I posted more in rec.games.roguelike.nethack, so I figured I would drop it here:
I've been playing Nethack since 1990 or 1991. Nevertheless, this was my first ascension; the only other times I've made it to the Endgame, I died of starvation in the plane of Water (with no easy way to find the portal) in 3.1, and a few weeks ago, after a very promising game where I found a wand of wishing in the Mines, I got killed off by Pestilence (twice) not realizing I could just FoD him.
This one started off quite auspiciously -- with finding -another- fresh Wand of Wishing in the early Gnomish Mines. Yum. Wished up SDSM and a blessed Amulet of Life Saving. Mine Town was...interesting, as there were not one, but two Zombie Mnemes running around with Cloaks of Magic Resistance (what I get for always playing Wizards). I fled after running my power down finding out they were resistant the hard way and that I wasn't going to be able to beat them up.
After Sokoban and the first non-Mine Town Altar (on level 12!), I figured I could take out the zombies safely, and got a nice haul from the double-bones file. I also found another bones file or two on the way to the Quest. After taking on the Mines, I did a bit of sacrificing and polypiling, trained up my riding skill, made a silver dragon baby (via ring of polymorph combined with silver dragon mail; lost my first shirt this way too, but I got another 12 or so via polypiling), levelled up my baby (didn't know the kids don't have reflection -- almost killed him that way), enchanted Frost Bane to +7 and MB to +2, and figured it was time to play.
I took out the Castle (with a timely genocide ';'), got its wand of wishing (I got 15 wishes this game and even wishing for trivialities like a saddle and lenses, I still had 7 at the end of the game), and started scouting Gehenom.
Most of the demon lords (I wasn't keeping money in my inventory) were no big sweat -- Jubilex died to a single Cone of Cold; Baalzebub took, like, two.
Orcus, though, was annoying -- as he summoned up Demogorgon, who proceeded to make me sick and knock off my Amulet of Life Saving before I could say "go". I panicked, and dropped a point blank CoC (which I'd been avoiding previously because I'd forgotten that Silver Dragons have cold resistance as well as reflection -- Best Steed Ever), getting the nasties to back off, then gated up to Sokoban to heal, don another AOLS, and prep. By the time I returned, I'd double-checked that Silver Dragons have cold resitance, so 2 more cones took out Demogorgon, and another one finished up Orcus after I'd finished cheering. This time, I scouted all the way down to Vlad's, then ported out and prepped some more.
Then I went down, finished off Vlad's, mostly with CoC or Cancellation (no Stormbringer, so I had to avoid closing), then scouted all the way to the bottom and found the square, leaving four rocks and a chain there so I wouldn't have to scour my eyes trying to find a chain (a + with a chain in the center is ever so much more visible).
no subject
drop it here:
I've been playing Nethack since 1990 or 1991. Nevertheless, this was my first
ascension; the only other times I've made it to the Endgame, I died of
starvation in the plane of Water (with no easy way to find the portal) in
3.1, and a few weeks ago, after a very promising game where I found a wand of
wishing in the Mines, I got killed off by Pestilence (twice) not realizing I
could just FoD him.
This one started off quite auspiciously -- with finding -another- fresh Wand
of Wishing in the early Gnomish Mines. Yum. Wished up SDSM and a blessed
Amulet of Life Saving. Mine Town was...interesting, as there were not one,
but two Zombie Mnemes running around with Cloaks of Magic Resistance (what
I get for always playing Wizards). I fled after running my power down finding
out they were resistant the hard way and that I wasn't going to be able to
beat them up.
After Sokoban and the first non-Mine Town Altar (on level 12!), I figured I
could take out the zombies safely, and got a nice haul from the double-bones
file. I also found another bones file or two on the way to the Quest.
After taking on the Mines, I did a bit of sacrificing and polypiling, trained
up my riding skill, made a silver dragon baby (via ring of polymorph combined
with silver dragon mail; lost my first shirt this way too, but I got another
12 or so via polypiling), levelled up my baby (didn't know the kids don't have
reflection -- almost killed him that way), enchanted Frost Bane to +7 and MB
to +2, and figured it was time to play.
I took out the Castle (with a timely genocide ';'), got its wand of wishing
(I got 15 wishes this game and even wishing for trivialities like a saddle and
lenses, I still had 7 at the end of the game), and started scouting Gehenom.
Most of the demon lords (I wasn't keeping money in my inventory) were no big
sweat -- Jubilex died to a single Cone of Cold; Baalzebub took, like, two.
Orcus, though, was annoying -- as he summoned up Demogorgon, who proceeded to
make me sick and knock off my Amulet of Life Saving before I could say "go".
I panicked, and dropped a point blank CoC (which I'd been avoiding previously
because I'd forgotten that Silver Dragons have cold resistance as well as
reflection -- Best Steed Ever), getting the nasties to back off, then gated
up to Sokoban to heal, don another AOLS, and prep. By the time I returned,
I'd double-checked that Silver Dragons have cold resitance, so 2 more cones
took out Demogorgon, and another one finished up Orcus after I'd finished
cheering. This time, I scouted all the way down to Vlad's, then ported
out and prepped some more.
Then I went down, finished off Vlad's, mostly with CoC or Cancellation
(no Stormbringer, so I had to avoid closing), then scouted all the way
to the bottom and found the square, leaving four rocks and a chain there so
I wouldn't have to scour my eyes trying to find a chain (a + with a chain in
the center is ever so much more visible).