Jatopian
Level: Smitemaster
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Registered: 07-31-2005
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Basically, I propose having some of the common mods, especially see-through tar and mud, be standard options which the user can turn on.
Also along that thought process, I propose that we have the option to make spiders always visible. I could do this in AE with a simple graphical mod, but JtRH complicates things ridiculously.
Both of these violate the principle of all being predictable (except scripting) ab initio.

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TripleM
Level: Smitemaster
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Thats a pretty good idea. I use transparent tar, and could never go back. Would be good to just have an option to check like that for people who don't.

Thy Dungeonman
Level: Delver
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Registered: 01-07-2006
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I don't like the idea. I like the idea of at least one or two obstacles keeping DROD from being perfect information. I use this in my upcoming hold.

Mattcrampy
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Spiders were changed in JtRH to differentiate them from roaches and make them somewhat useful. The perfect information point was well-debated during the spider change, and it was felt that JtRH spiders, even though it's not perfect information, aren't far off as they'll reveal themselves whenever they move or turn, and you're bound to see them as you play the room. Moreover, there's no real way to make the monster comply with the perfect information ideal completely without making it redundant, so the next best thing is to make it a case of keeping tabs on it as it moves around.

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Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

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I very much agree with the transparent tar idea (though I myself much prefer the "pale translucent" thing you see in the editor to the "swiss cheese" style popular in mods). Visible spiders, on the other hand, seem to me to break a number of things, such as the spiders-next-to-bombs locks, none of which I can remember the locations of.

Of course, what with scripting and monster placement, the whole "perfect information" thing seems rather weakened already.

Banjooie
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The semi-translucent thing is possible in the editor because they can use alpha layers.

You /have/ to dither(swiss cheese) it in the tar because you can't have half-transparency. Sorry to say, but that's just how it works.

Tahnan
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Banjooie wrote:
The semi-translucent thing is possible in the editor because they can use alpha layers.

You /have/ to dither(swiss cheese) it in the tar because you can't have half-transparency. Sorry to say, but that's just how it works.

Tell you what: I'll accept that explanation, as long as you don't expect me to understand it. :-)

eytanz
Level: Smitemaster

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Tahnan wrote:

Banjooie wrote:
The semi-translucent thing is possible in the editor because they can use alpha layers.

You /have/ to dither(swiss cheese) it in the tar because you can't have half-transparency. Sorry to say, but that's just how it works.

Tell you what: I'll accept that explanation, as long as you don't expect me to understand it. :-)

Roughly, he meant that the "pale transparent" thing needs to be written in the program, so it's not possible to use it in mods, where each pixel must be either transparent or not. Note that if transparent tar is written into the game as an option or something similar, it would not be constrained in the same way mods are.

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agaricus5
Level: Smitemaster
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Jatopian wrote:
Basically, I propose having some of the common mods, especially see-through tar and mud, be standard options which the user can turn on.

I agree. Transparent tar and mud would be a useful option. This would allow for the possibility of walls or trapdoors-under-tar type puzzles without being annoying. The dynamics of tar on top of objects can be quite different to tar or mud on top of floor, and often require a new set of techniques to deal with it effectively (tar on irregular trapdoor areas is an example that springs to mind).

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Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
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Registered: 10-06-2005
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It would also be good for those of us who just can't seem to get the modular mod working.

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