Lapis Philosophorum #2: Short versus long term advantages
Introduction Where do roguelikes get their tactical and strategic depth? Perhaps the most important mechanism is that of trade-offs between short term en long term advantages. Here's a simple example: I'm facing a centaur in DCSS, and he has already damaged me heavily. Will I use my scroll of blinking to escape from him, or do I risk trying to kill him before he kills me? Here, using the scroll of blinking will give me an advantage now : I'll escape from the centaur and I won't die. But not using it, if I survive the fight, gives me an advantage later : I'll still have the scroll of blinking, which is one of the best escape options in the game. Of course, this is not the only kind of tactical/strategic choice that a roguelike player has to make. Another important category are choices between getting one of two advantages right now. Shall I wear a ring of poison resistance or a ring of negative energy resistance? But the short versus long term trade-offs a