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KAngband
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- Fixed bug preventing the wiz_create_item debug command from being able to
create Druid and Illusionist books.
- Fixed problem with the names of two of the new amulets.
- Fixed problems with Rogue, Druid and Illusionists being assigned the wrong
list of spells.
- Fixed problem with Bloodspike not being correctly generated in one of the
new quests.
- Fixed an inaccessible area in one of the new quests.
- The "disintegrate" spell will no longer affect permanent grids.
- Upgraded to Angband 2.9.3 codebase.
- Added the quest definition files for the four empty plots. Kangband now
features almost 160 different quests separated into 8 different plots.
- Finally updated the help files.
- Removed the [y/n/k] prompt for object pickup. The functionality can be
achieved using the auto-destroy/auto-pickup menus (see also next item).
- Moved access to the auto-destroy/aut-pickup menus from the
'#' key (which conflicted with the roguelike keyset) to instead be accessed
via the main options screen (press '=').
- Most quest related messages are now shown in color to make them more
visible.
- Fixed various bugs (see changes.txt for details).
- Permanently turned on the functionality of the following options
(which have been removed): "flow_by_sound", "flow_by_smell",
"smart_monsters", "smart_packs", "smart_learn". Also, "smart_cheat"
is now a birth option.
- Added a "fast_flow" option that makes the monster flow code less
CPU intensive (from Zangband/Oangband).
- Added two new flags "GOOD" and "FRIENDLY". Monsters assigned the
'FRIENDLY' flag will fight for the player unless he betrays them.
(l)ooking at a monster will tell you whether it is friendly or not.
- "Friendly" monsters will occasionally be given "pet" status. Pets
have a chance of remaining "friendly" if the player damages them.
- Added commands to control friendly monsters (accessed via '$') and
made friendly monsters smarter (adapted from Zangband).
- Added HURT_LITE, HURT_ACID, HURT_ELEC, HURT_FIRE and HURT_COLD to the
list of available flags for items and players. HURT_LITE prevents
any resistance to light attacks. The others flags prevent temporary
resistance to their respective attack forms. They do but not affect
permanent resistances.
- Also added the "GHOSTLY" and "INVISIBLE" flags for items and players.
These flags make the player "ghostlike" and invisible respectively.
- Added two new races - Ents and Wraiths. Ents are taken pretty much
from Oangband without the hard-coded changes to STR, DEX, etc. Ents
have the HURT_FIRE flag. Wraiths may pass through walls and resist
cold and poison intrinsically. However, they aggravate and are hurt
by light.
- The One Ring now has both the GHOSTLY and INVISIBLE flags as do
Amulets of Doom.
- You can no longer regenerate mana or hitpoints when passing through
walls.
- Added the "ARCHER", "BERSERKER" and "COWARDLY" flags for monsters.
These flags affect how the monster will move towards/from the player.
Archers and cowards attempt to keep some distance between them and
the player. Berserkers will never run away.
- Reworked the way AQUATIC monsters are placed. The game will now try
very hard to place them if a water streamer is generated.
- Clairvoyance and Magic Mapping, will now correctly display terrain
streamers.
Bug Fixes:
- Patches for the latest bug fixes for Angband 2.9.2 applied where
applicable.
- Fixed a bug with the "smart_learn" ability of monsters.
- Fixed a bug with the saving of the cave_special array.
- Fixed a bug with the [y/n/k] prompt not flushing messages properly.
- Fixed various other quest-related bugs and oddities.
Codebase updates:
- Quest designers may now specify the generation of a random artifact,
a specific ego item, a specific item with an appropriate random ego
type or a totally random ego item.
- Removed support for loading savefiles from versions of Kangband older
than 2.8.3(x).
- Various tweaks/additions to the pref files.
New / Changed features:
- Selectively implemented Jonathan Ellis' updates to the *_info.txt
files for objects and artifacts.
- Added an auto-destoy item and auto-pick-up item feature (accessed via
the '#' command) which makes the game automatically destroy or
pick-up an item as the player moves over it. This is not the
"squelch" patch although some code was adapted from that in refining
the original implementation.
- Added the [y/n/k] pick-up prompt from Zangband.
- Added the "Time of day" command from Zangband ('[' in the roguelike
key set).
- Studying spells is now done via the 'G' command rather than in the
buildings.
