AtakeeR
Level: Delver

Rank Points: 36
Registered: 12-24-2004
IP: Logged

I'm sorry if topic like this was in past, but my searches retuned no result.

Recently I arrived at eight level of KDD and encountered tar. I cleaned most rooms but now I'm in middle of 7S 3E (Room with three Tar Mothers) and some informations would greatly help me.

Especially I'm interested in formation of tar babies, I learned easily how they create when Beethro cuts through tar, but I still don't see pattern in tar growing each spawn cycle.
So my questions are:
1. How exactly tar grows\\spreads each spawn cycle? (I can't observe it because new tar "pops up" instantly, it doesn't grow like new roaches)
2. When tar babies spawn with new spawn cycle? (This one is very important to me, because I try to prepare Beethro for new tar babies at the end of spawn cycle)

eytanz
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2708
Registered: 02-05-2003
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Tar growth is quite simple once you understand the principle, but it can be tricky to figure it out. Anyway, it's as follows:

Whenever tar grows, it tries to fill every empty square that's adjacent to tar (either orthogongally or diagonally). Then, for each of the new tar squares -

- If it has at least 3 neighbors forming a corner (i.e. a diagonal neighbor and two adjacent sides), consisting of either new or old tar, it will become tar.
- Otherwise it will become a tar baby.

An empty square is a square that contains one of the following:
- Empty floor
- A trapdoor
- An open yellow door

Squares containing scrolls, arrows, orbs, closed doors, walls, pits, monsters, or Beethro are not empty.

The square including Beethro's sword does count as an empty square (if otherwise applicable). However, if a tar baby forms there it is immediately killed, and if a straight edge of tar forms there it is immediately cut (potentially creating more tar babies next to it - this is a frequent cause of death in a tar mother rooms).

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AlefBet
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 979
Registered: 07-16-2003
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eytanz wrote:
The square including Beethro's sword does count as an empty square (if otherwise applicable). However, if a tar baby forms there it is immediately killed, and if a straight edge of tar forms there it is immediately cut (potentially creating more tar babies next to it - this is a frequent cause of death in a tar mother rooms).

Actually, if a straight edge of tar forms there, it is not immediately cut. It will only be cut if the sword is still there at the end of that turn (whether by waiting or bumping Beethro doesn't move).

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agaricus5
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1838
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

You may also be interested in reading this thread if you want more advanced information about tar cutting:

Invariants of Tar Cutting

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Resident Medic/Mycologist