Angband review
Dec 28, 2016 22:59:49 GMT -5
Post by Lenwë on Dec 28, 2016 22:59:49 GMT -5
I got a new Raspberry Pi 3, and have been looking for fun games to play on it that are easy on the graphics. I came across the game Angband, an ASCII roguelike game which is a descendant of the 1980s game Moria. Angband itself has been around since 1994, and is now in version 4.0.5 (http://rephial.org/). I played v3.3.2 for this review.
The game revolves around exploring a 100-level dungeon; the goal is to defeat Sauron on level 99 and then Morgoth on level 100. My only experience thus far with text-based games is Emacs' Adventure, so my expectations were not high coming in to this. I'm pleased to say the game surprised me by its complexity and depth, and also its fun-factor.
The first surprise was in character creation: you don't just pick a name, you get to pick from 3 genders (male, female, neuter), 11 races with different stat bonuses, and 6 classes, also with different stat bonuses. There are 6 primary stats plus additional attributes like XP Mod, Stealth, Disarm chance, etc. For name creation, the game has its own "name generator" you can use as in LotRO, though I found that the generated names weren't always consistent with the chosen race. When the game begins, you are in your hometown and have several different shops in which to purchase weapons, digging tools, potions, scrolls, armor, food, and other things one would typically find in an RPG. Townspeople run around, some of whom are friendly, others not so much. Just make sure you have a weapon, shovel, and scroll of recall for your first trip to the dungeon!
The dungeon is surprisingly difficult to survive in; I've only made it to level 4 so far. I believe I've died to Grip, Farmer Maggot's dog, twice now. And once you die, you're dead. Time to start a new character. You do get a nice tombstone commemorating your life and manner of death, though. Dungeon levels do not need to be cleared before moving on, and in fact some online sources suggest moving downwards as quickly as possible. Your character levels as in normal RPGs, and gets stat boosts with those level ups.
Anyway, if you're ever bored and want to try something very different, give it a try!
The game revolves around exploring a 100-level dungeon; the goal is to defeat Sauron on level 99 and then Morgoth on level 100. My only experience thus far with text-based games is Emacs' Adventure, so my expectations were not high coming in to this. I'm pleased to say the game surprised me by its complexity and depth, and also its fun-factor.
The first surprise was in character creation: you don't just pick a name, you get to pick from 3 genders (male, female, neuter), 11 races with different stat bonuses, and 6 classes, also with different stat bonuses. There are 6 primary stats plus additional attributes like XP Mod, Stealth, Disarm chance, etc. For name creation, the game has its own "name generator" you can use as in LotRO, though I found that the generated names weren't always consistent with the chosen race. When the game begins, you are in your hometown and have several different shops in which to purchase weapons, digging tools, potions, scrolls, armor, food, and other things one would typically find in an RPG. Townspeople run around, some of whom are friendly, others not so much. Just make sure you have a weapon, shovel, and scroll of recall for your first trip to the dungeon!
The dungeon is surprisingly difficult to survive in; I've only made it to level 4 so far. I believe I've died to Grip, Farmer Maggot's dog, twice now. And once you die, you're dead. Time to start a new character. You do get a nice tombstone commemorating your life and manner of death, though. Dungeon levels do not need to be cleared before moving on, and in fact some online sources suggest moving downwards as quickly as possible. Your character levels as in normal RPGs, and gets stat boosts with those level ups.
Anyway, if you're ever bored and want to try something very different, give it a try!