How many ToME window do you use ?

Message

ShinesmanOffWhite · Sat Feb 28, 2004 10:42 am

Heck, I've won the game with a silly Kobold Geomancer, and I only use one window.

Looking back, though, it'd probably be convenient to have the message log on screen so I can auto-more without hitting ^p all the time.

Then again, I've been playing *band games for long enough that I know what most of the monsters are/do, so the recall window isn't a big deal.

As for visible monsters, I'm playing with the screen auto-centering, and how often do you run into big and nasty things on huge open areas? Arena levels, I guess, but at high levels I do most of my traveling around by using the dig spell instead of walking through the prebuilt corridors. I just map control-direction to "\e\e\ema@Dig\r" and plug away. That and judicious use of stone prison means very little "open area" encounters.

As for the void, well, not noticing visible monsters is kinda hard when, well, I guess that's kinda spoily, so I won't say it. Nether realm isn't much better.

Wolfe · #17 Post by **Wolfe** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 10:45 am

I use three. The main one, on 10X20 font, monster recall bottom left, in 6X10, and message history, bottom right, also small. I'd probably use visible monsters, but I can't find a way of placing four windows in a pleasing manner, so I manage

Maylith · #18 Post by **Maylith** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 2:48 pm

amaurea wrote:Visible monsters and items sound quite useufl too. But I don't think they make the game much easier, really, though they may speed things up.

I too don't think extra windows make the game 'easier' at all, perhaps with the exception of the Visible Monsters list. More handy, perhaps.

The Messages window is very helpful in making sure one notices a new fate, if you have fates turned on. I tend to keep an eye on it to notice trends -- is the challenging baddy I'm going after still fighting back hard, or tending to flee more. Or maybe I just want to catch those 'last words' but don't feel like Cntrl-p'ing all the time.

My use for the Inventory list I already partially listed: helping me to remember to use certain items. Though on my tiny screen it doesn't show very well, it also shows me how full my pack is without having toggle the real screen, and that's also handy.

Monster Recall -- I have a good feel for most monsters, but there are still a few aspects to ToME I'm getting used to (as opposed to other *bands) so I still reference it from time to time.

One thing I don't use is the Equipment list. I toggle it when I need to. The main reasons for which I look at that list are:
- Check how much ammo I have left
- Enchanting a kit item
- Check whether anything's cursed / uncursing an item
- Tweaking kit
I can, though, see that it would be useful to have that list visible (given screen space) if I were regularly playing a number of different characters concurrently--it'd help me keep fixed in my mind just what I was working with at that time. That could be a lifesaver, in certain situations. For me, though I have maybe 6-7 chars going right now, I'm really only actively playing 1-2 of them, so I don't need that.

#19 Post by **Faeryan** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 4:36 pm

Visible monster list was just what I was thinking when that thought popped into my mind. I remember when I started playing ToMe I didn't use more than one window. Died a lot just because I thought that 'W' was a black wraith instead of Nazgul, or mistook Greater Balrog for a lesser one.
I know there are those that 'l'ook very carefully every monster in their sight almost every turn, but I'm not one of those. That's why I'm using visible monster list, and to those of you who haven't tried that: You really should try it.

Atarlost · #20 Post by **Atarlost** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 1:04 am

Four

main window in the top right
equip in the top left
inven in the middle left
visible monsters in the middle right

I leave the bottom quarter or so of the screen vacant.

In V I used to use six

main window in the middle
equip in the middle left
inven in the bottom left
messages in the top left
monster recall in the top right
object recall in the bottom right

but they overlapped horribly and I decided it just wasn't worth it.

Biff · #21 Post by **Biff** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 6:12 pm

Mayfair wrote:I was just wondering about how many winners have answered "Only the main one". I bet there aren't that many.

I did.

Neil · #22 Post by **Neil** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 6:15 pm

Winning with one window would take more patience than I have, that's for sure.

I use three windows because that's all i have space for. The main map needs as much space as it can get, after all. Along with the map I use the messages list and the monster recall.

If I had room for a fourth window (which I probably won't until I get a second monitor someday), I'd add a visible monsters list window.

Guest · #23 Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 3:30 pm

How do you get multipel windows on Solaris? For (s)Angband i used the .rc.user.d/X/resources file withe this:

! Angband
angband*angband*font: 12x24
angband*angband*geometry: +0+-20
angband*recall*font: 7x13
angband*recall*geometry: 80x23+0+567
angband*choice*font: 7x13
angband*choice*geometry: 80x23+570+567

I tried to put the following in the same file but it did not work:

! ToME
ToME*angband*font: 12x24
ToME*angband*geometry: +0+-20
ToME*recall*font: 7x13
ToME*recall*geometry: 80x23+0+567
ToME*choice*font: 7x13
ToME*choice*geometry: 80x23+570+567

BauMog · #24 Post by **BauMog** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 4:09 pm

On FreeBSD/XFree I use "tome -- -n3" for three windows and resize them manually. You could test whether this works on Solaris as well.

Serin · #25 Post by **Serin** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 11:36 pm

how can you use more than one, is it like drangband? I want more windows!!!

Neil · #26 Post by **Neil** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 1:25 am

The reply directly before yours tells you how, Serin.

Elliott · #27 Post by **Elliott** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 4:29 pm

I also won (even got Melkor) and only use one window. Ditto to everything Amaurea said.

Armada · #28 Post by **Armada** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 2:28 pm

Pfft. You guys have convinced me to start using more than one window.

I definitely need to use the messages and visible monster windows, but what else is paticularily usefull?

Neil · #29 Post by **Neil** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 5:52 pm

I think the most useful are, in order of decreasing usefulness: Messages, Monster Recall, Visible Monsters list. Some people would reverse the order of the recall and the list, though.

I sometimes switch the two myself when I go hunting for particular monsters (people who have gotten very late in the plot know who I'm talking about).

Robert1134 · #30 Post by **Robert1134** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 5:55 pm

Unless you have the monters remembered, Monster Recall -- especially in the latter parts of the game.

All I use is Visible Monsters in the upper left corner (I have the window rather large -- I then can easily click on it see the entire list of monsters), Monster Recall in the bottom left and Messages in the bottom right.