[kim_johnson]

who said the best things in life aren't free?

i'm not convinced that is the case, and i've been pleasantly surprised to find freeware computer games that have more interesting and in depth gameplay than the majority of recent games on the market.

it all began with nethack and i just discovered angband tonight. my criteria for downloads: it must be easy to download (i don't have the techie skill to actually compile anything), and it must have a basic graphics set (i can't quite bring myself to play a game in ASCII character set).

a bonus is that these games are tiny to download (because they aren't graphics intensive) and they can be played on pretty much any machine you have (especially since some have been under development for the last 15 years).

the graphics ARE basic - but the gameplay is just astounding. especially if you are into D&D type gameplay (with races, classes, alignments, stats / abilities, spellbooks /scrolls, weapons / armor and the like with the all important TURN BASED COMBAT. and there are quirky things like wielding a cockatrice corpse (stones enemies) - but if you wear it while overburdened while descending a staircase you are liable to fall on it and stone yourself to death - ak!

http://www.dosgames.com/g_rpg.php

screenshots available from the link. (wikipedia also has an extensive 'spoiler' available from googling 'wikihack')

anyone else into these?

[Clandestine]

I play an online chat game called Habbo lol. It's free! ;]
www.habbo.com

All you need to download is an updated Shockwave player. That's it ;]

<font color="purple">Clandestine</font>

[kim_johnson]

How do you identify monsters / items etc in angband with the basic graphics set? When I type the '/' command it requests me to type the character that i want identified. only... the graphics set means that i don't have a *character* to type in. if i click on the graphic it won't identify it. wah. i just got killed by a mage (when i clearly would have kept the hell away if i had have realized what it was).

[kim_johnson]

Oh. You can select different graphics options from the menu and change them while playing. So... Start out with a tile set then when you want to identify something go back to the ASCII graphics so you can type in the character you want to id. Then... Change it back to tileset graphics. I think they are trying to wean me into playing in ASCII gradually lol. It is kinda semi sorta working...

People have even written Angband comics (if you are into nerdy humor)

http://angband.oook.cz/comic/strip.php?view=46

By way of translation... You are '@', 't' is a townsperson, '#' is part of a building, '.' is open space (carved up into a math grid) and '5' and '7' are different kinds of buildings ('7' might be your home, even).

HELPFUL BASIC COMMANDS:
MAGIC
(b) browse or (P) peruse a book
(G) gain new spells or prayers
(m) cast a spell
(p) pray a prayer (if you know a prayer)
(q) quaff a potion
(r) read a scroll
(A) activate an artifact
(a) or (z) aim or zap a wand
(u) or (Z) use or zap a staff
(z) or (a) a rod - very powerful and recharge over time
(f) or (t) fire an item might break it

ATTACK
(v) throw an item
(*) targeting mode so can press to r 5 or . to select a monstor apace to advance to next and much more complications.

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
(i) inventory (up to 23)
(e) equipment list (up to 12)
(d) drop an item
(k) destroy an item
(w) wear / wield
(t) take off equipment
( walk with pickup
(-) walk with flip pickup
(g) get object
({) inscribe an object
(}) uninscribe an object
(I) observe and item when identified to tell you about special powers only makes sense for artifacts and ego items (capital I)
(C) character description
(~) check knowledge
(ctrl-X) save and quit
(ctrl-S) save but not quit
(Q) commit suicide
(/) identify

TRAPS, DOORS, MOVEMENT
(.) (,) run
() down staircase
(,) (.) stay still with pickup
(R) rest followed by number of turns or (*) until hitpoints and mana restored or (&amp until fully healed
(s) search and count
(S) or (#) toggle search (and move) mode
(T) tunnel
(o) opens door or chest
(c) close door
(j) jam a door (S) spike a door if one has spikes
(B) bash a door (f) force a door
(D) disarm trap or chest
(+) alter - not sure...
(E) eat some food
(F) fuel lantern / torch
(M) full screen map of entire dungeon lose some features
(L) or (W) locate the player or where is the player (can scroll map around then press escape to recentre on player)
(l) look around or (x) examine things