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From: hopp@nbs-amrf.UUCP (Ted Hopp)
Newsgroups: net.games.hack
Subject: Re: Opinion poll results - long - spoilers
Message-ID: <203@nbs-amrf.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Mar-86 17:27:34 EST
Article-I.D.: nbs-amrf.203
Posted: Wed Mar 19 17:27:34 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 25-Mar-86 05:19:45 EST
References: <3377@sun.uucp>
Distribution: net
Organization: National Bureau of Standards
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> And now for some comments of my own:
> 
>     Disclaimer:  These are only opinions derived empirically from playing
>     the game.  I've never looked at the source code or the rumors file.  If
>     you get killed from believing something I told you, don't come crying
>     to me; I'll probably get killed that way too.

I noticed a couple of errors in what you said as far as version 1.0.2
is concerned.  You also had some questions.

> Don't genocide the Wraiths either, they're good for experience points,
> and they can't hurt you through an elven cloak anyway.

That last isn't true in version 1.0.2.  But I agree with the advice.

> Rust monsters can't hurt your armor through an elven cloak.  For safety,
> I remove my gloves/helmet/shield when I'm neer one but I've never
> actually had them corrode either while wearing a cloak....
> 
> Elven cloaks seem to protect me from Vampires, Wraiths, acid blobs,
> Rust monsters and all of the other magic nasties down there.  So let
> these monsters alone.

In hack102, gloves and shield never rust; helmet and armor can be
made rust-proof by reading a scroll of enchant armor while confused.
(Be wearing only the item you want rustproofed to avoid having Hack
pick the wrong thing.)  An elven cloak only protects the armor, not
the helmet.

Also, an elven cloak provides no protection against Vampires, Wraiths,
etc. (other than the aforementioned rust prevention from rust monsters
and acid blobs).  (Have things changed in 1.0.3?)

> Trolls are just ordinary monsters, and they make a good meal.

Trolls and a couple of other monsters will regenerate their hit points
when you aren't attacking them.  If you go under Elbereth they get a
break, too.

> The same applies to Umber hulks.  Also, if you keep them on the defensive,
> they don't gaze at you all that much.

Also, umber hulks won't confuse you in a passageway.

> Somebody asked what you got for eating certain monsters; here's 
> the list of what I know:
> 
> d: edible

BAD BAD BAD news to eat your dog.  You get intrinsic aggravate monster
"ability", and there ain't no cure.  Same for '@' (dead shopkeepers)
and n's.

> m: haven't eaten one yet
> n: haven't eaten one yet

no problem with m's
n's are almost as bad as dogs.  The only good thing about eating them
is that they restore all your hit points.  (On the other hand, killing
one is bad luck.)

> y: makes you sick

Also confused for a while.

> D: edible, gives you fire resistance

Poisonous

> I: makes you confused and invisible, gives you see-invisible

confused and invisible are temporary (just clarifying; I'm sure you
knew that)

> P: edible?
> R: makes you sick?
> S: poisonous?
> U: makes you sick?
> V: makes you sick?

sick, yes, yes, yes, poisonous

There is a 20% save on poisonous and sickness effects.

You left out:
 Y: cold resistance

> royal jelly: increases you strength

Also cures pricked legs from xans and restores hit points.  We
modified the game so it also cures food poisoning.  Anything as
healthy as that ought to do at least that much.

> salmon: makes you drop your weapon & rings.  Useful for getting rid
> 	of cursed things.

Corollary: don't open a tin while wielding a crysknife.

> Now for some questions of my own:
> 
> Has anybody ever caught or killed a unicorn?  What happens if you
> eat it?

Eating one is nothing special; killing one is VERY bad luck.

> What happens if you eat a dead nurse?
> What happens if you eat a dead human?

bad things -- see above

> A couple of people mentioned potions of speed and royal jelly as
> safeguards against xans.  How does this work?

They are not safeguards, they are cures.  (They also work when you
damage your leg by throwing a ball you are chained to while in a
bear trap.)

> I wasn't paying much attention to the "stuck at level 29 or so"
> discussion, and now I find I'm stuck there myself.  My pick-axe won't get
> through the floor, so how do I get down?

Scroll of teleportation while confused and wearing a ring of teleport
control.

> Somebody mentioned making a trapdoor on the level above with the pickaxe,
> but how do I know that won't just drop me in the maze again?  What if
> I can't find scrolls of teleportation?

You will never get past level 29 through trap doors.  There is a wand of
wishing under a rock at a dead end at every maze level.  There is a wand
of digging under the minotaur when you kill it to get to the wand of
wishing.  (Don't genocide minotaurs unless you have a pickaxe!)  Use the
wand of wishing to get what you need.

> If you go down by carving holes in the floor, how do you get back up?
> I assume the ring of levitation is the secret, but how do you find the
> hole again?  Do you have to do the whole rest of the game with 
> teleortation/confusion?

There's always a stairway up.  It comes up right where the next up
staircase is, until you get out of the maze.  The ring of levitation
is of no use here.

> How do people cart so much stuff around?  Somebody mentioned having
> 70,000 gold pieces.  I never carry more than a few hundred.
> 
> What good is money besides buying stuff and raising your score?  How
> does it raise your score, do you have to have it on you when the game
> ends?

Get your strength up.  I've carried at least 10,000 around (never 70K).
The weight of all your other stuff limits how much gold you can carry.

Gold has weight, so it may diminish your agility in a fight.  Other than
shops, gold is of no use other than in scoring.  You have to have it with
you when you leave the game.  One trick is to use the "feature" that you
always pick up all the gold there is when you step on it; you just can't
move afterward.  Well, step on 70K (or whatever you can accumulate), get
confused, and teleport to level 0 (or a negative level for a thrill, but
be wearing a ring of levitation).

> What good are gems besides selling in shops and giving unicorns?

Some of them are worth a lot of gold when you exit.

> Are unicorns good for anything besides raising your luck?

no

> How do you get close enough to a unicorn to give it a gem?  I find them
> to be much too elusive.

potion of speed (or being a spelunker), or surprising one in a dark room.

> Why do wands of wishing not always work ("unfortunately, nothing happens")?
> Does this have something to do with your luck?

Exactly.  If your luck is negative, there is a chance it won't work.  If
it is less than -5, it will never work.

> What does the ring of stealth do?

It makes you stealthy (:-)).  Actually, in our version it doesn't do
anything, although I think it's supposed to make it easy for you to go
into a room without waking up the monsters.  A ring of stealth is
redundant if you are a spelunker.

> What does the wand of cancellation do?

Cancels special talents of certain monsters (e.g., L's can't steal gold,
N's become "plain" and can't seduce you; R's can't rust anything; V's
and W's won't steal hit points or levels).  No, it doesn't work on c's.
Also, you can "cancel" objects, making them revert to unknown status.
Useful on worthless pieces of glass so you get at least one luck point
giving it to a unicorn.

> Finally, a hint:  drop pieces of gold (one at a time) in the maze
> levels to keep track of where you've been.

That's a cute idea.
-- 

Ted Hopp	{seismo,umcp-cs}!nbs-amrf!hopp