Ways to keep your sanity through Gehennom

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

I'm taking my third non-wizard through Gehennom right now and it is
irritating the hell out of me. The thing is so damn long and each level
takes so damn long searching for the down stairs. To relieve my mind
somewhat of this irritation I've started up a list of how to get through
Gehennom without losing your sanity:

1) Write lots of scrolls of magic mapping.
2) Cast magic mapping if you know it, wish for a spellbook of magic
mapping if you don't.
3) Have a light source, or ideally, a magic lamp.
4) Use a pick-axe whenever you get into a dead end, or anytime you run
into a wall if you feel like it.
5) Tame lots of umber hulks and drag through Gehennom using a magic
whistle.
6) Give a pick-axe to a tame humanoid that can use it.
7) If you have a means of teleportation, just continue teleporting
randomly and hope you find the up stairs.
8) Dig holes through the floor and spend time looking for the up stairs
instead of the down stairs.
9) If you know digging, cast it often. Otherwise, use wands of digging.

Any others?

--
~ Cyde Weys ~

Mana du vortes, mana du vortes
Aeria gloris, aeria gloris

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

I like the umber hulk and tame pick-axe dwarf ideas, but I always
handle Genhennom with wands of digging.

A spell of magic mapping (which reveals staircases and thus makes
finding Vlad's a breeze) combined with a wand of digging can usually
provide a quick route between stairs with three zaps or less.
Minotaurs carry wands of digging often enough that it's rare to have to
resort to recharging.

The other thing I'd suggest is, when searching for the vibrating
square, to remember that it can't appear too close to the outside
walls. Once I find it, I usually drop single gold pieces around it as
a way of remembering its location. It's true that a wealth-loving
monster can scarf them up, but it doesn't matter so long as you don't
have line-of-sight to that area upon entering the level.

- John H.

Cyde Weys wrote:
> I'm taking my third non-wizard through Gehennom right now and it is
> irritating the hell out of me. The thing is so damn long and each level
> takes so damn long searching for the down stairs. To relieve my mind
> somewhat of this irritation I've started up a list of how to get through
> Gehennom without losing your sanity:
>
> 1) Write lots of scrolls of magic mapping.
> 2) Cast magic mapping if you know it, wish for a spellbook of magic
> mapping if you don't.
> 3) Have a light source, or ideally, a magic lamp.
> 4) Use a pick-axe whenever you get into a dead end, or anytime you run
> into a wall if you feel like it.
> 5) Tame lots of umber hulks and drag through Gehennom using a magic
> whistle.
> 6) Give a pick-axe to a tame humanoid that can use it.
> 7) If you have a means of teleportation, just continue teleporting
> randomly and hope you find the up stairs.
> 8) Dig holes through the floor and spend time looking for the up stairs I l
> instead of the down stairs.
> 9) If you know digging, cast it often. Otherwise, use wands of digging.
>
> Any others?
>
> --
> ~ Cyde Weys ~
>
> Mana du vortes, mana du vortes
> Aeria gloris, aeria gloris

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Cyde Weys wrote:

> 1) Write lots of scrolls of magic mapping.
> 2) Cast magic mapping if you know it, wish for a spellbook of magic
> mapping if you don't.

That's the opposite of what I would do!

If you map a maze level, how can you tell what you haven't seen in it
already?

I recommend just getting better at exploring the mazes. NOT mapping
and NOT digging will help!

> 3) Have a light source, or ideally, a magic lamp.

Yes.

> 4) Use a pick-axe whenever you get into a dead end, or anytime you run
> into a wall if you feel like it.
> 5) Tame lots of umber hulks and drag through Gehennom using a magic
> whistle.
> 6) Give a pick-axe to a tame humanoid that can use it.

No, never!

> 7) If you have a means of teleportation, just continue teleporting
> randomly and hope you find the up stairs.

Ick. But, instead of digging at a dead end, I back up or teleport to
the last "fork" in the maze to continue exploring it.

> 8) Dig holes through the floor and spend time looking for the up stairs
> instead of the down stairs.
> 9) If you know digging, cast it often. Otherwise, use wands of digging.

Ugh.

> Any others?

Seriously, they're not as hard as they seem at first. Just get more
proficient at it.

