Until I checked I didn't realize just *how* bad attractivity was compared to other helmets. Strangeish as you'd think it being special it would at least beat a full bronze helmet in AV value, but a +5 helmet of attractivity just sitting in the dungeon would still be rather handy in the early game as it has the same AV as a full steel helmet.

EDIT: It also hardens to diamond, which for a +5 attractivity helmet would make 27 AV (beats the full adamantine helmet by 1 AV). Unless you find a scroll of change material first, you'll want to keep that helmet.

E2: No, you can't harden understanding or perception helmets. Brilliance hardens to octiron and gets 20+(enchantment value) AV.

I am *very* glad to have black back. Thank you very much.

Aren't we all, though?

I've always felt IVAN was characterized by the dungeons with their mix of random enemies and design as well as static additions that presented new problems or possibly new solutions (though certainly not without cost). Random encounters out in the wilderness I feel would break the feel of that and since the 'real' part of the game takes place in the dungeons anyway, I don't think it would be a positive change. Also worth noting is that as the game is at the moment, the previous concern is irrelevant because the longest trip anywhere in the overworld is from the underwater tunnel to Attnam, and as the second longest trip is generally much smaller, unless you make random encounters really common there probably won't be all that many and thus it won't be able to make the kind of impression they do in ADOM. Though, really for me it seems like it will be more annoying and unfun than otherwise to have random encounters.

I think the biggest deal-breaker IMO as far as random encounters are concerned is that in tandem with permadeath life becomes even harder for newer characters and players. The jRPGs with random encounters all have some kind of save system (not necessarily in the dungeon, but it's there all the same) so that you don't get *completely* screwed over if an encounter proves too much to handle. However, I like the idea of > providing randomly generated wilderness that may contain items, as then it becomes up to the player whether they want to risk going in or not.

However, players cannot currently swim or learn to swim (nor does water generally enter into the equation of living and dying). I think a water-themed area would be a nice addition.

We could definitely use fire and a burning status ailment in this game. Drowning too, but then there'd have to be more water.

Eh, I was responding to Azba's desire for more references. As far as what makes an objectively good name, I guess something else could work but I'm not sure what precisely (though the two suggested alternatives don't thrill me a whole lot). The main thing I cared about is getting the idea of a sword that knocks down physical stats on the table.

Minus sword references Star Ocean: The Second Story.

*resurrects the thread*

Here's an item idea: the Minus sword - not nearly as damaging as the other artifact weapons, but it has a rather good chance of weakening one of the physical stats (AStr, LStr, Dex, Agi) of the monster fought by 1d3 points.