Changelog

Some of the items on this list are intentionally vague, so as not to spoil anything for those who are in it for the thrill of discovery. If you really want to know everything about how the game differs from nethack, then you will find a full spoiler containing all the secrets of the game here (Last Update: July 03 2013). I'll try to keep it up to date, but there will probably be some lead time between a new update going out and the Spoiler getting a full update.

If you're more adventurous and prefer discovering stuff on your own, you can also get hints about most new features by asking the Oracle or reading fortune cookies, as I'm keeping that file up to date as well.

R2.5 - Tue Jun 03 2014

This update just added some additional features to the live logging functionality so that our IRC bot can track server activity. R2.51 came the day after (Wed Jun 04 2014) and consisted of a few tweaks to the messages the game outputs.

R2.4 - Wed Apr 02 2014

Just a few minor bug fixes: A harmless error message on the Astral plane was removed, as was a cleave bug that threatened to crash the game and a bug that prevented you from writing the new scrolls properly.

R2.3 - Tue Jul 23 2013

R2.3 contained some bugfixes and some minor tweaks. Pirates now get a custom death message; A special case was added to the lockpicking code to properly handle what top quantum nethack physicists have come to call "barrel-box duality". And finally, I fixed a bug when swinging Cleaver with low dexterity. Additionally, Cleaver is now special-cased so that it always cleaves as though you had max dex, which makes it a surprisingly respectable late-game weapon for roles that can use it.

R2.2 - Mon Jul 15 2013

This was mostly a bug-fix release: A bug that crashed the game when parrots attempted to hurl insults is gone, as is the bug that caused a crash in the middle of the first Pirate ascension ever. (I restored the automatic backup, so he just lost four hours or so of gameplay. I still felt pretty bad though.)

R2.1 - Mon Nov 12 2012

• Pirate balance tweaks -- The pirate gets a little bit more cool stuff, including a valuable endgame property as a level-based intrinsic. Additionally, the Quest has been reorganized to reduce the frustration it engendered.
• Parrots can now grow large enough to wear certain types of headgear, allowing you to protect them more effectively and exploit the special properties thereof. They prefer tricorner hats.

R2 - Sun Sep 30 2012

• New Role -- The Pirate is a swarthy sailor, who relies on his wit and charisma to get by. He uses exotic sword techniques in combat and can throw a foe off-guard with a well-timed insult. This encompasses a huge amount of gameplay additions and changes, including:
  • Insults - #chat to a creature to insult it. Insults can intimidate or stun monsters. For your convenience, a default keybinding has been added as well-- Pressing '!' is a single- keystroke equivalent to #chat.
  • Cleave - Wielding a cutlass or saber as a pirate, or wielding Cleaver (the artifact battle-axe) as any role, will allow you to perform special "cleave" attacks that are good for clearing rooms. Cleaver is no longer useless! (I mean... well, it's still bad, it's just that now it's got a unique bonus to justify its existence.)
  • New Items - Quite a handful of new things got added to accomodate the Pirate, but any role can find and use them.
  • New Monsters - In particular, the Pirate starts with a tiny parrot as a pet, by default. Parrots are not very good in combat, but they can insult your foes! And if you teach them, they can eventually get as good at it as you are.
  • The Quest - Be advised that the Pirate quest is a little more challenging than some other quests. You'll need better gear than usual to accomplish the Quest.
• Updated Scoreboard Functionality -- The scoreboard is now stored in a database, enabling me to implement a lot more detailed functionality-- sorting by various items, searching, and suchlike bonuses. So far I've got the sortable, paginated scoreboard working, but I'll keep working on this now that it's in place. You'll also have access to your dumplogs and ttyrecs soon!
• Bug Fixes and Minor Tweaks
  • The leader of the new dungeon branch is no longer easy to defeat.
  • I also added a tracked achievement for defeating him and claiming the prize.
  • Fixed a few bugs with the new scrolls. They also now have a different effect when you're confused.
  • One of the armor suits gets a special bonus.
  • Added a new type of armor with some moderately useful abilities.
  • Izchak is now guaranteed to have at least 7 candles in his shop.
  • Crystal balls now weigh 100 instead of 150. Every little bit helps.
  • If you are running a zen ascension, your starting spellbooks and scrolls will now be in braille. You're welcome.
• Configuration File Updates - The following options have been added to the configuration file:
  • swish — Enable cleave animation.
  • parrotname — The name of your parrot.

R1 - Wed Jul 18 2012

• "Zen" conduct - This is now a tracked conduct. Additionally, putting OPTIONS=zen in your configuration file will enable you to begin the game with a blindfold worn, regardless of your role. This will enable zen ascensions for every role without resorting to any kind of startscumming. To prevent abuse, the blindfold will evaporate if you ever take it off. Clever use of resources will allow you to read spellbooks and scrolls (such as the Book of the Dead) while blind, so it is possible in fdshack to achieve a "perfect" zen conduct in which you never use your eyesight.
• A new dungeon branch has been added, with its own fortress (with a special protocol for entry, much like the Castle) and a new artifact as the prize for defeating its leader. The branch is a "floating branch" like Fort Ludios, so it is not guaranteed to be in every game. The artifact you gain for conquering the level is perhaps underwhelming, but it has its uses-- and also offers a hidden side benefit that even high-level characters may consider worth the effort to obtain.
• A new type of scroll that if used properly has the potential to vastly increase the resources at your disposal. It's situational, highly variable in effect and rather rare, but probably overpowered anyway. It may be subject to probability/effect tweaks for balance purposes going forward.
• Shopkeepers can be a little tougher now-- I'm increasing their ability to punish theft, in order to offset a change that will make it slightly more difficult to prevent it.