Option Descriptions

Options are accessible through the O or = command, which provides an interface to the various sets of options available to the player.

In the descriptions below, each option is listed as the textual summary which is shown on the “options” screen, plus the internal name of the option in brackets, followed by a textual description of the option.

Various concepts are mentioned in the descriptions below, including “disturb”, (cancel any running, resting, or repeated commands, which are in progress), “flush” (forget any keypresses waiting in the keypress queue), “fresh” (dump any pending output to the screen), and “sub-windows” (see below).

User Interface Options

When setting the user interface options, there are a handful of commands to make it easier to get to a well-known state for all of those options. They are: ‘s’ to save the current selections so that they will be used as the starting point for future characters, ‘r’ to reset the current selections to the defaults for a new character, and ‘x’ to reset the current selections to the Angband maintainer’s defaults for the user interface options.

Rogue-like movement hjkl_movement

Uses the hjklyubn keys for movement.

Use sound use_sound

Turns on sound effects, if your system supports them.

Quick messages quick_messages

Dismisses ‘-more-’ and ‘y/n’ prompt with any key.

Angband-like commands angband_keyset

Selects the “Angband-like” command set (see “command.txt” for info).

Stop singing at the rest command stop_singing_on_rest

The character will Stop singing the rest command starts.

Don’t attack unwary monsters automatically forgo_attacking_unwary

Bonus attacks on non-alert enemies aren’t taken. This is particularly useful for players who value stealth highly and are trying to remain unobserved.

Audible beep beep

A beep sound will be made on errors such as giving an illegal direction.

Highlight player with cursor between turns highlight_player

Highlights the player with a cursor. Useful if you have trouble finding the player.

Highlight target with cursor show_target

Highlights the current targeted monster with a cursor. Useful when combined with “use old target by default”.

Highlight sleeping and unwary creatures highlight_unwary

Sleeping and unwary creatures will have a grey background.

Show walls as solid blocks solid_walls

Walls are solid blocks instead of # for granite and % for veins. Veins are coloured darker than granite for differentiation purposes.

Show walls with shaded backgrounds hybrid_walls

Walls appear as # and % symbols overlaid on a gray background block. This overrides solid_walls.

Color: Shimmer multi-colored things animate_flicker

Certain powerful monsters and items will shimmer in real time, i.e. between keypresses.

Center map continuously center_player

The map always centres on the player with this option on. With it off, it is divided into 25 sections, with coordinates (0,0) to (4,4), and will show one section at a time - the display will “flip” to the next section when the player nears the edge.

Avoid centering while running run_avoid_center

The game will wait until a run is finished before re-centering the map. This is more efficient.

Automatically clear -more- prompts auto_more

The game does not wait for a keypress when it comes to a ‘-more-’ prompt, but carries on going.

Allow mouse clicks to move the player mouse_movement

Clicking on the main window will be interpreted as a move command to that spot.

Display damage on hit display_hits

Display the damage done to a monster when it is hit.

Always pickup items pickup_always

Automatically picks up items when you walk upon them, provided it is safe to do so.

Always pickup items matching inventory pickup_inven

Like pickup_always, but picks up an item only if it is a copy of an item that you already have in your inventory.

Show flavors in object descriptions show_flavors

Display “flavors” (color or variety) in object descriptions, even for objects whose type is known. This does not affect objects in stores.

Birth options

The birth options may only be changed when creating a character or using the quick restart option for a dead character. When setting the birth options, there are a handful of commands to make it easier to get to a well-known state for all of the birth options. They are: ‘s’ to save the current selections so that they will be used as the starting point for future characters, ‘r’ to reset the current selections to the defaults for a new character, and ‘x’ to reset the current selections to the Angband maintainer’s defaults for the birth options.

Generate disconnected stairs birth_discon_stairs

With this option turned off, if you go down stairs, you start the new level on an up staircase, and vice versa (if you go up stairs, you start the next level on a down staircase).

With this option on, you will never start on a staircase - but other staircases up and down elsewhere on the level will still be generated.

Force player descent (never make up stairs) birth_force_descend

Upwards staircases do not work. All downward staircases, transport the character one level down (two for shafts).

Restrict creation of artifacts birth_no_artifacts

No artifacts will be created. Ever. Just how masochistic are you?

Cheating options

Peek into monster creation cheat_hear

Cheaters never win. But they can peek at monster creation.

Peek into dungeon creation cheat_room

Cheaters never win. But they can peek at room creation.

Peek into something else cheat_xtra

Cheaters never win. But they can see debugging messages.

Allow player to avoid death cheat_live

Cheaters never win. But they can cheat death.

Window flags

Some platforms support “sub-windows”, which are windows which can be used to display useful information generally available through other means. The best thing about these windows is that they are updated automatically (usually) to reflect the current state of the world. The “window options” can be used to specify what should be displayed in each window. The possible choices should be pretty obvious.

Display inven/equip

Display the player inventory (and sometimes the equipment).

Display equip/inven

Display the player equipment (and sometimes the inventory).

Display player (basic)

Display a brief description of the character, including a breakdown of the current player “skills” (including attacks/shots per round).

Display player (extra)

Display a special description of the character, including some of the “flags” which pertain to a character, broken down by equipment item.

Display player (compact)

Display a brief description of the character, including a breakdown of the contributions of each equipment item to various resistances and stats.

Display map view

Display the area around the player or around the target while targeting. This allows using graphical tiles in their original size.

Display messages

Display the most recently generated “messages”.

Display overhead view

Display an overhead view of the entire dungeon level.

Display monster recall

Display a description of the monster which has been most recently attacked, targeted, or examined in some way.

Display object recall

Display a description of the most recently selected object. Currently this only affects spellbooks and prayerbooks. This window flag may be usefully combined with others, such as “monster recall”.

Display monster list

Display a list of monsters you know about and their distance from you.

Display status

Display the current status of the player, with permanent or temporary boosts, resistances and status ailments (also available on the main window).

Display item list

Display a list of items you know about and their distance from you.

Left Over Information

The hitpoint_warn value, if non-zero, is the percentage of maximal hitpoints at which the player is warned that they may die. It is also used as the cut-off for using the color red to display both hitpoints and mana.

The delay_factor value, if non-zero, will slow down the visual effects used for missile, bolt, beam, and ball attacks. The actual time delay is equal to delay_factor squared, in milliseconds.

The lazymove_delay value, if non-zero, will allow the player to move diagonally by pressing the two appropriate arrow keys within the delay time. This may be useful particularly when using a keyboard with no numpad.