In the old days, nice things were hidden under boulders at a dead end.
Sometimes that's still true, so be sure to check under boulders.

After I've explored the whole level, I dig a path between the sets of
stairs before going down to the next level.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Brien K. Meehan wrote:

> Seriously, [mazes] not as hard as they seem at first. Just get more
> proficient at it.

Ugh, I'm great at doing mazes, I just don't feel like doing twenty
trivial form-identical mazes in a row while having to face all sorts of
monsters. I'd much rather take whatever short-cuts are available.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Jakob Creutzig wrote:

> Btw, please consider citing only relevant lines of the previous
> article, and put comments below the lines they comment. In my
> experience, this makes postings much better readable.

To what are you referring? I do trim excess quotage and I never
top-post.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Cyde Weys wrote:
> Brien K. Meehan wrote:
>
> > Seriously, [mazes] not as hard as they seem at first. Just get more
> > proficient at it.
>
> Ugh, I'm great at doing mazes, I just don't feel like doing twenty
> trivial form-identical mazes in a row while having to face all sorts of
> monsters. I'd much rather take whatever short-cuts are available.

In my last few games I #twoweaponed a (preferably foo-proof +7)
pick-axe and a silver saber through Gehenom. I switched to an artifact
for my primary weapon only when encountering something really tough.
With auto-digging, it means I don't have the annoyance of switching
between my weapons each time I encounter something. I also think that
using a +7 pickaxe makes digging quicker (Never really tested it, just
my general impression).


knnn.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Cyde Weys wrote:

> I'm taking my third non-wizard through Gehennom right now and it is
> irritating the hell out of me. The thing is so damn long and each level
> takes so damn long searching for the down stairs. To relieve my mind
> somewhat of this irritation I've started up a list of how to get through
> Gehennom without losing your sanity:
>

Don't search for the downstairs at all, teleport to the bottom level and
search for the upstairs. It helps if you can find something like an Arch
Lich as they will teleport to the stairs and can be chased up to the level
above. Most of my ascensions end up mapping or searching Gehennom
exhaustively on those levels where Vlad's tower could hide, and of course
walking all of the lowest level, but levels in between have the up and down
stairs mapped and tunnels dug for a short path between.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Cyde Weys wrote:

> I'm taking my third non-wizard through Gehennom right now and it is
> irritating the hell out of me. The thing is so damn long and each level
> takes so damn long searching for the down stairs. To relieve my mind
> somewhat of this irritation I've started up a list of how to get through
> Gehennom without losing your sanity:
....
> 7) If you have a means of teleportation, just continue teleporting
> randomly and hope you find the up stairs.

This seems like an even faster way to lose your sanity to me

> 8) Dig holes through the floor and spend time looking for the up stairs
> instead of the down stairs.
>
> Any others?

Combined with 8), judicious use of an arch-lich/named demon.

--
Benjamin Lewis

"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips
over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come."
--Matt Groening

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

John H. wrote:

> Cyde Weys wrote:
>> [...] how to get through Gehennom without losing your sanity:
>
> The other thing I'd suggest is, when searching for the vibrating
> square, to remember that it can't appear too close to the outside
> walls. Once I find it, I usually drop single gold pieces around it as
> a way of remembering its location. It's true that a wealth-loving
> monster can scarf them up, but it doesn't matter so long as you don't
> have line-of-sight to that area upon entering the level.

I like zapping a wand/spell of light on the square. Occasionally I also do
this at all the up/down stairs in Gehennom.

--
Benjamin Lewis

"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips
over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come."
--Matt Groening

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Seraphim wrote:
> "Cyde Weys" <cyde@umd.edu> wrote in news:1119531362.790164.50360
> @o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:
>
> > Jakob Creutzig wrote:
> >
> >> Btw, please consider citing only relevant lines of the previous
> >> article, and put comments below the lines they comment. In my
> >> experience, this makes postings much better readable.
> >
> > To what are you referring? I do trim excess quotage and I never
> > top-post.
>
> But do you look at attributions?
> Jakobs post said ""John H." <JohnWH@gmail.com> writes:", and as you arn't
> John H. it is probably safe to assume he wasn't talking to you when he
> said that.

