News - September 1998

September, 30th 1998

• S-Lang scripting language
  If you compiled the new beta 3 then you may have noticed that I've added support for S-Lang, a scripting language, to the source code. You can get the S-Lang source code from http://space.mit.edu/~davis/slang.html. The code used to implement this language into ZAngband was adapted from Scott Bigham's S-Lang patch for Angband. S-Lang is available for DOS, Windows, OS/2, and the various Unix versions. An Amiga port is currently in work and it should be fairly easy to compile on other systems.

  I would like to include the S-Lang scripting language into the next ZAngband version, to allow more flexibility. Things like defining new spells, spellbooks, items, monsters, player races/classes, quests and many more things would be very easy with a scripting language.

  Before I can release a version with full S-Lang support I need to be sure that S-Lang compiles on all platforms. For this reason I want the feedback from all the people compiling versions of ZAngband on the various platforms. So please try to build S-Lang on your machine and inform me if it works. I already know that it compiles fine with DOS and Windows, and I'll add the instructions for these platforms to my page. But I don't know if there are problems with Macs, Acorns, Amigas and other systems, so please send me an e-mail with your test results (and compiling instructions if possible).

  At the moment the S-Lang support of the source code can be switched of via an option in config.h, so you can still create a version without the scripting support. Just remove the definition of "USE_SLANG" in config.h. The scripts are not yet used in ZAngband, so you don't lose functionality if you switch it off.

• ZAngband 2.1.3 beta 3
  The source code, Windows, and DOS version of the new beta are available for download.

  New features in 2.1.3 beta 3:

  • Changed quest system to allow more flexibility and multi-level quests.
  • Added multiple towns.
  • Added big wilderness outside the towns with a modified fractal terrain generator from KAmband.
  • New initialization code for quests, towns, buildings and wilderness.
  • Removed the 64 kByte limits for monsters, items, artifacts, and vaults.
  • Added "equippy chars" in the inventory, equipment list and in shops.
  • Fixed the definitions of the new tiles for the Half-Ogres and Dark-Elfes.
  • Added Keldon Jones patch to allow automatic recreation of the raw-files.
  • Added support for the S-Lang scripting language, based on Scott Bigham's S-Lang patch.
  • Added Greg Wooledge's patch that adds the "flag grid" to Zangband char dumps and shows immunities in the "flag grid".
  • The Windows version no longer requires "LibPath" to be set correctly. This allows installation in any directory without changes to the ini-file.
  • Allowed random selection of race, class, realms, ... at character birth.
  • Moved the definition of the limits for the number of monsters, items, vaults, ... to an external data-file.
  • Many other changes and bugfixes.
  All features planned for the next official version are implemented, so this will probably be the last beta version. The official version will be called 2.2.0.
• KAngbandTk
  Tim Baker did it again! He released the Tk version for Windows95/98/NT of KAngband with all the nice features like windowed GUI, graphics and sounds already known from his ports of Angband and ZAngband.

• Yet Another ZAngband progress report
  Added code to handle racial and magic realm buildings, added a "Trump Tower" (offers recall and teleport to dungeon level). Building rewards for members of a guild like cheaper "enchant weapon" or "restring bow" are now only available once a day. Note that savefiles from "older" 2.1.3 beta versions are not compatible with this patch. The changed source files are available.

• Yet Another ZAngband progress report
  The September 11th archive missed some files, so I included them into the new patch. Fixed some bugs in the wilderness area switching code, allowed objects to be generated on grass, dirt and shallow water terrain, fixed the "Living Trump spell" and many other bugs. The town buildings are now initialized from the town-definition files, and wilderness/town areas can have names. Lighting in town is now correct when leaving buildings, viewing the gambling rules no longer causes problems, and removed the messages when moving through water, removed the druids grove and the illuionist tower, switched off greeting of the king and guild leaders. Note that savefiles from "older" 2.1.3 beta versions are not compatible with this patch. The changed source files are available (612 kByte).
• ZAngband 2.1.3 beta2
  The complete source code of the beta (including all patches) is available for download. Oscar Nelson compiled the updated Windows and DOS versions of the beta.

• Another ZAngband progress report
  The wilderness area switching code is now much nicer, there is no outer wall around the areas and you can actually see the border of the adjacent area. You can leave and enter the towns and wilderness on all passable locations. The wilderness areas won't change anymore when you leave and reenter them. And the shop maintainance should no longer slow down the game (shops are now maintained when you enter them). Note that savefiles from "older" 2.1.3 beta versions are not compatible with this patch. The changed source files are available.

