What are your favorite locations in ADOM, and why?

[anon123]

The title says it all. My picks are as follows.

1. The Infinite Dungeon. The thought of a place that goes on forever as far as our real-world lifespans are concerned, where you can never revisit a particular level, has always fascinated me. Also, it is a good place where to gain levels and get items as most of us know, plus the feeling of acquiring gear as you go adds to the excitement of the game. I've had characters that entered with their starting gear, and came out with 20 PV, holy water, useful items, numerous intrinsics (you might shout "grinding", but I enjoyed the task).

If you've won the game, you can always try to see how deep you can dive in the ID - the fun of dungeon crawling continues with no background corruption and ever-increasing difficulty. Props to those who have gone beyond I300, I'd like to do something similar one day.

2. Darkforge. I generally tend to have horrible luck with this repository of high-DL weapons and armor, but you never know what you're going to get - dragon scale mail, eternium two-handed swords, Executor, weapons of devastation, knives of endurance, etc. There's always one item that's very useful, however, at least for my wizards: the crown of science. You can stock on books, wear it in the wilderness for its ludicrous Le boost, read everything, then uncurse and remove.

I thought the only guaranteed pools for non-ultra players were also nice some years ago, now I don't drink from them unless I'm on the verge of Shift+Q due to boredom/lack of significant events with a PC. I don't like the SoRS either due to the corruption, but those who do, can get what would otherwise be the best shield in the game here. Also, Darkforge provides the shortcut to the surface if you've showed the RotHK to the eternal guardian, so bonus points for that. Has anyone seen the message "the stairway is very long"? You should definitely get that when taking the shortcut, as you're going ~34 levels up/down in one hoop

3. D: 49. Hey, it's the ice level! You don't usually spend here long (not that you'd want to, if you're a Drakeling), but the interesting twist of having to move by throwing junk the opposite way is enough to make me like it. Also, you can't, or more exactly aren't meant to, bring monsters here. So, nobody/nothing to pat (or stab) you in the back - you're on your own.

I feel that it could have been done better, however. Perhaps a blueish/white color palette, being told about the ice if you 'l'ook at the floor, and making the walls undiggable would help. I might submit a feature suggestion about this soon.

Runner-up: the road tile where you start the game. I like pressing > here to equip, read and drink my starting items undisturbed.

Okay, I've written enough for now What are your favorite places in this game, and why do you like them? You don't have to list exactly three like me if you like less or more than that, of course.

[Silfir]

The Unremarkable Dungeon, most definitely.

It's probably because the early game in ADOM is - don't kill me - rather easy, simply because you have a choice of several relatively tame dungeons, one of which can be infinitely recreated. Under normal circumstances, you aren't faced with disproportionate challenges - and if you are, you can turn around, run, and come back better prepared.

It's an entirely different game if you decide that you'll start in the Small Cave and go down from there once you reach level six or so. You can't turn around - the Small Cave is now filled with far too dangerous creatures. You can hardly rest, since the levels are so dangerous. There's a higher chance for vaults, herbs and other dungeon features. You can't go elsewhere to find more stuff and power up. You're stuck with what you have, and however way you can, you have to get through to the other side.

The only situation that comes close to matching this particular form of excitement is ID challenges such as the Duel to the Death or the Weakest Link. A shortage of resources is what opens a player's mind to the vastness of options that make ADOM the brilliant game of strategy it is.

[JellySlayer]

Tower of Eternal Flames.

This is definitely the highlight reel location in the game. Every game you play, to some extent or other, revolves around the trip to the Tower. There are unique challenges, dangerous monsters, a brutal boss that you're never quite sure you're strong enough for, and it is the gatekeeper to the end of the game. Even more, the Tower is the end of the game. Everything beyond that is mostly formality.

[Kyreles]

I always liked the Quickling Tree. How time flows differently there. All the corpses. The Boots of Great Speed are an interesting artifact. I wish they reduced base movement cost in addidtion to current effects.

[LFk]

Tower of Eternal Flames.
Even more, the Tower is the end of the game. Everything beyond that is mostly formality.

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but I do see a good handful of deaths post tower in the HoF!


Casino - What? I like loot.

[Al-Khwarizmi]

1. I agree with Silfir about the Unremarkable Dungeon. I could explain why but I think Silfir has summed it up nicely, my reasons are basically the same. I love the excitement of beginning the game with a blanket run and refusing to go back to the surface through other exit than the HMV. The increased chance of dungeon features is also great, with a special mention to the almost-guaranteed pool that is the doom (literally) of many of my characters but also a blessing for others.

2. My second pick is, without any doubt, the Dwarven Halls. I have seen many of my characters die there, but it's really exciting to choose ("it's yer choice", remember) these two levels full of dangerous surprises, either to boldly try to pass or to just peek in with a cloak of invisibility and holding to the wand of teleports, hoping for good treasure.

3. At a somewhat distant third place is the Library. Rather difficult to get to, full of great dangers but also great rewards, holding scrolls and books (which are always among my favourite items).

I don't like the ID at all in normal games, the lack of special dungeon features makes it very monotonous and the possibility of stairhopping makes it very scummy. I do like ID-based challenges like the Weakest Link though, so it's good that the ID is there anyway.

[nathrakh]

UD. It's just so much more fun and faster to go straight to UD (and continue to CoC) than do the boring starting quests and areas.

I'm pretty sure there was similar thread already.

[Spellweaver]

UD, surely. I always visit it at the very start if possible.

[Carter]

Got to go with the dwarven halls as No.1

The danger of knowing you could easily come out with a Balor standing next to you... or it could be a goblin and the next stair case only 15 moves away. Cake walk or insta death, there is always a moment of terror doing the DH with a non caster.

Believe it or not the Minotaur maze is a favorite of mine - if only the reward was worth diving for!

[_Ln_]

I think we had this topic somewhere back when grass was greener, the sky more blue and shopkeepers didn't hate dark elves.

Anyway, the best places in the game are I:67 (or whatever the level is), Emperor's Moloch lair, trip through chaos gate and Chaos Plane itself. I dare anyone to state that they didn't say "wow" first time they got there.

Stone circle is by far the place with the best atmosphere in the game, staying true to video game boss levels. You venture in, see a eerily quiet emptiness with a giant building and a couple of mooks at the entrance. Then a short curved corridor which opens to a huge area with a freaking multiheaded chaos dragon. And if you don't have decent Pe, there are also some chaos jellies lurking in the corner. Just imagine this as a 3d graphic game which you play completely unspoiled.

Come to think of it, I would like to get scripted events (aside from D:49 staircase) such as closing the exit with indestructible walls. Sure, you probably have 7LB and disabling items to kick Keriax, but simply not allowing you in the open (not that interior is small, but still) with chaos jellies getting in the way is pretty awesome IMO.