version!

I'm going to download the game now, I'd like to put some comments later (or tomorrow), if you'd like to read them

[Adral]

Self reply, FOR GREAT JUSTICE!

Ok, so I tried the game. It's actually pretty fun to do some short Sewer-delving adventures for a while

Here is my hiscore file:

Code: [Select]

(("Adral" 238. . "[killed by mutant on L6]")
 ("Adral" 98. . "[killed by lab rat on L2]")
 ("Adral" 12. . "[killed by lab rat on L1]")
 ("Adral" 0. . "[killed by bat on L1]"))

Now, some comments on the game:
* It is too much luck-dependant. I know it is aimed to be hard, and I know it is aimed to be a short game, but hell. That 238 points came from the fact the first 4 potions I drank all raised my stats (+2 AWA, +2 DEX), making the game easier from that point on. Also, I died having baseball cap (+1 +0, I think) an axe (+1, +2), and a t-shirt. I got from 5 HP or so to -1 *in a turn*. That, to me, is not "difficulty", but randomness.
* I need a character screen . I'd like to know the damage I am doing, my to-hit chance, protection, defense, etc, without having to source-dive.
* Mortems! Mortems are a fun way to share your stories about a certain character.

Anyway, congratulations for the game. It is very enjoyable, and the controls are *really* easy to pick up and use which is a great thing to have in a roguelike. I just miss that little things mentioned before (and a *objective* for the game ) to have it as a great time-sinker for small moments

Good work!

[Grue]

Yes, luck does matter a lot, but tactics are also important. You're probably doing the standard clean level - descend approach, but it's not the best strategy. Running away from monsters also can help.

The game should generate a mortem file, mortem.txt.

The character screen... well, the combat mechanics are really simple, and I haven't thought that displaying all those parameters would be useful - of course that's because I knew them anyway. You have a point here.

Good that it's working for you under Linux. I was a bit worried that the Linux binaries would fail horribly on most systems or something.

[Slash]

Congrats Grue! Will give it a look tomorrow

[Adral]

Yes, luck does matter a lot, but tactics are also important. You're probably doing the standard clean level - descend approach, but it's not the best strategy. Running away from monsters also can help.

That's what I did on earlier levels. However, you've got a point, perhaps I should have ran away from that horrible, horrible mutant (although if I recall correctly, I was trapped in a room with only 1 exit).

Still, I think there should be some way to mitigate luck a bit more, perhaps making some special drinks which *always* increase a stat or something. I'll play a bit more, though. But I think that some monsters maybe do *too much* damage.

The game should generate a mortem file, mortem.txt.

D'oh. It's called morgue.txt, and I totally missed it

So here's the official high score mortem:

Code: [Select]

The Sewer Massacre 1.0 character dump
----------------------------------------
HP:-1/10  STR:3  DEX:5  AWA:6
Level:6   Deepest level visited:6   Cash: $238
Status: [killed by mutant on L6]
Score: 238

Inventory
---------

Last messages
-------------
Mutant tries to hack at you, but misses.
You try to hack at mutant, but miss.
Mutant tries to hack at you, but misses.
You hack at mutant.
Mutant hacks at you.
You try to hack at mutant, but miss.
Mutant tries to hack at you, but misses.
You try to hack at mutant, but miss.
Mutant tries to hack at you, but misses.
You hack at mutant.
Mutant dies.
Giant rat gets angry.
You hack at giant rat.
Giant rat dies.
You try to hack at mutant, but miss.
Mutant punches you.
You try to hack at mutant, but miss.
Mutant punches you.
You die...


Kills
-----
mutant: 1
sewer alligator: 2
ooze: 6
turtle: 3
rous: 4
snake: 6
giant rat: 13
bat: 5
spider: 10
lab rat: 7
rat: 17

Total kills: 74
So here's a bug report: my inventory appears empty, but I can assure you it wasn't empty at all

Good that it's working for you under Linux. I was a bit worried that the Linux binaries would fail horribly on most systems or something.

Not only works, but mine is a 64-bit system! So the Linux test is easily passed

EDIT!: A "rest until healed/a monster is on sight" button would be a nice addition, in my opinion

[Grue]

OMG, that inventory bug is horrible! That's because monsters drop all their items when dying... Gotta put up a fix...

EDIT: The fixed files are up.

[myd]

A really nice diversion from the usual EXP based roguelikes. I also enjoyed the setting (it reminds me a little bit of Earthbound).

I agree with Adral, some kind of simple goal might be a good addition to keep players motivated.

Keep up the good work! 

[Slash]

The Sewer Massacre 1.0 character dump
----------------------------------------
HP:0/14  STR:3  DEX:2  AWA:5
Level:4   Deepest level visited:4   Cash: $198
Status: [killed by ooze on L4]
Score: 198

Inventory
---------
baseball cap -1 +2 [equipped]
axe +0 +1 [equipped]
axe -1 +0
knife
knife
juice can
t-shirt +0 -1
cola can
knife +0 +2

Last messages
-------------
Ooze bumps into you.
You try to hack at ooze, but miss.
You try to hack at ooze, but miss.
Ooze tries to bump into you, but misses.
You hack at ooze.
Ooze tries to bump into you, but doesn't cause any harm.
You try to hack at ooze, but miss.
You try to hack at ooze, but miss.
Ooze tries to bump into you, but misses.
You try to hack at ooze, but miss.
Ooze tries to bump into you, but doesn't cause any harm.
Ooze gets angry.
You try to hack at ooze, but miss.
Ooze tries to bump into you, but misses.
You try to hack at ooze, but miss.
Ooze tries to bump into you, but doesn't cause any harm.
Ooze bumps into you.
Ouch! You are splashed with acid!
You die...


Kills
-----
ooze: 1
snake: 2
rous: 6
giant rat: 10
turtle: 3
lab rat: 5
rat: 15
spider: 7
bat: 7

Total kills: 56

Nice game, I like the simplicity, the green $ and the cola effects.... very nice for a lunch-break play!

Continuous Walk command and displaying the damage you cause with the weapon would be nice.

Also, some sewerish stuff like

• Dirty water
• Piled up garbage
• Wide corridors with water in the middle (like sewer channels you know)
• Small pipes between corridors

would add to the theme

Thank you!

[Grue]

Hmm, you should'+ve run away from that ooze, they're slow. Or drink some stuff. Having an axe on L4 is quite lucky to waste a character like that!   

Yeah, I was thinking about adding all that cosmetic stuff, but I was a little short on time, so I decided to drop it for this version. And it would look like I'm ripping off from Corremn's game SewerJacks, which has some nice water effects...

[corremn]

Yeah, I was thinking about adding all that cosmetic stuff, but I was a little short on time, so I decided to drop it for this version. And it would look like I'm ripping off from Corremn's game SewerJacks, which has some nice water effects...

...and some really bizzare  combat mechanics

It was Slash that suggested that I do murky water anyway, and my effects are not very sewer-like either, and your game came before mine so lets not talk about who ripped off who

I came up with some cool sewer level algorithms but it did not suit the play style of my game.  And yes add some sewerage.
But seeing that you have reached version 1, I am guessing you are happy with the final look of your game. Or do you intend to develop it more, other that bug fixing?

Keep up the good work and hopefully I will get past level 4 soon.