• Notes on the ZAngband progress reports
  There probably will be many progress reports and patches in the next few weeks, because I'll try to make all changes to the ZAngband source available to the testers as soon as possible. Updated binaries may be available from time to time ... but don't count on it. The source code patches (or the changed source files at the moment) have to be applied/copied in the proper order ... oldest patch first.
• ZAngband progress report
  Added different shops with different items in the towns, so the general store in one town will carry other things than the general store in another town (same applies to the other stores as well). The store maintaining will cause slowdowns from time to time (because all stores are maintained at the same time), but this will change in one of the next versions. Note that savefiles from "older" 2.1.3 beta versions are not compatible with patched versions. A small bug on leaving the Vault quest in the first town was fixed. You will now be placed correctly in front of the vault. The changed source files are available.

• ZAngband progress report
  Fixed several bugs today: the class buildings in town work now, traps in the quests will only appear when defined in the quest file, and you won't get crushed when entering a new wilderness area (temporary HACK). A patch for the source code is available.
• OAngband 0.2.0
  Leon Marrick released a new version of OAngband. There are plenty new features like player ghosts, new stealth system and more room types.
• Variant reviews needed!
  I'm still looking for players who want to review Angband variants. If you want to write something for Thangorodrim then send me an e-mail (or your review)!

• ZAngband 2.1.3 beta
  A new beta version of ZAngband is available. This version is more a technology preview than a real beta version. The main reason for releasing it in the current state is, that I want some feedback on the new features and more ideas from the players. I can still change things quite easy at this stage of development, so if you want me to change something then better ask me now. The new version has many new features but also MANY bugs, so be prepared.

  New features in 2.1.3 beta:

  • Changed quest system to allow more flexibility and multi-level quests.
  • Added multiple towns.
  • Added big wilderness outside the towns with a modified fractal terrain generator from KAmband.
  • New initialization code for quests, towns and wilderness.
  • Removed the 64 kByte limits for monsters, items, artifacts, and vaults.
  • Added "equippy chars" in the inventory, equipment list and in shops.
  • Many other changes and bugfixes.

  Known bugs and missing/unfinished features in this version:

  • Importing old savefiles is untested and may not work.
  • The new monsters are not included yet.
  • The wilderness is far too random, and it is recreated every time you enter a new area.
  • You can end up stuck in unpassable terrain and beeing crushed when entering a new wilderness area and teleporting in the wilderness is DANGEROUS.
  • The wilderness areas are surrounded by permanent walls and only have small exits on each side.
  • Word of recall does nothing in the wilderness. It should recall you to the last town visited.
  • Destruction spells in the wilderness can create walls.
  • Roads are a straight line. Should be a bit more interresting.
  • Names for wilderness areas and towns are not yet implemented.
  • Signposts in the wilderness are not yet implemented. It's very easy to get lost in the wilderness.
  • No monsters in the wilderness yet.
  • Only two towns yet, but adding more is possible via text-files. The second town is east of the first town, connected via a road through a grassland/forest area.
  • The few quests I've implemented are completely unbalanced ... they are just for testing some of the new possibilities for quests.
  • Quest status command doesn't work.
  • The "repeat level feeling" command doesn't work correctly in quests.
  • No message from questgiver when no quest is currently available.
  • Saving in a multi-level quest ("The Tower" in Town 2) works not correctly.
  • You can't win the game because the kill Oberon/Serpent quests are not designed yet.
  • Destruction spells in quest levels can mess up the quests.
  • Sometimes monsters from a quest will enter a town.
  • ZAngband town buildings like towers for the magic realms are not added yet.
  • Some town commands will cause problems.
  • Fighters Guild, Inner Temple or Tower of Sorcery are disabled at the moment.
  • The different towns have the same shops with same items (Shops and buildings will be defineable in the town files in future versions).
  • Quest entrances are not noticed when 'l'ooking.
  • Some monsters in the arena can still summon other creatures and use magic.
  • Quitting the game does not always kill your character properly.
  • The 16x16 tiles for the terrains look UGLY (because I'm bad at drawing terrains).
  • The help command says incorrectly says "KAngband 2.8.1 help" (But the help files are really from ZAngband).
  • Documentation is not up-to-date and design of quests, towns and wilderness is not yet documented.
  If you still want to try it, then you can download the source code, and the Windows version. The DOS version will follow in the next few days.

© 1997/98 by Robert Rühlmann, rr9@thangorodrim.net