Re: YAWP

On 2008-03-13 04:00:52, pete m <pmac360@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

> > > Multiple locations.  Does that speed things up or slow things down?
> >
> > Slow - because you have to cross the level from one side all the way
to the
> > other to advance, rather than taking the stairs down. However there
are
> > wilderness vaults which contain some nice equipment.
> 
> I don't see how you can get across wilderness so fast.  I would think
> that it's insanely dangerous being in a level 40 wilderness at cl
> 20-25.  Do you have any tactical advice?

Telepathy makes a *massive* difference - as soon as you see anything
dangerous
change your direction. If you're not an elf or a woodsman (druid/ranger)
stick
to the paths so you don't lose ground in the woods - the animals have
about a
50% speed bonus on you. If you are an elf/woodsman stick to the trees as
you
have about a 50% speed bonus on them (monsters have a 50% chance of moving
onto
a tree grid). If you do have/want to fight then try and stand in rubble to
do so
- this can often prevent monsters from getting an attack (I think they
have to
roll to enter the rubble before they can try and hit you). Start by
picking off
dragon bats and dragon flies. Clear hounds are nice if you can fight them
near
the stairs - they tend to back off if you step back onto the staircase and
then
you can just melee the one that is injured. Look out for Wilderness vaults
-
particularly warrior settlements and the river guardrooms. Both have a
high
reward compared to the risk involved - unlike many of the dungeon vaults.
As
Nick said, the number of monsters in the wilderness has been slashed since
the
early version, so whilst still dangerous it is a lot easier than it was.
One
final thing, it is a lot easier crossing the wilderness vertically than
horizontally - so anyone on the Ephel Brandir/Gondolin route has a
straight path
to Amon Rudh or Angband.

Well not quite final... the most dangerous point in a (diving) game is the
Fen
of Serech. Vast open area with lots of water grids to cross and slow you
down.
Getting across that at a low level takes a lot of luck as well as
judgement.
There are no paths so if it is night you can't see where the exits are
(and as
they are not stairways you can only detect them with dungeon mapping). If
it is
day then everything is awake and that can be deadly...