# dbm

key: a:goal
value:
  A: To survive and to win, obviously. For this you need to find the fabled Orb
  of Zot deep down in the dungeon and bring it back to the surface. To enter the
  realm of Zot, you'll first need to collect three runes to be found in various
  branches of the dungeon.

  However, if you're new to the game, you really shouldn't worry about this. Just
  try to delve as deeply as possible and have fun exploring the many side
  branches in Crawl with various characters of different species, skill sets, and
  religions.


key: a:userdir
value:
  If you're playing locally (i.e. not on one of the servers), the chardump
  command will tell you where the morgue file is written, and this information is
  also displayed below the highscore at the end of a game.

  The saves/ directory can be found in the same directory as the morgue/ one.

  If you'd like to change either location, modify the morgue_dir and/or save_dir
  options in the init file.


key: a:drop
value:
  A: When choosing items to drop or pick up from a menu, you can select part of a
  stack by first entering a number (the desired amount), followed by the item
  slot. Stacks that are selected only in part are marked with '#' rather than
  '+'.

  If you want to pick up part of a single-item stack, you can use the ';'
  command, which will prompt you for the quantity, but otherwise behaves the same
  as ','.


key: a:roguelike difference
value:
  A: First, you might want to read the philosophy section in the manual ('?N') to
  read about general important principles in Stone Soup's game design.

  As for specific differences, the most important are probably the following:

  * Species is *much* more important than the character background (or "class").

  * Bones files only contain ghosts, never their equipment or cause of death.

  * You cannot sell items to shops or elsewhere.

  * Resistances can be gained via mutations or items, never through eating.

  * Praying is used to worship a god at an altar or to offer corpses to gods
    who'll accept them. To make use of divine powers use the 'a'bility command.

  * There are inevitable deaths, but new players can win without spoilers, if
    they learn from their mistakes. Very good players can win several consecutive
    games.

  Also, our aim is to give Crawl a really smooth interface, so you should really
  read through the command list ('??') some time. The following commands are
  particularly convenient:

  * 'o', for automatic exploration of an unknown level

  * 'G', for automatic travel to another level ('G?' for help)

  * 'X', to access the level map for travelling and other tasks ('X?')

  * 'Ctrl-F', to find and travel to items you've seen before ('Ctrl-F?')

  * 'Tab', to move towards or attack the nearest monster


key: a:survival
value:
  A: If you've got trouble even reaching the Temple, you might want to try a game
  or two in hints mode for some general playing hints.

  Also, there are easy playing combinations and more challenging ones (marked in
  dark grey on the selection screen). If you are new to Crawl, sticking to the
  easier ones is advisable. In general, treat each new monster you meet with
  utmost caution, try to choose the location where you fight monsters, and keep
  an eye on your health and magic.

  For specific hints dealing with a particular character, you can press '#'
  in-game to create a "character dump" in your morgue directory that you can then
  post e.g. in the Stone Soup forum (https://crawl.develz.org/tavern/), so other
  players can comment on your equipment, skills or spell selection. Please trim
  your dump by removing stuff unnecessary for this task (such as the extensive
  Vanquished list).

  If you're playing online on one of the public servers, you can join the ##crawl
  channel of the freenode IRC, where you will find helpful souls who will even
  watch you and give hints.


key: a:downstairs
value:
  A: They may be in a part of the level that is not reachable from the upstairs
  you came from. Try going up to the previous level and coming back down from
  there via a different set of stairs. Note that most levels feature three
  downstairs as well as three upstairs, not counting any escape hatches.

  Alternatively, if you are in one of the branches, you might also have reached
  its lowest level and have to turn around to explore another one. Check the
  dungeon overview ('Ctrl-O') to see how deep you've delved into a given branch,
  or the database ('?/b') for the number of levels for unseen branches.


key: a:starving
value:
  A: It's possible that you simply spend too much time on cleared levels where
  not enough monsters are generated to dine on. You might also be too choosy
  about what you eat; unless you are herbivorous, you should usually be eating
  monster chunks. If you worship a god who enjoys sacrifices, pay attention to
  your own hunger status instead of offering all corpses you come across.

