Difference between revisions of "Roguelike"

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(The pantheon's at 25 gods now, and potions of poison are no more.)
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A '''roguelike''' game is a type of role-playing game named after the first of its kind, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_%28computer_game%29 ''Rogue'']. Features that are common to all Roguelikes include depth (you can do lots of things in them, though the level of detail varies from game to game), high difficulty, lack of plot,  permanent death, and randomization of content. Basically, expect lots of tactical options and such, though ''Crawl'' has fewer than some others.
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A '''roguelike''' game is a type of role-playing game named after the genre defining [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_%28computer_game%29 ''Rogue'']. Features that are common to all Roguelikes include depth (you can do lots of things in them, though the level of detail varies from game to game), high difficulty, lack of plot,  permanent death, and randomization of content. Basically, expect lots of tactical options and such, though ''Crawl'' has fewer than some others.
  
 
==Difficulty==
 
==Difficulty==
Roguelikes are not easy. Everything is a legitimate threat, to an extent, and this only abates slightly at higher levels. Things can kill you if you're not careful, even things you wouldn't normally consider dangerous. Nothing is pre-identified for you. And yes, you will often die in horrible, random, arbitrary ways. Oh, and if you die, the game erases your save file. Have fun starting over.
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Roguelikes are not easy. Everything is a legitimate threat to some extent, and this only abates slightly at higher levels. Things can kill you if you're not careful, even things you wouldn't normally consider dangerous. And yes, you will often die in horrible, random, arbitrary ways. Oh, and if you die, the game erases your save file. Have fun starting over.
  
 
==Non-existent plot==
 
==Non-existent plot==
With a few exceptions (such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADOM ''ADOM'']), a roguelike's plot consists of the following: go down into a randomly generated dungeon, reach the final level, and either kill the boss or, more commonly, grab an item and escape. Why? Well, in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetHack ''NetHack''], you want to get this amulet for your god. In ''Crawl'', you want the [[Orb of Zot]] for some reason that's never explained. [[Xom]] could tell you, but then he'd have to kill you.
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With a few exceptions (such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADOM ''ADOM'']), a roguelike's plot consists of the following: go down into a randomly generated dungeon, reach the final level, and either kill the boss or, more commonly, grab an item and escape. Why? Well, in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetHack ''NetHack''], you want to get the Amulet for your god. In ''Crawl'', you want the [[Orb of Zot]] for no defined reason. [[Xom]] could tell you, but then it'd have to kill you.
  
 
==Randomization==
 
==Randomization==
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==Dungeon Crawl compared to other roguelikes==
 
==Dungeon Crawl compared to other roguelikes==
''Crawl'' seems easier, at first glance, but it's not. It is, however, friendlier. If something kills you, it'll probably be something you at least half-expected: an [[out-of-depth]] monster at an early level, rather than a necklace you put on happening to be an amulet of strangulation.
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''Crawl'' seems easier, at first glance, but it's not. It is, however, friendlier. There are no [[instadeath]]s. If something kills you, it'll probably be something you at least half-expected: an [[out-of-depth]] monster at an early level, rather than a necklace you put on happening to be an amulet of strangulation. DCSS not only has a [[tutorial]] and in depth manual, but provides extensive information of any monster, item, or other noun you may come across; all accessible by right clicking them ('''x'' then '''v''' via keyboard controls). The goal is that, unlike other roguelikes, Stone Soup should be playable without the aid of a guide or wiki.
  
''Crawl'' also provides an in-game tutorial, manual, and more. The goal is that, unlike other roguelikes, ''Crawl'' should be playable without the aid of a guide or wiki. It also tries to remove no-brainers. For instance, in ''NetHack'', you will be using, barring extraordinary circumstances, an amulet of reflection and grey dragon scale mail. In ''Crawl'', you use whatever you find that happens to be useful in that particular situation, and many items or spells have drawbacks. Overall, the game is well-balanced.
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The DevTeam of '''Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup''' aim to remove 'tedious' mechanics from the game. Players in ''NetHack'' are heavily encouraged to go through Sokoban every game, a puzzle branch with 8 fixed layouts, with solutions easily available outside the game. The branch incredibly helpful for food and guaranteed end loot. ''Stone Soup'' has removed their own (completely random) puzzle branch, the [[Labyrinth]], in [[0.24]], while greatly simplifing and eventually removing food entirely (for being a GUI hassle, where an automatic clock is similar). They also try to remove 'no-brainers', or completely dominant items, for the same reason - though balance is not perfect.
  
