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- NetHack V1.0 README
-
- This file contains information on NetHack, it's history, features,
- and installation proceedures.
-
- For a detailed history of the game, see the README.ORIG file, which
- contains three separate readme files, dating back to the original release of
- the game (then named hack) by Jay Fenlason.
-
- History:
- ==========
-
- NetHack is the product of literally dozens of people's work. I have
- a list of *some* of those who made major additions to the game which appears
- below:
-
- Jay Fenlason wrote the original release of "Hack", with help from
- Kenny Woodland, Mike Thome and Jon Payne.
-
- Andries Brouwer did a major re-write on the program and publshed (at least)
- two versions to the Usenet.
-
- Don Kneller ported the 1.0.3 version of Hack to the PC, creating PC-Hack.
-
- The following folks didn't actually re-write the game, or port it to
- a new machine, but have made significant contributions to the playability of
- the game:
-
- ins_akaa@jhunix.UUCP (Ken Arromdee)
-
- New character classes.
- New weapons code.
- Armor weights implemented.
- New tools code.
- Polymorph self code.
- additional bug fixes.
-
- srt@ucla-cs (Scott R. Turner)
-
- Rockmole & Keystone Kops code.
- Squeeky Board & Magic traps.
- Fountain code.
- more bug fixes.
-
- gil@cornell.UUCP (Gil Neiger)
-
- Magic Marker code.
- Fountain code enhancements.
- Enhancements to dozens of routines.
- more bug fixes (esp. in hack.zap.c)
-
- ericb@hplsla.UUCP (Eric Backus)
-
- #dip mods to fountain code.
- yet more bug fixes.
-
- As for myself, I have added new character classes and traps, the
- Throne Room, spellbooks and spellcasting, implemented code for praying and
- made some enhancements to the endgame.
-
- NetHack is an integrated version of two major "flavors" of Hack,
- Unix and PC Hack. It is designed so that you should be able to compile it
- in either one of the target enviornments. The filenames of all modules have
- been modified to correspond with the PC-Hack standards implemented by Don
- Kneller.
-
- config.h
- ==========
-
- As distributed, it is set up to compile on my machine (a Pyramid 98xe
- in the Berkeley universe). Due to the large number of "features" in NetHack,
- the config file (config.h) is used to select the target options.
-
- Here is a list of the currently supported options:
-
- SPELLS Spell casting code
- PRAYERS Prayer code
- KAA Various changes made by Ken Arromdee
- MARKER Magic marker modification
- NEWCLASS New classes, traps, and Throne Rooms.
- SAFE_ATTACK Safe attack code
- PROBING Wand of probing code
- DIAGS Diagnostics after death/quit
- SORTING Sorted inventory
- DGK Additional features by Don Kneller (PC specific)
- DGKMOD Additional features by Don Kneller (Non-PC specific)
- REDO support for redoing last command
- HARD Enhanced wizard code among other things.
- NEWTRAPS Magic and Squeeky board traps
- FREEHAND Cannot use Pick-axe without wielding it.
- SPIDERS Spiders and webs
- FOUNTAINS Fountain code
- KOPS Keystone Kops
- ROCKMOLE Rockmoles
-
- Status Line options:
-
- GOLD_ON_BOTL
- EXP_ON_BOTL
-
- In a number of cases, code written for one specific version of Hack
- or another was separated out and given it's own designation (eg. REDO has
- been moved out of DGKMOD which was moved out of DGK from PC-HACK).
-
- Some New Features:
- ====================
-
- Some of the old code (eg. KOPS) has been enhanced to allow for more
- functionality. Here's a couple of examples - you can find out the rest for
- yourself in the traditional Hack style :-)
-
- Kops now throw cream pies (thank/blame KAA for the suggestion).
-
- The wizard may not stay dead!!!
-
- There are a couple of new types of demons.
-
- Demons may not be aggressive.
-
- There are lots more of these little gems, with sufficient hints in
- various fortune cookies to give away enough clues.
-
- Makefiles:
- ============
-
- The Unix "Makefile" has been enhanced to make installation cleaner
- and also to allow "initialization" of the play directories (WARNING: this
- will destroy old score files!!!). The PC Makefile hasn't been upgraded in
- this respect.
-
- The program "makedefs" has been modified in order to allow limited
- use of "#ifdef/#else/#endif" sets in objects.h. Makedefs will only generate
- one #define for any number of ocurrences of a given object name string. In
- addition, "makedefs" also generates alternate defines for "DEAD_xxxxx" in
- those cases where a monster has been given an alternate identity.
-
- Makedefs has also been modified in order that it may be used to
- initialize the following variable def files:
-
- objects.h -o option, see above.
- trap.h -t option, trap type defines.
- date.h -d option, date string.
- data -D option, optional monster names.
- rumors -r option, optional rumor addition.
-
- To compile the program on any 4.n or Sys V system, you should only
- need to copy "Makefile.unix" to "Makefile", set up "Makefile" and "config.h",
- then type "make". On a Xenix system, use "Makefile.xenix" and similarly set
- up "Makefile" and "config.h", with "STUPID" defined. At this point in time,
- I can get the Xenix version to build, but it will immediately dump core on
- invocation.
-
- Known Problems:
- =================
-
- There are several known problem areas and deficiencies in the code
- which I haven't yet addressed, prefering to get the really fatal bugs out of
- the way. Here's a short list of things someone out there might want to work
- on (and it is by no means complete):
-
- - The WALKIES code is really crude. Fido get's mnexto()'d you when
- he gets out of the effective leash range. I haven't yet been able
- to integrate leashed movement into dogmove(). You might just want
- to comment out the #define in config.h.
-
- - ROCKMOLES have some problems with screen updating. I didn't make
- any changes to the code I received, and have noticed some distinct
- problems with walls not being set to "door" until the rockmole
- moves off the cell.
-
- - There are some problems in the item selection code, the usual effect
- of which is to leave the cursor sitting at some arbitrary point on
- the screen instead of returning it to the upper left hand corner or
- onto the "@". This doesn't affect the screen updating, so I have
- ignored it up to now.
-
- - REDO may not be completely implemented. I am still working on it
- here but would appreciate any help anyone out there might want to
- give.
-
- I fully expect that about one week's worth of play on the net will
- result in a couple dozen bugs being discovered. I would like to keep a lid
- on the potential explosion of different sub-versions of the game, so if you
- possibly can, please send me the bug reports, instead of releasing them to
- the general public. I will apply them to my code here, and will generate an
- update to the release when the mass of fixes (or mass * severity factor) gets
- large enough. This way, we should be able to keep most of the net up to a
- certain level - this may turn out to be the first truely net maintained
- game. Unless circumstances change, I will continue to consolidate fixes and
- modifications to the game, and will continue to post to the net through
- comp.sources.games, with notices of new patches/fixes/mods going out through
- rec.games.hack.
-
- Making Bug Reports:
- =====================
-
- To send bug reports, just E-Mail me at any one of the following net
- addresses (in order of connectivity):
-
- seismo!mnetor!genat!mike
- utzoo!mnetor!genat!mike
- pyramid!pyrnj!genat!mike
- utzoo!utgpu!genat!mike
-
- When you send in a bug report, please keep your code fragments as
- small as possible. Remember that each site along the way is paying for the
- transmission of the code.
-
- Mike Stephenson
-
- Mail: Genamation Inc. Phone: (416) 475-9434
- 351 Steelcase Rd. W
- Markham, Ontario. UUCP: {seismo, utzoo}!mnetor!genat!mike
- Canada L3R 3W1
-