What could be removed from ADOM?

[Covenant]

As discussed elsewhere, it's an incredibly complex game. But is it unnecessarily complex?

I've made this topic in an attempt to determine what could be cut from ADOM without significant loss of what makes the game so special, if anything could be, or should be, cut.

My own thoughts:

The Minotaur Maze, The Old Barbarian, The Assassin Prince, the Animated Forest, and 10 or so levels of the CoC. The Quickling Tree.


I usually skip the Maze and the Forest, and the Prince and Barbarian are ignored until strictly necessary. The CoC goes on just a touch too long. The Quickling Tree seems nothing more than a too-easy way to gain speed.

The Rift, I'm undecided on. I like having the option there, even if I don't often use it.

What are other peoples' thoughts?

[Silfir]

The abundance of diverse places to visit that is exactly one of the things that make ADOM so special. The very idea of cutting any of them from the game seems ludicrous to me, and they'd ALL be a significant loss.

Yes, even the old barbarian. Let's not start to discuss the strategic merits of the Courage skill - I like the guy. He is one of the many little things that give flavour to the world of ADOM. I like getting taught sum'thin 'bout Courage, dammit.

I don't see a real need for shortening the CoC either. If anything, I'm slightly disappointed when I reach D:48, because I'd have liked a couple more chances on a greater vault.

There's no need to "balance" the game by taking out the Quickling Tree either. ADOM is not competitive multiplayer. If you feel it's too easy to get speed there, just don't go.

ADOM won't lose complexity if we removed any of the things you mention - it would lose diversity, plain and simple, and that can never be a good thing.

[Sradac]

Sell all the skills you start with for a heap of gold.

[Grey]

Talents system and a fair number of crappy skills could probably go without being truly missed. Other than that, what Silfir said (and even those talents and skills can have their uses for certain challenges)

[Soirana]

Anyone votes for keeping haggling?

[Sradac]

woodcraft>haggling!

[Silfir]

Actually, yes. The concept is okay, the skill is just useless the way it works right now.

[Soirana]

the skill is useless in a way Adom handles money.

Honestly there is not such thing as money shortage even relatively early. Except for dark elves hitting second dwarven shopkeeper in HMW.

[Ars]

Maybe I could do without the "slikked" talent.

[QuickDraw]

Why the hell would you want to cut anything from ADOM? I don`t get the point. Even crappy skills like law or haggling - you don`t use them? Let them be, who cares if they are in game or not. Removing places like maze or barbarian glade would suck big time, same rules like with skills apply. I like to go to those places and I`d be mad as hell if someone would decide to remove them.