Yeah I do ... not my fault this time though, at the time Google Groups
was threading it as a direct reply to me. Google Groups has some
really weird propagation issues sometimes ... ah well, the thread
appears to be properly sorted out now.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Cyde Weys <cyde@umd.edu> writes:

> I'm taking my third non-wizard through Gehennom right now and it is
> irritating the hell out of me. The thing is so damn long and each level
> takes so damn long searching for the down stairs. To relieve my mind
> somewhat of this irritation I've started up a list of how to get through
> Gehennom without losing your sanity:
>
> 1) Write lots of scrolls of magic mapping.
> 2) Cast magic mapping if you know it, wish for a spellbook of magic
> mapping if you don't.

Absolutely. Gehennom is the reason why I refuse to play
illiterate.

> Any others?

Dig down with /oDiggin until you are below a demon prince; chase
him up the levels (he'll teleport to the upstairs to heal).
Dig-intensive method, maybe risk of summonimg Demogorgon.

Best,
Jakob

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

"John H." <JohnWH@gmail.com> writes:

> I like the umber hulk and tame pick-axe dwarf ideas, but I always
> handle Genhennom with wands of digging.
>
> A spell of magic mapping (which reveals staircases and thus makes
> finding Vlad's a breeze) combined with a wand of digging can usually
> provide a quick route between stairs with three zaps or less.
> Minotaurs carry wands of digging often enough that it's rare to have to
> resort to recharging.

Wands of teleport still work when zapped on you if you carry
the amulet. I don't know whether this is intended or not,
but it speeds up the final race even more.

> The other thing I'd suggest is, when searching for the vibrating
> square, to remember that it can't appear too close to the outside
> walls. Once I find it, I usually drop single gold pieces around it as
> a way of remembering its location.

I usually just drop the bell and candelabrum. Even if a monster should
pick them up (would they? Never experienced that yet. Covetuous
monsters would presumably.), my char will still remember their original
positions and travel there when he got the book.

Btw, please consider citing only relevant lines of the previous
article, and put comments below the lines they comment. In my
experience, this makes postings much better readable.

Best,
Jakob

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

"Brien K. Meehan" <brien@networkgenius.com> writes:

> Cyde Weys wrote:
>
> > 1) Write lots of scrolls of magic mapping.
> > 2) Cast magic mapping if you know it, wish for a spellbook of magic
> > mapping if you don't.
>
> That's the opposite of what I would do!
>
> If you map a maze level, how can you tell what you haven't seen in it
> already?
>
> I recommend just getting better at exploring the mazes. NOT mapping
> and NOT digging will help!

Well, that's a matter of preferences. If I have a char ready
for Gehennom, she's usually more than capable of wiping the
floor with almost anyone except perhaps Demogorgon and/or Rodney,
and she has no need for any further gear. Hence, exploring
Gehennom is just a painful waste of time, and everything which
shortens this is Good.

Best,
Jakob

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

"Cyde Weys" <cyde@umd.edu> writes:

> Jakob Creutzig wrote:
>
> > Btw, please consider citing only relevant lines of the previous
> > article, and put comments below the lines they comment. In my
> > experience, this makes postings much better readable.
>
> To what are you referring?

Not to what, to whom. To the previous poster,
John H., of course.

Best,
Jakob

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

"Knnn" <knnn@go.com> writes:

> Cyde Weys wrote:
> > Brien K. Meehan wrote:
> >
> > > Seriously, [mazes] not as hard as they seem at first. Just get more
> > > proficient at it.
> >
> > Ugh, I'm great at doing mazes, I just don't feel like doing twenty
> > trivial form-identical mazes in a row while having to face all sorts of
> > monsters. I'd much rather take whatever short-cuts are available.
>
> In my last few games I #twoweaponed a (preferably foo-proof +7)
> pick-axe and a silver saber through Gehenom.

Nice idea. Would be nice if that would produce a nice
message "You hit the rock with all your might. Your
silver saber doesn't seem to be very effective. You
succeed in cutting away some rock.".

Best,
Jakob

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Jakob Creutzig wrote:
> Hence, exploring
> Gehennom is just a painful waste of time, and everything which
> shortens this is Good.

Hmm, yeah, I guess I take my preference for granted. I don't feel like
I've finished the game unless I've explored every possible spot. (Is
it just me?)

