Preserve mode?

Message

#1 Post by **darkgod** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 10:17 pm

On or off ?

Wastrel · #2 Post by **Wastrel** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 10:55 pm

Although I voted 'On', I'm considering playing 'Off' next time. I find that I often sell standard artifacts just so I know I won't see them again. There are plenty of random artifacts that are as good as or better than the standard artifacts. Preserve mode is just a habit I picked up from Angband which doesn't have random artifacts (at least not the last time I played it)

Neil · #3 Post by **Neil** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 11:03 pm

Non-preserve mode is totally broken in ToME because:

1. Some vaults are inaccessible (due to the walls being mountains or glass or whatever).

2. Items are generated at monster birth instead of at monster death.

Rali · #4 Post by **Rali** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 5:06 am

My thoughts exactly, Neil. With preserve mode off, I would hate to use telepathy to scan a monster in the middle of a vault I'm not ready for (or can't reach), and see it is carrying, say, an "arkenstone".

jschultz · #5 Post by **jschultz** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 8:24 am

I play with preserve on.

Wastrel wrote: I find that I often sell standard artifacts just so I know I won't see them again.

Sometimes I just leave a standard artifact on the floor. I know I am not going to wield it, as I carry scrolls of *Identify* to the dungeon. I'm below 70 in Angband, so recalling and re-filling a level with monsters is not a good idea. (If I needed money, Rings of Speed stack better, and are easier to carry.) IIRC you just need to identify it, and leave on the floor, and you'll never see it again.

Wastrel wrote:There are plenty of random artifacts that are as good as or better than the standard artifacts.

Of course you can find a randart sword better than Glamdring (or Angmar

). But the best fixed artifacts are much better than any randart. Boots of Feanor, for example. There are some that are especially good for some classes, such as the Gothmog set for a demonologist, or Cesti of Fingolfin for any warrior.

zasvid · #6 Post by **zasvid** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 5:05 pm

With preserve mode off it is very likely that you'll miss something powerful even not knowing that you did. And without collecting that ToME renders virtually unbeatable. I remember how much arts I've lost when using Eru's spell to id everything on the level. but then I could check what I am going to lose, but with p. mode off? I'd rather play a yeek barbarian sorceror...

zak · #7 Post by **zak** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 5:17 pm

I had assumed that an artifact was eligible to be created as long as it didn't already exist (i.e. it wasn't in your house, mathom, or inventory). What actions will prevent an artifact from ever being recreated?

Rali · #8 Post by **Rali** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 6:47 pm

As far as I understand, it goes like this:
With preserve mode on, an artifact can be generated more than once, but it no longer appears after the player identifies them (whether they keep them or sell them or leave them on the floor).
With preserve mode off, an artifact can be generated only once, whether or not you even know it's there.

In either case, I believe that the "found or lost" artifacts are listed under the known artifacts list, hit '~' then '1' to see them.