NetHack
NetHack is a
roguelike computer game. \nIt is an evolution of an earlier game called
Hack which was itself an evolution of the much more famous
Rogue. \n
NetHack was developed "over Usenet", hence the name doesn't mean that it is a
network game. \n
NetHack is traditionally played using
text-only graphics (in a manner similar to
ASCII art). \nYou take the part of a dungeon-delving hero in search of the
Amulet of Yendor. \nThe quest is played through at least 40 randomly created levels, each containing many monsters, items, magical artifacts, and much, much more.
Game
Before playing the game, you are invited to select a race, class, and alignment for your character, or allow the game to create a random character for you. There are traditional character roles such as knights, wizards, rogues, and rangers, but there are also unusual ones, including tourists and cavemen. \nYour character's class and alignment dictate what god you serve in the game; if you keep your god happy you can receive aid and gifts.
After contructing your character, your task is introduced:
After the Creation, the cruel god Moloch rebelled against the authority of Marduk the Creator.\n Moloch stole from Marduk the most powerful of all the artifacts of the gods, the Amulet of Yendor, and\n he hid it in the dark cavities of Gehennom, the Under World, where he now lurks, and bides his time.
Your character is initially accompanied by a pet kitten / little dog, or if you are playing a Knight, a pony. You can name your pet, and you can tame more pets along the way - domestic animals can be tamed by feeding them, and other monsters can sometimes be tamed by magic.\nPets are very useful, not only for assisting you in combat, but also for detecting cursed items and stealing from shops.
This game is unparalleled in scope: hundreds of unique items, situations, monsters, and personages provide opportunities for interaction with the gameworld. Some interactions (and bugs) are rare and occasionally amusing. For example:
"You fall into a pit! You land on a set of sharp iron spikes!--more--\n The spikes were poisoned! The poison was deadly...--more--
\n Do you want your possessions identified?"
(This would be referred to as YAAD or Yet Another Annoying Death.)
It is often said that "the DevTeam thinks of everything" - whatever you can think of for your character to do, they will probably have thought of a plausible response.
For example, attempting to dip a potion into itself would produce:\n That is a potion bottle, not a Klein bottle!
Or, being burdened while going down the stairs would produce:\n You fall down the stairs.
Bugs, funny messages, stories, experiences, and ideas for the next version are discussed on the Usenet newsgroup, [1].
Part of what marks the game is its constant improvement and growth, with new versions released whenever the DevTeam, a group of unpaid programmers, feels like it.
To win the game, a player would ascend and become a demigod or a demigoddess. This is achieved by sacrificing the Amulet of Yendor to a player's deity after playing some of the hardest levels in the game.
Graphics
\nThe following is a sample from a typical game session with what would be considered "improved graphics" with high-ASCII symbols:
, one of the many graphical interfaces that have been developed for NetHack. The hero can be seen on the right hand side engaged in combat with a Goblin.]]
Key:\n*@ - you\n*d - your dog\n*dollar sign - money\n*` - boulder or statue\n*< - staircase up\n* - scroll\n*_ - altar\n*+ - closed door\n*( - tool (lamp, pick-axe, bag, etc.)
Apart from the original text mode, there are interfaces that replace text mode screen representations with small images, called tiles.\nFor example, instead of the symbol "?", a picture of a tiny scroll is shown.
Current version
\nThe current version is 3.4.3, released on December 8, 2003.
Other versions
\nThere was a commercial version called Dungeon Hack with a first-person view, but it left out many of the little features that makes NetHack worthwhile even after years of playing (and it usually takes years and years of playing to win).
One variant, Falcon's Eye, offers an graphical isometric view of the dungeon map. However, Falcon's Eye is now an abandoned project and replaced by its successor, "noeGNUd".
Many experienced NetHack players prefer the original text mode interface, as they feel the graphical alternatives deter attention from playability and the use of one's imagination.
NetHack is an open source game, so anybody can fool around with the insides and make up new variants. As of June 2002, the only variant which is under active development is Slash'EM (Super Lots of Added Stuff Hack - Extended Magic).
Notable (non-player) characters
\n* Rodney, the Wizard of Yendor.\n* King Croesus, lord of Fort Ludios.\n* the Oracle of Delphi.\n* Vlad the Impaler, a figure based on Vlad III Dracula and the Dracula story.\n* The Gorgon Medusa, also from Greek mythology.\n* Various demons, like Asmodeus, Demogorgon and Orcus.
Notable creatures
- The cockatrice: a typical example of a complex Nethack monster. Its touch can turn you to stone, so attacking it with your bare hands is not recommended. If you kill one and it leaves a corpse, you could wield it as a weapon, and turn other monsters to stone—but you'd better be wearing gloves. Again, "the DevTeam thinks of everything".
- The floating eye: a monster without any active form of attack, this is one of the most dangerous creatures to the freshling nethacker. If you attack (run into) a floating eye when not blind and not reflecting, there is a very high chance of it immobilizing you for many turns, leaving you open to attacks from other creatures that roam the Dungeons of Doom.
- The soldier ant: even though this creature has no special attacks whatsoever, it often comes as a surprise for the unprepared hacker. These critters are very fast, hard to hit and hit hard themselves. On the alt.org public nethack server, they are the top death reason for players.
- The nymph: taking its origin in Greek mythology, these creatures are females of astounding charm. They manage to entice men and women alike into helplessness, stealing the belongings of an adventurer who has fallen into their hands, and leaving him bait for the more deadly creatures of the Dungeons, or, in the worst case, to die at the hands of their own equipment wielded by the nymph.
Public servers
Several public servers have been set up to allow people to telnet to a host and begin playing NetHack:
More information on playing is available from these sites.
External links
\n* NetHack Official Site\n* Yet Another NetHack Site\n* NetHack.de Sascha's and Raph's NetHack Site\n* noeGNUd - 3D NetHack\n* Falcon's Eye - Isometric NetHack\n* Annual Nethack Tournament\n* The NetHack index\n* Hearse, a utility to share bones files
Category:Roguelikes
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