 

[seraphim]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

"Cyde Weys" <cyde@umd.edu> wrote in news:1119531362.790164.50360
@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

> Jakob Creutzig wrote:
>
>> Btw, please consider citing only relevant lines of the previous
>> article, and put comments below the lines they comment. In my
>> experience, this makes postings much better readable.
>
> To what are you referring? I do trim excess quotage and I never
> top-post.

But do you look at attributions?
Jakobs post said ""John H." <JohnWH@gmail.com> writes:", and as you arn't
John H. it is probably safe to assume he wasn't talking to you when he
said that.

 

[James]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

In article <apekatjo3w.fsf@fb04349.mathematik.tu-darmstadt.de>,
Jakob Creutzig <creutzig@mathematik.tu-darmstadt.de> wrote:

>Dig down with /oDiggin until you are below a demon prince; chase
>him up the levels (he'll teleport to the upstairs to heal).
>Dig-intensive method, maybe risk of summonimg Demogorgon.

Everybody talks like that. In my current game, an elf-ranger who wants
to be an extinctionist, the #1 unfulfilled goal is to meet demogorgon.
Way past 200,000 turns. No demogorgon. Maybe rodney will end up
summoning him, but it's not time for that yet.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

"Brien K. Meehan" <brien@networkgenius.com> wrote in
news:1119567581.377863.315440@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

> Jakob Creutzig wrote:
>> Hence, exploring
>> Gehennom is just a painful waste of time, and everything which
>> shortens this is Good.
>
> Hmm, yeah, I guess I take my preference for granted. I don't feel like
> I've finished the game unless I've explored every possible spot. (Is
> it just me?)

Yeah, it's just you!


--
~ Cyde Weys ~

Mana du vortes, mana du vortes
Aeria gloris, aeria gloris

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Cyde Weys <cyde@umd.edu> wrote:

> I'm taking my third non-wizard through Gehennom right now and it is
> irritating the hell out of me. The thing is so damn long and each level
> takes so damn long searching for the down stairs. To relieve my mind
> somewhat of this irritation I've started up a list of how to get through
> Gehennom without losing your sanity:

Buy clairvoyance from the priest in the Valley, in batches of four or
so.

Richard

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Brien K. Meehan wrote:

> Hmm, yeah, I guess I take my preference for granted. I don't feel
> like I've finished the game unless I've explored every possible spot.
> (Is it just me?)

No, it's not.

--
Boudewijn.

The garden of happiness is surrounded by a wall so low only children
can look over it. - "the Orphanage of Hits", former Dutch radio show.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

In news:<1119531885.409389.37540@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>, Knnn
<knnn@go.com> says...
> Cyde Weys wrote:
> > Brien K. Meehan wrote:
> > > Seriously, [mazes] not as hard as they seem at first. Just get more
> > > proficient at it.
> > Ugh, I'm great at doing mazes, I just don't feel like doing twenty
> > trivial form-identical mazes in a row while having to face all sorts of
> > monsters. I'd much rather take whatever short-cuts are available.
> In my last few games I #twoweaponed a (preferably foo-proof +7)
> pick-axe and a silver saber through Gehenom. I switched to an artifact
> for my primary weapon only when encountering something really tough.
> With auto-digging, it means I don't have the annoyance of switching
> between my weapons each time I encounter something. I also think that
> using a +7 pickaxe makes digging quicker (Never really tested it, just
> my general impression).

There was a thread about this recently.
news:<eOLse.77679$HT1.71383@twister.nyroc.rr.com>

To save you the trouble, I can say that Dylan The Knowledgable Source
Diver summed up the factors affecting digging speed as:
* tool enchantment
* tool erosion
* increase damage bonus from rings
* to-hit bonuses from Str and Dex
* racial bonus if you're a dwarf
* and a random-per-digging base factor

The character's speed also affects it indirectly, in the usual way of
speed.

Some factors that does not affect the digging speed are:
* weapon-proficiency skill with used tool
* BUC-status
* pickaxe/mattock choice

All according to the referred thread.

/Kristoffer

--
This cookie has a scrap of paper inside. It reads:
Rryf uvqr haqre zhq. Hfr n havpbea gb pyrne gur jngre naq znxr gurz
ivfvoyr.