''Crawl'' sports some more minor design differences. There's less emphasis on class (''Crawl'''s backgrounds), for one; your character is defined more by their skills, species and choice of deity. Each species also has different aptitudes for skills, and often suffer [[XP]] penalties for those advantages. Skills affect most aspects of your character's life and they are trained through practice.
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Compared to other classical roguelikes, ''Crawl'' focuses more on species and god than class (''Crawl'''s backgrounds). There are no special, permanent rules for each class. [[Skill]], trained in game, are what really determines what your character does. Backgrounds only provide a starting bonus, and some relatively minor [[attributes]]. Race determines how fast you gain skills, and many have unique rules ([[mutation]]s). Meanwhile, [[god]]s are also (mostly) picked in game, with 26 completely unique gods in total. As you adventure, your character will gain [[piety]], in order to use a large variety of special abilities and perks. Almost all gods will get [[divine retribution|angry]] if you leave them, so characters completing a regular game will most likely stick to only one.
 
 
[[God]]s are one of ''Crawl'''s most interesting features. There are 25 gods in total, with each deity featuring its own credo. Once you've picked your god, if you act accordingly, you'll earn Piety. With enough Piety, your god may lavish you with abilities or various gifts to help you in your adventure. Of course, their code of conduct may be a pain to work with, and if you annoy them (by doing the wrong things, or converting) they will punish you, often very severely.
 
  
 
[[Category:Crawl]]
 
[[Category:Crawl]]

Revision as of 15:09, 23 July 2022

A roguelike game is a type of role-playing game named after the genre defining Rogue. Features that are common to all Roguelikes include depth (you can do lots of things in them, though the level of detail varies from game to game), high difficulty, lack of plot, permanent death, and randomization of content. Basically, expect lots of tactical options and such, though Crawl has fewer than some others.

Difficulty

Roguelikes are not easy. Everything is a legitimate threat to some extent, and this only abates slightly at higher levels. Things can kill you if you're not careful, even things you wouldn't normally consider dangerous. And yes, you will often die in horrible, random, arbitrary ways. Oh, and if you die, the game erases your save file. Have fun starting over.

Non-existent plot

With a few exceptions (such as ADOM), a roguelike's plot consists of the following: go down into a randomly generated dungeon, reach the final level, and either kill the boss or, more commonly, grab an item and escape. Why? Well, in NetHack, you want to get the Amulet for your god. In Crawl, you want the Orb of Zot for no defined reason. Xom could tell you, but then it'd have to kill you.

Randomization

A good deal of what keeps the game entertaining. Dungeons are randomly generated every time, with only a few things you can count on. Your item selection, stats, gear, monsters you run into and so forth will be at least somewhat different every time, which makes the game addictive rather than repetitive and tiresome.

Dungeon Crawl compared to other roguelikes

Crawl seems easier, at first glance, but it's not. It is, however, friendlier. There are no instadeaths. If something kills you, it'll probably be something you at least half-expected: an out-of-depth monster at an early level, rather than a necklace you put on happening to be an amulet of strangulation. DCSS not only has a tutorial and in depth manual, but provides extensive information of any monster, item, or other noun you may come across; all accessible by right clicking them ('x then v via keyboard controls). The goal is that, unlike other roguelikes, Stone Soup should be playable without the aid of a guide or wiki.

The DevTeam of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup aim to remove 'tedious' mechanics from the game. Players in NetHack are heavily encouraged to go through Sokoban every game, a puzzle branch with 8 fixed layouts, with solutions easily available outside the game. The branch incredibly helpful for food and guaranteed end loot. Stone Soup has removed their own (completely random) puzzle branch, the Labyrinth, in 0.24, while greatly simplifing and eventually removing food entirely (for being a GUI hassle, where an automatic clock is similar). They also try to remove 'no-brainers', or completely dominant items, for the same reason - though balance is not perfect.

Compared to other classical roguelikes, Crawl focuses more on species and god than class (Crawl's backgrounds). There are no special, permanent rules for each class. Skill, trained in game, are what really determines what your character does. Backgrounds only provide a starting bonus, and some relatively minor attributes. Race determines how fast you gain skills, and many have unique rules (mutations). Meanwhile, gods are also (mostly) picked in game, with 26 completely unique gods in total. As you adventure, your character will gain piety, in order to use a large variety of special abilities and perks. Almost all gods will get angry if you leave them, so characters completing a regular game will most likely stick to only one.