anything relating to ivan you're too lazy to create a new topic for

Jun 20, 2019, 10:09 am
Joined: Apr 2, 2014
Occupation: Navastating
Location: Aslona
Posts: 764
New strategy for the tactical level in TX: Bring a stack of landmines, as many as you can. Drop them right as you enter the level and zap them with a wand of teleportation. Make sure that none of them ended near you, then pray to Silva or read a scroll of earthquake. Watch the level burn.

This gets rid of quite a few enemies (hopefully the spellcasters, too) and opens new tunnels in the walls that would otherwise force you to go around the long way. Unfortunately I still died in the last game as the Xinroch's grave keeper kept destroying my torso.
Jun 21, 2019, 1:57 am
Joined: Dec 14, 2017
Occupation: Student
Location: Finland
Posts: 224
Oh, so the earthquake destroys all mines on the lvl? Thanks for the tip, pretty cool strategy!
Jul 21, 2019, 8:26 am
Joined: Jun 29, 2017
Occupation: Professional Amateur Wizard
Location: Spider nest, caught in a web
Interests: Rattling bones
Posts: 61
I found a really cool weapon in the latest version: A tiaha (or whatever it's called): a polearm that can be used 1handed (with some effort), and also acts as a wand of striking (and you CAN charge it with a scroll). Of course I still lost to the enner beast.
"I think my associates were turned into monkeys." ~Shitty Bill
Jul 24, 2019, 11:05 am
Joined: Jun 29, 2017
Occupation: Professional Amateur Wizard
Location: Spider nest, caught in a web
Interests: Rattling bones
Posts: 61
Drinking water is a great way of recovering stamina/reducing exhaustion. And here I thought it had no use!
"I think my associates were turned into monkeys." ~Shitty Bill
Jul 24, 2019, 2:17 pm
Joined: Apr 2, 2014
Occupation: Navastating
Location: Aslona
Posts: 764
MrMagolor wrote
Drinking water is a great way of recovering stamina/reducing exhaustion. And here I thought it had no use!

Yeah, water is useful.
Aug 5, 2019, 12:26 pm
Joined: Dec 17, 2007
Occupation: Taking Names, Formerly Kicking Ass
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 991
red_kangaroo wrote
New strategy for the tactical level in TX

could be useful for the mageroom on the way to oree as well
Booooooooooo!
Aug 7, 2019, 11:38 am
Joined: Jul 31, 2009
Occupation: Kiwi farmer
Location: Van down by the river
Interests: Ornamental carnivorous plants
Posts: 67
There's a couple things I'm losing my mind trying to deal with. Most problems in the game have solutions that aren't too difficult as long as you know how to prepare for them, completely unavoidable deaths tend to get rarer as you progress.

But how the heck do you stay safe from a siren? If I see one I try to tame her if possible, and that's a fairly good option if I see her from a distance, happen to be lawful and know Dulcis. Sometimes sirens pop up right as you turn a corner though and instantly put you to sleep. I know there is wax in the game now, is it possible to plug your ears with it like Odysseus? That seems like the appropriate counter for sirens mythologically.

And mommo slimes seem to have gotten a lot stronger. You used to be able to run away, grab some crappy leather armor and come back to deal with them. Leather was safe from acid while stronger, better armor was vulnerable. Leather items now seem somehow super vulnerable to acid, and resistant gear is very rare now. Getting a pet slime from a fountain is a disaster even if they aren't hostile because you can't even tell them not to follow you. Stepping on even one or two of their puddles is almost guaranteed to destroy both your boots and maybe both legs too.
Aug 12, 2019, 12:58 pm
Joined: Apr 2, 2014
Occupation: Navastating
Location: Aslona
Posts: 764
Stihdjia wrote
But how the heck do you stay safe from a siren?

Right now, you should just kill them as fast as possible, as they are pretty fragile. But I would like to expand the usefulness of Willpowerand make it possible to resist siren's call with high Willpower, so that an enchanted helmet of indomitable will would be a good defense against them.

Stihdjia wrote
And mommo slimes seem to have gotten a lot stronger.

Nothing changed as far as strength of their acidic slime goes, AFAIK, they were always a nuisance.
Aug 12, 2019, 5:30 pm
Ex-Tyrant of the IVANers


Joined: Dec 8, 2007
Occupation: Junior Scientist
Location: Not California
Interests: Physics and Astronomy, Exoplanets, Singing praise to Valpurus while smashing skulls with a bloody warhammer, Jogging
Posts: 2,920
red_kangaroo wrote
Right now, you should just kill them as fast as possible, as they are pretty fragile.

Throwing stuff at them will probably help in this -- IIRC they have to be melee range to steal your items, so a few well-placed daggers to soften them up followed by an axe to the face will probably help you take them out before they become problematic.
"Put more stuff in the... thing where... more stuff goes in."
Oct 1, 2019, 7:45 am
Joined: Oct 9, 2016
Posts: 42
So if I polymorphed into the ghost of something else, does that mean I'm actually dead or am I turned into something that is dead.
Why do we all have to wear these ridiculous ties!
Oct 1, 2019, 7:59 am
Joined: Apr 2, 2014
Occupation: Navastating
Location: Aslona
Posts: 764
stoovan wrote
So if I polymorphed into the ghost of something else, does that mean I'm actually dead or am I turned into something that is dead.

You're just polymorphed. You will return to your normal form eventually.
Oct 1, 2019, 8:36 am
Joined: Oct 9, 2016
Posts: 42
red_kangaroo wrote
You're just polymorphed. You will return to your normal form eventually.

Of course I will. But I mean it in a joke way. Think about it...

You are polymorphed into a creature who is a ghost. That's a full implication that it's dead. If someone was polymorphed into a ghost of something else, does that mean that they are dead themselves? Are you dead or is it the thing you polymorphed into that is dead. In that case, who's more deader?

