Angbandian Architectural Improvements

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Tachyon
Uruivellas
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Angbandian Architectural Improvements

#1 Post by Tachyon »

Lately, I've been thinking about Angband's architecture... and I've realized that it needs some improvement. I mean, whats the point of endless long, wandering corridors with nothing at the end? Not just unrealistic - BORING. So, I think I'll indroduce some seriously wicked (ha ha :twisted: ) new architectural ideas. Just make a new *_info.txt file for these, and add some things to allow ToME to flip the structures and hook them up in sensible patterns, and you've (ha ha) got it made...

Dragon nesting chambers
I think Fubar Obfusco brought this one up before; in any case, I'm going to bring it up again. These chambers would be small, roughly oval caverns, not necessarily all identical in shape and size, bored into the sides of wide corridors. The corridors going past them must be about 30 feet (3 dots) wide, for the sake of gaming feel and the laws of physics. (Dragons are big, even if they take up little space on the screen.)
Each chamber would have treasure stashed in it, and a bedding area (a ring or circle of rubble, but rubble that you can walk through), perhaps with 1 or more eggs, at the center. A dragon might or might not be in the chamber; if it is, it will probably be in the bedding area, and may be asleep. Note that attempting to steal a sleeping dragons booty may, as Bilbo's story shows, prove to be very dangerous, even for the experienced thief.
(Note: the more powerful (and thus larger) the dragon, the bigger the chamber.)
(Note 2: if possible, it should be coded for only Mature and older dragons to have eggs in their chambers, for "realism" purposes.)

Armouries/Weapons Storehouses
These would have racks of weapons, ammo, and armour, some (generally the ammo) powerfully magical, most standard. Armouries also tend to have at least a few orcs in them...
(Note: archer-type opponents (discussed previously) may restock their arrow supply here, if item-using monsters are implemented. Also, there may be wands, staves, and even a few rods in an armoury, making ones at lower levels worth searching.)
(Note 2: chests would be used heavily here. It is suggested that the "close" command be modified for use with chests and boxes...)

Supply Storehouses
Full of (what else?) rations and supplies. The food is generally edible, but usually for orcs, and therefore of rather poor quality (I'll just say that orcs have strong stomachs and few tastebuds). Supplies will probably include potions and such, perhaps with some medical potions (though, again because of the vast numbers of orcs, that is unlikely). Mushrooms of all kinds may also be found here - the orcs are sure to have their uses for them. Oh yes, and I almost forgot about slime molds... and potions of slime mold juice.

Farms
Big pits full of rubble, trash, and rock-eating fungus, and full of such atrocities as can eat that sort of stuff - namely, rock lizards and that sort of thing. There may also be giant ants, and the occasional beatle as well.
Wonder why orc food is so disgusting?

Graveyards (for lack of a better name)
No, these aren't undead pits - but they are, literally, pits. They're large pits with corpses in rows and mounds, and Sauron's necromancers and summoning specialists raising up lesser undead and minor demons of all sorts. Ah yes, it's so nice to know that you get a second chance at - er - unlife... :?

Barracks
Come on - orcs need to live and sleep somewhere! Barracks are more like prison-type vaults than anything else, with cells containing orcs, both sound asleep and wide awake. Going in here might be a bad idea...

Sorry, but that's all I can come up with for now. What do ya think? Any other ideas?
Last edited by Tachyon on Sat Feb 07, 2004 3:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
WWBD - What Would Bozo Do?

Zombie Yeek
Spiderkin
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Location: Minnesota, USA

#2 Post by Zombie Yeek »

With all the orc-related ideas, what about an improved 'orc town' that implements them all in one special level?

Massimiliano Marangio
Sher'Tul
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#3 Post by Massimiliano Marangio »

Nice ideas. I think more unusual / special rooms could be added to the game.

One month ago, there was a discussion about supply rooms used for restocking in the dungeon: You die of hunger

zeev

#4 Post by zeev »

Maybe something like this layout for dragon layers levels. It has wide spaces, but is not too straight.

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A connectedness algorithm should be applied, if such thing is desired.

zeev

#5 Post by zeev »

Hmm, 100 was too much. :oops:

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Maylith
Sher'Tul Godslayer
Posts: 3427
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 1:50 pm
Location: Virginia, USA

#6 Post by Maylith »

I really like this.

What if, instead of getting the message "You hear the sounds of a market" (well, a different case, anyhow) upon entering a dungeon level, you got this instead:

"You smell something nasty."

That covers both dragon nests and orc/etc bivouacs (sp? Not towns.) You might not hear anything, but you'd *CERTAINLY* smell it! :) Plus, you wouldn't know (initially) whether you were facing a MHD nest or a Snaga tent.... :twisted: Level dependent, of course, but still.

Tachyon
Uruivellas
Posts: 924
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2003 10:04 pm
Location: A mountain range east of Bree

#7 Post by Tachyon »

Good idea!

Hmm... lessee...

Summoning chambers
Where demons are summoned and bound in Morgoth's service. Here, you'll find demonologists - and maybe a few demons - at work, summoning up demon regiments, as well as a lot of spirits. Demonic equipment can be found here, either on wracks, on the floor, or on the demonologists and their minions. Also found here are various wands, staves, and foul potions...
(Note: could spirits be programmed to flee as soon as summoned? That would a) add to the atmosphere, and b) alert the player to possible danger before he gets a demon army chasing him through the level.)

Magical laboratory (needs a better name, that doesn't sound right)
Where wands, staves, potions, etc. are made. Full of sorcerors and possibly a few demons, as well as all name of magical supplies (maybe even a junkart or 2, if you're lucky).

Mass summoning pit
A big cavern full of Quylthulgs, with attendant dark mages of various sorts keeping things (somewhat) in control, and vast armies of horrers marching out the main exit. (There would be smaller tunnels leading out for the mages; programming would allow only the mages to use them.)
(Note: this would require new types of Qs, such as Elemental and Zephyr, and their Greater Q equivalents. Also, ther would be another type, the Summoner Q. This would be several levels lower than the Master Q, but with 1 big difference: it would have S_KIN. If any Qs in the pit were seen to be exhausted or unproductive, they would be killed, and the Summoner Qs would summon new ones to take their places. Also, Qs would occasionally be herded out by the summoned minions and the attendant mages. Hope this isn't too hard to code :wink: )
(Note 2: Summoner Qs would only be found in these pits. Then again, maybe not...)
WWBD - What Would Bozo Do?

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