Dungeon Master Forum

Greetings. Is anyone having trouble getting on to the "Dungeon Master Encyclopedia" website? When I try to access, all I get now is that I am forbidden from access on Port 80 or similar. Even trying to get there via the links on this forum I get the same message. I have just got hold of Chaos Strikes Back from RTC and wish to resume battle 16 years after my Atari ST days. Just need a few pointers through the Encyclopedia and help, partially with the walkthrough available on that site.

I just tried the Encyclopaedia and it's not working ofr me either atm - must be down for some reason.

Thanks Ameena. I suppose that's just what I wanted to hear! Got to get back into CSB again. The games these days just don't cut it. Or is it just me wallowing in nostalgia? I'll keep trying the site and hopefully it'll be back soon! Ta.

Alternatively, if you're stuck at any particular point, if the Encyclopaedia still ain't working then you can just post up a query here (in the RTC-CSB section of the forum) and I'm sure some of us will leap in heroically with answers of varying helpfulness .

"It's kinda off to one side of the thingy and you need to make sure you watch out for the knight...or is it a worm...it's definitely somehting...wait, maybe it was a pit leading to worms

Or was that DM..."

Lol that sounds almsot exactly like something I would say...
That's not an actual quote, is it?

Nope, just me imagining what I would say

the Encyclopedia doesn`t work for me too for a long time

I just tried connecting, and I get the same message as andyp.

Christophe?

it seems that there was a general crash; the whole Encyclopedia site is broken. We can only hope that Christophe made an emergency copy of all his stuff.

The site should be back online soon.

The site is back online.

Thank you christophe for keeping the encyclopedia working, again.

ok, Christophe, I think it`s time to update some informations on the DM Encyclopedia; I was waiting for rain` to confirm my observations about monsters, but he didn`t appeared. The changes I`m talking about are in these code-tables: http://www.dungeon-master.com/forum/vie ... hp?t=26563
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I think you should swap (thanx to Sophia!) all monster`s HIT PROBABILITY with ATTACK POWER

I noticed you use "special abilities" for the monsters:
1. absorb projectiles
2. can see in darkness
3. Hit by Weaken Nonmaterial Beings spell
4. Levitates
5. Hit by Disrupt attack (Vorpal Blade)
6. Can see invisible
7. Can see in darkness
8. Can pass through wooden and iron doors (but not through porticullis and Ra doors) doors
9. Nearly immune to spells (excepted Weaken Nonmaterial Beings)
10. Can steal items in champions' hands
11. Can only be killed when materialized
12. Teleportation

These flags can be set for each monster:
1. AAS (Can attack from all sides): Monster can attack from front, back and side positions.
2. PBR (Prefer Back Row): Monsters that have this flag set will tend to hang back in the back row, whereas other monsters will step up to the front row when the party is near and they want to attack.
3. AEP (Attack Every Position): This flag allow monster to attack character on every possible position (NE, NW, SE, SW).
<note: if If PBR and AEP flags are not set, or a 25% chance regardless, monster move to the front>.
4. LEV (Levitates): The monster will not fall through pits.
5. NMT (Non Material Monster):
a) Non material monster ignores (walks through) every kind of closed doors (including RA doors).
b) Non material monster can be hit only by vorpal/disrupt.
c) All items and projectiles (except dispell) pass through the monster.
6. 1/4 (Short 1): adds 1/4 to door animation goes farther under a creature
7. 1/2 (Short 2): adds 1/2 to door animation goes farther under a creature
8. DRI (Drops items): The monster will drop a preset list of items, specified in the monster drop editor.
9. APR (Absorbs projectiles): When hit by any item, the monster has a chance to automatically carry the item until death.
10. CSI (Can see invisible): The monster can see the party when under the affect of the Invisibility spell.
11. CSD (Can see in darkness): The monster's visibility is unaffected by the light level of the dungeon (In darkness, monster's sightrange is normally lowered)
12. ATF (Antitelefraglismness): If a monster is moving to a square with an active teleporter that teleports monsters and the destination does not allow that kind of monster then it prevents the monster from entering the teleporter.
(well, this is not really a flag, but I put it into the "flags" table; it`s set when the value > 10)

My propositions for Encyclopedia:

1. I think you could omit "can attack from all sides" ability, because nobody would notice that; in original game, this flag is set only for the monsters wchich has the same bitmap for all sides; so that doesn`t make a difference. It only affects on the attack frequency, because the monster doesn`t need to be turned front to a party to attack them.
2. "Prefer back row" - well, it`s a kind of ability, so you may put it in..
3. "Attack every position" - well, it`s a kind of ability, so you may put it in..
4. "levitates" ability - just like it is now
5. "Non Material Monster" - these are actually three abilities (a,b and c) always set together for the monster - because it`s one flag. You may just notice that monster is "nonmaterial", wchich means that when this flag is set then:
a) monster ignores ALL kinds of doors (see http://www.dungeon-master.com/forum/vie ... hp?t=26963 ) - so the "Can pass through wooden and iron doors (but not through porticullis and Ra doors) doors" description is incorrect,
b) monster can be only hit by vorpal/disrupt and
c) all projectiles except dispell pass through the monster.
6. and 7. - you could omit this IMHO; anyone knows that when a monster is big, the door falls down only a bit; in case of Rive and Zytaz it always falls down (notice that Zytaz isn`t short, but the flags are NOT set - but Zytaz already ignores doors, because it`s "nonmaterial". Flame and Water has "short1" flag set, but it doesn`t affect on them, becaue they`re "nonmaterial" too).
8. "drops items" ability - it is already in a monster`s description
9. "absorb projectiles" - it`s already in a monster`s description
10. "can see invicible" - it`s already in a monster`s description
11. "can see in darkness" - it`s already in a monster`s description
12. "antitelefraglismness" - you could omit that, it`s not very important for the player
13. "Can steal items in champions' hands" - hardcoded; it`s already in a monster`s description
14. "Teleportation" - hardcoded; it`s already in a monster`s description
15. "Can only be killed when materialized" - don`t have idea about this; I should investigate that! if thrue, definitely hardcoded
********************************************
There is also misunderstanding with "Hit by Weaken Nonmaterial Beings spell" and "Nearly immune to spells (excepted Weaken Nonmaterial Beings)" abilities; abilities of this kind doesn`t exist - nonmaterial being is treaten as an ordinary item, like apple for example.

15) Yes and no - a DesEw spell will pass through a non-materialized being, but you can DesEw them in a non-materialized state if they have a wall behind them that makes the DesEw spell become a DesEw explosion on the materializers tile. Disrupting them is still the better way imho.

1) AAS - that's missing in RTC, which is why screamers often miss their attacks there.


Another thing I wonder are hidden item properties, not only from obviously magical items. I mean, a great helmet is so much more expensive than a mail helmet, but according to the encyclopaedia, the mail helmet is better in every respect. Are these data correct? Did a bug creep into the list? Has there been a bug all along in the game? Is ist FTL saying "more expensive isn't always better"? Or does the great helm have some ytill unknown hidden property?

Lunever: AAC don`t affect on attack probability (I guess by "missing" attack you mean an ordinary attack, wchich happened and missed the party?). It affects on the frequency of attacking the player during the "dance fight". Even when screamer is turned, say, back to the party (but we don`t know about it; screamer has the same front, side & back bmps), he can already go to the "attack" state and doesn`t have to turn 180` to do that, like monsters with AAS disabled. The designers did that probably because screamer is very slow monster (note: monster speed is also responsible for changing its state from back/side/front), so the party, (if lucky! cause we really don`t know screamer`s state!), could surprize the monster when he`s back and easily kill him without risking an attack (well, screamer has already very low Hit Probability - 5/255! - so there`s no need to fear ). However, I`m almost sure that, even if monsters with AAC set don`t have to- they actually always trying to face the player; because it`s internal function for all the monsters, I think (EVERY monster has front, back side even if some doesn`t have bitmaps for them because of universally coded behaviour for all of them).
Actually, in screamer`s case (this monster is very slow) it doesn`t change much. But when you take flying eye- well, that`s a different story - it makes him lot more dangerous!).