- Items created via the debugging mode commands 'g' and 'v' will now
be created unid'd. Use cheat_iden if you want this functionality.
- Mages and Illusionists now require progressively less energy to use
wands and rods. Priests and Druids require progressively less energy
to use staves.
Bug fixes:
- Patches for the latest bug fixes for Angband 2.9.2 applied where
applicable.
- You no longer receive inappropriate 'feeling' messages in the Arena
or in fixed quests.
- Specified ego items (where sensible) are now generated in the fixed
quests.
- Various problems with the towns/quests fixed.
- Upgraded the source code base to Angband 2.9.2. (See the change logs
for standard Angband for details).
- Changed some minor feature differences so as to conform Kangband
more closely with standard Angband (mostly combat stuff).
- Conformed vault generation with standard Angband. The customized
vaults will be added back in the next version via a different
methodology.
- Updated building and quest-handling code to that of Zangband 2.4.0.
This necessitated some changes to quests and buildings. Note that
characters loaded from earlier versions will have their arena and
quest information reset as a result of this change.
- Entering and leaving quests is now done via the '<' and '>' commands.
- Added a Maia race similar to that of Oangband (from where the stats
and histories were taken). Maia have intrinsic regeneration and
slowed digestion. Unlike Oangband, their score is not adjusted.
- The temporary high resistances available to certain classes are now
cummulative with the permanent high resistances and offer the same
protection from magical attack side effects (such as stunning and
confusion).
- The Monster AI options now factor in the temporary resistances when
choosing which spell a monster will cast.
- Made some changes to allow 'magical items' to be artifacts and added
four new artifact rods. The name 'Rod of Delving' was taken from
Oangband but the effect is somewhat different.
- Rod of Delving (Stone-to-Mud)
- Rod of Hidden Ways (Dimension Door)
- Rod of Unsung Heroes (Berserk Rage, Haste Self, Remove Fear)
- Rod of Illusions (Ghostliness, Invisibility, See Invisible)
- Added the "No confirm to destroy known worthless items." option from
Zangband.
- The cheat_flav option was replaced with cheat_iden which makes the
game behave as if all items have been *identified* when describing
them.
- Monsters with quality drops may now also drop Rings of Lordly
Protection and Rings of Extra Attacks.
- Vorpal weapons now do a flat 1/3 extra damage *after* factoring in
weapon damage bonuses but the effect only kicks in half the time.
This needs to be playtested.
- Vampiric weapons have had caps on their life draining removed but
no longer drain monsters every blow. This needs to be playtested.
- The chaotic effects produced by Chaos brand weapons have been changed
so that you will now get a player-centered, radius 2 ball of either
chaos or disenchantment if the chaotic effect goes off.
- Replaced the Mage's 'Resist Poison' spell with 'Resist Electricity'.
- Fixed a bug with the 'Resist Cold' spell.
- Fixed a bug with the separation of confusion and chaos and the
smart_cheat option.
- Fixed a bug with *ID-ing* certain artifacts.
- Fixed a bug with the "Immolation" spell in Purifications and Healing
which was intended to be "Dispel Demons (x6)" but actually dispelled
undead. Since dispelling demons doesn't fit with the theme of that
book, the spell was moved to Wrath of God with altered minimum level
and mana costs and reduced to x4.
- Applied all the Angband 2.9.1 bug-fix patches available on
Thangorodrim.
- Updated the makefiles using gcc to use the '-fno-strength-reduce'
switch.
- Assigning the "LEVITATION" flag as an intrinsic racial
ability via p_info.txt should now have the appropriate effect.
- Fixed a bug with the timed levitation spell (which necessitated an
increment to the version number).
- Fixed a bug that allowed cast spells to bypass the adult_ironman
option and scrolls/rods of recall to bypass the time/space anchor.
- Fixed a bug with the adult_no_stores option that let you enter the
special buildings when it was set.
- You may no longer cross the "Chasm" terrain when levitating. This is
in preparation for adding chasm streamers deep in the dungeon.
- Crossing lava is now allowed without fire resitance or levitation.
However, you will take varying amounts of damage without these. Only
fire immunity provides complete protection. Taken from Zangband.
- Crossing deep water when overburdened is now allowed. However, you
will take damage from doing so unless you are levitating. Taken
from Zangband.
- If the Illusion spell 'Shadow Form' expires while the player is
moving through rock, the player will now take damage from being
crushed. Adapted from Zangband.