  Also, casting (difficult) spells will make you hungry, but high Intelligence
  and Spellcasting will lessen this effect. If you press 'II', you can read about
  the hunger effects of your spells. Invocations likewise often have a Food cost.


key: a:labyrinth
value:
  A: To escape a labyrinth, it can be useful to know a few things:

  * Each labyrinth consists of several layers of different wall types, ranging
    from rock in the outer border to metal in the centre part, at the very centre
    of which the exit is located. (Though the exit itself may be part of a vault
    that has non-metal walls.)

  * From time to time, the walls will rearrange themselves. Though they will
    never close off the path to the exit, the path itself might change. In
    particular, this means that the "left hand" rule is not entirely reliable.

  Also, exit and loot are guarded by a brutish minotaur, who is very much
  alive. Don't let yourself get sidetracked by necromantic remnants of its
  ancestors.


key: a:weapons
value:
  A: "Better" depends on a number of factors, such as your weapon skills, whether
  it's one- or two-handed, the randart properties, the weapon brand, and the
  monsters you're about to face. In general, switching from a weapon type at
  which you are already highly skilled to another one that you have no skill in
  is a waste of time. The brands may greatly differ in damage output, but you can
  get a good idea by bashing a few comparatively harmless monsters with each and
  comparing the results.

  The delay in swinging a weapon can be reduced by the corresponding weapon skill.


key: a:religion
value:
  A: The most straightforward gods to play are probably Trog or Okawaru (for
  melee and ranged combat), Vehumet or Sif Muna (for spellcasting), and
  Yredelemnul (for undead allies). Also, while unreliable, Xom can be a lot of
  fun.

  Whenever you encounter an altar, be sure to read the corresponding god's
  description (by 'p'raying on the altar) and take your time in deciding whether
  to pick this deity or not. As a follower, you can reread your god's
  description, now more detailed via the '!' toggle, on the '^' screen.

  You're guaranteed to find altars to almost every god on the first nine levels
  of the main dungeon.


key: a:ghosts
value:
  A: There isn't any such option, and we're not planning to add one, either.

  For a more constructive answer, once a ghost has been loaded onto a level, it
  won't be loaded again - unless you happen to die on that level, thus creating a
  bones file featuring more than one ghost. Keep in mind that you don't
  absolutely have to fight every monster you meet, and with ghosts it's even
  easier: they cannot leave the level they were created on.

  Alternatively, you could play a couple characters of strong species/background
  combinations for the sole purpose of busting those ghosts, e.g. Troll
  Berserkers. Or play online, where you'll mostly be killed by others' ghosts
  instead!


key: a:abyss
value:
  A: If you are in the Abyss for the first time, chances of getting out are
  slim. Still, here are a few general hints:

  * You need to find a gateway leading out of the Abyss. These are rare!

  * Don't stick around to fight; move as much as possible!

  * If you have it, use defensive equipment (weapons of protection, etc.).

  * Use teleportation to end up in a completely new part of the Abyss. (But keep
    in mind that teleportation will take much longer to kick in than in the
    Dungeon...)

  * Consider switching your allegiance to Lugonu, the god of the Abyss. Upon
    conversion, you will be able to escape the Abyss immediately (but you may
    anger your previous god!).

  * Descending deeper in the Abyss will increase the chance of finding an exit
    out, but also increase the danger you face.

  * Killing enemies can create a gateway out, but most enemies will be
    too dangerous to fight; pick your battles carefully!


key: a:randart
value:
  A: Apart from the standard items you'll find lying around in the dungeon, you
  might also stumble upon artefacts which come in two varieties:

  * randart: a random artefact, usually a weapon, armour or jewellery, with
    random properties such as conferring resistances or abilities.

  * unrandart: a rarer variety of artefact that is predefined instead of randomly
    generated. Most unrandarts are identified on sight, and some come with
    special effects or unique abilities that are not available elsewhere.

  Neither of these types can be enchanted or branded, either temporarily or
  permanently.


key: a:interact
value:
  A: If you play online you can watch games in progress, other players can watch
  you while you play, and you can kill other players' ghosts. You can even send
  and receive messages.

  Check https://crawl.develz.org/wordpress/howto for an explanation about how to
  play online.

