
                        Welcome to Opinion Angband!

     Opinion Angband, or Oangband for short, is one of the many variants of 
Angband.  It was created to accomplish exactly two things:  To be an exercise 
in C programming, and to turn a new conception of non-magical combat into a 
game you can enjoy.  As you will shortly discover, however, this variant has 
developed a life of its own.  A selection of features includes:

- The elimination of years of slow HP and damage inflation, and a "tabula
rasa" approach to game balance in general.

- A fundamentally altered conception of physical combat.

- Specialty abilities alowing character customization.

- A radically revised magical system, offering you the chance to play any of 
four spellcasters, any of four warrior-spellcasters, or the pure warrior we 
all know and love.

- A new system of incremental resistance to elements.

- Very much more varied classes.  Mages are great with magical items, Rogues 
steal and set traps, Assassins whip poisoned knives at their foes, Paladins 
smite with elemental powers, Priests evoke the power of Holy Light, and 
Necromancers just blast everything in sight.  

- Races are also more differentiated.  There are three new races, including 
one designed especially for new players.

- More ways to combat monsters.  Now you really can start and win the game 
relying on magic, melee, shooting, throwing, or magical devices to do damage 
to your foes.

- The most cunning AI in any Angband variant.  Monster mana.  All
sorts of new monster nastiness.

- Dragons are dangerous once more, Undead have a deadly touch, Trolls
will gleefully pelt you to death with boulders, and those Zephyr
Hounds are out of control.  In Oangband, even the snakes have
attitude.

- Enhanced object description and learning code.  Dungeon features that affect 
movement, sighting, and combat.  Exciting chests and nasty traps.

- More varied dungeons, including new room types, special levels, lakes, forests, 
and lots of new vaults.

- Shapeshifting, interface enhancements (including big-screen), and circular 
detection spells.

- One-slot wand and rod stacking, arc spells, themed random artifacts, and 
player ghosts that challenge you to mortal combat.

- A versatile quiver that makes archery really practical.

- Sets of artifacts that grow in power when used together.

- New just about everything.  Whether it be Wands of Storms, the Dark Elven 
Smith Eol, Shields of Night and Day, Athelas, Amulets of the Lion, Large 
Jeweled Chests, or activatable rings, Oangband has novelty enough for anyone.

- And Angband-compatible savefiles.


If you feel the need for more detail, I'd suggest just perusing the help
files.  You will also find a file in the "lib/info/diffs" folder that lists
(many of) the changes between Oangband 0.6.2 and 0.7.0.


=== The Jaded Angband Player's Guide to Oangband ===

-Don't think a whip will instantly make you a combat machine.
-Don't ignore combat magic and spells that hinder monsters.
-Melee requires as much backpack space as magic.
-Don't try to melee or shoot with the pros if you haven't the Skill to swing
 it.
-For similar effects to "resistance" in Angband, you will need two resistance
 items for basic elements, and one item for "high" elements.
-Forget about blows.  Most characters get two for a long time.
-Don't ignore infravision, searching, and perception.
-Don't go into autopilot and sell every damage-dealing wand, staff, or rod you 
 see.
-Useful utility magics aren't only found in spellbooks and rods.
-Don't expect to deal with vaults just using Genocide and Destruction.
-Don't expect to trap or trick Morgoth easily.
-Beware of uniques you don't know from Angband; even some you do know
 (like Ancalagon) may be different.
-And never, never, never, think this game is fair.  It's not.


Bahman Rabii and Leon Marrick

=== Oangband Copyright Information ===
=== See also angdesc.txt for Angband Copyright Information ===

Oangband Version 0.4  : 4/18/99  Leon Marrick

Oangband Version 0.5  : 4/18/99  Bahman Rabii

Oangband Version 0.6  : 1/10/03  Bahman Rabii

Oangband Version 0.7  : 4/21/05  Bahman Rabii

Copyright (c) 2005      Bahman Rabii, Leon Marrick, Robert Ruehlmann,
                        Ben Harrison, James E. Wilson, Robert A. Koeneke

This software may be copied and distributed for educational, research,
and not for profit purposes provided that this copyright and statement
are included in all such copies.  Other copyrights may also apply.

All changes made by Bahman Rabii are also available under the GNU
GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE.  Note that this doesn't influence the current
distribution, since parts of the source are still only available under
the old Moria/Angband/Oangband license.  Until all parts of Angband
are distributed under the GPL the only valid license remains the
original Moria/Angband license.
