You are eligible for pre-crowning when the deity is extremely close to you.
You are eligible for crowning when the deity is absolutely close to you.
Both of those come after "favors you greatly" which comes after "favors you".
The difference is only due to extremity of alignment or lack thereof (as in extreme and absolute don't come one after another; they are interchangeable and indicate the same level of piety, at least before the first precrowning).
Of course level requirement and artifacts generated have to be factored into the equation for precrowning.
As long as your alignment is not extreme, you will not be absolutely close so this is one way to figure out if your alignment is extreme or not.
Note two things: sacrificing on neutral altar as neutral character brings your alignment to N= (which is extreme alignment) and it will be achieved much sooner than either L+ or C-.
If you pray then, you will be crowned instead of precrowned.
On the other hand, sacrificing on a lawful altar as a lawful character will usually let you get enough piety for precrowning but you will still be L, not L+.
This is because unlike neutral altars, sacrifices on lawful or chaotic altars don't push your alignment towards the extreme (L+ or C-).
Last edited by Blasphemous; 01-04-2015 at 08:08 PM.
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."