Hearse

[s***@ereborbbs.duckdns.org]

What's the general opinion on using the bones-file exchanger
hearse for your games?

[Janis Papanagnou]

Post by s***@ereborbbs.duckdns.org
What's the general opinion on using the bones-file exchanger
hearse for your games?

I cannot provide a general opinion, and I also don't see what
you're aiming it, so I'm just addressing a couple aspects...

Bones files are a simple nice means to get static interaction
between games of different player. This includes getting loot
and also the possible threats of what killed the other players.
I know that some players like it and some don't. (Myself I've
never used Hearse.) There's an option in Nethack to control
(enable/disable) bones functionality in your game.

If you're playing locally (on your machine) you see only your
own bones; which might be boring, or may inherently disclose
the items in the bones heap (depending on your RL memory). If
you're playing on some (maybe public) server you will get the
bones of other players on that machine which makes it (to me)
occasionally more interesting. Hearse is a technical solution
to spread bones files across machines. So it's a sensible tool
that you may like to use (if you like to see other's bones in
your games).

I'm not familiar with the features Hearse supports - others
may jump in to provide information. But I suppose you'll have
probably (for example) a larger set of "parallel" bones files
available to be possibly loaded.

Janis

[Jukka Lahtinen]

Post by Janis Papanagnou

Post by s***@ereborbbs.duckdns.org
What's the general opinion on using the bones-file exchanger
hearse for your games?

I cannot provide a general opinion, and I also don't see what
you're aiming it, so I'm just addressing a couple aspects...

Same here, never used it myself.

Post by Janis Papanagnou
If you're playing locally (on your machine) you see only your
own bones; which might be boring, or may inherently disclose
the items in the bones heap (depending on your RL memory). If

That is true and a very valid point.

Post by Janis Papanagnou
you're playing on some (maybe public) server you will get the
bones of other players on that machine which makes it (to me)
occasionally more interesting. Hearse is a technical solution
to spread bones files across machines. So it's a sensible tool

I just wonder, does Hearse affect the probability of bones files being
loaded, compared to the situation where all the players using hears
would play on the same server?
I know the game has a certain probabilty of creating a bones file when
you die, and a certain probability of the existence a bones file being
checked and, if presend, loaded, when you arrive to a new level.
And I suppose it doesn't change these probabilities.

But what it may change, is the probability of a suitable bones file
being found when the game decides to check whether there is one.
When bones files are checked and found just on the server you play on,
it is loaded and deleted. But I have the impression that Hearse doesn't
always delete the bones file used, so it may give it to several players,
so it may have a greater probability of a bones file being found when
checked.
Of course, whether this makes the game easier or harder, is a random
thing. So I am not sure whether it affects the total balance and how.

[Janis Papanagnou]

Post by Jukka Lahtinen
I just wonder, does Hearse affect the probability of bones files being
loaded, compared to the situation where all the players using hears
would play on the same server?
I know the game has a certain probabilty of creating a bones file when
you die, and a certain probability of the existence a bones file being
checked and, if presend, loaded, when you arrive to a new level.
And I suppose it doesn't change these probabilities.

Hearse is an externality to Nethack (AFAICT), so the probabilities
for saving/loading bones files should be the same as usual. But while
on the own machine there may be just limited amounts of bones files
available with Hearse there may be plenty. So I suppose if the check
for bones files often results in "no file available" on the own
machine on a server (of with Hearse) it may more often trigger and
find files to load.

Post by Jukka Lahtinen
But what it may change, is the probability of a suitable bones file
being found when the game decides to check whether there is one.

Yes, that's what I also think.

Post by Jukka Lahtinen
When bones files are checked and found just on the server you play on,
it is loaded and deleted. But I have the impression that Hearse doesn't
always delete the bones file used, so it may give it to several players,
so it may have a greater probability of a bones file being found when
checked.

(I should have read your whole post before writing my comment above,
so all I can do is to agree. :-)

Post by Jukka Lahtinen
Of course, whether this makes the game easier or harder, is a random
thing. So I am not sure whether it affects the total balance and how.

Janis