Nethack 4 (now at v4.3-beta1)

[Samildanach]

anyone know how this is different then unnethack?

This recent blog post from the Nethack 4 maintainer sheds a little light on it:

the reason I dislike many changes made in SporkHack and UnNetHack is that they reduce the headroom of the game without sufficient compensation. In SporkHack, if you want a good weapon, you sacfest at an altar; most of the methods of obtaining good weapons have been removed, but not that one. UnNetHack doesn't have anything quite as glaring, but its limitations on wishing mean that players are forced into more traditional (i.e. less resource-intensive) ascension kits, reducing variety in the game, because weirder strategies are too resource-intensive.

Not hugely descriptive but sums up the difference in design philosophy between Nethack 4 and Unnethack.

[mushroom patch]

Hm, I can't download a binary for this game that works on my mother's 15 year old computer. How can I play this game if it's not downloaded onto my mother's computer? As someone who has been playing nethack on a local machine since my mother bought her computer, I am not aware of any possibilities for playing nethack other than downloading it and double clicking the nethack icon.

Also, why do they still allow people to play with vi keys? I don't even know what vi is, but if I did, I would claim that no one has been using vi since my mother bought her computer in 1999. These new nethack developers need to step into the twenty-first century, because no one uses vi or anything like vi anymore (whatever that is). But please post 32 bit windows binaries!

[Bear]

It's a little strange to see "nobody uses vi anymore" in the same post with "I need 32-bit Windows binaries."  Just sayin'. 

'Cos in my universe they were approximately contemporary with each other, and both of them ended about a decade ago.

[mushroom patch]

Interesting. In my universe there's no such thing as vi and 32-bit windows binaries are what I need to double click the nethack icon.

[Krice]

Also, why do they still allow people to play with vi keys?

It's not a problem if there is an option to use numpad which makes keys like k - kick and l - loot. If you change that and think people can adjust to ctrl+D for kick and alt-L for loot you are wrong.

Small annoying detail is also , for eating from ground. They replaced eat it (y/n) with , key. Why "fix" something that works?

This sounds like a minor problem, but after a while hitting k for kick and l for loot and watching the character move I quit the game and wont play it again.

[Krice]

'Cos in my universe they were approximately contemporary with each other, and both of them ended about a decade ago.

Some computers at work can be older model. My home computer has 64-bit OS.

[mushroom patch]

'Cos in my universe they were approximately contemporary with each other, and both of them ended about a decade ago.

Some computers at work can be older model. My home computer has 64-bit OS.

Woah, that poses a difficult problem for the working nethacker. So how could a nethack player who works at a call center or whatever play nethack without access to a 32-bit windows binary?

Hey, I've got another scenario: What if you work for an employer that restricts your ability to install software on your machine. I understand the US military has such requirements for some positions. How could you play nethack then?

Follow up, suppose, like me, you use several different computers in your work. For example, I use the iMac in my office, my laptop, and a 32 core UNIX server. How could I play nethack on all of these systems without needing to pass my savefiles from system to system and without worrying about savefile compatibility?

[Bear]

For example, I use the iMac in my office, my laptop, and a 32 core UNIX server. How could I play nethack on all of these systems without needing to pass my savefiles from system to system and without worrying about savefile compatibility?

That would be what ssh is for (or telnet, if you are very careful to sandbox the account you play nethack on). 

[mushroom patch]

Oh, woah. That's a great idea. I could use ssh or telnet.

But wait, Bear, what could I do about the other two scenarios?

[Krice]

How could I play nethack on all of these systems without needing to pass my savefiles from system to system and without worrying about savefile compatibility?

I don't care.

[mushroom patch]

How could I play nethack on all of these systems without needing to pass my savefiles from system to system and without worrying about savefile compatibility?

I don't care.

Yeah, computers are hard.