Adamo: That's been perfectly clear. By "miss" I mean in RTC they often don't get an opportunity to attack the party due to not facing them with their front side, although they should be able to attack in all directions per design by FTL.

ok. I was curious, so checked it out again.. I set AAS flag to the worm on and it doesn`t change its bitmaps AT ALL; seems I was wrong - when this flag is set, the engine doesn`t force a monster to turn!!! moreover, the engine never displays attack bitmap when attack is cast from back/side. It only works for the front. That`s strange, because in case of the monsters with the same bmps for front, side and back, the attack image is always displayed.
These are bad news for the designers - the dragon turned back to the party and attacking them without showing attack bitmap would look strange.. oh well..

Anyone, if curious, can set the "unknown1" flag for the Worm in ADGE monster editor and observe the worm in action..

5 a)
I remember in the dm worm level you encounter a single ghost.
It does not go through the door it stays outside.
So..is there a monster blocking space, just like in the knight level, where the knights
would never go around the corner ..? I think so
(I am pretty sure you all know what spots I am referring to.)

anyway, maybe this should be added or s.th.
Theoretically , immaterial beings
can pass through all kinds of doors but often dungeon designers
prevent them from doing so

check this thread: http://www.dungeon-master.com/forum/vie ... hp?t=26963

every nonmaterial monster can pass through every closed door, but the 3rd door flag is responsible for seeing you by a monster; so IF the ghost is placed behind the closed door of particular kind and the flag for this kind of door is SET, he sees you and will try to attak you (by coming close - if he can: if nonmaterial - or shooting a projectile - if a projectiles can pass through the closed door; it`s the 2nd door flag); you will see him in the doorframe. IF the flag is NOT SET, he would move through the door, but he could also move in any other direction, if possible. Randomly. Or stay in the same cell.. so there is less probable that he pass the door (because he could go another direction, for example). I tested it in the same dungeon with this doorflag SET and, again, with the same doorflag UNSET. The ghost behaviour was different in each case, as I described.

Since the door is visible/invisible for the monster, I would name that flag "monster can see through the closed door".

In first case monster arrives in the doorframe immediately, because he`s "chasing" you. In the second case you`ll have to wait a bit until monster will arrive in the door [because he`s moving randomly - and each impossible move(wall etc) is cancelled]*.

*- I suppose that when the monster is NOT SEEING the party (monster is behind the wall or closed "visible" door for example, so he cannot see the party) he moves more slowly than when he SEEING you ("chasing" mode). Even when he`s very close to the player!) But I`m not sure about that, it`s Paul who could confirm this.

Theoretically , immaterial beings
can pass through all kinds of doors but often dungeon designers
prevent them from doing so

the best way is to put the invicible monster teleporter, wchich is targetted to the previous tile. But it works for all the monsters together (in CSBwin). When I want this teleporter to pass particular monster kind and stop another, say pass the rives but stop the dragons, there is no such possibility. But maybe this can be done by DSAs.

You're right adamo, I'll have to update the web site with all this information.
I'll do that when I find enough time to carefully read all your notes and understand the changes I have to make.
Thanks for the hard work you must have done to find all this!

Christophe, you can also put my code tables somewhere if they might be useful for someone. Tables are in the http://www.dungeon-master.com/forum/vie ... hp?t=26563 thread.

understand the changes I have to make

OMG, I hope you`ll understand my creepy english! If any questions, just ask!

Thanks for the hard work you must have done to find all this!

credits goes to Paul Stevens, rain`, Sophia and all the others, I just did a bit of investigations and combinations mostly by tries-and-mistakes method!

yeah, quite good to have all this info about monsters neatly in one place
i am just wondering>which flag is set? the monster`s flag or the flag of the door??

@zoooom: the door in ADGE door editor has:
- one value (strenght),
- 1st flag (monster can see you through the closed door) incorrectly described as "non-material cannot pass",
- 2nd flag (projectiles can pass),
- 3rd flag (mirrored randomly).

2nd flag> projectiles can pass
reminds me of my shortest dm game, where I did accidentially
throw the beginning golden key through the door. Game over!

zoooom wrote:2nd flag> projectiles can pass
reminds me of my shortest dm game, where I did accidentially
throw the beginning golden key through the door. Game over!

That shouldn't be possible, FTL made sure you couldn't have unwinnable games. Maybe this was a very early version you were playing.

I also remember that keys wouldn't pass, just missiles. But then who knows, there were some early versions out (no I don't want to hear anybody saying the word Ful-bomb now!!!)