  You can also chat in the Crawl channel (irc.freenode.net, ##crawl), or discuss
  in the Stone Soup forum (https://crawl.develz.org/tavern/), or in one of the
  other forums linked on the website.


key: a:version
value:
  A: Actually, by now we consider Stone Soup to be reasonably stable for a game
  of such active development, so please don't get hung up about the 0.X
  versioning and give it a try.

  We've mostly kept the versioning for historic reasons and because it might
  cause undue confusion. We might decide to change that at some point, but maybe
  we won't.


key: a:beta
value:
  A: There certainly is! You can play "trunk" (what will eventually become the
  next version) online on any of the online servers; https://crawl.develz.org
  also hosts Windows and Mac binaries you can download. Note that trunk may be
  buggy, and that very rarely a bug may invalidate your saved games. If that
  doesn't bother you, go ahead and play!

  Be sure to reports bugs on our bug tracker (https://crawl.develz.org/mantis/)
  and to leave some feedback/suggestions on the forums
  (https://crawl.develz.org/tavern/).

  When doing so, please mention the version (see '?v') you're currently playing,
  in case the bug's already been fixed or the feature already implemented.


key: a:bug
value:
  A: Please submit a bug report on Mantis (https://crawl.develz.org/mantis/), and
  give as much information as you can:

  * What were you doing at the time?

  * What did you expect to happen, what happened instead, etc.

  * Most importantly, what version are you playing?
    (If you're not sure, you can check in-game with '?v'.)

  * Console or tiles?

  For crashes or monsters/items/levels behaving oddly, we probably need a save
  file. If you're playing online console, you can create a copy of your save file
  for the developers to access by selecting the version you are playing and then
  pressing 'A' for Advanced options. Don't forget to include the server and your
  username in your bug report!

  Sometimes a screenshot can be helpful. If there are error messages, please
  write them down. Short of a save file, a guide on how to reproduce the crash
  (or bug) can be useful; you can use wizard mode for this.

  Thanks in advance!


key: a:idea
value:
  A: If you'd like your idea to get in, your surest bet is to put it in a place
  where a developer can see it. One good place is the official forum, at
  https://crawl.develz.org/tavern/. If it catches the interest of at least one
  coder, chances are it'll' make it into the game.

  Note that your idea has a better chance of being accepted if you present the
  ramifications on gameplay. ("How does [adding/removing X] make the game
  better?") A suggestion for how to improve the interface may go in without much
  ado, but other suggestions will probably require to defend & justify them.


key: a:help
value:
  A: There are several areas where you can get creative and outside help is much
  appreciated. These are:

  * maps/vaults (see dat/ directory, docs/develop/levels/introduction.txt)

  * monster speech (see dat/database/, docs/develop/monster_speech.txt)

  * monster/item/spell descriptions (see dat/descript/)

  * tiles (see source/rltiles/, docs/develop/tiles_creation.txt)

  Also, if you'd like to write a patch but don't know how to go about it, read
  patch_guide.txt in the docs/develop/ directory. Submit it and other new things
  on our Mantis tracker: https://crawl.develz.org/mantis/

  Keep in mind that without previous discussions, we may not be able to use the
  patch, or it might need heavy modification. It's possible that it won't be
  accepted, usually for one of three reasons:

  * It doesn't fit into the Crawl world as we see it.

  * It violates Crawl's philosophy to avoid grinding and spoiler-heavy stuff.

  * We just don't think it's interesting enough to ever be implemented.

  Thanks a lot for your support!


key: a:changes
value:
  A: The admittedly highly subjective highlights of the most recent major release
  are listed along with the version information under '?v'. For older releases'
  changes, check out changelog.txt in the docs/ directory.


key: a:tiles lag
value:
  A: Crawl renders its graphics using OpenGL and SDL. Because it uses OpenGL, it
  depends on a little bit of hardware acceleration to not run slowly. If your
  system is not set up to enable this, then Crawl will run quite poorly.

  On Windows, the default driver that ships with Windows is extremely slow. Make
  sure to update your graphics card driver to the latest one available. On Linux,
  you should be sure to enable DRI.

  In addition to these suggestions, you can also try to see whether tweaking some
  options will improve performance. See docs/tiles_help.txt for details. If
  things are still too laggy after all of that, you could try the non-graphical
  console version, or wait for a future version that does not depend on OpenGL.