My brain hurts.
Why do we all have to wear these ridiculous ties!
Oct 4, 2019, 7:41 am
Joined: Dec 17, 2007
Occupation: Taking Names, Formerly Kicking Ass
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 991
If you zap a wand of Resurrection at yourself while poly'd into a ghost you should be permanently transformed into a living version of that creature
Booooooooooo!
Oct 4, 2019, 1:59 pm
Joined: Apr 2, 2014
Occupation: Navastating
Location: Aslona
Posts: 764
Batman? wrote
If you zap a wand of Resurrection at yourself while poly'd into a ghost you should be permanently transformed into a living version of that creature

Oct 5, 2019, 6:30 pm
Joined: Jul 31, 2009
Occupation: Kiwi farmer
Location: Van down by the river
Interests: Ornamental carnivorous plants
Posts: 67
Anyone have any plans for an Android port? I feel like it wouldn't be that difficult since IVAN is so portable already. Nethack has a really good android port and it seems like whatever is needed could almost be transferred directly from that project's source.

I know it's not quite that simple but a free game on the app store without ads would be a huge draw for the game. I'll put some effort into seeing if I can do it myself, I know I'd play the heck out of it.
Oct 6, 2019, 11:32 am
Ex-Tyrant of the IVANers


Joined: Dec 8, 2007
Occupation: Junior Scientist
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Posts: 2,920
Honestly so would I.
"Put more stuff in the... thing where... more stuff goes in."
Oct 14, 2019, 8:24 am
Joined: Jun 29, 2017
Occupation: Professional Amateur Wizard
Location: Spider nest, caught in a web
Interests: Rattling bones
Posts: 61
How do I deal with GC7? I mean, outside of getting an amulet of dimensional protection there seems to be no way to prevent the mystic dark frog(s) from teleporting your items.
"I think my associates were turned into monkeys." ~Shitty Bill
Oct 14, 2019, 8:30 am
Joined: Jun 29, 2017
Occupation: Professional Amateur Wizard
Location: Spider nest, caught in a web
Interests: Rattling bones
Posts: 61
Also, unrelated but: a wand of striking and a decent golem is an easy way to kill a malevolent genie.
"I think my associates were turned into monkeys." ~Shitty Bill
Oct 14, 2019, 10:22 am
Joined: Apr 2, 2014
Occupation: Navastating
Location: Aslona
Posts: 764
MrMagolor wrote
How do I deal with GC7? I mean, outside of getting an amulet of dimensional protection there seems to be no way to prevent the mystic dark frog(s) from teleporting your items.

Similarly to Enner, haste yourself, teleport to the frog and blast it with an offensive wand. Not safe by any means, but it works.
Oct 14, 2019, 1:35 pm
Joined: Jun 29, 2017
Occupation: Professional Amateur Wizard
Location: Spider nest, caught in a web
Interests: Rattling bones
Posts: 61
Is there any way to prevent a siren from putting you to sleep? I'd say out of everything that's killed me, that's the most annoying. BESIDES JUST STANDING AWAY FROM IT
"I think my associates were turned into monkeys." ~Shitty Bill
Oct 14, 2019, 7:55 pm
Ex-Tyrant of the IVANers


Joined: Dec 8, 2007
Occupation: Junior Scientist
Location: Not California
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Posts: 2,920
MrMagolor wrote
Is there any way to prevent a siren from putting you to sleep? I'd say out of everything that's killed me, that's the most annoying.

It's really quite easy, you just

MrMagolor wrote
BESIDES JUST STANDING AWAY FROM IT

... oh.
"Put more stuff in the... thing where... more stuff goes in."
Oct 15, 2019, 9:32 am
Joined: Dec 14, 2017
Occupation: Student
Location: Finland
Posts: 224
MrMagolor wrote
Is there any way to prevent a siren from putting you to sleep? I'd say out of everything that's killed me, that's the most annoying. BESIDES JUST STANDING AWAY FROM IT
Throwing weapons, teleporting, buddies, traps, high dex, maybe high will (idk if it works that way, but it makes sense), praying to dulcius or zapping her. Use everything, be creative.
EDIT: Lots of weak buddies, for the call of a siren easily overwhelms a single strong entity, but many weak targets will make quick work of a siren.
Oct 15, 2019, 1:09 pm
Joined: Apr 2, 2014
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Location: Aslona
Posts: 764
badbeaver wrote
maybe high will (idk if it works that way, but it makes sense)

Not yet, but it will. I hope to finish the patch for the next version.

badbeaver wrote
EDIT: Lots of weak buddies, for the call of a siren easily overwhelms a single strong entity, but many weak targets will make quick work of a siren.

Note that sirens use the same check for taming your allies as when you tame monsters, so very strong monsters (eg. angels) will probably resist the charming. It's probably still a better idea to have several weaker pets kill a siren than to let a strong pet solo her, though.
Oct 16, 2019, 9:00 am
Joined: Jun 29, 2017
Occupation: Professional Amateur Wizard
Location: Spider nest, caught in a web
Interests: Rattling bones
Posts: 61
Fun fact: you can tame the black market's guards. Since they're neutral by default, it's a great way of getting a master necromancer companion, or a strong golem without sacrificing an item.
"I think my associates were turned into monkeys." ~Shitty Bill
Oct 16, 2019, 9:48 am
Joined: Jun 29, 2017
Occupation: Professional Amateur Wizard
Location: Spider nest, caught in a web
Interests: Rattling bones
Posts: 61
Are there important foes (ie elpuri) that are not gas-immune? It would be fun to kill the mighty dark frog with a single sleeping gas grenade and an amulet of magic breath.
"I think my associates were turned into monkeys." ~Shitty Bill
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