- Fixed a problem with the 'Unknown Building' quest in the 'Haunting
of Telamoor' plot which resulted in a 'nothing' object being
created.
- Added various missing entries to font-ibm.prf, font-xxx.prf and
font-new.prf (but have not checked for completeness). In most cases,
this was done by assigning tiles used by Zangband for similar (in
some sense) things.
- Added a new cheating option which identifies all flavored. When in
use, the game behaves as if all flavored items are known to the
player. Switching off the option restores the original behaviour.
About Kangband 2.9.1
In February 2000, Mark Howson anounced that he would be discontinuing
development of Kangband. This was, in my opinion, a great loss to the
Angband community as Kangband has historically been a significant
influence on some of the most popular and innovative variants as
well as being a great game in its own right.
After waiting several months for someone to volunteer to pick up where
Mark left off, I decided that if no-one else was going to do so, I would.
What this means for Kangband is continued development of the 2.8.3jp1
branch. The python-enhanced version Mark was working on is not dead,
but is certainly dormant for the foreseable future.
Kangband 2.9.1 represents an update of 2.8.3jp1 to the standard Angband
2.9.1 codebase. No new features have been added other than those inherent
in the code-base upgrade. Going forward, I intend to keep the codebase as
similar to standard Angband as possible while continuing to develop
Kangband along its current lines. Future versions will include an upgrade
to the quest system incorporating many of the enhancements other variants
with quests have added since 2.8.3j was released, a move closer to Tolkien
in terms of the monster and item listings, a reworking of the magic realms
and a general rebalancing to suit my personal preferences.
Review of Kangband 2.8.3c
The most radical change in KAngband is the new town-level. Ken added many new buildings
and a wilderness. Other changes are: a new race - Kobold, class - Illusionist,
terrain features and user definable quests.
There are class-specific buildings in town like Fighters-Hall, Order of Paladins,
Rangers-Tavern, and Tower of Sorcery. Here players can receive rewards from the
guild-master, spellcasters learn spells, weapons and armor can be repaired,
possessions identified, magic devices will be recharged and healing may be offered.
Other special buildings like the Library, Castle, Inn, Arena and Gambling House are
open for everyone. You can research your items (*Identify*) in the Library, try your
luck with gambling, fight monsters in the Arena to become the Champion, and receive
quests and rewards from the King. Rewards include your house, entrance to the weapon
master (compares you weapons damage potential) and the beast master (gives you
complete information about monsters), access to all guild halls, and magical items.
Some of the quests are simple 'kill 10 Hill-Orcs' quests, other quests open entrances
to special areas in the wilderness like a thieves hideout, a volcano, or a nest of
dragons. New usermade quests can be added, a detailed description is included with
the game.
KAngband has a new race - the Kobold and a new class - the Illusionist. The Kobold is
taken from Greg Wooledge's GWAngband and has poison
resistance. The Illusionist is a magelike character. He lacks offensive and
teleport self spells in the first levels, and has no identify,
word of recall, globe of invulnerability, teleport other,
or satisfy hunger spell. This class is seriously underpowered and the
slow monster, confuse monster, ... spells are no replacement in my
opinion.
Maybe I've just not found the right strategy for the Illusionist.
The mage and illusionist class can only wield a dagger or a quarterstaff, all other
weapons have penalties to hit and damage. Spellcasters can no longer learn new spells
in the dungeon, they must return to town and train them in the guild. I really hope
Ken powers up the spellcasters in the next version, KAngband seems to be geared toward
the fighter classes with all the options in the new buildings (identify, heal, enchant
weapons/armor/bows/arrows).
The new terrain features like lava, trees, water and mountains are very promising.
You can walk through shallow water and lava (if you have fire resistance). Deep water
can be an obstacle if you can't swim with your heavy gear and deep lava is impossible
to walk over. You can chop (tunnel) your way through the trees, mountains can't be
crossed and are a natural barrier. This can change the strategy of the player in
various ways, a level with a subterranean sea is nice for killing monsters with your
bow or spells from the other shore and nasty if you are attacked by monsters with a
ranged attack. The rivers of deep lava can divide a level into several parts and you
need a teleport spell (and some luck) to reach the other side. The new spell-effects,
promised for the next release, will affect the terrain (grow forest, freeze water,
cool lava, ...). This may allow completely new tactics.
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17th April 2003
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