Originally Posted by
Stingray1
This is the only condition now, I think. I seriously think we should attempt to make it stricter.
On the other side, I understand that the usual strategy (back in 1.1.1) to obtain True Strength was obtaining teleportation and magic mapping quickly, then get crowned lawful and rush towards D:50 clearing temples in a blaze and mapping + teleporting your way to the down staircase in all other levels. Now that teleportation, HP casting, spenseweed and stairhopping were all nerfed, doesn't the change balance for that?
This also means unspoiled players might at least have a small chance of getting the girdle if they roleplay a lawful character. L monsters won't attack you, and you won't be penalized if a swarm of blink dogs takes on a moloch, or dwarves in DT get in melee range with the greater daemon, with expected results.
Personally, I've been playing for 7 years, and only found out about this "quest" by reading tons of spoilers in 2011. The Guidebook only makes two passing, forgettable mentions, which basically only tell you an item called platinum girdle exists in the game. I don't think I would have
ever found out about it otherwise, and I didn't always play chaotic PCs (my first scummed win was a L+ wizard who tried to avoid chaotic acts as much as possible - I was young and foolish :)).
I have no problems with the thing being hard to obtain, but there's a fine line between "expectedly difficult, but doable" (the current approach as I see it) and "frustrating task nearly impossible to perform without scumming" (the way it was before).