[Announce] Netwhack 0.6.3

[Tsukino Usagi]

Hello everyone,

You can play (or download) netwhack online at:

http://www.tsukino.ca/play-netwhack

Since my last post announcing netwhack 0.5.9, I have made the following
changes to my game:

0.5.9 to 0.6.3:
ITEMS/EQUIPMENT:
1. Added shields.
2. Offhand weilding system (to go with shields)
3. Fixed two key bugs in shop and inventory code.
4. Added several new weapons.
5. New potions and scrolls (no spoilers here, but several spectacular
effects have been added)
6. Identify system. Scrolls of ID. IDing by other various means.

SPELLS/EFFECTS/ABILITIES:
1. Redid the effects system, effects attach to objects and monsters and
contain AI code for handling many special cases. It's much more expandable
now.

QUEST & LEVEL DESIGN:
1. Branded the game "Netwhack: Legend of the Sunsword"
2. The introduction of the "Croky Castle" level
3. A new delicatessen in the town of Brynn
4. Father Monoly and the Crumpled Note.
5. Delineation of LCave (Lost Caves) and BDungeon (Brynn Dungeon) to have
a "reason" for their existence other than being "two dungeons" to explore.

MONSTER/AI:
1. Kobold-class and and Newt/Lizard class monsters from Nethack have been
added.
2. Pathfinding system.
3. Self-modiftying AI scripting which allows monsters to communicate via
speech. (i.e. "Release the hounds!" or "Guards!" etc.)

ENGINE/OTHER
1. Added a help system.
2. Added a last-message system in case you miss a message.
3. Really too numerous to mention I suppose, there's been over 200 builds
since 0.5.9.

IMMEDIATE GOALS:
1. An inn in the town of brynn.
2. Signs (which you auto-read when steppning on a square). Also "magic
mouths" you might say.
3. Ultima 4 or 5 chat system.
4. Magic spells (probably similar to ultima 5 or 6, but I am considering
doing "Sindarin" magic as well and bringing more Tolkein into the game)
5. Ability to save games in the applet version should probably be a
priority too.
6. Adding new items and weapons is a possibility but I am thinking of
expanding the world map a bit, too. One town is a little bland, especially
if I had a chat system (see #3).
7. I guess I also like U5 and U6 timed pathing as well.
8. I think I could sum up my feeling by wanting to develop in the
direction of having to talk to people and do quests, and making that
feeling closer to ultima 5 or 6. Maybe have a few over-arching quests. I
would love to copy Ultima 4-6 in that regard, but I'm unsure of how to do
it without making it a blatant rip off.