Reducing the number of ADOM keybindings

[Mobius]

Perhaps some of the very-rare commands, like Wipe face or Clean Ears can be merged into generic First Aid skill.

[Grond]

Perhaps some of the very-rare commands, like Wipe face or Clean Ears can be merged into generic First Aid skill.

I feel like that would be even more confusing. As it is, new players can at least figure out what to do by reading the command list; using first aid for those things is not intuitive. However, I think if you really want to be newbie-friendly you would just get rid of the wipe face functionality. Mud spa rooms pretty much exist just to troll new players.

[littlebrather]

Most confusing point about ADOM commands is that they are powered up by some invisible and somewhat unnatural logic.

Some of the commands are hard to execute and quite handy, while others are obvious but almost useless.
1) 'U'se (easy but almost useless) and ':u'se (nice but unnatural)
2) 'O'pening the closed doors (easy) and Locking them ('Ctrl+u', really? Even no matching letters!)(never managed to remember, instead ':u'se the key on them)
3) 'h'andle vs 'Ctrl+t' (you can win the game by handling only 3 levers, while activating trap happens often, why separate commands?)
4) 'L'iteracy check vs 'Alt+l' looking for the hidden stars on the level. I myself managed to win the games w/o ever checking this Literature (wizard it was=))
5) While 't'hrow command menu is nice ofc (just hold 't' till everyone's dead) the Improved Fireball, 'Ctrl+o'rdering companions and some other menus (mindcraft?) are completely screwed by this [T]arget dialog. The 't'arget button where can easily be replaced by standard [Y/n] or smth, or at least allowed to bypass pressing 'Enter'.
6) Is it me, or the hotkey menu for spellcasting is screwed also? Is there any way not to go through the same dialog of 'Yes I like to cast from hotkey list' every time?

[Shinae]

I feel like that would be even more confusing. As it is, new players can at least figure out what to do by reading the command list; using first aid for those things is not intuitive. However, I think if you really want to be newbie-friendly you would just get rid of the wipe face functionality. Mud spa rooms pretty much exist just to troll new players.

There's been several threads about "How to cure permanent blindness" when new players can't figure what happened and they die because of face in the mud. I agree getting rid of whole face mud rooms and clean face command is better solution.

[littlebrather]

There's been several threads about "How to cure permanent blindness" when new players can't figure what happened and they die because of face in the mud. I agree getting rid of whole face mud rooms and clean face command is better solution.

Playing ADOM IS about dying. A lot. Mud rooms are at least funny. Dying from permanent blindness was never been the main source of deaths in ADOM, and does not actually managed someone to stop playing AFAK.

[Grond]

Playing ADOM IS about dying. A lot. Mud rooms are at least funny. Dying from permanent blindness was never been the main source of deaths in ADOM, and does not actually managed someone to stop playing AFAK.

I would say it's about learning from your deaths (and other experiences). The lesson of mud rooms is one of:

1. [Dumb lesson] There's an obscure keybinding that you will use here and nowhere else.
2. [Grounds for quitting ADOM] Walking into a room can randomly lose you the game.

[Mobius]

I would say it's about learning from your deaths (and other experiences). The lesson of mud rooms is one of:

1. [Dumb lesson] There's an obscure keybinding that you will use here and nowhere else.
2. [Grounds for quitting ADOM] Walking into a room can randomly lose you the game.

This happened to me as an experienced player once, because I missed the message about the room. Even praying didn't help! Not my joyful game.

[littlebrather]

I would say it's about learning from your deaths (and other experiences). The lesson of mud rooms is one of:

1. [Dumb lesson] There's an obscure keybinding that you will use here and nowhere else.
2. [Grounds for quitting ADOM] Walking into a room can randomly lose you the game.

The lesson actually is: There is list of commands in ADOM and these commands ARE IMPORTANT. Even if you managed to move, pick up and shoot monsters, you control of the game is not full.
I should remind you, that there are many topics on this forums, dedicated to the 'How boring is moving in ADOM/How not to bump into monsters accidentally?' the answer on which was 'w#'alk command. I believe total amount of dumb question on forum is not of any importance speaking of particular game mechanics. 'How to drink from pool?' 'How to get logs?' 'How to remember that my first kill is?' 'How to save old sage?'…
The mud rooms are important, they forces you to *study* the game and the keybindings.

[Grond]

The lesson actually is: There is list of commands in ADOM and these commands ARE IMPORTANT. Even if you managed to move, pick up and shoot monsters, you control of the game is not full.
The mud rooms are important, they forces you to *study* the game and the keybindings.

If the 130 commands are important, you don't need a 131st command just to prove that. And I don't think forcing new players to read through the list of keybindings is going to get them to retain much of that information.

[littlebrather]

If the 130 commands are important, you don't need a 131st command just to prove that. And I don't think forcing new players to read through the list of keybindings is going to get them to retain much of that information.

Ahaha! Like you just completely screwed the idea. Mud room effect does not forces you to read, it forces you to think, ask and learn. Learn WHERE you can find information, w/o starting a new thread on this forum.
Point is that you dislike mud rooms. Yet there are tons of traps, monsters and features in ADOM someone is mad about. Spa-rooms and your anger are not unique.