Berserk tactics, so much the norm.

[Silfir]

I'm not sure there is a polite way to express how much I disagree.

ADOM throws monsters in random compositions and random numbers at you, with random battlefields and dungeon layouts. Berserk archery is something of a "win more" element; if you're several spaces away from all enemies already, you're in a pretty good position no matter what. All the extra points do is make it a little easier to maintain it or win outright. But once the monsters have closed the distance, the downside of berserk mode is felt again.

Through smart moving and careful picking of targets, you constantly end up creating additional opportunities to shoot at monsters unimpeded far more often than the game ends up just "giving" them to you.

[aerol]

An easy fix for the whole "berserkering doesn't make sense with missile combat" thing, which I agree with, would be to make Berserk bonuses for missile combat identical to Very Aggressive missile bonuses.

[asdf]

An easy fix for the whole "berserkering doesn't make sense with missile combat" thing, which I agree with, would be to make Berserk bonuses for missile combat identical to Very Aggressive missile bonuses.

more +damage but less +to-hit, perhaps?

[Soirana]

ADOM throws monsters in random compositions and random numbers at you, with random battlefields and dungeon layouts. Berserk archery is something of a "win more" element; if you're several spaces away from all enemies already, you're in a pretty good position no matter what. All the extra points do is make it a little easier to maintain it or win outright. But once the monsters have closed the distance, the downside of berserk mode is felt again.

Through smart moving and careful picking of targets, you constantly end up creating additional opportunities to shoot at monsters unimpeded far more often than the game ends up just "giving" them to you.

As far as I know monsters are not generated in line of sight. So yes, game is systematically "giving" space for archery.

[Stingray1]

I think the current bonuses to to-hit and damage and penalties to DV that the various tactics settings, including berserk, gives is fine as is.

I think we should concentrate on finding or commenting on solutions that do not make the "berserk" tactics setting the obvious choice in most circumstances.

[GordonOverkill]

Hmmm, just to mention it by the way, one tactic that I personally use very, very often in almost every run is coward. It's the obvious choice for fleeing, casting, healing, doing whatever takes more time than a single turn and of course for ordinary travelling. Also it has a very nice special feature: The speed bonus for injured chars. Most of my chars are in coward mode a whole lot more often than in berserk mode and for, say, a wizard there is hardly a reason to use anything else. Very aggressive is the best choice while training shields. Defensive or very defensive is what I use when I really don't want to get hit but have to fight anyway... maybe offensive if I feel cocky. Actually the one tactic that I use almost never is normal, but apart from that I think that I use most settings on a more or less regular basis.