Roguelike Radio Episode 128: How To Be Good At Roguelikes
Oct 31, 2016
Mikko Juola (Adeon), a top NetHack player; David (zxc), a disciplined DCSS competitor; Brandon (Demise), a DCSS speedrunner and content creator; Darren Grey, a veteran ADOM speedrunner. They discuss learning via wikis and spectating, speedruns and challenges as teaching tools, pacing and the ‘cup of tea’ stop-and-think trick, and which skills transfer across different roguelikes.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Avoid The Comfortable Rut
- Repeating the same safe tactics limits learning and creativity.
- Forcing unusual constraints exposes new mechanics and builds broader skill.
Broaden Your Playbook
- Practice a wide variety of species, backgrounds and strategies to grow as a player.
- David recommends goals like 'greater player' to force breadth and learning.
Big Versus Small Roguelikes
- Big roguelikes reward knowledge of many edge cases and non-damage tactics.
- Smaller roguelikes demand precise movement and micro-decisions with almost no margin for error.